In traditional sales, selling is telling and that requires a lot of talking. Talking is not a selling skill. It is a waste of time and the most common complaint toward sales people. What are good selling skills? The opposite of telling is asking, the opposite of talking is listening and the opposite of selling [...]

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There are many definitions of success in life, and some are held in higher regard than others. Most people seem to strive for success at work as the primary objective in their life, all the while taking for granted the many other things that they achieve in their home or community. It’s important to be [...]

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A sales manager’s toughest job is demonstrating appropriate sales behavior. Essentially this is a behavior their sales team can emulate. What appropriate sales discipline or behavior is best demonstrated by a sales manager? Are you telling your sales people what to do? Are you telling them what their sales targets should be? If [...]

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Sales is considered a dirty word by many professionals and no one wants to be associated with it. However, no matter what profession or business you are in, you will not survive without sales. Non-selling professionals and entrepreneurs need sales training in order to survive in today’s new economy of buyers. Believe it or [...]

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With today’s new economy of buyers, traditional and consultative sales training methods no longer work. If you want to up your bottom line, you need to invest in buyer focused sales training, with supporting sales management training. Let’s face it, the world revolves around sales. Without sales there are no transactions, no revenue, no [...]

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Sales training in today’s new economy of buyers will contribute more to your bottom line than any other activity. You will see how sales training will affect budget cutbacks, sales incentives, new product launches and personal growth not to mention significant bottom line improvements. Let me share with you the story of two different clients [...]

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It is important for management to understand that the world revolves around sales. Sales is the bloodline that ensures the survival of every business in the world! Therefore, I ask you, “who cannot afford sales training these days?” There are no sales, without buyers; there are no transactions, without sales; and there is no [...]

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Research has proven that 87% of information acquired during a sales training session will be lost one month later upon completion of the sales training program. This research was conducted by Huthwaite. Therefore, 87% of your time allocated to sales training is lost because the acquired knowledge is generally forgotten after 30 days! What [...]

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Many organizations invest in sales training which is wonderful but unfortunately, they do not invest or even consider supporting sales management training. Sales training will not be effective unless management is onboard. An organization will benefit from efficient use of time and get more “bang for your buck” with supporting sales management training. Sales [...]

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Traditional sales training is a waste of time and money because it does not work! In many organizations, sales training is the flavour of the month, with no consistency. Sales training conducted over one, two or three days, in-house or as a public seminar, is really a waste of time and money. [...]

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Most sales training programs do not produce lasting results simply because they are “canned”, just like TV laughter. They can be antiquated, ineffective, and not buyer focused. There is a definite need for most sales people, business owners and non-selling professionals to improve their ability to market and sell their products and services. I am [...]

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Sales training is the foundation for a successful sales career. However, not all sales training is grounded and there are many factors to consider when selecting a sales training program. An individual wouldn’t have any direction without sales training. He/she would be wasting his/her own potential and the resources of the company. Therefore, it [...]

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The last time you went on sales training, were you engaged in the decision? How long was the sale training and/or was the sales training ongoing or was it just the flavor of the month? When or what day(s) of the week was the sales training delivered – during pay time or no pay time? Did the sales [...]

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Do you know… • Who wants to purchase your products and services? • Why your customers come to you instead of your competition? • Which group of people you love to work with and have as clients? Watch this video to learn why it is so important to identify your ideal client. Post from: SUCCESS magazine Blog People who read this also read...Assaraf: 4 Ways to Find Your Ideal Client As I covered in the video from earlier this week, knowing your ideal target...Video: Assaraf on Crafting Your Marketing Message The way you communicate with your potential customers—on your website, in your e-mails, on...Video: Assaraf on Marketing Messages That Get Responses Once you’ve crafted the perfect marketing message to reach your ideal client, where do...

Sales professionals work too hard. Stop selling! Let your customers sell for you with sales referrals. Firstly, you need to learn how and when to ask for a referral. A referral initiates instant trust and reduces your selling cycle time. The time it takes the referred client to buy is usually much less [...]

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People buy from people they like and trust. Sales come from relationships and increased sales results come from following an internationally proven sales results system. The sales system that I am referring to is the “Buyer Focused” Velocity Selling System where it all starts with building relationships. In order to build a lasting relationship, one must [...]

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It is common knowledge that people buy from people they like and trust. Your first objective in a sales call is to gain the prospect’s trust and in the process, get them to like and trust you. This is known as rapport and it is the first step in the eight step “Buyer [...]

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What is the most important part of a salesperson’s job? It is acquiring new business while maintaining the business we already have. Therefore, if that is the most important part of our job, what must we possess in order to make a difference? We do require appropriate behavior but that is not the top answer. We need prospects and customers.

Ultimately, prospects and customers are the most important component in our jobs. We have to relentlessly consider the needs of our prospects and clients in terms of when they want to be contacted or visited, what are their needs and desires, and what can we do for them in order to satisfy those needs and desires.
With this in mind, when is the best time for you to be contacting and spending time with prospects and customers?

The best time, for those of you selling business to business, is between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on any given business day. Real estate agents or salespeople in business to consumer sales should contact clients in the evenings and on weekends. We have to determine the best time to contact our target market and focus strictly on that time. I like to refer to this as revenue generating time or pay time.

Pay time is a certain time of day you can be in contact with customers knowing it will generate revenue. Let’s define pay time behaviors as behaviors that lead us to accomplish our goals or sales quotas. This includes networking, prospecting, telephone calls, follow up, face to face, presentations, customer service, and so on. Take a moment and identify the pay time behaviors you require on a daily basis in order to meet your goals.

Now let’s take a look at when these pay time behaviors should be conducted. A salesperson’s job is to be proactive whenever possible and less reactive. You already know the preferred time to call on your customers. If you are selling business to business, you know that Monday mornings and Friday afternoons are not the best of times to be calling on prospects or clients. Any other time of the business week is best. Your job is to identify the preferred times to be in contact with your target market and to carry out those pay time behaviors during those times.

The opposite side of pay time behavior generates absolutely no revenue. The no pay time behaviors are filling out call reports, writing letters, sending and replying to e-mail messages, completing and submitting expense reports, attending sales meetings, training, and other corporate demands. None of these behavioral activities generate more revenue or pay; however, they are part of the job requirement.

You must control these no-pay time behaviors. Although these activities are a necessity, when you do them makes all the difference. Never perform “no pay time” activities during “pay time”. The no pay time activities should be executed when the prospect or customer is unavailable or during the time before or after closing hours, holidays, weekends, etc. when no revenue will be generated.

Far too many salespeople do not manage their time well. They use no pay time behaviors as excuses to avoid pay time behavior. Manage you behavioral activity properly and reap the benefits of more sales, more revenue and rewarding results.

Tags: sales techniques, sales strategies, increase sales, goal setting worksheet

Got goals? Millions of words have been written about goals. I’ve personally written thousands of them. Ninety-nine percent focus on “how-to” set and achieve them in one form or another. Books, articles, videos, seminars, online courses, and of course, classic classroom learning. Everyone sets goals. Some people set them on their own, others have them set for [...] Post from: SUCCESS magazine Blog People who read this also read...Part 6: The MAGIC Factor to Achieving Your Goals Review: INTRO, GETTING READY & PARTS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Typically, the...Good, Better or Best? Are you the best at what you do? Everyone wants success, but very...Evolving from Salesperson to Trusted Advisor When I say the words trusted advisor, what words come to mind? Relationship?...

In 1972, when I was studying sales and positive attitude, I watched a movie called “Challenge to America,” almost everyday. It was a story told by the great Glenn W. Turner who wrote a letter to Santa Clause every year asking for everything his wealthy cousins received. Glenn was a poor farmer’s son who never got [...] Post from: SUCCESS magazine Blog People who read this also read...Evolving from Salesperson to Trusted Advisor When I say the words trusted advisor, what words come to mind? Relationship?...It’s the last day of 2009. Find out why you didn’t meet the goals you set in January. Got goals? Millions of words have been written about goals. I’ve personally written thousands...What’s So Funny about Being Professional? There’s an old sales adage that says,...

Follow-Up Calls that Get You Closer to Closing Saying Thank You After They Say “No” Post from: SUCCESS magazine Blog People who read this also read...It’s the last day of 2009. Find out why you didn’t meet the goals you set in January. Got goals? Millions of words have been written about goals. I’ve personally written thousands...Evolving [...] Post from: SUCCESS magazine Blog People who read this also read...It’s the last day of 2009. Find out why you didn’t meet the goals you set in January. Got goals? Millions of words have been written about goals. I’ve personally written thousands...Evolving from Salesperson to Trusted Advisor When I say the words trusted advisor, what words come to mind? Relationship?...Declaration of Windependence:...

When I say the words trusted advisor, what words come to mind? Relationship? Helpful advice? Strategic alliance? Consultant? Two questions: Do you believe you are a trusted advisor? Do your customers perceive you as a trusted advisor? Before you begin this lesson, take a moment to list the accounts where you feel you’re a trusted advisor: list the people who rely on you [...] Post from: SUCCESS magazine Blog People who read this also read...What’s So Funny about Being Professional? There’s an old sales adage that says, “If you can make em laugh,...Buying Motives e-book below)'>How to Sell or Why They Buy (download free Buying Motives e-book below) People don’t like to be sold, but they love to buy is my...Be Your Own Santa Claus In 1972, when I was studying sales and positive...

There’s an old sales adage that says, “If you can make em laugh, you can make em buy.” The reason its old and the reason its been around so long is that its true. Humor and laughter are two key ingredients in building and gaining a customer relationship. The challenge with humor is: 1. People don’t know how [...] Post from: SUCCESS magazine Blog People who read this also read...Evolving from Salesperson to Trusted Advisor When I say the words trusted advisor, what words come to mind? Relationship?...Be Your Own Santa Claus In 1972, when I was studying sales and positive attitude, I watched a...Go the Extra Mile When I say “going the extra mile,” what do you think about? Hard...