Recent Articles

Why Traditional Selling Still Works (in: Resource Page)
Mar 3, 2010

The internet is a great sales tool. Believe me, it is an essential key in my own business and you wouldn’t be reading this article without the power of an ezine company. However, in the age of technology, it seems like many people have forgotten about the power of traditional selling. The power of the telephone. The power of a face to face meeting.

Traditional selling works. I define traditional selling as picking up the telephone, scheduling a face to face meeting and getting off the phone. Remember, your goal isn’t to sell over the phone, simply to get the appointment. Once you are sitting face to face with a client, THEN you can help them determine whether or not your products or services can help them. Until you are sitting down with them, it’s difficult to know, and the sales process will drag on!

When I first started my sales career, my goal was to make 100 calls per day. Back then we focused on quantity, not quality, but I got REALLY good at picking up the phone and scheduling meetings. In my experience as a Sales Coach, I find that people don’t want to pick up the phone these days. They would rather shoot off a quick email and see what happens.

But then they wait. And hope. And wait. And hope. And wait.

Meanwhile, your prospect is wondering why you haven’t called them. I’m not kidding!

I believe there are three main reasons that traditional selling still works:

The phone is a fast and easy way to reach people!
Think about it. You can literally pick up your telephone at any given moment, type in a number and have someone answer at the other end. How long does it take? Seconds!

How many people could you call in just thirty minutes? ? A lot! I promise your sales would go up with just thirty minutes of solid calling every day.

Do You Love Your Clients? (in: Resource Page)
Feb 15, 2010

When I first started my journey in my own business over five years ago, I sincerely believed that everyone was my Target Client. I had no idea that there was a world where we could love ALL of the clients we work with. In fact, when someone asked me who I helped in business, I would tell them that I could help "anyone who needed help growing their business".

Yikes! Anyone? And let me tell you, "anyone" showed up! "Anyone" was not a good fit for my business. I remember a time when I received a high quality referral (or at least I thought it was!) and I set the appointment. During the initial meeting, I felt a tightening in my stomach area, and I knew something was off. As the meeting continued, I realized that this person in front of me was not a Target Client. In fact, they were not a fit for my business at all.

But, I didn't stop the meeting.

Why Didn't I Get That Sale? (in: Resource Page)
Jan 29, 2010

Throughout my years as a Sales Coach, one of the questions that my clients will sometimes ask me is, "Why didn't I get that sale?" 

I say, "sometimes" because no one wants to really talk about lost sales. We don't even like to admit that we didn't get the sale.

But I want to tell you that sometimes not getting the sale isn't a bad thing. And, there are things you can do to reduce the amount of sales you don't get.

The reality is you aren't going to get every sale. Nor would you want to. It is important to remember, though, that selling begins in your mind.

When I wrote Selling with Intention, my primary goal was to teach Sales Professionals and Entrepreneurs that they had a lot more control over selling then they thought.  And that was the key-more than they thought. Selling begins in your mind, and when you "get that" at a deep level, selling can become effortless.

Think back to the last time you didn't get a sale. How did the interaction begin? How did it end?  My guess is that it was one of the reasons I am going to share with you below.

Top 5 Things I Left Behind in 2009! (in: Resource Page)
Jan 20, 2010

While digging deeply into  my unorganized closets over the holidays, I realized it was time to let go of more than just the clothes I hadn't worn in the past six months! I realized that I had been holding onto relationships, fears, material items and beliefs that were getting in the way of moving my life and business forward.  

Although letting go can sometimes be scary, I promise you that you will feel better, and when you feel better, you cannot help but make room for new opportunities, experiences and clients to show up!

I hope my top 5 list inspires you to let go of those things that no longer serve you!

5 Tips to Make 2010 Your Most Prosperous Sales Year Yet! (in: Resource Page)
Dec 9, 2009

Sales success begins in the mind.  If you cannot first "see" the success in your mind, it is unlikely that you will ever achieve it. 
 
It took me a long time to really understand that at a deep level.  It's not enough to just "get by" but so many people subconsciously "see that" in their minds and then wonder at the end of the month why they haven't reached their stretch goal. 
 
When I teach my Selling with Intention courses, or coach my clients, I don't let them believe that just "getting by" is ever enough. It is important to actually ask for the sales stretch goal that you REALLY want, rather than letting the month just take you wherever it will.  There is a proactive way to get there and a reactive way to just turn on auto-pilot. 
 

3 Ways to Break Through Your Financial Set Point! (in: Resource Page)
Dec 9, 2009

Most Entrepreneurs and Sales Professionals choose their career or business path because they want to have unlimited financial freedom in their lives. And yet, as they "get into it", they bump up against what I like to refer to as their, "Financial Set Point" - or that revenue number that they just can't seem to get through.

5 Things Successful Sales Pros Do! (in: Resource Page)
Oct 27, 2009

As a Sales Expert, I am inevitably asked by business owners, sales managers and sales professionals the following question: “What makes a salesperson successful?”  I always have to take a deep breath and a pause before I answer because there isn’t just one answer. 

And there certainly isn’t a simple answer.

What Your Prospects Really Want - But Aren't Telling You! (in: Resource Page)
Oct 27, 2009

I just finished teaching another 3-Day Selling with Intention Intensive Course and after receiving a voice-mail from an excited student, I just had to share his message with you!  After completing the 3-Day Selling with Intention Intensive Course, my client (we'll call him "Fred" for confidentiality purposes) went back into the field the next day. Practicing what he learned in class and the 10 Principles of Selling with Intention, he was able to go "For for Four"-or close the four prospects that he was in front of during the day.  In my book, that is a 100% closing ratio. Not bad!

3 Ways to Sell with Intention and Get Results! (in: Resource Page)
Aug 5, 2009

Since I have written Selling with Intention and trained hundreds of people, I am always thinking about what is most important in utilizing the 10 Principles of Selling with Intention. 

 
While all of the Principles are important, I believe that there are three that hold the others together. The reason that these three are so important is because when you aren't using them, your sales results are impacted really quickly. 
 
And not in a positive way!  

The One Thing You Can Do to Grow Your Sales NOW! (in: Resource Page)
Jul 2, 2009

It was Monday morning and my phone was ringing.  I knew that I shouldn't answer the phone because it was going to take me off my plan for the day, but I answered it anyway.  From there, my email "sucked" me in and a few hours later I hadn't completed the one task that morning that I knew was directly responsible for increasing my sales.
 
And that one thing is FOLLOWING UP!