Category Archives: Delta Points of Sales Excellence
Ask for a Commitment
When I speak to groups of sales reps, I often ask if the following statement is true, “I am more likely to ask a closing question when my boss is with me than when I am by myself.” Virtually every … Continue reading
Changing Habits
What affects virtually every aspect of your life and determines how your life operates? Habits! Studies have shown that 90% of our normal behavior is based on habits. Habits are pervasive – they affect nearly every area of our lives: … Continue reading
Communicating Better
On a recent flight, I read an article in the in-flight magazine in which the writer (Katherine Dudley Hoehn) talked about a lesson she learned about how to communicate better. Her “insights” matched with what I’ve been advocating for years … Continue reading
Being Influenced By Others
How easily are we swayed by others? In sales, we try to influence or persuade our customers to use our products. Yet we often encounter misperceptions and misunderstandings, either about our products or our competition in the mind of our … Continue reading
6 Rules for Setting Goals for Success
A few months ago I wrote about Reggie Williams and his dream of playing for the NBA (“Reggie Williams and Setting Goals”). Today I wanted to share with you 6 rules that if followed, greatly increase the likelihood that you’ll achieve your goals and make your dreams come true. Continue reading
What is Selling?
There are a lot of definitions of selling. It’s probably safe to say that each individual has their own definition. This variety can create conflict in an organization because our beliefs drive our behavior. When an organization does not specifically define selling with clarity for its sales team, it is likely that team members will behave inconsistently, which will in turn have an impact on the relationships and messages customers will hear. Obviously, this is not optimal for salespeople, the brand, or the company. Continue reading
Handling Objections Effectively
Objections are often the major reason that customers hesitate before they buy or don’t buy at all. They are always an obstacle to a final sale unless you know the correct way to respond to each of them. But before uttering a standard response to an objection, it makes sense to take a step back and determine exactly why the objection was raised.
I’ve learned that there are basically four main reasons that our customers throw obstacles in our path (known as objections): Continue reading
Mindset and Selling Success
In Paradise Lost, John Milton wrote, “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of Hell, a hell of Heaven.”
Within your mind are the synapses and thought processes that create you as an individual—it’s a powerful thing. Within this wonderful creation called a brain resides your mindset—the established set of attitudes and beliefs that you hold. You accumulate the attitudes and beliefs that compose your mindset from your parents, friends, schooling, and life experiences. Indeed, virtually everything you see, hear, touch, taste, and smell may affect your mindset. Continue reading
The Biggest Differentiator in Selling
Can you identify the reason most people buy your product? Is it price? Is it the unique features and benefits that make what you sell so attractive? Actually, it’s you, the sales person! This was substantiated by a McKinsey study published in May 2010. Even though customers may claim that their decision of what to buy was made based on the cost or the product features, in most cases, this is simply not true. It is the quality of the selling experience that makes all the difference. Continue reading
Interesting Openings
It’s been said that you create a person’s interest in—or resistance to—what you have to say in the first 20 seconds of your conversation. I’m not sure that time can be measured so precisely but I do believe that very early on you either stimulate interest or provoke resistance. So, if this is true, what can you do to make those 20 seconds work for you? The key is to say something pretty interesting.
I’ve learned that you can create interesting openings basically in three ways. First, you can use relevant facts Continue reading
