Attention Sales Maggots!   Its time to get off your butts and learn to become real Sales Warriors!   In this episode of the SalesRoundup Joe and Mike are going to break you down and reassemble you into the ultimate Sales Warrior!   Actually. we’re just going to let Michael Nick tell you about his free on-line Sales Boot Camp offering.
Enjoy!

In this Show we interviewed Michael Nick, President, ROI4Sales
www.roi4sales.com

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1. Back to the Sales Basics
2. Selling in the New Normal Part 3
3. Income Opportunity – Make money by being a reseller

 As the economy heats up staffing firms again are hiring sales reps to bring in the business.  Regarding the specific task of hiring sales personnel, staffing firms have the exact same challenges of their clients.  They hire sales people they like.  Not a prudent practice.  There are many practices a staffing company can do to increase the success of hiring sales reps.  The results are worth thousands of dollars…, in your favor.

 When to hire a Sales Personnel

Astute business owners typically use an economic model to assist them in deciding when to retract staff or add on staff.  An economic model is not a budget or a particular profit and loss format.  Rather, an economic model is a financial model that one uses to stand one’s business up against to help make hiring decisions from a financial perspective. 

 In an economic mode, a business would have financial line item goals, and would be managing the business to or within these specific goals.  For example, the business may not want the general and administrative expenses to exceed a certain percentage of revenue or they may not want the sales expense to drop below a certain percentage of revenue.  Below are two economic models: one for a low margin staffing business unit and one for a fair margin staffing business unit. 

 In example 1, the “sales” expense is listed as 3% of revenue.  If the actual “sales” expense is 5% of revenue, then under this model, one will not be adding on sales executives.  Why, because the existing sales team has not reached full production levels and has additional capacity to generate revenue.  If the actual “sales” expense is 3% of revenue, then under this model, one will be adding sales personnel.  Why, because the existing sales reps are running at full production levels.  (One word of warning is, if the business’ compensation plan is too rich, than this dynamic will throw off the economic model.)

 In example 2, we are shooting for the 25% gross margin levels.  This is a staffing firm offering niche services.  We have more raw dollars to allocate toward the “sales” expense.  Great!  And because it is a staffing firm offering special niche staffing services, we generally end up paying healthy salaries plus a commission structure to sales reps.  All that said, the same guidelines will be in play.  In example 2, if the actual “sales” expense is 7% of revenue, than the business will not be adding on sales staff.  Why, they are under producing.  If the actual “sales” expense is 4% of revenue, the sales team is producing at above average levels.   It is time to add on the sales staff. 

 Another time to hire sales reps, beyond the economic models, is when the company has built out a strategic plan and has the plan, intent and money to open up in new markets.  Yes, we develop performa’s to assist us in making good decisions and managing how we are spending money in a new venture or new market.  But we are adding sales personnel based on strategic intent and our desire to grow the business. 

 Another time to hire sales reps is when our intuition over rides our logic.  Business people working in markets have a “feel” for the market.  They know when business is retracting or when business is picking up not based on the stock market but based on living and moving and operating in that particular business market.  We cannot shun this intuitive messages.  Therefore, a good time to hire a sales rep is when one has that certain feeling that buyers or the local market is beginning to move and shake in a good way. 

 Hiring Process

Process makes perfect.  The main benefit of having a hiring process is that the company ensures that no critical hiring steps are missed when the company is hiring personnel.  Many hiring mistakes are made when an owner or VP of Sales meets a prospect, likes this individual and hires them outside of standard operating procedures.  This is not unique to the staffing industry.  In general, small business struggle with establishing and remaining committed to a standard hiring process. 

Another main benefit of having a hiring process is that one person within the organization can in fact drive the process and be totally responsible for the execution of the hiring process.  If no one person is responsible for the execution of the hiring process then it is a simple case of too many cooks in the kitchen.  Typically, the human resources department assumes responsibility of facilitating the hiring process and making sure that all steps in the process have been fulfilled.  But this does not mean the human resources department would not work hand-in-hand with a Vice President or Regional Manager or Branch Manager. 

 A brief but adequate hiring process might flow as follows:

 Step 1 – Develop a hiring profile: a hiring profile includes particular job experiences and/or characteristic traits.  For example, we hire no candidates right out of college, candidates must have three plus years of selling experience, candidates must have experience selling services not products, candidates must have a college degree, etc.  The hiring profile will also include certain competencies the company is seeking in a suitable candidate such as computer skills, researching skills, phone prospecting skills, face-to-face selling skills, account management skills, etc.  Start with the end in mind and work your way to that outcome in a candidate. 

 Step 2 – Develop a job description: a job description includes specific job task duties that a sales representative has to perform in order to be awarded the job.  Some of these tasks in the staffing industry include researching, phone prospecting, face-to-face meeting with clients, making reference checks, problem solving, attending daily huddle meetings, working with the fulfillment team, etc.  What is going to increase your hiring matches?  Clearly articulating job task duties prior to hiring personnel. 

 Step 3 – Develop a job posting: A good job posting will include all vital information such as industry, job title, salary range, a couple of “must have’s” to apply, and a hook (what’s in it for them) to lure in candidates.  Some staffing firms do not put an email address in the posting, only the mobile number of the Branch Manager or Sales Manager.  Why?  Good sales candidate will weed out companies before the company has the opportunity to sell the candidate on the job.  It is best to have the first point of contact be the sales manager who can (a) hear how the candidate sounds on the phone and (b) close the candidate on a face-to-face interview .

 Step 4 – Posting the position: One can go the route of posting an open job on the well known job boards.  Keep in mind that there are 100’s of job boards that allow for free postings for specific job positions.  Don’t just post on a couple of job boards.  The company has to advertise the job via several job board mediums.  The lesson, cast the net wide. 

 Step 5 – Sort and prioritize candidates: As candidates come in, stand these candidates up against the “hiring profile”.  Now, the established hiring profile will act as the key criteria that will assist the hiring manager or the human resources department in prioritizing top candidates.  Smart sales reps don’t wait around.  If your response is too slow, then you are communicating to candidates that your organization is sluggish and not well managed.  Companies that have their act together make decisions, move on these decisions and make things happen.  And good candidates know it and will act accordingly. 

 Step 6 – Conduct phone interviews: phone interviews are very brief.  The company simply wants to make sure that the candidate has a good phone voice and good phone presence.  The company wants to validate a few items that are in the hiring profile to ensure that the candidate does in fact have these competencies and qualities.  Then the company will want to set up a face-to-face interview.  The key goal of the phone interview is to quickly reach out to the top candidates and get them in the office for a face-to-face. 

 Step 7 – Conduct face-to-face interviews: Face-to-face interviews can last anywhere from an hour to three hours.  The traditional “walk through the resume” technique is an easy way to get started but it wastes a lot of time forgoing more critical interviewing techniques.  What is important in a face-to-face interview is to get a really good feel about the candidate’s in-depth experience in particular competencies.  For example, “Tell me about your problem solving skills?”  “Give me an example where you faced a problem or conflict with another team member.  What did you do?  How did you resolve the conflict?  Where were the outcomes?”  The interviewer wants to dig deep and find out the details of how a candidate performed a certain competency.  Any candidate can say, “Yes, I have sold services.”  You want to have the candidate talk through several examples of how they in fact sold services…and a lot more of course.

 Step 8 – Utilize personality profiles: Industrial psychologists have been developing and validating “sales aptitude” surveys for years.  An acquiring company can purchase such tools for a relatively low price point.  $100 for a personality survey can save a company thousands of dollars on the back end by avoiding bad hires.  In any case, have the candidate take a personality profile.  Process the results with the candidate either in a second face-to-face interview or phone interview after the initial face-to-face interview.   Some EEOC laws do apply with these profiles, but nothing any staffing firm cannot handle.  The organizations selling the tools will guide any customer through these issues. 

 Step 9 – Make a verbal offer: Once the company locks in on a couple of candidates, a verbal offer is made.  A verbal offer is just that, verbal, not in writing.  The company doing the hiring will get a better feel of the candidate in this step.  It is not uncommon for candidates to put their best selling foot forward while interviewing.  When a verbal offer is made, many candidates will put down their guard and show more true colors.  Take note here.  It is critical to not ignore any intuitive hints that may emerge at this point in the hiring process. 

 Step 10 – Negotiate details: If things are positive and move forward, then negotiate all the details verbally on the front end.  First, this gives the candidate ownership in the employment relationship right from the start.  Secondly, the hiring company will also experience firsthand how the candidate performs negotiating skills.  Don’t be put back by a hard negotiator.  If a candidate is negotiating hard for a good deal, chances are that this candidate will negotiate just as hard for your company.

 Step 11 – Run back ground checks: Standard background checks include drug tests and background verification checks which include past employment compensation verification.  Again, many organizations provide this service and in today’s day and age. 

 Step 12 – Make a written offer: The written offer is the last piece.  It is a formality more than anything else.  All the negotiating should be completed prior to a written offer being sent.  There should be no surprises on either side of the equation.  If your firm does not have a standard offer letter, a simple internet search will offer plenty of reliable examples. 

 All said and done, hiring sales reps is not an easy task.  There is an art to the job of hiring sales reps.  Even if one has years of experience, mistakes are still had.  Nobody bats a thousand in this category.  However, a strong economic model and a solid hiring process can really help in minimizing mistakes and truly save the company thousands of dollars on the back end…, in your favor of course.

 Tom Kosnik assists staffing companies improve employee performance, corporate revenues and net income profits.  More can be learned at www.visusgroup.com.  Tom can be reached at 312-527-2950 or tkosnik@visusgroup.com

Are you a sales manager or a sales leader? You ask what the difference is. If you don’t know, then you are probably a sales manager.

Throughout the years, we have referenced sales managers as “managing” their sales talent and getting the maximum production from their team. But is that what they are really doing? In some sense, yes it is. They do manage the account allocation, time allocation, budgetary concerns, territory divisions, routing maps and various other rudimentary tasks that come under that title umbrella.

However, LEADING someone takes on a whole different meaning. Leading someone to achievement involves mentoring them, motivating them, helping them and being a constant cheerleader for them on a daily basis.

Think back on the greatest leaders in corporate America today and you will find they lead people to greatness- they didn’t “manage” them to greatness. Lee Iococca, Ted Welch and many other renowned business leaders have written best-sellers on how to be the best “leader” in your field.

Sales management isn’t an easy business and not for the faint of heart. You are the buffer between corporate revenue goals and your road warriors out on the street every day with constant rejection. Yes, even the best sales professionals get told NO and they learn to deal with it. It isn’t easy and it takes finesse but they do it. Because they know that with enough NO’s, they will eventually get to the YES’s. As the Sales Manager (leader), you help them get back up and go out there to get that next deal. You don’t “manage” them, you lead them on to victory! That’s what you do because you are a SALES LEADER.

Leading with encouragement and being positive is the best gift you can give to your sales team. If you have hired correctly, which is a whole other article, your people will respond accordingly and produce for you. The old days of leading with intimidation and negative reinforcement are long gone. It may work for a brief period but never in the long run.

Being a Sales Leader instead of a Sales Manager is a mindset. There are countless books on the subject in the marketplace and numerous sales trainers available to help you increase your leadership skills. Invest in yourself and your sales team and attend a workshop or read a book on the topic today!

SALES LEADERS are the future of all business growth.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_Houston_Hazen

Selling is relatively easy enough, but the majority of people make things more involved than is strictly necessary. Having programs at the ready, back-up solutions plus a contact manager, are necessities in any business, however, the thing that prevents us from selling is frequently within our sub-conscious, not from any systems employed within the business.

The next few concepts, when used on on a daily basis for 10 trading days, through undivided effort, is going to enhance profits and load additional cash into your wallet. Know Your Objective.

You will simply find nothing more useful in any business than recognizing your goals. Research suggests, if we establish an intention or a objective we subliminally, in addition to purposely, format our activities and resources to accomplish that objective. That which various people consider as fluky or accidental, is in fact the effectiveness of goals at work.

Not many circumstances are as influential as our sub-conscious and if our thought processes aren’t in line, together with our what we are doing, our sub-conscious invariably succeeds. Once you determine a solid objective it delivers to your actions a route to adopt, instead of the being basically rudderless.

Objectives can be, how many potential customers will you get in touch with on a daily basis, or what amount of sales and profits do you think you’re going to generate? You must maintain the target clearly in the fore-front of your mind during your working day. Do not concern yourself about how all the pieces will join together in concert, merely remain centered on your objective. Motive alone, doesn’t substitute for activity, but action only, can often bring about activity and no profits.

Specify your objective making it not too easy, however, at the same time do not make it unachievable. Should you be calling a couple of prospective customers on a daily basis, establish an goal of four potential clients. After you have achieved success at four, increase this to half a dozen, etc.

One Referral Every Day.

On a daily basis, get in touch with an existing customer either by phone or email, this needs to be a person that will be happy to go into bat for you, as your representative, and enquire of them if they know of anybody that they might recommend you to. This activity is not really so much regarding selling, as an exercise in enquiring.

The community of selling consists of infinite networks, all interweaving and crisscrossing by way of relationships. Facebook and Twitter are prime examples of social networking. Selling is perfecting the skill of network connections and educating yourself to request an introduction to the most suitable relationships. This is deemed a vital element to greater sales and greater results. When you are an expert at inquiring for contacts, then start asking for seriously upmarket referrals.

Should you be new to all of this, then first just learn how to merely ask. A lot of people in the business of selling, are convinced the main issue is following the sale, er, no. The main issue is “asking” for the contact. Use this tactic for 10 days and observe your profits increase and your income improve.

If your business is conducted purely online, then it is not your subscriber-base you are chasing. You are looking to find other marketers who have large subscriber lists, who would be willing to partner, or joint venture with you. So you need to be able to make some attractive offer to them, such as a deal on a new product created by you, or joint venture giveaways, where you both get to share in subsequent sign-ups.

Acting Successful Creates Success.

Never delay until you’re already successful to appear prosperous. Behave like your achievement is a fact, like you have already attained your objective. Position yourself at some forward point in time and get the job done using a foundation of success having been achieved. Never engage yourself in a lack of self-confidence, nor any harmful thoughts. Your task is to function from a stance of success for ten working days.

When dealing with potential clients, over the telephone, one on one, or through email, you should act from a position of absolute and guaranteed success. This does not equate to conceit and it’s not cheating, to be someone, or in a position you in fact are not. This really is establishing your intention of results, ten trading days at some forward point in time and altering your thoughts as well as your activities to that position. This will doubtless be the trickiest component of your ten days. Always keep in mind, deeds follow thought processes and behavior lines up with intent. If you are “living” results, you’re thinking results and if you are thinking results, you’ve got it made.

Deny Negativity.

A lot of people are entranced by negativity, this is due to the fact that it allows us verification for the legitimacy of our detrimental beliefs. You must deny your negative thoughts. Rejoice in each and every success, regardless of whether it is a modest one, or a rain-maker. Exalting about every success, trains the thought process to accept further successes. Countless individuals fail at selling, because they condition their thought process to look for justification of lack of success.

Having greater downfalls, you will find greater obstruction to selling from your own sub-conscious, through this obstruction, you will certainly convince yourself of failure, or even more dire, work yourself into the ground with nothing to show for it. For ten trading days, revel in all successful results. You should use these guidelines for 10 days straight, then fine-tune your intentions, this should establish a routine, then educate yourself about new actions while not swamping yourself.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_John_Meagher

If you are new to sales or are considering a career in sales, there are a few guidelines that will help get you started. I understand that there are thousands of workshops, books, experts, etc. on the market today that will help you succeed in sales. My goal with this article to provide you with some guidance that will help you hit the ground running. As you experience success and want more advanced advice, there is plenty available.

1. Listen to the prospect. Yes, this seems obvious but it is actually difficult to do when you are in the heat of conversation. Your gut reaction is probably to talk the person to a yes. You want to show how great the product is, read customer testimonials, hand out brochures….STOP! Ask questions that allow the prospect to tell you what they want and pay attention. When they answer, they are telling you exactly what they want and how to close the deal.

2. Solve Their Problems. If you listened well as I explained above, you should know what problems your prospect is facing. Your role now becomes problem solver. By creating a solution to their problems with your products, you provide real value to the prospect and are no longer an everyday salesperson. You are now a trusted business partner.

3. Acknowledge The Prospect’s Objections. You do not have to agree with every statement a prospect makes, but by acknowledging their objections you can turn those into reason to buy. For example, if you have a minimum order quantity and the prospect says he cannot order that much product, find out why. Try something like “I understand that order quantity is an issue, what is the reason?” If the prospect tells you he doesn’t have the room, or doesn’t want to commit that much at this time, or whatever reason, you now have more information to work with. So you can respond with “I see that space is an issue. What if I could get my shipping department to send that order in 3 shipments over the next few weeks. Would that help with your space constraints?” Don’t give up on a sale based on an initial objection. Find a way to work with your prospect so you both win.

4. Ask for the Order. I have not met many prospects that freely throw money at sales reps. Once you have listened, shown how you solve their problems and have overcome objections, you must ask for the sale. My preference is to review the information including objections and close with a statement like “Since we agree my products are a good fit, there’s really nothing left to do but finalize the paperwork.” I like to reassure the prospect that we have covered everything needed to work together.

I hope you take these tips to heart, especially if you are struggling with your first sales job. Keep practicing and learning if you want to be a top performing sales superstar!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_OPC_Smith

Over the last decade or so the profession of selling has gone through significant changes.  Whether you’re selling software, financial services, or BMWs the art and science that is sales has shifted from being a purely product or commodities driven industry to much more of a value based consultative industry.  The sales reps that have adapted with these changes have continued to be highly successful.  Those that have not are now doing something else with their lives.

Having said that, it’s vital to remember the importance of the mental aspect of selling.  You see it’s not just about having the best offerings or the best relationships.  That won’t insure you of success.  The great sales rep needs to go above and beyond with their effort.  But how do we do that?  How do we keep our drive?  Our motivation?

One of my first mentors in sales taught me something I have never forgot.  He said being a success in sales takes a “distinct winning mentality.”  It’s not just about preparation and hard work.  It’s also about having the proper mindset.  You need to be selling yourself every day on making the extra effort.  He taught me that if you look at your opportunity in sales like “a job “, you will be paid like an employee.  But if you look at your opportunity in sales like “a business “you can be paid like a business owner.  And if you look at your opportunity in sales like a “sport or a game “, you can be paid like a professional athlete.  And we all want to be paid like Lebron James!

The proper mindset will enable you to make an extra follow up call, send one more follow up email, and knock on one more door.  I have always said “ 5:30pm on a Friday afternoon are when heroes are made! “   Many years later and many deals later, I still believe that.  To turn that belief into activity and that activity into production requires the proper winning mindset.  Remember the movie Stripes the next time you need a professional pick me up.

“Selling…………it’s not just a job……it’s an adventure! “

Bless us listeners, for we have sinned! It has been way too long since our last podcast…

We have been just out straight with our day jobs and have ignored you… We will say three  Our Fathers, two Hail Marys throw in a Glory Be! along with this show and hope you forgive us!!!

This week we have a great interview with David Masover, Author of “Mastering Your Sales Process”.  We know we know, not another sales process podcast… That is what Joe thought when Mike suggested David for the show.  After reading David’s book it was clear to Joe that in fact Mastering Your Sales Process is different.. Joe tells the story on the show… Enjoy!

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When you were a kid and you did something bad, what happened? Did your parents sit you down and tell you what you really should have done? Maybe they explained patiently that they were just trying to help you avoid the mistakes that they had made. They didn’t want to see you get hurt after all so stop riding your bike down the hill with no helmet and hands in the air!

As kids our parents would sit us down and tell us what to do. They would tell us everything from doing the laundry, mowing the lawn, to cleaning up our rooms. Thinking back to those moments, how does that make you feel? More importantly if your parents came over to your house now and told you to “pick up the house!” how would you feel then?

Even the most patient of us doesn’t react well when people TELL us what to do. It brings back those memories of not being control of our destiny. Now, envision your last few sales calls, what did you tell your prospects?

• Did you tell them about the great features of your product/service?
• Did you tell them about how it could save them money?
• Did you tell them how much better your offering is compared to your competitors?

Telling your prospects what is good for them will just get them to head for the hills! They will retreat like an 8 year old to their room and leave you with a dial tone. It doesn’t matter how great your product or service is when your customer won’t listen. Your prospect really does want to hear what you have to say; they just don’t want to be TOLD to listen.Instead of telling your prospects how great your offering is, how much money it will save, etc., get them to come to the conclusion on their own. Getting them to feel like they are in control and making the right choice will have you ringing up the sales daily.

Transforming from telling into a mode of asking questions can seem challenging at first; however the differences will be astonishing. Consider digging deeper with your prospects with the following:

1. What question can you ask them that will get them to tell you what will allow them to make a decision? (maybe it’s price, a certain time period, etc)
2. Can you ask a question that will let them tell you what the most important feature they truly desire?
3. What question can you ask that will have them seeing you as the perceived expert in your field?

When you can craft questions that meet the above criteria you will have prospects begging to meet with you. The more interest piquing your questions the more sales you will make daily.Discover 67 interest peaking questions in my power packed free 5 day course on Questions That Sell.

There are certain topics that we all know to stay away from because history has shown us that people go from zero to nasty right quick. It’s the fun topics like religion or politics and now amongst the sales brethren its cold calling.

I thought it might be interesting to “go there” today and present what I feel are misunderstandings regarding the beloved cold call.

1) How We Define “Cold Call”:There are lots of people out there who define any form of phone call to a prospect as a cold call. Its used in a generic context like if you were to “Xerox” something or “Google” someone. There are others who feel that a cold call is calling any business “cold” as in working straight off a list, no pre call planning etc. And there are still more who believe that all calls are cold calls because whether you pre call plan or not, you are calling someone who isn’t expecting your call using an interruption strategy. All I can say is that you know its going to be a fun discussion when no one can even agree on what the heck a cold call is in the first place.

2) The Anti Cold Calling Theory of Working Smarter Not Harder:One way this is misunderstood is by the people who embrace the theory in too much of a literal sense. I’m all about working smarter. In fact, I’m one of those idiots who believed that all you had to do was make a kazillion calls and statistically speaking you had to win. My issue with this statement is that too many times “working smarter” becomes an excuse for not getting our uniforms dirty. In many cases we are preparing to prepare instead of working. For example: I’ve interviewed sales professionals who do more along the lines of 15 targeted calls per week and that’s it. I’m here to tell you that if that’s all you do, you aren’t working smarter. You simply don’t have enough activity to make it. My feeling is that I can research the heck out of 15 companies but if between caller id, assistants, voice mails etc I only connect with 3, even with a perfect score, I only have 3 appointments.

3) The Researching A Prospect Is An Excuse Crowd: These are the ones who feel that all you should do is “smile and dial” More specifically, they are the ones who believe that you are slacking if you are researching clients and its basically an avoidance strategy. Depending on the rep, they could be right or wrong. Here’s an easy solution; when its “game time” we play the game, not research the game. Therefore, it makes better sense to do the research during off hours instead of money hours. Problem solved. I’m here to tell you that if you don’t take the time to research there are tons of prospects who are going to call you out on it. I’m also here to tell you that you gamble when you don’t take the time to research. You gamble in thinking that your competitor hasn’t prepared better than you. That my friends is a suckers bet every time!

4) You Suck If You Don’t Cold Call:These are the people who believe that there is no other way and if you don’t want to cold call, you have a poor work ethic. To that I would respond with a simple question “Why would you care how I get my sale as long as its between ethical and legal?” If I’m making my numbers or I have a solid plan on how I will generate the revenue, why is that not valid? Furthermore, when I bring home the bacon (and I will) does it count less because it didn’t originate from cold calling? Also, what if I truly suck on the phone but I’m a brilliant public speaker or master blogger or social networker? Why would you discourage me from using those venues if I get the results? Note to Sales Managers: Sometimes we are so busy trying to convert a rep into something they aren’t that we fail to help them shine in the areas where they are in fact, quite strong. I want to make sure that I’m crystal clear on something. As a trainer, I wholeheartedly believe that we have to face our fears and step outside our comfort zone. I also believe that we have to really look at ourselves in the mirror (the unforgiving full length one) assess ourselves and work on the areas that need some fixing up. The challenge with that is when we spend so much time on weaknesses that we don’t enhance or work with our strengths.

5) It’s a Numbers Game: Let’s say this is 100% true and in this context the phone is a stand alone new account acquisition strategy. Utilizing a well thought out “sales mix” will improve those numbers. When I say “sales mix” I’m talking about email, snail mail, creative things, networking, social networking, blogging, E-Books, lunch and learns, speaking engagements, referrals, webinars etc. Saying that the phone is a numbers game, a “contact sport” if you will, can also force us to be so focused on the number of calls that we fail to communicate a compelling message.

6) Here’s A Huge Area We Are Misunderstanding: The fact that everyone has a preferred communication venue. For some it’s the phone, for many it’s email, others its through social networking etc. The plot thickens folks because we need to really look at the Gen Y’s that are moving into influencing/decision making positions. What do you think their preferred communication venue is? They love to email, text, communicate through social media and the phone is usually ranked last. When we embrace the phone as a stand alone strategy, we limit ourselves to say the least.

7) Cold Calling vs Social Media: I have a simple answer to this. Why? As in why does it have to be one vs the other? Why can’t they both exist together as part of that well balanced “sales mix” we discussed earlier?

“When I started Out, All I Had Was The Yellow Pages & A Phone” From now on, if anyone says that to you, I want you to pat them on the head and give them a “bless your heart” for good measure. That used and abused line is nothing more than a justification for being too cheap and/or lazy to invest in Sales 2.0 Technology or in training you to be more lethal in your craft.

9) The Sales 2.0 Enthusiast: This is the person who relies so much on the shiny new object or is so busy talking about Sales 2.0 that they fail to realize that sooner or later, this will most probably come down to a phone call, in real time (as in not virtual or more specifically one where you aren’t communicating on a computer screen) For some, they have a bad habit of clinging to the virtual world where they feel safer, for others they understand that all of these virtual relationships have to transition. When we do transition or to that end of transitioning, we’re going to need those tried and true skills that some feel are now antiquated.

10) The Cold Call Is Dead: We could debate this one all week. Some of the misunderstanding goes back to how we define a cold call to just calling it like we see it because we know what works for us.

And maybe that’s what sales is all about. You and I having lots of cool choices, the willingness to try different approaches and the wisdom to know what works best with our particular style.

If relationship selling is the blood flow of your business, then repeat sales is the heartbeat. It doesn’t matter if the blood is flowing freely; with a weak heartbeat it will take more and more energy to keep going and eventually it will stop.

Your business is very much the same. Every decision you make, every little thing you do will be a direct result of your bottom line. So why is it so many small business owners ignore this most crucial customer base? Maybe they take them for granted, assuming they will just always be there; maybe they are so hungry for new business, they overlook the customers that they have already retained.

Recurring sales do not happen without work, so ignoring a customer once you have retained them will surely turn out to the be the downfall of your small business. It does not need to be a huge customer base; a small base of clients with repeat sales will do amazing things for your bottom line. It will enable you to forecast sales with more confidence and have a better insight into your future success. Repeat sales requires having a good “customer for life” mentality, good relationship building skills and excellent follow up skills.

So how do you acquire repeat sales and begin the “customer for life” mentality?

1. Excellent customer service. Don’t have a get and forget mentality. Customers stay with a company because they offer them specialized service. Maybe you always squeeze them in, offer them special discounts, don’t make them wait forever in the waiting room; you are respectful of their time. E-mail or snail mail an appointment reminder. These are just a few ways to offer excellent customer service. There are dozens of others. Be creative but be present.

2. Extended value. You hear a lot about value on the internet. Offer value, extend value. People throw the word around but not many have a good idea of what value really represents. Every customer has their own perception of what is valuable to them. If you are good at maintaining a great customer relationship, then you will know what makes each customer tick. Some like discounts; others prefer extended hours. Reschedule appointments as required without fuss. Different strokes for different folks. Be aware of this and offer something of value to each individual clientele.

3. Continuous single sales objectives. Focus on one thing first. You offer haircutting. Your salon has tons of other offerings such as manicures, pedicures, facials, hair products; do NOT focus in on those in the beginning. Be attentive, focusing in on the one product/service they have come into your salon for in the beginning – their hair. The rest will follow as your clientele builds that relationship with you.

4. Calls to action. Focusing in on one thing in the beginning is what you do to start building that relationship with your customer base. If you have approached the process without the “what’s in it for me” mindset, your customer will feel your sincerity. Once this relationship has taken hold, then it is fine to start offering other products/services your company may offer. A call to action can be in person, through telephone, direct mail or e-mail. Just be sure to follow-up and in each follow-up have your call to action.

By following some common sense tips to ensure you retain an existing customer base, repeat sales will be a no-brainer. Remember, the heartbeat of your company is your current customer base. You have worked long and hard to get them as customers. Now is not the time to blow it and assume they will remain customers for life. Keep the blood flowing and the heart beating. The end results will be repeat sales and a growing and flourishing business.