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! “

Social Media is a vehicle by which people talk with each other. The business value of Social Media is to leverage the genuine comments of real people to build the credibility of your offering. Social Media interactions accelerate the process by which prospective buyers become happy customers based on the remarks of those who already are. It is a set of technologies that bring a personal touch into the buying/selling process, which is becoming increasingly impersonal. Further, it enables you to tap into the “voice of the customer” to gather valuable feedback and improve your offering.

As part of Social Media, I am including customer references, testimonials, case studies, user forums and other ways interested parties communicate.

How can effective use of Social Media accelerate your sales efforts?

• Social media cannot provide a key feature missing from your offering. Yet, it can help people see the importance of capabilities you do deliver.
• Social Media does not change your pricing. However, customer testimonials and case studies can significantly increase the perceived worth of your solution.

How does it help across the sales process?

• Presence on the right sites dramatically improves awareness and generates leads.
• Comments from customers, industry influencers and peers help buyers believe your claims that you will solve specific problems, deliver the best solution and offer superior value.
• Customer testimonials and references jump-start stalled purchase processes by responding to the concerns or missing information causing the delay.
• Forums and user communities enable users to resolve implementation and usage issues; decreasing customer churn.
• Learning how other users get the most out your offering creates happier customers and provides impetus for renewals, upgrades and buying other products from you.

You can collect critical input about what’s working and not working regarding your offering, your reputation and the way you interact with your customers and prospects so you can make important adjustments.

Beware of blanket statements, for example, that you must have a Facebook fan page or a Twitter account. In order to determine the most effective Social Media strategy and platform (Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, twitter, blogs, forums, groups, etc.), you must understand the usage habits of your target audience.

It is difficult to assess the return on investment (ROI) of Social Media efforts at this time. There are sales force automation products that track marketing activities and conversion to the next stage in the sales process- and ultimately if a sale was made. Admittedly, there are many activities that contribute to making a sale, yet knowing which Social Media activities impact buying provides guidance and confidence in the allocation of resources. Given the dramatic increase in the use of Social Media in the buying process and how helpful each boost along the sales process is, it is something that needs to be considered in everyone’s sales and marketing strategy.

Sales meetings have to be carefully planned according to the prospective clients needs, but there are some rules that you should follow at every sales meeting. The first of these is obvious, but very important. A meeting for which you are well prepared will give you the best advantage. Take the time to write out an agenda and schedule what you need to say. Allow for time to discuss certain topics and try to have answers to all of the possible questions. Putting in the time to prepare will pay off in the end.

Another rule to follow involves your own emotions. If you are enthusiastic about your topic, you are likely to create the same feeling in your clients or business partners. Though you need to know your facts as well as your client, if you cannot convince them that this is worth the investment, you will not succeed in the sale. Be careful not to overwhelm your listeners with too many facts and too little conversation. You do need to be in control of the direction of the conversation, but you need to allow them to speak and become passionate about the sale as well. Sometimes, a salesperson’s ability to listen, rather than their speech can make the sales.

The next rule to follow during a sales meeting is about the product or service itself. You should build up the presentation before offering your solution to their problem. It is a mistake that is made too often. A presenter advises the potential client of the solution to meet their needs before fully understanding what those needs are. This is where listening comes in to play. You can find the best approach to the sale by listening to the prospects specific needs and then tailoring your language to meet them. Asking plenty of questions gets the client involved in the process and helps you to meet their needs.

Finally, if you want to be successful at a sales meeting, you must ask for the sale. You should make a goal for yourself before you go into the meeting. Make sure that you set the wheels in motion to accomplish this goal before letting your clients leave the meeting. You can have a great sales meeting and still not finalize the sale if you do not ask for it. If you keep these simple, yet effective rules in mind during your next sales meeting, you will be successful.

In the initial stages of discovery, finding your prospect’s hidden hot buttons is often frustrating: especially when you are hit with a barrage of questions that forces you out of your normal selling sequence.

It is not unusual for the prospect to be asking you questions. But remember that the person asking the question controls the conversation and that if you are not careful in controlling the conversation; you’ll lose control of the sale and make a sharp left turn onto the bumpy road of unpaid consulting.

When a prospect asks a question and you’re not sure of the underlying intent, importance, or its relevance; then use a technique called Reversing, which enables you to regain clarity and control of the conversation.

Typically, it takes 3 or more Reverses to clear up a confusing question; because the first 2 responses to Reversing questions are intellectual. The third response is emotional– betraying the underlying intent of the question originally asked by the prospect.

Some examples of first and second underlying Reversing questions are:

· “Have you encountered this problem before?”
· “That’s interesting, where did you see that?”
· “Help me understand better what you mean by (repeat question)?”

Some examples of third and beyond Reversing questions are:

· “And that means?”
· “Oh?”
· “What do you want to do now?”

In polite society, it is considered rude to answer a question with a question. Nevertheless, we are not in polite society-we are in the sales game and we make the rules to the game. When done properly, Reversing actually advances the conversation and the prospect never notices the technique.

But when done poorly, you can come across as being evasive or lacking knowledge about the subject at hand…

…If you Reverse and the prospect comes back with the same question again, just answer the question directly. You can even reveal your hand by explaining that you are asking questions so that the prospect will get the exact information that he is looking for.

Done correctly, Reversing is a powerful bonding technique that establishes you as an expert in the eyes of your prospects and people like to do business with experts in their field!

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

Recruiting and building a Sales Organization is a “Sales Job”. Most people fail to be successful at recruiting because they forget that their “opportunity” is a product and the fail to take their prospects through a sales cycle. If you are selling cars, real estate, widgets or a business opportunity, the same fundamentals need to apply. Each potential customer needs to go through a “Sales Cycle”.

1.Prospect
2.Build Trust
3.Educate
4.Qualify
5.Take Away
6.Close

Prospecting – This is a fancy word for developing leads. Without a doubt, advertising online is the quickest most cost effective way to develop hot leads or prospects. The quickest way to do this is to develop landing pages. Effective landing pages offer something of value to your prospect for entering their contact information. You then drive traffic to your landing pages by advertising on search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing under keyword your prospects would search if they were looking for your products or services.

Building Trust – Building trusts starts way before a prospect ever contacts you. Large companies are always building trust. Ever see a commercial for a business and the commercial is not selling a product, it just shows the company? This is called branding. GE and 3M are always branding. Well that company is building trust with potential customers. As a new business or home business you probably do not have the money to build your brand to where your brand alone establishes trust.

When a prospect comes to your websites, before they give you any information, you’d be surprised at how many people will open up a second browser window and Google your URL, Your name or your company name if they are seriously looking for a business opportunity. You need to make yourself as transparent as possible.

A very simple way to do this is to display your phone number. As a business owner you have to have a dedicated phone line just for business calls. Now most people will not call you if you are promising additional information on another page. They will fill out your contact form. But by having your phone number displayed it will make a prospect feel more comfortable knowing that “Hey, if I need to speak to someone I can. This company or person is not hiding behind an email address. There is a real person to help me.”

If a prospect does call you first it is a GREAT thing, because that prospect is very interested and does not want to wait to get the information they are seeking.

Now once a prospect contacts you, you need to continue to build trust with that prospect. Do this by building relationship. Find out as much as you can about your prospect through a conversation and not an interrogation. Share personal information about yourself. The first 3 minutes of your conversation should be completely non-work related. Build a relationship. People buy people not products.

Educate- When educating a prospect about your business remember that this is not a training call. If you have a recorded webinar or conference call that explains the details about your business make sure that they have seen or listen to it first. If they have not listened to the recorded presentation send it to them and schedule a time to follow up. You do not want to waste your time answering questions that are explained in the recording.

After they have watched the recordings then answer their questions. Be completely honest and maintain control of the conversation.

Recognize buying questions. If a prospect asks a buying question you stop educating and move into qualifying.

A very common buying question that people shy away from is “how much money are you making at this?” If a prospect asks you that and you have established trust and properly educated the prospect it is a buying sign. They have related themselves to you, they are still interested in your opportunity and they are trying to envision themselves making money with you.

I will post a great response to that question another time but after you answer that question or any other buying question immediately go to qualifying the prospect.

Qualifying- If you properly qualify a prospect you will have prospects sell themselves into your opportunity.

Ask Why’s:

1. Why are you looking to start a home business?
2. Why now?
3. Why have you chosen to look into (Your Company)?

Ask Do You’s:

1. Prospect, if you were to become an agent with (Your Company) WE would invest a lot of time in you making sure that you are properly trained and set up to be successful. If we accept you into our program Do you have a student mentality that will allow you to listen to what’s working and then implement these techniques?
2. Prospect there are costs associated to running a business, such as phone and fax, advertising, business cards and such. Do you have the money it will take to get started?

Take Always- The purpose of taking the opportunity away from a prospect is to make them fight for it and take action now.

1. Prospect, I am really only looking to partner with individuals that share the same vision that I do. I can help you get there, but Do You honestly see yourself being able to do what it takes to be a 6 or 7 figure earner in this company?
2. Prospect I am only looking for serious people who are willing to make a commitment right away so that I can get them into or next training class. Are you willing to take the next step to starting a successful business?

The Close: – This is where so many people fall short. Take the lead and have your prospect follow you. If your prospect makes a commitment don’t wait for them to get registered on their own. While they are on the phone take them to your registration page and walk them through the process with credit card in hand.

Remember that you are SELLING an opportunity and every prospect needs to be taken through the same sales cycle. Don’t skip steps of change the order of the cycle and you will increase your closing ratios and your team will grow.

Good Luck!

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

Talking about your competition during a sales presentation can be risky. However, it can also be the absolutely right thing to do. After all, if you know what your competition is going to say to your client during their presentation, you can negate it if you address it in yours. On the other hand, if you bring up competition your prospective client didn’t even know you had, you’re setting yourself up to be compared in a way that you wouldn’t have had you kept your mouth shut. This leads to more research on the client’s part, a longer lead time to close a deal and less chance that you’ll be the one who lands the deal. Before you start creating your sales presentation, you need to decide how to handle this issue. Here are some things to consider:

• Have they already told you they’re talking to XYZ Company too? If so, then you need to specifically address the differences between the two companies. You can even use XYZ’s name in your comparison. However, you should always avoid badmouthing your competition, as it will make you look desperate and unprofessional.

• Is your product or service very new? If you’re offering something brand new, your prospective client is likely to not even know you have any competition. In this case, simply stick to highlighting what you can provide for the client and your unique attributes.

• Are there several widely known competitors in your field? If you’re in one of those businesses where everybody knows the top three companies in the field, then you definitely want to compare what you offer to what your competitor offers, though you may not want to name names. In this case, however, you must be well versed on your competitors, so that you can address all the issues in your presentation and be prepared to answer questions regarding them.

With these ideas in mind, you should be more comfortable preparing a beautiful sales presentation that answers all the right questions for your client and shows them how choosing your business over anyone else’s is best for their business.

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

With the massive growth of sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, My Space, and You Tube, are we in danger of instigating a gradual loss of the skills and competencies that are vital to a successful salesperson?

As with all technological developments there are positive and negative outcomes, and the positive benefits of this element of the technical revolution are clear for all to see. Without doubt social networking sites are playing an ever increasing role in the business world. However, are some people becoming too dependent on them?

My concern is that if we only focus on one outcome, the overall strategy can be diluted. I don’t believe that being on page one of Google can be the only marketing strategy for winning new business. If we fall into this trap we will gradually lose the marketing skills we have developed to help inform us which campaigns are delivering the best return on investment. We will also lose some of the sales skills that are crucial to the success of a business, if we are reliant purely on the amount of traffic we can steer towards a particular page on our web site.

There are a number of traditional key performance indicators that are being overlooked in our quest to be seen in the most positive light by our online peers, for example would you rather have a salesperson whose LinkedIn profile is so well documented they are being headhunted by your competitors every month, or would you prefer a salesperson who had an adequate online presence, but whose primary focus was their sales funnel. Who measured the amount of new business potential coming from their new accounts?

I am working with a growing number of people who are spending less time in face to face selling situations. Who are losing sight of the real market demand for their products and services and what market share they have, and whether or not that figure is increasing in line with corporate expectations or not. I have two concerns about this trend.

Selling is an interactive process, a salesperson should use their interpersonal skills to create sales opportunities and turn those opportunities into sales, buyers will have a number of questions to ask before they are in a position to proceed, and if we spend less time with them we run the risk of missing some of those opportunities. Using the internet to communicate with potential customers at critical times in the sales process can have a massive impact on the outcome.

In addition to this if we spend less time with our customers we can miss out in gaining access to some critical facts about our business, and if we don’t have that information how can we revisit our sales and marketing plans and make any necessary tweaks to them?

The key is doing exactly what needs to be done to ensure your online presence creates the desired effect, whilst retaining a focus on your sales measurement criteria.

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