25 Random Thoughts and Links on Selling

25 random thoughts on selling floating through my mind:

• Sales Training Camp does a phenomenal job with relevant, insightful teleseminars. The latest: Managing Your Pipeline.
• Thou shalt not covet specific prospects. Too many salespeople get fixed on winning specific accounts that they become emotionally attached. They hinge all their hopes and dreams on this…one…account. Here’s a health and wellness tip: don’t. Think instead about your overall pipeline’s quality.
• Know your value proposition cold. Don’t reinvent what you and your company do to help clients every time you’re in front of a new prospect. Get it nailed down, persuasively and colorfully, once and for all.
• Never interrupt your prospects or clients. Let them talk, even about the mundane stuff.
• Sell the “big picture,” not your products’ features. And make sure you’re talking to decision-makers who value that big picture…not the person who’s going to have to run it by the decision-maker.
• Follow-up, follow-up, follow-up. Never assume clients know you’re on top of things.
• Nobody wants to talk to someone who makes them feel lousy, but everyone wants a shot at someone who makes them feel good. — Warren Greshes.
• Every sales rep thinks they’re memorable because they’re funny or friendly. Those are likely not your differentiators, so you’ve got to bring more to the table than that.
• You’ll hear, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” all the time. But what about, “If it could be better, at least take a look.” Not as a catchy, but it may cause a prospect to think.
• How you sell isn’t nearly as important as why you sell. — Ron Willingham.
• Focus on things you can control.
• Things are never as bad as they seem. (Nor as perfect.)
• Don’t overly worry about being the nice salesperson. Be approachable, be on top of things, be respectful, be trustworthy.
• Respect your competition. Position them, but don’t badmouth them.
• Work via calendar, not drop-ins.
• Real appointments take place within the next 21 days. Anything beyond that isn’t really a scheduled appointment. It’s a hope.
• Play to your strengths. Be careful about taking on sales prospects where you’re going out on a shaky limb.
• Honesty earns respect.
• Timing alone will win you deals. Make enough contacts through cold calls, marketing, and networking to ensure you win those.
• Screen prospects out, don’t screen them in. Find reasons why a prospect would cause problems for your organization — don’t just chase the revenue potential.
• When you sell price you rent the business. When you sell value you own it. — Tim Connor.
• Listen to people with the purpose of understanding fully, not to create a response.
• Your comfort zone is your biggest obstacle and objection.
• Keep your sales manager up to date. Don’t be the one person on the team who’s not calling or checking in.
• Thousands of salespeople are going to sell more this year than they ever have before. Why not you?