| |
| |
|
Sales Training Information |
|
|
|
The Key to Driving Sales is Understanding What Not How
What does it take to make a sale lately? In Sales, we used to focus on the "Sales Cycle." Maybe you still do? The problem with the traditional definition of the 'Sales Cycle' is that it is focused on YOU and not on your prospect. More recently, the focus has shifted to the 'Buying Cycle' and learning how to synchronize it to gain a win-win relationship. To sell successfully in today's market, your focus must be on the integration of the 'Sales Cycle' and the 'Buying Cycle' into an overall sales system based on trust, ethics, win-win, and driving towards a transaction. This "commerce cycle" is rooted in the buying and selling relationship, with special emphasis on value - the value that both the buyer and seller each bring to the relationship. Commerce is a much more applicable term to understand the complete nature of selling, where the acts of buying and selling integrate. Just like the laws of nature, for every action there is an opposite reaction. The same holds true for sales. To leverage the 'Commerce Cycle' it is important to understand: 1) the buyer(s) and his/her buying cycle(s), 2) your sales cycle, and 3) how and when the two intersect. A variation of this approach used to be referred to as 'reducing the sales cycle.' In reality nothing was reduced, you just learned when to engage. Understand the buyer(s), and the buying cycle(s), and you will understand the commerce cycle - then you will be widely successful. All sales professionals, no matter their functional area of expertise should be able to understand the strengths and weaknesses of their selling abilities in their various markets. Having a "universally functional" understanding will help you attain higher levels of sales success. Various examples of universal functionality may include: solution selling methodologies, commodity selling methodologies, high volume selling methodologies, and methodologies used when selling a service. It's a cluttered sales world out there, and you need to develop a model that helps you better understand the balance of selling and buying in today's global economy. The model you develop must be rooted in an understanding of the seller's activities and the buyer's activities. Strive to make your model open and flexible to account for faster or slower sales cycles. From the CEO to the front-line sales representative, the key is to develop an organizational understanding of the processes and framework of professional selling. Professional sales people are the revenue generating engines of any company. Yet few sales people are measured on standardized metrics of performance. Often, a "what works for you, won't work for anyone else" approach is taken when it comes to training and nurturing the professional sales person. Driving your sales means to understand "What" the sales profession is. To do that, you must continuously improve and seek the help of books, tapes, seminars, and others. Find the "what" as it pertains to you - the truth is out there. Brian is the Chairman and Founder of the the United Professional Sales Association (UPSA). UPSA is a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington DC that has addressed the concerns and challenges of individual sales professionals. Brian has authored the world's first universal selling standards and open-source selling framework for free distribution. This 'Compendium of Professional Selling' containing the commonly accepted and universally functional knowledge that all sales professionals possess. The open-source selling standards have been downloaded in 16 countries by over 300 people. Over 30 people have made contributions. Because UPSA is not owned by one person or any company, it is a member organization and guardian of the global standard of entry into the sales profession. Find out about the membership organization and understand the processes and framework of professional selling at the UPSA Website at http://www.upsa-intl.org. Find out more about Brian at: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert_bio=Brian_Lambert
MORE RESOURCES:
Sales-Training - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Power of Confidence My experience has taught me that people want to buy from sales people who are confident in their abilities. Taking control of the circumstances and situations around you will develop your self-confidence. Sales and the City It's all about relationships!Here is how a popular TV show looks at it:In a city filled with more than its fair share of players, predators, losers, and creeps, these people need all the help they can get in order to find the one thing that eludes them all - a real, satisfying and lasting relationship. Is such a thing possible in New York City?Here's how your customers may be seeing things:In a vocation filled with more than its fair share of players, predators, losers, and creeps, these customers need all the help they can get in order to find the one thing that eludes them all - a real, satisfying and lasting relationship. Business Appointment Success or Failure One of the quickest ways to loose a sale is to be late for an appointment. A businessperson's character, among other things, may be judged by their punctuality. Knowing Your Customers; Closing the Sale Just because your business is based in your home that doesn't mean you can afford to ignore the most important element of your success: sales. The bottom line is that your sales ability will make or break your business's future. Being Politically Correct When Selling Can Cost You Sales In our culture it is basically un-American for a prospective customer or client to help a sales representative or service industry professional in the selling process, by answering the probing questions required in an effective consultative selling approach. However, many sales trainers, coaches and managers teach that to be "politically correct," polite or to look professional, you must ask permission if you want to probe for information. 7 Safety Tips Every Realtor and Door-to-Door Sales Professional Need to Practice These are the top 7 safety tips that criminals don't want you to know. It makes their job harder. The Art of Backend Selling The art of backend sellingThe backend sale can be more rewarding than the original sale. And it can also be much easier. Catapult Your Business-How to Get Customers to Chase You Instead of the Other Way Around I was thinking about the statement:The Small Business Administration tells us that 80% of all small businesses will not make it more than 2 years, and by 5 years 90% will have gone out of business. If that is the case, then why does every business out there try to be like the others? Most copy everything right down to the way everyone else in the same industry lays out their office. Increase Profits from Your Existing Customers An area many businesses fail to recognise as a way to increase profits is by utilising their existing customers. Don't view each sale as a "one-off". How Do You Use Your Sales Commissions? What do you do when you have a big sales week, month or quarter? What do the other salespeople you work with do with their money? Do you "reward" yourself? Do you "invest" in your future? As salespeople we are notoriously known for the amount of toys we buy with our commissions. Killer stereo systems. Busting Your Assumptions: Effective Probing Techniques for Sales Professionals Do you find yourself making these kinds of assumptions?- "I lost the sale because my price was too high."- "I know exactly what my customer wants. Visual Science of Selling Statistics state that 55% of people judgments are made based on what is seen visually, as opposed to 38% based on voice and the message you give. That means what you promote using images is the most important factor in making the right connection. The Truth About Sale Success! Bill Brooks of The Brooks Group wrote an article several years ago about his organization's research into sales performance. Bill's research partner analyzed 178 top sales performers from the United States and another 450 from Germany who, as he stated, "?were at the very peak of their game. You Dont Need Health Insurance! Seems almost every situation in our lives is centered on communication. Good or bad, the way we express our thoughts, wants, and needs to each other determines how we live, love, and learn together. How to Spellbind Your Prospects in 10 Seconds! You've got yourself 10 seconds to HOOK your prospects or LOSE them!If you can't make them interested in 10 seconds, there's a good chance you'll lose them forever. So, you'd better shoot it right and "grab" their attention -- fast -- if you don't want them to go to your competitors!And how do you do this?**Just write HARD-TO-RESIST headlines!It works just like dating online. Sell Yourself, As Well As Your Product When selling a product to a consumer, one of the things we tend to overlook, is that it is as equally important to sell ourselves.A consumer wants to know that the person behind the product believes in what they are saying, and they want to be convinced that the person making the presentation would use this product themselves. Successful Sales People Know Which Differentiators Matter Know where to focus. Not everyone evaluates product solutions with the same decision criteria. 7 Ways to Get to the Truth: When the Sale Disappears Based on his most recent e-mail, "Everything looks good -- I'll get back to you so we can move this forward"--everything points to a probable sale. You feel so relaxed, happy, and hopeful. Customers Do Not Know How To Ask Good Questions - That Is Your Job Customers will ask you a question and you'll proceed to talk about your product. That is why you are not making more sales. What Does It Take To WIN A Sale? What to do when you win or lose.You have given your elevator pitch, you have met with the customer, and you have identified their business value proposition and their business pain as well.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |