Daily Medicine for Natural Sales Enhancement

For the entrepreneural person, selling is simply providing a much desired or needed solution to another person, while being ever mindful of their best interests. It involves transferring and exchanging value. "She could sell ice to Eskimos" or "he is a born salesman" are clichéd expressions we tend to be familiar with, especially when used to describe salesmen or people with extraordinary oratory and articulation skills. Contrary to such conventional thinking, there is actually no such thing as a born salesman, just well-trained and properly-prepared salespersons. You too can become a leader in this exciting and growing field, counted among the top five percent of income earners anywhere! Be aware though, that this demanding career is not for everyone, especially the weak of heart.

Many entrepreneurs are not interested in becoming career salespeople or the greatest salesman in the world. Those goals are too broad. As business owners, I believe that all of us maintain the desire and need to enhance our inherent ability to sell. Learning sales skills, via formal sales training, must become a high priority for every business owner. The greatest product or service will have little market penetration without a strong, cohesive sales effort. Robert Kiyosaki, author of The Rich Dad's Guide to Financial Freedom, states that "the number one skill of an entrepreneur is the ability to sell." Your belief and recognition that continuous learning and ongoing self-improvement are what is necessary to improve your sales technique may indeed be the pillars of your business growth.

My experience among entrepreneurs has demonstrated to me an overall sense of fear or hesitation when it comes to sales. Some business owners dread the subject. Some hope that marketing alone will sell their products, alleviating them of the perceived selling chore. Most would rather do almost anything to avoid a cold call. Many do not feel comfortable picking up the telephone to initiate a sales call. The fact remains, that an integral component to success in most business endeavors is the sales function. At least pursuing some self-help, providing an increased knowledge of sales techniques will prove beneficial.

While it is impossible to provide complete sales training for entrepreneurs within the scope of this article, I do believe that we can distill this complex subject to a few points, assisting business owners to begin expanding their comfort zone. As this very topic is certain to invoke at least some fear in the stomachs of most entrepreneurs, perhaps moving forward in baby steps is a good strategy.

Let's assume that your prospects are other small businesses. Aside from having a well-designed web site selling your products and services twenty four hours per day and a marketing program designed to drive prospects to it, try these basics when contacting your next qualified prospect in person:

1. Remember what a great product or service you offer.

2. Know in your heart that others will benefit from it.

3. Recall the overall sense of satisfaction you experience from the use of it.

4. Using your imagination, experience your prospect using and benefiting from it.

5. Remember to simply be yourself. Do not feel pressured to be or appear to be a superstar salesman.

6. Do some deep breathing exercises to relax.

7. Smile and introduce yourself using his/her name in your greeting. Imagine them right in front of you.

8. In a thirty second window, inform him as to the purpose of your call, explain why meeting with you will benefit him and ask for an appointment. Be very specific. Remember, your goal is to get an appointment.

9. Just prior to the appointment, mentally repeat steps one through six. Greet your prospect by name with a firm handshake, confident eye contact and a warm smile. Sincerely show him what you have to offer, relating your benefits and value to his specific business needs. Answer his questions, if any. Make certain to ask for his order!

Daily practice and repetition are your keys to improving your selling skills, growing profits and reaching beyond your current comfort zone. Mark Twain once said "Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain." With practice, your sales calls will become easier and you will become far more confident, constantly pushing on the boundaries of your comfort zone. As a result, your business will grow proportionally.

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About Daniel Sitter

Daniel Sitter, author of both Learning For Profit, and the highly anticipated Superior Selling Skills Mastery, has garnered extensive experience in sales, training, marketing and personal development spanning over a successful 25 year career. http://www.learningforprofit.com Experience his selling blog at http://www.idea-sellers.com


And here is another random article you might be interested in...

4 Steps to Establishing Good Credit

As a consumer you've learned the importance of establishing a good credit rating with your lenders. Whether you are shopping for a new home or auto, or searching for the best deals on insurance, your credit worthiness will be judged by your credit rating or credit score.

A bad credit history or bad credit habits will place "black marks" on your credit profile. These include things such as late payments, having an account assigned to a collection agency, and of course bankruptcy.

Establishing good credit habits and therefore a good credit rating will improve your credit worthiness. This will be reflected in potential lenders offering you substantially lower interest rates and better deals on credit offers.

Here are 4 tips to help you create a shining credit profile:

1) Pay Your Bills On Time

Lenders only have your past payment history on which to decide the type of credit risk you present to them. How you pay off your debts now indicates to them how you will pay off future debts.

2) Don't Carry Too Many or Too Few Credit Cards

How much is too much ? How little is too little ? Many credit experts and financial planners suggest two to four credit cards is just the right mix.

3) Pay At Least The Minimum Due

Always pay at least the minimum due payment, but never less. And remember, just paying the minimum payment means it will take you years and years to pay off that credit card.

Example: Paying off a $2,000 credit payment at 18% APR with a minimum monthly payment of 2% ($40 dollars or less) will take you 30 years to pay off the amount plus interest.

4) Review Your Credit Report Regularly

Monitor your credit report from all three major credit bureaus - Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax - on a regular basis. Check your credit profile at least annually. Review it carefully and make sure that any past mistakes or disputes have been corrected.

Also, if you notice an account listed that you know that you have not personally opened, contact that creditor and the credit bureaus immediately. This could be a sign that you've had your identity stolen. Request to have a fraud alert placed on your profile and account to protect yourself and your credit. Identity theft is the fastest growing consumer crime in America, with an estimated 1 million people victimized each year.

Establish good credit habits early in life and reap the benefits that your good credit rating will provide you for the rest of your financial future.

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About James H. Dimmitt