The Jeffrey And Tracey Info Emporium

Seven Ways to Select a Book Topic That Sells Judy Cullins c. 2005

Since a book title is the number one “Essential Hot-Selling
Point” for your book, it’s a good idea to choose one that sells
well.

1.Write what you are passionate about. Write about a topic that
will still interest you in two years. Your book is an extension
of you, your talks, and your profession. If you don’t love your
topic, you won’t be successful. One common mistake authors make
is to put attention on writing another book before there first
one has been promoted. 2. Write down five topics that stir
your passion. Ask your inner author which one should you pay
attention to first. After choosing, gather and organize
everything you already know and want to know about that topic.
If you need more knowledge on a topic, research it. Read other
authors’ books in your field, check out related Web sites, and
subscribe to newsletters. You become the expert as you write.
3. Write a book your audience needs or wants. People want their
problems solved. Among fourteen other books, three on memory and
a speed-reading manual I wrote 15 years ago have sold over
155,000 copies, and still sell today. Business books sell well.
People need writing, reading, speaking, computing,
communication, math, sales, marketing and Internet skills.
Nonfiction self-help or how to titles sell best. When your
nonfiction books sells well, you can finance your novel. 4.
Research your target market. Who is your preferred audience? Who
will read and buy your book? Who will pay the $15-$35 price tag?
How many possible buyers are there? How does your book stack up
to your competition? What is your unique selling proposition?
What benefits does your book bring its readers? How many in your
audience? The targeted book Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul
sold three million copies more in one year than the original
Chicken Soup sold in three years. That tells you that a book
with an angle is a good idea. 5. Compare your book with other
reputable, good sellers in your field. What way is your book
like theirs? What makes your book unique from others? How is
your book better? If your book is the only one of its kind, it
could be more difficult to sell because mainstream buyers don’t
know about it. Check out what category your book fits in by
visiting your local bookstore. Ask the bookseller to help you.
Turn to the back covers–look at the upper left side to see the
two or three categories usually listed there. Which ones does
your book fit under? Let your book develop a new angle on the
problem to be solved. A book on breast-feeding sold far more
copies when the author aimed it at working mothers. 6. Survey
your market. While some of us get our title instantly and know
that it is the right one, many of us need help. Brainstorm with,
and ask for feedback from, friends and associates. Let them vote
on the best of ten titles and subtitles, chapter titles, back
cover information. While some get their title instantly and know
it’s the right one, many of us need help. Knowing that your book
title is the top “Essential Hot Selling Point” makes time spent
on it worth it. When you use the synergy of more brain power,
you receive so many more ideas. Don’t be attached to your
choices. Feedback helps build a better book. 7. Create a
winning vision for your book. Know that your book will be
published. You can self-publish if you are not famous. Before
you finish the book, specifically name the outcomes you will
see, hear and feel. Place this winning vision in color on a
card. Put it near your workstation. (Use today’s date including
the year) Now that my book (title and subtitle) is finished and
is a huge seller. For example:

I see (smiling people at my talks buying it) or (hundreds of
orders from my Web site)

I hear (applause from multiple audiences affirming it)

I feel (exhilarated, confident and pleased that it’s such a hit)

Give attention to your book title. When it’s good, it can sell
thousands more copies than a mediocre one.

A recent conversation with a salesperson horrified me when they alleged the direction they were getting from the sales manager was to sell one service and focus on it completely. This brought me back to memories when I was selling copiers and our product line was very limited. In my case we had no choice since we only had one product to sell. However, today’s businesses often have a suite of services to sell and can’t afford to adopt this strategy.

This “one solution strategy” would be like a doctor prescribing one pill for every ailment regardless of what the patient complained about. What would you do if you had a migraine and your doctor prescribed you one pill, the same pill and dosage for everyone was his cure. It might be his only remedy for migraines, high blood pressure or arthritis and anything else you have a problem with. You would run from that doctor like everyone else.

On one hand it is great to highlight a specific product during one day of the week or during a special promotion to generate specific sales. We simply should not turn a blind eye to all the other services a client needs when they are in need.

Don’t prescribe unless you know the pain

A Doctor shouldn’t prescribe medicine unless they know what causes the pain and salespeople shouldn’t offer a solution when we don’t have enough or any information. Sending a salesperson out to sell only one solution equals malpractice in my eyes.

It is one thing when a customer walks in our door and an order taker or customer service person responds to their request and specific needs. After all, most Customer Sales Representatives will develop the “order taker” response if they aren’t careful. It is another thing to send out salespeople with the idea that they sell one thing. What will happen to the other services, who will sell them if the salesperson doesn’t. When we sell a suite services, it requires us to maintain a sales strategy that asks questions identifying an opportunity matching to our services. If we offer many services, we need to ask a lot of questions first.

Baskins and Robbins 31 flavors of services

The founders, Burt Baskin and Irv Robbins believed that people should have choices, so they offered 31 flavors, one for every day of the month. They believed that people should be able to try different flavors without cost, until they found the perfect one for that moment. How many times would you go to the one flavor ice cream shop instead of 31 flavors for ice cream? We might go there once, maybe. Probably when they had the flavor we wanted.

Although some businesses might not offer 31 services, many are getting close. This requires us to know a little bit about each service so we will know when a customer will benefit from one of our services. This raises a question, what are we doing to learn about a service and its benefits each day. If we have 21 business day, and 21 services we then have one service to learn each day. If we learn how each service can benefit our customers, we will be in a better position to assist our customers. We should have better questions to ask our customers and know when to package a few services together for our clients to take advantage of.

Focusing on target markets is a good start

Just so we are clear on this topic of a new salesperson, focusing on a few profitable target markets is a good sales strategy. Unfortunately trying to sell our services to all markets through a shot gun approach is not a wise strategy. For any new salesperson, learning about all the different industries and markets takes a long time. There are just too many variables to learn with each different market and it will become overwhelming. When a new salesperson begins their career it is helpful to guide them toward an industry they are most familiar with and have them begin there. This is not the same as suggesting they sell only one solution.

The experience of learning one industry and then another is like learning how to speak one language fluently and then leverage this knowledge toward the next language. Each new language will get easier. It is the same with selling different industries. If we learn all about the sales opportunities and benefits of the hotel and resort markets and enjoy success with them, we can transfer this experience to a new market of our choice. We will learn there are more opportunities than at first glance and gain the benefit of references and referrals within one specific market. My recommendation is to focus on three strategic markets at a time, yet always be willing to accept business from any market.

Experience tells us that when we understand the benefits to a market or industry of our suite of service, we are more likely to suggest them to our clients. What are you doing this month to expand your knowledge of your suite of services? Are you asking enough questions about how a job or order will be used?

Submitted by Steve Martinez, Founder of Selling Magic, a company focused on improving sales using technology and Automated Sales Process Management (ASPM). Get more sales tips at our website http://www.sellingmagic.com.

In a small midwestern town, the local high school of 878 students recently produced its first state championship basketball team in over 90 years. The community has had an organized city basketball league for its younger boys for many years. But, this league, designed to spot talent early and then feed the high school basketball program, did nothing to produce the state title. There is also an open gym at the high school every Tuesday and Thursday night to encourage the young men in the community to play basketball. But like the city league, this open gym contributed nothing to the team in its championship bid.

A local banker, a former college all-star, has volunteered his services for one dollar a year to assist the high school’s coaching staff. The boy’s varsity basketball program also has an able assistant coach. But these two accomplished assistant coaches, like the city league and the open gym, were of no value in helping the boy’s varsity team win the state title. The reason these community programs and an extra coach had little effect in producing the state title, was that the state championship was won by the high school’s girls varsity basketball team.

Everyone in town, with the exception of the school’s administration, can see that the failure of the boy’s varsity basketball program lies with the head coach. The girl’s coach is a woman who is tough but fair, a coach who works hard to build self-esteem and confidence in each member of her squad. She teaches the fundamentals, drills her team for skill and then empowers her players to make decisions on the court that will get the job done. The confidence she has developed in each member of the team gave the girl’s team the ability, under extreme pressure, to put up the winning shot at the final buzzer, to take the state championship.

On the other hand, the boy’s varsity head coach is a tyrant who literally destroys his players by trying to mold them into an antiquated system that fails to capitalize on each boy’s strengths. He makes all the decisions and directs the team from the sidelines. As a result, the boy’s team rarely lives up to its potential or the investment in time, talent, and money the community has made in the boy’s basketball program.

Ralph Waldo Emerson has written that an organization “is the extended shadow of one man.” As this example of the two high school basketball coaches illustrates, it is the extended shadow of the coach that makes a winning or a losing basketball team. At the supervisory level in your company or firm, it is the extended shadow of the manager, more than any other single element that is the key to developing a sales culture and consistently achieving sales success.

To learn more about how to cast a positive shadow check out The $elling Edge, Inc. Coaching & Team Development self-directed learning manual at http://www.TheSellingEdge.com/team.htm

VIRDEN J. THORNTON is the founder and President of The $elling Edge®, Inc. a firm specializing in sales, customer relations, and management training and development. Clients have included Sears Optical, Eastman Kodak, IBM, Deloitte & Touché, Bank One, Jefferson Pilot, and Wal-Mart to name a few. Virden is the author of Prospecting: The Key To Sales Success and the best selling Building & Closing the Sale, Fifty-Minute series books and Close That Sale, a video/audio tape series published by Crisp Publications, Inc. Menlo Park, California. He has also authored a Self-Directed Learning series of sales, coaching & team development, telemarketing, and personal productivity training guides. Check out the listed books and manuals at http://www.TheSellingEdge.com/books1.htm

Virden teaches for the Center For Professional Development, Texas Tech University at Lubbock, Texas and in the School Of Entrepreneurship, J. Willard And Alice S. Marriott School Of Management at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. You can contact Virden at: Virden@TheSellingEdge.com.

What comes to mind when you think of networking — cocktail parties? Shaking hands and exchanging business cards at a Chamber of Commerce events? Endless lines of people anxious to make you a customer? Sweaty palms and panic?

Networking is not about how many business cards you can collect — it’s about building a long-term and mutually beneficial RELATIONSHIP with another business person. And it doesn’t have to be painful or forced! When you do it the right way — networking is as natural as starting up a casual conversation. Let me show you how…

THE SCENE: MY CHIROPRACTOR’S OFFICE

So I’m reading a magazine in the waiting room at my chiropractor’s office — I’m exceptionally early for an appointment. Another patient walks in — a woman named Susan that I’ve seen there several times before but never spoken to. She sits down and smiles, and we strike up a non-business conversation. We talk a little about chiropractic, traffic (always a popular topic in Atlanta!), and I eventually ask what she does for a living. It turns out that Susan is a personal coach. I tell her that I’m a Professional Organizer and we spend the rest of my waiting time comparing our experiences with clients.

The important point to note here is that our business relationship is starting out as a personal one — just like any other casual acquaintance. You already know how to do this with people — you start up informal conversations every day of your life. But the minute you attach the term “network” to your actions, you also attach a boatload of pre-conceptions and EXPECTATIONS. Don’t think about where this relationship will lead 5 years down the road — just be friendly and interested.

MAKING THE CONNECTION

As the receptionist calls my name for my appointment, I ask Susan for some of her business cards. I tell her that many of my clients are in need of longer term help with their goals than I’m able to give — and would she mind if I referred folks to her when a need arises. It’s highly unlikely that Susan will turn me down, unless she is just overwhelmed with clients. She graciously accepts my offer, and makes the same in return. We exchange business cards and part ways.

Notice that I did not say to Susan, “Send me your clients who need to get better organized.” Instead, I offered to do something for her. Networking isn’t about what you can get, it’s about what you have to give. If you don’t have a referral for that person, suggest an interesting book or article and offer to call or e-mail with the information. Or offer to hook the person up with another professional you know who might also be a good gateopener. But don’t expect anything in return — the minute you think, “What’s in it for me?” you kill the relationship.

KNOW YOUR NETWORK

I got back to my office later that day and called around to a few other friends I knew who either were coaches or had worked with coaches. Susan’s name came up several times, and everyone I spoke to sung her praises. This is important to me — I don’t want to ruin my reputation by referring my clients to someone who provides poor customer service. Be sure to check on the people in your network before sending your clients their way. naive networking can be worse than no networking at all!

FOLLOW THROUGH

I sent Susan a quick note that afternoon telling her how nice it was to talk to her. I also included referrals for two clients who had been looking for a good personal coach. It’s important that you follow-up quickly when you make a new acquaintance. You will really stand out as a conscientious individual if you do what you say you will do when you say you will do it (isn’t it sad that it’s not the norm?!) They say that you never have a second chance to make a first impression, but that’s not always true. Sometimes, the impression that sticks with a person is the one that comes after your follow-up note or call.

BUILDING THE RELATIONSHIP

It’s not required that you refer clients to every networking contact you have. Whether I send any work Susan’s way or not, I’ve laid the foundation for a long and prosperous relationship. I keep in touch with Susan by clipping articles that might interest her, letting her know of business functions that she may want to attend, and getting together for coffee every once in awhile. She thinks fondly of me because I go out of my way for her. And it has paid off handsomely.

In the year and a half that we have known each other, Susan has sent me 4 new clients, hooked me up with at least a dozen great gateopeners, and given me countless suggestions for growing and expanding my business. Each new person with whom you strike up a conversation has the potential of doubling or tripling your network over time. That’s what casual networking is all about.

Ramona Creel is a Professional Organizer and the founder of OnlineOrganizing.com — a web-based one-stop shop offering everything that you need to get organized at home or at work. At OnlineOrganizing.com, you may get a referral to an organizer near you, shop for the latest organizing products, get tons of free tips, and even learn how to become a professional organizer or build your existing organizing business. And if you would like to read more articles about organizing your life or building your business, get a free subscription to the “Get Organized” and “Organized For A Living” newsletters. Please visit http://www.OnlineOrganizing.com or contact Ramona directly at ramona@onlineorganizing.com for more information.

“Accepting the consequences, good or bad, will free you; take a risk, but be aware that things sometimes turn out differently than you expected.”
-Marcia Wieder

No matter what you try to sell, you really won’t sell anything without getting a prospective buyer to purchase your product or service. In attempting to sell your merchandise or services, the sales letter you send out is when and how you talk to your prospect.

All winning sales letters speak to your prospect by creating an image in the mind of the reader. They set the scene by appealing to a desire or need, then flows smoothly into the visionary part of the sales presentation. This visionary process describes in detail how wonderful life will be and how good the prospect is going to feel after the product is purchased or the service has been performed. This is the heart, soul, and secret of a million dollar sales letter. In your sales letter and your marketing campaigns, give your prospect a clear vision of the benefits they will receive or take away from what you are offering.

For this to happen, your winning sales letter must follow a time-tested and proven formula known by the acronym AIDA:

A - You must get your prospect’s Attention.

I - Give your prospect an Interest in what you can do for her.

D - Create a Desire for the benefits you’re offering.

A - Request some Action from your prospect.

The Attention for your offer first comes from your headline. If it’s not compelling or a heart-stopping attention getter, work a little harder to make it so. Look at other advertisements that have made you stop and take a second look at what was offered. Then come up with a better one of your own that fits your offer. A powerful headline is 80% of the success or failure of your sales letters and promotions.

When your headline expresses your unique positioning statement — the million dollar phrase that captures in just a few words the “essence” of what you have to offer and how it will benefit a customer. A compelling headline can go the extra distance as an opening line for your sales letter and goes a long way towards establishing your “brand.”

Is the offer of Interest to your potential customer? What makes your product or service distinctive from your competition? Why would a prospect buy your product or use your service over another’s? Make the image of your product important. Whatever you offer should have the power to stay in the marketplace a long time. Just because life changes so rapidly, your product and/or service doesn’t have to conform. Potential customers need to know you’ll be there when they are ready to purchase your product or service.

How can you make your product or service Desirable? This is where the benefits are highlighted. Will it make the prospect feel more healthy? Save money? Lose more pounds ? Will it make them look more beautiful? Find ways to communicate the benefits to your potential customers. Use words that are powerful and irresistible like: magic, caring, power, richer happier, abundance, appealing, and enticing.

After announcing or promoting your offer, what is the result or, what type of Action do you wish your prospect to take? Be clear on your directions. Do you want them to request additional information, by telephone? By email? Must she mail a check? Call for further details? Or, just give an opinion?

Working the above AIDA formula into each of your sales letters and business marketing campaigns will determine the success of your business. And putting passion, purpose, and truthfulness into each sales message will work wonders - and bring you success.

Copyright, 2004

Gerri D Smith is publisher and host of multiple Gateways to inspiration, motivation, and support for individuals, women business owners, and entrepreneurs. Gerri’s internet resource offers ways to unlock the doors to your personal and business empowerment. Now is a perfect time to own your own business and discover some of the best ways to market a product. One is by letting your customers see it before they buy it. This concept is a sharing of information and is made available by the Internet. Best of all it’s delivered right to your email doorstep. Why not invest in your future, now. To help you reach more of your personal and business goals, subscribe to Gerri’s Free bi-monthly inspirational newsletter.

Visit: http://www.distinctivebusinesswomen.com Or, send a blank email and your correct email address and mailto: gerri@distinctivebusinesswomen.com?Subject=EZ-Scribe

It has been reported by the American Psychological Association that during meetings 68 percent of the participants are thinking about events in their lives unrelated to the meeting. 20 percent of the participants are actually paying attention, and only 12% are really listening.

More than likely, you as a salesperson truly understand less than half of what your customer is telling you. Effective listening is critically important to our sales success. Through effective listening we will be in a position to better understand our sales opportunities and customers needs. Before we learn the two primary techniques of Listening To Understand, we should first be aware of the reasons why it is difficult for all of us to listen 100% of the time.

Why We Don’t Listen

We have all spent years learning how to read, write and speak, but have never been instructed on effective listening skills. “We have been given two ears and but a single mouth in order that we may hear more and talk less” - Zeno of Citium. Most people listen carefully for only a small percentage of the time they’re with others. It is impossible for us to listen all of the time for the following reasons:

• Listening overload: Many of us spend half the time we are awake listening. We listen to family, friends, co-workers etc for about five hours a day. Add this to the time we listen to radio and television you can see it is impossible for us to be completely engaged in listening for this amount of time. Therefore, our attention will wander.

• Preoccupation: We are more concerned and occupying our thoughts with other more important issues.

• Psychological: Listening carefully is difficult from a psychological standpoint. We are capable of understanding speech at rates up to 600 words per minute. The average person speaks between 100 and 140 words per minute; therefore the excess time is usually spent thinking about personal issues or mentally preparing your next statement as opposed to concentrating on the speaker to understand their message.

• Distractions: The physical environment can present distractions that make it hard to listen. A hot stuffy room, traffic, discomfort and a noisy crowded location are examples of physical limitations on our ability to listen and concentrate.

• Assumptive listening: We often make incorrect assumptions, which lead to beliefs that the conversation is either too simplistic or too difficult. In these situations, we stop listening. What we should be doing is listening to understand the message. A final assumptive mistake is our belief that the subject or person is unimportant and we stop paying attention.

• Talking is more gratifying: The reality is that most of us like to talk. When we are talking some believe we can control others thoughts, gain admiration and respect and even release energy or frustrations. Talking about problems can sometimes make us feel better by working out our problems with others.

• Lack of training: A common misbelieve is that listening is like breathing, an activity that people do well naturally. Listening is a skill just like speaking, everybody does it, but few do it well.

Listening To Understand

Effective listening takes place during 2 way communication. The important element that distinguishes Two-way communication from One -Way communication is verbal feedback. Verbal feedback occurs when the listener sends verbal responses to the speaker about their conversation. In essence we are attempting to eliminate misunderstanding.

The key to Listening To Understand is to use verbal feedback to eliminate misunderstandings. Verbal feedback can be in the form of asking clarifying questions or paraphrasing

• Clarifying questions: This type of response involves asking for additional information to clarify your understanding of their message. Typical questions for your might be exploratory to understand more about their needs and to elaborate on what they said to ensure we have a clear understanding. Let’s say your customer is interested in your product but states that a “portable” version would be “nice”. The customer’s definition of “portable” may be different than yours. Maybe even the definition of “nice”. Next consider the likelihood that when your customer said portable they meant “wearable” or small enough to fit on our body like a small portable hand held device.

Maybe your company offers several portable versions. You now understand the customer has needs are for a portable unit and not a stationary unit. You ask the question to qualify that the customer has clearly identified their needs for the “portable” version. Therefore you ask a question something like “So, I understand the stationary unit does not satisfy your needs, however the “portable” version does, is that correct? Clearly if you parted after this exchange, you and your customer would have a misunderstanding. The problem here is that questions did not help understand the speakers meaning of portability. We thought we clearly understood the customers need for a portable unit as opposed to a stationary unit. However the question did not verify our understanding of the customers meaning of portability

• Paraphrasing: Paraphrasing is another type of feedback, one that would qualify your understanding before asking any additional questions. This feedback involves restating in your own words the message you thought the speaker just sent. Paraphrase your customer’s words, not parrot them. Restate what you think the customer said in your own words as a way of verifying your interpretation. In the example we used above, paraphrasing may sound like “So, your needs for our portable system would be to allow you to drive to the job site, and roll the system to the work area, is that it?”

Immediately sensing the problem the customer would reply, “Oh no, I need a wearable system that I can put in my back pack while I climb a 50ft ladder to the worksite”. “Did I say portable, I meant wearable”. This simple step of restating what you thought the speaker has said before going on is a very important tool for effective listening.

http://www.thasalesconsulting.com/

The founder and president of Taylor Hunter and Associates, Taylor Hunter has 20 years of diverse Sales, Sales Management and Executive experience. An impassioned interpreter of the selling process he has focused on fine-tuning the core basic elements of sales success during his career. A strong advocate of sales training that targets the core sales skills needed for success. Taylor Hunter created Methodology Selling which has served as the foundation for his noteworthy sales success. Methodology Selling is a proprietary sales approach trademarked by Taylor Hunter and Associates.

Before you throw out those old leads, consider that today’s
trash could be tomorrow’s sale.

Don Freda of Articulate Global in New York City flew to Ann
Arbor, MI to present his software solution to the University of
Michigan. During the meeting he discovered that although his
solution could help the university, it lacked some major
features that the customer wanted. Because his company didn’t
offer the needed components, Don flew back to New York without
the sale.

Just like all good technology-driven companies, Articulate
Global was continuously growing and enhancing its product
offering to reflect the advancing needs of the marketplace.
Months later when Don learned that his company offered new
features – the very same features that U of M was looking for –
he pulled the old file from his sales graveyard and immediately
called his contact with the good news. Don’s next trip to
Michigan was successful and he brought home the order.

All sales professionals have a long list of prospects that did
not turn into sales. While it doesn’t make sense to contact all
of your old leads, you may want to refrain from throwing out
some of them and put them in your tickler file instead. By
touching base with them periodically you may turn trash into
treasure. Here are the types of old leads that are most valuable.

Availability Like in Don’s situation, you may have encountered
prospects who need a product or service that you don’t offer
now, but may offer in the future. Keep these prospects on file
and follow up with them if the features they needed become
available.

Timing If what you sell requires time-based contracts, be sure
to find out when your prospect’s contract expires with your
competitor. Contact the prospect before your competition inks a
renewal. Explain to your prospect that you will help them assess
their options before they blindly assume that their current
provider is still the best value.

Service Have you ever met prospects who indicate that they don’t
get great service from their current provider but stay with them
anyway? Keep these contacts in your periodic follow-up folder.
Contact them every four to six months. When they take your phone
call, you might find that their frustration with the current
provider has moved them closer to a breaking point. If they’re
ready to change providers, your company will be top-of-mind.

Elephants Big companies often take a long time to make important
buying decisions. They also frequently reevaluate their costs
and periodically explore other vendors for potential savings.
Crumbs off the table at a large account could make your year. If
you can’t get all of their business, at least try to get some of
their business. Stay in touch with decision makers at
potentially large accounts. You might find that an uninterested
prospect in October is much more interested in February.

Competitor uncertainty Did your competitor just get some bad PR?
Is their reputation deteriorating in the marketplace? If an old
prospect does business with that competitor, a call from you
might be in order. Never spread negative competitive rumors, but
consider mentioning something like, “Many of XYZ’s customers
have come to us because they’ve been dissatisfied with XYZ’s
(business challenge). I’m calling to let you know that our
company still offers (product or service), and to let you know
that I’m here as a resource if you decide to explore other
alternatives to your current provider.”

The one that got away Those clients who almost bought from you,
but didn’t, might have some second thoughts about their chosen
provider. Several weeks after your competitor delivers the goods
to your prospect, make a phone call to the decision maker and
ask questions about the customer’s condition: “How do the levels
of service meet your expectations? How did the quality of the
work (or the product) meet your expectations?” Don’t ask
questions that sound like you’re trying to get some dirt on your
competitor. Focus the conversation on your customer and his
needs.

Stop classifying certain prospects as dead. Instead, consider
them dormant and stay in contact with them. Once you fill your
pipeline with some dormant prospects, you’ll enjoy incremental
business as you begin converting them from prospects to
customers.

If you hate cold calling, and even if you don’t, you should start capitalizing on the work you’ve already done.

So often we don’t utilize one of the most persuasive selling components in our marketing materials – the words of our own clients. Many creative people have wonderful testimonials from clients, but never use them for fear that they are “bragging” or that it is “too self promotional.”

Well of course it’s self promotional! That’s what good marketing is!

When you are finished a project for a client, why not capture that moment in the client’s own words to use for showing potential clients the value of your services? Testimonials are even more crucial for creative businesses because it is more difficult for the average person to set a value on most arts related items and services. Seeing others talk about the value of working with you will help them more readily understand the value of your work.

If your client doesn’t come running to you with a testimonial, then ask her for one. There is nothing wrong with that and most clients are honored you asked them.
The best testimonials are ones that show a measurable goal has been reached and uses language that your potential clients can identify with.

For example, here is a testimonial I received from a client who is an artist:

“I just recently got back from a job I did up in Cape Cod worth over $11,000 and it is because I used the techniques I learned from you to turn a consultation into my biggest job ever.”
-Amy Ketteran, Ketteran Studios

Here’s another example of a testimonial I received from a corporate client:

“My improved confidence/speaking skills has helped my career as well as Verizon Connected Solutions since we are now working on developing partnerships/joint ventures with some large manufacturers and I am involved with seminars to promote these potential partnerships. Since I began working with Kirstin I’ve had several speaking opportunities and I can tell you her methods work. In fact, because of my work with Kirstin, I gave testimony in court that caused VCS to win a nearly $1 million lawsuit with customer who refused to pay. I can’t thank Kirstin enough!”
-Ed Ruby, Director of Business Operations
Verizon Connected Solutions

If you have testimonials, but they are not measurable, then they aren’t as persuasive as they need to be in order to sell a future client. To get measurable testimonials, all you have to do is ask for them. If you receive a testimonial from a client that isn’t measurable and doesn’t show a specific example of how that client has improved since working with you, then thank the client for the kind comments and ask him to narrow down the success to one or two specific items that are improved due to your work together.

You can respond with something like:

“Thanks for your feedback. It’s wonderful to hear about your success. What specifically has improved during our work together? Were you able to measure the difference?”

The more measurable the testimonial, and the more the client speaks in his own words, the more persuasive it is to the potential client, and the easier it is to generate new business.

Review your client list and look back over recent projects.

Ask your best clients for measurable testimonials. It’s a whole lot easier than making a cold call!

Kirstin Carey is the author of “Starving Artist No More: Hearty Business Strategies for Creative Folks.” Kirstin knows how much most creative people hate sales, contracts, and discussing money and she consults creative people on the business side of creativity so they make more money, get better clients, and still love what they do. She put together a resource full of proven strategies and insider secrets guaranteed to help creative types get the business help they need so they don’t have to starve anymore! Go to http://www.MyCreativeBiz.com.

My first sales manager, a grizzled old veteran with a no excuses allowed attitude used to tell me, “there are no lousy products, just lousy salesmen”.
As a rookie salesman I thought the comment surely a strange one. Of course, there are bad products I thought. I know a bad product when I see one.

I was wrong. The point is I can see bad products because someone is selling them. They are on the market. It takes a real salesman to sell an obviously deficient product. I have sold luxury goods, services, foodstuffs, mass-market lines, and internationally. Each category requires an adjustment based on the customer, their needs and the benefits the product can offer.

The biggest reason for wildly varying sales performance is the inability of salespeople to recognize and handle objections. Most under-performing sales people do not understand the difference between objections and conditions. An objection is a stated negative to a part, or all of the proposed benefits of a product. Objections can, and must be overcome. A condition is a hard barrier. Imminent death, bankruptcy, possibly a looming divorce, are a few, and there are very few, conditions that would probably stop any attempt at closing a sale.

A condition is a fact that is so overwhelming that it makes no sense to pursue a sales opportunity. Trying to sell a Rolex watch, or life insurance, to a late stage cancer patient is probably not going to produce a mutually beneficial outcome for either party. A bankrupt is not a great candidate for a $25,000 kitchen remodel. Nevertheless, there are very few absolute conditions that sales people will ever run into. They too often want to position objections as conditions, an excuse mechanism.

Not so with objections! Objections come at sales people endlessly and they really are little more than phony excuses that can, and must, be overcome. Price, style, size, portability, too many features, too few features, the purported list of reasons a buyer might offer as a reason not to buy is endless. The prepared, knowledgeable and confident sales person will have an answer for each objection and be able to re-direct the presentation back toward a successful closing.
Buyers make decisions to buy or not buy based on a variety of emotions, motivations and needs. Very often the stated objection to making a purchase, is 180 degrees opposite of the potential purchasers real situation. I have had buyer’s claim that their budget was exhausted for that particular quarter. No new purchase orders could be written by order of the boss.

A bit of probing usually reveals the real reason for the objection, often a competitor is overstocked with a slow turning inventory. This is easily handled, “Mike, my merchandise is turning nicely, you just do not carry enough inventory. Don’t penalize, my company, your customers and your company’s bottom line by penalizing all of us because Brand X is overstocked.”

Objections are often proposed as a testing mechanism. The test is for you, the sales person, to be able to handle the objection and prove the validity of the opportunity you are presenting. If you cannot, many experienced buyers will walk away from the product simply based on the perceived reality that you do not have the features and benefits that will compel them to change vendors.

Never assume that an objection is anything more than a speed bump to be handled with care and diligence, but not a threat to derail a confident, knowledgeable sales person from achieving their ultimate goal, the sale. If you believe, and have passion, that your product, service or opportunity needs and deserves to be available to the widest possible audience then you will succeed at overcoming objections.

An objection is simply an opportunity for you to prove the utility and importance of your product. Successful sales people welcome objections. They recognize handling objections as confirmation of their mastery of the product. The competent buyer will, likewise, treat the sales person’s ability to tackle the minefield of objections as proof that this opportunity must be seriously considered for purchase.

Conditions are rare and insurmountable. Objections are frequent and used by weak sales persons and buyers to justify not taking action. There is no excuse for any sales person to not handle every objection proffered. It is commercial suicide to lack the competence to turn every objection into a closing opportunity.

Geoff Ficke has been a serial entrepreneur for almost 50 years. As a small boy, earning his spending money doing odd jobs in the neighborhood, he learned the value of selling himself, offering service and value for money.

After putting himself through the University of Kentucky (B.A. Broadcast Journalism, 1969) and serving in the United States Marine Corp, Mr. Ficke commenced a career in the cosmetic industry. After rising to National Sales Manager for Vidal Sassoon Hair Care at age 28, he then launched a number of ventures, including Rubigo Cosmetics, Parfums Pierre Wulff Paris, Le Bain Couture and Fashion Fragrance.

Mr. Ficke and his consulting firm, Duquesa Marketing, Inc. (http://www.duquesamarketing.com) has assisted businesses large and small, domestic and international, entrepreneurs, inventors and students in new product development, capital formation, licensing, marketing, sales and business plans and successful implementation of his customized strategies. He is a Senior Fellow at the Page Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Business School, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

Sales information resource Just Sell, calls caring “sales love”. Here’s the meaning:

Sales love (’sAlz - luv): noun: 1: unselfish and loyal care for the good of a customer, prospect, reseller, and/or team member.

The only reason we are in business is to provide value to a group of people who care about the story we tell.

According to business guru Jay Abraham, in his book Getting Everything You Can out of Everything You Got, “A successful business starts not with just a great idea or product. Rather, it starts with the desire to provide a solution to another’s problem.”

Client means, “Under the protection of another.” Customer means, “One who purchases goods and services.”

Everyone who does business with you must be a client. Never serve people merely as customers. They are too important to you.

Falling in love with your client is where sales and marketing really begin.

* Care about your clients more than yourself.

* Love your clients; not your business.

* Always ensure complete client satisfaction, no matter what.

Take time to understand what the client REALLY needs and make recommendations that solve their immediate problem; even if it means less profit on the initial sale.

Follow up demonstrates you care.

To truly care, you must become an expert at follow up. That means you:

1. Check in by telephone or in person regularly. Not only after a sale, but ongoing, every month.

2. Become an information resource on the latest trends in your industry.

3. Follow up on all client phone calls, correspondence and emails quickly.

4. Provide personal communication and focused ideas that demonstrates you care enough to take the time to fully understand your client.

Follow the action steps below to add care to your marketing and sales arsenal. You’ll increase your closing ratios, top line revenues and referrals simultaneously.

Follow These Action Steps to Add Caring to Your Sales Effort

1. Understand the lifetime value of every client. On average, how long does a client keep doing business with you?

What is that business worth in dollars and cents on an annual basis?

2. What is the value you provide others? Practice articulating it until you become comfortable talking about value instead of features and benefits.

3. Study your client database. Make sure everyone has been personally touched (communicated with) this year.

If they haven’t, write a letter. Apologize for not staying in touch. Tell them you’ll call to check in. Stay with it until you make a connection. Show them you care.

4. Have a plan to follow up with every new client, starting today. Here’s an example:

* 24 to 48 hours after a sale, call to thank them. Make sure all your promises were kept.

* One week later, make sure your product or service is still performing as expected or better.

* One month later, check in for complete satisfaction again.

Stay in touch regularly. Make sure your valued client is overjoyed by their experience of doing business with you.

5. Help your fans (overjoyed clients) spread the word. Provide clients with articles written by you or other industry experts. Provide methods and instruction to help clients remember to spread the good news (your service and information) to people they know.

6. Respond to all client communications quickly. Respond to clients on the same day they communicate with you.

7. Continuously comb your database. Be aware of everyone in it. If you’re not sure about someone in your database, call them. Clarify their wants and needs. If they no longer fit, take them off of your list. Keeping a “clean” database ensures your clients are cared for consistently.

8. Every database entry has a follow up action scheduled or you remove them. No action = lack of care.

While it may seem like extra work, turning strangers into friends and friends into clients requires dedication.

Maintaining and expanding client relationships is the shortest path to extreme sales success.

© Copyright 2005, Bill Gluth, Develop Your Vision, All Rights Reserved.

Bill Gluth is the motivator of focused change. He is the first to specialize in teaching small business owners how to be extraordinary in a commodity driven world.

Since starting Develop Your Vision in 2001, Bill has helped business owners achieve balance, satisfaction and profit with freedom by understanding the unique “vision” that sets one business apart from their competition.

Bill teaches strategies that turn dreams and goals into accomplishments by successfully reaching tightly defined niche markets using inexpensive, creative, Human Touch ideas and methods.

To find out more about Bill Gluth, Develop Your Vision, visit his website at http://www.developyourvision.com or his Blog at http://www.billgluth.com