It’s difficult to ignore the news of the financial crisis that is occurring around the world and the fear and uncertainty that it is creating. Here in Australia many companies have been tightening their budgets and reducing their spending over recent months and it looks like it’s going to continue. So what does this mean for those of us running businesses or working in sales?
To me it means choices. You can
• do exactly what you have been doing in the past and hope that it works
• admit defeat and tell yourself there is nothing you can do, or
• sharpen your sales skills and see it as an opportunity not a threat
Opportunities, at a time like this? Yes because situations and events create opportunities.
It’s times like this that many businesses are open to discussing other options and some may even need to evaluate current supplier relationships. It’s a great time to get back in touch with old prospects, find new prospects and to spend time with customers to ensure they are indeed satisfied and happy with your product and service.
No matter how bad the economy may or may not be, people and businesses still have problems that need to be solved and they will still need help to solve them. Sales may slow but they aren’t going to stop.
Here are some ideas on how you can increase your sales and maintain your client base.
1. Maintain or increase your marketing, it’s important to remain visible
2. Re-focus your sales team and talk about the opportunities
3. Re-contact prospects that have been called over the past 12 months
4. Pick up the phone and talk to your customers
5. Work on your selling skills, particularly your questioning. Make sure your asking the right questions e.g. “Why do you think that?”, What impact will that have”
6. Dig deeper and uncover the real need or buying reason. ‘We need to improve productivity by 5%” is not the real need. Asking “why” will start to uncover the real reason.
7. Improve your listening skills and be an active listener. If you receive a response that is vague or you’re not sure what it means, ask questions.
8. Focus even more on the needs of your customers and your prospects.
9. Stay positive, it will rub off on everyone around you.
Remember, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going and the rest will just complain”
Which one will you choose?
Selling in a slowing economy - To learn more about this author, visit Karen Andrews's Website.
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Dave Kurlan
Dave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development.
Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit.
He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine.
He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball.
He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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George Ludwig
George Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance.
Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson.
His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more.
George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Karen Andrews
(Visit Karen's Website)
As Director of Shine Sales Solutions,
Karen provides sales solutions for small
and medium sized businesses that make a
real difference to their bottom line. She
does this by offering advice, guidance and
tools that assist business owners to
understand the sales process and develop
the sales skills required to grow their
business.
Whether it be managing sales staff to
ensure consistent sales results or working
1 on 1 to develop your sales skills, she
believes in giving people the tools that
they need to build their business. This
includes the important face to face skills
that business owners need to talk about
their business.
Karen has over 10 years experience in
managing new business development
campaigns for major companies in
industries such as Office Equipment,
Telecommunications and Information
Technology. During her career, Karen
recognised an opportunity to assist those
who don’t have any background in sales and
don’t necessarily like doing it, but have
no choice but to develop the skills to
ensure their business succeeds.
If you would like to improve the sales
performance of your business, contact
Shine Sales Solutions on +612 94376500 or
sale
s@shinesales.com.au
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