Tweet

Karen Andrews Articles

Written by: Karen Andrews

Are you boring prospects with your questions? - Click To Read Article
When you ask ‘thinking, open style' questions it can help you to win new business much quicker and with fewer objections. Additionally, when you help prospects to think about the needs of their business and to really think about current or potential problems or challenges they may face, they start to see you differently and understand the value you can add to them or their business.

Consultative Needs Based Selling Approach - Click To Read Article
Looking at your business from a sales perspective and most importantly understanding your business from a client perspective, is one of the most important first steps in sales. Most people hate being sold to but love the feeling of buying; so the clearer you can explain how your business helps and "what is in it for them" the easier it makes prospective customers to make a buying decision. The consultative/problem solver approach qualifies and listens to the customer and helps them to buy what they need. The consultative approach focuses on the needs of the customer and how you improve or benefit them in some way.

Product Bundling to Increase Sales - Click To Read Article
Product bundling is combining two or more complimentary products or services together that creates differentiation and offers greater value to the customer. The key to packaging your products and services is to ensure that the package price is less than buying all the individual items separately. A bundle of products is sometimes referred to as a package deal and a well known example of this is the fast food industry 'meal deal' where you can buy burger, fries and coke for a cheaper price than purchasing all items individually.

How to increase sales by upselling - Click To Read Article
Upselling your products or services to existing customers is a relatively quick and easy (and lets not forget cheap) way to increase your sales revenue, strengthen customer relationships and increase your value to customers. Up-selling is when you recommend a better (typically more expensive) product or service to customers and takes place once the sale has been made. The most common example of upselling is McDonalds when they ask you ‘would you like fries with that’ or “would you like to upsize for an extra xx amount?”

Achieve your Sales Targets with your Sales Pipeline - Click To Read Article
Being aware of and managing the amount in your sales pipeline each week, fortnight or month can have the single biggest impact to achieving your sales consistently from month to month and quarter to quarter. It is an important forecasting tool that all businesses should use even if they don’t have salespeople, as it clearly shows how many sales to expect and when to expect them.

Consultative Selling Approach - Click To Read Article
Consultative selling qualifies and listens to the customer to help them to buy what they need. It focuses on the needs of the customer and how to improve or benefit them in some way. It is the complete opposite to traditional methods of selling because it isn't about what the salesperson wants to sell them; it is about what the customer wants or needs to buy.

The simple truth to increasing sales; follow up, follow up, follow up! - Click To Read Article
Did you know that the majority of sales leads and enquiries do not get followed up more than once (which could be why your business has a low conversion rate*)? To improve your sales or that of your sales team, develop a system to regularly check where each one is at and when they were last contacted. If you hold sales meetings, doing it at the beginning or end of each month is perfect.

Smooth Sailing or Storms Ahead ? How to use the Sales Pipeline to predict your future - Click To Read Article
A sales pipeline is simply a forecast that you or your salespeople prepare monthly which lists the customers that are likely to buy in a given time frame, the value of the sale and when it is likely to close. It is an essential tool for business owners and sales managers to identify where you are and where you need to be in order to meet budget.

Selling in the lead up to Christmas - Click To Read Article
Well it’s hard to believe but it’s only 6 weeks until Christmas and this time of year always brings with it challenges for both business owners and salespeople. As we approach the festive season and the business year draws to a close, many decision makers prefer to put off decisions and new business meetings until the New Year. This is both challenging and de-motivating for salespeople but also frustrating and stressful for business owners, who need to keep generating revenue.

5 Quick Sales Tips to INCREASE sales - Click To Read Article
Did you come back from the New Year break invigorated and inspired to make 2009 your best year yet? Have you just realized that it’s the middle of February and you still haven’t done anything? Use these 5 quick tips and get motivated, get active and start taking the steps toward building your success this year.

Top 20 Interview Questions for Salespeople - Click To Read Article
If your looking to hire a salesperson it can be difficult to identify who is going to be a sales superstar and who is not. When interviewing the most important areas to focus on and discuss is * Their sales methodology (for different scenarios) * Their previous achievements, and * Their personal and professional goals Here is a list of 20 interview questions (in no particular order) that will get you started and help to differentiate the potential achievers from the non-achievers.

SALES TIPS AND TRICKS - Click To Read Article
Want to increase sales but don’t have the sales skills or worried you will come across as an aggressive, pushy sales person? The key to developing confidence in sales is by being flexible and open-minded about trying something new!

Quick Tips to Presenting Proposals - Click To Read Article
These quick tips will help to reduce some of the 'discomfort' that can be associated when presenting your pricing options

How to close the sale - Click To Read Article
For many people just the thought of ‘asking for the business‘ or closing the sale, brings about paralyzing fear of rejection and feelings of being too pushy. So what happens? It gets avoided at all costs and that doesn't help anyone. The problem with letting fear get in the way is that sales drag on way to long and they often get lost as a result of not following-up. Remember if you don't ask, you don't get. Interestingly, it's very rare for someone to be annoyed with you for following-up, if they have been meaning to call you, you're doing them a favour by saving them time. If they haven't made a decision, that's OK just ask them when you should call them back (so your not bothering them unnecessarily in between).

Quick Prospecting Tools - Click To Read Article
Do you get frustrated constantly sourcing new sales and contact information?

Build your Sales Pipeline and Boost Your Prospect Numbers - Click To Read Article
Do you get frustrated constantly searching for prospects and contact information? The traditional methods of building a list of people that you can market and sell to such as purchasing databases, driving around business parks and noting the tenants of buildings that you walk past are great, and they do work, however, they are costly and time consuming.

Sales Tips to give your sales a boost in 2010 - Click To Read Article
customers, the same results can be achieved. Besides, you can find new customers from referrals within your existing client base. Here is a couple of quick tips to help you build your revenue in 2010.

10 Ways to Increase your Sales - Click To Read Article
Want to increase your sales and grow your business but worried you will come across as a pushy sales person? Not sure what to do or where to start to ensure your business is a success this year? The key to success, particularly in sales, is planning ahead and always be willing to try something new.

How to avoid being a pest in your sales follow up - Click To Read Article
Did you know that one of the biggest gripes against salespeople by decision makers is the lack of follow up? Many people resist following up because they find it uncomfortable and don’t want to seem pushy or annoying and many people don’t follow up because they simply forget. This lack of follow-up presents a great opportunity for those who are organized and take the time to do it.

Why Isn't My Salesperson Selling? - Click To Read Article
Hiring salespeople is a time consuming and costly exercise, so it’s important to get it right and keep it right. Unfortunately, not all salespeople are equal and managing poor performers is a common (and stressful) problem for many businesses, no matter what their size.

What to do when the sale stalls - Click To Read Article
How many stalled sales do you have in your sales pipeline right now? You feel as though you have done everything right. You have connected well with your prospect, they have explained their business and relevant personal issues and you are working directly with the person who has the authority and ability to make the decision. They have given you all the right buying signals but the only problem is you can’t get them to sign on the dotted line and now they aren’t returning your calls.

Sales Tips for the First Appointment - Click To Read Article
“It’s all about planning and preparation” It’s amazing how many sales people and business owners I talk to who under-estimate the value and importance of planning and preparing for a first appointment.

Sales Tips for Selling in a challenging economy - Click To Read Article
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?

Overcoming Sales Objections - Click To Read Article
Objections are simply reasons or concerns that a prospective client has as to why they won't make a decision when you want them to. You will hear statements such as:

How can I make cold calling easier? - Click To Read Article
Lately I have been working with a number of sales teams to help them increase the success of their cold calling and I thought I would share with you some of my tips for success:

How can I increase the number of Referrals I receive? - Click To Read Article
I’m sure most of you would agree that selling to someone who has been referred to you is much easier and more enjoyable than those generated through traditional sales efforts such as direct mail and cold calling. The success rate is higher because they are in the market for your services and are also much less price sensitive because the referring party has told them the value and benefits that you can deliver.

How can you find the best of the best in sales? - Click To Read Article
Many people believe great sales-people are born, not made but I disagree because sales is a process that can be taught to anyone and it is simply how the process is applied that separates good from great. Success in sales comes from skill development, attitude, confidence and behaviour.

Business Networking Tips - Click To Read Article
Networking has been good to me over the years. Apart from referrals, it has been the single most successful way of generating new business and building my professional network. It must be the salesperson in me, but there is nothing more rewarding than meeting and connecting with new people who end up as friends, associates or clients.

Boost your Sales through Reinvention - Click To Read Article
Is it just me or is 2009 going to be the biggest and best year yet? Despite what is being reporting in the media and what we are seeing overseas, many of the people that I’ve spoken to recently are extremely motivated and confident that 2009 is going to be their best year yet (including me). So if 2009 is going to be your best year yet, now is the perfect time to sit down and work out what you want to achieve and what you need to do to make this happen.

Are you asking questions that make your customers & prospects THINK? - Click To Read Article
Questioning or probing as it is also known, is most of the most important skills you can learn when dealing with customers and one of the most powerful. The ability to ask questions that uncover important information about a customer’s needs, current supply and willingness to change is a strong characteristic of a ‘consultative’ sales approach.





Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Coaching Tip: Identify Your Core Values

Using Social Media Marketing

Multilevel Marketing: 4 Tips To MLM Success

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.