Kim Duke Articles

You Can't Do This Alone - Click To Read Article
"Do-it-myself" works great for shoes laces but not so well for sales!

What's YOUR Secret Cash Source? - Click To Read Article
No I don't mean your retirement savings or your Aunt Nell. These are tips on how to improve your cash flow right now!!!

Have You "Guessed Wrong" On Something Lately? - Click To Read Article
When you are committed to improving your sales, you sometimes make a mistake. Find out why it's alright and how to keep moving forward.

99% Of People Selling Need To Do This - Click To Read Article
You are probably busy all the time...but are you doing the right things? The marketplace is changing dramatically and if you use some of these tips you can be where you need to be...when you need to be there. And even better, you can be ahead of your competition.

Yawn..Do Your Customers Think You're Dull? - Click To Read Article
Well - it really breaks another big rule of SELLING. When you're dull - you're not different. When you're not different (with something that is important to your customer) -they feel that you're exactly like your competitor.

What Your Customers Want - Click To Read Article
Don't assume all of your customers are trying to grind you down to your last nickel. Some of them will do that...and you're going to have to ask yourself if that is a customer you need to keep. Many customers, many, many more than you can imagine would willingly walk with you to the "World of Oops. " They are looking for freshness, pilot projects, new ways to distribute and create new products and services. Yes - they want to be strategic. Yes - they want it to be measurable. And yes - they are still willing to try something new.

Where's the Beef in Your Sales Patty? - Click To Read Article
Soooooo - what's on the menu with your business? Is it possible for a customer to custom design certain products or services that you sell? Can they create the perfect combination for what they need orrrrrr... do they have to buy a bunch of things they don't want in order to get what they DO want?

Warning: Are You Being Hit With The Outrageous Askers? - Click To Read Article
Right now, I'd bet that within the past 90 days you've been asked to do some pretty outrageous things. It really could be anything -as in these tough economic times people have to get creative. Some of the requests are an immediate NO (and I don't blame you) however some of them may be worth thinking twice about.

Uh-oh..Are The Vultures Circling Over You? - Click To Read Article
I can guarantee something. If you're worrying about money and sales right now in any way, shape or form then you start to smell funny. The average person can't smell you but customers can. They smell desperation! And some of them are going to try to take advantage of that.

This "Innocent" Work KILLS Your Credibility - Click To Read Article
She'll leave a message on my voice mail saying "Hey Kim - it's just your sister calling" JUST my sister, the only person on the planet who knows all my secrets, what I looked like in my Grade 5 photo (trust me - it's frightening) and who understands what I'm thinking with only a look??? JUST.

The Most REFRESHING Tip For Dealing With Sales Rejection - Click To Read Article
So. You've met with the client. Provided a proposal. Asked when they wanted follow-up. You felt the meeting went well and secretly you were counting the dollars and where you were going to spend them. And then you've... Called, e-mailed, Called, e-mailed, Called, e-mailed, Called, e-mailed, Called, e-mailed, Called, e-mailed, Called, e-mailed, Called, e-mailed, Called, e-mailed (deep breath!) until you're blue in the face?? And NO ONE is getting back to you? And quite frankly, you're starting to feel like a loser with no friends?

The Most Bizarre Old School Sales Rule EVER - Click To Read Article
I had a friend years ago give me some very bad advice (thank goodness I didn't pay attention to it) "Kim, when you're first in business - no matter what they ask for - say YES." I think that is a bizarre recipe for disaster. It is also the Old School Rule of Selling that is out-dated, WRONG and definitely NOT for you!

The Easiest Way to Make a Sale When You're Stuck - Click To Read Article
What did the sales manager say? "Kim - if you can't make the BIG PASS then PUNT instead. " So what does that mean?

The 3 BEST Sales Tips You Can Learn - Click To Read Article
When a reporter asks me who taught me how to sell - I always tell them Barbara Walters. I had no interest in being a "cheesy salesperson" - I wanted to be a superior interviewer who just happened to sell.

The 6 Steps To Collecting Money Without Guilt - Click To Read Article
So you've made the sale. Provided the product or service. Sent the invoice. Waited. Waited. Waited. And now your stomach is in a knot because you absolutely HATE having to call customers for cash?

One Tough Thing You Need To Do Today - Click To Read Article
Are You Avoiding Something Tough? Hey listen. Been there. I catch myself avoiding things too. Meeting with my accountant at tax-time. Speaking to a supplier I'm not happy with. Saying No to someone who is really nice. The process of selling and marketing can definitely have some tough spots. Maybe you feel... • Stuck • Or not creative • Or you're dreading making a call to a customer because you've screwed up My Diva Advice? You have to know how to REWARD yourself for doing the tough stuff! (Basically this is what any good sales manager excels at)

Losing Sales - A Ridiculous Sales Habit You Need To Ditch - Click To Read Article
Have you ever been so EXCITED about something that you couldn't stop talking about it? I recently caught myself doing it!  I'm headed to France in a few months - spending a week in Paris and the remaining weeks in Provence. (I'm even taking cooking classes!) See....I just did it again! In my excitement - I'm talking about it. (Maybe a little obsessively!) And you guessed it lady, this is something YOU'RE probably doing too.

It's Official - Your Sales Pity Party Is Now Over - Click To Read Article
Your Pity Party Is Now Officially Over The business environment is always in a state of flux. So it is up to you to decide the pro-active directions, activities and attitudes that are best for your business. And being flustered stops you from being focused on what is really important. This is the year for you to get your act together and create strong relationships with your customers and potential customers. It's the year for invention, re-invention, moving forward, carving away what doesn't fit and adding what does.

Is This Stupid Sales Myth Soaking You? - Click To Read Article
One of the most STUPID SALES MYTHS I've ever heard is: "Every NO leads to a Yes." Oh no it doesn't cupcake. It leads to more NOs. Doing the same thing over and over doesn't mean that it is going to get any better. Especially if you're doing the SAME WRONG THING over and over.

Hey - Are Your Sales And Marketing Materials Fridge Worthy? - Click To Read Article
When my friends come over to my house, the first place they head to is the fridge. And nooooo - it isn't for the food either! (although I AM a fabulous cook) They are STARING at all the cool quotes, cards, offers and important things or people that I want to remember and have in my radar. All attached with a fabulous magnet of course. (REALLY - it's a position of honor!) And people LOVE looking at it! I often advise my clients that ANY sales and marketing materials they're creating had better be FRIDGE WORTHY. (or puh-lease - DON'T show them to me)

EEK! Are You Making These 4 Naked Emperor Mistakes? - Click To Read Article
Are you still trying to sell like the Good Old Boys Club? Well if you are - I want you to remember the childhood story "The Emperor's New Clothes" I'll refresh your memory.

Do Your Clients Think You're A Grudge? - Click To Read Article
What Is A Grudge Product/Service? It's simple really. A grudge product/service is when you HAVE to spend money on something that you really would rather NOT HAVE TO spend money on. In fact... if you had it your way - you'd never spend a CENT on a grudge product or service again.

Do Your Prospects Have a "Crush" on You? - Click To Read Article
Do Your Prospects Have A "Crush" On You? Here's the deal lady. When sales are sluggish it can be very easy to drop your "customer filter" and start taking any old business that knocks on the door. Sometimes those prospects want to pay you far less than you're worth - and sometimes those prospects are just not the right fit (but you're tempted to take the biz anyway). Because this can very dangerous to your profit margins, time, energy and possible frustration levels - let me give you a Sales Diva warning.

Collecting From Your Customers - Click To Read Article
Are You Letting Customers Off The Hook And They Owe You Money?? An old sales manager of mine taught me something years ago. It's pretty simple. He said: "It's not a sale until you're paid."

Cool Sales Idea You Can Learn From a Christmas Orange - Click To Read Article
How Can A Customer Change Long-Term Habits So Quickly? Easy. You try something better.

Burst Your Bubble NOW To Get More Customers - Click To Read Article
One of my little secrets to selling has absolutely NOTHING to do with selling and EVERYTHING to do with expanding my creativity. And I end up making tons more money almost by magnificent default! Why? You Have To Burst Your Bubble NOW To Get More Customers!

Are Your Customers Asking For Too Much - Click To Read Article
It happens. You've trained a customer to ask for everything (and for a low price) and guess what? Now they expect it. And now you're feeling overwhelmed, swamped and, quite frankly, a little green around the edges because their latest request has almost made you weep with frustration.

Are You Saying This Magical Phrase To Your Customers - Click To Read Article
Are You Offering Change To Your Customers? I just loved how Maria captured selling with one phrase. "I offer change." And yet, you and I both know that the majority of people try to sell by INFO DUMPING all over their customer vs ASKING what kinds of CHANGE their customer is looking for. Remember - selling is when you're offering a means, an opportunity for someone to make a positive change. How cool is that?

Are You SUFFERING From This Rainy Day Sales Mistake - Click To Read Article
Many Sales People Live Too Much In The Moment Yes - I know we're taught by the self-help gurus to "live in today." But when it comes to business and especially to selling, that is the kiss of death. I see it all the time. People get excited when they close a big sale and then promptly throw all caution to the wind and spend every cent. Sometimes they even do it ahead of time (before the sale is even closed)...and that is a recipe for disaster sister. Selling is like life. It will have ebbs and flows. Sometimes you will be making more money than you can imagine and then 6 months later you're wondering where everybody went!

Are You Kissing Frogs Or Making Sales? - Click To Read Article
Most of us were taught "You have to kiss many frogs before you meet the handsome prince." The problem is you've probably applied this philosophy to getting business as well! When I first started selling years ago, I was told the exact same thing. My boss actually threw the Yellow Pages on my desk and said "Go Get 'Em Kid!" (I kid you not)

Are You On The Verge Of Quitting - Click To Read Article
I believe if you're an entrepreneur or in sales - you deserve a gold star! Why? Because we're people who don't get regular pay cheques like the rest of the madding crowd. We ONLY get paid when we SELL. (Now look in the mirror because I just pasted a BIG Star on your forehead!) And sometimes it feels like sales are slow, no one is calling you back, and you couldn't come up with a new idea if your life depended on it. (thank goodness that's not the case!)

Are You A Scairdy Cat When Asking For Referrals? - Click To Read Article
Do Your Customers Love You? I'm sure they do but you probably don't know for sure. Which then makes it pretty tough to ask for referrals. (In fact - it makes you shake in your boots a little bit doesn't it?) But if you're a Scairdy Cat and DON'T ASK for referrals you're missing out on TONS OF BUSINESS lady!!! (and it doesn't cost you a cent!!)

Are You Making This "Kiss of Death" Sales Mistake? - Click To Read Article
Where are YOU making assumptions about your customers? The 2 turkeys that were trying to sell me were making judgments on my age, looks, who was with me, who was driving my car, as well as the words I used. Except that they were WRONG ABOUT EVERYTHING. And you know this rule - because I'm sure you heard this from your mother:

Are These Two Words Sucking Your Sales Dry? - Click To Read Article
There are 2 little words that currently cause YOU a TON of stress. In fact, these words make grown women hum and haw, stutter and stammer, look at the ground, look at the sky, and clear their throat a lot. Here's what else happens.

An Elephant Sized Sales Tip You Need Now - Click To Read Article
Look Down Lady - There's An Elephant On Your Foot! (And this is a pachyderm in dire need of a pedicure.) This is the ELEPHANT that hardly anyone ever asks about with their potential customer: "Who was your previous supplier and why are you unhappy with them?" Don't be sooooooo afraid of mentioning your competition because you're terrified you'll lose the sale too. A BIG, elephant-sized mistake that would be. Pssst. You need to know what your customer's expectations are of you. You need to know what made them so unhappy with their last supplier that they dumped them (or are considering it)

Are YouTapping Into THE POWER OF PLAN B? - Click To Read Article
Keep your mind open. Take notes. And you'll see how quickly other fabulous options will be given to you. I think Plan B actually means BETTER because we're forced to be creative in unusual ways. (and of course you can return the favor to these 5 fabulous people that helped you out)

Are You Making This Valley-Girl Voice Mistake??? - Click To Read Article
Are You Making This Simple But Annoying Mistake? For some reason so many women struggle with this habit. They are making solid statements at sales presentations, in meetings, at networking functions...and yet they end EVERY SINGLE SENTENCE with their voice "going higher....and it sounds as if they are continually asking a question????"

Are You "Making Out" With Your Sales Mirror? - Click To Read Article
Remember - if you want DIFFERENT RESULTS then you're going to have to break free from your "sales mirror" and stir things up! Otherwise, you'll be just like my little Rocket Robin friend...the one who adored looking at his own reflection but who wasn't getting any action. Does that sound like you?

A Strategy That Could Swamp You With Business - Click To Read Article
Do YOU Remember People Who Treat You Nicely? I bet you do. You love them in fact. You're not sending them some cheesy fridge calendar once per year. (Please tell me you aren't doing THAT lame strategy!) When you send someone a JOLT OF JOY - you lighten their day, lighten the load, make them laugh - remember we're all people and we all need a shot of fun on a regular basis. And customers remember people who've remembered them.

A Ridiculously Easy Way To Increase Sales - Click To Read Article
So What Does Stir The Pot Mean? I'm sure you've had this happen. (in fact - you may be experiencing it at this very moment) You've been busy. Or distracted. Or focusing on something else (whatever that may be). And during your "mental absence" your sales have slowed down -in fact, there's nothing simmering at all. And you're starting to panic. Lots of heavy breathing, heart racing, 3 am wide-awake moments (and George Clooney nowhere in sight!) Get out Your Wooden Spoon Lady! It's time to stir things up a bit.

A Truly Unusual Sales Tip You Can Learn From Hitchcock Movies - Click To Read Article
Last week-end, my two cutie-pie nieces told me I have a formula for getting their attention. They said: "Auntie - you never tell us EXACTLY what you have planned for us - it drives us crazy!!! We feel like we're waiting for Christmas." Well I think that is the sign of a good Aunt as well as a superb sales woman! Why were they saying this? Hey look - I'm not JUST a master sales chick, I'll have you know I'm the master of weird scavenger hunts, surprise parties and presents for no reason, tree houses with secret trap doors, and how to turn the ordinary into something extraordinary.

A Sales Story That Will Gross You Out - Click To Read Article
was rapidly doing the math - thinking "OMG - this thing has to be almost 3 years old - maybe older!!!!" I'd been eating petrified mango/coconut goo. And all of a sudden - the little EXTRA that I had received from the grocery store - left me with a realllllllllly bad lasting impression of their store.

A Spectacular Sales Example of Something REALLY Stupid - Click To Read Article
Don't think your customers get excited about the unexcitable. Promotions are important to selling. Absolutely. But they have to be promotions that actually MEAN something to your customer. A promotion has to create a sense of urgency, a sense of excitement, momentum - a "Ooooooooooh - I'd LOVE that!" kind of feeling.

A Goofy Christmas Mistake You CAN'T Make With Customers - Click To Read Article
Thou shall not BLEND IN WITH THE MASSES. Listen lady. I know you love your customers. However, giving them something at Christmas when they are swamped with a bunch of Christmas goodies - DOES NOT MAKE YOU STAND OUT.

5 Wicked Ways To "What If" Your Business - Click To Read Article
Dive into the game of What If. It's easy. You just say What If....and then you mention the opposite of what you're currently doing. Ie/ What If I could work from home and earn full time money? What If I could make my dream business work? What If what I'm doing right now isn't the right fit? What If I could happily earn over $100,000 a year?

3 Sickly Reasons Why Customers Resist You - Click To Read Article
Cute story and guess what - your customers are the same way. Some of them will take their time and resist your product or service - right to the very last minute. And THEN they act. Others will jump in much faster with reassurance.

2 Crazy Sales Tips To Make You Gasp - Click To Read Article
I see something all the time that drives me absolutely around the bend. People and companies who are only consistent at being BORING. I guarantee they struggle with NOT getting attention from potential customers, they are constantly dropping their rates and they pretty much say YES to every customer that drops in their path.

2 Cool Ways Einstein Makes You Money - Click To Read Article
Over the years - I've spoken extensively about how thank you cards are under-used by most entrepreneurs and sales people. Inevitably someone will ask me "OK Kim, I'm guilty!! There's someone I should have sent a thank you card to...but it's been 3 months! I feel terrible. Is it too late?" This is why you have to love Einstein. The answer is "It's never too late to send a thank you card!'


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