How well do you know your clients?

When I say clients, I mean not only individuals but entire organisations. Do you have one contact in each office or are there multiple people you can reach out to?

If you answered “one” you may have a problem.

What happens if that one person happens to get sick, get in an accident, gets fired, or just plain leaves the organisation? No one else will know who you are and it is very likely that your business may be replaced by someone who seeks help elsewhere merely because they don’t know you exist.

For every organisation you work with you should have a list of contacts above, equal to, or even below the person you work with on a regular basis. That way you’ll always know who to reach out to if the person you usually speak to is unavailable. You may even make a contact in a separate department, with a separate purchasing budget, and increase your bottom line.

Building relationships within offices helps you to protect your bottom line at all times. You’ll never have to worry about losing business just because the group you work for is experiencing change.

So go – now – check your Rolodex! Do you have more than one contact for each client? If not, start forming new relationships today – before it’s too late.

Sean

Sales Expert - Marketing Consultant – Motivational Speaker

Trust me when I say I know how difficult it is to sit down at your desk on a Monday morning, pick up the phone, and start making phone calls. I’d like to help you get started this week by giving you an idea you can use to motivate yourself.

I want you to go to your filing cabinet (or drawer, or crate under your desk – whatever you use) and pull out the files of your biggest and best clients. Place them on your desk in a spot where they’ll be out of your way while still remaining in your line of sight as you make phone calls.

Seeing the files of your best clients as you make calls will actually motivate you subconsciously. Seeing those files will give you the drive to continue dialing that phone until you reach a prospect that has the potential to be your next big client.

Maintain that focus and you won’t lose your momentum after the first few unsuccessful calls.

PS – The only drawback to this technique is that you might think of something you want to do for the client you’ve been looking at throughout your calls. Resist the urge to stop your calling in order to do something. Make a note and put it to the side for later on!

Sean

Sales Expert - Marketing Consultant – Motivational Speaker

Let’s assume you’ve just entered your favorite store to buy a box of widgets. You reach the widget aisle and realise that there are five or six different brands, each with different functions. Some even include extra benefits and perks, like extra widgets in the box or an unrelated prize you can add to your collection. Some of the boxes with “extras” cost less than the ones without.

Which one are you going to purchase?

If I were you, I’d buy the box of widgets offering 2 for the price of 1 and an extra free storage container. That’s great for you as the consumer, but how does your choice impact the bottom line of the widget manufacturer?

No matter how you spin the tale, the reality is that it costs money to give things away. You may be branding yourself as the company willing to “give” but are you really going to make a profit or keep that customer when the “free stuff” is no longer offered? Or will they then move onto the next manufacturer offering a bigger box at a lower price?

The theory applies no matter what type of service or product you are selling. Many salesmen tend to add additional products, services, or “perks” when they see their prospects hesitate. They think that throwing additional services into the package will encourage the prospect to buy.

Well, they’re right.

But what they don’t realise is that the more they give away for free the less they’re actually earning.

Make sure you are listening to your prospects and getting a good understanding of the reasons they are hesitating. Asking the right questions may give you the power to overcome an objection without destroying your bottom line.

Think about it.

Sean

Sales Expert - Marketing Consultant – Motivational Speaker

It’s no secret that the current state of the economy has businesses of all sizes questioning their expenditures on a regular basis. What happens when your sales proposal (or invoice, in the case of an already established client) ends up on a decision makers desk?

There are two things that might happen. He’ll pay the bill or he’ll cancel your contract.

So how do you prevent the latter from happening?

Make sure you turn visiting your customers and prospects in person into your number one priority. If you don’t do it, someone else will – and I guarantee that the person your customer or prospect SEES last is the one he’s going to remember when it comes time to pay the bills.

Taking the time to meet with people face to face will not only help you get over your fears of public interaction but will show your customers that you care enough to make the time to see them. They’ll feel less like numbers impacting your bottom line and will view you more like a partner they can trust.

Visit your clients in person, build your business relationships, and watch your career as a salesperson grow.

Sean

Sales Expert - Marketing Consultant – Motivational Speaker