Is your current sales team showing signs of fatigue? Are numbers down, despite their best efforts? If so, you may need to consider taking steps to motivate them just a bit more, encouraging them to get up from their desks and make contact with new prospects. Here are a few things you can to do help the process along.

• Start by including your team members in decisions that affect the development of the sales team itself. Believe it or not, your team members may have ideas that would help to develope sales. In many cases, they just feel unheard.
• Make sure the goals you set for your sales team are challenging enough. Goals that are too easy to accomplish won’t encourage them to strive for success. On the other hand, goals that are unreasonable will only end up discouraging them.
• Ensure your sales team has the tools necessary to actually make sales. Do they have access to marketing materials, presentation equipment, and actual inventory? If not, make it appear.
• Trust your sales team to do what they know is best. The average sales person wants to do well and be successful. Monitor their progress and make sure they remain ethical, but don’t monitor each breath they take. Give them room to be individuals.

The more a salesperson feels trusted, the more confident he’ll be when it comes to doing his job. Are you stifling your team members, or motivating them towards success?

Sean

Sean McPheat

Marketing Consultant - Internet Marketing Consultant - Sales Expert

We’ve spoken in the past about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and how using proper SEO techniques can really boost your web presence. Today I want to leave you with a few more tips to incorporate into your online marketing plan.

• When creating your sales website, try to avoid using Java script to create drop down menus or image links. If you do decide to use Java, make sure you put text links on the page in another area so that the search engines can find and follow them.
• There is a saying in the SEO industry – “Content is King.” The better the content on your website, the better your traffic will get. People are looking for good, quality content on a regular basis. Make sure what you’re dishing out is informative and helpful. People will begin to trust you, refer others to you, and revisit your site.
• When searching for keywords to use on your site, don’t forget to use not only single words but entire phrases as well.
• When building backlinks, remember that quality is always better than quantity. If a site with bad rankings or bad content links back to you, the search engines will not hold that link in high regard. A link from a site with lots of traffic, in a similar niche, on the other hand, will do you more good.
• Avoid keyword stuffing. Yes, keywords are what will get your site found, but if you use a keyword a zillion times within your content it will look unnatural and trashy – and, of course, people will notice and stop reading.

Keep the above in mind as you work to build your next sales page or website. SEO is huge – and if you follow the rules you’ll find your site flowing with free traffic on a regular basis.

Sean

Sean McPheat

Marketing Consultant - Internet Marketing Consultant - Sales Expert

When it comes to making a purchase, many potential clients believe that the only grounds on which they can successfully negotiate a better deal is price. The truth, however, is that if you want to remain successful – especially in this economy – you’ll need to learn how to negotiate along an entirely different set of terms.

Realistically speaking, people want to believe they are helping themselves. Throughout the course of your meetings and phone calls you should have been gaining a better understanding of the troubles your potential client is having in his business. When he attempts to negotiate price, you should be prepared with a better response – one that does not damage your bottom line but does increase the value of your product to your client.

What does this mean to you in the long run? It means you’ll have a happier client, a happier wallet, and you’ll be able to remain consistent when it comes to the way you price your products and services – the latter being the most important. Always remember that your products are priced properly at the start for a reason. Don’t let anyone fool you into thinking otherwise. Instead, help them to find added benefit.

Sean

Sales Expert - Marketing Consultant – Motivational Speaker

Lots of marketers, both online and off, utilize the internet to attract the attention of potential customers and build email lists. List building may seem like a trivial task but, in the end, it can be incredibly beneficial. Here are a few reasons why.

• If Google, or any other search engine, changes it algorithisms, you may end up with a site that is no longer ranked as highly as it once was. You won’t get as much random web traffic, either. If you build a quality list you won’t have to worry about your ranking because you can contact those who are interested in your services directly.
• Lists help you to build long term relationships with your customers. A lot of people making purchases on the web do not purchase right away. The browse and shop for a while first. If you keep contact via email you’ll be at the forefront of their minds when it is time to make a purchase.
• Lists are profitable. Say you have a strong following of people who really trust what you say and do. If you launch a new product they’ll be the first to buy it, giving you almost instant sales and profits.
• You can use your list to make a bit of residual income as well. Offer a few advertising spots in your newsletters. You’ll be forming a sort of partnership with your advertisers and the money they pay can help to offset the costs of your web hosting, newsletter creation, etc.
• You can increase sales but offering special promotions to those who are subscribed to your list – like discounts or free gifts. Make sure your website details the  benefits of subscribing so that others are inspired to give you their email addresses as well.

There is quite a bit you can do with a strong list if you’re a good marketer. The trick is to build your list – and your brand – first. Good luck!

Sean

Sales Expert - Marketing Consultant – Motivational Speaker

Sean and his team have worked with over 800 businesses providing marketing services, marketing consultancy and sales training that have and can include:

• Internet marketing consultancy to improve the way that you market online and to integrate it into your marketing plan
• To act as a branding consultant to ensure your marketing messages and image are consistent with what you want to achieve
• To provide innovative and cost effective marketing strategies to develop new business at a reduced cost compared to "normal marketing methods"
• Training your sales teams on how to close more deals
• Reviewing your existing sales process to modify it and to give your sales teams the best chance of success
• To help you formulate a strategy for your marketing in line with your company goals
• To help you develop a marketing plan that you can easily put into action!

Make an enquiry today to discuss your requirements.