It went GREAT, at least from the comments I heard from those in attendance. I look forward to speaking next month at a networking event held by a local CPA and Tax Strategist, Jennifer Davis.
My Manual should be ready for sale by then and the webiste should be up and ready as well.
The next post will be back on topic - Selling and Effective Communication Skills.
Have a POWERFUL Day!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Speaking Engagement
I'll be away from the regular posts as I'm preparing for a speaking engagment.
Talk with you soon...
PS I'll share with you any new insights as a result of the talk. Wish me luck!
Talk with you soon...
PS I'll share with you any new insights as a result of the talk. Wish me luck!
Monday, March 9, 2009
Must Read - from The Milken Institute
In times of historic change, it’s instructive to look at some facts:
- The stock market is down 50 percent.
- Banks are in trouble and have curtailed lending.
- Commentators predict widespread industrial bankruptcies.
- Unemployment is rising fast. - Interest rates are volatile.
It all sounds familiar. But those headlines aren’t from today. They’re from 1974. Doomsayers foresaw disaster 35 years ago, predicting hundreds of corporate bankruptcies. New York City and State, and utilities like Con Edison, seemed on the brink of collapse. Business publications wrote that major money-center banks would fail and ran articles like, “I’ll Never Own a Stock Again!” Struggling companies got little help from financial institutions, which had problems of their own. Businesses with the highest returns on investment, the most innovation and the fastest growth were starved for capital. The debt of good companies sold for pennies on the dollar.
In 1974, as now, those who once thought they had the answers came to realize their assumptions were flawed. But opportunity emerged from that crisis as people with creative solutions and the skill to implement them stepped forward and developed new ways to access capital. Over the next two years, the markets recovered strongly. That skill in finding new opportunities when things look bleak is part of what economists call human capital. It’s an asset I began to appreciate in my studies of credit at Berkeley and of capital structure at Wharton four decades ago. Later, in financing companies that could grow and create jobs, I always considered management skills as important an asset as numbers on the balance sheet. And it’s never more important than in times of crisis.
Why post this to a blog dedicated to all things sales related? Obvious - it's important not to loose sight of where we are and since history has a way of repeating itself, to be reminded that it's okay to contact a client, prospect for new clients, make sales and help by doing our part as professional salespeople to pull this economy and this amazing nation out of the mess it has found itself in.
Have a POWERFUL day!
- The stock market is down 50 percent.
- Banks are in trouble and have curtailed lending.
- Commentators predict widespread industrial bankruptcies.
- Unemployment is rising fast. - Interest rates are volatile.
It all sounds familiar. But those headlines aren’t from today. They’re from 1974. Doomsayers foresaw disaster 35 years ago, predicting hundreds of corporate bankruptcies. New York City and State, and utilities like Con Edison, seemed on the brink of collapse. Business publications wrote that major money-center banks would fail and ran articles like, “I’ll Never Own a Stock Again!” Struggling companies got little help from financial institutions, which had problems of their own. Businesses with the highest returns on investment, the most innovation and the fastest growth were starved for capital. The debt of good companies sold for pennies on the dollar.
In 1974, as now, those who once thought they had the answers came to realize their assumptions were flawed. But opportunity emerged from that crisis as people with creative solutions and the skill to implement them stepped forward and developed new ways to access capital. Over the next two years, the markets recovered strongly. That skill in finding new opportunities when things look bleak is part of what economists call human capital. It’s an asset I began to appreciate in my studies of credit at Berkeley and of capital structure at Wharton four decades ago. Later, in financing companies that could grow and create jobs, I always considered management skills as important an asset as numbers on the balance sheet. And it’s never more important than in times of crisis.
Why post this to a blog dedicated to all things sales related? Obvious - it's important not to loose sight of where we are and since history has a way of repeating itself, to be reminded that it's okay to contact a client, prospect for new clients, make sales and help by doing our part as professional salespeople to pull this economy and this amazing nation out of the mess it has found itself in.
Have a POWERFUL day!
Friday, March 6, 2009
Scripts
A well crafted script will also allow you appear as the professional in any given sales environment because you took the time to ask the important questions. The prospect gets it...they're thinking that you care more about them than what's in it for you. That's when the magic starts.
talk again soon...
talk again soon...
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Scripts
One of my favorite topics! When I first started selling something tangible, I think I was around 9 or 10 and as best I can remember it was GRIT magazine (newspaper really). I sgined up, they sent me a few copies and I went door-to-door selling the paper. I was excited! I got my first batch of papers along wiht instructions as to how to sell them. It was a SCRIPT! Worked great, too as I remember. I sold just about everyone of those papers too.
One of my daughters is pretty involved in Girl Scouts an dhas been since she was old enough to join. Those cookies are pretty good too (well, most of them are anyway). They give each of those girls a suggested script to follow when they head out knocking on doors! and you thought they were making it up each and every time...;)
Scripts are powerful when they are well crafted because they keep the conversation moving forward, determine your prospects motivation & level of interest in your product or service and will allow numerous opportunities to close for an appointment and/or sale.
Anyone out there use a script and want to share your experiences? good, bad, funny...
We'll continue tomorrow...In the mean time, have a POWERFUL day!
One of my daughters is pretty involved in Girl Scouts an dhas been since she was old enough to join. Those cookies are pretty good too (well, most of them are anyway). They give each of those girls a suggested script to follow when they head out knocking on doors! and you thought they were making it up each and every time...;)
Scripts are powerful when they are well crafted because they keep the conversation moving forward, determine your prospects motivation & level of interest in your product or service and will allow numerous opportunities to close for an appointment and/or sale.
Anyone out there use a script and want to share your experiences? good, bad, funny...
We'll continue tomorrow...In the mean time, have a POWERFUL day!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Question...
How will Obama's new economic "bail-out" impact your business? What are you finding that's working well? What are your customers and clients looking for from you and others they are doing business with?
I look forward to your replies...
I look forward to your replies...
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Break In The Action...
We had a ton of snow which began Sunday and lasted most of the day on Monday. I get in the office this morning and find a fax telling me that another blog I had was infringing on their trademark, so I took it down. I wish them well and was even planning to reach out to them regarding a joint venture opportunity. Oh, well. Maybe not.
Anywho...I hope you had a great Monday and I look forward to getting back to business tomorrow. In the mean time, be thinking about scripts. Use them? Love them? Hate them? Write them? If you're not using scripts, you should re-think your lead generation process.
Have a GREAT day!
Anywho...I hope you had a great Monday and I look forward to getting back to business tomorrow. In the mean time, be thinking about scripts. Use them? Love them? Hate them? Write them? If you're not using scripts, you should re-think your lead generation process.
Have a GREAT day!
Monday, March 2, 2009
To-Do Lists
A To-Do list is a GREAT compliment to an air-tight schedule. It allows you to know what to do during the time you have set aside - scheduled - during the day to work on various tasks. The best way to start a to-do list is to take a note pad and starting a the top of the page, write down everything you need to-do now and that has been on your mind (that nagging voice inside your head) for quite a while. It might help to think of the brain-dump mentioned earlier.
After writting down every to-do item you can think of, group them in whatever categories that make sense. Delegate the ones you can to lighten your load and allow more time for the really critical ones. Make sure that during your day, you schedule blocks of time to devote to the items on one or more categories from your to-do list. Make certain to prioritize these to-do list items so you can make the most productive use of your time you can.
Success Is Yours!
After writting down every to-do item you can think of, group them in whatever categories that make sense. Delegate the ones you can to lighten your load and allow more time for the really critical ones. Make sure that during your day, you schedule blocks of time to devote to the items on one or more categories from your to-do list. Make certain to prioritize these to-do list items so you can make the most productive use of your time you can.
Success Is Yours!
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