Using the Power of Vested Emotion to Easily Double Sales
We humans are strange creatures. We all think we are rational, clear-minded people. In fact, economic theories and such has been built on the assumption that humans are rational. The problem is... unlike who we thought we are, we really are irrational creatures. You and I don't act rationally. In his enlightening book " Predictably Irrational ", Dan Ariely clearly demonstrated the irrationality of the human brain. The good news is... you can exploit this "human loophole" to your advantage. It's easy once you know it. In fact, I'll show you how to pull one off right here! But first, let me prove it to you that vested emotions do exist.
Your Unique Selling Proposition USP - Where Do You Stand in Business
Your USP is your product or service's most powerful benefit along with your strongest unique aspect of your business. Rosser Reeves was the author of the phrase, "unique selling proposition, " or USP, which is a unique message about itself versus the competition that each business or brand should develop and use consistently in its advertising and promotion. Your USP is that component in your business that makes you different from, and therefore, seemingly superior to your competitors. It is what makes your product or service different and more valuable to potential clients, and it is the main reason they will choose you over your competitors.
Don t Try to Be Everything to Everyone
If You're Everything to Everyone. .. You Won't Be Hired In just about every workshop I do, I talk about the three things anyone offering a service needs to know about his or her practice or business: (1) What are you offering/selling (2) To whom are you offering it, and (3) Why will they buy it from you. In this article, I'd like to address the second point: To whom are you offering/selling your services? Become a Specialist The wrong answer to this question is "I offer my services to everyone." Lawyers who tell me they are general practitioners, financial advisors and coaches who tell me that they help (all) people reach (all of) their personal, career or financial goals, and entrepreneurs who tell me that just about anyone can use their services, do not understand a critical truth about 21st Century business-clients want to work with experts and specialists.
Help Your Clients Be Heroes
Lawyers tremble at the thought of it. Financial advisors and many entrepreneurs avoid it whenever they can. Coaches blush when I bring up the subject. Medical professionals pretend it's beneath them, so they won't have to do it. Even when I show them how to do it, they find ways to avoid it. What is this unthinkable task? Asking for referrals. Why don't they ask? Either they're afraid (What if my client thinks less of me for asking? What if she grabs back her retainer check and storms out of the room? ) or they just don't know that it's okay to ask and don't know how to do it comfortably.
Yes, it Does Involve a Secret Victoria
"It appears that you've already got nearly as many clients as you can handle, " I declared to Victoria, a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) who had just started working with me. "How can I help you? " "None of them have any money, " she confided. Victoria is 27 years old and has managed to grow her accounting practice to its current level by giving terrific service to small retailers, most of whom are young and either just starting out or have been in business less than two years. These clients are often struggling and can barely afford basic accounting services. Invariably, her happy clients recommend Victoria to their young entrepreneur friends.
It s No Secret
A few years ago, around Christmas time, I sent some of my clients a video produced in Australia called The Secret, based on a book by Rhonda Byrne. At the time, the book and video were still pretty much a secret. A few months later, Oprah discovered The Secret, and soon the stores couldn't keep the book or the video in stock. But as is true with so many of the success principles that are being repackaged daily in new books, the ideas in The Secret--though powerful--are not new. The secret of The Secret is that there is a natural "law" as fundamental as the law of gravity--the Law of Attraction.
Seven Steps to Listening Effectively
The most successful salespeople are the ones with the best rapport skills. They are the ones who attract the most opportunities and favorable situations because of their unique abilities with people. This is true in almost all of our relationships, from business, to marriage, to personal one-on-one communication. Rapport is the bridge which helps the person you're communicating with find meaning and intent in the things you say. It helps them feel comfortable with you and creates a feeling of warmth and understanding. This is especially important when it comes to sales. A good salesperson needs to be flexible when he presents his offer to a prospect or customer.
The Two Most Neglected Selling Elements
There are two key tasks often overlooked, forgotten or not practiced when it comes to generating more sales. The first is getting to profit center leaders and other key executives after sales are made. Most high level people don't pay attention to how well you or your sales people delivered your offering - especially if it went well. They just assume they got what they paid for and any vendor probably could have done it as well. If you or your sales people don't make a point to visit with these key executives after your sale - to see if your sales people met their expectations - then you'll never be considered special and the preferred supplier.
Trusted Advisor - IT Services Holy Grail
What is this coveted "holy grail"? Some describe it differently but it's the desire of a VAR, solution provider, systems integrator, or any other sales person to be viewed as their clients' trusted advisor. I know that phrase is very over-used but let's focus on the actual meaning. If you don't like the term "trusted advisor" use one that works for you. What does it mean? Essentially, you want your client to trust your opinion and counsel. You want your client to bring you into their budget and strategy meetings, months before any product is purchased. You want to be an essential -- no, not just essential--a "critical" part of their team.
How Active Listening Leads to Effective Communication
This week I want to look at not just getting back to basics, but really listening to what the client wants. We are going to cover how "Active Listening" leads to "Effective Communication" which equals not just more sales, but more solid sales and fewer cancellations. The most productive sales presentations all start with asking good questions and listening carefully to the answers. This we call, "The Fact Finding or Discovery Period". This fact finding period is essential to knowing exactly how to present your product to the client. But once you have done your fact finding and you start your full product presentation what happens then?