The Ultimate Sales Tool – Implement it Today

July 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment

A multi-level office building could probably be filled with all of the books available on improving sales communication. While it may be a topic that has gotten a lot of press, I can assure you that when it comes to sales professionals, there’s still a lot of room for improvement by the vast majority.

You might think that talking and listening is quite basic and elementary. But let me tell you – it isn’t. If it was, there would be more sales pros hitting those top numbers. Sadly, they aren’t. Even in this day and age 90% of sales are created by only 10% of the sales people. Imagine what your business would like if you helped 10% more of your sales people reach into top-performer status!

To be successful in sales, you, as the professional salesperson must master three major components of communication:

Listening to customers, including watching for body language
Questioning and listening to find out what they want and what their concerns are
Establishing the connection between their needs and your products and services

Number one deals with really getting to know your customer. Are they being ‘polite’ and just listening for no reason? What are they really saying? What is their body language? Are they crossing their arms? Are they leaning in? Are they interacting? Are they not? Communication is what is spoken and also what is unspoken.

Number two is all about the customer. What do they want? What’s going on in their world? What do they really need? When you really listen and ask questions to seek first to understand your customers’ concerns and issues, then, and only then do you get the chance to sell. It’s not about muscling your way through the door and then blurting out your presentation as fast as you can. It’s about building a relationship that will pay you over and over again.

Finally, number three is about building a bridge between the customer and your company (and yourself). It’s about building upon a strong foundation of trust and earned respect. At this point, you aren’t just pitching a product and hoping it will stick, you are tying the needs to your prospective customer to what your company provides or offers. It is also about not pitching something that will not serve the prospect. Often, walking away from a sales opportunity will act like a boomerang to get another opportunity when that prospect refers you to another company that may be a better fit. Never be afraid of walking away from a deal that will not ultimately serve your prospective customer.

Sales communications begin with you, but it is not all about you. Sales communication is about hearing your customer. What is the customer’s biggest concern and fear? How can you help? You are there to begin to understand how that customer may be served by you and your company and to earn that opportunity. If you get this piece right, you will master one of the most important pieces of the sales pro puzzle.

Posted by Mark F | Filed Under Feature Marketing Article, Full Marketing BLOG, Sales

168 Sales Hours In The Month

July 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Written by Debbie Mrazek

Here we are at the end of the quarter? How did you end up? Close to the target, off target? Are you thinking, ‘What target?’ If so, realize that each day is a new start, a new beginning. The same is true for the quarters.

If the first quarter wasn’t all you expected, don’t fret, you still have three more quarters to work your magic. The key is to look at it not like one big step to get to the top of the mountain, but a series of steps that allow you to climb it with ease by staying focused each and every day.

Here are a few things you can do in the next week to amp up your sales success!

Track your time. Note, how many hours are you really actually selling? What can you give up to increase that time or the quality of that time?
Watch your habits. How often do you do something else when you really need to be selling? Determine your favorite ways to escape and decide to limit your inner escape artist just for the next month.
Focus on your goal. Lack of focus is the number one reason why sales pros derail their success. Be sure to review your numbers and focus on your goal each and every day.
Set the day for success. Each and every day there are steps to take that will add up to your results. Define your basic four or five ‘must complete today’ tasks and commit to them. Before you know it, you’ll be at your goal.
Be generous. One of my dear friends, Steve Straus, said, “To be lucky, be generous.” The more you help others, the more you share your current good fortune, the luckier you will become.

You can do exactly what you think you can. If you believe it is possible to book your business as usual, you’ll find that if you mind your time and actions, that’s exactly what you will get.

Posted by Mark F | Filed Under Feature Marketing Article, Full Marketing BLOG, Sales

Make Selling Easier By Planning For the Trip Ahead

July 11, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Written by Debbie Mrazek

In selling, it’s all about doing what you know each and every day. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your sales quota.

Whether you are a veteran climber in the sales field or a newbie traveler, the same steps that make one person successful work for others too. Just realize that it comes down to this: You just have to do more of what you know works and do less of what you know doesn’t work. When you begin doing more of the things that work, it will become easier and easier to do those things. And, no matter what your situation, when you begin moving, things will seem much easier than they feel when you are thinking about doing it.

Here are five tools that will make the whole trip easier:

Sales Forecast – This is your road map that will allow you to navigate with ease. Unlike other sales professionals who try to manage all the client data in your head, when you take a sales forecast with you, you’ll begin to see new opportunities and new paths emerging from your efforts. Visit www.the-sales-company.com to get your FREE forecast.
Sales Itinerary – You get 168 hours per week. What are you doing with yours? How long does it take for you to meet with a client? How many clients can you meet with each week? Are there ways you can improve the way you spend your time? How can you do more with less? Manage this, and you not only increase sales, but you increase freedom as well.
Sales Backpack – What’s in your backpack? A good attitude? A can-do spirit? A list of sales techniques that really work? Be sure that when you pack, you bring the very best tools that work for you. We all have our ways of selling – be sure to do what works best for you.
The Landscape – If you went on a trip, you wouldn’t charge out without doing a little research would you? The sales landscape is all about knowing who you are, who your customers are, what they expect, what they want and what you can do to give them what they want. The landscape is the world of expectations and is a surefire way to increase sales!
Traveling Companions – When you realize that you don’t have to do everything alone, the journey will be a whole lot more fun. Who can you network with or ‘buddy’ with to help them while they also help you? What complementary services could you combine your service or product with for bigger results?

When you plan for the sales trip, selling becomes much, much easier. The top 1% of sales pros know that it’s not about taking fancy compasses and the latest gizmo, it’s about knowing the lay of the land so that no matter what situation you may find yourself in, you know you can not only survive, but you can thrive!

Oh, and if you need some help with these, they are all covered in my book.

Posted by Mark F | Filed Under Feature Marketing Article, Full Marketing BLOG, Sales

The Anatomy Of a Single Page Sales Letter

July 3, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Ever wonder what a single page sales letter looks like dissected from top to bottom. In this blog post we have used a simple outline you can find all over the Internet and filled in example text to show you line by line what makes up a single page sales letter.

Single Page Sales Letter Anatomy

This is the pre-head – it "calls out" to a targeted audience.

Attention Small Business Owners!

The headline grabs your prospect’s attention

"Finally! A Marketing System Guaranteed to Increase Your Sales in 14 Days or Less or Your Money Back!…………………."

The sub-head adds more information to gain interest

Our Marketing System Brings in More Customers, Increases Sales, and Saves You Money!

The salutation zeros in on your audience

Dear Small Business Owner,

The first paragraph of the body is called the lead paragraph and is where you want to entice the reader to keep reading.

If your sales are down or you have wasted thousand of dollars on marketing programs that don’t work, I’ve got good news for you.

The body tells the story and gives details.

My name is Mark Ferguson and I have seen companies waste money on Marketing Programs for over 17 years! Time and Time again they fall for a sales pitch from some slick firm using key words that get them to buy, only to be left later with huge debts, unhappy customers, and with no new sales. After seeing the aftermath over and over again I knew there had to be a better way. I knew my clients were getting results for less money!

That’s when I set out to build a Marketing System that Works Guaranteed for less money, less time, and less work from you. I spent years with my clients researching, designing, and perfecting one system after another. Finally I have consolidated my system into a simple straight forward process that anyone can use. My program has been proven by top small businesses in the US and more than doubled the revenue of many small businesses.

Within 14 days my clients were increasing their revenue, getting more customers, all for less money. I haven’t seen a single client who is ready for growth not get results. Best of all my simple program works anywhere, without huge amounts of money or resources. Simply start the program follow the steps and you are on your way. It’s so easy - you never have to worry about where your business is headed again.

Customers will flock to your door because the program aligns all of your potential customers to buy and trust your business. Once they’re in there’s no escape because they will never consider doing business with someone else again. I call it Customers For Life.

Bullet points - Are is a subject and an art all by itself. Many copywriters list features and leave it at that. Others translate features into benefits.

Why should you grab the Marketing System right now?

Increases your sales in 14 days or less - guaranteed so you’ll never have a revenue problem again.

Easy so that any Small Business Owner Can Get Started Today

Increased Sales in 14 days or Less Guaranteed

Will save you thousand of dollars on your business marketing year after year

The program attracts the right customers that stay with you for life

Your revenue problem will be gone in 14 days or we’ll send you a refund for every penny - including shipping!

Testimonials offer social proof

I had already experienced one business failing that resulted in bankruptcy and was facing another one when I met Mark at a conference. I knew something good was going to come of our meeting, I just didn’t know what. After six months on the Marketing System, my struggling publication that was about to shut down, grew 50 percent larger, I increased my revenue 300 percent, and attracted some of the most well-known names in our industry. I can’t believe all of this happened so fast. I know without a doubt that without the Marketing System I would not be in this place today.”

Josh Wilson, Houston, TX

This trial close introduces the guarantee

I know it sounds too good to be true, but what can I say? This Marketing System really works! I’m so confident it’s the best, the only Marketing System you’ll ever need – I back it with my own, personal 100% lifetime no-hassle guarantee!

The guarantee takes the risk away from the prospect

100% lifetime no-hassle guarantee!

If you’re ever not satisfied with my "Marketing System" for any reason, simply return it and I’ll promptly refund every penny. I’ll even pay for return postage.

You’ve got nothing to lose except your revenue problem. So how much does the "perfect marketing program" set you back?

The offer tells what they get for how much and why they should buy right now. It also asks for the order!

Order today and I’ll ship your Marketing System by Priority Mail for only $1999.95! Remember you’ll be making more money in 14 days or less or your money back!

Can’t wait? Have your Marketing System FedEx’ed to you for Next Day Delivery. Order before Noon EST and I’ll ship it out today! (You will be billed for the extra shipping charges.)

Call to action - usually accompanied by an order button

Don’t delay! Order Now.

Closing identifies the seller.

Sincerely,

Mark Ferguson, President Creative Strategy

The one80group, Inc.

The P.S. Strengthens the deal in some way.

P.S. Order right now and I’ll include one half hour of Executive Coaching with Marketing Guru Tina Ferguson at NO CHARGE! That’s a $1250.00 VALUE. Please know that this is a very limited offer and may be removed at any time! There are only so many hours in the day!

Posted by Mark F | Filed Under Feature Marketing Article, Full Marketing BLOG, Sales

Sales are Up and Profits are Down?

June 5, 2008 | Leave a Comment

When faced with declining profits, most businesses respond with increased sales. Their thinking is that there is a direct correlation between the two. Increased sales means increased profits, right? Wrong.

When Furniture Brands International Inc., the largest furniture maker in the world, posted fourth quarter sales for 2003, at a glance, sales increased four percent from the same quarter last year. Most business people may assume that profits increased, too. However, the furniture giant’s profits actually fell 23 percent compared to the prior year.

Is this fuzzy math? Not really. There were other operational lags on the company, which impacted posted profits. For example, the company absorbed millions in charges from closing numerous factories throughout the U.S.

In a similar relationship, some companies actually increase sales dramatically and earn lower profits. How? By paying for growth. A simple example is a carpet company that hired three additional sales people to increase sales. While the salespeople increased sales, their salaries, the increased labor for installing the carpet and an increase in two top-selling lines of carpet all impacted profits. Increased sales do not automatically equal increased profits.

We use a powerful software program that allows us to pinpoint key performance indicators that allow us to identify trends in profit potential. Aside from using a software program, you can examine these areas that can impact profits. Examine the following questions and you will most likely determine many areas that could be negatively impacting profits.

Customers

Who are your most profitable customers? What do they buy? Why do they do business with you? What additional products may they buy from you?
Are service fees optimized?
Are any of your customers costing your company money?

Product

What is your most profitable product? Why?
What is your least profitable product? Why?
What can you do to increase profits on your least profitable product?
How does your product compare in price and quality to other companies?
How can you sell more of the profitable products and cut the least or no profit products?
Do you currently link products with customer targeting programs? Why not?

Price and Profit

What is the cost of your best product? What is the gross profit margin (sales less cost of sales)?
Can you improve gross profit by increasing selling price or reducing cost of sales?
Do you compensate sales teams based on profitability?
Does it make sense to change the sales channel based on customer profitability?

Operations

What are your weekly/monthly operating costs?
What are your largest overhead costs?
Is there a way to reduce overhead costs?

Warehouse

Is your inventory in line with customer buying patterns?
Could your picking cost be improved with a better warehouse layout?
Can you increase truckloads, and reduce rush order handling?

The questions above are only a starting point to pinpoint where you may be able to increase profits and more efficiently manage your business.

Many companies hold onto products that have little or no profitability. Rather than emphasizing the company’s best selling or most profitable product, they spend company resources to develop, market, sell and house low profit, high cost products.

One such company noticed an increase in sales and a decrease in profitability. After using a profit analysis software product, they came to the conclusion that one of its customer segments was not as profitable from a net operating margin perspective as it was from a gross profit perspective due to excessive indirect cost incurred in serving the item. This knowledge allowed them to implement a profit improvement initiative to change their pricing infrastructure and service policies in order to make their business more profitable.

Posted by Mark F | Filed Under Feature Marketing Article, Full Marketing BLOG, Sales

How to Recession Proof Your Sales

April 4, 2008 | Leave a Comment

www.RecessionProofSales.com

During the last recession, we were busier than a one-armed wallpaper hanger. Jittery companies wanted to feel in control so out came the marketing tactics. I’ve talked to many business owners in the past couple of months and I will tell you that 75% of them are not doing ONE thing that could really make or break their sales this year.

That ONE thing is forecasting for sales success. A Sales Forecast is a way to see at-a-glance where your sales are. It takes into consideration both booked sales and non-booked sales. With one sheet of paper, you can see what you are working on, what has closed, and what needs follow-up. It is a great tool. It works like a sales magnet to draw in those people listed on the sheet and to draw you toward those who haven’t made a decision. I can’t recommend it enough.

Debbie Mrazek has generously provided a complete set of everything YOU need to complete a sales forecast. We just finished the first quarter and this is your chance to make the next three really count.

Download her chapter on sales forecasting and her step-by-step manual on creating a sales forecast plus a free special report at

http://www.RecessionProofSales.com.

Posted by Mark F | Filed Under Full Marketing BLOG, Sales

How To Increase Your Sales With a Guarantee

March 26, 2008 | Leave a Comment

People are more likely to buy your product or service if you make their decision as easy as possible.
Based on the techniques of hypnosis and Neuro-linguistic Programming, you want them to picture in their mind what it will be like in the future after they have bought it.

It may be difficult for them to do that if there is too much risk involved so your marketing task is to remove the risk in any transaction.

Most potential buyers will be a bit skeptical of buying whatever you sell and a guarantee removes a significant part of their risk.
People want to know that you will "put your money where your mouth is." If you have confidence in your own product or service, this will help your customers feel at ease, leading to more sales. For this reason, the concept of "risk reversal" is crucial. If you can’t stand behind your offer with a guarantee of some sort, people are likely to purchase from someone who does. So make sure you don’t help the competition by missing out this part of your offer.

Some people are too scared to offer a guarantee as they worry that people will take them up on it.
The reality is that some will but, provided you deliver good quality and don’t make unjustified claims, you will win more business by having the guarantee than you will lose in this way.

Here are 7 ways you can get the best results from your guarantee.

Promote the value of your guarantee: Specify the details as though it is another product that adds value to your offer. Spell it out in plain, simple English. Make sure it is "no questions asked" to help put your customers at ease.
Make it personal, if possible: It’s useful to help people see that there is a person behind the guarantee. So consider making it a "personal pledge" or a "personal promise" written to the buyer.
Longer is better: The longer the guarantee period, the more comfortable the buyer will feel - and longer guarantees typically lead to fewer refunds. In the extreme version, people only pay after they have tried it out to their satisfaction.
More is better: A guarantee that offers ‘more than your money back’ is very appealing. Let your customers keep something even if they decide to return the product. This helps them see the purchase from you as totally risk-free - because you’re the one with all the risk.
Be creative: Think about what the customer really wants and consider offering guaranteed results rather than offering money-back. For example, a computer repair shop that will fix your machine even if it takes 5 trips back to the shop will really stand out from the crowd. No "or your money back" needed!
Make it prompt: When a customer asks for a refund, make sure it is prompt and courteous. Consider them a priority as it’s better to refund the money than to have an unsatisfied customer.
Work on reducing refunds: Whatever you do, there are always likely to be some people who will ask for refunds. It is a simple fact that customers change their minds or were just looking for something else. Take the chance to get some feedback and see if you need to make changes.

A good guarantee can provide a high level of comfort to your prospective customer that will make it easier for them to see the potential of working with you. So it’s well worth making it part of your marketing package.

Posted by Mark F | Filed Under Feature Marketing Article, Full Marketing BLOG, Sales

The Fastest Way to Increase Sales

March 5, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Written by Debbie Mrazek

A small office building could probably be filled with all of the books available on improving sales communication. While it may be a topic that has gotten a lot of press, I can assure you that when it comes to sales professionals, there’s still a lot of room for improvement by the vast majority.

You might think that talking and listening is quite basic and elementary. But let me tell you that it isn’t. If it was, there would be more sales pros hitting those top numbers. Sadly, it isn’t.

To be successful in sales, you, as the professional salesperson must master three major components of communication:

1. Listening to customers, including watching for body language

2. Questioning and listening to find out what they want and what their concerns are

3. Establishing the connection between their needs and your products and services

Sales communications begin with you, but it is not all about you. Sales communication is about hearing your customer. What is the customer’s biggest concern and fear? How can you help? You are there to begin to understand how that customer may be served by you and your company and to earn that opportunity. If you get this piece right, you will master one of the most important pieces of the sales pro puzzle.

Marketing Strategy Experts

Posted by Mark F | Filed Under Feature Marketing Article, Full Marketing BLOG, Sales

How To Use Sales Power To Fuel Funding

March 5, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Written by Debbie Mrazek

Which came first? The chicken or the egg? When it comes to raising venture capital, it’s hard to tell whether a companies sales lay the golden egg or are the golden egg. On the heels of a dot com slowdown, a tried and true business model is reemerging and offering an effective, proven way to approach investors.

It’s no secret that not so long ago investors, eager to cash in on an exploding Internet e-conomy, happily funded technology companies headed by strong teams offering futuristic wares. Some of those companies came to the table with a viable business plan and others hoped that funding could command their business model. It didn’t take investors long to learn the technology ropes. Now, high-tech companies looking for funds have to wow investors the old fashioned way - with an impressive product offering, savvy professional team, investment-worthy business plan and financial data worthy of securing the dough. Funding in the new millennium is hardly an undertaking for the faint of heart.

Next, enter sales. What if tech companies incorporated their Plan B into their Plan A? Ah, yes, now we are talking. Plan B, of course, is to start selling the product or service - just in case the VC doesn’t come through. Spin that idea around and marry it to Plan A and you have a tech formula for success.

Sales could be your key to the VC vault. Venture capitalists are looking for a revolutionary product or service that can offer them a handsome return on investment. If your company sales prove that your product has a market - we’re talking customers here - and you have the plan to take it successfully to that market, then you are that much closer to securing the funds you desire.

Powering up sales to ignite funding offers more than a safety net. In one instance, a company incorporating a sales plan with the path to funding found that company sales funded the business sufficiently enough that venture investment/funding was no longer needed. The team redirected more energy and effort into sales and increased the company’s return exponentially. If the company moved along the funding path, it could still be waiting for VC instead of running an explosively successful operation today.

So what does it take to put your sales vehicle in motion? You need to start with a plan. As critical as your business plan is to your venture, so too is your sales plan for your sales activities. Time is money and, as an emerging company, you have to maximize both. Unless you successfully have managed the sales process, it’s wise to spend the money and invest in a person or a company that has a track record in your industry for growing companies such as yours. Be sure that the sales pro knows how to work with the resources you have available.

When you meet with prospective sales consultants, be honest about your situation.

How many people can focus on sales activities?
What, realistically, is your sales budget and how long can you commit to the plan once it is developed?
How much time can company leaders devote to tracking, follow up and redirection?

Next map out who, what, when and where.

Who will develop the sales strategy and plan?
Who will execute it?
What is the process?
What are the goals?
When will you start? When will you review your results?
Where will you begin your action plan?
Where will you find the operating funds to keep the show afloat until you realize tangible results?

Then, put your plan on paper and commit to it. Set your weekly, monthly, semi-annual and annual sales goals. Execute and analyze. What’s working? What isn’t? What can you do better - smarter? What was a miss and why? Log all activity into your sales journal and tweak the process until you get it right.

Once you are on the sales track, reach out to mentors or others you know who have successfully grown their companies through increased sales. In sales, the goal is to work smarter, not harder. Tap into your true sales potential and you will be on your way to growing your company and securing funding - through VC or, at a minimum, your own sales power.

Posted by Mark F | Filed Under Feature Marketing Article, Full Marketing BLOG, Sales

Think Your Sales Are the Problem? Think Again

March 1, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Written by Debbie Mrazek

If you are struggling to increase sales revenue, you may think the answer is just to get more sales. Or maybe the answer is to sell more. However, as a sales consultant and coach, I can tell you that isn’t always the answer.

Sometimes when sales are the focus of declining profits, it’s helpful to work with a sales consultant with business knowledge and understanding. With both sales expertise and business know-how, we can identify when the problem really is sales — and when it isn’t.

Let me share with you a story about a client. Recently, we sat down and looked at his business. It was going well, but not great. It seemed like every time he would turn the sales corner, something would push him back. It didn’t take long to see that it wasn’t his sales efforts that were impeding his success. It was his team’s inability to deliver his company’s services. He had some employees who were very nice people, but who were just not cut out for providing his service. When we fixed that part of his business, we could more readily focus on the business of his sales. His company has grown more than 30 percent in the last year. Needless to say, he’s ecstatic.

So how do you know when you’ve got a legitimate sales problem and when your problem might be somewhere else?

There are some tell-tell signs to look for:

Actual sales figures are up, but profits aren’t
Referrals are drying up
Clients don’t return from one year to the next
New clients come but they don’t stay
The amount of sales is decreasing

Any or all of these can indicate that something is amiss somewhere else in the customer delivery system. Like it or not, if you are in sales, you are also in the business of customer service. After all, if your customer doesn’t come back because they aren’t happy with someone else in the company, it’s not that someone else who pays — it’s you who pays.

One way you can keep a pulse on customer satisfaction is to build into your sales system a ‘check up’ with new customers. You might check with the new customer at 30 days and again at 120 days. Don’t let too much time pass between you and your hard-earned customer. It’s you they trust so be sure to cultivate that relationship.

Entrepreneurs who wear both a sales hat and customer service hat will appreciate that there’s more than signing contracts, the signed contract is when the real work begins of keeping that client for life!

Posted by Mark F | Filed Under Feature Marketing Article, Full Marketing BLOG, Sales

The Ultimate Sales Tool – Implement it Today

To be successful in sales, you, as the professional salesperson must master three major components of communication:

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