3 Deadly Telesales Mistakes to Avoid

The first nine to 15 seconds of a sales call to a new prospect are critical.  Unfortunately, new sales reps are trained to use the very words that turn off prospects.  According to author and sales trainer Jill Konrath, there are three mistakes telesales reps should avoid if they want to crack into...

The Secret to Handling Objections

What exactly is an “objection”?  Webster’s dictionary defines “objection” as “an expression of opposition or disapproval.”  But that is not always the truth.  Sometimes it is a “get you off the phone” objection. “Handling objections,” ...

How Mike Morris Increased the Sale by 80%

Did you ever have a sales experience that took you by surprise? Here is one that surprised me: On a warm summer day last year, my friend Tom and I walked into the Travel Gear store at a local shopping mall.  We intended to purchase just one specific product. The store manager, Mike Morris, greeted us with a...

The Price Objection

Has this ever happened to you?  You make a prospecting call and introduce yourself, your company and your products.  But before you have a chance to ask qualifying questions, the prospect asks:  “What’s your price?” One of the biggest mistakes new salespeople make is quoting price too...

One 3-Letter Word Can Ruin the Call

There is one word, used in everyday conversation, which can derail an otherwise perfect sales presentation.  This one little word is often used when responding to an objection, and it can ruin everything else you say, especially during a cold call.  It is surprising how often sales reps use this word when...

Lisa Keeps Them Listening

Everyone in the office wondered why Lisa was more successful at increasing profit than almost anyone else.  She isn’t overly aggressive. In fact, she has a very pleasant telephone voice. She doesn’t make more calls than anyone else.  Yet she is able – consistently – to get better...

The Magic Question

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could wave a magic wand and find out why prospects are buying from your competitors? Or better yet, find out what you can do better than your competitors, so you can win the business? There are questions you can ask, that are almost as good as waving a magic wand. A few years...

What Sales Reps are Saying About Their Jobs

“The only thing over which you have complete right of control at all times is your mental attitude” -  a quote by Napoleon Hill.  Think about the power of that statement and how it holds the key to building your positive attitude habits. Question How does one sales team – who had their...

The Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone

This intriguing sentence caught my eye: “How to make the impossible possible.”  It is a quote from an interesting book by Dr. Mark Goulston. What an FBI Hostage Negotiator Can Teach Us Dr. Mark Goulston’s Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone may be the...

What You Don’t Know May Shock You

Unfortunately, in politics it seems that negative campaigns have an effect.  Some candidates that are willing to do or say anything to win have been successful. Locally, here in Virginia Beach, the cable company began – a few years ago – using negative (negative against their competitor) and...