“What is your message? Is it the same ole stuff?” ~ Miller Heiman

There are only 5 more Selling Days left in July and 49 remaining in the Quarter!!!

It seems most every executive I talk to is trying to figure out a way to create compelling messages to the market that drive interest and create new opportunities. They are all searching for ways to be relevant in a time when there is a clear economic headwind. The funny part is that the end result – the actual marketing piece or sales call – seems to still have the same “ho-hum” message and impact. It appears that people are still afraid to take risks and to create provocative points-of-view.

I think prospects and clients want to hear these points of view so they can quickly figure out if you are someone who understands what is going on in their world. Companies have so much going on right now in terms of just making sure they have a strong foundation for survival. They don’t have time to have drawn out strategic discussions with potential vendors/partners to teach them about their business. Instead, they look for solutions to solve obvious problems.

If your message to the market is generic and more related to how great your company is then I don’t see this as an effective way to generate interest and develop new opportunities. Specific insights demonstrate that you really are an expert and you really do think about the trends in the market. It shows that you will state your opinion even though it may not be aligned with the clients’ issues. But even if it is not aligned, most customers and prospects will move the discussion along and explain how they have a whole different set of issues… either outcome is great!

Selling is truly all about the customer and their issues. The best way to determine if you remain relevant to the market is to look at the new opportunities that are in your Sales Funnel. If you don’t have many, then it is time to change the way you are doing things. At least that is my point of view.

Go out and have a Great Selling Day and make a difference in at least on person’s life today.

“Don’t tell. Why not?” ~ Dave Mattson

There are 7 more Selling Days in July and in the 57 in the Quarter!!!

A good writer knows that if a character gets up in the morning and goes off to work, you don’t always need to know that he awakened, retrieved the newspaper, made coffee, ate breakfast, brushed his teeth, shaved, showered, dressed, and went off to work. You don’t need to discover the process by which it happened unless it’s central to the story. You just need to know that he’s on his way to work. That’s called pacing. It keeps the story moving. While there are times when it is advantageous for your prospect to discover that your product or service addresses a particular need, there are also times when it’s okay to simply tell him. That’s called getting to the point and qualifying. It keeps the selling process moving. There’s a time to sell and a time to tell. Sometimes, the telling facilitates the selling.

Go out and have a Great Selling Day and make a difference in at least on person’s life today.

“See You at the Top” ~ Bryan Flanagan

In Zig Ziglar’s book See You at the Top, page 48 had a great impact on my life. It was one sentence, but it changed the way I thought about myself. Here’s the sentence:

“You cannot consistently perform at a level that is inconsistent with the way you see yourself.”

You cannot outperform the image you have of yourself. Increase your deserve level; believe in yourself. Transfer that belief to prospects, customers and in fact with everyone you meet no matter where even if it is at the gas station but do it today with the “3 c’s” – confidence, courage and conviction.

Go out and have a Great Selling Day but make sure you make a difference in at least one person’s life today.