Posted: September 1, 2017 | Categories: Presentation skills, Sales, Self-Improvement

How long do first impressions last? I get a variety of answers when I ask that question. I have heard some say that first impressions last forever. Let’s see if we can improve on that:

Experts tell us that when we meet someone for the first time, we form a first impression in 4 seconds. The good news is that this first impression, like quick-drying cement, is not solidified until 30 seconds have passed. That means we have 26 seconds to recover. Once that 30 seconds is up, the impression is locked in, and we now look for things to validate the impression.Read More…

Posted: July 20, 2017 | Categories: Sales

When a company hires a sales consultant, one of the most common recommendations they make is, “Your company needs to do more prospecting.”  This immediately leads to the next step:  Who?  Finding the answer to this question can be confusing and costly.  You can buy contact lists, but many have inaccuracies and outdated data.  I have seen some companies’ burn thousands of dollars buying lists that are almost worthless.Read More…

Posted: June 28, 2017 | Categories: Sales

If you are a sales professional, the ability to think on your feet and respond well is vital. Have you ever been in the midst of a sales presentation where an objection came up, and five minutes after the meeting you thought of what you really should have said?  It is easy to conclude that thinking quickly on our feet is a quality we either have or don’t.  If you believe that, then remember the reply of golf legend Gary Player when he hit a great shot from a tough sand trap.  Someone said to him, “what luck!”  Mr. Player said, “Yes, and the more I practice, the luckier I get.”  Ready to practice getting better at thinking quickly?Read More…

Posted: June 19, 2017 | Categories: Sales

See if this situation doesn’t sound familiar:  You have all your appointments scheduled for the week.  A day before your Wednesday noon appointment, your prospect calls and says they need to re-schedule.  They give an excuse, but it is a weak one.  One more thing…this is the third time they have called to re-schedule.

I am a big follower of correlations.  They serve me well.  By correlation I mean, “Whenever this situation happens, how often does it result in the same specific outcome?”  For the situation described above, I have discovered this:  When a prospect re-schedules three times, I cannot recall a single time when they have become my customer for any length of time.  As you can imagine, I almost don’t want a “chronic re-scheduler” as a client.  Like all professionals, I live off of billable hours.  I respect other’s time, and I make sure they respect mine.  In a coaching relationship, this is vital.  I also think it is important for any trade.

If we employ the “three strikes you’re out” policy, what do we say after the 3rd strike?  How can we cut bait graciously?Read More…

Posted: April 12, 2017 | Categories: Sales

As a sales professional, have you ever had a meeting with a prospect and afterwards realized you were not talking to the right person?  Uh-oh, now what?  Time to talk to the “right” person.  And what happens if we do that?  We will have done an “end run”, and turned the first individual we talked to into a non-person.  That can kill a sale.Read More…