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That nasty, predictable objection doesn’t have the same old sting it used to have.

You know the objection most of us think is a not-so-subtle-brush-off. The one stated by the gatekeepers who cut us off mid-sentence saying, “Could you send him something in writing?”

It’s strange how one day a phrase can sound so negative. Then, with one teeny, tiny change in thinking the very same words bring hope.

All of a sudden instead of rejection and a tightly closed door, these words bring to mind the picture of a wide open door and a fountain spilling over with opportunity.

At least that’s what’s happening in the minds of your colleagues who have enough profitable experience now to wholeheartedly embrace this change in thinking. Those who no longer interpret “Could you send him something in writing” as a semi-polite “thanks, but no thanks!”

Many successful sales professionals now welcome those words as they filter them through a new lens of understanding. These sales pros know that the request for something in writing is “executive assistant shorthand” for …

“I’ve heard enough. You’ve made it past me. Give me something good to give him”

Her thought process goes along these lines, ” I think he very well may be interested in what you have to offer. Having said that, my executive has so much going on in his brain that he needs help getting his brain out of the stratosphere to settle down on one topic, in particular a new topic such as yours! Please, help me, help him by sending something in writing that will give him a good idea of how your products/services will help him resolve his most pressing business issues.”

This interpretation of gatekeeper lingo makes you pause and rethink, doesn’t it?

As you ponder this angle, your next question becomes, “OK, now that I have an open door to send them something … what can I send that will compel the decision maker to invite me in for a meeting. What exactly should I send to this particular prospect?”

Let’s start with what you don’t send.

Do not send the 4-color glossy brochure packet that talks all about your company, how long it has been in business, and the oh-so-flattering picture of your company president.
Your prospect doesn’t care. Nothing in that brochure helps him figure out how to solve his business problems.

Now, here’s what you do send.

Fax a one page, black and white executive summary of results. Preferably in the form of testimonials from other executive clients of yours who articulate what your products and services have contributed to their businesses.

At the top of the sheet, in bold and centered be sure to put your carefully crafted benefit statement. You know, the statement that answers your prospect’s unspoken question … “What will I get out of the deal if I do business with this caller?”

The more specific you can get the more compelling the benefit statement. Here’s an example to which most of us can relate. The phrase “Domino’s Delivers” doesn’t pack nearly the same punch as the phrase “Domino’s Delivers in 30 minutes or Less Guaranteed!”

On the balance of the faxable one-sheet you’ll want to pack in testimonials. Comments from your happy clients that reveal the results they have reaped from doing business with you.

Note: When you say how great you are, the words sound distastefully prideful. But when your clients singing your praises (or the praises of your company) in their own words, The song is sweet to the ears of your prospects who are looking for solutions.

Make sure your testimonials are specific and include numbers.

The secret to powerful testimonials is in the bottom line results described by your happy clients. Such as, “These guys increased my revenues by more than 20%.”

Let’s face it. Those 4-color glossy brochures, that go on and on and on about your company have an unintended impact. They leave your prospects under whelmed, with thoughts of “who cares”, and the sense that you expect them to break into a chorus of “How Great Thou Art!”

If you listen to your prospects and really hear what they need from you in order to invite you in … your approach will be considerably different. Better yet the impact will be different as they receive one-sheet from you that presents solutions to their problems.

Stop sending the stuff that makes you look like a feathered peacock. Start sending the stuff that assures your prospects that the solution to his or her most pressing business problem is your products and services.

Focus on you and you’ll be spending more time with you. Focus on serving the needs of your prospects and marvel as they roll out the red carpet with welcoming trumpets et al!

Forward this article to friendsthey’ll thank you for it!

For your FREE mini-course “Jealously Guarded Secrets to Cold Calling Company Presidents” visit http://www.ColdCallingExecutives.com! Or call Your Sales Coach for Extreme Profitability, author/speaker Leslie Buterin (like butterin’ bread) at (816) 554-3674 9-3 CST (that’s Kansas City/Chicago Time).

Do you want to make more money?

Yes, I guess that is a rhetorical question. Everybody wants to make more money, but oftentimes we are not willing to do what needs to be done in order to make it.

For example, I’m not willing to work an 80-hour per week job to double my income. I have a husband and a 1 year old son - I want to spend time with them. I want to take vacations and visit my parents on the weekends and host dinner parties for my friends.

I am not willing to swindle little old ladies to make more money, nor am I willing to lie, steal, or be otherwise dishonest. I am not willing to work for a boss that demeans me, nor am I willing to work in an environment that is discriminatory, unfair, or just plain dull.

So, putting all those things to the side, what AM I willing to do to make more money?

I AM willing to develop products and services that business owners want and need. I AM willing to work regular business hours Monday through Friday with some evening/weekend work when needed. I AM willing to face my fears and try new things to market my business - like public speaking and approaching big joint venture partners. I AM willing to listen to my clients’ feedback. And, I AM willing to ask for what I’m worth.

In a service business, that last one is key. Believe me - if you don’t ask for it, you won’t get it. So how do you figure out what you’re worth?

It sounds like a relatively direct question that has a “right” answer, but it is not. Worth is a value judgment that you, your prospects, and your clients make independently.

You might think your services are worth $60/hour, and by choosing to hire you, your clients are saying that they agree that you are worth that amount. But, what if you raised your rate to $120/hour? Would they hire you then?

How about those prospects who choose to go with someone else, even when you are offering your $60/hour rate? They obviously don’t think your services are worth $60/hour. So, who is right?

The answer is - everybody is right. Each one of us has our own unique set of criteria for determining the value of any offering. We evaluate every offer we are made using that criteria whether we are consciously aware of it or not.

So, in evaluating your worth, let us start with what you are charging now. How did you come up with that figure? Did you pick it out of the sky? Did you find someone locally who was offering a similar service and find out how much they were charging? Did you do extensive research to determine the national, regional, and local average hourly rate for your industry?

No matter how you came up with your currently hourly rate, do not forget that you are the one - the only one - with the ability to increase it. No prospect is going to say, “I know you usually only charge $60/hour, but I was thinking of paying you more along the lines of $85/hour. Would that be okay?”

And, no client is going to call you at the end of the year and say, “I was thinking - you do such a great job for us. We would like to start paying you $100/hour starting on January 1 just to show you our appreciation.” It just ain’t gonna happen!

I was reminded of the importance of this message when I talked to Alexandra last Thursday. Alexandra owns a leadership development company providing team-building workshops for mid-sized corporations. Instead of charging an hourly rate, she charges a daily rate of $1,500.

Prior to starting her own company, she worked for another small firm delivering similar programs. Only when this other company sent her out on jobs, they charged the client $4,000/day.

Yep, that is right. Same workshop - $2,500 more.

Now, how could this be? A client that would pay $1,500/day for her services might have been willing to pay $4,000/day if only she had asked?

Now, perhaps, the firm she worked for had built up some brand recognition that Alexandra did not yet have when she went out on her own. But, the bottom line is, there were companies out there willing to pay $4,000/day for her skills. It was just a matter of who was making the offer and how the offer was being presented.

So, the real answer to ‘what are you worth?’ is a combination of how highly you value your own abilities, how confident you feel in communicating that value, and how well that value meets the needs of a specific market.

If somebody is willing to pay $120/hour for your services, you are worth $120/hour - to them. Are there enough ’somebodies’ to generate a sufficient income for you? That’s what you need to find out.

Take a look around your marketplace. If you market to a local audience, look at your competitors’ newspaper ads, press coverage, web sites, etc. If you market to a national or international audience, do your research online. Make some phone calls posing as a prospect, if necessary.

How much are they charging for services similar to the one(s) you offer? How do they present the service’s benefits? How do they package the service offering? How do they position their company as a whole? What can you learn from the companies that are charging more for providing the same service you provide at a lower rate?

After you have done your research, take some time to re-evaluate how you are packaging, positioning, and branding your business. Then, determine if you can deliver the value that warrants raising your rates.

If you want to make more, you have to ask for it!

About The Author

Kimberly Stevens is the author of the ebook series, *The Profitable Business Owner: A Step-by-Step System for Starting & Running a Successful Service Business*. Download Sample Chapters & get her free MiniCourse, *The 10 Most Common Mistakes Business Owners Make & How To Avoid Them* at: http://www.askthebizcoach.com/ebooks.htm

kim@askthebizcoach.com

Whether you are selling or marketing you must identify your target customers and you must make sure you reach them. When selling this means you need to get to the decision maker to ask them if they are interested and begin the sales process. If you are marketing then this means you must very carefully target specific mediums to reach that target customer with a simple message that you wish to convey.

Either way you must identify your target customer otherwise you are wasting valuable time as a salesperson and valuable resources namely advertising and marketing expenditures if you are marketing.

You must focus on those who are interested in what you are selling or the services you are offering. And they need to know why they should buy from you over other potential options in the market place. How can you tell when someone is interested?

Well in sales by the questions they ask and in marketing buy the ringing of your telephone or the number of items that are sold and walking out the door with smiling customers.

But really of course there is more to it than that because your target customers need to be known in advance of a cold call or placement of an advertisement. You need to consider who needs and or better yet truly desires your products or services. Start with them and you will be glad you did. Consider all this in 2006.

Lance Winslow

When you sell on eBay, it’s important to know how to take advantage of the kinds of markets you encounter in the different seasons. As a rule, the summer months are slow and the winter period is fast, but there’s more to it than that.

It Depends What You’re Selling.

Your sales won’t necessarily be slower in the summer than in winter - they might just be different. If you’re selling sports equipment, for example, you’ll probably find that surfing gear sells in summer while skiing gear sells in winter. You should make sure you are aware of any seasonal variations there will be in your particular market, and plan in advance to take advantage of them.

Selling in Peak Season.

The holiday season is eBay’s peak, and the best time to be selling on eBay - the December rush is relatively short, but if you play it right then you could make half your year’s profit over those few days.

In the holidays, people are looking for presents, and eBay run more advertising than usual targeted towards buyers, not sellers. Target your auctions more towards new users than experienced ones, writing easy-to-understand descriptions. If you have any items that are in demand, try listing some at auction and some with high But it Now prices, to see what works best.

The chances are you’ll be surprised when the Buy it Now auctions go almost instantly and the auctions rack up bids like nobody’s business. It is important to remember, however, that most of these buyers will only buy from you once.

Selling Off-peak.

For the rest of the year, the market is far slower. Don’t worry though - you can still make money. It’s a little like being a stockbroker: you can make money whether the market is good or bad, if you know what you’re doing.

Remember that your target market is a little more ‘expert’: you’re mostly selling to people who know what they’re buying, and know what they want to pay. Cater to this by providing a service suitable for these customers. Show that you know what you’re selling and sell things consistently and you’ll have people coming back again and again.

Here’s one extra tip that you might try. If you know of items that have a consistent value, it might be worth buying up as many as you can cheaply in the summer, storing them for half a year, and selling them during the winter rush. If you’re willing to give over a little space for storage, you can make a lot of profit for little effort. After all, you don’t even have to take the items out of the packaging the last seller put them in.

One saying seems to be appropriate in my business life and it starts with, “if I had only… “It seems that hind sight is truly 20/20. But when I think of all the decisions I should have made or the actions I should have taken one fact stands out very clear. I knew what I should have done; I simply didn’t do it!

There are many good reasons why we don’t do the things we know we should. For example, when the doctor told me for the 5th year in a row that my cholesterol was too high, I once again assured him that I would start exercising and watching my diet.

About two weeks later I was at a meeting and during one of the breaks a friend said that his neighbor had dropped dead of a heart attack while taking a shower the day before, he was only 37. The next day I was talking to another friend, who said that one of the men in his company had died of a heart attack over the previous weekend, he was 35!

I was 47 at the time and started thinking, “If I had only started that exercise program and diet control 5 years ago when the doctor had first warned me, I wouldn’t be so worried right now.” So I did, better later than never. (I had a good excuse however, we were out of the country for 32 weeks one year and everyone knows how hard it is to diet and exercise when you are traveling. If I had died, they would probably have said, “If he had only taken the doctor’s advice and watched his diet and exercised…”) When I started sharing that story with a friend one day the conversation immediately shifted to a discussion about our experiences in sales.

For all of the training that we do in the art of Prospecting, I am one of the best examples of the guy, who says, “If I had only…”

You see, I have the same problem most sales professionals have. That is the tendency to let other activities interrupt my prospecting. The result is I often get to the point of where my other activities start to run out and I realize that “if I had only” kept up the prospecting, I would be comfortably busy, not scrambling for more business.

It is really amazing how often we let the more comfortable activities take precedence over the less comfortable, even though we know that we will suffer for it in the future.

Knowing this I have tried to develop a system to prevent it from happening to me and, being a sales trainer, I want to share it with other sales professionals.

Business got slow for us a few months ago, because I had slacked off a few months before that. (Just like I had told the doctor for 5 years, I will do something about it, but really didn’t). So I simply began to use our system called Statistical “Prospecting” ControlTM (S”P”C). With S”P”C you simply determine how many people you need to contact each week in order to achieve your new customer goals, and then just do it. Sounds pretty simple and it is. But it does require some organization and control.

We at least have all of the organization needs in our company; the control is where I over extended. My problem was a tendency to be overzealous. I figured that since I developed the system for prospecting, therefore I should be able to use it most effectively. So I decided I would make 10 prospecting calls a day, to new prospects I had never talked with before. That is 50 a week. I was doing this strictly by telephone.

Well sure enough, the volume of activity I created very quickly overwhelmed my ability to follow up and I had to cut back after two weeks. I suppose I should read our own book where we talk about not over doing it, but simply doing a constant number of prospecting calls every week, week after week.

The conclusion is simple, regardless of how you feel, do the things you know you need to do. Pre-empt having to say “if I had only…” Because we all know that your future is dependent on your present.

Sell Well and Often

Bill Truax Bill@BlitzCall.com

© Copyright 2006 WJ Truax

As no business will pay for an unfinished survey, the market research companies running the surveys will stipulate to you that if you fail to properly complete any surveys, you will not be paid. Besides getting paid, you will also be eligible for more survey invitations this way, proving yourself reliable. And the larger the number of surveys you complete, the more money you will earn. Getting Earn Money For Text is simple. What I am saying that it will not be nearly enough to consider retiring or even going on trips, read on more about Earn Money For Text. There are truly sites that pay you top dollar for completing their survey offers. Also see Hewitt And India Salary Survey. Please feel free to read both this article or one of my many others by visiting my link in the resource box below.

The Internet improves the way companies conduct the surveys. In the past, people would have to go to the companies’ offices, sit and wait, fill out forms, test products, and fill out more forms, which waste much time and is very inconvenient. Now, the Internet now makes it possible for the companies to send the information right your living room! They will click on random places they find on the first two pages of search results and wind up joining a couple of them. Find out more about Earn Money For Text and Hewitt And India Salary Survey. One of the easiest and quickest ways to earn online is via paid surveys.

This needs to stop. More about Earn Money For Text and Hewitt And India Salary Survey at our website. . Get all the info on Earn Money For Text from our homepage. Also keep the speakers of the computer on as some of the surveys require you to be able to hear the sound (surveys related to movies). Get paid survey network list absolutely FREE from our website! Absolutely no charge for joining the industry’s TOP 7 paying survey networks.

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Good Luck!

The leads marketing delivers to the sales team never seem good enough. Either the leads are “bad” and are wastes of a salesperson’s time, or there are just not enough “good” ones. If sales had more good prospects, the company would have more sales. Perhaps sales and marketing could work together more successfully if all agreed on what is a lead and what is a prospect.

A lead wants what you have, pure and simple. Somehow they’ve gotten the idea that what you have will improve their situation, so much so that they’re willing to raise their hand and identify themselves. You have succeeded in moving them from anonymity. They have “stepped into the light” and are willing to engage with you in conversation, if only temporarily. We describe people at this stage of the buying cycle as Engaged.

Sometimes this process reveals that we have a “bad” lead; these are people who don’t really want what we are selling, but want something else from us, usually for free!

A prospect not only (1) wants what you have, but also has (2) ability to buy and (3) reason to buy now.

A true prospect can afford what you’re selling. That means they have available — or can get — the budget needed to make the purchase. Plus they have the authority to make the purchase; to “sign the check”, if you will.

A true prospect also has a reason to buy now. Perhaps there’s an external compelling event that will require them to make a decision soon. Or perhaps they harbor an internal reason — often emotional in nature — that carries enough drive to induce them to open up their wallet and buy now.

Somewhere between leads and prospects we have shoppers. Those are buyers who want what you have, and (2) have the ability to buy, but no particular reason to buy today. Much sales (and marketing) energy is expended converting shoppers into buyers. Prospects are easier to convert, because we know they’re going to buy from somebody, and soon.

The questions we choose to ask people who engage with us need to help us understand the answers to those 3 questions. We’ll get more positive decisions when we can establish that a lead truly is a prospect.

Copyright 2005 Paul Johnson. All rights reserved.

Paul Johnson of Panache and Systems LLC consults and speaks on business strategy for systematically boosting sales performance using Shortcuts to Yes. Check out more salesforce development tips at http://panache-yes.com/tips.html. Call Paul direct in Atlanta, Georgia, USA at (770) 271-7719.

Some people may be ready to buy your products/services right away. But what do you offer to the rest of the people who are interested but want to know more? Creating a structured sales process for your business may not seem like an important component of creating and attracting more potential clients and I can promise you, it is.

Here’s what frequently happens. People may be interested in knowing more about what your business has to offer but they are busy. They don’t have time to find your phone number and call you or spend time navigating through your website trying to figure it out how to find out more, so they do nothing.

When you are clear about your sales process, and can communicate it easily and consistently, you will feel more confident and you will be able to make a connection with your prospective clients.

People need to know what action to take if they want to know more. Make it simple and make it easy. People appreciate structure and like to know what they can expect.

Begin to define your sales process by deciding on the first step. The one action you want every person who is interested in your business to take. Make it something that delivers value. Here are some ideas about what you can give to prospective clients:

1. Offer a free sample of your products/services

2. Offer to meet with them for a free consultation

3. Invite them to take an assessment or quiz

4. Invite them to sign up for your newsletter

5. Offer to send them a valuable free report

Let me give you an example of what I am talking about. Let’s say you are at a networking event talking with Renee and she asks you, “What do you do?” You have prepared and rehearsed your fabulous elevator pitch (right?) so you share it. Renee seems intrigued, what do you do next? You can leave it there, finish your chat and move on. Or, you can say to Renee, “If you’re interested in knowing more, I can send you a special report. Would you like that?” See the difference?

Communicating the first stop of your sales process isn’t only important for prospective clients. It is also valuable to communicate it with strategic alliance partners so they can easily refer people to you. Make is easy for partners send you referrals by making the first step in your sales process clear to them.

Once you are clear on your first step, the one action you want prospective clients to take, incorporate it into every interaction you have and all of your marketing strategies. Think of things like this:

What you write:

- Text you will use to answer e-mails from prospective clients

- Text on your website

- Text on your business card (use the back of your card)

- Text in your e-mail signature

What you say:

- Words you will use when someone calls

- Words you will use when you meet someone face-to-face

- Words on your voice mail message

Once you have the first step established, decide what the next steps are until you have a complete process. The number of steps in your process will depend on your business and what you are offering. The most important step is the first one so start there. Utilize your sales process and be sure you follow through and follow up.

You’ve heard the expression ‘you never get a second chance to make a first impression.’ In business, you may not get a second chance to give a prospective client value. So choose your first step and start giving!

Life & Business Coach Stephanie Ward helps business owners set their profits on fire! Grab your free monthly profit tips plus bonus report at: http://www.fireflycoaching.com

Sales Trainers and sales managers need to teach their sales force and their salespeople to recognize when a prospect is a hot prospect and the difference of when a prospect is not interested. This will help the salespeople manage their time better and spend their client time and resources with those prospects and potential customers who desire the services that they are selling or the products they are offering.

A good salesman working under a great sales manager should know this instinctively and the sales manager must make sure that each and every salesperson can recognize a hot prospect or an interested potential customer.

Many top marketing and sales experts believe that when a prospect is willing to commit time to meeting with a salesperson, that they are indeed desirous of what is being sold and interested in it enough to consider a future purchase of the goods or services that are being sold or offered by the company that the salesperson represents.

Each salesman should be taught by the sales manager, that when a prospect continually makes excuses and denies a personal meeting that they’re probably is very little interest and therefore the salesperson should not spend too much time trying to sell the prospect, as they are not interested and do not have the desire to take the sales process to the next step. I hope you will consider this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

1. Use power language: “The solution is…” rather than, “I believe the solution is…”

2. Never use the word “appointment” when trying to set one. Instead, use the word “meeting.” “Meeting,” sounds more professional and more important. “I would like to meet with you…”

3. Use directed words to reach your prospect. When you ask to speak with your prospect, say,: “Jane Jones, please,” and not, “May I speak with Jane Jones?” The first sentence conveys authority; the second asks permission.

4. Use directed words (and open-ended questions) to gather information. Ask, “Whom should I speak with?” and not, “Do you know who I should speak with?” The first conveys authority, and whomever you are questioning, if they know, must answer with a name. In the second sentence, the response could simply be “yes” or “no.”

5. Whether trying to ascertain a good time to call your prospect back or trying to schedule a meeting, it is a good idea to give alternate choices. “Is this afternoon good, or would tomorrow morning be better?” It is much easier for your prospect to decide “when” rather than “whether.”

6. “I’m just calling…” Eliminate the word “just” from your vocabulary. That little word “just” is an apology. It says that your call is not important and that what you have to say is not important. Simply tell your prospects and customers why you are calling. That is enough.

7. “…we will hopefully achieve…” Hopefully? No one pays you to “hopefully” do something. They pay you to do actually do it! Tell your prospects or customers what they will achieve or should expect to achieve.

8. Be clear and to the point. You are telling your story to a stranger who has never heard it.

© 2005 Wendy Weiss

Wendy Weiss, “The Queen of Cold Calling & Selling Success,” is a sales trainer, author, and sales coach. Her recently released program, “Cold Calling College”, and/or her book, “Cold Calling for Women”, can be ordered by visiting http://www.wendyweiss.com Contact her at wendy@wendyweiss.com. Get Wendy’s free e-zine at www.wendyweiss.com