News & Information

Sales Tip: All Buyers Tell Mistruths.

noreply@blogger.com (Effective Sales Development) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 07:17:11 PDT

Are prospects really truthful? NO - That doesn’t mean they are bad people. In fact, it is written somewhere that you can lie to a sales person and still go to heaven. Think about it. When you’re buying from a sales person, have you always told the absolute truth? Prospects simply are afraid that they may be talked into a product or service they really don’t want or can afford. Remember, people really do want to buy, they just don’t want to be sold. Your job as a professional sales person is to ask the right questions to get to the truth and have the prospect discover for themselves why they should do business with you. All Buyers Tell Mis-Truths, but for a reason.

Effective Sales Coaching

noreply@blogger.com (Effective Sales Development) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:01:33 PDT

Some view coaching only as a tool to correct underperformance. Today, however, it is widely used to support top producers. Coaching can provide sales professionals with focus unavailable from other forms of organizational support. Steve Montague, our sales coach, can help direct senior executives, managers and sales people.

Our one-on-one interaction and feedback from an objective third party has helped sales professionals:

Fine-tune their communication, decision-making and leadership skills
Cultivate teamwork and inspire peak performance from team members
Overcome procrastination, take action and accomplish more
Fully realize personal and professional potential
Achieve balance in various roles
Develop new strategies for solving old problems
Create positive change in themselves, their team members and their companies

If you are open to feedback and willing to create positive change, Steve Montague can help reach your goals sooner. Call us today!

Top 10 Best Sales Books Of All Time

noreply@blogger.com (Effective Sales Development) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 07:20:48 PDT

David Mattson's Sandler Rules - What if you found the secrets used by the world's most successful sales people? David H. Sandler did, when he studied the most productive sales stars in virtually every industry and compared their behaviors, thoughts and feelings to those who struggled in exactly the same companies. Mr. Sandler was more than a great sales representative himself – he was a genius when it came to psychology – and a great communicator. In this long awaited book filled with Mr. Sandler's wisdom and humor, author and Sandler Training CEO David Mattson illuminates the original rules, with fresh new examples and techniques you can use immediately.
David Mattson's Five Minutes with VITO - David Mattson is the CEO and a partner at Sandler Training. Since 1986 he has been a trainer and business consultant in management, sales interpersonal communication, corporate team building and strategic planning throughout the U.S. and Europe. His domestic and international clients include top name organizations in many different industries.
Five minutes with VITO is the definitive guide for salespeople who want to start selling where they belong – at the top. Together the authors David Mattson and Anthony Parinello, founder and CEO of VITO, combine 80 year of sales know-how, 1,200 hours of audio and video programs, 5,000 pages of training materials, and direct experience in training over 15 million salespeople into one concise book.
Close the Deal is bursting with hot leads for sales pros looking to sharpen their skills and win more customers. Authors Sam Deep and Lyle Sussman show how to capture sales without being pushy or arrogant. Deep, a consultant from Pittsburgh, and Sussman, a management professor at the University of Louisville, believe that the essence of selling is sticking to a system. "Masterful sales professionals are neither lucky nor gifted," they write. "They do not dream, wish or hope for victory. They go out and make it happen."
The book is based on programs developed at the Sandler Sales Institute, a noted Maryland firm that trains thousands of sales professionals around the country. The authors contend that three keys to successful selling are asking the right questions, making supportive presentations, and finding exactly how to eliminate roadblocks or "pain" for customers. "There is only one reason you will sell anything: your ability to reduce a buyer's pain," the authors write. "You can't reduce pain if you don't know what it is. Buyers will tell you if you ask correctly." The book is easy to read and full of practical advice and tips. The authors provide 120 lists on topics like "Fifteen Steps to Better Listening," "Seven Fears all Buyers Have," and "Fourteen Ingredients of a Winning Proposal."
Here's the thing about You Can't Teach A Kid To Ride A Bike At A Seminar -- I have been in high-end straight commission selling for a long time. I have seen sales people come and go in my industry. Those sales people who survive end up figuring out and using the Sandler strategies intuitively, even if they never heard of Sandler. These salespeople figure out that they better find out pretty quick if they've got a viable prospect or not, instead of being a walking brochure and giving presentations and dog and pony shows to anybody who will listen. Sandler was a genius sales trainer because he told it the way it is for the day-to-day salesperson. Case in point--before I ever heard of Sandler, I had already made enough sales to realize that the best prose pct was a prospect with "pain." My first sales manager years ago used to ask me, "Where's the pain" when I told him I had a hot prospect. "Find the pain, find the pain," he used to say. I often wondered why the traditional sales/motivational gurus never talked about "pain." Oh, sure. They talked about a prospects "need". But they never took it further than that. These gurus never talked about getting the prospects nitty-gritty "pain". Anyway, I think I've said enough. Except that learning the Sandler Selling System will change your sales life. You'll be happier, have more self-esteem, have more control of the sales call, and most importantly, you'll go to the bank more often!!-- Rhino, Amazon.com
The E-Myth Revisited is a guide to success for small business owners. Gerber is the founder of a consulting company for small businesses. In the beginning of the book, Gerber cites the well-known failure-rate statistics for small business: 40% fail in 1 year. Of those who survive 1 year, 80% fail in 5 years, and of those who survive 5 years, another 80% fail. Over the years, Gerber has observed that the small business owners who fail often share a number of characteristics, while those who succeed do so not by luck, brains, or perseverance, but by taking a different approach. This book explains the approach that is necessary for a business to survive and thrive.
Good To Great was Amazon.com's Best of 2001Five years ago, Jim Collins asked the question, "Can a good company become a great company and if so, how?" In Good to Great Collins, the author of Built to Last, concludes that it is possible, but finds there are no silver bullets. Collins and his team of researchers began their quest by sorting through a list of 1,435 companies, looking for those that made substantial improvements in their performance over time. They finally settled on 11--including Fannie Mae, Gillette, Walgreens, and Wells Fargo--and discovered common traits that challenged many of the conventional notions of corporate success. Making the transition from good to great doesn't require a high-profile CEO, the latest technology, innovative change management, or even a fine-tuned business strategy.
Disciplines like strategy, leadership development, and innovation are the sexier aspects of being at the helm of a successful business; actually getting things done never seems quite as glamorous. But as Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan demonstrate in Execution, the ultimate difference between a company and its competitor is, in fact, the ability to execute. Execution is "the missing link between aspirations and results," and as such, making it happen is the business leader's most important job. While failure in today's business environment is often attributed to other causes, Bossidy and Charan argue that the biggest obstacle to success is the absence of execution. They point out that without execution, breakthrough thinking on managing change breaks down, and they emphasize the fact that execution is a discipline to learn, not merely the tactical side of business. Supporting this with stories of the "execution difference" being won (EDS) and lost (Xerox and Lucent), the authors describe the building blocks--leaders with the right behaviors, a culture that rewards execution, and a reliable system for having the right people in the right jobs--that need to be in place to manage the three core business processes of people, strategy, and operations.
A glaring hole in the business bookshelf is finally filled. Until now, there wasn't a fingertip resource for handling everything that the business day throws at you. Enter Tom Gegax's By The Seat Of Your Pants, a soup-to-nuts management guide that stands in stark contrast to the rows of magic-bullet books that promise overnight prosperity.
Visionaries like Best Buy founder and chairman Richard Schulze, One Minute Manager author Ken Blanchard and mind-body pioneer Deepak Chopra are lining up behind Gegax. They know that By The Seat Of Your Pants charts a new course, combining hard-nosed accountability and efficiency (profits first) with an enlightened approach (people first) in one practical package that honors both. After all, it's leaders who are tough-minded and warm-hearted that wind up leading happy people producing healthy profits.
As thorough as a textbook, as lively as a newsmagazine, By The Seat Of Your Pants is an indispensable slingshot for the millions of scrappy Davids taking on corporate Goliaths. It doesn't propose drawing-board theories that should work; it's jammed with real-world practices that do work. Its street-smart tips and techniques connect the dots between every aspect of business in unprecedented detail.
Using the story/parable format so popular these days, Leadership and Self-Deception takes a novel psychological approach to leadership. It's not what you do that matters, say the authors (presumably plural--the book is credited to the esteemed Arbinger Institute), but why you do it. Latching onto the latest leadership trend won't make people follow you if your motives are selfish--people can smell a rat, even one that says it's trying to empower them. The tricky thing is, we don't know that our motivation is flawed. We deceive ourselves in subtle ways into thinking that we're doing the right thing for the right reason. We really do know what the right thing to do is, but this constant self-justification becomes such an ingrained habit that it's hard to break free of it--it's as though we're trapped in a box, the authors say.
The Greatest Salesman in the World is a tiny book, and it is a treasure. First published in 1968, Og Mandino's classic remains an invaluable guide to a philosophy of salesmanship. Mandino's clear, simple writing style supports his purpose: to make the principles of sales known to a wide audience. A parable set in the time just prior to Christianity, The Greatest Salesman in the World weaves mythology with spirituality into a much needed message of inspiration in this culture of self-promotion. Mandino believes that to be a good salesperson, you must believe in yourself and the work you are doing. It is a simple but profound spiritual philosophy about how to succeed in the world's marketplace, easily understood and easy to take to heart.

Free Sales Training

noreply@blogger.com (Effective Sales Development) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:37:00 PDT

Effective Sales Development now offer FREE TRY-OUTS on Tuesday Mornings!

Just click on our calendar and register for any Tuesday Morning President's Club training session, and come free of charge.

Improving Your BAT-ting Average

July 14th 8:00-10:00 am

Learning Objectives
At the end of the session, you will understand that:

Some prior beliefs, judgments, and actions can sabotage your sales.
An attitude and/or behavior adjustment might improve your sales outcome.
Attitude and behavior can have a more profound effect on your sales than your technique.
Your choice of outlook on life can be one of either limitations or possibilities.

You will be aware of the importance of behavior, attitude and technique to developing a successful performance as a professional salesperson and will understand the relationship between attitude and behavior in that performance.

Call Now To "Try-Out" This FREE Sales Training Class: 816-505-2500

Top 12 Characteristics Of A Salesperson Who Doesn't Sell

noreply@blogger.com (Effective Sales Development) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 06:42:44 PDT

Doomsayer: Characterized by energy being diverted away from contact with prospective buyers into over-vigilant preparation for low probability catastrophes.
Over-Preparation: Characterized by energy being over-invested in analyzing at the expense of prospecting.
Hyper-Pro: Characterized by energy being lost due to over-investment in the mannerisms and appearances of success.
Stage Fright: Characterized by avoiding or bypassing opportunities to prospect through group presentations due to emotional discomfort.
Role Rejection: Intricate type of call reluctance characterized by energy being lost due to unexpressed and unresolved guilt and shame associated with being in sales.
Yielder: Characterized by hesitating to prospect for new business due to a reflexive fear of being considered selfish, intrusive or pushy.
Social Self-Consciousness: Characterized by emotional hesitation to initiate contact with up-market prospective buyers.
Separationist: Characterized by emotional resistance to mixing business interests with friendships.
Emotionally Unemancipated: Characterized by emotional resistance to mixing business and family.
Referral Aversion: Characterized by emotional discomfort associated with asking existing clients for referrals.
Telephobia: Characterized by fear when trying to use the telephone for prospecting purposes.
Oppositional Reflex: Hard-edged type of call reluctance characterized by high approval needs and low self-esteem.

Sandler Sales Training Courses

noreply@blogger.com (Effective Sales Development) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:07:07 PDT

Evaluation of existing sales staff for current skills, competencies, attitudes and beliefs about sales.
Accountability for growth in activities, success, and the 21 core competencies of the ideal sales person.
Impact Training in all of the ideas, terminology, skills, techniques, behaviors and attitudes that we will be looking to master.
Reinforcement Training - gradual incremental growth much like Martial Arts, requires spaced repetition of skills, discipline, emotional control, and the benefits that support a true master of the Art of Communication.
Advanced Problem Solving - Victories, Impending Events, Problems and Referrals discussed - Your Topics, Plus one of 26 basic and black belt topics - Masters sharpening the saw - keeping the edge - Offered typically 6 times per month.
Teleclasses - Advanced problem solving via phone with a topic. Typically one hour in length with 5 to 6 different times to chose from per week. Access from anywhere in the world is possible. Phone number and pass code are required.
Internet Training on Demand - 50 Hours of Audio with slides, quizzes, and Manager feedback. You may have access from your home or work computer.
Winner's Circle for Executives - Owners, presidents, and vice presidents only - Facilitated by a past president of a fortune 500 Company - Strategic and practical application of principals discussed - Confidential sharing and benefit of the knowledge trials and successes of your peers.
Winner's Circle for Management - Department Heads, Managers, and Supervisors -- Practical application of the principals, roadblocks, and obstacles are discussed. Peer review and accountability for self and results are the hallmark of this Monthly program.

Top 25 Free Sales Training Games

noreply@blogger.com (Effective Sales Development) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:26:44 PDT

Positive Reinforcement Cards Game
Whenever a participant arrives to class on time from breaks, lunch, etc. give them one playing card. You can also hand out cards to people who volunteer for activities, are helpful, answers a difficult question, etc. At the end of the day, play one hand of poker. Give a small prize to the best hand (you can also pick the top two or three hands if you want to give away more prizes). Note that the more cards a person has, the better the chance of winning.
Three Questions Game
Everyone in the group writes down 3 provoking questions they would like to ask others in the group. Not the normal "what's your name" type questions but something like, "Where is the most interesting place you have ever traveled" or "Name a topic you feel absolutely passionate about". Give them time to mingle, and to ask three different people in the group one of their three questions. Get back together and have each person stand and give their name. As they say their name, ask the group to tell what they know about this person.
The Show And Tell Game
Everyone selects one item from their pocket or purse that has some personal significance to them. They introduce themselves and do a show and tell for the selected item and why it is important to them.
The Talent Show
Everyone selects one talent or special gift that they possess and can demonstrate for the group. They introduce themselves, explain what their special talent is, and then perform their special talent for the group.
Birthday Game
Have the group stand and line up in a straight line. After they are in line, tell them to re-arrange the line so that they are in line by their birthday. January 1st is on one end and December 31st is at the other end. The catch is that they must do all this without talking or writing anything down.
Paper Airplane Game
Everyone makes a paper airplane and writes their name, something they like and dislike on it (You may also want to add additional questions). On cue, everyone throws their airplane around the room. If you find an airplane, pick it and keep throwing it for 1-2 minutes. At the end of that time, everyone must have one paper airplane. This is the person they must find and introduce to the group.
The Artist Game
Give everyone a piece of paper and a pencil. In 5 minutes they must draw a picture that conveys who they are without writing any words or numbers. At the end of 5 minutes the host collects the pictures. Show the pictures to the group one at a time and have them try to guess who drew it. After this allow each of the artists to introduce themselves and explain how their work clearly conveys who they are.
Three in Common Game
Break the group into 3's. Their objective is for each group to find 3 things they have in common. But not normal things like age, sex or hair color. It must be three uncommon things. After letting the groups converse for 10 - 15 minutes, they (as a group) must tell the rest of the groups the 3 things they have in common.
Dream Vacation Game
Ask participants to introduce themselves and describe details of the ideal, perfect dream vacation.
Famous People/Cities Game
As each participant arrives, tape a 3 x 5 index card on their back with the name of a famous person or city. They must circulate in the room and ask questions that can ONLY be answered with a YES or NO to identify clues that will help them find out the name of the person or city on their index card. EXAMPLES: Paris, Madonna, Santa Claus, John Wayne, Casablanca
Favorite Animal Game
As the guests arrive, and before you write their names on a name card, ask them to tell you their favorite animal and three adjectives to describe the animal. As they tell you, write the three adjectives on a name tag BEFORE their name (omit the name of the animal). Ask them to mingle with the crowd, sharing why these adjectives best describe their own personality. EXAMPLES: Loyal, cuddly, playful Dan
Creative Name Tags
Give everyone 15 minutes to make their own name tag-they can list hobbies, draw a picture, give a self profile, etc.
Marooned Game
You are marooned on an island. What five (you can use a different number, such as seven, depending upon the size of each team) items would you have brought with you if you knew there was a chance that you might be stranded. Note that they are only allowed five items per team, not per person. You can have them write their items on a flip chart and discuss and defend their choices with the whole group. This activity helps them to learn about other's values and problem solving styles and promotes teamwork.
Story Time Game
The facilitator starts a story by saying a sentence. It then goes in a circle, each person adding a sentence onto the story-after repeating each sentence that's already been added.
Ball Toss Game
This is a semi-review and wake-up exercise when covering material that requires heavy concentration. Have everyone stand up and form a resemblance of a circle. It does not have to be perfect, but they should all be facing in, looking at each other. Toss a Nerf ball or bean bag to a person and have tell what they thought was the most important learning concept was. They then toss the ball to someone and that person explains what they thought was the most important concept. Continue the exercise until everyone has caught the ball at least once and explained an important concept of the material just covered.
Human Bingo Game
Before the meeting, make a bingo matrix and at the top of each square put something that someone in the group might have done-for example, voted for Ross Perot, served in the Peace Corps, etc. Everyone gets a copy and is asked to circulate, getting other group members to sign one square that is true of them. The first person to get "bingo" wins the prize (a candy bar or some other small thing).
Out on the Town Game
If you have a two-day meeting and need a quick warm-up for day two, ask everyone to pantomime something they did the night before. Individuals or groups can act out a movie they went to, describe a meal they ate, or recreate a scene witnessed at a bar...
Lucky Penny Game
Each person takes a penny or other coin out of their pocket and looks at the date. When it's their turn, they tell the year that's on their coin and recall something spectacular that happened that year.
Straw & Paperclip Game
Give each group a box of straws not flexible straws) and a box of paperclips. Check that the paperclips can fit snuggly into the end of the straws. Give each group a task (you can use the same one for each group if you want) and let them go. Sample tasks: Build the structure as a group. (Tallest, strongest, longest, most creative, most functional, etc.) Debriefing included describing teamwork and situational leadership skills used as well as how different models are needed to accomplish different tasks.
Four Facts Game
Each person writes down four facts about themselves, one of which is a lie. Each person takes turns reading their list aloud and the rest of the team writes down the one they think is the lie. When all are done reading the lists aloud, the first person reads their list again and identifies the lie. The team sees how well they did.
Reception Line Game
Divide everyone into 2 groups. Have them stand facing each other. Each person talks to the person across from them until signaled (flash lights). At signal, person at end of one line moves to other end. Consequently everyone has a new person to talk to.
Autograph Sheets Game
Prepare a sheet listing traits or facts about people with a line for them to sign their name next to the trait if it applies to them (i.e.: someone who wears contacts, someone who has been to Europe, etc.). People then mingle around the room with their sheets seeking to find people who are eligible to sign their sheets. A person can only sign once on any sheet. The process may also be reversed by having people seek out the autograph of people to which they think the category applies (i.e.: someone who looks like they enjoy the outdoors, someone who is from the east, etc.)
Kangaroo Court Game
Try this if there's an incident that irritates members of your group. Announce that a kangaroo court will be held to properly try and prosecute all guilty parties. After you make the announcement, everyone will begin to view the incident in question with a contagious sense of humor. Name the defendants. Select a lawyer for the defense, as well as a prosecuting attorney. Write up formal charges and submit them to the judge. Appoint a bailiff and court recorder. Screen and swear in your jurors.
Make a Date Game
Give each participant a paper plate. Have them draw the face of a clock on their plate with a line next to each number (no digitals!). Then have participants walk around a find a "date" for each hour, writing their name by the hour. The catch is no one can make a "date" with more than one person per hour. After everyone has made their dates, speed up time and allow 1-3 minutes for each hour. The facilitator then asks a question for discussion on each date. The pairs will have a chance to get to know one another.
Quick Change Artist Game
Pair off into partners facing each other. Each player is to observe his or her partner's appearance. Then the players turn around back-to-back and make two or more changes in their dress, hair accessories, etc. When they face each other again, each partner must identify the changes made by his or her partner. This game can be repeated several times by changing partners and increasing the number of changes made.

Will Tomorrow Be a Replay of Today? - Continued

noreply@blogger.com (Effective Sales Development) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:57:01 PDT

Most salespeople want a brighter tomorrow. They want more opportunity, more customers, more business, and of course, more commission. Fortunately, there are numerous things they can do to ensure a brighter tomorrow.

So, why aren't they doing them?

Why do so many salespeople waste their time making excuses about today rather than invest their time doing something to ensure a more prosperous tomorrow? Perhaps, it's easier to complain about the current state of the economy and the resulting impact it's had on the marketplace than it is to actually get out and do something.

Salespeople are quick to point out that there are fewer opportunities to develop and fewer resources available for attracting new customers. "No one is buying now," and "No one will take my calls," they claim. They complain about the cut-throat competition with which they have to contend and being "squeezed" by current customers. The list of excuses and complaints is almost endless. They yearn for things to change ... to get back to "normal."

If you're not happy with your current situation, certainly, you can blame the state of the economy. Heck, you can even blame the weather, if you like. But that won't change anything. If you want tomorrow to be brighter than today, things must change ... that's true. But, the change must start with you. You must put away your fears, your doubts, and your confusion. You must reach down and grab hold of whatever motivation and self-confidence you have and DO SOMETHING. There are plenty of opportunities ... if you have the will to do what needs to be done.

What can you do?

You can prospect for new customers. You'd be surprised how few salespeople actually make prospecting calls. They talk about them, but they rarely make them. David Sandler once observed, "You'll never have to stand in line to make a cold call."

You can network with other professionals to uncover prospects you might not find on your own. Many salespeople claim to "network," but they merely go through the motions. They don't diligently follow up and follow through.

You can ask your current clients to point you in the direction of others they believe could use your product or service and would appreciate the level of service you deliver. Most salespeople intend to ask their clients for referrals, but they forget or have some other excuse for not asking.
You can cross-sell and up-sell your current customers-legitimate strategies for growing accounts. Many salespeople, however, shy away from doing so. Perhaps, they are afraid of jeopardizing the current business by asking for more.
If you're unsatisfied with your current level of production and you've been making excuses for your lackluster results, STOP. Put aside your negative beliefs about your market and your abilities. Design a new business development model and take action. And, don't be afraid to think big. Your tomorrow will be exactly what you design it to be---1lothing more and nothing less.

And In Conclusion...

Most Sandler Training® workshop sessions end with a "What did you learn" exercise. Participants are asked to recall some part of the training session they deem important and comment on its significance.

The apparently simple exercise is actually a powerful device that reinforces the training. The participants must review the information gleaned during the session and then evaluate and prioritize its importance. Often, during this process, another aspect of the material comes into focus-the participant gains another perspective of the information, develops a better understanding, and perhaps, discovers additional areas for application.

So, what does this have to do with you?

You can garner the same benefits by conducting a "What did I learn" exercise after each sales meeting. Take a few minutes immediately after the meeting, while the encounter is still fresh in your mind, to review the meeting and determine what you learned. If it was a phone meeting, conduct the review as soon as you hang up the phone. If it was a face-to-face meeting, don't wait until you return to your office; conduct the review as soon as you get back to your car.

As you review your notes and evaluate the information you obtained, determine its consistency with any previously obtained information, its impact on your next step or future steps, and any implications regarding the length of the selling cycle and your likelihood of closing the sale.

As you review your notes and your recollections, you will probably think of information you should have obtained and questions you should have asked. Write those things down. Then, phone the prospect as soon as possible-fight then and there, if appropriate-to ask your follow up questions.

Conducting a "What did I learn" exercise after each sales call also helps you identify possible unproductive patterns of behavior. If the information on which to "follow up" revealed during your reviews tends to revolve around a particular aspect of the sale-the prospect's investment expectations or limitations, for instance-that's a likely indication of your reluctance to ask budget questions during the meetings. Uncovering that information enables you to pinpoint areas for development which will ultimately improve your sales efforts.

Sometimes, what you learn after the meeting has the greatest impact on the sale and your ultimate success.

Learn More Tips & Sales Secrets At Our Special Event:
July 9th - 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. Seating is limited. RSVP required.Investment: $495.00
Click Here To Register For SANDER SECRETS REVEALED on July 9th, 2009!

2009 Sales Trends - Where to invest your time and money?

noreply@blogger.com (Effective Sales Development) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:11:16 PDT

Are You Going To Be Relevant In The Future?

In a study done at Columbia University, it was determined that the top 20% of sales reps earn 16 times more income than bottom 80%, and the top 4% of sales reps earn 54 times more income than the bottom 80%.

Additional data confirms that 65% of everything that is sold in North America is sold by 15% of the sales people.

These numbers should be a wake up call for owners, managers and sales reps.

Why Should You Care About Any of This?

That is a fair but naive question to ask. If you are a manager you should realize that about one - third of your sales force is actually a profit center. The other two - thirds, while somewhat productive, are barely covering their cost.

If as predicted by some, employee cost will more than double in the next forty-eight months this should scare you.

When this happens, I predict that companies will have a significant reduction in force of their sales teams, and that only the sales people who are determined to be a profit center will be retained. If you are a mediocre or marginal producer this should scare you.

The End of the Company Gravy Train Is Insight.

For too long companies and managers have tolerated mediocrity and provided what amounts to corporate well fare to non productive sales people. Because of shrinking margins, increased competition, and the need to increase productivity, companies can no longer do this and remain competitive and profitable. In the future, every employee from receptionist to CEO will have to prove their profitability. If they can't they will be sacked and rightly so.

Many employees somehow think that it is their birth right to be provided with a good paying job which doesn't require a great deal from them other than showing up and putting in their time. They have forgotten or never learned that in a Capitalistic Society rewards only come to those who provide value in the market place. No value, no pay. Not a hard lesson to learn but one that the do-gooders of this world avoid talking about. Instead they pander to the lazy masses that willingly lap up their message, "that the government will take care of you".

What Can You Do to Prepare For This?

Accept one - hundred percent responsibility for your own future. It is not your company's, or the country's responsibility to provide you with the skills and talents you need to excel.

Invest YOUR time and money in competent training and education that will make you more competitive and more skilled than your competitors both within and outside of your company.

Become a voracious reader, attend seminars and events and associate with the top performers in your industry, turn your vehicle into a rolling university and listen to audio training materials, stop hanging around time and energy vampires that suck life from you, and seek expert coaching. If you will do these things consistently you will be well positioned to weather the coming storm.

Austin Earns T6 Finish in Crowne Plaza Invitational

noreply@blogger.com (Effective Sales Development) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:34:41 PDT

In the Crowne Plaza Invitational this past weekend, Sandler Training sponsored golfer Woody Austin wowed the crowds with great play. His Round 1 score, at 63 or seven under par, earned particular mention in many media outlets. On Sunday, with commentators and spectators watching him closely, Austin finished with final score of 63-68-67-68, or 14 under, tying Vijay Singh for sixth place. Congratulations, Woody!

Next weekend, Woody Austin and John Rollins take on the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio. Tune in to GOLF on 6/4 and 6/5 from 3-6 pm, and to CBS on 6/6 from 3-6 pm and 6/7 from 2:30-6 pm. Omar Uresti will compete in Melwood Prince George's County Open, a Nationwide Tour event to be held in Mitchellville, Maryland. Coverage will air on GOLF on 6/4 and 6/5 from 1-3 pm, on 6/6 from 2:30-5 pm and 6/7 from 2-4:30 pm. All times listed are ET.

Not Making a Decision is a Decision

noreply@blogger.com (Effective Sales Development) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:15:57 PDT

The economy is sluggish. Money isn't flowing like it was a few years ago. New business is difficult to find. Prospects aren't beating a path to your door or overloading your phone lines. The only thing "reliable" about your old reliable customers is that their orders will be smaller and less frequent.

If your strategies and actions for identifying and developing new business opportunities aren't working under current conditions, what are you going to do about it?

There are a lot of things you could do.

You could step up your marketing efforts for identifying prospective customers.
If appropriate, you could offer existing customers an incentive to accelerate their scheduled orders.
You could ask existing customers to provide you with referrals to potential new customers.
You could hit the phones - or the pavement - and make prospecting calls.
You could call on your existing clients and look for additional ways to provide value for them.
Can't decide which strategy would be the most effective, bring the fastest results, or generate the biggest return? Stop thinking about it. Continuing to "think about it" is like allowing a prospect to "think about it" when making a buying decision. Both lead to the same place - NOWHERE.

Not making a decision...is a decision: a decision to do NOTHING.

Are you afraid of making the wrong decision and perhaps making things worse? It would be wonderful if every decision you make was the "right" decision. But, many "right" decisions aren't reached until a few "wrong" decisions are first tested. Every "wrong" decision inevitably reveals a lesson which, if applied, makes the next decision a potentially better one.

Regardless of how many lessons you learn before you "get it right," by making a decision to do SOMETHING, you start the process of moving forward and making progress. So, stop THINKING, make a decision, and start ACTING.

Bowling Pins Have No Choice...You Do!

noreply@blogger.com (Effective Sales Development) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:17:59 PDT

Bowling pins have no "choice" but to fall over when hit by a bowling ball. It's the way they were built. It's their destiny...to be knocked down, time and time again. The pins can't choose to "stand their ground" and refuse to fall when struck by the ball. They will never choose a new strategy to move out of the way of the rapidly approaching ball to avoid being knocked over. They will never choose to abandon the "unsafe" environment of the bowling lane and seek a safer environment. Game after game, they will continue to fulfill their destiny; to be knocked down over and over and over again by every ball with which they have contact.

Like a bowling pin which is a product of a manufacturing process that shapes it into its recognizable form, you, too, are a product of a manufacturing process of sorts which has shaped your behavior and actions into a recognizable form. That shaping, or programming, was performed by your parents and other authority figures during your early childhood. They taught you, from their perspective, what was right and wrong, good and bad, appropriate and inappropriate. You may have obediently accepted their directives, rebelliously adopted a behavior opposite to what they taught, or exhibited a behavior somewhere between those two ends of the spectrum. Regardless, you are a product of that upbringing and what you feel, think, and do in the present is strongly influenced by it.

Unlike a bowling pin, however, which has no choice but to carry out its programmed behavior, you have free will. You can make choices about how you act and react to your programming. You can structure your life to strictly adhere to and validate that programming and the scripted behavior it describes, or you can choose to direct your energy to alternative behaviors that better serve you in the present. While your epitaph may eventually be etched in stone, your path in life and your ultimate accomplishments are not. They are products of your own doing. No one has predetermined the path you must follow. You have the freedom to be, to do, to become, and to be known and remembered for whatever you want. The choice is yours. You are not a bowling pin.

Are You A Leader?

noreply@blogger.com (Effective Sales Development) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:21:26 PDT

Almost everyone in business-owners, CEOs, presidents, VPs, managers, and department heads-wants to be perceived as leaders not only by those who report to them, but also by those to whom they report. Salespeople, too, want to be viewed as leaders by their peers and customers. But, what makes one a leader?

Being a leader is like being a lady; if you have to go around telling people you are one, you aren't. - Margaret Thatcher

There has been much written about leadership and how to develop leadership talents. Many of today's leaders, in business and politics, equate leadership with popularity. They take polls and surveys to find out what's popular and then try to adopt that stance. They attempt to be all things to all people...and end up being nothing to no one. Popularity is not leadership.

Lead, follow, or get out of the way. - Thomas Paine

True leaders have one common trait. They have vision - belief in a cause. And, that cause is not about personal ambition. It's something bigger - bigger than them. Personal ambition may motivate an individual, but it won't motivate others to follow.

Leadership is about taking a position to further the cause, knowing that it will draw criticism. It's about ducking the bullets and firing back. It's about conviction and keeping the vision in focus. Leaders know that unless they have absolute conviction, they will not inspire others to follow.

Most importantly, true leaders know that leadership is not about achieving personal success (or wealth); it's about making their vision a reality...accomplishing the goals of the cause to which they have made themselves vulnerable.

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. - John Quincy Adams

Do you have a vision...a cause greater than yourself to which you are firmly committed? Are you willing to plant your feet and defend your position, regardless of its popularity? Do you inspire (rather than require) people to help you accomplish your goals? If so, you may be a leader.

The Sandler Rules Becomes A Triple Threat

noreply@blogger.com (Effective Sales Development) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:23:40 PDT

Hits 3 Bestseller Lists: BusinessWeek, Wall Street Journal and Amazon

If you think everyone is reading The Sandler Rules: 49 Timeless Selling Principles and How to Apply Them, you might be right! On today's newsstands is another accolade, this time from Business Week, where the ultimate "how to" guidebook for inside and outside sales people hits #3 on the non-fiction bestseller list. Not bad when you think about the approximately 8,800 books published within the last year.

"What I like most about The Sandler Rules is you can read one chapter in less than ten minutes, learn the lesson, then pick up the phone or go to your meeting and get the deal - or move the relationship in exactly the right direction," says associate publisher Zeb Wallace. "If you were going to read only one sales book in your career, this is the one."

Power Through Reinforcement

The book is a superb introduction to Sandler Training's philosophy, because it reveals proprietary principles previously disclosed only to the company's private clients. It is also a sales bible for tens of thousands of Sandler Training clients and alumni, who know the value of the company's motto: "power through reinforcement."

One Chapter a Day

Many clients have scheduled reading one chapter each morning before starting work as a way to ingrain the right behaviors before they speak to their first prospects or customers. Visit SandlerRules.com to read a sample chapter."At that rate, the book takes you just past Independence Day this year, which may be a metaphor for what the book can do for sales people and their companies," says author and Sandler Training CEO David Mattson.

Where You Can Find The Sandler Rules

The Sandler Rules is available on Amazon.com and at other fine booksellers. Ask your local Sandler Training representative about special book bonuses. For more information about the book, visit SandlerRules.com.

"The Sandler Rules" Yours For Free!!

noreply@blogger.com (Effective Sales Development) — Wed, 06 May 2009 15:26:59 PDT

49 Timeless Selling Principles and How to Apply Them

What if you found the secrets used by the world's most successful sales people? David H. Sandler did, when he studied the most productive sales stars in virtually every industry and compared their behaviors, thoughts and feelings to those who struggled in exactly the same companies.

Mr. Sandler was more than a great sales representative himself he was a genius when it came to psychology and a great communicator. In this long awaited book filled with Mr. Sandler's wisdom and humor, author and Sandler Training CEO David Mattson illuminates the original rules, with fresh new examples and techniques you can use immediately.

Get your free copy of Amazon.com's best selling book, simply by registering below.

Register here for your free book.

Sandler Golfers to Compete in THE PLAYERS Championship

noreply@blogger.com (Effective Sales Development) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:25:59 PDT

Expect much action and excitement this weekend as Sandler Training sponsored golfers John Rollins and Woody Austin compete in THE PLAYERS Championship, held in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

Known to some commentators as the "Fifth Major," this tournament is considered nearly as important as The Masters, U.S. Open, British Open or PGA Championship. THE PLAYERS Championship also carries the biggest purse of any PGA event - $9.5 million, with the winner taking home almost $2 million - attracting the world's best golfers to the challenging TPC Sawgrass course with its famous "island - green" 17th hole.

Cheer on Rollins and Austin by tuning in to GOLF on 5/7 and 5/8 from 1 to 7 pm, and to NBC on 5/9 and 5/10 from 2 to 7 pm.

THE PLAYERS Championship TV Times
Thu, 5/7 - Golf Channel - 1p - 7p ET
Fri, 5/8 - Golf Channel - 1p - 7p ET
Thu, 5/9 - NBC - 2p - 7p ET
Fri, 5/10 - NBC - 2p - 7p ET

Are your Sales Crumbling in Today’s Tough Economy?

noreply@blogger.com (Effective Sales Development) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 08:27:48 PDT

As news of the battered economy proliferates the media and consumer confidence stagnates at historic lows, nowhere does the impact hit closer to home than your own sales production and ultimately your income. Understand the Psychology Behind the Sale in Today’s Tough Economy and recession proof your business now!

Attend Our Complimentary 2-Hour Executive Workshop
Thursday May 7- 9:30-11:30
Register Now!! Click Here
Seating is limited to only 20 attendees.

Psychology Behind the Sale in Today’s Tough Economy will enable you to understand the following problems (and others) and arm you with proven solutions to the following problems:

When people reduce your solution to price, what do you do?
Are even your best customers now shopping your price?
Are you winning competitive business without competing on price?
Do you spend significant time following up with people that never buy?
Do you do a lot more proposals than closes?

You will be able to understand:

Why have a sales system?
The prospect’s system and what it does to prevent real dialog.
The Sandler Selling System and how it is designed to help you become a Trusted Advisor, communicating in a manner beneficial to both parties.

Are You a Non-Selling Professional?

noreply@blogger.com (Effective Sales Development) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 06:46:13 PDT

Are you an Attorney, CPA, Engineer, Architect or other professional whose job requires that you “sell” yourself, your ideas, your firm and services to your clients? Are you in a larger firm and responsible for developing a personal client base? Are you required to generate a minimum level of billable hours? Are you a sole practitioner, partner or associate in a boutique firm and responsible for helping the firm develop a larger client base?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are a Non-Selling Professional!

However, you've spent many years and tons of money obtaining an education. You have been successful in developing diagnostic, analytical and creative skills to practice a profession.

You do not consider yourself a sales person. Most likely you cringe at the word “Sell”! It really doesn't matter what you call it—Client Development, Practice-building, Marketing—every professional sells to some degree. But not everyone is skilled or comfortable selling!

I would like to introduce you to Sandler's Professional Advantage, a program specifically designed to develop the unique “selling skills” required of professional service providers. Professional Advantage helps you develop a sales awareness without the stereotypical salesperson image.

Now ask yourself this? Would you like to:

Learn how to sell yourself and your ideas.
Learn how to differentiate yourself from thousands of other professionals in your field
Learn how to permit the potential client to say yes and gain a commitment
Learn how to ask for referrals and obtain them
Learn how the “buyers system” works and how to navigate around it
Learn how to avoid unpaid consulting
Learn how to handle the pressure of client development

We will provide a comprehensive overview of our consultative approach to client development and help you understand why “selling” is and should be a part of your profession! To register for this event, or for a private consultation, please email info@effectivesales.net or call 816-505-2500

Austin Takes T11 Finish in Verizon Heritage!

noreply@blogger.com (Effective Sales Development) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:58:46 PDT

Last weekend, Sandler Training sponsored golfer Woody Austin earned an impressive T11 finish—his best finish so far in 2009—in the Verizon Heritage on South Carolina's Hilton Head Island. Over the four–day tournament period, Austin's game remained steady, leading him to a final score of 70–73–66–69, or six under par. Austin is currently ranked 51st in the All–Around ranking of the PGA TOUR.

This coming week, both Austin and John Rollins will play in the Zurich Classic in Avondale, Louisiana. Tune in to GOLF on 4/23 and 4/24 from 3 to 6 pm, and on 4/25 and 4/26 from 1 to 2:30 pm. You can also watch Omar Uresti compete in the South Georgia Classic, a Nationwide Tour event to be held in Valdosta, Georgia. Coverage will air on GOLF on 4/23 and 4/24 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, on 4/25 from 6:30 to 9:30, and on 4/26 from 7 to 9:30 pm. All times listed are ET.

Zurich Classic TV TimesThu, 4/23 — Golf Channel — 3p - 6p ETFri, 4/24 — Golf Channel — 3p - 6p ETThu, 4/25 — Golf Channel — 1p - 2:30p ETFri, 4/26 — Golf Channel — 1p - 2:30p ET

South Georgia Classic TV TimesThu, 4/23 — Golf Channel — 6:30p - 8:30p ETFri, 4/24 — Golf Channel — 6:30p - 8:30p ETThu, 4/25 — Golf Channel — 6:30p - 9:30p ETFri, 4/26 — Golf Channel — 7p - 9:30p ET

Businesses Turn to Leadership and Sales Training to Face Challenges after Layoffs

noreply@blogger.com (Effective Sales Development) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 11:39:40 PDT

New Sandler Training Book Sells Out During Pre-Release on Amazon.com

Leadership-Sandler-Training.pdf

Sell More, Sell More Easily - Special Price

noreply@blogger.com (Effective Sales Development) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 08:38:38 PDT

Know what to do and how to do it.

You try the traditional way of selling. You pass out business cards, overcome objections, and fight for an order. You use the latest closes. You write many more proposals than business closed. Is there a better way?

What if you:

Understand what it truly means to be successful in sales?
Understand the Systematic Selling Process?
Differentiate between prospects and suspects?
Can tell each time why and how a sale was won or lost?
Learn how to take control of the selling process?
Learn to improve your closing skills?
Tailor a presentation to the real needs of your prospects?

Sell More, Sell More Easily. This is more than just a slogan; it’s a real way to improve your sales and actually have fun doing it. This intensive two day course is designed to help you “hit the ground running”. If you are serious about sales then make the investment in your future and your career.

Special price of $1595.00.
(Complimentary for President's Club Members)
No other workshops offer so much!

Understand what it means to be truly successful in sales
Understand the basics of the Systematic Selling Process
Quickly differentiate between prospects and suspects
Know each time why and how a sale was won or lost
Take control of the selling process
Dramatically improve closing skills
Learn how to tailor a presentation to the real needs of your prospects

Join ESD At These Upcoming Events!

noreply@blogger.com (Effective Sales Development) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 18:16:25 PDT

Business After Hours, Wednesday, April 22, 5:00-7:00 p.m. PTK Communications, 111 Oak Street, Bonner Springs- The KCK Chamber invites you to join us and enjoy food, fun, and great networking opportunities. This event is free and open to the public. For more information call 913-371-3070.

First Friday Focus, Friday, May 1, 11:45 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Side Pockets Bonner Springs, 620 S. 130th- Join us for our monthly membership luncheon. Our program will be Chris Ozimek, director of marketing, for Schlitterbahn Vacation Village. Reservations are required by calling the chamber office at 913-371-3070, or e-mail patrick@kckchamber.com (if you do not get a confirmation for your e-mail reservation please call our office to confirm), or register on line at www.kckchamber.com by clicking on calendar of events. Cost is $20 for members and $30 for non-members. No-shows will be billed.

Selling to VITO

noreply@blogger.com (Effective Sales Development) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:48:04 PDT

By Rick Doolittle

If your business success requires that you have a rigorous prospecting program, the cornerstone of your prospecting plan should be the Top Down method. We call this Selling to VITO, the Very Important Top Officer.

Company decisions including veto power are made at the highest levels. VITO's control every decision made in the enterprise so there is no reason to start at the Bottom and try to work your way back UP to the top. It's time consuming and frustrating moving up from floor to floor, so why not go to the Very Important Top Officer (VITO) at the outset. The worst that can happen is that you work your way Down to the right person!

VITO's are busy people with short attention spans. After reading this book you will understand the value of securing five minutes with VITO which is typically all the time you need to make a case for your product or service. Then you are on your way to a highly qualified selling opportunity!

Five Minutes with VITO, is co-written by David Mattson, CEO of Sandler Training and Anthony Parinello, Founder of Selling to VITO. David and Anthony have combined the best of both worlds utilizing the proven techniques of the Sandler Selling System and Selling to VITO in one concise, powerful selling resource.

If you are truly interested in learning how to master this method we encourage you to begin by reading Five Minutes with VITO. Simply click on the registration below, provide us with a little information about yourself and we'll send you a complimentary copy of this book within 3-5 business days. That's it, with our compliments! Register for free book.

The Buyer's System: It's okay to lie!

noreply@blogger.com (Effective Sales Development) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 07:05:52 PDT

Are you frustrated with clients and prospects that constantly put you off with excuses or worse, make commitments and then back out!? Do you find yourself banging your head against the wall wondering if you are the only honest person left in the world?

In reality, most people are very honest in how they conduct their everyday lives, but have you ever considered when it comes to purchasing products and services the Buyer's System says it's okay to lie to salespeople?!It's true. When people become Buyer's their moral compass goes haywire and they have no problem telling lies to salespeople.

I know this from my own personal experiences as a Buyer. Like many (or most) of you, I have gone into stores with the expressed purpose of purchasing a specific item, but when approached by a salesperson what was my automatic reaction? You're right,just looking, thanks. Now, when I tell this little lie do I still consider myself an honest person with moral fortitude, of course.

That's because the Buyer's System conditions us to believe that lies to salespeople don't really count! And it's no wonder that people naturally feel this way given how many of us feel about sales people.

One of the exercises we do for our professional sales development clients is to ask them to define the word salesperson.

Here are some prime examples:

Sleazy
Tricky
Slick
Money grubbing
Dishonest
Shifty

Now, I don't know about you but as a professional sales person it gives me pause when I take a hard look at the perception that people can have about salespeople. It's not pretty.

And unfortunately the world is full of these types of unprofessional salespeople (whom we call Herb the Sales Guy) and the problem is they are calling on your customers every day. So it's no wonder the Buyer becomes conditioned to believe it's okay to lie to salespeople!

But for truly professional salespeople there are solutions to circumvent the Buyers System that we have been practicing and teaching at the Sandler Sales Institute for more than 40 years. Our proven program of consultative selling is designed to create a level playing field between Buyer & Seller that creates an opportunity for the professional sales person to be a client's Trusted Advisor rather than merely a Vendor, or worse a Peddler!

If you would like to learn more about how the Sandler System can work for you and help you increase your sales production and professional growth, please feel free to email us at info@effectivesales.net, or call 816-505-2500 for a complimentary no obligation consultation.

The Sandler Rules book made it to the Wall Street Journal Bestseller list!

noreply@blogger.com (Effective Sales Development) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:59:29 PDT

Don’t miss our latest book, Wall Street Journal Bestseller and #1 Amazon Sales Book, “The Sandler Rules: 49 Timeless Selling Principles and How to Apply Them.” Read a sample chapter now at http://www.sandlerrules.com, or purchase at amazon.com.