Linda Musgrove, the Tade Show Teacher, shares her tips in “The Power of Public Speaking“. There is even a homework assignment!

The second article “Speaking to be Heard” by Stacey Hanke looks at influencing others with impact during a sales presentation.

Jim Meisenheimer provide great advice in his article “How To Give Great Speeches To Groups Of Any Size“.

An often overlooked element of presentations is the topic of Tom Freese‘s article “Making Audiences More Receptive to Your Message“.

Sales Guru Nido Qubein is our Featured Article author this week with his popular piece “Voice Tips For Effective Speaking“.

Enjoy

Jim Domanski is the lead article with “How to Beat the Budget Objection“. As he puts it – the ‘budget’ is one of the most ambiguous – and consequently, most frustrating- objections in the world of telephone sales.

Kelley Robertson presents “Overcoming the Dreaded Price Objection“.

“Stop Answering Objections!” says Mike Brooks. He suggests always qualify objections before you answer them.

Sharon Drew Morgen takes us to school with “Objections: What are they, and why do we get them?” Her sage advice – teach your buyers how to buy. Then, and only then, will there be a place for you to sell into, without any objections.

Our featured article has been viewed over 12,000 times on Salesopedia. Written by sales expert Keith Rosen, “Stop Creating The Objections that Kill Your Sales!” is a great read. As Keith puts it, there is no need to inflict ourselves further with self-imposed detours, challenges and barriers to selling that prevent peak productivity.

Enjoy

Etiquette expert Lydia Ramsey kicks things off with “Business Etiquette Resolutions” where she shares ten resolutions to help you succeed in your business.

“The Importance of Empathy in Professional Selling” is discussed by Jonathan Farrington. Learn the difference between human relations and human nature.

Robyn Davis shares her thoughts on “Telling the Hard Truth (Internally)“. So when you discover your client isn’t a good fit, you may wish to read this article before taking action.

Tessa Stowe tells you the one thing that will guarantee how you can lose a client and you’ll never get them back. You want to invest two minutes to read this one! “What One Thing Can Lose Clients Fast?”

Finally our left column featured article covers a topic we use pretty much every day but are we doing it right? “The Fine Art of the Handshake” by Michael Dalton Johnson will give you some pointers.

Enjoy!

Stu Schlackman starts things off with “Tips For Selling to Your Prospect’s Brain“. He identifies three areas that will lead to superior sales results.

“Think a Lot” may sound like Spamalot (for any of you Monte Python fans), but it is a great article by Dave Kahle that provides some specific and tangible was to get smarter about selling.

Colleen Stanley shares insights into addressing the gray matter in “Selling to the Old Brain – Three Ways to Increase Sales Results“.

In “How To Use Your Right Brain When You Cold Call” Ari Galper explains the advantages of using half your brain for success. Forget what the left side or the right side does? Don’t worry Ari tells you, but here is a tease – our “right brain” is organic and intuitive.

Our featured left column article this week is “The Power of Thinking Big” by Bernadette Doyle. If you don’t know what a BHAG is you will after reading this article and you want to know what a BHAG is!

Enjoy!

C.J. Hayden kicks things off with her article, appropriately titled “Where Do I Find new Clients?” C.J. provides a 3-step guide for how to begin the process.

Bernadette Doyle looks at the idea of winning new business by providing free services in “Do Free Consultations Work?“.

If you want to grow your professional services business John Doerr suggests you need to begin cultivating relationships with strangers. Learn more of his ideas in “Four Not So Little Things You Can Do To Increase Your Sales Success”

Joanne Black wrote this article sometime back but it remains pertinent today, “How to Get More Referrals, More Prospects & More NEW Clients During a Recession“.

The featured article this week is by Jeff Thull “How to Prevent ‘Unpaid Consulting’“.

Enjoy!

Colleen Francis starts things off with “Top Five Ways of Becoming a Better Sales Coach“.

Mike Brooks then takes a look at the never ending question of “How to Handle Underperforming Sales Reps“.

A new author to Salesopedia, Steve Young contributes “Sales Growth: The Bottom Line“.

Jonathan Farrington asks a great questions every sales leader should ask them self “Are You A Sales Leader Or Merely A Sales Manager?“.

Our left column Featured Article this week is “Sales Management During Turbulent Times” which regrettably remains a popular read by Rick Johnson.

The first article is by Waldo Waldman who would know better than most “How to Become a Winning Sales ACE“.

Jeremy Ulmer follows up with the “Top 15 Ways to Stay Motivated in Sales“. There are some real gems on the list, a few that we suspect will resonate with you.

Rochelle Togo-Figa suggests ways you can create success with her “5 Steps to Believing You Can“.

In this article, Jim Meisenheimer starts off by suggesting self-motivation is an inside job. Take a read of “How To Get Really Motivated To Start Selling More“.

Our left column featured article “Fueling the Engine of Sales Success” by David McNally. This has been a popular article with out readers enjoying over 6,000 reads.

Enjoy.

The first article by Kendra Lee “When Sales Training Isn’t Working” looks at some of the reasons sales training doesn’t work and ways to ensure the training investment sticks.

The second article this week “Sales REP Or Sales PRO?” is by a new author on Salesopedia, Steve Young. Steve breaks down the components necessary for successful sales force development.

Bob Urichuck asks “Who cannot afford Sales Training these days?” As Bob puts it “There is no faster, easier, and less costly way to increase revenue than through buyer focused sales training.”

With 30-year sales experience, Dave Kahle wades in with his thoughts in “The Stealth Cause of Lackluster Sales“. One of the lines that jumped out at us was his observation ”
With the majority of sales people, the first step to better performance is to educate them on the best practices of their professions, so that they know what it means to be an effective sales person.”

Our left column Featured Article this week is by Ted Gulas. We think you’ll find his article “Why Does Sales Development Work Better than Sales Training” a good read.

Enjoy.

Dr. Donald Wetmore writes about the virtues of “A Clean Desk.” This short and informative article will be helpfufl for any who struggle with maintaining a tidy work environment. One line jumps out, “some studies suggest that as much as 15% of your workweek can be consumed with a messy desk either by being distracted by things that are in sight or by having to look for things.” Wow.

Josiane Feigon carries on with this theme in her piece “Desktop Distractions; Four Ways to Control the Chaos“.

This one is for anyone in sales. In “Sales Coaching Tips To Minimize Distractions & Increase Sales Results“, Jeremy Ulmer provides some specific suggestions you begin implementing – right now!

Our left column featured article this week is penned by legend Nido Qubein. It is titled simply “Effective Time Management” and has been a popular read on Salesopedia. We love his concept of focusing on billable minute.

Enjoy.

The opening article “7 Cold Call Opening Statements From Hell” by Jim Domanski looks at common opening statements that are sure to send you in the wrong direction. As he puts it, “If you don’t nail the opener and get the prospect’s attention, you needn’t worry about the rest of the call. In short, you can’t afford to make a mistake.”

Dave Kahle contibutes “Nurturing Prospect Opportunities” You have made a call or two on a prospect, qualified them, and rate them as high potential. The problem is they don’t have an opportunity at the moment. Lots of potential, but it’s all down the road a bit. Your challenge is to maintain contact so that when they do have an opportunity, you have a chance at it. Sound familiar?

More on “What NOT to Say in Your Opening Value Statement” from Michael Pedone. He provides a common example of an opening value statement that often leads to failure, and what you can said to avoid it.

Kendra Lee contributes the fourth article “How to Avoid Becoming a Digital Prospecting Lemming” She says this strategy absolutely works, a personal letter causes you to stand out in a crowd of digital lemmings – especially in an over-competitive, reluctant marketplace.

Our featured left panel article this week is a popular one on Salesopedia. It comes again from one of our experts on this topic, Kenda Lee. Don’t miss her “The Prospecting Dilemma“.

Enjoy!

Jim Domanski is President of Teleconcepts Consulting and works with B to B companies and individuals who struggle to use the telephone more effectively to sell and market their products.

Two authors are featured, the first is inside sales guru Jim Domanski. He starts off with “The 2010 B2B Tele-Sales Trend Report” that updates on what is happening in the world of telephone selling and marketing.

Don’t miss Domanski’s podcast on this topic.

Jim’s second article “5 Steps to Achieving the Tele-Prospecting Zone” explores the mystical and magical place called “the zone”.

Acclaimed inside sales expert Josiane Feigon contribtes sound advice in her article “Rebuild Your Inside Sales Team with R-E-S-P-C-T!”

We are back to Jim Domanski with “21 Actions You Can Take Today to Improve Your Tele-Sales Results“.

Our left column Featured Article of the week is a an appropriate and topical one again by Josiane Feigon “The New and Frugal Sales Organization“.

Enjoy.

The fist article is by Stu Schlackman “Relationships Trump Everything in Sales“. He gives some pointers on attitude and values.

Nicki Weiss takes a different perspective with her article “Selling is Not About Relationships“.

Colleen Stanley asks “Are You A Good Customer?” She suggests you look at your relationship from the vendor or customers side of the table and offers up seven ways you can improve your score as a customer.

The four article “Protect Your Customer Base: 3 Strategies for Retaining Your Most Profitable Accounts” by Michael Leimbach.

Our featured left column article is one that has proven a favorite with readers. It is by Harlan Goerger “Relationship Selling, So What Is A Relationship“.

Enjoy!

Stu Schlackman starts us off this week with his article “3 Facts about the Psychology of Selling“. He breaks it down to three easy to understand points.

Mike Brooks, always the practicalist, share his thoughts on “Five Ways to Get a Commitment on the First Call“.

Our third home-page article, “Digging Deeper for a Lasting Connection: The Client Engagement Process for Large Accounts” by Colleen Francis focuses on results. Read how understanding your client while considering your emotional intelligence can make a big difference to your success.

Dave Kahle finishes off the top four with his interesting analysis of “Competitive Bid Situation“.

The left column “Feature Article” of the week is by Tim Rohrer is “Call Back to Add Value“. As Tim puts it “Call back to add value to the sales process and you will be able to move the process along much more smoothly than if you were calling simply to follow up!”

Enjoy.

The first article “Do You Really Believe That?” by Colleen Stanley challenges some old beliefs that may not be standing the test of time.

Mike Brooks examines “5 Mental Attitudes of Winners“. Mike says you need to work your mental attitude before anything else.

“Self Awareness and Selling” is a great article from Stu Schlackman.

Ted Gulas dives into Emotional Intelligence in his article “Emotional Intelligence: a Key Ingredient to Mastering Sales Competencies“. With 40 years experience one might be wise to take in some of Ted’s wisdom.

Our left column featured article this week comes from Dave Kahle entitled “I Must Believe in a Product in Order to Sell it“. The mind is a powerful tool if you get it working with you not against you!

Enjoy.

The lead article, “The Worst Question a Salesman Can Ask” by Mitchell Osak is self-explanatory. Mitchell goes on to suggest a strategy that will get you a lot further.

Tony Cole advocates “For More Sales Success,Ask the Right Questions“. He shares three great questions you can put in your repetoire.

“The 12 Deadly Sins of Sales Questioning – Are you Guilty?” Well are you? Find out in Jim Domanski‘s article.

Michel Neray writes “The Selling Power of The Provocative Question” We like his line “What question can I ask, such that the response allows you to say, ‘well, that’s exactly what I do’.”

The left column featured article of the week is by Kelley Robertson “Qualifying – The Critical Skill“.

Are you aware Google tracks and monitors your searches? That’s right. When you do a Google search, your results will be different from the next person who searches the same term on their computer. Try it.

You will also be exposed to targeted advertising based on your search history. This works for some people, but certainly doesn’t sit well with others.

If you are bothered by this, there is an alternative search engine that respects your privacy.

DuckDuckGo is an upstart search engine that promises privacy. Their privacy policy bluntly states, “DuckDuckGo does not collect or share personal information. That is our privacy policy in a nutshell.”

DuckDuckGo (DDG) has been around for a couple of years and is starting to hit the radar of more and more Internet users. You might be interested to read their commentary on how other search engines work and draw your own conclusions as to which one is best for you.

We also like how DDG provides clarification on what you wish to search. Try typing in “milk” and you are presented with three options, the drink, the person and the movie. The presentation of search results is clean and void of numerous advertiser. The site icons next to the search result link is a nice touch helping you recognize sites that you trust, such as Wikipedia.

At the very least you owe it to yourself to check DuckDuckGo out.

Without attracting too much publicity, LinkedIn has updated their privacy conditions. Without any action from your side, LinkedIn is now permitted to use you name and picture in any of their advertisements.

Some simple actions to be considered:

1. Place the cursor on your name at the top right corner of the screen. From the small
pull down menu that appears, select “settings”
2. Then click “Account” on the left/bottom
3. In the column next to Account, select the option “Manage Social Advertising”
4. Finally un-tick the box “LinkedIn may use my name and photo in social advertising”
5. and Save

The articles this week on Salesopedia focus on some hints and tips to consider if you are fighting for e-space.

The first article by Ivan Misner reveals some interesting statistics of a recent study. Make sure you check out “Online Networks Still Lagging Behind Other Networking Efforts“.

In his article “Personal Branding Online” marketing expert Jeremy Miller share some thoughts on how you can use content to generate more business.

“Creating A Successful Online Sales Strategy” by Jerry Bader will be of interest to commissioned sales reps who have personal websites.

John Morey provides some great advice in “What are People Saying About YOU Online?”

Our Featured Article in the left column this week is a popular article written again by Jeremy Miller “Your Brand Starts Online“.

See you online!

We visit a lot of websites, many of which are contributing authors to Salesopedia. We see some very strong well designed and easy to navigate sites and some, well perhaps they could use a refresh.

A number of websites use a video clip to introduce the visitor to the site, state the value proposition and build credibility using “face time” with the presenter and site visitor.

One example stands out for what we think is a great commercial. Slide over to SalesWise.com. There on the bottom of the home page you will find Nicki Weiss delivering a strong value proposition in less than two minutes. Short is sweet, anything longer than two minutes struggles to maintain viewer interest. Nicki’s professionalism is evident, she lets her personality shine through and she caps it with a nice dash of humour at the end. We also like the fact you have to click on it to start it, leaving you in control as opposed to looking for the mute button for some of the videos that start automatically and hold you hostage … or force you to bail. One thing we don’t like is the video is ‘below the fold’ or below the visible portion of the webpage when you come on to the website (unless you are on a very large monitor).

We have no idea how much Nicki paid to put this together – we don’t expect it was a lot. Our apologies Nicki if you wrote a big cheque for the production costs. To pull a video commercial like this together is more affordable than ever before.

Nice job Nicki!

Based on an article by Lewis R. Timberlake, Jim Domaski looks at “10 Ways How NOT to Quit“. Interesting numbers, interesting thoughts.

One of the most read articles on Salesopedia is this one by Susie Cortright, “10 Tips to Effective & Active Listening Skills“. If you haven’t read this one yet, you should, you’ll understand why it is so popular!

The featured article in the left column this week is by Kelley Robertson entitled “10 Secrets to Creating a Sales Proposal That Doesn’t Suck“.

Enjoy!

Each week Nancy Nardin researches and sources new (and some existing) marketing and sales tools to help sales professionals sell more, sell faster, and sell easier.

Nancy is a 25-year sale veteran who blazed an impressive trail in high-tech and IT market research sales. Nancy has set out to help organizations of all sizes find the best tools. Her newsletter and site of the same name, Smart Selling Tools contain buying guides, whitepapers, checklists, cheat sheets and much more to keep you informed.

One doesn’t grow to over 30,000 subscribers if one doesn’t consistently provide value. If you’re not yet on the mailing list, click here to subscribe!

Check it out. Be smart!

Colleen Stanley starts off this week’s home page with “Sales 2012: What Will You Choose?“.

Jill Harrington asks “Do You Sell to Human Beings?” You might think the answer is obvious, if you think you know the answer you might want to read this article.

“The 7 Little Lies Prospects Tell Telephone Sales Reps” is a fun article written by Jim Domanski. If you are in inside sales check it out!

Mike Brooks is one of one of the most “practical” authors contributing to Salesopedia. here he shares some questioning techniques in “Two Questions to Close a Sale“.

Our left column Feature Article of the week is by Patricia Fripp. She shares “Decide What Deserves Your Energy” which is a good read for those still working on their goals for 2012.

Enjoy.

We thought we’d run with a bright picture to catch your attention as we head into 2012. Let’s hope it is a brighter year for you with lots to celebrate.

Stu Schlackman kicks thing off with “3 Sales Tips for a Successful 2012“. As he suggests – make 2012 be your best year ever.

Jeremy Miller gets us thinking with his article “Follow Your Heroes“. He asks us to go deeper than the usual New Years resolution.

Networking guru Ivan Misner has some practical advice in “Boost Your Business Referrals with a Strong Power Team“.

Here is a must read from Jim Domanski, “The 10 Reasons Why You Don’t Sell as Much as You Could (or Should) and What To Do About It“. After reading this article you might just re-think how you tackle the new year.

It wouldn’t be the new year without establishing goals. Jim Klein wades in with his popular article “Two Keys to Achieving Your Goals“.

Bring it on!

We tap in to our experts to get some thoughts for the year ahead.

Jonathan Farrington starts this weeks articles with “Winning Is All About Influencing“.

Seasoned sales recruiter Marcus Miller suggests great sales people CAN be great sales managers in “Promote Your Best“.

Dave Kahle draws on his 20 plus years experience educating sales people in his article “The Hidden Path to Sales Success“.

If you know Billy Cox, you’ll know he is an avid sports fan, especially football. We think you’ll enjoy his article “Your Greatest Challenge“.

Our Featured Article in the left column this week showcases Tony Cole’s article “You are Tomorrow What You Plan for Today“.

Wishing you a great start to the year.

We also want to take this opportunity to wish you the best of the season and prosperity, good health and peace in 2012!

Trade show expert Barry Siskind starts us off with “Staying Relevant in a Changing World“. He asks – what is most relevant to my customers.

Robyn Davis suggests “4 Steps to Selecting Appropriate Events“.

Budget is always a critical consideration when exhibiting. In this article by Barry Siskind he shares some insights in “Your Exhibition Budget – Step One”

“Keep Your Display Simple; Really Simple” advises Barry Siskind. Barry asks what is the message and who is the message designed for?

The left column Featured Article of the week comes from Linda Musgrave “Tips and Tricks From the Trade Show Trenches“.

Enjoy!

Salesopedia is nominated in the “Top Sales & Marketing Resource” category and running a close second to our very worthy “competitors” over at Rain Today.

Rain Today is a great site with lots of talent who do an excellent job providing resources for growing professional services businesses.

Now we’re a tad bias. At Salesopedia we think we do a great job providing a free sales and marketing resource site for anyone in sales, be they a sales producer or a sales leader. For over five years we’ve delivered new content 51 times a year (we take Christmas week off).

If you like what we do, we ask for your support by casting a vote for us (you can vote every hour if you want). We have some heavy lifting to do to catch Rain Today but we think our readers are up for it.

Thank you for your support!

Clayton & Dave

(that’s right, no big company here just a couple of guys trying to make your job easier if you play in the sales arena)

Kendra Lee starts thing off with her article “Why Holidays Make a Great Occasion to Email Your Prospects“.

It wouldn’t be Christmas if we didn’t learn more about Santa. Ivan Misner shares some information on Santa and others in “Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and Six Degrees of Separation“.

Jeff Beals takes us where we might not be keen to go, but probably have to in “Lessons from a Shopping Mall“>

It is always better to give than receive, maybe that is what C.J. Hayden had in mind when she wrote “A Pocket Full of Business Cards“.

Lastly our left column featured article this week is one of our more popular articles on the site from Michael Hughes “The Seasons of Networking“. Yes Michael does include the season we are in right now!

Enjoy.

Salesopedia is 5 years young today. It is hard to believe we have been at this for five years already. Thanks to YOU, our readers we have become one of the most recognized sales resource sites on the Internet. We like to think it is because we provide great value to those in the sales profession. We had over 2,000 unique visitors to the site yesterday so we think we’re doing something right. We project we’ll enjoy 3.5 million page views this year with 275,000 unique visitors making 500,000 visits.

We boast over 200 contributing authors, over 2,000 sales related articles, many sales podcasts and the most extensive sales glossary (sales dictionary) on the Internet.

Your readership is truly appreciated. It is the reason we put up 51 new issues every year to keep you on top of your sales game.

Wishing you continued success!

Now make a wish and help us blow out the candles.

Clayton & Dave

The main article is by sales leadership expert Dave Kahle who pens “The Three Most Common Mistakes Sales Managers Make.” His point number two is one of our favorites.

Internationally recognized sales guru Keith Rosen shares his insights in “Why Salespeople Fail and What Managers Can Do About It.”

Colleen Stanley takes a basketball legend to illustrate her point in “Wooden You Like To Be Successful?”

“Can Your Managers Answer These 5 Critical Questions?” asks Michael Leimbach. Five short questions but not easy ones.

Finally our “left column” featured article this week comes from Rick Johnson titled “Sales Management During Turbulent Times“.

Enjoy!

Salesopedia needs your vote!

Please visit the Top Sales & Marketing Awards site, click on any category and it will take you to a registration page. After you have registered, scroll down to Sales & Marketing Resource Site and place your vote for us.

We’re up against some strong competition but hope you’ll agree we should stack up #1! (at least we think so!)

There are three medals up for grabs in fourteen categories. In addition, they will be inducting a further six “sales legends” into the “Hall of Fame” during the ceremony.

Do vote in other categories for your favorite authors, sales tools, sales book, etc.

This year’s online Annual Top Sales & Marketing Awards ceremony takes place on December 15th, and will again be hosted by Gerhard Gschwandtner of SellingPower.com and Jonathan Farrington of the JF Corporation. Check out their website for all the details.

P.S. Public voting will account for 50% of the total marks, the other 50% will be down to the judging panel in each category.

I can’t help but think the sales constituents that are voting will have a big influence on the judges so please cast your vote.

Thank you for your support!

Billy Cox can make you happy when you close the big one. He lets you in on what you should do in “Preparing Yourself for the Big Sale.”

Colleen Stanley is back with “Optimism is a Selling Skill. Is Your Sales Glass Half-empty or Half Full?”

Jim Meisenheimer adds his two cents about winning with his article “Your A.C.E. Up Your Sleeve.”

The left column Featured Article this week is by sales guru Brian Tracy where he shares “The Key to Happiness“.

Jim Domanski has the lead article, “How to Attract Sales Luck Like a Magnet” where he details 18 Traits of “Lucky” Sales Reps.

Kelley Robertson tells us the “14 Things Sales People Should Never Stop Doing“. He says if you consistently apply and execute these strategies you will definitely see an increase in your sales.

Mike Brooks shares “3 Rules for Successful Up Sells“. Mike says “The third rule is that timing is everything!” Check it out.

Here is an article “3 Principles for Building a Great Reputation” from a guy who knows of what he writes. Stu Schlackman shares some valuable tips.

Finally our left column Featured article is by Tony Cole titles “11 Sales Lessons for Life“. Interesting question, does life teach us about selling or does selling teach us about life?

Enjoy the reads.

November 11, 2011 – 11 am. A day, month and hour special to many as we commemorate the armistice signed to end World War I. The signing took effect at eleven o’clock in the morning—the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918. Depending on where you live you might call it Armistice Day, Veterans Day, or Remembrance Day. This day provides an opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices of so many who have served or are serving to protect our freedom. One only needs to read the paper or watch the evening news to see how fortunate we are to live in a democratic society with the right to express opinions without repercussion.

I have only one uncle still alive who served in WW II. He just celebrated his 90th birthday. Today my respect and appreciation goes out to Uncle Jack and all the other men and women who proudly call themselves veterans. We are indebted to you all.

We will never forget.

We go a little retro, back to the archives of September 2007 to pull out a podcast with Jeff Thull who is a leading strategist and expert on complex sales. Jeff’s podcast was entitled “Selling to Executives“ and is a great listen.

Ready to knock on the corner office?

Best known for wrapping up 60 Minutes with observations on mundane or insignificant topics, we were always entertained by his plain straight forward commentary.

Mr. Rooney began his career in the U.S. Army as a correspondent in 1942 writing for Stars and Stripes during World War II.

A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney began in 1978 and he entertained us ever since.

Andy Rooney worked up to three weeks before his death and had commented “I wish I could do this forever. I can’t though.” How lucky could we all be to enjoy our profession or calling so much we never wanted to stop doing it. How lucky to be doing it until we are 92!

If I look up and listen intently, I think I hear him on one of his 30 Underwood typewriters pounding out his next story …

Andy Rooney RIP

Colleen Stanley leads this weeks articles with Top 7 Reasons Managers Fail

The 7 Closing Habits of Highly Effective Tele-Sale Reps by Jim Domanski takes a title similar to another well known author to look at those working in the tele-sales enviornment.

Tessa Stowe contributes 7 Simple Tips For Building Trust, an element critical to success today.

7 Key Steps to Closing Every Sale by Rochelle Togo-Figa rounds out the home page selection this week.

Before you move on to anther site you might want to check out the left column ‘Featured Article” 7 Characteristics of a Thought Leader written by Andrea Meacham Rosal.

Jeff Beals takes the lead with “Big Marketing Power in a Little Word“. He starts by saying your English teacher isn’t going to like what he has to say.

New author to Salesopedia, but no stranger to article management, Eric Gruber contributes “Why Providing Content Should Be Your FIRST Priority – Not Starting Conversations.”

Danita Bye explains “How a Targeted Sales and Marketing Focus Can Help Manufactures Beat Forecasts“.

The picture for this article is on the edge. Jim Meisenheimer addresses “Personal Branding“. Check it out.

Lastly, our sidebar featured article this week is written by Colleen Stanley. “Sales and Marketing: Align, Define and Make Money” is an interesting read about one of the tough partnerships to build – sales and marketing.

Enjoy the read!

Kendra Lee gives some great tips on discovering what you sound like to your prospects in her article “Cold Calling Perfection: Are You Hearing This?”

We lean on tele-management guru Jim Domanski again with his article “4 Ways to Get “Hot” Clients Who’ve Gone “Cold” – To Return Your Call“. This piece speaks to the psychology of getting a return call.

Speaking of psychology, Stu Schlackman brings us his article “The Psychology of Prospecting“. He states to successfully prospect, you have to understand these three realities so that you have realistic expectations.

Enjoy

Retired aviator Waldo Waldman takes a page from his past wtih “Lose Sight, Lose Fight” I love his one piece of advice “Beware of Distractions Disguised as Opportunities.”

Bill Sayers asks “Where Does the Time Go?“. Gee Bill we don’t know, here it is October already! Bill does challenge us to look at what is most important to us.

Paul McCord contributes his thoughts to this week’s Get Going theme with “Where Is Your Sense of Urgency?” Some great insights from this article if you make your living in sales.

We close with the Feature Article of the week, “Do You have a Daily Sales Plan?“. Written by Cheryl Clausen, a seasoned sales leader and coach, she makes a good case for setting daily plans to paper.

Enjoy!

Mark Hunter challenges you to “Go Ahead and Fire Your Customer“.

Tom Ninness rounds out the featured articles this week with one titled “Are Your Clients Loyal or Just Satisfied?”

Enjoy the reads!

Jeff Mowatt wades in with his ideas on “How to Hire Customer Service Stars“.

Brian Jeffrey asks the question “Are Your Salespeople Guilty of this Sin” – read on to find out which sin he’s referring to!

Lastly recruiting guru and marketing expert Jeremy Miller says ‘not everyone is cut out to hire a star’ find out more in his article “A’s Hire A’s, B’s Hire C’s“.

Lastly the featured article from the archives is “Six Common Mistakes in the Sales Hiring Process” by Mark Smock. This article has been viewed 7698 times, click on it to find out why it is so popular.

The theme this week – tips for success.

Jill Harrington may raise a few eyebrows with her article “Want More Time? … Forget Time Management“.

With the 10th Anniversary of 9.11 just past, Mike Brooks article “The Gratitude List” is timely. Get your pen ready!

The king of cold calling or anything telephone prospecting related, Mr. Art Sobczak has tallied “29 Questioning Tips“. If you are in sales and use the phone (who doesn’t?) take a read.

Lastly our featured article is one that is concise and a popular one on the site. Tony Cole’s “5 Smart Decisions to Selling Success” is only a click away.

Make it a great week!

Jim Domanski is President of Teleconcepts Consulting and works with B to B companies and individuals who struggle to use the telephone more effectively to sell and market their products.

Jim Domanski kicks things off with “What Every Telephone Rep Needs To Know About Making a Followup Call”

Mark Hunter has some advice in his article “What did you learn from the last sale you lost?”

Carson Heady gets to the bottom of things with his article “Laying the Foundation for the Successful Sale.”

Lastly Richard Schroder picks up on Mark’s theme with his article “Win Loss Analysis: A Strategic Imperative.”

Enjoy!

I have to thank my brother-in-law Carl and his wife Jane for dragging me out July 17, 2004 for a run. Being avid runners the two of them convinced me to join them so away we went. I bagged out 10 minutes later, huffing and puffing, I took a short-cut home. I thought to myself, this is sad, I used to run cross-country in high school I should be able to do this. In fact I wanted to do it. At the time I was travelling a lot and had packed on a bunch of extra pounds. I went out and bought new running shoes, shorts and a running cap. I was set.

My wife asked me why I needed another pair of running shoes? I explained … these were real running shoes, designed to run in. Since that time I’ve gone through 14 pairs of “running” shoes and logged 7128 Kilometers (4429 miles). While I’ve been bothered of late by ‘runners knee’ I still get out at least twice a week for a 5 km run. I must admit when my dog died in December it took some of my running spunk away as I used to do a run and come home and get him for another 3 or 4 km.

Today’s run was a hot one, the humidity was high as was the temperature. I’m sure I sweated off two or three pounds but it was good. Running is always good. It gives me time to think, to digest problems, or do nothing at all. For those who run, they get it.

Summer has inspired this week’s articles on Salesopedia. Mike Brooks starts us off with “Summer Sales Slow? Five Things to do NOW!”. Even if your sales aren’t slow take a read.

The next article by Stu Schlackman “Overcoming the Sales Rut” will be of interest to many. How many have been in “the rut”?!

Jeremy Ulmer gets us thinking with his interesting article “Why You Should Laugh your Way to Better Sales Results”.

In the summer everyone wants to make best use of the longer days and nicer weather. Nancy Bleeke helps with some ideas in her article “Expanding Your Precious Time”.

The feature article is a short one but captures the essence of this season “Have Fun” by Stan Billue.

Game on!

Jeff Mowatt kicks things off with “The Future of Customer Service” where he examines three trends that will change the way you serve customers.

In Mike Mack’s “Don’t Keep Score” he looks at reciprocity and how it can work for you in both your personal and business life.

“Beware the Commonality” is an interesting article by Tim Rohrer that suggests engaging prospects can’t be done with a script.

Pulling up the forth of the home page articles this week is Michael Leimbach with “Sales Versatility: Connecting with Customers Every Time“.

In the left column is our Featured Article where we look back at previously published articles to find articles that had strong appeal from our readers, such is the case with “The 800 lb. Gorilla – A sales Friend or Foe?” by Diana Habich.

Enjoy

The title for Salesopedia content this week is Independence. Starting with an article by Bill Sawyers “Why are you in Sales?“. I can’t think of a profession that allows the opportunity for independence with unlimited opportunity.

Kelley Robertson follows up with “The Power of Self-Development“. His last line is a good one, “Make small changes but make them consistently and you will notice a great results.”

“8 Tips for Increasing Your Email Prospecting Response Rate” from Kendra Lee will help you on your path to independence. Lean more about the ‘glimpse factor’.

Many of the readers who enjoy the independence of working from home may enjoy Daniel Sitter’s article “Successfully Working From a Home Office.”

Lastly our featured article in the left side bar “Become a Performer” by Stan Billue shares some tips on improving your communications skills … again to become more independent.

Enjoy!