Selling Power Blog

The Right Use of Logic and Emotion in Sales

2012-05-08T10:44:25-04:00

Selling is a transfer of energy that comes from two sources: logic and emotions. Guess what has more influence over a buyer's actions? To explore this further, let's review some of the logical elements that can influence the outcome of a sales call: Product knowledge Customer knowledge Social information Sales process Diagnostic questions Sales-ready messages or call script Persuasive proposals Persuasive presentations Call timing Most sales training prepares salespeople to tap into the right information, ask customers the right questions, diagnose the right problems, create the right solution, prepare the right proposal, and close the sale at the right time....

Social Proximity

2012-05-02T15:01:45-04:00

Today's blog post is by Al Campa, CEO of Reachable. He is responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of the company. With all the changes in business, one thing remains the same: business is about people. Despite globalization, technology revolutions, social networks, and razor-thin competitive margins, business is still about people working with people. People who can’t connect effectively with others rarely do well in business. Consider sales, for instance. We buy things from people we have positive relationship with, people we like and trust. And if those relationships stay positive, we keep buying from them over many years....

The Art of Exceptional Conversations

2012-05-01T15:52:18-04:00

Robert King is a conversation coach, keynote speaker, and author of Are You An Exceptional Salesperson? (Exceptional Publishing, 2006). If you would like to learn how to turn your important presentations into seamless conversations, visit www.BetterPresentationsBlog.com. You've heard people say, "Ditch the pitch." What is your reaction to that statement? Do you consider it blasphemous or treasonous? Does it insult your sales sensibilities? Is it possible that presentations have become passé? So that we're all speaking the same sales language, let's clearly define our terms: a "pitch" or "presentation" is when you, the salesperson or company representative, stand in front...

Selling: Art or Science?

2012-04-30T21:04:41-04:00

Holden has also developed a Four Stage Model that addresses key factors (intent, focus, relationship, value and knowledge) within a context that describes the customer and competitive environments.

Five Things Marketers Can Learn from the Meaning of Stories

2012-04-26T12:11:10-04:00

Today's blog post is by Jim Signorelli, founder and CEO of ESW Partners, a Chicago-based marketing firm, and author of the new book StoryBranding: Creating Stand-Out Brands Through the Power of Story. For more information, please visit www.eswpartners.com. Stories are one of the most powerful tools in our communication arsenal. Since the beginning of language, they continue to inspire, motivate, and engage us like no other form of communication can. There are good reasons for this, and some of those reasons provide lessons for marketers. Here are five worth noting: 1. Stories clothe facts with “big M” Meaning: All stories...

Social Media, Mobility, and Security: How These Three Pillars Enable Successful Sales

2012-04-26T11:54:46-04:00

Today's blog post is by David Satterwhite, VP of Sales and General Manager, Americas, for Good Technology (www.good.com). He is a successful sales executive with a proven track record for building and scaling worldwide sales, services, and business development teams for various high-tech companies. Follow David on Twitter @Satterwhite1. There are three megatrends emerging today that stand to push our customer relationships and sales strategies to a whole new level: social media, mobility, and security. We all know that building and sustaining strong customer relationships is key to a successful sales strategy. But in today’s environment, being “social” with your...

Information Is a Deposed Emperor without Clothes

2012-04-25T12:31:11-04:00

Here are some questions your executive team can ask to gain insight and get sales results that are out of sight.

Fine-Tune Your Incentive Plans to Deliver More Next Quarter

2012-04-23T14:31:34-04:00

Here’s a 4-step action plan to make sure your company’s commission plans deliver the results you want in 2012.

The Anatomy of a Setback and a Comeback

2012-04-19T16:14:18-04:00

Rick McDaniel is an expert in helping people make a comeback in their lives and is the author of the new book Comeback: Overcoming the Setbacks in Your Life (WestBowPress, 2012). Rick has earned three degrees, including an advanced degree from Duke University. He has traveled and spoken on five continents and authored three previous books. If you have experienced a setback and are ready for a comeback, find out more about Rick at www.comeback-thebook.com. Life is full of setbacks. You cannot avoid them, no matter who you are. The good news is that comebacks are possible; in fact, they...

Capture & Use Social Insights to Gain a Competitive Selling Edge

2012-04-10T12:32:15-04:00

I believe that sales leaders who act immediately to capture and use social insights will gain an automatic edge over the competition.