Using Humor as a selling technique

Times are getting tougher making sales more critical then ever before. A sense of humor is as precious a selling technique as any other. In a scene from Saving Private Ryan Tom Hanks was sitting in a half-demolished chapel sharing his thoughts with his sergeant, Frank. He was so under so much pressure that simply reaching for a glass of water made his hand shake uncontrollably. Tom Hanks then cracked a joke, which seemed to ease the Sergeant. That moment had a positive effect on the Sergeant. All that seriousness was peppered with a little sense of humor.

Source: 151 Quick Ideas to Motivate Your Sales Force

Quick Selling Techniques: Motivate Your Sales Force Part 2

Here are some selling techniques that can be used after a trade show.

• Analyze Sales Mistakes as Lessons Learned
  
  Mistakes can be seen as proactive opportunities that can be corrected during the course of any sales process. Face-based analysis is the cornerstone of sales management, and will lead your team to an appreciation that you are being objective when mistakes are made.
  
  
• Provide Constructive Feedback about Negative Behavior
  
  When negative behavior is observed, it needs to be addressed immediately in a private discussion. Your credibility with selling techniques can be made or broken in such a scenario. If the negative actions are not addressed right away, then your credibility will be put into question.
  
  
• Survey Customers And Provide Feedback To Your Sales Team
  
  A formal survey at a trade show can provide constructive feedback on what you are doing well, what you can improve, and how to protect yourself from competition.
  Remember, customers are key to improving your selling techniques.
  

Quick Selling Techniques: Motivate Your Sales Force

Motivating your sales force includes some of the easiest, quickest, and least expensive selling techniques around. If your sales force is motivated properly, then increasing and sustaining revenue growth can become a reality. This week we will look at quick and inexpensive ways to motivate your sales force.

Here are some ideas you can use before a trade show.

• Conduct a DiSC profile on each sales person
  
  The DiSC profile can be used as a selling technique by identifying common behaviors and prefernces in communication styles. The profile identifies Dominance, Influences, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness.
  
  
• Invite an industry pro to give advice and coaching
  
  Industry pros hold a tremendous amount of information and opportunity to learn and grow. Leverage opportunities for the pros to share their wisdom with your staff.
  
  
• Develop a method to transfer sales knowledge
  
  In today's competitive environment, its a must to capture and develop a method for transferring sales knowledge to ensure effective selling techniques. Communication is key, allow other sales people within your firm to make presentations and coach others.
  

Can Twitter Work As A Selling Technique?

By now, Twitter as been recognized by the most trusted names in the country. This list includes CNN, Time Magazine, Businessweek and the BBC. Google has also jumped on the bandwagon, opening its own Twitter account as part as its marketing strategies.

How can this help your trade show booth?

Twitter can be used as a powerful selling technique. To help gain attention, bring a laptop to your booth and allow people to twitter from it. To advertise, make a jpeg file in a paint program saying "Twitter Here". Then, run a slide show in full screen with the twitter jpeg. This selling technique attracts people to your booth that would of passed by otherwise.

Selling Techniques For The Recession

By now not many people can debate no recession is currently present. Since the new year, newscasts have been delivering the latest on bailouts, government packages, and layoffs.

The Tradeshow Mentor has created an affiliate system to help with your selling techniques during the economic downturn. Becoming a team member permits you to receive training, and marketing material all for free. Further more, each sale made earns your company fifty percent commission. In short, this no cost system, with fifty percent commission allows you to become a team member with no risk involved. However, there is one catch! At present times, we are only allowing fifty prospects to sign up. Don't Delay!

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Also, don't forget to take the shortest survey in the world by clicking here

Is Obama's Inauguration similar to Tradeshow Selling Techniques?

Many years ago, a president's inauguration used to take place in March. The reason for the date, was to give ample time for the new president to arrive by carriage.

William Henry Harrison was the first president to arrive by train for his inauguration on March 4th 1841. The trend was followed when Abraham Lincoln arrived for his inauguration in 1861 by train as well.

So why is Obama arriving in the same fashion that was popular in the 1800s?

Because it is part of his selling techniques.

Although he already won the election, he must continue to sell himself to Americans and reinforce the idea that America made the right choice.

Arriving by train is an unusual transportation choice to be made by a president. However, according to Mark Hughes' book Buzzmarketing, unusual is one of the 6 buttons of buzz. Obama's train ride was a strategic move to get Americans talking about how unique his arrival for inauguration will be. This helps present Obama as a unique person himself, and very different from the last president, something Americans desire.

So what has Obama's train ride taught us?

If you want to present your company as unique, then allow your selling techniques to be equally unique.

Sex as Selling Technique?

Years ago I was walking around the trade show floor of an apparel convention. Modrobes, a pant manufacture, had a lot of traffic at their booth.

They created a selling technique that was eye-catching and memorable in the form of a button. I tried my best to find the modrobes button I received that day to post a picture of it. After searching for a good hour, I decided to give up and try my best to recreate the button from memory. Here it is

Focus Your Selling Techniques On This

Just ran into a very clever saying to keep in mind for your Selling Techniques

Because the customer has a need, we have a job to do
Because the customer has a choice, we must be the better choice
Because the customer has sensibilities, we must be considerate
Because the customer has an urgency, we must be quick.
Because the customer is unique, we must be flexible
Because the customer has high expectations we must excel
Because the customer has influence, we have hope of more customers
Because of the customer, we exist

Forward this poem to your sales people so they may formulate their selling techniques from it.

From: Sun Tzu; Strategies For Marketing

Frank Bettger's Selling Techniques

Frank Bettger was a major league baseball player, salesman, and self-help author. His selling techniques were powerful, and worthy of mention.

Here are a handful of his ideas:

"Nothing but the determination to act enthusiastic increased
my income 700% in 10 days!" Your enthusiasm really does make
a difference, so you'd better have it with you during every
sales call."

"When I force myself to be enthusiastic, I soon feel
enthusiastic."

According to him, nobody was cut out to be in sales, You
have to cut yourself out to be what ever you want to be."

"The most important secret of salesmanship is
to find out what the other fellow wants, then help him find
the best way to get it."

He discovered the most important word to use in sales is only
three letters - "Why."

His ideas towards selling techniques are still being used today.

Handling Objections - The Key to Successful Selling Techniques 2 of 2

3: ISOLATE THE OBJECTION. Simply ask them if that is the only reason why they are not moving ahead with the sale. The reason for this is simple. You don't want to keep getting peppered with an endless barrage of unexpected objections. Have them "bare their soul" to you, and give them a chance to express their thoughts and feelings. If you can employ such strategy successfully, all your selling techniqueswill be vital points in your sales pitch. Believe me, everyone LOVES having an audience, and they will think a lot better of you, during and after they've spoken.

4: PROPOSE A SOLUTION. After they've fully expressed and clarified their objection, it is IMPERATIVE that you turn their objection into a QUESTION. "Thank you, Mr Customer, for sharing your concerns with me. It seems to me that you are very interested in this product, and that you would be interested in moving ahead with this, however, you're a bit concerned with (state the objection in your words ie: the cost). Is that correct? (Get their agreement) That's great! So, if I can show you how we can address this concern, to your satisfaction, then there really would be no reason not to move ahead with this, correct?"

5: Get that final commitment. Address the problem and RE-CLOSE BY ASSUMING THE SALE. Ensure closing the sale is a vital part in all your marketing strategies

To handle that "I want to think about it," objection, you need to probe just a little more to draw out the REAL reason why they don't want to close the deal. I've found that by asking the question: "Mr Customer, I can understand that you would like some time to think about this. Exactly what is it that you feel you need to talk more about?"

Once the customer gives you their REAL reason, take it from there.

Here's to your success and I'll see you at the top.

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Handling Objections - The Key to Successful Selling Techniques 1 of 2

Handling customer objections is arguably one of the key sales ingredients for successful selling techniques. It is so important for the sales professional to develop effective closing styles, and to learn how to use them in a very natural and influential way.

There are many objections that a customer can give a sales person. It would be impossible to list them, much less address all of them in one article. However, there are a few which are the most common and can also be the sales killer.
Probably the one that almost all sales people dread the most is: "I'll think about it." This is, at first glance, the most difficult to overcome because the customer is really telling you nothing. All they are saying is that they want to "think about" something. The sales person has NO IDEA what it is that the customer wants to "think about."

Here's the answer to what they are REALLY saying to you:

When a customer says they want to think about it, what they are really saying is, "we are done here, You have not convinced me of anything." They are, in a very polite way, telling you to go jump in a lake.

Now that we got THAT cleared up, what selling techniques do we use?

Before we tackle this annoying objection, let's first take a moment to discuss mechanics for handling ANY objection that may be thrown at you. Keep in mind that it is IMPOSSIBLE to overcome a customer's objection. Objections place you and your prospect in an adversarial situation, and that is the LAST place you want to be. This is because you can NEVER WIN, if you are in that position. When a customer states an objection, they are telling you that they do not want to make a purchase for whatever reason or reasons, they feel are valid. Trying to convince the customer he is wrong to feel that way, is a crash and burn strategy for the salesperson. Instead, follow these selling techniques:

1: After your customer expresses their objection WAIT FIVE SECONDS BEFORE RESPONDING. I usually take a deep breath and nod, counting off the five seconds, which makes the customer feel that I've truly heard what they said, and can relate to what they are saying.

2: AGREE WITH THEM. This is VITAL! You never have an argument with someone who agrees with you, plus, everyone LIKES someone who is of similar mindset and opinion as they are. A very good responding statement is: "I can fully understand what you're saying. I can understand why your feel that way. "