Author Archive
Dumb Things Salespeople Do
Professional selling is a career to which many are drawn and few are successful. In fact, professional selling could be the most difficult profession in the world. Given that reality, let’s examine what I call the “20 Dumbest Things Salespeople Can Do To Derail Their Careers.”
But before we do that, it might be worth asking [...]
Save An Hour Each Day… Get Organized!!!
What does your desk look like?
A toxic waste dump?
A bomb exploded?
Burglars have ransacked your office?
In corporate America, most business people associate a messy, dis-organized desk/office with being productive, effective and efficient.
Are you a member of this club?
Did you know that most people are “wasting” an hour each day looking for “STUFF” that’s lost on their [...]
Five Sales Mind-Sets to Avoid!
Most salespeople concentrate on learning how to make new sales. But they also need to know some important common ways to avoid killing sales.
Here are some mind-sets (paradigms) that can keep you from developing the long-term, profitable relationships you desire.
1. “I know more than my customers.” Because you are an expert on what [...]
No One Likes Making Cold-Calls
“I’ve only met two types of people who really like making cold calls…. Liars and people who have never really made one!” If this quote sounds familiar, it’s because it’s fundamentally true. Most successful sales people simply hate to make “cold” calls. Intellectually they admit that it could be an effective way to speak to [...]
Get Better Results On The Phone. . .
The phone rang. I picked it up. The woman asked: “Do you need any additional telephone equipment?” I said no. The call lasted less than 4 seconds. Later in the day I received another call. This was from Cindy at Forbes magazine. She asked: “Is Dave Rothfeld in?” I replied: “Yes. What do you need?” [...]
Buyers Need To See it . . . Even On The Phone!
I always snicker when someone says, “The phone can’t be used as a serious sales tool. Buyers need to see someone face-to-face.” They might as well say, “I’m not very good on the phone at describing what we can do for customers.”
It’s also like when people say, “We sell a service. You can’t sell that [...]
Words are our business . . .
What did I say that worked? Words are our business.
“When they said that, I should have said this!” Not to worry. We all are better after the fact. What is really important is not what might have been, but what worked. When Ted Williams was in his prime, he was not as much a student [...]
Your Elevator Speech
There’s an old saying that you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. When someone asks who you are and what you do, how do you respond? You need to know your elevator speech in sixty seconds or less to be able to tell them who you are, what you sell [...]
Are You Listening?
. . .to the voice of your customers? Do you think your competitors are?
Successful managers today are learning to ask questions. Questions about
their business. Questions about what their customers want, and how they want it. And, they’re doing something positive with the answers they get.
Some of the simple questions they ask themselves are:
How can I [...]
They Need to “See It” on the Phone
I always snicker when someone says, “The phone can’t be used as a serious sales tool. Buyers need to see someone face-to-face.”
They might as well say, “I’m not very good on the phone at describing what we can do for customers.”
It’s also like when people say, “We sell a service. You can’t sell that by [...]
