You know what the nice thing about the truth is?  It doesn’t change.  What’s true today was true yesterday and it will be true tomorrow and next year as well.  It’s like math: 2 + 2 = 4.  You will always get 4 no matter what you’re adding, and no matter where you add it – in this country or in outer space.  

And it’s the same in sales.  There are certain sales truths that are true no matter what you’re selling, no matter where you’re selling it or who you’re selling it too, and no matter what the economy is doing or how your company is doing, or whatever.  Just like 2 + 2 will always equal 4, these sales truths will always work for you – or against you. 

That’s the good thing about the following 5 truths: If you follow them, stick to them, abide by them, you will close more sales with less frustration.  On the other hand, if you ignore them or try to deceive yourself into thinking that maybe, just maybe, it won’t be true for this particular prospect, then you do so at your own expense.  The expense of lost sales, much frustration and pressure, are the penalties for not following the following 5 sales truths: 

1)      You can’t close an unqualified lead.  Seems straight forward enough, doesn’t it?  And yet 80% of sales reps across all industries are trying to do just that – close prospects that should never have made it into their pipeline to begin with.  To test this, ask yourself, “Out of 10 leads or prospects that send information to and follow up with, how many turn into deals?”  If you’re like the average sales rep, your answer is one to two.    

What this means is that 80% of the leads in your pipeline weren’t qualified to begin with and were never going to close.  This is where the ‘sales is a numbers game’ philosophy came from.  The solution to his is to learn the most important skill in all of sales – learn to disqualify rather than to qualify your leads.

2)      Leads never get better when you call them back.  Let me ask you, “How many times have you called back a prospect and found they were actually more interested and receptive than they were when you first called them?”  Rarely, right?  This sales truth is similar to the first one in that the more important thing you can do is properly qualify your leads.  

People ask me all the time what the secret to closing sales is.  They are surprised by my answer, but it’s always the same: The secret to closing is that you have to find someone who not only needs your product or service, but is ready, willing and able to buy it.  In other words, see sales truth #1.

3)      The objection, “I want to think about it” usually means no.  Again, ask yourself this question: “How many times have you actually closed a prospect who tells you this and then gets you off the phone?”  Almost never, right?  The reason is that this objection is one of the most used smokescreens ever created to mask the real objection – which is usually that they’ve made a decision to not use you and they don’t want to have to argue with you or explain why not. 

The only way to deal with this (and it’s not, “Oh, then when should I call you back?”) is to use a close that gets them to tell you the truth (see my blog for examples), and then learn why they weren’t qualified to begin with and do a better job qualifying your next prospect (otherwise you’re going to repeat this hundreds of times in your career). 

4)      Your success is always, 100% up to you.  Until you take 100% responsibility for yourself (not 90% or 99%), you will always look for (and find) an excuse for not achieving what you want.  For years I would point to bad leads, a bad economy, a bad territory, etc., as reasons why I wasn’t a top producer.  When my manager pointed to the top reps driving porches and living in the homes I could only dream about, I found other excuses…

It wasn’t until I took 100% responsibility for my life and my results that I finally shed the excuses and found a way to succeed – no matter what.  And once I adopted that attitude, I accomplished more than I ever dreamed possible.  And still do.  There’s a saying that if you’re not part of the problem, then there’s no solution.  If you take 100% responsibility for your results and your life, you’ll find a way to succeed.  All winners do. 

5)      Some sales people should be selling something else – or not selling at all.  I’ve been managing and training sales people for over 25 years and this is one of the consistent truths in all of sales.  It’s a hard truth to swallow, at first, but once you follow it, everyone’s life gets easier.

Let’s take the first part.  Some people are better at outside sales then inside sales.  Some people are better at a longer sales cycle than a short one.  Some people are better at selling a service than a product, and some are better at B to B and others better at B to C.  Ask yourself what you are best at and what makes you the happiest, then go sell that kind of product.

Second, not everyone is cut to be in sales.  That doesn’t make you a bad person rather, it’s just the truth.  Some people are better in a customer service role.  Some people are better in marketing.  And some people are better off going back to school and learning a different profession.  Again, be honest with yourself (or your employees), and ask yourself what you are best at and what makes you the happiest.  Then go out and pursue what will make you happiest (and more successful). 

So there you have it.  Twenty five years of experience boiled down into 5 sales truths.  Are there more?  Of course, but you’ll have to wait for another article for that…

Motivation seems to be one of the toughest areas to get a handle on.  Many managers tell me that some of their reps are already motivated and don’t need their help in that area (usually the Top 20%), but that the majority seem to need constant motivating, mentoring, counseling, or out right babysitting.  Sound familiar?

When asked what to do, I tell them there is only so much they can do because true motivation comes from within — in other words, each member of their team is already motivated.  There are, however, 5 things you can do to get the most out of your sales team and keep motivation and morale high.  Here’s what they are – 

#1) Make your monthly revenue goal, and each rep’s part of that goal, crystal clear.  I’m sure you have a monthly revenue goal, but does each member of your sales team know what their specific part of that goal is?  (Hint — it’s not all equal).  Recognize that some reps will produce much more of the overall goal than others, but also make sure each one is clear on what their part of that overall goal is.

#2) Individualize the bonuses or prizes.  The problem with most bonus programs is that as soon as they are released, over one-half of the sales team knows they can’t win so they are more discouraged than encouraged to produce.  Customize each rep’s bonus based on their individual production goal.  This ensures every body has a chance to win and thus will be motivated. 

#3) Get out of your office and close some deals.  Most managers are way too busy in meetings, or reporting, or just plain hiding out to be really effective.  Remember one thing — as the manager, you are the leader.  And leaders lead by example.  Want to motivate your team, make your numbers, and create real value for yourself?  Go onto the floor and close business for some of your sales reps and help them make their revenue goals.  This is the most important thing you can do not only for your bottom line, but for your team’s motivation as well. 

#4) Invest $100 in a couple of trophies.  The best money you’ll ever spend — make one a “Weekly most improved” or “Best effort” and hand it out each Monday morning.  Each winner gets to keep it on their desk that week.  The other trophy can be either “Most deals,” or “Most new clients” or whatever other category everyone has a chance to win (as long as it is revenue related).  Again, hand it out in your Monday morning sales meeting, and each week the winner gets to keep it on their desk.  Rule #1 in motivating: recognition among peers is almost always more important than money. 

#5) Have some fun!  Go to a toy store and buy one of those beanbag tosses, and after lunch on Friday make some teams and have some fun playing as a team.  Tack on $50 for good measure and watch the competition and fun build your team and dissolve stress.  This works – try it! 

So there you have it.  Inexpensive, proven techniques to build morale, motivate and make more money.

Want a bonus?  Invest in and give each member of your team a copy of my new CD series , “The Secrets of the Top 20% – How to Double Your Income Selling over the Phone.”  That alone will turn some of your sales reps into Top 20% producers and then they will forever be motivated from within — the ultimate motivation!

Many times a week I’m asked several things:

“Is cold calling dead?”

“What is the best way to keep track of your calls and call backs?”

“Is there an easy way to record your calls?”

“How can you keep all your scripts near you so they are easy to get to when you need them?”

Whenever I asked these types of questions, my answer is always the same:

Have you tried the best CRM solution on the planet for inside sales: VanillaSoft? VanillaSoft does it all – keeps track of your leads, organizes your call backs, displays your scripts, records your calls, and SO MUCH MORE.

They even have a “Lite” version that will fit many selling situations for just $16 a month!

Try it for free for 30 days here.

I want to share an email the owner of the company, Ken Murray, sent me the other day:

Dear Mike,

You and I always joke about the naysayers that claim the phone is dead, cold calling is old school, social medial has the answers and so on. Well my friend, you still remain a leading force in helping those that sell by phone do it more professionally and successfully and VanillaSoft remains the leading software platform driving phone sales. Perhaps we are getting the last laugh.

If we had listened to the pundits we would have pulled the plug years ago. Selling by phone is dead they yelled. We heard it all. No one uses the phone anymore; people can’t be reached. If you reach them they do not want to be bothered. When sales people kept selling by phone in growing numbers, the voices remained loud but changed directions slightly. The new chant was “cold calling is dead.” To be successful by phone, you must social-sell. Well Mike, here we are at the end of 2011 and I am here to tell you that the phone is still alive and well, cold calling still works and companies still sell and acquire customers by phone. Why? Because as you and I know, it still works!

Knowing this does not give one permission to stick you head in the sand and ignore the changing dynamics of selling by phone. Yes– you can still cold call and be successful. But, you can do it more professionally, more productively and more successfully. The pundits were wrong on many accounts, but the concerns they raised led to many new market innovations and selling techniques (and training) that greatly enhanced selling by phone. Think of the early DNC (Do Not Call) regulations. It was said that this will kill the industry and end selling by phone once and for all. It actually had the opposite effect. Today, companies benefit from DNC by not calling those individuals that have opted out. They were the “guaranteed NOs” that in past days you would have had to spend time and effort on. Today, the government has removed them for you. The legislation actually saves businesses money. Nice! How often do we hear that about any government regulation?

The same is true for software and the many innovations that have taken place in the last several years. Using your father’s CRM, contact management, or a “dialer” to sell by phone is like- well, sticking your head into the sand again. Today, many choices are flourishing that can make your phone selling efforts more professional, more productive and more successful. Gone are the days of one-trick ponies. Today’s software can be deployed as SaaS, up and running in hours and deliver amazing functionality for cold calling, setting appointments and selling by phone. The functionality, features and modules can be tailored to your specific selling needs. An abundant amount of research has been conducted in the last few years highlighting what features “best-in-class” companies are deploying to maintain their success. Many features are covered in the white paper, “Why Traditional CRM is Not Enough.” Simply visit: click on the title and you can have it for free.

Selling by phone is alive and well. The pundits and naysayers have not killed it. Doing it right, leveraging the new tools available and garnering new success… that is up to you. Get the best training and marry it to the best software. That is my story and I am sticking to it.

Great Selling in 2012!

Ken

Grab a Free Trial of VanillaSoft from Mike’s page at http://www.vanillasoft.com/mrinsidesales

Thanks, Ken. Again, if you are looking for an affordable, robust and highly effective CRM solution for your calling situation, check out VanillaSoft.

As we head into the holidays, you’re probably reviewing your year and wondering what you can do to have an even better 2012.  Here are three areas you can focus on that will pay you huge dividends in the year ahead

1)      Focus on building an attitude that expects success.  Your number one priority for the New Year should be to do everything you can do to develop, protect, and nurture a contagiously enthusiastic attitude. The ultimate key to success in this and every year is your ability maintain a positive attitude.  Think about all the negative people you’re going to run into today, this week and this month.  Are you going to infect them with your positive, can do attitude, or are you going to get more and more negative with each phone call?  IT IS UP TO YOU!!

Starting this week, get into the habit of feeding your mind and attitude daily with affirmations, by listening to motivational CD’s, by reading two pages a day in a positive book, and by goal setting. If you haven’t read books like, “The Success Principles” by Jack Canfield, or “Beyond Positive Thinking” by Dr. Robert Anthony, then go to Amazon and order them today.

My favorite way to feed my positive attitude is to use hypnotic recording CD’s or MP3’s.  Click Here for the best selection of quality programs at unbelievably low prices!

2)      Sharpen Your Sales Skills.  Let’s face it – there is no room for error in today’s selling environment.  Sloppy sales presentations, poorly qualified leads, and just plain lazy or bad habits are going to make you miserable in your job in 2012.  You must, and I mean must, learn, practice and use effective sales techniques that will allow you to identify buyers and then deliver effective presentations to close more business.

The Top 20% will do well because they already use effective skills and spend time getting better, but the bottom 80% are going to struggle.  I would say that up to one quarter of all sales reps will lose their jobs in 2012 because they won’t improve enough to make it in today’s competitive marketplace.

What are YOU doing now to improve your skills each day?  Obviously there are many good books and training CD’s on the market, but if you are really committed to improving, then start by learning and using better scripts.  You can get over 220 scripts by investing in my best-selling book, “The Ultimate Book of Phone Scripts.”  See it here.

If you want an even more comprehensive core selling skills training program for you or your team, then Click Here.

3)      Start Listening To Your Prospects.  Now more than ever, it’s crucially important that you learn how to connect with your prospects and show them you really care about what they’re going through and what their needs are.  80% of your competition is going to pitch and pitch and pitch, and this is going to turn off the people they are trying to sell.  The Top 20% are going to take the time to understand the choices their prospects and clients have and they’re going to find ways to help them.  And it all begins with listening.

People are going to buy from people they like, know and trust, and the best way to build this rapport is by asking questions and actually listening to their answers.  I’ve written many articles on listening skills, and you can see many of them here.  Whatever you do, though, you must begin showing your prospects you care, and best way to do that is by learning how to listen.

So there you have it.  Three simple things you can do that will guarantee you success in 2012.  Just remember, 80% of your competition won’t do these things but if you will you will out sell and out-perform them in sales.  In fact, you will become a Top 20% producer, and I’ll bet that will make your 2012 successful, won’t it?

So commit to yourself today and start implementing these three techniques.  Believe me, this time next year, you’ll be glad you did!

If you found this article helpful, then you will love Mike’s new book: “The REAL Secrets of the Top 20% – How To Double Your Income Selling Over the Phone.”  You can read about it by clicking here: http://www.mrinsidesales.com/bookmarketing.htm

Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, works with business owners and inside sales reps nationwide teaching them the skills, strategies and techniques of top 20% performance.

He offers a FREE audio program designed to help you double your income selling over the phone, as well as an internationally acclaimed FREE ezine. If you’re looking to catapult your sales, or create a sales team that actually makes their monthly revenues, then learn how by visiting: http://www.MrInsideSales.com

I was in Las Vegas giving a Keynote speech at a sale conference the other week, and a rep came up to me and told me this story:

“Mike, I was out playing golf with a really successful business coach a few years ago, and after I hit my first ball about 150 yards, we got back into the golf cart and I said to him, ‘I really want to be able to hit the ball 200 yards.’  The business coach looked at me (we’ll call him Bob), and he said, ‘No you don’t.’ 

“I looked at him and said, yes I do.  I really want to be able to hit the ball 200 yards.”

 “No you don’t,” Bob said. 

“By now, Mike, I’m getting pretty mad because, yes, I do really want to hit the ball 200 yards, so I said to Bob, ‘What do you mean, no I don’t?  I do!  I really want to be able to hit the ball 200 yards!

“So Bob looks at me and he says: ‘Well, do you have a golf coach that you’re working with every week?’  And I said, no.  He then asks me, ‘Well, do you practice every week?’  And I said, no. 

“So he says, ‘Well, see.  You don’t really want to hit the ball 200 yards!’” 

I nodded at the rep and he smiled at me.  He then said, “I’ll tell you, Mike, after that ride in that golf cart, I went and hired a pro, committed to practicing regularly, and now I hit the ball 200 yards!” 

That story really hit home for me.  I can’t tell you how many times I “wanted” to have or do something, but nothing happened until I committed to it and took consistent action.  In fact, I can’t remember anything that I didn’t get or accomplish once I did that!  

And that’s why I love coaching and working with business owners and sales reps who have made the commitment to getting better.  I know through my own experience and the experience of hundreds of other people I’ve worked with over the years, that if you are finally ready to do what it takes to succeed, then I can give you the tools that ensure success.  

Think about your own situation for a moment.  What are your goals or resolutions this year?  Are you committed to getting in better physical shape?  Are you committed to a certain income level this year?  To completing a creative task?  

If so, have you hired a fitness trainer?  Do you have a sales coach or have you joined a mastermind group to support you and give you the tools you need to succeed?  Have you joined a writing or photography group?  

Just what actions ARE you taking right now to accomplish your goal?  

The bottom line is that we all want lots of things, but only a few of us are willing to actually do something about it.  Is this the year that you finally have what it is you’ve always wanted?  The good news is that it’s there for the taking if you’re ready to do something about it.  I hope you are.

Forgive me in advance if this rubs a bit too close to the bone.

It’s not meant to be offensive, but it is meant to be objective. (I’ll explain in a second.)

1. You will break your resolutions by the end of January.

2. You will make the same amount of money as the average of your last 5 year’s total income.

3. You will gain 2 pounds of body fat.

4. You will struggle with the same habits, patterns, and behaviors that you always have.

5. You will get to the end of the year and have made very little progress in your life.

Why do I make these predictions?

Well, statistically speaking, that’s what will happen to almost everyone, including you.

So, it’s a safe bet that the same will happen to you this year.

That is, if you don’t make some necessary changes and STICK TO THEM.

I know … I know …

What nerve? Who the heck am I to say such things?

Exactly!

No one can make accurate predictions about an individual. Only about populations.

The fact is, it’s only the people who are outside of the “norm” that really do anything significant with their lives.

So, are those people made that way?

Is it just the luck of fate or genetics?

C’mon, both you and I know better than that.

In fact, I’d like to introduce you to someone that has a large volume of evidence that shows that exactly the opposite is true.

The fact is, success “can” be reverse engineered and reproduced.

You don’t have to accept what everyone else is getting but you MUST make a few new choices.

Suppose you decided today – right now – that you’re finally serious about making a REAL commitment to turning your dreams into actions… AND your goals into achievements.

And suppose you had more fun doing it than you ever imagined!

It can happen… but you need to be challenged and you’ve got to take the first bold step.

Is 2012 going to be the year you accomplish all you’ve dreamed of…forever?

You can do it, and I’ve found a way that will show you how.

Say hello to Gary Ryan Blair and the 30 Day – Got Resolutions Challenge!

This extreme performance acceleration program will be the kick in the behind you need so YOU can change your life for the better, and I mean MUCH BETTER!

All you have to do is say YES, I’m ready for a challenge, and Gary will show you how to make this the best year of your life!

I recommend the program, I recommend that you act quickly, and more importantly I recommend Gary as he is the BEST at what he does.

Click here to turn your dreams into reality.

You’ll love this very special program!

Mike Brooks
Mr. Inside Sales

P.S. Be sure to check out the video that explains the entire system. It’s a very unique approach with cartoons that is one of the best I’ve ever seen.

Go here now:

Click here:

I get a lot of Ezine topic requests each week, and the majority of them are requests for different questioning techniques to use during the qualification stage.  I’m glad to see these requests because it means people understand the importance of identifying and then spending time with buyers.

I’ve written many feature articles over the years that address these kinds of questions, and if you’ve missed any of them I encourage you to visit my inside sales training blog.  You’ll get a ton of scripts and techniques that you can begin using right away to make more sales.  See my blog here.

Last week, however, I got a request for questions that could be used during the close or presentation stage.  That was a good question, and today’s feature article will cover 5 of my favorites.  These questions will vary from taking a prospect’s pulse to see if they are with you, to finding out if a benefit you just listed would work for them, all the way to a trial close.

All of these questions are crucial to ask during the close, and after you read them I encourage you to put these into your closing scripts and outlines.  They will give you the feedback you’ll need (and don’t get because you’re not in front of your prospect) to close the sale.  To get the most benefit from them, incorporate them into your script today:

#1 After giving any part of your presentation, you can ask, “Are you with me so far?”  You can vary this with, “How does that sound?”  Or, “Do you see what I mean?” And, “Does that make sense?”

Always listen carefully to not only what they say, but to how they say it.  And always allow a few seconds after they respond to give them time to add something else.

#2 After you give a benefit, ask, “How would you use that?” or, “Could you use that?”  Or, “Would that work for you?” or, “How could you use that in your situation?”

Again, LISTEN to what and how they respond…

#3 Another good question to ask throughout your presentation is, “Do you have any questions so far?”

This is one of the best questions to ask, and it’s also one of the least used.  You’ll be amazed by the kinds of questions you’ll get, and each one reveals what your prospect is thinking.  You should use this question often!

#4 Trial closes are always good.  Try: “How is this sounding so far?” or, “Does this seem to be the kind of solution you are looking for?” or, with a smile in your voice, “Am I getting close to having a new client yet?”

Even though that sounds cheesy, you’ll be amazed by how it will often break the ice and get your prospect to lower his/her guard!

#5 When you’re done with your presentation, always ask, “What haven’t I covered yet that is important to you?”

This a great way to end your presentation!  If they tell you they don’t have any questions, then you get to ask for the order!  If they do have questions, you answer them and then ask for the order!

The bottom line is that asking questions — and then shutting up and listening — is still one of the most important things you can do either during the qualification stage and during the close.  Use the above questions during your next presentation and watch your closes get stronger and your income get bigger!

If you found this article helpful, then you will love Mike’s Ebook: “The Complete Book of Phone Scripts,” which is packed with word for word scripts and techniques that you can begin using today to make more appointments and more sales.  You can read about it by clicking here: http://www.mrinsidesales.com/scripts.htm

Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, works with business owners and inside sales reps nationwide teaching them the skills, strategies and techniques of top 20% performance.

If you’re looking to catapult your sales, or create a sales team that actually makes their monthly revenues, then learn how by visiting: http://www.MrInsideSales.com

Every sales team has them: sales reps who consistently miss their quota, don’t appear motivated, or, when you try to help them, do better for a while and then drop back down into underperformance.  As a manager or business owner, it’s frustrating trying to get these underperforming reps to do better.  And as a sales rep, it’s also frustrating not making quota and being under the gun all the time.  What can you do about it?  Read on, I’ve got some suggestions for you.

To start with, I’d like to share a somewhat shocking study with you.  In their book, “How to Hire and Develop Your Next Top Performer,” Herb Greenberg, Harold Weinstein and Patrick Sweeney compared results from hundreds of thousands of assessments that were conducted over several decades with actual sales performance measurements and concluded:

1)      55 percent of the people earning their living in sales should be doing something else,

2)      Another 20 to 25 percent (of salespeople) have what it takes to sell, but they should be selling something else.

I don’t know about you, but when I read those statistics I almost fell off my chair.  As I thought about it, though, I began to compare those results with my actual experience.  I work with a lot of companies and a lot of sales teams, and as I’ve written over and over again, almost all sales teams have the 80/20 rule going on: the Top 20% of the producers are usually generating about 80% of the revenue and income, while the bottom 80% are struggling to make quota.

And isn’t that true in your sales organization as well?  If you’re like many inside sales teams, you’re constantly trying to get your underperformers to produce more, but how much real success do you have?  Again, sad to say, many bottom 80% producers simply don’t improve that much and that’s why most companies are constantly hiring and replacing reps.  When you look at it that way, the numbers from the conclusion above begin to make sense…

OK, so what’s the solution?  I mean, you can’t just fire 55% of your sales team.  The good news is that there are steps you can go through to train and raise performance, and once you go through these steps you’ll know who can become a productive member of your sales team and you’ll have the structure in place to onboard new reps more quickly and efficiently.  Here they are:

1)      The first thing you need to do is to give every member of your sales team the specific tools and training they need to be successful.  Many companies I work with, including the sales managers themselves, just don’t have specific, effective sales skills, techniques, scripts to give to their sales reps.  As a result, while their Top 20% seem to intuitively know what to do, the rest of the team struggle because no one is training them how to be successful in their sales environment.

The solution is to take the time to develop a “Defined Sales Process” by identifying what steps 80% of your successful sales go through and defining the best practices at every step of this sales cycle.  Once you have defined your best practice sales process, you need to:

2)      Script out the best practice techniques and turn these into your company’s training program.  In other words, you need to give each of your reps the exact tools and techniques and scripts they need to successfully navigate every step of your sales cycle. Next, train and reinforce these skills with every member of your team.

You see, before you can properly evaluate who can make it and who can’t, you have to give them the training on your best practices first.  Only then will you be in a position to know who has the talent, motivation and work ethic to succeed in your sales environment.

3)      Once you’ve defined your sales process, turned it into your company training program and actually trained your reps on it, it’s now time to objectively evaluate each member of your team to see if they have what it takes.  I use the word objectively here because it’s now up to you to record your reps, create a “sales process or script” grading form to measure adherence to your best practices.  At this point your reps either are or they aren’t doing what you know it takes to succeed.

The good news once again is that after about 90 days of measuring, coaching and managing reps to adhere to your new best practice sales process, you’ll have a very clear idea of who is going to make it and who isn’t.  At this point you can begin replacing those reps who clearly won’t.

4)      Now that you have your DSP in place, a solid training program that teaches the most successful best practice techniques, you will be in position to hire and quickly train and evaluate your new sales reps.  With this kind of a proven system in place, you’ll get a lot more production out of your new reps much faster, and you’ll have a very clear idea of who isn’t going to make it much sooner as well.  This will make you more money and save you money and frustration at the same time.

There is obviously a lot that goes into building this kind of structure, but it’s well worth the time and effort.  In fact, according to CSOInsights.com, sales teams that have and follow a “Defined Sales Process” average more than 33% in production and revenue than sales teams that don’t. 33% – now that’s significant!  Just ask yourself how much that would mean to you and your company’s bottom line.

There are many ways to go about creating a defined sales process and training program and one of the best ways is to break down what your Top 20% are doing.  They obviously have figured out the best way to do it, so why not copy and adapt what they are doing and saying?

If you’d like to know of more ways, simply visit the link below.  Regardless of how you go about it, making this your number one priority is essential to evaluating and dealing with your underperforming reps.  It’s also the way you’re going to build and grow a multi-million dollar producing sales team.

Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, if the Best Selling author of “The Real Secrets of the Top 20%” and “The Ultimate Book of Phone Scripts.”  Voted one of the most Influential Inside Sales Professionals two years in a row by The American Association of Inside Sales Professionals, he is recognized as a leader in the industry.  Mike’s core selling skills webinars and onsite sales training programs are packed with proven skills and techniques that make an immediate impact on your bottom line

Mike also works as an executive coach with business owners and sales managers, and does complete phone script development.  To learn more about how Mike can help you and your team succeed, visit: www.MrInsideSales.com/managementtraining.htm

Every Monday morning, Peter King of Sports Illustrated publishes an online
recap of the previous NFL Sunday called, “Monday Morning Quarterback -
MMQ.”  This is required reading if you’re an NFL football fan, and even if
you’re not, it’s entertaining and filled with great insights.

In last week’s edition (10/2/11) I read this brief story in his Travel
Note of the Week section and it inspired today’s article on getting bigger
sales.  Here it is:

“Friday morning, 5:09 a.m. Back Bay Train Station, Boston. Man sitting
with a blanket outside the front of the station said to me, “Sir, do you
have five dollars?”

“Uh, well, I can give you a buck,” I said.

I reached in my pocket, took out two ones and handed them to the guy.

“Don’t have a five, huh?”

“I’m sure I do, but I’m giving you two.”

The guy grunted and gave me a withering look, and we both went about our
day.”

As soon as I read that article, I thought about how great a closer the guy
with the blanket was.  If he hadn’t asked for more – $5 here – he would
have gotten just the one dollar Peter was going to give him.  But because
he asked for more, he got DOUBLE the money he probably would have gotten!

This is the power of asking for more, and this is what you should be doing
in your sale as well.

Whatever you’re selling, you should be asking for the premium membership,
the biggest bulk quantity, the policy with all the bells and whistles,
etc.  Even if you don’t get it, you’ll often get a lot more than you would
have if you started lower.

This is without a doubt one of the easiest ways of making more money,
increasing your sales and becoming a top producer.  Remember, your
prospect is sold on your product, they’re in the buying arena, and they
have their check book out.  There is no better time of making MORE money.

And all you have to do is ask for it!

Every Monday morning, Peter King of Sports Illustrated publishes an online recap of the previous NFL Sunday called, “Monday Morning Quarterback – MMQ”.  This is required reading if you’re an NFL football fan, and even if you’re not, it’s entertaining and filled with great insights.

In last week’s edition (10/2/11) I read this brief story in his Travel Note of the Week section and it inspired today’s article on getting bigger sales.  Here it is:

“Friday morning, 5:09 a.m. Back Bay Train Station, Boston. Man sitting with a blanket outside the front of the station said to me, “Sir, do you have five dollars?”

“Uh, well, I can give you a buck,” I said.

I reached in my pocket, took out two ones and handed them to the guy.

“Don’t have a five, huh?”

“I’m sure I do, but I’m giving you two.”

The guy grunted and gave me a withering look, and we both went about our day.”

As soon as I read that article, I thought about how great a closer the guy with the blanket was.  If he hadn’t asked for more – $5 here – he would have gotten just the one dollar Peter was going to give him.  But because he asked for more, he got DOUBLE the money he probably would have gotten!

This is the power of asking for more, and this is what you should be doing in your sale as well.

Whatever you’re selling, you should be asking for the premium membership, the biggest bulk quantity, the policy with all the bells and whistles, etc.  Even if you don’t get it, you’ll often get a lot more than you would have if you started lower.

This is without a doubt one of the easiest ways of making more money, increasing your sales and becoming a top producer.  Remember, your prospect is sold on your product, they’re in the buying arena, and they have their check book out.  There is no better time of making MORE money.

And all you have to do is ask for it!

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Do you have an underperforming inside sales team?  Talk to Mike to see how he can help you and your team reach your revenue goals.  To learn more about Mike, visit his website: http://www.MrInsideSales.com