Tag: Sales Tips

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!

Do you suffer from call reluctance? No matter how experienced you are – or even how successful you are – picking up the phone to prospect, call leads back, and even call on existing clients can still be difficult.

If you find that your phone has seemed like a 200 lb weight lately – you know, hard to pick up – then follow the 3 suggestions below to get into action again:

#1) Believe it or not, call reluctance often starts the night before – usually Sunday night is the worst. Dread can begin building and by the time Monday comes it’s almost impossible to avoid dumping VM’s, answering emails, organizing leads – anything to avoid making those calls…

The Solution: Set a specific goal for the # of calls you’re going to make each day and then make that your #1 priority for your day. Once you make those calls, you’re free to do all the other things that are important and the pressure will be off you.

Start with a small goal, one you know you can accomplish and then work up from there. Success will build on itself and it will get easier and easier to make calls…

#2) Develop a script you’re comfortable with and then use it on each and every call. Nothing is more demoralizing or frustrating than trying to ad-lib your way through brush off’s, objections and negativity you get day after day. Being prepared with and using a script will give you confidence and help you build rapport quicker.

The Solution: If you want free scripts, then visit my blog. If you want even more word for word scripts, invest in my “Ultimate Book of Phone Scripts”.

#3) Change your expectations. Most sales reps start with the wrong mindset. Because they believe in their products and services, they think that everyone should and would be a deal – if they would only let them pitch them.

The Solution: Reset your expectations. Start by reminding yourself that regardless of how good your product is, you can only sell someone who is interested at that time and willing to listen to you. In other words, you’re only looking for buyers.

Once you adopt that attitude, it will be easy to make calls because when someone says no, you’ll be able to thank them for not wasting your time. You’ll now be able to move on to the next call and next possible buyer.

Bottom line – once you set an achievable call goal, write an effective script, and being calling looking only for the buyers, calling will get much easier.

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

I don’t know about you, but two days before July the 4^th business slowed down and then after the holiday, it seemed to stop!  We do have business, of course – very much like you – but the pace of business, the new leads and the urgency of the first half of the year seem gone…

What happened??

Summer happened, that’s what.  As I speak to clients and colleagues (who aren’t on their family vacations) they tell me the same thing – many of their bosses, co-workers, suppliers or business partners are either on vacation, just coming back from a vacation, or just about to take a vacation.

In fact, many people I know are taking as much as three to four weeks off!  (I just spoke with a potential coaching client, and when I asked him when he was thinking of starting our coaching relationship, he told me it would be after his month long vacation in August.  He and his wife will be back right before Labor Day.

So there you have it.  Business is seasonal.  Kids get out of school.  The weather changes.  People have worked hard and are now ready to take some time off.  Business changes and people seem to relax.

Does this mean companies aren’t buying or planning for the fall?  Of course not.  It just means that they are going to begin doing things on their time table, not yours.

So here’s what you can do to not only make sales now, but also set yourself up for the best finish of any year you’ve ever had:

1)      Don’t let up.  Keep working hard – if not harder.  Make more calls.  Send more emails, stay later and come in earlier.  The time you put in now may not seem to pay off right away, but in the fall you’ll see the fruits of your labor.

It reminds me of the “dog days of summer” in NFL training camps.  I still remember what Bill Parcells told his players in late December when they were about to begin a drive that would determine whether they got into the playoffs or not.  He looked at his exhausted linemen and said: “This is why you lift all those damn weights!”

The effort you put in now will make the difference at the end of this year…

2)      Connect with established clients.  This is the perfect time to send a card, to make a call, and to talk with clients about things other than business.  For example, where are they going for summer vacation?

Face it, if things are slow for you, they are probably slow in their business as well.  How about asking what they are doing to deal with this period and what they are doing to get ready for the fall.  And how about asking how you can help them do that?   Set yourself to work with them when they’ll be ready…

3)      Work on improving your skill set, new product development or other part of your business that will make a difference in the second half of the year.  If any of you have thought about developing a greeting card campaign to stay in front of your customers and prospects, this is the perfect time to do it!

Some of you know that I use Send Out Cards to keep in front of my clients and prospects, and did you know that you can now use that same system without a sign up fee?  Click Here to find out how.  Just use this number to try this system out for free: 83661

Why not design a card with a picture of yourself and family on YOUR vacation and send it to all your clients and prospects.  That’ll give you something to talk about.

4)      Make goals for September through December and develop a plan of action to accomplish them.  Develop an affirmation card and goal sheet of what you’re going to earn, what it’s going to feel like over the holidays to have accomplished it and begin smiling each day as you feel the feelings of having done it.

Remember, “Fear Pushes, but Vision Pulls.”  Use this time to create a compelling vision of the rest of the year for yourself and let that vision pull you through the summer…

5)      Feed your mind a positive diet.  This is the time to feed your mind every single day (and many times in the day as well).  My favorite book to re-read during each summer is: “Beyond Positive Thinking” by Dr. Robert Anthony.  You can get it on Amazon.com

I’ll bet you have your own list of positive reading material you’d like to finally read.  Pick one book tonight, put it on your desk and commit to reading it before Labor Day.  That alone will make a huge difference for you.

The most important thing to remember during the summer is that “This too shall pass.”  If business has slowed down, that will change.  And if you take advantage of any of the five suggestions above, you’ll be the most prepared to prosper when it does…

If you found this article helpful, then you will love Mike’s bestselling book on what it takes to become a Top 20% producer: “The REAL Secrets of the Top 20% – How To Double Your Income Selling Over the Phone.”  (Recommended by Jeffrey Gitomer!)  Get a Special Offer and read about it by clicking here: http://www.mrinsidesales.com/secrets_and_CD.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

Have you scheduled your vacations for this year? I have, and boy am I excited!!

After I did, I remembered an article I published years ago, and I thought about all the positive feedback I had on it. So I decided to reprint it here.

If you follow the advice I give, I assure you you’ll enjoy your work more and you’ll be more successful at it!

Here it is:

At a company I consulted with a few years ago, there was a manager, Brad, who would never think of taking a full week away from the office. "Much too much to do, and I don’t really need it anyway." He told me.

"When was the last time you did take off on a real vacation?" I asked.

"Heck, I can’t tell you. Got to be over six years." He said.

"Aren’t you burned-out?" I asked.

"Naw. I take three-day weekends occasionally, and there are holidays. I get by I guess." He answered.

On the other hand, a woman I’d been coaching at the same company, Mirna, who is now a Top 20% closer, had just returned back from her first trip to Hawaii. She took her three kids and her husband, and when she came back to the office, she looked like a new woman.

She was tanned, relaxed, excited and she was energized! She talked about the fun her kids had, about how incredible Hawaii was, and about how she couldn’t wait to go on her next trip!

Vacations are the key to staying energized, focused, rested and motivated. And when you are energized and motivated, you perform better on your job and are happier overall. All work and no play make Jack, well, you know the story.

But just like in sales, there are guidelines and "best practices" to ensure that you get the most out of your vacation. After years of perfecting the vacation, I offer, "The 5 Secrets to Taking Great Vacations" — enjoy!

Secret #1 — Schedule and pay for your trips at least six months or more in advance.

Don’t wait till the last month to take a trip because it will never happen. You will always be too busy. By planning, scheduling and paying for your trips far in advance, you’re almost certain to actually take them.

July or November or March will always come and if you’ve already paid for a trip — you’re going!

Benefit: When you plan that far in advance, you get to look forward to it for months! It’s a great motivator.

Secret #2 — Go somewhere special.

Make a list right now of the six places you and your family would love to go to. Then enlist their help! It’s a great family activity.

Next, pick one special or exotic place this year and — that’s right — book it now. Go ahead, buy the airfare, book the hotel and car and pay for it. And then, have everyone mark it on his or her calendar.

Benefit: Watch the attitude of your family change — for the better. Suddenly there’s something bright, fun and enjoyable you are all looking forward to. Gee, the kids sure are nice to be around again!

Secret #3 — Don’t return to work until Tuesday!

Even though you get back Saturday or Sunday, don’t go right back to the office. Give yourself time to readjust, run errands, and settle back in. Nothing ruins of good vacation more than going back to work the very next day. Vacation? What vacation?

Benefit: Taking Monday off is like getting another "bonus" vacation.

Secret #4 — Take at least one mini vacation per quarter.

Besides your large vacation, plan to take at least one extended weekend, holiday or other three or four day break per quarter. Hitch a Friday and Tuesday onto a Memorial Day weekend, and voila! — you’ve got a bona fide vacation using just two personal days.

Try to go somewhere on at least one of these, and spend the others around the house getting things done or just relaxing.

But all the previous rules apply: plan, schedule, and pay for it in advance!

Benefit: Even more to look forward to!

Secret #5 — Don’t work while on vacation.

Your vacation is exactly that — a vacation! Leave your laptop, blackberry, and paperwork at the office. Resist the temptation to check in with your office. This is your and your family’s time.

Train your sales manager, VP of sales, or assistant to handle all business while away. They will do fine without you, and it will all be there when you return.

Benefit: You will actually feel like you’re on vacation and you’ll enjoy it even more!

So there you have it — the 5 Secrets to Great Vacations. I guarantee that if you follow these rules, you will not only enjoy your life more, but you’ll be more productive at work as well.

Imagine that — more successful and happier!

When is your next vacation?

If you found this article helpful, then you’ll love Mike’s NEW book of phone scripts, ?The Ultimate Book of Phone Scripts."  Buy now and get over $500 worth of free bonuses from top sales trainers like Tom Hopkins, SalesDog, Stan Billue and many others by taking advantage of this Special Offer: https://mrinsidesales.com/booklaunch.htm  Find out why Brian Tracy calls this the best book on inside sales available today!

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

Would you finally like to know exactly what to say in any selling situation when you call prospects and clients? Well now you can?

My new book, ?The Ultimate Book of Phone Scripts,?  has over 220 word for word, proven scripts to help you deal with all the blow offs, put offs and objections you get day in and day out when prospecting, setting appointments and closing sales over the phone.

Check it out here.

This book is packed with script after script of real world, effective come backs and rebuttals that will help you easily handle situations like:

• Overcoming initial objections like, ?We?re not interested? and ?I?m too busy,? and ?We already have a company/supplier for that,? and many, many more;
• *Learning how to build crucial rapport in the first 5 seconds;
• *Connecting with gatekeepers and getting through to the decision maker;
• *Knowing what to do and what NOT to do when prospecting and qualifying;
• *Dealing with smokescreen objections like ?The price is too high?;
• *Getting your prospects to return your emails and voice mails;
• *Overcoming common objections like, ?We just need to think about it,? and ?I can get it for less money,? and many more.

Let?s face it ? you get the same objections 90% of the time, so why not be prepared in advance with the absolute best scripts and techniques that really work. These scripts are focused on helping you connect with and engage your prospects instead of talking and pitching at them. That?s why Brian Tracy calls this book, ?The absolute best book on inside sales I?ve seen in a long time.?

Also, by taking advantage of this book launch, you can get over $795 worth of free bonus gifts including valuable e-books, and recordings from authors and experts like Tom Hopkins, Jeb Blount, Wendy Weiss, and many others when you order this new book today.

Go here right now and get details about purchasing the book and receiving your special free gifts.

Mike Brooks,
Mr. Inside Sales

P.S. The Chapter on cold calling alone will instantly change your experience of prospecting and will easily pay for the book within the first day! Check out Ultimate Scripts Here.

You know that saying, ?Practice makes perfect?" Do you think that’s true? IT?S NOT. Practice only makes permanent. Only practice of perfection makes perfect.

This is why 80% of sales reps struggle so much. They have never learned the proper sales skills, or, if they have, they aren’t using them and so day after a day they practice poor techniques and develop habits of selling that don’t work.

And after weeks or months or years of selling, they automatically and consistently do and say all the wrong things — and get poor results because of it.

The Top 20%, on the other hand, are in the habit of learning, using and practicing techniques and skills that work. They’re constantly adjusting, adapting and improving on each call, and they practice proven techniques, skills and methods that keep making them better.

The bottom line is that practice creates habits. And first we form habits and then they form us. My question to you is what kind of sales skills are you or your sales team practicing everyday?

My tip for you today is to take one of the proven sales technique you?ve read about in this manual — either using a script, questioning the red flags, or recording yourself – and commit to practicing it everyday on every call this week. If you do that, it will become a habit for you and you will quickly see the benefit.

Then do the same thing next week. Take another Top 20% skill or technique and make it yours and get in the habit of practicing perfection.

If you do this consistently, you’ll soon be performing like a Top 20% producer.

I know because this was how I became a Top 20% producer, and I can tell you that it builds on itself — your closing percentage goes up, your confidence goes up, and soon you?re in the habit of closing like a Top 20% producer.

And it all starts by practicing perfection.

What technique or skill can you incorporate starting today?

At a company I once consulted with there was a manager, Brad, who would never think of taking a full week away from the office. "Much too much to do, and I don’t really need it anyway." He told me.

?When was the last time you did take off on a real vacation?" I once asked him.

?Heck, I can’t tell you. Got to be over six years." He said.

?Aren?t you burned-out?" I asked.

?Naw. I take three-day weekends occasionally, and there are holidays. I get by I guess." He answered.

On the other hand, a woman I’ve been coaching at the same company, Mirna, who is now a Top 20% closer, just last week got back from her first trip to Hawaii. She took her three kids and her husband, and last Wednesday she came back to the office and she looked like a new woman.

She was tanned, relaxed, excited and she was energized! She talked about the fun her kids had, about how incredible Maui was, and about how she couldn’t wait to go on her next trip!

Vacations are key to staying energized, focused, rested and motivated. And when you are energized and motivated, you perform better on your job and are happier overall. All work and no play make Jack, well, you know the story.

But just like in sales, there are guidelines and ?best practices" to ensure that you get the most out of your vacation. After years of perfecting the vacation, I offer, ?The 5 Secrets to Taking Great Vacations? — enjoy!

Secret #1 — Schedule and pay for your trips at least six months or more in advance.

Don’t wait till the last month to take a trip because it will never happen. You will always be too busy. By planning, scheduling and paying for your trips far in advance, you’re almost certain to actually take them.

July or November or March will always come and if you’ve already paid for a trip — you’re going!

Benefit: When you plan that far in advance, you get to look forward to it for months! It?s a great motivator.

Secret #2 — Go somewhere special.

Make a list right now of the six places you and your family with love to go to. And enlist their help! It’s a great family activity.

Then, pick one special or exotic places per year and — that’s right — book it now. Go ahead, buy the airfare, book the hotel and car and pay for it. And then, have everyone mark it on his or her calendars.

Benefit: Watch the attitude of your family change — for the better. Suddenly there’s something bright, fun and enjoyable you are all looking forward to. Gee, the kids sure are nice to be around again!

Secret #3 — Don’t return to work until Wednesday!

Even though you get back Saturday or Sunday, don’t go right back to the office. Give yourself time to readjust, run errands, and settle back in. Nothing ruins of good vacation more than going back to work the very next day. Vacation? What vacation?

Benefit: Taking the Monday and Tuesday off is like getting another ?bonus? vacation.

Secret #4 — Take at least one mini vacation per quarter.

Besides your one or two large vacations, plan to take at least one extended weekend, holiday or other four or five day break per quarter. Hitch a Friday and Tuesday onto a Memorial Day weekend, and voila! — you’ve got a bona fide vacation using just two personal days.

Try to go somewhere on at least two of these, and spend the others around the house getting things done or just relaxing.

But all the previous rules apply: plan, schedule, and pay for them advance!

Benefit: Even more to look forward to!

Secret #5 — Don’t work while on vacation.

Your vacation is exactly that — a vacation! Leave your laptop, blackberry, and paperwork at the office. Resist the temptation to check in with your office. This is your and your family’s time.

Train your sales manager, VP of sales, or assistant to handle all business while away. They will do fine without you, and it will all be there when you return.

Benefit: You will actually feel like you’re on vacation, and you?ll enjoy it even more!

So there you have it — the 5 Secrets to Great Vacations. I guarantee that if you follow these rules, you will not only enjoy your life more, but you’ll be more productive at work as well.

Imagine that — more successful and happier!

When?s your next vacation?

I don?t have to tell you that times are hard for companies these days. And that means hard on you, the sales rep, too. Now when companies tell you that they don?t have the budget, you really believe them, don?t you?

Well not the Top 20%.

Top 20% producers are still making 80% of the sales because they know how to adapt in a changing market like the one we?re in today. They also know that companies are still buying their products and services, and what they are doing is adjusting how they sell so they can be more efficient with their time and energy. And one of their top priories these days is improving their phone skills.

Whether you only prospect and set appointments by phone, or if your entire sales cycle is conducted by phone, learning to use the phone more effectively is going to be crucial to your success in today?s economic environment.

Here are 5 Secrets of Top 20% producers and 5 critical phone skills you need to master today:

Secret #1: Use the phone to disqualify prospects rather than qualify them. With prospects taking longer to make a decision, the last thing you want to do is set a bunch of unqualified or so/so appointments and then spend your time, energy, and gas running around accomplishing nothing.

So do what the Top 20% do: when they get an answer that gives them that feeling in their gut (what I call a Red Flag), stop and qualify it! Ask the tough questions. For example, if your prospect says you can drop something off if you wish, ask:

?I?d be happy to. And let me ask you, after you see the information when are you planning to make a decision on it??

Or,

?I?d be happy to. What do you need to see in it to move forward and put my company to work for you??

Don?t be afraid to throw away the non-buyers! Remember: Leads never get better!

Secret #2: Be prepared with solid scripts to handle the common brush offs you get ? especially the, ?We don?t have the budget now?. When you get this, you should reply with:

?I completely understand. Like most companies, I know you don?t have extra money to throw around these days. But I also know that you still need to advertise your business and drive customers in the door. ________, let me ask you – if I could show you how advertising just $1,000 with us this month could bring you back $2,000 or more in business, isn?t that something you should know more about??

(Adapt this script to fit your product or service)

Secret #3: When closing, learn how to cut through smokescreen objections and find out what is really holding your prospect back ? and whether they are ever going to be a deal or not!

To do this, start questioning and isolating objections rather than answering them. If your prospect says: ?The price is too high,? say:

?I can understand that. Let me ask you ? if the price were right where you wanted to spend, is this something you would go ahead and order from me today??

Any answer other than yes means that this is just a smokescreen and answering it will get you nowhere.

Secret #4: Start recording your phone calls and make it a habit to begin listening to them and finding ways to improve.

This is without a doubt the most important thing you can do but, surprisingly, it?s the last thing 80% of sales reps will ever do. You will learn and improve more in a week than you will in 5 years of sales training. In fact, I?ve literally doubled my income in 90 days using this technique. Try it ? it?ll change your career?

Secret #5: Make a REAL commitment to improving every aspect of your phone calls and of your sales presentations. I call it Practicing Perfection. You?ve heard the saying that practice makes perfect, right?

Well that?s wrong! Only practice of perfection makes perfect. If you keep adlibbing your way through your qualification calls and closing presentations, you?re going to keep getting poor results.

But if you commit to finding and then using proven skills like the ones above, then you?ll improve on each call and you?ll make more sales. Just like the Top 20% do right now!

I don?t know about you but I can always tell when a telemarketer is cold calling me. From the moment they begin speaking, ?Hi is that Mr. Brooks?? to the way they fumble through their scripts, I have them pegged before they get past their first sentence. And like I?m sure it is with you, too, I am immediately not interested.

If what you sell for a living means you have to pick up the phone ? either to set appointments, call prospects back, return calls to clients, etc., then you have to learn how to sound natural and how to avoid putting your prospects, gatekeepers, assistants, etc., on notice that you?re trying to sell something.

And the way you do that is by learning how to sound like you?re not selling anything, and you do that by learning how to disarm prospects, sound natural yet professional, and how to be friendly without being phony. Use these 5 techniques to not only sound natural on the phone, but to also close more business:

#1 ? Always use the prospect?s first name. I know that there are two schools of thought on this, one being that you should show respect for someone you don?t know and so use either Mr. or Mrs., but I don?t agree. I think you can show respect for someone by being courteous and professional, and I think you?re going to make a lot more progress if you use a person?s first name. Here are the two reasons to do so:

a. First, by using a person?s first name you aren?t immediately signaling that you?re a sales person! I mean how do you feel when someone you don?t know calls you and addresses you by ?Mr.? or ?Mrs.?? Also, when you use a person?s first name, you are starting the call equal, without giving them all the power.

b. Second, everyone likes the sound of their own name. In fact, psychologists have found that everyone?s favorite word is their first name! By starting with that you are immediately making a connection, and a personal one at that.

#2 ? Be polite. You?d be surprised by how many sales reps still try to trick or get around gatekeepers and assistants, and how many are even rude in doing so. Always, always use please and thank you when speaking with anyone over the phone (or in person for that matter).

Words like ?please? and ?thank you? go a long way when trying to make a connection with a prospect, and they work especially well when you?re trying to get through to a prospect as well. Examine your current scripts now and do all you can to insert the proper courtesies wherever you can.

#3 ? Be brief. Most reps go into pitch mode the moment they reach their prospect that it?s no surprise they can?t wait to get them off the phone. I review scripts all the time that essentially read the company?s brochure to the prospect the moment they reach them.

You can turn that around and sound so much better by briefly delivering your presentation and checking in with your prospect. Try things like:

a. Briefly, (prospect) the reason I?m calling is that we?ve been working with many companies like yours, and I just wanted to see if we can help you as well. Can I ask you just a couple of questions to see if we?d be a fit for you as well?

b. (Prospect), you probably get a lot of calls like these, so I?ll be brief. I?ll just ask you a couple of quick questions and if I think we can save you between 15 to 20% I?ll let you know and, if not, we?ll part friends, is that OK?

Get the idea?

#4 ? Make a connection. This is one of the easiest of all and it?s a great way to get your prospect talking. All you do is find something that you know is affecting your other clients (like new laws in their industry), and ask how it?s affecting them as well. Try:

a. ?You know (prospect) a lot of my clients have told me of the changes they?re having to make because of (the new law), how is that affecting you??

b. ?(Prospect) what are you planning to feature at the September trade show??

By addressing something that they are dealing with now, you can instantly make a connection and get valuable information. Warning: you have to fit this in after you?ve established rapport, and you have to address something that is relevant to them.

#5 ? Listen more. This may not sound like a way to sound natural on the phone, but believe me, it?s probably the most important of all. First of all, most sales reps are so busy talking that their prospect has turned off long ago. They are just waiting for an appropriate pause to get rid of them.

By listening you actually create space for your prospect to speak (and to think), and because of that you are allowing the conversation to flow. When the prospect has a chance to get their thoughts and feedback out, they feel comfortable with you. And that is the best way for the conversation to unfold naturally. Hit your mute button after you ask a question and count three 1000?s to see how well it works.

There you have it – five easy ways to sound more natural on the phone. The good news is that they are easy to implement, and, once you do, you?ll make more connections and you?ll close more business. Try them today!

I’m amazed when I hear sales people and managers tell me how slow summer is for their business.  It’s almost like they’re resigned to the fate of poor summer performance and are already thinking about how to make up their losses in the fall.

Now I understand that many people take vacations in summer – a week or so here and there – but they are working all the other time aren’t they?  Even if your particular business slows down during the summer months (trade show, etc.), that doesn’t mean you can’t pre-book business or build relationships, or get referrals, etc..

The fact is, top 20% producers still find ways to make their quotas in summer, and they also find ways to set up the end of the year so they exceed their revenue goals, earn their bonuses and have a great holiday season.  And you can, too.

Here are Five Ways to make sure your Summer Sales Sizzle, and ways to make sure you end the year strong as well:

#1)  Have a Strategy.  80% of your competition approach summer like they approach everything else in their sales career – they ad-lib their way through this season and hope to run into business.  The top 20%, on the other hand, know exactly what objections they may encounter, they are prepared for them, and they have a specific selling strategy in place before they pick up the phone.

Do you have your “Summer Special” ready to counter the “Slow summer price objection?”  Do you have your “Pre-Fall Purchase Special” together to get pre-orders from those companies who are waiting until mid September?  What is your compelling reason for your prospects to act now?  Will they increase market share while other companies are sitting on the sideline?  If you don’t have a compelling reason as to why they should buy now, then develop a pitch today.  Whatever you do, don’t go in blind.

#2  Make more calls before noon. In summer, most people can’t wait to leave the office and enjoy the sunshine while it’s here.  It’s a proven fact that during summer most of the work, and attention given to that work by employees, takes place during the morning hours.

You need to capitalize on that work flow energy and dedicate yourself to making as many of your calls as you can before noon.  That doesn’t mean you stop calling after noon, but try to put off your other activities like paperwork, quotes, etc., until later in the day and do the bulk of your calling in the morning.

Also, try to make an additional 5 calls per day.  If you can accomplish that, you’ll put in over 315 additional calls this summer.  That, combined with morning calls, will pay off for you big time…

#3  Be prepared to talk vacation. Need an instant rapport builder?  Ask your prospect where they are vacationing this summer and then let them talk!  Did you notice that I used an assumptive question here?  I didn’t say to ask, “Are you taking a vacation this summer,” rather ask “Where are you vacationing this summer?”

After you listen and ask some questions about their vacation, it’s time to get back to business.  Try a good transition sentence like, “You know _________, many of my clients are taking vacations as well and they are making sure to get all the business done that they can ahead of time so they can relax and enjoy their time off.  I’m taking orders now for (your product or service), how many (your product or service) do you think you’d like to order before you leave?”

Adapt that script to fit your selling situation, but use it after talking vacation – you’ll get more order than you think…

#4  Set your prospect up for the fourth quarter. Many fourth quarter deals are set up – and sometimes even completed – during the summer months.  Here’s the key, though:  Don’t do what 80% of your competition does which is simply to get a time to call back in the fall, but rather, get a “pre-order” from your prospect up front.

What you do is get all the information on a possible order size, need, circumstances, dates, etc., and then tell your prospect that you will “Have that order ready,” and that you’ll leave it open in case they need to add or subtract from it when the time comes.”  Then go ahead and send your prospect out the order form, contract, P.O., etc., along with a date of follow up or fill.

While I recognize that not everyone will go with this, just imagine what an impact you’ll make to begin assuming sales this way!  Plus, there will be a percentage who will go along with this.  Believe me, this is Top 20% selling all the way!

#5  Invest in your own training. Now that the summer is here, if you’ve got some additional time (or your team does), this is the PERFECT TIME to invest in their development.  The smart companies use the summer months to improve their team’s selling skills so they are sharp and ready to take advantage of the fourth quarter.

Remember, if you’re not doing something to improve, then you probably aren’t improving.

So there is your summer recipe for sales success.  Use any of these five ideas to improve your results and you’re sure to have the best summer (and fall) yet!