10: Driving all Day

Spend the minimum amount of time traveling and the maximum amount of time prospecting or closing deals. Divide your area into manageable chunks and work each smaller area on a specific day each week. Only deviate from this plan where there is a very good reason such as collecting a certain sale.

9: (Really Cold) Calling

First impressions count big time. Prospect’s care about their business and not yours so have enough research done so that you can talk to them about their business. This will allow you to start to win their trust from the off. You need to stand out from the crowd and convince that your offering will add value to their business and customers

8. Falling Down on Follow Up

Call your customers or drop in to see if there are any more opportunities and that the current service is up to scratch. Send out some e-mails informing of latest developments or new products and follow up with a call. Speak to old prospects to see if their circumstances have changed. Selling is about building relationships; relationships are based on communication so make sure you follow up.

7: Painful Presentations and Dull Demonstrations

Let me start by saying the number of presentations where I have retained the information and which were in some way memorable I can count on one hand. There tends to be a general consensus that they are a necessary evil. In my opinion, this is not the case and they are often used as a bad sales prop and contain reams of irrelevant information. Good presentation skills are difficult to master so the average seller should limit time spent presenting and increase time spent selling. When evaluating your presentations and presentation skills ask yourself ” What is the presentation adding to the meeting?” and always ask this question from the point of the person or persons receiving the presentation. If your average meeting is one hour and your presentation takes up half, could some of this time be better to spend doing something else? How much of the information do people actually want to hear? A simple rule to apply when presenting is far less tell and much more interaction.

6: Stalling Your Sales Engine

Selling is all about the seller managing opportunities so that each action or conversation produces positive forward momentum ending in sales. Set yourself minimum and maximum objectives each time you talk with a prospect and always achieve in between. Ensure next steps and agree time frames no matter how small. Let stalling be your biggest enemy and attack with all your sales might.

5: Losing Track of Time

Time is your greatest resource, be very greedy with it. Ask the question ” Is this contributing to my sales?” for every action you do and for every conversation you have. If this answer is no, you need to change what you are doing or start having a different conversation.

4: Rejecting Referrals

Referrals are by far one of the easiest ways to get good quality leads. I’m often asked when is a good time to ask for referrals. “Is it when you just made a sale?” “Is it when a prospect is really happy with the quality of back up and after service?” Of course, these are all good times to ask but really the very best time to ask for referrals is “now”

3: Running Scared of the Close

The close is a reasonable request at a reasonable time. At best prospects say “yes” and at worst they say “no” and even then you can still change their mind. Ask the question “Can we do business?”

2: Not Getting to Know Each Other

You know why your product is special and can talk about all its valuable features. The prospect knows what makes their business special. To convince a prospect that your product will add value to their business you too need to know what makes their business special. How do you this, you ask lots of questions to find out. Take the time to find out about what’s important to them and what makes their business great. Only then will you be in a position to demonstrate how your product will make their business even better.

1. Alarming Attitudes

With the right attitude and energy nearly everyone can learn the skills required to become a seller and forge a successful and lucrative career for themselves. However, even today sales are still viewed in some quarters as a stopgap career move. Some companies too add flames to this fire by tossing away under-performing new hires at rate of knots. It’s time these people and organizations woke up to the fact to be successful requires proper training, the correct company supports, a varied skill set, and most of all a professional attitude on behalf of everybody involved.

Are you interested in selling Verizon Wireless services? Call us at (855) SELL-VZW or fill out the form below.  We look forward to talking to you soon!

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Are you interested in selling Verizon Wireless services? Call us at (855) SELL-VZW or fill out the form below.  We look forward to talking to you soon!

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IBM, Verizon Team on 5G for IoT

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You may have found yourself working from home – with or without children to care for – or discovering that many of your customers have shut down operations, so you’re wondering what to do with this “found time” in your schedule.

This could be an ideal opportunity to tackle those items on your business “to-do” list that you’ve neglected far too long. Here are 7 ideas to help you take back a bit of control in your business and prepare for when things get back to a new “normal.”

1. Check out the competition.

Go online and “creep” your competitors. What are they doing? What new products and services are they offering? What are they saying?

Obviously, you don’t want to copy what they’re doing or saying – but this can be an ideal time to find out how you can stand apart.

Look at the competition in your area and then see what others are offering in other countries. Then consider what you can do differently or what can you add to your roster that shows you’re a leader in your industry.

2. Review your Website and other marketing materials.

Is it time for an update? Often, creating new or updated content for your business is pushed to the backburner as you bring on new customers or work to deepen relationships with existing clients.

Now’s the time to read through your Website with fresh eyes – the eyes of your customer – and make sure the message you’re sending is the one you want others to read.

For tips for creating conversational content and maximize your impact, check out http://www.susanregier.com/tips.php for more insights.

3. Update all social profiles.

Be sure your profiles share the outcomes that you deliver and don’t read like a job-seeking résumé. And be sure your profile is accurate for where you are today. Share your accomplishments. Share your story.

4. Update your presentations.

If you’re a speaker or trainer, go through all your presentations and give them an in-depth refresh. Stats change. The way we do everything changes. Make sure your presentations reflect your changing industry.

Look at your talks, your slide decks, and your signage. Would a few small tweaks make a significant impact or are they tired-looking and benefit from a complete overhaul? Note, if you’re bored with your presentation, chances are your audience will be as well.

5. Research new prospects.

This can be a great time to research to find new customers. LinkedIn is the ideal platform to find B2B contacts. Please note, this is NOT the time to be selling. If you want to share useful information/insights, then reach out. But creating a list of potential contacts now will make work so much easier when things begin to get back to normal, and you have a ready-to-go list of new connections.

6. Create videos.

You can easily create quality videos using your computer or smartphone. These can be a great way to train customers or staff, offer industry insights and helpful tips, showcase products, or introduce employees to “humanize” your company.

They don’t have to be perfect! I always recommend that you check your background to ensure it’s not distracting. The focus should be on you and not on all the stuff behind you. That being said, Gary Porter, President of Flash Displays, offered this brilliant suggestion to use your tradeshow display (or part of it, if it’s huge) to use as your video backdrop. What a great way to brand your videos! You can then use these videos to send to customers, use on social platforms, Webcasts, etc.

When I create my videos, I like to do several at one sitting and post them over time on a schedule. This makes perfect sense if you’re setting up your display once, shoot several videos, and you’re done.

Also, Gary mentioned that as many tradeshows have been cancelled, you could still set up your booth and video your display and share your presentation, training, or insights about your company.

7. Reach out to current and past customers.

This is an excellent time to pick up the phone and re-connect to find out how others are dealing with this crisis (again, not to sell). These are extraordinary circumstances, and many people are not dealing well with the forced isolation they find themselves in. Your check-in call could be a lifesaver on many levels.

Are you interested in selling Verizon Wireless services? Call us at (855) SELL-VZW or fill out the form below.  We look forward to talking to you soon!

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1. Get your exercise. Many states have closed the gyms and fitness centers, so take a walk or do an in home exercise. Whether you are a morning or evening person, plan your schedule accordingly. You probably still have some DVD’s sitting around that are useful. There are plenty of YouTube, apps and on demand shows that will get you a good work out. Many allow a 30 day free trial, which is perfect for this time period.
2. Take a shower in the morning. Bring refreshed and clean will give you the feeling and energy to do a complete day of work and your significant other and kids will appreciate it!
3. Get dressed as if you are going to work or in something other than pajamas. This too will give you the feeling and energy you will need for the day.
4. If you are home with the kids, make sure they have some thing to do. There are hundreds of computer apps out there with learning and hopefully your school is providing them with learning lessons and homework to complete. Give them 15 min breaks every hour or so. If possible, send them into the yard to run around and burn off some of that energy.
5. Explain the situation as best and as stress free as possible. It does no good to put them in a worry or stress state. Tell them you will be working from home and need times of quiet to get your work complete. If you are to be on a phone or video call, make sure they know that and set a timer as to when they can speak with you again.
6. Eat lunch with them and have fun conversations so they still feel connected and not worried or stressed.
7. When your work is complete, be present and give them your undivided attention for a short time.
8. Plan your meals so that is not a stress factor for you. Many restaurants are still delivering or allowing take out, so still take advantage of it when you can.

Remember the old quote from The Red Green Show, “Remember, I’m pulling for you, we’re all in this together!”

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The consequences of isolation can be wide-reaching. As your brain begins to spend more time thinking about isolation and a lack of social engagement, it can be almost impossible to remain motivated about your work. Psychologically, that isolated feeling can quickly lead to more serious depression. Physically, the struggle to stay motivated and engaged without social interaction can lead to comfort eating, caffeine overdoses and more.

Almost everybody that works from home has felt isolated at one time or another. So, how can you deal with this incredibly common feeling? What practical steps can you take to stop your home office from becoming a prison? And how can innovative new services make it easier for you to start new relationships with friends and potential customers?

Three Practical Steps To Staying Healthy While Working Alone

One of the most crucial aspects of avoiding that isolated feeling is a clear, well-defined objective. Although you will hopefully have objectives from work, here are a few things to aim at for the sake of your well being.

1. Plan A Varied Working Day

Working from home brings with it some flexibility, but too much freedom does more harm than good. A sense of independence and control can, over time, become nothing more than a disorganized, unproductive working pattern.

The first thing that anybody should do if they are to work from home is invest in a good journal. In this journal, plan a clear schedule for your working day, including all of the work that you will need to do, alongside administrative tasks. Examine this schedule – is it varied?

Most people fall into patterns of similar work. For example, sending emails, writing a letter and publishing website material is all essentially the same task – sitting at a computer, hitting the keys.

Try to find new ways to make your work more varied. Particularly, look out for chances to be more social. Could you make a phone call instead of sending that email? 

2. Embrace The Flexibility Of Working From Home

Although the flexibility of working from home can become disorganized if left unchecked, it is this same flexibility that attracts people to work from home. When fully embraced, having complete control of your day can be used to eliminate isolation.

If you have previously worked in an office, the natural inclination is to sit at your desk from 9am until 5pm, giving yourself only a short lunch break. One of the most difficult things to do is leave this way of working behind!

Be excited about the fact that, with the right equipment, you can probably take your work to a coffee shop, or the park. Even if you do not have time to engage in social activity, simply being surrounded by other people can play a key role in minimizing the effects of isolation.

3. Maintain A Work-Life Balance

Finally, take care not to let your work-from-home business eat into the other more social areas of your life. Value the time when you are away from your business, and do not let your work creep in. Sometimes, feeling isolated during your working day is actually a symptom of wider isolation. A great example is working from home and, when your partner comes in from work at the end of the day, continuing to work late into the evening. This is a waste of valuable social time that is, ultimately, more important than a few extra hours of work. When opportunities to be more social arise, seize them!

How The Web Can Help

As the web becomes an increasingly social place, people that work from home have more opportunities to engage with people during their working day.

For almost every kind of business, there are websites with dedicated discussion forums. Not every conversation here needs to be about work – many forums allow people to simply chat about any subject that they choose. Try searching the web – Google even has a ‘Discussions’ tab that you can click to find forums with ease.

Alternatively, get involved with social media. Twitter and Facebook are fantastic marketing tools, but they are also places where like-minded people chat about every subject under the sun!

Allow Yourself Time To Adapt To Working At Home

From optimizing your daily work routine to throwing yourself into brand new online social groups, there is absolutely no reason that you should allow yourself to be isolated. The ability to work at home is a gift, not a curse – but that’s not to say that it’s easy.

Although people that have never worked from home might have difficulty understanding how you feel, know that isolation is a feeling that everybody feels at one time or another. As you make the transition from a lively office environment to your own private space, the best advice is to give yourself time to adapt and take a few practical steps to maintaining and expanding your imagination.

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