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Article Check - The 'Red' Pill or the 'Blue' -- the Truth About Professional Selling
Directions: As in Part One, thoughtfully and completely answer all questions. There are no right or wrong answers. If you are not currently doing something on this list, it does not mean that you must start. It does mean that you can use this questionnaire to diagnose your marketing and business development needs.Assessing the Success of Your Current Marketing and Business Development Program1. Do you have satisfied clients, customers or patients?2. Have you captured this business success with written or filmed testimonials?3. Can you name two or three problems you solved for your satisfied business clients, customers or patients?4. Are these services highly marketable to future clients or customers?Your Competitors1. Name three of your major competitors. Why have they been successful in your target markets?2. What have these competitors done that you do differently?3. Can these differences give you an advantage or define a niche?You and Your Staff1. What is the style and working manner of your office? Is this an advantage in your potential market?2. Do your clients come to your office, or do you go to theirs? Are you able to conduct a tour of your office?3. Do you have plans, models, work in progress, videos or other materia
The problem with “Learning How to Sell” is, it requires:
-- Hearing “No” a lot until you get it right (that’s why you have to be persistent, supposedly)
-- Failing a lot (that’s why you have to have a “thick skin, supposedly)
-- When you fail and hear “No” a lot, you will have to find ways to stay constantly motivated (that’s why yo
Most entrepreneurs first write their business plan and then develop their services or products. This causes them to generate and fulfill a marketing plan that requires them to swim upstream using the backstroke. To save the stress, consider placing the business plan on hold until first completing a few customer surveys. Okay, some of you are saying, "Catherine, how can you do a survey before you know who your market is?" Yes, this is one challenging double edge sword, that is, if you're mindset is set there.Over the years, I've found that everyone I've worked with generally knew what he or she wanted to sell. I don't believe you are any different. This is the perfect place to start. You have a clean slate to write on. You might be at a place of seeing it in nonspecific terms with measurable doubts as well. That is okay, doubts will always be there, thus, allow them to be your friend instead of a foe. It’s easy to start with a gender preference -- choosing either women or men as having a higher purchasing balance for what you are selling. If you don't have a majority gender in mind, choose the one you feel most comfortable talking with or asking questions to.Let’s dive in a little deeper, its time to start thinking about your surveys and what to ask. Okay, don't fade out
There is a major problem in professional selling today.
The problem is, most people within the profession today don’t even know what professional selling entails to be effective, efficient or successful. That makes it a great opportunity for you, but a real problem for you at the same time.
It really comes down to making a distinction between two different ways of “being” effective in professional selling just like making a distinction between how something is and what something is.
Let me clarify…
“Learning How to Sell”
is COMPLETLEY different than
“Learning Professional Selling”
By this I mean…
“Learning How To Sell” requires a phone, a desk, a customer, a couple of books on sales, and asking a ton of questions. Eventually you will figure out how to “do” professional selling. So when you ask “how to” sell, you are really asking “How do you accomplish professional selling?” You are in essence asking how to "carry out a task"; Learning how-to accomplish something is a verb (remember from English where a verb is “the part of speech that expresses existence, action, or occurrence?
“Learning Professional Selling” requires an understanding of theory, practice, as well as “why” something exists and “what” it is. It requires a description of professional selling that says what it is like, how it works and so on. When you learn professional selling, you are asking to understand what selling is not how to do it. In order to know what something is, you actually have to describe it. In other words, professional selling is a noun, not a verb. Remember from English class “A noun is a word that can serve as the subject or object of a verb” You “do” professional selling, you “become a professional seller” etc.
The problem with “Learning How to Sell” is, it requires:
-- Hearing “No” a lot until you get it right (that’s why you have to be persistent, supposedly)
-- Failing a lot (that’s why you have to have a “thick skin, supposedly)
-- When you fail and hear “No” a lot, you will have to find ways to stay constantly motivated (that’s why you
Customer service is a component of every business whether your business is a small retail shop, a personal service company, a manufacturer or a non-profit organization.Customer service encompasses any type of contact with your customers - telephone, fax, Internet, face to face, walk-ins, appointments, written communications, verbal communications, advertising and your employees.Even your company policy affects customer satisfaction – exchanges, returns, payment options, fees, hours of operation, organizational structure and rules that can frustrate customers.Some factors affecting customer satisfaction are not so obvious:Is your business environment safe for your customers?Is your business clean and inviting (inside and outside, including the parking lot)?Is there enough parking? Is it free?Do you have enough product on hand to meet your customers needs?Do you know what sizes, colors and package sizes your customers want, or just what they're buying from you because they can't get what they really want?Will you make exceptions to accommodate your customer or do you rigidly stick to your company policy at the expense of your customer?Are your employees well trained to “help” your customers, not just “wait” on them?Can your employees think
It really comes down to making a distinction between two different ways of “being” effective in professional selling just like making a distinction between how something is and what something is.
Let me clarify…
“Learning How to Sell”
is COMPLETLEY different than
“Learning Professional Selling”
By this I mean…
“Learning How To Sell” requires a phone, a desk, a customer, a couple of books on sales, and asking a ton of questions. Eventually you will figure out how to “do” professional selling. So when you ask “how to” sell, you are really asking “How do you accomplish professional selling?” You are in essence asking how to "carry out a task"; Learning how-to accomplish something is a verb (remember from English where a verb is “the part of speech that expresses existence, action, or occurrence?
“Learning Professional Selling” requires an understanding of theory, practice, as well as “why” something exists and “what” it is. It requires a description of professional selling that says what it is like, how it works and so on. When you learn professional selling, you are asking to understand what selling is not how to do it. In order to know what something is, you actually have to describe it. In other words, professional selling is a noun, not a verb. Remember from English class “A noun is a word that can serve as the subject or object of a verb” You “do” professional selling, you “become a professional seller” etc.
The problem with “Learning How to Sell” is, it requires:
-- Hearing “No” a lot until you get it right (that’s why you have to be persistent, supposedly)
-- Failing a lot (that’s why you have to have a “thick skin, supposedly)
-- When you fail and hear “No” a lot, you will have to find ways to stay constantly motivated (that’s why yo
You have made a life-changing decision. You have decided you want to make some serious money so you can live a lifestyle most people have only dreamed of. :-) Where do you go from here?If you are new to this business of direct marketing, and remember we were all Newbies once upon a time, you sometimes no doubt feel a bit overwhelmed by the amount of information you have been hit with.Let’s look at what you have done – probably:You have checked out lots and lots of classified ads in the ‘Business opportunities’ section of your Sunday newspaperYou have read endless sales letters on the InternetYou have attended at least one (and probably more than one) seminarYou have bought at least one (and probably more than one) all-in package of ‘how-to’ informationYou have subscribed to at least one (and probably more than one) newsletterYou have signed up for at least one (and probably more than one) ‘Members’ Only’ section on one of the guru’s websitesEach time you open your email box you receive at least two dozen new messages about how to make more money in this ‘Direct Marketing’ businessYou have read about the importance of ‘search engine placement’You have read about the importance of ‘traffic’You have read abou
“Learning Professional Selling”
By this I mean…
“Learning How To Sell” requires a phone, a desk, a customer, a couple of books on sales, and asking a ton of questions. Eventually you will figure out how to “do” professional selling. So when you ask “how to” sell, you are really asking “How do you accomplish professional selling?” You are in essence asking how to "carry out a task"; Learning how-to accomplish something is a verb (remember from English where a verb is “the part of speech that expresses existence, action, or occurrence?
“Learning Professional Selling” requires an understanding of theory, practice, as well as “why” something exists and “what” it is. It requires a description of professional selling that says what it is like, how it works and so on. When you learn professional selling, you are asking to understand what selling is not how to do it. In order to know what something is, you actually have to describe it. In other words, professional selling is a noun, not a verb. Remember from English class “A noun is a word that can serve as the subject or object of a verb” You “do” professional selling, you “become a professional seller” etc.
The problem with “Learning How to Sell” is, it requires:
-- Hearing “No” a lot until you get it right (that’s why you have to be persistent, supposedly)
-- Failing a lot (that’s why you have to have a “thick skin, supposedly)
-- When you fail and hear “No” a lot, you will have to find ways to stay constantly motivated (that’s why yo
The stresses of long working days are getting to Australian employees, with 25% saying they would like a plug-and-play room at work in order to partake in a bit of escapism during the work-day, A further 25% say they would like to see the introduction of a meditation room in the office in order to bring a bit of peace and balance back to their life. (1731 respondents to a survey by Australian human resources recruitment firm, Talent2).I’m all for anything that eases workplace stress and makes life at work more enjoyable. It’s also good to see the emphasis on achieving peace of mind to relieve stress, instead of the usual focus on physical activity, important though that is.However, putting recreation facilities into the workplace to help manage the stress of long working hours is at best a band-aid measure and, at worst, potentially harmful. It also smacks of the belief that the workplace is still the hub of life around which all else revolves. These days people generally work to live, not live to work.The key stress management issue for employers is how to maximize and sustain high quality work productivity in the pressure-cooker world of 21st century living. Think of a long distance runner. A drink of water during the run gives a temporary boost, but it’s what they do between runs, mentally
“Learning Professional Selling” requires an understanding of theory, practice, as well as “why” something exists and “what” it is. It requires a description of professional selling that says what it is like, how it works and so on. When you learn professional selling, you are asking to understand what selling is not how to do it. In order to know what something is, you actually have to describe it. In other words, professional selling is a noun, not a verb. Remember from English class “A noun is a word that can serve as the subject or object of a verb” You “do” professional selling, you “become a professional seller” etc.
The problem with “Learning How to Sell” is, it requires:
-- Hearing “No” a lot until you get it right (that’s why you have to be persistent, supposedly)
-- Failing a lot (that’s why you have to have a “thick skin, supposedly)
-- When you fail and hear “No” a lot, you will have to find ways to stay constantly motivated (that’s why yo
No company goes out and starts mass production of a new product before creating first an example of this product. This example is called a prototype.Prototypes are a working example of a new design. And before moving towards creating multiple copies of this prototype, the company will generally use the prototype to test its viability and quality.For example, before a new car is built, it must be designed, researched, and developed into a working product. Researchers consumer surveys, analyze market trends, and buying patterns to determine what consumers want, and then suggest what kinds of cars to make.Designers work to turn these new ideas into tangible products. Engineers then adapt what existing parts they have and implement them into the new model. They then proceed to produce the prototype. Manufacturers usually start by building a few prototypes before they set up a factory to build the new car.UsesPrototypes can also be referred to as test machines. They are usually developed to demonstrate the qualities of a new product to stakeholders and clients. The prototype, of course, is understood by these people to be yet an incomplete model of the final product. Its purpose is to show the potential attributes of the final product.Prototypes are also used for test purposes.
The problem with “Learning How to Sell” is, it requires:
-- Hearing “No” a lot until you get it right (that’s why you have to be persistent, supposedly)
-- Failing a lot (that’s why you have to have a “thick skin, supposedly)
-- When you fail and hear “No” a lot, you will have to find ways to stay constantly motivated (that’s why you hear that you have to “have a positive attitude, supposedly)
-- It requires going to “a guru” asking them what they did, only to hear things like:
-- “There are no silver bullets in sales kid, you just have to do it!”
-- You just have to figure it out on your own
-- If I tell you, it will not help you
-- It’s a numbers game! Just keep making calls, you’ll get it!
-- etc
on the other hand…
The problem with “Learning Professional Selling” is, it requires:
-- Asking what selling is
-- Understanding “what” professional selling is not “how” professional selling gets accomplished
-- Learning the systems, theories, and underpinnings of professional selling so you can become a better salesperson
-- Learning how the profession interfaces with other professions
-- Discovering the systems of professional selling and how they all interact
You see, learning “WHAT” selling is, is a precursor and an actual requirement for doing professional selling well. You have to know what you are doing in order to be any good at it! Right?
Unfortunately most sales people have no idea WHAT selling is! Don’t believe me? Ask them “What it is.” They will look at you like you’re a moron. If you do get someone who attempts to answer they will answer in “How-To” terms. They will explain “WHAT” it is by explaining what they “Do”.
I want to be really clear on this, so allow me a little more license…
As an analogy, pretend it is 1,000 years ago and you are brought into a cave and handed a sharp object to use as a scalpel. You are told to operate on someone lying on a table, and take out their "pain."
Of course, you have had no formal training in this--and you tell your mentor of your concern.
He doesn't let you operate on your patient this time. You are told that you can watch him and others plenty of times, but there are "no silver bullets" to finding "the way."
After 1 week, you have watched some operations.
Then your "VP of Cave Medicine" comes
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