It is so often said that you only get one chance to make a good first impression, but why? As sales people we are generally meeting a lot of people for the first time through our work, after all, most true selling is still done person-to-person if not face-to-face. It is, therefore, essential to be able to engage quickly and easily and the 'first impression' is where it all starts. In Professo...
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Dressed to sell
Being dressed to sell is more important than you may think. During a training course earlier this year the question of what to wear when selling arose, and it is a fair question. The conservative may say always be in a suit whilst the more confident may say dress whatever is comfortable, after all it works for Sir Richard Branson! Let's delve a little deeper. Being correctly dressed to sell...
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Pitch Perfect
Your route to being pitch perfect in presentations is simple. Firstly, understand that everyone gets nervous before making a pitch or presentation and accept that this is normal. [ap_column_wrap] [ap_column span="3"]If you think: Will I make a mistake? Will I stumble? Will I forget? Will I... you are setting yourself up for problems. The issue is with the 'I' element being your p...
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Value your product
Do you value your product or service? When working with a small firm in a coaching role a while ago we were looking at where business could be improved and, whilst sales could be better they were not disastrous. The key issue was that margins were relatively low. [ap_column_wrap] [ap_column span="3"] A little digging into orders received and there was an obvious disconnect between the pric...
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Sales coaching
Sales coaching should be considered vital to your business Almost every part of a business can be outsourced and many make a great-deal of sense. IT support is widely outsourced and cloud computing has made this even more common. Bookkeeping has long been outsourced, particularly by smaller companies. HR is now being outsourced as the HR laws become ever-more complex. One function that...
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Convey an image
Convey an image but let the prospect reveal it! [ap_column_wrap] [ap_column span="3"]We have said many times that a salesperson needs to talk not about 'what it is...' but '...what it does' in order to sell successfully and repeatedly; however, there is much, much more to this. For example: If working in a hi-fi store I could say: "These headphones will enable you to listen to your music w...
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People don’t buy what you sell
This will come as a surprise to many but your customers don't buy what you sell! [ap_column_wrap] [ap_column span="3"] If you sell widgets I have some news for you. Like it or not, your customer is not buying your widget, regardless of how light, fast, durable, compact and cheap it may be. You may think or believe this to be wrong but I can tell you now that you are mistaken. What your cus...
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Show me the money…
Show me the money is more than just a movie line. [ap_column_wrap] [ap_column span="3"]In most areas in sales the advantages gained from a particular product/service boil down to money. In B2C this may be in the services sector making savings whereas in the B2B sector it may be a more efficient machine. Understanding the driving factor behind a buyer's reason for buying is critical in knowing...
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Planning an exhibition?
Exhibitions are a unique selling challenge Whether you are experienced or new to the world of exhibitions or trade shows you need to approach them in a particular way. [ap_column_wrap] [ap_column span="3"] They are an excellent way to meet a lot of prospects and existing customers as well as make new contacts in a very short space of time. They are also an excellent way to burn money if no...
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I bid because I want the business…
"I bid because I want the business..." [ap_column_wrap] [ap_column span="3"] Speaking to group member during a networking meeting I was explaining the need to be aware of 'The Subtlety of Selling™' at all stages in the business when he made the above statement. As a highly skilled craftsman he could not see the need to become a salesman; however, after a few minutes of discussion it seemed...
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Black Friday? How about Rainbow Monday…
Be 'better' than 'Black Friday'. [ap_column_wrap] [ap_column span="3"] Here at Venture Training we do not go in for slash discounting on a particular Friday. Here's our alternative to 'Black Friday': Excellent value, real world training for your business EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK! One sale gained through our sales training will give an instant return on your very modest investment. ...
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if you always do what you’ve always done…
If you always do what you've always done you'll always get what you've always got! [ap_column_wrap] [ap_column span="3"] If you always do what you've always done you'll always get what you've always got... or so the saying goes. The reality in business; however, is that you will get less than you've always got as someone will do better, faster, cheaper and take your business. Clichés ar...
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Do you actually want buyers?
For those of us in business the answer to the question 'Do you actually want buyers?' would generally be a 'yes!' [ap_column_wrap] [ap_column span="3"]There is a distinct difference, though, between someone buying from you and you selling to someone. Let's say they arrive at your flower shop choose an arrangement and buy it. Great! However, think about it a little deeper. If someone had inter...
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Hunting, farming or fishing?
There is a tendency to lump sales people into one mould but this could not be farther from reality. Three modes of selling exist, Hunting, Farming and Fishing and the approaches for each are quite different: The Hunter will use lots of time and energy tracking-down sales prospects but nurturing the herd once found is alien. This is what most people see as a 'typical salesman' and they are oft...
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My competitor? Oh, they’re good!
We've all been in the position of pitching our business when someone says "what about XYZ-Systems?" (our competitor). How do you respond? How should you respond? Clearly we do not want to sell for the competition and many of us learn that 'attack is the best form of defence'. Well, maybe against a wild animal but not in a sales situation! My suggestion to you is simple: Praise your compet...
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Business cards
Business cards are much more important than you may think. We all understand the importance of making sure our business contacts have the means to reach us, and vice versa but there is a protocol, by which I don't mean the very admirable Asian methods of presentation. Firstly, the design: Your cards should be informative but not cluttered nor overly complex but contain enough information fo...
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Bond, James Bond
Bond, James Bond... one of the most well known movie lines of all time, but why? It comes-down to the use of English and, in particular a technique called a diacope. Writers employ these techniques to make certain words and phrases stick in our minds and a diacope is basically repetition of the phrase with a small 'something' in between eg. Bond, James Bond. Bond (key word), James (the 'somet...
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Networking…
We are big fans of informal networking and recommend all business try to find a local networking group and become actively involved. There is, however, a caveat. Go to the network session with the view that you are both giving and receiving as this is how you will both make useful contacts and become a useful contact and to really get the most from a network group takes time. When you do go yo...
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One day sales training workshop
December 3rd, 2014: One day sales training workshop in Middleton-on-Sea, West Sussex, PO22 7RH. Most small businesses are started and run by people highly skilled in a particular area with a passion to match; however, business demands much more and selling is one area where some training will make a significant difference. Sales people are trained, not born and this workshop is ideal for thos...
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Plato or Aristotle?
What do the Greek philosophers, Plato and Aristotle, have to do with selling? [caption id="attachment_105" align="aligncenter" width="236"] Plato[/caption] Take two opposing philosophical stances, Rhetoric and Dialectic (Emotion and Logic) both of which are valid ways to convey a principle or statement. Which is likely to receive greater acceptance from your prospect? As a sales professiona...
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