Tips for That Close so more doors will open

Many of us in this business love to network with each other and it's no secret
that talks always leads to bragging rights on who sold who what or who got that
big close last week.  While we may or may not compete with each other as fellow
marketing or sales business leaders, we are open on discussing what worked or
did not work to get that sale. Helping each other to do our job better leads to a
win-win situation for all involved.  We are friends and associates all in the
same business and we don't go after each other's clients. Networking helps
builds trust, generate leads for each other, and builds community spirit. I decided to
share some of those selling tips that I gathered from my fellow peers as well as
some of my own.  I hope you may find some of these tips useful for yourself. 
Enjoy.


1.   Call (in person or by phone) during off-peak times.  ( Early in the morning or late
afternoon.)  Calling any other time, you usually get a "gatekeeper" or the front  
desk because the main person is busy during  peak hours.  It's also OK to
leave voice mails after hours as they will be checked first thing the next day. 

2.  Remember getting your prospects takes time.  We all experience dry spells
and don't let that get you down.  Do your best to keep your call list full.

3.  Sending emails (not spam) to your client of subject matter related to his
or her business is a good way to keep yourself in the loop. It keeps your name
in  front of them and they also may appreciate the fact that you do think of
them and their needs whether you are in a sales mode with them or not.

4.  Talk benefits of your product or service to your clients. Don't use
 the "I" word, or how much you sold. They don't care about what
YOU think or what you sold.  They want to know what you have to offer THEM!
 What does your product or service do to benefit their business.

5.  This is very cliché but we all know about" following up and following through." 
  Another old buzz word is "under promise and over deliver."  Both  phrases
are important and do work.  Do not be one of those "I got the sale and the check. 
Now for the next guy."  Your reputation as a jerk will "follow through" to  you as well.

6.  Ask questions to make sure you and your customer are on the same page. 
Let them always lead the conversation and listen. Don't be a blabber mouth
or  a Mr. or Miss know it all.  Nothing turns off a customer faster than an
ego filled sales or marketing person who thinks they know everything when
 in fact they know nothing about the person or the business they are engaged with.

7.  Take your time lining up sales calls, doing the actual sale, and making
sure your customer is taken care of.  Rushing just to get to the next deal
causes mistakes and those can be costly. Not only to you but to your company.  

8.  Emails are great way to communicate.  What may surprise some of you is my
work associates as well as myself still like to use faxes.  They get looked at
and in fact many of our customers still prefer having a fax sent to them as a
way of record. Faxing is not old school... yet.......

9.  Practice your sales approach with co-workers.  Yes, you can get stale and
 start missing key points in your sales or marketing presentations. 
I have one friend who likes that old bathroom mirror presentation. 
He monitors his voice inflection, his "elevator pitch", as well as other traits
 to make sure he is still on track.

10. Last point is to enjoy what you do.  If you don't ,think about a career
change.  That may sting a little but this job is not for everyone and it is not
as easy as it may sound.  If you think "anyone" can sell or market you are
fooling yourself.   Have fun and be creative but if you get down on yourself,
you already lost.

I Hope these points were helpful. Feel free to share with your co-workers or
you own networking group.