“Just Sell, Baby!”

Love him or hate him, Al Davis, the maverick owner of the NFL’s Oakland Raiders football team, guides his beloved franchise from the premise of three simple words:

“Just Win, Baby!”

And more often than not, for the past 35 years—recent times notwithstanding—that’s exactly what the Raiders did.

Can Al’s little aphorism be applied to jumpstarting a business? Sure…the quick and easy answer would seem to be:

“Just Sell, Baby!”

Sounds easy enough, but we all know the sales process is a tricky road to navigate. A breakdown in any number of areas quickly turns, “Just Sell, Baby” into “Hasta la vista, Baby!”

More than ever, what’s needed is a proven strategy for accelerating the sales process, and there’s no one better qualified to provide that strategy than internationally acclaimed speaker, author and seminal thinker on sales and marketing issues, Neil Rackham.

Here’s what you need to know:

Rackham has written five of the bestselling career sales training books of all time, including his phenomenally successful, “SPIN SELLING,” “Major Account Sales Strategy,” “Rethinking the Sales Force,” “Getting Partnering Right” and his latest release, “Escaping the Price-Driven Sale.”

More than half of the Fortune 500 companies pay major bucks to establish employee training and development programs using Rackham’s sales models. Unfortunately, however, because of the high demand for his corporate sales training programs, very few people from small and mid-size businesses get the chance to learn from this living legend.

That is, until now.

On December 4 at the Radisson Hotel in Piscataway, NJ, Move Ahead 1 will host Neil Rackham in his only live area appearance for an intensive sales training workshop. Throughout this high-end direct sales training seminar you will:

•    Learn how economic conditions are changing the world of selling
•    Discover how the worlds’ best sales forces are using value creation strategies
•    Learn what scientific research tells us about successful selling
•    Learn the art of asking powerful questions that change the way customers think
•    Acquire the keys to building a high performance sales culture

These core sales skills are crucial for competing in today’s super-tight economic conditions, where everybody’s walking on eggshells and the market has more ups and downs than a gymnastics trampoline competition.

If you want to “Just Sell, Baby,” then treat yourself to the best holiday gift you could ever receive and register now for this seminar while there’s still seating available. Otherwise, it’s “Hasta la vista, Baby!”

Recession Obsession – 4 Things You Can Do RIGHT NOW to Positively Impact Your Bottom Line

Caryl Felicetta of Single Throw Internet Marketing recently wrote an article in their marketing blog noting steps you can take to improve your bottomline in this tough economy. They’re worth repeating…

1. Brush off your “UVP” – Your Unique Value Proposition, sometimes called Unique Selling Position, is where all your marketing and messaging starts from. It’s how you differentiate yourself or company from your competition. If you can’t tell the difference, your customer won’t be able to either.
2. Market Where Your Customers Are – Seems simple enough. But where are your customers? I can pretty much guarantee in this day and age they are ONLINE! If your website is still the one your extremely smart and talented nephew that had a computer and Frontpage built for you, it’s time to make a change. Your website IS MARKETING and likely viewed by more customers and prospects than your Yellow Page ad or that ad you ran in a business journal once or twice last year. Don’t know where your customers are looking? Then get out to a networking event and talk to them!!! You still need to be in front of people offline!
3. Clean Out Your Sock Drawer – What? You mean procrastinate? NOOOOoooo. I mean look at what you have, what works and what doesn’t. Those fuzzy argyle socks you bought a few years ago really don’t go with your business suit. And those socks with the holes in the toes, you were going to sew up the holes? If you haven’t done it already, you won’t. They are taking up space. Get rid of them. Stick with what works and make room for new ideas, or even new staff members.
4. Learn and Train – Now’s the time to improve your skills – especially your sales skills. Take a sales or marketing course. Read a few business, sales, or marketing books. There’s plenty of old concepts you’ve yet to master, and certainly new ones waiting in the wings.

If I were adding a fifth item it would be stop wasting time. The 4 items above are Business 101. If you haven’t considered them, you’re already behind. But the good news is you can always start. So what are you waiting for?

What The Heck Is SPIN Selling?

If you didn’t get a chance to attend the Herb Cohen Success Expo, you missed one of Move Ahead 1’s best Expos ever, and you missed learning about our final Success Expo of 2008, featuring Neil Rackham, author and creator of the SPIN Selling methodology.

 

So, what the heck is SPIN Selling?

 

In Rackham’s book, appropriately titled, SPIN Selling, he discusses how classic sales techniques, like overcoming objections can actually hinder a sale due to the fact that most potential clients are now savvy to these tricks.

 

What Rackham has come up with is a way for you to ask your client questions in order to expose their “pain” and then ”save” them with your product or service.

 

So, what does the SPIN in SPIN Selling stand for?

 

“SPIN” stands for the four question types asked in sequence that are needed to get the sale.

 

S stands for Situation Questions.  Data-gathering questions about background and facts about the company you are calling on.

 

P stands for Problem Questions.  Questions which explore problems, difficulties, and dissatisfactions in areas where your product or service can help.

 

I stands for Implication Questions. These types of questions take a client’s problem and explore its effects or consequences.

 

N stands for Need-Payoff Questions.  These types of questions get the client to tell YOU the benefits that your solution could offer.

 

There are several examples of these types of questions in SPIN Selling. But why not give yourself an opportunity to listen and learn from the author himself?  Also get an opportunity to network with like-minded professionals who are attending this event to get an edge in their business.

 

 

Book review-amazon.com-”The Ultimate Tactical Selling Handbook”

I am a corporate sales professional. That means that I don’t do “hit and run,” one-time sales. Tom Hopkins and Zig Ziglar offer great tactics for those kind of salespeople, but they don’t work for me. Neil Rackham has hit one out of the park with Spin Selling. Turning everything I “thought” I knew about closing on its head, he provides the power tools for making the most of a sales call. The most important concept here is that you, as a sales rep. are not there when the real decisions get made. Therefore, you must arm your prospects with the tools to represent your company well in your absence. Rackham does not disappoint. You will get all the tools you need to prepare your prospect to close the sale for you from this book. I give all of my salespeople Strategic Selling by Miller, Heiman, et. al. and Spin Selling as the ultimate combination of strategic and tactical approaches to corporate selling. Stop throwing commissions away. If you consider yourself a true corporate sales professional, you have no business ignoring this book.

 

Register on line today at www.moveahead1.com or contact Nicole Linden directly at 908-216-1940.

Football Season is Underway. How is Your Team Gonna Do This Year?

Wherever you work or whatever you do, if it involves participation of other people, then undoubtedly, you are familiar with the term, “Teamwork”.  Without it, organizations fail.

 

Have you ever worked on or with a team where everyone felt free to share ideas, team members did their part and everyone got along?  How about the team where no one got along, every team member was busy shooting down fellow team mates, a few lazy team members did nothing, and a few loud team members dominated team meetings?  Not so fun and the level of productivity…very low.

 

I recently had a conversation with a client who shared with me his struggles with the team he manages.  “They all seem to spend a lot of time gossiping about who isn’t contributing to the team, or who doesn’t do something well. We aren’t getting any work done.”   This is not good.

 

Small and large businesses alike know that teamwork among managers and employees is important for these three very obvious reasons:

 

1. Teamwork maintains or increases employee morale
2. Teamwork helps in producing a quality product or service
3. Teamwork greatly increases customer service.

 

So what do businesses do when they realize their level of teamwork has taken a dive?

 

Basically, re-evaluate your team members and their abilities, just like a football coach would do.

 

According to Sheena Binkley, author of an article titled, “The Importance of Teamwork in the Workplace”

 

There are certain characteristics to remember when knowing the values of teamwork. The most important factor in teamwork is foundation. Knowing which position each person is within a team can help co-workers provide the work they’re strong in; that way assignments can be completed on time and without problems. Having respect for one another is also very important.

 

With every team, there is a team leader, and that leader needs to be strong.  Lauren Beyhenof, author of, “Teamwork in the Work Environment” wrote,

 

Strong team leaders are those who know how to delegate. They see what they want to have happen, and, if they’re truly attuned to the overall group dynamic, they are aware of each team mate’s strengths and weaknesses. The two greatest pitfalls of being a team leader are 1. The leader tends to overpower the rest of the group; 2. The leader “bends over backwards” as they say, to appear more like an amicable buddy than a goal-oriented leader.

 

In order to be successful, every team member needs to put forth their best effort and combine that effort with the rest of the group.  When everyone does their part the result is realized by an increase in what the team can do as a whole.

 

The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual.  Vincent Lombardi

Negotiating your way around a tough economy

Okay, so we all know the economy is tanking at the moment. No news there. But have you thought about how you can use this to your advantage? All it takes is a little negotiating savvy and an eye for spotting opportunities. Check it out:

I recently read a business negotiation article by Eileen Alt Powell in the Home News Tribune that gives some very interesting statistics regarding the rise of bartering for goods and services in lieu of cash payments. This includes consumers looking to trade items or services with other consumers, as well as businesses that might be looking to trade services or work off excess inventory in return for new customers.

Jim Buckmaster, CEO of the online classified ad and forum giant, Craigslist, estimated there were more than 140,000 barter posts this past May, more than double the number from a year ago. Tom McDowell, executive director of the National Association of Trade Exchanges, also cites a down economy as the catalyst for the rising number of barter deals between businesses.

Another article found in Money magazine (Bob Tedeschi, August, 2008) flatly states if there’s any silver lining to our sluggish economy it’s that the consumer is back in charge with a lot more power to name his or her price. Here are a few examples the article cited:

• Mortgage Brokers: Volume remains low for those brokers that are still in business. When buying your next house, use that leverage to cut commissions.
• Health Clubs: Besides a downturn in business due to the aging of the Baby Boomers, the economy is keeping new signups to a minimum. It’s a good time to negotiate reduced rates on initiation and monthly fees.
• Cell Phone Service: If your contract has lapsed or is about to lapse, call your company’s retention department and tell them “the other guy” is offering some pretty attractive plans. What are they willing to do to keep you as a customer?
• Cable/Telephone/Internet Services: Like cellular phone service, play one company against the other. Mention competitors’ rates and tell them you’re considering switching to save some money.
• Electronics/Clothing/”Stuff”: Retail sales have been sluggish all year and as a result, consumers are often able to get significant additional discounts on big-ticket items. Use a comparison-shopping site to find the lowest price, bring it to the store, and find the person (usually a supervisor) that has the authority to “okay” a lower offer.

Two important things to know before you head out on the bartering trail:

First, like the proverbial “party poopers” they are, Uncle Sam’s eyes and ears at the IRS say some barter transactions are taxable. According to them, “The fair market value of goods and services exchanged must be included in the income of both parties.” That figure then gets entered on Form 1040’s Schedule C, which is titled Profit or Loss From Business. So, it would be in your best interest to consult a tax expert before proceeding in a barter deal. ‘Nuff said.

Second, if the extraordinary opportunities that exist out there have tickled your “barter bone,” you want to make sure you do it right and give yourself every advantage possible. What’s that mean? It means sharpening up your negotiating skills on September 18, 2008, at the Radisson Hotel in Piscataway, NJ, when the world’s foremost negotiator, Herb Cohen, presents the fine art of negotiating a deal.

In an exclusive New Jersey appearance promoted by Move Ahead 1, Herb, a worldwide bestselling author, will share his strategies and unique insights for reading people and situations, and negotiating from a position of strength. Learning Herb’s skill sets will help you to deftly manage negotiating situations in all walks of life, including business, personal relationships, and of course, bartering!

Don’t even think about it; register now! Your one-time investment will bring you a lifetime of returns. And you can take that to the bank!

Who’s Better at Negotiation Skills, Men or Women?

Two interesting articles came through my RSS reader today posting the results of a study regarding gender and negotiation skills. The first noted the following:

Women more skilled at business negotiations than their male counterparts.

I can buy that, being a woman. However let’s look at the study results based on simulations of business negotiations among 554 Israeli and American management students at Ohio State University, in New York City, and in Israel at the Leon Recanati Graduate School of Business Administration. Dr. Yael Itzhaki who conducted the study (a woman as well) stated, “Women are more generous negotiators, better co-operators and are motivated to create win-win situations.” Women offered better terms to reach an agreement than men. And women were good at facilitating interaction between the parties, she found. The study also indicated that women are great listeners, they care about the concerns of the other side, and they’re generally more interested in finding a win-win situation – a statement coined by Herb Cohen, our upcoming seminar speaker – to the benefit of both parties than male negotiators.

Then just posted today…

When it comes to negotiating, men and women change gender stereotype

A study from MIT’s Sloan School of Management and University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business assigned 190 MBA students to same-sex groups to represent either a high-status recruiter or a low-status job candidate engaged in a standard employment negotiation simulation. The study noted that when incentivized to make a positive impression on their counterparts, men and women in the high-status role acted in ways that contradicted gender stereotypes. Women negotiated more aggressively and men negotiated in a more appeasing manner.

Business schools are looking for ways to ensure graduates are given all the skills necessary to compete in an ever increasingly aggressive and competitive business environment. That means graduates entering the workforce are even more prepared to dominate in business. It’s not going to be whether you are a man or woman, but how well trained you are to negotiate and make the sale.

I could have told them to save their money. Women are the better negotiators. Just ask my husband!

So let’s hear from the men and women out there…who do you think dominates when it comes to negotiating the sale? Are you even prepared for the battle?

By the way, as far as men go, the master of negotiation is Herb Cohen. I’ll have a chance to go head-to-head with him this coming September. Will you be there?

How to Increase Employee Morale During Tough Economic Times

How come employees aren’t as happy as they were just a few years ago?  Quite obviously it’s because of the economy.   Employees are nervous and stressed in today’s volatile economy. Gas prices, food prices, downsizing. etc.   This causes lower productivity and raises health benefit costs for employers.

 

According to the American Institute of Stress, numerous surveys and studies confirm that occupational pressures and fears are far and away the leading source of stress for American adults and that these have steadily increased over the past few decades. So how can employers help their employees without breaking their already strained budget? 

 

Below are 3 simple ways employers can do this:

1. Be Honest.  Let employees know the state of the company.  It is critical that employers are honest about the company’s financial situation. If business is good, discuss new projects and contracts. If it’s not so good, focus on the integrity of the company and its management. 
2. Let employees know you care.  Provide information to employees about how to make the dollar go further, or where in the local area is gas the least expensive. Providing this information will show that you are listening and understand and ultimately, care. Providing this information won’t cost you too much time and more importantly, it doesn’t cost anything to provide information.
3. Don’t give up on training.  We know budgets are tight but there are some very cost effective training seminars that don’t require round-trip airfare, two nights’ hotel stay and a rental car. Look locally for a good ½ day or 1 day seminar and send your employees to it!   Not only does it show that you value their growth as an employee, it gives them a chance to be with each other, outside of the office and can be used as a really great morale booster. It’s also  a great return on a minimal investment.

There are several more ways to assist during slow economic times. These are just a few to get started.

 

A great way to view  a company is to look at how it treats its employees both in good times and bad.