Posted on Monday, June 21, 2021

The Crystal Ball Close

Let your prospect imagine the future—a future that includes your business.

Have you ever hesitated when you’re facing a decision? A big decision can be scary—and usually, that fear is from the unknown. Am I making the right choice? Will my decision lead to the outcome I want?

We’ve all felt that pressure!

If you’re closing a sale, your client is facing a decision. And their fear of the unknown could kill your deal. The Crystal Ball Close helps your client overcome that fear. When you use the Crystal Ball sales closing technique, prospects will feel like signing your agreement is a natural next step and not a stressful decision.

With the Crystal Ball Close, you’ll do two things:

Paint a picture of the future, and
Assume the deal is done

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Posted on Monday, May 31, 2021

How To Write The Perfect Sales Proposal

Don’t let your sales proposal get in the way of your deal! Here’s how to avoid the most common mistakes.

Not every salesperson needs to write sales proposals, but if you’re in a relationship-based sales cycle, there’s a good chance your client expects to see a proposal. And, your entire deal may hinge on this single document! Where do you even start?

If you want to craft the perfect sales proposal, you need to:

Follow a clear outline.
Keep it about the client, not you.
Be specific, not generic.
Come prepared.

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Posted on Monday, May 10, 2021

3 Tips For Remembering Names

Here’s a lie I hear people tell themselves all the time: “I’m no good at remembering names.” Try these three tips on your next introduction!

Remembering names seems like it comes naturally to some people, while others struggle.

But I’ve found most people who have difficulty remembering names just need to learn how to do three things:

Change your attitude
Pay attention (and slow down!)
Use new names immediately

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Posted on Monday, April 19, 2021

Ten Truths About Closing

Many salespeople enjoy the relationship part of relationship selling, but when it’s time to close, they suddenly feel awkward. Is this you?

If you’re nervous about closing sales because you don’t want to be “pushy” or don’t want to feel like a “closer,” I get it. We work hard to build relationships with our prospects, and we don’t want to turn them off.

Too many salespeople avoid the “close” step of the sales cycle —just because closing makes them feel like… well, a salesperson.

If you’re not asking for the business, you’re doing yourself—and your prospect—a disservice.

The truth is, your close (or lack of one) could be costing you thousands. If you don’t know how to ask prospects for their business, they’ll find a competitor who does!

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Posted on Monday, March 29, 2021

When You Sell On Price, You Lose On Price

Learn to focus on clients who care about more than price.

In relationship selling, we want to keep our clients happy. We don’t want to lose long-term relationships to a competitor who’s undercutting our prices. So, to keep our clients, we always need to win on pricing, right? Wrong!

Statistics show that 81% of customers are willing to pay more for a better experience. That means less than a fifth of customers think “the lowest price” is more important than anything else.

If your sales cycle is focused on price, you’re probably setting yourself up to lose. Don’t be lazy and fall into this trap! Instead, you need to:

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Posted on Monday, February 22, 2021

Client Relations: A Tale Of Two Tokens

Ever had an upset client? Here's how to have them say, “It’s no big deal.”

In the 1980s, an executive named Jean-Louis Gassée was chosen to head Apple’s operations in Europe. He quickly identified a flaw in their customer support: if a client reported an issue, it was usually blamed on the customer’s inexperience with new technology.

But dismissing people’s problems just makes them angry, and Jean-Louis knew that Apple couldn’t afford to have a bunch of disgruntled customers bad-mouthing his computers across the country. Apple had plenty of money to make things right for their customers—and the issues weren’t even really a big deal to fix!

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Posted on Monday, February 8, 2021

Just Say No to Notifications

We’re all trying to get more things done. But the technology that’s supposed to help us be more productive is actually getting in our way.

Has this happened to you? You’re trying to process paperwork, and suddenly your doorbell rings (in your house AND your phone), your watch dings and vibrates, and your dogs start barking.

You’re notified of a UPS package delivery by your email, your “smart home” app, your watch, AND your dogs!

Stop this madness!

There are SO MANY notifications that interrupt us all day long on our computers, phones, and smartwatches. These rings, dings, vibrations, and buzzes are impossible to ignore. It’s time to pick up your phone and put yourself back in charge! All you have to do:

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