SIFTING FOR GOLD (POWERFUL PROSPECTING TIPS)

When you think of “prospecting”, what comes to mind? Perhaps the old grizzled prospector in the gold rush days hunched over a stream in the Yukon, sifting through pebbles, seeking that valuable nugget. ‘Sales’ is just like that – you have to sift through many potential buyers of your product or service to find those who will actually part with their money. However, common sense says that you would prospect in the streams known to have more nuggets, and use methods that are more likely to produce what you are in search of.

A well thought out, organized approach to business prospecting will enable you to:

- Increase the number of pre-qualified, prioritized prospects

- Increase the effectiveness of initial contacts for new business

- Shorten the time needed to engage high potential prospects and convert them to new clients

Where do I find Prospects?

Family, friends, acquaintances and those they know

Former business associates, customers

Hobbies, sports, neighbourhood, children’s activities

Civic Clubs; Associations

Self-Improvement activities

Where you do business

Ask for and use referrals

Observe – be alert to potential clients

Lists & directories

“Drop-by’s”

Telephone cold calling

Conduct a seminar – build your credibility and recognition

Constantly ‘have your radar up’. Learn to see prospects everywhere. Expect prospects to enter your life. Believe you have a solution for them! Prospect regularly and consistently. It is important to block-off specific time on your calendar for prospecting activities such as phone calling, emailing, and personal visits. Treat your prospecting time with the same respect as you would any other important appointment or it will slip through the cracks.

In summary, know that prospecting is a vital business activity. Develop and use a system. It’s how you will discover gold! Make sure that it is part of your regular routine, and constantly strive to improve your productivity.

"Closing the Sale Starts at the Beginning!"

A great deal has been written about effective ways to successfully conclude sales presentations, or “close” the deal. Hundreds of books have been written on this subject, with titles such as “Ten Powerhouse Closes”. Although there are techniques you need to use at this point, closing the sale starts at the beginning of the discussion, not at the end!

When you establish trust, competency, credibility, and rapport right from the beginning, the potential client is much more likely to listen to, and believe, your ‘presentation’. During the introduction part of your meeting, don’t try to sell. Engage in enough ‘small talk’ to begin building a relationship. Show your credentials, and briefly explain your background, qualifications, experience, and any professional designations. Let them know that you are there, not to push your product or service on them, but to learn more about their situation, to assess the extent to which you may be able to assist them.

Then, when you take the time to ask questions to discover how you can help the person, your solution will be customized. This, of course, will be much more acceptable to the prospective purchaser.

When you display a sincere interest in helping the other person, you will be viewed as a consultant, rather than a salesperson.

Then when it comes time to actually ask for the business, it will come as a natural progression of your conversation, rather than a battle you are trying to win. Your natural question will then be something like “Where do we go from here?” Their response will tell you how to proceed.

In summary, establish your relationship right at the beginning, build on it, then ‘closing’ will come naturally.

How to Stay Motivated by Denis Waitley

Be willing to say to yourself, “I’m on the right road. I’m doing OK. I’m succeeding.” We too frequently become adept at pointing out our flaws and identifying failures. Become equally adept at citing your achievements. Identify things you are doing now that you weren’t doing one month ago… six months ago… a year ago. What habits have changed? Chart your progress.

Doing well once or twice is relatively easy. Continuously moving ahead is tough, in part, because we so easily revert to old habits and former lifestyles. Over the long run, you need to give yourself regular feedback to monitor your performance and reinforce yourself positively. Don’t wait for an award ceremony, promotion, friend or mentor to show appreciation for your work. Take pride in your own efforts on a daily basis.

Keep the end result in sight. Always see the big picture of the ultimate goal you’re working for and the benefits that come with it. During World War II, parachutes were being constructed by the thousands. From the workers’ point of view, the job was tedious and repetitive. (Like making “cold calls” on the phone or in person.) It involved crouching over a sewing machine eight to ten hours a day, stitching endless lengths of colorless fabric. The result was a seamless heap of cloth. But every morning the workers were reminded that each stitch was part of a life-saving operation. As they sewed, they were asked to think that this might be the parachute worn by their husband, brother or son. Although the work was hard and the hours long, the women and men on the assembly line understood their contribution to the larger picture. The same should be true with your work. Each thing you do benefits the health and well-being of adults and children throughout the world, not just generally, but specifically. These are the visions that drive us through tedious details to the top.

Set up a dynamic daily routine. Getting into a positive routine or groove, instead of a negative rut, will help you become more effective. Why is the subway the most energy-efficient means of transportation? Because it runs on a track.

Think of the order in your day, instead of the routine. Order is not sameness, neatness or everything exactly in its place. Order is not taking on more than you can manage, without still being able to do what you really choose. Order is the opposite of complication; it’s simplification. Order is not wasting a lot of time trying to find things. Order is avoiding a lot of recriminations because you didn’t do something you promised. Order is setting an effective agenda with others, so neither of you is disappointed. Order is doing in a day what you set out to do.

Order frees you up. Get into the swing of a healthy, daily routine and discover how much more control you’ll gain in your life.

3 Ways to Grow Your Business in a Slow Economy (Taken from: Seeds of Success”)

It can be difficult enough to grow, expand and maintain a healthy business in a strong economy. When the market turns sour, it can spell disaster for the small-business owner conscious of cost. But a slower economy also offers opportunities for small-business owners to grow, outpace their competition and be stronger once the economic tide turns. Here are three simple steps you can take to keep your business expanding, even when the going (or growing, in this case) gets tough.

1. Reward Customer Loyalty

When looking to branch out, focus on your existing customers—they already know and trust you. The truth is that it’s easier and far cheaper to increase business from existing clientele than to rope in new prospects.
Offer your loyal customers new or additional products and services relating to an existing offer—then reward that same trust and loyalty by offering these services at a reduced rate. Also, consider offering discounts on existing services for the referral of new business prospects, in lieu of additional incentives.

2. Get More Bang from Your (Marketing) Buck

If you’re aiming to keep your sales soaring without significantly increasing your advertising expense, buckle down when it comes to negotiating with advertisers. Remember that economic downturns affect advertisers substantially, too. Use this downswing to your advantage and agree on a fair yet discounted price. If the price is set in stone, you might request a larger ad for the same money.

3. Good Publicity on the Cheap

Strike out and launch your own PR agency in the interest of your existing business. Combine the loyalty of your customers with a little marketing savvy and put together an e-newsletter. Offer tips, inside industry information and additional tools to your loyal customer base. Give your readers the opportunity to forward your literary calling card to friends. It only takes a handful of e-mail addresses and a creative copywriter, which your business might already have. Don’t think it will work? You’re reading one. Point taken?