In sales, we meet a lot of people. And one of the most important things to every person we meet is their name. So, it’s critical that we get those name right…and that we remember them.

I’ll never forget one incident that embarrassed me so much that I immediately sought a way to change how I remember names. I had met a very nice couple and spent quite a bit of time over one weekend showing them homes. On Sunday afternoon, we found the home that met all their needs and they wanted to make an offer. As I filled out the legal documents, I said to the husband, “Shall I put your name down as Bob or Robert?” He said, “Tom, I think Jim makes a lot of sense.” (more…)

Your primary goal when working with a new potential client is to get them to like you, trust you and want to listen to you. That’s the absolute most basic foundation of all of my training. The reason you take the actions and use the words I teach is that they’ve all been designed and proven to make you likeable, demonstrate trustworthiness, and say something worth listening to.

This is one of the most miniscule strategies I teach, yet it can make or break your career. Don’t dismiss this or take this information lightly because it’s one of the first things people see in an intial contact and it sets the stage for how the rest of your contact goes. (more…)

When it comes to getting involved in network marketing, most people experience a certain degree of fear. That’s perfectly normal. While the prospect of having your own business is exciting, if it’s your first time considering such an ‘independent’ venture, many pitfalls also come to mind. Stop right now and turn those negative fears into positive actions. Let’s focus instead on the skills you need to succeed.

The skills you need most are “people” skills. This includes an understanding of some very basic principles involving how and where to meet new people, making good first impressions, getting to know them and building the relationship.

How and Where to Meet New People

We all meet new people all the time through our jobs, while traveling, at social events, and so on. Yet, when we think about ‘having’ to meet new people to build a business, many panic at what to do. That’s because meeting new people (more…)

If you have access to a postal mailing list for potential clients, I suggest sending them a simple, one-page letter of introduction then following up with a phone call. [Even better, if you can network with someone else who already does business with the people you're trying to approach, get their permission to send the letter under their name.] If you have access to email lists, consider using those addresses in a similar manner.

The letter needs to be personalized with the recipient’s name. Don’t send letters with a salutation of ”Dear Friend” or “To Whom It May Concern”. Here’s a sample letter derived from my book, Sales Prospecting for Dummies. (more…)

Sales professionals handle challenges promptly. This includes returning calls as quickly as possible, researching the details of what caused the challenge and finding creative ideas for resolving them.

No one wants to face an angry client. Yet delaying a response to their challenge will only create more challenges down the road. Dont’ feel that you have to have a solution before you contact them.

Think about how you feel when you’re unhappy about something. Isn’t it better when someone just gets back to you quickly to either gather the details or just to listen to you vent? Once calmness and clarity reign, solutions can be sought and provided.

The better you are at resolving the inevitable challenges associated with being in sales, the more your business will grow–by referral. You can bet John and Sally will tell everyone they know about their challenge. Don’t you think it’s wise to give them a happy ending to the story (wth you being the hero)?

Even if you are unable to resolve their challenge fully or immediately, stay in touch with unhappy clients until they’re satisfied or ready to move forward–continuing to do business  with you.

Listen to more simple selling solutions in “How to Master the Art of Selling Anything.”

This information is copyrighted by Tom Hopkins International, Inc. for reprint permission, contact Judy Slack (judys@tomhopkins.com).

One of the best things I can ever hear from my clients is, “You’re early!” It’s always said with pleasant surprise as if salespeople are notoriously late. Unfortunately, many are. All too many people have developed the “always running a few minutes late” habit. And it is a habit. Sad but true, that habit puts those folks out of the running with many potential clients.

Running late presents a very negative image. Unpredictable and unprepared are other ways potential clients will interpret your actions if you run late for meetings with them. Neither of those words are very comforting when you’re considering doing business with someone over a long period of time or if the purchase involves much of their security (spelled M.O.N.E.Y.).

Champion salespeople have figured out that there are more benefits to be had by arriving early. If you must wait in the lobby or a conference room because you’re early, observe the workings of the office…the interactions among the employees. Understanding their level of professionalism and comfort with each other will help you make your presentation just right for them.

Also, being early may afford you the opportunity to chat with the receptionist or another staff member and gain valuable insight into the decision-maker’s thought process about the decision to do business with you.

Early is good!

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This information is copyrighted by Tom Hopkins International, Inc. for reprint permission, contact Judy Slack (judys@tomhopkins.com).

Most of us were born with two ears and one mouth. What we’re not born with is an innate understanding that God provided us those tools in the proportion they were meant to be used if we are to become effective communicators and survive well in our world.

If we learn to listen twice as much as we talk, we will pick up on valuable bits and pieces of information that will be to our benefit in the selling arena.

Unfortunately, most salespeople operate under the misconception that the reverse is true — that they must talk twice as much as the average person in order to move products and services.

By listening, you will learn exactly what it is your potential future client wishes to own with regard to benefits. You can then turn that information into a sale by demonstrating the features of your product or service that fulfill those needs.

The best single bit of advice for anyone in sales is this: Listen twice as much as you talk!

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This information is copyrighted by Tom Hopkins International, Inc. for reprint permission, contact Judy Slack (judys@tomhopkins.com).

For years people have contacted me wanting more information on telephone techniques. Today’s generation of selling demands thorough understanding of the use of the telephone. So how do you gain your share of the million-dollar telephone sales market? By being prepared. People today invest in more products and services over the phone and online than ever before — and they never meet the sales representative. The telephone is a tool of business and it is imperative that we as salespeople know how to use it.

When a consumer calls to inquire about your product or service, we as salespeople, have a moral obligation to turn that inquiry call into a presentation — especially if the company you represent has been in business awhile and has created a reputation.

You have no idea of the large number of consumers who pick up the phone every day, call a department store or a company, and the person who answers for the company has never been trained to use the telephone. Oftentimes, salespeople make it sound as if they are doing the caller a favor by answering the questions. That’s a shame.

As salespeople, we have a responsibility to increase our company’s profit so it stays in existence. When you chose your job as a salesperson, one of your jobs was to do anything in your power to increase your company’s profits — that is your lifeblood and existence. (more…)

As a sales professional, you encounter more people in different companies in a single month than the average employee at a single company does in a year. Think about what Company A is doing to survive the current market challenge and consider if it’s something Company B might also benefit from. Of course, never share information between competing companies, but when appropriate, be a walking reference guide for all of your clients. Not only will they thank you verbally for the input, they’ll thank you with their continued business.

If you’re not investing all of your time servicing your largest accounts because they’ve cut back, invest more time with your smaller accounts. They may appreciate the added attention and you might find new avenues to sales through increased business with them or from referrals they hadn’t given you before (when you weren’t giving them your highest level of service.)

This information is copyrighted by Tom Hopkins International, Inc. for reprint permission, contact Judy Slack (judys@tomhopkins.com).

I recommend the use of intent statements to set the stage for every presentation. An intent statement is designed to reduce sales resistance that is created by the unknown. When potential clients don’t know what to expect next their minds tend to wander and their anxieties build.

Your intent statements tell your clients clearly what they can expect from your time together and relieve any sales pressure they are imagining. It accomplishes two very important tasks:

1. It introduces an agenda of sorts so everyone has a clear picture of what to expect.

2. It lets your potential clients know that it’s okay to say “no.” (No, I’m not crazy…read on!) (more…)