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Fundraising Your Sales

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We’ve all seen those fundraiser thermometers, haven’t we? It’s a simple and fun way to chart the progress of a charity or organization in their quest for raising the necessary funds. Everyone can visually see if they’re reaching their goal, and it encourages everyone to strive further. Do you use a visual aid of this type for your sales goals? …

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The 7 Most Common Negotiating Mistakes

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While even the word “negotiation” can evoke fear, stress, and anxiety for many, the intent is quite simple: to discuss and ultimately agree on a deal.  Whether it’s a multi-million dollar contract or just deciding where to meet for lunch, life is rife with negotiations.  And, the negotiation process is a lot like a chess game where strategy reigns supreme—one …

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Use the 80/20 Rule to Grow Your Business

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If your business isn’t growing, you need to get a handle on the way you’re running it.  Many insurance agents tend to spend a great deal of time performing unnecessary tasks that contribute little to the growth of their business.  The 80/20 rule, otherwise known as the Pareto Principle, teaches that only 20% of your actions should lead to 80% …

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Searching for a New Career Opportunity?

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Have you ever noticed that when a series of events collide, the result is often both a crisis and the emergence of new opportunities? That appears to be what’s happening today.  The tough economy we’ve experienced over the past several years has led to record-high levels of unemployment across most of the nation, and the situation is improving at a …

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It Takes the Right Tactics to Improve Sales Performance

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In Lee Child’s Without Fail, a Secret Service official simplifies a disturbing problem. “If the Yankees come to town saying they’re going to beat the Orioles, does that mean it’s true?” And then he adds, “Boasting about it is not the same thing as actually doing it.” It’s the same with sales. There’s often too much boasting and not enough …

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Attaining Our Goals: Every Day is an Audition

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If you asked me what my future job would be five years ago, I would have said car salesman or prison guard. At the time, I was working as an outside sales force for a website design firm, and doing well, but not as well as I would have liked.  Then, one day I walked into a State Farm Agent’s …

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Don’t Sell the Sizzle When Your Customer Wants Bacon

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If you’re in sales, I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “sell the sizzle.” So what if bacon was the product you were selling?  People love bacon. In fact, it’s so adored that manufacturers offer bacon-flavored gumballs, lip balm, soap, and even dental floss. If people love bacon that much, wouldn’t it make sense to actually focus on selling the bacon? …

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Are You Qualified to Sell?

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As a sales strategist, I have witnessed salespeople try to disqualify a client time and time again. Whether they realize it or not, they’re actually looking for a reason to move onto the next call or what they feel may be the easier sale. They’re cherry picking for the slam dunk, the lay down, or the rollover. I have heard …

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Marketing and Sales Ideas that Get Us into Trouble

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Marketing and sales initiatives are a company’s lifeblood. Yet, the top leaders of many companies harbor serious doubts about the effectiveness of such initiatives. The confidence level among some executives is so low that they’re not sure it would make much difference if they threw most of it out. The range of opinions on marketing and sales is amazing—from doubtful …

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Easy Ways to Reframe Rejection

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The financial industry is rife with rejection, and some agents/advisors deal with it better than others. How do they deal with it? By building up their emotional strength and not taking it personally.  Indeed, it is possible for advisors to desensitize themselves to rejection and become like Teflon. However, if your days are filled with calls and meetings that are …

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