10 Things NOT To Say In A Client Meeting!

A little smile for today!  This article is written by Steve Waterhouse and posted on Eyes on Sales Blog.

1. I’ve never heard of your company before.  What do you make here?
2. Can you buy lunch? I’m a little short this month.
3. Do you have any decision making power or should I be talking with your boss?
4. Let me tell you about our product, then, if there is time, I’d like to hear about your needs.
5. I hope you are ready to buy because I really need to make this sale to keep my job.
6. I know what you want to hear, so let me cut right to the price.
7. Your predecessor called me a jerk and refused to do business with me.
8. Can we get everyone who is interested together now so I don’t have to do my presentation more than once?
9. I know our price is high and our quality is low but that won’t really affect you because our delivery is so slow.
10. Did you hear that our stock price crashed today?

Read full article here.

Featured in the January 2012 edition of “Make it Business”

Recently featured in Make it Business, I wrote about surviving a recession and moving forward in 2012.

A recession survivor’s advice for 2012

I hear a lot of apprehension and doom-and-gloom in the business news these days. So, for this column, I went in search of a local company that was hit by the recession and managed to bounce back. What I found should give you some inspiration going into the New Year.

“Running your own business is not for sissies!” are the first words out of Lead Newcombe’s mouth. Newcombe’s company, Newco Solar Solutions (www.newcosolarsolutions.ca), opened for business in 1975. She joined the company in 1985; in 2006, she purchased it – and became president of the newly named Newco.

The company started off doing mobile auto tint installations. Then it opened a shop and branched out to do residential and commercial film installations. As the business grew, the company added window coverings to its product line. Eventually Newco started manufacturing its own window coverings. Now the company has a sales team, a manufacturing team and an installation team, in addition to the head-office staff.

To read the rest of the article, including Leah Newcombe’s Rules for Business Growth in 2012,  click here.

What does everyone think about me?

“As for worrying about what other people might think – forget it. They aren’t concerned about you. They’re too busy worrying about what you and other people think of them.” — Michael Le Boeuf

I burst out laughing when I read this quote, having just come back from a networking event, where just before walking in the door, I got caught in a downpour and my hair was really bad.  Instead of relaxing and enjoying the event, my hand kept creeping up to ‘fix’ my hair ( a truly hopeless cause) and a good part of my brain activity was preoccupied with what people were thinking of the image I was presenting…….  what a waste of energy and thought!

So next time you find yourself on that treadmill of obsessing about what other people think, remember this quote.  No one is paying all that much attention to you – they’re busy listening to that voice in their own head!

Close that Sale, Already!

One of my favorite sites for resources and articles is Flying Solo, an online micro business community. One of the contributors recently interviewed Steve Herzberg on closing and some classic mistakes when it comes to getting a sale. Check out this great interview: How to Close a Sale.

Easy To Make – But Costly Mistakes

In sales it’s really easy to make mistakes that can come at a high cost. A few days ago I read an article, “The Three Top Sales Promo Mistakes” that outlines some important information that we often accidentally leave out of email notifications, websites and press releases.

These top three mistakes are:

1. Forgetting to include the address/time/date of an event. Be sure to include ALL the important details – date, time, and address in every correspondence you send out. Don’t rely on people reading a previous email you sent out.
2. Not double-checking links. It’s so important to double-check all links in your emails (including your signature) and on your website. Make sure that a link isn’t dead and that it takes people to the correct page.
3. What does your subject line reflect? You know someone isn’t going to open an email unless they see some value in there for themselves. Make sure that the subject line gives the reader a strong urge to open your email.

If you want to read more about these three mistakes and their fixes, click here.

How to Build Your Franchise

My latest column in Make It Business magazine lists the 3 things you need to have in place to grow a successful franchise.  Read about them here.

Job Hunter Mistakes

This article from the Wall Street Journal is a good read!  My favorites include the saltwater fish story and the sandwich eater – unbelievable!  Put a smile on your Monday face and check it out here.

Stake Your Independence!!

Thanks to my VA, Katrina at Getting Stuff Done for finding this gem of an article!  It’s a few years old, but what a classic.

Too many entrepreneurs end up locked in a version of slavery called their ‘own business’.  If that’s how you are feeling these days, then you need to read this article – An Entrepreneur’s Declaration of Independence.

Then close up shop and go home early!

Making Tough Decisions

The retail market is definitely different from what it was 2 years ago.  Consumers have really changed their spending habits and thrift is in – big time!  This has really had an impact on all retailers – big and small.

My column in the latest issue of Make It Business is the inspiring story of Eva de Viveiros, the owner of the Barefoot Contessa boutiques in Vancouver and the tough decisions she had to make to thrive during the recession.  She’s an inspiration to all business folks out there who know they need to change it up but haven’t done it yet.

Read the whole story here and learn her 5 top tips for making it as a retailer.

The Very Best Sales Tool You Can Use

What is it?  Create success stories about work you have done for past clients that you share with prospects.  Most people underestimate the power of storytelling as a sales tool.   People respond well to testimonials or stories of others who have faced the same problem or challenge.  It’s reassuring to them to know that you’re not the only facing this issue.  And it’s the perfect way for you to showcase the effectiveness of your product or service.

Here’s what you need to do to create a compelling client success story:

1. Describe what problem the client had that made them approach you – this is the situation part of your story.
2. Describe the solution you provided to them – how did your service or product solve the problem.  This is where you highlight your expertise (tastefully!).
3. Describe the outcome – what results did they get from your solution?  Try to make this as numbers-oriented as possible; use percentages or dollar amounts to show how the client was better off after working with you.
4. If you are using this story on a sales sheet, add a testimonial from the client.

And it goes without saying that these stories need to be true.  Don’t make something up out of thin air.  The power of success stories comes from the fact they highlight your expertise and build your credibility.