Archive for the ‘Sales’ Category
More Free Business Resources
Robert and I are constantly gathering and sharing useful business resources with BusinessCast podcast listeners. For example, last month, we gave away a Blackberry Bold to an intrepid entrepreneur in our “Entrepreneur Be Bold!” contest.
And, we’re always adding to our library of practical business books. In fact, recently, we added several new titles including:
- Business Lessons from the Edge – Learn How Extreme Athletes Use Intelligent Risk Taking to Succeed in Business
- Digital Strategies for Powerful Corporate Communications
- Financial Statements Demystified
- Click: Ten Truths for Building Extraordinary Relationships
- Fearless Leadership
- Winning Sales Letters
- Every Family’s Business – 12 Common Sense Questions to Protect Your Wealth
- Turn Small Talk Into Big Deals
To get any of these free resources, just send a note to robert@BusinessCast.ca.
Later this week, we’ll be posting an interview with Tom Deans, author of Every Family’s Business. Because this book is focused, practical, easy-to-read and truly universal, it’s become a “BusinessCast Essential” book — that is, a critical resource that we believe all entrepreneurs should spend time with. Tom takes a fascinating, controversial and unique approach to ensure that every entrepreneur — buying or selling a family business — can retain wealth.
Business by Inspiration – Part One
Every successful entrepreneur eats, breathes and sleeps their business. But, what keeps entrepreneurs constantly growing and striving for greatness? It’s rarely as simple as a desire for money or notoriety. Rather, it’s usually some intangible and perpetual pool of inspiration. When that source of inspiration is coupled with the ability to harness core business disciplines the outcome is, well…inspirational!
When we sat down with Jennifer Beale, public relations and networking professional, for BusinessCast episode #116 we clearly saw the outcome of her inspiration. At the same, her success reveals some important business lessons that will truly inspire and direct every entrepreneur.
Overcoming Common Sales Objections
Entrepreneurs know: The sales cycle never stops. And, so it makes sense that entrepreneurs always have to be prepared to face sales objections. Many BusinessCast loyal listeners have asked Robert and me to offer more advice/content on overcoming common sales objections. So that’s exactly what we’ve done.
In BusinessCast podcast episode #113, Robert and I sit down with award-winning sales guru Warren Coughlin. Together, we run through the most common sales scenarios and how you can address them.
So that you can comfortably address sales objections, we’ve also developed some additional guidelines and point to resources that will help you successfully overcome objections prior to, during and after any sales conversation.
Guidelines
1) Keep in-mind there is no “silver bullet” response to any real customer/prospect objection. Addressing real customer objections takes time, patience and commitment to understanding their priorities.
2) Anticipate objections. That means, prepare for ALL of the major objections and the subtle nuances that come with them. Role play with colleagues, friends and relatives. Don’t try to develop an ‘out of the box’ script. Rather, rehearse tackling each objection from several different angles.
3) The more you learn about the prospect/customer before your sales discussion, the more success you are likely to have dealing with objections. This also shows respect for your customer/prospect and helps to demonstrate that you care about helping them succeed.
4) Recognize that regardless of how well you probe, there are simply some objections that you cannot overcome during a particular conversation. That’s okay. Not everyone is going to be a customer in the short-term.
5) How you deal with sales objections sends a very strong message to your customer/prospect. As a result, always be respectful, enthusiastic, courteous, professional and honest.
6) Don’t take any sales objection personally. Objections are not a reflection of you or your product/service.
7) Apply what you learn through the discussion about the objections in subsequent discussions. So, make sure that you always leave the door open to carry on the discussion at an other time. That means promise some kind of follow-up deliverable and meet that deadline.
Resources
Turning Sales Objections Into Opportunities – some good tips and depth of understanding.
Top 10 Lies Customers Tell Sales Reps and Top 5 Dirty Tricks Customers Play on Sales Reps. There are some good tips here. But don’t let the article titles cause you to think of a would-be client as a liar or adversary. If you do, your relationship will be built on mistrust. As soon as that happens, you’ll hate working with them and they’ll feel the same about you.
Business Succession — Making the Most of the Opportunity
All entrepreneurs, at one time or another, must contend with business succession. For example:
- Are you buying a business from someone?
- Are you planning to sell your own business?
- Are you taking a back seat/different role in the business you’ve built?
- Have you taken over the helm of a business for an aging/exiting family member?
Regardless of the circumstances, you’re going to face succession issues and challenges. And the way, you deal with these issues will have a tremendous impact on you, your friends, your family and your business.
That’s why in BusinessCast Podast #110 Robert and I sat down with succession-management guru John Geddes who recently authored one of Canada’s business top sellers “Succession and the Family Business: A Road Full of Potholes or Paved With Gold“. The old school of thought for succession had been “get the legal and accounting issues dealt with and everything would be fine.” But, John’s worked with enough entrepreneurs to know that the interpersonal challenges unique to family businesses must be dealt with properly to ensure a successful and smooth succession. And, that rule applies whether you’re an entrepreneur taking over a family business or an entrepreneur making plans to leave a family business to take on other opportunities.
But, John’s wisdom is universal. His insights about the emotional dynamics that play out in family businesses during succession can help any entrepreneur who serves or sells to family businesses going through difficult transitions.
Networking for Entrepreneurs – Resource Round-up
Robert and I are always being asked by entrepreneurs for tips and tools about networking. It’s not that there aren’t a vast array of worthwhile networking resources available online and offline. But, given hectic schedules, entrepreneurs want to find and tap into those tools that will help achieve a wide range of networking goals quickly and cost-effectively.
So, over the last few months, we’ve reviewed a number of critical networking resources. For example, in BusinessCast #92 we reviewed Liz Lynch’s practical and powerful handbook entitled, Networking for Entrepreneurs. Then in BusinessCast Podcast #105, Liz, Robert and I ran through three of the most common networking scenarios faced by all entrepreneurs.
We also tackled the growing topic of online networking by focusing on LinkedIn. In BusinessCast Podcast #104, Doyle Slayton shared tips on how he uses this online community to forward his networking agenda. While we’ll be building on this topic in future BusinessCast Podcast episodes this interview, along with the associated blog post, is an easy and practical introduction to LinkedIn.
It’s with this imperative on practical tips and speed that we bring in one of Canada’s most prominent and successful “connectors” — Donna Messer. That’s why in BusinessCast Podcast #108, Essential Networking Rules, we have Donna rifle through 15 of the most important networking tips in under 10 minutes!!
Don’t forget to enter the contest to Win a Blackberry Bold! All it takes is 100 words (or less) on how a Blackberry Bold will help your business. Send a note to Robert@BusinessCast.ca and you could win this powerful smartphone — provided by Research in Motion.