If you have been selling more than a few years I suspect that you have read, or heard someone say, that you should be sending handwritten thank-you cards or notes to people on a regular basis. This practise seems to be going the way of the dodo bird and very few sales people take the time to incorporate it into their daily or weekly routine.

Here are 16 circumstances or situations when it makes sense to send a handwritten note or thank-you card.

1. After you meet someone at a networking event.

2. After you meet with a new prospect.

3. When a prospect (or customer) accepts your proposal.

4. After a prospect rejects your proposal, product, service or offering.

5. When a colleague or other internal employee does you a favor or helps you.

6. After a customer receives their order or after your solution/service has been implemented.

7. Anytime someone sends you a referral.

8. When an employee does something extra for a customer.

9. When a supplier goes above and beyond the call of duty.

10. On any special occasion such as a client’s anniversary—personal or business.

11. When an employee in a customer’s company helps you.

12. When an employee in a suppliers helps you with a problem.

13. When someone gives you a great idea to improve your business or your sales.

14. When you see someone do an outstanding job or put forth extra effort to accomplish something.

15. When a customer tells you about a mistake or problem in your business.

16. When someone you know is mentioned in a newspaper, magazine, television, radio or other form of media.

Some people struggle with what to say in their thank-you card or note. It doesn’t have to be complicated. And you don’t have to write a long letter. Short, simple, and to the point, will do the trick.

There is no immediate pay-off. You are not going to close a big deal just because you sent your prospect a handwritten note. However, with some persistence and consistent effort, your efforts will pay dividends.

What do you think? Are there other circumstances or situations when it’s appropriate to send a handwritten thank-you card or note?

During my career as a sales trainer and keynote speaker, I have been able to interact with thousands of salespeople and I have discovered that many of them still believe some myths about sales and selling.

Here are seven of the most common myths.

1. Price is the primary reason people make a buying decision

I will never argue the fact that price is a factor in every buying decision. However, it is seldom the primary reason people make a buying decision. It is important to note though, that people will default to price if you fail to demonstrate the value of your product or differentiate yourself from your competitors.

2. Do whatever you need to do in order to get the sale

Manipulative, aggressive, high-pressure sales tactics work. But, they don’t create loyal customers and clients. You may win the sale, but in the long run, you will lose the customer.

I once had a participant in a workshop proudly claim, “I don’t care what my customers want, I’ll sell them what I need to hit my quota.” {{{shudder}}} I don’t know about you but I take serious offense to this mentality and type of behavior because it casts all sales people in a negative light.

3. Buyers are liars

I’m still shocked by how many salespeople use this expression.

Do people mislead salespeople?

Of course. But it’s usually because the sales person has failed to earn that person’s trust.

Gaining someone’s trust means focusing your attention on THEIR situation rather than trying to close the sale. Earning trust means treating people with respect and dignity even if they are not prepared to make a buying decision right now.

4. Anyone can be persuaded to buy

This may be true for small purchases but in today’s business world, buyers are more savvy than ever before. I once heard someone say, “If you have a strong case you will clarify it. If you have a weak case, you will try and persuade the other person.”

The real key is to determine whether or not the person or company you are speaking to has a genuine need for your product or service. If they do not, then your best strategy is to move on to someone who does need AND want your particular solution. Even if a company could benefit from your product but they are reluctant to give you the opportunity to discuss, your time is better spent looking for other prospect.

5. What works well for one person will work for everyone

Countless books have been written about one sales strategy or another and I have read dozens of them. In this search, I have discovered that we all have our unique personality and what works well for someone may not work as effectively for us. However, instead of discarding that particular idea you should look for a way to integrate it into your natural style and approach.

6. Close the sale as quickly as possible

This is one of the craziest beliefs.

Yes, it’s important to move people towards a buying decision. Yes, it is important to gain commitments along the way. Yes, it is important to include a call to action in your proposals and conversations. But, it is also important to recognize that not every sales decision will be made quickly. Decisions can be delayed for a number of reasons, and in certain situations, trying to rush the other person to a commitment will actually cost you the sale.

7. Close the deal at any price

Too many people feel they have to close every deal, even if it does not make good business sense to do so. I have spoken to countless sales people who will accept a deal that has virtually no margin just so they can get the sale.

I recall talking to a store owner who quickly matched the prices of her competitor in order to prevent people from going to her competition. However, this seldom creates loyalty and only conditions that customer to continue asking for a better price.

Decisions like this cost you or your company money.

If you are not making your desired gross profit on a particular sale, then you need to consider whether it makes good business to accept it. I know small business owners who will offer substantial discounts to a large company in the hopes of generating additional business from that client in the future. Unfortunately, they end up giving away their services and expertise because they don’t get any more business from that company. They neglected to negotiate an upfront agreement.

Selling is an honorable career and sales professionals need to avoid falling prey to these myths.

In the seventeen-plus years I have been working with sales people and helping them increase their sales, I have noticed that many fail to ask for the business. In my sales training workshops, people express a variety of reasons why they don’t ask for the sale.

Here are 7 of the most common reasons why sales people don’t ask for the sale and what you can do about it.

1. Fear of rejection

This is by far the most common reason why people don’t ask for the business. I don’t know many people actually enjoy being rejected and sales people are no different.

However, it is critical to realize that a ‘no’ is not a personal slam against you. It simply means that you prospect or customer does not need or want your product, service or solution. It doesn’t mean they dislike you as a person—unless of course, you were pushy, rude or arrogant.

2. They don’t know how to ask

Some people, especially individuals who are relatively new to sales, simply don’t know how to ask. I remember my first sales call more than 20 years ago.

I had gone through my presentation and my prospect appeared interested; however, I didn’t know what to say so we sat there in silence for a few moments until I finally blurted out, “So, would you like to go with it then?” She said, “Sure.”

The key is to develop a variety of questions that you are comfortable asking.

3. They don’t know when to ask

The timing can be critical. Some sales people don’t know exactly when to ask a prospect for their business so they wait—often waiting too long, and thus, missing the opportunity. Although you don’t want to ask too early, you can’t afford to wait too long either.

An approach that can work is to build it into your sales presentation. Take the guesswork out of the equation and figure out the best place to position the “close.” I generally position it after we have discussed my proposal or solution and addressed any questions my prospect may have.

I usually say something like, “What other questions or concerns do you have?” If they say, “None” I reply with, “Should we book a date for the training now?”

4. They are afraid of being perceived as being pushy

Unless you use manipulative sales tactics, aggressive closing lines, or the wrong tone of voice, people will seldom think you are being pushy when you ask them to make a buying decision.

The key here is to ensure that you done an effective job at identifying a potential problem, presenting your solution in terms that make sense to your prospect, and addressed any potential concerns they may have.

If you achieve that goal, you have earned the right to ask for the sale.

5. They don’t like being asked for their business

People in my sales training workshops have said, “I don’t like it when someone asks me for the sale so I won’t do that to other people.”

I respect that position. I also believe that we need to eliminate our personal biases. However, I know that this is easier said than done. The key is to identify the personal biases you have related to sales and selling and figure out a way to get past them.

My personal bias is that I abhor aggressive sales people. However, I have learned that you don’t need to be aggressive in order to ask for the sale.

6. They are afraid of objections

Objections are a natural part of the sales process and the best way to deal with them is to anticipate them and address them in your sales presentation or proposal. It is also important to realize that when someone expresses a real objection, it actually demonstrates an interest to buy. It is much better to hear an objection than to walk away from a potential with no idea of why your prospect didn’t buy.

7. It feels awkward or uncomfortable

I will be the first to admit that it DOES feel uncomfortable taking this step—at least at first. But that’s just like anything else you attempt for the first time.

The key is to create a variety of lines, phrases, statements and questions that you are comfortable using and then practicing them until they flow smoothly and comfortably from your brain to your mouth. Don’t dismiss this simplicity of this idea.

Verbal rehearsal and practice is one of the most effective ways to remove any discomfort from a new sales approach, question or response.

I believe that it was Wayne Gretzky who said, “You will always miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take” and this applies to sales, too.

In today’s highly competitive world you need to be proactive in asking for the business. Otherwise, a competitor who is more assertive will capture the business you deserve.

What do yuo think? Did I miss any reasons people fail to ask for the sale or other ways they can get over their fear? I’d enjoy reading your comments below.

“So I was dead.”

That was the opening line in the movie Confidence and it was accompanied by a shot of a guy sprawled out in a parking lot looking quite dead.

I have watched hundreds of movies over the years and this opening line rates as one of the best. In fact, it’s one of the openers I still remember even though the movie was released in 2003.

So what does this have to with sales?

The faster you capture a person’s attention (prospect or existing customer), the more likely it is you will move the sales process forward. This applies to telephone conversations, voice mails, face-to-face conversations and networking meetings.

The other day I listened to a horrible voice mail message on Art Sobczak’s blog. The caller was not prepared. He did not articulate his value proposition. He did not explain how he could help the person he was calling. And most important, he failed to capture his prospect’s attention.

In today’s ultra-competitive business world it is critical that you find ways to stand out from the competition. That means you need to grab your contact’s attention—usually in five seconds or less. Otherwise, you will fail to capture that sale.

You need to develop an opening that piques their interest. And the best way to achieve this is to demonstrate that you might have a solution that addresses a key problem they might be facing.

Here are a couple of examples…

“Mr. Smith, Bob Jones calling. I understand that you are currently merging with XYZ Company. Research has shown that employee productivity drops by as much as 34 percent during mergers which usually leads to an increase in sick days. If you’re struggling with this issue, perhaps we should talk.”

“Mrs. Statham, John Roberts here. Many companies experience pressure to offer significant discounts in order to capture a sale. If your sales team is faced with this challenge we might be able to help. We specialize in helping sales people respond effectively to those requests and our clients report an immediate improvement to their margins after working with our program. You can reach me at…”

The key is to identify a potential problem your prospect might be facing and demonstrate how you might be able to help them solve that problem.

If you can achieve that goal, there is a greater likelihood that you will get a meeting and be able to capture a sale.

So, how do you get—and keep—your prospect’s attention?

In 1987 a TV series called “Max Headroom” broke onto the scene. It was a futuristic show about a network reporter who gets caught up in an experiment and becomes a computer-generated personality. The series only lasted one season (14 episodes), I think but it was fun to watch.

Unfortunately, many sales people are talking heads, too. And they aren’t so fun to watch—or listen to.

A talking head sales person is someone who shows and throws up. A few years ago I took a call with a sales person who ended up talking endlessly about his product. Although he had a great product, he lost the deal because he spent way too much time talking

Here are 7 reasons why talking head sales people seldom reach their sales quotas.

1. They talk too much

As obvious as is seems many sales people don’t get this. I recently attended a networking meeting with small business owners and I found it fascinating as I listened to people talk, talk, talk and interject their opinion at every available opportunity. I could see people rolling their eyes, yawning and trying to figure out what those people were trying to say.

2. They can’t articulate the value of their product

At the same networking meeting I mentioned above, each person had several minutes to introduce themself and explain to the group who they were, what they did, what type of business they were looking for and how they might help other people in the group.

Not surprisingly, the talking heads were unable to do this. In most cases, they rambled incoherently without giving the rest of the group a clear picture of what they did and how we could help them.

3. They talk about the wrong stuff

Talking heads tend to talk about what is important to them, not what is of value to their prospect. This approach usually results in a sales pitch that is unfocused and that fails to demonstrate the value of their product, service or offering.

4. They don’t ask questions

Talking heads seldom ask questions because they are…too busy talking, of course!

When they DO ask questions they usually interrupt their prospect before they have had a chance to fully respond or explain their situation. That prevents them from uncovering potential problems and identifying how they can actually help their prospect improve a particular situation.

5. They don’t hear the prospect

Because they are busy waiting for their turn to talk, talking head sales people often miss key information. They may nod and smile as their prospect is sharing key details of their situation but they are usually just waiting to present their solution or talk about their product or service.

6. They present the wrong solution

This becomes an obvious outcome after considering the previous points. If you don’t ask the right questions and listen to the responses, it is extremely difficult to present the appropriate solution. Enough said.

7. They miss cues and clues

Years ago, I met with a talking head sales person who spent the first 15 minutes of our meeting talking. While he was pontificating, I looked at his product and figured out—on my own—how I could use it. When he stopped to take a breath, I said, “I’ll take.”

However, rather than say something like, “Great. I’ll send you an invoice” he kept talking. In fact, after telling him three times that I wanted his product I seized it from his hands, stood up and said, “Send me the bill.”

He was so intent on telling me everything he wanted to say that he was oblivious to my not-so-obvious buying signals.

Talking heads are passionate about their product, solution or offering. They are very effective at developing great relationships with people. And, they are usually really nice people. However, they seldom reach their sales targets or quotas.

About a year ago, I made the decision to become an open networker on LinkedIn after a fellow sales trainer and sales keynote speaker  told me that it helped him connect with dozens of decision makers.

I registered for a service that added my name and LinkedIn profile to a database and within hours dozens of people were reaching out to connect.

Woo hoo!

A few months later I had added more than 1000 people to my contact list. Flash forward 10 months and my list of connections has grown to more than 3000 people.

Sounds great, right?

Uh, not so much…

What seemed like a good idea at the time has turned into a complete fiasco.

Since then I have been inundated with messages from people trying to sell me their “stuff” and every single email (with the odd exception) has been spam. What surprises me is the self-righteous attitude people exhibit when I politely request that they stop sending me these messages. Plus, dozens of people are now asking me to connect them with another person in my contact list. Unfortunately, I don’t feel comfortable connecting those people because I don’t really know either of them.

As a result, I am now in the process of deleting people who I don’t actually know from my contact list unless they sent me a personal note to connect (usually from a LinkedIn group, Twitter, my newsletter, etc).

I have long believed that active networking generates new sales leads and can help sales people increase their sales. However, I have quickly—well, obviously not that quickly—realized that there is a difference between real networking and social networking.

Don’t get me wrong.

There is merit in social networking. Lots of it.

In fact, I have some great friends as a result of my social networking efforts. However, these friendships were developed over time; they didn’t happen overnight. And, none of these friends asked for something without first getting to know me—and vice versa.

Social media is being touted as a powerful vehicle to generate new sales leads and opportunities. However, like anything else, you do need to exercise caution before you plunge it. Don’t expect it to cure your sales problems.

Is it possible to achieve better sales results and increase your sales by saying no to sales opportunities?

You bet it is!

Here’s why…

Not every sale is created equal. Some leads and opportunities are low in value–both in revenue and in margin or profit–whereas other deals have great potential in both areas.

Plus, not every customer is created equal.

Research has shown that approximately 25 percent of people (and businesses) will pay a premium for a high quality product or service. These are usually your ideal customers, by the way.

At the other end of the spectrum is the price-focused person who makes most, if not all, of his (or her) buying decisions on the price of the product. These individual’s account for about 25 percent of buyers or consumers and they are usually the most difficult to deal with.

This bottom group of people tends to be high maintenance—you know who they are.

These are the people who will grind you for a nickel or dollar on every single purchase and then complain over the tiniest problem. They call you more often than your other customers and they are very seldom loyal because they look for the best price every time they make a purchase.

On the other hand, your top customers are usually the easiest to deal with. They are more loyal. They rarely have problems and more often than not, any problems they do encounter are easily resolved.

The problem is that the bottom 25 percent sucks up valuable time from the sales team because they are high maintenance. And, as a result, it prevents you from finding more valuable customers to add to your client list.

Here’s my suggestion…

Limit how many low-level customers you sell to and increase your efforts to find high-level customers.

I won’t suggest that this is easy because it’s not.

However, you will improve your margins and profitability; reduce your stress and aggravation; and increase your sales by investing more time finding customers who understand and are willing to pay for the value of your product, service or offering.

The key to achieving this is to keep your pipeline filled at all times so you won’t feel compelled to sell to every Tom, Dick and Harry that asks for a quote. If you can accomplish that, you will find that you will be able to make more sales while selling to fewer people (or companies).

What do you think?

Is it possible to increase the number of high-margin, high-value customers you have in your database? If so, what do you do to achieve that?

During a sales training workshop I recently conducted, the term ‘investigate’ kept cropping up and it started with a participant saying, “We need to investigate why they (the prospect) are  saying that.”

If you have read my blog or articles for any length of time you know that I am a huge advocate of asking plenty of questions during the discovery phase of a sales conversation. Needless to say, I loved the word investigate!

Many sales people think they are good investigators; however, the reality is that they often wait to conduct their investigation only after their prospect expresses an objection.

A true sales investigator takes a different approach.

She asks high-value, tough and penetrating questions early in the conversation rather than waiting until her prospect resists or pushes back.

A good sales investigator understands the importance of uncovering all the pertinent information that will influence the outcome of the sale BEFORE he pitches his product, service or solution.

An effective investigator explores the reason behind a person’s hesitation to make a buying decision

It’s a simple concept…at least in theory.

The challenge is that many sales people have conditioned themselves to talk first and ask questions later–usually when their prospect expresses an objection. And breaking this habit is difficult.

Here is a strategy that can help…

Before your pitch your product, discuss your offering or present a solution ask yourself, “Do I know enough about this person’s situation to offer a solution?”

If you can answer yes to this question, you are ready to move forward. If your response is no then you need to investigate a bit more.

A few weeks ago a participant in a sales training workshop I recently conducted asked, “How do I convince someone to buy from me?”

This is the same as asking, “How can I force someone to buy from me?

You can’t force or push someone into buying your product or service.

Actually, I take that back.

You CAN coerce people into making a buying decision but it tends to happen more in a B2C setting (think time-share) {{{{shudder}}} than a B2B situation although I have encountered situations where someone made a business purchase because the sales person was aggressive, pushy, and forceful.

BTW: If you need to resort to using this type of approach I suggest you find another way to earn a living. Just saying…

I have always believed that you shouldn’t have to convince someone to buy your product, service or offering. If you have been effective in asking high-value questions to determine the other person’s buying criteria, motives, needs and wants; presented your offering in a manner that resonates with your prospect and properly addressed their concerns and possible objections, you seldom have to convince that person to buy.

However, if you short cut the process and deliver a well-rehearsed pitch without taking the time to adapt that presentation so it addresses the prospect’s key issues and current situation, you will always encounter resistance and reluctance.

And, if you start to push harder when you meet that resistance, the other person will naturally resist even more.

It’s human nature.

When people feel threatened their natural instinct is to defend themselves. And when people feel that a sales person is trying to push, coerce, or convince them to buy, they will become defensive and less inclined to buy from that sales person.

The key is to engage people in a conversation. A natural conversation. A conversation that includes everyone people involved in the buying decision.

Having said all of this, there is a difference between assertively responding to a ‘no’ or ‘not interested’ and aggressively pushing someone into making a decision that they simply do not want to make.

So what do you do when someone obviously has no interest in buying what you are selling? Move on!

Stop pushing and start looking for people who have a need and desire for your product, service and offering.

Did you know that I conduct hands-on, interactive sales training programs (workshops & keynotes)? If you’re planning a sales meeting I might me able to help. Feel free to give me a shout. 905-633-7750

Earning a prospect or customer’s respect is something that top sales people consistently manage to achieve. But earning that respect can be difficult and is difficult for many sales people.

However, when you achieve that goal, the likelihood of capturing a sale from that prospect increases substantially.

Here are 5 ways you can earn a prospect’s respect and start increasing your sales.

1. Respect their time

Every person you call upon is busy, just like you are. Demonstrate that you respect their time by asking, “Is this still a good time to talk?” or “We scheduled 60 minutes for today’s meeting; does that still work for you?”

You can also achieve this by limiting the amount of time you spend on social chit-chat or rapport-building conversation. You may want to spend time talking about non-sales related stuff, but there’s a strong likelihood that your prospect wants to get down to business.

2. Call or show up on time

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Yet, I’m constantly surprised how many times a customer or prospect says, “Thanks for calling on time.” Surprisingly, many sales people fail to connect with prospects when they say they will.

A participant in one of my sales training workshops said, “But being 5 minutes late isn’t a big deal. Besides, all kinds of things can cause me to be late.” He went on to list every excuse and possible reason he would arrive late at a scheduled appointment.

Your excuses don’t matter. If you say you’re going to show up or call someone at a specific time, then do it.

3. Offer a solution that is relevant

You may have the best solution in the world but if you don’t show your prospect exactly how they will benefit from it, you will struggle to capture the sale.

On the opposite side of the coin, If you attempt to sell your prospect something this is not relevant to his or her business or a problem they are facing, you automatically lose respect and credibility.

This is where proper research and/or effective discovery comes into play.

Before you start making suggestions or talking about your product, service or solution, make sure you have a comprehensive understanding of their situation, their problem, and the payoff of correcting or solving that issue(s).

4. Avoid pitching

Decision makers are subjected to countless sales pitches by sales people who are desperate to sell them their product or service. Unfortunately, most pitches are a one-way presentation and they do little to compel or motivate someone to take action.

A more effective approach is to engage your prospect in a conversation. People don’t want to listen to a sales pitch; they want to know how your product, service or solution is going to help them solve a particular problem.

You need to have your presentation ready and well-rehearsed. But…and this is a big but…you also need to throw it away just before you walk into your prospect’s office. I mean this figuratively, of course. Use that presentation to outline the key points of your solution and how the prospect will benefit. But, more importantly use it to open up a dialogue and create a two-way conversation with your prospect.

5. Walk away from the sale

The other day I was meeting with a new prospect who had contacted me about conducting a sales training workshop for his sales team. As he explained his situation, I realized that training was not the right solution. Although I could have created and delivered a program that would satisfy him I knew it wasn’t the appropriate approach to take so I said, “Robert, I don’t training is going to solve your problem and here’s why…”

I directed him to a colleague whom I felt could help him solve the actual problem rather than the problem he perceived he had. Before I left his office, he said, “I really appreciate your suggestion. Once I get this sorted out I will call you.”

Sometimes it makes sense to turn away business even if your solution or offering may solve part of their problem. If your product or service doesn’t solve the ENTIRE problem, you run the risk of winning the initial business but losing future opportunities.

Business people remember sales people who go out of their way to ensure that they receive the best solution, even if it isn’t the sales person’s product or service.

Earning a prospect’s trust is easy IF you use the right approach. Implement these five strategies into your routine and I guarantee that you will notice a difference in your results.