Member You - Business

Postcards Versus Catalogues
What do successful cataloguers do when they market?There is a secret, or so it seems, in the catalogue industry that has not gotten out of the bag yet. Why is it a secret? It is probably not intended to be that way, but it just happens to remain a ‘not-known datum’. So, what’s the secret, you ask!?!?That successful cataloguers use postcards to market!Bah, hum bug, you say! Why would they do that? How can they sell their wares?Simply and easily. Postcards work because they are inexpensive and they get the attention of the prospective buyer who would like to shop in their particular catalogue. Many big catalogue companies do it – JC Penny, Spiegel, Brighton – they all use postcards.Now for your next objection: “People already know the products of JC Penny, Spiegel and Brighton so of course they will order the catalogue” (am I reading your mind, yet?) or how about your next consideration, “If the prospective clients do not see my merchandise than they won’t know if they want to order my catalogue or not, much less my merchandise.”Those are definitely objections, but not necessari

al a great deal – including what benefits of their offering to emphasize.

Questioning Tip #4. Ask need-development questions.
When you are in the questioning phase of the sale, you want to do more than get the prospect to talk – you want that prospect to tell you what he or she needs. Therefore, frame questions that will give you insights into how prospects perceive their needs. You may ask, for example, “What would your primary use be for this product/service?”

Questioning Tip #5. Ask questions that help you identify dominant needs.
Usually there is one, single overriding need in the prospect’s mind – a need you can pinpoint by asking the right questions. You may ask,
• “What would you most like to change about your present situation?”
• “What would it mean for you if you could improve your current situation?”

Questioning Tip #6. Ask ques
Poor Work Ethics Risk Future of U.S. Business, Education and Ultimately Freedom
With all of the political campaigning, a report released this fall by the Josephson Institute received very little attention and unfortunately should have been both front page news and the lead story for every major media outlet. This annual report of over 36,000 students revealed poor work ethics where 60% of American high school students in order to improve their performance cheated on a test with 28% said that they stole from a store.What is even more incredible is the disconnect between these students’ behaviors and their personal beliefs. Ninety-two percent of these students believed that their personal characters were satisfactory with a whopping 74% agreeing to the statement: "When it comes to doing what is right, I am better than most people I know." From the sound of these findings, no wonder we have politicians who believe that their misleading to false ads are O.K. and that they did nothing wrong.The results of this survey confirmed earlier surveys. In 2005, Donald McCabe at Rutgers University published a survey where more than 70% of students admitted to cheating at least once on a test. Che
Studies show that most people approach a buying decision with some level of anxiety. The truth is, they really don’t want to have to make a decision. Believe it or not, your prospects are very often looking for an excuse not to satisfy a need or want. The decision-making process is just too stressful for them.
What does that mean for you? Your job as a sales professional is to help your prospects overcome this anxiety – their desire to avoid making a decision – and commit to satisfying their needs or wants with YOUR product or service.
So how do you do it? There are two keys here:
1. You’ve got to ask the right questions….everyone knows that. However, in training thousands of salespeople every year, we’ve found that salespeople talk their way out of more sales than they listen their way into. Salespeople who talk instead of listen tend to lose sales because they let their focus slip: They start thinking about what they want to have happen instead of what their prospects want to have happen.
2. You’ve got to listen to your prospect’s responses to your questions carefully so that your follow-up questions keep the focus where it needs to be – on that prospect and what he or she wants to have happen. In this article, we’re going to look at 10 tips that will help you ask the right questions and keep your focus on your prospect.

Questioning Tip #1. Prepare, in advance, the questions you will ask.
Of course, every prospect is unique and every selling situation requires some variation, but certain basic questions that come up in every interview can be planned in advance. By carefully planning your basic questions, you can make sure you cover all bases and that your wording will be precise. Here are some examples:
• What about the product/service is most important to you?
• Have you seen anything else on the market that you especially don’t like?
• What do you most want to have happen as a result of using this product/service?
• What about the product/service is most important to you?
• Have you seen anything else on the market that you especially don’t like?
• What do you most want to have happen as a result of using this product/service?
• What about the product/service is most important to you?
• Have you seen anything else on the market that you especially don’t like?
• What do you most want to have happen as a result of using this product/service?
I do have one caution: Be careful not to phrase them so they sound canned.

Questioning Tip #2. Open the sale with a good question.
The best way to open a sale is with a question. If you’re calling on someone, always ask, “Is this a good time for you?” And always ask your prospect, “In order to be of service to you, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”
If they have the time, people will almost always answer “yes” to that second question. Whether or not that leads to a sale depends almost entirely on how good your follow-up questions are and how good you are at listening to the answers.

Questioning Tip #3. Ask open-ended and indirect questions. Closed questions that call for a “yes” or “no” answer tend to discourage people from talking, to give only limited information, and to set a negative tone. Instead, you should ask open-ended questions that require prospects to tell you how they feel, what they want, or what they think. For example, you may ask something along the lines of, “How would you describe your current situation (with or without this product/service)?”
The answer will tell the observant sales professional a great deal – including what benefits of their offering to emphasize.

Questioning Tip #4. Ask need-development questions.
When you are in the questioning phase of the sale, you want to do more than get the prospect to talk – you want that prospect to tell you what he or she needs. Therefore, frame questions that will give you insights into how prospects perceive their needs. You may ask, for example, “What would your primary use be for this product/service?”

Questioning Tip #5. Ask questions that help you identify dominant needs.
Usually there is one, single overriding need in the prospect’s mind – a need you can pinpoint by asking the right questions. You may ask,
• “What would you most like to change about your present situation?”
• “What would it mean for you if you could improve your current situation?”

Questioning Tip #6. Ask quest
Honestly, Are We Really Competing Against Each Other?
When my current lease expires, if I trade-in my Porsche Cayenne for Cadillac, that’ll signify a win for Cadillac and a loss for Porsche, right?After all, when it comes to earning my business, these manufacturers are playing what’s termed a zero-sum game. If one wins, the other, by definition, loses.Throughout the economy there are examples of these rivalries, of pitched battles for scarce buyers. And most of us have been schooled to think that we’re incessantly competing, whether we’re students seeking scarce “A’s” in classes, or job seekers, hunting for the best positions.But the “new economy,” and especially e-commerce, are calling the traditional “me-against-the-world” mindset into question. I, for one, am finding that most of the people and companies against whom I used to think I was competing, simply aren’t significant factors in whether I earn business or fail to earn it.Here’s what I mean. I consult in the areas of customer service, telemarketing, and selling. I offer keynote speeches, seminars, on-site development programs, and a host of books, audio seminars and video seminars.My
p: They start thinking about what they want to have happen instead of what their prospects want to have happen.
2. You’ve got to listen to your prospect’s responses to your questions carefully so that your follow-up questions keep the focus where it needs to be – on that prospect and what he or she wants to have happen. In this article, we’re going to look at 10 tips that will help you ask the right questions and keep your focus on your prospect.

Questioning Tip #1. Prepare, in advance, the questions you will ask.
Of course, every prospect is unique and every selling situation requires some variation, but certain basic questions that come up in every interview can be planned in advance. By carefully planning your basic questions, you can make sure you cover all bases and that your wording will be precise. Here are some examples:
• What about the product/service is most important to you?
• Have you seen anything else on the market that you especially don’t like?
• What do you most want to have happen as a result of using this product/service?
• What about the product/service is most important to you?
• Have you seen anything else on the market that you especially don’t like?
• What do you most want to have happen as a result of using this product/service?
• What about the product/service is most important to you?
• Have you seen anything else on the market that you especially don’t like?
• What do you most want to have happen as a result of using this product/service?
I do have one caution: Be careful not to phrase them so they sound canned.

Questioning Tip #2. Open the sale with a good question.
The best way to open a sale is with a question. If you’re calling on someone, always ask, “Is this a good time for you?” And always ask your prospect, “In order to be of service to you, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”
If they have the time, people will almost always answer “yes” to that second question. Whether or not that leads to a sale depends almost entirely on how good your follow-up questions are and how good you are at listening to the answers.

Questioning Tip #3. Ask open-ended and indirect questions. Closed questions that call for a “yes” or “no” answer tend to discourage people from talking, to give only limited information, and to set a negative tone. Instead, you should ask open-ended questions that require prospects to tell you how they feel, what they want, or what they think. For example, you may ask something along the lines of, “How would you describe your current situation (with or without this product/service)?”
The answer will tell the observant sales professional a great deal – including what benefits of their offering to emphasize.

Questioning Tip #4. Ask need-development questions.
When you are in the questioning phase of the sale, you want to do more than get the prospect to talk – you want that prospect to tell you what he or she needs. Therefore, frame questions that will give you insights into how prospects perceive their needs. You may ask, for example, “What would your primary use be for this product/service?”

Questioning Tip #5. Ask questions that help you identify dominant needs.
Usually there is one, single overriding need in the prospect’s mind – a need you can pinpoint by asking the right questions. You may ask,
• “What would you most like to change about your present situation?”
• “What would it mean for you if you could improve your current situation?”

Questioning Tip #6. Ask ques
Material Packaging
Packaging materials are used to keep products identified, protected and undamaged during delivery. There are different types of packaging, depending upon the types of products being packaged. The most important and popular one is encapsulated air plastic sheeting, which is commonly known as bubble wrap and uses encased air bubbles in the midst of plastic sheeting to protect goods from shock during transportation. This is an ideal packaging material for lightweight goods and can be shaped to wrap around any size of product. If the product is heavy then these products may deflate the sheeting, making it ineffective.Corrugated cardboard is another important packaging material. It cushions the goods and provides a protective shield, due to the rigidness of the board. It is better used for heavy items. Unfastened fill peanuts are made of durable polystyrene. However, this is not a full-proof method for flat objects that move during transportation. Foam sheeting made of polyethylene is lightweight and provides padding for lightweight products. Inflated packaging uses air pressure to secure the goods. Craft paper, when stack
ortant to you?
• Have you seen anything else on the market that you especially don’t like?
• What do you most want to have happen as a result of using this product/service?
• What about the product/service is most important to you?
• Have you seen anything else on the market that you especially don’t like?
• What do you most want to have happen as a result of using this product/service?
• What about the product/service is most important to you?
• Have you seen anything else on the market that you especially don’t like?
• What do you most want to have happen as a result of using this product/service?
I do have one caution: Be careful not to phrase them so they sound canned.

Questioning Tip #2. Open the sale with a good question.
The best way to open a sale is with a question. If you’re calling on someone, always ask, “Is this a good time for you?” And always ask your prospect, “In order to be of service to you, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”
If they have the time, people will almost always answer “yes” to that second question. Whether or not that leads to a sale depends almost entirely on how good your follow-up questions are and how good you are at listening to the answers.

Questioning Tip #3. Ask open-ended and indirect questions. Closed questions that call for a “yes” or “no” answer tend to discourage people from talking, to give only limited information, and to set a negative tone. Instead, you should ask open-ended questions that require prospects to tell you how they feel, what they want, or what they think. For example, you may ask something along the lines of, “How would you describe your current situation (with or without this product/service)?”
The answer will tell the observant sales professional a great deal – including what benefits of their offering to emphasize.

Questioning Tip #4. Ask need-development questions.
When you are in the questioning phase of the sale, you want to do more than get the prospect to talk – you want that prospect to tell you what he or she needs. Therefore, frame questions that will give you insights into how prospects perceive their needs. You may ask, for example, “What would your primary use be for this product/service?”

Questioning Tip #5. Ask questions that help you identify dominant needs.
Usually there is one, single overriding need in the prospect’s mind – a need you can pinpoint by asking the right questions. You may ask,
• “What would you most like to change about your present situation?”
• “What would it mean for you if you could improve your current situation?”

Questioning Tip #6. Ask ques
Validate Critical Data
My favorite project management mantra is “Validate Critical Data”. I don’t remember what wise teacher I learned this from but it is one of those sayings that rings through my head when I’m jumping into a new project. After many years it continues to be an important part of my project management success (when it is done right) and an unfortunate contributor to my project failures when it is neglected. Below are some keys to correctly validating critical data.The word critical is not excess flab in this phrase. You shouldn’t try to validate all information – just the information that has been handed to you that effects your project approach. Usually it involves getting the right information about the project deliverables (scope), budget, and schedule. This can not be soft data.Often a project manager will inherit much of their project information. This second-hand information is highly suspect, because just like the old children’s game where the story changes a little bit each time it is retold, until it is far from the truth. The information you inherit is always worthy of validating. Other times, even when the
ou?” And always ask your prospect, “In order to be of service to you, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”
If they have the time, people will almost always answer “yes” to that second question. Whether or not that leads to a sale depends almost entirely on how good your follow-up questions are and how good you are at listening to the answers.

Questioning Tip #3. Ask open-ended and indirect questions. Closed questions that call for a “yes” or “no” answer tend to discourage people from talking, to give only limited information, and to set a negative tone. Instead, you should ask open-ended questions that require prospects to tell you how they feel, what they want, or what they think. For example, you may ask something along the lines of, “How would you describe your current situation (with or without this product/service)?”
The answer will tell the observant sales professional a great deal – including what benefits of their offering to emphasize.

Questioning Tip #4. Ask need-development questions.
When you are in the questioning phase of the sale, you want to do more than get the prospect to talk – you want that prospect to tell you what he or she needs. Therefore, frame questions that will give you insights into how prospects perceive their needs. You may ask, for example, “What would your primary use be for this product/service?”

Questioning Tip #5. Ask questions that help you identify dominant needs.
Usually there is one, single overriding need in the prospect’s mind – a need you can pinpoint by asking the right questions. You may ask,
• “What would you most like to change about your present situation?”
• “What would it mean for you if you could improve your current situation?”

Questioning Tip #6. Ask ques
Why Do You Need to be in the SERPS?
Why does your business need to be in the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPS)?Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing both have the same goal, which is to help visitors find your website. Ten years ago there was probably nobody searching online for your product or service. Five years ago, there may have been a couple of dozen people looking for it in any given week or month. Today, in 2005, you can be sure that there are many people actively seeking your products or services each and every day through the search engines. Can they find you there?According to a Fall 2004 report by http://www.comscore.com/ nearly 40% of all internet connections in the United States are now broadband, "always on", high speed internet access. As this becomes the norm, there is also a steady merging or "convergence” going on between our computers, our cel phones, and even our television sets. Pretty soon, we'll all have access to worldwide information in the palm of our hands at any given moment. Do you think that might affect how customers are going to look for you?It's never been more important to be lis
al a great deal – including what benefits of their offering to emphasize.

Questioning Tip #4. Ask need-development questions.
When you are in the questioning phase of the sale, you want to do more than get the prospect to talk – you want that prospect to tell you what he or she needs. Therefore, frame questions that will give you insights into how prospects perceive their needs. You may ask, for example, “What would your primary use be for this product/service?”

Questioning Tip #5. Ask questions that help you identify dominant needs.
Usually there is one, single overriding need in the prospect’s mind – a need you can pinpoint by asking the right questions. You may ask,
• “What would you most like to change about your present situation?”
• “What would it mean for you if you could improve your current situation?”

Questioning Tip #6. Ask questions that help you pinpoint the dominant buying motivations.
Buying motivations and needs are not always the same. Buying motivations have to do with desires, feelings, tastes, and so on. Needs are logical, fact-based, and tangible. Buying motivations are more emotional and intangible. And the truth is, people tend to buy what they need from you when they see that you understand what they really WANT.
You can find out what motivates your buyer –what he or she wants—by asking what kind of similar products or services they’ve used in the past. Even if all they give you is a list, you at least learn what they like, or are familiar with. Often, however, people will talk about one or two experiences that were particularly well received. That knowledge will tell you exactly what benefits to emphasize most.

Questioning Tip #7. Avoid offensive questions or asking questions in an insensitive way.
This may seem obvious, but some salespeople make this mistake because they make assumptions about the prospect. Some questions can offend a prospect and cause them to back away from you.
• Don’t ever use leading or “setup” questions such as, “You do want your children to have a fair chance, don’t you?” What is the prospect going to say? “No! Let them tough it out!”?
• Nosy, or overly personal questions can be a real turnoff. Stick to business! It’s always a good idea to avoid explosive subjects like religion, politics, race, and deep personal issues. Bonding on a personal level can help cement a sale but as a professional you want to keep the interview focused on the business at hand.
• Sometimes your manner can be threatening. Instead of asking, “How much do you want to spend?” why not phrase it, “How much had you planned to invest?”

Questioning Tip #8. Start with broad questions, and then move toward questions with a narrower focus.
Broad questions are usually less threatening and yield general information. Thus, they can help you get things rolling and steer you in the right direction. Your prospects may know, for example, that they want your product/service, but they don’t always know what specifics of your offering would work best for them.
Prospects who call us, for example, tend to know they’re looking for help in improving their organization’s sales, but they don’t always know the details of how our training programs are assembled. Why would they? It’s up to us to ask the prospect questions and find out what the best course of action is for them.
Not until your probing becomes more comfortable and picks up speed should you start asking more specific questions that allow the prospect to mentally take ownership of your product or service.

Questioning Tip #9. Ask questions that are easy to answer.
Questions that require knowledge the prospect doesn’t have can often make a person feel dumb and reinforce his or her natural state of anxiety and discomfort in making the decision to buy or commit to a purchase.
Here’s a broad example: Computer salespeople who ask a prospect what kind of memory they’re looking for usually get a blank stare or silence over the phone. As Dell computer salespeople know well, a better question would be, “What do you plan on using the machine for?” If a person says, “Gaming, video conferencing and media storage,” the salesperson knows this prospect is going to need a boatload of memory. If the prospect says, “email, home file management and surfing the web,” the salesperson knows a smaller amount of memory will work.
Try asking questions that don’t depend on the prospect’s technica

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