Recent Articles From EvanCarmichael.com http://www.evancarmichael.com/ http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3133/ASKING-THE-TOUGH-QUESTIONS.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3133/ASKING-THE-TOUGH-QUESTIONS.html KNOWING HOW TO FINESSE POTENTIALLY INTRUSIVE QUESTIONS SO THAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE ASKING THEM AND CLIENTS FEEL GOOD ABOUT ANSWERING IS AN INVALUABLE SKILL. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3133/NOT-BUSINESS-AS-USUAL.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3133/NOT-BUSINESS-AS-USUAL.html Many salespeople are reporting that it is taking them twice as long to close a sale. They also agree that there are fewer deals and, therefore, the need for them to close the deals that are in the pipeline is more acute. Certainly customers will not buy without clear value justification and trust in you. But what else can you do to increase your chances that you, not your competitor, get the business that is out there? http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3133/NO-BUDGET--UNLESS-OF-COURSE.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3133/NO-BUDGET--UNLESS-OF-COURSE.html Many of the customers we are talking to may be like your customers. Their budgets have either been cut or all but vanished. What can you do? Linda Richardson article "No Budget - Unless of Course.." explores some helpful tips. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3133/CHALLENGING-MESSAGES.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3133/CHALLENGING-MESSAGES.html Even in the best of times, change can be stressful — and these are hardly the best of times. If you are faced with announcing a less than welcome change, how you position the message dramatically influences how your sales team will hear it. The following are some ideas to help you and your team deal with the change: http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3133/A-SALES-METHODOLOGY.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3133/A-SALES-METHODOLOGY.html Do you have a sales methodology that your team follows? What is a sales methodology? In Linda Richardson's new article, A Sales Methodolgy, Linda will review the importance of a an effective sales process and methodolgy. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3133/ROOM-FOR-TWO-EXPERTS-IN-YOUR-SALES-CALL.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3133/ROOM-FOR-TWO-EXPERTS-IN-YOUR-SALES-CALL.html I read an article recently about programmers. It described programmers as program experts and their clients as domain experts. I couldn’t help thinking how customer-focused we could be in sales if we thought of clients as domain experts. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3133/LEVERAGE-YOUR-PREPARATION.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3133/LEVERAGE-YOUR-PREPARATION.html Preparing for a sales call, while it still takes discipline and time, has never been easier. Technology (CRMs, Google, other web resources) has dramatically reduced research time. The other side of the coin is that technology has made business more instantaneous and that has put more demand on salespeople’s time. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3133/ESCALATION-AS-A-NEGOTIATION-STRATEGY.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3133/ESCALATION-AS-A-NEGOTIATION-STRATEGY.html Escalation can be a highly effective negotiation strategy. Having unlimited authority in a negotiation can seem, and is, powerful, but it can be equally dangerous. If your client thinks that you have unlimited authority, he or she can read that as a green light to keep driving for more. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3133/DECISION-MAKERS-VS-INFLUENCERS.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3133/DECISION-MAKERS-VS-INFLUENCERS.html Because clients’ needs have become increasingly complex, most salespeople recognize that to meet those needs a team effort is required. Being able to gain access to team members, preparing with them, and performing in front of the client as an effective team are essential to meet clients’ broader and more complex needs. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3133/YOUR-EMAILS--THE-IMPRESSION-YOU-MAKE.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3133/YOUR-EMAILS--THE-IMPRESSION-YOU-MAKE.html Today, e-mail is probably the most common way of communicating with clients. I continue to be amazed by the e-mails that I get to see that salespeople have sent to their clients.