Recent Articles From EvanCarmichael.com http://www.evancarmichael.com/ http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/395/Qualifying-your-Prospects.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/395/Qualifying-your-Prospects.html Qualifying your customer is the process of determining their interest in your value proposition, their budget and their decision-making process. Do they have the Money, Authority and Desire (MAD)? They are not fully qualified unless they have all three. One of the ways you can determine if they are MAD is simply to ask. Here are some qualifying questions that work. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/395/Telemarketing-When-to-Use-it.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/395/Telemarketing-When-to-Use-it.html Telemarketing can be a powerful tool to generate and nurture leads, process orders, keep data current and improve the efficiency of all your sales and marketing activities. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/395/How-to-Choose-a-Value-Proposition.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/395/How-to-Choose-a-Value-Proposition.html What sets your product, service and company apart from your competitors? What value do you provide and how is it different than the alternatives? Your value proposition is the foundation of your entire business and the offers you take to market. When your market clearly recognizes (and appreciates!) the value you provide, it’s easier to generate new prospects and guide them to buy. Now … what if you don't have a clear value proposition? Well, it takes more time and money to show prospects why they should choose you. And as a result, you often end up competing on price – a tough position to sustain over the long term. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/395/Involving-your-Team-in-Decisions.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/395/Involving-your-Team-in-Decisions.html As a manager, you have come to realize that decision making is a major part of your job. Some decisions have become second nature, and some require a bit more thought, but you’re able to handle even the toughest of them without much difficulty. As the dynamic of the work place changes, however, decisions will more often be made by teams rather than individuals. Managers will assume the leadership positions in this team decision-making process. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/395/CEOs-who-sell-gain-clarity-on-competitive-strategy.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/395/CEOs-who-sell-gain-clarity-on-competitive-strategy.html CEOs of Nike, Intel and Sun are becoming more involved in the selling process, focusing on tailoring products and services to meet the demands of their top customers. And it's more than just a ceremonial visit. These CEOs are overcoming objections and negotiating deals, giving them an intimate understanding of market pain and the value they may (or may not) provide. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/395/Build-Bench-Strength-through-Personality-Assessments.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/395/Build-Bench-Strength-through-Personality-Assessments.html The value of any personality assessment comes in using the insights it provides along the entire continuum of a career. The test itself should decipher an employee's underlying needs with emphases on sales rep hiring, development, opportunities for growth, behavioral coaching, team building, conflict resolution, succession planning and diversity training. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/395/How-to-Shorten-your-Sales-Cycle.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/395/How-to-Shorten-your-Sales-Cycle.html Does it seem like it takes forever to close new business deals? You’re running strong campaigns, generating plenty of leads, seeing a flurry of sales activity. But even though your sales reps are consistently following up, prospects just aren’t ready to buy. Your sales cycle used to be 4 weeks, but now it’s 6, 8 or even twelve. And the longer it gets, the harder it is to hit your goals. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/395/Stimulate-Sales-with-Persistence.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/395/Stimulate-Sales-with-Persistence.html Most people think about being persistent as something used by over-aggressive sales people but that's simply not the case. You can persist without being a pest. Most salespeople (80%) quit on the first “No” and another 5% quit on number two. Remember the old saying, “Winners never quit and quitters never win”. Persistence is no more important than in a down market . http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/395/Seven-Ways-to-Enhance-Client-Relationships.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/395/Seven-Ways-to-Enhance-Client-Relationships.html All other things being equal, people do business with people they like. If your product and pricing are essentially the same as your competitor’s, the relationship will become the differentiator for your customer. To retain the business you must deliver on your promise of quality, service and price, while building a comfortable relationship with your customer. Here are seven ways to do it. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/395/Create-an-Account-Management-Team.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/395/Create-an-Account-Management-Team.html In many companies, once a salesperson has closed a deal with a new customer, the day-to-day responsibilities of managing the account are transferred from a sales rep to an account manager. Using this type of structure offers a number of benefits & challenges.