Recent Articles From EvanCarmichael.com http://www.evancarmichael.com/ http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/4025/Innovation-minus-Support--Zero-Creation.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/4025/Innovation-minus-Support--Zero-Creation.html There is an abundance of creativity in our world. Humanity is replete with inspirational people who have enormous value to contribute in their own ways - yet most are never seen or heard. As a collective society, we seldom encourage others to take a path of innovation because it's untested, risky, and breaks convention and related reputations. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/4025/Are-you-interesting-enough.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/4025/Are-you-interesting-enough.html You don't demonstrate that you are genuinely interested in others by being totally self-focused. The mistake many businesses make is -everything they do and say is all about me, me, and me! http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/4025/Are-you-believable.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/4025/Are-you-believable.html Being believable is not just getting people to follow you - it's also their willingness and peace of mind during the process. Being believable is easier to achieve when you truly believe in what you are selling - so sell something or be a part of a business that you truly believe in. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/4025/What-approach-should-I-take-when-cold-calling.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/4025/What-approach-should-I-take-when-cold-calling.html I encourage people to cold-call by coming from a place of 'contribution' first; I call this approach 'buying-in'. In highly resistant sales executions, like cold-calling, you have to buy-in before you can successfully sell-in because the mass of cold-callers that have gone before you, have trained your customers to ignore you. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/4025/Has-coldcalling-ever-worked-for-you.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/4025/Has-coldcalling-ever-worked-for-you.html Many salespeople make the mistake of treating in-bound calls as easy wins or a guaranteed sale. However, my experience suggests you need to engage customers in the same way, don't skip steps in y0ur sales-process, and never assume they have buy-in just because they called you, as they may also have called three of your competitors. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/4025/How-can-I-improve-that-first-cold-contact-with-a-potential-client.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/4025/How-can-I-improve-that-first-cold-contact-with-a-potential-client.html Cold-calling is as much about process, support and leverage as it is about dealing with rejection and maintaining enthusiasm. You have to work to a structured plan and initiative contact as you would a warm referral, i.e. I know who you and your competitors are - and the reason for my call is to help you, just like I have helped others in your space. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/4025/How-to-be-interesting.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/4025/How-to-be-interesting.html When you get the opportunity to speak with and meet a new customer, don't make the conversation all about you, make it about them. What makes you more interesting in business than your competitors is your capacity and willingness to be genuinely interested in customers. Furthermore, this interest should always transcend into a valuable relationship that benefits them in a unique or compelling way. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/4025/How-to-create-Buyin-when-cold-calling.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/4025/How-to-create-Buyin-when-cold-calling.html How to create Buy-in when cold calling http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/4025/My-boss-wants-me-to-cold-call-but-I-have-call-reluctance.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/4025/My-boss-wants-me-to-cold-call-but-I-have-call-reluctance.html Words are meaningless without emotion and emotions are very hard to experience over the phone. In fact, over 50% of communication is achieved via non-verbal cues, such as facial expression, gesture and posture. That means most cold-callers, even the really good ones, are still limited by these phone related challenges. So be mindful, if you are choosing the telephone as your initial point of contact and introduction with a potential customer, you are already on the back foot, which means you need to work smarter. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/4025/Our-salespeople-arent-asking-for-the-business.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/4025/Our-salespeople-arent-asking-for-the-business.html Some may find the concept of salespeople not asking for the business, strange even ridiculous given 'the close' has traditionally been a salesperson's end-game. This is analogous to a football player running down the sideline, struggling to avoid the clutches of would-be tacklers - to just sit down on their bum and scratch their head an inch before the goal line. It's just doesn't make sense, yet in sales, this type of conducts is surprisingly common.