Recent Articles From EvanCarmichael.com http://www.evancarmichael.com/ http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/443/The-Cold-Call-Presentations-Myth.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/443/The-Cold-Call-Presentations-Myth.html Sales professionals, new to selling or business development, might view the opportunity to make a presentation on the spot as a positive event, especially when they learn how hard it is to set a steady stream of appointments to make their presentation. But this perceived opportunity is far from the best time to make a sales presentation, because they rarely can command a decision-maker's full attention. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/443/The-Use-Seasoned-Sales-Professionals-As-Trainers-Myth.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/443/The-Use-Seasoned-Sales-Professionals-As-Trainers-Myth.html In some selling organizations, if formal sales training exists at all, it is often performed by seasoned sales representatives or top performers on the staff. Big mistake! http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/443/The-Never-Play-Favorites-Myth.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/443/The-Never-Play-Favorites-Myth.html Many year's ago, while training at a branch of Dean Whitter (now Morgan Stanley), I learned an important management truth. The branch manager at this office was mandated by corporate to spend a minimum of 60 percent of his time working with and supporting the stock brokers who had been given offices (based on their top performance) surrounding the "bull pen," where the vast majority of the brokers had cubicles. Those staff members in the cubicles were allocated 40 percent of the manager's time. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/443/The-100-Commissions-Motivate-Myth.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/443/The-100-Commissions-Motivate-Myth.html There's a good reason why over 97 percent of progressive companies and service industry firms that I've consulted, use a form of a "hungry base plus commission" compensation plan for their sales professionals, rather than employing a straight commission pay structure. The reason is simple, straight commission pay plans demotivate many more sales professionals than they motivate. Straight commissions reward a specific type of sales professional--the top three to five percent of the sales professionals in the top 20 percent bracket. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/443/The-Video-Role-Playing-Is-Counterproductive-Myth.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/443/The-Video-Role-Playing-Is-Counterproductive-Myth.html Many sales managers and trainers feel that video role playing sales presentations and prospecting methods is just too stressful for their sales representatives to be an effective training tool. On the other hand, in most sports, video taping of an athletes performance is a standard training procedure. Today, video tapes play a major role in an athlete's conditioning by most coaches and managers. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/443/The-You-Can-Tell-If-A-New-Hire-Will-Succeed-In-The-First-Two-Months-Myth.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/443/The-You-Can-Tell-If-A-New-Hire-Will-Succeed-In-The-First-Two-Months-Myth.html Most companies set arbitrary sales success time periods at about two and no more than three months. Big mistake! http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/443/Documenting-A-Bad-Experience-Can-Cost-You-Sales.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/443/Documenting-A-Bad-Experience-Can-Cost-You-Sales.html The “Documenting Bad Experiences For Future Reference Could Be A costly Mistake! http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/443/The-Being-Efficient-Myth-In-Sales.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/443/The-Being-Efficient-Myth-In-Sales.html You need to take time to soften a decision-maker with appointment confirmation notes and telephone calls. Also, a series of direct mail softening letters, faxes, e-mails and endorsement letters need to be sent before and after a sales presentation to reinforce the benefits that you have demonstrated. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/443/Effective-TwoWay-CommunicationsThe-Source-of-Ethical-Control-and-Persuasion.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/443/Effective-TwoWay-CommunicationsThe-Source-of-Ethical-Control-and-Persuasion.html Top sales professionals have discovered that a “two-way exchange," not a “one-way sales pitch,” is the most effective method of persuading or enticing another human being to take action. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/443/Whats-Better-Than-WordofMouth.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/443/Whats-Better-Than-WordofMouth.html You will agree there is nothing better than to get a word-of-mouth referral from a satisfied customer or client. These leads usually come to you at no cost and with little or no effort on your part. A referred prospect is easier to please and quicker close. Referral leads generally buy more and will often refer you to another prospect in the future.