Recession Selling 101

Sales and profits down this year? Frustrated with the current economy?

Are your customers coming up with more and more objections? Are they telling you the price is too high, they're not ready to buy right now, want to think about it, can't get the boss to approve it, or worst of all, "aren't interested," when you know for a fact they need your product or service.

What's your plan?

Discover how to sell more in this economy.

So how can you ramp up sales in this tough economy?

Take Action to Find Out What Works

I'm amazed at the number of savvy business owners I talk to who complain about their sales. They have the idea stuck in their heads that this recession is bad and there is nothing they can do about it.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

Did you know Bill Gates started Microsoft during a recession?

Just because money was tight, it didn't keep him from becoming the most dominant software provider in the world. And he didn't accomplish this feat by blaming the economy.

Recessions only come along once every ten to twenty years and ones like this only happen every 50-70 years. And they create huge opportunities for those quick enough to take action and use them to grow their business. People like you!

Find out how you, too, can profit from this economy.

Shift Your Selling Strategy

When I first started out in business, I didn't know how to get past the common objections that were killing too many sales. But then, when I went through my first recession, I discovered one simple truth about selling.

I'll tell you what it is in just a second, but let me ask you two questions first:

1) Who are prospects more likely to believe; themselves, or you?

2) Who is better at closing the sale; the prospect, or you?

The Truth About Selling In Tough Times

The simple truth about selling—and the secret to selling more—is that your prospects are better at closing the sale than you are, if you lead them to it.

Once you understand this and put this breakthrough technique into practice, you'll close many more sales.

You can increase sales with less effort and less expense!

Charlie Cook's 'Insider Secrets to Eliminating Obstacles to Sales' gives you the selling technique for tough times. I recommend it whether you're just getting started or have been in business for decades. You'll close many more sales and make more money in this economy.

Discover the fastest way to make more sales and money.

Why is it so easy to increase sales when the prospect does the selling instead of you?

Close More Sales By Pre-Selling Your Prospects

The ideal prospects have already heard about you and your products and services and know that you're the expert to turn to. They've heard from people they trust that your products and services work well, so they understand their value.

Prospects like these arrive 'pre-sold' and ready to buy from you. Getting them to close the deal becomes a foregone conclusion when you use this amazing selling technique. The result? You'll close many more sales with a lot less effort.

Don't you wish you could 'pre-sell' all your prospects? Instead of spending your time countering objections from prospects, you could be talking to people who want to buy. Discover how to structure your sales process, establish your credibility, and clarify the value you provide so your prospects 'pre-sell' themselves.

Ready to learn the secret to pre-selling your prospects so you can grow your business?

Find out how easy it is.

Eliminate Obstacles to Maximize Sales In This Economy

If you drive to work every morning, I don't have to remind you that it takes much longer to get to work in rush hour traffic. Even a well-designed and well-built freeway slows down to a mind-numbing crawl when it's overloaded with cars.

Your prospects' objections are like the cars in that traffic jam, slowing down the sales process. Eliminate those objections in advance, and you and your prospect get to the sale in half the time.

Move the obstacles off the road and clear the way for your prospects to buy. You'll melt their resistance and sell more of your products and services—again and again.

Discover how to increase sales—now!

Want more sales and higher profits?

Use this technique to eliminate obstacles to the sale and 'pre-sell' your prospects. You'll close more sales and make more money with less effort.

I've persuaded Charlie to offer the first 99 copies of this business building system for just $2.95 plus shipping so you can review it for 30 days and put it to the test. Typically these get grabbed the first day, so don't wait. 

Create Your Personal Brand

Just as surely as building a powerful brand is the key to differentiating a product in the marketplace and thus building a successful business, so creating a strong personal brand is the key to differentiating yourself from your competitors, thereby ensuring your own success as well as that of your business. Your personal brand determines how people respond to you, whether they listen to you, buy from you, how much they buy, what they are willing to pay, and so on.

Promises You Make

Your personal brand makes a promise: “If you buy from me, you will receive a specific value in return.” This promised value will be born from the values, virtues, qualities, and attributes by which you become known. For example, you may want to create a personal image—a brand—of a person who always operates at a high level of integrity, consistently walks the talk, is an exemplary leader, and goes the extra mile to ensure customer satisfaction. Who is your ideal customer? What values, virtues, qualities, and attributes will he be looking for in a supplier of your product? Do you match this profile? If not, do you have a burning desire to be this kind of person? These are the key questions you must ask yourself when beginning to build your personal brand.

      

"The Power of Branding"

Your company's brand or even your own personal brand is what separates you from your competition. And it's what will get your customers to buy from you over and over again.

Get more sales, be promoted quickly and earn MORE money than ever before when you spread the word about the best brand in town—YOURS!

Promises You Keep

Unmet expectations are the arch enemy of any relationship. This is no less true in the relationship between you and your customers. Your brand as a person is determined in large part by whether you consistently deliver on your promises. Do you keep your word? Do you follow up? Do your words and actions match with the image you want to create—that is, with the values, virtues, qualities, and attributes you claim as your own? Constantly examine your behavior. When you slip, resolve to get back on track. To build and sustain a powerful personal brand, your message must be an accurate reflection on you, the messenger.

The Whole Package

Pay close attention to your entire image. Of course, your character is of paramount importance. But you make an impact on people in other ways as well. Your appearance—the clothes you wear, your personal grooming, your posture—has an enormous emotional impact on how other people see you, think about you, and relate to you. Your attitude is vital. If you are genuinely pleasant and cheerful in your interaction with others, they will enjoy being with you. They will be more inclined to trust you and do business with you.

Overall Behavior

Your overall behavior strongly influences the impressions others have on you. Be punctual for meetings and appointments. Be absolutely reliable, always keeping your word and your commitments. Should you fail in this area, communicate with the other person as quickly as possible, offering your apology, explanation, and assurance that it will not happen again. Pay close attention to the quality of your work. In the long run, there is nothing that will so determine your success in building and sustaining a powerful personal brand as turning out high-quality work, over and over again, and over a long period of time.

Action Exercise

What words do people use when describing you? What words do you want people to use when describing you?

Oprah Winfrey says....

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"I've come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that's as unique as a fingerprint--and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing "

-- Oprah Winfrey, Talk Show Host

Happy Birthday Nelson Mandela

 Three Skills to Improve Conversation

One key to becoming a great conversationalist is to pause before replying. A short pause, of three to five seconds, is a very classy thing to do in a conversation. When you pause, you accomplish three goals simultaneously. 

The Benefits of Pausing

First, you avoid running the risk of interrupting if the other person is just catching his or her breath before continuing. Second, you show the other person that you are giving careful consideration to his or her words by not jumping in with your own comments at the earliest opportunity. The third benefit of pausing is that you will actually hear the other person better. His or her words will soak into a deeper level of your mind and you will understand what he or she is saying with greater clarity. By pausing, you mark yourself as a brilliant conversationalist. 

Ask Questions

Another way to become a great conversationalist is to question for clarification. Never assume that you understand what the person is saying or trying to say. Instead, ask, "How do you mean, exactly?"

This is the most powerful question I've ever learned for controlling a conversation. It is almost impossible not to answer. When you ask, "How do you mean?" the other person cannot stop himself or herself from answering more extensively. You can then follow up with other open-ended questions and keep the conversation rolling along. 

Paraphrase the Speaker's WordsThe third way to become a great conversationalist is to paraphrase the speaker's words in your own words. After you've nodded and smiled, you can then say, "Let me see if I've got this right. What you're saying is . . ." 

Demonstrate Attentiveness

By paraphrasing the speaker's words, you demonstrate in no uncertain terms that you are genuinely paying attention and making every effort to understand his or her thoughts or feelings. And the wonderful thing is, when you practice effective listening, other people will begin to find you fascinating. They will want to be around you. They will feel relaxed and happy in your presence. 

Listening Builds Trust

The reason why listening is such a powerful tool in developing the art and skill of conversation is because listening builds trust. The more you listen to another person, the more he or she trusts you and believes in you. 

Listening also builds self-esteem. When you listen attentively to another person, his or her self-esteem will naturally increase. 

Listening Develops Discipline

Finally, listening builds self-discipline in the listener. Because your mind can process words at 500-600 words per minute, and we can only talk at about 150 words per minute, it takes a real effort to keep your attention focused on another person?s words. If you do not practice self-discipline in conversation, your mind will wander in a hundred different directions. The more you work at paying close attention to what the other person is saying, the more self-disciplined you will become. In other words, by learning to listen well, you actually develop your own character and your own personality. 

Action Exercises

Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action. 

First, make a habit of pausing before replying in any conversation or discussion. You will be amazed at how powerful this technique really is. 

Second, continually ask, "How do you mean?" in response to anything that is not perfectly clear. This gives you even more time to listen well.

COMMON FEARS

xenophobia—fear of strangers

arachnophobia—fear of spiders

agoraphobia—fear of open spaces

claustrophobia—fear of closed spaces

homophobia—fear of gays and lesbians

trypophobia—fear of holes (or objects with holes)

Analyze Your Competition


There is a military adage that says, "No strategy ever survives first contact with the enemy." No business strategy ever survives the first contact with the marketplace either. It must be adjusted to deal with the realities of the moment.


Know Your Enemy
Here is a question for you: Who is your competition? Exactly? Your choice of competitor determines almost everything you do in your market, just as the choice of an adversary determines everything a general does in the process of conducting military operations.


Determine Customers' Buying Motives
Once you have determined why it is that people buy from you, you must then answer the question "Why do people buy from my competitors? What value or benefits are your potential customers convinced they receive when buying from your competitor rather than from you?"


Marketing Myopia
Many people dismiss or ignore their major competitors. They criticize or belittle them when their names come up. Often they think and say that customers who prefer competitive offerings are simply ignorant or misled. As a result of this self-inflicted myopia, they fail to observe and learn how to outdo their competitors in tough markets.


Offset Competitors' Advantages
As you study your competitors, look for ways to offset or neutralize the advantages their customers perceive them to have. What are your competitors' weaknesses? How can you exploit those weaknesses? What do you do better than they do? In what ways are your products or services superior to their offerings? In what areas do you have a distinct advantage over your competitors? What can you do to offset your competitors' strengths and maximize your own advantages? How can you better position yourself against your competitors in a tough market?


You Must Be Clear
The greater clarity you develop with regard to your competitors' strengths and weaknesses and to the reasons your potential customers buy from them, the better able you will be to counter them and compete effectively. Rigorous competitive analysis can be a vital key to business success. In its absence, you will always be at a disadvantage.


Action Exercises



Who is your competition with the exact customers you are trying to attract?


What would happen if you changed your offerings in such a way that you targeted a different group of customers who would be easier to sell to?


Why do your potential customers buy from your competitors? What advantages do they perceive?


What are your competitors' unique selling propositions? What special feature or benefit do their products or services have that yours does not?


In what ways are you superior to your competitors? What can you offer that they cannot? How can you emphasize this advantage in your sales and marketing efforts?


Where are your competitors vulnerable? How could you exploit their vulnerability to your advantage?


How could you alter your marketing strategy in such a way that you could achieve dominance with a specific customer or market segment in a particular area?

The Three Mental Barriers to Time Power

If everyone agrees that excellent time management is a desirable skill, why is it that so few people can be described as “well organized, effective, and efficient?” Over the years, I have found that many people have ideas about time management that are simply not true. But if you believe something to be true, it becomes true for you.

Your beliefs cause you to see yourself and the world, and your relationship to time management, in a particular way. If you have negative beliefs in any area, these beliefs will affect your thinking and actions, and will eventually become your reality. You are not what you think you are, but what you think, you are.

Barrier 1: Worries about Organization

The first myth of time management is that if you are too well organized, you become cold, calculating, and unemotional. Some people feel that they will lose their spontaneity and freedom if they are extremely effective and efficient.

Many people hide behind this false idea and use it as an excuse for not disciplining themselves the way they know they should. The fact is that people who are disorganized are not spontaneous; they are merely confused, and often frantic. The key is structuring and organizing everything that you possibly can: thinking ahead; planning for contingencies; preparing thoroughly and focusing on specific results. Only then can you be completely relaxed and spontaneous when the situation changes.

The better organized you are in the factors that are under your control, the greater freedom and flexibility you have to quickly make changes whenever they are necessary.

Barrier 2: Negative Mental Programming

The second mental barrier to developing excellent time management skills is negative programming, which is often picked up from your parents, but also from other influential people as you are growing up.

If your parents or others told you that were a messy person, or that you were always late, or that you never finished anything you started, chances are that as an adult, you may still be operating unconsciously to obey these earlier commands.

Time management and personal efficiency skills are disciplines that we learn and develop with practice and repetition. If we have developed bad time management habits, we can unlearn them. We can replace them with good habits over time.

Barrier 3: Self-Limiting Beliefs

The third mental barrier to good time management skills is a negative self-concept, or what are called “self-limiting beliefs.” Many people believe that they don't have the ability to be good at time management. They often believe that it is an inborn part of their background or heritage. But there is no gene or chromosome for poor time management, or good time management, for that matter. Your personal behaviors are very much under your own control.

Action Exercise

Imagine that someone were to offer you a million dollars to manage your time superbly for the next thirty days. Imagine that an efficiency expert was going to follow you around with a clipboard and a video camera for one month. After thirty days if you had used your time efficiently and worked on your highest priorities all day, every day, you would receive a prize of one million dollars. How efficient would you be over the next thirty days?

The Law of Ambition

Leaders have an intense desire to lead; they have a clear vision of a better future, which they are determined to realize. Vision is the one common quality that separates leaders from non-leaders. Leaders have a clear picture of the kind of future they want to create, and they have the ability to communicate this vision to others in an exciting and inspiring way.

Key Responsibility of Leadership

People may work steadily for a paycheck, but they perform at high levels only when they are inspired by a vision of some kind. The development and articulation of this vision is a key responsibility of leadership.

Leaders Visualize

Leaders have the ability to visualize, to see the big picture and then to inspire others to work together to make it a reality. The true leader sees leadership as a tool he or she can use to bring about a result that is bigger and more important than any single individual.

Become a Leader

You become a leader when you set a goal, make a plan, and then throw your whole heart into making it a reality. You become a leader when you develop an inspiring vision for yourself and others. You become a leader when you know exactly where you want to go, why you want to get there, and what you have to do to achieve your vision.

Leaders Explain

Leaders can explain clearly to other people what it is they are trying to accomplish, why they are trying to accomplish it, and how they are going to bring it about. They are eager to get results and they are impatient with delays. They are excited about what they are doing, and as a result, they get other people excited as well. Leaders have goals, plans, and strategies that they are working to implement every day. They are in a hurry. They have a lot to do and they feel that they have too little time.

Clarity

Perhaps the most important part of ambition is clarity on the part of the leader. The leader has a clear vision, clear values, a clear vision, and clear, written goals, plans, and strategies for his or her department or organization. Most of all, leaders want to lead, to be in charge, to be responsible, to make things happen. They are willing to endure the risks and the sacrifices that are required to make a real difference in their worlds.

Action Exercise

Determine a clear vision for yourself and your organization. Where would you ideally like to be in three to five years? Define it clearly. Write it down. Share it with others. The more clear and specific you are about your future vision for yourself and your company, the more you will accomplish and the better and more effective leader you will become.