Articles
Browse every published article connected to Mark Hunter, with exact attribution and full-archive search.
Articles
Browse every published article connected to Mark Hunter, or search within this exact expert archive.
As much as we hate to admit it, at one time or another, we’ve all been lied to. Sometimes the lie is exposed quickly and sometimes it takes awhile to surface. In sales, lying from a customer occurs more often than we are aware of. Did you realize that nearly every sales call starts off ...
One of the new marketing trends is “disruptive selling.” This is defined as any marketing strategy that is bold enough, unique enough or enough out of the ordinary to create buzz and, consequently, sales. It could be marketing that runs counter to the time of year when competitors are running ...
Anyone can sell if the price is cheap enough or if what is being sold is something people can’t live without. However, for the vast majority of us, neither of these luxuries are part of the scenario. The difficulty of selling is compounded by the fact that most customers have a wide range of ...
Many sales are lost because of “sales.” To be successful in this profession requires listening to the customer. Unfortunately as salespeople, we often hear so many different things that we feel the need to provide solutions for all of their problems. When this happens, sales professionals can ...
1. Never ask if it’s a good time to talk. This gives the other person a perfect excuse to end the call. If you are unsure if the person has time to talk, then state up front that the phone call will only take 3 minutes. When you give the person an exact time be sure you time the call. After the ...
Recently, I found myself dealing with a retail salesperson who was attempting to explain to me the benefits of the item I was looking to buy. As I stood there listening to him, I was struck not by what he was saying but how he was saying it. It didn’t take long for me to realize that the ...
Keeping your pipeline of prospects full is no easy task. I’m not going to suggest it is. I talk to salespeople all the time and most say that prospecting is their number one source of new business. So if you are like most salespeople, one of your hardest tasks is simultaneously one of your most necessary – keeping your pipeline full. There’s no way to slide into loads of profit without some effort – serious effort – on the front end.
You will always be your number one customer. It’s not the big account you service, nor is it the hot new prospect you just uncovered; it’s you. The reason is simple. If you’re not completely confident in what you’re selling, you will never come close to maximizing your sales potential. ...
Every sales call you make needs to include the “Learn, Teach, Sell” concept. Today’s customer has many options available to them. Rarely are we in a position to sell to a customer something that is so unique and compelling that they have no other choice but to buy from us. To help create a ...
As much as we hate to admit it, at one time or another, we've all been lied to. Sometimes the lie is exposed quickly and sometimes it takes awhile to surface. In sales, lying from a customer occurs more often than we are aware of.n nDid you realize that nearly every sales call starts off with the customer not disclosing the entire truth? Salespeople rarely catch it right away. Unfortunately, they often believe the lie and then complicate the situation by building the rest of
Networking is nothing more than a "con" game. Have you ever been contacted by some swindler offering you money if you would help out a long, lost relative located in a remote country? We all know calls like these are scams. But, in sales, can we associate the necessary skill of networking with a "con"? I believe we can and should.n nNow, I'm not suggesting that networking is a sleazy activity. Networking is a "con" game because the letters "con" are critical reminders of how
Networking events have been part of the business and social scene for as long as anyone can remember. For many people, they make a trip to the dentist seem fun. For others, networking events are enjoyable, but because of who they have to spend time with, they wish they had scheduled a visit to the dentist. n nRegardless of your feelings on the subject, when attending an event, it's important to have the perspective that your goal should be to help others first. Unfortunately,
Contrary to popular belief, to be a successful salesperson, it doesn't matter how much you know about your product or service. It also doesn't matter how much of an industry expert you are. It doesn't even matter how great your mother thinks you are. The only thing that really matters to be successful in selling is your ability to shut-up and listen.n nOn numerous occasions, everyone in sales has heard how important it is to get the customer talking, so it's imperative that t
Sales is all about closing the deal, and in order to achieve that goal, a purchase price must be agreed upon. All salespeople, at one time or another, have had their price challenged. What do you do when that situation arises? As much as everyone in sales would like to consider themselves "great closers", in reality, many are sissies when it comes to this important skill. They often boast about never discounting their product, but when they're suddenly confronted on price, th
At one time or another, we have all encountered an employee who would clearly rather be anywhere than at the store serving customers. It's unfortunate because there are few professions where a person has a chance to make a bigger impression on someone than in retail.n nEvery day, a retail salesperson encounters customers from a wide variety of backgrounds with an equally wide variety of expectations and needs. The interaction that takes place says a lot about the individual c
Many sales are lost because of "sales." To be successful in this profession requires listening to the customer. Unfortunately as salespeople, we often hear so many different things that we feel the need to provide solutions for all of their problems. When this happens, sales professionals can overwhelm the customer, causing them to become confused, and, ultimately, losing any sale. n nFor the salesperson, it all begins when Marketing comes out with what they perceive as the g
The vast majority of salespeople do not enjoy cold-calling. Yet, at the same time, it is an activity that most need to do on a regular basis. The biggest reason sales professionals are not more successful in this necessary endeavor is the defense that they have other things to do. However, nothing will overcome this excuse faster than being held accountable for making a set number of cold calls each day, each week, or each month. n nAs much as people would like to believe the
In the retail industry, it seems as though we are constantly faced with the issue of trying to find new customers. Most of us are obsessed with making sure our advertising, displays, and pricing all âscream outâ to attract new customers. This focus on pursuing new customers is certainly prudent and necessary, but, at the same time, it can wind up hurting us. Therefore, our focus really should be on the 20% of our clients who currently are our best customers.n nIn retail,
The first 30 minutes of the workday will set the tone for the entire day. For most people, the first half hour of the day consists of settling into the office routine by grabbing a cup of coffee, checking the internet, and, of course, chatting with others. Now, I will never be one to say we have to avoid coffee and/or socializing, but I will be the first to say it is advantageous to put these activities aside until later. n nOne of the ways that top-performing salespeople sep
Every sales call you make needs to include the âLearn, Teach, Sellâ concept. Todayâs customer has many options available to them. Rarely are we in a position to sell to a customer something that is so unique and compelling that they have no other choice but to buy from us. To help create a competitive edge in the marketplace, we must find ways to distinguish our selling process from our rivalâs. nnnnOne of the most effective ways to do this is to use each call to âl
Even the most sales savvy among us have had to fight back the nerves that materialize whenever we are faced with telling a customer about a price increase. Talking about it never makes for an easy conversation. When discussing a price increase in a business-to-business environment, it is important to remember that our customers have probably had to have the same discussion with their own customers. A company exists only as long as it earns a profit and it can only do that if