Value Added Content: Article Marketing

Article marketing is fast becoming a marketing strategy on the Internet. Article marketing is defined as a method of advertising where business enterprises write articles featuring a topic related in the industry they are competing in. Well-written articles are effective for building website traffic, bringing in potential clients and leads into the website, and improving the business’s credibility.

Because of this marketing trend, article writing services are proliferating on the internet. Currently, there are countless freelance writers who write articles on a wide range of topics and submit them to an Article Directory. Article writers who want to be competitive and proficient in the field of article marketing must learn a few tips on how to write and submit articles the right way.

Differentiate your article from competitor articles

Currently there is an influx of article submissions all over the Internet that are featured in different article directories. You must learn to make your article and your writing services stand out from the rest. Research your competitors so you know what articles they offer and the strategies they are using.

You can find out about this from article directory websites. It is also a good idea to frequent social networking sites, blogs, online forums, and be up to date with trending topics online so you’ll know what people are currently interested in. All this research will help you pick out a good topic to write about and teach you how you can make your article different from all the other articles.

Use a targeted submission campaign for your articles

A lot of writers make the mistake of using a scatter shot approach of their submission campaign. Targeted campaigns are more successful because they are able to target a particular group of audience and draw them in.

When you have identified a target audience it will be easier for you to write articles with content specifically targeted to spark interest from that audience. Make sure that you thoroughly perform keyword analysis and search engine optimization so you will know exactly how to use these with your campaign strategy.

Make sure your articles are filled with accurate and comprehensive information about the business you are representing as well.

Choose the best places to submit your articles

Effective article marketing does not end in writing a good quality and unique article; you should also know where to submit the article you have written. Choose websites, article directories, and newsletters that are not only credible but are known to have thousands of targeted website visitors every day.

Do not waste your efforts and potential on websites that have poor reputations or poor quality articles. The method of advertising a product or service through writing articles is not a new approach in traditional marketing, but it is defining the marketing strategies of the online world. To use this approach effectively, one must be able to know the right way to write and submit articles. Remember the blogs, forums, and chat-rooms as well. For startups, like computech247.com, this process is invaluable. 

Overcoming the Price Objection

"I just can't afford it". "My budget won't allow for that kind of expenditure". I'm sure these and similar statements rank in the top three objections your potential customer uses to end the sales process. There are those times when it's actually true. In most situations, however, it's conveying something else entirely. Such as, "I don't have enough information yet to make an informed decision." Tell me more".

Too many of the people with whom we deal are paid to get the best deal they can. And that means asking for a better price, even when they know they are getting a great deal. And, human nature being what it is, it's only natural for many people to try to get the best price that they can.

That being said, it is still possible to reduce the number of times we hear it, and, perhaps more importantly, it is possible to reduce the intensity of the comment. In other words, we may still hear it, but many of our customers won't mean it as intensely as they once did.

While we can't control our customers, we can control our behavior. And many times it's our behavior that prompts the customer to ask for a discount. By changing our behavior, we can impact the customer. Here are five specific strategies to help you prevent the price objection, by focusing on our behavior.

1. Look like you are worth more.

Our appearance impacts the customer's subconscious view of our value. If we look like we don't value ourselves, it's natural for the customer to assume the same about our product. 

If you look confident, competent and successful, you send the subtle message to your customer that you, and your offering, is worth a little more. You just look like you are less likely to discount your price in order to get the order. Practically speaking, that means to dress like your customer, only a little better. Project a demeanor of a successful, confident salesperson.

2. Believe in your price/value relationship.

Do you believe that your offer represents a good value to the customer? If you don't, it will be difficult for you to convince the customer of it. You don't have to believe that your product is the best or that your company is the best. You just have to believe that it is a good value, giving the customer his or her money's worth. More people buy Fords than buy BMWs. It's not about being the best; it's about a good value.

This can be difficult if you, in your personal life, are a bargain shopper. If you refuse to pay the asking price for anything and won't buy it if it's not on sale, then you'll have a difficult time convincing your customer to pay the full price for what you are selling. Your core beliefs will influence your behavior, and be communicated to the customer in a number of subtle ways.

To counteract that tendency, carefully examine the offer you are making from the customer's point of view. Do whatever it takes to convince yourself that it is a good value to the customer, worth every penny the customer will pay.

3. Don't inadvertently sow the seeds.

Sometimes we can blindly sow the seeds of discontent with our stated price by our poor choice of language. For example, when we say things like, "This is our retail price," "This is our rack rate," "This is list price," or other such terms, we immediately convey to the customer that there are other, lower prices, available.

We have inadvertently encouraged the customer to ask for a discount. The word "price" doesn't need an adjective to describe it.

4. Don't advertise your willingness to discount.

Sometimes, in our eagerness to make the sale, we advertise our willingness to make price concessions in order to secure the business. We say things like, "We'd be happy to discuss pricing with you." Or, "We may be able to do better." Or, "If you give me the last look, I may be able to sharpen the pencil."

5. Be careful about  discounting but be prepared to do so .

If you discount your prices in response to a customer's request, on even one occasion, you have conveyed to the customer the idea that your quoted price is not your final price. Now, forever in the future, the customer will remember that you can discount when pressed. He will, therefore, press for discounts. If, however, you never discount from your quoted price or you establish a price that is customized for that client, you convey that there is some integrity in your pricing, and that you are quoting him your best price and you're willing to adjust for their particular needs or constraints.

It's OK, on some occasions, to walk away from a piece of business rather than to discount in order to get it. The net impact is that the customer respects your pricing, and is less likely in the future to ask for a discount. Then again, a discount might be the only way to secure a deal. In businesses that are just beginning to establish a price point, experimentation might be necessary to find the optimal range. If you have a vast amount of potential clients out there then promotional pricing should be part of the strategy.

If you get almost every deal, your prices aren't sufficiently high. You need to lose some in order to gain the customer's respect as well as a sense of where the market price is. No matter how you look at a price point, the bottom line is the sale.

I've often thought that the idea of asking for the opportunity for a "last look" – which most salespeople strive for and proudly proclaim as proof of a good business relationship – is merely another way of saying that you'll discount the most. Why would the customer give you a "last look" if he wasn't expecting you to discount some more?

It's so easy to complain about the customer and the constant pressure to reduce our prices. It's the thoughtful salesperson who understands that our own behavior can often be the cause of the price objection. Change your behavior, and you'll improve your results. As you’re looking at yourself, don’t forget to look at who you’re selling to as well. Some businesses are genuinely constrained in the amount they can spend. It is up to you to decide if this is a valid concern. 

So You Have to Make a Sales Call: Panic or Embrace?

Too many people in business look at the telephone as an anchor--that's how they feel about lifting it when they have to make outgoing calls to potential clients. For some, you'd think it was covered with spiders or that it might electrocute them if they touch it. That reaction revolves around the fear of rejection. Granted, not too many people are brave enough to willingly put themselves in a position to be rejected. However, those who do will find all sorts of long-term rewards for the temporary pain they'll experience.

With the right attitude and by paying close attention to what happens, each rejection you deal with will be a learning experience. You'll learn what not to say and when not to call. The key here is to turn that around so you can master what to say and when to call. With every rejection, you'll want to take a quick moment to analyze the situation in order to benefit from it. Rather than letting it ruin your attitude for the next call, you should find yourself saying, "Well, that didn't work. What's a better way to say it?"

With proper fine-tuning, you'll soon find your calls being well received and you'll experience fewer rejections. To save you some time on this learning curve, here are eight points you need to consider before making any business calls.

1. Develop a professional greeting. Don't just say hello and jump into your telephone presentation without taking a breath or allowing the other party to participate. Your greeting should err on the side of formality. Begin with Mr., Mrs. or Ms, as in "Good morning, Mr. Smith." Or "Good evening, Mrs. Jones." Everyone else says, "Hello." Be different. Be professional.

2. Introduce yourself and your company."My name is Sally Smith with ABC Company. We're a local firm that specializes in helping businesses like yours save money." Don't get too specific yet. Don't mention your product. If you do, that allows the other party to say, "Oh, we're happy with what we've got. Thanks anyway," and hang up. By keeping your introduction general, yet mentioning a benefit, you'll peak your prospect's curiosity and keep them on the line longer.

3. Express gratitude. Always thank the potential client for allowing you a few moments in his busy day. Tell him that you won't waste a second of his time. "I want to thank you for taking my call. This will only involve a moment of your time so you can get back to your busy schedule." Don't say that you'll "just take a moment." The feeling evoked by them hearing that you'll take anything from them will put them off.


4. State the purpose of your call. It's best if you can provide the purpose within a question. "If we can show you a way to improve the quality of your product at a lower cost, would you be interested to know more?" This is very likely to get a yes response. At this point, you're ready to start selling an opportunity to meet this person or to get their permission to provide them with more information. You're not selling your product yet--you're selling what your product will do for him.

5. Schedule a meeting. Get a confirmation to meet, either in person or teleconference to get the information you need in order to give a solid presentation. If he's so interested that he wants to do it right then and there, that's  OK too.

6. If a face-to-face meeting is the most appropriate next step, use the alternate-of-choice questioning strategy. Offer him two times, "Mr. Johnson, I can pop by your office at 2:15 p.m. today to discuss this further. Or would 9:45 a.m. tomorrow better suit your schedule?" You didn't say, “When can we meet?" When you use the alternate of choice, you take control of getting the appointment. And note: Asking for an off-hour gets you noticed. There's something about setting a meeting at an off-hour that says you're a salesperson who'll be punctual and respect your prospect's time. Try it.

7. Thank them for their time today and for the upcoming appointment. Reconfirm the date, time and location of the appointment. Ask for directions if you need them. Tell him how much preparation you'll do in order to make the best use of the time you'll share. Give him your contact information this way: "If anything else comes to mind that I should be aware of prior to our meeting, please contact me at (212) 555-1212." 

8. Follow up. If your meeting is more than a few days in the future, send a letter of confirmation immediately. If the meeting is tomorrow, send an e-mail confirmation. Keep it short and upbeat.

That's about it for getting past those sales call blues. Remember, rejection does suck. Like failure though, each will bring you closer to ultimate success. Take notes. Make comparisons. Take a few mental shots of before and after scenarios in your mind. With motivation and resolve, there is little you cannot do. 

Your Customers Need to Know!

Local search, the fastest growing segment of all online advertising segments, is expected to grow at 22.3% per year through 2011. Small to midsized businesses make up 98% of the approximate 22 million businesses in the US and 80% of these companies make 75% of their product buys and/or sales within a 50-mile radius of their location.

source: Kinsey Group & MediaPost

More than 86% of online users make local searches

90% of the transactions as a result of these searches happen offline 90% of consumer purchases are made within 20 miles from home 52% were searching for business phone numbers 47% visited a local merchant after searching source: comScore Networks

Establishing an online local presence is substantially different from major national sellers. National sellers can easily sponsor thousands of search terms and run broad based online advertising to find customers. Local advertisers, on the other hand, must focus on a myriad of programs to achieve significant customer traffic. This requires a number of different online programs which drive traffic to our customers business.

We develop a comprehensive online presence for small business owners by utilizing a broad suite of techniques including a multi-page search engine friendly website, paid search, organic placement, content development on review and social sites, blogs and video blogs. Our customers can add additional content to their business listing including coupons and pictures. 

If you're a sales executive and you want to increase those sales ask yourself what's in your toolbox? What's included in your inventory that going to create excitement and allure for those willing to listen. This article can be part of you arsenal. All these facts point to one thing; Local search is the new methodology by which consumers are seeking out businesses. 

If you were to print this information nicely laid on stock post card size paper, it could easily be handed over with your business card. Think about it. If all you give the perspective client when you leave, is a business card, what do they have to ponder? How are they going to explain who we are and why they need us? It's just copy and paste kids. Give them some meat to chew on so when you call back, their informed and ready to subscribe!

Chris Borowski

The Art of Selling: B2B and More!

Most people are always striving to better themselves. For proof, check the sales figures on the number of self-improvement books sold each year. This is not a pitch for you to jump in and start selling these kinds of books, but it is an indication of people's awareness that in order to better themselves, they have to continue improving their personal selling tips abilities.

To excel in any selling situation, you must have confidence, and confidence comes, first and foremost, from knowledge. You have to know and understand yourself and your goals. You have to recognize and accept your weaknesses as well as your special talents. This requires a kind of personal honesty that not everyone is capable of exercising.

In addition to knowing yourself, you must continue learning about people. Just as with yourself, you must be caring, forgiving and laudatory with others. In any sales effort, you must accept other people as they are, not as you would like for them to be. One of the most common faults of sales people is impatience when the prospective customer is slow to understand or make a decision. The successful salesperson handles these situations the same as he would if he were asking a girl for a date, or even applying for a new job.

Learning your product, making a clear presentation to qualified prospects, and closing more sales will take a lot less time once you know your own capabilities and failings, and understand and care about the prospects you are calling upon.

Our society is predicated upon selling, and all of us are selling something all the time. We move up or stand still in direct relation to our sales efforts. Everyone is included, whether we're attempting to be a friend to a co-worker, a neighbor, or selling multi-million dollar real estate projects. Accepting these facts will enable you to understand that there is no such thing as a born salesman. Indeed, in selling, we all begin at the same starting line, and we all have the same finish line as the goal - a successful sale.

Most assuredly, anyone can sell anything to anybody. As a qualification to this statement, let us say that some things are easier to sell than others, and some people work harder at selling than others. But regardless of what you're selling, or even how you're attempting to sell it, the odds are in your favor. If you make your presentation to enough people, you'll find a buyer. The problem with most people seems to be in making contact - getting their sales presentation seen by, read by, or heard by enough people. But this really shouldn't be a problem, as we'll explain later. There is a problem of impatience, but this too can be harnessed to work in the salesperson's favor.

We have established that we're all salespeople in one way or another. So whether we're attempting to move up from forklift driver to warehouse manager, waitress to hostess, salesman to sales manager or from mail order dealer to president of the largest sales organization in the world, it's vitally important that we continue learning.

Getting up out of bed in the morning; doing what has to be done in order to sell more units of your product; keeping records, updating your materials; planning the direction of further sales efforts; and all the while increasing your own knowledge - all this very definitely requires a great deal of personal motivation, discipline, and energy. But then the rewards can be beyond your wildest dreams, for make no mistake about it, the selling profession is the highest paid occupation in the world!

Selling is challenging. It demands the utmost of your creativity and innovative thinking. The more success you want, and the more dedicated you are to achieving your goals, the more you'll sell. Hundreds of people the world over become millionaires each month through selling. Many of them were flat broke and unable to find a "regular" job when they began their selling careers. Yet they've done it, and you can do it too!

Remember, it's the surest way to all the wealth you could ever want. You get paid according to your own efforts, skill, and knowledge of people. If you're ready to become rich, then think seriously about selling a product or service (preferably something exclusively yours) - something that you "pull out of your brain;" something that you write, manufacture or produce for the benefit of other people. But failing this, the want ads are full of opportunities for ambitious sales people. You can start there, study, learn from experience, and watch for the chance that will allow you to move ahead by leaps and bounds.

Be Better Than Good

If greatness is your goal, whether in your business life, your personal relationships or your own personal growth, here are some guidelines to get you on your way. Greatness is possible! You can achieve the goals you set for yourself and you can make a difference in your own life and those who live and work around you! Set greatness as your goal! Here’s how:

Identify greatness for yourself. While there are some basic generalities that most people would consider great, there are broader definitions of greatness, ones that each individual sets for him or herself. For example, most people would consider Mother Theresa great while only some would consider Donald Trump great. Helping humanity is a broad generality while building a real estate fortune isn’t. So what you need to first do is ask, “What does greatness look like for this company, organization, family or for myself?” From there you can develop values and a mission statement etc. But if you don’t first identify it, you’ll never reach it.

Maximize targeted end results. As Covey says, “begin with the end in mind.” What end results do you want. Be specific. Come up with all of them. Maximize them. Leave no stone uncovered. Set out for yourself all of the goals or end results you must hit in order to reach greatness. Write them down, memorize them and distribute them broadly (if doing this for a group). Maximize your targeted end results!

Make distinction your endeavor. What is the endeavor of the great? Usually it is to distinguish themselves from the average. They seek to rise above the rest by the quality of their product or service. Everything goes toward the goal of making themselves distinct from the run of the mill. That is their mission. And in doing so, they make themselves great!

Map your effort thoroughly. The three most important words in real estate are “location, location, location.” In reaching a goal, the three most important words are “plan, plan, plan.” Okay, “execute” and “persevere” work too, but go with me here! Too many people wish they would achieve something but never write down a plan for getting there. When I want to go on a long trip I don’t just wish to get there. I plan on how to get there. I get a map, I figure out distances, times etc. Map out your goal thoroughly. This will help you achieve greatness.

Regularly take time for regeneration. Achieving greatness is hard! You will care more, work harder, and take more lumps and setbacks than the rest. So you will need to take time to regenerate so you can fight again another day. Your body needs rest. Your mind needs rest. Your emotions need rest. Your spirit needs rest. I firmly believe that a person who rests well can do more in less time than the one works without setting aside time for regeneration. You may be able to reach goals without rest, but somewhere along the line, you will fall harder and longer if you aren’t regularly regenerating yourself. So take your vacation time this year!

Have a strict evaluation process. Every plan and goal needs an evaluation tool. And it should be a strict evaluation process. This is how you objectively decide whether or not you are proceeding toward your goal. If you have the right evaluation tool and you look six months into it and you aren’t hitting the goals, perhaps you need to change the goal or the way you are going after it. The evaluation process is not to be underestimated in its importance!

Take somebody else with you. True greatness is not individual. The one who becomes great spreads the reward of greatness around. Incorporate many people into the plan and let them eat of the fruit of success. I live in an area that has literally thousands of millionaires created by a company that had a vision of greatness. And while yes, they experience the reward, the rewards then go out many levels through the whole community, from businesses that support our community to non-profit groups, churches, and schools. True greatness blesses those many levels away.

Learn to party! Party? Yes! What good is greatness if you can’t enjoy it? And not just the final destination but also the entire journey. Be sure to stop along the way and relish in your movement. Celebrate small and large victories. This keeps the sprit high and the big mo rolling! Spend the money, buy the food and blow up the balloons – it’s time to celebrate!

Keep Them Coming Back!!

Personal selling is one of the most important aspects of almost any business career – because you're always selling, not just to customers, but to your boss, your peers and colleagues, even your friends. Persuading others, pitching your case – call it what you want, but understanding how to get someone else to do what you want them to do is one of the most basic skills of being human.

In terms of dealing directly with customers, my favorite advice would come from Dale Carnegie's classic book How to Win Friends and Influence People. You can read all of the current how-to books you want but you won't find better, more concise advice. Remember people's names. Ask about their feelings. Try to understand them and their own points of view. These are the building blocks not just for great salesmanship, but also for lasting friendships.

What if you lose a client? What this question really emphasizes is how important it is to make sure that we do it right the first time, because once we lose a customer, as is clearly the case here, we may never get a chance to be able to talk to that customer again. We know that, so what do we do now?

Whether this is a business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-customer (B2C) setting doesn’t really matter. If it is a B2C setting then it's going to be very hard to go to a particular customer and make everything alright. If it's a B2B setting, then it's worth investing some effort into going back to the customer and educating him about the new things we have, making it clear what we can offer him now and also emphasizing what's in it for him by at least reconsidering doing business with us. In the meantime, what we want to do is make sure that we are doing everything as well as we can and hope that word of mouth will reach that customer and he might give us another try.

What else can we try? Possibly a loyalty program if it’s appropriate for your business environment. You will know. With all of the changes, mostly negative, taking place in the world of customer loyalty programming - growth in private-label credit cards, finding the right mix of hard and soft benefits, building an extensive (and often expensive) multi-channel communication program, fixing value of loyalty rewards in customers' minds, dealing with difficulty in redeeming rewards, changes in qualification for rewards, ability to reward best customers, and on and on - I'm more inclined than ever to believe that the best loyalty programs are no loyalty programs at all. Not that suppliers aren't, and shouldn't be, focused on creating the highest levels of customer advocacy behavior possible, it's just that loyalty programs may not be the best vehicle for achieving that goal. In fact, because these programs are typically built to drive more frequent purchasing, rather than create a stronger and deeper emotional and relationship bond with the supplier on an individual customer basis, they can even be counterproductive as a strategic device. Loyalty programs ought not be used as a crutch or surrogate for creating stronger connections with customers, and they too often are just that.

Although there are successful loyalty programs, to be sure, the most effective ways of creating the highest customer lifetime value are a) effective, continuously improved customer-related processes, including messaging and experience management, b) leveraging methods for assuring stakeholder engagement, continuity and productivity, especially among customer-touching employees, c) creating a customer-driven culture, building customer centricity into the DNA of the organization, and d) having a customer information system and database that is as detailed, real-time and actionable as possible, down to the specific customer and experience (i.e., divisible) level.

Prioritize Strategies: Sales & Marketing

Business owners who are concerned about their sales and marketing capabilities could begin to see improvement by breaking down the term sales as it relates to marketing, into manageable elements. You end up with a checklist that can be reviewed in order to prioritize areas needing improvement

1) MARKETS: How much do you really know about your current markets or future market? Why do your customers buy from you? What could you offer that would attract more non-customers? How can you sell to more of the profitable customers? If you add features or services, will people pay more for them or will they attract more customers? Are there bulk, institutional, industrial, or corporate markets beyond normal retail that you are ignoring?

2) COMPETITION: Who are they and why are they after you? What is the overall market trend and how are you holding up in terms of market share and profit position? How do you really rank against competitors? What substitutes are there to your products and how much of a threat are they?

3) DISTRIBUTION: How can you get your products/services out to new outlets profitably? Are there unbranded opportunities? Can you bundle in your products with someone else's?

4) SUPPLY CHAIN: Are you at the mercy of wholesalers for your raw materials or product components? How can you manage suppliers and gain more buying power over them? Can you simplify your products and reduce your supply needs? Can you buy in bulk and store them somewhere in a cost effective manner? Can you buy some things pre-fabricated cheaper than doing it yourself (or vice versa)?

5) POSITIONING: Where do your products/services fall in relation to the total market? Is this truly the position you want? Are you "all things to all people," or should you move more toward a high-end position (charging a premium for a differentiated service), or a low-cost position (undercutting others' prices but at a profit, due to high efficiency)? If you are truly "in the middle," you should examine how well you're doing regularly (with the help of a good accounting system).

6) PROMOTION: Feel invisible? How can you change this? What promotion tools make the most sense to promote your products yet are consistent with the marketing image you want to project? How do you know if they pay off? Are you promoting on the Internet effectively?

7) PRICING: What is your pricing strategy? Does variable pricing make sense for different markets, perishable products, or time-based sales processes, or various customer types? Are you charging for everything you do?

8) SERVICE DELIVERY: How well and how consistently are you delivering/producing your products/services? What people problems must be addressed? Do you really train people in their overall role and mission, not just the mechanics of their job? How do you know your customer service is satisfactory? How can you use disservice situations to build customer loyalty?

9) FINANCING: What is your capital structure? That is, what are the proportions of cash, bank borrowing, other borrowing, invested funds, and net income to your operation? Do you produce an annual financial report and a monthly cash report? Are there other sources of capital you should look at? Are there cheaper sources for say, bank loans?

10) STRATEGY: How can you build customer loyalty? How can you increase sales to existing customers (more frequent use or buys, selling a broader product line to them) or new customers (existing and new products)? How can you penetrate into new areas profitably? What new substitute products are successful at Wal-Mart or other outlets that you have sniffed at as not being part of your traditional business? What costs can be removed without affecting the value equation?

11) MANAGEMENT: What risks exist today and which are on the horizon? What is the likelihood and impact of each? How can you reduce both? Are there alliances that make sense? Are there trade groups you should be in? Are there natural ties that no one is exploiting-- like a video store letting people order a video with a choice of pizza from the next-door pizza shop for a specific time? Or letting customers return their videos to a local Starbucks they stop at in the morning?

12) INFORMATION: What information is your accounting system giving you about profitable lines, costs, and margins? If "none," why not fix it and start making better decisions? What advice can you get from a trade group or local retail association?

If you concentrate on those areas which are most pertinent to your business structure and needs, it can only lead to a more focused resource management scheme. Stay consistent and maintain sight of your goals and just how close the business is towards meeting them. This model will naturally fall into a prized routine that can only spell SUCCESS! See you next time.

Plan a Winning Strategy

The key to effective sales planning is thinking and preparation. One of the keys to successful selling is having a written game plan. I won't say this is easy because it's not.

Because it's not easy to do it's easy to avoid doing - and that's huge mistake.

If you're ready to roll up your sleeves and get to work, let's begin.

Who are your existing customers? Prioritize these customers two ways. First prioritize your customer list based on sales revenue. Then prioritize your customer list based on sales potential.

Who are your prospects? Prioritize your list of prospects based on sales potential.

Develop a sales call plan based on anticipated sales call frequency. Determine how many times a year you want to visit your best customers. Determine how many times a year you want to visit your second-tier, or medium-size customers. Then determine how many times a year you want to visit your small-size customers.

Do the same thing for your sales prospects. Determine how many times a year you want to visit your large sales prospects, medium-size and smaller sales prospects.

Once you've completed this exercise you can begin to map out a sales call plan based on geography and sales potential. More on those specific topics to follow. Until then remember success equals sustained hard work and failure is just a tool to get there.

The Sales Presentation Conundrum

Take a moment and think about how the typical conversation or meeting flows with a prospect? What does your presentation consist of? What do you talk about?

The basics - you may begin by giving some background on your company and who you are. You would probably talk about what it is you sell.

You may even discuss what your product or services are, or what you do and how it could benefit them. And if you have some time, you might share some technical data, a PowerPoint, or some marketing materials.

With all of these various topics to address, only one stands out as your core objective and the primary goal of delivering a presentation. Here are the most common responses I hear:

* To educate your prospect on who we are, the industry and the product I sell.
* To get the sale.
* To create rapport, build trust.
* To develop your competitive edge and become your prospects' vendor of choice.
* To give each prospect a good reason for buying from me.

While these objectives are critical to achieve during a well organized sales effort, none resemble the primary objective.

To illustrate this point, let me ask you a few questions. Based on the five objectives above and your approach when presenting during a meeting with a prospect, are you able to answer these nine questions after you present to a prospect?

1. What are their objectives?
2. What are their needs?
3. Who is responsible for making this purchasing decision?
4. What information do they want to hear from you?
5. What are their expectations of the conversation with you?
6. What is their biggest concern that would prevent them from buying from you?
7. How do they make a purchasing decision? What's their process?
8. What criteria do they need to evaluate to make a decision?
9. Are they "sold" on you, your company and your product?

Unless you did a stellar job pre-qualifying them during your initial contact and this meeting or conversation is actually your second contact with the prospect, then the chance of you being able to accurately answer these questions simply by delivering your content rich presentation (or lack thereof) is pretty slim.

That's why the primary goal when delivering a presentation is different from what you might have imagined. The core objective of a presentation is to uncover the information you need (through questions) to determine if there's a fit and then refine your approach so that the solution you present is now customized to reflect the unique and specific needs of each prospect - zeroing-in on what is most important to them.

As a result, the prospect is now in the best position to make an educated (or impulsive) buying decision based on the selling atmosphere that you created or take action regarding the next step in your selling cycle (proposal, demo, next meeting and so on).

The information that a prospect wants to hear is not necessarily dependant upon the questions they ask, but more so on the questions that you ask. The only questions that you can control and ensure get addressed are the ones you ask. The nine questions I posed above are just a few essential discovery questions to ask during every sales call or presentation.

If you're asking better questions up front, you may have noticed a change in the flow and direction of your meetings and more specifically, in the information you are hearing as well as presenting. You may have also noticed that many of the prospects you met with in the past were the same prospects that you now realize were not a fit, would never be a fit and you had no business ever meeting with or spending the time following up on them in the first place.