Salespeople are often worried about their image.

Many prospects will react negatively to the "professional salesperson". The perfect, smooth-talking polished salesperson trying to convince them to buy something puts them off because they feel bad that they don't have it as together as the professional does.

Don't strive to sound and look perfect. Allow the prospect to see some chinks in your armor. Salespeople make mistakes. When you look and sound flawless and you make a mistake, it hurts your credibility because you can't maintain the perfection you present. (No matter how smart you are or how well your presentation is delivered, there is always going to be someone else who can do it as well or better.)

Forget using buzzwords. Stumble at times on purpose. You look like a "real" person then. Instead of always "dressing for success," dress for what is appropriate for the situation. Try to make yourself like your prospect. For example, don't wear suits to an office where they dress in golf shirts and khakis.

Because you don't know them or their business, ask prospects for help to fill in gaps in information about themselves and their needs. It helps you understand and keeps them from feeling like you are trying to top them. Open discussions will give them a chance to relate to you on a more personal level.

Jeremy Rawitz

jr@salesstrategycorp.com

© Sandler Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Successful salespeople are. They are obsessed with doing what has to be done each and every day to reach their goals. They have an obsession for doing those things to their very best ability - no compromises. They are absolutely, positively obsessed with their work while they are engaged in it. That doesn't mean they work 14 hours per day, seven days a week. It does mean that while they are working, they have no time to "shoot the breeze" at the water cooler, watch the clock, read the sports page, surf the Web, or participate in the radio station phone-in contest. Those activities are reserved for non-working hours ("no-pay" time). We will reveal more obsessions in the next couple of days.

Jeremy Rawitz

Sales Strategy Corp.

jr@salesstrategycorp.com

Salespeople usually dread hearing a prospect say that they don't have the money.

Whether you sell to individuals or corporations, they can find the money if they want (or need) your product or service.

If you are with the right decision makers and they claim they have a budget problem, what they are probably saying is that they aren't convinced your product can help.

Not having money is not a deal breaker, but it could signal that they have a lack of conviction as to how what you are selling can help them.

The right decision maker can shift budgets around to create money in a large corporation. Small-to-medium sized companies have business loans available. Loans and credit cards are always available to individuals.

In most cases, money is available if they want to buy. If a prospect claims not to have the money, it is our responsibility to find out where we may have failed to show them the value of our product or service.

Ask some follow-up questions. In the worst case, you'll discover you may have erred in the sales process. The best-case scenario is that they will reassess the value of your product or service and take action to get the money.

© Sandler Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Jeremy Rawitz

jr@salesstrategycorp.com

347-385-8500