Does your business have a blog? Whether you’re an independent professional, a small business owner or the CEO of a larger company, a blog can be a powerful tool for increasing your sales. Here’s why:

1. You control the message
With traditional publicity and PR efforts, you have no control over what ends up in print. And advertising, by its nature, limits the size and scope of your messages. A blog, however, enables you to be as expansive as you like, while making sure what you write is what gets published.

2. It enables you to display your expertise
People prefer working with experts. We don’t want to work with just any attorney, accountant, organizer, lawn care service, personal trainer, boat dealership, cleaning service, etc. We want to work with one that’s really good. A blog gives you an outlet to demonstrate your expertise to your potential clients.

3. You can be timely
A blog gives you the ability to announce promotions, comment on events and even celebrate holidays of all types. (See A Great Day for Sales for more ideas.) You can also provide up-to-the-minute updates on what you or your company is doing.

4. It improves your SEO
Blogs have become a cornerstone of search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. Search engines like useful content. (As opposed to pure self-promotion.) And they like content that’s updated frequently. Those two factors mean a blog can boost your search engine rankings.

5. You could go viral
If you write a piece that’s particularly helpful, interesting, funny or controversial, your readers may forward it to friends and colleagues. And thanks to social media sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, your post could potentially be forwarded to thousands—or even millions—of people. (See the forwarding options below.)

6. It’s free
How many sales and marketing tools are 100% free? Everything you need to set up a blog you either already have or can get at no cost. Blogging is ideal for any business on a budget.

7. You can engage customers
Unlike most promotional tactics, a blog can create a dialogue with your prospects and customers. Your blog can become a gateway for people to ask questions, share testimonials, voice requests and provide feedback.

8. It helps you build trust with prospects
The number one buying factor is confidence. By giving prospects valuable information, as well as insights into you and your company, blogging can instill that confidence, building the trust needed for them to buy from you.

9. It’s versatile
A blog needn’t just be paragraph upon paragraph of words. You can incorporate photos, audio clips and video as well. Which means you could post pictures of yourself, your people or your products; audio interviews, songs or comedy bits; or video tours of your facility, how-to videos or videos of your product or service in action.

10. You’re forced to think
The simple act of thinking is one of the most valuable activities any of us can engage in. Unfortunately, the hectic pace of business can leave little time for it in our daily schedules. Blogging, however, forces you to think on a regular basis: about your business, about yourself and about your customers. Thinking leads to innovation. And innovation leads to more sales.

So if you’re not blogging yet, give it some serious consideration. It does require some thought and some consistent effort, but the rewards for your business can be enormous.

While speaking at a conference a few days ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Dale Plass, president of Plass Appliance & Furniture in the Chicagoland area. During our conversation, he related a great story that serves as a powerful reminder that sales opportunities lurk even in the most unlikely places.

A few years ago, Dale was standing in line at O’Hare airport waiting to check in. The line was long and moving slowly. After twenty minutes of standing there hardly budging, he began thinking to himself, “How can I turn this into a positive sales experience?”

So he yelled out to the crowd, “Does anybody here need any appliances? I can offer a special deal to anyone in this line today!”

Gutsy? Yes. Potentially embarrassing? Certainly. Worth it? Absolutely.

Three people replied that they were, in fact, in the market for new appliances. Dale gave them his card, collected their contact information and followed up with them later. He ended up selling a washer/dryer combo to one person, a high-end refrigerator to another, and a complete kitchen to a couple who were remodeling their home. 

That one question netted him nearly $10,000 in sales.

Are you sitting around, waiting for sales to come to you? Or are you out there actively hunting for sales wherever they may be?

Sales opportunities are like Easter eggs: some are in plain sight, others are hidden, but they’re everywhere. You just have to be willing to look for them.

Do you have a minute-and-a-half? Then you have time to improve your sales acumen.

That’s the premise behind Mike Faber’s book 89 Seconds to Sales Success (Broadcast Your Best™ Publishing, $15.95). Faber presents 50 tips, insights and strategies, each of which can be read in 89 seconds or less. Which means you can get a quick hit of sales advice each work day for a couple of months, or—if you’re the impatient type—you can polish off the entire book in just over an hour.

Either way, the book is definitely worth the minimal time investment.

Faber offers concrete solutions for many of the common challenges salespeople and business owners regularly face. Challenges like what to do when you reach a plateau, how to reduce feelings of overwhelm and when to ask for referrals. I particularly like his suggestion for dealing with the fears that plague us all.

Faber also shares:
    • How to put failures into perspective
    • Six ways to demonstrate your sincerity
    • The problem with most in-house sales training
    • Four key questions to ask yourself each day
    • And more than a dozen great questions to ask prospects.

The book’s tone is light and conversational, making it enjoyable to read. And rather than brag about his success, Mike relates many of his failures, focusing on the lessons he learned.

By the way, if you’re a sales manager, business owner or CEO, take a look at Faber’s other book, 89 Seconds to Leadership Success. Written in a similar manner to the sales volume, you’ll find fifty actionable strategies based on six key principles for leadership success.

And regardless of your position, check out Faber’s innovative sales training tool, The 52 Greatest Business Development Questions Ever. It’s a card deck featuring 52 powerful sales questions, along with four ways to use the cards. Besides Texas Hold ‘em, that is.

To order from Amazon, click these links:

89 Seconds to Sales Success

89 Seconds to Leadership Success

The 52 Greatest Business Development Questions Ever!

Whether you’re a salesperson, sales manager, business owner or professional, you have a lot of demands on your time. Your “To Do” list is longer than a Tolstoy novel. How can you maintain some semblance of control over your schedule so you can devote the time you need to selling while still attending to all the other things that are also important to you? These six strategies can help. 

1. Plan your day
Make phone calls early. That way, if you get people’s voice mail, they’ll have a chance to get back to you that day. Be sure to let them know when you’ll be available to receive calls. Schedule your most difficult work for the time of day when you perform best. And set aside some quiet time each day so you can concentrate, think and plan without the phone and other distractions bothering you.

2. Schedule your sales activities
When it seems like everything is a priority, things like prospecting calls, follow-up visits and other sales activities are all too easy to postpone. But those are the activities that drive your business! If you don’t sell, you don’t eat. So schedule sufficient time in your day for sales-focused activities and hold that time sacrosanct.

3. Prioritize your tasks
Not everything on your “To Do” list is equally important or urgent. As you create your daily schedule, make sure you plan your high-priority tasks (Like prospecting calls!) earlier in the day to ensure they get done. Then if things take longer than expected (Don’t they always?), the items that get bumped will be your lower-priority tasks.

4. Get organized
In most people’s offices, space is at a premium, and clutter can slow you down dramatically. If you can’t find what you need, when you need it, you’re losing valuable time. Investing a few hours doing some systematic filing will pay for itself almost immediately in increased efficiency. File every document and throw out what you don’t need. Get a contact manager software package or a day planner to keep track of names, numbers and other critical information. Make a habit of using it regularly so you’re not constantly searching through piles of notes.

5. Delegate everything you can
You can’t do everything. And even if you could, it wouldn’t be the best use of your time.  Delegating and outsourcing saves you time and usually gives you a better result, thus letting you focus on the tasks that are the most profitable for you. 

6. Just say no
Don’t try to take on everything. If you’re already stretched thin, you’re not helping anybody by piling more onto your plate. Politely turn people down by saying that you’re too busy right now to give their project the attention it deserves. Better to cultivate a reputation for being honest (And in great demand!) than to end up with a reputation for shoddy work and missed deadlines.

Do you have any other time-management tactics you use to maximize your sales time? If so, please share them below!

By guest author Paul Elvig

There he sat, an elderly gentleman who had recently suffered a slight stroke. He was asking me to set aside the rules so that he could put a small piece of driftwood in a niche with his mother’s ashes. My answer was “no.” 

It was 2005 and I was the general manager of Evergreen-Washelli Memorial Park and Funeral Home in Seattle. We had rather stiff rules on what would be allowed in columbarium niches, and we had them for good reason. 

Washelli Columbarium’s point of pride is the quiet dignity it offers visitors: warm rooms, private personal courts, carpeted floors and strict control over niche content.

In the past we had rejected hand-made airplanes, books that had been authored by the occupant of the niche, photos and nearly any item that did not have “staying power” over a 100-year span. With more than 65,000 niches this can be most important. We had to consider every visitor that would walk through the doors decades from now. 

After having his request turned down by another staff member, Mr. K (privacy is respected here) wanted to meet with me about his driftwood.

Mr. K handed me the driftwood and said in quiet tones that he wanted to place it with his mother. I complimented Mr. K on the general beauty of the driftwood, and I told him of our policy regarding wooden objects, which stemmed from our concerns about how long they might last,  especially when looking at it from the long-term—perhaps centuries—viewpoint.

He was disappointed, but accepted my ruling. As Mr. K. prepared to leave, I felt a little small talk and some visiting would make him feel better before he left, so I engaged him in conversation.

Mr. K was Japanese-American, born here, yet he had the mannerism of the old country. His courtesy and palpable respect were disarming. We visited about Seattle and the Pacific Northwest and somehow got on to the subject of his youth. I figured him to be about eight years my senior. That meant he likely had been a boy of about seven in 1941.

He was reluctant to go into details at first, but I felt compelled to ask some gently probing questions. Had he been forced to move when World War II broke out? Yes, he had been. 

It was during the Roosevelt administration that Japanese-Americans were ordered “for security purposes” to be moved from costal areas, and interned inland. Mr. K’s family was taken quickly, without the opportunity to gather much in the way of personal effects or to say good-bye to neighbors and friends. 

His family was taken to an internment camp east of the mountains to join hundreds of other Japanese-Americans also removed without hearing or even so-called due-process. He didn’t understand much about it at the time. He knew his Mother was most worried as he had serious asthma problems.

“I remember Mom pounding on the gate to get the guard’s attention regarding my breathing issues. I remember Mom’s hands bleeding from pounding so hard.” I looked at Mr. K with laser-focused attention. 

I was getting embarrassed for my country and thus for myself. I told Mr. K how sorry I was and ashamed we had done such a thing in the name of fear. He held no grudge, which truly amazed me.

“When we got to camp, we didn’t have any toys or anything to play with,” Mr. K said. “The food was okay and we were with family, but it seemed so strange.” 

“No toys? What did you play with?” I asked. 

“We would pick up most anything and make believe it was a car or a doll,” he said.

As Mr. K started telling me about make-believe I noticed how he reached over to touch the piece of driftwood now sitting on an office chair; driftwood shiny with age and handling. 

I was afraid to ask. But I had to. 

“Mr. K, what did you play make-believe with?”

His old and tired hands, knotted with arthritis, slowly picked up the driftwood. “This is the car my mother gave me. It’s something I just kept all my life.”

Looking at this wonderful American through my tear-swollen eyes, I said, “We will be breaking the rules, Mr. K. That toy, that piece of hand polished driftwood, that gift from your mother will join her if I have to open the niche myself.” 

There is a time to break the rules. There is a time to do what is best for the customer. We must never lose sight of why we are in business in the first place. 

Mr. K’s parting handshake was the most wonderful and heartfelt I have ever shared. His was a forgiving hand, mine was a thanking hand. 

Mr. K passed away not long ago, but his memory will never pass from my consciousness.  
  
Paul Elvig is the retired general manager of Evergreen-Washelli Memorial Park and Funeral Home in Seattle, Washington. He is also a past president of the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association. He still provides expert testimony on issues relating to the death care industry. To e-mail him, click here.

One of the most powerful elements of LinkedIn is the ability to join and participate in groups. You can post, comment on and follow discussions; post and read news and blog articles; and find new connections.

There are three types of groups you should join: groups related to your industry, groups related to your target markets and groups related to sales. While I can’t help you with the first two, I can recommend some great groups in the third category.

Here are 14 sales-related groups you should consider joining:
   1. Innovative Mktg, PR, Sales, Word-of-Mouth & Buzz Innovators 
   2. Inside Sales Association
   3. Integrated Alliances 
   4. Marketing & Communication Network 
   5. National Association of Sales Executives 
   6. ! Sales Best Practices   
   7. Sales Concierge    
   8. Sales Management Association    
   9. Sales Playbook! 
   10. Sales Training Execution   
   11. SalesBlogcast.com 
   12. SalesLab
   13. SalesPro 
   14. The Sales Association 

In addition, there are many sales-related groups that are focused on a specific region such as The New York Metro Sales Connection, Chicago Sales Networking, Atlanta Sales Professionals and Sales, Marketing, Technical and Senior Executive Club-Asia Pacific.

So check out these groups, join some or all of them and participate!

It’s a cold, snowy day here in Denver, and with all the snow that’s fallen on the East Coast as well, this seems like a great day to explore some more inspiring, thought-provoking quotations: 

“About 70% of customers’ buying decisions are based on positive human interactions with sales staff. The bottom line is that people buy from people, not companies.” —Lee J. Colan

“Success in business requires training and discipline and hard work. But if you’re not frightened by these things, the opportunities are just as great today as they ever were.” —David Rockefeller

“Ideas won’t keep; something must be done about them.” —Alfred North Whitehead  

“Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.” —Karen Kaiser Clark

“Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them to become what they are capable of being.” —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“Between two products equal in price, function and quality, the better looking will out sell the other.” —Raymond Loewy

“Set priorities for your goals. A major part of successful living lies in the ability to put first things first. Indeed, the reason most major goals are not achieved is that we spend our time doing second things first.” —Robert J. McKain

A man who is too modest goes hungry. —Ethiopian Proverb

“You’ve achieved success in your field when you don’t know whether what you’re doing is work or play.” —Warren Beatty

“Kodak sells film, but they don’t advertise film. They advertise memories.”       —Theodore Parker

“Beware of quitting too soon. Dr. Seuss’ first children’s book was rejected by 23 publishers. The 24th publisher sold 6 million copies.” —Ann Landers

“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” —Robert Kennedy

“If a man empties his purse into his head, no one can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.” —Benjamin Franklin

“Even if the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be.” —Yogi Berra

For more of my favorite quotations, check out Great Thoughts on Sales, Business and Success and More Great Thoughts on Sales, Business and Success.

By the way, what are some of your favorite quotations?

Is it possible to be too nice? It may seem like an odd question, since as far back as we can remember, our parents, teachers and other authority figures (not to mention Sesame Street) drilled into us the importance of being nice to others.

And yet, the answer is an unqualified “yes.” It is absolutely possible to be too nice: in sales, in other areas of business and even in your personal life. And being too nice can have disastrous consequences.

A salesperson who is too nice will give away all their profit, jump through endless hoops for a sale that may never materialize and acquiesce to every customer demand, no matter how unimportant it actually is to the customer or how difficult it is for the company to fulfill. Such a salesperson will get taken to the cleaners, and both the salesperson and the company will suffer as a result.

A manager who is too nice doesn’t hold their people accountable, isn’t effective at resolving conflicts and can’t fire someone who desperately needs to be fired. All of which hurts the entire organization.

If you’re too nice in your personal life, friends, family and even casual acquaintances will constantly take advantage of you, draining you of your time, energy and—often—money. Leaving you without enough of those things for yourself or for those who are truly deserving of your kindness and generosity.

In each of the above cases, people may like you, but primarily because they know they can walk all over you. And they definitely won’t respect you.

So precisely how nice is too nice? When your niceness ceases to be an asset and starts to become a liability. When you can’t be effective because you’re too worried about someone else’s feelings, real or imagined. In short, when your niceness is sabotaging your success and preventing you from reaching your goals.

To help you determine whether you’re too nice, ask yourself these questions:
    • Do I typically back down in a confrontation?
    • Is it very important to me that people like me?
    • Do I frequently volunteer to do extra work?
    • Do I go to great lengths to avoid conflict?
    • Am I cutting my margins too often?
    • Do I consistently sacrifice myself for others?
    • When people make requests, do I always say yes?
    • Do I avoid complaining because I don’t want to cause trouble?
    • Am I spending all my time on other people’s issues?
    • Do I make excuses for others’ bad behavior?

If you answered yes to two or more of these questions, odds are, you’re too nice. (In which case, can I borrow a hundred bucks?)

If you suspect you’re too nice, talk with a trusted friend, a mentor or a therapist. Read some books on leadership, negotiating or self-confidence.

Don’t get me wrong. Being nice is, well…nice. It’s certainly a positive attribute, and valuable in both sales and life in general. I mean, you never want to be mean, rude or surly. (Unless you’re a maitre d’ at a French restaurant—then it’s a job requirement.)

But there are times when you have to say “no.” Situations in which you have to discipline people. Conflicts that require you to stand up for yourself. Sometimes, being nice creates more (and bigger) problems than it solves. (Believe me, I’ve learned this lesson the hard way.)

Keep in mind, you can still be courteous, sensitive and respectful when you’re refusing a request or lodging a complaint or calling someone on the carpet. Niceness and assertiveness aren’t mutually exclusive. In fact, employing both together will make you more effective and help you achieve your goals faster, in sales, business and life.

Wouldn’t that be nice?

With all the attention on social media over the past couple of years, it’s easy to forget that face-to-face networking is still extremely valuable. However, it isn’t enough just to meet people at networking mixers once in a while. People need to really get to know you. And they need to remember you, like you and trust you before they’ll want to do business with you. So try one or more of these tactics to speed that process along.

1. Volunteer
Every organization needs volunteers, and savvy networkers jump at the chance. People will see you in a position of responsibility and service. You also get a chance to showcase your talents and learn new skills.  

2. Work the Registration Table
You’ll meet virtually everyone who attends the event. More importantly, they’ll meet you.
 
3. Donate a Door Prize
Your product or service will be showcased in front of the entire crowd. And everybody loves to win things. For maximum effect and goodwill, make sure the prize is an outright gift rather than a discount or coupon.
 
4. Join Committees
In most organizations, the majority of the work (and the majority of the networking) occurs in committees. Because committees typically meet on a regular basis, you get an opportunity to see the same people frequently, giving you all ample opportunity to get to know each other well. By the way, this is also where you will often find the “movers and shakers” who you most want to meet.
 
5. Write Articles
Virtually every trade association and business group has a newsletter, magazine or journal. And they are all in need of articles of value to their members. Contact the editors of these publications and ask about needs, schedules and editorial guidelines. Write according to their guidelines and include your contact information for the authorship credit. (Bonus Tactic: Be sure to get reprints to include in your promotional materials.)

6. Speak for the Group
Speaking at your group’s events can give you valuable exposure at absolutely no cost. Anything from a ten-minute talk to a two-hour seminar can serve your audience while positioning you as an authority in your field. And everyone wants to meet the speaker!

7. Host an Event
For several hours people will see your facility, employees, products and/or services. You can even take guests on guided tours and give away samples or coupons to increase your impact. To reduce the cost, time and effort involved in hosting a networking event, consider sharing the event with a caterer or restaurant. You provide the location, they provide the food and you both get the credit. And the exposure!

Use these seven tactics to raise your profile in your community and you’ll see your sales increase as a result!

It’s ironic. People have more phone numbers than ever before, yet it’s harder to actually reach people than ever before. Which means whether you’re using the phone to follow up with leads, prospect for new customers or close sales, you’re going to have to deal with voice-mail a lot. Here are some powerful tactics that will help make sure your message gets returned.

1. Slow Down and Speak Up
Most people speak too quickly when leaving a message. The result for the listener is often garbled names and unintelligible phone numbers. I have received messages that I couldn’t return because I couldn’t understand what the caller was saying. Make sure people hear what you want them to hear. Speak slowly and distinctly, enunciating each word (and especially numbers) carefully. Speak with enough volume so that your recipient won’t have to strain to hear you. 

2. KISS Over the Phone
Voice-mail is not the place to let your inner Dostoevsky free. Do you like listening to long, rambling messages? Neither does anyone else. Keep It Short and Simple. If you don’t know exactly what you’re going to say when you hear the voice mail prompt, hang up, compose your thoughts and call back. If you’re prospecting over the phone, never leave your sales pitch on someone’s voice mail. Instead, tantalize them with a benefit or mention the name of the person who referred you. You should be able to do either or both in a matter of seconds.

3. Get Specific
Don’t just say, “Call me back.” People are more likely to return your call when they know the reason for it. Tell the person what you are calling about and what you need from them. This will also give them a chance to come up with the information, action or decision before they get back to you, saving both of you time and aggravation.

4. Make It Easy for Them
Even if the person you’re calling already has your number, giving it to them in the message saves them the trouble of looking it up. Be sure to leave your complete phone number, including area code and extension. And to prevent playing phone tag, let the person know when you will be reachable at that number. You may also want to leave an additional number they can reach you at, depending on when you want them to call back.

5. Be Happy
Of course you’re disappointed that you didn’t reach the person you wanted. But don’t let that come through in your voice. People will be more likely to respond if you sound enthusiastic and upbeat. Smile as you record your message and let the person know that you’re looking forward to hearing from them.

We all hate voice-mail. But it’s a fact of modern business life. Rather than get upset or frustrated, use these strategies when confronted with a recording and before you know it, you’ll be talking to a real, live human being.

Do you know what business you’re in? I don’t mean what industry or field or segment. I mean, what business you’re really in?

And don’t say “the solutions business.” That’s a cliché. It’s also inaccurate. Many of the things people buy aren’t solutions to anything. Yet people still buy them.

No, what you’re really in, is the fulfillment business. When somebody buys what you sell, they’re hoping to fulfill some physical need and/or emotional desire.

A family vacation doesn’t necessarily solve any problem, but it does (ideally) fulfill a variety of individual wishes. (Each of which can be very different.) Similarly, when a business buyer makes a purchase, they’re hoping to meet some need of their company, but they’re also trying fulfill their personal desire to advance, earn a bigger bonus or at least, not get fired.

So in what ways is your product or service fulfilling to your customers? What organizational needs and individual wants do you fulfill?

Think beyond the physical needs. (The “problems” we’re taught to solve.) What are your prospects’ hopes, dreams, desires, fantasies, fears, longings? That’s what they’re really buying. So that’s what you should be selling.

A common mistake salespeople, business owners and professionals make is believing our prospects are just like us. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, odds are good you have little or nothing in common with any given prospect. And it’s critical to understand this. Because if you treat your prospects as if they were you, you’ll miss out on a lot of sales.

Among the potential differences between you and your prospect:
    • Likes
    • Dislikes
    • Values
    • Priorities
    • Concerns
    • Experiences
    • Biases
    • Income
    • Risk tolerance
    • Impulsiveness
    • Need for details
    • Communication style
    • Decisiveness
    • Sense of humor

Which means:
    • An approach that makes you comfortable could be a turn-off for them.
    • What you think is overpriced they may think is a bargain.
    • A color you can’t stand could be their favorite.
    • Knowledge you take for granted they may have never heard before.
    • Issues that aren’t a concern for you can be deal-breakers for them.

Above all, it means you have to sell your prospects what they like, not what you like. And you need to sell to them the way they like to buy, not the way you like to buy.

So get out of your own head and into theirs. Rather than assume your prospect is anything like you, find out about them. Ask questions to discover their likes, dislikes, experiences, etc.

And respect the answers you hear. Your prospect’s values, priorities, concerns and so on may be very different from yours, but they’re just as valid. In fact, if you want to increase your sales, they’re even more important.

Last week was the 37th anniversary of Schoolhouse Rock. The short educational cartoons debuted on January 6, 1973. I mentioned this fact on my Facebook page and the response was tremendous, with people recounting their favorite songs.

Amazingly, after close to 40 years, an incredible number of Generation X’ers still remember songs like Conjunction Junction, I’m Just a Bill and Three is a Magic Number. To this day, many of us can still recite the preamble to the U.S. Constitution thanks to Schoolhouse Rock.

How would you like your brand, company or product to stick in people’s minds like that? Whether you’re a salesperson prepping a presentation or a CEO planning your company’s long-term marketing strategy, here’s what business professionals can learn from this classic Saturday-morning staple

Keep It Simple
Schoolhouse Rock managed to distill the complex process of how a bill becomes a law into a 3-minute song. Was it a comprehensive explanation? Of course not. Not only was such detail unnecessary, it would have been counter-productive.

The more details, the harder a message is to understand and remember. The way the cartoon explains the legislative process, a five-year-old can grasp it. Can the same be said for your sales and marketing materials?

Repetition, Repetition, Repetition
Repetition aids memory. In each song, the key concept is repeated several times. And each cartoon was repeated every few weekends. Repetition aids memory. In your sales presentations, repeat your key points several times. In your marketing campaigns, choose frequency of impression over the sheer number of people reached. Because repetition aids memory.

Make It Catchy
Schoolhouse Rock lyrics are catchy. They just seem to stick in your head. (“Conjunction Junction, what’s your function?” “Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, get your adverbs here…”)

How can you make your sales presentations and marketing materials catchier? Borrow the tactics great writers employ:
    • Stories
    • Characters
    • Alliteration
    • Metaphors
    • Similes
    • Rhyme
    • Meter
    • Onomatopoeia
    • Humor

Have Fun!
The reason we Gen X’ers learned all this math, grammar, science and civics is that we had no idea it was educational. We just thought it was fun. Nobody wants to be “educated.” (What images and feelings does that word conjure up in your mind?) But everyone wants to have fun!

In fact, a survey conducted by Britt Beemer for American Demographics found that 70.1% of respondents would switch to a different vendor if the company was more fun to do business with. And the beautiful thing is, having fun can cost you little or nothing!

Keep these strategies in mind as you put together your next sales presentation or marketing effort. Your message will stand out from the crowd, connect more effectively with your prospect and be more memorable.

In other words, IT WILL ROCK!

By guest blogger Paul Castain

After several months of getting no results from being on LinkedIn, I had to face the hard, cold reality that I had basically shown up, sat on the sidelines and expected the world to beat a path to my computer. So I changed my approach and started actually using LinkedIn. Wow, what a difference! Here are 25 powerful lessons I picked up along the way.

1. Change your expectation of Social Networking. There is no quick fix, silver bullet, get rich quick. This is a long term strategy to say the least. Kind of sucks, huh? Well, I think it’s safe to say that thanks to this economy, many things are now long term strategies, so perhaps a little patience is in order! Social Media Jedi Master Chris Brogan says “It’s not the kind of project where you show up, build your profiles, friend a few people and call it good. It’s a lot like tending the farm.” Be sure to check out Chris’s blog by visiting http://www.chrisbrogan.com/

2. Put some thought into your profile. Make sure it does justice to the wonderful brand we call you! Want to improve your “Googleability”? Then by all means make your profile public by clicking here http://www.linkedin.com/myprofile?editwp

Thought: Do you want your connections visible to everyone in your network? Do you have some clients that may get a tad pissed if they find out you are doing work for their competitors? Then click here and change that bad boy https://www.linkedin.com/secure/settings?browse=&goback=%2Eaas

3. Use a cool tagline to help set you apart from the masses. Examples: Craig Wilson is the Chief Appreciation Officer of his Sendout Cards business. Mi Amigo Hank Trisler isn’t the President of The Trisler Companies…He’s the Supreme Commander! Desire McBride is The Print Diva. My favorite is John Hudson who is The Dark Lord of Staffing. Our biggest challenge these days folks is being memorable. These people get it!

4. Join Groups. The biggest mistake many people make is joining groups in their industry exclusively. I think that’s great, but you better branch out. I mean, how many widgets do you think other widget dudes are gonna buy from ya, Gomer? My advice to you is to join some sales groups as well. First, it will help you keep your finger on the pulse right now since sales people are pretty much out there on the front line. Second, you will pick up some good best practices. And finally, sales people can be a point of entry often overlooked in getting in the door. I would also recommend that you join some industry groups for the verticals you want to penetrate.

Did you know? You can join up to 50 groups. When you share a group with someone you can usually send them a direct email without paying for inmails.

Did you also know? Emails sent through LI have a much higher open rate than traditional emails. Can you leverage that as a sales rep? Damn right you can!

5. Get off the damn sidelines! This is where I screwed up big time. I joined groups but didn’t participate. Get the feel of your group. Contribute! Add value. By the way, doesn’t this help make you more visible and help with the whole branding thing? If you do it right it does! Start your own discussions in those groups. This is how you stand out! What are some thought provoking, appropriate discussions you could start in your groups?

6. Want to look like a Grade A, A-hole? Then spam the discussions with ridiculous infomercials on your company, start discussions that are blatant self promotions or get cute and start a discussion with the old “For the rest of the story, click here.” That’s how you build a brand as a jackass real quick.

Do you belong to a group that is littered with spam and self promotion? Tell the group moderator and if that doesn’t work, then put your efforts in elsewhere. They aren’t worth your time!

7. Facilitate your discussions for God’s sake! This is by far one of my biggest pet peeves on LI. If you start a discussion and then disappear, you are an idiot! You not only display bad manners in doing the disappearing act, you allow your discussion to go inactive sooner. Why wouldn’t you want your discussion up at the top of the first page of discussions? Isn’t that a great visibility position? Check out my rant on this subject here http://salesplaybook.blogspot.com/2009/04/play-39-david-copperfield-and-linkedin.html

8. Show appreciation for those who contribute to your discussions. First, you should always thank people in the discussion with a simple “Thank you for your input (insert name here)” By the way, do we all enjoy being acknowledged in front of our peers? Do you think acknowledging contributions encourages additional contributions as well as folks following you to other discussions and groups? Worked for me. The other way I show appreciation is by sending a thank-you in a quick email. It’s a great door opener and helps me differentiate from the masses!

9. Avoid ninjas like your online life depended on it. It amazes me how many otherwise intelligent adults will attack someone online in front of thousands. Trust me when I tell you it will happen to you and if you are like me you will want to stick your virtual foot up their virtual ass. In a word, don’t! You won’t change ignorant people and you will damage your brand in the process.

10. Use a hyperlink in your signature when you contribute to a discussion. If all you do is put the old “www” it won’t read as a link. Here’s how ya do it the right way: Put a handy dandy http:// in front of your domain and viola. Check out how I do it.

Respectfully,
Paul Castain
Vice President Consolidated Graphics
http://salesplaybook.blogspot.com/

11. Don’t use the automated invites. They are lame and you will sound like every other clueless person. Take a moment to make your invite personal. Think about the power of first impressions and more importantly, the power of being memorable. Reference something you have observed about them in the groups, a point they made, their company, some common ground or simply:

Dear Jake:
I would be honored if you would join my network.

12. Minimize IDK’s. IDK stands for I Don’t Know. If you invite someone and they select “I don’t know” you get a real nifty snotgram from LI. If you continue to get them, LI can remove your ability to invite, because everyone has basically labeled you a dick. The real problem isn’t with LI, it’s the ignorance of the recipient. They simply don’t know how to tell you to piss off gracefully. That’s why you have to educate them.

Dear Jake:
I would be honored if you would join my network.

Should you choose not to connect, that’s fine, simply hit the “archive” button rather than the dreaded “I don’t know” button.

13. Start your own group. One bit of advice I always give in conventional networking is to get on a board in a leadership position. The same can be said for LI. I waited until I had enough involvement in the groups and started The Sales Playbook group. It’s grown by more than 2300 members in 3 months and has dramatically enhanced my brand. I’m also happy to say that I have done so by enhancing other people’s brands.

Come join our Linkedin Sales Playbook community by clicking here: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=1832739&trk=anet_ug_grppro

14. Post interesting articles in the news section. Use the “share” button to alert other folks in your network when you read an article of value to them. Comment on interesting articles. This contributes value to your group and keeps you visible in the process!

15. Add value to your network. One of the best ways you can do this is to be a matchmaker. Introduce them to people they want and need to meet. With so many displaced workers in these challenging times keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities. Not a bad idea to have a recruiter or three in your network while we are at it. Neil Wood replied to me privately when I asked for advice on some good branding books. He told me he had an extra copy of a really good book and sent it to me. Stacy Stateham has given her time very freely to folks that have needed advice and I too try my best to give value (even to my competitors, believe it or not) When you do these types of things ladies and gentlemen, you don’t create followers, you create evangelists spreading the good news of your brand!

Branding 101 Moment With Uncle Paul: Do you think it packs more punch when someone else says cool things about you and your company or when you self-promote? Sorry to get basic on ya but if you are on LI then you know there are many who didn’t get the spam memo!

16. Use LI as part of your pre-call planning. I think it’s an incredible way for me to get inside my prospect’s head by getting a feel for how they think in the groups, perhaps they have a link to a blog, etc. This is a great way for you to get the inside track!

17. Let people get inside your head. Use applications such as Amazon Bookshelf, Slideshare and links to your blog. People buy from people they trust. One of the first steps towards trust is familiarity. Make sure you give your network every opportunity to experience “Brand YOU”

18. Cross-pollinate your efforts. Put a link to your LI profile in your email auto signature.

19. Post interesting Status Updates. This is a great way for you to stay on your network’s radar screen. Avoid boring play by play. Donna Highfill puts inspirational quotes in her status updates. Others will put a link to a timely article, links to articles and blogs you have written. The key here is to stay on the radar screen by continuing to add value and avoiding over-saturation while taking it easy on the self-promotion. You also need to use your head. Trust me when I tell you that your network doesn’t find value in a status update that informs us that a bottle of Cuervo has your name on it or that you are having a meltdown. Make sure you comment on status updates from your network. Example: someone in your network just mentioned that they started working at ABC company this week. Leave a congratulatory comment, etc.

Tip: Scan the home page daily. There are tons of opportunities for you there but you have to remember everyone’s favorite subject is themselves, so make it about them!

20. Comment on the blogs of your connections. Doing this opens you up to their community. In today’s online world, it’s not who you know, it’s who knows you and who knows those who know those who know you and…well, you get the picture.

21. Be consistent. You won’t build your brand worth a damn if you show up two days in a row, take two weeks off, come back for a day or two. This needs to be a daily activity. Remember, this is a long term investment. Don’t ever forget that!

22. Solicit Recommendations wisely. Use your head on this one. Please! One of the quickest ways for me to yell “Jackass” is when someone I barely know, hits me up for a recommendation. When I call them out on it, I’m usually given an explanation that they used the automated send to all feature, which is just plain stupid if you ask me. Be selective who you ask and be selective who you give recommendations to. Remember, it’s your credibility, dude!

23. Stop with the juvenile “I want to have the most contacts” BS! How in the hell can you realistically connect properly with 12,000 contacts? Seriously, dude! Better to have quality contacts. Be selective in who you ask to join your network. Be selective who you allow to connect with you too! Be deliberate and intentional. By the way, I’m in the process of writing a book. When I first started I didn’t know a thing about finding an agent, a publisher and all that fun stuff. I purposely hunted folks with experience in these areas and avoided contacts that had nothing to do with what I do or who I can impact.

24. Ask and answer questions to further position you as a thought leader. You can do this by clicking here: http://www.linkedin.com/answers?trk=hb_tab_ayn

Cool Tip: Want to get a better response and greater visibility when you ask a question? Choose the option to send the question out to up to 200 people in your network.

Hook a fellow Jedi up by suggesting someone from your network as an expert to a question. This is a nice way for you to continue to add value to your network and encourage a really cool thing called reciprocation!

25. Understand that you must move this virtual online stuff to real time or it’s absolutely meaningless! One of the things I do is make a goal each week that I will connect live (face to face, phone, coffee, lunch, drink, etc) with at least 2 people from my network. When I do, I make sure my time with them is about them, not me. My goal is to not only get to know them, but to find out who an ideal client would be for them, their goals, their dreams, their challenges.

I want to leave you with a bit of a challenge. One I wish someone had issued me when I first got on LinkedIn. Try these things for 90 days. Give it your all. Be consistent and do something daily to enhance your online brand. Give value to people unconditionally and don’t keep a scorecard. Learn everything you can and, if at the end of 90 days concerted effort you feel it was a waste of time, then move on.

I for one am quite pleased with my results. The Castain brand is alive and kicking and as a bonus, I’ve made some wonderful friends along the way. Also been talking to a few publishers, so it’s nice to be moving toward that important milestone in my life!

I want you to think about something else that many people don’t realize. Your LinkedIn experience is about community. All human beings want to be a part of something. Can you leverage that? There’s your million dollar question to chew on! 

Paul Castain is the Vice President of Sales Development for Consolidated Graphics, one of North America’s leading general commercial printing companies. He has trained, mentored and coached over 3,000 sales professionals and delivered numerous keynote addresses. He has authored numerous training manuals, articles, blog posts and is currently working on his first book for release in 2011. Feel free to email Paul at ctstrainer@yahoo.com and visit the Sales Playbook blog.

You negotiate every day. With prospects, customers, bosses, co-workers, vendors—even with friends and family. And while there are hundreds of strategies and tactics that can help you negotiate more effectively, there is one rule that is paramount:

You must be willing to walk away from the deal.

This principle is the foundation of all negotiating approaches and its importance cannot be overstated. It is the single biggest determinant as to whether your negotiation will result in success or failure.

Because the moment you’ve committed to a particular outcome, regardless of what it takes, you’ve lost all your negotiating power. If you can’t say no, you’re doomed.

If your prospect knows you can’t walk away from a deal, they can take you for everything. Or they can dictate terms that are to your detriment.

Demonstrating your willingness to walk away, on the other hand, can give you enormous leverage in a negotiation. When the other side knows there’s a legitimate risk of losing what they want, they’re less likely to push you and more likely to agree with your positions.

I’m not saying you should run away at the drop of a hat. But you need to determine ahead of time what is acceptable and what is unacceptable, in terms of pricing, timelines, conditions and behaviors. You need boundaries, and you need to respect your boundaries before your counterpart will. (By the way, this applies to relationships as well as to sales.)

There are some deals that just aren’t worth it. There are some clients you’re better off without. Being willing to walk away will protect you from both, while improving your results in all your other negotiations.

If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to increase your sales, here are ten specific actions you can take right away to make that happen. Whether you’re a salesperson, professional, sales manager or CEO, each of these tactics can be implemented quickly and easily.

1. Start a blog
Being perceived as an expert can help you make the sale over your competitors. And one of the fastest, easiest ways to increase your perceived expertise is have your own blog. You can share tips, resources, case studies and more, while also mentioning new products, services and special offers. Not sure where to begin? Read Top Ten Easy Steps to Starting a Business Blog by Denise Wakeman and check out this fantastic step-by-step video tutorial at becomeablogger.com.

2. Join LinkedIn groups
One of the most powerful features of LinkedIn is the ability to join groups. There are more than 100,000 groups, some with thousands of members. You can join up to 50 groups. Once you’re a group member, you can start and participate in discussions, submit news articles (including your blog posts) and post job openings. There are three types of groups you should join first: sales-related groups, groups related to your industry and the groups your target prospects belong to.

3. Go network
Social media hasn’t replaced traditional networking. Meeting people face-to-face is still—and always will be—important. So get out there and meet some people! Figure out where your best prospects go and attend those events. Regularly. Want some great networking tactics? Take a look at this article: Networking: Your Most Valuable Prospecting Tool.

4. Create a Facebook fan page
You can create a fan page for yourself, your company or for any individual product or service in your line. The bonus is, once your “friends” become “fans”, Facebook will automatically suggest to their friends that they become a fan of your page.

5. Ask for referrals
Too many salespeople never even ask for referrals. They’re afraid of rejection or they don’t want to be perceived as intrusive. But if you’ve taken good care of your customers and they’re happy with your product or service, they want to refer you. You just have to ask.

6. Create a new product or service
Innovation drives sales. What else might your customers want? How else could you serve them? How could you improve, upgrade, shrink, expand, combine or repackage your existing offerings?

7. Leverage Twitter
More people are getting on Twitter every day. If you’re not using it—or not using it effectively—now’s the time to start. There are tons of Twitter tutorials, tips and tricks online. Do a Google search and go from there.

8. Attend a sales training seminar
If you truly want to sell more, you need to be better at selling. Which means you need to learn new skills, approaches and tactics, as well as refresh yourself on those you used to know but have forgotten about. Investing in some current, relevant sales training will pay you massive dividends immediately.

9. Post a video on YouTube
Shoot a video of your product or service in action. Or make a short how-to video. It doesn’t need to be professionally shot, produced or edited. These days, raw, unedited video actually carries more credibility with viewers than professional efforts.

10. Join a leads group
Can you imagine if 20 to 30 people were out there looking for new prospects for you every week? That’s essentially what a leads group does. The members prospect for each other and share leads once a week. Want more details? Check out this article: Should You Use a Leads Group for Prospecting?

Here’s to a wildly successful year!

By Don Cooper

How would the birth of Jesus have been recorded if Joseph had had access to Twitter? (Okay, this has absolutely nothing to do with sales. On the other hand, Jesus—at the time—was considered a heretic by many. So there’s that. Enjoy!)

josephofnazareth Heading to Bethlehem for the #census. Stupid Romans!
3 days ago

josephofnazareth Long walk. @virginmary keeps complaining about her feet. Told her b4 we left not to wear heels.
2 days ago

josephofnazareth Wish there was a Waffle House around here.
2 days ago

josephofnazareth Old people walking too slowly in the passing lane. There oughta be a law.
1 day ago

josephofnazareth @virginmary needs pickles. Again.
1 day ago

josephofnazareth Anybody planning a #tweetup in #Bethlehem?
16 hours ago

josephofnazareth Inn doesn’t have our reservation. Aagh!
12 hours ago

josephofnazareth Never booking online again. Next time using a travel agent.
12 hours ago

josephofnazareth Every hotel fully booked. Its like spring break around here. w/o all the hot chicks. Not sure where we’re gonna stay.
11 hours ago

josephofnazareth Help us out Tweeps! Anybody know a place we can crash?
11 hours ago

josephofnazareth Looks like it’s the manger for us.   ;-(
9 hours ago

josephofnazareth Woman in stable next door just gave birth to a boy named Brian.
8 hours ago

josephofnazareth You know what would spruce this place up? A tree w/some lights & stuff on it.
7 hours ago

josephofnazareth @virginmary’s going into labor!
6 hours ago

josephofnazareth I keep telling her to breathe. She keeps screaming at me to get her some painkillers.
4 hours ago

josephofnazareth where’s an ob/gyn when u need one?
2 hours ago

josephofnazareth It’s a boy!
1 hour ago

josephofnazareth Wanted to name him Thelonius, but @virginmary insisted on Jesus.
44 minutes ago

josephofnazareth I could sure go for some chinese food right about now.
39 minutes ago

josephofnazareth What’s with all the shepherds? Is there a convention in town or something?
34 minutes ago

JudeaNewsNetwork Savior born in Bethlehem. Much rejoicing.
1 hour ago
Retweeted by josephofnazareth and 57 others

josephofnazareth Man that star is bright!
31 minutes ago

josephofnazareth 3 guys dropped by w/gold, frankincense & myrrh. Thx @wisemen!
26 minutes ago

josephofnazareth Frankincense sure helps w/the smell in the stable. No idea what we’re gonna do w/the myrrh.
12 minutes ago

josephofnazareth Thx! RT @kingherod: Congrats @josephofnazareth! Can’t wait to meet the little guy!
7 minutes ago

josephofnazareth Some kid’s playing his drum for us. Not bad, but I can only handle so many drum solos.
4 minutes ago

josephofnazareth Thx for the RT’s & #FF’s! @matthew @mark @luke @john
1 minute ago

josephofnazareth Wonder if we can return the myrrh w/o a receipt?
30 seconds ago

It’s Christmastime and I have a gift for you. (If you’re Jewish, please think of it as a Hanukkah present. If you’re Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, Shintoist, Wiccan, agnostic, atheist or anything else, please consider this a gift for no particular reason other than I want to help you boost your sales.)

Your gift is a special report I’ve written: Ten Ways to Increase Your Sales Right Now. In this 9-page report, you’ll discover:
   • Three different ways to leverage your existing customers
   • How to dramatically improve the effectiveness of cold calls
   • Secrets to getting free publicity
   • The tactic big companies are using that you can use just as well
   • A simple strategy that can boost your stock price, dividend and profit margin
   • And much more!

Just click here and you’ll be taken to the page where you can download the pdf file. There’s no cost, no obligation, no strings at all. You don’t even have to give me your e-mail address. It’s simply a present from me to you.

By the way, in this case, regifting is not only acceptable, it’s encouraged!

Enjoy!

In my last post, I discussed the first thing you should do when you get angry: to recognize that it’s natural, but it isn’t helpful. (In sales or in any other part of life.) Once you’ve reminded yourself of that fundamental truth, though, what do you do next?

There’s no single answer, because what works for one person, doesn’t necessarily work for someone else. So here are ten actions you can take to help you calm down and refocus.

1. Go for a walk
Going for a walk does two things for you. First, it gets you away from the problem, which by itself is often helpful. And second, the exercise increases blood flow and oxygen delivery, alleviating some of the stress.

2. Talk with someone
Having someone to vent to can enable you get some of the anger and frustration out of your system. As a bonus, the person you’re talking to may be able to help you come up with a solution to your problem.

3. Eat or drink something
Chocolate is a proven mood elevator. A soda or your favorite coffee concoction is a convenient and pleasurable distraction. I’m not saying you should wolf down an entire carrot cake or drain half a bottle of bourbon, but a quick snack or beverage can dramatically boost your physical and mental state.

4. Meditate
Many practitioners swear by meditation. (I tend to swear while meditating. I’ll have to work on that.) If you haven’t tried it, read up on it and give it a shot. It’s a proven relaxation technique.

5. Listen to music
There’s nothing like your favorite music to quickly change your emotional state. Keep some good music (and if necessary, headphones) nearby at all times. If it helps, crank it up to eleven.

6. Journal
Some people find writing down their thoughts and feelings in a journal helps them process and has a powerful calming effect.

7. Play
As any good psychologist will tell you, play can be very therapeutic. So unleash your inner child. Spend a few minutes doing a puzzle, playing a video game or fooling around with a yo-yo or some other toy. (Sometimes when I’m stressed, I’ll juggle. It’s really hard to be angry when you’re juggling.)

8. Look at photos
It may sound corny, but looking at photos of people you love can shift your focus, bring forward some happy memories and trigger the release of endorphins, all of which can reduce your stress.

9. Read quotations
Keep your favorite motivational quotes handy. When you get angry or frustrated, let someone else’s words calm you, inspire you and remind you of what’s really important.

10. Brainstorm
For some people, there’s no better way to cope than to deal directly with the problem that’s causing the anger in the first place. Grab pen and paper—or your computer—and start brainstorming possible solutions to the issue at hand.

You can’t sell effectively when you’re angry. You also can’t deal well with customers, employees or family members when you’re angry. (In fact, when we speak or act in anger, we often make things worse.) So the next time you feel anger rising within you, try one or more of these tactics to alleviate it. Once you’re calm and relaxed, you’ll be much more effective.

I was reading an interview with chef Brian Laird of Denver’s Barolo Grill, in which he said something very revealing. When asked to relate the hardest lesson he’s learned, Laird replied:

“My temper and stubbornness is never going to solve problems. I used to be really hot-headed about things, to the point where I’d jump up and down and yell and scream, just to prove my point, but at the end of the night, it’s just food, right?”

Right.

Keeping one’s cool can be a challenge at times. We all get angry occasionally, and more frequently in times of stress, like say, a recession, the holidays or the end of any month when you’re behind quota.

When I feel anger bubbling up in me (which occurs more frequently than I care to admit), I take a lesson from—of all things—a Star Trek novel. (I admit it: Star Trek books are one of my guilty pleasures.) Specifically, The Pandora Principle, by Carolyn Clowes.

The novel tells the back story of Spock’s Vulcan protégé, Lt. Saavik, featured in the movies Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. In one scene in the book, Spock coaches a young, frustrated Saavik:

“I believe that you have a great deal to be angry about. I do not dispute your right to the emotion, only its usefulness to you. When one is angry, one does not see all the possibilities.”

There’s a lot of truth in those words of wisdom. Science has discovered that anger does in fact cause parts of the brain to shut down, preventing us from thinking and acting intelligently. Which means the first step we must take when we’re angry is to remind ourselves of how useless the emotion is. That can make it easier to calm down. Once our anger has dissipated a bit, we can focus our energies on dealing with the situation in a rational (or as Spock would say, “logical”) way.

So the next time a sale falls through, or your manager yells at you, or you have a problem with one of your salespeople, remember that anger is a natural, understandable response. And the sooner you clear your head of it, the better off you’ll be.