If you plan to cold call high-level decision-makers expect a mental transition to come. The time of transition comes to different people at different points in time, often without the seller even realizing it has happened. The way you think will morph into the very kinds of thoughts top decision-makers think. Seemingly, suddenly you will have their perspective of the world and be able to communicate in a way that gets fast results.

You’ll no longer be stuck in the quagmire of low-level decision-makers who make decisions within limited decision making capacity as dictated by the high-level decision makers. You will be free to think and move through business transactions with the same abilities as higher levels of your prospects’ organizations.

Cold Calling Executives

A case in point.

This week on the fourth day of waiting in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for “official” updates re: my sister-in-law’s health disposition. Finally, on the fourth day  I flipped over to my cold-calling executives mindset. Nurses said they could provide no information, seven different physicians said they were not the attending physician and could not counsel the family.

For whatever reasons these medical professionals were limited in their problem solving ability. The hospital administrator was the next logical stop – as he was “the buck stops here guy who was accountable to share holders.”

One call to his office resulted in an on site visit by his personal assistant; the appearance of the previously unknown “attending physician”; and the collection of family’s constructive feedback was reported back to the hospital administrator.

The hospital administrator immediately recognized as did I:

1. If his well-educated highly-paid medical staff was failing to connect with the patient’s family, he (the hospital administrator) had a systems problem in need of fixing immediately.

2. If just this one hospital patient had 7 siblings, their spouses, children and grandchildren in a room who were feeling emotional pain and suffering from neglect — he (the hospital administrator) had a big, unnecessary PR problem looming on the horizon.

3. In a litigious society his (the hospital administrator’s) hospital had huge potential exposure for a lawsuit.

4. If this one situation had been brought to his (the hospital administrator’s) attention, odds were at least 100 more just like were lurking in the shadows.

Contrary to the beliefs of most people who have reason to visit a hospital the physicians and nurses were not/are not the ones who resolve systems issues.

When our family was not communicated with, it became clear a breakdown in the hospital’s communication protocols had occurred. How sad and frustrating that well intended, highly skilled and talented medical professionals who wanted more than anything to care for their patients and their families failed to do so because of an ineffective system. How sad and frustrating that a family who respected and wanted the counsel of those medical professionals did not receive it on a timely basis. As you begin to think like a “Top Dog,” you’ll see and experience considerably less frustration in your personal and professional life, because you will know: who to talk to and how to talk to them, all for the purpose of resolving the problem and/or making things better.

That third point is an important one — even in the midst of emotionally high-charged situations, high-level decision-makers are not interested in assessing blame, condemning, or venting anger. They are interested in making things work better for all involved.

When making things work better for all involved becomes your predominant mindset take note. This is evidence that you have made the transformation to “Top Dog” thinking.

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For your mini-course “Jealously Guarded Secrets to Cold Calling Company Presidents” visit www.ColdCallingExecutives.com ! Or call Cold Calling Expert, Lead New Business Development Coach, Leslie Buterin (like butterin’ bread) at (816) 554-3674 9-3 CST (that’s Kansas City/Chicago Time)

Do you make your cold calls with the goal of listening to the other person? Probably not, because very few people do. But it’s one of the most important skills you can have in cold calling.

In the old cold calling approach, you don’t really listen. You speak. You talk about yourself, your company, and what you have to offer.

And long before your introduction is done, you’ve probably “lost” the other person. Within the first few seconds, they’ve put up a wall. Most people aren’t interested in being “sold,” and they don’t like sales pressure.

What do you think would happen if you make your cold calls with the idea of listening to the other person? Some remarkable things start to shift. Instead of talking about yourself, you’re listening to the other person. You’re inviting them to share the truth of their world.

Truth Comes Through Listening

A great way to do that is by starting your call differently. If you say something like, “Hi, I’m Joe from XYZ company, and we provide a wide array of electronic filing systems,” you’re not listening to the other person. And very quickly, your prospect pegs you as just another caller out to make a commission.

Why? Well, to be frank, you’re coming across as somewhat self-absorbed. That’s a hard thing to say – but think about it. People know you’re a “salesperson” (in a negative way) because the verbal tone you’ve created is all about you and what you have to offer.

A better way to begin your cold calls is with a question around the other person’s problems and issues. Focus on what’s important to them. Isn’t that the best way to start any new conversation anyway?

For example, you can say something like, “Hi… maybe you could help me out for a minute? I’m just calling to see if you’re experiencing lost revenue due to manual invoicing filing systems?”

Now you’re focusing on the other person’s world and what matters to them. You’re sincere with your question, and you’re inviting the truth.

This isn’t just another sales technique. ruthfully, it’s not about sales at all. It’s about listening to discover whether you can help someone.

You Can’t Hear If You Have an Agenda

Haven’t you had the experience of talking with someone who’s already made up their mind about something? Maybe you didn’t know it right away. But eventually it becomes clear that you aren’t having a real conversation. You’re only being invited to hear what the other person has to say.

And so it goes in the old way of cold calling. In the old mindset, you’ve already formed an opinion before you pick up the phone. You believe – really believe – that the other person should buy what you have to offer. You’re enthusiastic, persuasive, and focused on your goal.

But you can’t truly listen when you’re in this place. If you have an agenda, you’re not really open to what’s important to the other person. And they can always sense that.

So you won’t be regarded as someone who’s concerned about your prospect’s well being. They’ll feel they have to protect themselves, because they sense you’re only out to make a sale.

What makes this new cold calling mindset so different is that you let go – entirely – of the desire to get a sale. You’re not hiding a sales agenda. You’re not even interested in shaping a sales event. Rather, you’re listening to discover whether you can help someone.

As listening becomes more and more important in your cold calling, you’ll be regarded as someone who’s trustworthy. It’s a profound shift. You’ll be surprised at how easily prospects welcome you into their world and share the truth of where they stand.

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Adam Price is a professional online business networker, sales trainer and author around effective referral networking & internet marketing. Learn how tap into the powerful online world of networking, sales and trust building by visiting: http://www.Law-Of-Attraction-And-Success.com/SalesSuccess.html

I’ve come to know that there are three big blocks that most often come up when anyone is looking at using a professional’s service or getting ready to buy a product.

1. Money.

2. Time.

3. Timing.

This is also with the understanding that everything else between the two of you is what I call an energetic match: They have a need and you can serve that need. They feel connected to you. You have established trust. And you both feel excited and the energy of possibilities is clearly in the air between you.

But then one of the major blocks pops up.

What now? How can you help?

Let’s start with first understanding the energy behind the blocks. By doing this you are able to come from a place of empathy, rather than sympathy. As a service provider it is a disaster move for you to join them in their block. That might sound something like, “I know exactly what you mean Ms. Prospect there are a lot of things that I really want, but can’t have either. I hate it, too.” This is a HUGE disservice to them and also to you (in more ways than we can fully get into in this one article).

So what you are really looking at here is fear (of the unknown, success, change, doing something positive for themselves… the fear takes different forms for different folks, but fear is fear.) Even if they really don’t have the money, have absolutely no time and are in some way not ready or able, they are making excuses to mask the fear.

People make excuses because they can’t see the difference between an outer reality and an inner belief regarding that reality. Most folks have a hard time separating the two and make them the same.

It might sound something like this:

I’m not ready now = I’ll never really be ready.

I don’t have the time now = I can’t see how to make the time.

I don’t have the money now = I don’t believe I can generate the money.

Back in the summer of 1999 I was studying in Ashland, Oregon and one weekend we found this beautiful lake to swim in and saw that across the lake people were cliff-jumping. Now, this is something I use to do a lot when I was in high school. So I swam across, climbed to the top, got to the edge and froze. I could not jump off that cliff. Every time I looked over the edge I thought, “this is a fifteen foot cliff; what if I miss and slam into the rocks, I could break my leg, I could die, I could…”

And then, as I stood there, this boy, maybe he was eleven, came up next to me and asked, “are you going to jump?” And I started to come up with all these excuses, but sighed and just told him I was really scared. And what he said to me I’ve never forgotten:”

It’s air and water. Just jump.”

As I watched him sail over the edge and then bob up to the surface just seconds later, amazingly to me, I jumped. It was exhilarating! (And, obviously, I survived.)

And this, my friend, is exactly how a prospect feels when considering working with you. They see a financial investment, an obligation of time and a challenge they’re preparing to face – a cliff to be jumped off.

So the automatic-human-fear-reaction is to make an excuse.

And, again, the worst move you can make is to join them. “Yes, this cliff is really high. You’re right; it’s impossible to jump. I understand how hard it is, so let me call you back in a few months and see if you’re ready to jump then.”

I can tell you, they will never be ready. (I know if that’s what I’d heard, I would still be standing on that cliff or worse I would have turned around and gone back the way I came.)

Again, assuming your offer is right for them and they will truly benefit from working with you, then you are NOT serving their best interests if you “just let it slide.”

And telling yourself that you are is your own excuse.

The energy of commitment is very strong. Let your prospect know that when you make a commitment the Universe begins to line up for you. Things may start slower than planned, but when you truly commit, it happens. Let them know that, together, you will take care of their concerns (money, time, doubts etc.).

My sense is when YOU commit then you’ll hear, “Let’s do it!”

Can I tell you it will ALWAYS go this way 100% of the time, no, but what I can tell you is that if YOU make the commitment to take a stand for the truth about the difference your service will make for your clients (and don’t back down when they give you excuses), you will have a client who puts themselves completely in your process and together you will produce magnificent results. And the world will be better off because of it.

So Go Ahead. Take A Stand. You Can Do It.

Your Call To Action:

When clients are afraid to move forward, they will make excuses that will keep them from going where they need to grow.

As a professional, you need to call forth the magnificence of your client to support them in activating the change they want, not join them in their fear.

Take a stand for them.

Take a stand for you.

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Ready to take a stand for yourself and your business? If yes, join the EnergyRICH® Business Boot Camp. The focused, powerful group energy begins to make things magically happen very quickly AND you’re given lots of important, practical step-by-step “how to’s” at the same time to help you systematize your business for growth and more money. Be sure to secure your spot at http://www.energyrichbootcamp.com

Five perspectives that will (honestly!) create enjoyment in cold calling. Most of us dread our days of making cold calls. We take a deep breath, pump ourselves up, and prepare to talk with a perfect stranger. Is there any wonder a gray cloud sometimes hangs over our desk?

It really doesn’t have to be this way. Cold calling can be an interesting, intriguing, fulfilling adventure.

Here are five perspectives that will give you an entirely new outlook on cold calling. When you apply these new perspectives, cold calling can actually be enjoyable. It can become personally fulfilling as well as financially rewarding.

1. Focus on Helping the Other Person

It’s against our nature as human beings to create an uncomfortable situation with another person. That’s the core reason many of us get that knot in our stomach when we start dialing a cold call.

When we’re only focused on making the sale, this is not a natural meeting place for both people. We want the sale, but the other person usually wants us to go away! Being intrusive is not the finest of character traits, and on some level we know it.

So how can we feel good about cold calling? We change our mindset from getting the sale into being helpful. We look at cold calling as an opportunity to assist.

How can we possibly feel uncomfortable doing that? Helping people is one of the best character traits we possess.

When cold calling is aligned with our very best way of being, it becomes an adventure. We truly want to help people. We feel very good about this, and it shows in our voice. People hear it. And their response will surprise you.

2. Be Honest and Truthful

You’re in a very good place when you choose to be truthful in your cold calling. If you’re not trying to fool anyone, you naturally feel better about making the call. You know that you’re trustworthy. And people respond to you in a positive way.

When you approach a potential client with integrity and common sense, you’re more personable and less tense. Being fully honest is one of your better attributes. And it gives you an opportunity to enjoy the interaction rather than being artificial or manipulative.

People do seem to have a sixth sense about integrity. When they feel you can be trusted, you can truly shine as a person as well as a potential supplier.

3. Be Yourself

Engage people in natural conversation. The more natural you are, the more comfortable you will feel. This makes the other person feel more comfortable as well.

Avoid playing a role, especially reading from a script. Most people can tell when you’re using a script. There’s nothing personal about it, and they pick up on that.

Being artificial puts you in the “typical salesperson” category, which is exactly the role most of us detest. It doesn’t feel authentic. And unless you’re a born actor, it makes you feel skittish about cold calling.

Give yourself permission to follow the rhythm of natural interaction. Allow the conversation to “breathe.” Let it be the kind of conversation you would have with a friend.

Practice this and it can turn your cold calls into pleasant conversations. And you may actually look forward to meeting that new person the next time you pick up the phone!

4. Get into the Other Person’s World

Shift your mindset away from what you have to offer and focus instead on what their problem is.

So many of us have been trained think about our services and products, that we don’t think about the client’s point of view. We aren’t really interested in their issues and how we can help solve them.

Be interested in their world and their challenges. You’ll find this intriguing! Most of us have a natural flair for problem solving. We enjoy “fixing things.” So find out what’s going on with the person you’re talking to.

Make sure the solution you have really does “fix it.” Get rid of any hidden agendas and truly listen. Let them know you’re interested in them and their world.

Move outside your own sales agenda to focus on the needs of others. This makes you a better human being and helps you leap past the fear of cold calling.

5. Let Go of Expectations

Never assume anything beforehand. Allow the conversation to be one of exploration and discovery. Stay focused on the dialogue instead of any private agenda.

Determine whether it makes sense to continue the conversation by truly listening. Never presume your prospect should buy what you have to offer, even when it seems they’re a perfect fit.

You are not calling to create a situation that is focused on your personal gain, but on helping the other person. Simply have a conversation to explore whether you can help them in some way. This takes pressure off both of you. You’ll be more relaxed and they’ll be more honest about where they stand.

Believe me, once you start applying these perspectives it will transform your day-to-day worklife. Instead of dreading cold calling, you’ll anticipate the adventure of creating a situation where everybody wins.

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Adam Price is a professional online business networker, sales trainer and author around effective referral networking & internet marketing. Learn how tap into the powerful online world of networking, sales and trust building by visiting: http://www.Law-Of-Attraction-And-Success.com/SalesSuccess.html

If you’re like most people who sell, you probably have some serious resistance to making cold calls. The fear of cold calling is practically an epidemic – but not the kind that gets publicized. It’s a silent and personal struggle.

But it really doesn’t have to be this way. Your fears can be overcome when you keep in mind these 3 basic concepts to cold calling the new way.

1. Rejection doesn’t have to be a part of cold calling

Cold calling the old way means you’re probably preparing for the call by “thinking positive” and hoping for a sale. But the problem with this is that your mindset almost guarantees disappointment when a sale doesn’t happen. And so you keep dialing, hoping that the next contact will result in a sale.

But let’s stop for a moment and think about what would happen if you shift your focus away from “getting the sale” into seeing whether you can help someone solve a problem. In other words, you’re not eager for a sale – you’re exploring whether what you have to offer can help someone. And if not, you’re comfortable with the outcome.

You see, when your mindset shifts away from targeting a sale, you can be relaxed and okay with any result. You can approach your cold calls from a place of wanting to assist. And if it turns out your product isn’t a “match,” for the other person, you can leave the conversation feeling fine.

When you shift into this new mindset, you’ll no longer feel deflated and disappointed when a sale doesn’t unfold. The fear of rejection vanishes. You’re more at ease. Others can sense this, and many more cold calls will turn into productive, pleasant conversations.

2. You can make cold calls without feeling intrusive

In the old cold calling approach, you dial a number, introduce yourself, and hope someone will be interested in what you have to offer. It feels somewhat intrusive to both of you, and that’s one of the reasons you have a knot in your stomach when you call

Well, there’s a better way to start your conversation. Instead of talking about yourself, your company, and your product, you can focus on the other person. It’ll feel much less awkward.

So you might say something like, “I’m just calling to see if you’re grappling with loss of revenue due to unpaid invoices.”

This kind of introduction revolves around the other person and their world. It’ll feel much less intrusive, and they’ll be more likely to explore possibilities with you.

3. You can be natural when cold calling

Many people find themselves putting on an artificial persona when they make cold calls. Maybe they’re reading from a script, or they’re trying to carry the other person along with high enthusiasm – or both.

Well, artificial enthusiasm actually backfires on you.You see, it includes the unspoken presumption that your product or service is a great fit for the other person. But you’ve never spoken with them before, much less had a full conversation with them. You can’t possibly know much about them or their needs.

So it’s really much better to simply be natural and unassuming. You’ll come across as a real person who’s really interested in them and their needs. And others will respond much more positively to your calls.

We all want to feel good about what we’re doing. Following the new mindset in these three important ways will help banish the fear of cold calling and allow you to feel comfortable and relaxed in your work.

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Adam Price is a professional online business networker, sales trainer and author around effective referral networking & internet marketing. Learn how tap into the powerful online world of networking, sales and trust building by visiting: http://www.Law-Of-Attraction-And-Success.com/SalesSuccess.html

Over the last few months there has been a lot of talk of recession. Wherever you look and whatever you read, ever since the American subprime crisis, talk of a recession seems to be bombarding us from every possible media. Every expert there is seems to have something to say about whether there will or whether there won’t be a serious recession and if there is, how long will it last and just how severe will it be?

If there is a serious recession, learning how to keep on selling in a recession will be vital. Sales training might well be the key.

I have worked with many clients who have weathered recessions, grown their businesses through recessions and even set up and started successful businesses in recessions. Now is not the time to be panicking. Now is the time to be checking your sales activities, sharpening your sales training activities and applying solid sales principles.

1. Believe you can and stay positive!

One of the problems with all of this talk about recession is that once people believe there is going to be a recession they start to feel negative about their prospects. The nature of belief is such that people only tend to see what they believe rather than believing what they see. Once you believe that there is going to be a recession you tend to only notice articles, comments and statistics that support your beliefs.

What’s more, your negative beliefs quickly affect your outlook and the way that you feel about your business prospects. Think about it for a second… If you thought 2008 was going to be a great year for business, your best year yet; how would you feel? Conversely, if you thought 2008 was going to see a major recession and that it was going to hit you and your business hard; how would you feel?

Mighty different huh? And remember, nothing’s changed here… only your belief. Having a positive and supportive belief structure is essential if you want to succeed in any market but it is vitally essential if you want to keep on selling in a tough one.

Having a winning belief system does not mean that you need to be deluded however! In the middle of the darkest recession you don’t want to have your eyes shut! But you do need to realize that in a recession people want to work with the best suppliers.

Suppliers that they can rely on. Suppliers that support them. Suppliers who are going to be around tomorrow. And if your competitors struggle, that means more sales and more business for you.

2. Get proactive

If this year is going to be tough then you need to be more proactive. Much more proactive. You need to do more marketing and more selling. You need to attend more events and do more networking. You need to do more promotion and more canvassing. Bottom line, you need to increase your sales activities, maybe dramatically.

In a recession many companies cut their sales activities. They figure, “If we’re not going to sell anything, what’s the point?” Many individual salespeople do this too. Perhaps it’s not a conscious choice but it’s what they do.

Touche. Cut your activity, cut your sales. You’re a living, breathing, self-fulfilling prophecy! You believe there is not much business out there, so you feel negative. That in turn affects your activity and your activity destroys your sales results.

Even if (and it is only if at the moment) there is not as much business out there, then you need to be more active, more focused and more targeted. If your competitors are easing off a little, now is the time to up the anti and grab your share of the market. Even if sales do slow down temporarily, you will be in pole position when things pick up again.

3. Sharpen your sales skills

Most salespeople do not spend enough time working on improving their sales skills and techniques. Perhaps they can get away with this in a booming market when sales are easy. Perhaps not. But things will always change if the market tightens. Sales success will go to the salesperson who really understands why people buy and can help people make the right business decisions. Salespeople of this caliber stand to benefit from possible changes ahead because there will be more business for them as their competition falls by the wayside.

Sales will not go to the journeyman salesperson, the mediocre wannabee or the 9-5 order taker. Salespeople like these could well be in for a rough time.

When did you last read a sales training book on selling? How many sales training audios have you listened to over the last month? How many sales training seminars have you attended in the last 6 months? For 80% of salespeople reading this, the answer is zero.

If you’re in the 20% who have invested in yourself…Great, you’re on track. Keep the study up and make sure you stay ahead of the game.

If you’re in the 80% who haven’t… Don’t panic! You still have time. Start now by putting together your own sales training and development plan to sharpen your sales skills and hone your sales techniques. Salespeople who can sell in any market will always be in demand. Effort now will reward you whatever this year brings.

4. Improve your service and focus on relationships

As I write this many companies will be working out how to cut corners. They will try to save money by tinkering with their business offerings. They will try and eek extra profits out of their clients by cutting the bells and whistles from their offerings. This is not a good idea.

If business is tight you want to be wowing your clients with the best service that they have ever had, from you or from any of your competitors. You need to be going the extra mile. If a recession bites many companies will try and discount to survive. They probably won’t (survive), but you don’t want your clients going to them as they try to keep their heads above water! You need to “lock in” your
existing clients now so that they won’t even think about going anywhere else.

Spend time with your clients.  Build stronger relationships with your clients. Make sure you truly understand them, their concerns and their businesses. Find ways to help them and add value over and above what they could have ever expected.

5. Leverage your efforts

In a soft market many salespeople only chase the easy stuff. They don’t chase the tough stuff. Most salespeople have all sorts of opportunities which they squander every day and every month because there are seemingly easier things that they can be doing.

In a tough market you must leverage all of your efforts. This is basic sales 101 and should be stuff that you do every day anyway… Here are just a few ideas.

Always ask for referrals. Referrals are great business but most salespeople do not ask for them because clients often say no. Learn how to ask for a referral properly and then build asking for a referral into your sales process and ask for one every time.

Upsell and cross-sell. Whether though laziness, lack of knowledge or lack of ability many salespeople sit on accounts where there is so much more business than they are currently leveraging. Extending your business with existing clients will not only make you more money, it will also strengthen your relationships with and value to them and their businesses.

Contact dormant accounts. Most companies have hundreds if not thousands of “dormant” accounts. There may be multiple reasons for this from changing business practices to fall-outs with the client. Dormant clients may well be redeemable and may have been “lost” purely because someone forgot to ring them or a salesperson moved on. Get in touch with them!

Follow up on all leads. I recently contacted 5 health insurance companies over the web. Only one replied. You should not be burning leads like this in any market. Follow up on all leads professionally using a proven sales system like the ones I teach in my sales training seminars and programs and you will close more business. New clients are essential for any business in any market.

So there we are, 5 tips to help you to sell in a recession. This year may well prove to be an interesting year for some businesses and individuals. Some of this will be down to the market itself. Much of it will be down to you and how you react and respond to what might be a challenging year.

Here’s my prediction for the year…

There will be winners and there will be losers. Which are you going to be?

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Motivational speaker and sales expert Gavin Ingham is offering a free Sales Success mini-course and newsletter to readers of this article. Visit http://www.gaviningham.com now to get the sales edge over your competition.

Zig Ziglar tells a great story centered around a pump. In
fact, he used to carry around a chromed hand-pump to his
sales seminars to help illustrate his point. He would
present the idea that a pump only worked after it was
properly and sufficiently primed.

Priming requires a combination of technique, resources and
time. After a successful priming period, water would flow
from it freely and bountifully. It is the same with people
and success. We must develop and invest the proper skills,
materials and time in order to reach a wellspring of
selling rewards.

The following are several proven activities to assist you
with the priming of your success pump:

1. Re-evaluate and refresh your goals.

Goals are dynamic. A successful strategy must include
regular internalization and review of your goals, your
progress and the adjustments needed to guarantee your
success. Take an honest look.

2. Get congruent with your sales plan. Perform a GAP
analysis.

Review your sales plan. Notice the gap between where you
expected to be and where you are. What can you do about it?

3. Learn new skills. Always be working on your self.

The best investment that you can ever make is an investment
in yourself. Always be learning and stretching your comfort
zone. Your self-investment will always pay the highest
dividends!

4. Read or listen to the biographies of successful people.

As Tony Robbins says, “Success leaves clues.” Learn from
the mistakes and successes of entrepreneurs before you,
both in and out of your industry.

5. Start an exercise program and stick with it.

Regular physical activity offers more benefits than I can
ever describe here. Get off the couch, get out from behind
your desk and get physical. Exert yourself. High levels of
energy feels good!

6. Kick the processed sugar habit.

You will be amazed at your renewed energy! Most of us
consume horrid amounts of refined sugar and high-fructose
corn syrup. Get rid of the sugar-laden soft-drinks and
snacks. This alone will likely have an immediate impact on
any weight issues you might have. You will feel better too.

7. Take a brief respite. Immerse yourself in a day off or
brief vacation to re-charge your batteries.

Take time to clear your head periodically. Totally immerse
yourself into an enjoyable activity. Refresh yourself, you
deserve it.

8. Become an expert in another product or service that you
offer.

Decide to become an industry expert in something you offer.
The “newness” and sense of authority will invigorate you,
priming you for action.

9. Attend product training in your industry at least twice
per year.

Technology is constantly changing and you need regular
updates to at least stay current in your field. Why then
stay only current? Decide to operate on the cutting edge!

10. Uncover a new market for your goods and services and
dive in.

Learn about an opportunity-rich new market, design your
sales plan and dive in. “New” is always fun and will help
propel you forward in your selling successes.

Try engaging in all of these between now and the end of
this year. You will find yourself leaping into the
opportunities that 2008 will surely offer.

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Daniel Sitter, author of both Learning For Profit and
Superior Selling Skills Mastery, has garnered extensive
experience in sales, training, marketing and personal
development spanning a successful 25 year career.
Experience his blog at http://www.idea-sellers.com

In practice building (and getting clients) it seems to be
that most self-employed people just hope for the best. They
simply keep doing what they’ve been doing and don’t have a
strategy for creating the practice they’d be truly and
deeply happy with. This is a big mistake in my opinion.

I used to write down my goals each year, but it never
really worked for me. I just didn’t feel really excited
about my new goals. They didn’t seem to propel me in motion
and so I kind of viewed them as being useless. I never
really looked at them, probably because they seemed like
“shoulds” rather than “really-meaningful-wants.”

Then I came across the concept of creating 3-year visions
instead of just a list of goals for the upcoming year. This
visioning wasn’t just about business goals, but also
family, financial, spiritual, and relationship goals. It
became a “holistic” way of looking at what you wanted in
your life. All the pieces looked like they would work
together, but only because you were compelled to make it
all work together, which was the first time I’d done that
in such depth.

The coolest thing about visioning 3 years out came to me
after I started doing this regularly. I noticed that ONE
year goals were never too much of a stretch. They seemed
like timid goals, goals that didn’t really get me excited.
But having to create a vision of what 3 years down the line
would look like allowed me to REALLY think BIG.

Inhibitions dropped. My creative side started going and I
really took time to see, “Hey, what WOULD I want my life to
look like in 3 years, if I could have time to create it?”
SHAZAM! I felt like I’d hit the jackpot.

The 3-year vision was a way for me to create something to
strive for that REALLY spoke to me. Something that made my
heart beat a little faster after I read it, excited to get
going, and just a little bit scared of the thought of me
reaching it. Now THAT would propel me into motion the way a
yearly list of goals wouldn’t be able to do. (By the way,
my deep down secret is that I strive to reach these in 1 or
2 years, not 3, and that’s usually what happens.)

So, each year, around this time, I create a 3-year vision
of what I want my practice to look like. I write it in the
present tense, as if it were 3 years later, that same day.
For example, this past year I wrote mine on January 4, 2007
as if it was January 4, 2010, and I talked about all the
things that had happened since 2007. All the things I’d
accomplished in my business, with my finances, my
investments, my family, and myself over the “last 3 years,”
which obviously hadn’t actually happened yet.

Such a cool exercise and it really gets the blood flowing
when you read it back to yourself, now and over the year.

“When you can clearly see yourself being there, you can see
much more clearly how to get there. You can imagine the
path to your dreams, and then start to actually walk it.
Play an active role in your own future. Imagine with
passion and detail how you’d most like it to be.”
—Ralph Marston, http://greatday.com

You see, I’ve figured out that it’s not just about goals.
Yes, goals are important, but the way I look at it, it’s
about focusing on what you REALLY want for your life, not
the “shoulds.” It’s also about putting into effect the Law
of Attraction in a big way. When you know what you want for
your life, when you can imagine it with passion and feel
what it feels like to have it, it’s almost guaranteed to
come to you.

So, this weekend, I’ll be taking a couple of hours to work
on my own 3-year vision. I wouldn’t dream of not doing it.
My success depends on it and it does for you too.

YOUR CLIENT ATTRACTION ASSIGNMENT:

Your turn. Sometime this week, create a 3-year vision dated
January 4, 2011. Your 3-year vision must be one that will
literally PULL you into your future, will scare you just a
little bit, and make your heart beat a little faster than
normal whenever you read this.

Make your 3-year vision very specific, realistic, and a big
STRETCH (that’s what’s going to move you forward quicker
than you would if you didn’t have it). If you’re right
brained, use bullet points for categories such as business,
finances, personal, family, spiritual, fun, health, etc. If
you’re left-brained, then write freely, and remember to
keep it all grounded in the specific, with lots of
MEASURABLES and TANGIBLES thrown in there so you can keep
track of your progress over the next 3 years (that’s what I
do).

Be sure to write in the present tense as if it were 3 years
from now… If it doesn’t scare you just a little bit or
get your mind racing, then it’s probably not enough of a
stretch. By the way, I just looked back to last year’s
3-year vision and I was SHOCKED to see how many of the
goals in my 3-year vision I’d already achieved in just a
little over a year. This stuff really works!!

—————————————————-
Once you’ve done your 3-year vision and are ready to get
marketing in a big way for 2008, invest in your success by
getting yourself the Client Attraction Home Study
System™. It’s all step-by-step, not a big mishmash of
things. So, you do step one of the system, and when you’re
done with that, you move on to step two, and so on.   You
can get it at http://www.TheClientAttractionSystem.com .

According to a survey conducted by SBA (Small Business Administration) 60 out a 100 small business owners claim that over 60% of their new business comes from referrals.

But only a handful of professionals can clearly pinpoint where their referrals come from and the exact process they use to turn them into paying clients.

Amazingly – when it comes to referral marketing – majority of entrepreneurs seem to rely on luck! Ouch – this is not exactly the best formula for business success!

When asked about how they turn referrals into clients, most professionals have a deer-caught-in-the-headlights, puzzled look on their faces and keep quiet.

The First Two Key Success Factors of Referral Marketing

Those who truly can sleep peacefully at night knowing their referral generating process is working with the predictable precision of a Swiss banking system understand the power of using FREQUENCY of EXPOSURE.

To best illustrate this, let’s look at how two consultants handle their referrals.

At first glance John and Steve have virtually identical Businesses:

But there is a difference…

How Is John Getting 5 Times More Referrals?

John gets almost five times as many referrals as Steve, and he turns an astounding 95% of them into new clients.

How, you ask? See if you can spot a difference…

Steve’s name occasionally pops up in conversations his clients have with their business associates. Since he does a good job people are often intrigued by the results he creates for his clients. They ask for his contact info and call him to inquire about his services.

Those calls typically lead to an appointment.

But in terms of frequency of exposure Steve’s potential clients might hear his marketing message only twice before the meeting: when they initially get his information from a colleague, and again during the initial phone conversation.

Here Is What John Does Differently:

At first glance, John’s situation isn’t much different. His name comes up in conversations where he’s praised for his great work. His contact information is passed on, and he too gets an inquiring phone call leading to an appointment with a prospective client.

But that’s pretty much where the similarity ends.

Immediately after the call, John sends out a hand-written card saying “thank you for interest in my services. I’m looking forward to our meeting.”

John makes an additional smart move – he sends another hand -written thank-you card and a small gift (like a Starbucks gift card) to the person who gave him the referral.

He does it because he understands the best way to develop a habit is to reward it in the first place (remember Pavlov’s dog experiment?) so he tries to make his referral sources feel good about mentioning his name. And it works – they talk about him more often!

The following day, John sends out a small package with POSITIONING MATERIALS: a welcome letter, an article relevant to prospect’s situation, his short self-published book, and an audio CD.

This allows the potential client to “sample” John’s expertise on the subject. It also builds trust, increases prospect’s appetite for his services, and position him as an authority. Now he’ll be treated as a trusted adviser and not just another salesman trying to close a deal.

Incidentally, John knows that many of his best prospects won’t have time to fully review those materials. He also knows it really doesn’t matter. All he wants is to see his stuff” sitting on prospect’s desk when he walks into their office.

But he’s still not done. A couple of days before the scheduled meeting he calls his potential client to briefly confirm the meeting objectives, time and place.

After the meeting, John immediately sends out another handwritten “pleasure meeting you/thank you” card.

Higher Frequency Leads to Greater Familiarity

Visibility equals credibility. And frequency translates into familiarity. Don’t believe me? Just ask yourself how many people you “feel like you know” because you see them or hear from (about) them frequently… Point made!

So let’s now review how many times John’s referrals are exposed to his marketing message:

1. When they first are referred to him in a conversation with a business colleague.

2. When they call him to inquire about his services.

3. When they get his handwritten “looking forward to meeting you” card.

4. When they get his Positioning Packet. (And again when they make time to look through the materials he sends out)

5. When he makes the reminder call two days before the meeting.

6. During the first meeting.

Notice, that at this point prospect has been exposed to John’s marketing message five times – comparing to only  two times in Steve’s process. That’s a 150% increase in frequency of exposure!

7. When they get the handwritten “thank you” card after the meeting.

Now, that they “know” John so well, they TUST him enough to start doing business with him. (Can you say KA-CHING!)

Plus, sending a thank-you card and a small gift to the referral source proves helpful as well. Motivated by his small gesture of appreciation, John’s referral sources now take a more active part in the process, inquire about how things are going, and frequently offer additional help.

Clear Expectations and Education Lead to More Referrals

There is one other thing that separates John from Steve.

Hi understands that his clients want to give him referrals but often don’t know how to do this. So he takes the time to educate them and makes it easy for them to “give him away as a gift”!

Say what?!

He hands each new client a sample of a great Attraction Tool (most likely an audio program or a book), and informs them that he’ll gladly send this Attraction Tool to any of his new client’s business associates at absolutely no cost and no obligation – all they have to do is ask for it.

He might even hand the new client a few postcards promoting the Attraction Tool and encourage him to send it to their associates.

Why bother? Because by sharing this information John’s new clients are actually helping their colleagues. And it’s easier and less awkward to send out a postcard and to share a resource, than to hand over names of business friends.

All this increases the chances of John’s name coming up in many casual conversations.

Here Is the Final Key Success Factor to Referral Success

I can already hear you whining, “but that’s too much work, I can’t do that in my business”, etc., etc. And you are right – but consider the upside: getting more clients!

And the key is to SYSTEMIZE, AUTOMATE, and DELEGATE.

Do you have to do this? Hey, it’s your business – you don’t have to do anything you don’t want!

But the fact is – frequency builds familiarity. Familiarity builds trust. And we all do business with people we know, like and trust.

So you decide if getting more referrals and turning them into paying clients is worth adding a few easy steps to your marketing system.

—————————————————-
The author, Adam Urbanski, teaches service professionals and business owners how to develop better marketing strategies to increase sales and profits. His http://www.themarketingmentors.com

You have to make more sales! This is the message that is
drilled into every salesperson’s mind on a daily basis.
Usually they’re expected to achieve this through cold
calling and other age-old techniques in a hope that they
will be able to make a sale. However, this single-minded
focus on sales figures tends to leave the customer unhappy
and unwilling to buy from the salesperson a second time.
How is this possible since they successfully sold the first
time?

The answer is not, as you may think, in the product or
service. The reason for this customer dissatisfaction is
that many salespeople are excellent at selling, promising
unparalleled service but are unable to meet customer
expectations. There is such a single-minded focus on making
a minimum of 50+ calls per day, but how much time does that
really leave for a salesperson to deliver? The need to make
so many calls in a day leads to an ineffective use of a
salespersons time. Yes, they may make a sale but it is
vital for salespeople to adapt their methods to focus on
long term client relationships.

Put yourself in the position of a decision maker. With such
a huge amount of choice when it comes to service providers,
each selling the same service, what will make you stand
out? Very simply it’s the level of customer service that
you provide. This may seem obvious but very few salespeople
provide effective service to their customers. There are a
number of simple techniques which will allow you to not
only improve the service that you provide, but also
increase the number of sales you will make with your
clients.

Firstly, understand exactly what it is that your client
does and where your services would best work in conjunction
with that. Move the focus away from the quick sale and
towards working with the client as a partner. By doing this
you will be working as an extension of the client’s
business and with your unique and in-depth understanding of
that business, you will be able to tailor your solutions
and make more sales by providing services that your clients
really needs. By being able to tailor your solutions to the
client it will increase the opportunities you will have to
make a sale. This is because you will stop wasting you and
your client’s time trying to sell products and services
which are inappropriate or unnecessary.

Make yourself the single point of contact. Whatever it is
that you are selling, clients will quickly become
dissatisfied if after a sale they are constantly speaking
to other salespeople for information. By taking
responsibility for the service and by being the single
point of contact, not only are you helping to build the
relationship and improving your sales opportunities, you
are providing the client with a better service because they
can always speak to the same person who understands their
business and will be able to provide quick information on
the services being provided.

Be honest about the services that you can provide. Taking
on work that you are not in a position to complete will be
detrimental to the relationship. By being upfront and
honest about your capabilities to provide services to the
client, your level of service will improve because it will
create trust. If the client trusts you, they are more
likely to buy from you as they will believe that you are
working to their benefit as well, rather than just your own.

With this in mind, consider what Value Added Services you
can provide to your clients. It can be anything from simple
notifications about changes to legislation or technologies
which impacts your services or industry to new services
which may provide solutions to your client that they were
unaware of. Simple things like this cost you nothing as a
salesperson but opens up a large number of opportunities
that simple cold calling will not accomplish.

By improving the level of customer service that is
provided, you can move away from one-off sales and the
constant need for new clients and focus on developing
accounts and having clients continuously return to you for
the products and services. This will make you a more
successful salesperson who is able to adapt to the changing
business environment.

—————————————————-
Mandy Leonard is a co-founder of Enabled IT, which
specializes in working in partnership with clients to
provide a customer centric recruitment solution. With
experience in both the recruitment and technical sector,
she has specialized in sales and management training to
optimize the abilities of sales forces.
For more information please visit
http://www.mandyleonard.com or e-mail
contact@mandyleonard.com