You're Going To Be Great At This!

As you know, I've written a humorous book on sales, titled " You're Going To Be Great At This! " And before I wrote the book I began working on my speaking skills at Toastmasters. Since the book's release, I've spoken to civic groups, teachers, and even had some seminars. I think I'd like to do  more. So I'm looking for groups who need a speaker. "What kind of groups?" you ask. Since my talks are based on sales, marketing and networking, my favorite groups are people who are just getting into sales, such as realtors, insurance agents and network marketers. If you are someone who falls into one of these categories, or a state or regional manager of an organization, please contact me. I'd love to talk to you and find out how I can speak to your sales team. But what if your group doesn't do sales? That's okay too. You see, we all are in sales everyday, trying to get family members, co-workers and others to "buy in" to...

If you think networking is something you do once a week or just during your local chamber's after hours, then you should understand why you network and what the results of constantly networking can bring. Perhaps we should take a more holistic approach to networking. On average, each person knows 250 people. Wouldn't it be great if you could cast a wider net? What if you could double that number to 500? That's definitely a wider net. And if you could market to that additional 250 that would be great for your business. And if we look at the bigger picture, networking is great for other things as well, like looking for services, like a dentist or mechanic. A few years ago, LinkedIn did a survey and 85% reported that they had gotten a job because of networking. That's a huge number. If you're looking for another job, or even a career, it would seem that networking could work in your favor. Here again, don't just look at professional networking groups. Consi...

In my book, " You're Going To Be Great At This !", I discuss the sales term "whale hunting".  If you're not familiar with the term that's okay. Generally speaking, whale hunting refers to looking for that large account or client who can provide you with a large payday. I hope to provide you with some tips and comments on how to do this successfully. Long ago I discovered a crazy phenomenon. I was selling life insurance policies, usually smaller face amounts for less premiums. One case would usually take roughly 8-10 hours once the client agreed to purchase, and most of that time comprised of correspondence between myself and the client or myself and the underwriter. And because of the low premiums, my commissions weren't very high so I had to work on a higher volume of business. One day, with the help of a veteran co-worker, I landed a very large premium policy. My commissions were more than quadruple what I normally earned. After a bit of recapp...

Have you worked your "warm" market? Do you even know who they are or why to reach out to them? Your "warm" market is people you already know, like your friends, family and business acquaintances. Many times when we're just starting out in sales we're told to make a list of names of people to start off with to contact. These people, who already know you, should be more accessible and easier to meet. They should, in theory, also give you referrals and help you get the ball rolling for your career in sales. I've always had mixed feelings on this. One reason is that once you've worked the list of people you know you're back to square one when it comes to finding prospects. This is because since you already know who they know your friends and family can't offer any good referrals. You may was well start with people you don't know. Another issue is that family and business don't always mix well. I tried for years to talk my parents in...

Have you ever had someone tell you that they can't buy something because they "can't afford it". Politicians do this all the time. "We can afford to spend money on the thing the other party wants" but they'll spend money on they things they want. All the while, our debt and deficits rise.  But I digress. One of the rules of sales is that people can afford what they want to buy. If they really wanted your product, they'll find a way to squeeze into their budget, assuming there even is a budget.  I run into this all in the time when I'm selling life insurance at Surf Financial Brokers . Trying to explain to a young couple with a mortgage and a couple of kids that they need life insurance is hard, and when they say they can't afford it, what that tells me is that they really just don't want it. Especially when they're drinking $7 lattes and looking at their Iphones.  Here's a simple test to find out if what you're se...