One More Time!

In my newsletter today I featured an article by Kelley Robertson, author of The Secrets of Power Selling.  Unfortunately, for at least some readers, the parts of the article looked like Egyptian hieroglyphics. So to clear up any confusion, here's the whole thing in English.

The Power of One

One is a very tiny number. However, it can have a tremendous impact on your revenues.  Here are some ideas to consider:

•  Make one more call every day.
One extra call a day equals 260 calls in a year. How many meetings could you set up with this number of calls and how many of those meetings could you turn into sales? Consider your current conversion ratio and think of the impact on your business.

•  Ask one more question during each sales call.
Before you start “pitching” your product or service, ask your prospect one more question. This question might give you the additional insight you need to more effectively position your product or service.

•  Pause for one moment longer than usual before responding to a prospect’s question or request.
Known as the pregnant pause, this often prompt the other person to blurt out something they had not intended to say. The secret behind this strategy is that most people are uncomfortable with silence and will begin talking to fill the “dead” air space.

•  Get to the office one hour early.
Remember the expression “The early bird gets the worm” . That one extra hour first thing in the morning can be the most productive time of the day. You have a better chance to reach decision-makers, there are fewer distractions, and you can often achieve more in that 60 minutes than in several hours.

•  Invest one day per month developing your skills.
Many of the most successful people in business invest in themselves. They attend workshops, conferences, and participate in webinars and tele-seminars on a regular basis. Considering that the majority of people do not invest in developing their skill, you can quickly out-pace your coworkers and competition.

•  Read one book every month.
Expanding your knowledge will help you become more successful. Read books related to your industry or that will provide insight to helping you improve your skill in a specific area.

•  Suggest one more idea to help a customer improve their business.
Schedule a breakfast meeting or lunch with your customers but instead of trying to sell them something, focus on learning more about their particular challenges. Offer solutions that do not include your products or services and your customers will begin to see you more as a partner than a supplier.

Although it is a tiny number, one can make a very powerful impact both on your top line sales and bottom line profits. One extra sale every day, week or month – depending on your business, can make a significant impact on your sales by the end of the year.

The next time you think about giving up on a high-potential prospect, consider the fact that you might be just one phone call, email, or letter away from making the sale.

© 2006 Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved.

Kelley Robertson, President of the Robertson Training Group, works with businesses to help them increase their sales, negotiate more effectively, and motivate their employees. Receive a FREE copy of “100 Ways to Increase Your Sales” by subscribing to his free newsletter available at http://www.RobertsonTrainingGroup.com. Kelley speaks regularly at conferences, sales meetings, and corporate functions. For information on his programs contact him at 905-633-7750 or Kelley@RobertsonTrainingGroup.com. His new book, The Secrets of Power Selling: 101 Tips to Help You Improve Your Sales Results, is now available at Amazon.

Comments

[Nick Wright]

Read that email you're about to send to the prospect one more time before hitting send.

Could save you some humiliation.