Self Improvement Site
On The Internet! Take the Self Improvement Tour
On The Internet! Take the Self Improvement Tour
Articles from Mark Hunter | Selfgrowth.com
- What did you learn from the last sale you lost? - by Submitted on Jul 01, 2011 from Mark HunterMy mom always used to tell me how we learn more in life from our failures than we do from our successes, yet for too many of us in sales this concept doesn't seem to sink in. I've lost plenty of sales in my life. If I wanted to get really down on myself, all I'd have to do is take a piece of ...
Views: 968 - What is Your Customer's Price Tolerance Ratio? - by Submitted on Jul 01, 2011 from Mark HunterEvery customer has a price range where they are willing to make a decision without any further thinking. I refer to this as the Price Tolerance Ratio – also known as the PTR. Knowing your customer's PTR is critical. I believe it is one of the major obstacles salespeople fail to comprehend. ...
Views: 954 - Discounting to Create Cash Flow? Be Careful. - by Submitted on May 25, 2011 from Mark HunterRecently I spoke at a large conference on the subject of how to maintain your price and avoid discounting. After the presentation, a businessperson approached me and asked what my strategy would be if his company needed to discount price to create cash flow. This is not an easy question to ...
Views: 833 - Selling a Price Increase: Is There a Good Time? - by Submitted on May 25, 2011 from Mark HunterWhen is the best time to sell a price increase? I get asked this question a lot and my response is "right now." After I say this and see the expression on the person's face, I then have to back up my response with my rationale. Taking a price increase is not something to be taken lightly. It ...
Views: 830 - Are You Ready to Meet the CEO? - by Submitted on Apr 08, 2011 from Mark HunterIt's the meeting for which you've been waiting. Finally, you've been able to secure a meeting with the CEO of the company you know you can help. For the past year, you've been researching the company and developing relationships with as many people as possible. In particular, you have gotten ...
Views: 978 - The Best Information Comes From Short Questions - by Submitted on Apr 08, 2011 from Mark HunterThere's no better way to improve the quality of information you receive from a potential customer than by asking short questions. We all can recall far too many times when we've sat across the table from a customer we're trying to help – and we know we can help, if they would just provide us ...
Views: 1671 - Your Customer's PIR: Price Investment Ratio - by Submitted on Mar 04, 2011 from Mark HunterHave you ever really considered how price affects your customer with regard to their perceived benefit? Too often, we use a simplistic approach to determining a price – figure the cost to produce a product or service, tack on some arbitrary percentage, and call it good, right? Price, ...
Views: 890 - Are You Giving Away Your Profit? - by Submitted on Mar 04, 2011 from Mark HunterWant a quick way to destroy sales motivation and profit at the same time? Picture yourself as a sales manager who suddenly receives a phone call from a salesperson who is on the verge of closing a sale. Here's a sample of that typical conversation: Salesperson: "We have to cut our price ...
Views: 944 - Why Buyers Love to Delay Buying - by Submitted on Dec 21, 2010 from Mark HunterSalespeople love to complain about buyers. One of the complaints salespeople share the most is that buyers never seem to make up their mind. Just about the time it looks like they're going to make a buying decision, they suddenly hold off. Yes, there are times when a buyer legitimately can't ...
Views: 1104 - What Does Your Customer Really Value? - by Submitted on Dec 21, 2010 from Mark HunterSell to the customer's value expectations, not to your value propositions. We've all heard the rule of listening to what the customer has to say, and there's not a salesperson who thinks they don't listen to the customer. Reality, however, is quite the opposite. I find time after time when ...
Views: 948 - Why Buyers Don't Like Salespeople - by Submitted on Nov 04, 2010 from Mark HunterIf buyers could get by without salespeople, do you think they would? It is an interesting question if you stop and consider the role of the salesperson. Of course, considering the role in an abstract way is one thing, but what about when you consider it from a personal perspective? What ...
Views: 967 - Unselling What You Just Sold - by Submitted on Nov 04, 2010 from Mark HunterI'll never forget the first time it happened to me. The presentation with the customer was going well. I had prepared extensively. In fact, I had not just spent more time than normal, I had stayed up nearly all night to make sure I had every element covered perfectly in my presentation. For ...
Views: 1154(1 vote) - Does Volume Make Up for Low Price? - by Submitted on Jul 01, 2010 from Mark HunterThe phone rings and the sales manager hears on the other end the all-too-familiar plea of a salesperson. The salesperson tries to convince the sales manager that it makes so much sense to offer the prospect a discount to get them to finally become a customer. Of course, the salesperson has the ...
Views: 1260 - Should Social Media Replace Cold-Calling? - by Submitted on Jul 01, 2010 from Mark HunterPeople continue to say how cold-calling is dead and how in today's environment, it no longer can be cost justified. The answer in my book is both "yes" and "no." Let me deal with the "no" first. In the past few months, I've watched numerous salespeople shift all of their prospecting efforts ...
Views: 1193 - The Sale You Can't Close - by Submitted on May 18, 2010 from Mark HunterWe've all been there. After countless calls, meetings and an endless amount of work, you just can't get the customer to say "yes" and move forward. There can be hundreds of theories and ideas as to why this happens more times than we care to admit. Let's put all the theories aside and get to a ...
Views: 827 - Negotiating and the Three Ts: Trust, Time and Tactics - by Submitted on May 18, 2010 from Mark HunterSuccessful negotiating requires you have a strategy. The clearer your strategy before negotiating, the more successful you will be. At the core of the strategy is what I refer to as the "3 Ts of Negotiating: Trust, Time, and Tactics." Trust – The more trust you and the other party have in ...
Views: 1927(3 votes) - Your Pipeline Could Be Fuller - by Submitted on Mar 25, 2010 from Mark HunterKeeping your pipeline of prospects full is no easy task. I'm not going to suggest it is. I talk to salespeople all the time and most say that prospecting is their number one source of new business. So if you are like most salespeople, one of your hardest tasks is simultaneously one of your ...
Views: 831(1 vote) - Negotiation Checklist to Ensure a Successful Outcome - by Submitted on Mar 25, 2010 from Mark Hunter1. Never negotiate with anyone who is not qualified to negotiate. If in doubt, ask your contact how they've handled a similar type of negotiating in the past. Listen for names, dates and other details that will provide clues as to their level of responsibility. 2. Never put things into ...
Views: 894 - Only Losers Cut Their Prices - by Submitted on Nov 04, 2009 from Mark HunterIn today's marketplace, offering discounts seems to be the number one technique people are using to try and get business. Management has bought into the age-old argument that the only reason their salespeople can't sell more is because their price is too high. It's time to put this to rest. ...
Views: 901(3 votes) - Close Too Quick and You Lose Profit - by Submitted on Nov 04, 2009 from Mark HunterIt's always rewarding to close a sale and immediately have the new client sign the documents to secure the sale. No matter how many years in the business, this always feels good. We all have stories about new customers who have "fallen into our lap" and bought quickly. For some reason, we ...
Views: 928(1 vote) - Position Yourself as a Leader - by Submitted on Aug 31, 2009 from Mark HunterIt's been said that to be a successful salesperson, not only do your listening skills have to be great, but your closing skills have to be even better. However, I believe that while these skills are helpful, they are not essential. In my opinion, to be a top-performing sales professional, you ...
Views: 840(1 vote) - Why Customer Service Destroys Salespeople - by Submitted on Aug 31, 2009 from Mark HunterOne position that has not been impacted by the economy is sales. Ask any CEO and you will hear that one of their biggest issues is finding and retaining good salespeople. Something happened on the way to a sour economy: Too many companies learned the hard way that their salespeople didn't know ...
Views: 738(2 votes) - Holding on Price in a Down Economy - by Submitted on Mar 20, 2009 from Mark HunterDiscounting on price is not a sales strategy. It's an impulsive move made by desperate salespeople. In a tough economy, customers think and expect everything is going to be discounted. Because of this, salespeople feel it necessary to oblige the customer to close the deal. Unfortunately, ...
Views: 901 - Sales Goals in a Tough Economy - by Submitted on Mar 20, 2009 from Mark HunterMaking your sales goals in a good year is one thing, but attaining them in a difficult year is an entirely different challenge. Putting aside the common cliché that when times are tough, great salespeople are made, the reality is that making your goals puts more money in your pocket. Therefore, ...
Views: 1006 - Have You Sold Yourself? - by Submitted on Dec 25, 2008 from Mark HunterYou will always be your number one customer. It's not the big account you service, nor is it the hot new prospect you just uncovered; it's you. The reason is simple. If you're not completely confident in what you're selling, you will never come close to maximizing your sales potential. The ...
Views: 863 - Selling a Price Increase in a Soft Market - by Submitted on Dec 24, 2008 from Mark HunterSelling a price increase can be difficult in nearly any type of situation, but trying to sell one in a soft market can be downright brutal. Yet, as unpleasant as it can be, it is often essential. The problem of selling a price increase in a soft market usually stems from the fact that the ...
Views: 813 - The Price Increase Switching Game - by Submitted on Nov 07, 2008 from Mark HunterWe've all had to deal with price increases in one form or another. Similarly, many of us have been faced with a belligerent customer who not only is unwilling to accept your price increase, but also threatens to switch to your number one competitor. When this happens, we're often left with the ...
Views: 875 - Maximizing Your Price – The Value / Benefit Equation - by Submitted on Nov 07, 2008 from Mark HunterPrice increases are currently occurring at a faster rate than we've seen in the US economy for nearly 25 years. The driving forces behind these increases seem to be the rising costs of labor, raw materials, etc. Although these are certainly valid, the real reason for these price increases should ...
Views: 771 - Maximizing Your Price in a Soft Economy - by Submitted on Jun 25, 2008 from Mark HunterEstablishing maximum value for your price is never easy. In today's volatile economy, it's even more of a challenge. For most companies, costs are increasing, yet the ability to pass them along to the customer is fraught with numerous roadblocks. The customer's response to a price increase is ...
Views: 879 - Selling With Your Personality - by Submitted on Jun 25, 2008 from Mark HunterAnyone can sell if the price is cheap enough or if what is being sold is something people can't live without. However, for the vast majority of us, neither of these luxuries are part of the scenario. The difficulty of selling is compounded by the fact that most customers have a wide range of ...
Views: 752 - Your Customer Is Lying...Did You Catch It? - by Submitted on Feb 15, 2008 from Mark HunterAs much as we hate to admit it, at one time or another, we've all been lied to. Sometimes the lie is exposed quickly and sometimes it takes awhile to surface. In sales, lying from a customer occurs more often than we are aware of. Did you realize that nearly every sales call starts off with ...
Views: 745 - Networking Is A "Con" Game - by Submitted on Feb 15, 2008 from Mark HunterNetworking is nothing more than a "con" game. Have you ever been contacted by some swindler offering you money if you would help out a long, lost relative located in a remote country? We all know calls like these are scams. But, in sales, can we associate the necessary skill of networking with a ...
Views: 925 - 22 Tips To Use At A Networking Event - by Submitted on Nov 28, 2007 from Mark HunterNetworking events have been part of the business and social scene for as long as anyone can remember. For many people, they make a trip to the dentist seem fun. For others, networking events are enjoyable, but because of who they have to spend time with, they wish they had scheduled a visit to ...
Views: 880 - Shut-up and Sell! - by Submitted on Sep 14, 2007 from Mark HunterContrary to popular belief, to be a successful salesperson, it doesn't matter how much you know about your product or service. It also doesn't matter how much of an industry expert you are. It doesn't even matter how great your mother thinks you are. The only thing that really matters to be ...
Views: 875 - Price Cutting is for Sissies - by Submitted on Sep 12, 2007 from Mark HunterSales is all about closing the deal, and in order to achieve that goal, a purchase price must be agreed upon. All salespeople, at one time or another, have had their price challenged. What do you do when that situation arises? As much as everyone in sales would like to consider themselves "great ...
Views: 851 - The Spirit of Service - by Submitted on Jul 28, 2007 from Mark HunterAt one time or another, we have all encountered an employee who would clearly rather be anywhere than at the store serving customers. It's unfortunate because there are few professions where a person has a chance to make a bigger impression on someone than in retail. Every day, a retail ...
Views: 836 - Quit Being a Salesperson - by Submitted on Jul 28, 2007 from Mark HunterMany sales are lost because of "sales." To be successful in this profession requires listening to the customer. Unfortunately as salespeople, we often hear so many different things that we feel the need to provide solutions for all of their problems. When this happens, sales professionals can ...
Views: 794 - 14 Steps to Successful Cold-Calling - by Submitted on Jul 28, 2007 from Mark HunterThe vast majority of salespeople do not enjoy cold-calling. Yet, at the same time, it is an activity that most need to do on a regular basis. The biggest reason sales professionals are not more successful in this necessary endeavor is the defense that they have other things to do. However, ...
Views: 894 - The Five Types of Shoppers - by Submitted on May 12, 2007 from Mark HunterIn the retail industry, it seems as though we are constantly faced with the issue of trying to find new customers. Most of us are obsessed with making sure our advertising, displays, and pricing all “scream out” to attract new customers. This focus on pursuing new customers is certainly prudent ...
Views: 1074 - The First 30 Minutes of the Day - by Submitted on Apr 06, 2007 from Mark HunterThe first 30 minutes of the workday will set the tone for the entire day. For most people, the first half hour of the day consists of settling into the office routine by grabbing a cup of coffee, checking the internet, and, of course, chatting with others. Now, I will never be one to say we have ...
Views: 980 - “Learn / Teach / Sell” Yourself to More Sales - by Submitted on Feb 27, 2007 from Mark HunterEvery sales call you make needs to include the “Learn, Teach, Sell” concept. Today’s customer has many options available to them. Rarely are we in a position to sell to a customer something that is so unique and compelling that they have no other choice but to buy from us. To help create a ...
Views: 953(1 vote) - Selling a Higher Price in a B-B Environment - by Submitted on Feb 27, 2007 from Mark HunterEven the most sales savvy among us have had to fight back the nerves that materialize whenever we are faced with telling a customer about a price increase. Talking about it never makes for an easy conversation. When discussing a price increase in a business-to-business environment, it is ...
Views: 948