Archive for the ‘Sales Training Book’ Category

Before the Sales Call: Aspects of preparation that are often overlooked

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

One important aspect of sales that I touch on in the sales approach I developed and outline in “The Golden 120 Seconds of Every Sales Call” is preparation. Often addressed inadequately and sometimes overlooked entirely, sales preparation entails so many things and much more than I can cover in one blog post. Therefore, this will be the first of a series of posts on sales preparedness that I will write over the next several weeks.

Few things factor more importantly in your sales preparation than your appearance, because, of course, it’s the first impression you make with the prospect. It goes without saying that your appearance needs to be highly professional, but what characterizes a truly “professional” appearance?

While your clothes may be clean and pressed, what you wear and how you wear it and present yourself physically is another matter. I’m talking about body language — how you use your hands, your handshake, your sitting and standing position, your eye contact, etc. Then there are the items you bring to the meeting and are part of how you present yourself — your pens, note pad, business cards, etc. All of these things communicate your level of professionalism, confidence and attention to detail.

Altogether, there are 18 critical elements of nonverbal communication that each salesperson should check before every sales call, no matter how casual the encounter. In addition to the above, salespeople need to consider their fingernails (keep them trimmed, clean and away from your face), breath (think about what you ate and drank before the meeting), make-up (women, don’t overdo it; keep it natural), and shoes (keep them polished and well-soled). Salespeople also need to keep their hair out of their eyes and their hands away from their groin (no scratching!).

These nonverbal communication opportunities can become powerful tools in your selling arsenal. You want your prospects to focus on your selling messages, especially during those “Golden 120 Seconds.” If they are distracted by your mannerisms or turned off by your appearance, even your best efforts to present your product or service will be wasted.

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“The Golden 120 Seconds of Every Sales Call” official release date today!

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

Today is an exciting day, as it’s the official release date of my book (my first), “The Golden 120 Seconds of Every Sales Call.”  The press release announcing my book can be found online.

The motivation for writing this book came from what I’ve seen and learned in my 25 years of working “in the trenches” in sales.  Sales people — and particularly those who are experiencing the challenges of selling products and services in this economy — are often finding themselves “stuck” and unable to make things happen with prospective customers.  They want to improve their sales performance and better manage the sales process.  As a result, they desperately seek out new approaches, techniques and ideas that will help them close more deals. 

What I touch on in “The Golden 120 Seconds of Every Sales Call” is a sales approach I developed using the knowledge I’ve acquired and the techniques I’ve honed, as well as what I’ve learned from my own sales call mistakes.  This approach focuses on common sense tactics that sales people actually already understand but for some reason fail to execute.  The good news is they can start applying these tactics immediately.

Most importantly, my approach looks at those critical junctures during a sales call or meeting — the 120 seconds — in which the sales person’s behavior with the prospect can most impact the outcome.  Until now, these junctures — and developing strategies for navigating them — have been virtually ignored. 

My book is loaded with examples of both sales successes and sales blunders.  I’ve used this approach to grow my company and shared it with my clients to help them increase their sales and revenue.  If you are looking for a way to turnaround declining sales or end a pattern of lost sales opportunities, my book provides a solution.  Check it out at the Barnes & Noble website or Amazon.com.

Posted in Non-verbal comunication in selling, Proactive Selling, Sales Training, Sales Training Book | 4 Comments »

“The Golden 120 Seconds of Every Sales Call” to be released 12/15/09

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

The Golden 120 seconds of Every Sales Call is all about the proactive approach to selling!

 A down economy is fertile ground for proactive selling.  And, proactive selling requires that sales professionals are sensitive to the foundations of selling that in strong markets are so easy to ignore.   The days of opting for the next prospect if you spoil the selling interaction with the current prospect are over.  The next prospect may never come.  So the message to sales forces today is: “go out and make something happen”:  generate relationships, find more prospects, and increase the number of selling opportunities.  

 The key to being able to leverage these opportunities comes from the flawless execution of the basic foundational selling skills so necessary to successful selling.  Just as the $20-million a year baseball player goes to spring training every year for seven weeks of practicing the fundamentals, the sales professional needs to ensure they are training, and preparing for the next selling season by re-learning the fundamentals.  The Golden 120 seconds of Every Sales Call is about applying these key fundamentals to every call, every selling interaction and every opportunity to “make something happen.”   

 Author Peter Dennis has over twenty-five years of ‘in-the-trenches’ selling experience.  In this twenty-two chapter book he provides tips, warning areas and common-sense (yet easily forgotten) elements of strong sales call preparation and execution.

Today’s economic environment is ripe for a sales book with a unique focus.  After-all, anyone who has sold anything will recognize that the ultimate success or failure in any selling opportunity comes down to a critical 120-second juncture.

Pre order your copy today by visiting www.norlightspress.com and viewing the “In The Spotlight” section.

Posted in Sales Training, Sales Training Book | 1 Comment »