You know you did your job. You did a great sales presentation, covering all the bases. You uncovered problems and built tremendous value. You are certain that it is clear to the prospect that the value of the product or service far outweighs its cost.

You created urgency by demonstrating that they are losing, hurting by not owning and everyday they lose more. Finally, you anticipated objections ahead of time and knocked them out long before the close. It was a perfect sales interaction.

No Objection, But No Sale
However, after what seemed by all accounts to be a flawless sales process concluded by a perfect sales interaction, the prospect will not buy. To add insult to injury, the prospect cannot seem to explain his or her reason for not buying. They do not have an objection.

Sales Person
“I just don’t understand, Sarah. You said you could see how our XJ1000 will help you and save your organization at least four times its costs and you said it could fit into this month’s budget. I mean, can you give me some idea of why you don’t want to move ahead?”

Prospect
“Oh, well, I just don’t want to do it right now.”

Too Perfect
You’ve heard those types of objections; the, “I really do not have an objection,” objection.
When this happens, it irritates you so much, because you tend to think that the prospect had no choice BUT to say yes. The fact is, you are right, and that is the problem.

No Alternative, No Options, No Choice = No Sale
When your sales presentation covers every possible objection so well, that it leaves the prospect with no choice, they will often object because they have no choice. People do not like to feel trapped or pressured into a decision.

When you leave the prospect with nothing to which they can object, they can feel like they have no control over the decision, and they will resist.

Leave an Opening
If you have that perfect, flawless sales interaction, you may want to leave an objection for the prospect to bring up. The buyer needs to have something to use as a logical justification for what is actually an emotional decision.

They Want to BUY, Not Be SOLD
The buyer needs to feel that he or she made a well-thought-out decision and not that some fast-talking sales person SOLD them. Leave an objection, (that you know you can handle), on the table for the prospect to use.

Then, do not solve the objection too quickly or easily. Take some time with it. Give the objection validity. Then work WITH the prospect to solve the issue.

Remember that your real objective is to HELP the prospect to buy, not FORCE them to.

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

(Image by JS Creationzs)

Have you downloaded my latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

Click on the image below to find out why your very existence as a sales person is in doubt…

I must have said it time and time again, but when it comes to modern day selling, sales professionals and business owners alike can find real value in the LinkedIn platform as a sales tool, as there is so much potential for you to prospect for and engage with new leads and current clients online.

I have frequently written about the different ways you can use LinkedIn to network with c-suite decision makers and build your internet footprint, but in today’s post I thought I would take you back to basics and show you how you should be maintaining your LinkedIn presence on a weekly basis.

You see, in order to get the best out of the platform you need to contribute frequently on LinkedIn, to ensure that you are always at the forefront of your prospects’ minds whenever they access the site.

Keeping up-to-date with your LinkedIn connections – as with any social media site – requires a certain level of dedication, but there are a few simple tasks you can pursue on a weekly basis to ensure that you maintain your presence on LinkedIn. After all, you have worked hard to build up your LinkedIn activity and you shouldn’t let this fall by the wayside simply due to time constraints, so here are 4 quick tips to help you manage your LinkedIn account on a weekly basis:

1.       Keep Your Content Fresh

Generating new content consistently is a vital aspect of building your personal brand and positioning yourself as an industry expert in your field, ensuring that you are the go-to-guy when your prospects and searching for the products and services you provide online.

But more importantly than just generating new thought leadership content, is making sure that you distribute this in spaces where your prospects will find it. LinkedIn is a great platform for sharing your content and there are so many applications you can use to do this, so there is no reason why you shouldn’t have your most recent blog post on your profile, your latest business read on your Amazon Reading List and an up-to-date presentation on your Slideshare app.

The more content you distribute the more you will build your presence on the platform, and taking 5 minutes out of your week to ensure it is all up-to-date is definitely worth your while.

 2.       R&R – Recommend and Be Recommended

A recent survey by Nielsen found that 90% of consumers trust peer recommendations, so the fact that the LinkedIn platform gives you the opportunity to request and display your recommendations is a real bonus for any sales professional – so make the most of it.

Don’t be afraid to ask for recommendations via LinkedIn, and ensure that you follow up with this on a regular basis, as the more glowing recommendations you have for your work, the more trustworthy and reliable you will appeal to any prospects that land on your LinkedIn profile.

It’s also important that you are seen to recommend your LinkedIn connections whenever they ask, as few people will want to recommend you if you are selfish about returning the favour. Take half an hour at least once a month to request new recommendations from your satisfied clients, and return the favour for any connections who have requested one from you. After all, we all need a bit of R&R every now and again!

3.       Take 10 To Make A Contribution

I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again: Your LinkedIn Groups are a hotbed of potential contacts, and contributing regularly to key discussions happening in these groups will help you to network and engage with more and more connections – as well as helping to build your profile as an industry expert.

Taking 10 minutes out of your day to contribute to 2 or 3 discussions via your LinkedIn groups or on the LinkedIn Answers platform will help to keep you at the forefront of relevant discussions surrounding your business.

4.       Turn Your Business Cards Into LinkedIn Connections

As a sales professional or business owner, you’re likely to collect a tidy little pile of business cards from your meetings with your clients over the month, so don’t let these vital contacts go to waste. Instead, find a bit of time in your week to search for these contacts on LinkedIn and invite them to connect with you.

If you find that some are not currently on the platform then you can also use their information to invite them to join you as a LinkedIn member, which will give you an opportunity to engage with them further following on from your meeting.

An Hour A Week Is All It Takes

Prospecting, networking and engaging with key decision makers via LinkedIn doesn’t have to be taxing, and taking as little as an hour out of your week to keep yourself up-to-date on the platform will really help you get the most out of your activity on the site. By maintaining your presence on LinkedIn you are maintaining that all important contact with prospects and clients alike – and this is a hugely important factor in selling the modern way. 

That’s all for now folks, see you again soon for another Techy Tuesday.

Regards,

Louise

Louise Denny

Marketing Manager

(Image by Coletivo Mambembe)

Have you downloaded Sean’s latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

Click on the image below to find out why your very existence as a sales person is in doubt…

I just got this in from my friend and super salesman, John Landrine in the US, about an experience he had this past weekend. I had to share it with you and I have a couple of questions for you after you read this short story and example of customer service at its finest!

Excellent Service = More Sales
“Sean, I just had to tell you about what happened in a restaurant this weekend. My girlfriend, her daughter and I go to an Elephant Bar Restaurant in Fresno, California. It’s a Friday night and they are packed. Nevertheless, William, the waiter/server, takes real time to go over the menu and specials. This would normally not be anything extraordinary, except, William had such a motivational manner and self-conviction that you had to believe that HE truly was fan and loved the food himself. He was so enthusiastic that it showed he loved what he was doing and the establishment for which he worked.

However, after ordering and receiving our meals, we had a dilemma. The dish my lady ordered, was simply not what she thought it would be. Though the chef prepared the dish correctly, it did not match what she thought it would taste like. The daughter, did not completely enjoy her dish either, as it too was something she never tried before and it was not as she imagined.

My suggestion was that the ladies order something else and we see how we can fix the situation. However, since we had practically filled up on appetizers, which both women really enjoyed, they were resigned to just remember the next time at this establishment, not to order those particular dishes.

When William came back and noticed the still-full-plates, he naturally inquired as to what may have been wrong. We explained that the problem was not the food, but the choice they made and there was no problem.

Well, for William, there was a problem. He says, “You don’t look very happy. Let me see what my manager says about this…” and walks off. Then enters, Steve O., whom I guessed was a manager, supervisor, yet I found was an extraordinary sales person.

We explained to Steve O, that neither the food nor the service was the problem, but simply a poor menu choice; but Steve would not accept such as an answer. He began asking questions.

The Art Of Asking Questions
Sean, this restaurateur, manager, supervisor or what it may be, began asking questions that any sales professional should be asking in the discovery phase of a sales interaction.

“So exactly what is it that you did not like about this dish?”
“What types of spices do you like better?”
“What do you consider too sweet or too spicy?”

I was impressed.

From the answers he gathered from both of the women, he suggested a dish he thought they would both enjoy and offered to prepared it, serve it and add dessert all at no charge. The women resisted, again reaffirming that the restaurant had no fault.

Then, Steve’s reply nearly brought a tear to my eye, Sean. He said something to this effect…

“I really appreciate that. However, I cannot feel right having you leave knowing that your memory of your experience here may be a negative one. Even if the first few dishes did not work for you, then I rather you remember that the last one you tried was the best thing you ever had! I have to make sure that you leave with a positive experience at the Elephant Bar Restaurant, and I will do whatever it takes to make sure that happens.”

Whao! Sean, I could tell, I could FEEL, that William and Steve took their jobs personally!

Anyway, to make a long story short (which I know is already too late), Steve O and William served the extra dish and a custom crème brûlée for the ladies. The check? The check reflected only my meal and the drinks…complements of Steve O. So Steve INVESTED, maybe $50 or so (US) and he secured loyal patrons that are not only going to come back often, but one who will tell everybody he knows; and hey, I know a lot of people!

Sean, many of the sales professionals that we work with around the world could learn something about enthusiasm, customer service and belief in what they sell from big, tall William and Steve O at the Elephant Bar Restaurant in Fresno, California!”

Regards,

John Landrine

A Few Questions
I thank John for relaying that experience and I can tell you that poor service can ruin a great meal. However, great service can make any meal great.

A few quick questions:

1. How personally do you take your job? Be honest. As a sales person, customer service representative, or whatever is your actual position title; ask yourself, how personally do you view what you do? Are you the, “I just work here…” type person? Or are you a PART of what you do and sell?

2. How enthusiastic are you about what you do? You have seen the product-line ten thousand times. You have demonstrated the machine over five thousand times. You have read that menu at least a thousand times. Are you still truly excited about what you do?

3. Are you willing and ready to do what it takes to ensure that your customers and clients have the best experience with you and your products or services? Are you committed to making sure that you deliver above and beyond what your competition can possibly do? Are you obsessed with being the best and delivering the best and making sure your customers experience the very best the industry has to offer? Or are you satisfied with just being “good.”

Sometimes, you may have to bend over backwards to be the best.

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

(Image by Borderlys)

Have you downloaded my latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

Click on the image below to find out why your very existence as a sales person is in doubt…

You have gone through the entire sales presentation. You have closed a dozen times. You faced and, you thought, you overcame, what seems like a thousand objections; and still the prospect will not buy.

It’s all over and it’s time to leave. Try this last ditch effort. Hey, you have nothing to lose!

Apologise!
No scripts or magic words here. I want you first to understand the philosophy about this concept. When you have lost the sale, the fact is that you have failed. If you believe in your heart that the prospect would be better off by owning what you sell, then if they do not buy, they have to be worse off. Does that make sense?

The prospect is going to suffer, pay more, lose more, save less, or in some way, pay the price for not buying your product or service and it is YOUR fault. You failed to help the prospect see and understand that they truly need what you have. When you do not close the sale, if your only concern is that you lost a commission, you are not yet a true professional. You should feel that you let the prospect down.

So apologise for your ineptness. Apologise that you were not able to help him, her or the organisation.

Prospect
“I’m sorry. But like I said, I am not going to go ahead with this. It looks great, but I just cannot swing it right now.”

Sales Person
“No Steve. I am sorry. I really apologise to you. I’m sorry. ”

Prospect
“You have nothing to be sorry about.”

Sales Person
“Oh yes I do. Apparently, I was not able to show you how much you really need our XJ200.”

Prospect
“No. I can see that I need it…”

Sales Person
“Well, then I was not a good enough sales person to help you see that it will save you thousands of pounds every year.”

Prospect
“No, you did that. Like I said, it really looks good…”

Sales Person
“Well, then I must not have been capable of making it clear of how easily affordable it is and that it will pay for itself in a short time.”

Prospect
“I can understand that…”

Accept Apology or Explain
As you can see, with this approach the prospect has to either argue with your apology, in which case he or she eliminates all the objections. Or the prospect can accept your apology, in which case they tell you exactly what the problem is that is holding them back.

Sales Person
“I apologise that I am not a good enough sales person to show you exactly how our help desk software will save you thousands of pounds every month.”

Prospect
“Well, that’s ok. I think other companies have more problems at their helpdesk than we do…”

BINGO!!

Once you found where you came up short in your sales interaction, you can try to go back and fix it.

Sales Person
“You are so right, Sarah. That is what I think I missed. Give me another minute; let me show you how the help desk features work…”

Hey, it won’t save every deal. But you are sure to close a few that you thought were lost!

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

(Image by Archipoch)

(Image by Stuart Miles)

Stop scratching around for sales and learn how to sell the modern way with my FREE 40 minute online training session. Click on the image below to find out why you’ve got to be changing the way that you prospect and sell…

I believe in the power of positive thinking as much as anyone does, and in fact, more than most people. However, the truth is that sometimes, even if it is only on rare occasion, the proverbial bottom falls out, and thinking yourself into a positive attitude, just isn’t going to happen.

The fact is that some things can hit you so hard and are so tangible that it leaves your head spinning and unfocused. Yes, there are a few mental exercises that you can do to help; but you really need some tangible, physical actions to get your mind back on track. Try these two simple, yet effective action items.

#1 – Short Term Work Ethic Goals
When things are bad, that usually means sales are in the crapper and income is tight. It is only natural at that time to focus on more sales and revenue. However, when that does not happen, it drives your attitude further in to the dumps.

Instead, set very short, sales activity goals that you can accomplish every day. For example, set a goal to make 5 more phone calls than the day before. Or, set a goal to send out 20 more emails this week than the last week. Do one additional sales presentation than you did last week.

Not only do these sales activities increase the chances for the sales you need, they also help you see real successes every day. They are tangible objectives that you can accomplish, and they are positive!

#2 – Check the Numbers
Do some detailed sales reporting on yourself. When you check your sales activity numbers, you will find one of two situations:

a. You have not been doing what you should and that is the reason why things are bad. For instance, you know that to be consistent you must do 5 presentations per week, but the data shows that you have only averaged 3.5 per week over the last two months. At first, such enlightenment will make you feel even worse. However, it is short-lived because you can easily change this situation; you can fix it. You can also see how this works so well with Tip #1!

b. You find that you have been doing everything right, all the numbers are on or above par. When this happens, you should jump for joy! In such a case, the law of averages owes you a huge payday. Don’t misunderstand me. I am not talking about psyching yourself up. If you have a concrete closing average of 20%, yet without any changes to other factors, you have closed only half that for a while, your closing average must eventually come true.

So check the numbers and you will see that either you owe the street, in which case you can get out there and work things back into order. Or, the street owes you, in which case you can feel positive for real!

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

(Image by Archipoch)

Stop scratching around for sales and learn how to sell the modern way with my FREE 40 minute online training session. Click on the image below to find out why you’ve got to be changing the way that you prospect and sell…

Sales 2.0 and modern day selling are hot topics right now, as more and more sales professionals and business owners are seeing the benefits of applying these concepts within their day-to-day sales processes.

Social media and the internet have become big players in the business world, but few professionals really understand how to use these online tools to develop their sales techniques and generate qualified leads.

As many of you will know by now, MTD Sales Training’s MD Sean McPheat is at the forefront of the modern day selling revolution, and has written a bestselling book on the subject– entitled eselling® – which provides readers with a step by step guide on how to use social media and the internet to prospect, network and engage with the c-suite decision maker online. 

In November of last year, Sean was invited to give a keynote presentation of the concept of eselling® to over 1,000 sales professionals from across Europe at the Institute of Sales and Marketing Management’s (ISMM) Successful Selling Conference at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry.

The short video above is a quick excerpt from Sean’s presentation on modern day selling at the ISMM, which will give you a good overview of what eselling® is really about, and how you can put these techniques into practice within your business.

Enjoy!

Regards,

Louise

Louise Denny

Marketing Manager

Small talk: That warm up is always a good thing in a face-to-face sales interaction. It’s that short period of time you have to create some rapport and chitchat a bit to ease into the sales presentation.

However, should you ever attempt to initiate such a warm up in a cold call?

While there are some very different, if not, vastly opposing views on this among sales people, I don’t think there really is a controversy. In fact, on this subject, I believe that EVERYONE is right. Here is why…

NO! No Chit-Chit At All!
Some sales professionals admittedly believe that you should never attempt to make the slightest bit of small talk when cold calling. They feel that even to say something as natural as, “How are you?” is a terrible thing. To extend any type of pleasantry at the onset of a cold call is artificial and even phony. Get right onto business, no matter what the situation.

YES! Warm Up, Chat!
On the other hand, some feel strongly that you must make some connection with the prospect before getting into business. They feel that it is only natural and human to extend rudimentary pleasantries that you would offer in a normal telephone call. They feel it makes the call more natural and real.

Which is Best?
This is what I mean when I say everyone is right: What we all need to understand is that a cold call, a warm call, indeed, any type of sales call, should be an individual and customised inter-relational experience; hence, and INTERACTION.

While you should have a PLANNED talk, you should not have a CANNED pitch.

How Are YOU Doing?
First, you should never say anything that is uncomfortable for you to say. If it makes you uncomfortable to ask, “How are you?” then you should not ask. If you do not honestly have an interest in how the person is, then it IS phoney. In that case, you are right; don’t do it.

Alternately, if you feel natural and comfortable asking such a question; then do so. Many sales people actually have a genuine interest in how the person who answers the phone is doing at the time of the call. Many sales people would really like to know if the prospect is in the right state of mind to listen, or is having such a bad day, that any conversation would be a disaster.

So the first thing to think about is how are YOU—the sales person doing? Do what comes natural to YOU and makes you comfortable.

EVERY Call is Different
Finally, you should be able to adapt slightly to the mood and personality of the prospect. You should not have such a word-for-word script that you say the exact same thing to everyone.
You may feel that you should never get into the small talk, but what do you do when you get that prospect on the telephone, who obviously likes the small talk?

Alternately, you may be the sales person who likes to chitchat a bit, then meets the prospect who is strictly business and will get thoroughly insulted by your asking, “How are you?”

Adapt!
In addition to being yourself and not doing what is too uncomfortable for you to do; let the prospect tell you which way you should go.

Instead of….
“Hi Steve, this is Sarah Smyth with ABC Technologies. The reason I’m calling is that we help independent business owners with…”

Try…
“Hi Steve? (Pause) Sarah Smyth, ABC Technologies?” (Pause)

Make your introduction a question or questions, and pause—shut up. Don’t be afraid to let the prospect respond. Let the prospect tell YOU what will work with their mental disposition and personality.

Sales Person with Prospect #1

Sales Person
“Hi Steve?

Prospect
“Yes.”

Sales Person
“Sarah Smyth, ABC Technologies?” (Pause)

Prospect 1
“Yeah.”

Sales Person
“Steve, the reason I’m calling is recently we help independent business owners with…”

The prospect made it clear…get to business. On the other hand…

Sales Person with Prospect #2

Sales Person
“Hi Steve?

Prospect 2
“You got him!”

Sales Person
“Sarah Smyth, ABC Technologies…how are you?” (Pause)

Prospect 2
“Doing pretty well. How about yourself?”

This is simple. Just remember that every prospect you call, is an individual, a real person. In addition, keep in mind that you are an individual as well. Treat both prospect and sales person like unique individuals, and you can’t go wrong.

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

 (Image by  Ambro)

Stop scratching around for sales and learn how to sell the modern way with my FREE 40 minute online training session. Click on the image below to find out why you’ve got to be changing the way that you prospect and sell…

Let’s face it, you are human and you will make mistakes. Also, your company and other people you work with have flaws and are prone to err once in a while as well. So what do you do when you or your company screws up, costing the customer time, money, headaches or worse?

#1. Acknowledge and Inform as Soon as Possible
The very instant you know that something is amiss; you have to inform the client. Do not wait in the hopes that something will correct the situation or that it may magically go away. Let the customer know immediately!

Even when it appears evident that something will go wrong, before it actually happens; inform the customer. To tell the client that there may possibly be a problem, and then have that problem never arise, could be a good thing. You can use such a situation to demonstrate that you are capable of averting problems. You are there, providing constant service.

However, to have the client feeling that everything is going smooth, only to have a surprise problem come up, could derail the sales process.

#2. Provide FULL Disclosure
The worst thing you can possibly do at such a crucial time is to, hide information, lie or be misleading. Do not try to “cover up” the issue. Provide the customer with full disclosure as to what happened. Be honest and direct.

#3. Take FULL Responsibility
Do not try to blame someone or something else. Take full responsibility for the incident, and apologize for everyone involved. Even claim those mishaps that you had no control over and you were not responsible to handle. Never take the, “That’s not MY department…” angle.

Sales Person:
“Susan, I am sorry things did not go as planned. But please understand, it was the shipping company that messed everything up. They have nothing to do with us, and we can’t control how they operate…”

NO!!

Let the client know that YOU are the account manager and that ANYTHING that happens, YOU are the one-stop, one-call to solve all of the problems. Handled correctly, you can turn a nightmare problem into the catalyst that secures a client’s business and loyalty forever.

Take responsibility for those things the customer knows that you cannot control, and watch what happens!

Customer:
“Hey, you don’t have to apologize. It’s not your fault. Our event was rained out, but come on, you can’t control the weather!”

Sales Person:
“I appreciate that Steve. But it IS my fault. I set up the dates. I knew well in advance. I should have studied the predictions more closely, and I should have had an alternative rain-date or a Plan B in place for you just in case the weather turned. It IS my fault, and I promise you that I will be more diligent in the future.”

Own up!

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

(Image by Digital Art)

Stop scratching around for sales and learn how to sell the modern way with my FREE 40 minute online training session. Click on the image below to find out why you’ve got to be changing the way that you prospect and sell…

Be honest; have you ever walked into a sales interaction or had a prospect come in the door and immediately say to yourself, “OMG! This is a losing situation?”

No matter how hard we try, often it is difficult NOT to make predetermined, and usually unfounded judgments about people based on first appearances. It is also likely that you have been the recipient of such prejudgement yourself.

I thought I’d just give you an example of the dangers in doing this in the form of a short, light-hearted, yet very significant sales story.

My friend and “super salesman” from the U.S, John Landrine writes below of a situation that happened to him very early on in his sales career that taught him never to judge a book by its cover.

Here’s what he wrote to me…

“Selling home cleaning and maintenance systems, I walked into the prospect’s home only to find it was very messy. In addition to the obvious potentially disqualifying conditions, it appeared that there was no working adult in the household. Add this to the fact that this was not a very good area of town, and well, I was a little disheartened from the outset.

Although we had some basic pre-qualifying parameters in place, it appeared, to put it mildly, that the senior-aged woman and her daughter were quite poor, not to mention that they also provided care for an elderly parent in the home.

The presentation went well, too well. They wanted the system. The problem of course, was how in the world they would pay for it. So, in presenting the offer, I went to the bottom line, immediately dropping to the lowest possible nuts and bolts price, which they accepted.

Never even thinking about a cash purchase, I went into trying to figure out how I could finance the system for them, and went into credit application mode. What I needed to figure out was what was their source of income, since no one had a job.

The daughter, astutely noticed that I was tip-toeing around asking the hard question, and exclaimed, “Oh!! You mean, where do we get our money?”

“Ah, well, yes.” I admitted. “I just need to know how you pay the rent.”

“That is Mrs Chappers! (Not the real name)” the daughter explained as if I was supposed to know what that meant.

Dumb founded, as the small group starred at me with smiles, I shrugged my shoulders to say, “I don’t get it.”

“Mrs Chappers!” The daughter insisted. “You, know…Mrs Chappers!”

I come to find out that the old lady owned a chain of beauty salons and beauty supply stores all over the state, about 25 locations! She was the Mrs Chappers of “Mrs Chappers Beauty;” a wildly successful business.

How did they pay the rent? They did not pay rent because the famous Mrs Chappers owned the whole building and many others. She was a millionaire! Also, the state of the current home was due to a recent death in the household and they were in the midst of cleaning and rearranging.

Well, I closed the sale and got a ton of referrals, which almost all resulted in sales. However, the price point was a serious problem. I could not go and sell all of her friends and relatives the same system for more than I sold it to Mrs Chappers, and she made that very clear.

Judging that book by the cover cost a ton of money. I never did it again!”

Of course, if your sales process includes ways to disqualify prospective customers out of the funnel, then do so. However once they have qualified, then trust the numbers and treat everyone, every prospect as if they are worth a million pounds!

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

(Image by  Digital Art)

Stop scratching around for sales and learn how to sell the modern way with my FREE 40 minute online training session. Click on the image below to find out why you’ve got to be changing the way that you prospect and sell…

Today’s buyers are a lot more sales savvy; they conduct research online about your products and services, your company and your competitors all with a few clicks of a mouse. The internet and social media in particular are now your buyers’ best friends, as it puts them in control of the modern day sales process, so what are you doing to redress this balance of power?

Here are some scary facts and figures for you:

• 90% of buying decisions are based on internet research – Gartner research
• 2 out of 3 decision makers place more trust in their own research than in sales people – Market Transformations
• 80% of sales are lost because the salesperson failed to establish an element of trust and credibility with the buyer – The Marketing Edge

The way your buyers make their purchasing decisions has changed, but are you changing the way that you sell? Social media can be a powerful sales tool when you know how to get the best from it, especially when it comes to using LinkedIn.

You’ve definitely heard of LinkedIn, you might even have a LinkedIn account and you’ve heard of the benefits and the power that LinkedIn can provide you in terms of prospecting and selling….but your LinkedIn account is just sitting there gathering dust simply because you don’t know what to do with it!

Or is it because you have yet to be convinced of the real value of the site? Well, he’s a few LinkedIn stats for you to digest:

• 1 new member joins LinkedIn every second – LinkedIn Press Centre
• Over 40% of LinkedIn’s users work in companies with more than 10,000 employees – LinkedIn Ads
• Nearly 50% of the LinkedIn members are in a decision maker role (such as Manager, Director, Owner, Chief Officer or Vice President) – LinkedIn Ads

Considering this information, it’s unsurprising to find out that in a recent survey conducted by advertising agency OgilvyOne found that 93% of UK sales professionals have received no training in using social media, and 53% of these want help with learning to use social media platforms as a business tool.

As a modern day sales professional it is so important to understand how to harness the power of LinkedIn for your business, and MTD Sales Training are here to help.

We have created a complimentary report for you which will help you to understand how to get the most out of LinkedIn as a business tool.

“Ultimate LinkedIn Essentials For Sales Professionals” is free to download and will show you how to tap into the potential goldmine of prospecting resources and additional sales opportunities that LinkedIn has to offer. With a killer profile and the right approach to hunt out, prospect and engage with your target market, you will maximise your prospecting time and generate qualified leads.

Simply click the link below to download your copy:

http://www.mtdsalestraining.com/lireport.htm

If you still need convincing of the power of LinkedIn or if there’s anything you would like to ask me then leave me a comment below and I will get back to you.

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

Stop scratching around for sales and learn how to sell the modern way with my FREE 40 minute online training session. Click on the image below to find out why you’ve got to be changing the way that you prospect and sell…