It’s been a while since my last eZine, Christmas and my surgery and rehab have made it difficult. I am still not able to type very well following my shoulder operation. I’m now using both hands again but sometimes my right-hand does not seem to belong to me. It persists in typing stuff different from what I want it to.

Partly for this reason, I am reprinting someone else's work below. Kevin Hogan is a guy I have been following for about 10 years and I respect his work.

I have also re-printed this article because I think it’s timely, especially for you salespeople in the USA.

It’s also timely because Kevin is running an Influence Bootcamp in Las Vegas in March. I would be very confident in saying there would be good value in you attending but only if you want to improve your selling skills.

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Kevin Hogan's Influence Boot Camp March 10 - 13 Las Vegas -- Register Now

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Selling: The Key to Economic Recovery

by Kevin Hogan

For most, the most important profession on the planet got tougher in 2008 and 2009.

The "Economic Recovery" will have nothing to do with an Obama Stimulus Package (OSP). If it's going to occur it will come from one group of people ONLY.
Salespeople

People aren't randomly going to go buy stuff in a truly tough economy. It's going to take a well-guided nudge.

Most salespeople...can't sell.
They are order takers and they screw that up most of the time.

But the truly excellent salespeople that makeup say the 20-30% of all salespeople that do great work will be the sole driver of any economic recovery.

The cream of the crop will only get better at what they do when they have discovered new strategy and tactics and they will be the first to implement.

We'll talk about the most important PERSUASION and influence tactics at Influence: Boot Camp 2010, but for now, let's just look at selling.

Each week, people in the Inner Circle write and ask me lots and lots of questions. Interviewers for magazines and programs do the same. Here are a few of the most important things that people want to know about.

Increasing Sales in 2010 on Lower Buying Volume?
Obviously, there are many ways to achieve this difficult task.

First, in tough times most people give up,
leaving huge "gaps" or big "windows of opportunity."

In other words, 1/3 of your competitors just quit trying or quit altogether; and all you have to do is go and GET that business.

Secondly, a lot of stuff is down, but not everything is down.
Toilet paper sales remain the same as they always have been. Not everything is up or down. A lot of stuff sells better in a down economy.

Products and services whose identity is connected with security, safety, risk reduction, can all increase sales. Products and services with identities that highlight risk, adventure and so forth, tend to worse in down economies.

KEYPOINT: It might be worth FRAMING your product in a safer and more secure frame...yes?

The same is true for salespeople themselves. Those who came across as "flying high" and wild in 2006 and 2007 have gotten knocked down. Those who modified how they present have done quite well.

Third, because not everything CAN be bought in a down economy,
it makes a lot of sense to add to the product/service mix.

You CAN raise prices IF you have a reason that is compelling enough to do so. But customers and potential customers won't even see your price stability or higher prices if they don't see YOU.
Many companies have simply "fallen back" and retreated into the woods.
Don't.

You can get new customers,
customers who have been working with a competitor IF you know your competitors' weaknesses AND your customers' frustrations.

Do they habitually deliver what they sell late?
Is the quality of the product or service inferior?
What are the most common complaints customers have about the industry or a specific company?

Example: I got an iPhone for Christmas (a bit early) to replace an inferior product. A Blackberry. However, the iPhone has a HUGE Achilles Heel. It's provider for service is ATT. Blackberry? Verizon.

So you have the best product with the worst provider.
You have an inferior product with the best service.
A good salesperson will highlight the weaknesses of the competition and the strengths of their company.

Question:
When was the last time you saw an advertisement for the great quality of ATT service for the iPhone...how there are no dropped calls, great connections and high-quality reception?
Answer:
You don't. Because Apple is very smart. You hear about the hundreds of thousands of apps, the camera, the video, the EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE ORIGINAL PURPOSE OF THE PHONE.

Now here's the deal. I'm ready to cut the Blackberry loose and bury it...but I haven't yet...because there has been NO PERSUASIVE communication from a Blackberry SALESPERSON to convince me to hold onto it and compare for the next 90 or 120 days.
Hmmm....that's interesting....
"Kevin, I see you haven't been using your Blackberry as much as you did last year. Have you found good service with an additional provider?"
Yep...no one has called to bug me...it will cost them a customer.
....I'd call me.

Strike When They're Asleep at the Wheel
But, business isn't just about retaining customers who are a door knock away from leaving.
It's about new business. And new business is the easiest thing to get in downtimes.
With everyone else asleep at the wheel, opportunity knocks for the salesperson who is more active in seeking out that business. What's the best way to get new customers?

There are a few solid approaches,
but one that is particularly effective is adding in something to the product (mix) that is a bonus that has a tangible value. Something that is perhaps already offered, but rarely purchased.

Keypoint: And add it in as part of a VIP membership or experience.
How this works from company to company is obviously going to be different.
Creativity might be required, but "repackaging" to different sizes, weights, values, delivery sequence, etc. etc. can all be effective in various situations.

If I bought a gold coin from someone because I thought it might be a good investment, and the coin arrived that would be expected.
But if it came and a nice shiny uncirculated silver dollar was in the package as a VIP gift or a Loyal Customer Appreciation Token....well who am I buying my gold coin from next time? It doesn't take a lot to capture business today. The market is ripe for people to be treated better for the same price....

Kevin makes a good point and during the three-day Influence Bootcamp he'll make hundreds of them, many based on cutting-edge research he hooks into.

It could well be worth you attending.

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Kevin Hogan's Influence Boot Camp March 10 - 13 Las Vegas -- Register Now

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Here's to YourSalesSuccess.


If you are interested in learning more about selling, please feel free to contact me via the coaching page on my website


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My name is Greg Woodley. I have been a successful salesman for 23 years and would like to help other people achieve a successful sales life.

After retiring from full-time work I decided to devote my time to helping other salespeople achieve their desires.

So, I have been studying coaching and training techniques to ensure I can help you attain YourSalesSuccess.