The Steps to Successful Sales By Action International Business Coach Michael Bedard

Avoid the sales peaks and troughs experienced by the average salesperson by building an individual selling system that will guarantee you results�

Goals
Without clearly defined goals, measured over a specific time frame, you will achieve very little. When setting your goals consider your income, lifestyle and requirements.

First aim to improve your last years' income by a specific amount, or, if you are new to sales, aim to achieve as close to the top sales person in your team as you can.

Prospecting
The level of success achieved by salespeople will always be determined by the number of customers self generated, that is other than floor traffic or telephone enquiries generated by your advertising.

Put a system in place to regularly find new customers from referrals, past customers etc. Build up your database of loyal customers that you can sell time after time.

How to Use Scripts to Ensure Consistency in Customer Service Part 2

Within the script itself you then need to look at:

c) Ask open-ended questions � you must ask questions that can't be answered by yes or no.
d) Get agreement - you need to get feedback from the customer. Ask rhetorical questions that will get them to say yes - e.g. "So it sounds like you'd benefit from A, B and C, that's pretty good, isn't it?"e) Deal with objections � this is part of the process! Get the customer to elaborate, acknowledge that what they're saying is true for them at the time and then come up with your standard replies to known objections.
f) Close and take the next step � "Would you like to pay by check or credit card?"
g) Use transition phrases/temperature checking phrases like, "How does this fit with what you had in mind?", "So from what I understand, you want A, B and C. Is there anything else?"

You will end up with a script that is really effective as a sales tool. More importantly, your entire team will have a framework to follow, which means your customers will be treated in a like-minded fashion regardless of who speaks to them. This, in turn, enhances the perception of excellent customer service. An added bonus, if you needed another one, is that any new team member will be productive much more quickly. Go make it happen!

How to Use Scripts to Ensure Consistency in Customer Service By Action International Business Coach Michael Bedard

Is your first reaction like that of my clients - scripting doesn't work, scripting is too artificial, scripting doesn't take into account different personalities? I've heard just about every excuse as to why scripts won't work; but, as I wean my clients onto the idea and they see their bottom line increasing, converts are made. Here's how to get started.

The four main areas to consider when writing a script are:
a) Target Market � be very clear who you�re trying to reach.
b) Process � some of the more expensive products and services may require several steps before a sale is made.
c) Urgency � you must give people a reason to act now.
d) 'You' Focus � your script needs to be focused towards the customer.

Within the script itself you then need to look at:
a) Greeting � Get this right as it will set the tone for what follows.
b) Outline the reason for your call/visit and get permission to continue � e.g. "Would it be OK if I outlined the reason for my call today?" This step applies when you�re the one making the first contact.

Want to Know How to Sell All You Have to Do is Ask Part 2

Questions can guide consumer interest, discover a need and give accurate information. There are two commonly known types of questioning � open ended and closed questions.

Building Rapport and Qualifying
Open-ended questions are an excellent way to ensure customer involvement in the conversation and are a key to identifying not only what they need but a lot about themselves. You can use open-ended questions to build rapport, to find a need, to discover a customer problem and find the right solution. In journalism there are six key questions used in the interviewing process which is as equally useful in sales � who, what, where, when, why and how.

Here are a few examples of open-ended questions which are very useful:
Who are you buying the product/service for?
How often would you use the product/service?
What features were you looking for in this product/service?

This type of questioning yields a lot of great information from your customer and helps you determine which product/service is uniquely suited to them.

Closed questions tend to get one word answers "yes" or "no." They can be used to gather information quickly � not unlike a check-list. Using closed questions can also confirm a buying detail and help confirm the sale.

By using questions you are encouraging the customer to communicate, building rapport, establishing their needs, directing the conversation, diffusing tension and inviting discussion.

Learning the art of questioning and listening is the key to increasing your conversion rate and well on the way to creating a continuing customer relationship.

Want to Know How to Sell All You Have to Do is Ask When it comes to sales your customers quite literally have all the answers

Have you ever answered a question with a question? Would that be making a difference to your conversion rate? The answer to the latter is most definitely yes! Asking questions not only increases your conversion rate, but builds rapport with your customer and ensures that the sale becomes their idea and not yours.

Asking questions also means active listening. You can ask questions about your customers work, business, kids or hobbies but make sure that you are listening with sincere interest. It may even be helpful to note down some of the answers � such as the names of their kids, interests etc. for future communication. By asking questions and listening, you are building rapport and attaching importance to their conversation.

Also, by asking questions you are remaining in control of the conversation. Once you find yourself doing all the talking you are no longer in control. Just remember that the person asking questions sets the direction for the conversation. If the customer is dominating the conversation by asking you questions make sure you answer the question with a question. However, try to vary the questions that you ask. You may remember from looking after your own children or babysitting that being asked "but why?" over and over again tends to get a little monotonous.

Leadership Who is Driving Your Business Part 2

So it is in business. To succeed, the business owner must paint the picture and be willing to share that vision with the team. It is from this beginning that so many success stories have evolved. It is in the absence of this beginning that so many businesses have failed.

Who is driving your business? It is in this area of business development that the small to medium size business owner will be challenged when the future direction becomes unclear because of rapid and continual changes occurring within the market place and the speed of the change generated by the technological age that we live in. Excellence in the level of service demanded by the customer today increases as you meet the level of his expectations of yesterday. The need to continue to deliver to the market place, a product or service that is better today then it was yesterday, will challenge the visions that the leader will create and the team will receive. Low team moral, absenteeism and resignations are some signs that leadership has become engulfed and is in need of repair.

Increasingly, business coaches are encountering business owners who seek the help necessary to refocus and to reignite the vision for success. With the guidance provided by the experienced coaches at Action International located throughout the world, many business owners are able to regain that leadership so vital for their success.

Leadership Who is Driving Your Business By Action International Business Coach Michael Bedard

When business performance needs to be improved, it may well be wise to start the improvement process by first exploring the source of the leadership in that business. From my coaching experience I have found in many instances, that where a business is not performing, the leadership direction is unclear and is not understood by the team.

Leadership is about painting a current picture of the future in the form of a vision. The common thing in all of the great leadership stories of the world is the ability to create that vision and then be able to share that vision with the people. Leadership is a powerful creative tool and when embraced by business owners, has immense impact on the success that can be obtained in that business.

Managers in corporations have been guided by this concept for some time and for 'tomorrow's leaders' the following has been written.

"Every executive, every manager, to fulfill the role, must have a vision � a vision of where the organization will be and what it will look like in the future.

They must create that vision and then share it with those reporting to them, if they are to gain a high level of employee involvement and commitment and attain a high level of productivity."
'Anon'

Host Beneficiaries Who Wants to be a Millionaire Part 2

To make this strategy extremely effective, you must be able to sell the benefits of it to the host ben business and prove what a cheap and effective method this can be for both of your businesses. Furthermore, you can assist by drafting the letter that can be used in the mail out which would be produced with the host ben's letterhead. Action International coaches assist their clients in the preparation of both letters, one to the host ben and the other one to be used in the send out to their customers. The results can be staggering.
What is more fascinating is that you can reverse the favor and have what is called a reverse host ben whereby you make the offer of the other business' products or services to your customers. This is great where the other business still needs some convincing.
The most important thing to remember is that you must target the host bens whose target market (i.e. customer profile) matches yours; otherwise, you are unlikely to get repeat business from those taking up the offer. Remember, selling to people once is a promotion, selling to them repeatedly means that they are your customers.
Most of all, have FUN with it and it will reap you the rewards you deserve because you tried something new.

Host Beneficiaries Who Wants to be a Millionaire

Ever wondered how to wow your customers or the customers of a friend in business or a business acquaintance? One of the most under utilized, yet, extremely effective methods is the "Host Beneficiary" or host ben for short.

The first thing our coaching clients tell us when we mention host bens is "host what?" Not surprisingly, I get very exited in introducing this strategy as it definitely teaches my coaching client something new and exiting that promises some special results.
The way it works is quite clever. The main purpose of the strategy is to introduce your business to the database of another business. Now, for all you hoarders of databases, don't despair, nobody gets to use your database in a malicious way, and in fact, it doesn't even have to be used directly by the business suggesting the host ben. The entire control can and in most cases does, unless time is an issue, remain with the owner of the database.
The specifics of the effective functioning of the strategy is to first of all offer something of value to the business through which you want to run this promotion. In fact, the way it really looks is that in the eyes of the host ben's customer, it's the host ben that looks like the very appreciative business which is either offering something for free or seriously discounted to its customers. And wait for it, it doesn't cost the host ben a cent. Why would that be a good idea from our point of view? Simply, you get to be exposed to the database of another business and can significantly improve the size of yours if people respond to this offer.

Welcome to Your Home Based Business Part 2

Business owners often can work with their partner to create a great team synergy in the home environment. After years spent working in separate careers many home based
professionals can involve their partner in the business. Partners can be involved in a business development and support role and teenage children who have excellent computer skills can earn some extra pocket money.

Not surprisingly the rapidly expanding portfolio of business technology makes the home based option a very attractive one. Utilizing e-mail and the Internet as well as teleconferencing can make for a very professional approach to business from their own home office.

However, the home office environment is not immune to the challenges faced in the conventional work environment and a day in the life of a home-based professional is anything but average. There is no such thing as a typical day. By necessity, business owners should reserve time in each day for different kinds of chores e.g. starting Mondays with a meeting and ending Fridays with writing reports,

There should also be time reserved for training and attendance at workshops. Home-based professionals must be proactive and consistent in furthering their own personal and professional development. Networking opportunities are also important in keeping up with latest changes in the industry and provide a catalyst for new ideas and strategies.

Welcome to Your Home Based Business By Action International Business Coach Michael Bedard

Gone are the days when home-based business was limited to Tupperware parties and the sole operating seamstress. With the advent of new technology, the thirst for a lifestyle greater than 9-5 and the changing dynamics of the modern day family more and more people are turning towards professional home based businesses.
There are 5 key motivations fuelling the growing popularity of professional home based business: time, lifestyle, profit, team and technology.

Obviously time is a key factor when working from home. Home-based professionals are not disadvantaged by the down time normally spent travelling to and from work and they enjoy flexible hours. Clients also benefit from flexible working hours and can schedule appointments to occur before or after work.

The lifestyle of a professional working from home allows for increased interaction with family members, a tailored work environment and the freedom to set the self paced completion of tasks. A win-win relationship also exists between home based business and their client base due to increased profit potential - due to low overheads. What you save on renting an expensive office suite can be passed on to your clients � creating a win-win solution for both parties.

Ensure Good Returns on Your Investment Follow the Saying If it Does not Add Up Do not Do It Part 2

If you want to buy a business the figures also must add up � or have the potential to do so. Make a list of the criteria the business must fill and make sure this list is filled before you commit yourself. Many people buy into something believing it would fulfill their needs, to discover the figures were inaccurate or did not add up. If you are not sure, get help. Two heads are better than one, and prevention is better than cure.

A great idea when looking at a business is to check the industry average and see how your business compares. Given that four out of five businesses go broke in the first five years, you may want to be better than average.

Finally the bottom line where your figures must add up is in net profit margin. To get this figure a business must add all expenses, including an appropriate wage for all the hours put in the business, plus interest on the capital you put into the business. This will give your real margins.

"If it doesn't add up, don't do it" must be applied regularly. Don't wait until the end of the financial year to find if you have made a profit. Business is work, but it should also be fun.

Ensure Good Returns on Your Investment Follow the Saying If it Does not Add Up Do not Do It

Business is all about making a profit, so if your business strategies aren't adding up to business profits, don't do it, or do it differently.

To be a business � that is, 'a commercial, profitable enterprise that works without you' --your business must give a good return on investment plus a full wage for every hour you spend working in your business. You can then pay someone to do your job and the business profits are not affected.

The quote 'if it doesn't add up, don't do it' can be applied in all areas of your business. Advertising is a prime example. If an ad is run and does not get an immediate response, there is no point in keeping that ad running. It is wasting precious time and money. Change the ad or where it is running.

Increasing your team must also add up in dollars. Perhaps a business should consider setting training and operating systems in place so juniors can be hired to follow the systems, rather than hiring seniors who have the head knowledge of how it should be done. Alternately perhaps the business should look at new machinery or technology instead of more team members.

Goal Setting is SMART Business Part 2

There are many reasons why we don't achieve our goals. Sometimes the goals we set are unrealistic. New Year's resolutions are typical examples. Suddenly, we expect to change the way we eat, or the way we exercise just because the calendar changes. It's like expecting a child that's never ridden a bike to suddenly jump on and go, or to run a marathon without months of training. These goals are based on illusion with little regard to natural growth. You must be able to crawl before you walk.

So, how do we set and achieve goals? Stephen R. Covey says it best in his book "7 Habits of Highly Effective People". "To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you're going so that you better understand where you are now and so that the steps you take are always in the right direction."

An example of a S.M.A.R.T. goal might look something like the following:

WHAT
My goal is to maintain a healthy body.

WHY
So that:
I can be fit to do the things I enjoy.
I can be an example to my children in health management.
I can build my personal character strength.

HOW
Good Nutrition. I will increase my intake of fresh fruits and vegetables and decrease my intake of sugar, fats, salt and red meat.
Physical. I will exercise aerobically 3 times a week for 30-minute periods.
Focus. I will be aware of my body and look out for any health problems.

Focusing on the smaller, short-term goals and achieving success will give you the confidence to set other goals. So, remember, set your goals based on the S.M.A.R.T. principle to have the best chance of achieving your goals.

Goal Setting is SMART Business By Action International Business Coach insert name

Goal setting is as important in personal life as it is in business. The most common denominator in all the self-help literature and books is the importance of goal setting. We're told to set long-term goals, short-term goals, lifetime goals and personal goals.

The benefits of Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results orientated, Time-framed (S.M.A.R.T) goals have been written about in self-help books for years. So, it follows that goal setting is obviously a powerful process.

It is about 'eating the elephant, one bite at a time' and of turning vision into achievable, actionable things. It's the common denominator of successful individuals and businesses.

Despite their obvious value, our experience with goals have shown that some are good at setting goals and sticking to them, achieving great results and others can't keep a New Year's resolution to stop smoking for two days in a row.

Failure to set goals can be seen as a fear of failure. That is, the blow to our integrity when we don't reach our goals. When we make and keep commitments, such as setting and achieving goals, it reflects the amount of trust we have in ourselves. We increase our confidence in ourselves to make and keep commitments to others and ourselves. However, when we don't achieve our goals we lose confidence in our ability to make and keep commitments and to trust ourselves.

Friend or Foe the Importance of Creating Great First Impressions Part 2

Other factors, which will influence the 'Gatekeepers' decision whether you are friend or foe, are, your appearance, clothes, smell, enthusiasm and posture. Once you're past this initial first impression you can get on with developing a relationship with your prospect.

Professor Albert Mehrabian of UCLA broke communication down into three "V's" as follows:

� Verbal: The message itself; i.e. the words you use.
� Vocal: The sound of your voice, intonation, projection, pitch and speed of your voice.
� Visual: The posture and gestures, facial expression and eye movement that people see.

The Thomas Gordon Institute added another dimension to this research and came up with:

� Words: Verbal
� Voice: Vocal
� Face: Visual
� Body: Visual

Both institutions measured the effectiveness of each component of communication and it's contribution to believability. Here are the results of their respective research:

UCLA Thomas Gordon
Verbal 7% Words 7%
Vocal 38% Voice 23%
Visual 55% Face 35%
Body 35%
TOTAL: 100% 100%

So, the first step in delivering Great Customer Service to Create Great Sales is:
Approach and greet your suspect/prospect with open, friendly body language coupled with soothing, gentle voice modulation. Our total focus in this step is to get past the 'Gatekeeper' so that we develop and build rapport and open the prospect's message receptors. The words themselves are not that important, a simple "Hi, how are you today," is a good ice breaker.

Friend or Foe the Importance of Creating Great First Impressions By Action International Business Coach Michael Bedard

We often refer to the brain as having two hemispheres: the left, largely responsible for logic, and the right, predominately responsible for creativity. This description fits what we know to be the cortex or new brain; however, there is a third dimension, the hypo-thalamus or pre-historic brain, which is in fact the brain stem and is solely responsible for instincts.

Bruno Catellani of the Institute of Communication, Management and Sales in Switzerland refers to the pre-historic brain as the 'Guard' or 'Gatekeeper.' The 'Gatekeeper's' sole function is to decide whether you are a friend or a foe; it is incapable of thought or rationalization and reacts purely on instinct by how it perceives your approach.

If your initial approach stresses the 'Gatekeeper,' it will switch on the fight/flight response and part of this process includes shutting down all other message receptors which means any opportunity you had to communicate has just been totally closed off.

It's absolutely true that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Building the language of trust is the first step to successful customer service, which translates into building sales.

So, if the 'Gatekeeper' doesn't think, does the initial 'Language of Trust' have to be verbal? No, the first impression you deliver is based on instinct alone. The signals that you need to give out in the first 10 to 20 seconds are instinctive, i.e. your body language
translated by your movements, gestures, facial expression and eye contact are open and relaxed. Your voice modulation and tone are calm, the speed of your speech is controlled and gentle and finally, you must not invade the customer's space.

DO YOU FEEL LIKE A SQUARE PEG IN A ROUND HOLE Part 2

By recognizing your peers and behavioral styles and adapting to them, you'll increase your understanding, appreciation, and communication with them leading to relationships that are more productive.

VAK
At Action, we use the "Language System Diagnostic Instrument" (LSDI) to analyze a person's communication and behavior patterns and for determining how to interact with that person in the process of change. The result of the questionnaire is a clear understanding of where you fit and how we make distinctions concerning our environment. Both internal and external are represented in terms of three sensory systems: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. People who rely on their visual systems appear to run movies in their heads when remembering or storing information. If people are primarily auditory, i.e. taking information through sounds, remembering may be like replaying a tape recorder, with original tones and dialogue. People who are primarily kinesthetic respond to internal bodily feeling or tactile sense. They remember bodily sensations in recalling experiences.

This knowledge provides an amazing insight into the people we work with or for; however, we must be cautious not to "box" people or become complacent about ourselves because we are not naturally suited to a particular task.

DO YOU FEEL LIKE A SQUARE PEG IN A ROUND HOLE By Action International Business Coach Michael Bedard

Knowing how and where people work best can be a powerful and lucrative tool for business owners with a team of people. Personality profiling is not a new tool by any means, but still one of the best ways to ensure you are able to achieve a close-to-perfect match when selecting new employees and repositioning existing personnel.

At Action International, we use DiSC and VAK to help make decisions about team members and where best to place them. It also helps the team gain a better understanding on how to communicate with each other. Knowing someone's personal profile allows for a much better understanding of how the person learns and operates.

DiSC
DiSC uses the Style Analysis Instrument and was initially designed to assist people achieve a higher degree of success in life and work. Successful people know their strengths and limitations and by realizing their weaknesses, are able to overcome their shortcomings and take full advantage of their strengths. DiSC uncovers insights about four dimensions of normal behavior. A brief description of the four behaviors is listed below:

"D" Style "I" Style "S" Style "C" Style
Adventuresome Charming Amiable Accurate
Competitive Confident Friendly Analytical
Daring Convincing Good Listener Conscientious
Decisive Enthusiastic Patient Diplomatic
Direct Inspiring Self-starter Trusting
Innovative Optimistic Relaxed Fact-Finder
Persistent Persuasive Sincere High Standards
Problem Solver Popular Stable Mature
Results-Orientated Sociable Steady Patient
Team Player Precise
Understanding

Coaching in Business Part 2

To further emphasize this point let's look at the different levels of thinking in business. Firstly we have employees, thinking "how much do I get paid?" then the managers "how can I get more out of my staff?" The next level is being "self" employed and their thinking is� you guessed it "only I can do the job properly!" The next level is a business owner who thinks "how can I get more money from this business?" taking them from working "in" their businesses to working "on" their business. This "leap" does involve a change in thinking and in this process of change, having a coach or mentor is a valuable ingredient. The final level is the illusive entrepreneur "how can I make more money with the money I have?" These are of course general concepts, but it shows that in business and in life you can achieve much more, being open to learning, change and the assistance of others. The most successful of people are the ones who realize this and seek all three in earnest.

What separates elite athletes from average athletes with great potential? Only their thought processes, techniques, motivation and of course a fantastic coach. Sure to be a top athlete you would already have these, but it's getting there, maintaining it and constantly seeking to improve for that edge over the competition, that makes a winner.

Jim Rohn's quote, "Never wish the job were easier, wish you were better!" says it all.
Business is simple, people are complicated and changing your business can be the easy part, changing yourself and your team can be the greatest hurdle. Having a business coach helps you maintain your motivation, refine your skills, gain constructive feedback and attain constant improvement in your business.