Referrals=Margin Opportunity

Let's break Sales into three groupings:

1. Sales from existing customers
2. Sales from new customers
3. Sales from referrals

Of the three, referrals often offer us the highest margins. Here's an exercise.

Look at your financial and business plans. Is there a line on the Revenue section for Referral business? Next, look at each of the business plans for each sales person. Is there a line for Referral business?

I'm betting the answer is "NO".

So, if there is no plan for referral business, by default we are saying on the highest margin revenue opportunity, we are leaving it to chance! Ouch. We all know these two axioms, and now is the time to put them in to practice:

1. Things that get measured get done
2. Inspect what you expect

Time to leverage our solid business relationships into more business on both the top line and the bottom line. Get more Referral business.

Success in Selling is a Head Case

Did you hear the one about the two shoe salesman assigned to sell shoes in Africa?

Both are put on planes to separate parts of Africa and land about the same time. One exits the plane to a large group of natives, none of which are wearing shoes. He immediately calls home office and says he's flying right home because no one is wearing shoes, so no one will need them and he will be unable to sell. The other sales person is greeted similarly, and he calls home office and asks that any and all shoes be immediately sent to him, since no one is wearing shoes, he will be able to sell any and all!

Which salesperson are you in this marketplace? Everyday, we get to decide. 50% of success in selling is a head case; make yours work for you, not against you.

www.SendOutCards.com

Go to this site, www.sendoutcards.com/jackdaly, and send yourself a photocard, free of charge and my treat. Customize it as you like. See how easy this is to do and then start using these as creative ice breakers and followup vehicles.

I've been doing this for years and this service has garnered me "obscene" amounts of business and revenue. Unique and memorable, and all can be done from your laptop. Quit waiting for the marketing department to "supply" you with the tools to be successful. Ask the top producers about their success, and you will often here them say this: "I'm not successful because of this company, I'm successful in spite of this company"!
Get on with growing your business...and your income!

Stop the Insanity

Had dinner last night with a long-term friend who in the past couple years transitioned over to the Sales Training field. As dinner ended, we exchanged business cards. When I returned to the room, I glanced at his card. Here was the take-away: "the only thing worse than training people and losing them is not training them and keeping them.". That was from the legendary Zig Ziglar, which prompted this thought.

If you want changed results (more sales), then change the behavior. If you want to change the behavior, then that requires training. And, Training is a process, not an event. It must be ongoing and continuous. My question to you is when and how often are your sales people practicing? All too often they are not, and their only "practice" is on the customer! Stop the insanity!!

Making the Right Moves

I spoke with a group of CEO/entrepreneurs today and went around the room and asked each (20), who does the selling for them and how do they sell. On several occasions, I was told that given the more difficult economic environment, they had tasked many different positions with additional sales duties beyond their traditional role. Like drivers, technicians and marketing/account management staff. The results were really being seen and they felt this to be a solid strategy.

When asked if they planned to "revert back" to their prior behaviors when the economy turns more positive, they said "no", that this is something that has ongoing value. So, the question is this, "why do so many people and firms wait to make the right moves when their backs are to the wall by economy?". The route to increasing sales is increasing the quantity and quality of the sales force. And, increasing sales is the most important thing we can do. So, be creative and apply the resources to it