A sales lesson watching “A Few Good Men”

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Hello everyone!

The other night, my wife and I were flipping through the tv channels looking for something to watch. With it being summer time, reruns were on and the KC Royals weren’t playing.

We ended up watching “A Few Good Men”. I can’t recall the number of times I’ve seen that movie or parts of it. It’s a great movie with memorable lines.

(You can’t handle the truth!)

I know I’m stating the obvious here but the more you see a movie, read a book or article, etc, the easier it is to recall things.

I know a ton of lines in that movie because I’ve seen it so many times.

How does this apply to sales? The more often you read sales books, articles, and videos, the easier it is to recall these things when in a sales situation.

Rather than the information being faint and fuzzy, it’s more often fresh and clear.

The more you view something, the easier it is to recall.

We wouldn’t want our dentist or doctor not to keep their skills sharp on the latest tactics and techniques. We sales professionals should hold ourselves to the same standards.

5 reasons to follow up by phone after sending a sales email

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Happy Summer everyone!

It’s tough to get a hold of sales prospects. It’s even worse in the summer when people go on vacation.

Here are a 5 reasons to follow up by phone after sending out a sales email:

1. Your sales email might have landed in the sales prospect’s junk mail folder and they never saw it.

2. The sales prospect may no longer work there and the email didn’t bounce back to alert you or it’s being forwarded to their replacement.

3. Whether it’s generational or a preference, some people prefer to communicate by phone over email.

4.  Some people prefer to PROCESS information verbally instead of through written forms.

5. Emails are too easy to delete, a phone call or voicemail stands out.

Hope this helps! Continue having your best summer ever!

A Short Tale of Overtalking the Sale

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My wife and I make it a consistent habit to give away 10% of our income to our church, charities, and other organizations that cross our path.

Recently we received a letter from her college alma mater asking for money which is fine and expected from them on a yearly basis.

That also meant we would be getting a phone call as well.

We finally got a call on our home phone and we previously agreed to a dollar figure to give to her college. It wasn’t the best time to take a phone call but I wanted to get it over with and continue on with our nightly activities.

The gal sounded scripted, canned and very mechanical. I finally cut her off and told her we’d be happy to give and for the amount and that we’d send it in that week.

Well, the gal kept talking and talking. She was more concerned about getting done with her script than she was about recognizing the cues and ending the call with a donation she could add to her credit.

How guilty are us sales development folks of missing cues and overtalking the sale? I know I am.

When a prospect says “yes” to you about moving forward, recognize the cues, gladly and graciously accept the order and write it up. It’s okay to exchange pleasantries obviously, but don’t talk yourself out of a new client. Just because it’s important for us to want to share something with the client doesn’t mean they want to hear it.

We may in the process share too much information and cause the prospect to change their mind and give them something else to think about. Read your audience!

The power of a handwritten note

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This isn’t the first article on handwritten notes and it certainly won’t be the last.

My wife and I have a sitter we use for date nights, doctor visits, etc. I’ve known this gal for over 10 years from church.

We recently referred her to a colleague of mine who have a little boy so they can have someone for date nights and other events.

On Saturday we received in the snail mail a small thank you card and a gift card to Chili’s from her thanking us for referring her to my colleague.

Wow! That was unexpected. And I’m not referring to the monetary value of the gift card.

We in sales all know after gaining a new client or referral that we should send a handwritten thank you. But we don’t. I think we get so busy we simply forget to.

3 quick observations:

1. How often do you get a handwritten note by snail mail these days? Seriously? It’s rare. Just by doing this small task more often, you’ll stand out.

2. It was unexpected and it brightened my day. Lately my allergies have been flaring up and I feel physically drained. This little act made my afternoon.

3. How likely am I going to refer our sitter to other couples and friends who need occasional babysitting help? Very much so! She took the time to send us a small note. She didn’t have to and I knew she was appreciate that we passed her name along. She stood even more by thanking us in writing.

So what can the power of a handwritten note do in your sales world?