Entrepreneurship

Sales and Marketing

Stupidity In Marketing – It’s An Epidemic!

A single email prompted today’s show. It was from an American author whose work I follow. He’s got a CEO who sent out an email whose subject line was: price reduction has now ended.

Here’s what the email said:

Hi Randy,

The XXX XXX XXX program price reduction ended at midnight last night and the program is now available for $1995.

If you wish to purchase the program – risk free – you can find out what’s included by following the link below:

(the url link appears here)

Best wishes,

XXX
CEO, XXX XXX XXX 

Identify the challenges I faced in today’s show and email me your answers (I give you the email address in the video). I’ll select a random winner and surprise you with something (not sure yet what, but I’ll figure it out).

Perhaps my next show needs to be entitled, “Stupidity In Videocasting – I’m Leading The Way!”

Thanks for watching!

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Snipe Hunting: Fixing Sales Problems That Don’t Exist

Sure there are legitimate sales problems that need to be fixed, but more often than not I’m finding sales managers (and salespeople) determined to fix problems that don’t exist.

As we wind down another month, sales teams all over the world are in a mad dash to figure out how they can close more deals. Many of them will use one tactic in an effort to do that. It’s a crutch, but many salespeople are fully convinced it’s THE problem that needs to be solved.

Thanks for watching!

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Episode 118 – Common Mistakes Of Virtual Selling

Podcast: Download The Audio | Non-Flash Playback

Skype, GoToMeeting, Apple FaceTime…there are so many ways for us to virtually connect with prospects!

Face-to-face selling for many organizations has given way to these methods. It’s convenient. It’s inexpensive. Prospects and salespeople both are actively gravitating to these methods to connect.

GoToMeeting is a terrific resource.

Some challenges confront us when we connect virtually. Facial expressions and body language give us cues in face-to-face meetings. In virtual meetings we have to listen for verbal cues. Misunderstanding and miscommunication are quite common even when the technology works as it should.

Recently I’ve encountered sales presentations that broke rules necessary to complete a sale. Our objective should always be to create a happy customer! How can we accomplish that if we can’t provide a degree of happiness during that crucial prospecting phase?

The cell phone - more often than not our weapon of choice.

A few days ago I read this article online at Inc. Author Geoffrey James writes about 10 common mistakes he thinks salespeople commit in face-to-face selling. It’s helpful to use his article as a template for discussing the common mistakes made during virtual selling, too.

Some salespeople lack proper communication training. If we’re going to become masterful at selling, we first need to be superior students of selling. The primary component of masterful selling is masterful communication.

Go back and check out these recent video shows on selling:

Build Rapport Before You Start Selling

Talk Less, Sell More

Salesmanship Starts With Finding Out How To Best Serve

Should You Use Humor In Selling?

Spread the word about the podcast if you know somebody who’d find it helpful.

And lastly, would you take a few minutes to leave me a review over at iTunes. That’ll help others find the podcast.

Thank you for listening,

 

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A Curable Blemish: Fix Those Small Problems Before They Fester

Warren Hellman, a San Franciso-based investment banker, passed away on December 18th, 2011. While reading about him recently I saw a quote published in the San Francisco Chronicle in 2005: “The companies we buy, for the most part, are large, profitable enterprises, though they may have a curable blemish.”

Does your enterprise – large or small – have a curable blemish? Maybe even more than one?

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