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Some of the sales experts I use for my daily sales tip know each other!

For example, Art Sobczak quotes Jim Meisenheimer:

Greetings!

I often see sales reps who are "quoting machines."
At every opportunity they prepare price quotes
for prospects, thinking that they have hot
opportunities. Actually what they are doing is
positioning themselves as a common vendor that
is selling on price, and opening themselves up
to getting into a game where the prospect will
try to beat their price down.

My friend and colleague, Jim Meisenheimer suggests
that you do proposals instead. He has just created
a free e-course, "The Art Of Closing The Sale,"
where he shares a number of valuable lessons on
getting the business. I've excerpted one of the
lessons below, and also highly recommend you
sign up for the complete e-course.




This Week's Tip:
Forget Doing Quotes. Create Personalized Proposals
To Win More Sales
By Jim Meisenheimer

Closing the sale is much easier when you present your
sales prospect a professional sales proposal instead
of a quote.

First, if you are doing quotes, stop it. Don't use
those automated run-of-the-mill quotation forms or
programs. Instead, create value-packed sales proposals.

As an example, let's say you are working with a prospect
and you're dealing with a committee of five decision makers.
Also imagine they are seated around a conference table for
for a meeting to determine who gets the business. You're
not there by phone or in person to represent yourself.
What's left is your sales proposal. In order to stand out
from the others it has be spectacular.

Let's assume there are four suppliers involved. Three
of the suppliers have submitted boring boiler-plate
quotations that scream out, "Hey, here's my price."
These are the people who are perceived as "vendors."
The person who likely gets the business is the one
who is perceived as adding value, at THEIR price.
This is accomplished with a dynamic proposal.

Here are three ways to add pizzazz and value to your
sales proposals.

1.The cover page is your headline. If there are five
decision makers, be sure you have each person's name
in large type on the front cover. Add a line that says
"Especially prepared for____." Put the date of the
decision making meeting on the front cover too, not the
date you send it. This also forces you to find out
when the decision is going to be made. (You are asking
that, aren't you?"


2.Include an organization chart. Create a chart that
includes the names of six to eight people in your
organization who are most likely to have some interaction
with your potential customer. Traditional organization charts
usually include names and titles. Go beyond that and
include telephone numbers, fax numbers, e-mail addresses,
direct dial extensions and a digital photograph the size
of a quarter situated in the box.

Including this contact information draws attention to the
accessibility of all key people--exactly what you want.
Having pictures adds faces to the names. You can score
some major points by introducing your support team.


3. Include a Benefits Page. At the top of this page,
in very large type, put "(Their Company) Benefit Page".

List seven facts or features about your company and or
products. But of course facts are simply facts. Under
each fact express a benefit. This benefit statement
should be indented, bold faced, slightly larger type,
and printed in red so it jumps off the page at anyone
who is looking at it.

Begin each benefit statement with these words: "Which means."

This will increase your sales and multiply your personal
income. This page should be positioned as the page before
your first page of pricing. What this means is your potential
customer gets to see your benefits before he sees your
pricing. That's a smart move and makes closing the
sale easier for you.

________________________
Get Jim Meisenheimer's new e-course
(delivered via email) "The Art Of Closing The Sale."
http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/contact.asp?ID=39581

Contact: Art Sobczak, President, Business By Phone Inc. 13254 Stevens St.,
Omaha, NE 68137, (402) 895-9399. Or, email:arts@businessbyphone.com

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