Starting Fresh

I recommend Jill Konrath and her newsletter and her books (I have both of them)

Here's her an email she sent this week:

Wow. 2010 is rapidly drawing to a close. For many of you, it's been a tough one. Setting up meetings with potential customers requires a gazillion calls. Decisions seem to take forever. Hot prospects suddenly disappear into a black hole. In the past few months, I've heard these same challenges repeatedly as I speak to sales organizations across North America. Many sellers are just plain stuck. They don't know what else they can do. Others are going back to the basics. But with today's frazzled customers, that only creates more problems. Remember, crazy-busy people don't think or react normally. That's the key. It's time to learn new strategies. Check out today's article on why you need to start calling on people who AREN'T ready to make a decision. Now that's a fresh thought! All my best, Jill Konrath | jill@jillkonrath.com #1 Amazon Bestseller Download two chapters Get it at your favorite online retailer Now on Kindle NEW Sales Stimulus Package Self-Study CD Program http://bit.ly/9UBz5Z BOOK LAUNCH PROMOTION > Did you download two chapters of SNAP Selling yet? If not, go here to get them now: http://snapselling.com/free-chapters Something Authors NEVER Do: I'm so confident that SNAP Selling will have a major impact on your sales, that I'm removing all risk for you. If you buy the book, apply the strategies in it for six months and don't see results, I will send you a check to cover your costs. Me. Not the bookseller. Me, personally. Special Launch Goody: Send me your SNAP Selling receipt and I'll send you my Winning Sales Question eManual as a bonus. ($77 value) Order at Amazon: http://amzn.to/ccHhH2 | B&N: http://bit.ly/bZv9dN | Borders:http://bit.ly/dxFNKc FEATURE ARTICLE > Creating Fresh Sales Opportunities By Jill Konrath, Author of SNAP Selling & Selling to Big Companies There's nothing I like better than engaging prospects when they're NOT thinking of making any changes from the status quo. This may seem counterintuitive or perhaps even like sales heresy if you've spent your career chasing prospects who are already in the buying mode. After all, they already have money in the budget for your product/service and are actively looking for new options. So why would I recommend chasing "non-lookers" versus the tempting low-hanging fruit? Lots of reasons: The incumbent is sleeping. Since dislodging the status quo is always your biggest sales challenge, you want to slip in under the existing provider's radar screen. By bringing in new perspectives that help prospects better achieve their objectives, you gain a foothold in an otherwise impenetrable account. The incumbent's failure to do so creates a credibility gap for them and opens the door for you. Your competitors aren't around. If you do things right, you can prove your capabilities, demonstrate your expertise, and establish a strong relationship long before any competitors enter the scene. They'll be playing catchup from the start. And, in most cases, they'll find it extremely difficult to close the gap. You set the playing field. By bringing new ideas, insights, and information to your prospect, you help determine the criteria against which future "go-ahead" decisions will be judged. This gives you a chance to best position the strengths of your product, service, or solution. Sales cycles get condensed. When you leverage your expertise to help customers sort through everything that has to be considered to make a change, their decision-making process go faster. Customers often love you. Okay, I don't mean literally. But if you've ever had someone show you a better way, then made it simple to implement it, you know what I mean. That's how I feel when I visit the Apple Genius Bar, where tech gurus show me how to solve seemingly insoluble problems on my computer. As you can see, there are many good reasons to get engaged with prospective customers earlier rather than later. Plus, you won't find yourself constantly fighting pricing battles. So start thinking about pursuing business with those non-lookers today. But don't talk about your products or services. Your prospects are only concerned about their objectives or eliminating the barriers that stand in the way of achieving them. Keep your focus on that and the possibilities are endless! SPEAKING OF SALES > Planning Your Upcoming Sales Meeting, Kick-off Event or Conference? Working with today's crazy-busy prospects presents a whole new set of sales challenges. It's tough to get in when you can't make contact with anyone. It's tough to get them to change when the status quo is easier. It's tough to get chosen when they can't differentiate. New strategies are needed today. Jill's highly interactive, content-packed sessions focus on helping sellers crack into new accounts, speed up sales cycles and land big contracts. Just send an email to jill@jillkonrath.com to get Jill scheduled in for your meeting. ARTICLE USE GUIDELINES > Want to use the above article in your publication or on your website? If so, please include this bio box at the end of the article: Jill Konrath, author of SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies, helps sellers crack into new accounts, speed up sales cycles and land big contracts. She's a frequent speaker at sales conferences. For more fresh sales strategies that work with crazy-busy prospects AND to get four bonus sales-accelerating tools, visit www.snapselling.com. Also, we'd appreciate it if you could let us know when & where it will appear.

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