One of the biggest debates is whether the social media can really help the sales person.

No.

There i said it, NO, i don’t think that it does.  I know, right now you are killing yourself, thinking all along that twitter, Linkedin, etc, etc, etc were going to give you the sales for the year. I am on all the sites, and while I get lots of inquires for job, I never get a lead that turns out to be anything.

And, every time I try to use the website to locate a prospect, I can find them, but there is usually no reply.

So what is the point of being on the sites? Just that…to be on can not hurt you unless you do or say something really dumb. Can it really be that bad, no not really.

However, I do know of one person who is followed by, his count, 1000 people and swears that he hears from them all the time. Yet when I asked him about his business, he said it was bad. Perhaps if if he spent more time in prospecting rather that tweeting he would be more successful.

See you on the web!

Good Selling, Steve

Recently I have found that there is a better way to deal with the objection: EMBRACE it!

I was with a prospect when he asked me a question about fees and expected results. Rather than give him the run around that sales people do, I simply said to him “I am glad that you asked that question…” and began to go into detail about the topic. He was astonished, since no one gives direct answers anymore. But it worked for him, and I signed the deal.

You can do the same thing. The next time that someone asks you a question or proposes an objection just say “I am glad that you asked that….” or “I am glad that you are concerned…”. Then answer the question as best as you can. Stay focused, since most objections are really based on confusion and doubt.

More importantly, the prospect will be happy to hear your answer. Make it work for yourself, and let me know what happens.

Good selling.

I have written about this before, but it is worth repeating. The word proposal in sales is such a weak word that it should never be used. Instead, sales people should use “recommendation”. It is strong and carries with it a firmness that tells the prospect that what we are selling is worth their consideration. Next time you return to the prospect, bring back a recommendation, and see if that works better than a boiler-plate proposal.

Good selling, Steve