Articles under ‘Closing Sales’

The other day a business man was complaining to me that certain buyers were not recognising the difference in value between his product and those of his competition. He was providing a much superior level of service but it was failing to register on the buyer’s radar. All they seemed to be interested in was [...]

You can avoid some serious diseases by receiving an inoculation. The smallpox inoculation works by infecting an individual with a mild case of smallpox and the body builds up natural defenses. In a similar way, you can inoculate prospects against serious price objections by using the concept of inoculation. This will help enormously when closing [...]

Asking the right questions and keeping it simple can lead to a much bigger and smoother sale.
The question is nothing earth shattering to someone skilled in consultative selling – quite basic really, as I am sure some people will be quick to say. It’s not something I invented – I was taught it when [...]

When I meet new people and get to know a little bit more about their background and their experiences I am always amazed by who they know and the shared connections we have. Many people that are currently working in micro businesses have previously worked in very large companies at a very senior level.
If you [...]

I was at a networking meeting the other day having a conversation with someone about the need for choice in order to make price comparisons. He said that he used to own a retail store selling learning products for children and he had noticed that when he had just one product of its type on [...]

In these days of economic down turn and credit crunch it can be very tempting to padlock the wallet and just feast on all the freebies around. There is, however, a big cost associated with this behaviour. Not a direct cost that can be easily measured. Its an opportunity cost and even though it may [...]

Shrewd marketers have used stories through the years to help make businesses more real and emphasise why the business is different. Stories are about people and people like to do business with people.
There is a story to everything. Think about your favourite piece of furniture in your house. What is the story behind how you [...]

I recently starting working with a business owner who was struggling to generate interest in her services. She started her business in a flurry of euphoria and excitement. The service had such a profound effect on her life that she could not wait to get trained and start offering it to others.
It has been 6 [...]

Have you have seen the brilliant Marmite adverts on TV? The message is:
‘Marmite: You either love it or hate it!
Too many businesses are failing right now because they are trying to be all things to all people. Why not Marmite your business?

Something I learnt very early on in my sales journey is that prospects tend to judge quality of service by the price. It pays to be reassuringly expensive!
What happens, though, if your pricing puts you out of the frame in the current economic climate? How do you charge lower rates without appearing cheap?