The Tangible Tangerine

Somewhere during the mid-90's the internet exploded and became a global phenomenon. Websites such as Amazon.com, E-bay, and a host of others set up shop in cyberspace - drastically changing the way we exchange goods and services. It is imperative to present yourself to the best of your ability online to drive your sales pipeline. Utilize Social Networking Marketing yourself online doesn't cost you a penny. Build a platform of collective trust that compliments your product or service. Create a Facebook page that showcases your talents and expertise, but make it simple, streamlined, and fun. If Facebook isn't stealth marketing, I don't know what is. Be aware of this fact. This could be movie reviews, music you enjoy, and some of your favorite sports teams. Don't bore your readers with your work history, achievements, and business acumen, (that's what Linkedin is for) but engage them with what interests you outside of your work.             B...

Develop a morning regimen. In a half hour period, most of the time I can brew a fresh pot of coffee, watch some news while checking e-mails, brush my teeth, shower and dress before pulling out of the driveway to start my work day. If you dress for success, it will attract more qualified prospects, and help your referral system ten fold. Give yourself every available advantage to win the day by preparing before you head out to work.         Discover Your Daily Niche Whatever industry you work in, it is important to find joy in your surroundings that compliment personal growth and productivity. The typical work day of a car salesman is far more different than someone doing B2B. Most car salesmen thrive in work environments where they see the same co-workers at the office, eat at the same local diner for lunch, and commute the same drive during a work week. Someone in B2B enjoys seeing a completely different of faces, discovering restaurants they may nev...

Even the best salesmen go through droughts from time to time. If sales is a science and art (which it is) the same formula for success won't work in every situation. A great sales manager will never tell their team that they've given them poor or difficult prospects to work. How many times have you been in a situation when you were on a roll closing deals, like shooting fish in a barrel, and then all of a sudden the quality of leads diminish drastically, and your manager tries to blame you for putting up bad numbers? The nice way to respond would be: “Well, when they tell me they can't afford it, I believe them.” This is somewhat paradoxical because it's hard to keep the attention of a rich man, but a poor person will let you listen to you spew features and benefits in your product or service for days only to waste you and your company's time when they tell you they're broke. Here are a few tricks to change up your pitch for these types of leads: Ed...

“We can give you the tools to succeed, but a great work ethic? We can't give you that.” That was my big takeaway from a seven-day sales meeting at a Holiday Inn conference room from a VP years ago. That quote still carries a lot of gravitas with me to this day - and festers in my brain early some mornings when it's tough getting the day jump-started. Why has it stuck with me? Isn't this the plight of ever self-proclaimed successful salesman? Whether they are inherently successful or just blowing smoke all the live long day. There's nothing more common in this world than a well-educated unsuccessful person. So many great ideas are brainstormed over cocktail napkins only to be discarded the next day in a hotel room. Condition yourself to  laugh and not s coff at rejection. I'm sure Colonel Sanders did plenty of laughing when no one bought into his vision for KFC. Same with Ray Kroc and the way he thought a burger should taste. It may be Christmastime...