Xsell Systems

The sales structure is the sum total of all the guidelines, procedures, policies and tools your company uses to sell. It is everything about how your company sells except the people themselves. Sales tools, information system, sales training program, sales compensation program, sales territory plan, sales automation system, sales management support practices, assignments of markets and customers, sales office assistants, these are all major parts of the sales structure. Now even the best and most efficient sales teams or sales professional can't deliver customers by themselves; they have to be acted upon (using qualifiers, rapport, questions and solutions). An action needs to take place. To...

With email marketing campaigns to Internet landing pages now comprising a significant amount of the marketing budgets, some people have abandoned the traditional, word processed pre-approach letter. Yet, this marketing and sales strategy may be somewhat short sighted. Before anyone engages in writing any business letter, the first question needs to be answered is "What is the purpose of the communication?" Upon successfully answering this question, then and only then can a well written letter be constructed. So what is the purpose of a pre-approach sales letter? Years ago, the answer might have been to secure that first time appointment to just a friendly introduction to a way to increase sales...

The fourth step in designing sales compensation plans is what the Pay Mix should be for each sales role. Pay mix is the ratio between base salary and incentive pay at target performance. Common practices that impact this step are competitive pay analysis, industry practices, compensation philosophy, culture and job dimensions. In the competitive pay analysis, we would know the base salary and total cash compensation levels at different percentiles in the market. For example, if the 50th percentile of base salary is $50k and if the total cash level at the 50th percentile is $100k (meaning that incentive pay would be $50k), the pay mix would be 50/50. So this is one data point in determining what pay...

When I ask this question in sales seminars, I consistently receive these five answers from the attendees: 1. Not enough time in the day to service that many customers. 2. My market is too small to support the kind of sales volume I need to earn a six-figure income. 3. I'm lousy at prospecting for new business. 4. My compensation is tied to gross margin and my market is too competitive to yield the gross margin I need to get into a high enough bracket to produce a six-figure income. 5. I'm not money motivated; I'm content with my current income. Assuming that you are not currently earning a six-figure income, can you think of any other reasons that are standing in your way? I can't help you if your...

For sales reps and sales leaders alike, technology, like Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, will become increasingly important as we move toward the future. Many organizations have already invested in CRM systems and much has been written about how these systems have not delivered on their promised results. Fortunately, the CRM industry is evolving with new innovations that will help drive better returns on sales force automation investments. The Purpose of CRM The idea behind CRM implementation is to improve the productivity of the sales organization by leveraging better information. Salespeople can enter the latest plans and actions related to a contact, opportunity or account, and...

Are you looking for ways to make your life run more smoothly? Making lists might be just what you are looking for since they help you focus on what needs to be done now and in the future. The following organizing tips are easy ways to incorporate the use of lists into your every day life. The practice of writing down the six most important things you need to do each day is a business sales training technique that really works. Be precise when making your list and review the list each morning. After three weeks of practice this will become automatic and can be used as an organizing tool for both your personal as well as business life. Creating a list for packing a suitcase is a must for anyone...

A sales professional's success is determined by your willingness to invest in yourself. There are two areas for personal development that most will invest in, and one area only Top Producers invest in. Those who aren't Top Producers never even think to invest in themselves in this way. That's not to say you shouldn't invest in all three areas because you should. The two areas you're familiar with are self-improvement and sales process training. The area you may not be so familiar with is customer focus. Self-improvement development is designed to help you to increase your personal productivity, enthusiasm, and energy level. Yes, you need to be focused on doing the things that directly lead to...

Have you ever considered all the books written to assist you to grow your business and improve sales? I assure you the list of sales tips is near endless. Given this vast array of sales literature one could spend a lifetime in sales training, reading and learning and never get to implementing and actually growing your business. Now don't get me wrong, reading and being a life long learner is something I embrace... but...... What if I told you there is a sales book on the market you can read in less than ten minutes which will greatly assist you to produce more sales in your business? Would you go out of your way to find this book, to read it, study it, truly learn the sales skills and sales strategy...

Let's consider the example of an entrepreneurial inventor attempting to market his newest creation: a portable hydrostatic body fat test appliance. Design is complete, testing is finished and results exceeded initial assumptions, several working prototypes have been built, UL Approval is in hand, patents filed and a business plan has been customized. The wellness aspects of the unit make it timely and potentially very lucrative if handled properly. Most entrepreneurs would consider the status of the above-described project to be advanced and well positioned. Only one problem, a very big problem: the inventor is a brilliant engineer and conceptualist, but is phobic about standing up and presenting...

Sales statistics as well as business statistics are quite interesting. Whether the source is the U.S. Small Business Administration, noted business gurus or industry associations, there is a lot of data focusing on failure. What would happen if by swapping your attitude about how you see things, you could increase sales? For example, the SBA and Michael Gerber (author of The E-Myth) both suggest that at least 90% of all small business are no longer in business at the 10 year mark. LIMRA (an association connected to financial and insurance services industry) reported at least 85% of life insurance agents close their doors before year two. There certainly is a lot of focus on failing, is there not...

'The deal is closed', that is probably favourite sentence for all salesmen. And those who are good in what they are doing hear it quite often. Of course it is not easy to be a good salesman but there are few things that you might do to hear more of 'deal is closed' sentences. So, what does a good salesman really needs? Confidence and conviction Being self confident helps almost everywhere, in every moment of our life. But mostly confidence helps in marketing in its wide meaning. When we are sure of our arguments and thing that we want to sell it's almost like we've already convinced one person — us. Thinking that way makes us more reliable, open and relax. Starting...

The Phoenix Effect Looking back at the previous economic downturn can shed some light on our opportunities during the current economic crisis. When the dot com bubble burst a few years ago, two companies weathered the resulting economic storm much better than could have been predicted. Cisco Systems was at the heart of the Internet economy. Being the leading provider of networking equipment not only put them in the heart of the internet growth cycle; it also put them at the higher end of the risk spectrum when the cycle retracted. After the dust settled, however, Cisco only had a 15% drop in revenue from 2001 to 2002; better than most of the internet dependent market. This feat of leadership could...

Are you still selling benefits? Do you want to increase sales? Then consider selling sustainable solutions that deliver measurable results. For years, sales gurus focused on selling positive benefits. This was a commendable sales skill approach. However, the market has changed with so many companies have similar positive benefits. To work with this change, now is the time to start selling measurable results that are directly tied to your sustainable solutions. Sales Coaching Tip: Sustainability is a value-added concept. Lots of people sell solutions, but far fewer sell sustainable ones. To be able to take this new sales skill approach, you, as the sales professional, must know the results that your...

A leading manufacturer has succeeded in binding their distribution trading partners more closely to the company and in reinforcing their market position once more, even though this latest recession has brought sales training into sharp focus and has marked the start of many companies battle for survival. They have accomplished this by drastic cost reductions and a reorganisation of the sales force, the company reacted with their sales team development system, a distributor training program. The system contains the following points Objectives of distributor training: Building up trust and motivation in the distributive trade The training is intended to make the distributors work more efficiently for...

Sales management facing clients with more self assurance The famous physicist, Marie Curie, once said: "There is nothing in this world we need fear, if we only understand it!" Fear is the greatest obstacle to success in sales. Many sales people who participate in sales training courses confess to fear. It prevents your salespeople from making visits out of the blue, makes it difficult to visit potential clients and robs salespeople of their self-assurance during negotiations. There are four steps you can take to make your salespeople overcome their, often only latent, fears: Gaining self-confidence Goethe said: "Each individual is a miracle of unknown and unrecognised possibilities". Success...

I've been in sales and sales management training for the last 15 years, and I am continually struck by one unchanging situation: sales forces don't reflect the ethnicity of the working world. Here's what I mean. I live in Toronto, the most multiculturally diverse city on the planet, and I recently became a Canadian citizen. On that day, 113 other people from 22 countries also took the citizenship oath. As I looked around, five of us were white. Only three of us spoke English as our first language (two Bulgarians were the other part of the white contingent). I was surrounded by a sea of interesting looking faces of various colours and hues, and I was so proud to be part of this crowd. I ride the...

Professional development plan should be included in every organization's sales plan within the strategic plan. Given that effective selling is more and more about relationships, then every sales person should be actively working to increase both their business sales skills from a people and performance (applied skills) perspective. With the year coming to an end, now is the time for sales professionals to reflect back and honestly answer these questions: - Did I achieve all of my sales goals whether revenue or units? - Did I miss any sales goals whether revenue or units? - For those goals not achieved, what was the obstacle or obstacles? - Did I experience repeating obstacles when attempting to...

Telemarketing training is vital to have a successful phonesales career. Many people jump into call centers or have a telemarketing job from home with little to no training whatsoever. And their empty pockets and frustration is due to poor training or lack thereof. Telemarketers who get the right training learn the secrets of top closers and make a large income in a short time. Develop good listening skills: A key factor to remember during this telesales training is that you must be a good listener and be able to persuade. Don't worry. There will be plenty of exercises and knowledge on this site to ensure your success. Practice on the phone by listening to a friend and responding to what he/she is...

Many sales cultures are traditionally based on respect for authority, status and success, and encouraging competitive, challenging and achievement-oriented atmospheres. Although this is not true for all businesses, especially in the 21st Century! There are a growing number of businesses adopting more collegiate, lead team approaches. However, despite different types of cultures, sales performance and results are usually derived from the efforts of individuals. Harnessing those individual efforts to achieve synergy (the sum is greater than its individual parts) is a key task of management, yet so many get it wrong. Let's take a look at one case study and see why. What is wrong with the following...

Successful sales people are driven and motivated. They are self confident and have the energy to be persistent and resilient. You will notice they have a firm self belief in their future success and they will have a positive viewpoint in all situations. There is a sense of excitement around these people. This successful approach is created in the mind of the sales person. Their self talk, the pictures they make, and the filters their minds use to decide which information to allow through to their subconscious, are all working for them. One way to acquire this positive mental mindset is to use subliminal messaging as part of your sales training. Subliminal messaging works by sending positive messages...

Rudyard Kipling said, "Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind." Nothing changes people like words, written well. Here are five powerful one-liners to inspire you and keep your writing strong. You don't have to get it right the first time. Barbara Sher In fact, it's better if you don't. OK, OK, I don't really know if it's better; I just like the way that sounds, so I wrote it to get myself started. It's one of the techniques I use to break free from writer's paralysis. If you can't seem to get started, just write something. Anything. Do you like the word butterscotch? Write butterscotch. Then write it again. And again. Butterscotch. Butterscotch. Butterscotch. Somewhere between...

Every mishandled prospective customer in an automobile showroom represents a lost opportunity which translates into lost revenue. For steadily increasing revenue it is imperative to turn showroom traffic into real customers. Increased sales and profit generated thus, will improve the bottom-line. To achieve this goal every automobile company needs a comprehensive training program that has specific sales training objectives. The training program should be tailored in a manner that specific sales performance concerns are addressed adequately. For this to happen the sales training program of an automotive company needs to be evaluated thoroughly for any possibilities of incorporating changes that will...

In the cutting edge business environment of today, where businesses are doing their utmost to enhance efficiency and profitability, no measures are spared in order to increase productivity and business success. Often, organizations find that one of the keys to enhance productivity and revenues is to improve specific skill sets of the employees. Therefore, one of the tools that corporations engage in to enhance the skills of employees is to engage corporate training consultants and organize corporate training workshops. These corporate training consultants may coach people in upper positions in companies or may target the general population in the company. For the higher echelons of the companies...

Luke a new assistant sales manager said to me with a big smile the other day, "I have my team of five salespeople getting online sales training for free everyday." I was cautiously impressed and asked him what online training resource was he using. After examining the site he was using I asked him how his salespeople like it. He hesitated and then said in a frustrated tone, "They don't really like it at all." I could understand his salespeople's reaction. It was more a site about selling marketing products sprinkled with a few selling tips. Not all sales training sites are created equal Time is money in sales and wasting it on poor quality free online sale training sites costs salespeople and...

Believe and achieve! One of the problems with all of this talk about recession is that once people believe there is going to be a recession they start to feel negative about their business prospects and only tend to see what they believe rather than believing what they see. Once you believe that there is going to be a recession you tend to only notice articles, comments and statistics that support your beliefs. What's more, your negative beliefs quickly affect your outlook and the way that you feel about your business prospects. If you thought 2008 was going to be a great year for business, your best year yet; how would you feel? On the other hand, if you thought this year we're going to have a...

How many friends, family and associates do you know who have been employed in sales at some time in the past? How many of them weren't very good at it? The answer to the first question is easy, probably quite a few. At some point or other in their lives many people have had a go at selling even if only as a student or in their first job. You may not know the answer to the second one... it's probably most of them! Probably most of them. Oh, for sure, they'll tell you that they did well. They'll tell you that they sold bucket loads! They'll tell you that they were a top sales performer. They'll even talk knowledgeably about how to sell. It's amazing what a good game people who only sold for a few...

Is there a right way to sell? Do you ever wonder why sales can be so difficult? This article reveals the truth about true sales and marketing effectiveness and gives you an inside-out strategy for polishing your sales pitch. If you’re a solopreneur, consultant, business owner, or independent professional, you probably have asked yourself some or all of the following questions: - How can I get more clients? - How can I get better clients? - How do I sell more to the clients I’ve got? - Can I earn more money and still have a life? - Why are sales activities so difficult sometimes? - Is there a "right" way to sell? - Where can I turn for hands-on advice when I need it? - When will this...

s A Sales Speaker advises you to ‘Run your Numbers’… don’t ‘Run After’ Sales Quota. Imagine for a moment that it is your first day in a new sales organization and your sales manager tells you to forget about Quota — block it out of your mind. You may think they’re out of their mind. How can anyone possibly lead a sales organization or manage their individual sales effectively without focusing on Quota? After all, in the world of outside sales, you either meet your Quota or eventually you’ll be outside the door looking to meet some other sales force’s quota. But what if I told you that’s the first step toward exponential revenue growth. Sales...

Xerox Corporation is one of the most widely recognized brands in the world. Most of us tend to use the generic term "xerox" both as a noun and a verb when speaking of the copy or duplicating process. We say "please xerox that and send it to me." The generic use of their name is as prolific as Kleenex and Band-Aids. Xerox as a company grew at an extraordinary pace in the 60's and 70's. They devised and deployed a remarkable sales training school that would later as the model for every professional sales training program that would follow. It was state of the art. I actually participated in a derivative of this infamous program in the early 80's. It was quite comprehensive and challenging. Their model...

What is your company's core sales strategy? Which skills must your producers absolutely have to bring new accounts into your firm? And now, one more question: are those the skills and techniques you're teaching in sales training sessions? It should go without saying that if you can't answer the first two questions; your company is in big trouble. There are a lot of ways to find new customers, but it's important that your sales team knows which ones are working in your industry, using the same sales system and emphasizing the same benefits. Otherwise, you're going to get a very mixed bag... and very mixed results. Assuming you've figured out how you want your team to sell, however, the next step is...

Strategy 2 Integrating the USP: Once you have determined your unique selling proposition (Strategy 1), it will become the overriding theme you carry throughout your operations. It's the message that should be written on invoices, work orders, and receipts. It should be communicated by all company employees. Whenever they're talking on the phone or servicing a client, the USP should be explained. Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is the focus of all radio and newspaper ads, the theme of every cross-promotion or newsletter. It should appear on any specialty advertising items - pencils, pens, refrigerator magnets - as well as on your letterhead and business cards. Benefits of the USP can become...

Every profession has its blueprint for success. Developed by those who have succeeded and put to print somewhere for those who come after them. Very few people will graduate college with the intent on becoming a Professional Salesperson. But somewhere along the way they accept a position where they are selling for their living and "Lo and Behold", for whatever reason, it becomes their life's occupation. For those people I have compiled my "Ten Commandments Of Selling." They are a creation of many of what I call "Old Pro's" or "Masters" of selling. I promise they will be your blueprint to success. 1. Knowledge The acquisition and accumulation of knowledge is critical to success in any profession. In...

Something happened to me the other day that could help you to increase your sales performance rapidly... Last week I went out for a meal with some friends and one of them had brought along someone whom I had not met before. This person was in IT sales. They were in their mid to late twenties and had been doing it for about 3 years. Judging by their conversation, description of their job and a few other factors I guessed they were doing ok... comfortable in their job but no sales superstar. He had no idea that I was into sales training or was a sales motivational speaker and during the meal we talked about various things but towards the end of the meal this chap (let's call him Pete) mentioned that...

ying a business franchise a right step for you? This question tends to crop up as the most crucial query in your mind, once you are struck with the idea of taking up a business franchise. Here, the point lies in recognizing your passion and interests in a particular field of business, and the willingness to accept the ongoing risks and other demerits ‘sportingly’. Business franchises in general is one of the best means to earn loads of money. However, as mentioned earlier you must spend considerable time to understand the intricacies of running a franchise, the selling aspects, the risks, the potential returns and other details - before you settle on to purchase a franchise business...

Sales competency is no doubt the most important factor for corporate sales training. This is a must have criteria for any sales person who is determined to go the career in this field. This is no doubt the best way in professional selling. This gives necessary sales skill training to the professionals. There are a number of essential things that a sales person should have like a decision making process or several transaction or different responsibilities. Sales development training gives the scope to know such things that are necessaries for your professional life. Through a proper online sales assessment you can begin to dissect the sales profession step by step using the systems approach. You need...

Far too many people waste time pursuing leads that refuse to pick up the phone or return calls. In your initial interactions, the prospect seemed 'hot' for your services. You did your song and dance. You sent literature. Now, nothing. The prospect has turned cold to all attempts to further the selling process. Why? Because they suffer from an ailment more common than the common cold; salespressuritis. A sickening fear of being sold. There is a simple cure for this fatal ailment. Avoid selling in the first place. I don't mean to steer clear of all contact. I mean toss out the gimmicky, 1980s talk-your-head-off, push-for-a-close techniques the 'gurus' of the past preached. In corporate sales, gimmicky...

ial yearly issue of Success Magazine called "The Selling Issue" quoted Scott DeGarmo, "The big money goes to those companies with superior marketing operations. Entrepreneurial companies of today must evolve from being sales oriented to being marketing oriented in order to now win the consumer." Let me explain why it's important to focus on marketing instead of selling. There was a time known as "the days of simple selling." The days of simple selling are generally considered the days before 1980 or, in some industries, before 1990. In this period of selling, it was a lot easier for a salesperson to go in and sell to a buyer. The reason was simply because the marketplace was a lot less crowded. For...

You have to train regularly and apply yourself to become good at anything. To get buff in the gym, you have to eat the right food, get yourself a sensible and achievable workout programme and most importantly actually go to the gym several times a week and workout. Some people will put pictures of the type of physique they want to acquire on the fridge door and get themselves a training partner to give them the kick they need when the TV looks more tempting than the gym on a training night. The same goes for Sales Training. In order to become good at selling over the telephone you have to get yourself a training programme. So apply yourself in the same way you would if you were looking to be a...

I recently had the opportunity to attend the inaugural Optimising the Sales Force Conference, along with over 120 high level sales leaders across Australia. I was privileged to be part of the panel of international and local experts presenting on sales effectiveness where we explored the latest research on sales strategy, leadership, learning and development, sales management, sales people, and current market trends. This was the first time in Australia we have had the opportunity to come together as a profession and share ideas and discuss important matters moving forward. There have, of course, been industry specific forums held for the profession of selling but not one that brought industries of...

I went to college to learn about the world. I wasn't focused on any particular skills or expertise and I assume that's why they call the degree I received "Liberal Arts". Please know, I would not trade my education for anything and if I could do it all over again, I'd do it the same way. Although it was a great experience to learn about the world but there was one problem... I didn't learn to earn! That sad reality hit me just before graduating. How was I going to make a living? I met with my Guidance Counselor and asked how my degree in History could lead to a job. I was told I could be a Historian or a History teacher but neither of those appealed to me. But then, just as the meeting was about to...

> In order to adapt to a client’s needs, a sales person must first understand his or her own selling style. Doug Dvorak offers an interactive process for sales professionals to discover their natural talents and how to overcome potential roadblocks to sales success. Doug Dvorak offers an interactive process for sales professionals to discover their natural talents and how to overcome potential roadblocks to sales success. Every individual has a unique selling style that sets them apart. This interactive process allows the individual to focus on and develop their strengths, while identifying potential weaknesses through Doug’s sales self-development plan...

Your sales approach may be your obstacle to sales success. Of course, you may not know this because how you sell is still working. Yet, as the old expression goes there may be a way to build a better mousetrap. A proven sales process should dictate your selling behaviors. Some in sales use what I call a "spraying and praying" strategy. These folks are attending business networking events, luncheons to seminars in the hope to meet a lot of potential customers (a.k.a. prospects) and hope that several turn into clients. After working with my sales coaching clients and being involved in formal business networking groups, attending many business before and after hours events along with numerous sales...

Sales seminars are those that are being conducted by industry leaders to help individuals or even companies to get better at selling for improved revenue. If are confident about your selling skills and if you think that you can offer your potential clients with the most appropriate information that can lead to increased sales, you can go ahead and conduct your own sales seminar. However, keep in mind that right now, there are so many similar seminars that are being offered both in the online and offline arena. If you want to easily get your prospects to sign up to your offerings, you will need to set your seminars apart from the rest. Here's how you can do that: 1. The first thing that you need to...

High income car and RV salespeople follow a 7 step sales process. They follow the sales process on each and every contact. No exceptions. There is no deviation. No skipping steps. It just doesn't happen. Auto Sales an Art AND a Skill Rembrandt was considered one of the greatest painters in European history. Do you know who Pieter Lastman or Jacob van Swanenburgh were? Rembrandt apprenticed under each of them. What's that got to do with car and RV sales people? Nothing. And everything. Everything, that is, if you want to be a top income earner. To be a Rembrandt you need coaching. You need sales training. You need practice to develop your style, your talent, your selling techniques. The art is the...

When you talk about the people in an organization, it refers to everyone at every level from the Chief Executive Officer to the mail room worker. It is the people who accomplish the tasks necessary to fulfil the mission of the organization. Unfortunately, it is also the people who can become the barriers to progress unless they buy into the mission of the organization and understand their roles in achieving success. But just as important is the fact people must be trained to do their jobs the right way and with an understanding of how their job fits into the overall scheme of things. Dysfunctional organisations are often unable to build quality business environments because they have one basic and...

Is professional development part of your goal to increase sales? Yes, I know you are busy, there is not enough minutes in the day, you are working with more demands and less resources and worse yet your company does not provide any additional sales training coaching (self improvement) opportunities. However, maybe this story may help you to reconsider the importance of a professional development action plan. Two lumberjacks in the late 1800's were vying for a coveted prize - a top of the line quality axe. Each had to fell a very tall tree with many branches. At 8:00am, the starting gun discharged and both men began climbing up their respective trees. Then about 20 minutes later one of the...

Many participants in my programs ask how to deal with people who appear to be seeking information and nothing more. In many environments these individual's are called time wasters. Time wasters come in every shape and form but they usually possess a few consistent characteristics - they ask a continuing stream of questions, take up loads of our time, and seldom end up buying anything. What is particularly interesting about these situations is that many time wasters don't set out to be that way. It is usually our fault that this happens because we don't control the sales process. And in many cases, we become the time waster. Most sales professionals know they are supposed to ask questions to learn...

We are increasingly called upon by mortgage holders to aid hotels that are facing financial troubles. Sometimes were called in preparation of a foreclosure action to begin arrangements for a receivership and at times when the mortgage holder is exercising its rights under the terms of its loan to interject professional management. Fortunately, we are noticing a new and developing trend from alert hotel owners who are aware that things are not quite right and do not understand why their hotel is not producing the revenues it should. These owners are smart in seeking outside expertise before it is thrust upon them. It can allow them to negotiate out of a receivership or forced management situation...

Competition is a good thing. It keeps you honest, professional and requires continual learning to overcome the strategies, techniques and approaches used by organizations that are trying to take your business or where you are trying to win new business from them. Too often I hear salespeople complaining about the competition and their "low ball" pricing, less than honest approaches or simply their better products or services and ability to compete successfully in a competitive market place. If you have honest and worthy competition this force you to maintain better sales strategies, more relevant products and services and a more professional approach to the sales process. So stop whining if you are...