Blog categorized as Sales

Many people have heard of the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 Rule. 

• In sales, 80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients
• In client services, 80% of a company's complaints come from 20% of its customers
• In finance, 80% of profits come from 20% of products

• The applications go on

So wha...

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a salesperson ask me, “What’s the secret to success in sales?”  The question implies there’s one big thing you can do to succeed - but that’s just not the case. The small habits of successful salespeople add up to big success.

Sup...

Paul J. Meyer once said, “I’d rather be a master prospector than a wizard of speech and have no one to tell my story to.”  

Prospecting is one of the most challenging tasks salespeople face. If done right, it can be an exciting experience that polishes your sales skills and allows you to find po...

Referrals are the lifeblood of a sales business. They help bridge the trust gap between you and the referred prospect. 

According to Nielsen, people are four times more likely to buy when referred by a friend. Ninety-two percent of people trust referrals from people they know.  A referred p...

You’ve successfully completed a sales agreement so you move on to the next prospect. Finding new customers is crucial to the growth and success of your business. But a salesperson should never forget the potential for commissions in their list of existing clients. Selling to a new client cost 5...

The paperwork is signed and deposit money committed, so it’s time to celebrate that commission, right?  

Don’t celebrate your sale too soon because an important part of the close called the “button–up,” and it is often overlooked. You want to make sure your new client is happy with their de...

The closing of a sales presentation is like putting the pieces of a puzzle together. All the work a salesperson has put forth will be rewarded or rejected in a matter of minutes. By answering the qualifying questions, the prospect has already made up their mind to buy. So the salesperson only needs ...

Many sales agents go into the close too soon, while others don’t close at all. Attempting to close a sale before a prospect is mentally ready can destroy the relationship. All prospects have questions as they approach a major decision; therefore, the agent must answer these questions before they can...

Average sales agents operate as tour guides who ask a few ill-prepared questions before driving around, burning gas, and hoping they’ll stumble onto something the prospect likes. This is not selling, but “buying” on behalf of the prospect. Top producers don’t work harder; they work smarter.

Once th...

Your daily actions must be based upon acquiring contacts who will convert to clients. You then service your clients and cultivate your relationship with them. They will learn to trust you, and begin to promote your services, becoming one of your Centers of Influence.

Note the word “trust” above. ...

As the team leader, you need to ensure your salespeople don’t celebrate their sale too soon because 25% of sales cancel.

(Hopefully they’ve watched you do this “button up” numerous times before trying it on their own).

An important and often overlooked part of the CLOSE is the “button-up.” It’s import...

Let’s talk about closing the sale. 

As an experienced Sales Team Leader, you know the close is the easiest of the 12 Pillars of Persuasion to execute! 

The close of the sales presentation brings all the pieces of the puzzle together. All the work your salesperson has done up to this point wi...

The Pillars of Persuasion is designed to guide a salesperson through a psychologically sound path that results with a sale. 

The sale starts with building credibility and ends at Pillar #12 which is getting a referral. 

Pillar #7 deals with the finesse of getting the prospect to take the res...

As the Team Leader, you’ve taught your salespeople how to establish credibility and determine whether the prospect is a potential buyer. 

Now what?

Many agents think they are selling the prospect as they spend hours touring home after home.  BIG MISTAKE! This isn’t selling; it’s called “...

Many sales agents think they can rely on their good looks, glibness, quick mind, and personality to make sales. All these attributes are helpful but can also be detrimental when relied on too much.

Top earning real estate professionals know exactly what to say, when to say it, and how they'll say it.

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You won’t get a referral if you don’t follow up and have a long-term commitment to building relationships. Top producers realize building relationships is more important than making the sale or getting the commission.

Sadly, most sales agents don’t follow up after a sale even though 68 percent of sal...