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Are your Sales Growing Despite the Times?
2008-04-05 17:30:00
Sales as both a career choice and a personal skill-set requires the development of specific techniques, ongoing personal development, the expansion of our comfort zone, confidence, persistence, patience, gut-level instincts and unlike most other professions, a thick skin! On the surface, it looks like selling is a breeze; but any experienced professional will tell you otherwise. However, mastery of the previously mentioned traits will afford you a profitable, fulfilling and rewarding career in any economy, if you are willing to do the work. Learning how to sell your ideas to others, to persuade others to your way of thinking, may be the most important interpersonal skill that one can develop. Most of our successes in life hinge upon our interactions with others. Those interactions depend upon the relationships we develop. Those relationships are built by trust and integrity expressed through effective communication between the parties involved. Effective communication hinges upo...
More About: Sales , Times , Growing , The Times

Sales Energy Boost Each Day
2008-03-31 14:36:00
How about an early energy boost to get your day going each sales day? The following video featuring the Cactus Cuties singing our National Anthem is inspiring to say the least. While you are caught up in the gripping lyrics being sung a capella, notice how the concerns of your day slowly fade to the distance as you are presented with great talent and inspiration. Another boost might come from the fact that there is actually a market for anything if you are bold enough and see the potential in ordinary things. Two sisters discovered a large corn flake in their cereal bowl that had an uncanny resemblance to the state of Illinois. Sure enough, they photographed it, put it on Ebay and sold it for over $1300, enough to pay for their coming vacation. A consistent flow of sales energy is so critically important to your selling success. Actual physical energy is important to make it through the day while mental clarity and focus are necessary to provide both you and your customers conv...
More About: Energy , Sales , Boost

Sales Is Not a Four Letter Word
2008-03-22 18:43:00
Obviously, for anyone with rudimentary spelling skills, sales is not a four-letter-word. What is the point, you ask? The stereotyped image of the slick-talking used-car salesman is often what people outside our profession imagine when they think of salespeople. They may actually think that salespeople are out to take advantage of them. Sales as a career and those individuals associated with it have frequently ranked at the bottom of the desirable career food chain along with lawyers and used car dealers. Why is this? Is it a bum-rap or one well-deserved? How does this perception affect the fledgling salesperson? Are there pre-conceived notions found nagging in the back of our prospect's mind? Maybe. Sales is an honorable profession, yet one often associated with less than scrupulous people. It is no wonder that the only lawyers have witnessed more jokes associated with their field. There is no reason to be ashamed of for being a salesperson. In fact, you can make the claim of b...
More About: Word , Letter

Of Course You Want All The Sales
2008-03-18 00:31:00
Barack Obama, responding to those who have suggested that he consider becoming Hillary Clinton's second in command; "I am not running for vice president," Obama said. "I am running for president of the United States of America." He is not interested in second place and neither should you. Translate that philosophy into the sales arena and one could say that one wants to close every sales opportunity. Second place in a sales contest is no order received.  Of course you want to win with every opportunity! If you do not believe that you will close the sale, why are you wasting your time and your prospect's time as well? Zig Ziglar once said "I don't necessarily need to close all the sales, just the next one!" He is right. You must be expectant and positive, otherwise you lose.  Tiger Woods reflected on his performance after winning on the final hole at Bay Hill today; "It's knowing that you have an opportunity to end the tournament,...
More About: Sales

Finding Sales Success in a Recession
2008-03-08 18:00:00
The debate is on whether we actually are in or still approaching a recession. If you have been reading the newspapers and watching the news, then you know that our economy is in a tailspin. The news is leak with each new day revealing another economic woe. It seems that both consumer confidence and spending are down, foreclosures are up, savings are down, unemployment is up and the prices of just about everything are rising. What is there to do if you are a salesperson needing to derive your income from such a mess? Downward trends are indeed a stressful time, but they do indeed present many opportunities. You might ask a certain real estate agent how his business is; he responds saying it's the worst scenario he has seen in years and does not know what to do. Ask another and she might tell you that she is excited and it's the best market opportunity that she has seen in years. It is indeed a matter of perspective. For those clients who are financially able, now is an out...
More About: Sales , Success , Recession

Sales Lessons From Floyd's Barber Shop
2008-03-05 22:03:00
Is there anyone who does not enjoy the Andy Griffith Show and the fictitious town of Mayberry? Could it be the best known place in America? The timeless town of Mayberry has forever defined Smalltown, USA. One of the things that I particularly enjoyed about Andy Griffith and the show was the fact that there was always a lesson to be learned from each episode. Pearls of wisdom always transcended the laughter, offering heartfelt memories and and emotional tie. The inter-relationships between characters often made us laugh, partially because we could easily identify with the people portrayed. Yes. we love those characters. In fact, we are those characters. Central to much of the "action" was Floyd's barber shop. It was the local hangout for most of the male characters in the show. It was there that relationships were forged and everybody felt equally important, confident of their place in the community. That small shop was the setting for the dispersal of so much wisdom, ...
More About: Sales , Shop , Lessons

The Happiness Factor
2008-03-01 18:38:00
Alex Shalman has designed an interesting project which he has designated the Happiness Project. It began with a series of interviews with thirty four individuals and has extended its realm to include a number of bloggers and writers who answer five questions pertaining to happiness on their blogs. First of all, please realize that happiness is not the same as joy. There is a fundamental difference. Happiness is temporary, often dependent upon current conditions. It is emotional, a state of mind, one that often changes like the wind. Joy is much deeper, usually not dependent upon current states or material items. It has more to do with our sense of peace and personal value. It is definitely more spiritual. I believe that as a society, we are losing our sense of joy as we are focusing more upon economic conditions, worrying about everything and losing out on life's many blessings. The horrifying levels of prescription drugs written for depression, anxiety and gastric problems te...
More About: Factor

Sales Article Featured on Salesopedia
2008-02-26 23:08:00
My recent article, "Selling: An Effective Conversation," is this week's featured article on the sales mega-site Sales opedia! Article s, podcasts, advice, materials to advance your sales career as well as a host of sales publications and services are offered there. Please visit and benefit from this wonderful resource!  Clayton Shold, owner of Salesopedia, interviewed me for this week's edition. The podcast, discussing sales advice for the times is available here for your enjoyment.  If you enjoyed this post, please bookmark it and subscribe!  ...........................Daniel SitterAuthor Stumble It!
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Will Your Sales Plan Deliver Results This Year?
2008-02-25 12:30:00
Seth Godin gave some timely and prudent advice for real estate agents in a recent post. His hard-hitting advice is actually quite relevant to every salesperson and entrepreneur who would listen. He pulled no punches and as usual, had a great deal of wisdom to offer. Listen up salespeople... you cannot afford to miss this lesson. While addressing a large group of real estate professionals, Godin advised them that due to current economic conditions, it is now time to quit! As expected, he effectively got their attention. Many took his advice, actually having been searching for some time for someone to give them permission to indeed quit, and left the room at that point. The remaining agents then heard the rest of his speech, the message that was meant for the true professionals and committed members of their profession. "Now, if you’re still with me, you’ll be glad to know that the competition for attention just got smaller. The agents who built their business on low inte...
More About: Sales , Results , Plan , Year

Sales Road Less Traveled
2008-02-22 14:26:00
In his classic work, The Road Not Taken, poet Robert Frost presents the case for making decisions, often where such choices may challenge conventional thinking. He provides introspection upon the choices we make daily and how these decisions compile to affect our lives. He makes no secret of the fact that the road to enlightenment is often more challenging than the norm. The Road Not Taken Two roads diverged in a yellow woodAnd sorry I could not travel bothAnd be one traveler, long I stoodAnd looked down one as far as I couldTo where it bent in the undergrowth Then took the other as just as fairAnd having perhaps the better claimBecause it was grassy and wanted wearThough as for that, the passing thereHad worn them really about the same And both that morning equally layIn leaves no step had trodden blackOh, I kept the first for another day!Yet, knowing how way leads onto wayI doubted if I should ever come back I shall be telling this with a sighSomewhere ages and ages henceTwo...
More About: Sales

Sales Force of One
2008-02-18 13:44:00
Leave it to Scott Ginsberg to some up with a video sales training winner. In this 3-minute entertaining and informative video, Scott convincingly professes the validity of your sales efforts, even if you are the only salesperson for your company of one. In fact, we must always remember that regardless of who we work for, we are in effect, self-employed, actually working for ourselves.We are typically not selling our company, our products or our services until we first sell ourselves. That first impression is what our prospects are actually buying. They are "buying into" our understanding of their need and our ability to solve their problems and provide solutions. We are selling ourselves first. They must accept us as viable or nothing else matters. This is why working on ourselves is important. Think for a moment of all of your hours spent each month working out, developing your body for maximum appeal and energy. Think of the hours spent in front of the mirror making ce...
More About: Sales , Force

Subway Now Understands Viral Sales
2008-02-15 15:09:00
Subway's commercials have created quite a buzz in both sales and marketing communities as well as in the general populous. I googled the term "subway commercials" and the number of references came back at over 250,000. There are forums and discussion groups established just for this topic. YouTube has dozens of their commercials featured in all of their cinematic glory. Jared Fogle, the famous college student who lost 245 pounds eating Subway sandwiches, was the inspiration for much of Subway's marketing and resulting sales growth for the majority of this decade. In fact, Jared may have single-handedly altered the direction of the entire fast food industry. Their marketing people did not grasp the concept at first, but soon saw the light. Subway's corporate mentality, where they thought they knew what their customers desire, interfered with their creativity and understanding of the market. Thankfully, they were paying attention. In their commercial below, the woman or...
More About: Sales , Viral , Subway

A Man, Two Gloves and a Dream
2007-12-23 13:39:00
Tommy Gainey is a regular 31 year-old guy from quaint and quiet Bishopville, SC. Until recently, he has worked nine-hour shifts for years at a nearby manufacturing plant assembling water heaters. At first glance, he appears to be a rather typical southern man. BUT... Tommy Gainey is distinctly different. He has a passion, a dream and a plan. He knows where he is going and has a will-not-be-denied attitude. "Two-Gloves ", as he is affectionately called in golf circles because of his unorthodox two-glove grip and baseball-like swing, is a self-taught, uniquely-styled, hard-hitting champion golfer who has just made the cut for the PGA Tour. To say that he worked hard on his goal would be an understatement. He has dreamed of being a pro golfer since high school. All his life, Gainey has been passionate about golf. His biggest obstacle was not talent, but finances. He would work an extra job for money to play golf whenever possible. His friends believed in him too, finally backing...
More About: Dream

Top Sales Article of 2007 Award
2007-12-17 19:30:00
This past weekend, the elite panel of judges at Top Ten Sales Article s have awarded my "Creating a Sales Superstar" article as the Article of the Month for December. Yeah! That same article is also one of only nine articles selected out of a field of 360 nominations to compete for the coveted "Top Sales Article of 2007 Award " on December 31st. A full 50% of the Top Sales Article of 2007 award selection is derived from reader votes while the remaining 50% is determined by the panel of distinguished judges. As you would expect, I want to win! My competition has already ramped up their promotional efforts. Your help is both needed and appreciated!  Please click here to vote for Daniel Sitter. Thanks. If you enjoyed this post, please bookmark it and subscribe!  ...........................Daniel SitterAuthor Stumble It!

Success Magazine is Back!
2007-12-17 18:16:00
Great news! Success is back! The capable and talented Darren Hardy has been named the Publisher and Editorial Director to the new SUCCESS magazine - the "iconic publication which has profiled the extraordinary achievers of our time for over a 100 years. Previous people who have sat in this chair as Publisher/Editor before me include Napoleon Hill, W. Clement Stone and Og Mandino so it is an honor for sure." "We are completely redesigning and upgrading the quality, image and depth of the magazine - creative design, photography, editorial and end product look and feel. The objective is to return the publication to its roots as the preeminent and premier personal development magazine – What Achievers Read” says Hardy. He goes on to say "We will also make quite a stir in the publication world as we will be marrying what some call “old media” with a very progressive “new media” web platform which will allow users to engage WITH the magazine AND with ea...
More About: Magazine , Back

How To Be A Successful Entrepreneur
2007-12-17 15:45:00
So, you want to be an entrepreneur. Good for you! That decision may the most exciting step forward you have ever taken. Entrepreneur ship is a way a life, a choice, a decision to move in a particular direction. Entrepreneurs are all about innovation, about seizing an opportunity. Are you a self starter? Can you make timely, tough decisions? Are you in 100%? This is not an article about the necessary mechanics of starting a business, rather one focusing on the entrepreneurial mindset necessary to effectively and profitably operate your new business. How's your vision? Not your eyesight, but your ability to clearly see your goals materialize, to understand the marketplace, and be clearly focused and single-minded. How are your nerves? Can you handle the pressure of the nay-sayers? How are your decision-making skills? There is little room for fence-sitting as an entrepreneur. Can you make things happen? Others will seldom see your opportunity as you do and certainly will not ...

7 Ways to Experience Warmth This Holiday Sales Season
2007-12-14 21:57:00
Feeling a little glum this holiday season? Many people do. Psychologists tell us that their client business really picks up around this time of year. Why is that? Aren't the holidays designed to bring out the best in people? Do they really? Many people are lonely, even in a crowd, feeling isolated and apart from caring family and friends. Quite possibly, they feel that no one really cares or even cares enough to listen. While these issues may vary as far and wide as the individuals in question, there is a common thread among all of us. That thread is purpose. In his huge best-seller, A Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren outlines the case for purpose and answers the question "What on Earth am I here for?" Purpose make all of the difference and can supersede any circumstances as long as we do not allow ourselves to wallow in self-pity or selfishness. Many salespeople experience a flood of negative emotions during the holidays. retailers notice both an increase in hostilit...
More About: Holiday , Sales , Season , Experience , Warmth

Obama and Oprah Selling Machine
2007-12-12 14:29:00
Who is on your sales team? Often, success in the field is far from an individual effort. There is frequently an inside customer service group, service coordinators, a product expediter, a dependable shipping department and quality vendor technical support operating behind the scenes ensuring that the customer's experience is a good one. The salesperson is the facilitator of these collective efforts and the representative of their company when dealing with customers. This past weekend, the rapidly changing political landscape was introduced to the live version of a new phenomenon. Although Hollywood-types have often backed political candidates and causes, the world has been holding their breath in anticipation of the impact of Oprah 's endorsement of Barack Obama . Oprah lends her star-power to her friend, Obama, "a new kind of leader who possesses a tongue dipped in the unvarnished truth," Winfrey said. The Oprah and Obama traveling tour brings new meaning to the phrase dynam...
More About: Selling , Machine , Mach

Be Sold on Yourself
2007-12-10 22:43:00
Do you honestly believe that you are capable, skilled and deserving of success?  Are you an expert in your field, capable of transferring great value and worth to your customers? Can you look at yourself in the mirror and know without doubt that you are a person of integrity, deserving of trust? Are you confident in your abilities? Do you believe that success is yours to achieve? Can you envision your goals as already won? An affirmative answer to each reveals a strong belief in yourself, your abilities and your mode of operation. These basic traits will then guide you in your daily communications, strategies and methodologies, ensuring your eventual success. So many salespeople simply go through the motions, blindly trying to make it through each day, many times without any sort of sales action-plan or written goals in place. Such lack of preparation will surely provide you only with despair and frustration. You must believe in your gut that you are both worthy of success a...
More About: Sold

Idea Sellers Has a New Logo and Banner
2007-12-07 18:33:00
My banner here at idea Sellers has been begging for a face-lift for some time. After working through numerous ideas and designs, I have chosen to utilize the one above. A header or logo tends to set the pace and establish the tone for visitors. Since this blog focuses upon sales training, strategies and personal development tips for ongoing individual success, I thought it necessary to utilize a clean, invigorating image to allow visitors to gain a sense of what to expect from my articles. Hopefully, this goal has been accomplished. What do you think? Are banners relevant? Have I succeeded with this one? Please comment here or send a note expressing your thoughts. Thanks! If you enjoyed this post, please bookmark it and subscribe! ...........................Daniel SitterAuthor Stumble It!
More About: Idea , Logo , Banner

10 Activities To Prime The Sales Pump
2007-12-05 21:34:00
Zig Ziglar tells a great story centered around a pump. In fact, he used to carry around a chromed hand-pump to his sales seminars to help illustrate his point. He would present the idea that a pump only worked after it was properly and sufficiently primed. Priming requires a combination of technique, resources and time. After a successful priming period, water would flow from it freely and bountifully. It is the same with people and success. We must develop and invest the proper skills, materials and time in order to reach a wellspring of selling rewards. The following are several proven activities to assist you with the priming of your success pump: 1. Re-evaluate and refresh your goals.Goals are dynamic. A successful strategy must include regular internalization and review of your goals, your progress and the adjustments needed to guarantee your success. Take an honest look.  2. Get congruent with your sales plan. Perform a GAP analysis.Review your sales plan. Notice the ...
More About: Sales , Activities , Prime , Pump

Creating a Sales Superstar
2007-12-04 15:37:00
Salespeople are not born that way, they are made. Like any other profession, selling is a choice that requires the development of both a skill-set and passion. While an extroverted personality is a plus, it is not a requirement. While most casual observers might concede that talented sales superstars are great talkers, the reality is that they are far better listeners and are empathetic with their customers. Erica vanderLinde Feidner is the consummate salesperson, although it appears that she does not consider herself as such. She has international notoriety as a musical genius and fine Steinway piano expert. However, she sees herself as a matchmaker, seeking to connect her clients with the right piano. She is driven by an passionate understanding of the chemistry between artist and her musical instrument as a form of self-expression. "Successful piano salespeople aren't necessarily accomplished pianists. Most can play at least a little, but it's not an occupational necess...
More About: Sales , Creating , Superstar

Litemind Group Writing Project Results
2007-12-03 05:02:00
Every so often, it becomes necessary to take a brief hiatus from my usual sales, selling and personal growth topics that I frequently write about. Recently, I participated in Luciano Passuello's Lists Group Writing Project on his Litemind blog. A premise of the project required each participant to vote for at least three of their favorite articles from the group of submissions. As you might expect, a project such as this contains a variety of information from a diverse group of writers. It is actually somewhat difficult to select which is "better" as most have something valid to say. I have therefore chosen to vote for those articles which "spoke" to me through their content and style. I have voted! My favorites are as follows: 1. 7 Powerful Tips to Overcome Failure by Donald Latumahina  2. Escape the Rut by Catherine Kunst 3. 9 Ways To Achieve Success in Life by Adebola Oni 4. 18 Tips to Become a Productive Blogger by Monika Mundell I encourage you ...
More About: Results

Save Sales Time and Money: Print Your Own Postage
2007-11-30 17:57:00
In business, particularly in the sales arena, time is money! Our selling time is both a precious and valuable asset that must be utilized in the most productive manner possible. As any craftsman will tell you, there is a proper tool for every job, one that will help to ensure your success with the project at hand. It is the same in business. I utilize many tools and services on a regular basis that help me to be the most efficient, effective and productive with my sales time. Although email and RSS feeds are the dominant means of disseminating information to our customers and prospects, the use of our good, old-fashioned US Mail remains a necessary part of our everyday business activities. I maintain a PO Box for my business mail which requires regular visits to my neighborhood Post Office, however 24 hour access enables me to avoid any traffic and line issues. I no longer have to wait in line to mail anything, and you can do the same. This freedom has saved me hundreds of dolla...
More About: Money , Sales , Time , Print , Save

3 Factors Alone Determine an Entrepreneur's Sales Success
2007-11-28 19:26:00
Many entrepreneurs view the task of selling their ideas, products and services as an undesirable necessity. Some are fearful at the prospect of calling and visiting others in the hopes of growing their business. The Web is full of articles and stories documenting their disdain for selling. Sales is neither a job that they typically enjoy nor one for which they are particularly skilled and well-prepared for. What is to be done? Who is going to do the selling? Entrepreneurs and small businesses often lack the budget needed for employing a sales professional. They often become the lone salesperson for their fledgling company. There are many skills to be learned, techniques to be mastered and sales closes to be remembered. It soon becomes readily apparent that sales is a tough requirement on unfamiliar ground. Many actually find it quite uncomfortable, perhaps formidable. For entrepreneurs, effective selling skills can be broken down into three basic components which dictate the ent...
More About: Success

Lists Group Writing Project Takes Off
2007-11-27 20:28:00
Luciano Passuello, in his exploration of methodologies for using our minds more efficiently, has established the Litemind Lists Group Writing Project and has published the names of the participants and the title of their individual contributions. Each has furnished an enlightening personal effectiveness article in list format. This effort provides an excellent opportunity to learn new productivity and efficiency techniques from a variety of experts and share these tremendous resources with others. 5 Surefire Ways To Increase Comments On Your Blog by Vijay 35 Guaranteed Ways To Increase Your RSS Subscribers by Fred 5 Ways To Win A Blog Contest by Erz 5 Reasons Why I Bought a Domain by WishBoNe 5 Ways to Become the Perfect Idiot by Lori 12 Wordpress Editors you can choose by Karthik 100 Ways To Promote A Startup by Jason Drohn 17 POWER Tips For StumbleUpon Beginners by Dr. Mani 18 Tips to Become a Productive Blogger by Monika Mundell 15 Tips to Prevent R...

Are you Informed or Transformed?
2007-11-26 16:20:00
In the text of One Minute Millionaire, Mark Victor Hansen states that one has the opportunity to be either informed or transformed. That distinction has a great deal to do with our perspective, value system and internalization of what we are learning. So often, we tend to hear but do not listen. We observe but do not learn. If our intent is to grow, our patterns need to change. A vast flow of information assaults our senses each day from a wide variety of sources. It arrives with breadth and intensity via every imaginable form of media. Although we have the ability to selectively tune-in to see and hear what what we are interested in, the onslaught continues regardless of the attention we lend it. We choose how we are informed. For me, the media mix includes sales, marketing, entrepreneurial and general business information flowing from television, radio, web-TV and radio, blogs, RSS feeds, newsletters and magazines, both traditional and on-line. The most dynamic of these ar...

6.5 Ways To Irritate Your Customers
2007-11-19 14:53:00
Customer relationships are invaluable. We dream of them, strive for them, plan for their achievement, enact plans to acquire them and then hope to keep them. Almost everything done in our business is aimed at the goal of developing new customers and maintaining a good relationship with them. Of course, all of this is not happening in a vacuum. Our competitors are likely taking similar steps in an effort to win those very same customers. Once that fragile relationship is developed, the focus must be on nurturing and maintaining that relationship. We court our prospects, systematically convincing them of our sincere interest in serving their needs. Often, these prospects become our customers. Unfortunately, once that courtship is over, many businesses tend to begin taking that new customer for granted. While following the same acquisition steps, looking for our next customer, we sometimes lose focus on our existing customer relationships and the intrinsic value of their business bo...
More About: Customers

Are You Going to the Big Sales Shebang?
2007-10-15 23:10:00
If you're a smart, savvy woman who sells to the business community, check out the upcoming Sales Shebang conference November 5-6, 2007 in Minneapolis, MN. This unique conference features an all star cast who will teach you how to get more business in less time. No matter what your experience level, you???ll learn valuable new sales strategies at the Sales Shebang conference. At the Sales Shebang, you'll discover how to: Crack into those coveted big accounts. Differentiate yourself in a crowded market. Generate endless referrals. Improve your sales presentations. Enhance your cold calling effectiveness. Set up meetings with C-level executives. Think on your feet - even under stress. Juggle the multiple demands in your life. Leverage the web to get the inside scoop. Play to your strengths. Get a workout in during the work day. Plus, you'll enjoy the rich camaraderie of talented women who are coming to this event from across North America. You'll make conne...
More About: Going , Goin

Blog Action Day: Our Environment
2007-10-15 13:01:00
"One issue. One day. Thousands of voices." It is an honor to be part of the Blog Action Day movement with our Envi ronment and several charities as the focus of attention. Idea Sellers is one of approximately 15,000 blogs with an astounding readership of 12 million which will publish posts concerning our precious environment today. Wow! More precious than gold, though resilient, our environment is not destruction-proof. It is not too late to turn it's degradation around. It will take a concerted effort by everyone to demand it's resurrection. We must hold each other accountable. We must all do our part. It literally is about the very air that we breathe, the water we drink and the soil we live upon.  Congratulations Al Gore on winning the Nobel Peace Prize for your non-stop work in this arena! Thank you for your unflappable position and efforts to promote the urgency of the situation. Thousands of people, states and organizations must now leverage your amazing p...