Time Management: Seven Steps for Busy Salespeople

We all face the same dilemma: Too much to do and not enough time to do it. Time management concerns how we resolve that dilemma. Time, not activities, is the limiting factor. We must make tough choices about what to do and what not to do. Time management is really self-management. Although time is not adaptable, people are. Managing time means adapting ourselves to its passage in some satisfying manner. It means managing ourselves. If time seems to be out of control, it means that we are out of control. To bring ourselves back under control, we must learn new, more appropriate habits. Since time is our most important personal investment in our business, ask yourself this question – “What can I do to better use my time?” Review the following seven tips and check off at least three items you can use to make better use of your time.

6 Strategies to Negotiating Successful Sales

By Michael Caron, President, Northbound Learning

Contrary to what some think, negotiating isn’t something that only takes place at the end of the selling process. We are actually negotiating and laying the groundwork for further negotiations throughout the sale. When the customer has agreed that your solution fits with their needs but there is not agreement on variables such as delivery, terms and, of course price, good negotiating skills will bring the sale to successful completion. Here are 6 essentials.

1. Plan - Never go into a negotiation without a plan. Do your homework. What do you know about the individual you are negotiating with? What is their personality style? How can you adjust your style to be more effective with them? What information do you want to disclose or keep confidential? What is the time frame for this negotiation? Go through some of the other points below and write this information down.

Seven Elements of an Effective Team

Successful team members don't do the same thing at the same time. They do the right thing at the right time. And while team members work together toward a common goal, individuals still must play their separate parts in the process. As organizations rely more on teams to innovate, problem solve, produce, and compete at the speed of change, understanding and capitalizing on individual approaches to group processes is the bottom line on creating high-performance teams. The famous British explorer David Livingstone once said “I will go anywhere provided it be forward.” To be successful in today’s competitive economy, businesses need to go forward further and faster than ever before. It is vitally important for your business to go forward allowing you to become trailblazers and leaders. It is about collaborative innovation and teamwork!

How to Leave Voicemail Messages That Resonate with Prospects

By Michael Caron, President, Northbound Learning

Voicemail is the norm when making chase calls to prospects. There is an inverse relationship between the size of a company and the ability to connect in person. That is, the bigger the company, the lower the chance of your prospect picking up the phone. The number of contact attempts divided by the number of connections with your prospect is called “contact ratio”. Sales reps that I’ve worked with report contact ratios on the high end of 30% and a mere 2% on the low.  With voicemail confronting us so often, how can we increase our chances of being called back? Here are 6 common mistakes to stay away from: