Answer Upon - Business

The Product or the Sale
This is a quandary not unlike the chicken or the egg question, “Which comes first?”. Do you focus on creating a superior product and continue to develop superior products or do you shift focus from the product to the sale prior to fully developing the line, or schedule of services?In the study of business start-ups there are a tremendous number of entrepreneurs who created, or found marvelous products and yet were unable to crack the marketplace. How many programs have you seen on TV that show warehouses of goods, that just sit and are never introduced to the consumer?Without demand, there are no sales. Without sales, there is no success. It i

a relationship with someone more like yourself.

Here is a good typical cold call:

Jim:“Good morning! This is Jim! Who am I speaking with please? Receptionist- “this is Sue, may I help you?” Jim: Hi Sue! Yes, I’m looking for the Director of Marketing.. could you please tell me who that is?” Receptionist ‘That is Randy Rawls” May I connect you? Jim: “Great. Thanks Sue. Have a great day” Receptionist- “You too!”

People want to help people.. IF they are nice people. If they sense that someone is a waste of time, then they are going to screen your calls and NEVER help you. If you aren’t nice or pleasant to the “gatekeeper” then you’ll have problems down the road.

There is a difference of opinion in this of course. There are some people who make phone calls who try to “trick” the gatekee

How Well is Your Board Performing?
Enron, WorldCom and HIH all spring to mind when the words “Corporate Governance” are mentioned. Negative stories of corporate governance are easy to find and are well remembered for the misery corporate governance failure often causes ordinary people who may be shareholders, employees or suppliers.Understanding what boards do wrong when they perform so badly is easy to comprehend with the supernatural gift of twenty-twenty hindsight. It is slightly more difficult, but only slightly more difficult, to understand what boards should be doing and to monitor their performance before problems occur.Existing members of a board and any incoming direct

If you are in business in any capacity, you’ve made cold calls. If you’ve had to call anyone out of the phone book for any service whatsoever, you’ve made a cold call.

So why are cold calls so HARD for people to make? How come people DRED making cold calls and how come there are sales classes and books dedicated directly to Cold Calling?

I’ve been in a training class all week to learn the new company’s policies and procedures. Part of what we’re doing also is learning about sales. This part for me is the easy part but for many in the class, it’s the most intimidating. One of the women shared with me that she is extremely uncomfortable talking with people she doesn’t know.

I told her to FAKE IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT.

Seriously, getting a script and following by that is a good thing to do, as LONG as you aren’t READING and don’t sound like a telemarketer. That is why people hang up on people, because they sound like a telemarketer.

Here is a cold call that insures that you’ll be hung up on:

Jim: “Who is the Director of Marketing” Receptionist: “May I ask who is calling?” Jim: “This is Jim” Receptionist: “Jim who?” Jim: Jim Smith Receptionist: And what company are you with? Jim: XYZ Company Receptionist: “May I ask what this is in reference to?” Jim: “It’s a confidential matter.” Or “it’s a time sensitive matter”

Possible hang up here or: Receptionist: “Well he’s not in, you’ll have to leave a message” Jim – hangs up

It’s not so hard people!! Don’t make it so hard. First of all, why are you hiding? If you truly have great information and a wonderful service, people are going to recognize that. If you DON’T have a valuable service and professional product, then get out of the business until you find one!

I also know that people discriminate if your voice sounds different from theirs. If you have an accent of ANY kind, then you better be one of the most FRIENDLY people on the planet, because people are going to discriminate against you. If you are a New Yorker calling the south, people are going to think you are an outsider. If you are a southerner calling New York, then you BETTER speak fast. If you are African American and have your cultural accent, then you BETTER speak CLEARLY and professionally. If you are of foreign decent, then speak SLOWLY and call with a SMILE on your face.

I do have a word for people with accents. If you are working on a phone job, then you would do best to work to minimize your accent. My husband is from Brooklyn and we worked for a LONG time to temper his thick accent. There were certain words that were distinctly New York, such as “Yesterday”. He pronounced that as “Yes-Ta-Day” Another one was “Dollar”. He pronounced it as “Dolla”

Additionally, if you have a foreign name, it’s going to be natural for people to avoid developing a relationship with you because they are going to forget your name. If you have a foreign name AND an accent, the average response to you is going to be much worse than if you have a typical American name.

I’m not trying to hurt anyone’s feelings, I’m just stating a fact. You are going to have to be 10x better than your average competitor. Because cold calling is about establishing relationships and it’s much easier to establish a relationship with someone more like yourself.

Here is a good typical cold call:

There is a difference of opinion in this of course. There are some people who make phone calls who try to “trick” the gatekeep

Why Six Sigma Will Outlast Total Quality Management
Six Sigma is not just a new term for Total Quality Management (TQM) . They have many similarities and are compatible in many business environments. TQM has brought great improvements and value to many companies. Six Sigma can do more.TQM is the development, deployment, and maintenance of systems related to quality-producing business processes. TQM is a strategic approach that focuses on encouraging a continuous flow of incremental quality improvements. It encourages the establishing of a culture of collaboration among different departments within organization. TQM is mainly a cultural initiative and a style of management toward increased quality.

you aren’t READING and don’t sound like a telemarketer. That is why people hang up on people, because they sound like a telemarketer.

Here is a cold call that insures that you’ll be hung up on:

Possible hang up here or: Receptionist: “Well he’s not in, you’ll have to leave a message” Jim – hangs up

Here is a good typical cold call:

There is a difference of opinion in this of course. There are some people who make phone calls who try to “trick” the gatekee

What Do You Do - Really?
Have you ever thought about what you do ... really?I don't mean have you really thought about it. I mean what do you really do?Many people look at their business card for a clue. I suggest you ask your clients.I know of one business coach who is seen as a marriage counselor. He helped one couple sort out their business goals and issues so well it's improved their marriage!Everyone sells products or services. The more successful people offer/sell what a client wants.That sounds so "Sales 101", doesn't it?But it's true.The key is to put what you do, not into the customer's language, but in to the customer's spe

o recognize that. If you DON’T have a valuable service and professional product, then get out of the business until you find one!

Here is a good typical cold call:

There is a difference of opinion in this of course. There are some people who make phone calls who try to “trick” the gatekee

Presenters Don't Have to Be Beautiful - Presentations Do
Not long ago I was invited by a colleague to a presentation for potential real estate investors. A builder and a realtor had joined forces to build a multi-million dollar property with the help of investors in the hopes of selling it for a hefty profit. The presentation was relatively informal, taking place on a Sunday afternoon.It began with an introduction by a junior member of the real estate arm, who turned the “stage” over to the builder. Lo and behold, a woman about 6 feet tall, in her mid to late sixties stood up and, began with, “Don’t mind the cough, its pneumonia, but it’s not contagious.” If that wasn’t enough to send the audience packing,

to work to minimize your accent. My husband is from Brooklyn and we worked for a LONG time to temper his thick accent. There were certain words that were distinctly New York, such as “Yesterday”. He pronounced that as “Yes-Ta-Day” Another one was “Dollar”. He pronounced it as “Dolla”

Here is a good typical cold call:

There is a difference of opinion in this of course. There are some people who make phone calls who try to “trick” the gatekee

Translation Companies: Assessing The Situation
Before you decide on hiring out someone for a translation project. Try to look from within your own pool of resources from your department or organization to see if there is anything that you can leverage. If you work for a large organization then chances are you have some untapped talent ready to be put into place for your translation project (and others too even).If anything, these individuals can serve as ad hoc editors and reviewers of the final work of a translated project so that you have someone internally that you can trust to provide their insights.Something you can do as a quick check is use a high end software package to put the fin

a relationship with someone more like yourself.

Here is a good typical cold call:

There is a difference of opinion in this of course. There are some people who make phone calls who try to “trick” the gatekeepers or just try to get around them. I think the majority of them are smart and just doing their job when they get phone numbers instead of connecting the calls.

My best advice is that they can help more than they can do anything else, and that making them your advocate is the smartest thing you can do.

Cold calling is nothing more than meeting new individuals to see which companies are the best match for what you are selling. People are on the other end of the phone and so the same things apply when meeting friends. People want to be liked. People want to help. People want to be good to other people. People like hearing their name.

Cold calling can be fun if you let it. Just remember that when people solicit you at home, you may not always be the nicest; so do your best to understand others when you are on the other side. Be as warm and friendly as possible. Relay a sense of confidence, that you have a product or service that can really help.

Then, when you get the client on the phone, do it all over again.

Then make another call, and do it again. And again, and again and again.

For some of us, the cold calling never ends.

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A relationship expert once said that during an argument, there’s usually three sides to every story: his side, her side, and of course, the truth.

Franchise marketing expert Sean Kelly has embarked on a quest to uncover and expose the most deadly myths of franchising, and to provide steps franchisors can use to avoid their pitfalls. Caution: Perpetuating, or even tolerating, these myths may be hazardous to your wealth.

Jimmy Meek finally worked up the courage to get through the door. He adjusts his tie and does his best to confidently approach the reception desk. He’s nervous but is starting to feel a bit better about himself. The hardest part was now over for Jimmy – he drove out and got through the doorway. “It’s all downhill from here”, Jimmy thinks to himself.”

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