High Probability Selling for Sales Professionals: Turn Cold Calling into Warm Sales Leads

To grow your business you need prospective clients and customers: If you don't have a customer list from which to solicit referrals, and if you also lack an advertising/marketing budget, cold-calling to a highly targeted list is the fastest route to finding high probability prospects. Learn how.

Keywords:

sales leads, cold calling, high probability selling, telephone prospecting, sales prospecting, selling techniques, telesales

Article Body:

Like most sales lead consultants, I do not advocate cold calling . However, I acknowledge that cold calling is necessary at times.

You need prospective clients and customers: If you don't have a customer list from which to solicit referrals, and you also lack an advertising/marketing budget, cold-calling to a highly targeted list is the fastest route to finding high probability prospects.

A High Probability Prospect is one who wants, needs, can afford, and is ready to buy your product or service- now. Those who only want, need, and can afford- but are not ready to buy now- are prospects that you will not meet with now. But, you will continue to contact in the future, until they are ready to buy.

How does Cold Calling fit into High Probability Prospecting?

Before picking up the phone, you need to define your target market. Your target markets are consumers and/or companies who are likely to want your product or service. If you haven't gone through the exercise of defining your target market, start by making a list of your best customers: What characteristics do they share? Are they in similar industries? Are they companies of about the same size, or in the same vertical markets? In B2C sales, look for similar socio-economic factors.

Your prospect list, whether you've created it yourself or purchased it, is the basis of your prospecting campaign. Contact each person on the list repeatedly, each time with a different offer. In High Probability Prospecting, an offer is a succinct distillation of two features of your product or service. Every time you re-contact a prospect, present a different offer.

When call your list, only first-time calls are cold calls in High Probability Prospecting. A truly effective prospecting campaign requires that you call the same list every 3 to 4 weeks, so after a short period of time, most of your calls will be 'warm' calls. A higher percentage of the people on your list will say "Yes" to your prospecting offer with each successive call.

5 Simple rules for maximum effectiveness and maximum efficiency:

1. Don't repeat the same prospecting offer more frequently than every third call.


2. Your offer must be no longer than 45 words, describing your product/service and mentioning two if its features.


3. Your prospecting offer must clearly request a "Yes" or "No" answer.


4. When prospects say "No," you say, "Okay, good-bye."


5. When prospects say "Yes," you say, "Why?"

With practice, you should be able to make at least 50 dials per hour. You'll find an increasing number of High Probability Prospects- people who respond with 'Yes' to your offer- with each pass through your list. You'll be on your way to making appointments with people who are ready to buy what you're selling- right now.

High Probability Prospecting doesn't eliminate cold-calling entirely. You will, however, make successively fewer Cold Calls and far more "Warm Calls". That will eliminate most of the Rejection associated with cold-calling. Thus, you will turn telephone prospecting into an efficient and enjoyable activity.

Celebrating Administrative Professionals: A Quick Memo

There are currently about 4 million secretaries working in the U.S. and nearly 9 million people working in other types of administrative positions according to the U.S. Deaprtment of Labor. But how much do you really know about this valued and demanding position?

Keywords:

Celebrating Administrative Professionals: A Quick Memo

Article Body:

When you think of Roman times, chances are you don't think of secretaries. Yet that's exactly when experts believe the first secretaries (called "scribes" back then) went to work. Since then, secretaries and administrative assistants have become integral parts of business.

In fact, there are currently about 4 million secretaries working in the U.S. and nearly 9 million people working in other types of administrative positions according to the U.S. Department of Labor. But how much do you really know about this valued and demanding position? Try this quiz to find out. It comes from Quill Corporation, a group that has worked with office professionals for 50 years.

QUESTIONS

1) T or F: The majority of secretaries were men until the 1930s.

2) During the middle of the 20th century, workers who became secretaries were most often:

a) Promoted from steno pools

b) Selected from secretarial schools

c) Retrained from factory jobs

3) In what era did xerographic duplication start?

a) 1930s

b) 1940s

c) 1950s

4) What was the average salary of administrative assistants in 2005?

a) $24,000

b) $26,000

c) $28,000

5) National Secretaries Week started in 1952. In what year was it changed to Administrative Professionals Week?

a) 1999

b) 2000

c) 2001

ANSWERS

1) TRUE. In the 15th and 16th centuries, secretaries were considered esteemed advisors-posts held exclusively by men.

2) (b) Secretarial jobs required advanced training and schools sprang up to teach highly regarded, in-demand skills.

3) (c) During that same era, data typewriters, data processing compu-typewriters and telewriters came in to use, spurring the growth of office supply companies such as Quill.

4) (c) According to the U.S. Department of Labor, salaries are expected to grow by more than 9 percent in 2006.

5) (b) The name was changed in 2000 to keep pace with changing job titles and responsibilities.

Entrepreneurial Holiday Guilt for Creative Professionals

Guilt, guilt, guilt. Guilt is a terrible feeling and is often self-inflicted by creative entrepreneurs, especially during the holidays. Find out how to overcome your holiday guilt and still have the business you want and the life you deserve.

Keywords:

holiday, business, entrepreneur, marketing, sales,

Article Body:

Guilt, guilt, guilt. Guilt is a terrible feeling and is often self-inflicted by creative entrepreneurs, especially during the holidays.

Most people who work for themselves say they chose to do so because they wanted to "control their time." People who value time over money, recognize that time is a precious commodity that cannot be created, bought, or borrowed. You have to use it wisely or else it is gone.

Having the luxury to control how, with whom, and where you spend your time is one of the bonuses of working for yourself. So, why is it that an overwhelming number of female entrepreneurs also say they feel guilty when they are not working on their businesses or with a client between the hours of 9 am to 5 pm?

To be truly happy and successful as an entrepreneur, you must break the corporate-created walls of time and learn how to set your day according to your needs and the needs of your clients. There is no law chaining you to your desk eight hours a day between 9 am and 5 pm.

Here's my advice: stop feeling guilty about when you are working and when you are not, and ditch the idea of playing by rules set up by other organizations. Make sure you benefit from the freedoms of entrepreneurship and maximize your time by performing regular activities such as food shopping at off times like 10 am on a Tuesday or having your teeth cleaned at 2pm on a Monday. You will spend less time waiting in line, you will be less stressed, and actually have more time to devote to your clients and other activities, then if you went on a weekend or during a busier time.

Of course, be sure to take a day or two off completely during the holidays to go gift shopping, ice-skating, or for decorating your home. Give yourself permission to enjoy your life and do something for yourself, even if it is on a week day between nine and five. You deserve it.

Happy holidays!

Cash Flow Planning for Solo Professionals

Lack of cash flow planning is the reason why many businesses fail. In fact, many PROFITABLE businesses fail because of cash flow issues. Without adequate cash flow, you can’t pay your bills and you can’t make plans for your business.

Keywords:

Cash flow planning, budgeting, small business, solo professional, solo entrepreneur, financial planning

Article Body:

You’ve heard it a million times – cash flow can make or break a business. Lack of cash flow planning is the reason why many businesses fail. In fact, many PROFITABLE businesses fail because of cash flow issues. Without adequate cash flow, you can’t pay your bills and you can’t make plans for your business.

So… what is cash flow planning? Cash flow planning is projecting your future cash inflows from sales, services, and loans, and comparing them to your future cash flow needs (suppliers, salaries/wages, loan payments, taxes, etc.). The difference between the two is your net cash flow.

Why is cash flow planning so important? Cash flow planning can help you identify problems down the road, and fix them before they occur. Cash flow planning can also help you make decisions such as should I attend that conference I’ve wanted to attend, should I buy the new computer I’ve been wanting, or do I need to work extra hard this month to avoid a cash flow deficiency next month?

The first step in planning your cash flow is knowing where you spend your money! Solo entrepreneurs need to have a good grip on both their personal and business spending, as most solo entrepreneurs rely on their business income to meet personal finance goals (i.e., pay the bills!). So, you should track both your personal and your business spending, although I recommend that you keep them separate (that’s a topic all by itself).

What’s the best way to track your spending? You can use pen & paper, spreadsheets or a software program. The best method for you is the method that you will actually use on a regular basis.

You should project your spending for at least the next 12 months so that you include annual and other periodic expenses. If you are experiencing a cash flow crisis, you should track & project your cash flow on a weekly basis, instead of monthly.

If you are an existing business, you can project your cash flow for the next year by reviewing your expenses for last year. If you are a new business, you will need to estimate your start up costs in addition to regular operating expenses.

Start up costs include inventory, legal expenses, advertising, licenses & permits, supplies, and many more costs that you may not have thought of. To research startup costs you should contact your local Small Business Development Center, contact a SCORE counselor, join groups of similar business owners, and read as many books or articles you can find on the subject.

To improve your cash flow, you should:

1. Complete the first 3 steps. You have to understand cash flow planning, track your cash flow, and project your future spending needs before you can improve your cash flow.

2. Create best and worst case scenarios and create appropriate responses to both scenarios. For example, if your best case scenario is to increase sales by 50%, how will you use the profits? Will you put the profits back into the company by investing in new equipment, training, etc.? If your worst case scenario is a drop in sales by 50%, how will you continue to cover your monthly expenses? By planning for the best and worst case scenarios, you’ll be ready for any situation.

3. When estimating your future income, realize that some people will pay late, and account for that fact in your projection.

4. Charge what you’re worth. Many businesses, especially service professionals, under-charge when they are first starting out. This is a great way to go out of business. Make sure you are charging what you’re worth, and remember you’re in business to make money, not to give your expertise away for free.

5. Watch your business spending. Focus on the value the item brings to your business, and avoid lavish spending (i.e., do you really need the fastest, newest computer available?).

6. Don’t hire until necessary. Consider using virtual assistants or temporary employees before hiring permanent employees.

7. Give incentives for early payment for products and services. On the flip side, chase down invoices the minute they’re late. Charge interest or late fees to encourage timely payments.

8. Update your cash flow regularly. Your cash flow plan will change frequently as your business grows. You may want to update your cash flow plan weekly when you first get started, then switch to monthly once you’ve got a good handle on your cash flow.

Remember - whether you are a new or growing business, your cash flow projection can make the difference between success and failure.

Guide to business and professionals

Business and professionals share an everlasting liaison. Just as a skilled potter produces a perfect pot, efficient professionals lead to a successful business. The qualities of professionals are different from those of ordinary men and women

Keywords:

business,professional,opportunity,plan

Article Body:

Business and professionals share an everlasting liaison. Just as a skilled potter produces a perfect pot, efficient professionals lead to a successful business. The qualities of professionals are different from those of ordinary men and women. For instance

· Business professionals are idols of discipline. They work in a well-organized manner and adhere to business ethics. They do not compromise either on their principles or on their goals.

· Business professionals do as well as demand hard and quality work. They are not a bunch of sluggish people who lack proficiency. They put their heart and soul in their job and seek excellent output.


· The best part about professionals is that they run a business and do not let the business run them. This reflects their incredible controlling power and potency to curb situations in a desired manner.

· These people are professionals not just in their deeds but also in their thoughts. They are mentally strong people who dare to take risks with an optimistic outlook. These business experts exhibit incredible self-confidence and courage to handle all the ups and downs in their work. They have the ability to take decisions and stand for their words against everyone and anyone.


· Highly proficient professionals not just complete their task with perfection but they also make others work in the desired manner. They have the ability to bring out and exploit the unrecognized talent of people. The professional people are blessed with excellent leadership qualities. They know how to guide people and enjoy an amiable teamwork.

· Along with these qualified entrepreneurs are quite prudent and understanding in nature. They never overlook the problems of their employees, or colleagues, instead endeavor to help them out in the best possible way. Also they are good teachers. In case their juniors do not perform well, rather than chewing them out they are ready to teach and modify the mistakes.


· Business experts are quite responsible individuals. They understand their duties well and want everybody else also to do the same. Since the onus of running a business lies on shoulders of these expert people they never blame anyone else if things go wrong. For if they hold themselves responsible for success in business they are also liable for the failures.

· Since a business grows with the aid of positive relationships and contacts, the qualified people believe in maintaining good relationships even with their opponents.


· These people love to take challenges. But they never compete with their own company members. This proves their dedication towards the success of organization and their team spirit.

· The last but not the least that can be said about business professionals is about their quality of being punctual and tolerate stress. These connoisseurs stick to all the deadlines, work under tremendous pressure but never get dissuaded by it.