The biggest problem when writing an email is your ‘state of mind’. This is the MOST IMPORTANT THING to consider as you craft emails.
One of the frustrating scenarios is introducing yourself to a person you’d like to meet with. In this tutorial, Bill Caskey, Author of Email It — A Seller’s Guide to Emails That Work with 20 Pre-Written, Ready-to-Use Emails, walks you thorough a very tactical framework to craft this important email.
Sales managers know that it’s the little things that get in the way of a salesperson being successful.
And we often talk about the little things in our video series. But today, a not-so-little thing that gets in the way. Fear.
In this video, Bill looks at the places ‘fear’ shows up and the impact it can have on a salesperson or sales team.
I know we keep coming back to this whole ‘listening’ thing, but it’s twice as important as talking. Yet, when is the last time you met with your team to talk about listening? Probably seldom.
Instead what we do is talk a lot about:
Next time you meet as a team, spend 15 minutes on good questions to ask. Then go do it.
Sales people have a tendency to blame everything on those lousy prospects. But is that true?
In this episode of Whiteboard Wednesday, Bill Caskey rants about about a sales person he met at a game last week. This guy was a real ‘moaner.’ He asked Bill, “Why aren’t these prospects returning my emails or phone calls?” Bill shares with you his response.
In part two of the video, Bill offers an email template that can work in almost all situations. He claims:
“We tend to write emails in the state of need and that shapes what we say and how we say it.”
*The following tip is from the magazine Going Bonkers – Edition: “Are You Listening To Me
This may seem like a harmless behavior, but it conveys another message that hurts relationships: “I know how to complete your thoughts better than you do.”
When you commit this sin, you most likely do so with good intent. You may think you’re showing the other person that you’re on the same wavelength, that you think alike. In fact, finishing a sentence is even worse than interrupting. It’s one thing to stop someone from speaking. It’s something else to speak for him.
If this sounds like you, next time you finish someone’s sentence, watch the person carefully. They may not say anything, but see if their eyes or body language reveal their true feelings. Do you see a slight grimace? Does the person’s eyes narrow or glare?
Once you witness a negative reaction, you’re less likely to make the same mistake.
Leave some breathing space. When we do role-plays in our training class, it’s amazing to us how often the discovery part of the sales process becomes an “interrogation.” When you ask the prospect a question, give him or her a chance to answer and follow up that answer with subsequent answers that probably get you closer to the theme. Stop getting in the way of the sale.
Not donuts…or lunch…or coffee mugs. But are you bringing your ‘full self’ when you meet with people?
In this video, Bill tells you a story of how he and his team are brought in to interview sales people upfront before an offer is made. What they see is not good. And it all gets back to the little word with big implications: Presence.
He tells you what he looks for in those interviews and how you can think about what you bring to prospect meetings.
OK, sales folks. You got some advice from your friend Aristotle in 350 BC and I don’t think you were listening. It was while he was being taught by Plato and just before he hooked up with Alex the Great.
His advice was very simple. In order to be a great sales person, you have to have 3 parts to your strategy.
In this video, Bill calls up some Aristotle wisdom and shares what those are.
It seems like an obvious question doesn’t it? If I were to ask a hundred people on the street they would all say their best years are ahead of them. But would they really feel that way or would that just be the politically correct thing to say?
I was doing my annual New Year’s cards for my daughters. One daughter is 18 while the other is low 30’s. I believe the future is so bright for that generation that they should feel blessed — they have some many great years in front of them.
I actually believe that although most people do not.
And as I wrote their cards, I wondered aloud whether I felt that way about myself at 55 years old. Can I honestly look in the mirror and say that my best days are ahead of me when I’ve had 55 years of a great life?
I have some rather long lifelines in my family (my dad lived to be ninety-seven and his mother ninety-five) and when people ask me when I’m going to retire I tell them retirement for me would be certain death.
So, for those of us that are in our 40’s, 50’s and 60’s, how do we ensure that in fact the best days are in front of us?