Sales Tip # 6 – Are you Likeable?

Sales Tip # 6 – Are you Likeable?

We all know people buy from others they know, like and trust.

If that is true, and I believe it is – are you likeable?

If you are likeable what do you do to be likeable?

Recently, I was meeting with a seasoned business pro. It was our first meeting. He was semi-retired and we were talking how his assessments would help his clients make great hiring decisions. He wanted to see if I was someone he could introduce to others when the need for sales training was identified. We had a very good discussion. I listened as ho told me about his assessment and the positive impact they have when used.

When the time came he asked me how he could help me.

I pulled out my one page document that outlines what problems we solve and who we want to meet and showed it to him. He pushed it back and said, “It is too detailed.”

I pushed it back and said, “I get a lot of business using this document!”

He said, “It is not the document that gets you business.”

Trying to be open-minded I asked, “Why do I get the business?”

He only said “you’re likeable.”

I paused – what do you say to that?

We finished our meeting and on the way home I asked myself, ‘what did I do to be likable?”

I listened. I was interested. I asked questions for clarity. I really wanted to learn what he did.

I was not satisfied with what I was thinking.

I decided to ask a group of well-respected and accomplished business associates how one is “liked” – from their perspective. They are from all walks of life, of different ages (24 – 61) and they all sell into different markets. They included Mike Lemmeyer (home improvement) from K Guard, Tim Plonski (Financial Services) from JK Investments, Dave Kuhner (Marketing) from Team Kuhner, Bob Powers (Financial Services) from Primerica, Paul Stefunek (Retained Search) from Paul Lawrence & Associates and Ron Finklestein (Sales Training/Consulting) from Business Growth Experience.

After a very interesting discussion here is what we came up with:

  1. Smile – Smiling indicates a high-level of trustworthiness.
  2. Listen – Don’t listen to prepare for the next thing you are planning to say but listening to understand.
  3. Eye contact – Making eye contact indicates you are present in the discussion.
  4. Look the part – You must dress as one in your industry would dress. For example, plumber in a tuxedo would raise a red flag whereas a plumber dressed a plumber makes sense.
  5. Communicate effectively – Don’t make others guess at the meaning you are trying to communicate.

It seems so simply and I understand how difficult it is to be effective in all five areas. Please let me know your thought and the actions you take to be likeable so others may learn.

To your likeability,

Ron Finklestein
If you like this article, check out my newest website: Make a Difference. Here we focus on growing sales, leadership and personal development.

 

 

 

Sales Tip # 5 – Don’t be Stupid

Sales Tip # 5  – Don’t be stupid!

Sometimes in our haste we do something stupid.

I received this email, “If you are still in business call me?” That was all there was to the email (I withheld the signature and company name – I will tell you he sold merchant services.)

No greeting.

No first name or introduction.

He did not tell what problem he was trying to solve for me. Was he trying to help me grow sales, increase revenues or reduce my expenses?

He did not tell me who he was or what he did.

No – this is how we can help you – just “are you still in business?”

Was he lazy or just stupid? I really don’t know but the impression he made was less than stellar.

If he wanted to talk to me why didn’t he ask me for a good time to call or the best phone number to reach me or ask me if I to talk to him?

My opinion of this email is that it was the most arrogant email I have ever received.

I, like most business owners, work hard. We have bills to pay, our family to feed and house payments to make. AM I STILL IN BUSINESS???? He did not research on me or my company. He had no idea of the industry I was in or if I even needed his services.

Do you think I called him back? NO!

Do you think I responded in any way? NO! (I did respond to tell him that his email as arrogant.)

Did I think he was either desperate or lazy? YES!

Did I think he had my best interest in mind? NO!

Sometimes we get careless or forgetful of proper email protocol. Sometimes we take shortcuts. Mistakes happen. I get that. But…

In today’s world of social media I could put his name and company name all over the internet as an example of what not to do. Instead I write a blog post.

We need to slow down and remember that sales is about the relationship (as short as it may be.) Basic courtesy is still necessary: Respect is still necessary and people skills are important. When the relationship is there people will buy-it all starts with respect.

When doing email marketing keep it short and to the point. Create an eye-catching subject line. Tell me what you want and WHY I SHOULD TALK TO YOU! Get me a link to learn more if I am interested.

It is about staying focused on the end results. There is only four things business owners like me want from you when you market to me: 1. How to increase revenues. 2. How to reduce expenses. 3. How to increase my productivity. 4. How to add more value to my clients. If your email does not address at least one of those issues – save time and do not sent the email.

To Your Success,

Ron Finklestein
330-990-0788
ron@ronfinklestein.com
p.s. We are launching a new web site that provide high quality training and a very low price. Check it out. WWW.MADPPV.com. We focus on sales growth, personal growth and leadership on this web site. BTW, MAD means Makie a Difference.

Tip # 4 to Grow Sales – Buy on Price – Buy Twice

Buy on price – pay twice!

Many years ago, while I was remodeling a house, I needed a specific tool to finish the job. It was a fairly expensive tool, $99 on the low-end up to $400 at the top end. Naturally I chose the $99 tool and finished the job.

After several uses I realized I purchased the wrong tool – it didn’t do everything I needed it to do. I bought the tool because of the price. Since then I have spent a lot more time and money trying to use the tool for things it was not designed to be used for and decided to buy a higher quality tool more suited to my needs. I purchased the second time, not on price, but on value.

I bought on price and I paid twice.

How do you help your prospect buy your value and not your price?

It starts with a well-defined sales process. Each step in the process is designed to add value to the prospect. Here is the process I use:
1. Rapport strategy
2. Define problem
3. Explore impact of the problems
4. Collaborate with the prospect and jointly create the solution
5. Get the order
6. Ask for a referral
7. Conduct a review of the call to determine what worked and what did not work and make the necessary changes

The rapport strategy is designed to help them like and trust you.

Defining the problem helps you understand the symptoms and cause of the problem.

The exploring step help both you and the prospect understand the impact of the problem and what happens if the prospect does nothing.

The collaboration step allow both you and the prospect to build the solution together. It is very hard for the prospect to reject a solution they helped build.

The outcome of a well-designed process is the order, concerns, or a “no.” It is a natural outcome of the process. Each can be dealt with since each party now knows the issues.

After the order is signed the next step is to ask for a referral. The more specific you can be the better the opportunity to get the referral.
Finally, review the sales transaction and change what did not work and continue doing what did work.

Sales is not an art, sales is a process. When the sales process is both well designed and executed even people who do not perceive themselves as sales representatives can do quite well at sales.

DefinitiveSalesFinal032513You can learn more from our book, The Definitive Sales Play Book: How to Grow Sales and Create Lifetime Customers – available at Amazon.com

Ron Finklestein

330-990-0788

Email me at ron@businessgrowthexperience.com to schedule your free assessment sales assessments.

How to Grow Sales – Tip # 3 – Will they pay for a sales call?

Sales is changing and will continue to change for the foreseeable future.

It has swung back to personal relationships – if the prospect has a reason to meet with you.

All prospects have access to all the information they need on the Internet. If your business is being commoditized they have no reason to meet with you. Just submit your proposal through the web portal or email it to the primary contact. There are no assurances it will be read.

If you add value they will not only want to see you but they will pay for your advice.

So how do you add value?

You add value through your experience.

You add value through your knowledge.

You add value through your contacts.

You add value through your relationships.

Sales used to be an art. Now sales is a process.

The sales rep had all the power because they had the product knowledge.

Now the customer has the power because they have most everything they need because of the Internet. They don’t need the sales representative anymore unless you bring value.

How do you know you are adding value? If the prospect is willing to pay for your visit – you are adding value.

I recently was invited into an account. After one meeting they put their plans on hold and invited me in to do a barrier buster process. They saw the experience come through by the questions I asked. The questions alone provided significant value.

How would you add more value to the sales process so they pay for your advice and support?

Ron Finklestein
info@BusinessGrowthExperience.com

You can start thinking about your value by downloading the free report: Six Questions Your Prospects Want Answered Before They Buy. You can find it at www.businessgrowthexperience.com

How to Grow Sales – Tip 2 of 30

For the sales professional, when managing time, only one thing matters.

BGE time managment

Ron Finklestein

330-990-0788

Ron@ronfinklestein.com

Print

How to Grow Sales – Tip 1 of 30

How to Grow Sales – Tip 1 of 30

This is the first of 30 tips on how to grow sales and increase revenues. We will do one a week for the next 30 weeks.

The first tip is to understand the six questions your prospects want answered before they buy. These questions were developed and tested as a result of a sales call I had several years ago where I asked the sales representative these three questions:

1. Why do people buy from you?

2. What outcomes do they experience when they buy from you?

3. Who is your ideal client?

He could not answer any of these questions and after the call I realized I could not answer the questions as effectively as I thought I should. I developed the six questions to answer the questions above and to effectively communicate with the prospect the message that is important to them. I then tested these questions for several years with my client. I knew I was on to something as I watched businesses change; some almost overnight.

Included in this post is both the video and a handout that was used while doing a live training program. Please understand that my clients pay a lot of money to go through this process. This is real training; not a marketing message.

The link below is the handout for you to use as you watch the video. It is best to right-click (to download) on the link below and print this out as you watch the training. Please fill out the worksheet as you watch the video and see how your thinking changes about your product, your service and how you communicate with your prospects. This document does require a PDF reader. You can use Adobe or any other reader that opens PDF files.

Here is your handout: six questions audience handout

Below is a 52 minute video of live training program on the Six Questions and how to answer them. At some places the audio is less than perfect but still very understandable.

For those of you who like to read  (versus watching videos) you can go to the Business Growth Experience and download the Six Questions eBook. All you need do is enter your email address and the Six Question report will be emailed to you. It is not a transcript of the video. It has more content about why the Six Questions are important and a process on how to answer the questions.

If this is of value to you I would encourage you to share this post. You business associates and friends will appreciate you for sharing knowledge with them.

They, like you, will grow sales and increase revenues.

How to Grow Sales – Six Questions To Answer

Six Question Your Prospects Wants Answered Before They Buy from You, or stated another way, “Why Won’t People Buy From Me?”

Please share your thoughts.

To Your Success,

Ron Finklestein
info@businessgrowthexperience.com
330-990-0788

Our gift to you – our readers

Our gift to you –

 

As a sales trainer and business coach, one of the biggest problem I  see is lack of follow through-not because they can’t follow through – but because they do not remember to follow through. This is because they do not have a process, system or method that works they can use daily. This lack of follow through is most pronounced in the sales area.   

 

Dr. Tony Alessandra created an 60+ page eBook on how to sell collaboratively. The content of this book is extraordinary. It is a complete, proven process on selling that works. As a thank you for being a reader, I am making this eBook available to you.

 

Please read it, use it and implement what is discussed. It will make sales easy.

 

Just click on this link and you will be taken to the page to download the Collaborative eBook:

http://www.businessgrowthexperience.net/ron/

Enjoy!

Ron Finklestein
ron @businessgrowthexperience.com
www.busineessgrowthexperience.com

This is why I do what I do!

This is an unsolicited email from a client in my sales training program. It helped me to remember why I do what I do.

Good Morning Ron;

I hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I wanted to take  a few moments out and write to you because I had one of; if not the best holiday I have EVER had.  I was sitting here this morning reflecting over my weekend trying to figure out what was different this year so I could recreate it for Christmas! My realization is I was what was different this year.

To give you a brief history I come from a very broken home.  I have actually been on my own since I was 16 years old ( I left on my birthday) I had a lot of abuse both mental and physical from my parents and step-parents alike.  My father was an addict (recovering since 2003) and my mother is still an alcoholic, a functioning one but an alcoholic none the less

I love my parents but one could say I wasn’t dealt the best hand in life.  I have always tried very hard to look at things in a positive light and honestly I just never wanted to end up like my family.  I have always wanted to be the “one who got away” as corny as that sounds.  The way I see it is some people get parents and families who guide them in the ways of life. I figure I was given people who showed me what NOT to do in life.

Enough of that…Going through the program I really have been changing.  I have changed the way I am speaking and most importantly the way I have been listening.  I have learned that my mother is a socializing socializer to the extreme it is her show and if you just sit back and watch the show for a bit it doesn’t drive you crazy and she tends to tone it down some,  if she thinks she is getting the attention she so clearly needs.

My father is a director to the Hitler extreme and as long as he feels he is running the show life gets A LOT easier .  So in short thank you Ron.  Thank you for bringing some calm to my life and an understanding of my parents that I have never been able to have.

 

Thank you for the email

Ron Finklestein
here is the program this person is in http://www.businessgrowthexperience.com
330-990-0788
ron @ Akris.net

Evaluating Your Associations by Jim Rohn

Evaluating Your Associations by Jim Rohn

I’d like for us to take a look at the power of influence in our lives and how it is possible to be nudged off course a little at a time until finally, we find ourselves asking, “How did I get here?”

We should ask ourselves three key questions:

1) “Who am I around?” You’ve got to evaluate everybody who is able to influence you in any way.

2) “What are these associations doing to me?” That’s a major question to ask. “What have they got me doing, listening to, reading, thinking and feeling?” You’ve got to make a serious study of how others are influencing you, both negatively and positively.

3) “Is that okay?” Maybe everyone you associate with has been a positive, energizing influence. Then again, maybe there are some bad apples in the bunch. All I’m suggesting here is that you take a close and objective look. Everything is worth a second look, especially the power of influence. Both will take you somewhere, but only one will take you in the direction you need to go.

Only then can we discuss three ways to handle associations or relationships that are holding you back.

1) Disassociate. This is not an easy decision, nor something you should take lightly, but in some cases it may be essential. You may just have to make the hard choice not to let certain negative influences affect you anymore. It could be a choice that preserves the quality of your life.

2) Limited association. Spend major time with major influences and minor time with minor influences. It is easy to do just the opposite, but don’t fall into that trap. Take a look at your priorities and your values. We have so little time at our disposal. Wouldn’t it make sense to invest it wisely?

3) Expanding your associations. This is the one I suggest you focus on the most. Find other successful people that you can spend more time with. Invite them to lunch (pick up the tab) and ask them how they have achieved so much or what makes them successful. Now, this is not just about financial success; it can be someone who you want to learn from about having a better marriage, being a better parent, having better health or a stronger spiritual life.

It is called association on purpose—getting around the right people by expanding your circle of influence. And when you do that, you will naturally limit the relationships that are holding you back. Give it a try and see for yourself.

To your success,

 

Ron Finklestein
Business Growth Experience Sales Rainmaker Program

www.businessgrowthexperience.com
ron@businessgrowthexperience.com
330-990-0788

Well I hate being sold to!

I have been a big fan of Neuromarketing. Neuromarketing is simply understanding how the brain like to process information and creating a marketing message that resonates with the brain. A business associate of mine, Dennis Andrew, wrote a really good article on how to sell using some simply Neuromarketing techniques. Below is his article unedited. I know you will enjoy this.
If you want to reach Dennis here is contact info: Dennis Andrew, NNOS Studios, 503.877.4880 ~ direct

 

It seems that most of the emails I get are just selling, selling, selling. Well I hate being sold to. When I meet someone I want to know how they think, not if I’m a qualified buyer.

Here’s a bit of info you’ll probably enjoy. It’s on how clients make decisions.

Understand that the “decision-making” part of the brain is like a child, not an adult. It needs to be unlocked, not forced. It doesn’t choose something because it is a logical decision. If it did, everyone’s products would be sold. People make decisions based on emotions and (after the decision is already made) then it mixes with another part of the brain that FINDS (creates) a logical justification.

To unlock it, you must work around the fact that this part of your client’s brain is self-centered. That’s why it is all about them and little about you or your company. This part is always searching for any disruptions and things out of the ordinary. It is also searching for things that are familiar, concrete, recognizable…all tangible input.

Be sure to use contrast like before/after, fast/slow, with/without, and express it visually as much as you can. The optic nerve is some 40x faster than the auditory nerve.

When you engage with them, it is the beginnings and endings that get remembered. Talk about the most important info first and repeat it at the end. Don’t talk about who you are and what you do first.

Since we all have preconceived biases about products/services, it is very important to note that we rate experiences not by the experience as a whole, but by the best/worst moments, and the beginning/ending. What is ugly (or beautiful) here, is that we form our perception of the person/company by the ending of the experience. Don’t end the client experience with a bill.

People don’t remember you by what you tell them, but by how you made them feel. Likewise, they won’t remember your company by what they gave you or got from you, but by how they FELT as a result of that.

Clients’ brains are looking for the gap…what you offer that others don’t. Present these in sets of three. The brain likes “3.”

I ran across a statistic showing that people are willing to pay 4x the price if they know they’re getting twice the value. If the value of your product is unknown, only then does price become the default differentiating factor between you and competition. Price is what they pay, value is what they get.

Don’t sell the features, sell the benefits those features provide.

If you have any question or want to learn the six questions your prospects want answered before they, go to www.businessgrowthexperience.com and download the free report.

If you want to learn more on how to grow your business, give me a call. We specialize in helping business owners grow sales, increase revenues and shorten the sales process.

Sincerely,
Ron Finklestein
www.ronfinklestein.com
330-990-0788
ron@businessgrowthexperience.com

 

Using LinkedIn as a Prospecting Tool to Turn Cold Calls into Warn Calls

Using LinkedIn as a Prospecting Tool to Turn Cold Calls into Warn Calls

Jacci Adams of 3X4 Consulting, a social media consulting company, did a presentation on how to use LinkedIn as a prospecting tool. I was impressed with the simplicity of her approach that I asked her if I could share it. She agreed. Please give Jacci’s website a visit to see more details on what she does.

A special thanks to Jacci for allowing me to share one of her “trade secrets.” In being transparent, Jacci is a client of mine. Because I know her so well, I am confident she can help if you are confused about how to use social media to grow sales through social media lead generation.

I cannot give you LinkedIn training here so I am assuming you are a member of LinkedIn and know how to use the search tool.

  1. Click on the advance search icon in the top right of the LinkedIn home page.
  2. Type in the industry keyword/title for the people you are trying to reach (i.e., Chiropractor, Manufacturer, Realtor, etc.)
  3. Enter the zip code of where you want the search to target and the mileage radius of how far you are willing to go.
  4. You can find any connections you have that meet the search criteria.
  5. For the 3rd connections and beyond LinkedIn provides only the first name and last initial. If you click to see the full name, LinkedIn will ask you to upgrade. Here is where you get creative
  6. Click on the company’s website link (in the search results.) Go to the About Us tab and see if the information you are looking for is there. Many times it is. You can get all the background you need.
  7. Do a Google search on the person’s name
  8. This search will tell you things like where they went to school, businesses they are associated with and how long they have been in business.
  9. Using LinkedIn you can do a search to see if anyone in your network knows them. If so either request an introduction of call them directly and introduce yourself. You already have enough information about the individual to know what you have in common.

If you do not have time or do not what to do this research yourself, you can hire someone through:

www.odesk.com

www.fiverr.com

www.99percent.com

If you know how to use the tools above and you are uncertain about making the call, consider improving your people skills so you are more comfortable. You can learn more www.akris.net.

Happy Prospecting

Ron Finklestein
ron@businessgrowthexperience.com

ww.businessgrowthexperience.com

You can subscribe to my blog at www.ronfinklestein.com

A Year in Review for a Great 2012 A Year in Review for a Great 2012

I am a co-host on Small Business Talk radio with Dale Stefancic. Dale wrote an article for a local newspaper that I wanted to share. It does a great job of helping you get ready to have a great year. If you would like to contact Dale, you can reach him at dale@dalestefancic.com. We invite you to listen to our radio program at welw.com, Be sure to press the listen now button. We are on air every Wednesday from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM EST.

A Year in Review for a Great 2012

 

For many small business owners 2011 was more of a game of survival. Many challenges still face us and the economy as we try to press forward and identify opportunity and how we can take full advantage of it.

We discussed many items and topics this past year in my effort to try and make you better in your business and create some awareness of what needs to be accomplished to move forward and be more profitable.

So what I wanted to do being the end of 2011 and as we think and decide what 2012 may bring is a review that I hope renews some fresh ideas and thinking of how to win the challenges ahead of all of us.

LEADERSHIP:

People identify with leaders. They are well respected and have a strong voice with accomplishments in their field of expertise. As a business owner, you must constantly strive to be the leader in what you do. Some of the points of leadership to keep in mind are:  Leaders should know and understand that people are the core building blocks of their team and/or organization.  To be an effective leader, you need to understand the core building block of your people and their respective values.  Leadership begins from within.  Identify core roles, prioritize them and plan on development and then acting on them.  Any relationship begins with you.  Leadership begins with you.  To be effective, it is dependent on your ability to communicate effectively.

 

NETWORKING:

 

This is a great time of the year. The holidays are here and the thoughts of 2012 and what we might expect in the new year with business.

Many of us will be at social and business events meeting  many new people as well as many friends.

For these reasons the topic of networking is very timely.

Today  if you are networking correctly, it’s more than meet and greet with an exchange of business cards and contact information.

You have to network with the intent of turning contacts into connections and eventually business allies or customers.

As you attend your events you need to have a specific game plan in mind.

Make your connections, and then build relationships with these individuals.

The relationships can range from identifying some of the needs of your business or relationships that will bring more business to your company.

The key here is to develop your network with great people and cement those relationships to be a resource for you.

You cannot do it alone. All great businesses have very successful networks in place.

Also keep in mind the relationship is a two way street. Don’t just talk or think about what’s in it for you but lead with a value proposition that will make the person you are connecting with have a reason to develop the relationship further.

Over deliver and your investments of time, money and energy will be repaid ten fold.

TIME AND PRODUCTIVITY:

Time relates to productivity more than you might realize. Time can be as big a loss of profits for your company as almost anything else. When you better manage time you will be more productive. When you are more productive you will make more profit.

Here are some SMART things to think about. S.M.A.R.T. being an acronym for:

S- SPECIFIC- Being as specific as you can with bringing the reality in site of your goal.

M-MEASURABLE- You must be able to measure your results.  You can only measure your results if you are tracking all your activity that pertains to your business.

A-ATTAINABLE- Is your goal one that is reachable and in the time that you have allotted?

R-RELEVANT- Is the goal relevant to the purpose of your business or

your  personal life?  Is the goal you set bringing you closer to that purpose?

T-TIME SENSITIVE- Does your goal have a deadline?  With a deadline in front of you, your mind realizes it has to accomplish certain tasks within a certain time.

So to be productive, be S.M.A.R.T.

I think as business owners, we all realize what it takes as well as what we need to do.  But, how we measure, track and evaluate the activities we do, will help in becoming better, more profitable and leaves  us with more time to do the things we enjoy.

 

SELLING:

We may not like it but we have to constantly adjust and adapt to the process and fully understand the needs of the market and the consumer. Here are some points to keep in your selling mindset.  First, people in your target market will first buy you. Also making sure you know your market and the needs and what your market is looking for will be key in this step.

If your prospect has not bought into you, I doubt if you have any shot at a sale even if you are the cheapest price in town.

I’m sure you have heard the phrase that attitude is everything, well if you are in sales, it’s a really big key to your success in sales.

People will pay more for an agreeable, enjoyable experience with a great product than just one based on it’s the cheapest.

The individual that combines a great product with a great attitude can be unstoppable.

Today, many  companies are basing lost sales because of price. Granted some people do just shop price, but in most categories on products and services, price is only a factor in 14%-20% statistically.

Secondly, you need to think more in line with the buyer’s thinking. While your buyer may be objecting to price, here’s what is swimming around in his or her mind.

1.)Is there a better product? 2.) Is the proposal right? 3.) Will this really solve my problems? 4.) Will we use it? 5.) What will others think if I buy this? 6.) Will the company really service me and honor the guarantee?

With this partial list of objections, you need to be going through your prospects thought process and be prepared to present in a more thorough manner making the buying decision safe for you prospects instead of just driving the price factor home.

Too many businesses today are leading there marketing and advertising campaigns with price and not with value, experience, quality, strong guarantee’s and taking the risk out of the buying process.

Many times the sales person is just not totally prepared or has not taken the time to identify the needs of the prospect, as well as what the prospect is truly looking for.

Today as consumers become more savvy and aren’t as willing just to throw their money around without thinking about after the sale, don’t be afraid to lead with the value, expertise, quality and guarantee of what you are selling.

Communicate to your buyer that your service after the sale will be unmatched as you take the risk out of the purchase and make buying a pleasure for your prospect.

If you are leading with price and doing comparisons, good luck. Trying to be successful on the cheapest price is a tough place to live in.

 

Thirdly, sales for the most part always has the numbers factor.  You can make the numbers work in your favor.

With the correct and precise market analysis, knowing the needs and wants of your market, and taking massive action, you can make the numbers work more in your favor.

In sales, massive action is one surefire way to increase your response and success rate. Take enough action and you will achieve more.

Fourth, know where your prospects are in the sales funnel. Deliver your commitments on time and over deliver. Your prospects may be evaluating you every step of the way. Make sure you have addressed all their needs and have provided the best solution.

Fifth, don’t be afraid and come out and ask for the sale. Lead your prospect with a series of yes answers to what you have delivered in the sales presentation that makes good sense for the prospect to buy.

Enhancing Your Life so You Can Enhance the Live of Others

Ron Finklestein
www.businessgrowthexperience.com
www.akris.net
330-990-0788
ron@akris.net

 

More Free Tools to Help You in Your Business

More Tools to Help You in Your Business.

Happy New Year Everyone.

Santa was very good to me this year! My wife gave me a remote starter for my car. It will be great in the cold Northeast Ohio winter.

Another wonderful gift came from Dale Stefancic. Dale has been the voice of Small Business Talk Radio for five years and he asked me to co-host Small Business Talk Radio. Naturally, I agreed. Our goal is to bring you some of the best and brightest minds to help you grow, prosper and get results. We air on WELW from 4:30 to 5:30 EVERY Wednesday.

Go to WELW.com and press the Listen Live Button on the top right of the screen. It works best with Internet Explorer. So you don’t forget, schedule this as a reoccurring task in your calendar. You will be glad you did.

Results from a recent survey indicated some areas you wanted to hear about so we went and found the experts to provide you some great actionable contents.

On 1/4/11 Seth Briskin, Partner with Myers Roman will discuss the problems with misclassifying your employees and he will help you understand if subcontractors or employees make sense for your business.

On 1/11/12 Bob Schepens, President of Champion Staffing, will discuss how to make new employees productive sooner through a process called on-boarding. On-boarding will be discussed in more detail in his upcoming book call The Great Work Place.

On 1/18/12 Gary Cerasi, CPA with Creative Business Strategies Inc. will take about how to make your business IRS Audit Proof with some simple tactics you can implement immediately.

On 1/25/12 David Akers, one of the most productive people I know and President of Collaborent, will share time management techniques he developmed to balance a busy family and work life.

On 2/1/12 Joe Smucny, Managing Partner with Centric, will discuss how he grew to Centric from a startup to a multi-million dollar business in two short years.

This is just the beginning.

We are creating a membership site where you can download each program and listen to at your convenience.

Stay tuned for more details. If there are topics that are of interest to you just drop me a line. Our goal is to provide you with the best radio experience possible.

Finally, a closing thought: “Picture yourself in your mind’s eye as having already achieved this goal. See yourself doing the things you’ll be doing when you’ve reached your goal.” Earl Nightingale

Happy New Year.

Ron Finklestein

www.akris.net

ron@akris.net

330-990-0788

Close more Deals through Matching and Mirroring

Close more Deals through Matching and Mirroring.

There are some people you connect with right away and many times you do not know why. When you connect with someone you are in rapport with them. Did you know you can quickly and easily build rapport with most anyone?

There was an interesting experiment by the Universite de Bretagne-Sud in France that says people buy more from you when you act like them. By matching and mirroring customer behavior, 78.8% of the customers ended up buying the product. Without matching customer behavior, buyers only made a purchase 61.8% of the time. Along with increased likelihood of buying, matched customers were more complimentary of the salesperson and the business.

The study abstract states: “An experiment was carried out in a retail setting where four sales clerks were instructed to mimic, or not, some of the verbal expressions and nonverbal behavior of the customers. On their way out, these customers were asked to evaluate the sales clerks and the store. Results showed that mimicry was associated with a higher sales rate, greater compliance to the sales clerk’s suggestion during the selling process and more positive evaluations of both the sales clerks and the store.”

Another study was performed on Duke University undergrads where participants were told that its purpose concerned the impression formation, process and marketing of unfamiliar products. The study was set up to see if a decision maker would/could be influenced to make a purchase based on a sales person mimicking customer behavior when the decision maker is aware that they are dealing with a salesperson. Turns out the decision maker was over twice as likely to buy when mimicking was employed. Source: http://blog.insideview.com/2011/11/18/how-science-is-changing-sales-as-we-know-it/

If you want to know how to utilize this powerful sales tool, give me a call. It is easy to learn and it works.

Ron Finklestein
330-990-0788
ron@businessgrowthexperience.com
www.businessgrowthexperience.com

 

 

The Power of Focus. The New Way to Get Results

One of the biggest problems I see with small business owners is that they chase the money. When you chase the money, you lose focus, and people do not know what you stand for.

Focus is principle number 6 of my Nine Principles for Inspired Action.

After working with a client in the Business Growth Experience and suggesting she gets focused, I received the following email less tha a week later.

“I also want to give you some feedback on a suggestion you made for me in the last Business Growth Experience meeting. We discussed just focusing on 3 types of businesses. Well I’m getting more referrals for those types of businesses. I’m truly amazed. I’ve received about 10 referrals between cleaning, insurance, and real estate in the last week. Thank you.”

Stop chasing the money. Get focused on your customer. The money will come.

Ron Finklestein
www.businessgrowthexperience.com
ron@businessgrowthexperience.com

 

 

Living on The Edge of Chaos…

Living on The Edge of Chaos…

We all live on the edge of chaos every time something changes. It does not matter what the change is or when the change occurred. This change can be personal, national, financial, emotional, or psychological. It can be external or internal. When change happens  we are forced to move to the edge of chaos to deal with it.

This is particularly true if the situation forcing our change is new to us: divorce, bankruptcy, unanticipated wealth, death of a loved one, business failure, rules change, failed relationships, etc.

Living on the edge of chaos is where all great ideas happen and real change (personal, professional, interpersonal) occurs. This is what we need to learn to deal with and manage so it does not destroy us, force us into fear based decisions or make us complacent.

Living on the edge of chaos forces us to think differently to solve a problem. Living on the edge of chaos forces us to make sometimes painful choices, to think differently about a situation, to solicit new inputs, and take new actions to eliminate the pain this change has caused.

Living on the edge of chaos, for this change to be effective, requires we take in data that may not have been important in the past. It requires we take total ownership for the situation, for in total ownership are we empowered to take the action required. If we do not own something we cannot effective change it.

Living on the edge of chaos requires we think about situation from a more global perspective. It requires we see things as they are, not as we want them to be. It requires we understand the impact of our actions on others. It requires we make an informed, responsible and deliberate choice.

If you are living on the edge of chaos and want help, call me. I can help because I have been living on the edge now for quite a while. It is not fun but with the right tools, support, and perspective, great things can happen if you have the disciple to let them.

Creating order out of chaos required creating (or recreating) a sense of order that puts you back in control and allows you be flexible enough to deal with the problems of being human.  It does not require you judge yourself. If does require you evaluate your actions and how you contributed to the chaos. Be gentle with yourself but be fair and objective.

To managing Chaos and Creating Results.

Ron Finklestein

330-990-0788
www.aboutbusinesssuccess.com
ron@akris.net

 

 

Are You a Leader?

A good friend of mine wrote this article for a local magazine. The article received great reviews and because of that I ask him if I could post it here. The author’s name is Dale Stefancic.  To find out more about Dale, email him at dale@dalestefancic.com or visit www.EntrepreneursOnCall.com

LEADERSHIP

 

Leadership is a powerful word.  With it, there is an amazing amount of responsibility,  should you decide to assume the role of a Leader.  Often the question of are leaders born or are they made is frequently debated.  I believe both situations exist;  just as someone is born with a gift to be an artist, pro athlete, talented musician, actor or actress.  You can be born with the gifts to be a leader.  Can you become a leader?  I believe you can.

Leadership is reserved for those individuals that have vision, passion, compassion, drive, desire and unending will to attend to a higher level.  It may be as simple as having the leadership for your family.  To have them take the safe path, keeping them out of harms way, demonstrating through actions the correct and best way to get things accomplished.  Leadership is not attained by a title such as supervisor or business owner.

Leadership is a constant demonstration of one’s ability to lead through action with passion and purpose to illustrate the intended result.

While working in the business world, I have seen too many times  management just delegate responsibility or tasks without knowing first hand what it takes for the desired outcome  they look for.

Leaders are respected and listened to because they have demonstrated time and time again they have done what it takes to overcome and are willing to demonstrate to others through action and gain the respect needed to be valued and listened to.

The majority of leaders should know and understand that people are the core building blocks of their team and/or organization.  To be an effective leader, you need to understand the core building block of your people and their respective values.

Many organizations just look at their people in a professional capacity. This short sighting will miss the mark.  To ensure your leadership fits and attracts the right people, doing the right things take into account all the roles each person comes to work with, within and outside their team or organization.  You may have to address their personal roles outside of work such as parent, little league coach or volunteer.

Many times a person’s role shows up at work.  A leader is no different and you must understand and be aware of it.  The right leader will identify their own growth and development and prioritize them.

Keep in mind, you get the people you deserve.  It is our decision.  For you to attract and lead better people, you need to become the leader that those people need and deserve.  That means you first need to invest in yourself.  Keep improving one of your strengths and make your weaknesses strong.

Leadership begins from within.  Identify core roles, prioritize them and plan on development and then acting on them.  Any relationship begins with you.  Leadership begins with you.  To be effective, it is dependent on your ability to communicate well.

All communication begins with a thought before it is translated into words and messages. How many of us have allowed ourselves to speak first and think later?  What was the result?  In many circumstances, it created some unwelcome ripples in our life and in our leadership.  With sound leadership, our internal and external communication must be open, honest, clear and timely and at times radical.    When our thoughts line up with our words, our actions will follow in alignment.  You are congruent.  You walk the talk.  When you do that, people do what people see.

Be creditable.  This is who you are.  A creditable leader has quality of relationships and has earned the right to lead, versus it being a granted position.  Leaders are authentic, trustworthy, and compelling.

Be competent in what you do.  Leaders are expected to get it correct, which means problems need a proactive approach.  Usually problems will stem from three areas-people, strategy and execution. Your problem will most likely always fall into one of the three categories.  Identify which one and solve it.

Lastly, I want to mention consequences.  How do you do things and what was the consequence of your action?  How did you make your decision?  How did you choose to communicate your decisions and what was the impact on others?

Decide if you are a leader or if you need to work on yourself in some capacity to become a leader!

Dale Stefancic

 

To Your Success,

Ron Finklestein
330-990-0788

www.aboutbusinesssuccess.com

Aboutbusinesssuccess.com is a web site devoted to your personal and business growth. It contains marketing articles, personal growth videos and relationship building strategies.

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Dailysuccessstream.com is a personal and business web site with training from some of the best and innovative minds in the world. The training videos are short (less than 10 minutes) and they are full of actionable tips. Training can be audio, video or PDF. They also have a guided path for those who prefer a more structured process.This is a great way for business owners to provide training to they staff very inexpensively.

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Take me up on this five day free trial. Dailysuccessstream.com , you will be glad you did.

To Your Success,
Ron Finklestein
330-990-0788
ron@akris.net

What is the Difference between Being Effective and Efficient?

I recently ran Business Mastery Advisory Boards for small business owners (www.rpfgroupinc.com) and this problem came up time and time again: owners not doing something because it takes to long.

You want an example? One business owner did not do billing because it took over one hour to create an invoice and he did 10 invoices a month. His total process should take 10 minutes per month.

The problem: he tried to force fit a tool that he used every day to do a task it was not designed for. He was using Outlook to do time and billing functions. He was over thinking it by trying to save money. As a result he did not do his billing until the end of the year and he let his clients use thousands of dollars of his money for free for almost a year. When we looked at his existing process, he came to the conclusion he could make this change in just a few hours.

If he focused on being effective, the right amount of efficiency would have been introduced. Since he focused on efficiency, his effectiveness was being compromised. Effective in this case was producing an invoice monthly in the fastest, more effective time frame possible.

Time is short. It is the only thing was have. Focus on the best use of your time, not the more efficient use of your time.

Ron Finklestein
www.rpfgroupinc.com
ron@akris.net
330-990-0788


 

Ideas

Only the Right Ideas- Not All Idea are Created Equal Most people have an abundance of ideas and this is the problem. Once they get selfish by focusing on one specific goal, they can generate ideas that allow them to implement their intelligent self-interest. This will move them to new level, both personally and professionally. If they are not clear, the abundance of ideas will just get further off track. Getting selfish is very important here. It is also important to understand that ideas typically come from others. 

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