I’ve written about the Formula for Successful Sales before, however upon further use and reflection it’s time to update…

Here’s an easy-to-use formula for a successful sale, I still hold it true however, I am adding an additional insight that some of you may go duh…

+ Decide what you need / want
+_ Determine what your customer needs/wants + one
(The + one being the theory of under-promise and over-deliver.)
 
Results: Win/Win Sales Situation (right?)

 It may appear simple on the surface but…

The Under-promise and Over-deliver Dilemma

I used to be a strong proponent of under-promise and over-deliver, however looking back on experiences; I need to qualify that old sales adage.
 
Let’s think this through…You make a sale (service or product, it doesn’t really matter) and you do a great job of under-promised and over-delivered, say, you gave them a bonus or got it to them early or under-budget… But what actually happened?
 
You’ve raised your bar. Yes, you got a job well done, a happy customer and maybe even an “Atta-boy/girl.”  But, your customer now expects the new level of service. So, to under-promise and over-deliver again, you must work ABOVE the new expected level of quality, price, service, time-line and professionalism. This may be sustainable for a few sales, but at some point, it is impossible to continue to over-deliver.  Your customer is no longer easily impressed – it is now just your “norm” and it becomes your client’s expectation.

You’ve taught your client that you can do continue to do it faster, cheaper, better or with bonuses. Let’s just to the very best we can, at the very best (yet fair to us) price we can, when we say we can… the successful sales cycle is about making and honoring commitments, not faster, cheaper etc.…until we’ve given away the store.  The purpose of a customer is not to get a sale, the purpose is a sale is to get a customer to build a fair and balanced relationship for both you and your customer.

Have a great day whatever your adventure.

To Success! To Life!

Sharon

ps. Just a couple of cool things happening at Impression Engineers.

Desk Rage: Courage Under Fire with Sharon Sayler deals with conflict in the workplace and teaches you what to do (and not do) non-verbally, when to do it and how to save yourself when handling volatile people and information. The key strategies provided in Courage Under Fire are how to advocate your point of view without harming your relationships and how to listen and really understand others’ point of view March 25, 9 am Pacific. Learn more at www.mybyscoach.com

Sharon’s Radio Show Beyond Lip Service focuses on taking action in your life. Practical skills for today – influence, inspire, and empower yourself and those in your world. Be Bold! Life is about taking ACTION.  Tuesday’s guest is BYS Coach Debbie O’Grady on Kill the Elevator Speech, How to have a Simple Sales Conversation.  Tuesdays, 1:00 PM Eastern/10AM Pacific Find Beyond Lip Service at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/beyondlipservice

Free WordPress Success Plugins including Easy Google Optimizer Plugin for WordPress http://www.impressionengineers.com/wordpress/
 

Hey, finally another chapter of Best Impressions… you may have noticed that I haven’t done one for two weeks… I’ve had writers block, I guess… or would you believe I’ve been preparing this story for the second week of March — National Procrastination Week!

Well, the second reason is my story and I’m sticking to it!

I found the statistic that 95 percent of Americans procrastinate regularly, while 15 percent to 20 percent procrastinate to the point of making it an art form (I know it adds up to over 100% – don’t ask me, I don’t do statistics….) There are three basic types of procrastinators according to Dr. Joseph R. Ferrari from DePaul University:

• Arousal or thrill-seekers wait to the last minute for the euphoric rush.
• Avoiders, for fear of failure or fear of success, this type is very concerned with what others think of them; they would rather have others think they lack effort than ability.
• Decisional procrastinators cannot make a decision. Not making a decision absolves procrastinators of responsibility for the outcome of events; little do they realize no decision is still a decision.

I have to admit I’ve been guilty of all three, at one time or another. Even though, Best Impression’s “lateness” could be procrastination — it is also about unscheduled stuff taking up my weeks before my trip to Philadelphia. Since I had nothing but time on my flight, I decided to schedule the unscheduled stuff… I had no idea as I started to write out details of each day, how much unscheduled stuff fills the hours.

Schedule the unscheduled

I think most of us have a way of ignoring how much time unscheduled stuff really takes. See for yourself. Write down un-commitments each day as you do them. These are the ways time disappears that are not commitments; e.g., cleaning the bathroom, emails or calls to friends and family, meals, walking your dog and such. 

As you add your unscheduled stuff to your calendar, remember, this is not a list of what you should do. It is adding the things that you don’t normally think about taking time during the day.  All this unscheduled stuff is/can be important. Adding these to your calendar is not about not making time for relaxation. It’s about getting a more realistic view of how much time you have to work on your commitments.

You may be surprised as I was, there are not too many blank spaces left on the calendar after the unscheduled stuff is scheduled.

Have a great day whatever your adventure

To Success! To Life!

Sharon

We play “dress-up” and went to the land “As If”

We sang “Born To Be Wild” into our hairbrush or played air guitar

We poured a big glass of milk and dunked a chocolate cookie

We bought a comic book and read it cover to cover

We jumped over the cracks to save our mother’s backs

We made a fort with our blankets and invited a friend over

We rode the Merry-Go-Round or kissed at the top of the ferris wheel

What would happen in the next moment if…

We had M&Ms for breakfast and waffles for dinner

We went barefoot in the creek and caught frogs with our hands

We discovered life really was a bowl of cherries (without the pits)

We climbed to the top, enjoyed the view then slid down backwards

We shouted at the top of our lungs “Olly-Olly-Oxen-Free”

We said “Hello” to the spider in the corner

We exhaled with a big, loud sigh

We wrote our name in the sand and waited for a wave

What would happen in the next moment if…

We had a healthy disregard for the impossible…

Have a great day whatever your adventure.

To Success! To Life!

Friend, would you recognize a "good client" if you saw one?
A pulse and a checkbook should not be the only requirements.

Do you frequently accept a client you THOUGHT was going to be right for you…only to discover down the road that they’re costing you time, frustration and maybe even money?

Just like in dating, there has to be compatibility in your client relationships.

This is why it’s CRUCIAL for you to figure out early on, whether your potential client is someone who you can do your best work with—someone who energizes and inspires you.

What’s going on here?

To answer, I want to point out, first and foremost, we are all human beings… just know that the less-than-ideal client for us will be ideal for someone else.

The key is to RECOGNIZE an ideal client when you meet one, so you don’t waste time (theirs or your) forming a client relationship that will be a struggle.

Why is this important?

If you can tell early on that a potential lead is RIGHT for you, you won’t waste weeks, months or years trying to "change" them or you into something neither of you are.

There are 3 profound truths about client relationships:

1. The client you CHOOSE is the one you GET.
2. YOU are ultimately responsible for your desperation or inspiration — because you selected the client.
3. You can’t change a client or "make" them ideal. The client has their own way, based on their own internal and external needs, desires, motivations and goals.

Take a moment right now and ask yourself: “What qualities would “my ideal client” absolutely need to possess in order for me to do my best work with them?”

Be honest and don’t worry about excluding people, yet remember that qualities are not circumstances… Circumstances change, qualities rarely do.

Have a great day whatever your adventure

To Success! To Life!

Sharon

p.s. If you would like some help gaining clarity, consider the The Book Yourself Solid System. It is a great way to gain momentum, direction and clarity for your business. The Book Yourself Solid System is organized in 3 modules. The first module is Establishing a Firm Foundation which includes personal branding, target market and positioning. Learn more at www.mybyscoach.com

Some of you know that I have worked for a long-time to master non-verbal perception. I wanted to offer you a chance to join a hour-long teleseminar this Wednesday February 4th at 9am Pacific /  noon Eastern by my long-time mentor Michael Grinder. One of the foremost authorities on influence and non-verbal communication.

The February 4th teleseminar topic is on Using Influence and Power through Non-Verbal Communication: “Becoming Comfortable with the Discomfort of Power.”

He is also offering another interesting teleseminar on February 25th “Knowing What You See – 3 ways to refine your perception.”

Special Bonus: Michael Grinder will be on be on BlogTalkRadio.com on Tuesday February 24th at 10am Pacific talking about both these topics. It’s a live call-in show. So listen in at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/beyondlipservice at 10am Pacific, then call-in at 646) 929-0980 and ask me a challenging question.

To register for the two F*R*E*E calls and learn more about these programs visit his web site visit:

http://tinyurl.com/8aotvz

PLUS

I produce an interview series called "Michael and Friends" only for Members of The Booked Solid Referral Network with Michael Port on the Booked Solid Network. This site is a new, rapidly growing networking site with 100s of results-oriented business growth strategies and profit generating tactics. It is already generating a “buzz” among the self-employed professionals of the world.

This Wednesday, February 4th at noon Pacific / 3pm eastern is special guest interview Tim Ferris, author of "The Four-Hour Work Week." Called the "“Indiana Jones for the digital age," Tim Ferriss, was nominated as one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People of 2007.”  He is author of the #1 New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and BusinessWeek bestseller, The 4-Hour Workweek, which has been sold into 33 languages.

Tim has been featured by more than 100 media outlets, including The New York Times, The Economist, TIME, Forbes, Fortune, CNN, and CBS. He speaks six languages, runs a multinational firm from wireless locations worldwide, and has been a popular guest lecturer at Princeton University since 2003, where he presents entrepreneurship as a tool for ideal lifestyle design and world change, (and this guy is in his early 30s too.)

Won’t you join me, Michael and Tim for this “killer” interview. Learn why building powerful networks is critical to your success, both personally and professionally.

Where? At the Booked Solid Network. Check it out:

http://tinyurl.com/at2g74

It’s so great to see business, success and fun intertwined on the Network. It is a subscription site, but the first month in the Network is free. (If you don’t like it, you can leave before any charges, but at least you got to hear Tim…next month is Lorrie Morgan-Ferreo, April is David Meerman Scott, May is Seth Godin… It’s gonna be great!

Have a great day whatever your adventure
To Success! To Life!
Sharon