Every year people eagerly set New Years resolutions in anticipation of a better year… a new start.  You should be way ahead of the game in comparison to your competitors because you spent the last month breaking some skull sweat to develop your very own “Strategic Sales Master Plan“.  You now know exactly what you are going to do to increase your sales.

One of the hardest concepts for new business owners to grasp is the fact they really aren’t in the business they think they are in.  First, you are in the business of effectively communicating the business you are in (marketing).  Second, you are in the business of helping ideal potential clients buy what you sell (selling).  Then and only then, are you in the business of delivering what you sold (doing what you get paid to do).

Doing all that is no small undertaking as you well know.

Recommended Reading

The “Strategic Sales Master Plan” helped you become much more effective when it comes to communicating the business you are in.  Because you are so much better at telling people what you do and why they should care, you naturally get more selling encounters.

By selling encounters I mean REAL sales appointments.  Real sales appointments are scheduled appointments with people who are genuinely interested in how you might help them, and how you might do business together.  How you handle those encounters determines if you get money in the bank or simply make a new friend.

You know what’s wrong with most books?  Most books allow you to read the book as a spectator.  That means you read the book, you might think something is a good idea, but once you finish the book you set it down and forget about the book and those good ideas.  Nothing much happens with those good ideas or as a result of reading that book.

That’s where the two books I’m going to recommend you read are different.  These books actually require you to take action as you read that book.  That means rather than reading the book as a spectator you have to engage in the learning process.  When you engage in the learning process you actually learn something, and you actually implement those ideas immediately so… you actually get results.

The first book I’d like to recommend is: The SPIN Selling Fieldbook  This was the book that peeled the scales off my eyes and helped me really understand what selling was about.  I’ve built off this model and taken it a step further by including the science from another scientist who uncovered the concept of conditioned reflex.  However, this book will help you have real sales conversations like a professional.

As I mentioned earlier there’s a lot to operating your own business.  You don’t have time to waste.  You need to squeeze the most value from your time so you have time to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

There are two aspects to the way you use your time.  First, there’s efficiency.  Efficiency is about getting the most things done with the least effort.  Second, there’s effectiveness.  Effectiveness is about getting the right things done.  What you really need is to get the right things done in the most efficient way possible.

When I wrote The Race To Success  I wrote it with you in mind.  This isn’t just some general time management book.  In fact, it isn’t at time management book at all it’s a time mastery book.  It will help you master your time so you are working in the most efficient and effective way you can.

In combination these three tools will help you keep your new resolution to increase sales by helping you take the right actions.

Coach Cheryl

You have to run your business and you need more time to focus on sales.  So why not take advantage of a couple new free tools I found to help you do just that?

First, do you ever need to transfer files between computers?  Or do you need to share files with your peers, clients, or potential new clients?  Not only is it a hassle it seems like you don’t realize you don’t have the file you need on the computer you’re using until you need it.  RATS!

Well, Dropbox takes care of all those things and more and it doesn’t cost you a cent to use it.  You can watch the screencast and see how it works.  I’ll think you’ll be impressed by the cool stuff you can do.  Even if you’re not a techie.

Just a few weeks ago we all got to send Uncle Sam some money or perhaps you’re now expecting to get some of your money back from Uncle Sam.  Either way tax time serves as a stark reminder of the importance of properly tracking income and expenses.  If you haven’t already purchased a software solution you might enjoy this free online bookkeeping software from OutRight.  Take a tour and see how it might help you take care of those financial records more efficiently so you have more time to sell.

Click on the Gold Card and Discover the Simple step-by-step Solution to Increased Sales

photo credit: Csaba_Bajko

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, business owner, or sales professional you need all the help you can get to make your life easier.

You balance a lot of responsibilities throughout your day.

You simply have to make the most of every opportunity that comes your way.

Sometimes you’re pleasantly surprised to find how much a simple tool can do to improve your life.

I’ve decided to share 7 of my favorite tools with you because I hope you find them as useful as I do. Some of these tools are completely free others require a small investment or a trip to your local library. In any case there’s nothing preventing you from trying these tools and improving your life. Plus you could increase your sales along the way.

So here’s the list not listed in order of importance:

1. Cool Timer - This is a piece of free software you download to your computer. You can use it as a stop watch, a timer, or an alarm. Now you never have to search for a stop watch or worry about dead batteries. Just click on the icon on your desk top anytime you want to use it. One of my favorite ways to use it is to manage 30 minutes of focused and concentrated work.
2. Mindmeister - This is another free tool you get simply by registering. Don’t just use this tool for projects use it to plan out anything involving several actions. When you’re finished your mind map is saved to your account plus you can print out this neat and tidy mind map to use as you take those desired actions so you never miss a beat.

   Behind every successful person is a good library. Here are a couple books you must add to yours.

3. ”The Race to Success – Make Time to Win” - The way you use your time is a big differentiator between the super sales producers and the average producers. If you find yourself rushing from one thing to another with no end in sight; if you rely on a calendar, PDA, or CRM yet they don’t seem to work this book will help you understand why. Make sure your local library has at least one copy.
4. ”The SPIN Selling Fieldbook” - Neil Rackham isn’t a sales person he’s a researcher. The fieldbook takes his research and transforms what he learned into actionable sales ideas. Anyone selling an intangible or a high ticket item must have this book and internalize it.
5. ”The On-Purpose Person” - Kevin McCarthy will help you do something few people ever do, most wouldn’t even think of doing, and everyone who wants huge success must do. This book will get your head in the real game.
6. Carbonite - I’ve had a computer crash on me so many times I’ve lost count. Each time it was a dramatic traumatic experience. Each time there were things I lost forever including precious contacts. You can get a free trial for this service that quietly works in the background so when that crash happens you can restore absolutely everything including all your computer settings in minutes.
7. Google Calendar - The reasons I like Google calendar include the fact you can share your calendar, you can have more than one calendar, you can access from any computer, and your calendar syncs automatically with your phone. So you can check and make appointments from your phone and they automatically appear in your Google calendar online.

How many of these sales tools are you using?