Debra Kasowski

How to Make the Sale Without Being Salesy

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We are all in sales-selling ourselves out in the world. Selling is a relationship between the seller and the prospect. Selling doesn’t have to sound like a dirty word. I do not like high-pressure sales, gimmicks, or tricks to get the sale. I do like to study salespeople when I go into showrooms to see if they create relationships with their customers. I want to know if there truly listening to hear what their prospects needs and wants are. A salesperson should be able to answer the question, “What’s in it for them?” before looking for the sale.

As a customer, I do not want to walk into a store or show room looking like I am walking dollar bill that needs to be collected. A couple weeks ago on a Sunday afternoon, my husband and I were out vehicle shopping and when we came to the number crunching time and were negotiating the offer, we had for different salespeople sit in the chair before us trying to get the sale. One of the sales persons was even going to throw in a Wii console for my children to have in the car. I did not purchase a vehicle there. I am still looking for what I want.

This is where active listening plays such an important role in getting a sale without being salesy.  When you were actively listening to your prospects or your customers you are in fact building a relationship and gaining a better understanding of their wants and needs and how you can be the key to fulfilling that.

Active listening also involves asking the right questions.  Here are some examples of active listening techniques as well as some ideas of what questions you should be asking.

Active listening:

  •  be present and focus in on your prospect or customer
  •  smile and maintain eye contact
  •  nod if appropriate when responding to conversation
  •  listen and hear the words that are being said

Asking the Right Questions:

  •  ask your prospect or customer what they are looking for -get a clear picture
  •  probe for more detail if necessary
  •  discover their goals and challenges – what experience are they hoping to have
  •  what are the features and benefits for your customer
  •  discover a common interest which makes you relatable to the customer

Active listening and asking the right questions makes your prospect and customer feel that they are important to you and that you value their business and and appreciate their time.  and Create conversations around service and meeting your customers needs.   your prospect or customer may make the decision to go through with the purchase and sometimes you may ask the sale.  When you use conversation, you can get to the sale without pressure, without gimmick,s or tricks.  Be real. Remember your time is valuable to why not  use it to serve others in a big way.

What Can You Be Outsourcing to Free Up Your Time and Increase Your Productivity?

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What opportunities could you be welcoming if you were outsourcing? How much more time and you have to do the things that you love? How much more productive would your company be if you outsourced to a genius?

As a solopreneur, you can only do so much by yourself. It is good to have a basic understanding of some of the processes and functions that you delegate so that you can give clear instruction to those you outsourced to.

Just because you know how to do something, it does not mean you should be doing it. I understand that initially you may need to as you generate revenue, however, there will come a time when you need to hire someone else to do the work so you can concentrate on what you do best.

 

 Here are 25 ways in which you could start outsourcing:

  1.  e-zine or newsletter formatting
  2. social media management
  3. market research
  4.  press releases
  5.  PowerPoint presentations
  6.  payroll
  7.  bookkeeping
  8.  graphic design
  9.  logo design
  10.  website building or maintenance
  11. video editing
  12.  article posting
  13.  book cover design
  14.  editing services
  15.  video production
  16.  transcription
  17.  legal advice
  18.  IT services
  19.  ghostwriting
  20.  postal services
  21.  grocery shopping
  22.  dry cleaning and laundry
  23.  housekeeping
  24.  lawn maintenance
  25.  pet care

Basically what it comes down to, how much do you value your time? time and energy are irreplaceable so choose to use it wisely to get your greatest return on your investment. You can make more money but you cannot buy more time or energy. Just think of the leverage and how much more you can get accomplished if you had a virtual team of people helping you any where in the world!

 By outsourcing, you can focus on revenue generating activities that grow your business and allow you to have more time and energy words the areas that are most important in your business and your life.

What have you outsourced to free up your time and increase your productivity?

 

 

3 Reasons You Should Be Outsourcing

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 Outsourcing is one of the keys to success that is often overlooked. All too often we look at projects and think,”Well I can do it faster or better.” The trouble starts when it is an area that you’re not passionate or gifted in, so why not delegate to or hire someone who is passionate and gifted in this area. Here are three reasons why you should be outsourcing:

  • Save Time. We all have the same 24 hours in a day, 168 hours in a week, and 8736 hours in a year, yet we are needing more time to get all the things we want done. How much time could you free up if you would delegate or hire someone to do your bookkeeping, housekeeping, or website maintenance? Time saved equals increased productivity and increase in your return on investment provided you target the extra time to where you need it to go. Think about what your time is worth. You could be spending extra time with your family or friends doing what you love or on revenue generating activities.
  • Increased productivity. By having others work on different projects for you, you are better able to implement many ideas or concepts at the same time because you’re not doing it all by yourself. You are better able to put your energy where you are passionate and gifted in. Outsourcing allows for innovation and focus on core strengths.
  • Save money. When you realize how much your time is worth, does the time it takes you to finish a certain project equal the time that you could be focused on revenue generating activities? Chances are you would make more money by delegating projects or formatting of documents to someone who has this expertise and can get it done in a timely manner. I know you may be thinking how am I saving money by spending money, but there are many resources that are not as costly as you might think.

Some outsourcing freelance sites that I have personally used include: www.guru.com, www.odesk.com, and www.fiverr.com.

 Outsourcing can help you grow your business and expand your markets that you otherwise might not have the time to get to.  When you grow and expand your markets , you can get more clients and make more money . outsourcing enables you to serve people on a much bigger level.  The question is, “Are you ready to play bigger?” 

BlogTalk With Fantastic Frank

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Debra Kasowski –The Millionaire Woman is a passionate success driven inspirational author, motivational speaker, energetic leader, founder of The Millionaire Woman Club, a networking group in Edmonton, Alberta, who helps highly motivated individuals and organizations to achieve the success they desire.

Debra believes that richness begins from the inside out. She enjoys celebrating the passions of women (& men) and feels that every woman can be a Millionaire Woman.

Debra Kasowski has also been known as the “mamarazzi” – she loves to take pictures, one of loudest and proudest mothers on the bench at the arena, and knows that life is about endurance through her experience as a triathlete.

Never Be the “Same” Again

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As you surf the Internet or go to brick and mortar stores, do you notice that there is a tendency to be a “copycat” or be the”same” as someone else? Do you really want to get out there are get noticed as a credible source or attract more clients? You need to do things differently. You need to do them your way!

  • Be Unique. Imagine eating macaroni and cheese for breakfast, lunch, and dinner everyday. It may get boring after a while. Liven things up. Find ways in which you can express yourself uniquely in your business. You may have unique marketing methods, customer service, You Tube Videos, or follow up techniques. You need to set yourself a part. People will do business with you because you do things differently.

 

  • Provide Value to the People You Serve –“What’s In It For Them? ” Philosophy How can you help others?  Write an article providing tips to help others succeed. Is there a great article that you read that could be of value to someone in your network? Let people know you have been thinking of them. It does not have to be only business related. Get to know the person as a person before you get to know there business.

 

  • Be an Influencer or Connector. Provide testimonials. Give shout outs on social media to people you have done business with that you have enjoyed working with, who get results, and you would highly recommend. Are there people in your network you could introduce them to or refer them to?

Grow you business by being different!

 Do things the ___________(your name goes in the blank) way! You will attract clients and followers just because you are NOT the “same”!

There are many different “flavours” in business – be your own!

Let us know how you set yourself apart and celebrate your uniqueness.