For the last few months, I’ve been working on a new business which kicked off in Gregorian calendar month this year.

It’s a full service marketing company; no longer a consultancy.

Here’s what we do…

• Build websites,
• Write online and offline copy for sales letters,
• Graphics for websites, business cards, brochures; including printing
• Create and manage AdWords campaigns,
• Create and manage email marketing campaigns
• Provide a range of training services including sales, negotiations and client service.

Let me introduce you to mediaglue.com.au

Let’s start by reviewing the intention of the business. I’m sure you’d agree with me that the aim of any business is to generate profit, and lots of it.

Before that can happen, the business inevitably to have cash flow. Cash flow comes from devising sales. Sales move from customers and repeat sales and referrals move from satisfied customers. Profits are generated once overheads and price are less than the revenue generated from sales.It stands to reason then that in order to do profits, the business inevitably to get and keep satisfied customers.

Customer generation and retention move as the result of the inters between your staff and your profit source. Yet typically we don’t share our visions for service standards with our staff; neither do we spend time training them in how to do it well.Yes, OK, we mightiness do several sales training (although my experience is that little is actually done) but what just about training the accounts staff and the technical staff? They all act with customers at several time or another and it only takes one negative experience for the status quo to be interrupted.I’ve detected it aforesaid “Why train staff; they’ll only leave and go somewhere for more money”.

My perspective is this “Why take the risk of not training and having them stay?” The answer to the question “Just whose job is client service anyway?” is this: It’s everyone’s.

Let me leave you with this question: Are your profits in the hands of poorly trained staff whose main motivation is their next paycheck, or is it in the hands of motivated, profit-conscious staff who cognize the game plan and how to accomplish it?

Want to cognize more? Here’s a brochure you can see at your leisure. It’s called “How to Gain and Retain Much Customers - essential sales skills for everyone.” It’s a client service primer. To transfer your copy, just subscribe to my 7-part e-course “Why Customers Don’t Buy - and how to fix it” The brochure comes with the 1st part of the course. Just complete this form, click “Submit” and watch your inbox for your confirmation request.

A common question asked by self-employed service providers, consultants and coaches is “How more should I charge?”

Let’s take a look at this one…

I always start from the bottom line of the P&L. At the end of the day, you’re in business to do a profit, yet once I look at profit and loss statements, either I don’t see wages or I don’t see profits.

If you’re in business for yourself, the 1st thing to do is decide how galore hours per week you can invoice and how galore hours it takes to sell and prepare the work.

A accountant can invoice as galore hours per week as they are prepared to work. That may be as galore as 40 hours per week and at $55 per hour, that means the weekly revenue is as more as $2,200 per week - but that’s not waht they earn of course. Take GST, Superannuation, PAYG Tax, motor vehicle expenses, depreciation, phone, Computer network service, Insurance etc, etc, away and they may be able to draw $600 per week. Not more better that a wage is it?

Life or business caoching is the same. Clients are all too often aghast once told the fee is $300 per hour, yet they don’t consider the incurred costs. A coach may be able to sell 20 hours per week; the remaining time is spent in research, driving, client generation and the day to day management of the business. Yet they still want to take $75,000 pa in wages out of their business. To do that, they must charge $200+ per hour which does look like a lot of money once you do the basic mathematics but once you do a P&L on the business, it works out at a little more than a wage.

$15,000 per month turnover across 11 months equates to $165,000 pa. Draw $75,000 in wages and pay the usual expenses and your profit is just about $7,000.

Do the exercise for yourself; create an Stand out program and use these basic inputs:

Accounting
Bank fees
Bartercard fees
Bookkeeping
Car
Equipment leases
Insurance
Internet service
Legals
Marketing
Professional Development
Phone
Postage
Printing
Rent
Rep & Maintenance
Stationery
Subscriptions
Superannuation
Venue hire for promotional previews
Wages inc
PAYG
Website production and fees

Now calculate the monthly and annual price and compare with your revenue.

Let me ask you, are you charging what you should be?

The Difference Between The Better And The Also-Rans…

As a adviser and trainer in sales and the sales process, I’m often asked the question, “What does a top-performing salesperson?”

As with most things in life, the answer can be summarised in just two words, Attitude and Activity.

Attitude determines the difference between the better and the rest. The better don’t necessarily cognize more, they just do more and do it better and more frequently.

Activity is the manifestation of their desire to succeed.

Combined, they become Actitude - activity conducted with a positive attitude.

The 14 characteristics are essential reading for business owners, sales managers and salespeople…

Here are 14 of their characteristics…

1. They focus on their outcomes and don’t get distracted by trivia.

You won’t find them about the coffee pot or water cooler talking weekend sport on Mon morning at 9:30. They’re either on the phone or with a customer. They cognize and understand that quotas / targets are there to be exceeded, not thing to aim for. They focus on achieving their target as early in the month as possible because they cognize that the bonuses they earn by exceptional them keep their lifestyle. That’s why they go overseas on holidays once you go encampment or spend a week at the beach!

2. They are determined and persistent.

They maintain a positive attitude and always stay “Up” even as once the chips are down. On the occasions once it does go wrong, they bounce back quickly and ask themselves, “What did I discover from this, and how do I prevent it happening again?”

3. They always act “On Purpose”.

Every call, every letter, every visit is conducted for a reason. They cognize their intended outcome and fall-back position before they do contact with their prospect or customer.

4. They manage their time and guard it zealously because they understand the difference between Pressing and Important.

Important is their priority; achieving quota by providing efficient and exemplarily service to their customers. They recognise that Pressing is person else’s priority thrust upon them. They treat another people’s time with respect. Always on time for meetings and appointments, they don’t disrupt proceedings with irrelevancies or idle chatter.

5. They perform all tasks quickly and efficiently in the minimum of time, always working to pre-agreed timelines.

It’s true that the tasks you have to perform can easily expand to fill the time accessible to complete them. It’s besides true that if you want to get thing done, give it to a busy person. It’s easy for a employee to become bogged down in detail and paperwork. Often a littered table is a display of person trying to look busy, or at least busier than they are. The clutter acts as a block to prevent new activity responsibilities and ideas entering the workspace.

6. They establish clean communication rules.

Their peers and customers cognize how to contact them and the need to keep messages and information exchange short and precise. Their customers cognize that their calls wish always be returned and that phone tag is unnecessary. Likewise, top performers treat email as expeditiously as they do phone calls. Their golden rule for several written and verbal communication is, “Less is More.” Once handling enquiries and responses, they do not get adorned up on emotion, they focus on logic.

7. They are effective networkers.

They cognize that once networking, they’re not selling, just establishing and maintaining relationships with others who keep them with information. Once networking, they are active listeners rather than active talkers. Their positioning is that of sure friend instead of active promoter. 

8. They always keep their eyes and ears open, perpetually looking out for opportunities.

They notice adverts for Companies they could become suppliers or partners to. They write down prospect’s phone amount from their ads, vehicles and street collection and do contact with them. They are always prospecting and can ne'er have enough prospects in their pipeline.

9. They are pro-active, especially once things are slow.

Instead of groaning and complaintive that sales are down, they get on the phone and call past and existing customers as well as prospects to seek business or information.

10. They provide their upline managers with detailed, accurate and timely sales reports.

Successful sales don’t mask the truth of their calls with empty comments. Instead, they paint an accurate image of the conversation, the outcome and the next step they intend to take. This means their managers can identify marketplace trends and issues without needing to waste face-to-face time with their team or with customers.

11. They ne'er waste customers’ time with needless, digressive product pitches.

Indeed, they always take the time to understand their client and their business inevitably before even as thinking just about presenting their offering as a resolution or opportunity. Their mantra once presenting their product or service is, “Prescription without diagnosing is malpractice.”

12. They negociate from “No” instead of from Win: Win.

Always prepared to walk away from a bad deal or a poor quality customer, the most efficient of salespeople expect the sale to be ready-made on 100% agreeable terms rather than a compromise.

13. They look, act, think and behave as person their customers wish look to for advise.

They dress well, are careful of their personal habits, and proud to represent their Company.

14. They invest in their own education.

Every extremely booming employee has their own library of quality self-development materials and invests time up themselves, their skills and their product knowledge. They cognize that their attitude delivers their results and focus on the positives. They diligently attend sales training whenever offered and pay attention to new and several techniques and processes. They perpetually seek to improve their cognition of their own products and industry.

Do you think you have what it takes to be a top sales performer?

Take another look at this list and ask yourself the question, “How nice am I really?”

If you’re not achieving the results you should be, chances are that the answer you’re looking for lies somewhere in this list.

If you’re a sales manager or an employer, and your sales folk don’t exhibit the characteristics defined in this list, we need to talk! Call me for an obligation-free discussion just about what we can do to help.

Here’s the number: 07 3112 5033.

James.