Need Sales? Get Leeds!

Don't Assume You Can Close on the First Sales Call, Unless You're Selling…

Sales Tip of the Week from Mike Leeds – Pro Sales Coaching

Don't Assume You Can Close on the First Sales Call, Unless You're Selling... Girl Scout Cookies!

With the exception of Girl Scout Cookies, your sales effort should be a process. The goal of your initial contact should be to gain interest in your product or service, begin to understand if your prospect has a need that you can fulfill, and then move to the next step.

Don't assume when you reach your prospect for the first time that they're available to spend time with you. Avoid the "feature dump" of your product or service before you understand your prospect's needs.

With Girl Scout Cookies, the process truly appears to be a "single call close" (meaning you want them, or you don't want them). The only questions may be how many do I want, and how many Girl Scouts are in the area (so you can divide up your order)? There are some other products or services out there that can result in a "single call close" but these are few and far between.

The next step can be to schedule an appointment when the prospect has set aside time to meet or speak with you. From this point, it is possible to combine the steps of the sales process (data gathering/needs analysis, proposal/presentation and close) depending on your product or service.

Keep in mind that proceeding to the next step with your prospect is a "mini close" and you're on the right track.

My favorite Girl Scout Cookie: Thin Mints that are stored in the freezer (but they sure don't seem to last long).

Mike's Upcoming Sales Skills Workshops for July…

1. Sales Skills 301: Negotiating and Closing Skills

Date/Time: Friday, July 18, 2008 from 9:00am – 12:00pm

Location: 201 N. Central Ave., Ste 2700 - Phx

Investment: $59 (through July 14) or $69 (after July 14)

Register today at 602-418-4955 or mhl@prosalescoaching.com.

2. Creating Your Effective Networking Commercial!

After learning some tips to develop an effective 30-second networking commercial, we will work on your specific message. Your opening statement will create customer interest and assist you with developing networking relationships that are critical to your business development.

Date/Time: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 from 10:30am – 12:00pm

Location: Arizona Small Business Association at 4130 E. Van Buren St, Ste 150 - Phx

Investment: ASBA Members - $30 or Non-members - $40

Register today at 602-265-4563 or rsvp@asba.com.

Have a great sales week!

Blogging Really Works!

Sales Tip of the Week from Mike Leeds – Pro Sales Coaching Blogging Really Works!

Bottom Line: I landed a new client in NYC from my blog. I've been blogging regularly since October, 2007 with the help of Dave Barnhart from Business Blogging Pros. Dave got me excited about the new opportunities and connections people make through effective use of their blogs. A couple of months ago, I received a phone call from a consulting firm in New York, NY looking for assistance with developing a sales process for their team - they read my blog, and checked out my website. What is really cool about this is that there are people who offer services like mine right in mid-town Manhattan (although I'm very partial to my particular services). Additionally, I probably never would have found them through traditional prospecting methods (but they found me through my blog). Blogging really works! 

Below are some tips I’d like to offer for your blog:

1. Make the topic relevant.
2. Keep it short (if you need more detail - link to a website).
3. Make it readable (be cautious when using technical words, abbreviations and acronyms).
4. Make it educational (give at least one great tip).
5. Have fun with it.
6. Invite comments from others.
7. Blog regularly.

Please check out my upcoming public workshops by visiting my website or scrolling down to my previous blog post from June 1. Have a great sales week!

Take Care of Your Customers and Watch Your Network Grow

Sales Tip of the Week from Mike Leeds – Pro Sales Coaching 

Take Care of Your Customers and Watch Your Network Grow 

Finding new customers can be a challenge at times. The old saying, “retaining an existing customer is at least 10 times more profitable than finding a new customer” is very true. So, how do you increase your customer base? While “hunting” for the new client can be very exciting, maintaining the existing client can be very rewarding for many reasons. First, satisfying a current client allows you to extend your business relationship while you have the ability to potentially cross-sell and up-sell (generating additional revenue). 

Second, you may enjoy the benefits of being referred to additional customers. Let’s face it – happy customers will tell other people about you. I recommend that you review your customer list to see where the business has come from (creating a family tree of sorts). You may find that some of your customers are referrals from a referral (from possibly another referral). This is about as cool as it gets! Reach out to these referring customers, let them know how much you appreciate them, and never take them for granted. 

Mike’s Upcoming Sales Skills Workshops for June… 1. Sales Skills 101:

• Tips for Profitable Prospecting
• The Secrets of Selling Your Benefits
• Creating & Selling Your Total Value

Date/Time: Friday, June 20, 2008 9:00am – 12:00pm
Location: Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, 201 N. Central Ave., Ste 2700, Phx
Investment: Chamber Members - $59.00, Non-members - $69.00

Register today to Norma Macias at 602-495-6484 or nmacias@phoenixchamber.com. 

2. Creating Your Effective Networking Commercial! 

After learning some tips to develop an effective 30-second networking commercial, we will work on your specific message. Your opening statement will create customer interest and assist you with developing networking relationships that are critical to your business development. 

Date/Time: Tuesday, June 24, 2008 10:30am – 12:00pm
Location: Arizona Small Business Association at 4130 E. Van Buren St, Ste 150 - Phx
Investment: ASBA Members: $30.00; Non-members: $40.00

Register today at 602-265-4563 or rsvp@asba.com. 

3. Sales Management 501: Creating Accountability and Coaching for Results 

Date/Time: Friday, June 27, 2008 9:00am – 12:00pm
Location: Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, 201 N. Central Ave., Ste 2700, Phx
Investment: Chamber Members: $59; Non-members: $69

Register today to Norma Macias at 602-495-6484 or nmacias@phoenixchamber.com 

Have a great sales week!

What Sales People Can Learn From 1st Responders.

Sales Tip of the Week from Mike Leeds – Pro Sales Coaching

What Sales People Can Learn From 1st Responders.

1st Responders (Police, Fire, and EMT) spend countless hours training and preparing, so they can calmly and professionally handle situations as they arise. Sales professionals can utilize a similar approach to improve sales situations. Consider the steps below to assist your efforts:

1. Be prepared at all times – Have your “sales tools” accessible with you in the field. Consider using a check-list to make sure you have extra business cards, sales collateral pads of paper & pens, and any product samples with you (or in your car).

2. Always assess the situation before you react – Gather information and avoid knee-jerk reactions. Understand the emotional climate of the customer and realize that timing is everything.

3. Rely on your training, react accordingly and follow protocol – Most situations have some common denominator that you have either seen, or prepared for in the past. Always listen first and then follow your plan or process. This will help eliminate operating on emotion or adrenaline.

4. Stabilize the situation and escalate or call for back-up as appropriate - Escalate to a Subject Matter Expert or member of your management team for additional support (don’t wing it). An alternative would be to let the customer know you will find the answer for them and will contact them within a specific timeframe.

Mike’s Upcoming Sales Skills Workshops & Public Appearances…

1. Creating Your Effective Networking Commercial!

After learning some tips to develop an effective 30-second networking commercial, we will work on your specific message. Your opening statement will create customer interest and assist you with developing networking relationships that are critical to your business development.

Date/Time: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 ● 10:30am – 12:00pm

Location: Arizona Small Business Association at 4130 E. Van Buren St, Ste 150 - Phx

Investment: ASBA Members - $30 or Non-members - $40

Register today at 602-265-4563 or rsvp@asba.com.

2. Rev Up Your Sales – a seminar presented by the Phoenix Business Journal

Mike will join Kathryn Odell (Sales On-Site) and Mike Marcellus (Tip Club) to discuss how to increase sales volume while maximizing your current efforts using everyday technology, proven strategies and current business & social trends.

Date/Time: Thursday, May 29, 2008 ● 7:30am – 10:30am

Location: Desert Willow Conference Center ● 4340 E. Cotton Center Blvd, Ste 100 - Phx

Investment: $65

Register today at events.bizjournals.com/4552.

3. Sales Management 501:

Creating Accountability and Coaching for Results

Date/Time: Friday, June 6, 2008 ● 9:00am – 12:00pm

Location: Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce ● 201 N. Central Ave., Ste 2700 - Phx

Investment: Chamber Members - $59 ● Non-members - $69

Register today to Norma Macias at 602-495-6484 or nmacias@phoenixchamber.com.

Have a great sales week!

Part 2 - Change your Wording… Improve your Results!

Sales Tip of the Week from Mike Leeds – Pro Sales Coaching

Part 2 - Change your Wording… Improve your Results!

A slight modification of some words may have a huge impact upon the people you are attempting to reach. This impact may translate to improved sales results for you.

Replace cheap with less expensive or a lower investment. The word cheap usually means less money, but also may mean it doesn’t have much value to the consumer - or may imply lower quality. If we have options that require less of an investment, we may want to say less expensive or requires a lower investment - which may have the connotation of a lower return (see my last blog post for more on this topic). However, we’re not cheapening our offer.

Replace discount with incentive. When you discount your products or services, you may also lessen the perceived value of your offer to the customer. If you lower your price once – your customer may also believe that you’ll do it again. This issue may create confusion with your stated pricing (or investment) model – or create a wrong perception of your position in the marketplace. If you must offer a lower price option to your customer, I suggest integrating it with a “call to action” from your customer. For example, offering an incentive if the customer purchases within a certain time-frame, or even bundling options (which will be discussed in a future blog post). The comedian Jeff Foxworthy has a joke about going to a discount laser eye surgeon. How appealing does this sound?

Try out these words to see how they impact your business.

Mike’s Upcoming Sales Skills Workshops & Public Appearances for May…

1. Sales Management 501:

Creating Accountability and Coaching for Results

Date/Time: Friday, May 9, 2008 ● 8:30am – 11:30am

Location: Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce ● 201 N. Central Ave., Ste 2700 - Phx

Investment: Chamber Members - $59 ● Non-members - $69

Register today to Norma Macias at 602-495-6484 or nmacias@phoenixchamber.com.

2. Creating Your Effective Networking Commercial!

After learning some tips to develop an effective 30-second networking commercial, we will work on your specific message. Your opening statement will create customer interest and assist you with developing networking relationships that are critical to your business development.

Date/Time: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 ● 10:30am – 12:00pm

Location: Arizona Small Business Association at 4130 E. Van Buren St, Ste 150 - Phx

Investment: ASBA Members - $30 or Non-members - $40

Register today at 602-265-4563 or rsvp@asba.com.

3. Rev Up Your Sales – a seminar presented by the Phoenix Business Journal

Mike will join Kathryn Odell (Sales On-Site) and Mike Marcellus (Tip Club) to discuss how to increase sales volume while maximizing your current efforts using everyday technology, proven strategies and current business & social trends.

Date/Time: Thursday, May 29, 2008 ● 7:30am – 10:30am

Location: Desert Willow Conference Center ● 4340 E. Cotton Center Blvd, Ste 100 - Phx

Investment: $65

Register today at events.bizjournals.com/4552.

Have a great sales week!

Change your Wording… Improve your Results!

Sales Tip of the Week from Mike Leeds – Pro Sales Coaching

Change your Wording… Improve your Results!

A slight modification of some words may have a huge impact upon the people you are attempting to reach. This impact may translate to improved sales results for you.

Replace cost with investment. Cost is usually a one-way or one-time transaction. If you purchase a candy bar for a cost of $1, it may satisfy your craving, but an hour later there won’t be any additional benefit to you. When we think of investing our money, we expect a return on our investment. The return can be short-term, long-term, or both. If we believe our customers will benefit from our products or services, their investment will create a return or bottom-line impact to their business. For example, for an investment of $1, you’re return on investment will be $10 (a bottom-line benefit of $9).

Replace free with no charge or complimentary. The word “free” states it won’t cost anything, but also communicates that there may not be any value to your offer. Many people are skeptical of free offers – expecting there to be catches. If you’re asking people to attend a free event, they are investing their time as well as out of pocket expenses – receiving value for their investment is critical. I addition, there probably are some inherent costs to what you are providing, and you are just choosing not to charge the customer.

Try out these words to see how they impact your business.

Mike’s Upcoming Sales Skills Workshops for April & May…

1. Creating Your Effective Networking Commercial!

After learning some tips to develop an effective 30-second networking commercial, we will work on your specific message. Your opening statement will create customer interest and assist you with developing networking relationships that are critical to your business development.

Date/Time: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 ● 10:30am – 12:00pm

Location: Arizona Small Business Association at 4130 E. Van Buren St, Ste 150 - Phx

Investment: ASBA Members - $30.00 or Non-members - $40.00

Register today at 602-265-4563 or rsvp@asba.com.

2. Sales Management 501:

Creating Accountability and Coaching for Results

Date/Time: Friday, May 9, 2008 ● 8:30am – 11:30am

Location: Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce ● 201 N. Central Ave., Ste 2700 - Phx

Investment: Chamber Members - $59.00 ● Non-members - $69.00

Register today to Norma Macias at 602-495-6484 or nmacias@phoenixchamber.com.

Have a great sales week!

What’s a “Customer for Life” Really Mean?

Sales Tip of the Week from Mike Leeds – Pro Sales Coaching

What’s a “Customer for Life” Really Mean?

Many sales people are focused on the sales opportunity in front of them instead of focusing on a lifetime of sales from a customer

I recently was at a supermarket, and I observed an un-satisfied customer speaking with the cashier. The situation didn’t go well as the customer left their merchandise at the register, didn’t pay, and walked out of the store upset. The manager didn’t hear the conversation, and approached the cashier after the customer had left to inquire about the situation. The first comment I heard from the cashier in defense of his position was “it was only a couple of items” (I saw a gallon of milk, a carton of orange juice, and 2 yogurt containers). The manager asked the cashier to go the office a wait for him. I was the only other person in line, and after he processed my purchases he would join the employee. The manager apologized for the situation, and thanked me for my business. As I was leaving the store I could see that he had closed the check-out lane, and was heading to the office.

Think about the value of this customer relationship. Most of us shop at grocery stores fairly close to where we live, and we may have a few options to choose from. A recent Maricopa County statistic stated that the average homeowner lives in their home for 5 ½ years. If a family spends $100 a week at the grocery store, the potential worth of that customer is $28,600 over the 5 ½ year period. The $6 in food I saw could have been from a regular customer, since it looked like a mid-week replenishment of items. What is the long term worth (or lost opportunity) of this particular customer?

If you solve your customer’s problem or fulfill their need, provide the products/services you committed, and treat them fairly – you have an excellent chance of maintaining the relationship. In addition to a long term customer, think of the additional referrals that may follow. When you calculate the long term value of a customer making repeat purchases from you – the numbers may surprise you!

Mike’s Upcoming Sales Skills Workshops for April…

1. Sales Skills 100 (The Sales Basics):

● A Dozen Ways to Do Sales
● Developing & Conducting a Professional Sales Call
● Developing Your Sales Process

Date/Time: Friday, April 18, 2008 ● 9:00am – 12:00pm

Location: Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce ● 201 N. Central Ave., Ste 2700 - Phx

Investment: Chamber Members - $59.00 ● Non-members - $69.00

Register today to Norma Macias at 602-495-6484 or nmacias@phoenixchamber.com.

2. Creating Your Effective Networking Commercial!

After learning some tips to develop an effective 30-second networking commercial, we will work on your specific message. Your opening statement will create customer interest and assist you with developing networking relationships that are critical to your business development.

Date/Time: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 ● 10:30am – 12:00pm

Location: Arizona Small Business Association at 4130 E. Van Buren St, Ste 150 - Phx

Investment: ASBA Members - $30.00 or Non-members - $40.00

Register today at 602-265-4563 or rsvp@asba.com.

Have a great sales week!

“You Better Have a Warrant”

Sales Tip of the Week from Mike Leeds – Pro Sales Coaching

“You Better Have a Warrant”

The topic of this blog is about “Dressing for Success” and is based on a true story about one of my first sales calls.

At the end of October 1981, after 3 months straight of training with AT&T, I was out in the field and ready to finally see customers. These were the last couple of years of the traditional AT&T Bell System, and the divestiture of AT&T was already being planned. I was part of the “new” AT&T sales force which would operate in the competitive post-divestiture environment.

The new AT&T employees were indoctrinated to a very formal training process that rivaled companies such as IBM and Xerox. On our first day, we were given the book Dress for Success and instructed to use this information to create our wardrobe. The corporate dress code in 1981 Phoenix was “business casual.” It was rare to witness someone dressed in a suit and tie; especially during the weeks between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

After completing my training, I reported to my office on Phoenix’s Central Avenue in my navy blue suit with a solid white long sleeve dress shirt (I don’t recall the color of my tie, but would be willing to bet it was red). My assigned territory was the lodging/hospitality market, and I had scheduled an appointment with one of my new accounts. These were exciting times, and after 3 months of training I was glad to be out in the field. Instead of driving our own cars for our business appointments, we used vehicles from the Mountain Bell Motor Pool. The car I was assigned was a mid 1970’s Dodge Coronet (a popular car model of police departments at the time). The Mountain Bell logos on the doors were faded, and the 4-door white car was also equipped with spot lights, simple hub caps, and black-wall tires.

The account I was visiting was located on Van Buren Street (the “red light” district of the city). As I pulled into the parking lot of the motel, people started scattering and I wondered what was going on. I got out the car, put on my suit jacket and walked in the front door. Some additional “guests” made a quick exit as I approached the registration desk. The motel manager, wearing a tank-top style t-shirt and shorts, quickly walked up to the desk as I was taking off my sun glasses and said, “This time you better have a warrant”. I was stunned by this comment and responded by saying, “Sir, I’m from the phone company, and…”. The angry manager cut me off said, “You’re not a cop… so get the $#&! out!”

I was devastated as I returned to my office. My manager and some of the veteran Account Executives had a hard time containing their laughter when they heard my story. I thought I was set-up and this was some sort of rookie hazing. It wasn’t. I was one of three Account Executives assigned to the Lodging market and had a variety of property types ranging from the Van Buren motels to some of the larger resorts in the valley. Our directive was to dress in business attire (suit and tie) for all sales calls. This worked fine for the business hotels and resorts, but I still had a number of lodging properties where this attire wouldn’t work. It took me over 2 weeks to get special approval to “dress down” to visit the balance of my accounts.

Finally, approval came and I dressed in a Mountain Bell polo-style shirt and business casual slacks. At the motor pool, I picked up an AMC Gremlin (hardly confused with a police car) and returned to the motel where I was asked to leave. This time, no guests scattered as I entered the property. I introduced myself to the manager who was dressed about the same as he had been the last time we “met”. After we both apologized to each other about the event from a couple of weeks back, we had a great business conversation. Within a week from that point, I closed the sale.

Bottom line: I suggest working to find a balance between respect for the customer’s comfort level and the image you are portraying as a representative of your company. This is a major factor in building business relationships.

Mike’s Upcoming Sales Skills Workshops for April…

1. Sales Skills 100 (The Sales Basics):

● A Dozen Ways to Do Sales
● Developing & Conducting a Professional Sales Call
● Developing Your Sales Process

Date/Time: Friday, April 18, 2008 ● 9:00am – 12:00pm

Location: Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce ● 201 N. Central Ave., Ste 2700 - Phx

Investment: Chamber Members - $59.00 ● Non-members - $69.00

Register today to Norma Macias at 602-495-6484 or nmacias@phoenixchamber.com.

2. Creating Your Effective Networking Commercial!

After learning some tips to develop an effective 30-second networking commercial, we will work on your specific message. Your opening statement will create customer interest and assist you with developing networking relationships that are critical to your business development.

Date/Time: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 ● 10:30am – 12:00pm

Location: Arizona Small Business Association at 4130 E. Van Buren St, Ste 150 - Phx

Investment: ASBA Members - $30.00 or Non-members - $40.00

Register today at 602-265-4563 or rsvp@asba.com.

Have a great sales week!

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?

Sales Tip of the Week from Mike Leeds – Pro Sales Coaching

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?

This blog title may sound familiar – it’s a 70’s song title from the group Chicago…

Daylight Savings Time started today (Sunday) for most of the USA. I’ve assembled some helpful tips to keep in mind when dealing with customers or prospects across the country.

1. Keep in mind that 48 of the 50 states follow Daylight Savings Time (DST). The exceptions are Arizona and Hawaii, along some of the Native American Reservations, and the U.S. Territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

2. When making phone calls across the country, maximize your results by considering the time zone you’re calling. For example, west coast salespeople may want to start their day by calling the east coast. Since it’s coming up on lunch time in the Eastern Time Zone and nearly half of their work day may be over. (If you specialize in calling back east, you may want to alter your work day and get an early start – vice versa if you’re calling from east to west.)

3. Never assume that the number you are calling is physically located in that area code or time zone. With the portability and mobility of today’s wireless technology, many people keep their established cell phone numbers when they relocate (in addition to traveling). For example, one of my neighbors here in Scottsdale has a 310 area code (Los Angeles) for his work/cell number. He relocated here from L.A. a couple of years ago and his number is well circulated among his client base. If you’re not sure about someone’s location ask what time zone they’re in.

4. When making a phone appointment, always use the customer’s time zone as a reference point. To reduce confusion (especially if you’re in AZ or HI), you do the math. For instance, I look forward to speaking with you on Wednesday at 10:00am your time (or Central Time).

5. If you’re in one of the areas that does not participate in Daylight Savings, using the name of your standard time zone can be very confusing and can create many issues. For example, if I schedule a conference call and state that it starts at 8:00am Mountain Standard Time (since AZ isn’t on DST), my call participants may think I really meant Mountain Daylight Time and I’ll be an hour late. If you’re located in AZ, I suggest that you eliminate the confusion by adopting Pacific Daylight Time as your time zone (as opposed to repeatedly explaining to people that we’re really still in Mountain Standard Time).

6. Take advantage of the additional hour when calling your customers in the European Economic Community during this period of DST.

7. Since last year, DST has been extended by 3 weeks. The time will change back to Standard Time on November 2, 2008.

Special thanks to Jim Graham from Maximum Business Advantage, LLC for his contributions to this blog topic.

Make sure you attend the AzSalesPros Quarterly Sales Conference - where you will benefit from some of our experts to help you expand your business.

Date/Time: Wednesday, March 12, 2008 ● 7:30am – 12:00pm

Location: 9659 N. Hayden Rd, Scottsdale, 85258

For more Information or to Register - click here.

Mike’s Upcoming Sales Skills Workshops for March…

1. Sales Skills 201

● Creating Effective Sales Collateral
● Creating Customer Loyalty
● Preparing a Professional Presentation

Date/Time: Friday, March 21, 2008 ● 9:00am – 12:00pm

Location: Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce ● 201 N. Central Ave., 27th floor – Phx

Investment: Chamber Members - $59.00 ● Non-members - $69.00

Register today to Norma Macias at 602-495-6484 or nmacias@phoenixchamber.com.

2. Creating Your Effective Networking Commercial!

After learning some tips to develop an effective 30-second networking commercial, we will work on your specific message. Your opening statement will create customer interest and assist you with developing networking relationships that are critical to your business development.

Date/Time: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 ● 10:30am – 12:00pm

Location: Arizona Small Business Association at 4130 E. Van Buren St, Ste 150 - Phx

Investment: ASBA Members - $30.00 or Non-members - $40.00

Register today at 602-265-4563 or rsvp@asba.com.

Have a great sales week!

Take your PAL with you on your next sales call.

Sales Tip of the Week from Mike Leeds – Pro Sales Coaching

Take your PAL with you on your next sales call.

PAL stands for purpose, agenda, and limit.

Too often, sales people go into an appointment without a clearly defined objective. When I’ve asked salespeople about the purpose of their customer meeting, I’ve heard comments like “because they are one of my largest accounts”, or “I haven’t seen them in a while”. Be careful not to waste your customer’s time, or your time on a sales call without substance (these calls are also known as “howdy calls”). Establish a purpose for your appointment. For example, placing sales orders through your website, that may benefit your customer by saving them time and streamlining their internal process.

Your agenda needs to include all of the items necessary to meet your stated purpose. Create a written list of action items to be discussed during the sales call. The PAL should also be discussed with your customer, so they understand why you’ve requested their time and the objective of your sales call. If your customer has any issues they want to discuss, these should be addressed first, even if that means your agenda will be delayed until a future meeting. Customer issues always supersede the salesperson’s agenda.

The limit component of the PAL corresponds to the time allotment of the sales call. It’s important that you never exceed the amount of time your customer has scheduled. If you need additional time, try saying “I see we’re running short on time today, can I schedule another appointment with you to continue our conversation?” Your customer will appreciate that you respect their time. If you have created customer interest, they will give you another appointment, or allow you additional time during your current appointment. Time extensions need to be the customer’s call, not the salesperson’s call.

Take your PAL with you next time you make a sales call. I think you and your customer will both benefit.

Mike’s Upcoming Sales Skills Workshops for March…

1. Sales Skills 201

● Creating Effective Sales Collateral
● Creating Customer Loyalty
● Preparing a Professional Presentation

Date/Time: Friday, March 21, 2008 ● 9:00am – 12:00pm

Location: Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce ● 201 N. Central Ave., 27th floor – Phx

Investment: Chamber Members - $59.00 ● Non-members - $69.00

Register today to Norma Macias at 602-495-6484 or nmacias@phoenixchamber.com.

2. Creating Your Effective Networking Commercial!

After learning some tips to develop an effective 30-second networking commercial, we will work on your specific message. Your opening statement will create customer interest and assist you with developing networking relationships that are critical to your business development.

Date/Time: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 ● 10:30am – 12:00pm

Location: Arizona Small Business Association at 4130 E. Van Buren St, Ste 150 - Phx

Investment: ASBA Members - $30.00 or Non-members - $40.00

Register today at 602-265-4563 or rsvp@asba.com.

Mike also recommends the AzSalesPros Quarterly Sales Conference - where you will benefit from some of our experts to help you expand your business.

Date/Time: Wednesday, March 12, 2008 ● 7:30am – 12:00pm

Location: 9659 N. Hayden Rd, Scottsdale, 85258

For more Information or to Register - click here.

Have a great sales week!