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Copyright 2005-2010 McCord Training 4202 Gleneagles Midland, Texas 79707 |
Dynamic Sales Growth |
432-853-8685 info@mccordandassociates.com |
Proven Strategies to Build Your Sales in a Troubled World |
Articles |
Below you'll find links to over one hundred articles by Paul McCord. These articles may be reprinted with full attribution, the attached short bio, and links to this website and the Sales and Sales Management Blog. |
Know Who Your Client Knows Want to grow your referrals? Learn how to know who your client knows that you know you want to be referred to--and then ask specifically for that referral. |
Turn Your Client Database into Gold Learn how to turn your client database into a consistent flow of new business. |
Developing a Referral-Based Mindset If you want to become a referral-based seller, you must learn to think like a referral-based seller. |
Referral Selling Isn't About Your Want lots of referrals? Learn how to make referral-selling client centered. |
Why Clients Resist Giving Quality Referrals Most clients resist giving quality referrals because of the way you ask. Find out why asking for referrals creates too many problems to overcome. |
Stop Prospecting Forever How to generate referrals for professional services personnel. A top 10 article in Advisor Today in 2007. |
5 Reasons You're Not Getting the Referrals You Want There are the 5 major sins most sellers commit when trying to get referrals--and each one is a referral killer. |
How to Overcome Client Reluctance to Give Referrals Reluctant client? Learn how to get great referrals even from clients who may be hesitant to give referrals. |
7 Ways to Immediately Increase Your Referrals From Clients 7 quick fixs to help you get more and better referrals from your clients |
Using Incentives to Get Referrals Although you don't have to give incentives to get referrals, if you want to give them, make sure they don't hurt you more than they help you. |
Referrals Are a Waste--Introductions are Gold Just getting a name and phone number isn't a referral and isn't worth much. Turn names and phone numbers into direct introductions |
After You Get the Referral Once you get the referrals DON'T just go and call the referred prospect. Learn how to contact the prospect for the greatest chance of success. |
Why Referrals Are the King of Marketing--Just Not for You Although the most effective way to build a business, for most sellers referrals are a total failure. Learn how to make them work for you. |
Referral Sources or Referral Partnerships? If you're using your contacts as referral sources instead of creating partnerships with them, you're missing the boat--and a ton of business. |
Meeting Your Client's Expectations Isn't Enough You must meet your client's expectations, of course, but if you ignore their product or service needs and try to force a product or service to fit where it really doesn't, you'll still end up with an unhappy client. |
Finding Your Niche It may not sound right, but instead of trying to be all things to all people, finding your marketing niche and concentrating on it can rocket your sales. |
Developing Client Trust Trust is the key to a successful client relationship. What you do is the key to building trust |
Selling as a Profession If you're not comfortable calling yourself a seller, then you're in the wrong business. |
Stop the Busy Work and Sell Sellers have a difficult managing time. Learn how to get rid of time wasters and spend your time making money, not wasting it on busy work. |
Handling Rejection No matter what you sell, you'll face rejection everyday. How you handle that rejection will determine how successful you are. |
Do You Need to Fire Your Employer? Is your employer failing you? Maybe you need to judge your employer based on this analysis and see if you need to get a new one. |
Recognizing Your Biggest Competitor You must recognize who your biggest competitor is and develop a plan to overcome it. |
Fear, Failure, and Choices As sellers we only have four primary activities to perform--and for most of us, getting them done is secondary. No wonder so many of us fail. |
The Myth of Exceeding Client Expectations We claim to seek to exceed client expectations but we never do. Why? Find out why you don't and how you can |
Getting Back on Track Take these positive steps to get your sales career back on track |
Can It Get Any Stranger? As our sales teams lose sales, what tends to be our answer? To do more of what we're doing that isn't working. Can it get any stranger than this? Do we need a new vision, new direction--or doing more of what isn't working really the answer? |
Selling in a Weak Economy No need to panic. Selling in a weak economy can be just as successful as selling in a strong economy--just follow these guidelines. |
The Three Most Important Words for Sales Success Master these three words and you'll succeed at sales |
Speak Your Way to Success Becoming known as the local expert in your field will attract new clients. Since the person on the podium is by definition the expert, learn to speak your way to success. |
The Power of the Press Release Free publicity that's far more powerful than the most expensive ad you can buy and you're not using it? Shameful. |
Secrets to Successful Marketing Partnerships Marketing partnerships can be tremendously powerful business builders. Learn how to create partnerships that will last and bring in tons of new business. |
Moving Beyond Marketing Cold calling, direct mail, advertising, and networking are fine. But if you're not taking advantage of these powerful tools you're missing out on building your sales business. |
Projecting an Expert Image Developing an expert image will increase sales and client trust. Here's how |
Three Secrets to a Successful Networking Event Maximize your time and success when you attend networking events |
Financial Services: Just Another Commodity? If you sell financial services, you better learn how to overcome the commoditization of your products and services. Here's how to start |
The Death of Personal Marketing As more and more prospects decide they no longer need salespeople to help them analyze and solve their issues, how can you overcome the change and retain a place in the sale? |
You Can't Scream Loud Enough How can you reach your prospects when they are inundated with so much marketing they can't even hear you? |
The False Promise of Word of Mouth Marketing Word of Mouth Marketing sounds great but don't be confused about what it can and cannot do |
Who Are You Marketing? Are you marketing the company you sell for or yourself? You better get it right. |
Low Cost, High Impact Positioning Sets You Apart From Your Competition Learning to use the tools of Public Relations saves dollars and puts you in a class above your competition |
"And according to . . . " Becoming the expert doesn't have to cost a fortune but can open doors you'd never expect |
Netting a Return on Networking Successful networking requires discipline, planning, and a focus on the prospect. Here's how to do it. |
Why Decision Makers Hate Cold Calls You may not like it. It may make you angry. But here's how most decision makers really see your cold call. No wonder there are so many better ways to connect with a prospect |
Redefining Sales Management's Role is Inevitable The role of sales manager is becoming increasingly more transparant with the advent of sales automation and CRM programs. No longer will sales managers be able to avoid responsibility for making personnel and administrative decisions. Sales managers will now have to become real managers |
Is CRM Failing? The answer for most sales departments is YES. Here's how to make it work. |
Will Data Ever Be More Than Just Numbers to Sales Management? Technology can collect huge amounts of data--but will its value ever be utilized by sales management? |
Are Sales Metrics More than Just Another Way to Harass Salespeople? Those sales numbers are worth far more as coaching tools than just numbers to beat salespeople up with. |
The Waste of Sales Training Why sales training is a waste and how to make it work for your team. |
Sales Call Reports--Are They Worth the Hassle? They're full of lies, hopes, wishes, and some truth. Are they really worth all the trouble? |
Fire Your Recruiter and Start Hiring Top Talent Want top sales talent? Forget recruiters and focus on building a recruiting program |
A First-Time Manager's Story: A Lesson in Wasted Talent and Money This is so common--and so unnecessary. If you're a company leader, don't let this happen in your company |
20 of the Top Sales Resources on the Web Check 'em all out 'caus they're all worth the time |
Goals, Planning, and Real Change Does setting goals really help or is it just a waste of time? Some science may help you decide. |
Never a Cold Call, Always an Introduction Turn your unwanted cold calls into welcome introductions |
Selling Is Your Business--Run It Like a Business As a seller, you run your own business. Learn to run it like a business. |
From Water Cooler to Pipeline How you spend your time turns into your paycheck. Here's how to control your day so you have the paycheck you want. |
What Does a New Sales Manager Cost? Are you wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars on new sales managers? You don't have to |
Moving Sales Out of the Dark Ages Are you still lost trying to sell in the Dark Ages? The market's changing, you better too. |
Does Your Work Cover Up Your Fear of Working? Do you work hard without working in order not to have to do what you don't want to? Many salespeople do. Here's how to get it under control |
Are You Skeptical? Should you be investing as much time in social media as some trainers want you to? Are you skeptical also? |
Client or Customer? Is It Important? you bet it is |
Terriers and Hounds Everybody wants to hire the salespeople with the terrier personality and no one wants the hound. Which is the better hire? |
A Lesson In Why Sales Training Fails Want to know why the sales training you pay for never 'works'? Here's the answer--and the solution |
Two Keys to Great Client Relationships No, one isn't being liked by your client |
Charity Can Be Great Business Put some time into charities and reap the sales rewards |
Consistency in Training Relates Directly to Consistency in Production If yoiu want your sales training to 'take,' make sure every bit of training and coaching is consistent with one another. Sending mixed messages will kill training effectiveness |
Green Up Your Sales Whether you believe in Global Warming or not, selling green makes sense |
Can We Reclaim Our Place in the Sales Process? As more prospects decide they don't need our help, how can we reclaim a place in the sale? |
Effective Client Communication Break through the clutter to get to your client |
Trust, Prospects, and Communication Do your communications teach your clients to trust you? |
Is Your Follow-up Communication Committing Prospecticide? Is what you send your prospects killing your chaces of a sale? |
It's Time to Leave Orwellian Selling Behind Do you try to deceive or hide by the words you choose? Maybe it is time to leave Orwell's language behind and start communicating truthfully with prospects and clients |
Measuring Your Words--Everything You Say Has a Price to be Paid Know the price before opening your mouth |
A Bad Customer Service Department Doesn't Have to Kill Your Client Relationships Does your company have Customer Service issues? Take matters into your own hands if you want to save your hard won client relationships |
Questions are the Answer Asking probing questions doesn't have to make you come across as a CIA interrogator or make your prospect uncomfortable. Don't try to follow a questioning formula as many teach, instead treat your prospect the way you would a friend or spouse that has a problem you really want to understand |
The newest articles are at the bottom of the page |
Questions, Objections, or Dead Ends? Why do so many salespeople have difficulty understanding when a prospect is asking a real question, when they are objecting to the purchase, and when they're saying they don't want to continue the conversation? Have we really lost the ability to understand what our prospects are saying? |
Can B2B Salespeople Succeed Without Cold Calling? Although it is possible to succeed in sales without using the phone to connect with prospects, why would you want to risk failure that way? You can overcome your fear of calling--and if you do, you'll sell more, make more, have more fun in sales. |
The REAL Dirty Secret about Selling that Will EXPLODE Your Sales Career Looking for the ultimate secret that top producers know? Well, here it is--free. |
Resist the Hype While Taking Advantage of Social Media in Your Sales Forget the absurd hype about how social media is going to change selling. It isn't. But that doesn't mean it won't help you sell more. |
The Medium, The Message, and the Financial Advisor The methods you use to prospect tell your prospect as much about you and have as much influence on them as the word you say when you speak to them. |
Are You a Sales Professional or Semi-Skilled Laborer? Is sales a real profession? If so, are you a professional or just a semi-skilled order taker? |
A Pep Rally Isn't Sales Training There's a time for a motivational pep relly and a time for hardcore sales training. They aren't the sme and they aren't interchangible. Now the difference or waste your money. |
Avoiding the Price Question Early in the Sale Prospects naturally are very interested in your pricing but addressing it too early in the sale is bad for both you and the prospect. Here's how to answer the question truthfully without being too specific. |
For Sales Training to Work, Companies Must Change Their Idea of What Sales Training Is Companies tend to think of sales training as an event--the exchange of information that will improve their sales team's performance. It isn't. Sales training must focus not on information exchange but rather on behavior change. |
From Classroom to Paycheck If you want to be successful you must learn to convert what you learn into actions that change the way you work. |
Is Your Company Value Statement Killing Employee Morale? If your company value statement is all words and no action, it may be doing far more damage than good. |
Management Spy or Sales Aid--What is the Purpose of Your CRM System? Is your system really to enhance customer service or to micromanage your employees? |
Panic and the Rise of Micromanagement--Killing Sales from Within In a tight economy it isn't uncommon for management to panic because of slower sales. Panic leads to micromanagement which leads to even lower sales production. |
Science, Your Brain, Imagination, and Success and Failure There really have been some studies that strongly indicate that what you believe and think about is what you are or will become. |
Survey Results: What Prospecting Methods do Prospects Really Resond To? Survey conducted by McCord Training in the summer of 2009 about which prospecting and personal marketing methods sellers use that prospects really responded to to purchase goods and services. |
Track the Wrong Numbers, Get the Wrong Behavior The sales numbers you track will influence the behaviors you reinforce or change, so if you track the wrong numbers you'll end up reinforcing the wrong behavior. |
The Last Thing Your Sales Team Needs is a Manager Your team needs a Sales Leader, not a sales manager. But Sales Leaders are developed. Left on their own you sales managers won't know how to become a leader. Here's how to create sales leaders for your sales team. |
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Management Lessons from the LSU Tigers In less than one and a half minutes the LSU Tigers coaching staff teach us what we need to know about how not to be a great manager. |
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A New Year, a New Decade: Turn Your Possibilities into Actualities Now is the perfect time to take the steps necessary to move from potential to top producer. |
Leading the Rapid Growth Organization Does your company have the three leadership types necessary for rapid growth? |
Want Referrals? Find Them for Your Client and Then Have Your Client Give Them to You Just asking for referrals won't get you far because your client really doesn't know who to refer. But if you find the referrals for your client, you can get lots of great referrals from every client. |
Hey, Sales Leader, How Are You Taking Care of Your Customers? Do you know who your real customers are? Are you a real servant to them? If not, maybe you're the cause of their sales issues. |
What Are You Teaching Your Prospects and Clients About Your Value to Them? All of your communications with your prospects and clients teach them to either pay attention to you because you bring value to them or to ignore you because all you do is waste their time. Which do you do? |
Has Your Joy Been Drained? The last two years have been tough but Mr. B.J. and Miss Chloe have some advice to get you back on track. |
4 Steps to Powerful, Effective Sales Meetings 95% of sales meetings are team killers. Here's how to turn them into team builders. |
Are You Hearning Without Listening? One of the most common--and damaging--sales sins is hearing with words you prospect says but not really listening. Improve your skills and you'll improve your sales. |
Is This How You "Discipline" Your Sales Team? Do you use sales meetings to discipline your sales team? If so, the problem isn't with your sales team--it is with you. |
Snakes, Scorpions, Gila Monsters and Objections: Handled Correctly None of These Are Deadly Objections don't have to kill your sales--you just have to know how to handle them to avoid their poison. |
Now Is Not The Time to Let Down Your Guard Think the economy is good? Don't let down your guard now because it may not be. |
Seller, Where Is Your Sense of Urgency? If you're not following up on leads immedately, you don't even have a chance at getting the business. |
Three Keys to Making a Networking Event Really Work for You Just showing up at a 'networking' event is a waste of time. Learn how to invest your time and make it pay dividents through networking. |
A Short Lesson in Attaining Excellence I was reminded of just how little it takes to go from satisfactory to excellent. |
7 Signs Your Sales Team Has Serious Troubles If you see any of these 7 signs in your sales team, stop everything and find out what the root cause is and correct it. |
5 Motivational Aids--Keep the Passion Flowing Success isn't an accident it takes a unique combination of desire, commitment, and energy to become successful. Here are 5 quick ways to make sure the passion stays strong. |
A New Definition of Sacrifice in Relation to Work? Is Gen Y redefining the role of sacrifice in terms of work? |
In Sales Training, New Doesn't Necessarily Mean Better--In Fact, It Probably Isn't Is the new and original thinking by the hot new sales guru really better than established thinking? Probably not. In fact, it is probably worthless. |