The harder the training the easier the battle

Basic training

In the army this motto gets an entire new meaning, but in sales this phrase is important as well.

Since the last financial crises 2 years ago it seems that the economy is still limping, sales people all over are in the middle of a war, a war to success, a war to earn, a war to stay.

In war only the well trained, well equipped and well planed survive.

If you want to win you need to practice, hard. And the meaning of practice in the world of sales is similar to the way we use to practice in the army.

First – we start be learning and practicing the basic, and in sales the basic practice start with listening, perhaps the most important skill in the sales world. My advice is to start practicing by simply asking someone a question (it can even be a complete stranger) and listen to him, try to see how much information you can remember from that talk. Try to practice your memory, try to remember without writing, that way you will be able to look at your client while talking.

Another important skill one most practice is, well, the most slandered field: cold calling.

Unlike what many people think – cold calling doesn't necessarily involve phone. A cold call can be (in my opinion) walking into someone's office and asking for a meeting, calling a number someone gave you – any interaction you have with someone how don't know how you are – that's clod call.

How to practice? Well, that's not that complicated task. Pick up the phone, take a drive and try to get some appointment simply by walking into someone's place.

The importance of the basic training is to get used to the felling of doing it. You need to be able to do those thing naturally, as if you've doing it your entire life.

We'll meet again for the second part of basic practice.

Write me and tell me how you deed: nitay.alon@gamil.com

 

Networking not Net - resting!

When talking about networking, one thing should come first – the meaning of the word: Networking.
The true meaning of the English word can be found in the 2 words that build networking – Net (like fishermen's) and Work.

The main idea in networking is using a system of personal connections in order to promote goals and ideas of the network members.

We need to think about our network like a fishermen's net. We can cover larger area with less effort and time. We can use our net for every purpose but fishing net requires maintains – a lot of it.

What does it mean – to maintain the network?
Well – first thing first. Giving business cards in a party – isn't networking. Is nice, we do it often, it's not networking. Networking is all about building strong, solid relationship with others people and this is were most people go wrong. They don't try to or they can't maintain their network properly, and when they need something or they are looking for something and they try to do it throw the net work – they fail.

Building and maintaining your network is a full time job. But with the modern tools we have today – there is no reason to lose connection in first place.
So – how to build and maintain your network in 6 simple steps:
1. Give first – than ask: the most important role of networking. Give the other side first, and then think about yourself and about your goals.
2. Anyone is a member of your network: never underestimate someone. Anyone you meet and develop a relationship with is your most important member. Treat everybody with the same respect and treat him as best as you can. Listen to him, help him solve his problems – how knows, maybe he's connected to the man you desire the most to know.
3. Nurture your network daily: personal mail, phone calls, lunch, whatever. Make it a daily routine to work on your network. Connect with the people in your network; send them articles that will interest them. Refer prospect to them.
4. become available: a friend gave you a referral – deal with it as fast as you can. You we're invited to lunch – go for it. People should know that you are there for them always. Devote 30 minutes a day to develop new connections. You can find the people you want on LinkedIn, or google on company you wish to do business with to find a name. use your network to reach him.
5. Br active – refer, call, meet, participate BNI meeting, be on LinkedIn, just be there!
6. remember – it's not the quantity but the quality that meters, it's not about the number of people in your CRM it's about the number of people you can call and they will answer immediately that meters.

Good luck networking.