Whether you are just starting out a career in Sales & Marketing or already the Guru of Sales & Marketing , here are 10 best of Sales & Marketing Articles on Appitive.com and wait till tom for the best of “The Big Idea“

1. Hey Mr. Sales Professional, do you face Sales Resistance?

Many individuals do not like being sold to. Nor do they particularly warm up to salespeople. Here are top six reasons for the same.

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2. Mr. Sales Rep if asking for a referral sends shivers down! Read this.

Do you know why the majority of sales reps do not ask for referrals on a consistent basis?

They’re cowards.
They fear rejection or the worry that they’ll be seen as too pushy or aggressive or they think the customer won’t like them and maybe even stop doing business.

Touch a chord?
You know this, right? Referrals are the single most powerful way to increase sales. Referrals are a hela’uva alot easier to close because there is a degree of affinity. And they close in less time because the trust level is higher. But above all, they close at a much higher rate; as much as 70%.
It’s okay to be a coward. That’s human. It’s not okay to NOT ask for a referral. That’s foolhardy.

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3. Mr. Salesman this is how you can close a Deal

After going through the body of the presentation outline, the salesperson should try to close the deal. However, if the client is ready to purchase the product or service only partway through their presentation, the salesperson should stop talking and start pulling out the signing papers. More talking might just end up raising concerns. The salesperson should always have their closing papers with them, because closing may happen at any time and at any location. He should also ensure that he can access the closing papers quickly and easily, and that the closing papers are fresh, clean, and neat in appearance. Use a calculator rather than a pencil and paper when making calculations to reassure clients about their accuracy.

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4. Are you suffering from the fear of Cold Calling?

The phrase ‘If you take no action, nothing will happen’ makes perfect sense to me. However, I still hear fellow coaches making many excuses or giving reasons for not actually picking up the phone to prospective clients to find out how they might work with them.

You must do something if you want something to happen. All the positive thinking in the world won’t get you your dream prospective clients. You need to let them know why they should use you, where you are and what’s special about you.

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5. Every Leader is a Salesperson

What images, thoughts and feelings come to mind when you think of or hear the word “salesperson”?

* Stereotypical, slick-talking, used car sales people
* Well-spoken financial manager
* The guy everyone loves who sells his wares on the golf course

Whether you have positive thoughts and feelings about salespeople or decidedly un-positive, the purpose of this article is not to suggest or defend any of these images or thoughts. Rather, my purpose is to state an iron-clad fact.

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6. Finding a New Customer

Here are some other tips you can use when finding customers:
* If a prospect does not get back to you, take it as a no. Look for other buyers and channel your energies elsewhere.

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7. The Hell or High Water Commitments for Sales

The drill of selling is what a salesperson has to do every day, month, and year to succeed. In order to develop a sales plan, a salesperson should know his or her key selling metrics. The first of these key selling metrics is a salesperson’s close ratio, which is the total opportunities a salesperson has attempted to close in a specific period divided by actual sales closed in the same period. Knowing this figure is vital to understanding a salesperson’s overall selling effectiveness, as a low close rate can indicate potential issues in prospecting and qualifying.

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8. How do Salesperson develop a good rapport with their phone!

Before attempting to sell, a salesperson should develop a good rapport with their phone. Salespeople use the phone many times in a day, and must know how to use it to their advantage.

When dealing with incoming calls, it is best to answer the phone on the third ring. Answering on the first ring gives the appearance of having nothing to do, and answering after many rings suggests a lack of interest in the customer.

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9. Do this to Achieve more Sales

I have always believed that becoming a successful sales person requires learning how to sell yourself first. This is because buyers “buy into” the seller initially before they do the product or service.

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10. Networking is not a Verb: Take this Card and Shove it

When your business suffers an economic downturn, you will discover that the best asset you have is the business relationships you have created. The business relationship you have built with your customers, employees and vendors is the only competitive capital you have.

You must nurture a network of personal and business relationships. This takes effort and diligence. You must remember that everyone is a prospective client so treat everyone that way.

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