Top 7 Keys To Closing More Sales During The Second Half Of 2006

How would you like to jump-start your sales effort during the second half of 2005? Here are 7 rock-solid selling ideas you can use to WOW your customers and demoralize your competition.

1. Develop a system for everything. There's a fundamental reason why
   companies like McDonalds, Disney, and FedEx do so well. They have
   systems for getting things done. You can too. Think about
   systematizing all repetitive tasks. Quit reinventing the wheel every day and you'll close more sales.
   
   
2. Schedule your priorities instead of prioritizing your schedule.
   Read that line again and let it soak in. Keep two lists. One is the long view and the other is the short view. The short view is what you should be doing today. These lists should be in writing. If you are creating these lists with an electronic planner - be sure to print it, so you can see it and refer to it often throughout the day.
   
   
3. When you're in the selling mode keep the A.I.D.A. principle in
   mind. A-ttention, I-nterest, D-esire, and A-ction. This model has
   been around a while because it works.
   
   
4. Rise and shine 30 minutes earlier everyday - especially if you're
   lagging in the sales quota department. Allocating an additional 30 minutes every day will enable you to plan more effectively, think more creatively, exercise more regularly, read more frequently, and outfox your competitors more profitably.
   
   
5. Hit the books. There are no excuses for not knowing something.
   None at all. It doesn't take time to succeed in sales it takes
   knowledge. For example, doing a Google search on these phrases
   yielded these results:
   
   Sales questions - 56,400,000
   
   Closing the sale - 6,030,000
   
   Negotiating - 13,100,000
   
   Sales tips - 25,900,000
   
   Sales techniques - 16,300,000
   
   Price objections - 1,420,000
   
   You'll get a wealth of information just reviewing the first couple of pages created by your Google search.
   
   
6. Keep track of your success. Measure your success and be sure to
   measure what matters most. Applying a yardstick to everything you do is the quickest way to turn around your sales performance.
   
   Pretend you're Swiss Cheese - and find the holes. Even if your numbers are good right now, they'll get even better when you track all key elements of your sales performance.
   
   
7. Poofread your work. Actually, it should have said Proofread your
   work. When you're running fast you're likely to make more mistakes. The more important the communication is, the more time you should spend proofreading and editing the copy. You're always being judged and the customer is doing the judging. Reading your document "Out loud" will help you catch mistakes before it's too late.

Jim Meisenheimer shows salespeople how to increase sales and earn more money. Get his FREE No-Brainer Sales Tips E-letter and his Special Selling Report, "The 12 Dumbest Things Salespeople Do." Go here now
http://www.meisenheimer.com