About the Author: Elinor Stutz is CEO of Smooth Sale, LLC, International Author, Sales Trainer & Coach, and Motivational Speaker.

Upon viewing a relatively new television show about doctors, I recognized it left me in a state of not really caring about any of the characters or ever watching it again. The only characters building relationships were two young patients who were attracted to each other. There was little chemistry between the doctors, the doctors and their patients, or the cast and their viewing audience!
When you sell, it is important to recognize all of the markets from whom you must get the go-ahead signal. In the case of television shows, the script writers and actors also must keep in mind the people who are able, with one click of the remote, to turn the show on and turn the show off.

On the other end of the spectrum is the wildly popular show, Grey’s Anatomy. Advertisers are the fourth and a huge audience for this television series. It’s apparent the show is highly acclaimed just by all of the advertisers they have added into their coveted hour. This show not only plays but it sings to all of its audiences and has become an enormous success.

Business development is dependent upon your current mindset. When you step back to analyze everyone you must sell to and how to do it effectively for your greatest success (including positive word of mouth and referrals) you will grow your sales by leaps and bounds. Take the time to determine who your real prospects are, what needs they commonly have and how you can market to them. Effectively communicating your business services will land more prospects in your sales funnel.

Building relationships with your prospects will dramatically grow your sales, repeat business, referrals and testimonials. Soon you will be viewed as the expert and easily lead your customers to purchasing more. You will be closing more sales exponentially. This is our model for the Smooth Sale!

“Il nous faut de l’audace, encore de l’audace, toujours de l’audace!” -  Frederick the Great and then later Napoleon

It is fairly rare that you will find me quoting a Frenchman, but this is one of those occasions.  I was reading Schom’s biography of Napoleon when I came across this quote.

The jest of this quote is that must have audacity, audacity again, always audacity.  A bold commander never gives up the aggressive initiative to his enemy.

As a start-up, even when you have great success you have to keep going.  Great sales success is not an excuse not to do more marketing.  Great new features in a product are not an excuse not to build the next great thing.

This probably means extended time of 15 hour days, doing sales calls on weekends, answering support tickets at crazy hours, and never losing the audacity that got you success in the first place.

It is in this effort that you will win.  Your competitors are not your friends.  They are the enemy, and you must step on their throats and cut off the very air they breathe.   Every customer/user they add is one you never are getting.  Start-up life is a blitzkrieg land grab, and you need to push every day to steal the next inch of ground.

Winning is what this game is about, and that is what determines who gets to cash the big checks at the end of the day.

About the Author: Elinor Stutz is CEO of Smooth Sale, LLC, International Author, Sales Trainer & Coach, and Motivational Speaker.

A telemarketer interrupted my busy Monday morning catch-up. It sounded as if she had an important survey so I relented and said “Yes” to providing a few minutes of time to answer her questions. She proceeded to ask the first of a series of long-winded question to which I immediately replied “No”.

I answered “No” five times and yet, this tele-marketer refused to hear me. Instead, she kept reading the page until she finished and then repeated herself by again asking me to answer Yes or No. My final answer was, “Are you not listening?”

Whenever you desire something, whether personal or business related, you must change your mindset from getting what you are after to listening for possibility. Your #1 priority should be to listen first. Pose a question and listen to the answer; if the answer is unclear ask it be clarified. Only then will you know how to proceed.

Next, position your request in terms of what you were just told. Make your message attractive to perk their interest – this is precisely how you will get more prospects into your sales funnel. Direct communication is key.

When you speak succinctly others will see you as a leader and expert in your field. Adding the element of a dialog with your prospects will indicate you potentially offer a decent customer service policy. All combined, you will be well on your way to securing the favor you were seeking.

Proceeding in the manner described while building relationships, you will attract larger markets, close more sales and develop a loyal clientele. This is the secret to enjoying the Smooth Sale!