Thursday, January 25, 2018

Identify, anticipate and engage your customers like never before...



#RetailTech #customerengagement @facenote #facerecognition #bebetter #sellmore #happycustomers #smile4melissa #melissashoes

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

A New/Old Tool for Personal and Business InSight



Tarot is a reflective tool for knowing and understanding...
Tarot can provide you In:Sight into yourself, your relationships, your business.
Think of Tarot as a reflective tool, like a session with a heart-centered counselor to guide you on the journey of discovery... like a priest, rabbi, therapist, coach.
You have the answers and Tarot will help you uncover them.
Gayle Stacher

Monday, October 9, 2017

What is Your (Business) Learning Style?



Learning styles graph
"Research shows us that each learning style uses different parts of the brain. By involving more of the brain during learning, we remember more of what we learn." 

The same principles apply to educating employees, clients, vendors, and prospects. Messages repeated and reinforced in multiple learning modes are more likely to be absorbed and internalized.

Communicate to the needs of the audience.
If you are curious about your learning style: https://goo.gl/zfXG6v

#businesslearning #learningstyle #learningreinforcement
#consistency #onmessage #rinseandrepeat

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Intuition is at the intersection of knowledge, experience and intelligence.


Heuristic v. Algorithmic

#Intuition is at the intersection of knowledge, experience and intelligence.


Heuristic, in a nutshell is an "Educated guess". Wikipedia explains it nicely. At the end, a "general acceptance" method is taken as an optimal solution to the specified problem.

Heuristic is an adjective for experience-based techniques that help in problem solving, learning and discovery. A heuristic method is used to rapidly come to a solution that is hoped to be close to the best possible answer, or 'optimal solution'. Heuristics are "rules of thumb", educated guesses, intuitive judgments or simply common sense. A heuristic is a general way of solving a problem. Heuristics as a noun is another name for heuristic methods.

In more precise terms, heuristics stand for strategies using readily accessible, though loosely applicable, information to control problem solving in human beings and machines.

While an algorithm is a method containing finite set of instructions used to solving a problem. The method has been proven mathematically or scientifically to work for the problem. There are formal methods and proofs.

Heuristic algorithm is an algorithm that is able to produce an acceptable solution to a problem in many practical scenarios, in the fashion of a general heuristic, but for which there is no formal proof of its correctness.

    Cognitive Bias
    There exists potential for cognitive biases in using heuristics in judgment and decision making, including:
    • Availability heuristic – estimating what is more likely by what is more available in memory, which is biased toward vivid, unusual, or emotionally charged examples.
    • Representativeness heuristic – judging probabilities on the basis of resemblance.
    • Affect heuristic – basing a decision on an emotional reaction rather than a calculation of risks and benefits.

    Thursday, March 16, 2017

    Become an Expert Sales Manager... in 28 not so simple steps.


    BUSINESS TO BUSINESS SELLING
    COURSE OUTLINE

    ·      This course is designed for owners and executives of consumer product companies seeking to increase their Business-to-Business sales effectiveness.
    ·      On completion of this course participants will have a better ability to sell their product, manage accounts, internal sales people and sales representatives, and implement a more effective B2B revenue growth strategy.
    1)    Sales Psychology
    a)    The Professional Salesperson is a Business Consultant
    b)    Sales as a Profession
    c)     Seller-Buyer Equation
    d)    The Sales Personality
    e)    Eight Roles for Sales Professional to excel in B2B Sales
    2)    Buying Psychology
    a)    Buyer Profiling
    b)    Buying Influences
    c)     Buyer fears & Risks
    d)    Buyer expectations
    3)    Strategic Sales Planning
    a)    Define USPs & Value Proposition
    i)      What is the compelling story?
    b)    Identifying Market Segments & Market Potential
    c)     Competitive Analysis - SWOT
    d)    Setting Sales Goals - Month/Quarter/Annual
    4)    Tactical Sales Planning
    a)    Prioritizing Markets & Products
    b)    Identify highest potential Accounts/markets
    c)     Set call priorities and frequencies
    d)    Breaking monthly goals into daily action items
    e)    Developing a prospect call schedule for maintaining healthy Pipeline
    5)    Territory and Channel Planning
    a)    How to organize your sales territory to maximize productivity
    b)    Selling into multiple market channels and retailer types
    c)     Product/market Mapping
    d)    Manage/Travel the territory in most time efficient manner
    6)    Time Management
    a)    Optimal use of golden hours of selling
    b)    Differentiate selling from non-selling activities
    c)     Reducing Interruptions
    d)    Quantify value of time
    e)    Inbox Management
    f)      "ROE" Gap Analysis
    7)    Prospecting
    a)    Sales prospecting fundamentals
    b)    Create Prospect Profile to identify most profitable customers
    c)     Active Prospecting - Identify resources to Locate Ideal Prospects
    d)    Passive Prospecting - Lead generation methods
    e)    Tactics to identify and reach medium-to-high level decision makers
    f)      Prospecting best practices for improving prospect quality
    g)    Pre-Qualifying a Lead
    8)    Pre-Call Planning & Research
    a)    Customer Profiling - Organizational & Individual
    b)    Identifying power people within the buying organization
    c)     Identify the six decision-making roles involved in B2B sales
    d)    Understanding buying process, buying influences & buyer personalities & fears
    e)    Developing a Prospect Specific Value Proposition
    f)      Pre-Planned Script - Anticipating conversations
    g)    The four essential objectives for every sales call
    h)    How to plan and prepare for every sales call
    9)    Relationship Selling
    a)    Understanding business relationships.
    b)    Components of a positive business relationship.
    c)     Analyze & assess relationships with every key person in your territory.
    d)    How to assess a customer’s personality style quickly and accurately.
    e)    Improving your relationships by adjusting style
    10) Communication Skills and the Sales Conversations
    a)    Types of communication - verbal and nonverbal
    b)    E-Mail Communication
    c)     Recognizing positive & negative signs in other people & how to communicate more effectively.
    d)    Identifying communication & personality tendencies
    e)    Understanding your own personality tendency
    f)      f. Adjusting communication style to suit people of different personalities.
    i)      How to phrase questions
    ii)     How to present ideas
    iii)   How to respond to questions & concerns
    g)    Persuasive communication
    i)      Vocabulary and semantics which impact action
    ii)     Assumptive v. Asking
    h)    Listening Skills
    11) Competitive Analysis & Strategy
    a)    Competitor to Product/service Matrix
    b)    Competitor Analysis Quadrants
    c)     Objections Quadrant
    d)    Neutralize, Prevent and/or Respond to Competitor Created objections
    e)    Competitor's Weaknesses
    f)      Unique and Distinctive Selling Points
    g)    Creating Objections for Your Competitors
    12) Trade Show Sales and Trade Marketing
    a)    Selecting the right show(s) and location
    b)    Setting a budget and measurable and achievable objectives
    c)     Designing a stand that attracts customers and helps sells your product
    d)    Pre-show marketing and opportunities to stand out during the show
    e)    Utilizing sales agencies to build show effectiveness
    f)      Effective sales materials, merchandising and promotions
    g)    Engaging trade press to maximize exposure
    13) Integrating Wholesale into Website/Online Presence
    a)    Tools to save time, pre-qualify prospects and increase sales conversion
    b)    Building retailer and consumer awareness
    c)     Providing information of value to prospects
    d)    Communicating experience and feeling to the retailer and their customer
    14) Independent Sales Representation
    a)    When to hire, when to fire
    b)    Sourcing and qualifying
    c)     Training and managing
    d)    Standard procedures and rules of engagement
    i)      Commissions and payment terms
    ii)     Showrooms, trade-shows, samples and support materials
    iii)   Key account sales
    iv)   Benchmarks and goals
    e)    When to expand your internal team
    i)      Sales management
    ii)     Telemarketing
    15) Preparing your staff to sell – Cold-Calling (Telephone)
    a)    Using a warm-up call or email
    b)    Cold-Calling as a process to systematically qualify a prospect.
    c)     Opening a Sales Call - Build Rapport within first few moments
    d)    Cold Calling Etiquettes & Ethics
    e)    Planning & Setting Call objectives
    f)      Overcoming Call reluctance or Fear of cold calling
    g)    Getting Past the Gatekeepers
    h)    Communicating with top-level executives
    i)      Strategically manage initial contact objections over the telephone
    j)      Securing Appointments
    k)     Acquiring agreement for customer actions
    l)      Turning incoming calls into sales
    16) Pre-appointment Planning
    a)    Communicating the Agenda
    b)    Sending across information in Advance
    c)     Re-Confirming the appointment
    d)    Preparing self
    17) Sales Appointments
    a)    Maintaining Professional Appearance & Body Language
    b)    Opening a Sales Call - Build Rapport within first few moments
    c)     Judging Customer’s State of Mind & adjusting accordingly
    d)    Setting the meeting agenda & objectives
    e)    The interim close - Acquiring agreement for customer actions
    f)      Defining Purpose, Agenda, Action Items & perceived outcomes next steps
    i)      Follow-Up Meeting
    ii)     Product Demo / Sales Presentation
    iii)   Product Test or Pilot Program
    iv)   Proposal Submission
    g)    Convert screeners and gatekeepers into coaches
    18) Asking Questions
    a)    Asking questions in a Conversational manner (as opposed to being Interrogative)
    b)    Etiquettes while asking questions
    c)     Three question-asking strategies to confidently handle any situation.
    d)    Getting a customer to share deep & important information with you.
    e)    How to effectively use open vs. close-ended questions.
    f)      WIN Analysis - using questions to uncover true Wants, Issues & Needs
    g)    Asking Questions to
    i)      Develop future/latent Needs
    ii)     Understanding the buying Process
    iii)   Identifying all decision makers
    iv)   Classifying decision makers as - Gatekeeper, Integrator, Virtual Authority, User, Power Broker
    v)    Identify other buying influences
    h)    Preparing powerful questions
    19) Proposing a Solution
    a)    Quickly identify needs only you can fill
    b)    Proposing a Solution with Benefit Statements
    c)     Strategically position yourself as a partner to your prospects
    d)    Lead the prospect to rule-out the competition by setting the buying criteria around your USPs.
    20) Responding to Questions/concerns
    a)    Handling questions/requests for Price & Proposals
    b)    Why is it good when they ask for a discount
    c)     Eliminating Doubts
    d)    Handling an irate, rude or threatening customer
    21) Overcoming Objections
    a)    Exploring and expecting Objections
    b)    Responding to the most Common Objections
    c)     Objection Prevention, Acknowledgement and Diffusion Strategies
    22) Product DEMOs & Sales Presentations
    a)    Preparing a Presentation
    b)    Organizing & Logistics of a presentation
    c)     Presentation tactics to present persuasively.
    d)    Public Speaking and Selling Skills
    i)      Confident Public Speaking and Overcoming Fear
    ii)     Opening & closing
    iii)   Keeping them alive & interested
    iv)   Presentation Etiquettes
    v)    Managing time
    vi)   Using Q&A to enhance your credibility
    e)    Steps in answering Qs
    i)      Verify that you understand the question
    ii)     Clarify the intent of the question
    iii)   Answer the question with right amount of information
    iv)   Confirming if their question was answered
    f)      Most common questions that you will face and knock-out answers
    g)    Handling Hostile & Competitive Questions
    h)    Dealing with hostile or disinterested audiences
    i)      Common demo mistakes and how to avoid them.
    j)      Handling Product Crashes and Bugs
    k)     Dealing with objections during a demo/presentation
    l)      Establishing credibility with technical audiences
    m)  Establishing credibility with C-Level and executive audiences
    23) Writing a Proposal which stands out from your competitors’
    a)    Visual cues
    b)    Establishing credibility and trust
    c)     Solution Driven
    d)    Actionable information
    24) Follow-Ups
    a)    Staying in control by knowing where each of your priority prospects are in the sales process
    b)    Anticipate & block competitor advances
    c)     How to advance the buying process
    d)    How to shorten the sales cycle
    25) Negotiating
    a)    Seven step process to Guided Negotiations
    b)    Avoiding Discounts or Using Them as a Sales Tool
    c)     Gaining commitments
    d)    Adversarial v. Principled Negotiations
    e)    Ways to counter adversarial tactics
    f)      Means to Establish Power
    g)    Understanding "Needs, Interests, Wants" model to develop negotiation strategies
    26) Closing
    a)    When to & when not to Close
    b)    Closing techniques
    i)      A few comfortable closes
    ii)     How to create an urgency
    27) Pipeline Management
    a)    Calculate a more accurate pipeline
    b)    Updating & renewing the pipeline
    c)     Action-plan for top prospects for things to be done in order to close
    d)    Analyzing Lost Sales - Identifying strategy & timeline to win them back
    28) Post Sales
    a)    On-Boarding
    b)    Referrals & testimonials
    c)     Repeat business
    d)    Up-Selling
    e)    Cross-Selling
    f)      Building Loyalty
    g)    Creating Spokespeople


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