Diva Sales Tips

Lovin’ all the wonderful tips, ideas and resources that have been flooding in each week!

Here’s a question I hope you’re brave enough to share.

Have you ever made a DOOFUS sales mistake?

Please share so other fabulous women can learn from you!

Wow, summer has flown by!

Your Sales Diva has been keeping herself busy, though. I can’t wait to share with you what I’ve been up to.

My Diva question for you this week…

What would be the biggest piece of advice you’d give to a newbie entrepreneur?

I love hearing from my subscribers!

That’s why each week I have a new, exciting question for you. I want to hear what you have to say!

Remember – when you post your response – we post your website.  (Talk about FREE PUBLICITY!)

My Diva question for you this week…

What part of sales or marketing makes your stomach go in a knot?

Tell me about it in the comments!

It was one of those days.

I had lots of work, feeling like there wasn’t enough timeto do it all, loads of visitors expected at any minute and my dog had just decided to throw-up on the carpet.

And in the midst of it all – I dashed outside to check my mailbox. It was stuffed full of fliers, bills… everything pretty ho-hum.

And. then. I. saw. it. Like a beam of sunshine radiating through the clouds (the one that when you’re a kid you think it looks like God):

A package. With handwriting.
And I knew it contained something FUN!

I opened it up and immediately started laughing.

It was a cute little notepad with a cartoon woman and she was saying…

“Put your big girl panties on and deal with it”

Honestly – I laughed so hard I had tears. It was EXACTLY the kind of mail I needed to lighten the load that day.

And yes – the little package came from one of my fabulous subscribers, Frankie Mueller.
(Thanks so much Frankie!!)

Here’s what Frankie wrote on the card:

“Kim,

I thought of you when I saw this notepad. The content in your newsletter is fabulous!

Thanks!

Frankie”
Do You Know The Best Secret To Keeping Your Customers Thrilled?

You do exactly what Frankie did.

If you want to stir the pot, create strong relationships, make an impact and show that you’re not just someone chasing the money…

YOU SEND FUN MAIL TO YOUR CUSTOMERS!

I bet you feel the same way about receiving a nice little handwritten card, envelope or package in the mail.

You feel special. You feel that someone is thinking about you.
And WE REMEMBER those people who make us feel special.

Listen – Your Customers Are Just Like You!

What can you send in the mail?

4 Rules:

1. It has to be ALL ABOUT THE CUSTOMER
2. You don’t include a bunch of sales material
3. Don’t send anything junky unless you know they’d love it!
4. It must be sent via mail or courier

What can you send? Easy.

• Thank you cards
• Birthday/Congratulations/Any type of card will do!
• An article, website info, cartoon, joke – anything that is tasteful and relevant
• A recipe
• Bubble bath
• Bookmarks
• Chocolate
• Books
• Magazine subscriptions
• Basically anything!

But Before You Start Licking Stamps

Also remember that you should focus your FUN MAIL efforts on customers, potential customers and also connections – who fall into your TOP 20.

Otherwise you’d spend your entire life at the post office – and really – we need you for more than that!

My Diva Dare To You?

Before the end of the week – I want you to send something to 5 of your favorite clients as well as 5 thank you cards to people who have helped you recently.

P.S. You’ll also discover that this is one sales activity you will fall in LOVE with!

So there.

Love From Your Bossy Sales Diva,

Kim

A few weeks ago my youngest niece got into a VERY big water fight.

The problem is that her Super-Soaker Gun had a major leak in it.

No matter how quick she was with adding water and hunting down her opponent – she immediately ran out of water!

And she was getting completely
DRENCHED.

One of the things I love about her is that she always knows when to move to PLAN B.

The sprinkler with a 20 foot hose, turned on full throttle became her new BEST FRIEND. (She was already wet so she didn’t care!)

Are Your Sales Getting Soaked Because You’re Running On Empty?

One of the most STUPID SALES MYTHS I’ve ever heard is:

“Every NO leads to a Yes.”

Oh no it doesn’t cupcake.

It leads to more NOs.

Doing the same thing over and over doesn’t mean that it is going to get any better. Especially if you’re doing the SAME WRONG THING over and over.

Egad.
So Where Are You Getting Drenched?

Are You…

• Still trying to do everything yourself?
• Not following up with customers quickly?
• Struggling with selling but not getting help?
• Sticking with what you did 2,3,5 years ago?
• Not connecting with clients regularly?
• Avoiding crunching the real numbers of your sales?
• Procrastinating on marketing yourself?
• In denial that you need to do some new things?

If you’re doing any or all of the above – then you’re walking with a leaky water pistol and you’ll receive a TON of NOs.

To Heck With The Stupid Sales Myth!

I think it’s time for Plan B don’t you?

I want you to go through the list I mentioned above. And I want you to choose 3 things you’ve been running on empty with.

I don’t care what it is.

Choose 3 things. And then do ONE ACTION STEP for each of them TODAY. (Not tomorrow, not next week – I mean right this minute lady)

You have nothing to lose. You’re already soaked – you may as well make it worthwhile!
And my 10-year old niece will be proud of you for finally deciding to move to Plan B.

So there.

Love From Your Bossy Sales Diva,

Kim

I LOVE my customers and my e-zine subscribers!

Why? They help me take my business to brand new levels of success.

The bulk of my business comes from referrals. It definitely motivates me to keep raising the bar for myself!

Do Your Customers Love You?

I’m sure they do but you probably don’t know for sure.
Which then makes it pretty tough to ask for referrals.
(In fact – it makes you shake in your boots a little bit doesn’t it?)

But if you’re a Scairdy Cat and DON’T ASK for referrals you’re missing out on TONS OF BUSINESS lady!!! (and it doesn’t cost you a cent!!)

So you probably keep doing things the hard way(which by the way gets you a 1-2% response vs a 90%+ response with referrals. (Remember – cold calling is only done by people who don’t know any better)

You Need To Think Of Referrals In A New Way!

Look – if I asked you where you got that beautiful haircut – you’d probably tell me.
Or what’s your favorite…

• Restaurant
• Networking Association
• Drycleaner
• Auto Repair Shop
• Grocery store
• Shoe repair shop
• Tailor
• Manicurist
• And so on!

You’re Asking For Advice And People Love That!

Repeat after me.

My customers want to help me. My customers want to help me.
My customers want to help me.

So why are you so afraid of asking them for their advice?

“Joan – you’re such a wonderful customer of mine and I’d really appreciate your advice. I want to expand my business this year with other customers just like you! Could you please introduce me via phone or email to some people that you think I could help?”

You’re not being pushy.
You’re not being bossy.
You’re asking for advice. (and you can word it any way you’d like)

And guess what? They’ll help you!

So How Do I Know Where My Referral Business Comes From?

Easy. I track it.

Because as Dr. Wayne Dyer says:

“You can’t grow what you can’t measure.”

So I Track:

• When someone purchases a product from my website – it asks them how they found out about us.
• I have an affiliate system – so I know who sends me business (and they get a commission for it too!) Everything is trackable.
• Actual e-mail introductions from previous customers.
• Subscribers that send my ezine to their friends and co-workers
• I even use ad-trackers in classified ads I purchase

Quit Whining About How Tough Business Is

Enough whining already. I can hear you all the way from Canada!

Business is fabulous.
There are SO MANY potential customers out there who would love to do business with YOU. (Too bad they don’t even know you exist)

You can change that! Tap into your current customers TODAY and give up your nasty Scairdy Cat routine. You’re so much better than that.

So there.

Love From Your Bossy Sales Diva,

Kim

I am soooo curious about your answer to this week’s question.

Besides your Sales Diva, where ELSE are you learning about sales and marketing?

Remember – when you post your response – we post your website.

(Talk about FREE PUBLICITY!)

Phone all of your top customers and ask them for their advice on a free teleclass you’d like to offer. Ask them what topics would interest them.My mom has a fabulous expression you’re going to love.

She believes if you want to make life a little more interesting then you need to …

“Stir The Pot”

So What Does Stir The Pot Mean?

I’m sure you’ve had this happen. (in fact – you may be experiencing it at this very moment)

You’ve been busy. Or distracted. Or focusing on something else (whatever that may be).

And during your “mental absence” your sales have slowed down -in fact, there’s nothing simmering at all.

And you’re starting to panic. Lots of heavy breathing, heart racing, 3 am wide-awake moments (and George Clooney nowhere in sight!)

Get out Your Wooden Spoon Lady!

It’s time to stir things up a bit.

I want you to set aside 3 hours. (YES – 3 hours – enough whining already!)

And you’re going to do some SERIOUS POT STIRRING.

How?

5 Ridiculously Easy Ways To Increase Your Sales:

1. Phone all of your top customers and ask them for their advice on a free teleclass you’d like to offer. Ask them what topics would interest the
2. Email the customers who have purchased from you…but they have settled down to the bottom of the pot. Ask them about the tele-class too.
3. Ask a potential customer that you’ve met recently, out for lunch. Ask them for feedback as well about a teleclass/product etc that you’re working on. Ask them what their challenges and goals are for their business as well.
4. Attend a networking function filled with people who are your niche!
5. Create a special blow-out offer and send it to all your SPECIAL TOP CUSTOMERS via a postcard or through your e-zine (oops – you DO have an e-zine don’t you??)

What Will Happen?

You connect with people you’ve been out of touch with.
You create top of mind awareness again.
People will say “I was just thinking about you….”
You’ll get feedback and ideas.
You’ll sell stuff.

And most importantly?

You’ll learn you CANNOT IGNORE YOUR CUSTOMERS. (next time you do that I’ll smack you with a “wooden spoon”)

So there.

Love From Your Bossy Sales Diva,

Kim

For those of you who don’t know – I come from VERY humble beginnings. I grew up in a little town so small it was actually called a HAMLET!

There are so many advantages to growing up in a little place like that. You’re surrounded by people who KNOW WHO YOU ARE. (now as a kid and especially a teen-ager – that can be both good and bad!)

And YET – it was from this tiny spot that I learned the sales skills that I now travel and teach internationally today.

My Best Sales Teacher?

The absolute best teacher for me was a wonderful, elderly gentleman named Mr. Farkas. He was a very tall and elegant man, who was always dressed very formally and yet he had eyes that twinkled and he was SO quick to smile.

He and his wife ran a little café in the center of town. They had the best of EVERYTHING to offer a 6 year old kid. Chocolate bars ( my favorite was the Wig Wag!) , a hundred different kinds of ice cream, penny candy by the jar (and all the jars were all lined up for you to drool over) and suckers and gum by the boatload.

For a little girl in the ‘70s – this place was magic!! But sometimes it felt a little overwhelming. I didn’t want to make a mistake and order something and then change my mind.

I would stand there with 25 cents in my hand – trying to make up my mind on what I wanted. And even though he had a line-up of other customers…

…Mr. Farkas never PUSHED ME TO HURRY UP and MAKE A DECISION.

Instead he would ask me this very simple question:

“ Kim, what are you craving today?”

And well – that always did it!

Because you crave something DIFFERENT every day and it also makes you feel that you can CHOOSE SOMETHING DIFFERENT another day! There was no risk.

Instantly what I wanted would pop into my mind and I would make a choice.

And this is what he also did.

He thanked me each and every time. He treated me the SAME as the adults who had spent hundreds of dollars in his café. I felt special.

And I loved Mr. Farkas.

What Can You Learn From An 80-Year Old?

Well – I want you to ask yourself:

1. Do You Know What Your Customers Are Craving? So often women come up to me and tell me about their product or service and how they are having a tough time selling it. And when I ask them “Did you ask your customers what they wanted?” – they look at me with a blank stare and then say “NO.”
2. Do You Push Your Customers To Make A Decision? My. Farkas was gentle with me and he knew what I was struggling with. Even a 6 yr old customer doesn’t want to make a mistake. And yet his gentle question took all the risk out of it for me. If you pressure your customers, I guarantee they will say NO. There has to be A REASON for them to buy now!
3. Are You Thanking Your Customers? This common courtesy has appeared to have DIED OFF. Are you honestly thanking people for their business? With eye contact, a hand-shake, warmth and gratitude? Thank you cards in the mail? How are you showing it?

Mr. Farkas Understood Selling Is All About Relationships

It doesn’t matter whether you sell face to face, on the phone or over the internet. People buy from people and companies they like, trust and respect.

What are YOU doing on a consistent basis to create a relationship of like, trust and respect?

If you have any doubt – just look at your bank account as it will tell you the honest answer.

Sales Skills and Poetry?

Once Mr. Farkas learned about my love of books – he and his wife would always ask me to come for tea and he would show me books from his collection. He instilled in me a life-long love of poetry and I will remember him always as someone who saw me as SO MUCH MORE than just a customer.

I Diva-Dare You To Do That For Your Customers.

So there.

Love From Your Bossy Sales Diva,

Kim

I hope you’re enjoying the dog-days of summer!

Quick question for you though.

What are you doing through out the summer so your sales don’t disappear?