It’s a noisy background so please listen closely. Jim was humble and said he’s been interviewed by a few journalists….check out his site and you’ll see what types of journalists have covered him (I was impressed!)

Check out his website at www.jim-haynes.com

OK – if you’ve been receiving my e-zine over the years (and if not – SNAP TO IT LADY!) you know that I love shoes.

Love. Love. Love

And I also love NICHE SELLING – when instead of trying to appeal to everyone (always a crappy sales strategy) you appeal instead to the hot, niche market that will love you!

A great example of this came across my desk this week and it cracked me up – you’ll love it:

http://shoetube.tv./

I am someone who surrounds myself with positive quotes, pictures, people – you get the idea!  I absolutely NEED it – it helps keep me uplifted, energized and hopeful. (and we ALL have days when we need a little boost!)

 Here are a few of my secret inspiration pick-me-ups.

 I LOVE receiving Daily Quotes and here are 2 FREE resources that I adore:

1) http://www.kristincoach.com/  I love the quotes Kristin has chosen – always seem to come in exactly when I need them!

2) http://www.tut.com/  Mike Dooley was one of the featured speakers on The Secret – he is weird (but in a lovely way) and I absolutely love his “Notes From The Universe.” In fact – I went out and bought both of the books!

Andddddddd – if you want some Daily SALES INSPIRATION – then you had better click here for my 365 Daily Sassy and Savvy Sales Quotes From Your Sales Diva!

 (They aren’t free – but they may AS WELL BE – I only charge $27 for the ENTIRE YEAR.)

http://www.salesdivas.com/motivational-tips.php

You’ll get a laugh, you’ll get a different perspective and you’ll also get some resources, and the people who receive my DAILY quotes say this:

“Kim -where have you been all my sales life???
Like I said before, I LOVE your stuff!”

                                                                  Pauline Relkey http://www.paulinerelkey.com/

Check it out here:

http://www.salesdivas.com/motivational-tips.php

Something I use to refresh my brain and to put the end to writer’s block – is to play this hilarious little word unscramble game called Chicktionary. 

(Because really – all of us need a little brain break with some chocolate!)

It’s a game that tests how many words you can form from the letters given by the chickens.

It’s funny – the chickens even “squawk” at you when you screw up and honest-to-goodness it really does the trick for me! 

Check it out here: http://g.msn.ca/ca55/207

(Just wait – I’m working on my New York Times Best Seller)

 Have fun!

How? Well I purchased something from the famous on-line bookseller Amazon.

I am a voracious book reading nut – so Amazon is one of my favorites! 

And today – it just popped out at me – a tool that I definitely should be using….and SO SHOULD YOU!

 Just as you are about to check out – Amazon says…

 ” People buying this product have ALSO bought….”

 It is up-selling with finesse! (MUCH better than ” Would you like fries with that?”)

Think about this with your business….how could you apply the phrase ” People buying this product have ALSO bought…”

 Something worth thinking about isn’t it?

 I recently was in Dallas, speaking at a massive conference for http://www.ewomennetwork.com/ and it was absolutely incredible.  There were SO MANY fabulous women there who are interested in growing their business.  (If you’re not a member already – you should definitely join!)

And because I’m the Sales Diva – I love watching how people sell.

Some are good…and wellllllll…some are NOT so good!

You get to see sooooo many different types of salespeople and business owners in action.  What they are doing right as well as where they are struggling.

There was something I noticed that many women were slipping up on.

Timing.

What were they doing? Trying to close the deal 2 seconds after they had met you. 

EGAD.

 So why does this hurt you in the long run?

 There is ZERO RELATIONSHIP. 

And you come across as pushy and amateurish.  I call it “being a cheeseball”

However – you can be a GOOD cheeseball if you know how to let people try you out vs going for the KILL.

What Should You Do Instead?  Be Spreadable!

• Let Them Sample You.  How can they try your product or service? Either immediately or after the conference?
• Give Them Something So They’ll Sign Up For Free Tips!  A free report, a CD, something right there at the conference etc will encourage people to sign up for your database….which is worth MORE than a quick and little sale!
• Get Them Talking About You! If you and your service are a WOW – then people will start spreading the word about you! How spreadable are you?

I’m all about ASKING FOR THE SALE but TIMING is everything LADY.

If you’re speaking to people when they are rushed, surrounded by people and not really listening to what you’re saying – you’re going to get hit with tons of rejection.

And that’s just cheesy!

As I was hanging the jacket up, all of a sudden I noticed writing in the pink lining of the coat.  It was embroidered in large gold  letters but I had absolutely missed seeing it when I was trying the jacket on in the store.

The words read:

” Where there is love, there is life!”

I actually had a grin on my face from ear to ear.

Well, as a very good friend of mine loves to say:

” Who Knew??”

Who Knew You Could Learn A Sales Tip From Jacket Lining??

I think  the individual who had the idea of sewing a message into the coat was brilliant.  How cool is it to see such a positive message as you are putting on something..and then knowing you’re wearing a message that no one else can see?

I know it cost them more time, money and energy to include the message.

But I am soooooo glad they did it! (in fact – I’m sending an e-mail to their company) I am a lover of words…and this jacket ended up making my day and is now EVEN MORE SPECIAL to me.

This absolutely reminds me of selling…why it is so important to go the extra mile.  A quote that I love says this ” You will never find a traffic jam on the extra mile.”

No kidding.

Of course this reminds me of a book.  “Free Prize Inside” by Seth Godin. http://www.sethgodin.com/freeprize/

Seth talks about the importance of offering that “something extra to your customer” that is tough to measure but at the same time is priceless.

What are YOU doing to offer “something EXTRA in the silver lining of your business?”

I’m curious! (write a comment and tell me what you’re doing!)