Diva Sales Tips

Do You Have Second -Guess Paralysis??

kimduke — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:13:31 +0000

Last Friday I hosted 12- 12 year olds for a birthday collage party for my niece. Everyone had scissors, glue, a pile of magazines, poster board and I said…

“No rules! Just put on the poster all of the things you’d like to see this year -
everything you love!”

It was wild – if you saw clouds of “snow” over my house – it wasn’t snow at all…it was little pieces of paper from my 12 Edward ScissorHands!

I really loved watching the girls – they were yakking up a storm, lots of laughing and I noticed 2 very important things.

Things that apply to you too Lady!

Do You Have Second-Guess Paralysis?

50% of the girls went crazy clipping stuff – honestly they had so many pictures they had to flip the paper and use the backside.

The other 50% had collages that were almost barren. Just a few random pictures. And what did I hear them asking?

“Do you guys like this picture? Do you think I should use it? My collage is ugly…”

They were stuck. They had what I lovingly call Second Guess Paralysis. They didn’t trust themselves.

Of course I jumped in and told them their collage was off to great start! I then asked what kind of food, flowers, movies, actors, pets, animals, fashion, places in the world, books, music etc that they liked ….and their 12-year old sparkling eyes LIT UP….and immediately their collages started filling up like crazy too!

(They had no idea they’d just been Diva-dized)

The second thing I noticed?

The girls that were ROCKING right out of the gate – did this:

“Hey everyone – I’ve got a picture of a dog – anyone need it?”

“Hey guys – I need a picture of a cat – do you have one?”

Get the picture?

What Are You Paralyzed About?

Are you currently feeling stuck about …

How to jump in on social media?
How to get new customers?
Your lack-luster sales?
How and why you should network?
How you can get media coverage?
Your website/ezine/blog?
Fill in the _____________?

Listen cupcake – I know what you’re up to.

You’re trying to be PERFECT.

You don’t want to SCREW-UP.

You don’t want anyone to laugh at your “collage”!

Gotcha – didn’t I?

Guess what? You’ve got the basics down – all you need is to ASK some questions. Who can you help and WHO can HELP YOU?

Here’s your Sales Diva Dare. If you want to be more successful then you need

to step out of Second-Guess Paralysis.

Within the next 48 hours I want you to TAKE ACTION on something you’ve been stalling on in your business. (Yeah – THAT THING THAT JUST POPPED INTO YOUR HEAD)

Share how Second-Guess Paralysis is affecting your business and what you’re doing to overcome it, in the comments!

Love from your bossy Sales Diva,

Kim

P.S. I’m devoted to helping as many women entrepreneurs and women in sales as I can. If you know of someone who would love to learn HOW TO SELL THE RIGHT WAY, then please encourage them to sign up at www.salesdivas.com and we’ll get them on the track to success!

Dazzle Diva – March 17th

kimduke — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:01:52 +0000

Our Dazzle Diva question, this week, comes from Yvonne of Eco Scrubbers Inc.:

Hello Sales Diva.

I would like advice on how to sell my services to clients as my business is stuck at one place currently. How do i get my foot in the door?

Thank you,
Yvonne
Eco Scrubbers Inc.

What are you doing to kick your business into high gear? Share with Yvonne (and me) in the comments

If you’d like some specific Sales Diva advice on sales and marketing – send your questions into info@salesdivas.com. (don’t forget to include your name AND website!)

Increase Sales – 90 Day Formula

nancyfraser — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:21:37 +0000

My Biggest Sales Mistake…

kimduke — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:00:31 +0000

Before I launched The Sales Divas I was in sales and management for 2 of Canada’s largest national television networks. (For 15 years and I had massive success!)

And ohhhhh boyyyy – I had some amazing customers! (In fact, some of them were GIGANTIC)

In my first few years of selling …I was STOKED by these HUGE clients and I spent most of my time on them. I was lunching with big-time advertising agencies and loving every minute of it.

(This of course, led me to make the BIGGEST MISTAKE I ever made in selling…it was like I was about to collapse in a hole and DIDN’T KNOW IT)

My Biggest Mistake?

I forgot about the “littler guys.”

The smaller companies/people who had significant money to spend but they weren’t as sexy and glamorous as the BIG MONEY I was making from the large corporations and ad agencies.

In fact, the “old boys club” really encouraged you to DROP the “little guys” and only focus on the biggest accounts.

Until of course…..something happened to one or MORE of those big accounts ie/ They switched to a new network, your connection was fired or jumped ship, they shut down a division, they went bankrupt etc.

You get the picture. And pretty soon my BIG CLIENTS shriveled and sizzled down to nothing and I was in full-scale panic mode!

Because when you were in straight commission sales as I was….no money means no food on the table. Eeek!

Are You Making One of These 2 BIG Mistakes?

I learned a hard lesson all those years ago and from that moment on – I always made sure to have different levels of customers in my “pipeline”. (Remember -in order to make a turkey sandwich – you need some bread and butter and NOT just the turkey!)

I’d bet you’re either focusing all your efforts on:

A few, big-scale customers. (You don’t have ANY “littler guys”)
Many, too-small customers (who put together wouldn’t give you enough money to buy a sandwich.)

What can I say? DON’T DO IT.

Relying on just a few large accounts makes you very vulnerable.

Relying on too-small customers who can barely pay anything makes you exhausted.

You need a mixture of large and medium (A medium is a “littler guy” to me)

Remember – “littler companies” have a tendency to ALSO GROW into bigger companies too!

My Diva Dare Question For You?

Are you well-positioned with your customer base or are you on “shaky ground?” with only a few heavy-weights or a kazillion puny customers?

Time to figure it out lady.

So there.

Love from Your Sales Diva,

Kim

The BEST Negotiating Phrase EVER!

kimduke — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:00:44 +0000

I love Smarties. (I can even sing you the entire Smarties commercial from my childhood!)

When I was a kid – my mom didn’t buy my sister and me 2 boxes of Smarties.

Oh no.

She’d buy ONE BOX and say…

“Share it.”

(I think it was her sneaky way to improve our counting skills.)

And when little kids sit down at the table to split something like a box of Smarties they say…

“ONE for you.

And ONE for me.”

Are You A Smartie At Negotiating?

I’ve observed something over the years.

Most women SUCK at negotiating.

Whether it’s buying from someone or selling something of your own…negotiating probably makes you feel a little “cheesy.”

You probably fall into one of 2 categories:

ALL MINE. You aren’t going to give up ANYTHING to get the deal. Not one inch. (And P.S…you’ve lost some big opportunities because of it.)
TAKE ALL OF MINE. You don’t want to LOSE the deal so you give away everything hoping they’ll choose you. (The problem lady-is that you’re left with nothing.)

The BEST Negotiating Phrase EVER?

Remember – the number one rule of negotiating is that BOTH parties should feel satisfied.

The SECOND rule of negotiating? In order to give a little – you have a get a little back.

Are You Ready For The BEST Negotiating Phrase?

It’s simple.

The customer you’d love to have (remember we never negotiate with people we don’t want) asks:

“I want /need____________.”

You say:

“We/I can provide (REPEAT WHAT CUSTOMER ASKED FOR) ,

HOWEVER, this is what we/I would need from you in order to make that happen:

Ie/ Specific number of units sold

Guaranteed contract over x amount of months

If the customer is asking for something too crazy for you to consider – you say:

“I’d love to help you with ________________, HOWEVER we can best help you with __________________.”

Get the picture?

In negotiating you have to split the Smarties. You can get what you want and so can the customer.

Negotiating requires a plan.

So don’t be too rigid or too easy the next time you need to negotiate.

Remember – SMARTIE sales women know to eat the red ones last.

And make sure to send me a comment and tell of one of your negotiation success stories (or flops)!

Love from Your Sales Diva,

Kim

Do You Have Muffin-Top Sales?

kimduke — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:06:56 +0000

I was recently reading a magazine on a plane (I’m always flying to speak at conferences) and ran across an ad for jeans that “banish your muffin-top”.

I laughed out loud (OK – I think I actually SNORTED) and the guy beside me looked at me with a smile and a raised eyebrow.

With a smirk I said…

“You’ve got to be a woman to really appreciate this advertisement!”

Muffin Top

The dreaded spillage caused from wearing too tight pants.

It’s your basic nightmare.

But being the strange sales coach that I am…I immediately thought…

“Hmmmm….most women are experiencing MUFFIN TOP SALES!”

So What The Heck Are Muffin Top Sales??

Well cupcake…just as we’re responsible for creating muffin-tops in our jeans – you’re also responsible for creating Muffin Top Sales.

They occur when you’re trying to make sales:

Wearing rates that are too tight
Accepting too many clients that pay the tight rate
Seeing spillage because there isn’t any room in your business ie/not enough time, money or even room for new and better customers.

How Do You BANISH Muffin Top Sales?

You know me as your bossy Sales Diva.

Well my clients know me as the..

“Super-Bossy-Sales-Manager-Who-Made-Me-Increase-My-Rates-
And-Drop-Bad-Customers”

You’ve got to push away from the table lady.

Whether you work for yourself or for someone else – you can still have Muffin Top Sales.

You’re overloading yourself with clients who don’t pay enough. (And you let them.)

The only growth you’ll see from these customers will be the increased demands on your time.

Will You Accept My Sales Diva Dare Sales Tip?

It’s time to get rid of the Muffin Top.

Go through your client list and identify your Bottom 20%.

You know. The clients who pay the least, expect the most and who take up the bulk of your time. They’re costing you money in a big, big way.

The clients who aren’t going to grow WITH you.

And make sure you drop me a line letting me know how you DROPPED your Muffin Top Sales!

Love from Your Sales Diva,

Kim

What My Mom Can Teach YOU About Pricing

kimduke — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:00:46 +0000

When I was a kid growing up, my mom worked most Saturdays at a local bank.

She’d call the house around 9 am (that’s as LATE as we were allowed to sleep in) and she’d say…

“Your “Cinderellies List” is waiting for you and your sister.
Make sure to have it all done by the time I’m home at noon.”

So for those of you who didn’t have a “Cinderellies List” as I did…here’s what I’m talking about.

My mom would have a BIG piece of paper waiting on the kitchen table which said…

“Good Morning Cinderellies!” (Her twisted version of Cinderella)

“Here’s the list of what has to be done today – if you FIGHT – you ALSO have to mow the grass and wash the car:”

Make a pan of brownies

Vacuum

Dust

Clean bathrooms

Wash 2 loads of laundry

Take the garbage out

Have lunch ready

Love, Mom

Yikes. We VERY QUICKLY chose the list that was less work.

So what can my MOM teach YOU about selling?

Compare Something BIG to Something Smaller

I’d bet when a customer asks you about YOUR pricing you start with the LOWEST amount and then offer a range ie/ We have packages STARTING at $99

Uh oh. You need a lesson from my mom. Because remember – what your customer (or your kids) will remember – is what you SAY FIRST. My mom positioned washing the car and mowing the lawn IMMEDIATELY as the big comparison – it made the rest of the list LOOK EASY!

You ALWAYS position your products or services in COMPARISON to something else. (Sometimes even what a competitor is usually charging)

Show the VALUE of what you normally charge. Show what you’d normally charge per hour. Show what the retail value is.

Your Diva Assignment this week is to review your rates and pricing. Are you positioning expensive products without COMPARING it to something EVEN MORE expensive? Or you’re having a sale but you don’t compare it to anything?

Fix it.

So there.

Love from Your Sales Diva,

Kim

Dazzle This Diva – Feb 17th

kimduke — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:00:20 +0000

Pamela Goyette writes in with a question about trade shows and attracting potential clients:

Good Day Bossy Diva

Must say I am a HUGE fan of your weekly emails.

I actually just started over a month ago a new business venture. So far with much success. I basically am helping women from the bedroom to the bank literally. I do in home parties for many occasions which fits right in with my party planning passion I have.

I have had a couple of my own parties at my home. but was wondering what the best method would be to attract my potential clients and consultants? I want to grow my business not maintain it.

I have heard people doing the trade shows. Are they effective? I have heard yes and no.Or networking myself in the community and handing out my business cards everywhere I go.

I am just trying to reach my level 2. I need to get outside my comfort zone in order to achieve this level I am aware of that and have little fear about it, but I am worried about wasting my time and money on things that don’t work.

Please any advice on what you think may be the most successful route for me to take on this one would be so appreciated.

Your Party Gal
Pamela Goyette
www.mypassiondream.com

Share your advice with Pamela (and ME!!) in the comments. I’d love to hear your thoughts on whether trade shows work for you.

Glamour & Great Things!

kimduke — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:40:15 +0000

Join me, in person, on March 9th, to learn how you can jump start the new season!

I’ll be speaking at Gratitude Stationers ‘Glamour & Great Things’, in Edmonton. It will be an evening of extraordinary sales training that will transform your entire business. Get ready to be inspired and left spinning with great tips and secrets.

Check it out.

P.S. Come prepared with tons of business cards – you just never know the connections you will make!

Do you need Quick Cash?

kimduke — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 11:00:08 +0000

My 15 year old sassy niece and I are headed to New York in a few months. We’re both so excited! (She is especially pumped about the clothes shopping!)

Part of the deal was that she also had to save up some money for the trip. She’s been working diligently for a year doing odd jobs, babysitting etc.

We were chatting the other day about NY and she was chewing her lip.

I asked “Hey – what’s up? Got something on your mind?”

She looked at me with a frown and said “Auntie – I want to make some quick cash for our trip. Do you need your car cleaned?”

I laughed and said “I’m sure we can arrange something!”

My niece’s comments tied in directly with all of the email I’ve been receiving lately.

Here’s some examples:

“Kim – I’ve just lost a major contract – it’s caught me off guard – what do I do??”
“I think I need a paper bag to breathe into…my sales are slower this month than I thought!”
“Kim – help! I’ve had to reduce staff but I need to increase our daily sales – any ideas?”

and last but not least….

“Sales Diva -Do you have ideas on how my company can make some quick cash? There are some opportunities I’d like to jump on but need extra cash flow.”

I do have an idea for you so hang on everyone!

Do You Desperately Need Some Quick Cash?

I don’t care what size of company you are – everyone needs cash flow.

Maybe you’ve been hit recently by something that has your cash reserves dangerously tight. (They feel like last year’s bathing suit)

Or maybe there are some cool things you’d like to do with your company but you need extra cash flow FIRST.

No matter what the situation do the following:

Step 1: Breathe. You can handle this.

Step 2: Step away from your computer and get a notepad.

Step 3: Start scribbling your ideas after you’ve read the rest of my email.

If You Need Money – Go For The Low-Hanging Fruit

My niece thought of the quickest and easiest way to make money (cleaning my car) mainly because she isn’t in business.

If she was – she would have tried too hard to think of some outrageous, difficult, expensive way to make money. (Ever done THAT before?)

Lady -I want you to go for the low-hanging fruit instead. And remember this is a strategy that uses what you already have…and you can use it at ANY TIME of the year.

Often the fruit that is on the lowest branches of a tree gets overlooked. Everyone is looking at eye-level or higher.

What affordably priced products, services do you have that you can:

Bundle together for a Special Limited Time Offer?
Have a “Blow-out Price” for your best customers?
Offer a special gift/discount to your best customers that they can also send to their friends?

Go have a cup of tea. Write down all of the products and services that you have to work with. And sell some low-hanging fruit to your customers!

So there.

P.S, I’d love to hear what you come up with…and also any ideas about what we should see in New York!

Love from Your Sales Diva,

Kim