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!

Then lady - you are SO READY for The Sales Bra Booster!

One day. One Sales Diva. One fantastic way to learn sales techniques that work for women. (Because HELLO - women sell and buy differently than men!)

No cold calling. No pressure. No boring seminar!

Curious? You should be! Click the link below - you will not believe the SMOKING AFFORDABLE PRICE and PAYMENT PLAN I’m giving! (I must be crazy!)

I’m ONLY OFFERING 2 dates in September and 2 cities due to my international travel schedule.

Limited seats are available (and I’d hate for you to miss out!!)

Click Here:

 http://tinyurl.com/5u9nt2

July 10-13: E-women Network Conference in Dallas

September 23-24: Sales She Bang Conference
in Minneapolis

October 2-4th: The She-Factor Conference in Los Angeles

 I am one of the sales experts for Top 10 Sales Experts - and we recently launched a FREE e-book as a gift to all of our subscribers. 

 It is perfect summer reading for you to get inspired for a BUSY FALL. (remember - if you WAIT until FALL to start selling - I guarantee your competitor will beat you to the punch!)

 So please check out the link if you’d like to download sales articles and tips from some of the world’s BEST sales experts (your Sales Diva included of course!)

Print it off and then hit the couch or deck chair and enjoy!

 Check it out here:  http://tinyurl.com/63ylv4

 I’m one of the break-out session speakers for the E-Women Network Conference (there are over 3,000 women attending!)

If you’re from the Dallas area - I’d love to meet you at the conference!

 Check out all the details here:

http://www.ewomennetwork.com/conf2008/index.html

Something I definitely learned as a kid was that “Nice Girls Don’t Brag”.

We’ve all been taught that bragging is a nasty thing. 

The problem?

This belief extends into adulthood and it makes you uncomfortable sharing your accomplishments and credibility.  In fact, you feel like you’re naked on a stage!

 Nice Girls DO Brag!

Well - I prefer to call it Self Promotion!

In selling - your customer buys from the person or company who feels the:

 “LEAST RISKIEST”.

 So you guessed it - they are looking for credibility - how you can BACK UP what you sell.

I was a national award winning salesperson for one of Canada’s oldest national television networks.  I write sales articles internationally for women entrepreneurs and women in sales.  I’ve worked with the WNBA and Office Depot (to name a few) and I’m sought after by the media.

 And on average, after my clients have worked with me - they DOUBLE THEIR SALES.

 Is that bragging? Nope.

 That’s fact.

In my world - bragging is when you are blabbing about a bunch of things your client has no interest in.  It isn’t relevant to them in any, way, shape or form.

 Self-promotion is when you can weave what you do and who you HELP (which is what selling is all about anyway) - into your marketing, presentations, one on one meetings with your customers etc.

Have a look at what I use to self-promote myself at the bottom of every article I write for international web sites:

Kim Duke, The Sales Diva, provides savvy, sassy sales training for women small biz owners and entrepreneurs. Kim works with clients internationally, showing them The Sales Diva secrets to success! Sign up for her saucy and smart FREE e-zine and receive her FREE Bonus Report “The 5 Biggest Sales Mistakes Women Make” at http://www.salesdivas.com/

Remember - you CAN be a nice girl and self-promote!

So there.

My friend Bev and I like to check out a new place every couple of weeks - you never know what you’ll find!

Today we visited a new little eatery that I’ll never set foot in again.

Why?

 Hmmm - well…we were the only diners in the restaurant and had to wait to get a glass of water (and then they brought it warm.)

The lunch order was totally bland and forgettable, the soup we ordered as a starter came after the entree  (much later) and it was a tomato soup curdled disaster.  Egad.

The owner was fumbling all over herself, apologizing a million times…but this pretty much explained why the diner wasn’t full and also why I’ll never go back.

It was a N0-G00d-Soup For You Moment!

 So wait a second - could THIS be happening to your business?

• Are you following up sporadically?
• Do you over-promise and under-deliver (and KNOW it?)
• Are your products and services pretty blah and forgettable?

We all make mistakes from time to time - I get that. 

However - if your sales are at the bottom of the soup pot - there is always a reason (and NO - you can’t blame everything on the economy either)

 Soooo - don’t be lazy, don’t be bland, don’t forget about your customers who take time to contact you, don’t take it for granted that customers will keep walking through the door.

Too many “bad soup” experiences and your customer will move on and try someone new and different.  And sometimes they will do it after only 1 CONTACT with you.

P.S. Which was EXACTLY what Bev and I did  -we hit a new place immediately afterward  and I had the most unbelievable banana-chocolate bread pudding - YUM!

As a speaker, and a sales professional, one thing I know for sure is that NOT every one is going to like me or my style.

That’s OK by me.

They’re not supposed to!  In fact - as a speaker and author - if everyone loves you - you’ve got a problem as you haven’t challenged your audience enough.

And in sales - the same philosophy applies.

Don’t Die A Slow “Vanilla” Death

One of the biggest mistakes sales people make is to want to be loved by everyone. 

They want to be vanilla - loved by 98% of North Americans.

But that doesn’t work in business.  And so of course, when you’re rejected for someone else…it hurts. That’s because you had the expectation that everyone should adore you and your product or service.

Nope.

 You Need To Attract AND Repel Customers!

I’m not kidding here.

I know for sure there are definitely people who don’t like my writing style, or my speaking style, or what I have to say. 

The great thing is - they aren’t my target audience so I don’t really give a hot damn.   My brand, who I am and what I have to say are DESIGNED to attract and repel.  I don’t WANT EVERYONE as my customer.  And everything I do is designed around that fact.

Plus - the people who don’t like me represent a teeny-weeny percentage.  The customers and potential customers that I am the right fit for are the reason I love what I do. I love helping women entrepreneurs and women in sales make more money without ever making a cheesy phone cold call!

 Lady -Quit Trying To Please Everyone!

If you just accept that not everyone is going to get you - WOW - all of a sudden life gets easier!

 BE GRATEFUL they don’t connect with you. 

Just think - if you ended up getting them as a customer - they usually end up being a SERIOUS pain- in -the- you- know-what because THEY WERE NEVER THE RIGHT FIT in the first place.

So there.

I was straight out of college and working for a weekly real estate newspaper.   It was a  junior “combo position” - I sold ads to outside advertisers, helped them to design it, wrote classified ads, I even helped deliver the newspapers and cleaned the office! 

 All on 100% straight commission I might add.

It was actually an unbelievable experience and one that I’m very grateful for.

Why?

It taught me the POWER OF THE IDEA. 

 I wasn’t a “natural-born salesperson” (no one is really) but what I excelled at was coming up with unique ads, advertising campaigns and promotions for my customers that made them money.

And I learned very quickly that customers buy from those who:

•  care about their business
• ask smart questions
•   come up with unique ideas that solve their problems.

How are you doing in this area?

A resource that I use to plant seeds in my mind and in the minds of my clients is called www.trendwatching.com

It is a fabulous place to see what Trend Watchers all over the world are noticing as trends in business as well as in the lives of the everyday person.

Visit the site OFTEN.  And then give the relevant ideas to your customer or give it a twist and launch it as something cool.

All of a sudden you move from being “just a salesperson” to someone they trust, like and respect.

 And that’s thrilling!

So there.

So many women shiver in their stilettos when they have to get up and do some public speaking.

 And yet - it is one of the FASTEST ways to grow your database of clients and potential customers!

Why? Because if done properly, you provide tips to your audience in a short period of time that positions you as THE EXPERT.

 And guess what? Experts make Wayyyyy more money than the average person.

 Definitely one of the best resources  I use (and everyone learning how to public speak should use) is here - follow the link to check it out! (P.S. You’ll see me on his home page!)

 www.amazingpublicspeaking.com