Salespeople have questions. Jeffrey has answers.

I get a ton of emails asking to solve sales dilemmas. Here are a few that may relate to your job, your life, and most important, your sales thought process right now:

Jeffrey,

I’m working at a retail minimum wage job and I have very little monetary movement, but I want to take my assumed career to the next stage. I work as a magician, performing for corporate events, and have been hired by numerous big banks, energy companies, etc. I know I have the performance skills to make this transition, but I lack the money to do large mailers or marketing blitzes. I have a website, but no traffic due to the preceding reasons. Where do I put what little money I have and where do I get emails for a newsletter?

Craig

Craig,

Every time you do a talk or show, get emails and get permission to send your newsletter. You don’t need to spend money in order to promote yourself on the Internet, you need to invest time and build Googlejuice. If you’re good at magic, then create a course around it, like “Sales Magic” or “Service Magic.” Start your blog. Start your email magazine. Start your website. It will be slow at first, but it will gain momentum if you provide quality information that one person can pass onto another. Be certain to link your blog posts to your social media pages.

Best regards,
Jeffrey

Jeffrey,

I’ve been in sales for nine years and blown my numbers out of the water every year until I joined a new company about two years ago. I’ve been about 85% of my quota in both years, which to me is a failure. People at my company tell me that I’m doing a great job and customers love me, but it seems many people want to hang their hat on the fact that the economy isn’t great as the reason sales aren’t booming….but I’m not one of them. After trying to analyze what I can do better, I’ve come to a realization that I love to be in sales, but it is probably where I am and what I am selling that is part of the reason for my lack of success at this new firm. From everything that I’ve read and the experiences I’ve had, I know you have to love what you sell. I’ve also read as many books as possible trying to gain some insight on possible industries that I could enter where I could love what I sell. Do you have any insight as to how one obtains this type of insight (outside of career coaches, personality exams, etc)?

Thanks,
Eric

Eric,

You can’t ask other people about what pleases you. That’s an answer you can only give yourself. Think about what you do with a passion. That will help you create some industry awareness – it may be some kind of athletic event, it may be cooking, it may be fashion – but whatever it is, if the love is there the doors will open.

Best regards,
Jeffrey

Jeffrey,

I need advice or suggestions for a sales kick off meeting. I am an area sales manager at AT&T advertising and we are about to have kick off our Inland Empire Campaign. I run a satellite office and have nine sales reps that report to me. The last few years have been extremely tough for our sales reps. The company has made tremendous cutbacks and gives us no budget for sales meetings. I want to know if you have any suggestions for me that are fairly inexpensive. I will be using my own money and wanted to spend about $200 to $250. I have thought of bringing in a jumping house shaped like a boxing ring and having pizza, I also thought of bringing in Guitar Hero. I want my sales reps to know my appreciation for all their hard work because they often feel under appreciated.

David

David,

First of all – do not spend your own money. While I appreciate your enthusiasm, your company has a responsibility to invest in their people. If a big company is not wiling to spend a few hundred dollars on a sales meeting, that should tell you something right there. Second of all, if you really want to inspire your people, why don’t you bring in half a dozen customers to talk about their positive experience using your product? Their success stories will not only inspire; they will also reinforce your salespeople’s belief in what they’re selling. Clearly now is not the time to bring on the dancing clowns. Now is the time to bring on successful customers.

Best regards,
Jeffrey

Jeffrey,

About six months ago a friend and I started a manufacturing business, primarily machining and welding. We supply product to some larger agricultural equipment manufacturers, as well as a local department of defense contractor. However we are both 25, and are just starting out in the industry, having trouble selling our products and services due to the fact that the agriculture market is down and everyone is performing their own machine welding in house. I’m used to asking the “boss” for advice on sales, but now I am the boss, and am having a hard time selling or growing our business. We are highly engineering oriented and plan to grow into a large manufacturer of some sort. What’s the best way to grow or make new sales at this point?

Jordan

Jordan,

Talk to your existing customers and find out why they love you, find out why they buy from you, and find out what else they would like to buy from you. Once you have that information, combine it with a couple video testimonials and make that your sales campaign.

Best regards,
Jeffrey