The proposal and the sale are miles apart

“Sounds good, send me a proposal.” How many times have you heard that? Too many. So you run back to your office, put together a proposal, send it to the prospect, and start the follow-up process (and the prayer vigil). Or do you? REALITY: The sale should be solidified BEFORE the proposal is written. Your proposal should be the essence …

 

The most coveted prize in selling besides a sale… is a referral.

Everyone tells you to get referrals. And most people tell you to “ask” for them. “Don’t forget to ask for a referral.” Horrible strategy. Totally offensive for the most part. Borderline rude. And asking the same customer twice is a death wish. MY DEFINITION OF A REFERRAL: A name and contact information provided proactively by someone you have a relationship …

 

The relationship edge…Are you on it, in it, or over it?

Beginning a relationship is easy. Exploration is predominantly on the surface. Nothing too deep. Nothing too wide. Nothing too revealing. In the beginning, all is well. Friendships blossom. Feelings emerge. And life is good.

 

LinkedIn is Great for Business – er, I Mean SMART Business.

I am NOT a LinkedIn expert, but I do have more than 26,000 LinkedIn connections and almost 30,000 followers. How many do you have? I may have more visibility and notoriety than you do, but we are equal in exposure and linking possibilities on the LinkedIn platform. And almost all of my LinkedIn connections are the result of people wanting …