Worst Time To Talk About Money

by Dan Caramanico on March 27, 2012

The worst time to talk about money is after you have delivered the proposal or quote. If the price was too high then you will find yourself backpedaling as you deal with sticker shock. Negotiations will ensue (Hopefully they will … the prospect could just say thanks and disappear!) concessions will be made, margins will slip, time will be lost, credibility will be harmed or else the prospect will just go somewhere else. If the price is too low … you may never know about it. However, you will have left money on the table. If you gave the goldilocks price (just right) … consider yourself lucky. The best policy is to discuss money before you ever sit down to write the quote or proposal. None of the problems above will happen and you will be goldilocks every time. Here is a one-minute video that expands on the point.

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Never Call On Purchasing Agents

by Dan Caramanico on March 11, 2012

… unless, of course, you are selling something for their own personal use. Here is why:
• Their incentive is to save money. i.e. reduce your price
• They don’t know much about the use of the product or service beyond what is written in the specifications.
• They don’t know anything about the problem your product or service is designed to fix.
• Your value proposition is lost on them
• Once you start in the purchasing department, it is virtually impossible to get to the end user without causing the purchasing department to be upset.
They are an important part of the sales process. You will probably end up dealing with the purchasing department. Just don’t start there.

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No thinking on salescalls

November 13, 2011

Most salespeople spend too much time thinking when in front of a prospect. I am not suggesting that you turn your brain off. But if you are strategizing on the fly about your next move, analyzing what the prospect just said, or thinking about how to solve the problem, you are not listening to what [...]

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Avoid Confrontation – Lose Sales

August 27, 2011

I am not talking about an arrogant confrontational communication style that many people use quite naturally. I am talking about salespeople who avoid confrontation of all types at all times. Salespeople who are always totally agreeable come across as weak and more importantly waste a lot of time with unqualified prospects. Here are two occasions [...]

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Priority 1 for Sales People

August 24, 2011

No! It is not closing business. No! It is not qualifying prospects. These are very important and are of course how salespeople are ultimately paid. However, the number one priority for sales people is prospecting … Building a pipeline. Put enough people in your pipeline and no matter how bad you are at the qualifying [...]

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Jim Lobaito Interviews Dan Caramanico about the Optimal Salesperson

March 22, 2011

Why do some salespeople struggle while others excel? If you are ready to leave conventional thinking behind on what it takes to consistently excel in selling then listen to Jim Lobaito’s interview with Dan Caramanico on his book, The Optimal Salesperson. Mastering the Mindset of Sales Superstars and Overachievers Click and Listen Below

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Hire Sales People wth Desire

November 12, 2010

When building a salesforce look for people who have a strong desire for personal financial success and a commitment to doing what it takes to get there. This combination of desire and commitment will ensure that they have sufficient motivation to overcome whatever obstacles occur. Skills, techniques and technical knowledge are easier to instill in [...]

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