Archive for July, 2011

Steps to Cold Calling Follow-Up

July 30th, 2011

Steps to Cold Calling Follow Up ImageHere are seven important steps to follow:

1. Don’t assume the sale.

Prospects are used to the traditional buyer-seller relationship. They assume you’ll pressure them. Therefore, they may decide not to tell you things that make them vulnerable to pressure. Until you’re sure you know the complete truth, you can never assume the sale is yours.

2. Keep making it easy for potential clients to tell you their truth.

Toward the end of your conversation, ask, “Do you have any more questions?” If the answer is no, follow up with the 100% final truth gathering question: “Now, are you 100% sure that there’s nothing else that I can do on my end to make you feel more comfortable with this situation?”

You’ll be amazed how often people will reply, “Well, actually, there’s one more issue…” It’s at this point that you really start to hear their truth.

3. Call back to get the truth, not close the sale.

Most potential clients who suddenly disappear expect you to chase them down. They expect you to call and say, “Hi, I was just wondering where things are at?”
Instead, eliminate all sales pressure by telling them you’re okay with their decision not to move forward, based on their not having called you back. In other words, take a step backward. Most of the time, this will open the door to a new level of trust-filled communication.

4. Reassure them that you can handle a “no.”

Of course, we’d rather hear a yes. However, the only way to free yourself and your clients from subtle sales pressure is to let them know that it’s not about the sale – it’s about the best choice for them. If that means no sale, it’s okay with you.

5. Ask for feedback.

Whenever prospects disappear, call them back (e-mail only as a last resort because dialogue is always better). Simply ask, “Would you please share your feedback with me as to how I can improve for next time? I’m committed to understanding where I went wrong.”

This is not being feeble or weak. It’s being humble. This invites the truth.

6. Don’t try to “close” a sale.

If your intuition tells you that the sales process isn’t going in the direction it should be going (which is always toward greater trust and truth), then trust those feelings.

Make it safe for prospects to tell you where they stand. It’s simple. All you have to say is, “Where do you think we should go from here?” But be prepared because you might not want to hear the truth of how they’re feeling. You can cope with this by keeping your larger goal in mind, which is always to establish that the two of you have a “fit.”

7. Give yourself the last word.

Eliminate the anxiety of waiting for the final call that will tell you whether the sale is going to happen. Instead, schedule a time for getting back to each other during your conversation. This eliminates chasing. Simply suggest, “Can we plan to get back to each other on a day and at a time that works for you? Not to close the sale, but simply to bring closure, regardless of what you decide. I’m okay either way, and that’ll save us from having to chase each other.”

You’ll find that these suggestions make selling much less painful because you stay focused on the truth instead of the sale. The truth is, the more we release the idea of needing to make the sale, the more sales we will likely see.

Business and the Staffing Challenge

July 28th, 2011

Business and the Staffing Challenge ImageBusiness in the around the world face many challenges as the economy tightens but recruiting the right staff is one hassle that can be solved by working with good external recruitment consultants. The search for suitable, motivated staff is one of the greatest challenges a business faces as this can change the dynamics of how the business performs.

Employee referral schemes
Many companies are now finding Employee Referral Schemes can successfully work and currently  38% of UK employers used employee referral schemes as a way of finding staff. Prospective candidates will generally tell their friends when they are thinking of a change. They could be friends of the staff members. Therefore, the staff members should know about the vacancies and be encouraged for referrals. They should be offered with good incentives for the same. If staff members are happily working with the organization, and are getting paid for introducing their friends, they would be eager to suggest the good candidates for recruitment.
Candidates who are familiar with the job market scene will be aware that not all recruitment agencies are equal. The intense competition that exists within the job market in general suggests that there are a large number of recruitment firms and many of them provide sub-standard services. This means that there are a limited amount of recruitment agencies which have what it takes to provide candidates with the recruitment solutions and results which they desire.

Head Hunters
Finding the people you need to run your business is not an easy task and this is why many more businesses are turning to specialist recruitment companies to find the right staff.
Another challenge that businesses face are head hunters. Because in many industries there is such a skills shortage head hunters are recruited to find suitable staff in existing work from competitors companies. Head Hunter then matches these with available jobs. The recruitment staff will then search their database of applications to identify suitable candidates for the position. Left uncontrolled, this can lead to successful companies bleeding staff and finding it difficult to deliver projects. As any manager or Director knows, finding the right staff for your business is essential.

The Internet
The internet is being used by more and more people for almost anything imaginable. Whereas some individuals use the internet for play and games, many are finding it very useful for work-related things. One site that is being used by many individuals and businesses is online recruitment. Example after example can be given showing how effective this is for helping someone find suitable employment.
There are many online recruitment companies on the web. Each of them offers you some unique feature to entice you into purchasing a membership and using their site. Often, there are review sites where you can do reviews on the online recruitment sites to see which one is used more and which one is rated higher. As with anything you purchase, it is always a smart idea to not sign up for the first thing you see. Some of them will show you an online recruitment example of what they can do to help you find employment or employee if you are a business that is seeking workers.

Summary
Whatever your decision about finding the right staff for your business you decide one thing you can be assured is that all business in most sectors are facing the same problem. Once you have recruited the staff then keeping them happy and retaining their services is for another time!

Business and Investment :

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