Using a business model centred on party-planning, with marketing and sales activities limited to women’s homes, and with a strict ‘no men allowed’ policy, Ann Summers became a household name.  This approach may be viewed as sexist by some – in the politically correct times in which we live – but it proved hugely successful for the company.

Jacqueline really understood her customers and targeted them perfectly.  As a result, she built a company which has a gross annual sales turnover of £150m.  The group ranks as one of the most successful and profitable private companies in Britain and Jacqueline has earned a place amongst ‘Britain’s 100 Most Influential Women’.

We hope you’ll agree this is a great example of a successful business woman and a marketing model centred around your customers.

Did you know… most people say no seven times before they are ready to buy, but most sales people give up after 5 times.

Do you have a follow-up procedure in place that captures prospects and ensures you are in front of them when they’re in a position to buy?  If not, that could be a great use of your time today.

This isn’t about selling people something they don’t want – but for many prospects, ‘no’ doesn’t mean ‘never’.  Chances are, they were interested in your product or service when they called / asked you to visit, but the timing may not have been right, or they may not have had the budget necessary.  But things may have changed.

Keep in touch with your prospects – they are warm leads who could boost your business relatively easily.  Could you maybe call just two each day this week and reconnect with them?

Christmas party bookings are coming in thick and fast, and it appears people are set to have a huge amount of fun this party season, after a tough year – so how can your company take advantage?

Here are just a few of our top tips:

1. Create a pre-Christmas offer to encourage sales before the holidays
2. Ensure your Christmas menus / products are out early (now at the latest)
3. Contact all the people who bought last Christmas and ask for their order
4. Send cards to all your customers and prospects thanking them for their business
5. Hold a Christmas party for your staff and your customers
6. Thank the people who referred you business this year

Some of these may sound like small details, but it really is the detail that counts.  And, if you don’t thank your customers, referrers and suppliers, someone else may well do next year.

1. One of the most important tips focuses on attitude.  If you enter a ‘sales opportunity’ thinking you’re going to fail, or be knocked down on price, then you probably will.  You generally achieve the outcome you imagine, so focus on the positive and you’re likely to improve your success rate.
2. Consider yourself to be self-employed.  Whilst you may well be self-employed, you may have sales agents or employees who are not.  But, it’s only when you (or they) take responsibility as a business-owner for sales and targets, that conversion rates increase.
3. Be the best sales person you can be.  If your role in the business is sales, you need to learn how to be good at sales.  Read sales books, attend seminars, develop your skills and invest in yourself.
4. Take a consultancy approach.  The top sales people see themselves as consultants or problem-solvers, not sales people.  They have great relationships with their customers and find solutions for them – which may or may not be what they’re trying to sell.  They put the customer and their relationship with them first and the sales follow.
5. Become a doctor – examine, diagnose and then prescribe.  Leading sales people ask lots of questions.  And the better the questions you ask, the better the answers.  You get to the route of the customers problem, before you ‘prescribe’ a solution.  That way, you can offer a better solution – and are more likely to get the sale.

These are just five tips from a single chapter of Brian Tracy’s book.  If you’re responsible for sales, I would recommend reading the rest of it (I won’t be sharing any more of what I read, as that wouldn’t be fair, so it you want to benefit from Brian’s experience, you need to buy the book – it’s only £7.50 on Amazon!)  It would also be worth sharing this book with your sales people.