Are you attractive enough?

“Prettiness is lent to you by youth; attractiveness is purchased with experience.”
― C.M. Waggoner.

Motivating people to negotiate can be a complex process, but understanding what drives them is essential to building a successful sales strategy. One key factor to consider is attractiveness. In this article, we’ll explore what it means to be attractive in a negotiation and how you can use creativity to attract clients.

Attractiveness, in this context, refers to the ability to make your product or service appealing to potential clients.

It’s about creating a sense of value and desirability that makes clients want to engage with you. To be attractive, you need to understand your client’s needs and pain points and position your product or service as the solution to those issues.

One effective way to attract clients is to build an attraction strategy.

A great example of this is the strategy used by NRS Media* at trade shows. They attached a small sachet of paracetamol pain relief for headaches to a brochure.

The headline read, ‘Look everybody has their share of headaches when it comes to selling a XXX (Our product) if you wanted to hook up with us in suite 645 give us a call and we’ll make an appointment.’

The key to the success of this strategy was the way it was delivered. My team walked around the hotel floors after midnight and put the items, which included the paracetamol and brochure, underneath the door of the attendees who were staying at the conference venue.

This created a sense of surprise and intrigue, which helped to attract clients to our booth.

Another example of an attractive strategy could be offering a free trial or demonstration of your product or service, or providing a valuable resource such as a book or whitepaper.

These strategies help to establish trust and build a relationship with potential clients, making them more likely to engage with your business.

In conclusion, attractiveness is an essential consideration when motivating people to negotiate. By understanding what drives clients and using creative strategies to attract them, you can build a successful sales strategy that not only meets their needs but also exceeds their expectations. Remember to always consider their pain points and position your product or service as the solution.

Whatever career you decide to take in sales, it’s always good to get some help.

*NRS Media since sold.

Mike Brunel started mikebrunel.com after being a successful entrepreneur and founder of NRS Media.  He co-founded NRS Media in Wellington, New Zealand, expanded it into a global powerhouse in media sales and training, and was eventually responsible for opening offices in London, Atlanta, Toronto, Sydney, Capetown, and Bogota. He has hired hundreds of salespeople around the world.

He made a lot of mistakes when it came to hiring his superstars. Check out his How to Hire A Super Salesperson Each and Every time – It’s packed with tips and ideas on how to hire great salespeople. Don’t ever Hire Bad Salespeople Ever Again. Promise!

PLUS: WHENEVER YOU’RE READY…

  1. Here are 4 ways I can help you make more sales in your business – whether your business is big or small.1. Want to become a Sales Mindset Blueprint Member? Every month you get access to an exclusive coaching session with me as well as full access to my sales programme. Get the deets here.
  2. Try the new ‘7 Days to Sales Success’ framework. Make more sales in 7 days. The framework of everything you need to get started in making more sales in your business. The Sales Success Framework is based on a simple 7-day challenge. Click here to find out how you can grow your business by making more sales.
  3. Join our private Facebook group – The Sales Mindset Inner Circle. Get all the latest up-to-date sales ideas. Every week we do Facebook Live updates on all things sales. Tips, ideas, free coaching, and much more. Join me by clicking here
  4. Work with me one-on-one. If you’re a business owner, small or large or in professional services you might just be a few strategies, tactics and tools away from doubling your lead flow, revenue and impact. Jump on a FREE 15-minute brainstorming call with me by clicking here.

“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans.” – Peter F. Drucker

As the year unfolds, it’s important to think about creating new habits and rituals for your sales team. Sales meetings can be time-consuming and unproductive if not run effectively, but by implementing a few simple guidelines, you can make them more productive and engaging for your team.

One of the most effective ways to improve sales meetings is to establish agreements that all team members must follow. These agreements should be clearly communicated and reinforced at the beginning of each meeting. Some examples of agreements that you could implement include:

  • 100% participation
  • Being on time
  • Encouraging questions and actively listening to feedback
  • Creating a positive and fun atmosphere
  • No distractions such as mobile phones or other electronic devices

It’s also important to set strict time limits for meetings, this will help keep the meetings on track and ensure that all important topics are covered. Additionally, clear communication and goal-setting are crucial to the success of sales meetings. This will keep team members focused and motivated throughout the meeting.

In summary, by implementing simple agreements and guidelines for your sales team, you can make meetings more productive and engaging for your team. Encourage participation, set strict time limits, and create a positive and fun atmosphere in your meetings. And remember to always encourage clear communication and goal-setting.

Mike Brunel started mikebrunel.com after being a successful entrepreneur and founder of NRS Media.  He co-founded NRS Media in Wellington, New Zealand, expanded it into a global powerhouse in media sales and training, and was eventually responsible for opening offices in London, Atlanta, Toronto, Sydney, Capetown, and Bogota. He has hired hundreds of salespeople around the world.

He made a lot of mistakes when it came to hiring his superstars. Check out his How to Hire A Super Salesperson Each and Every timeIt’s packed with tips and ideas on how to hire great salespeople. Don’t ever Hire Bad Salespeople Ever Again. Promise!

Can You Set Aside One Hour to Set Up Your Year?

One Hour a day to Accomplish Your Goals.

In our first article on goals for 2022, I talked about overcoming the obstacles that prevent you from accomplishing those goals.

In this article, I will talk about spending time each day to help you stay on track and chunk down the activity you devote to achieving your goals.

Do you know that every day you can create an hour to help fulfil your goals and keep you on track?

The answer is “start” each day a little earlier than your fellow workers.

And plan tomorrow today…

One of my early mentors and previous partners at NRS Media, Brian Duffy, taught me this valuable tip.

Plan Tomorrow Today – I first met Brian when he was a consultant to one of the first media companies I worked for.

He would always sit me down on his visits and ask me this simple question:

“Have you set goals for what you are going to achieve tomorrow? More importantly, have you considered what you have achieved today and congratulated yourself?”

This piece of advice has stayed with me to this day. Most days, I plan what I will do the next day using this simple method.

At the end of each day, I review what I have achieved, taking about 30 seconds to pat myself on the back mentally.

Even if I only managed to complete a couple of tasks, this simple exercise gave me a sense of achievement. If you don’t do this, you honestly feel you have achieved nothing.

Acknowledge your achievements, no matter how small they may seem. Every day is a path to the appreciation of self.

I then look at what I have not been able to achieve due to timing and other factors and place them on my plan for the following day. No judgments.

I then review all the meetings and appointments and place them on my plan for the following day.

Finally, I take about 10 minutes to study my priorities for the month, quarter and year. I select 3-4 goals I want to achieve as soon as I return to my office that are in alignment with these goals.

It works for me; it just might be the tonic for you.

Have fun selling your stuff in 2023.

Mike (Goals are dreams on paper) Brunel.

P.S.

Everyone wants to make more sales in their business – want to know how to do it?
Invest in yourself and enrol in the Sales Mindset Blueprint course; to ensure you’re setting yourself up for selling success.
Sceptical?
Find out more and see what people say about the course here – https://www.thesalesmindsetblueprint.com/course.

PLUS: Whenever you’re ready…

Here are 3 ways I can help you make more sales in your business – whether your business is big or small.

1. Try the new 7 Days to Sales Success Framework.

Make more sales in 7 days. The framework of everything you need to start making more sales in your business. The Sales Success Framework is based on a simple 7-day challenge. Click here to find out how you can grow your business by increasing sales.

2. Join our Private Facebook Group – The Salesmindset Inner Circle. Get all the latest up-to-date sales ideas.

Every week we do Facebook Live updates on all things sales. Tips, ideas, free coaching, and much more. Join me by clicking here.

3. Work with me One-on-One.

If you’re a small or large business owner or in professional services, you might have a few strategies, tactics and tools away from doubling your lead flow, revenue and impact. Jump on a FREE 15-minute Brainstorm call with me by clicking here.

My Promise in 2023. Don’t Hire Bad Salespeople Ever Again.

As we dive into 2023, it’s often a time for reflection, to review both the good and the not-so-good bits.

I am often asked this question by owners and sales managers.

“Mike, what makes a good salesperson, and what should I look for?”

2023 they tell us, is going to be a tough year; I guess the way you look at it, it just might be 365 opportunities to get better. 

It might be the time to invest in yourself.

In this article, I talk about hiring the right salespeople.

“What behaviours are the most important for salespeople in this new selling environment?”

“What abilities do you believe will help salespeople in this new selling environment?”

Here is my take on it as you start the New Year.

I will address one behaviour at a time in each blog.

I want to do this because it’s not okay to accept just anyone that shows up in an empty suit.

Having hired hundreds of salespeople, I know what makes the good ones tick.

1. Self-Management

This first behaviour is one of the most important skills I look for in a salesperson. It can be a lonely job selling. Often, you want your sales team to be able to take instructions and make sure they can be confident to be comfortable.

I want my salesperson to be able to focus on their effort to achieve their goals. Why? I do not want them to forever come to me for the answer. Good self-managers work it out for themselves. You want to know that your salesperson can utilise his/her efforts on their task load and attain their daily objectives.

2. Survival Capabilities

In my business, we had a salary and at-risk structure in place. Survival in that environment requires the salesperson to take control of the sales process.

If you can select the person with the motivation, then your salesperson ticks off the first important trait you need to look for –Self Management.

Check out a special video I have put together to help you select the right salesperson for your company. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biXKMYnK_eE

 

If you’re reading this here, I have put together a video on how to hire a salesperson in a competitive environment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biXKMYnK_eEI 

The Do’s and Don’ts of Rewarding your Team

Well-managed well throughout incentive programs plays an essential part in achieving and exceeding sales targets. If your incentives are adequately structured, they can result in a high level of motivation.

Here are a few basic principles I recommend to my clients.

  1. Avoid incentives where individual salespeople compete directly with each other to win a single prize. This often causes animosity.  It is much better to ensure that every person has a chance to achieve an incentive by reaching a certain level of sales.

2. Incentives should be introduced with some pizzazz and excitement to help generate an air of urgency. Incentives are designed to motivate salespeople, so how they are presented needs to reflect this.

3. Incentives should not be long-term – usually a month- under certain circumstances; incentives could be offered for one week only. Don’t make the mistake of running incentive programmes for more than three months.

The fact is, It is hard to sustain interest in incentive programs if they are run over too long a period.  Salespeople tend to focus on incentives only when they are close to achieving them.  A year-long incentive, for example, will only really generate genuine interest among salespeople about three months from the end of the year (by which time it’s too late to impact on the result) – for the rest of the year, the incentive seems too far away.

Have a great week selling your stuff.

Mike

PLUS: WHENEVER YOU’RE READY…

Here are 3 ways I can help you make more sales in your business – whether your business is big or small.

1. Try the new 7 Days to Sales Success Framework.

Make More Sales in 7 days. The framework of everything you need to start making more sales in your business. The Sales Success Framework is based on a simple 7-day challenge. Click here to find out how you can grow your business by increasing sales.

2. Join our Private Facebook Group – The Salesmindset Inner Circle. Get all the latest up-to-date sales ideas.

Every week we do Facebook Live updates on all things sales. Tips, ideas, free coaching, and much more. Join me by clicking here.

3. Work with me One-on-One.

If you’re a small or large business owner or in professional services, you might have a few strategies, tactics and tools away from doubling your lead flow, revenue and impact. Please jump on a FREE 15-minute Brainstorm call with me by clicking here.

Mike Brunel started mikebrunel.com after being a successful entrepreneur and founder of NRS Media.  He co-founded NRS Media in Wellington, New Zealand, expanded it into a global powerhouse in media sales and training, and was eventually responsible for opening offices in London, Atlanta, Toronto, Sydney, Capetown, and Bogota. His products and services are now sold in 23 countries and in 11 languages generating $350 million annually in sales for his clients. Mike sold the company in 2015 and now spends his time following his passions which include rugby, travel. His promise: “I can find thousands of dollars in your business within minutes – GUARANTEED”  TRY ME OUT! 

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Do you want to know what the top  10% of Salespeople do

Do you want to know what the top 10% of Salespeople do

80%……….Of all sales made after the fifth call
48%……….Of all salespeople, call once and quit
25%……….Call twice and quit
10%……….Keep on calling

These statistics are close to the mark in all selling forms, be it a service or product you sell.

I think that we all know…

SALES DON’T JUST HAPPEN.

I have created a diagram to illustrate the real-time that your buyer is available to sell to.

Just email me at mikebrunel.com for a copy.

Why do many salespeople thrive when others do not? Here are some ongoing practices I observe every day.

1. Always add to your pipeline.

Not continuously adding to your pipeline is often a mistake that salespeople make once they have established a solid ongoing sales funnel. If you continue to add to your sales pipeline, then if that long-established client decides that this month they will not buy this, then it does not matter because you have more potential opportunities in your pipeline.

If you are always taking the position of helping and assisting your client, then your pipeline will increase. If you are only filling up your pipeline when you are desperate, many clients will sense that, and you will come across as desperate.

2. Never assume they need you.

I have noticed that many salespeople leave a message with a client or a voicemail, and they think it ends there. They think they have done what they had to and then move on. Depending on your relationship with that client, they may or may not call you back. If you want to do business with them, you have to plan that call and decide the ongoing strategy to get the person to respond.  Create a proactive message for them to call you back.

3. Sales potty training.

For those that may have had young children, there was a time when you had to train them to go to the toilet. In my experience (a while ago), I always used to say, “Pee or get off the pot”. In other words, make a decision. There will be times when you have to make a decision to get off the pot.

Some clients need to be let go. You need to figure out whether a prospect is serious about working with you. A promising pipeline is full of qualified prospects, not “tyre kickers.”

pipeliines

All pipeline activities have to support your key messages, and understanding who your client is and where they play is vital to successful sales.

Good selling

Mike

PLUS: Whenever you’re ready…

Here are 3 ways I can help you make more sales in your business – whether your business is big or small.

1. Try the new 7 Days to Sales Success Framework.

Make More Sales in 7 days. The framework of everything you need to start making more sales in your business. The Sales Success Framework is based on a simple 7-day challenge. Click here to find out how you can grow your business by increasing sales.

2. Join our Private Facebook Group – The Salesmindset Inner Circle. Get all the latest up-to-date sales ideas.

Every week we do Facebook Live updates on all things sales. Tips, ideas, free coaching, and much more. Join me by clicking here.

3. Work with me One-on-One.

If you’re a small or large business owner or in professional services, you might have a few strategies, tactics and tools away from doubling your lead flow, revenue and impact. Jump on a FREE 15-minute Brainstorm call with me by click here.