Finding New Prospects

In over 20 years of speaking covering 3,000 plus seminars to entrepreneurs, business owners, and those selling professional services, I find that one can predict success to the degree they master these 9 key skill sets required for success in selling professional services.

The 9 Key Skill Sets are: 

 

• Prospecting—Identifying Key Niche Markets

• Establishing High Levels of Trust

• Uncovering Prospects’ Needs

• Solving Problems with Customized Solutions

• Handling Objections

• Closing Sales

• Generating Repeat Business

• Generating Referral Business

• Creating Systems and Processes

The one to start with without which you don't have any business at all is Number 1. You have to know how to find new prospects or your business is going to go cold.

I've written some of my best tips for getting new prospects right here: Finding New Prospects

Including the top one of all - make sure you are talking to the right audience. 

Kids Are Great At Selling

One of the things I've learned as a sales trainer over the yeaers is that most people already know how to sell but have forgotten they have this skill. We call it persuasion or the gift of gab or even nagging, but the fact of the matter is that we are all skilled at selling.

Its when we get to be grownups and begin to fear that word as the bane of social existence, that we get all freaked out about doing this. In fact, most people, when their stress level is taken down a notch or two are incredible effective at selling things they believe in.

That's why kids are so good at it, they believe what they are telling people about what they are selling. We have all been selling since childhood, and the world is none the worse for it. And in fact most of our greatest ideas would still be simply ideas if someone had not stood up, walked out the door of the idea factory and began selling the thought to someone else.

Discussion On Social Media

I've been hearing so much about blogging and social media in general the last couple of years that I knew I needed to try it out. So I have been doing exactly that trying it out. And what I've found is that most times it is very exciting.

I have found numerous sites to comment on, and have wound up in discussions with the post authors. Sometimes this has resulted in following others on Twitter and them following me back, or seeing my posts get shared on Google+ or Facebook or even having a discussion in the comment section of my blog.

I find it quite amazing and fascinating at the same time. Its not that I haven't done tech work before, its that this is a different sort of animal. People read, they think and they respond in a genuine way with ideas that simply make sense. Now I know that I will run into some people who just aren't that way. But for right now, this is a great way to get to know more people both in my market and outside of it. And to find some new friends to interact with.

Starting With Social Media

Working with blogs and social media is proving to be a very interesting experience. So far I've met a lot of great people all of whom have excellent ideas.

When I started The Top Five Percent, I knew this was going to be a learning experience for me, I just didn't realize that there were so many things to learn about. It seems like each of the sites to use for meeting people have their own sets of rules.

No problem there, it just seems to take a while to figure out how to use all of them.

Interconnected Thoughts

Its the way of the world these days, lots of blogs around and social media accounts. A very interconnected world we live in.  :-)