The Secrets of Selling: How To Win In Any Sales Situation

Cover
The Secrets of Selling
Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction: so what is this book about and how will it help you?
Part 1 Sales meetings and sales proposals
	What to say in sales meetings
		Preparing for sales meetings
		The structure of a typical sales meeting
		Dealing with objections
		Closing
	How to assess the character of your prospect quickly and accurately
		How to make these judgements
		The most common reasons why people misjudge the characters of others
	Using emotion in selling
		Honestly
		Charm
		Using emotion correctly
		The emotions behind buying decisions
	Body language in sales meetings
		The importance of body language in selling
		Persuasive and non-persuasive body language
		What to look for in others
	How to write proposals
		The best way to write a proposal
		Management summary
		Introduction
		Your understanding of their requirements
		Your company’s suitability for the work
		The proposed way forward
		Costs
		Possible next steps
	Writing words that sell
		The rules for writing good English
		How to write case studies
		How to write one-page summaries
Part 2 How to find new business
	Choosing your targets
	The theory behind finding new business
	Maximising the efficiency of your lead-searching
	The four main ways to find new business
	Finding new business through mailshots
		How to get good lists
		The message in your mailshot
		Knowing how many to send
		E-mailshots
		Measuring the success of mailshots
		The mailshot idea that usually fails
		Running newsletters
	Finding new business through seminars
		Attending other people’s seminars
		Speed-networking events
		Running your own seminars
		Alternatives to full-blown seminars
		Following up after seminars
	How to use the telephone for selling
		The secret to selling successfully on the phone
		The four possible responses to your call
		The words you should use
		Getting past gatekeepers
		Common issues when phoning
	Finding new business through partners
		The three types of partner
		How you make your partnerships effective?
		How to choose the right partners for you
		How to spot the partners you should avoid
		Keeping your partnerships healthy
Part 3 Becoming a complete salesperson
	How to brand and advertise your company effectively
		How to create a brand
		Colours and branding
		Advertising
		How to choose a tagline
		How to place your adverts
		Dealing with advertising agencies
	Presentations, away-days and exhibitions
		The best ways to present
		Things to remember when you are preparing to present
		Things to remember when you are presenting
		How the size of the audience affect your presentation?
		Client away-days
		Managing an exhibition stand
		Follow it all up
	Getting the most from the media
		Getting articles into the press
		Finding journalists and publications that specialise in your area
		Press releases
		Other ways of contacting the press
		Doing media interviews
		Dealing with adverse publicity
		PR agencies
		Professional associations
	Tips on beating the competition
		What buyers are looking for
		Avoiding the biggest waste of a salesperson’s time
		Four general rules for competitive situations
		Timing your visits when you are part of a formal bid process
		The waiting room
	How to sort the contracts stage painlessly
		What you need in a heads of agreement
		Some general considerations for contracts
		Tips for dealing with lawyers
		Frequently occurring problems with commercial contracts
		Getting the legal side right in the real world
	Tips on managing your contacts
		Why you need a contact management system?
		How to choose the right one
	Tips on managing large accounts
		How to network around an account
		How to get extra work from the account
		Shaping the strategy of their senior managers
		When a team runs the account
	Tips on negotiation
		Five questions that will prepare your negotiation position
		Nine rules for the actual negotiations
		Group negotiation
		Common situations when negotiating
		How professional buyers buy
	How to measure performance
		Measuring your performance against the competition
		Measuring your own performance
		Your real chances of winning the work
		Sales reporting
		Rewarding sales achievement
	So what makes the difference between average and top-flight sales performance?
		Motivation and goals
		The seven ways you can create luck
Bibliography
Index
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