by Don Cooper, The Sales Heretic™

Great presentation skills are a powerful asset for a salesperson. Lousy presentation skills are a serious liability. Even if you have the best product, service, delivery, warranty and price, a poor sales presentation can shatter your prospect’s confidence in your company, causing them to run in the other direction.

If your presentation skills suck—or aren’t as stellar as you’d like them to be—use some of these strategies to get them up to snuff.

1. Study others
Watch and listen carefully to people who are great presenters. Pay close attention to what they do and how they do it. Notice also what they don’t do. Take detailed notes whenever possible. And if appropriate, ask them for advice. Read the rest of this article »

by Don Cooper, The Sales Heretic™

With all the attention on social media over the past couple of years, it’s easy to forget that face-to-face networking is still extremely valuable. However, it isn’t enough just to meet people at networking mixers once in a while. People need to really get to know you. And they need to remember you, like you and trust you before they’ll want to do business with you. So try one or more of these tactics to speed that process along.

1. Volunteer
Every organization needs volunteers, and savvy networkers jump at the chance. People will see you in a position of responsibility and service. You also get a chance to showcase your talents and learn new skills.

2. Work the Registration Table
You’ll meet virtually everyone who attends the event. More importantly, they’ll meet you. Read the rest of this article »

by Don Cooper, The Sales Heretic™

Most of us believe we’re good listeners, when in fact, most of us are lousy. (If you don’t believe me, ask your spouse.) Yet listening is a critical skill that we all need to be better at. Listening allows you to relax, compose your thoughts and gather valuable information. And truly effective listening builds rapport, respect and trust.

Whether you’re networking, selling, negotiating or simply having a casual conversation, keep these principles in mind:

See Eye to Eye

When someone is speaking to you it is imperative that you maintain good eye contact with them. Looking at something else sends the non-verbal message that whatever you are looking at is more important than the speaker is. An additional benefit for you is that by looking at the speaker, you can pick up on their non-verbal signals, which will help you better understand what they really are (and are not) saying.
Read the rest of this article »