pots and pans logo
The Cookbook 
November 2009 Newsletter

What's Cooking?

Greetings!

Are your Q4 sales on plan? Do you have the correct blend of sales and marketing tactics scheduled to ensure you finish the year strong? Pick one:

a) Yes, we are on plan.
b) No, plan was too high.
c) I'm not sure.
d) We don't have a plan.

4th qtr 4th

Hope you answered 'a' since we have less than eight weeks to the end of the year.
If you answered 'c' give us a call; there's always hope. If you answered 'd' you must have a lot of pain and need help. We know a Naturopath and a Therapist.
Good Habits:
 
Ask the right questions.
Ask for referrals.
Create client specific plans.
Show enthusiasm.
Tell the truth.
Start early.
Ask for the next appointment during the meeting.
Take notes.
Be responsible.
Read industry publications.
Network twice a week.
Keep your sense of humor.

Veteran's Day
is November 11.
support troops
11 - 11- 11
Please remember our Veterans at 11 am
on November 11.
Referral Selling:
 
Nothing is more effective than referral selling. Nothing comes close. Gaining a lead from a friend or colleague is a precious gift. Do not be afraid to ask your referral source for a name of someone that fits the description of your ideal client. Whether you are networking with one person or dozens of folks, enthusiastically share your elevator speech and ask for a few leads.

Try something new: at your next networking event, listen to your new colleagues and when they describe someone that fits your ideal lead criteria, instead of asking for a referral, ask to be introduced.


Sales Kitchen:
We can help you cook up solutions to heat up your sales.

We have solutions to:
Sell Better.
Sell Faster.
Sell More.


MikeCooper
Mike Cooper
Sales Kitchen
630-548-9723

We hope you enjoyed this newsletter. Check out our Newsletter Archive for more awesome sales tips.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Heat Up Your Sales

Q4 Sales Push:  Here we are.  It's already November. We are getting close to the end of the year. You want to finish the year strong and need a plan. We have about 8 weeks to complete the year and hit our number. There are 19 selling days in November. There are 22 selling days in December.

Ask some hard questions: What is the year end number and what do you need to sell to achieve that number?
Are you going to make more sales calls? More cold calls? 
Are you going to sell more to your existing customers? 
 
What is your marketing message? Do you have a branding statement? Do you have a competitive edge? Do your prospects know your competitive edge?
 
WHY did people buy from you in the past?
 
What's in your pipeline?  How long did it take to close your last few sales?  Is there any low hanging fruit?
 
Now, take this information and create a sales plan.  Set some challenging but achievable objectives. Top three goals for current customers. Top three goals for new customers. Identify some specific action steps. Put together a kick-butt presentation deck and set some appointments.
 
You have set yourself up to finish the year strong. Hustle and give your professional best.

Sales Meetings: Tips for great meetings
 
A great sales meeting is educational, entertaining and informative. We are talking about the weekly or bi-monthly meetings to discuss sales results and action steps; not the long drawn out national sales meeting.
 
Publish an agenda a couple days before the meeting. Request each participant to forward any problems or issues they are experiencing; also have everyone be prepared to share a success. Respond to each problem before the meeting.

The meeting must start on time. We have identified a list of nine (9) guidelines to follow to ensure a successful meeting. Guidelines link.

meeting stock image

Meeting must end on time or early as the sales team needs to get to their next appointment. Remember, this is a sales meeting not a gripe session. Table all problems or complaints and say you or someone else will follow up today or tomorrow. Remember: praise in public; criticize in private.
 
The meeting must never be anything but positive and enthusiastic. This should help the team increase creativity, customer focus, successes and sales skills to ensure sales are smokin'.

"That meeting was educational, informative and entertaining."
 
The 3 B's of selling also apply to sales meetings: be bright, be brief & be gone.

November Sales Partner: Butterball. LLC
Celebrate the Holidays with Butterball!
 
Butterball is proud to be the November partner of Sales Kitchen.  And it is so appropriate to be in the "kitchen" this time of year with friends and family.  As the traditional centerpiece for holiday dinners, Butterball offers cooking advice, recipes, serving tips and other important information to consumers in a variety of ways that help ensure their turkey dinner turns out picture perfect this time of butterballyear.  The Butterball Turkey Talk-Line� is celebrating its 29th year and over 50 home economists will be on hand to guide consumers through the season.  In addition to our 1-800-BUTTERBALL line, we are offering similar advice through our website at www.butterball.com. Consumers can also text the word TURKEY to #36888 on their cell phones and receive turkey texts.  This year Butterball experts can also be reached on Facebook and Twitter, so there are lots of ways for consumers to get valuable information right at their fingertips.
 
What is proving to be an excellent incentive for many employers is the giift of a Butterball gift certificate at this time of year recognizing employee contributions.  Simply call Mary Schaffhausen, at Butterball, LLC, (919) 255-7938. We have programs that make giving a gift of a Butterball turkey this Thanksgiving or Christmas very convenient.  We know employees appreciate the gift.

And thank you for continuing to make Butterball the number one brand of turkey! For 54 years we have been proud to be a part of America's kitchen every Thanksgiving season.

Follow Sales Kitchen on twitter or connect with us on Linked-in.

Sales Tip:
Always network. Join the Chamber of Commerce.
Naperville's 5 Star Chamber has dozens of networking events.
Click on a logo: 
      twitter     linkedin      chamber2009      frontrow
Sales Tip: Increase the quantity & quality of your sales calls with Front Row Solutions. There is no better view than from the front row.
Thanksgiving Humor: 
A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store, but couldn't find one big enough for her family. She asked the stock boy, "Do these turkeys get any bigger?" The stock boy answered, "No ma'am, they're dead."
turkey

What did General Patton do on Thanksgiving?
He gave tanks.

What do you get when you cross a turkey with an octopus?
Drumsticks for everybody.

Why did the Pilgrims eat turkey on Thanksgiving?
They couldn't get the moose in the oven!

What is the Turkey's favorite black tie celebration?
The Butter Ball.

www.SalesKitchen.com

We want to be your sales management partners.