If you are just setting out on your sales career and I will assume you are since you are reading the Beginners Guide To Selling, you will be asking yourself “Where do I start?”

Here are a few areas you might like to start with to get the ball rolling.

• Think about how you would describe “how buyers buy” and align your selling activities accordingly.

• Try and recognize the difference between “latent pain” and “active vision” opportunities.

• Conduct effective pre-call planning and research.

• Stimulate interest and establish credibility with your prospects

• Get prospects to share / admit high priority pain

• Engage in consultative dialogue that promotes the differentiating strengths of your offerings

• Gain access to “power” people within an opportunity

• Effectively qualify and disqualify opportunities based on objective decision criteria

• Control and manage sell cycles

• Improve your chances of winning competitive opportunities

• Plan how to avoid no decision

• Negotiate the steps leading to closure of a sale cycle

This is a good list to start with.

by Kevin Eikenberry

We all meet new people, in all phases of our lives. In some of those situations we may not be consciously thinking about the importance of making a good first impression; however, conscious or not, we are always making an impression.

Sometimes – be it the person we are meeting, the situation we are in or just that we are more consciously aware – we want to more than just make an impression, we want to make a great one.

The good news is there are things you can do to make great first impressions happen regularly and almost predictably. The surprising news is these suggestions may not be all the things you have thought or been taught.

Remember, since the impression is actually formed by the other person, in the end, what they ultimately think is out of your control.

Even so, using these ideas will give you a greater chance to create impressions that lead to further conversations, goodwill, new relationships, additional business, greater job and life satisfaction and greater success.

With those benefits in mind, let’s get on with the suggestions!

Relax. This comes first, especially if the situation is one where you feel you need to make a great first impression. You want the new client, you want the job, you want the date – whatever the situation is, take the pressure off of yourself! Relax and just be yourself. Think about it, you can tell when people are anxious or nervous, right? Does it make you more attracted to them? Your answer is the same as everyone else’s. Relax.

Smile! Few things are more attractive than a real smile – it doesn’t matter if you are young or old, smiles make a difference. Whether you’ve spent thousands on your pearly whites doesn’t matter. Let people know you are happy to meet them before a word is said. The best way to do that is with a smile. The old line that “smiles increase your face value” is an old line because it’s true.

Use a good handshake. While I grew up taking this for granted, and have written about it in more detail, this one simply can’t be overlooked. A good handshake says things about you that words never can. Learn to give a great handshake. Practice it. Make it your habit.

Make eye contact. In most parts of the world, this is incredibly important. Everyone has heard it, everyone “knows” it, but far too many people do it. This actually is good news for you – because when you do make eye contact consistently – you will stand out.

Be genuine and real. Be . . . yourself. Be . . . natural. After all, you want their impression to be of who you really are not some mask you have created, right? Enough said.

Be interested, not interesting. This turn of words is very powerful. Often making a great first impression is equated with impressing people. While that is true, most think about impressing people as being about showing what we know, who we know or what we’ve done. You will make a more powerful and lasting impression when you don’t try so hard. Which brings me to . . .

Ask more, say less. You will show your interest in the other person by asking more questions and talking less. When you ask you are signaling your interest. Asking helps you learn about the other person, and who doesn’t like it when people want to know more about them?

Be confident. Being confident coupled with being relaxed leads to a projected self-assurance that is both interesting and attractive. Don’t try too hard, and don’t take confidence as your lone tip (notice this doesn’t say over-confident or cocky) – but when coupled with the other ideas on this list you will not only be more confident, but your confidence will work well.

Be present. Being present means not looking for the next hand to shake, not thinking about your own issues or deciding how to move on. It is about being with the person you are meeting, for however long you are engaged with them in conversation. Many of the other tips on this list will happen naturally when you are truly in the moment with the person.

Remember it isn’t about you. Make the encounter as much about the other person as possible, and you will make great first impressions most of the time. If you are especially nervous in networking situations or if you are reading these tips before an especially important meeting, remember this tip and apply it. It is all about the other person. As paradoxical as it may seem, making a good impression will come easiest when you focus not on yourself, but on the other person.

This post has been reproduced with permission from the author Kevin Eikenberry

The original post can be found here. Ten Ways to Make a Great First Impression

Do You Like Wasting Your Time When Meeting People?

How often have you heard the saying, “It’s not WHAT you know but WHO you know?”

Generally, people want to know the right people but do not do the right things when they meet people.

It only takes a little effort and consideration and before you know it you will have a network of contacts who will help propel you forward in your selling career.

Follow a few simple steps…As you read you will probably say “that’s just common sense”, but I’ve learned that common sense is a big word for some people, including me sometimes.

If you take these seven (7) steps, you will find your networking to be much more effective.

1. Be approachable

Encourage people to want to talk with you. If the other person seems uncomfortable, you can break the ice. That person will be entirely grateful. Besides reinforcing your current connections, you should always want to meet new people. Make it easy for these people to meet you.

2. Have a positive attitude

A. Keep Upbeat: See problems as opportunities. If everyone could do it, everyone would do it. This newest problem could be the entry into your next fortune. Besides, nobody likes a downer.

B. Do Not Judge Anyone: You do not know who you are meeting. This person might be the person who can sell you something you really need, buy something from you, teach you something, or empower you by learning from you. This person might connect you to someone who becomes important to you later.

3. Ask questions

A. Relate Questions to Topic: If you are at a seminar or class, ask the person what he or she thinks about the topic, the presenter, or the organization sponsoring the event. Also, ask this person about his or her connection to the topic: how long involved, how serious, etc.

B. Find Hot Buttons: Does the person tend to talk about certain things? Ask questions about how the person spends his or her free time. Learn about his or her ambitions and concerns. People always enjoy talking about their preferred topics. Often, a person who spends all of the time talking about his or her favorite topic will assume common ground with you, even if it is not entirely accurate.

4. Get contact information

A. Get Business Card: Ask if the person has a business card. If the person does not, ask the person to write his or her contact information on the back of one of your business cards.

B. Learn Preferred First Name: If the card says, “David,” ask whether he prefers “Dave” or “David.” Many people appreciate this, and it might save you some embarrassment later.

C. Learn How to Pronounce The Last Name: Some names as obvious, such as “Smith” or “Miller.” However, some names make you guess, or even worse entirely stymie you. This is the time to ask. If the name is complicated enough, practice a few times in front of that person. Very few people care enough to try learning how to say this person’s name. He or she will appreciate it.

5. Commit to contacting them

Force yourself to commit to sending an e-mail or making a call. Give the person a notice that you will call or send an e-mail within a day or two. The other person might not care, but this person will probably meet other people. You will be one of the few who actually try to connect. Most people do not. You will separate yourself even more by meeting your self-imposed deadline. It will be the first step to show you are trustworthy.

6. Record contact information

Make sure to take your information that you get and record it, even if you have a business card. How often do people lose those? Not to mention, it will be easier to copy and paste information from a computer when you send the person something. Plus, it helps you realize how many people you meet. This list will grow quickly!

7. Send them an email (or call)

A. Remind Where Met: Not everyone will remember you immediately. Make it easier for the person. Let them know where you met. Maybe even comment on the event, if it was especially good.

B. Add Personal Touch: Mention something specific. This can be a point within the conversation or a positive observation that you made about him or her. This will show that you paid attention. Sometimes, this will force you to think.

C. Ask A Question: Ask them something relevant. Sometimes, this will be easy. If not, ask them what they think of a general topic related to the event you attended. This provides them a reason to respond. If they do not respond, this will tell you something about that person, also.

Following these steps takes a little extra work, but you will find that the amount of rewards will massively exceed your effort that you spent. I had massive success selling because I had a great network of people who referred me business. You can have that too.

Good luck, and enjoy increasing your success networking.