Words of wisdom from David Ogilvy..do you agree, or not?

This is a video about selling and promotions from the famous copywriter David Ogilvy. It may be dated, but the content is still very timely.

North San Diego Business At Large

North San Diego Business At Large
Show Notes:  February 19, 2010

Dan Boe, Inner-Fire Presentations, shared the six deadly mistakes we make in our sales conversations. They include:

1. Not getting the commitment up front.
2. Relying on product knowledge.
3. Being a free consultant.
4. Not having a process.
5. Trying to beat the buyer at his/her own game.
6. Selling features & benefits.

Dan offers sales courses which can be found at his site, Be The Fire, and has been a previous guest of North San Diego Business At Large (episode page).

Open Ended Questions

Ask Open-Ended & Clarifying Questions

Don’t work so hard on your next presentation, client meeting, or employee conversation. Certainly come prepared. But start by asking open-ended questions to target the needs of your listener or audience. It allows for multiple responses in the listeners owns language.

Repeat back what you heard using similar words from what what expressed. Then ask “Is what I said what you meant?” and adapt your style and response to meet their expectations. It will encourage a meaningful response that targets results without judgment, instead of driving, strong-arming, or pushing your own agenda. It will also demonstrate active listening skills while avoiding projecting, fixing, or telling.

Examples of open-ended or clarifying questions:

• “What’s the most important thing you’d like to get from me, or this meeting?”
• “How would you like me to provide you with feedback or information?”
• “Describe for me how you did….”
• “Tell me a time when you demonstrated….”
• “What would it look like if… (you tried the opposite)?”
• “What if the opposite were true?”
• “How can I support you?”
• “What would success look like?”
• “What did you intend as the outcome?”
• “How much time did the project work take?”

As a Business Coach, Ken brings more than 25 years of diverse local and international experience that business, visionaries and individuals trust to help achieve amazing success. He has helped small to mid-size business, and has managed large scale organizational shifts for Fortune 500 companies.

North San Diego Business At Large

North San Diego Business At Large
Show Notes:  January 15, 2010

Ann Marie Houghtailing is a Sales Trainer, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur who has trained sales people all around the country in a variety of industries. Known for her high energy, humor and no nonsense style, Ann Marie has developed sales systems and built sales teams to generate revenue in every climate. She has trained people to sell everything from real estate and financial products to dry wall and event services. “Selling is not a talent, it is a measurable, teachable skill; and with creative, clear strategies everyone can learn to sell. Nearly every business and every job in this country is dependent upon sales.”

Ann Marie Houghtailing is Principal of The Houghtailing Group, which examines individual businesses to identify and remove obstacles in order to create opportunities. Whether you are a financial planner, a baker or an Internet based business, you must sell your product or service in order to execute your vision and remain viable in the marketplace.

Michelle Bergquist, will be sharing an upcoming Business Women’s Mega Mixer event for the women’s business community in San Diego County. Michelle is widely known throughout San Diego as the woman with the golden rolodex.

As author of How To Build A Million Dollar Database, she knows just about everyone and will be putting that to use as she brings the women’s community together with this event. I’ve interviewed her before and she’s a great interview

Recently Barbara Eldridge, my Co-Director at MindMasters Entreprener Association, and I interviewed Vicki Garcia, Marketing Impressions.

Vicki shares tips on selling and marketing your small business. Let me know what you think by commenting. Visit MindMasters Entrepreneur Association if you are a small business owner who wants to be part of a vibrant online business community.

August 19 from 8 to 9:15 am-Join the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce for informative, relevant information at a very low cost-$5 per person includes continental breakfast.

August Topic:
Blast off! Your Life, Your Business and Sales to New Heights!

(my interview with Allison)

Seminars held at the Valley of Discovery Room at City Hall. RSVP required to tayde@sanmarcoschamber.com

I spoke with Bill Miller, Call Solutions Group about how his company makes solopreneurs or home based businesses sound bigger than they physically are through communication technologies.

I think with companies talking about laying off employees, there may be executives who are ready to take control of their future by starting their own consulting business. However, unlike me who loves being homebased and am very proud of being homebased, not everyone wants their clients to know they work from home.  Call Solutions Group provides a sophisticated telephone service that leaves the caller with the impression they are speaking to a much larger firm.

Take a listen and let me know what you think by commenting, and give Bill’s site a once over.