Why Every Company Needs a Millennial for the Sales Team

First published on Rocks Digital
By Debbie Mrazek

There are many stereotypes surrounding the millennial generation and they focus mainly on the negative aspects associated with the generation, rather than focusing on the positives including the fact that they are actually more tolerant, educated and optimistic compared to previous generations. With all the speculation about the career choices for millennials, I thought we should explore why every company needs to hire a millennial for their sales team.

Why Sales is a Good Fit for Millennials

    Ability to interact with many people throughout the day
    Value being rewarded for their personal efforts
    Autonomy experienced in the world of sales
    Sales has been rated as the 5th happiest job available in America

Millennials Have Strong Sales Skills

It will come as no surprise for those already in the field of sales that the specific set of skills required to be a successful sales person are the strongest among millennials. When you take into consideration their educational background and the types of jobs available for those with their level of education, it is no surprise that sales would be a good fit. The majority of millennials tend to have a strong background in research and communication which are excellent traits for any sales person.

Social Media and Technology Experience

Their extensive experience with social media and technology can help millennials become successful in sales since so many consumers are making buying decisions online. They are the most technically advanced and experienced generation we have ever seen and, because of this knowledge, they have an advantage over older sales professionals who may not be as tech savvy. When Millennials use this knowledge to their advantage they are able to broaden the scope of their sales reach.

Why Should Millennials Want a Sales Job?

For millennials interested in obtaining employment at a startup or even becoming an entrepreneur, a background in sales can be extremely beneficial. Knowing how to sell and close the deal is an extremely useful skill that can provide an advantage in the job market.

As an employer, it’s time you look past the negative stereotypes of the millennial generation and focus on all the positives aspects they offer your business.

Does your business currently employ Millennials on your sales force? Share the positives you have seen from their generation when it comes to sales!

Still Avoiding Video? YouTube Video Success Tips for the Newbie

First published on Rocks Digital
By Debbie Mrazek

You have spent years building your business and developing your products. With social media, you now have the ability to share those products with millions of potential customers. But how do you properly incorporate video marketing into your existing marketing plan?

YouTube Video Tips for the Newbie

When you add video to your marketing plan, you open up a whole new world of potential. When properly utilized, video can be used to add depth while promoting your products because video allows you to create stories to help sell your products. You could show viewers how you got started, or what goes into the creation of your products, or why you started your business. Video allows you to do this and people love special, behind the scenes content.

1. Keep Your Videos Short, But Don’t Rush

When it comes to the length of your YouTube videos, experts suggest that you keep them less than 2 minutes in length. Shorter videos have been shown to receive the most views from users which should really come as no big surprise in a world where attention spans are constantly shrinking. Although your video will be short, you should not rush. Take your time and get your message out in a concise and clear manner. Remember, you want to create more than one, so you don’t have to say everything in one video. Invite viewers to subscribe, so they will receive a notice when the your next video is available.

2. Create a Branded YouTube Channel

You definitely need to create a branded YouTube channel for your company. Having a company channel will make it much easier for your customers to locate your videos. Make sure to include your channel in the correct categories, use tags, create a search engine optimized channel description, and include links to your website and social media pages. Consider making a welcome video that will display to those that haven’t visited your channel before.

3. Be Ready and Committed

After you have spent the time to create your branded YouTube channel, you need to start creating content. When using YouTube as a marketing tool, you need to look at it as a long-term marketing plan. This means that you need to create and publish on a regular basis in order to keep your viewers interested and coming back for more. Consistency is the key to a successful YouTube marketing plan. If you are not sure where to start with your first video, look to your email inbox, discussion forums and social media. See what questions others are asking that relate to your industry and answer them in your videos. Next thing you know, you’ll have an entire series of videos you’re producing.

4. Utilize YouTube Analytics

With YouTube’s analytics you are supplied with a lot of data designed to show you how your videos perform. Look over the information thoroughly and monitor how many views your videos get each month, the average watch time of the individual videos, how the viewer found the video, and more. Using YouTube analytics in conjunction with your Google Analytics will help you to identify if your videos are converting to visits to your website, sales landing pages, usage of your contact form and more. Understanding the data behind the scenes will help you to shape your video content in the future.

YouTube is one of the most popular and widely viewed sites for video content. You’ll find that most all of the 3rd party video apps even have a way for their users to download their video content for uploading to YouTube. Google Hangouts and Blab have their platforms setup so you can upload your video straight to your YouTube channel upon completion.

There is even a podcast on creating video hosted by Jeremy Vest of VidPow and of course Rocks Digital has more content on video and YouTube.

Have you tried using video as part of your marketing plan? Now is the time to add video to your sales toolbox.

Using Your Strengths to Connect and Sell More

First published on Rocks Digital
By Debbie Mrazek

The fact is you are a sales person, no matter what your job is, you are selling something! It could be an idea, a strategy or an actual product or service. When it comes to being an effective sales person, your natural traits are what set you apart from everyone else.
How To Use Your Strengths to Connect and Sell More

These traits affect your attitude, personality, and work ethic. Below, I expand on the strengths and benefits of each of these traits and how they can make you more attractive to your coworkers, customers and clients.

Do you want to know what makes you an attractive sales person? Keep reading and find out.

Empathy

This is the ability for a person to identify with their customers on a level that others may not be able to. People who are empathetic in nature tend to understand the concerns of their customers and are able to relate to them better than their co-workers. A sales professional who is empathetic is able to gain the trust of their customers and develop a rapport with them that will help put them at ease. Customers will feel more comfortable working closely with this person and trusting that they have their best interests in mind.

Focus

A person with a highly developed level of focus is someone who is typically driven to accomplish set goals and remain focused on one topic. They tend to be more demanding of themselves and tend to be self-motivated sales professionals. They possess the ability to organize themselves and see what needs to be done and what is required to achieve their goals. These types of sales professionals do not wait for their sales manager to give them direction, rather they see what needs to be done and act accordingly. A focused person will see what a customer needs before they do giving their customers the assurance that their needs are being taken care of.

Responsibility

A sales professional who possesses a strong level of responsibility will not place the blame on others for not achieving their goals. They tend to be people who get things done when faced with adversity and will take accountability for their mistakes. These types of individuals are also capable of taking criticism and using it as a way to improve themselves rather than allow it to bring them down. A sales person with this trait will take responsibility for the success or failure of solving their customers’ problems and will work harder to make a successful sale and help the customer.

Optimism

A sales person who has a highly developed level of optimism is someone who is persistent. This is one of the most important traits a successful sales person can have. When faced with failure, these individuals become more resilient and realize that hearing “NO” is not a reflection on them personally. It does not affect the way that they feel about themselves nor does it destroy the confidence that they have in their ability to perform their jobs effectively.

These traits are what set apart some sales people from others and makes them attractive to customers and clients. If you are lucky enough to come by some of these traits naturally, then you are likely going to be a force to be reckoned with in the sales world.

Which of the traits above do you see in yourself? Which ones do you see in others? Get busy analyzing and sell more.

How to Improve Your Introduction. It all Starts With Hello.

First published on Rocks Digital
By Debbie Mrazek

Improve Your IntroductionHow are your Jerry Maguire skills? Would you have those you meet at “Hello”?

Introducing yourself in a manner that will leave an impression with the person you are speaking with can be somewhat difficult. You may need to improve your introduction and the way in which you deliver it.You may have used your standard introduction, but for some reason it didn’t work as well as it had in the past.

When you introduce yourself at a networking event or meeting, your primary goal is to get the attention and interest of those around you and ensure that they remember who you are and what your business does long after the event has ended. This may be somewhat easier said than done, but with some practice you can master the art of introducing yourself. One important thing to keep in mind is that it is a networking event – meaning everyone is there for the same purpose – to meet others and that includes YOU!

Eye Contact is Key
If you’re attending a meeting or event and everyone is sitting in chairs or at a table, when the time comes to introduce yourself, make eye contact with each person and smile. People love to for you to really see them and connect – if even for just a moment. Research has shown that the best way to develop a rapport with someone is through eye contact. They will be more attentive to the words you are speaking. This is also a great way to demonstrate that you are confident in who you are and what you’re there to accomplish.

Become the Host
Another effective way to stand out and be remembered when you are seated at a table and no one seems to be initiating conversation, is to act as though you are the host. Would you ever host a dinner at your home and not make sure everyone at your dining table had met one another? Of course not! So, take that attitude about the table you are seated at and begin to introduce yourself to each person at the table and ask them to tell about themselves while gesturing to others at the table that you want them to hear what the person has to say as well. People are so grateful, especially first time visitors, when they have been made to feel included and welcomed. A great benefit to this is not only that you will know who all is at your table but it engages much more meaningful conversation with one another.

One final thing you must remember and apply – always give the person you are speaking with your full attention, this will make them feel important and that you are actually interested in what they have to say.

Have you improved your introduction? How? Let’s discuss below.

Fastest Way to Increase Sales? How to Master Sales Communication

First published on Rocks Digital
By Debbie Mrazek

How to Increase SalesYou could probably fill a small office building with all of the books available on improving sales communication. While it may be a topic that has gotten a lot of press, I can assure you that when it comes to sales professionals, there’s still a lot of room for improvement by the vast majority.

You might think that talking and listening is quite basic and elementary. But let me tell you that it isn’t. If it was, there would be more sales pros hitting those top numbers.

1. Listening to customers, including watching for body language

This means really getting to know your customer. Are they being ‘polite’ and just listening for no reason? What are they really saying? What is their body language? Are they crossing their arms? Are they leaning in? Are they interacting? Are they not? Communication is what is spoken and also what is unspoken.

2. Questioning and listening to find out what they want and what their concerns are

It is all about the customer. What do they want? What’s going on in their world? What do they really need? When you really listen and ask questions to seek first to understand your customers’ concerns and issues, then, and only then do you get the chance to sell. It’s not about muscling your way through the door and then blurting out your presentation as fast as you can. It’s about building a relationship that will pay you over and over again.

3. Establishing the connection between their needs and your products and services

Finally, you build a bridge between the customer and your company (and yourself). It’s about building upon a strong foundation of trust and earned respect. At this point, you aren’t just pitching a product and hoping it will stick, you are tying the needs of your prospective customer to what your company provides or offers. It is also about not pitching something that will not serve the prospect. Often, walking away from a sales opportunity will act like a boomerang to get another opportunity when that prospect refers you to another company that may be a better fit. Never be afraid of walking away from a deal that will not ultimately serve your prospective customer.

Successful sales communication begins with you, but it is not all about you. Sales communication is about hearing your customer.

What is the customer’s biggest concern and fear?
How can you help?

You are there to begin to understand how that customer may be served by you and your company and to earn that opportunity. If you get this piece right, you will master one of the most important pieces of the sales pro puzzle.

Are you listening to your customers? How? Let’s discuss.

Make Selling Easier By Planning Ahead

First published on Rocks Digital
By Debbie Mrazek

In sales, it’s all about doing what you know each and every day. Rome wasn’t built in a day and your sales quota won’t grow that quickly either.

Whether you are a veteran climber in the sales field or a newbie traveler, the same steps that make one person successful will work for others too. Just realize that it comes down to this: You just have to do more of what you know works and do less of what you know doesn’t work. When you begin doing more of the things that work, it will become easier and easier to do those things. And, no matter what your situation, when you begin moving, things will seem much easier than they feel when you are thinking about doing it.

Sales Forecast

This is your road map that will allow you to navigate with ease. Unlike other sales professionals who try to manage all the client data in their head, when you take a sales forecast with you, you’ll begin to see new opportunities and new paths emerging from your efforts. Download your FREE forecast.

Sales Itinerary

You get 168 hours per week. What are you doing with yours? How long does it take for you to meet with a client? How many clients can you meet with each week? Are there ways you can improve the way you spend your time? How can you do more with less? Manage this, and you not only increase sales, but you increase freedom as well.

Sales Backpack

What’s in your backpack? A good attitude? A can-do spirit? A list of sales techniques that really work? Be sure that when you pack, you bring the very best tools that work for you. We all have our ways of selling – be sure to do what works best for you.

The Landscape

If you went on a trip, you wouldn’t charge out without doing a little research would you? The sales landscape is all about knowing who you are, who your customers are, what they expect, what they want and what you can do to give them what they want. The landscape is the world of expectations and is a surefire way to increase sales!

Traveling Companions

When you realize that you don’t have to do everything alone, the journey will be a whole lot more fun. Who can you network with or ‘buddy’ with to help them while they also help you? What complementary services could you combine your service or product with for bigger results?

When you plan for the sales trip, selling becomes much, much easier. The top 1% of sales pros know that it’s not about using fancy compasses and the latest gizmo, it’s about knowing the lay of the land so that no matter what situation you may find yourself in, you know you can not only survive, but you can thrive!

What sales tools do you use to make the trip easier? Let’s discuss.