Introverts Can Sell

First published on LinkedIn
By Debbie Mrazek

Why Introverts Can Be Really Good At Sales

It has often been a point of discussion in the business world if introverts are effective in sales. While many may tell you that there are other positions they may be better suited for, there are some who believe introverts can be effective in sales. In fact, some of the most successful sales people are actually introverts in their day to day life.
Introverts are better listeners

My personal belief is that sales can be an excellent career for an introvert. After all, who is better at listening to others than an introvert? Many sales people often overlook or do not hear the needs and wants of their clients. This can lead to the client choosing to go with another company, causing you to lose business. However, an introvert is experienced at listening to and hearing what the client is truly in need of. They have the ability to maintain focus during the conversation and this skill not only makes for successful sales people, it also leads to satisfied and happy clients.
Introverts will make the customer the primary focus

No matter what type of product or service you sell, it is important that you always make your clients your primary focus. However, in the business world, many sales people tend to make the conversation or meeting all about them and forget that they are there to help the client. These types of sales people tend to neglect the needs of their clients when they create a sales presentation. When an introvert is involved, they will do everything they possibly can to ensure that the client is the focus of the presentation and they serve more a background role. They tend to place the focus where it should be, on the client and not on themselves.

If you create a sales pitch based on the understanding that the problem, issue, or need of the client is important, you will be in a better position to create a solution based on those needs. Clients enjoy dealing with someone who truly listens to what they have to say and understands their needs. This will ensure that your client remains happy and loyal for a long time to come. The more comfortable your clients are with the sales person they are working with, the more they are willing to listen to all of your ideas on how your product or services can be beneficial to them.

Like many of us at Stanford, I was drawn here by the mystique of Silicon Valley. Although I’m digitally illiterate, I smelled tech wealth and hoped to bathe in serendipitous cash flow. I know now that most of the valley denizens don’t hit the jackpot, and none of my classmates seem on trajectory to breed billion-dollar unicorns.

Although Plato elevated the world of forms over its shadowy manifestation, I value earthly execution over ideas. So I offer these inklings for tech knights to breathe life into them. As I come from a family of dismal entrepreneurs (we’re better at healing and nurturing), however, take them with a grain of salt. If similar startups exist, I’m sure you can do better. Google and Facebook weren’t first movers either.

If you need a sinecure co-founder, I am ready. I was an entrepreneurship ambassador at Wharton, and had stints at Ashoka: Innovators for the public, and StartX, a Stanford-based accelerator. I also studied intellectual history, a useful degree for elevator pitches. Unless I drop out with you, I will earn an M.A. in East Asian studies to help you penetrate the world’s biggest market populated by beautiful people.

Reciprocity Ring

During the most popular class at Wharton, we embodied the concept of reciprocity ring by sharing our wish list in class. Then we ambled around and jotted our name if we could help other students fulfill their wish. Mine was to meet a travel writer, and I got introduced to a New York Times travel columnist. Every community harbors untapped social capital, and an app to facilitate matching communal resources with the desires of its members could unlock smiles and hugs.

Running Buddy

Although there is a plethora of apps like Strava to track mileage and pace, apps for finding fellow runners are more rare. As a decade-long runner, I know that runs are more pleasant when shared with other thumping hearts. While some are solitary wolfs, many prefer running in packs. The app need not be complex. Just a few questions about location, time, distance, and hobbies to break ice for friendship will do. We don’t need a fitness Tinder though, because sweaty ain’t classy.

Blue Days

None of us are immune from mood swings, and isolation can deepen our melancholy. Reaching out to loved ones can feel Herculean when depression reduces us to feel like a gadfly. What if there were a platform to share the literature, music, and film that provide solace during darkest hours? If we can see how our friends and role models rebound from failures and tragedies, perhaps that will also sublimate our grief. If you’re skeptical art can sooth broken hearts, check out the popularity of the Blue days book and this Reddit thread.

Geo-based Travelogues

Although blogs and photos of globetrotting friends often pop up on our Facebook newsfeed, they are not organized by location. If they were, perhaps we can have a richer experience gallivanting around the world as we can contextualize our escapades against those of our friends and celebrities. Although numerous apps facilitate sharing travel plans, few apps help disseminate and tag post-travel reflections. Travel can be expanded from a dialogue with physical travel buddies to encompass friends worldwide and even bygone writers and artists.

Although the heyday of Web 2.0 may be over, the rise of the sharing economy has reinvigorated demand for niche social networks. If you can alchemize these ideas into cash cows, please remember your muse, the starving writer. I will not ask for equity or copyright, but I can be hired.

Social Media and Sales

First published in
Thriving Women In Business
By Debbie Mrazek

Many of us have come to believe that any time we spend on social media is a waste of time. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Social media has opened new doors and marketing techniques that have proven to be beneficial for businesses. The only thing is, you have to commit to them in order to reap the benefits. As with any type of marketing campaign, you need to commit to it in order for it to be effective. While you may not notice immediate results through social media, as you continue to build your fan base and become more active you will soon notice that your audience is responding.

For this article we are going to focus on the most popular and widely used social media site, Facebook. Many businesses that are a part of this social network have seen their sales dramatically increase. This is because Facebook allows you to give your company a voice and a personality. Rather than simply being a logo on a webpage, your business becomes approachable. It now has a voice and can interact and communicate with your customers.

As your customers discover that you are now on this social media platform, you will notice that you are gaining followers and they are now interacting with each other on your page. As a business owner, this is marketing magic. Your customers now have a platform in which they can express their opinions about your products or services. But, you should not simply observe the interaction taking place on your page, you need to get involved. Customers love it when businesses respond to their comments. It makes them feel that their opinion really does matter and that you care about what is being said about your business.

Social media also allows businesses to offer special promotions that are only available to their followers. This is another way to make your loyal customers feel rewarded and singled out from others. You may want to consider offering your followers a coupon code or discount that can only be seen by them. Not only does this reward them for their loyalty, it also gets them to visit your website.

Facebook can also be used as marketing tool to promote a new product or service that your company may be offering. Using your Facebook page as a marketing tool allows you to promote your new products and services for free to all of your followers. If you product of service is beneficial or innovative, your content may be shared by your followers which can then increase your online visibility.

You do not have to limit yourself to only using Facebook, there are other social media platforms that have been shown to be just as effective. You may want to consider implementing YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram into your marketing plans. They can help you reach millions of potential customers which can help increase your sales dramatically.

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.

How To Let Your Customers Know You Value Them

First published in
Thriving Women In Business
By Debbie Mrazek

Customers, Letting Customers know you value them, salesAs a successful sales professional, you understand that you would not have reached the level of success you have without your loyal clients. But what many sales professionals often wonder about is how to express your gratitude for all that they have done. They have placed their faith and business in your hands, how do you properly say “thank you” for that. Well, there are quite a number of ways that you can thank your clients, to help you choose the ones that are right for you; I have put together a list of some of the most effective.

One of the first things you can do is to ask about their future needs. If you have been working with the same client for a long period of time, you may want to show that you are interested in growing with them. During your next call or meeting, simply ask them if there is anything you can do to ensure that your services will continue to be beneficial for them in the future. This will show them that you are interested in maintaining a long-term business relationship while also offering to make any necessary changes or modifications to your services that can be beneficial for them. If you are willing to expand and grow in order to meet the needs of your client they will likely remain with you for a long period of time.

Another effective way to show your client’s how much you value them and their business is to ask if the services or products you provide are meeting their needs. Are they consistently receiving their orders in a timely fashion? Have there ever been any problems with any of the services you have provided. These questions may be just what your client needs to express their opinions on your services, method of deliver, and speed of delivery. There may be problems in the system that you were not aware of until you asked. Your clients can provide you with valuable information that you can use to improve and enhance your business.
If you have a long-term client that you know is experiencing any type of difficulty in their business reach out to them and ask if there is any way you can help. It can be something as simple as cutting their monthly order in half or renegotiating the terms of their contract that can ensure they are able to remain in business. Reward your loyal customers by helping them in any way possible, when their business improves, you may be rewarded with a larger amount of sales.

Asking your clients to provide you with feedback is another way to show them that you value their opinion. There may have been things that your clients have wanted to address but just weren’t sure how to bring them up. If you ask them for feedback, they may feel more comfortable and open to sharing their honest opinion of your business and services. Client feedback is also a great way to see areas where improvements may be beneficial for current and future clients. Never be afraid to ask for feedback, it is a valuable tool for you and your client.

Maintaining an honest relationship with your client is also an effective way to show them that their business is valued. Rather than pushing the newest, most expensive product, show them a less expensive product that will still suit their needs. They will appreciate the fact that you were honest enough to recommends a different product, and they will trust that you have their best interests in mind rather than the profit you may have made from a larger sale.

In addition to these methods, you always have the option of sending each of your clients a small gift to show them how much you appreciate their continued support. It doesn’t have to be anything big, it can simply be a calendar or coffee cup; but your clients will know that you are thinking of them and that you see them as more than another sale. As a sales professional, you should always take a few moments out of each day to thank each and every one of your clients.

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.

Personality Traits of Highly Successful Salespeople

First published in
Thriving Women In Business
By Debbie Mrazek

Everyone who is in any type of business, whether it is in a sales capacity or a CEO position should share some of the same personality traits. Traits are what has given them the drive and passion for what they do. They are also what will help them achieve their goals, no matter what they are. No matter how you measure success, whether it is in the title that you hold or how much you earn a month, you likely share the same personality traits as other successful individuals in your field. To help you understand and take note of these traits, I have listed some of the most common shared by highly successful salespeople.

The Need to Compete

It is virtually impossible to find a successful salesperson that does not have a highly developed need to compete. One of the most basic definitions of being successful is the need to always win. Highly successful individuals can become obsessed with finding new ways in which they can obtain an advantage over their competition. A high level of competitiveness is often confused with a strong work ethic, but it is the drive to compete and win that helps successful people achieve their goals.

Failure Is Not an Issue

Every successful salesperson will tell you that their success did not come easy. They all experienced their own failures along the way, but rather than allowing those setbacks to stop them altogether; they used those experiences as the motivation they needed to keep pursuing their ultimate goal. Each failure that you experience on the road to success should be viewed as a lesson that will help you make better decisions later in your career. While many salespeople will use these setbacks as a reason to stop, a highly motivated and successful person will persevere and learn from each experience.

Willing to Improve

A successful individual is always open to learning new ways in which they can improve themselves in order to become a better business leader. Successful individuals tend to be their own worst enemy because they are never satisfied with the work that they do. They always believe that they can do better, and will set out to prove that fact by accepting bigger challenges. The need to constantly improve is a huge motivator in a successful individual.

Attention to Detail

This may be one of the most obsessive of the traits shared by successful salespeople. While it may have the potential to drive others a little bit crazy, it is what drives successful individuals to strive for excellence. While you may have been told throughout school and early on in your career not to sweat the small stuff, that is exactly what successful people do on a regular basis. If they did not focus on every little detail of a deal, they may not have become as highly successful as they are. If you want to become a successful salesperson, you need to pay attention to detail.

Take Accountability

Successful people do not rely on others to get the job done. They are constantly looking at ways in which they find solutions using the assets they have at their disposal. If they make a mistake during the process, they will not push it off on someone else, instead, they will own up to it and think of ways that they can avoid the same mistake in the future.

Effective Communicators

Successful leaders are ones that can effectively communicate their ideas and goals with others. If you ask them what they are trying to accomplish they will be able to tell you in a detailed and concise manner. They are sure of themselves and what they do and can make you believe in them as well. The ability to effectively communicate is by far one of the most important and valuable skills a successful person can have.

Authentic

In the business world it is virtually impossible to achieve any level of success without being authentic. This can refer to your level of trustworthiness and transparency with those you work with. If you can clearly and honestly express your opinions then you are working from an authentic space. Not everyone will agree with you, but they will never doubt where you come from or where you stand on a subject.

Steadfast

One of the most important traits a successful individual can possess is the ability to remain calm when everything around them is falling apart. A successful individual will not lose their sense of direction or purpose when faced with a crisis.

Three Elements of a Successful Sales Call

First published in
Thriving Women In Business
By Debbie Mrazek

Every successful business has a sales team that understands the importance of meeting the needs of their clients. One of the most effective ways to do this is by placing sales calls to existing and potential clients every day. Each sales call is about 3 things; serving your customer, maximizing your revenue, and creating a mutually profitable relationship. While there are many different ways in which you can achieve each of these elements, I have provided some helpful information on how to ensure that they are all met all of the time.

Serving Your Customer

This is one of the most important things every sales person needs to do. It is up to you to ensure that your customer is receiving the services and products they need in a timely manner. As a sales person, it is up to you to listen to the needs of your clients, provide them with the services or products they are in need of and do so in a manner that is not disruptive to their business.

Maximizing Your Revenue

Any successful sales person will tell you that each sales call you make has the potential to increase your revenue. What you want to do as a sales person is ensure that you are capitalizing on every opportunity you have to maximize your revenue. This doesn’t mean you have to hard sell your products or services, simply listen to what the client needs and explain how your services or products can help them achieve their goals. In return, this will also help you achieve your goals by maximizing your revenue.

Creating A Mutually Profitable Relationship

Business is all about profits, yours and those of your clients. One of the most effective ways to ensure that your business relationships with your clients are profitable is to listen to what they need and do your best to find the products or services that will help them reach their goals. When you can do this, you will likely have a client that will turn to you for all of their needs. Not only will your knowledge help them become more profitable, but it will also have a positive effect on your profits as well.

Sales can be one of the most demanding professions, you are required to call existing clients, reach out to prospective clients, and ensure that everyone’s needs are met; with this being said, it can also be one of the most rewarding careers. You will have the opportunity to connect with new people every day, establish yourself in your particular niche, and build a positive reputation in your field.