Sales Skills for the Non Sales Professional

Have you ever wondered how in the heck you're going to do it? You are a lawyer who wants to make partner, an accountant, an engineer or other professional and part of your business plan is that you have to attract business customers? You've always detested selling, and you can't see yourself doing it! As a matter of fact, sales people are a HUGE turn off to you!!!

Yet, you HAVE to bring in customers!!!

What ARE you going to do?

Many of my current or former clients fit the above description. Many of them finally contacted me, a coach, when they were in trouble because they had NO CLUE where to start. They decided that they did need help, and they realized that only a professional could rescue the mess that they've made.

And guess what? They survived! And not only did they survive, but they thrived! As soon as they realized that they didn't need to change their personality, become a raving fan, or over the top, they relaxed and settled into learning what they had to do.

I'll take you through a typical client and what they learn to do.

Kirk was a guy who found me in one of my Charisma classes! He was basically a smart fellow who was trying to make partner in his law firm. He had been told upon his hiring that he'd be responsible for attracting business to his company. He bluffed his way through the interview by mentioning how many people that he knew and how many big cases he had worked on successfully. He didn't mention that the business wasn't his, or that he was TERRIFIED of calling all of the people that he knew and asking for business!

When Kirk and I finally got together I asked him to start by naming all of his strengths. We went over all of the benefits that any of his clients or future clients would get by working with him. I had him post these in his office so he'd never doubt how talented he really is in work.

Next, we outlined what sorts of clients he should secure and then wrote a list of any current or former friends or colleagues that he knew. We developed an information sheet on each of them which would be later transferred to a contact management system such as ACT or Goldmine. On each of the sheets, Kirk had to go and write about the person. He wrote down anything he knew about them professionally or personally. These ranged from where they went to school to their spouses names, to their hobbies.

Next, we put them in order from A Accounts ( HUGE!!!) down to D accounts (Barely worth calling) and everyone in between. When all was said and done, Kirk had a list of about 25 people on the A list and those were the ones that we focused on.

Those names went into the computer. We then called and got all of their current information such as emails, secretaries names, firms, etc. We then wrote a letter that was sent to each of them announcing his new position and then said that Kirk would soon be giving a follow up call to say a quick hello. The letter was written in a casual manner, and not too formal. It definitely did NOT look like a form letter from a law firm!

Over time, Kirk redeveloped these people into friends. He did it by meeting them to play basketball, going to networking events with them, or inviting them to political speeches. He was able to get tickets for a few of them to different events and basically became a resource to the whole legal profession for most of them. Kirk became a FRIEND to these individuals, their firms and as a result, guess what happened?

Kirk started bringing in business of course! Not only that, but his bosses wanted to know what he was doing and how it all started. Needless to say, a few of his co workers were in the position to hire a coach and we duplicated Kirk's experience.

Developing into a sales professional is a scary thought for someone who is afraid of sales. But turning into a resource for your friends and colleagues is not only fun, but a great way to learn and grow your business. And if you get stuck, call me! I'll help you through!

Mary Gardner, The Charisma Coach! is an Executive Communications Consultant and Trainer. She works with, coaches and trains individuals, sales teams, executives, and celebrities. She owned and operated one of the first coaching institutions on the east coast, CCI, in NYC, Philly and NJ. Mary has appeared on ABC's 20/20 and has self published a book on public speaking. Mary is married to Sway and is mommy to Jeremy 5, and lives in Orlando, FL.

For information contact: mary@marygardner.com or Web: www.marygardner.com

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


TheTop 10 Reasons Why Salespeople Get Outsold

In my business, it has been an interesting and very... Read More

7 Ways to Get to the Truth: When the Sale Disappears

Based on his most recent e-mail, "Everything looks good --... Read More

The Art of Backend Selling

The art of backend sellingThe backend sale can be more... Read More

Three Fast, Short, Simple Ways to Escalate Your Sales

1. Sell an inexpensive product to sell an expensive product.... Read More

Its All in the Questions

Contrary to many of the books on how to be... Read More

More Sales - You Must Keep Asking

I bought a second pair of reading glasses from my... Read More

Ideal Clients - Who are They and Where Do You Find Them?

Ideal clients are the ones who are perfect for you.... Read More

Increase Profits from Your Existing Customers

An area many businesses fail to recognise as a way... Read More

You Dont Love Your Kids if You Dont . . .

"You don't love your kids if you don't buy my... Read More

One Simple Persuasion Secret That Will Blow The Roof Off Your Sales

The next time you're shopping for clothes in a department... Read More

Are You Doing What It Takes To Win More Sales

What does it take to be a WINNER during these... Read More

Be Yourself

Here's the thing... you still have to make every marketing... Read More

The Road to Pendingville is Paved with Good Intentions

If you've been in sales for any length of time,... Read More

Equal Chance of Winning The Sale? Bah!

Are you going to win this deal? With just less... Read More

How to Build Rapport in 7 Seconds!

I had my first official sales training by a man... Read More

Three Secret Keys to Persuasion Magic

Just a few critical distinctions can supercharge your communication skills:1... Read More

Sell Yourself - Sell Anything!

Each of us sells every single day. We are all... Read More

Are You Missing Out On Sales Through Fear of Pain? Improve the Persuasive Power of Your Words!

Education plus Motivation is a powerful formula. But how do... Read More

Getting People to Buy Without Selling

In my youth I landed a job selling encyclopedias door... Read More

Catapult Your Business?How to Get Customers to Chase You Instead of the Other Way Around

I was thinking about the statement:The Small Business Administration tells... Read More

The Art Of Persuasion: 7 Tips To Successfully Persuade Anyone

The saying "No man is an island" is an undeniable... Read More

Dont Close Your Eyes Or Let Deaf Ears Fall Upon You

To listen to your customer is important, and to hear... Read More

Make More Sales By Creating How To Use It Product Updates

Do you have any idea what your customers have experienced... Read More

Three Essential Questions You Must Ask To Make More Sales ? Ignore Them At Your Peril

There's loads of material about making money available on the... Read More

Top 5 Characteristics of Great Salespeople

I am a big believer that great salespeople generally realize... Read More

Get More Clients Now!

Although David has been a graphic designer for a decade,... Read More

Knowledge is Power in Auto Detailing Sales

The most important thing for an auto detailer to do... Read More

Do You Fold Like A Taco?

Have you ever eaten a soft taco? The shell isn't... Read More

Pressure Washer Business; Cleaning Composite Decks

There is a new trend in the way wood decks... Read More

Hello! I Cant Sell!

What's that you say? You can't sell?Oh, you must be... Read More

The ?Shocking? Sales Strategy of Saying THANKS!

I would like you to begin thinking of mailboxes in... Read More

Secrets That Lead To Failure In Sales

Let's be realistic nobody really wants to be labeled a... Read More

Customers For Life

Who's talking to your customers? Is it your competition? Why... Read More