Sales By 5

March 20th – Sales and Dating: Sell Yourself with Success

Erik — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 21:30:57 +0000

Two women are at the bar catching up, and a cheesy looking guy swaggers up. Without introducing himself or asking their names, he immediately says, “Did you just fall from heaven? ‘Cause you must be an angel.” As readers, we’re pretty sure what happens next… discomfort, dismissal, and disappointment- probably some laughter. For those of you who never want to be THAT guy, check us out at “Sales and Dating: The Same Rules Apply!” this week!

Sales Dating: The Same Rules Apply!
Wednesday March 20th from 10:00-11:30 am
Accion Learning Center | 225 W. Poplar, San Antonio, TX, 78212

CEO Erik Darmstetter will walk you through the common mistakes salespeople make, how to avoid them, and how to ask the right questions.

The focus of both sales and dating is the transfer of trust.

What language sells and produces trust faster and more effectively?
What behaviors un-sell in sales and dating?
Learn to ask the right questions and how to build trust in relationships.
Learn how to communicate your value, overt benefit, and dramatic difference most effectively, and inspire genuine interest.

Bar stories will be told, and better ways will be taught! Don’t miss it- rsvp for this complimentary event here.

Can’t make it to this one? Next week we’ll be at Amegy Bank on Wednesday the 28th for a igh Octane Lunch and Learn, teaching on how mastering your actionable core values, brand promise, BHAG, and company purpose can make company growth easier and faster. Seats will go fast!

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Sales Trends 2012- Getting Past the Gatekeeper, Mobile Payments

Erik — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 11:00:58 +0000

Sales Trends 2012 December Newsletter

Getting Past the Gatekeeper – Instead of fighting to get past the front desk person, build a relationship with them. Often highly motivated and under-valued, these office “gatekeepers” are going places, and if you play your cards right, they’ll take you along for the ride.

Here are the action steps to build a relationship with the gatekeeper:

1. Assess the front desk. Smile.

2. Introduce yourself to the gatekeeper by name and shake hands.

3. Be a human being, not a sales auto-pilot. Build a relationship.

-Ask, “How is your day going?”And LISTEN.

- Observe the desk. Cute kid? Find a connection and start a conversation.

4. Gather intel and show interest. Ask, “How is your company different in your industry?” Show the gatekeeper you value their opinion.

5. Tell the gatekeeper what you do, and how you’re different in your industry. Give them enough information to introduce you, not just send you blindly to a decision maker.

6. Nurture the relationship like you would with a client. If the gatekeeper has a good experience, they will recommend you. (And they tend to be motivated and well connected with other gatekeepers.)

The Death of Voicemail – Our recent polling of clients and friends shows that only 1 person in 10 likes or wants to receive a voicemail. So what do people want? 90% of them want an email, or if they know you, a text. We used to use the phone and face to face meetings to do business. Now I often cringe when the phone rings (telemarketers have ruined the phone for me). Silly? Yes, but we need to adapt fast and ask people how they like to communicate to avoid leaving voicemails that are never returned. See the whole blog below.

Sales Trends 2012– If you are not using your mobile device to collect payment and send receipts to your customers, you might be missing out on potential sales!On Tuesday Dec. 4th, Nan Palmero, Business Growth Expert presented on mobile device payment options at Accion Lending and Learning Center in San Antonio.

Did you miss our last newsletter, Crucial Conversations? See it here: http://conta.cc/SBsSfa

Are you ready for Q1 2013? Do you have a strategic plan? Does everyone know their priorities?

If not, call your growth experts at Salesby5: 210-403-3916, or email at info@salesby5.com.

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The Death of Voicemail

Erik — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 20:30:00 +0000

A returned call is one of the hardest things to get today in 2012.
Why? Our recent polling of clients and friends shows that only 1 person in 10 likes or wants to receive a voicemail! Does that extend to getting calls too? YES. People just don’t like phone calls. Telemarketers and overzealous sales people as well as automated calls ruined the phone.

So what do people want? 90% of them want an email, or if they know you, a text.

What can you do? Spend your time getting to know e-mail addresses instead of phone numbers. Stop calling and stop leaving voicemails until you know how people want to be reached.

How do you do it? Getting an e-mail these days is very easy. If you call a prospect and get a receptionist, ask her how to spell the name of the person you are trying to reach. Then ask if the e-mail is first initial.last name@theircompany.com If the receptionist will not tell you, google! Look up @theircompany.com and see what comes up, as most companies standardize their email address format.

We all used to use the phone and in person to do business. Now I cringe when the phone rings. Silly? Yes, but it happened. We need to adapt fast and ask people how they like to communicate to avoid leaving voicemails that are never returned.

-Written by Erik Darmstetter, Business Growth Expert at Salesby5

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Salesby5 Executive JETPACK Nov. 2012

Erik — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 21:30:05 +0000

Check out our new monthly Executive JETPACK newsletter, covering hot topics in business growth today. Below are some great insights we got after attending the Fortune Growth Summit in October.

Crucial Conversations – Ron McMillan, co-author of Crucial Conversations, gave us tools on how to avoid going “silent” or “violent” in conflict driven, high stakes, emotional conversations, as well as how to stay focused on problem solving and great long term relationships.

Here are the all-important action steps to prepare for a Crucial Conversation:

Get your head right. Ask: What do I really want?
Get your heart right. Ask: Why would a decent person do that?
Make it safe. Share your good intentions.
Describe the gap. Compare what you expected with what you observed.
Diagnose. End with a question and listen.

“People” – 2013′s #1 Challenge – At the recent Fortune Growth Summit, we learned that for companies worldwide, ”people” challenges need the most focus, more than strategy, execution, and cash. Recruiting and engaging the best people requires an environment with a strong culture of leadership and open communication. If you have great people, what are you doing to keep them great? If you have good people what are you doing to help them become great? Our big focus at Salesby5 is helping companies and their people grow- especially through our Team Building workshop.

Sales Trends Now – We’re seeing low or no follow up from sales people. It could be the last 4 years of tough times has the newbies and veteran sales people discouraged or feeling like they are walking on eggshells. But today, follow-up is more important than ever! We are busy, forgetful, and distracted with family, phone calls, texts and other technology. 80% of sales are made on the 5th-12th contact! But only 10% of sales people make more than 3 contacts. Right now who can you follow up with to get a sale? We teach a workshop on the best days and times to contact called: Cold Calling, Callbacks, and Lead Optimization.

Are any of these familiar issues keeping you up at night? If so, we’d like to help.

We offer a 10-minute trouble shooting session as our gift to you: http://bit.ly/brainstorm-sb5

See all of our sales and growth workshops here: http://bit.ly/workshops-sb5

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

Team Building

San Antonio, TX – 02 November 2012

San Antonio, TX – 06 November 2012

San Antonio, TX – 08 November 2012

San Antonio, TX – 27 November 2012

Mastering Your 10-Second Pitch

San Antonio, TX – 15 November 2012

The Secrets to Sales by 5 pm

San Antonio, TX – 15 November 2012

Strategic Growth Planning & Facilitation

Corpus Christi, TX – 13 November 2012

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Fortune Growth Summit Oct 22-24 2012

Erik — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 19:30:46 +0000

We leave today for Gazelles Fortune Growth Summit learning the latest data on how to sell and how to grow companies and their people.

We will be posting live on:

Twitter – http://twitter.com/gazellesinc [#FGS12 hashtag on twitter]
Facebook – www.facebook.com/gazellesinc
Follow Nan and Erik at: @nanpalmero and @erikdarm

Check out the summit thought speakers including Jim Kouzes, Ann Morriss, and Rick Kash.

It has never been more important for leaders of growth companies to make the right decisions about people, strategy, execution and cash. Many growth company executives get so busy that they neglect their own professional development – and find out later that they’ve fallen behind. This summit is part of the 150 hours of training that Sales by 5 team leaders do each year.

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Don’t be Afraid to Tweet

Erik — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 21:49:54 +0000

There are a lot of do’s and don’ts when it comes to social media. Many people blur the lines between their professional self and their personal opinions. 3 panelists at the recent “Act Right Online” Young Professionals event gave great advice on how to use Twitter successfully.

1. Molly Cox,Owner, non-profit FancyPants:

“Make sure you are always speaking in the right voice.” Own what you say.

2. Elizabeth Anderson, Social Media Strategist of The Deberry Group:

“Treat online like it’s lunch.” Be yourself, but have some boundaries.

3. Nan Palmero, Top graded Twitter user and CIO of Sales By 5:

“Don’t be afraid to tweet. Don’t let what we’ve said discourage you in any way from experimenting with your online voice.” Just because you have to think about what you say doesn’t mean you should stop talking.

Ellie Leeper of Downtown Alliance summed it up well in her article on the event entitled Navigating the Social Stratosphere: Branding Yourself Online - Online, “be passionate, personable, professional, but don’t share your political preferences, and keep last night’s crazy party to yourself.”

Employers and the world are looking at what you say as part of your personal brand. Do you think before you tweet?

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Oct. 09 FREE event- Sales & Dating: The Same Rules Apply

Erik — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 21:58:41 +0000

Register now at http://bit.ly/register-dating to attend Sales & Dating : The Same Rules Apply. At this special Downtown Alliance event, CEO Erik Darmstetter will present on how getting new clients is like picking up someone at the bar.

The focus of both sales and dating is the transfer of trust.

What language sells and produces trust faster and more effectively?
What behaviors un-sell in sales and dating?
Learn to ask the right questions and how to build trust in relationships.
Learn how to communicate your value, overt benefit, and dramatic difference most effectively, and inspire genuine interest.

Hosted at The Worm Tequila & Mezcal Bar on the Riverwalk.

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Highlights from the 2012 Fortune Leadership Summit

Erik Darmstetter — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Outlearn the competition by checking out the sales leadership highlight video from the 2012 Fortune Leadership Summit.

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Goodbye Neil Armstrong

Erik — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 21:29:41 +0000

Salesby5 team with Neil Armstrong at Legacy 2010.

Very sad this humble man has passed! He was incredible to be around and when he spoke to us at an event in 2010, he told us that he never thought of himself as a hero. He did his job and as a proud American. We were told not to take photos of him but lovely Hayley Diamond and her incredible personality led Neil into wanting to take photos with many versus ZERO. I am Proud that Salesby5 created this event and managed it. I am proud of Kristina Kay Lindsey, Choco M Valdez, and the rest of our team for building and making this IMPECCABLE: Nan Palmero, Kyle Derr, Jay Griggs, Kristen ‘Oliver’ Wake, Tami ‘Tydlacka’ Gomez, Erica Schmid, A lifetime achievement award for coolness!

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Salesby5.com Makeover Complete

Erik — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 20:45:14 +0000

After weeks of toiling away at codes and photoshopping our team into perfection, we’re proud to reveal a new SalesBy5.com! We scrubbed the parts of our site that make it hard to understand what we do and created new bits to highlight our strengths as sales consultants. Our expert marketing and sales consultants empower your sales team. Our proven sales workshops give our clients the best tools for growth. We attend top growth conferences annually to learn the most successful sales and marketing techniques in the world. Don’t believe us? Read local San Antonio and national Fortune 500 testimonials.

Selling is the transfer of trust. CEO Erik Darmstetter and CIO Nan Palmero coach our clients’ staff on what behaviors and communications build trust (aka. “sell, cause happiness, meet people’s needs”), and how to stop the behaviors that lose trust (aka. “un-sell, cause anger, frustrate others”). One of Erik’s most popular sales workshops is Sales and Dating: The Same Rules Apply (because sales doesn’t end at the office).

To find out more about us, or to receive 10 minutes of brainstorming as our gift to you, call us at 210-403-3916, or email at info@salesby5.com info@salesby5.com.

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