Survey: Data Usage Will Upend Wireless Revenues
Keywords: Cellular Phones

Smartphones have been good for consumers, giving them the chance to access more data and information at all times. And they have been good for the wireless companies that have been making money off the increased data charges.

But as adoption continues and usage increases, the industry may have to look for new models to keep its revenues up.

When Low Prices Make Shoppers Mad
Keywords: Consumer Behavior

Shoppers aren't always happy about lower prices -- especially when they come after higher ones.

That's the finding of research that shows that consumers are antagonized by price drops immediately following their purchase. The researchers from Kellogg School of Management and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found that consumers who are frustrated by sudden price drops are much less likely to buy from the company again.

Daily Sales Tip: Fundamentals of Sales Success

It is not an accident that the top producers in the world of selling are at the top. It is also true that there are no born sales champions. Yes, some people have more talent then others. But, success in selling comes down to some basic fundamentals. Fundamentals, if taken action on consistently will lead to success.

So, what are the fundamentals that all sales champions master? Well, one is Prospecting. Most people don't like to prospect. Me included. But, you have to have someone to sell to. LinkedIn has made the prospecting and networking process more simple and more powerful then it has ever been in the history of selling. Build your network with people who can and want to say yes to your offer.

Another fundamental is Building Rapport. It has been said that in a perfect world, people want to do business with their friends. Well, in the imperfect world in which we live, people would still rather do business with their friends. Have we made friends with our prospects and customers? Do you have a plan to do this? A book I have found extremely helpful over the years is Dale Carnegie's classic How to Win Friends and Influence People. I use what I have learned from Mr. Carnegie every day.

The third fundamental is Presentation Skills. Let's be honest. Most sales professionals are lousy presenters. They ramble, They jump from subject to subject. Quite frankly, they confuse and bore the prospect. When is the last time you bought something when you were confused and bored?

Then, of course, there is the fourth fundamental of Closing Skills. Research shows it takes around 5 closes to begin a partnership with a customer. Many sales professionals know only one or two closes. That is a problem. Closing is a natural part of the presentation process. But it is the scariest for the sales professional as well as the prospect. You must practice and master the closing process so that it becomes natural and not canned. When this is done, is eases the buying tension of the prospect and builds the confidence of the sales professional.

The fifth fundamental of successful selling is Customer Loyalty. My mentor, Zig Ziglar, says that we as sales professionals have to become assistant buyers to the prospect. Selling is not something you do to someone. It is something you do for someone because you know your product or service is the answer to their challenge. It is not an adversarial process. You are on the same side of the table as the prospect. It is a fundamental belief system that creates loyalty from the prospect but also from you.

Source: Sales trainer Mark Bowser

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