One of the biggest challenges we entrepreneurs face today is keeping sales coming in. With the current economic situation, it becomes more and more crucial that we each use all of the tools we have to sell more. No matter what your business, you are first a marketer, and second, a salesperson.

This is uncomfortable for many of us in professional services, as we just want to do our "art" and leave the marketing and sales to someone else.

I wanted to be sure you that you are aware of a book launch which is happening today- the book is "How to Sell When Nobody's Buying (And How to Sell Even More When They Are)- and is written by my good friend, Dave Lakhani, who is one of the top sales trainers in America, in addition to being a best-selling author, high paid speaker, and regularly appearing in national media. You might have seen him on the Today Show or The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch (when that was still on the air.)

In any case, Dave's new book is out now, and is a must read for every small business owner. The reviews of this book are extremely positive, with people saying that the wisdom in this $15 book is worth more than information found in many $497 infoproducts.

(And we both know how many of those you've invested in, right?) (My bookshelf is full of them.)

Anyway, I'm promoting the book today because it is excellent, and I want you to get it, read it, and apply it. You'll get sales advice starting in Chapter 0 (yes, the book has a chapter zero), and this chapter, alone, is worth the price of the book.

You'll learn how to use social media to increase your visibility and brand recognition (thanks to chapters contributed by me, and Facebook/Twitter guru Mari Smith), and you'll get inspired by some motivational interviews with people who have overcome tremendous obstacles to achieve meaningful results.

You can learn more about the book here: http://www.HowToSellWhenNobodysBuying.com – and can even read a sample chapter.

Don't wait, because in business, time wasted is money lost.

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Terri Levine is releasing her new book, "Sell Without Selling: Lessons from the Jungle for Sales Success" today, and she is offering more than $2200 worth of bonuses for anyone who purchases the book between now and February 13, 2009. I consider Terri one of my first mentors, and this book has a special place in my experience, because I worked with Terri to develop the sales coaching program on which this book is based.

You can receive the more than $2200 of bonuses just by purchasing your copy today.

The book is a simple story, but don't let its simplicity fool you. The book showcases Terri's "Selling without Selling" system, within the framework of an entertaining and engaging business fable. You can kiss those hard nosed, "typical" sales tactics goodbye- and learn a new way to sell authentically.

Terri has pulled together a fantastic group of bonuses for those of you who step up and take action today.

You can learn about the bonuses and order the book here: Terri Levine on Selling without Selling

This is a limited offer, so click that link- right now- and be on your way to greater sales success.

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So I joined a group for a teleclass today, as an attendee. I logged on a few minutes early and found a small group on the line already. What was interesting about this group is that there were maybe 5 or 6 people already on the line, and yet only one person was talking. Every exchange ended with this man jumping in and turning the conversation back to himself. "This is what I have been doing and this is what I'm going to do, and blah…blah…blah.."

His voice wasn't really that pleasant, so it was a bit grating to listen to. Even worse than this, though, was how much he was talking. He made it SEEM like he was connecting with others on the call, but, really, he was using the call to showcase his own talents and expertise. He was sure to mention that he was extremely skilled and had lots of experience and was doing this kind of work and that kind of work, etc. etc. etc.

He was very busy selling himself, but, the problem for him was that nobody was buying. He dominated the conversation and lost opportunities to truly connect.

Being a good listener is incredibly important in business. You learn a lot just by listening. Now, of course, since my background is in psychology, I probably tend to listen more than most other people. But I will tell you- in most sales conversations I've been in, the more I listened, the easier it was to get the business.

Most people want a place to be heard and understood. Effective marketing is geared towards making your clients feel and believe that you truly understand their pain. So why would you blow it when you've gotten them on the phone (or in email) and do exactly everything possible to stop listening to them?

It's almost like deception in advertising- your marketing says, "Come here…I understand you… I'll listen…help you…" but your sales call is more like, "I am so great, this is what I have done. Oh yes, and listen to what I did…."

This kind of disconnection between the feel of your marketing and the feel of your sales will leave your potential clients feeling misunderstood, angry, and probably wondering what happened. They might even be annoyed that they were 'tricked' into believing you would care about them, when talking with you showed that you clearly did not.

Of course, most of the time, over-talking is not really intended to be disrespectful or uncaring. Many times, we get nervous or anxious and try to keep the conversation going. We might feel pressure about 'closing the sale' when we really should focus on connecting with the client.

In your next sales conversation, focus on talking 20% of the time, and listening 80% of the time. Pay attention to how the sales process feels- and note the outcome. If you and the client decide to work together, notice if it was easier or more difficult to gain this business compared to other calls. I believe it will be easier.

So, the point of this message is don't be like the teleclass guy- too busy selling that you forget to connect.

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So following up to my most recent post, I've been deeply immersed in finding and interviewing a new member for my team. I've interviewed local assistants and virtual assistants. It's funny- now that I've decided to work with someone, I really, really, really want to find him or her. I'm leaning towards working with at least a couple different people, as it's been tough to find all the skills I want in just one person. That's what happens, I guess, when you have multiple different needs and want to hire out for as many as possible- all at the same time.

Anyway, as my AQ (assistant quest) continues, I wanted to share a few observations and insights from my experiences over the past week or so. First: just because someone says they have "exceptional communication skills" doesn't mean they really do. I had placed inquiries with a few people who emailed or called me back, and sounded really irritated to be bothered.

I was like, "uhmm…. I was calling to give you money!" but, they sounded annoyed to hear from me- even though their advertisements had said things like, "Email me for a consultation or Call this number to learn more." Talk about the words not lining up with the behavior!

And, of course, it's not just me I'm hiring for- I don't like being treated that way, and I don't expect my clients would like it much either. I remember when I first started out in business, I used to feel really stressed when people called or asked about my services. I felt like I need to "sell" them and like I had to be someone I wasn't.

I've since learned that it's always better to just be yourself, and try to be confident, relaxed, and cheerful about gaining new business. I wondered if some of the people I contacted were struggling with some of the same anxiety I used to feel. Anyway, it just reminded me that we should all, periodically, test out how we are communicating. We want to make sure we sound like we want to talk with the prospects who call us, and we want to create a welcoming place for new clients to come to us.

I do believe that we attract what we radiate. If your recent interactions haven't gone as well as you'd like, it may be time to evaluate what your communication style is saying about you.

This goes for all members of your team, too. If you have others answering your phones or communicating with customers, be sure to check up on them every now and then, too. Have a friend call into your office and make notes about the call was handled. Be certain that your employees are sending exactly the message you want your business to convey. 

On that note, I'll end here for now and dive right back into the AQ (assistant-quest). More soon.

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