I am back after a refreshing break so now it is time for the home stretch of 2008. I have to start with something light from JustSell.com – sales words: uh, verbal tics can be annoying, so… The article is a provides a great insight into a common problem (my editing): Verbal tics are words and phrases we use habitually, and sometimes, unconsciously. They’re the clutter in our speech that makes us sound less attentive, prepared, and intelligent than we want to sound. JustSell’s top 7 most aggravating verbal tics… uh um like you know I mean so (especially when used at the end of an unfinished sentence) well We… Read More
Continue ReadingSimple Sales Skill – Attentiveness
Justsell.com offers up a reminder about a critical sales skill that is often overlooked – attentiveness. This skill is less frequent in salespeople who lack empathetic abilities or are overly task-oriented. I have seen this first-hand on a number of occasions. What happens is the salesperson tends to something else during a discussion. Typically, the actions seems fairly innocuous – a cell phone alarm, looking through some notes, checking a text message, even adjusting the height of an office chair. All of these tasks seem inconspicuous, but they are an immediate tell that you are not fully attentive to the speaker. The better approach is to ignore the task if… Read More
Continue ReadingCasualness – The Candidacy Killer
I remember having a sales job (pre-computer days) where I was expected to wear a suit every day. One day I showed up with a navy sportcoat, tie and khakis and I actually was a bit nervous about what my boss might say. I didn’t get in trouble, but I didn’t wear a sportcoat again. Suffice to say, the average office has become extremely casual over the past 20 years. We get the opportunity to see many different office environments and I am beginning to think that they are evolving into even more casualness. Jeans are becoming more common in the middle of the week, not just on Fridays. I… Read More
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