Question of the Week » 2006 » May

Ron Goch
The Telios Group
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Unique Place to Host Annual Staff Retreat

May 31st 2006

Q. We’re looking for a unique place to host an off-site staff retreat. What would you recommend?

A. I’ve heard the Walt Disney World Resort offers unique experiences and settings for meetings and its attendees with the Disney Institute and the opportunity to go behind the scenes. They have professional development programs that would likely enhance your annual staff meetings and provide employees with a “magical” experience, as they say at Walt Disney World.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group

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Real World Work or Graduate School

May 30th 2006

Q. I have an opportunity to land an entry-level job right out of undergraduate school or accept a graduate assistantship and work towards my master’s degree. Which do you feel I should choose?

A. Do what is going to be best for you now AND in the future. Many times we make decisions based on today versus looking at the big picture. The entry-level job will always be there. I’d choose the graduate assistantship and master’s degree route, which I did many years ago, and would do it again if I did it all over again.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group

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Online Resources to Improve Sales

May 29th 2006

Q. What would be a few of the best online resources for a sales executive interested in improving in sales?

A. I’d recommend you start with Jeffrey Gitomer. He’s written some great books, has some quality online resources, and offers a terrific (and free) ezine you can access from his web site here. The second online resource I would recommend is SellingPower, which has various complimentary eNewsletters and some terrific online resources and articles you can check out here.

SellingPower also offers SellingPower Live, a CD series – hosted by Jeffrey Gitomer – which is in its 10^th year. A new CD is produced and shipped to you via mail monthly.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group

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Touch Point Best Practices

May 26th 2006

Q. I’m hearing more and more that we need to have more “touch points” with our season ticket holders and fans. Could you provide some touch point best practices?

A. In the Telios Tips blog post on March 7, I provide five touch point best practices here, and also in this blog back on Feb 24 I also provided two touch point best practices when I discussed season ticket holder retention. You can access that blog post here.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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Father’s Day Event Ideas

May 25th 2006

A. With Father’s Day coming up next month, what Father’s Day event strategies are teams implementing these days to generate ticket sales?

Q. Last month, we provided a post on Telios Tips that provided some Father’s Day events that may generate an idea or two for you. You can check out that blog post here. There are also 12 other posts on that blog related to ticket sales you may want to check out.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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New Sponsorship Strategies or Inventory

May 24th 2006

Q. Are there any new strategies or inventory in the way of sponsorship sales?

A. There’s always new and fresh strategies available for selling sponsorships, as well as inventory you can create and offer to prospective corporate partners.

Last week, I read a story about how Lexus and Toyota were suiting up for Monday Night Football by splitting a sponsorship. You can read more about this here.

The fully integrated multiplatform promotion includes “The Lexus Perfect Play” where fans can vote on their favorite play, as well as “ESPN’s Football Nation presented by Toyota,” a branding initiative developed around all Monday Night Football activities.

If you’re not implementing the perfect play promotion or you haven’t created a branding initiative, these are two examples of strategies and/or inventory you can sell to sponsors, as ESPN did with Lexus and Toyota.

It’s also an interesting approach with Lexus and Toyota splitting the sponsorship versus just one of them investing in the sponsorship rights.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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Tips for Successfully Multi-tasking

May 23rd 2006

Q. As a ticket sales executive, I’ve always sold group ticket sales. However, I’m in a new ticket sales role and have both season and group ticket sales goals this year, and with the desire to achieve my full season goal, my mini-season goal, and my group ticket sales goal, I’m finding that multi-tasking is a little challenging. What quick tips would you recommend for successfully multi-tasking?

A. The first thing I’d recommend you do is make sure you get an early start to your day. Sometimes all it takes is starting your the day one hour earlier.

If you can arrive before the rest of the sales team arrives to the office, it’s amazing how much more you can get done before one of your co-workers joins you in the office.

Multi-tasking and time management while working in sales can be challenging if you don’t have a daily plan before you walk in the door.

I encourage executives to layout their plan the evening before whenever possible. Know the calls you’re going to make and the tasks you’re going to accomplish, and you’ll be surprised how well you’ll sleep, and the fact you may even accomplish one or two things on your list as you sleep.

Additionally, set specific times in your day to address each area of your sales. If you don’t already schedule specific calling times, meeting times, and email check times (versus checking email as each message arrives in your box), I encourage you to have a daily plan that addresses these areas.

Finally, when someone comes into your office or cubicle unannounced and would like to visit, schedule time to meet with them versus meeting at that moment. Remain focused on your daily schedule and determine the best time to meet with that person later in the day or the following day if necessary.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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Improving Follow Through

May 22nd 2006

Q. I struggle from time-to-time with my follow through. What book or resources would you recommend for someone who would like to improve his follow through?

A. Two books come to mind. The first is “Execution,” by Bossidy and Charan, and the other is “implementation,” by Brache and Bodley-Scott.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group

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Phone Success Tactics V

May 19th 2006

Q. What are some tips or strategies for being successful selling by phone?

A. We answered this question each day this week and today’s list of tactics below is the final installment this week.

Here are Jeffrey Gitomer’s final five success tactics on how to be a winner on the phone:

Always use your best judgment.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

Deliver what you promise so you can make or take the next call with pride.

Don’t overlook an additional opportunity if presented.

You must ask for the sale (assume the sale) or you won’t get it.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group

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Phone Success Tactics IV

May 18th 2006

Q. What are some tips or strategies for being successful selling by phone?

A. We’re taking this week to answer this question and today’s the fourth of five installments we will provide this week.

Here are three more success tactics from Jeffrey Gitomer on how to be a winner on the phone:

You won’t sell or satisfy everyone.

It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.

You must believe you are the best.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group

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Phone Success Tactics III

May 17th 2006

Q. What are some tips or strategies for being successful selling by phone?

A. We’re taking this week to answer this question and today’s the third of five installments we will provide this week.

Here are three more success tactics from Jeffrey Gitomer on how to be a winner on the phone:

Follow up…follow up….follow up, as promised, promised, promised.

Follow-up to be sure the customer is satisfied.

The science of leaving a message boils down to four words – get your call returned.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group

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Phone Success Tactics II

May 16th 2006

Q. What are some tips or strategies for being successful selling by phone?

A. We’re taking this week to answer this question and today’s the second of five installments we will provide this week.

Here are three more success tactics from Jeffrey Gitomer on how to be a winner on the phone:

Determine needs and desires through intelligent questioning.

Use the similar situation technique coupled with a solution.

Try to gain a confirmation that the customer accepts/buys it.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group

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Phone Success Tactics I

May 15th 2006

Q. What are some tips or strategies for being successful selling by phone?

A. Great question and I’ll use this week to provide some success tactics by one of the best sales trainers in the business, Jeffrey Gitomer. If you haven’t invested in Gitomer’s books or you’re not subscribed to his free eNewsletter – Sales Caffeine – invest the time today to visit his site. Here’s the link to his web site.

Here are three success tactics Jeffrey Gitomer shares to be a winner on the phone:

Sound like you’re speaking extemporaneously.
Don’t lose sight of your objective no matter what.
Agree, empathize.

We’ll share three more Gitomer tactics tomorrow!

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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Ways to Use Season Tickets – Part V

May 12th 2006

Q. Season tickets for teams that have average to sub-par seasons seem to be harder and harder to sell. Fans only have so much time. Do you have a list we could use of reasons why fans should buy season tickets?

A. We answered this question each day this week and today’s list below is the final installment this week.

10 more ways a fan, company or anyone else could use season tickets:

Give them to the employee who makes the most sales calls.

Use as an auction item.

Give tickets to an employee on his or her birthday.

Give tickets to an employee or customer who has been sick.

Give them to your drivers for being on time.

Give them to your security guards.

Donate tickets to your church.

Offer to your secretary or his or her family.

Congratulate an employee for attaining yearly goal.

Offer tickets to your babysitter as a thank you.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group

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Ways to Use Season Tickets – Part IV

May 11th 2006

Q. Season tickets for teams that have average to sub-par seasons seem to be harder and harder to sell. Fans only have so much time. Do you have a list we could use of reasons why fans should buy season tickets?

A. We’re taking this week to answer this question and today’s the fourth of five lists we will provide this week.

10 more ways a fan, company or anyone else could use season tickets:

Use them yourself.

Give tickets to someone who always provides good service.

Offer the tickets to a customer for the holidays.

Give the tickets to your office cleaning crew.

Use tickets as a raffle gift.

Give to vendors to enhance your business relationships.

Give to an employee who generates the most new business.

Give tickets to your payroll department.

Give to an employee who has worked the most overtime.

Reward a department that hits their weekly quota.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group

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Ways to Use Season Tickets – Part III

May 10th 2006

Q. Season tickets for teams that have average to sub-par seasons seem to be harder and harder to sell. Fans only have so much time. Do you have a list we could use of reasons why fans should buy season tickets?

A. We’re taking this week to answer this question and today’s the third of five lists we will provide this week.

10 more ways a fan, company or anyone else could use season tickets:

Thank a new customer for their business.

Give tickets to charity and use as a write-off.

Welcome a new employee to the company with tickets.

Give your tickets to a relative.

Give them to a manager whose department exceeded its goals.

Give them to a front-line person who appeased an angry customer.

Put a smile on an employee’s face that is having a rough day.

Show your appreciate to a company intern.

Treat a friend on their birthday to an evening of entertainment.

Give tickets to an employee who left the latest on a given day.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group

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Ways to Use Season Tickets – Part II

May 9th 2006

Q. Season tickets for teams that have average to sub-par seasons seem to be harder and harder to sell. Fans only have so much time. Do you have a list we could use of reasons why fans should buy season tickets?

A. We’re taking this week to answer this question and today’s the second of five lists we will provide this week.

10 more ways a fan, company or anyone else could use season tickets:

Have a drawing at work and give them to a lucky employee.

Thank your neighbor who takes care of your pets, retrieves your mail, etc.

Give them to your child’s teacher as a ‘thank you’ for their help.

Take a potential customer and close a sale at the game.

Give thanks to your family and friends by taking them to a game.

Take a long-term customer to say ‘thanks.’

Reward employee who comes up with a savings suggestion.

Reward on time delivery.

Reward someone who has been accident-free at shop.

Use as attendance incentives.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group

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Ways to Use Season Tickets

May 8th 2006

Q. Season tickets for teams that have average to sub-par seasons seem to be harder and harder to sell. Fans only have so much time. Do you have a list we could use of reasons why fans should buy season tickets, or how they could use season tickets?

A. There are many ways fans, businesses and others can invest in and use season tickets. As I did last week, I’ll utilize each of this week’s postings to share with you a list someone shared with me years ago for using season tickets.

Here are first 10 ways a fan, company or anyone else could use season tickets:

Reward for service recognition by a customer.

Give them to employees who schedule the most sales appointments.

Invite a customer who hasn’t done business with you recently.

Thank volunteer for all that they do.

Improve communication with key co-worker.

Reward suppliers and vendors who help you meet your deadline.

Take a loyal customer for his or her birthday.

Run a sales contest and reward the winner with tickets.

Give the tickets to the person who came in earliest.

Give them to someone who has given you helpful business advice.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group

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Three Complimentary Sales eNewsletters

May 5th 2006

Q. What sales quotes, books, tips and resources do you recommend for a first-year sales executive who’s eager to learn and practice sales skills each day?

A. Here’s the final installment – five of five – for the above question (which we addressed each day this week):

Check out and consider signing up for one or more of the following three complimentary online sales newsletters that will consistently provide you with sales tips and strategies that you can practice and implement to improve your sales skills.

If time permits, check out the newsletter archives for any challenges you may be experiencing or areas you may want to address. Each has some terrific resources.

Jeffrey Gitomer’s Complimentary Sales Caffeine Newsletter

Tom Hopkin’s Complimentary Newsletter

Zig Ziglar’s Complimentary Newsletter

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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Sales Calls, Follow Up and Listening

May 4th 2006

Q. What sales quotes, books, tips and resources do you recommend for a first-year sales executive who’s eager to learn and practice sales skills each day?

A. Here’s answer four of five for the above question (which we will conclude tomorrow with some additional sales tips):

Here are three articles offering tips on sales calls, follow up, and Listening:

8 Tips for a Successful Sales Call

The Art of Being Pleasantly Persistent

Five Steps for Listening Well

Have an awesome selling day!

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group

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Focus on Each of Your Greetings

May 3rd 2006

Q. What sales quotes, books, tips and resources do you recommend for a first-year sales executive who’s eager to learn and practice sales skills each day?

A. Here’s answer three of five for the above question (which we will continue to address each day this week):

I once heard Zig Ziglar encourage his audience to focus on greetings – each time you say “hello” and each time you say “goodbye.” He encouraged the group to show enthusiasm, passion, eye contact and let the other person – or persons – you’re greeting know you’re present in the moment…as if they’re the only person (or persons) who matter at that very moment.

It’s simple, but when you genuinely execute, it’s awfully impressive and positive for all involved.

Give it a shot today, then tomorrow and each day for at least a few weeks until it becomes a habit. I think you’ll see it makes a difference in not only your selling, but in all your interactions.

I hope you have an awesome day!

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group

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Becoming a Top Performer

May 2nd 2006

Q. What sales quotes, books, tips and resources do you recommend for a first-year sales executive who’s eager to learn and practice sales skills each day?

A. Here’s answer two of five for the above question (which we will continue to address each day this week):

Here are tips to becoming a top performer from sales veteran and mountain climber Susan Ershler:

Support Your Team: “When you support them 150 percent, they support you,” said Ershler.
Practice Teamwork: “In sales, you can’t be a lone ranger,” said Ershler. “A team will always outperform an individual.”
Start Small: “If you don’t break down yor objectives, everyone has a tendency to get overwhelmed and walk away. Break it down into small pieces that you feel comfortable accomplishing today or this week, and then take it one piece at a time. More dreams are lost right there because the effort seems too big,” said Ershler.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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Sales Resources: First Year Sales Executive

May 1st 2006

Q. What sales quotes, books, tips and resources do you recommend for a first-year sales executive who’s eager to learn and practice sales skills each day?

A. There are many resources available to you and I’ll dedicate each of this week’s five columns to providing you with book recommendations, sales quotes and thoughts resources, sales tips and strategies, and other resources you may find helpful.

Let’s start this week with five sales book recommendations:

Your 1^st Year in Sales, Tim Connor

Little Red Book of Selling, Jeffrey Gitomer

Little Red Book of Sales Answers, Jeffrey Gitomer

Be a Sales Superstar, Brian Tracy

The Certifiable Salesperson, Tom Hopkins & Laura Laaman

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group

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