"High Tech "
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High-Tech or High-Touch? In this article:
I Am All Thumbs I typed this article with my thumbs on a hand held portable phone, the same device that I use to make sales calls. Remember Dick Tracey I can remember when a futuristic detective cartoon character Dick Tracey spoke into his wrist watch. Now we speak into our hand held computer. Blessing Or Curse? Is high tech a blessing, or is it a curse? If you can remember when you used three by five cards to track client activity, you would definitely call high-tech a blessing. More In Less Time With over three thousand names in my database, I can't imagine what it would be like to manually keep track of client activity. Certainly, technology enables us to be more efficient in less time. Out Of Sight Strangely, in some industries, the "old fashion way" still works best. With all of your follow-up information in your computer, your next step is sometimes out of sight and out of mind. Know The Right Combination That is why I use a combination of high and low-tech to move my sales process forward.
Hot And Sold I have a board in my office with a tape down the center. On the left side of the tape, at the top of the board, is the word "Hot.? On the right side is the word "Sold." I call it my Hot and Sold board. Weekly Ritual By keeping the hot prospects visible, I can check every day for a reminder of who needs to be contacted. Every week, I do something progressive with each of the names on the hot side of the board. Keep The Spirit Alive There is also a psychological component to the board. It lifts my spirits, knowing that I have so many hot prospects in the pipeline ready to give me a "Yes." Move Over Once the prospect commits, and I have a signed contract, we move them to the Sold side of the board. It feels good to see the many prospects that become clients. Information Central All the contact and telephone follow-up information is stored in the computer database. Paper Money Maker One of my clients uses a paper based system, and it works better than a high-tech system for his particular product. I know because I have seen what happens when his sales force tries to manipulate the system. If it ain't broke -- don't break it. A Handy System He feels, and rightly so, that the leads can be better followed up if the sales person has the paperwork in his hands each day and moves the leads from folder to folder. If The Suit Fits, Wear It The real secret is to find out what best suits your needs and design a system that fits those needs. System By Design A good system should be designed to: 1. Keep you motivated 2. Keep you on track 3. Be simple to administer 4. Provide the information you need when you need it 5. Serve as a constant reminder of what is really important 6. Make your life less stressful 7. Make you the master of your own destiny High-Tech Or High-Touch? Use the one or combination of systems that best fits your needs. The choice is up to you.
© 2008-2009 Joe Bonura & Associates, Inc. |
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REPRINT info: Joe Bonura About Joe Bonura His background is unique. Joe owned and operated a highly successful advertising agency for 18 years. During that time, he found his advertising campaigns were more effective when he educated his clients in the areas of sales and service. He conducted training seminars for his clients as added value. Word spread that Joe was a quality speaker and more and more people asked him to speak. The demand became so high that he sold the agency to three of his associates to start his own speaking and consulting company, Joe Bonura & Associates, Inc. Joe is past President of the Kentucky Speakers Association and a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), a prestigious designation earned by only 8% of the 3,600 member National Speakers Association. Joe presently serves on the board of directors of NSA. He is author of the audio learning systems "Three-Dimensional Selling®" and "Turning Customer Satisfaction Into Customer Excitement®." He is author of the book Throw the Rabbit—The Ultimate Approach to Three-Dimensional Selling. Click here TO ENGAGE JOE BONURA FOR A TRAINING SEMINAR AT YOUR COMPANY
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