You don't need to be 'salesy' to win more business

Previous graduates tell me they love how they get a better understanding, leave with more confidence, and can win more business, as a result of the proven skills and techniques covered during the program.

This is a quick reminder about my upcoming training courses that give you the skills to win more business and close more deals - without being pushy, sleazy, or 'salesy'. Results are guaranteed.

If you need conversational-selling skills (sometimes called relationship-based selling, or consultative selling) then check out these dates.

Brisbane - Feb 22 + 23 (3 seats available)

Sydney - Feb 26 + 27 (2 seats available)

Melbourne - March 31, Saturday (This is a special fast-track half-day version of my Selling With Confidence program.)

Is bigger better?... when we talk megapixels

This post is a bit outside my usual area of advice and information on sales and marketing. But it is about marketing. Specifically it is about how many pixels is big enough? In this article by David Pogue (he writes for the New York Times) he explodes - again - the myth about bigger is better.

If you've ever been involved in digital photography to create your marketing materials this information is important. It is also great even if you are buying a digital camera for yourself.

The bottom line is that David says anything above 5 or 6 megapixels is unecessary for just about everyone but professionals. Read the article for more.

Use email as a 3-step strategy

When you think about using email as a lead generation or sales tool it's tempting to go for a knock-out punch. By that I mean, you throw all your info in the one message, hoping for an immediate response.

But this article at BtoB Magazine reveals the reality behind some common email myths. In particular I really like the last point about using a 1-2-3 strategy when making contact and presenting offers via email.

Message 1 - explain who you are
Message 2 - explain what you do (services, products etc)
Message 3 - send an offer for your prospect/client, presented as "here's a special offer just for you".

Bottom line: Don't rely on discounts to get attention. Communicate in bite-sized chunks. Educate, build trust, and foster understanding. This is much like the 'incremental marketing' strategy I present in this article.

Try it out. It works!