So, Which One?

To make a sale, we eventually have to narrow the choices to just one so our customers can make a decision.

In my podcast message today, "So, Which One?" I provide some tips and ideas on how to arrive at this point.

We begin with one or more trial closes and then get to the final close as we eliminate from consideration those choices that are no longer viable in the customer's mind. We should a choice on just one out of two - never more.

By limiting the choices that customers have at any one time to two, we can let them select the better one, and if they are not ready to own that one, determine why, and then show them the closest thing to what they describe. Then choose the better one again (and again if necessary), until a sale is made - or we determine that it is unlikely to happen.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

One Last Reminder

Yesterday, I called us to action with "The Big Push." Since I recorded a YouTube message on the same topic today, here is one last reminder to get it done while we still can.

Thanks.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

The Big Push

Hasn't this been a fantastic "Summer Selling Season"? What began on July 5th has been 60-days of concentrated sales activity. By the time it's done next weekend, it will actually encompass 63-days.

Even an event such as this must end, and we are in the final days of it. We need to do all we can in the next few days to complete the "Summer Selling Season" in a strong wrap-up.

After the Labor Day weekend - the unofficial end of summer - more holidays and school activities are on the horizon for the balance of the year. We need to get it done now.

This is the time to pull out all the stops to complete sales, contacts, and appointments before there are competing interests for our customers.

In my podcast message today, "The Big Push," I encourage all of us to close the "Summer Selling Season " very strong.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

There Is Nothing Like A Saturday

Saturdays are special days. I usually try to get up early and never go to be before midnight. Therefore, I get a lot out of each Saturday.

Unlike other days of the week, there are no imposing or pending deadlines. Even if it's a workday, it's different. The pace is more relaxed.

If we're showing property, our customers are more relaxed. They know that Saturdays are different as well.

Saturdays are for family, friends, cookouts, sports (playing and watching), chores, errands, maintenance items, working on the car or home, or similar activities.

Not everything we attempt on a Saturday has to get done. There's always Sunday, next week, and next Saturday.

Hope your Saturday was a great one.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Easing Off

Maintaining our effort and our output even when we have achieved various measures of success. is a real challenge. It is so easy to begin coasting and backing off when we hit our sales goal or make the money that we projected - when continuing the same type of effort will produce even greater results.

It just seems that we naturally want to take it a little easier when we hit our short term goals.

We no longer work as hard as we did to achieve the goal. We need to keep up the effort and continue to produce.

This happens in the sports world daily. Teams build a comfortable lead and then don't play as hard or they use reserve players.

In my podcast message today, "Easing Off," I caution all of us to maintain our momentum by keeping up our intensity level and our focus to keep performing at a high level.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Thursday's Thought - "Opportunity"

Thursday's Thought: Opportunity. Does every door provide equal access to an opportunity, or do we have to be careful which one we open? Things aren't always as they seem, and we need to evaluate every opportunity in terms of our long term strategies.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Slow Down

This post was more appropriate than I planned. I wrote it about my podcast message, "Slow Down," but the server on which I upload the podcasts was experiencing some technical difficulties - so I had to be patient.


Patience is the subject of the podcast.


We all need to exercise more patience. It is a trait that is very hard to to develop, but the more we work at it, the more peace we get. Instead of getting frustrated, angry, and irritated, we can relax with the understanding that some things just need to run their course. We can't hurry lines, traffic, return phone calls, or other events that are dependent upon someone else's participation.

We can't hurry servers, computer boot-ups, or browsers.


For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Don't You Just Love Stupidity?

In the business world, there are many things that are not as they should be.

Here's a couple of classic examples, and yes, I've ordered their "Stupid" signs for them.

Have you ever had an issue with AT&T internet service - with it going down? Well, when you call technical service and get put on hold for several minutes, their annoying recording keeps repeating, among other messages, that if you're having trouble with your internet service that you can go online and try to troubleshoot it rather than waiting to talk to a technician. Wow!

I have had issues with a couple of internet services that I subscribe to, and they don't publish their telephone numbers (I guess they would have more calls than they could manage). The only choice is to send them an email. They open a ticket, and you can view the progress of their response by logging into your account. Oh, the message? My login failed. That's OK. I can't login in so I sent an email reporting the issue and asking for help and your response is to login to read your response, good one.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Keeping Up

With all of the advances in technology, I wonder how the future might look as we go along. We certainly have seen many changes in recent years with things like the fax machine evolving into efaxes and emails and cassette tapes now going to CDs and DVDs.

There is a lot going on that we have to stay alert for.

Businesses need to change and adapt as well - as they use new technology or get bypassed by it.

The future will likely surprise us with new devices.

In today's podcast message, "Keeping Up," I remark about the way changes in technolgy are impacting our lives and causing us to adapt.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Sunday Spotlight - "Solitude"

Sunday Spotlight: Solitude. Peace, quiet, and separation from outside influences are a great way to recharge your batteries.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Anticipation is Great

Anticipation or the act of looking forward to a pleasant event or occurrence produces a positive energy and motivation. It might be a particular holiday or celebration, launching the boat for the start of the new season. going skiing, taking a vacation, finishing an assignment, going to a concert, or completing a sale. It keeps us in the game and working toward that moment we are anticipating. It moves us from one day to the next with a positive outlook.


Anticipation is a great motivating factor that keeps us looking forward positively to a coming event or completion of a task. Anticipation is a positive force that we all share. It keeps us energized and enthused.

In today's podcast message, "Anticipation is Great," I talk about how we feel great just looking foward to the event, as well as when it actually arrives.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Friday's Thought - "Tradition"

Friday's Thought: Tradition. I'm not a fan of tradition just for tradition's sake, but we have a lot of core values and memories passed down to us that are worth preserving. Black and white photography was the standard for so many years. It causes us to remember our past - and the good times.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Remembering The Customer

I am amazed at the number of companies that treat their customers as someone to be tolerated and not as the reason to be in business. There is no other reason to be in business than to serve the customer.

There are many companies that we can learn from by their indifference to the customers and their "me first" attitude over the customer. They give the customer the impression that they are in the way, able to be overcharged, or will tolerate lack of inventory or help.

Many businesses disregard the customer and treat us an an afterthought - as something necessary but disliked. Airlines definitely are not in the people business as much as they might want us to think so. Many retailers feel the same way.

We need to make sure that we treat the customer as the important part of our business that they are. We might not always make a sale, but they come first in our regard of them.

In today's podcast message, "Remembering The Customer," I talk about the importance of the customer and challenge us to rise above the level of customer relations so often advanced in the marketplace.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Our Next Sale

About how much have we thought about our next sale? We should be thinking about all the time - if we want to stay in business.

What will it look like? When will it happen? What needs to happen first?

Have we already met that person? Is it in process now? Do we have to go out and find it? Are we waiting for it to come to us?

There is a lot to think about, but then again, it's extremely important. We can't remain in business without sales. When we make that next sale it's time to start focusing on the one after that one.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Make It Count

As we enter the last three weeks of the "Summer Selling Season," we need to make it count as we do all that we can to make sales, make appointments, make calls, and fill our pipeline to sustain us through the slower fall and winter months when their are more holidays and distractions.

Now is the time to go full speed and get it done.

Now is the time to finish the season strong. Three weeks to go.

In today's podcast message, "Make It Count," I talk about the "Summer Selling Season" and what we can do to make it count.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Monday Spotlight - "Perspective"

To have a good perspective and outlook of where we are and where we are going we need to get above the action and survey the landscape from all sides.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Preseason Practice

Well. our first week of the NFL season has been completed - the start of the regular season is that much closer.

The training camps that the NFL teams are conducting right now parallel what we need to do in sales to stay strong, build our stamina, and have outstanding performances. While we can't carve out a large chuck of time for practice, we can make a little time each day to do the research and rehearsal that will help us stay at the top of our game.

We don't have the luxury of a preseason, but we can take time to research our marketplace, review our presentations, and refine our performance.

In today's podcast message, "Preseason Practice," I stress the importance of being prepared for sales encounters and to able to perform at our maximum.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Privatize Is A Great Word

Today, on the 75th anniversary of the enactment of Social Security, President Obama vowed to fight the mean Republican's attempt to privatize the program. While this is not unexpected from a Progressive like the president, privatization would be a major step in the right direction to do so.

The media and general conversation that follows what it releases have allowed the Progressives and liberals to paint free enterprise and privatization as bad.

This country was built on free enterprise and, if it is to survive, will do so on free enterprise.

Government produces nothing. It raises no money through the sale of goods and services except user fees.

Having government programs run by private enterprise shifts the financial burden away from government and allows them to run profitably - many local governments are now finding this out.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

All In Time

While it's good to anticipate and look ahead, our natural tendency is to look too far ahead and not to live in the moment. We need to take full advantage of the opportunities we have right in front of us. 

Everything has its time, and now, in the heat of summer, our time is about making sales before Labor Day.

We still have 3 full weeks to go in the "Summer Selling Season" and yet we're probably thinking of cooler weather, football, fall, and the year-end holidays. There is nothing wrong with focusing on those activities when they're here, but for now, we have sales to make. 

In today's podcast message, "All In Time," I talk about living more in the moment and doing things in the now - not worrying about the future or living there.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Thursday's Thought - "Dominion"

Thursday's Thought: Dominion. The bald eagle is the symbol of our country. He is the mighty hunter, determiner of his fate, dependent on no one else for his survival. He rules from on high, surveying the landscape below. He has taken ownership of his environment

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Finished

We get a great feeling when we undertake something and complete it. All of the worry, anxiety, effort, and long hours no longer matter when the task is completed. The weight is lifted. We can move on to something else.

Whether it's a proposal, report, study, assignment, or presentation, all of the energy that goes into producing the finished product along with the looming deadline getting closer each minute create such pressure while we are under it and such a release and a feeling of exhilaration when something is actually done. There is nothing more to do or add to impact it.

In today's podcast message, "Finished," I talk about what a great feeling is created when we complete something and what a feeling of freedom we get as we are able to try something different or new.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Knowing Your Customers

Today I received a letter - not an email but an actual letter - from a company I do business with that was quite strange. They invited me to enroll in a program that I have already had with them for 2 years. They told me how it would save me money over what I had now (interesting concept).

Rather than really trying to help me save money, they just showed me how out of touch they are with their customers.

A little research of customer records would have prevented this slip-up. This letter should never have been sent to me.

I was embarrassed for them. Lesson learned here.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, Monday

Today is Monday. Isn't that great! Mondays are so exciting and exhilarating – or at least they should be - because they represent new opportunities.

The week in front of us has so much to offer. We need to take advantage of the blank canvas and use it to further our businesses.

Unfortunately, many people dread Mondays. They cherish their weekends where they can do things for themselves but find Mondays an unpleasant interruption to their weekend fun. As salespeople, Mondays are exciting because they bring new opportunities to meet people, make presentations, develop relationships, and make sales.

Mondays are exciting.

In today's podcast message, "Monday, Monday," I talk about how exciting Mondays are because they represent such opportunity for us.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Sunday Spotlight - "What's Inside"

While we often are impressed with the exterior design of something or how well it looks, the real power or importance is what is behind, inside, or beneath the exterior.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

The Importance Of Price

In addition to the nature of our goods and services, the features they offer, and the benefits our customers and potential customers can derive from them, price is also a consideration. In order to make sales and sustain our businesses, what we offer must be marketed at a fair price.

In selecting the asking price, we need to be sensitive to market conditions. We need to put away our ego and pride, forget about what we could have made or sold something for a few years ago, and price it correctly to sell today. Let's be known as people who can make sales not just price things for what we'd like to get for them.

There is an art to pricing, and holding on to outdated concepts of what we could have made or what something should be worth will not help us be successful today.

In today's podcast message, "The Importance Of Price," I talk about helping our customers make a decision by pricing what we offer correctly.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Friday's Thought - "Bold"

Friday's Thought: Bold. The color in this flower is so intense, so pure, so consistent, so bold. It is inspiring. It stands out. It isn't concerned about what people think.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Under The Circumstances

It's easy to try to excuse poor performances by chalking them up to the circumstances or conditions  that were affecting us rather than excelling in the same arena by rising above whatever issues are present. It is challenging but we need to persevere and be ready to overcome. That's what defines winners.

We need to meet challenges head-on and rise to occasion - not letting circumstances or conditions dictate our performance. They are convenient excuses but do not explain a mediocre performance.

We should not be deterred by adverse playing conditions but figure out a way to make them work to our advantage. Use Plan B and other strategies to overcome and prevail.

In today's podcast message, "Under The Circumstances," I talk about the importance of coming out on top no matter what we are facing.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

When We Chase People

We use the expressing that we are "chasing after a sales lead" or that we are "pursuing them." We think it's just an expression, but actually it's quite telling.

We say that we are chasing after someone because they really haven't shown any interest in what we have to offer, but we want them to be interested so we pursue them. We want them to own what we are selling more than they do, so we don't give up.

We don't just accept that they aren't interested.

So we chase, and they run. We chase faster and they run away from us even faster. We never catch them, and our effort is futile.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Being Dependable

When we go after and then obtain new business, we don't do it with the idea of rushing through it and moving on to something else or canceling the job because we find something else we like better. We're dependable. That produces referrals also.

We honor our commitments, and consider being trustworthy and dependable to be good business.

This is part of our work ethic and it generates satisfied customers and referrals while demonstrating that we stand behind our work and are interested in the customer's well-being. We are in it for more than the money.

In today's podcast message, "Being Dependable," I talk about the importance of being counted on by our customers and associates.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Monday Spotlight - "Fulfilled"

This hibiscus is a very complex, yet quite beautiful, flower. The rain droplets add nourishment to the flower and show off its beauty in a special way. We should look for activities and people that complement and fulfill us.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Keep It Going

We we are in the middle of the “Summer Selling Season” - that uninterrupted 60 day time time between July 4th and Labor Day (except for maybe a vacation or getting ready for school) when we get to focus on sales and our customers can as well.

July is complete, and now all of August stretches in front of us. Nothing to do but make contacts, create leads, and make sales. No holidays or serious distractions – except possibly a late summer vacation or back-to-school. This is the best time of year to make sales. Keep the momentum going.

In today's podcast message, "Keep It Going," I talk about the progress we've made in out "Summer Selling Season" and note that half of it still lies ahead of us. Time for great results.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2010, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.