How's Your Retention Rate?

I read an interesting article this morning about Twitter and retention statistics.

The article explained that after someone joins Twitter, that person might not come back for a whole month.

It got me to thinking. All these social media sites need to keep their users interested and coming back for more. With all the competition of Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and other sites popping up every day, the big question becomes: How do you keep someone interested?

This should be a question that you are asking yourself as you reach out to “sell” in the marketplace. Because, as we know if you have been following my blog, we ALL sell no matter what!

So, how do you keep your customers interested? How do you keep your customers loyal? How do you keep your customers?

Here are some tips that will help answer this very important question:

Remember you are building a relationship.

Selling is relationship building. People like to do business with people they trust and they like. Let your prospect know you care by asking questions to understand how you can help and answer a need. You can’t answer a need though if you don’t know what it is, so ask questions to uncover that need and THEN offer your solution. This builds trust and let’s your prospect know you care.

Keep reaching out:

Selling is about connecting and connecting and connecting. You can’t just reach out once and expect to make a sale. It does happen and when it does it’s great, but it is rare. What you need to do is keep reaching out to your prospects AND your current clients to continue to learn more and more. This takes discipline, organization and a great system. You need to have this in place so you can continue to keep in touch. In sales absence does NOT make the heart grow fonder.

Be unique:

What do you have that is original and different from your competitor. What is your brand? What is special about what you have to offer? In some cases, it could just be YOU. That is ok, take advantage of you. If you reach out from a place of confidence, power and good intentions, this will ring true for your prospects and clients. You will notice that more and more your prospects and clients will be drawn to you because you are genuine. You don’t have to push, just be yourself.

Use the phone:

You can build a relationship on the phone and selling is building relationships. So, use the phone. Reach out to people and differentiate yourself from your competition. Don’t just send an email or even a letter. Say hello, and build a relationship on the phone and in person!



I don’t know how Twitter will keep people interested. I do know how we can; by reaching out on the phone and in person, with the intention to be “of service”. This is what can make all the difference in a market flooded by social media, e-zines, newsletters, email marketing, voice broadcasting and tweets.

For more on how to reach out from a place of power and confidence, to anyone on the phone and in person visit my website and sign up for my next course: Essential Selling’s Cold Calling Wealth Building Technology™. www.essentialselling.com carolyn@essentialselling.com

Cold Calling IS Selling

I am on the phone a lot.

I practice what I preach. I make cold calls. I reach out on a daily basis and let people know that I am here to help. I love it.

As you can imagine, I speak to a lot of people. What I hear a lot of is, “I don’t like cold calling, I like to build relationships”.

I always chuckle, because by the time I get off the phone with these people I know quite a bit about them, and I have planted the seeds for a budding relationship.

The core of Essential Selling is building relationships AND cold calling is selling. So, to bring this to its logical conclusion, you can build relationships by picking up the phone and making cold calls.

I love cold calling because I can learn about a lot of different people. I can also make "friends" by cold calling. This is great, because people want to do business with people they like. I have so many people in my “rolodex” that I have known for years over the phone. When we finally do meet, it is as if we are two pen pals meeting for the first time. It is quite a lot of fun.

Cold calling is an incredibly affordable tool that allows you to reach out beyond people you meet at local events, networking and chamber events and conferences. It is a tool that enables you to laser focus your time and reach out to ANYONE in your target market ANYWHERE. You never know who will show up at your local networking event, but you KNOW who you are reaching out to when you create a target list of prospects to call.

Think about your day and your time and how easy it would be to take one or two hours out of your day, without driving to an event and just reach out easily to your target market. Great right?

Why don’t more people utilize this incredible SELLING tool?

Some reasons are:

Fear
Discomfort
Not knowing what to say
Not knowing who to say it to
Not knowing how to get through to the decision maker

Instead, people will continue to do the same thing over and over. It is time to do something new. It is time to reach out and touch as many people as possible. It is time to think in a creative new way and sometimes that is just as simple as picking up the phone and getting back to basics.

My next course starts on Tuesday April 21st at 12pm PST. If you are ready to MAKE MORE SALES, you might want to consider joining.

Check out some of the comments from people who have taken my course and reach out to me for more information!


"Essential Selling's "Cold Calling" is a powerful tool for growing your business! After completing the course I quickly began applying the practical telephone techniques to my marketing plan. As a result, within a few weeks a tremendous opportunity was uncovered that has allowed me to connect face-to-face with target customers who will benefit from SmartChoice Resume's service. Thank you Essential Selling!"

Dala Gorner
Smart Choice Resume



"I've never done sales, don't consider myself a big phone talker, and have dealt with poor confidence for the last few years due to depression and fatigue. So I have many obstacles to overcome. That's why I got very excited when I heard what Carolyn was doing with her cold calling class. I was looking for guidance just like this.

I decided Tuesday (today!) would be my first day out in the field approaching business owners. Doing Carolyn's first exercise (From her Essential Cold Calling System™) and clearly defining my WHY and my future vision was crucial in order to go out on my first day.

I spent about 2 hours writing a detailed description of everything I will have and be in 5 years. Even so I was still terrified and called Carolyn for some moral support and finally around 12:30, made myself get in the car and go to my first appointment. I almost turned around about 3 times, then I sat in my car for about 10 minutes deep breathing and reminding myself of my WHY and that I could do it.

So I finally got my butt out of the car and approached the businesses on my researched list. The 1st biz owner wasn't there, the 2nd wasn't either, but the 3rd one was and was very pleasant. We sat and talked about his business for 30 minutes, I even showed him the entire presentation. Although he did not buy the membership right there, I think he might later. I stopped there and came home elated and bubbling with excitement!

I am so very proud of myself for facing this seemingly overwhelming fear of talking to business owners. I'm going out again tomorrow and I'm going to talk to 10 business owner this time.

Looking forward to working more of the Essential Selling Cold Calling System with you Carolyn,"

Trista Thompson
Pre-Paid Legal

Contact me for more information! carolyn@essentialselling.com

INSIDE OUT NETWORKING

Everyone is doing what you’re doing, how can you set yourself apart and stand out?

When you go to a party, who do you remember? I remember the person that was nice to me; the person that was genuinely interested in me and was curious and asked questions. You know what, that makes me interested in them!

I can’t stand going to networking events and having people tell me how great they are, how great their product is and how I need what they have. How do they know?

Networking events can be crazy and frenzied with people pushing themselves on the other glazy eyed attendees. Frantic networkers are spewing 30 second commercials in every direction as if they are robots circling around the room looking for their next victim. They are hoping desperately to find that one fish to bite down on their hook.

Is this really conducive to building strong relationships, which, as we have established, is how you build your business? Is this how you are going to let people know what you have to offer? NO!

I have an idea, try something different and go against the grain and do what isn’t expected from you. Let’s make a pact right here that the next networking event we attend we will be the ones to stand out and be noticed by not trying to be noticed. What do you say? Are you in?

Let’s not talk about ourselves. While everyone else is pitching why not catch? Why not just listen, take note and remember what is being said. When you do follow up (and you must!) you will be armed with information and know just what to say to build a relationship.

This alone will make you stand out. You will be remembered because you listened and you weren’t pushing, you were just being. So take note of what they are throwing your way and catch it so you can then “throw it right back” to build a relationship when you follow up.

When I say “throw it right back” what I mean is that because you are such a good listener and you really can understand the nuances of what people are saying, read the sub-text, you are able to craft the perfect questions and lead your new friend down an easy path to buying your product. You are building a relationship because you are taking the time to build a relationship.

Think about it and give it a try. By remembering them you will stand out. You will be the one who noticed them and made them feel important and special. Let them turn the tables and ask you questions and want to know what you do. Focus on being yourself and just listening, being friendly and being approachable and turn the networking events inside out!

Just a note, you have to follow up to be successful. One out of two people aren't following up so you be the one that does! Then this will really work.

For more information on the right questions to ask, gently leading your prospect down the path of discovery and building a strong bond that leads to a sale, contact me. carolyn@esesntialselling.com

Money Will Fall Out Of Your Phone....Starting Monday

If you are the biggest investment in your business, how much are
you willing to invest in yourself?

How can you build the business of your dreams? What do you need in place to be successful? How can you reach out to ANYONE and connect to create relationships that will support the growth of your profitable business? It's easy. If you are connected to what drives you, what drives your customer and what drives your industry, and combine that with simple doable tools and techniques. You can't lose. Selling and growing your business becomes this really FUN ADVENTURE!

When you invest in The Essential Cold Calling System you are investing in your success!

Learn to think in a fresh new way to attract more clients without the hard sell using the Equation for Success: WHY + VALUE + TOOLS + KNOWLEDGE = SUCCESS!

In this 8 hour telecourse you will develop:

• Ease and confidence so you can easily reach out on the phone or in person to anyone to build lasting relationships, the core to Essential Selling Success
• The ability to turn "cold calls" into warm "discovery calls" that are fun to build relationships with your clients and prospects
• An intimate understanding of why you love what you do and how that will drive you to unlimited success.
• A deep knowledge and appreciation of your value to your industry.
• The foundational cornerstones to build a prosperous business.
• The skill to easily talk to anyone about your product/service.
  The ability to turn an obstacle into a new beginning.
• A complete manual tailored to your business that includes all the documents you will need: introductions, scripts, daily planning and tracking system.

The Essential Cold Calling System breaks down cold calling and selling into simple and easy steps. Cold calling becomes a discovery expedition and you will reap the rewards. Join May's Class So You Can Start Making Money Fall Out Of Your Phone ASAP!

The class meets twice a week: Tuesday's and Thursday's at 12:00pm PST for 1 hour.

There are only a few spots left, so sign up now to Ignite your sales and ROCKET your business to success!!!

The Essential Cold Calling System is normally $600Sign up Now for The Essential Cold Calling System for the incredibly Discounted rate of $300 Sign up Now

Email: carolyn@essentialselling.com if you have any questions about building your business quickly!

Now, more than ever, is the time to invest in your
own success!

DO YOU KNOW THE EQUATION FOR SUCCESS?

This may be obvious, but it is interesting!

I was on my way home from the gym on Tuesday morning and I heard something interesting on the radio. It was that successful people work harder than people who aren’t as successful. I know, I told you this was obvious! But, how do they do that? How do they have the energy and drive to work harder than your “average bear”? It is because they are passionate about what they do! This is the nugget, the hot coal that fuels them all day long.

It means that they are connected to WHY they are doing what they are doing.

Did you know that this alone is enough to get people to where they want to go? They might get there stumbling and bumbling because they don’t have the experience or tools in place to support them, but they can get there just the same. It probably will take a while.

Now, what if you add VALUE to the equation? I mean that not only do you understand WHY you are doing something, you really understand on a deep level what VALUE you bring to your industry, to your clients, your community to the people you come in contact with on a daily basis. This is great, this gives you the confidence you need to reach out and build relationships. So now it becomes a little bit more easy to reach out and build business.

Let’s add something else, KNOWLEDGE. I mean the knowledge that you bring to your industry, your customers, your prospects and your community. These three elements: WHY, VALUE and KNOWLEDGE create a very solid foundation to build from.

The final component in the equation is nuts and bolts sales tools and techniques. With this in place you can harness all that passion and knowledge and direct it properly. You know how to manage your day. You know how to reach out. You know how to follow up and have the systems in place to support your growing business.

THIS is the equation for success: WHY + VALUE + KNOWLEDGE + TOOLS = SELLING SUCCESS!

This is what I teach! I am so excited about my upcoming course: The Essential Cold Calling System™. Starting March 30th my telecourse will start and you will leave with this very workable equation and all the tools in place you need to rocket to success.

Email me for more information: carolyn@essentialselling.com

What if selling were like a treasure hunt?

For Immediate Release

Contact: Carolyn Ziel
Email: carolyn@essentialselling.com

What if selling your services or business was like a treasure hunt?

Let’s face it, in today’s market finding a job or a client is a numbers game. Do you know your call ratio success rate? It takes many more calls to find a job or sell a service or product in this market. If you could increase your call success ratio by 30% to 40% wouldn’t you do that? Carolyn Ziel, founder of Essential Selling, knows what it takes to be successful in this market and she can teach you how to do the same.

Carolyn has a new method to teach people how to market themselves and their businesses in this challenging economy with her Essential Cold Calling System™. She started her own recruiting business seven years ago after working for several larger recruiting firms since 1998. Her years in the trenches of executive search have given her a unique perspective of what it takes to do business over the phone. Her phone is her best friend and most valued business tool. In a job market flooded with applicants and services, cold calling is a way to rise above the crowd and get your resume, service or company noticed. Or if you are in a multi-level marketing firm, cold calling can be your best friend. Carolyn Ziel has taught sales teams with her unique Essential Cold Calling System™ and helped them raise their sales by 30% to 40% even in what people are calling a “down economy”.

“I have been in some sort of sales and marketing role ‘officially’ for over eighteen years. I have been a successful recruiter for over eleven years and have owned my own business for the last seven where I utilize cold calling techniques to build my business.” says Carolyn Ziel of Essential Selling. “The reason I say ‘officially’ is because I didn’t always know I was in sales. Actually, it took me about a year to figure out that being a successful recruiter meant that I had to be a successful sales person. I don’t care if you own a salon, a grocery store, a lemonade stand or run your own organization within a multi-level marketing company, you are a sales person. Actually, a persuasive argument with your spouse causes you to ‘sell’ your point of view. I grew up in the entertainment industry. My Dad was in production and was a producer. I always knew that was what I wanted to do when I grew up and I did for a while. I worked on film sets and in the production offices of several motion picture studios you might have heard of and on some feature films you might have even seen. All the skills that I used on the set to communicate effectively with the crew and the actors and the skills I used to solve some pretty tricky problems are all the skills that I use on a daily process in sales.”

Just think if you could increase your profits by 30% to 40% wouldn’t you want to try this amazing new system? Thinking on your feet, researching and problem solving are the skills of cold calling. But before you even pick up the phone Carolyn has devised a system that helps you demystify the process. By thoroughly examining your reasons for doing your business you will find key emotional connections that will drive you forward to success in your business. Her process takes you from understanding why you do the business you do, to establishing your value in the market place, research, formulating your introduction and finally using all of these skills on the calls with your prospective clients.

“When I first started cold calling I was terrified. I was new to recruiting and didn’t understand the industry. My boss, Frank, had asked me my interests and I told him. They were fitness, health and nutrition. “Great, you’ll place accountants’, he boomed. Frank was very intimidating. Rumor had it he was deaf in one ear and so he spoke very loudly. I was so nervous and insecure at the time. I didn’t tell him I knew nothing about accounting. I just nodded and said, ‘Okay’. I had no training; I didn’t understand anything about recruiting and knew nothing about accounting. I didn’t even know how to balance my checkbook. I found myself in an industry I knew nothing about, selling a product (a person) that I didn’t understand. I barely understood what cold calling was and so I didn’t understand the value of cold calling. I certainly didn’t know my own value.”

“Frank explained that my goal was to call companies and have the companies eventually hire the candidate (an accountant) that I was selling (describing) to them. Of course, there were a lot of steps in the process, but first I had to just start making calls. Frank put me in a conference room and dropped a huge hard covered yellow directory on the table in front of me with a bang. He turned to software companies and said, ‘Call these companies and present this accountant’. He handed me the resume of an accountant.”
“I had no idea what to say or how to say it and with very little direction I got on the phone. Frank told me to ask for people with the title of ‘Controller’ or ‘Chief Financial Officer’. I didn’t know what they did either. When I first interviewed with Frank he told me I could be successful at recruiting. I was operating on blind faith at this point. I didn’t have enough belief in myself, but I believed Frank, he was very convincing. I just picked up the phone and started making calls.”

What stops people from cold calling? In one word… fear. Given her first experience in cold calling Carolyn really understands those fears can be debilitating and she gives you strategies to over come them. “Once you transition from fear into activity, cold calling becomes like a treasure hunt,” says Carolyn. “When you shift your focus from yourself to a place of curiosity about the other person you can really begin the process of building profitable relationships.”

When asked why she loves her cold calling system she replies, “It’s a fun way to spend to day. I’m calling with the intention of helping someone solve a problem. I know that by reaching out and connecting with that other person I am offering value to their business and their lives. It’s a win-win situation.” Carolyn believes you could be one phone call away from a financial wind fall of success. What happens if you quit before you make that last call? What treasure could you find by talking to one more person? It’s important to know how to find the treasures through building your business with cold calling. By not calling you could miss an opportunity of a life time.

For more information or to set an interview with Carolyn Ziel email: carolyn@essentialselling.com