When you (like NTSA) blame your customers for your inability to sell, you cross a line that is difficult to ‘uncross’. It’s not me, you say.It’s them. It was the loudest death knell for National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) in particular and the Ministry of Transport in general- the claim that Kenyans, not NTSA,
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And finally there was the hawker who reminded us in July that despite all the political tension it still matters how you open the sale. “Mtawapelekea nini?”she asked us. It’s so close, you can sniff it. The year 2017 ends this Sunday. It’s been a tough business year. But, such is business a client reminded
In this environment, you will see Kenyans binging in a pub lamenting how financially difficult the year was explaining, “We are just drinking away the difficult year” It’s the time of the year again when all logic goes out the window. Buyers brazenly binge and shrewd sellers visibly squeal. Buyers binge for no other reason
Usually, that’s the easy part especially if it’s in memo/email format where all one has to do is complete the ‘To’, ‘From’ and ‘Subject’ fields. The challenging part is the why, when and how. Who, what, when, where, why and how. The five Ws and one H are such a basic structure of effective communication
Speak at the end of year party with confidence. I see in my presentation classes, that the trouble with most “I have nothing to say” or “I fear speaking in public” speakers, is this. They suffocate themselves by confusing knowing how to say (structure), with what to say (content). Now then. Opportunities to speak (voluntary or not) abound this
“No one cares that the ‘peso was devalued’, or ‘the customer went bankrupt’, or, ‘a new competitor opened next door, or ‘the economy was lousy. You either made the sale or you didn’t. Even earthquakes don’t count.’” Dear Seller, Get cracking! The electioneering period is over. Triggered by the protracted political climate, the tension that
It is very likely that if you do not take notes as the buyer speaks, you are a poor listener. Every salesperson should take notes in client meetings. The more if you are a Business to Business (B2B) seller. Here are three reasons why. You are a poor listener First, taking notes amplifies your listening.
If only we lived in a utopia (Sigh!)-selling would be so much easier, yes? If we lived in an ideal world, selling would be a pure science. In an ideal world, buyers would deliberately involve sellers in crafting spec for say, a tender, ahead of advertising it. That way, sellers would accurately resolve the buyer’s
You are more inclined to listen to the buyer who points out the benefits of having the shirt on; like, “It accentuates your chiseled torso or emphasizes your hip movement.” Stating the benefits of your product isn’t enough to accelerate the sale; to do so, you need to customize them to the respective buyer. The
Contrary to popular belief, buyers don’t know what they want. A bull fight is representative of a misguided seller- buyer relationship. The two lock horns, each digging into his heels, a relationship is broken and future sales lost. This usually occurs when the buyer is experiencing the product; sadly, at this point, the purchase has