Luckily I was in the country at the time and managed to arrange a get together of a few ex Xerox sales staff.
We all worked at Auckland branch in the early seventies (you can tell by the age)!

From the left: Dave Perry, Steve Jones, Ray Duncan, Steve Hilliar, Ken Arnold

There is a fantastic book available right now for employers who require real hot sales staff. It is called “Top Grading for sales”. The book has been written by Bradford D Smart (phd) and Greg Alexander.

The book provides world class methods to interview, hire and coach top sales representatives.

Great sales companies do not just depend on strategies, they depend on hiring those very best salespeople who belong to an elite group. A group who are skilled in asking questions rather than telling selling.

The book “Top Grading for Sales” takes the guess work out of hiring, by teaching sales managers how to recognize those high producers. In other words A players “High Talent” salespeople. It also shows how to turn some B players into A Players and at the same time weed out C players before they do too much damage.

Brad Smart’s previous book “Topgrading”, has become the definitive guide for managers who want to hire, coach and train top talent. Now Smart has teamed up with with greg Alexander, who used Topgrading to dramatically improve his saleforce at EMC.

In Topgrading for Sales, they have boiled down the key topgrading ideas while adapting them to the unique needs of sales managers.

The book is straightforward, easy to follow and if used correctly will vastly improve any sales force. Using the methods and tools provided throughout this book should double your percentage of high performing sales reps.

There are forms and guides available to help sales managers assess current sales reps, obtain all relavent career history from candidates, and effectively hire A Players who will become long term sales stars.

It is a known fact these sales people are few and far between. Neil Rackham of Huthwaite Research discovered this back in the late 1960’s and consequently he has written and released a number of important and best selling sales books such as “Spin Selling” and my all time favorite “Making Major Sales”.

This new book “Topgrading for Sales” by Bradford Smart and Greg Alexander falls into the same important category as Rackham. It is an absolute must for any sales organization. Topgrading will save companies wishing to employ high performing sales reps an immense amount of time and agony if they study the methods available to them in this fine sales manual.
As professional sales companies or professional sales teams, marketing managers, sales managers or in fact anyone who makes sales should own a copy of “Topgrading for Sales” and be guaranteed the opportunity to double their sales for the cost of a few cups of coffee.
The Topgrading Website is here:

This business news television show, one of a series featuring top business tips from a line up of business experts, brings you exclusive interview footage full of tips on how to get your multi-channel retailing working for you. Find out about:

- Why fulfilment is holding online retail back
- How to make sure you are transparent about delivery
- How to eliminate hidden delivery costs
- How extra information about special dates such as Christmas could enhance sales
- How to use Google ads to make your business stand out
- Why consumers like to be able to buy online and then return in stores
- Why you should try to prevent consumers buying more than one option
- How you could be combining online and offline operations

See more business news television shows and get even more of the best expert blogging tips from Finlay Clark at http://www.yourbusinesschannel.com

Find out more about the very latest show releases, as well as other yourBusinessChannel news by visiting our blog at http://www.yourbusinesschannel.com/blog.aspx

Duration : 0:3:47

Here is a retail training course on line that may be worth taking a look at:

Finally, a retail training solution without limitations! On Line, On Demand Sales Training For Retailers!

Duration : 0:1:57

I wonder if their sales people understood the difference between making simple sales and making major sales?

http://www.EmploymentCrossing.com

The Hayward, California-based Mervyns department store chain, battered by financial troubles, has announced that it is going out of business, according to the ociated Press.

The 59-year-old retail chain will close permanently after Christmas-season liquidation sales at its 149 stores in 10 states.

“Although we took a number of steps to improve our financial performance, we were unable to return the company to profitability,” CEO John Goodman said.

Mervyns filed for bankruptcy protection in July in an effort to work through its debts, but executives said they found no way out.

Goodman cited the company’s “declining liquidity position and the extremely challenging retail environment.”

The impact will be mainly on entry-level workers, said Jeff Rowe, director of the Stanislaus Alliance Worknet, which ists job seekers.

“It ends up being really tough on teenagers who need some income to support themselves and their families, people who are working for the first time and people who are trying to get off public istance,” he said.

Duration : 0:3:34

Duration : 0:0:0

The sales of “intangibles”? I sold insurance for ten years, took a break for the last seven years, and now am getting back into sales. Possibly, retail sales of furniture to start and go from there. What are some of the major adjustments I will be facing in sales style, approaches, and prospecting?

As said above, tangible sales are generally easier, likewise, sales where people come to you are easier than going to them.

Since you mentioned Furniture, and it happens to be my expertise, I’ll use that as an example. Every furniture stores have their own sales techniques they employ, and to a certain extent, you are limited by what each store’s philosophy is.

Furniture sales is about the customer not the product. Each sale is made or lost based on you ability to read and adapt to each individual customer. Your job is to identify what it is the customer is looking for and help them make it happen. I don’t mean, find out they want a couch, that’s easy, I mean find out what a customer wants from furniture. Comfort, Style, Durability? Then you can present how your product best helps them meet their goals. Furniture sales is easy because its a low pressure approach. If you can make a customer forget you’re a salesperson, and you product can meet their needs, you win.

Good Luck!

I want to get a job for a supermarket or for a Petsmart store, but I have no experience in working in retail/sale. I’ve applied for a job for stores before, and I guess they didn’t want to hire me because I have no experience. These stores were hiring at the time. How can I get a job in retail/sale, if no one will hire me?

make sure when you fill out the application you are very careful to make sure you spell everything correctly and fill it out completely. Also, make sure you fill it out a neatly as possible.

I have managed several retail stores, if the applicant could not follow directions on the application I would not even check references or call the person back for an interview.

Also, make sure you are properly attired when you pick up and return the application. If you do not hear back from the company in one week, call and ask to speak either to personnel or to the store manager. Tell them very politely who you are and why you are calling. The nicer you are and the moreyou look like others that allready work there the better.

If you do get an interview, make sure you show up a few minutes early. Know some stuff about the company and know why you want to work there. Not because you need the money or “you think it would be neat”. give a real reason, such as working at Starbucks because they do things to help the community, such as giving away used grounds and giving day old pastries to the homeless shelters. Investigate the company you are interviewing for and have some interesting information for the interview.

Make sure you stand out for positive reasons, not negative.

If you are applying for Petsmart, for example, you can talk about your experience with animals. Pets, shelter work, ect..

Making Major Sales!

Located in the San Tan Corridor, Spectrum at Val Vista is a new 1,500 acre master planned community in Gilbert, Arizona. The San Tan Corridor will feature attractions like Main Street Commons retail and dining center, the San Tan Motorplex, Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, and much more.

At build out, Spectrum at Val Vista will consist of 4,200 single-family, multi-family, and condominium residential units. The community is ideal for people who enjoy an urban environment with neighborhood recreation and social events. From the wide-open greenbelts to the tree-lined streets, the sense of community at Spectrum is apparent.

As part of a new wave of urban living in Gilberts new business and retail corridor, home sales in Spectrum have been very hot. Regardless if youre searching for a new townhome, condo or urban loft, Spectrum has a variety of real estate options to meet every buyers needs.

Duration : 0:2:5