Newsletter for 4Q01

Frequent Flyer Program For Training

Avoid Software Licenses Fee

Moving Microsoft Access database reports to the Internet can save big dollars because users can get to the information with a browser instead of purchasing a user license for each PC. It is also very simple for the novice users to get to their information with a browser instead of by using Microsoft Access.  Access reports can be outputted as a "rich text" 

Please page down to see past newsletters.

Now Is The Time To Gain Share

When business is down as it has been this year companies are wondering how they can save money.   Executives are asking about doing things differently.  This gives the sales person an opportunity not available when business is good.  Instead of feeling down sales people should work harder and be thankful that they may now be considered when they were not in the past.

Preferred Supplier

Almost every purchasing situation involves a "Preferred Supplier". They get a "last look" in the quotation process and are often told where they need to be in terms of price. As the Preferred Supplier you can ask for more information and contact a range of buying influences to get their insights prior to locking your numbers in concrete. To become the Preferred Supplier you, generally, have to have a consensus among the buying influences that you provide more value than other possible suppliers. We should work with our customers to become the Preferred Supplier. That means we should ask them what it takes to become the Preferred Supplier and we should use the term with all functions to help them get the perception that you are the Preferred Supplier. If we are not the Preferred Supplier we should ask them who is and why. If it is not us, we should take a hard look at how much of our resources we devote to the quote.

2002 Class Schedule

Our 2002 Class schedule for "Relationship Selling"; "Inside Sales Excellence";  Negotiation Excellence and "Sales Force Automation" is now on our web site for programs in Cleveland and Detroit metro areas.

Newsletter for 3Q01

StreetPilot III and Accessories

The StreetPilot III follows in the footsteps of the original StreetPilot and StreetPilot ColorMap as a portable automotive GPS navigation system with electronic map capabilities. But it goes a step further by adding turn-by-turn navigation and voice prompting on a 16-color, higher-resolution display.

Unlike other in-car navigation systems that boast portability, the StreetPilot III does not require monthly service fees, installation, or an external processor. Instead, consumers can download street-level mapsets onto a removable memory cartridge, insert the card into the StreetPilot III, mount the system on the dash of any vehicle, and enjoy the ease of stress-free driving. It is the most convenient, portable auto-navigation system on the market, and it's available at a fraction of the price of in-dash navigation systems.  The StreetPilot III offers true turn-by-turn navigation in America's major cities with its auto-routing feature. At the touch of a button, consumers will now have access to the shortest and fastest routes, turn directions, and estimated time of arrival at their intended destination. Along the way, the StreetPilot III provides automated voice prompts, alerting the driver to necessary turns, distance to upcoming turns, course deviation, and distance to final destination. You can buy it for $999 at http://www.gpsdiscount.com

Please page down to see past newsletters.

Viruses Are Everywhere.

Just before I began to write this I checked my email which had the following text: "I send you this file in order to have your advice". It is a virus file. If I had double clicked on it to view it the virus would have wormed its way into my computer. Everyone that is on the internet should be running Norton or McAfee Antivirus software and get the Virus List updates on the web regularly.

Eliminate Typing

From your Website's forms to your database with the click of a button !
   

Save time and money, as well as improve accuracy by eliminating typing or cutting and pasting. We have developed the ability to take any and all information that is on a web form and parse it and then place it directly into a database or an Excel spreadsheet. If you have employees entering data we can probably move the job to the Internet and have your customers do the data entry. We saved a client who was getting around five quote requests per day over $25,000 annually.

Website form                 Database

Newsletter for 2Q01

Airport Status

There is a helpful web site that you can use to get AIRPORT STATUS INFORMATION provided by the FAA's Air Traffic Control System Command Center. It will tell you delays coming and going for all USA airports.

The address is http://www.fly.faa.gov

Free Faxes

There is another helpful web site http://www.efax.com where you can get a free fax number assigned to you. Anybody can send you faxes using a regular fax machine or a PC and you can retrieve them by email.

This is helpful if you are out of town and want to get a fax through your laptop or if you do not want to have your fax machine tied up with a multi page fax. It is also a way of scanning a document since when a document is faxed to you, you can print it or save it as an image which can be inserted into documents. Advanced functions have a monthly fee but the basic service is totally free. It also saves you paper and ink and allows forwarding

Please page down to see past newsletters.

Technical Tip

 Thank you to Brian E. Pond for sending his thoughts on our previous maintenance tip about computer maintenance. Brian suggests that

Windows 98 users utilize the maintenance wizard instead of the defragmentation tool (click on 'Start', 'Programs', 'Accessories', 'System Tools' and 'Maintenance wizard').

Using this method you will avoid errors associated with screen savers and anti-virus programs. We recommend that you manually configure the wizard the first time which also performs other tasks like deleting temporary internet files or emptying your recycle bin. You might want to un check some of those options.

Run the Maintenance Wizard before you leave your office as the process can sometimes be lengthy.

Security Tip

 When out of town with a laptop in your trunk pay a little extra to park in a secure or attended lot.  John recently parked on a Los Angeles street with metered parking and had his car broken into and his laptop stolen from the trunk along with a lot of other vital items.  Ouch!

Newsletter for 1Q01

"I need to think about it"... what to do

What should you say when a prospect tells you: "I need to think about it"? 

Perhaps you have just demonstrated a solution to a problem that the prospect asked you to solve.

Many sales trainers say that you should try to get the prospect to buy your product on the spot.

My suggestion is to say: "You are wise to think this over because it will have an impact in several areas. Please take your time to think this over.  Would you like me to get back with you in a few weeks?

If the customer is telling the truth, why would you want to try to force him into a fast decision.  A reflective customer is the best customer.

If the customer just wants to show your solution to his present supplier why would you try to force him to buy your solution on the spot.  You will only aggravate him by trying to make him do something he doesn't want to do. 

We should be in it for the long haul and I have found that trying to force prospects to make hasty decisions can bring you more grief than business.

Palm Pilot & Outlook

After 30 years of using a "Month-At-A-Glance" calendar I have finally scrapped it.  I love change, I love change, I love change!

I have now switched over to Microsoft Outlook for calendaring, tasking, contacts, email and notes.

The reason I did this was because Microsoft Outlook synchronizes with my Palm Pilot.

I can print out a calendar month from Outlook for my briefcase and it is beautiful.  But more importantly, I can sync my Palm Pilot with Microsoft Outlook on my desktop and any changes made in my Palm or my desktop and transferred to each other.

Additionally, I can do the same thing with my laptop and with Excite.com (on the internet).  So now I can have all my contacts, tasks, calendar, email and notes in my office or on the road or from a clients PC.  It is also available right from my pocket on my Palm.

Virtually all of the entries are made on my desktop, but it is nice to know that I can make a few changes on my Palm when I am out with customers and those changes will be added to my desktop as soon as I sync them in.