100 Greatest Sales Ideas of All Time

KEN LANGDON has worked for many major computer companies world-wide, including Hewlett Packard and DEC, and is presently the non-executive chairman for SofTools, a supplier of electronic Integrated Support Systems, and Glenhurst Ltd, an air conditioning supplier and contractor. Ken is a prolific writer whose books include Key Accounts are Different and a contribution to the The FT Handbook of Management, as well as several books in Capstone’s Smart and Express Exec and 100 Greatest Ideas series.

• Background. Introduction.Contributors.The Top Two Greatest Sales Ideas of All Time and Five that Make Them Useable, Plus the Start to Selling Value.Idea 1 – Never interrupt a customer to make a point.Idea 2 – Focus on milestones and progress targets.Idea 3 – ABC: Always Be Closing.Idea 4 – STEP: Signal The End Point.Idea 5 – SMART: Stretching, Measurable, Achievable, Related to the customer and Time-targeted.Idea 6 – Listen to and learn from other people’s jargon.Idea 7 – Understanding the real need.Idea 8 – Remember that nobody said life was easy.Idea 9 – Start thinking about selling value.The Ten Greatest Sales Ideas for Creating Interest.Idea 10 – Use surprise to demonstrate technological excellence.Idea 11 – Use surprise to get people to read your mailshot.Idea 12 – Keep your marketing up to date with real trends.Idea 13 – Follow the right fads.Idea 14 – Use technological progress in every part of your marketing effort.Idea 15 – Make sure new products fit the brand name.Idea 16 – Make your friends your customers.Idea 17 – The old ones are sometimes the best ones.Idea 18 – Use your own money to sell your goods.Idea 19 – Use channels.The Ten Greatest Sales Ideas for Establishing Need.Idea 20 – Avoid a major gaffe.Idea 21 – Ask your customers about their business case.Idea 22 – Think like a fish.Idea 23 – Don’t push if he doesn’t want it.Idea 24 – Make the product irrelevant to the sale.Idea 25 – Don’t miss the main need.Idea 26 – Use endorsements.Idea 27 – Make sure you want as well as need the business.Idea 28 – Where there is a need there is an opportunity.Idea 29 – As a last resort take action to create the need.The Seven Greatest Sales Ideas for Selling Through an Agreed Basis of Decision.Idea 30 – Break the basis of decision into three points.Idea 31 – Use the basis of decision to establish need.Idea 32 – Use the basis of decision in making written proposals.Idea 33 – Use the basis of decision to handle price objections.Idea 34 – Use the basis of decision to discuss wins and losses.Idea 35 – Identify real ‘value for money’.Idea 36 – Prove that the customer is getting ‘value for money’.The Eight Greatest Sales Ideas for Presenting Your Case.Idea 37 – Make sure the whole team is talking to customers.Idea 38 – Present yourself well.Idea 39 – Look at payment from the customer’s point of view.Idea 40 – Target the decision-maker.Idea 41 – If someone says they are a poor presenter, believe them.Idea 42 – Present the numbers in a way that suits the customer.Idea 43 – Use the cup of coffee close to present to a committee.Idea 44 – Don’t get mugged by politicians.The Five Greatest Sales Ideas for Remembering that There is Always a Way.Idea 45 – Remember there is always a way (1).Idea 46 – Remember there is always a way (2).Idea 47 – Remember there is always a way (3).Idea 48 – Remember there is always a way (4).Idea 49 – Remember there is always a way (5).Idea 50 – Remember there is always a way to make a gaffe.The Four Greatest Sales Ideas for Selling in a Small Retail Outlet.Idea 51 – Treat your customers as what they are – your purpose in life.Idea 52 – Count your customers.Idea 53 – Diversify carefully.Idea 54 – First run a pilot.The Six Greatest Sales Ideas for Dealing with Difficult Products and Markets.Idea 55 – Use physical attractiveness to sell rubbish.Idea 56 – If at first it succeeds, sell it again and again.Idea 57 – Obey the rules of supply and demand.Idea 58 – Use television to cash in on fear.Idea 59 – Look out for different cultures.Idea 60 – Don’t make people want their own back.The Seven Greatest Sales Tips for Salespeople.Idea 61 – Learn to read upside down.Idea 62 – Learn to read from the side.Idea 63 – Don’t fall for the ‘We’ll book your air ticket’ ploy.Idea 64 – Make your customer want to solve your problem.Idea 65 – Don’t overplan.Idea 66 – People buy from people.Idea 67 – ‘It’s about the customer, stupid’.The Six Greatest Sales Ideas for Planning a Complex Sale.Idea 68 – Get the timing right.Idea 69 – Set a stretching campaign goal.Idea 70 – Check sales campaign goals with the customer.Idea 71 – Use a structured campaign planning process.Idea 72 – Go through a structured campaign planning process step-by-step.Idea 73 – Drive a campaign plan from an assessment of the customer’s business issues.The Four Greatest Sales Ideas for Qualifying Out Proactively.Idea 74 – Use a very direct approach by asking a hard question.Idea 75 – Ask a logical and serious business question.Idea 76 – Ask the prospect to do something.Idea 77 – Use the ‘obvious decision’ ploy.The Three Greatest Sales Ideas for Closing the Deal Softly, Softly.Idea 78 – Use the trial close.Idea 79 – Use an alternative close.Idea 80 – Use the mouth of babes.