How To Use Selling Skills Effectively In Your Personal Life

selling skills

You want to keep your existing clients. It’s easier to have repeat clients than always starting over with potential clients. Similarly, it’s helpful to mindfully maintain your personal relations. You want a long term network rather than short-lived connections that need replacements. How will selling skills help with this? Your very own Sales Maven, Nikki…

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The Sales Maven Podcast Is Now Live!

It’s finally happened … the Sales Maven Podcast is live! For the last few years, people have been asking about this, and today, it’s finally happened. The Sales Maven Podcast has officially launched. The purpose behind launching this podcast is to continue to deliver sales tips, techniques, and strategies to support, which will help you…

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This Isn’t Just “Off The Cuff”

Do you admire people who can do things “off the cuff?” When someone makes something look easy, many of us assume the person is just naturally talented. We don’t often get a peek behind the curtain to know how much time and effort someone has put into honing their particular skill. I had the very…

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Using Video In Sales As A Sales Tool

Two women using video as a sales tool

Have you started using video in sales as a sales tool? Maybe you’re shooting Facebook Lives, uploading videos to YouTube, and/or putting on live webinars as a way for people to be exposed to you and your work. However, you’re using video to grow your business, congratulations. It can be uncomfortable and scary to put…

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Claim The Stage & A Well-Designed Business Podcasts

Sales gets a bad rap. Sometimes it’s deserved, but mostly it comes down to how proficient the salesperson is at making the experience easy and productive for the prospect. Therefore, the selling process is misunderstood. Today we are going to discuss some of the reasons this can be. This week, we have two special opportunities…

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When Clients Dismiss Your Advice For Business

When Clients Dismiss Your Advice For Business, sales maven, sales tips, sales coach

When’s the last time someone hired you for your expertise only to completely dismiss everything you suggested? Maybe you assumed the client was being stubborn or maybe you thought to yourself, “What a jerk.” What should you do when clients dismiss your advice for business? We’ve all been around people that no matter what we…

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Stop The Sales Funnel: No Funnels Here

stop using sales funnels - Sales Maven Tip

Have you ever heard of the sales funnel? The concept of filling a sales funnel is something many sales professionals have had hammered into us by our bosses for years. They love to tell people, “You’ve got to fill your sales funnel.” However, the concept—and what it takes to fill a sales funnel—is more about…

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Finding Courage To Ask In Sales

finding courage

When’s the last time you held yourself back from asking for what you wanted because fear got in the way? Were you able to push through it? Did you ever end up asking or did you give up on your own desires? Are you having trouble finding courage to ask? These last few months I’ve…

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Productivity Straight Talk Podcast

the selling staircase

Escalate Your Sales With The Selling Staircase It was my great honor to be asked to come on to Amber De La Garza’s Podcast, Productivity Straight Talk and discuss how to sell in a more productive and meaningful way. In this episode, we break down The Selling Staircase and how to seamlessly move your clients through…

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The Lifestyle Edit Podcast

master authentic and aligned selling

Master Authentic And Aligned Selling It was a great honor to be asked by Naomi Mdudu to be a guest on The Lifestyle Edit Podcast. In episode 72, she digs in to find out what it takes to master authentic and aligned selling. The Lifestyle Edit was created as a space to spark real, candid conversations among…

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How To Close More Business In Sales

close more business

People often want to know the secret of how to close more business. Who wouldn’t want to increase their sales this year? It’s rare to find someone who doesn’t need to close more business. Even when you have a full client load, you still should be prospecting. The fact of the matter is clients leave eventually.…

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Mindset In Sales – What’s Keeping You Stuck

Mindset Issues

What’s your biggest mindset struggle when it comes to selling? Do you worry about people judging you? Are you stressing about saying the right thing? Do you dread initiating sales conversations? When’s the last time you didn’t send an email, post on social media or pick up the phone because you worried about what people…

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When To Kick ’em To The Curb

kick em to the curb

When’s the last time you wanted to fire someone in your life? Maybe it was a client, a friend or even an employee. Having to release people from your life can be hard for everyone involved. However, there are certain people that will take advantage and you’ve just got to kick em to the curb.…

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Owe vs. Show – Confusing The Two Hurts Business

rapport, protecting, sales skills, selling, sales coach

“Owe” vs. “show” – two very different words when applied to the selling process. People who are confusing the two may very well be hurting their business as well as their reputation. How would you describe the two in the context of selling? Recently I wrote an article titled “Whose Responsibility Is It?” which stirred…

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Should You Offer To Pay For Referrals?

Have you ever wondered if you should and how much you might pay someone who gives you a referral? Do you already have some type of referral program in place in your business? If so, how’s it working for you? This is a question that has come up multiple times from clients recently. Let’s face…

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How To Keep From Losing A Client

losing a client

Have you ever wondered how to keep from losing a client who says they can no longer afford you? Chances are they would very much like to continue to work with you but something in their finances has changed. Now, they’re looking for ways to cut expenses and you’re on the chopping block. In this…

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How To Make People Buy: Do You Possess The Skill?

How to make people buy

Do you possess the skill of how to make people buy? In case you answered “no” to this question, do you wish you possessed the skill of how to make people buy? What would you be willing to do or pay for such skill? The idea that in the selling process you can “make” people…

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Sales Tactics Like This Are No Longer Cute

sales tactics

Would you agree, at some point, certain behaviors you had as a kid are no longer cute when you become an adult? Are there things you did as a kid that you’d never dream of doing now? Do you already have one or two things in mind? How do these apply to your sales tactics? Maybe…

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Is It Lack Of Interest Or Is It Your Sales Approach?

sales approach

Do you know how you’re perceived by others? When’s the last time you spent time and money promoting a product/service and nobody bought from you? Did you blame the lack of interest on the product/service? Did you ever wonder if it was your overall sales approach?  Lack of Interest Or A Bad Sales Approach A…

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Using High Tech & High Touch To Create A Winning Combo

high tech sales maven

When high tech and high touch are used effectively, you’re able to create a winning combo in the sales process. However, most people replace high touch with high tech instead of incorporating the two. This approach is likely costing them business. Are you losing customers due to your high tech approach? When technology is used…

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Pricing Lists: List It Or Lose It – The Pricing Conundrum

Listing Pricing, Website, Selling Techniques, Pricing

Do you struggle with whether or not to include pricing lists on your website? Maybe you’ve been advised by experts to not list your pricing. However, how many people are calling you after visiting your website to inquire about your pricing? My guess is very few, if any, at all. Last week I hosted a…

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Following Up vs. Chasing Clients – The Difference

following up

Do you know the difference between following up vs. chasing clients? For those who answered, “Not sure,” you’re not alone. This is one of the questions frequently asked when talking about sales. People struggle with when and how many times they should be following up with prospects and clients. About a year ago I published an…

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The Shotgun Approach Is Old-School Sales

selling, old school approach, sales tip, consulting,

The shotgun approach to selling is old-school sales  (and not in a good way). How many unsolicited emails/instant messages do you receive every day from someone you’ve never met trying to sell you something? How often do you buy from these people? For those who answer anything other than “never,” you’re definitely the exception to…

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Do You Reek Of Desperation?

Reek Of Desperation

What might an observer say when asked how committed you are to growing your business? Would the observer be impressed with your level of commitment or would you reek of desperation? What about your dedication to expanding your skillset? And last, what observations would they make about your willingness to invest in your personal and…

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Words That Motivate and Influence

Sales Maven, Nikki Rausch, Sales Tip

Do you have words that motivate and influence you? Trigger words? Words that when you hear them pique your interest. Or, maybe even stop you in your tracks because you’ve got to know more? Most of us have a few trigger words. Of course one of the biggest challenges is knowing what are the “right”…

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Client Retention Strategies: Clients You Should Focus On

client retention strategies sales maven

Client Retention Strategies: When’s the last time you stumbled upon a sign that made you pause and ponder about a deeper meaning? Maybe the sign was meant to be funny, or maybe it was meant to help you find your way somewhere, and yet it made you think about how else the message applied to…

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The Invite: Are You Missing A Step?

business man issuing invitation

As a kid, did you ever try to jump up as many steps as you could at one time? Were you able to jump up 2 or even 3 steps? Maybe you got a group of friends together and you all tried to out-do the person before you. How successful were you? What would happen if…

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The Best Accountability Partner

Suggestions For Improvement

Do you have an accountability partner? Someone you regularly check in with, share your wins, talk about what’s next in your business and strategize how best to get there? For those of you who have a great accountability partner, you understand the value and also the commitment it takes to meet with this person every…

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The Compound Effect: Small Gestures That Reap Big Rewards

business owners gesturing that business is open

Have you read or heard about  The Compound Effect book by Darren Hardy? Years ago someone suggested I read it, and the message made so much sense that I continue to refer to the concept over and over again in my personal and professional life. Here’s how Mr. Hardy describes the concept of The Compound…

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Customer Sales: Are You Causing Indecision?

customer sales

When’s the last time you thought a client was ready to buy and then they didn’t? You got the dreaded response, “I’m going to wait and think about it some more.” Did you feel frustrated and maybe a little confused. Do you know what happened, what caused them to back away from the purchase? And…

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Why Handing Out Sales Literature Doesn’t Work

Sales Literature: When’s the last time you were walking somewhere, and someone forced a piece of paper into your hand? Did you gladly accept it, take it and throw it away the first chance you got? Or, did you refuse to take it? For those who’ve been to Vegas and walked down the strip you…

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Are You Asking For What You Want?

asking for what you want

When’s the last time someone asked you a question that made you stop what you were doing and really think about your answer? You know one of those big questions that you could easily give a standard response to but instead you decided to dig deep within yourself and answer from a truly authentic place.…

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Be Flexible: Don’t Be Overly Committed

Have you ever met someone and thought to yourself, “Why do they keep making the same mistake over and over?” “The definition of insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting a different result.” -Albert Einstein Maybe there’s been a time in your life where you realized you fell into the above category…

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Do This First – The Sales Will Come

Sales Maven, Sales Tip, Sales Maven Blog

Have you ever met someone and instantly thought to yourself, this person is only interested in selling me something? If you’re like me, that is an instant turn off, and usually, I want to get out of that conversation as fast as possible. Too many people are approaching sales as if the only thing that…

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Are You Doing What It Takes to Win Sales?

clear the field

When it comes to growing your business and specifically sales, how’s it going? Are you on track and meeting your weekly and monthly goals? For those who are rocking their sales, Congrats! You deserve recognition for your hard work and effort. For those who aren’t yet where they want to be, let’s get serious. Time…

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How To Address Competition With Prospective Clients

Savvy Sales Tip, Sales Maven, Sales Training, Selling Skills

When a prospect brings up a competitor, do you ever feel frustrated or even irritated? What about when the competitor is not transparent with their offer, and it makes it look like they’re offering a better deal than you? Most of us get frustrated in these situations. It’s common to want to point out all…

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What To Say To People Who Only Talk About Themselves

Networking, Sales Conversations, Business Conversations, Savvy Sales Tip

When’s the last time you attended a networking event? If you’re like me, you regularly network as a means to build your community and grow your business. At said networking events, have you ever encountered the person who’s only interested in talking “at” you about their business? The person doesn’t seem the least bit interested…

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The Heart Of Your Business

Sales is the heart of your business, sales feeds business, ROI,

Much like the heart’s job is to pump the life blood throughout your body, sales is what pumps revenue into every area of your business. If some part of you is saying to yourself right now, “I don’t sell anything in my business. I’m a counselor, a coach, a florist, a designer, an accountant, etc.”…

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Why Having An Easy Conversation Closes More Sales

Easy conversation

Which do you prefer? An easy conversation or someone who does all the talking? Wouldn’t you say an easy conversation just feels better? Let’s put it this way; When’s the last time your phone rang and when you picked up you heard a pre-recorded message “selling” you on who to vote for, what service to sign…

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