Gotta' Have Marketing and Sales Tools for Today

Terry Brock, MBA, CSP

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ACT! and Mail Merge

by Terry Brock, MBA, CSP

I'm always looking for a competitive advantage. I want the tools and toys that give me a way to better serve clients and help them achieve their goals. After all, if I help them and they see me as a problem solver, they'll want to do more business with me time after time.

Here are some tools that are in the "must-have" category for any serious salesperson today. As technology continues to change so do the tools and even today, the way of looking at the tools.

1. Contact Manager. This is critical today as it has been for a long time. I use ACT! 6.0.3 to stay current with people, their information and the types of data important in the sales process. I still use Outlook, but mainly as an e-mail client rather than a sales tool. I find that ACT! provides more of a sales thrust than Outlook. Whatever tool you use, get one and use it regularly!
2. Handheld device. If you move around and operate out of the office (like most mobile professionals) you'll need a device that can quickly give you information you need. This includes names, contact information for important people in your life. I find that my Palm Tungsten T gives me the ability to get what I need quickly. I also love the keyboard I use with it to type notes quickly when I have ideas, attend seminars or just have a luncheon where I need to take some important notes. .
3. Sheet Fed Scanner.  This is a tool I've used for a long time.  I just re-introduced it to my tool chest the other day.  I can scan papers, magazine articles, notes and more.  Then I have them readily available wherever I take my laptop computer.  For less than $200 you can get one of these and it does a great job.  Mine is the Visioneer Strobe Pro and it works very well.  I highly recommend it. I'm now using the Strobe XP 100, also from Visioneer. This lightweight model is superb for carrying on the road. I demonstrate this in numerous seminars and find that it solves most of the scanning problems that mobile professionals encounter.

   Visioneer Strobe Pro Scanner

4. Wireless access. This is more important today than ever. The world runs on the Internet. You want to be able to access important e-mail messages and important websites wherever you happen to be. I use a wireless access tool, an Aircard from Sierra that provides access to the Internet from just about anywhere I happen to be in the States. It is like a wireless phone so service varies depending on where you are, what traffic is like on the Net at that time and other variables. For $79/month (plus local government theft ---called taxes!) I get all the access I want, even 24/7 access, from just about anywhere. I've used it in many places around the country and am very pleased. The speed I was promised when I bought it was about 50-60Kbps. However, in the real world, I'm getting 400Kbs and even up to 1Mbps (very fast!) depending on those variables. I am quite pleased with this device and highly recommend it.
5. Ethernet cable for hotel rooms. This is becoming a must for the serious road warrior salesperson. I carry an Ethernet cable and PC card for my laptop when I want to get very fast access to the Net. I'm able to connect in many, though not all, hotels around the country to read e-mail and check what is happening. The biggest advantage of high-speed access is the reference material I can access and the audio & video I can study while in a hotel room. That way I can be updated on what is going on in the world. I can also get education that is essential for growth and learning from many places. It sure beats the old Spectra Vision movies for the umpteenth time on the tube. Why not get some education and learning to increase your sales rather than watch another mind-numbing worthless TV show?
6. Laptop Computer. In spite of the advances of the Palm and other handheld devices, I still carry laptop for select purposes. It is good for PowerPoint presentations most of all. This is in the process of changing but for now, a lightweight laptop equipped with your contact manager, PowerPoint, Word and a few other carefully chosen programs can be a real boost to productivity. As a traveling salesperson you should be able to operate from anywhere you have electricity and access to the Net. The laptop also can transfer your data from the Palm back and forth. This is great for backup but also to helps you read articles more clearly. When considering your next laptop here are some of the things you want: 1) Wi-Fi accessibility built in, 2) CD-ROM Writer and maybe DVD, 3) 40-60GB (the more the better) of storage, 4) Minimum of 256MB of RAM, 5) Ample USB 2.0 ports, 6) The IEEE 1394 connection (called Firewire on the Apple side) and a comfortable screen (determined by you what is comfortable). If you're a part of my Online Coaching program you have access to get my latest, up-to-date information on what is the best laptop and solution for you. Find out more by going to Online Coaching Program Information. You owe it to yourself to find out more.
7. Winning Sales Attitude. This is your most important tool. You can have all the latest tools and toys but without the right attitude of wanting to serve clients and help them make their business better you'll never succeed. This takes a daily commitment to do the right thing in the right way. It requires you to wake up each day with a renewed sense of commitment and determination. It requires even more diligence today than before to find out what clients want and how you can help them with your products and services. Tougher times require a more serious dedication to the basic principles that have worked and will always work.

Terry Brock is a marketing coach who helps business owners market more effectively leveraging technology. He shows busy professionals how to squeeze more out of their busy days using the right rules and tools. He can be reached at 407-363-0505, by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.

Copyright © 2004, Terry Brock, All Rights Reserved Internationally. No portion may be reprinted without prior written permission

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