Top 5 Tips for Successful Sales Agents

Your sales success can be the result of superb marketing or excellent selling finesse. With the majority of things in business, the more information you know the higher you can reach on the sales ladder. Datavo has put together a list of five tips to help you along your way.

1. Listen. Always let your prospective clients state their needs before you attempt to sale them anything. By finding out that their needs you are better situated to understand and meet the requirements they are requesting. Also, people like to feel like they are being heard so it will help you gain their trust and approval.

2. Set the Stage for Good Rapport. First impressions can be a deal breaker and is not always based on only words. People judge you by your appearance, manners, demeanor, and even your sense of humor. Make sure you always come across as warm and accessible. People are more willing to purchase something from someone that they like.

3. Be Adaptable. Each of your buyer has a different set of priorities and reason for their purchases, so you should always be prepared to adapt your sales pitch according to the immediate needs of your current client. Some people are purchasing a necessity, some opportunity, and others just because. Being able to decipher what type of buyer you have on your hands and adapting your script to fit them will ultimately lead you to more sales.

4. Be Convincing. A good sales agent does not take NO for an answer. Using the following moves to sway your customers can inevitably lead to more closed sales. Always have a product that is relevant and of good quality. Make sure you are pitching your product at the right time and for the right price. Always be easy to deal with. Believe in the product you sell so that you come off as sincere and convincing.

5. Do Not Buy Your Sales. Customers always want to feel like they are getting the best deal possible so it it necessary to sometimes give them a bit of leeway to help negotiations such as free voicemail, extra features etc. Try to only do this when necessary, as cutting prices is not a good long time strategy and does not help. You must always remember that you are in this field to make money and neither you or the business will survive for very long without making a realistic profit.

Please feel free to add any tips to the comments that I may have left off.

9 Tips to Effective Time Management

TIME MANAGEMENT... can be a scary word for some people. It's a skill that no one teaches you in a class but something you really need to learn.

Are you habitually late or extremely punctual? Are you able to effectively complete your work on time? Do you manage your time efficiently? Can your boss count on you to meet your deadlines?

Datavo knows a lot of you answered no to some of these questions, so I put a short list of tips together to help you manage your time a little easier.

1. Keep a calendar. Using a calendar is the most essential step to time management. I like to use Google Calendar as it allows integration with my mobile phone and other devices so that I can always access my calendar on the go.

2. Create a daily agenda. Your day will run smoother if it is planned. You can do this at the end of each work day or in the morning before you start any of your tasks. Make a list and try to stick to it. 

3. Always complete your most important tasks first.  Prioritize your tasks on your agenda by importance because things come up and you can't always get everything done. If you will feel less anxious at the end of the day if you know you got your priorities taken care of.

4. Place a time limit for each daily task.  Next to each task on your list right a time limit for how long it will take or what time of the day you would like to be finished. This will keep your day running smoother and keep you from dragging your feet as you complete your work. 

5. Meet your deadlines.  Always make sure you know and meet all of your deadlines. Make sure to add them to your calendar and so you are always aware of when they are due. 

6. Keep focused.  Multi-tasking is only good for some people. Most people get things done faster by focusing on one thing at a time. Keeping to the task at hand will make you more efficient. Try to block out any distractions such as your phone ringing, emails, and text messages so that you can concentrate. 

7. Set a schedule to check your email.  It can be time consuming to check your email every time you receive one. Don't take more than a day to answer anything, but you don't drop everything you're doing immediately. 

8. Leave a few minutes in between tasks.  Don't schedule your tasks too closely together. Make sure to leave 5-10 minutes between each task just in case you run over. This will help you start your next task without being rushed.

9. Clear off your desk and make your work area clean.  Having a work space that is cluttered and unorganized can clutter you mind and make you work at a slower pace. Also it makes things difficult to find which will also add more time to your day.

If you have any other tips that may help people, feel free to leave them in the comments section!

6 Quotes from Alexander Graham Bell

If you don't know who Alexander Graham Bell is you must live under a rock! Most likely you use his invention everyday - the TELEPHONE of course!

Alexander Graham Bell c. 1914-1919

Not only was he credited for inventing the telephone he also invented many other things in the fields of  optical telecommunications, aeronautics, and hydrofoils. He went into the field of researching hearing and speech technologies due to this mother and wife being deaf.

Here are 6 of his most profound quotes:

"When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us."

"Before anything else, preparation is the key to success."

"A man, as a general rule, owes very little to what he is born with - a man is what he makes of himself."

"Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus."

"Great discoveries and improvements invariably involve the cooperation of many minds. I may be given credit for having blazed the trail, but when I look at the subsequent developments I feel the credit is due to others rather than to myself."

"The most successful men in the end are those whose success is the result of steady accretion."

In 1888, he helped found the National Geographic Society and is looked at as one of the most influential people in human history. Datavo salutes him!

5 Ways to Keep Happy Customers

Are your customers HAPPY or are they SAD? Having happy customers means you have a successful business. Happy customers means they spread the word to other people and give you the chance to make those people happy customers.

Here at Datavo, we know keeping your customers happy can be tough at times so we put together this list to help you out. Here are our Top 5:

1. Motivate Your Staff - Happiness is contagious, so when customers contact your business and are greeted by happy people they in turn will have some of the joy rub off on them. Always remind your staff to smile when making or receiving calls. Make sure they keep their voice and tone at a soothing level. Make sure to remind them that the customers are the ones who make it possible for them to get paid so keeping them happy means keeping their pockets happy.

2. Listen and Understand What People Need - People never like to feel as if they are being rushed or not listened to. Always make sure that you fully grasp the issue the customer may have so that you can come up with the most cost effective, time saving solution for your customer's needs. If necessary repeat back any pertinent information so that you can confirm it was heard correctly.

3. Engage and Individualize - Make your customers feel special. People do not like to feel like they are only numbers, customize and individualize each interaction as much as possible. It will leave your customer feeling respected and appreciated.

4. The KISS Principle - "Keep it Simple, Stupid". Making things overly complicated can confuse not only your customers but your staff as well. It has been proven that keeping things simple rather than complex makes everything run smoother.

5. Always Have a Solution - If a customer is unhappy give them something to make up for it. It doesn't have to be big (or anything that cost your business money) but your generosity will be remembered. Make sure that you have an end result that makes you and the customer happy. Sometimes this may be hard but if everything was easy we wouldn't need this list.

How do you keep your customers happy? Leave some tips in the comments.

10 Tips for Proper Business Telephone Etiquette

First impressions are said to be what people remember you by. This can be said about phone calls as well. Since callers are not able to see you face to face, they use your telephone speaking voice to form certain judgments and opinions about you. Not only do they hear what you are saying they judge the tone of how you are saying it too. To ensure people always have a great impression of you, Datavo has put together some tips to make your telephone speaking voice a winner.


1. Greet Clients Professionally - Always make sure to answer all calls professionally with a short greeting. Make sure to practice the greeting before answering the phone so that you make sure you sound clear and professional.

2. Answer Phone By Fourth Ring - Whether you are in the office or out, make sure you or your voicemail picks up by the fourth ring. It is very unprofessional for you line to just ring and ring.

3. Speak Clearly - Remember people are not able to see you and watch you lips as you talk when on the phone. Make sure that you enunciate properly while keeping a positive professional tone.

4. Be Prepared - Always have paper and pen ready to write down any information you need to remember about the call. Also, write down the person the name of the person whom you are speaking so that you can remember it and use it during the conversation. It makes the caller feel like you are listening.

5. No Eating or Drinking - Eating and drinking while on the phone with someone sounds very unprofessional. Only eat and drink when not making any calls, preferably on your break.

6. Stay Focused - Always pay attention to what you client is telling you. Don't let outside distractions get in your way. If someone approaches you while you are on the phone politely wave them away until you are finished with your current call.

7. Always Ask a Customer Before Placing Them on Hold - With phone systems these days once a caller gets to you they could have been on hold for a number of minutes and may not appreciate being placed on hold again. Once they are placed on hold try not to leave them for more than 30 seconds so they do not become upset and hang up.

8. Address All Callers Formally - When in doubt, always address people formally. Never call an unfamiliar person by their first name. Use Mr., Mrs., Ms., or Miss when your know their last name. If you do not know their last name Sir or Ma'am are sufficient.

9. Listen - Listen to what the caller is saying to you. Whether you are taking a message or fixing a problem. This will help you to understand their problem and find the best solution to what needs to done. A good habit to learn also, is to repeat the information back to the caller when taking a message down.

10. Remain Patient and Helpful - Always remain patient and helpful, even when dealing with irate customers. You want people to feel like you are emphatic to their issues and are willing to help them. If you are not able to calm the person down make sure to forward them to the proper person who can. Never respond back in a negative or angry way.

Applications On myDatavo

With myDatavo there are a number of different applications that you can install on your mobile phone or computer so that all of you devices work together using a single system that is practical, convenient and easy to use. Here is a review a them.

Computer

• myDatavo Assistant - provides access to contacts, voicemails and configuration of call services from your desktop.
• Dialer - allows you to make calls from a  third-party environment.
• Voicemail - allows you to manage your voice message from a  third-party environment.
• Call Lists - allows you to see a list of your call log. All recently dialed, received, and missed calls.
• Conference - allows you to set up and manage conference calls from a  third-party environment .
• QuickDial Accelerator - allows you to make a call from Internet Explorer 8 or above or by highlighting a phone number on a web page.
• myDatavo Communicator - allows you to make and receive voice and video calls, manage your contacts with Microsoft Outlook integration, view presence information for your contacts, access your voicemails all from your desktop.

Mobile

• Conference - allows you to set up and manage conference calls using your mobile phone.

For more information contact us at Datavo.

Your myDatavo Dashboard

The myDatavo Dashboard is a part of your myDatavo User Web Portal and allows you to quickly access the following key features all in one place.

• Messages: At a glance it shows you how many new message you currently have, and your total number of messages.

• Missed Calls: Shows all of your recent missed calls. If the calls are from a person in your contact list, their name will display along with their phone type. Clicking on the callers name will jump you directly to their contact list entry.

• Contacts: Provides and easy way to look up your contacts by name and view the details. 

• Call Manager Settings: Shows how your incoming calls are handled. You are able to set these settings to your liking. 

• Click to Dial: You can place a call to any number on this screen just by clicking on it including any numbers that where recognized by your contact list and are displayed by name.

For more information contact us at Datavo.