In this document, Jack Fries excerpts questions from the Sales Success Profile, a sales skill test developed by Lousig-Nont and Associates (Las Vegas). The Sales Success Profile is the only sales test on the market based on assessing actual selling skills, not personality.

We've all heard that the essence of marketing is to find a need and fill it. Well, unless you have deep pockets or know exactly what the world needs, your marketing efforts will yield a better response if you follow this formula instead: Find a want and fill it.
Most of us have enough food, shelter, clothing, and transportation-we don't need much more. But we want more. We need food, but we want fast foods, diet foods, or gourmet foods. Most of us don't need a 2 1/2-bath home or expensive designer clothes, but we want them. We may need a car, but we want a Lexus or a BMW.

THE ART OF SALES REFERRALS Patricia A. Berry The top sales technique for acquiring new business does not involve your sales force! Yes, you heard right. If youre not doing referral...

THE CARDINAL RULE OF E-MAIL NEWSLETTER MARKETING: DON'T BE RUDE by Patricia Czech Focus on your e-message and its relevance to your readers when reaching out to them. The ...

Getting your name in print in industry publications can result in credible publicity for you and your firm. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or never been published, you’ll get useful tips in this document by Henry Stimpson.

We all know the value that cross-selling brings to agencies. According to industry statistics, profit margins on the second sale are two to three times higher than the first and retention is 60% higher. Yet the average independent agency’s number of policies per customer hasn’t changed in 20 years. How can such a vital, well-publicized goal remain so elusive for so long? It’s as if we all know how to become millionaires but ignore the facts. The truth is that cross-selling is a complex process that can fail for a number of reasons.

Motivational speakers love to put the word “secret” in the title of their presentations. I’ve sat through many sessions, and I’ve always wondered what kind of “secret” you can tell on the stage of a packed auditorium?

TIPS ON WRITING SALES LETTERS Sales letters have many purposes: to sell a specific product, to sell the agency image, to keep customers informed of new coverage options, to complement service f...

TOTAL SERVICE Dear (Customer Name), BUYING A CAR PIECE BY PIECE? How would you like to buy your next car in pieces, and buy each piece from a different supplier? It wouldn't make much s...

TURN YESTERDAY'S GIVEAWAY INTO TODAY'S PROMOTIONAL POWER SEVEN WAYS TO GET THAT EXTRA EDGE by Ellen Daly Industry spends an estimated billions of dollars every year on promotional products ...