Sales advice, recommendations and interesting, useful and fun news from the world of selling!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Negotiate a Testimonial
Are you about to give your customer a price break?
"If so, it doesn't hurt to ask for something in return," says sales trainer Al Uszynski. "When lowering your price, propose to your customer that you would consider it a personal favor if they were to provide you with a testimonial quote about their experience with you, your product or your company. Of course, you'll explain that they would deliver the quote only after they've received the goods and are completely satisfied."
"Customers are more apt to type a quick email with a testimonial quote than to print and mail a formal business letter," says Uszynski. "Take the quotes and make a testimonial sheet that summarizes the experiences of the customers that you've personally served."
Al Uszynski is a sales trainer and professional speaker. He delivers speaking programs that deliver smart and insightful sales strategies – designed to help your people and your organization sell more, earn more and profit more. Visit his website at www.uszynski.com for more information.
"Being an effective sales person is tough in today's environment," says business coach Tom Kelly. "As a salesperson, you are responsible for a myriad of tasks and responsibilities in addition to selling the product or service. As a result, it is paramount that you effectively manager your time. If you don't, you may find yourself in reactionary mode, and your sales will suffer as a result."
Here are a couple tips from Kelly to avoid this trap:
1. Maintain a "Master Schedule"
The most effective way to manage your time is to make sure that your daily actions are in alignment with your intentions. One way to do this is to design a "Master Schedule" that includes all the things that you need to accomplish each week. By committing to this schedule and eliminating time wasters, you can effectively manage your time.
2. Stop tolerating things that waste your time
Don't allow people and things to waste your time. If you are asked to attend a meeting, make sure you know what the meeting is about, why you need to be there, and what the agenda is. If this isn't clear, don't attend. Additionally, remove yourself from the company of people that are just there to waste your time.
3. Implement the FAB technique
FAB stands for Focus, Administrative, and Buffer. Use this technique to effectively schedule your day. For example, schedule focus times during the day for meetings with clients, prospecting, and any other tasks that are critical to your success. Make sure that you are not interrupted during focus times. Anything that is not critical, but needs to get done should be scheduled during administrative times, preferably outside of the normal sales calling times. You can fill in the blanks with buffer time, time when you can take a break to restore your energy.
4. Set up blocks of time for phoning and e-mail
Set up a consistent time each day to return phone calls and do e-mails. During the rest of the day, stay away from these tasks, as they can immediately put you into reactionary mode. Consider not answering your phone during the portion of the day when you are visiting customers. Instead, leave a message on your voice mail instructing the caller to leave you a voice mail, and you will return their call at the end of the day. Avoid doing e-mails first thing in the morning, as this can get you off track as well.
"By taking control of your time, you will be much more effective as a salesperson, and your customers will respect you more for it," says Kelly. Happy selling!
Tom Kelly is a Profession Business Coach that specializes in working with small business owners, entrepreneurs, and salespeople. He can be reached at (773) 907-0921, or at www.potentialinmotion.com.
Then you'll want to get on this complimentary one-hour teleconference onWednesday, Aug 20 featuring cold-calling Top Dog Leslie Buterin, the Ultimate Sales Chick Brooke Green, and author of Metaphorically Selling Anne Miller. These ladies really know their stuff and they'll share their secrets with you. The call is sponsored by our friend Jill Konrath, founder of the Sales Shebang sales conference for women. Get all the details here.
I know it's still summer - probably vacation time for you and many of your prospects and customers. It's hardly time to be thinking about winter. But in sales, you know you need to lay the groundwork now to be able to close business in Q4.
Sales trainer and author Mike Brooks has the five things you need to do now to have a great fourth quarter:
1) Call every existing customer and client you have to get a firm idea of what their end of the year needs are going to be. The last thing you want to do is let your existing business (often called the "low hanging fruit") go to a competitor who got their first.
When you find out what their 4th quarter needs are, do what you can to capture it in advance - reserve the best spots for them, write up a sample order, create a 'pre-order' sale - but do everything you can NOW to secure their business in advance.
2) Do the same thing with your short list of "hot prospects." Once again, contact them and arrange dates for your presentation or service to be delivered, create an urgency for the end of the year and let them know that you've penciled them in to take care of their needs, get a specific call back date - and then call them 2 weeks prior to that!
If you can send an email of interest to them, or mail them anything, do so. It's crucial that you connect now, and give them something so they'll be thinking about you when their need arises.
3) Schedule the training you need NOW. Make sure your team has fresh ideas, techniques and strategies in place by October. Now is the time to get your team sharp, to get them effective scripts, and to learn the most effective techniques so they are ready to go when the business is flying.
4) You must set goals for your exact production and income numbers and begin affirming these results NOW. You will produce exactly what you think you will, and for this reason it's so important to identify in advance what that revenue figure is going to be.
5) Commit to making just 10 more prospecting calls per day for the rest of the year. Now I know that doesn't sound like a lot, does it? But when you work it out, you'll find that you'll be making an additional 1,050 prospecting calls between now and the end of the year! How many more clients, deals, and dollars in your pocket would that mean?
"If you commit today to implementing these 5 ideas, you'll be smiling all the way into the New Year," says Brooks. And isn't that what you really want?
Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, offers free closing Scripts, and a free audio program designed to help you double your income selling over the phone. He works with business owners and inside sales reps nationwide teaching them the skills, strategies and techniques of top 20% performance. Learn more at http://www.mrinsidesales.com/
"You are never really playing an opponent. You are playing yourself, your own highest standards, and when you reach your limits, that is real joy." -- Arthur Ashe
One of the most fortunate aspects of a professional selling career is that your only limitations are how hard you want to work. If you’re tired today and don’t want to make a lot of calls, that’s fine – but it will show up in your sales. On the other hand, diligent, focused work will yield excellent results.
The question is: How far are you willing to push yourself?
"Follow up in sales is critical. Particularly critical is the timing between a salesperson's follow-up and a prospect's pain point to want, not just need, what you sell," says sales trainer Patricia Weber. "Unless you have a crystal ball to bring that timeline into your view, then it is up to you to continue to be in front of a prospect about what might interest them."
Follow these tips from Weber on how to effectively follow up with your clients, and your timing will never be off!
Manage the process
If you do not plan to follow-up, the sale will likely not happen. Jeffery Moses says, "Sales is one part initial contact, four times follow-up." What is the average length of the sales cycle of your customers? Once you know this, then determine a series of different types of follow-up at different points in this cycle.
Start sooner than later
The first thing could be a handwritten note or even a voice mail saying how you appreciate their interest and maybe a reminder that you plan to stay in touch. This does two things: you've communicated your regards, and you let a prospect know you are going to talk with them again. Then, get your plan out of your head and on to your calendar.
Scheduling versus planned
A week after you've sent the first handwritten note, contact your prospect with an email containing pertinent information about something that interests them. After that you could send something seasonal, even a "just thinking of you" card, or if appropriate, a small gift. You can intermix real cards, emails, telephone calls and if appropriate, in-person visits.
Collaborate
Ask for help with the follow-up process. If you were referred to the prospect, ask the referrer something that might be important to the prospect for your follow-up. If you meet someone who knows the prospect, they may have some insights to add to your follow-up plan.
Have something pertinent
If "Are you ready?" is the first, last or only question you have on the scheduled plan, than you're probably seen as just a bother. An update on pricing, or a new product, or that you are on holiday for a week are valid reasons for a follow-up. How many valid business reasons can you think of to put in your plan?
"How much is a new customer worth to you?" asks Weber. "Is that worth more than putting all your effort only into that initial contact? Or is it worth you staying committed to a systematic follow-up? If you say yes to both these statements, then with your sales skills and timing, the outcome will likely be, "Okay. What do I have to do to get started with you?" or "How soon can you ship that to me?"
Sign up to receive a free report, ezine and teleclasses from Pat Weber – America’s Sales Accelerator Coach, specializing in Introverts and Shy people at http://www.prostrategies.com
As you've probably experienced, personal relationships can be, well - complicated. Early on, you question every little thing: What is she thinking? Do they like me? Does he mean what he says?
Business relationships generate similar questions, like, how do you know if your relationship with your client is really strong? Sales trainer Dan Adams has some ideas to help you develop an appropriate and professionally trusting connection.
"Gain the customer's trust by showing the three Cs: Credibility, Concern, and just a bit of Competence," says Adams. "The consequence of demonstrating these three traits with your customer will be trust - confidence on the part of your customer that you have her best interests in mind." Then use these ten questions to determine the strength of the relationship:
1. Do your customers routinely take your call or return your calls promptly?
2. Do you enjoy a friendly and cooperative relationship with the customers' administrators?
3. Do you know your customers' biggest challenges, personally and professionally?
4. Do you know your customers' top three business priorities this fiscal year?
5. Are you aware of the difficult circumstances and trends facing your customers' industry?
6. Do you know who their top five clients are?
7. Do you understand the needs of those top five clients?
8. Do your customers consider you a true problem solver or a problem avoider?
9. Do you frequently bring helpful best practices to the attention of your customers?
10. Do you exchange new business with one another?
If you can answer yes to all of these questions, it's likely you've got a very strong relationship with your client. If not, continue to build that trusting relationship. To do this, Adams suggests you follow the Modified Golden Rule: "Treat customers the way they would like to be treated."
Dan Adams is an award-winning professional speaker, author, and consultant. Having honed his sales skills selling multimillion dollar solutions for Fortune 500 and high technology companies, Dan founded a sales consulting company, Adams & Associates, utilizing his own strategic selling principles embodied in his program Trust Triangle Selling. Learn more at www.trusttriangleselling.com
"Anyone who watched the opening ceremonies for the Olympics this past weekend could not help but be amazed by the event," says sales trainer Kelley Robertson, and I would have to agree with him. "From the costumes, to use of technology, the extravagant fireworks, and the sheer number of people involved, it captured the attention of everyone watching. The choreography alone was worthy of a gold medal with more than 2000 people performing in several of the segments."
Here are three lessons from Robertson that sales professionals can learn from Olympics opening ceremonies:
Think big The opening ceremonies epitomized the concept of thinking big. Most sales people do not dream big because they are afraid of failing. However, working on big goals expands your thinking and creates new opportunities.
Creativity Too many sales people use the same tired approaches even when they do not get the intended results. Get creative and change your strategy from time-to-time, and if necessary, brainstorm with coworkers or colleagues to generate new ideas to capture more business.
Practice Rehearsals for the opening event took more than one year. Many sales people fail to realize that mastering a new sales concept also takes practice. When you implement a new technique or strategy, make sure you invest the appropriate amount of time practicing that idea.
As President of The Robertson Training Group, Kelley has helped thousands of professionals improve their business results with his engaging approach to sales training and speaking. Learn more at www.robertsontraininggroup.com
"I learned early in my career not to save the money discussion until the presentation stage of the sales process," says sales trainer Chris Lytle. "In fact, if the customer doesn't bring up the money question in the first meeting, I do."
"I started doing this when I was a young advertising salesperson. I would tell my prospects what our average weekly order was. That way they would know what it took to make an impact on our audience. Most of them appreciated the information."
"I recently discovered another approach to bringing up the money issue. Mahan Khalsa suggests committing to memory your version of the following:" "I don't know how much this will cost you. Every client situation is unique. However, other companies in similar situations and trying to get the same results you've been talking about tend to invest between $X and $Y. Can you see yourself falling somewhere in that range?"
"Khalsa believes Y should be about 25-50% more than X. A range of $100,000 to $150,000 is more believable than $100,000 and $2 million."
"Not one prospect has ever dropped dead because you talked about money early," says Lytle. "But a lot of salespeople have suffered tremendous disappointment because they didn't raise the money issue until it was time to make the proposal. When it comes to finding out that your prospect doesn't have the budget or isn't thinking as big as you are, remember this: Bad news early is good news."
Chris Lytle is a sales trainer, speaker, and creator of "Max," a web-based, interactive training platform for salespeople at any stage in their careers. This revolutionary creation is a unique combination of tools and real-world behaviors that align with the way customers say they want to be approached and sold to. Learn more at www.max-atm.com
"To make no mistakes is not in the power of man; but from their errors and mistakes, the wise and the good learn wisdom for the future." -- Plutarch, Historian
The best salespeople look at their business as a never-ending education. When they make a mistake, they see a learning experience, rather than a failure. Keep this outlook the next time you stumble, and you'll be better prepared to deal with problems in the future.
The Final Four: More Ways to Become a Great Salesperson
Today is the final day in our series from sales trainer Jim Klein on how to become a great salesperson by changing your attitude. Check out these final four tips to live by, and be sure to read the other six from yesterday and Wednesday.
7. Treat Stumbling Blocks as Stepping Stones
So what if you didn't make that big sale, your girlfriend left you, your boss chewed you out or you made a big mistake. Your life isn't over. So keep your eyes on your goals.
What did you do right? What did you learn? How can you use this to make yourself better or stronger? What will you do different the next time?
Use it as a stepping-stone to take you to the next level. I've had some of my biggest periods of growth after major setbacks.
8. Help others to succeed
When you're gone, nobody will be talking about how much money you made or how many awards you won, they will be talking about the lives you touched and the difference you made.
Success is so sweet when you can share your knowledge and caring with others. Give of yourself. It will make the people you touch feel good and I know how it will make you feel. The sad part is when people come to the end of their lives and think about all the things they wish they'd done. 9. Reward yourself
When you sell that big account or reach a goal you set, reward yourself. Go buy something you've always wanted, take a trip, go out for an expensive dinner. Do something nice for you. You deserve it.
10. Tomorrow is a New Day
No matter what happened today, good or bad. You can go to sleep tonight knowing that tomorrow the slate is wiped clean. You get a fresh new 24 hours to accomplish anything you want.
Jim Klein is the president of From the Heart Sales Training, a company that wants to make all sales "from the heart," rather than "from the hip." Learn more and sign up for his Sales Advisor Newsletter at www.fromtheheartsalestraining.com
Yesterday we started a short series from sales trainer Jim Klein about things you can do to lead a better life - and see it reflected in your sales. Here are numbers four through six on his list.
4. Post Your Goals and Read Them Twice a Day
Post your goals where you'll see them at different times during your day. Put them on the bathroom mirror, in your car, your office, near your computer. Write them on a 3 x 5 card and pull out the card every chance you get and read them.
Make two specific times when you take them out and read them. One is first thing in the morning before you do anything else. This will start your day focused on your goals and their achievement.
The second is right before you go to bed. This practice will give your subconscious mind something positive to work on during the night.
5. Be Grateful For The Little Things
Find time every day to be grateful for all you have. We all have something we can be grateful for. Some of these are little things that we take for granted like our health, our home, our friends, the food in the refrigerator. Focusing on what you're grateful for will bring more of it in to your life.
I'm grateful every day when I wake up and my feet hit the floor.
6. Spend Time Doing What Matters Most
We waste too much time on things that bring little enjoyment into our lives. It's time to spend our time doing the things that matter most.
Have dinner with your family. Attend your child's play or baseball game. Help an elderly person cross the street. Take a walk and enjoy the view.
Some things are more important than money, status, power and prestige. Invest some of your time into those activities and see if it doesn't change the way you feel.
Jim Klein is the president of From the Heart Sales Training, a company that wants to make all sales "from the heart," rather than "from the hip." Learn more and sign up for his Sales Advisor Newsletter at www.fromtheheartsalestraining.com
"Being a great salesperson is more than learning new skills and techniques," says sales trainer Jim Klein. There's a lot you can do to improve yourself and your life that will be reflected in your sales. Today we'll start a three-day series with Klein's Top 10 Ways to Become a Great Salesperson.
Here are the first three:
1. Smile and Walk Tall
Changing your physiology is a great way to feel better about everything going on around you.
I want you to try an experiment. I want you to think and act as if you are totally depressed. Notice how you are standing. Your shoulders are slumped. Your head is down. Your face is sad and your breathing is shallow. Feels pretty awful doesn't it?
Okay, now I want you to imagine a time when you felt on top of the world, when everything was going your way, you couldn't lose. How are you standing? Your shoulders are back, head is up, your breathing is deep and you've got a big smile on your face. Feel the difference?
2. Surround Yourself With People Who Support You
One of the most important steps you can take in your life is to build relationships with people who genuinely care about you and will support you as you go through life.
I'm talking about people who will love you during hard times and celebrate with you during the good times. People who will be painfully honest and compassionately sympathetic. People who will make you laugh and motivate you and encourage you to be that person you were meant to be.
3. Read Positive Books at Least 15 Minutes Every Day
There's a wealth of information that has been written for you to absorb. What goes in your mind is what will come out. So fill it with good, positive information and good, positive things will happen in your life.
I suggest you start your own library. Go buy a bookshelf and set a goal to fill it with books you've read. Set up an account at Amazon or Barnes and Noble and invest in your education.
If you don't want to buy them, get a library card. They're free!
Jim Klein is the president of From the Heart Sales Training, a company that wants to make all sales "from the heart," rather than "from the hip." Learn more and sign up for his Sales Advisor Newsletter at www.fromtheheartsalestraining.com
"You have a maximum of 90 seconds in a cold call to your prospect," says cold calling expert Leslie Buterin in a recent blog post. "What are you going to say that will compel them to invite you in for a meeting? What are the words to use? Where do you find those words?"
"You need a well-crafted impact statement," says Buterin. "The clear unmistakable words of a sentence that quickly convey the kind of impact your products/services can have as solutions to your prospect's pressing business problems."
To do this, Buterin suggests you "give your clients' words considerably more weight than the words you use. Unbeknownst to you, the way you talk about your business has become a kind of corporate-speak, a language that communicates something within your company, and a language that sounds like blah, blah, blah to your prospects."
So, how do you get a hold of your client's words for crafting your impact statement?"
"The fastest, most direct route is with a 5-minute phone call to several of your oh-so-happy clients," says Buterin. "Take care not to feed your clients the words to say. Simply ask your happy clients a few strategic, open-ended questions."
Here are a few examples of open-ended questions you can ask your clients:
a. Why did you choose to do business with us? b. What did you get out of doing business with us? c. If I ask you to quantify the improvement in your expenses, your revenues, what would you say, specifically in terms of increased revenues, decreased expenses, mitigated risk?
"Then, just sit back and listen to them," says Buterin. "Find out the verbiage your clients use and then use those very words to craft your compelling impact statement. There is tremendous power in using the words of your happy clients. Granted, their words are not necessarily the words you'd use in-house. However, their words are the ones that will grab the attention of your cold call prospects and compel them to invite you in for an appointment. A very good place to be."
Leslie Buterin is the founder of Top Dog Consulting and the author of Secrets to Scheduling the Executive-Level Sales Call. She works with sales professionals, teaching them how to access and sell to high-level decision-makers. Keep up to date with Leslie on her blog, www.coldcallingnetnews.com
"The best place to succeed is where you are with what you have." -- Charles M. Schwab
It's hard to be the small fish in a big pond. If your company is new to the market, or your competitors are just bigger, faster, or lower-priced, each day can feel like an uphill battle. When it's one of those days, remind yourself that those companies are missing one big thing - you.
Make yourself an asset to your clients in every way you can, and your clients won't feel the need to rush to your big-box competitor. If they have someone who's always looking out for their best interests they can rest easy knowing they're in good hands.
What do you do to show your clients how valuable you are?
"Can you follow up with me in two months about this?" When a prospect asks you this, many people's first reaction is to find out what the reason for the delay is - and this is a good reaction. But once you know the reason for the delay, what do you do with that information? What's the next step in moving towards a sale, instead of just starting over in two months?
Telesales expert Art Sobczak has the advice you need to keep the sales moving, even with a delay:
"So let's say we do find out that January of next year will be a better time to speak with us, because, legitimately there is a 'future event,'" says Sobczak. "I define 'future event' as something that indeed is happening that makes waiting legitimate...they are adding more staff, rolling out a new product, making changes of any type, whatever."
"The star sales rep will not simply schedule a follow-up call at this point. He/she will continue on, trying to presell, or get a commitment of some type that would secure the future sale in advance," says Sobczak.
You might first ask,
"While we're on the phone, let's talk about what you anticipate doing at that point."
Ask other questions to help them realize the cost of delaying, if appropriate:
"Have you considered the opportunity cost of waiting?"
In the situations where their delay is indeed valid, position yourself to get whatever commitments you can today:
"Can we be the ones to provide this product for you at that point?"
Or, "Great, so I'm assuming that the next time we speak we can discuss details of implementing the program?"
"May I place the order for you now and just schedule delivery then, so that you can take advantage of today's prices?"
If they will not give commitment now that you will be the ones they will work with, at the very least ask:
"Can I be the first one you will contact when you are ready to move forward?"
"OK, if anything changes between now and our next scheduled conversation, will you please call me?"
"After finishing the call, confirm your understanding with a letter detailing the points," suggests Sobczak. "Then and there, schedule reminders to keep your name in front of them: post-cards, hand-written notes, even after-hours voice mail information messages with tidbits of interest to them."
Art Sobczak, President of Business By Phone Inc., specializes in one area only: working with business-to-business salespeople -- both inside and outside -- designing and delivering content-rich programs that participants begin showing results from the very next time they get on the phone. To learn more, visit www.businessbyphone.com
SalesDog.com, the internet's number one sales success destination for more than seven years, works with America's leading sales experts to bring practical selling tips and strategies to salespeople, sales managers, business owners and entrepreneurs. Over 30,000 sales professionals rely on its free weekly newsletter to keep them abreast of cutting-edge developments impacting their profession.
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