Sales advice, recommendations and interesting, useful and fun news from the world of selling!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Are you Stuck on Sales Auto-Pilot?
Did you ever leave work, find yourself in your driveway and have no recollection of the trip? Then you know what it's like to operate on auto-pilot. It's easy to fall into this dangerous trap when performing routine activities.
"In sales these auto-pilot moves, responses, behaviors can help you sell more effectively but often they can sabotage your success because they are often unconscious and you are not aware that you are even doing them," says sales trainer and author Tim Connor.
Here are some examples from Connor. Read on to find out if you're operating on auto-pilot:
Let's say your prospect has decided to stall on a sale you thought was in the bag. How do you typically react?
Disappointment Anger Frustration Creatively Give Up See it as a learning opportunity Ask yourself what you could have done better or what you did wrong
"There is any number of reactions," says Connor. "The question is - what is your usual reaction to this circumstance? Whatever it is I'll bet it's the same every time this happens. Another question is - Is your reaction working? If not it may be time for a re-evaluation of what's in your auto-pilot."
How about when your prospect calls and decides to increase their order - what are your reactions?
Glee Satisfaction Feelings of success Self-confidence Surprise Apathy Indifference Laziness
"Regardless of whether your reactions in either example are positive or negative isn't the issue," explains Connor. "The real question is - are your reactions working for your long-term success? Or, are they keeping you stuck either in failure or mediocrity?"
"Here's what I suggest. The next time anything happens with a customer, prospect, and your boss - whoever - get in the habit of saying to yourself any or all of the following."
Why?
Why now?
What if?
Why not try...
I'm going to look for the benefits either long or short-term
How can I creatively handle this?
Is this the first time I've experienced this and if not how have I reacted in the past?
Are my reactions working? Is my reaction moving me toward or away from success?
Give these tips a try and I think you'll find yourself moving from auto-pilot to fully engaged.
Learn more from Tim Connor, CSP World renowned Speaker, Trainer and best selling author of 67 titles, at his website, www.timconnor.com
Sales trainer Dan Adams came up with this fun acronym as an account qualification tool. "It is a very simple reminder of the 5 key areas you must understand early in your selling process," says Adams. "When qualifying an opportunity, you need to ask questions which will provide valuable information to you regarding 5 key topic areas." Let's take a deeper look at each one:
B: What is the customer's BUDGET? You must know how the customer will obtain the necessary funds to make this acquisition. Is the project budgeted? If it is not budgeted how can you be of assistance in the budgeting process? If it is already budgeted, is it approved? What is the budget? When does the budget expire? If the customer will purchase "off budget" what is the process that must occur? Will it be financed? Is it important to keep this acquisition off the balance sheet?
M: Who is the key decision MAKER? Who is responsible for making the final decision? If it is a "group" decision, who are the group members and who has the power in the group? How have similar decisions in the past been made? Who will influence this decision? Who are the gatekeepers? Who are the users? Who will evaluate the decision from a technical standpoint? Do I have an internal coach? Who has the final authority to sign off on an investment of this size?
P: What is the customer's buying PROCESS? You understand your own company's selling process; you must know that to keep your job. In order to be a true sales superstar, you must know your customer's buying process! You must know your client's compelling event. That is, exactly why, and by what date your customer must make this investment. If she does not have a compelling event, you must assist her in creating one.
C: Who are your COMPETITORS? Who are the vendors under consideration by your customer? You must also discover the solutions your competitors are offering as well as the strategies they are using to compete against you.
C: What are your customer's decision-making CRITERIA? You must know what is important to your customer. What are her key buying criteria? Once you have that information you then must determine the "rack and stack", or order of the criteria from most important to least important.
Dan Adams is an award-winning professional speaker, author, and consultant who draws upon more than 25 years of experience in the field of sales and marketing. Learn more at www.trusttriangleselling.com
In her 15-plus years teaching entrepreneurs about sales and marketing, business coach C.J. Hayden has found that many of her clients say the most significant barrier to success is that they simply don't like to sell.
"The roots of this dislike are varied," says Hayden. "Sometimes what gets in the way is fear of rejection, or self-doubt of one's abilities. Other times it's lack of knowledge or inexperience; most of us don't like to do things when we feel we can't do them well. But a theme that rears its ugly head over and over again is this: a belief that sales and marketing is dishonest, manipulative, and sleazy."
"You might expect me to argue that these negative portrayals of marketing are not true," continues Hayden. "But in reality, they often are. Most of us experience on a daily basis inauthentic marketing, manipulative selling, and attempts at persuasion that rub us the wrong way."
"I'm not suggesting that you, the person reading this, are a sleazy salesperson," says Hayden. "In fact, I suspect it's much more likely that you aren't. But it just may be that you need to convince yourself of that truth in order to raise your comfort level about sales and marketing. To that end, I offer the following guidelines."
You are NOT a sleazy salesperson, if:
You only promise what you know you can deliver. You don't make unrealistic promises and overblown claims, because you know they backfire in the long run. Even when exaggerations like these convince customers to buy, when their purchase doesn't live up to the hype, they feel misled and dissatisfied. Unhappy customers don't make repeat purchases or refer others.
You always represent your abilities and experience accurately. You're not afraid to let customers know how good you are at what you do, but you don't feel the need to fabricate a background that doesn't exist. Instead, you play up your strengths, tell stories about past successes, and rely on positive references.
You explain why you are good rather than why the competition is bad. You know that running down the competition only makes you look jealous or defensive. Your competitors are also your colleagues, and can often become some of your best referral sources. You don't hesitate to stress your unique competitive advantages and emphasize the benefits of your products and services, but you do so without disparaging others.
You never trick people into taking or returning your calls. You wouldn't think of asking someone's receptionist to put through your call by giving misleading information. Nor do you leave voice mail messages implying that your call is for a purpose other than the real one. The most productive sales conversations are always with people who are open to having them.
You ask for permission to follow up or to add prospects to your list. When you ask a prospect "may I call you again next quarter?" you are both agreeing that a follow-up conversation is worth having. You'll feel more confident making future contacts when you know they are welcome. You also know that subscribing people to your email list without permission only annoys them, so you always ask first.
You stop selling when it's clear the customer doesn't need what you're offering. In a sales conversation, of course you respond to objections with counterpoints, but you do so respectfully, and never push customers past their own comfort zone. When prospects make it clear that they don't have a current need for your products and services and don't wish to continue hearing about them, you thank them for their time and move on.
"Post this list by your computer and your telephone," says Hayden. "Read it over before making sales calls. Do whatever it takes to reassure yourself that your own sales and marketing is honest, ethical, and authentic."
C.J. Hayden, MCC, is a business coach who teaches people to make a better living doing what they love. Her company, Wings Business Coaching, specializes in working with business owners, self-employed professionals, and people in marketing and sales. Learn more at www.getclientsnow.com
Cold Calling Bloopers: How a Quick-Witted Seller Saved the Day
I love this story from Jill Konrath's Selling to Big Companies blog:
"Cold calling is tough," says Konrath. "We all struggle with it. That's why I laughed today when I talked with Sara, who works for a New York-based PR firm. She'd just seen my new video clips where I'm speaking about the challenges of connecting with corporate decision makers. Sara understood exactly what I was talking about!"
That's when she told me her story:
I was calling a major media outlet to "pitch" one of our clients. Of course, I got voice mail. About half way through my message, my mind went totally blank. So I hung up.
As soon as my memory returned, I recalled the client and picked up exactly where I left off ...
"Hi. This is Sara calling again. We must have gotten disconnected. As I was saying..."
Today and tomorrow we'll be finishing up a short series on SADD in America. Sales Attention Deficit Disorder (SADD) is a growing concern, according to sales trainer Colleen Stanley. Last week we identified one way to prevent it - turning off your Blackberry. A scary thought, right? Try this new idea out today, and you'll be helping to lower the frequency of SADD in corporate America.
2. Love the one you're with.
The grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence. This selling scenario often occurs at networking events and looks something like this: You are talking to an individual and throughout the conversation he/she keeps looking around the room to see if there is someone else more important they should be meeting. Actions speak louder than words and the message is clear...you are important; however, the grass may be greener on the other side of the room.
Some salespeople still practice the crazy networking principle of speed networking. This salesperson's main goal is to meet as many people as possible in an evening. Quantity is the goal, not quality. They carry an invisible time clock that rings after two minutes (hey, they have a room to work). They politely excuse themselves and move onto "greener pastures," (at which point their cell phone rings and they answer).
Speed networking or "working the room" is working yourself right out of a potential relationship. Savvy business people spot phonies and phony intentions. People that are serious about building business relationships take the necessary time to build that relationship. They know processes are efficient and people are not.
Colleen Stanley is president of SalesLeadership Inc., a business development consulting firm specializing in sales and sales management training. The company provides programs in prospecting, referral strategies, consultative sales training, sales management training, and hiring/selection. Learn more at www.salesleadershipdevelopment.com.
We learned a lot during the recent Olympics - about the athletes, the host county, China, and maybe a little too much about how much Michael Phelps eats every day.But mostly we learned lessons of inspiration.Kelley Robertson shares a very important sales lesson learned, not from a winner, but a loser...
"As I watched the Olympics last week, I was appalled by the behavior one athlete portrayed after losing her event," says Robertson."Her words, tone of voice, and body language were extremely negative and her comments to an interviewer were far less than professional. Her bitterness was profoundly evident and this behavior dispelled any sympathy I had initially felt for her loss."
"I often encounter salespeople who show similar behavior," continues Robertson."A competitor sneaks in and steals an account. A customer decides to buy an inferior product. Competitors become more predatory in their pricing. A deal falls through after several months of effort and perhaps a great deal of expense. The list could go on."
"Situations like this are a fact of life and business. How you respond makes a difference. If you allow yourself to become bitter, future situations will only compound your resentment and you will gradually find yourself struggling to meet your goals. However, if you evaluate the situation and determine what, if anything, you could have done differently to improve your results, your behavior will be much more positive."
"No one likes to lose a sale, especially a large one," says Robertson."However, displaying bitterness will negatively affect your future efforts."
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 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/
"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
"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
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?
"If you want to increase sales you have to establish relationships with people who are potential new clients, and deepen your relationship with existing clients," says sales coach Cheryl Clausen.
Building relationships sounds easy enough on paper, but when it comes time to build a relationship with a complete stranger, what do you do? For some, this could bring back playground horror stories, so take a big breath and read on. Clausen has some tips for you to build strong relationships with new and existing clients - even if you were never the most popular kid on the playground!
"Your sales outcomes are directly impacted by that first connection and the follow-up connections you make with potential clients and existing clients," says Clausen. Here are her tips:
Relationships demand you be the real you. You can spot a phony instantly and you resent anyone trying to be someone or something they aren't. So think of how you can allow the people you connect with to get a feel for, or sense of who you are. Your values and beliefs...what's important to you. You don't want to ram it down their throats - just allow the real you to come through whether you're sending a sales letter, making a phone call, writing your newsletter, however you're making that first connection.
Sometimes fun can be viral. If you're going to hold a barbecue for a few friends anyway why not include a few clients and share photos of the event in your newsletter? They'll show their photo to their friends thus spreading the word about you. Why not allow them to bring a friend and invite all your clients so they can mingle with each other? After all, the more people who know you the better.
What if they each shared a story about you? And you included those stories in some of your marketing materials. What if you had a contest for the best story? When you allow them to share and contribute you exponentially increase your relationship. You make them feel important and you validate why they like and trust you. The ideas are endless...
Your clients don't want to work with a stiff shirt big company. They want you to be a real person who cares a whole lot about them and their outcomes. Allowing yourself to be a little vulnerable, and giving them a closer look at who you are makes you more trustworthy and trust-able. They just want you to be human because they want to connect with you if you'll just help them...
Try out Clausen's easy tips for building relationships, and let us know yours as well!
Cheryl Clausen, the Increase Sales Coach, works with clients in all areas of sales and marketing - to increase your sales. Learn more and discover the "7 Secrets Top Producers Know That You Can Put to Use in the Next 9 Days" at www.increasesalescoach.com
"One of the worst habits to get into is becoming a Task Salesperson," says Scott Sheaffer. "A Task Salesperson loses sight of their sales goals and sales skills. They primarily focus on the mechanics of sales. This can happen to us without even knowing it."
I read this post and felt it was very timely after Tim Rohrer's article last week about salespeople's busy work. Sheaffer writes about task-oriented salespeople vs. goal-oriented salespeople, and helps us further examine the differences. See which category you fall into, and then work to make sure you're always goal-oriented.
Scott R. Sheaffer, CSE, ATM, writes the Sales Vitamins blog. He lives in Dallas, Texas and has worked in sales, sales management and sales training for over 20 years in companies ranging from small enterprises to Fortune 500 companies.
Sales conversations all around the world start out with, "I just called to see how things are going." Wendy Weiss recounts this sad sales conversation in hopes we can all learn from it:
Sales Representative: "I just called to see how things are going." Wendy: "Things are going fine. Why are you calling?"
Sales Representative: "I just called to see how things are."
Wendy: "Things are fine." Sales Representative: "OK. Well I'm here if you need me."
Wendy: "Why should I need you?"
"'I just called to see how things are going' has to be the lamest follow-up question of all time," says Weiss. "Although, it is running neck and neck with, 'I just called to follow-up.' Neither question elicits any information, neither moves the sales process forward and both are frequently annoying to your prospect who has absolutely no idea why you have called."
"The rule is: Never make a call to your prospect without having a goal in mind. When you hang up the telephone, what do you want to have accomplished? Do you want to gather information? Do you want the prospect to commit to some action? Do you want agreement on the next step in your sales process? Once you have your goal in mind then you can figure out the appropriate approach."
"Here's an approach that you can use to set up your follow up calls," says Weiss. "I call it the 'Instant Recap/Guilt Technique.'" It goes like this:
Instant Recap "Hello (prospect's name goes here.) This is (your name) from (your company.) We spoke on (date goes here) and discussed (fill in whatever you discussed.)" Guilt "You asked me to call you (or 'We agreed that I'd call') to discuss (fill in the blank with your next step.)"
The "Instant Recap" brings your prospect back to your last conversation. Your prospect may or may not remember that conversation and when you are prospecting, you don't want to count on your prospect's memory. Help your prospect out by recapping your last conversation.
The "Guilt Technique" then explains why you are calling. There had been a previous conversation, outlined in the "Instant Recap" and now you are doing what you had promised to do, call your prospect.
Wendy Weiss, "The Queen of Cold Calling," is a sales trainer, author and sales coach. Her recently released program, "The Miracle Appointment-Setting Script," and/or her book, "Cold Calling for Women," can be ordered by visiting her website. Contact her at wendy@wendyweiss.com.
Sales trainer Jim Meisenheimer has a new spin on Neil Rackham's SPIN Selling.
Meisenheimer suggests you consider S.P.I.N. as four pieces to the selling puzzle:
S = Shrug it off "Right now most of the world's news is negative," says Meisenheimer. In the USA the real estate market is hurting, financial markets are in chaos, and just when you think gas prices can't go any higher - they go higher. Shrug it off. That's right, dismiss the bad news or it will eventually consume and overwhelm you."
"If the news gets you down, do something that picks you back up. You can't afford to be down and negative when you're working with your sales prospects and customers. Change your routine. Exercise more. Read motivational books. And stay away from negative people because it's amazing how contagious negativity can be."
P = Preparation and practice "Inject a little preparation and practice into every selling day," says Meisenheimer. "For example, when you're planning sales calls for the next day, you can prepare several questions in writing. While you're driving to the account practice them. If you don't practice what you're going to say before you get to the account you end up practicing on your sales prospects and customers. Nothing could be worse!" I = Initiative "The initiative I'm referring to is personal initiative," says Meisenheimer. "This word covers all aspects of professional selling. When times are tough it requires that you become tougher."
"Doing things the way you've always done them will not differentiate you from your competition. Take the initiative to learn more about personal salesmanship and selling skills. Literally - hit the books."
"Take the initiative to pick up the telephone and schedule more appointments. Take the initiative to allocate more face-to-face time calling on sales prospects which represent new business opportunities for you." And take the initiative on every sales call to exceed your sales prospect's and/or customer's expectations."
N = New "Focus on what's new, not what's problematic," says Meisenheimer. "Get excited when you're talking about what's new to your sales prospects and customers. If you're excited, they'll become excited."
"It's not easy being positive when all the news is so negative," he explains. "You have the ultimate control over your thoughts. So choose optimism over pessimism, positive over negative, sunny versus gloomy, and winning over losing."
"You'll be glad you did and so will your customers. Growing your business, increasing your sales, and making more money is easy when you put the right S.P.I.N. on it."
Former U.S. Army Officer Jim Meisenheimer is an author, speaker and sales trainer with years of successful selling experience. He publishes the bi-weekly No-Brainer Selling Tips Newsletter, which is packed full of information to help you win bigger sales and KO the competition. Learn more at www.meisenheimer.com
"If you don't risk anything, you risk even more." -- Erica Jong, "Fear of Flying" novelist and poet
Have you been thinking about calling a hot-shot CEO but been too nervous to do so? Put together a great presentation idea, but too afraid to try it on anyone? It's easy to stay in your comfort zone, but it's only by trying new things that you will reach new heights. Take a sales risk this week, and see what happens!
It's every salesperson's worst nightmare: you've done the presentation, they've said yes, and now you're drawing up the final papers and planning what you'll do with the commission. The phone rings and it's your customers, saying, "I've changed my mind."
So what can you do to avoid this panic-inducing scenario? "Make it easy for your prospect to say yes by 'creating the future,'" says sales trainer Jim Klein.
To do this, "paint a picture of some future date after they have been using your product or service," says Klein. "Explain this picture in detail using lots of adjectives, and explain how the benefits of owning your product or service will change their lives. It's basically a review of the benefits using their emotions to insure them they are doing the right thing."
"I know buyer's remorse has happened to me many times in my life," says Klein. "However, as I began talking to other people about my decision, more times than not, I would get confirmation from others that I had made the right decision. You see, that's really what anyone is looking for; confirmation from someone other than themselves that they made the right decision."
Another way to ensure your client doesn't experience buyer's remorse is to create a future relationship with them. "Let them know you're not just going to make the sale and forget about them, or pass them on to another department in your company," says Klein. "A phone call the day after the sale is a great way to let them know how much you care, and will show them you mean what you say."
"Make the transition to the next step in their purchase a smooth one for them. If there will be a delivery of a product, take the time to be there on the delivery date. At the very least, make a phone call to the prospect to make sure everything went according to plan, and that they are satisfied."
Take time to make sure your clients are comfortable with their buying decision, and you won't run into any trouble down the line.
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
Have you been feeling the heat lately? I don't know about your neck of the woods, but San Diego has been unusually hot lately. We're spoiled by moderate temperatures year-round, so any extreme change in temperature makes me feel absolutely miserable.
With the heat on everyone's minds, I felt this article from sales trainer Renee Walkup, where she asks "Can you be more efficient by using the phone?" was very timely. Use these tips to close more business over the phone, and avoid venturing into the sweltering heat wearing pantyhose or a jacket and tie.
Here are Walkup's 5 tips for being more effective over the phone:
1. Convince yourself that customers LIKE the phone. They don't always want to see you. Some of the best sales calls and negotiations are conducted using the telephone as the communications vehicle.
2. Have your notes in front of you to guide the call. If you are checking your email and attempting to organize and deliver a compelling presentation over the phone, you are about to be disappointed. Write out what you need to accomplish in advance and prepare before picking up the receiver.
3. Be quiet and listen. What wisdom or irritation is your customer going through? Are you focused on what he/she is saying that is between the lines?
4. Take notes during your call. You not only will have a record of what transpired, you may also discover what tactics you'll need to use in your next interaction with the customer.
5. Don't forget to ask for the sale! Your call should always end with a close that takes you to the next steps in your sales relationship.
So, shed your jacket, tie, pantyhose, and whatever else is making you sweat, plop down on your comfortable office chair, sit back, and pick up the phone. With these tips from Walkup, you may just close a deal!
Renee Walkup is president of SalesPEAK, a national sales performance company, as well as a well-recognized keynote speaker, sales coach, and author, with a 25-year background in sales, sales team management and training. Learn more at www.salespeak.com
How do you refer to the people you represent? Are they clients or customers? Perhaps you struggle with what you call them, and bounce back and forth from one term to the other, depending on what comes to mind first.
"From my perspective a client is a person whose business you have a vested interest in, and for whom you perform as a partner within their business," says sales trainer Kendra Lee. "Not everything you provide is billable. And not every opportunity you are awarded was shopped with the competition for the best price."
"You are a respected part of your client's business. Every time you meet with your client, you bring a new idea. They value your expertise and recommendations, even seeking them out. While you want to be successful yourself, your primary objective is to make their business successful because you know your success stems from their success."
"In contrast, customers are people who you help meet a need," continues Lee. "They have a problem. You address the problem. You may invest long hours in determining the right solution. They may invest a great deal in purchasing the solution, but they don't recognize the value of your recommendations. You don't take time to present new ideas, perform quarterly review meetings, or call them spontaneously."
"While you like customers as people, neither of you are investing in a long-term relationship. Customers may deal with a specific seller so long that a friendly relationship is established, but there is rarely a vested interest to the extent that a business partnership is established."
So, which would you rather have: clients or customers?
"Personally, I'd like every customer to be a client, because it means they respect the full value of what I can bring to them as a consultative seller, and what our organization can provide to their business," says Lee. "I have fun working with clients, and they enjoy working with me. We make each other successful."
The big question is: how do we turn customers into clients?
First, we change how we refer to them. They are clients.
Next, we examine why we aren't doing those things for our customers that we do for our clients, like bringing a new idea to every meeting, helping them identify unique ways to address their strategic business objectives, or holding a project review meeting with their staff.
Finally, we change. We treat our customers like clients. If they don't see the value after all our efforts, they may select different vendors. But then, they really weren't our clients in the first place, were they?
Kendra Lee is author of "Selling Against the Goal" and president of KLA Group, helping companies rapidly penetrate new markets, break into new accounts and shorten time to revenue with new products in the Small & Midmarket Business (SMB) segment. For more information, visit www.klagroup.com
How many times did your parents and teachers tell you that growing up?
I absolutely believe in the importance of questions - especially when you don't understand something - but there's a time and a place for everything. Peppering a busy CEO with questions while they're rushing out the door for a meeting? Not a good idea. Asking questions during a presentation to feel out what the CEO wants from your solution? Good idea.
"Insightful, well-researched, finely tuned questions can establish your credibility and earn the customer's trust," agrees sales trainer Daniel Adams. "The goal is to listen to the customer instead of launching into reasons why the customer should buy. Great questioning - which provides key information needed to qualify, set strategy, and gain credibility - requires research, preparation and great listening skills."
"Questions can also kill - if they're the wrong ones or at the wrong time," says Adams. "Asking too many questions, or asking questions that reveal you have not researched the company can decrease your credibility. Only ask questions that demonstrate you have done your homework and you know something about the customer's business."
For these reasons, Adams has put together the C.O.W. questioning strategy to help you remember the best way to use questions to further the sale:
C - questions about their current situation (e.g., "What do you like about your current situation? What do you dislike?)
O - questions about their optimal situation (e.g., "In a perfect world, if you could design your own solution for your needs and challenges with unlimited funds, what would that situation look like?")
W - questions about the win that the proposed solution would provide for the corporation (e.g., "How does your company or department win if the optimal state is realized?") or for the individual customer (e.g., "Assuming that these needs and challenges are solved, how would things change for you personally?")
"These personal impact questions are the most powerful;" says Adams, "they provide valuable insights about the customer that can be continually referenced and leveraged throughout the sales process."
"Simply by showing that you have done your homework and by asking powerful and insightful questions, you will begin to understand your customer's world and gain her confidence. You are well on your way to establishing the one crucial element - TRUST!"
Daniel Adams, author of Building Trust, Growing Sales, and creator of Trust Triangle Selling, helps corporations improve their profits by optimizing the performance of their sales teams. He is a frequent and popular speaker at national sales meetings, workshops and association events. To learn more, visit Daniel's website at www.trusttriangleselling.com
Telesales expert Art Sobczak finds sales lessons everywhere. Recently he wrote about a conversation he overheard in the computer aisle of an electronics store.
Customer: "What's the difference between the $400 model and the $675 version?"
Sales Rep: "Well, it has a few more features, but the $400 model does a pretty good job."
The customer agreed to get the $400 model, and the rep went to retrieve one from the back. While waiting, I overheard the customer say to his wife, "I probably would have gone for the $675 version, but I guess we don't need it."
This happens all the time.
According to Sobczak, "When you hear questions about the differences between lower and higher-priced versions of what you sell, what they're really saying is, 'I could buy the higher-end product/service, but I'm not yet convinced of the value. So help me understand why I should get it.'"
Here are the typical mistakes Sobczak sees reps make in this situation, and what you should do instead:
Mistake: Gagging out a data-dump explanation Just like at any point in the sales process, if you present data without knowing what, specifically, they would or could be interested in, it could cause their eyes to glaze over. Worse, you might provide fodder for an objection.
Mistake: Downplaying the higher-priced option For fear of losing any type of sale, some reps play up the lower-priced option while not knowing anything about the prospect's situation. They make an assumption that the person won't buy higher. This assumption takes money out of the rep's pocket.
"Again, keep in mind that when they ask about the higher-priced item they could be saying, 'I can be sold on the higher-priced version...I just need to justify it,'" says Sobczak. "Your first response should not be presenting. Instead, question. Focus questions on uncovering reasons why the top-of-the-line version delivers more value, to determine if that's what they need or want."
For example, "Well, the Deluxe Option has a few nice extras that might be a good fit for you. Let's find out. Tell me, do you ever run into situations where you have to manually extract the additional data you need from your database? I see. Well, this version does that for you. And, how about situations where..."
Or, "I'll be happy to explain. So I can make my comments most relevant, please tell me, how do you plan on using the system?"
"There are many more sales reps who sell on low price than there are buyers who will buy strictly because of price," says Sobczak. "Find out what they need, and everyone wins."
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 begin showing results from the very next time participants get on the phone. Learn more at www.businessbyphone.com
San Franciscans Kevin Whittaker and Cory Jens recently set a new handshaking world record of 9.5 hours, beating the previous record set by two Germans by a half hour.
The two practiced shaking hands, and developed a couple of techniques - "one involves putting both your pinkies out, which allows an opening where air gets in and cools you off. The other is that one of us shakes and does all the work, while the other one relaxes," said Whittaker.
Thankfully for Whittaker and Jens, the Guinness Book of World Records only requires the record-setters to keep their hands moving up and down the whole time. In business, the art of handshaking is much more involved.
You need to convey confidence, warmth and honesty while shaking hands with your prospect, says SalesDog.com publisher Michael Dalton Johnson. While you may not break any world records with your handshake, when properly executed, you will create a good impression. Here are a few of Johnson's tips for a winning handshake:
Avoid the power grip. A handshake should be firm, but not overly forceful. Beware of the unconscious tendency to pull the other person toward you as you shake. This can be interpreted as aggressive, and the prospect's resistance to you will go up a notch or two.
Look 'em in the eye. As you extend your hand, establish eye contact and smile. Show some teeth! A warm and sincere greeting can make you an instant friend - and all things being equal, people prefer to buy from friends.
Get a grip. Never grasp the other person's fingers. Take their entire hand completely in yours, and gently pump it two or three times.
What to say? No handshake is complete without a spoken greeting. You can't go wrong with, "It's a pleasure to meet you." When meeting someone of high rank, such as the chairman of the board or founder of a company, you may want to up the ante with, "It's a great pleasure to meet you." After the initial greeting, your conversation should begin while you are still shaking hands, for example, "John tells me you've made some significant additions to your product line." Your hand should be slowly and somewhat reluctantly withdrawn as the person begins to speak. This slow withdrawal indicates your keen interest in the person and what he is saying.
"No one can cheat you out of ultimate success but yourself." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
When you're having a tough time selling, it's easy to blame the economy, your manager, your company, your product line, your dog - in short, anything and anyone but yourself. Yet, ultimately you are the only person who can be held accountable for your results.
If your company isn't providing the training you need, instead of complaining, purchase some training books or invest in a seminar to hone your skills.
If the economy is affecting your company's revenues, do some research on new companies to prospect, new ways to market yourself and new ways to position your products.
You may not be able to change the situation, but you can change how you respond to it.
"We all know we should ask questions. But the effort is wasted if they're not asked in the right way, or if you don't listen to the answers," says telesales guru Art Sobczak.
Here are five quick tips from Art that are sure to make your questioning more effective:
1. Ask one question at a time. If it's not important enough to stand on its own, don't ask it.
2. After you ask it, be quiet. If your prospect doesn't answer immediately, resist the urge to answer for him or follow up with another question. He is likely thinking about what he is going to say.
3. After your prospect has apparently finished, remain quiet for 1-2 more seconds. You might get additional information, and this ensures you don't interrupt.
4. Follow-up with a related question. Don't ping-pong around from subject to subject. For example, if your prospect answers, "I believe the main problem we have right now is a lack of motivation," a logical next query would be, "Oh, what are some specific situations where you've seen a lack of motivation?"
5. Be confident in your questioning. One reason people ask multiple questions is that they aren't comfortable asking questions. The only way you're going to truly help someone is by finding out about him. You're not intruding. You're assisting.
Sound advice. Put it to use today. For more helpful tips on questioning techniques and selling by phone, visit Art Sobczak's website at www.BusinessbyPhone.com.
Yet you do it every day without realizing. How often do you find yourself thanking someone for taking your call? Or, asking for just five minutes of a prospect's time? You may think you're being polite, but you're coming across as begging.
Sounding pathetic is one of the surest ways to ensure that your customer will lack confidence and respect for both you and your organization, says sales trainer Tim Connor. People buy when they are ready to buy, not when you need to sell. You'll project a lack of confidence when you say things like:
"What time is convenient for you?" Instead of, "Let's see if we can arrange a mutually beneficial time."
"We're the best in the business." Instead of, "Let's see if our product or service will solve your problem."
"When can you let me know your decision?" Instead of, "Let's set a time to discuss your decision."
"Can I call you in a few weeks to follow-up?" Instead of, "I'll call you in a few weeks to discuss your questions and further interest."
These are just a few of the ways you may be sending prospects the message that you lack credibility and confidence in your ability to perform. Incorporate Tim's suggestions into your sales dialogue and enjoy the respect that is sure to follow.
When was the last time you bought something from someone you didn't trust? If you're like most people you only buy from those you trust. Sales trainer and human behavior expert John Boe has some useful advice on how to establish trust so you can make the sale.
Use active listening skills. The quickest way to destroy trust and rapport is to dominate the conversation. Successful salespeople take notes, listen attentively, and avoid the temptation to interrupt, criticize, or argue. To develop and encourage conversation, use open-ended questions to probe the meaning behind your prospect's statements. Occasionally repeat your prospect's words verbatim. By restating their key words or phrases you not only clarify communication, but also build rapport.
Adjust to your prospect's temperament style. Research indicates people are born into one of four primary temperament styles: aggressive, expressive, passive, or analytical. Each of these four styles requires a unique approach and selling strategy. For example, if you are selling to the impatient, aggressive style, they prefer a short warm up and expect a quick, bottom line presentation. While at the other extreme, the cautious, analytical style is slow to warm up and is interested in every detail. Once you learn how to identify each of the four primary styles, you will be able to close more sales in less time by adjusting to your prospect's buying style.
"Much like dancing, the fine art of the handshake takes practice," says Michael Dalton Johnson. "Stand before a mirror and extend your hand. Check to see if you're projecting an image of confidence, warmth and enthusiasm. Keep in mind that your handshake reflects your personality, and should be a spontaneous gesture of friendly greeting that comes naturally from within," he advises. "With a little rehearsal, you will develop the ability to tailor your handshake to every situation you face, and each individual you meet."
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Name: Editor: Kelly McLean
Location: Carlsbad, CA, United States
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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