The WELL Question: What can you do this week to create more hunger, that will in turn give you more drive and motivation, so you can go out there and meet more prospects and close more sales?
Here's a great Technique that can be used for both Buying and Selling. It's called the Disappointed Technique and although there are many variations, let's start with the easiest since it's only One Word. The word is Ooooooh. If you're Selling something, you can ask the Prospect how much they were planning on spending and when they give you an amount, you simply say Ooooooh. A majority of the time the Prospect will now ask if they need to start with more, which earns you the right to talk about a larger amount and increase the size of the Sale.
If you're Buying something and ask the price, whatever price the Salesperson gives you, you simple say Ooooooh. A majority of the time they will now drop the price or add something on value. Granted it doesn't work if you're buying a Slurpee at the 7-11, however you can use it for an almost endless list of Products and Services where the price could be negotiable. Try it on Furniture, Cars, Hotels, etc., and you'll save thousands of dollars in the coming months and years.
“You have to do what others won't. To achieve what others don't.” – Anonymous
The WELL Question: What will you commit to doing this week that you have not been doing . . . that you know you should be doing . . . that will help you to close more business this week?
Most people are using business social networking hoping to promote themselves and their businesses. This is because several forums offer enormous opportunities to make connections. However, there are don’ts to remember when using business social networking. These are as follows:
1. Telling each and every one.
One thing in business social networking is that people get to know each other a little bit more. Whenever, people talk more, they share more, and they will have the capability to copy personal relationships. This can be an incredible effect for some professionals granted that there are also limits on sharing information and facts especially in an open setting. The solution in using business social networking effectively is being real, honest, sincere and genuine with your statements but then, it does not really mean that you should give all the way.
2. Being excessively vocal.
Being constantly aggressive is a big NO in business social networking simply because you will not get the interest required to endorse a business in a positive way. Of course it is fine to have your opinions but it is poor to openly clash with others.
3. Commenting without control.
Commenting on blog posts is a good approach to involve yourself, share your enormous information and knowledge and get your name recognized. But then, if you ever post impolite, offensive, improper, provoking and insulting comments, this will not help you a bit. On the other hand, it will make you look stupid, silly, and idiotic even if you think that you are right.
4. Reliving the Good Old Days.
Facebook is certainly a great way for reconnecting with old friends. It is good also for developing your professional set of connections and sharing a special personal side of yourself. The problem in using Facebook for business and personal use is that it will have a great impact without you realizing it. It’s about having split personalities whenever you share a link to your latest post on your own web design blog and then suddenly it is followed by wall-to-wall discussions with a good old friend about funny thing in the past. It is probable to join business and personal in Business Social Networking but remember that there are several people reading your updates and what will be the impact your comments might have on your professional life.
Give it a rest. You don’t need to be prospecting all the time. It’s just flat out annoying. And creepy. Stop it.
Conventional sales wisdom has been telling us to prospect a little each day.
Maybe it’s two hours each morning or a few minutes each afternoon — a little bit of Twitter, some LinkedIn group messaging, some Facebook photo swapping, and a little Quora question-and-answering. You are “out there” dropping virtual business cards and using any leverage you can muster to get your message “heard”.
It sounds good. It really does.
There’s a big problem though… It just doesn’t work.
It seems logical that we should start prospecting a little each day. Always be dropping links to how amazing you are and why your products are so gorgeously amazing.
And besides that being misguided activity in general. And creepy. It’s just NOT an efficient (or effective) use of your time.
“Every day prospecting” generally leads to a lot of “half ass” activity. It’s just not special.
What you are doing doesn’t seem to matter. And so unfortunately that’s how you begin to act.
You let other activities creep into your “allotted prospecting time”. But since it’s on your calendar you still count the activity as “finished”.
You did nothing. —> You got nothing. —> And you keep doing it day after day like it’s working.
That’s the ongoing pattern.
It’s a downward spiral of selfishly confused agitation.. And here’s how you fix it all.
You stop the daily churn. You chill out.
You do a burst of prospecting at a time.
You bury yourself undistracted in the task and power drive lists, connections, and potential relationships.
Here’s what will happen:
You’ll find yourself making massive momentum in a short period of time and that leads to excitement and a brighter look at your future.
It’s like a whole world of new options options opens up to you.
And frankly it has.
You made it happen with focused bursts of time and attention. It works.
Try it next time you want to scare up more business.
One of the hardest parts of making a sale is the closure. Sales professionals are usually keen to know how to close more sales and generate more business. Statistics suggest that if a salesperson can get his client to say 'yes' at least 8 times through trial close questions, then he is likely to secure a sale. So, always help your client to say 'yes', while asking trial close questions.
Top 10 Sales Closing Tips Here are 10 tips to help you develop a high closing ratio:
1. Focus on the Outcome: Focus on the positive outcome of a sale rather than imagining negative outcome. Assume that the prospect is going to purchase.
2. First Impression: Present yourself in a best possible manner to create a great impression. Dress well, reach on time, greet your customer with a smile and a handshake, and convey confidence.
3. Ask Questions: Ask relevant questions to your clients, such as what are they looking for? What are their needs? Who will be using the service or product? What is their budget? Listen to their replies and try to identify their problems and understand their requirements.
4. Present Your Product: Explain the workings and features of your product to the prospect. Use assertive language while doing so. Convince the client that he is getting a bargain. Also, make him believe that he is getting the best possible deal.
5. Handle Objection: Try to handle objections with truthful insights and convincing responses. Also, learn to overcome hidden objections. The hidden objections are the hardest to handle because they are unstated and often covered by excuses.
6. Ask for the Order: Make sure you ask for the order. Many clients expect you to do so or they may never buy. However, it is important to know the right time to ask to get a favorable response. Stop selling and ask for the order, when the prospect seems to be excited about your offer.
7. Be Persistent: Do not restrict yourself by asking only once or twice. Be persistent and ask for the order several times. Top performers make at least seven attempts.
8. Ask Differently: Ask for the order in different ways to avoid sounding like a pest. Too much desperation can turn-off the prospect.
9. Silence: Once you have gotten the order, avoid over talking. Too much idle chatting can result in cancellation of the order.
10. Reassure: Explain to the prospect what to expect and do next. Thank your client and reassure him that he has made a sound investment.
For more tips of sale closing, visit salescoach.us. The Sales Coaching Institute has helped thousands of salesmen improve their performance.
Sales coaching - Sales Coach is a sales training institute that has provided innovative professional sales techniques offering public sales training seminars and custom in-house sales training.
What is the best course of action to take when a competitor tells your customer something that is incorrect about you and/or your company (or even worse, something that is maliciously destructive)?
‘Help! My Business Sucks!’ is a free, weekly web TV show that helps entrepreneurs to “get more done and have more fun.” Hosted by maverick marketer Andrew Lock, the show provides plenty of practical marketing tips, big lessons from well known brands, and lots of little known resources that small business owners can use to increase their profits fast.Watch now...
Sales Acceleration by Drew Stevens Drew Stevens is a sales and customer service expert, helping to find cures for managers and individuals that want to dramatically accelerate business growth. Dr. Drew provides advice, results and action to greatly expand your business. Listen now...
“He is rich or poor according to what he is, not according to what he has.” – Henry Ward Beecher The WELL Question: What actions can you take this week to increase your value as a salesperson to your customers, your company and to yourself?
Steve Waterhouse is the author of The Team Selling Solution (McGraw-Hill). You can read his blog and more articles at predictiveresults.com
Too much selling time is spent talking with people who have no need for, or interest in, what you are offering. The truth is, almost anyone can dramatically improve their sales results if they have great leads.
Here are 10 ways to build a steady flow of leads that will dramatically increase your closing percentage.
1. Call all of your old clients and ask about new opportunities. This has time and again proven to be the most powerful prospecting approach.
2. Send a series of 5 letters to a targeted list offering them a special report that relates to your offering. Only the truly interested people will respond.
3. Start an e-mail newsletter that has high value to your prospects. If the value is high enough, existing clients will forward it and your list will grow. I get new business every time I send out my newsletter.
4. Give a seminar and invite people who are in your target market. Even if it is free, only those who really want what you are offering will attend.
5. Join a trade association where the members are in your target market. Get active in the leadership so they see you as a leader. Don’t be shy about letting people know why you are there.
6. Send postcards that include an offer that a real prospect could not ignore. Postcards are cheaper than letters and don’t have to be opened.
7. Scan your competition’s web site for lists of customers or testimonials. That will give you a list of those who might need a different supplier.
8. Make a list of 25 hot prospects and contact them every month. You can mix up your contacts with e-mail, calls, letters and articles.
9. Write articles and place them in publications that are read by your prospects. Include an offer in each article.
10. Use 2 or 3 of the approaches above and build a plan that you execute every month. Even if you have to hire someone to do it, make sure you are never too busy to prospect.
Wishing you the best of selling success,
Steve Waterhouse
Steve Waterhouse is a consultant and author specializing in sales development through training and effective hiring. He can be reached at:http://customerfocusedsales.com/
Many clients come to me who have trouble closing and overcoming objections. There is a sales technique you can use that can make a huge difference to your closing success.
One recent client went from a 10% closing rate to a 50% closing rate after just one coaching session. What technique could make this much of a difference in your ability to close sales?
The simple answer is giving the customer a reason why today is the best day to buy. Unless you make this part of your presentation, you will only close those customers who happen to have a reason to buy today.
Let's look at an example: You are offering a product or service by phone to consumers that cost $300.00. You have made your presentation and the customer is interested. However, they tell you they will be definitely getting it in 2 weeks when their paycheck comes in (or any other excuse you wish to fill in here).
A weak salesperson ends the call. The sale is over. They will follow up in two weeks only to find that the customer doesn't return their calls or has lost interest. A stronger salesperson is ready for this situation with several reasons why today is the best day to make a purchase. Some can be discounts and but they don't have to be.
Here are a few examples: Bob, I don't blame you for wanting to wait a couple of weeks but we're not asking you to pay for it, we're just asking you to give us the go ahead. You can put it in your credit card and you won't have to make any payments for 30 days…I'll get the paperwork started.
Another way to go is with a discount. Bob, normally I would want you to wait the two weeks to get started but here is something you might consider. I made a volume deal yesterday and got a special discount from the company. If we could complete your order this afternoon, I might be able to give you that same volume pricing and save you $75.00. Let's see if we can get you the benefits now and save you money. I'll get the paperwork started.
These are just two examples. For best results, customize the reason to buy fit your customer and your sales situation. In every type of sale, never try to close without a good reason to buy. You will find it makes a big difference.
This show is designed to help small business owners, salespeople, and aspiring entrepreneurs with the various aspects of business success. We meet on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month and have a great lineup of guests and topics scheduled. Listen now...
In recent times companies have found a new way to make sure that they reach a whole new audience online by making their presence known on as many social networking sites as they can. The one that companies most seem to target is Facebook, one reason is that there are so many different ways for people to market on Facebook. There are really four main ways that people can market using this site, they all take a little work but they are all well worth the time.
The first way is the most difficult; this involves making sure that people talk about your company or product on their facebook page. This may seem like something that couldn’t be done, but there are people out there who will allow companies to page them and then promote the product on their page by just mentioning it. This can be done either by just posting about it or by making sure that they say good things about it. It’s really up to you and up to the person that will be posting.
You can also buy advertising space on facebook. You can either pay for each click or for every thousand impressions. You can set up different ad campaigns and make sure that each campaign is targeted to who you want for each ad. These ads will show up on the side of the facebook page whenever someone visits the site and whenever they open a new page. They are always present and facebook always rotates the ads, with so many people accessing the site each day this really is a great way of making sure your ad is seen.
Pages are another way to get people to see your company or product. You can create a page for something and people can click on a link there to follow it, once they do this it will come up on their page for their friends to see and if these friends then follow it, it can become a circle. You can post updates, promotions and news. You can pretty much put anything that you want to up on the page. The best idea is to try and make sure that it is news that people will be interested in. Once you get people interested in your product or service then they will keep coming back.
Groups are one of the more popular ways to market on facebook. If you create a group then you can add photos, videos and much more for people to look at. People will also have a discussion board that they can use to discuss the different things that they like or dislike about your product or company. If you respond and are interactive with your fans you will thereby create a natural group, creating a very different form of marketing that people will appreciate. If people feel that they are being heard then they will be more likely to keep coming back to a certain product or company. Once you get them to keep coming back you have a regular customer base. For more marketing information on ways to market on Facebook, please visit my blog at http://www.annettapowellonline.com. See you there!
Building mutually beneficial relationships is an essential business practice. How that is accomplished via the social networks requires a number of skills, including an appropriate application of effort.
There are many subtleties and nuances involved with relationships. Let's set most of those aside and focus on the one thing that trips up both novices and experienced practitioners alike - how much effort to apply and how to skillfully deliver it.
When a positive connection is made, both parties are instantly aware of it. It can sometimes be described as electric. It's as if a switch is thrown and the conversation naturally flows from that.
Trying too hard is forcing a connection, and that is a turn-off. Conversely, not trying hard enough shows a lack of interest that also fails to propel the conversation forward.
Falling short in any one of the following categories is enough to terminate an opportunity that may have otherwise proved to be mutually beneficial.
#1 - Anonymity - In many ways social media is a game, and you have to be actively participating in it if you expect to be noticed. Even the least skilled player will get some playing time by just showing up at the playground. It works the same with social networking.
So, if your blog or Twitter presence has not been updated in months, or even days, then you are no longer in the game. Can you really expect others to engage with you if you do not care enough to show up and make timely updates?
#2 - Ambiguity - Social media gives you a voice. Granted this privilege, you should use it to take a stand and share your unique perspective with as much personalization as possible.
Your experience and expertise entitles you to an opinion, so take full advantage of the opportunity. When you stay in the middle of the road you fail to provide value. Share what you know and do so with confidence.
Trying to be all things to all people is valueless.
#3 - Secrecy - One aspect of traditional marketing was the premise of secrecy. The process was designed to restrain the distribution of value to a select group in order to preserve a power base. Traditional publishing falls into this category.
Take a look at this video from Seth Godin and you will see how he gained more fans and made more money by providing free access to his content.
Effectiveness with social media requires sharing an abundance of valuable information. If you are not willing to provide free access to your secrets, then you are not going to be very welcome on the social media playground.
#4 - Over The Top - Making outrageous claims is a signal of something that is too good to be true. Novices typically oversell in this fashion, and that is a turn-off to more experienced players.
If you really can deliver at a high level, just dial back your communications and let the results speak for themselves.
#5 - Unresponsiveness - Chris Brogan is someone that I greatly respect because he is responsive to everyone in his expansive communities - regardless of their relative influence. Despite the growth of his subscriber base at ChrisBrogan.com, he is still the number one commenter.
Do you reply to most of the direct comments on your blog or Twitter profile? If not, you are sending potentially lucrative opportunities elsewhere. Why? It shows a lack of respect for what Guy Kawasaki refers to as the nobodies that are indeed somebodies.
You won't know what that means unless you respond and engage.
by Jeff Korhan
About the Author: Jeff Korhan is a new media marketer, an award-winning entrepreneur, and a top-ranked blogger who helps entrepreneurs and small business owners maximize their Web visibility, reputation, and referrals with social media and Internet marketing. http://www.jeffkorhan.com
Like most bits of wisdom that stand the test of time, "the customer is always right" applies most of the time. Most - not all - of the time. That mind set can easily blind us to four critical facts.
1) Customer personnel do not have the time and/or wherewithal to address all of their known significant problems and opportunities.
Have you ever heard of a decision-maker that complained about having too much time at his or her disposal? That there just wasn't enough to do to fill the hours of the working day? You almost certainly have heard something along the lines of, "my people have the best knowledge and skills in the business," though. Even if that's true, which I doubt, it is virtually impossible for anybody to keep up with the incredibly fast advances of the modern business world. My point is, every customer always needs every bit of time savings and/or knowledge you, your company, your products and your services can provide.
2) Customers have unknown problems and opportunities.
I don't care how smart they are, all customers are oblivious to something. And they know it too. Anyone who truly believes their area of responsibility is totally under control and immune to circumstances lurking in the background or just around the corner, is either the most arrogant human in history or insane. My point is, every customer always needs every bit of relevant insight and perspective you, your company, your products and your services can provide.
3) Customer decision processes are not robust enough to deal with the complexity of their problems and opportunities.
The best business process in the world continuously becomes less able to deal with the changes thrown at it. Every day, it becomes just a bit more obsolete. That's the best business process in the world. How many customers can even tell you what their decision process is? How many businesses have ever even thought through what their decision process should be? My point is, every customer always needs your spin on what to consider when evaluating the types of products and services you provide.
4) Few individuals consider their entire business when making a decision.
The functional "silo" has become a cliché for reason. It's true! Most people don't know about, much less care about or consider, people and processes outside of their direct responsibility. (Can you believe there's an actual purchasing agent I know of who cares only about price? Who refuses to consider quality, durability, warranty, integration, service or support? I know, shocking!) The CEO, however, does consider and worries endlessly about how all the pieces of his or her organization integrate with one another as well as with pieces of supplier and customer organizations. You don't get to be a CEO unless you're really, really good at perceiving, understanding and managing all those connections over long time horizons. My point is, every customer always needs your ability and insight into how your products and services integrate with and help harmonize those connections. In fact, the better you get at "orchestrating" business processes, the more time you'll be "forced" to spend meeting with top customer executives.
Notice how these four facts have little to do with your products and services. They have little to do with traditional sales skills. They have far more to do with your knowledge and skill as a creative business executive. Success in selling depends upon your prospects' realization of how you can save them time; provide some of the knowledge and skills required to solve their problems and address their opportunities; point out the hidden problems and opportunities; constantly improve their decision process; and help them think big, broadly and long term. The customer is not always right. They know it. And they will embrace the sales rep who helps them get better with these four aspects of running a business.
Todd Youngblodd is passionate about sales productivity. His 30+ year career in Executive Management, Sales, Marketing and Consulting has focused on selling more, better, cheaper and faster. He spent his first fifteen years rising through the sales ranks at IBM. Know more about Todd Youngblodd here
When last did you see a feature on sales in Business Day or Financial Mail? Advertising and marketing yes, but sales, NO! Consequently, many managers and executives and managers are poorly informed about the discipline.
Of all the major business disciplines, sales has probably received the least attention from academics, senior management and the business press.
The following facts may shed a little light on the subject.
•Harvard research shows that, across a range of industries, there is a direct and consistent correlation between the calibre of the sales force and organisational growth.
•A world class sales benchmarking study reveals that the calibre of the salesperson, in the B2B environment, is the most important factor influencing customers’ decisions to buy.
•In many sales forces, 20% of the sales force deliver 80% of the revenues. This means that hiring talented salespeople is essentially a random event. Tossing a coin would be as effective.
•64% of salespeople who fail, do so because they are in the wrong job, not because they cannot sell.
•Top sales producers outperform average producers by two to one and outperform low producers by 10 to one.
•Caliper Corporation reports that 55% of people making their living in sales should be doing something else.
•Sales is a talent-based profession and training can only improve this by 20%. So a 5% can become a 6%, but an 80% can become a 96%.
•Replacing your bottom 20% of salespeople with only average performers would improve sales productivity by nearly 20%.
•Over 50% of sales managers are too busy to train and develop their sales teams.
Sensible investment in recruiting and developing real sales talent yields wonderful returns.
Peter Gilbert is MD of HR Chally, a consultancy specialising in sales research and the identification of sales talent. Know more about Peter Gilbert here
“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” – Benjamin Franklin
The WELL Question: What excuses will you put behind you this week, excuses that you have been hiding behind, that have kept you from meeting more new prospects and closing more sales?
Cold leads - prospective customers you have not contacted before - are difficult to convert into buyers. Simply by getting in touch with them, you are taking a gamble that they might be interested. So how do you approach a cold lead to give yourself the best chance of making a sale?
1. Find good leads. Leads are those details - names, job titles, email addresses and phone numbers - that are vital to any business. There are numerous ways of sourcing them including searching trade directories, attending trade exhibitions or buying lists of "unqualified" leads from suppliers. The better they fit with your customer profile, the more chance you have of converting them.
2. Stay within the law. If you hold any personal information about customers, such as names and addresses, you must comply with the Data Protection Act. You must also ensure you don't make unsolicited calls, or send unsolicited letters, faxes or emails, to people who have opted out of such approaches, such as by registering with the Telephone Preference Service. You must also not contact individuals by email or text message without their prior consent.
3. Have a clear aim. Be clear what you want to achieve when you make contact. It might not always be an immediate sale but could just be an opportunity to provide a quote, send out a brochure or give a presentation.
4. Know your message. When making cold calls, having a prompt sheet of your key messages can be helpful to avoid sudden "mind blanks". A script, too, can be useful but beware of following it too rigidly or you may sound insincere.
5. Train staff. Staff making cold calls should be properly trained. Above all, they should be very familiar with the product or service they are selling. They should have at hand the answers to any questions about, for example, your company background, products or delivery times.
6. Start off on the right foot. Call from a quiet space. Always introduce yourself, make sure you are talking to the right person and address them using their name. Consider the time you choose to call, too; for example, Monday morning and Friday afternoon calls to businesses may not be well received.
7. Concentrate on the customer. Ask about their needs and the issues they face. Listen to their answers carefully and then present your ability to meet their needs. Be confident and smile when you talk (it might sound odd, but it does make a difference).
8. Use different sales channels. If cold leads have given their consent, you can also approach them by sending faxes, emails, texts, leaflets and direct mail, as well as using social media. But remember that business is about establishing relationships, usually best done face-to-face and second best over the telephone.
9. Follow up. Make sure you do whatever you promised in your initial approach, even if that is only to call back in a year's time.
10. Measure your results. Log how many approaches you make and the result of each. Record how many eventually turn into sales, to obtain a conversion rate. Lastly, analyse your different approaches and results to find out which type of approach and which leads are most successful.
“My father said: You must never try to make all the money that’s in a deal. Let the other fellow make some money too, because if you have a reputation for always making all the money, you won’t have many deals.” ~Getty, J. Paul
Here are 17 quick sales coaching tips to improve your negotiation skills:
1. Create An Agreed Upon Agenda. Determine the following: What needs to be resolved? Who is involved? What are the major issues? What are the time frames?
2. Resist Committing Too Early. Do not lock in your pricing or commit to other items until everything is on the table and negotiated.
3. Resolve Any Major Issues Early. If the prospect has some major concern about your organization, it is best to uncover this early, so that it is not brought up at the end of the negotiation which will weaken your position and you’ll be tempted to give in to more concessions.
4. Determine What Can Be Shared. Determine the information you will disclose or not disclose with the prospect. Also, consider what types of information they are open to sharing and the information they are keeping from you.
5. Focus On Needs & Requirements. Don’t get caught up on the price alone. Ask to put price aside for a moment and address all other obstacles to find a solution.
6. Establish Value For Your Service or Product. Understand needs, challenges, goals, and then provide a solution.
7. Throw Your Ego Out The Window. If you view the negotiation as a personal victory or loss, your ego is involved and can make it difficult to remain objective during the negotiation process.
8. Buy Yourself Some Time If Needed. Be upfront, but if you can’t approve something yourself and you need a sales director to approve it for you, let the prospect know you need to check with your manager before making the change to the agreement.
9. Plan Ahead. Come to the table armed with where you are willing to give and where you simply can not make any changes.
10. Know When To Walk Away. You and your sales management team should have clear guidelines for what is profitable business and what is not. Be sure to know when you need to end the negotiation if it will be a loss to your company.
11. Be Patient. If you are in the middle of negotiations and significant decision are being made, don’t rush to finalize a decision in that meeting. Consider requesting a break to think it over and discuss with members on your sales team and schedule a follow up meeting.
12. Look At The Negotiation From Various Perspectives. Think about it from your prospects position and request the opinion of your sales manager or sales peers.
13. Make Sure You Are Talking To The Decision Maker. As sales professionals know, if you are not working with the decision maker, especially when it comes to negotiating the final deal, you are wasting your time.
14. Close Your Mouth. Learn to talk less and listen more. The more you listen and ask questions the better you will understand and be able to position your company effectively.
15. Provide Case Studies. If the prospective client has never worked with you before they may have some concerns. Bring written case studies of similar clients that your organization has helped. It will build credibility and help you initiate the partnership.
16. Remember To Give & Receive. If you are offering concession after concession without any commitments in return you are going to get run over in the negotiation. Remember that for each concession you make, there should be some commitment or concession made on the other side.
17. Be Optimistic, Confident & Positive. Expect more and receive more. Think big and aim high. It is easier to negotiate down, than up.
by Jeremy Ulmer
Jeremy Ulmer is one of the most dynamic and requested sales experts in the country. His company specializes in working with sales management, individual sales performers, and sales organizations to transform their sales results. They deliver customized sales coaching programs and corporate sales training. Sign up for free sales tips and free sales webinars at: http://www.SalesCoachingHabits.com
Sales people make a number of excuses why they can't reach their sales targets or why prospects and customer don't buy. Here are just a few:
1. Our prices are too high. This is one of the most common excuses that sales people use and even when companies reduce their price, those sales reps still often fail to reach their targets.
2. The competition is cheaper. While there will always be companies who sell the same or similar product as you, very seldom is the competition as cheap as you think. However, smart buyers will often try to get a better price by indicating that a competitor is cheaper.
3. We don't have new products. Many sales people lament the fact that their company has not issued or released a new product. However, this is seldom a concern form a buyer's perspective unless a competitor has a newer product that offers additional benefits that are important to the buyer.
4. Buyers are liars. This phrase drives me around the bend. The main reason prospects don't tell sales people the truth is because the sales person has failed to establish credibility or respect. The secondary reason is because they are afraid you will try to box them into a corner in an effort to capture a sale.
5. Customers only care about getting the lowest price. This may be true in some cases, but price is seldom the primary or motivating factor behind someone's final buying decision. However, price will become the major issue by default if you fail to demonstrate the value of your product, service or offering.
6. The economy is still bad. Yes, the economy is still challenging but companies are making buying decisions. They are purchasing products and implementing new systems. The goal is to identify those companies and target your efforts accordingly.
7. I don't have enough time to...(fill in the blank). There is no question that most sales reps are required to do more than they used to—technology has certainly contributed to this. However, many reps also waste too much time on low-value customers which sucks up precious time from dealing with higher value prospects and customers.
8. Gatekeepers block all calls. One role of a gatekeeper is to protect their boss's time. But that doesn't mean they prevent all sales people from connecting with decision makers. To succeed you need to befriend the executive assistant, treat her like a decision maker, and enlist her support.
9. My territory is too small. This may apply in certain circumstances but seldom as frequently as stated by many sales people. While a small territory may have a limited number of new sales leads, it opens the door to create additional sales opportunities within your existing customer base.
10. My territory is too big. Nice problem to have! Although a large territory presents challenges from an account maintenance perspective, this issue can be remedied by focusing your attention on the right customers (see point 7). If you are really serious about expanding your business, you could hire a personal assistant (at your expense) to help manage your accounts. This approach frees up time for you to focus on prospecting and adding new customers to your roster.
11. The company expects too much. I remember talking to a district sales manager who lamented the fact that her company was expecting a twelve percent increase in revenues in the upcoming year. However, I have never known a company to say, Well, we just finished a record year so let's coast this year, shall we?" Do shareholders expect a lot? Of course. You would too if it was your money on the line.
12. My sales targets are unrealistic. Let's face it; most compensation programs do not reward sales people when they fail to reach their quotas or targets. As a result, sales reps often believe that their sales goals are unrealistic. However, top performing sales reps set their own targets which are usually higher than the quotas established by their boss. If they can do it, so can you.
13. Customers don't care about service. This may be true in rare circumstances, however; I don't know many people (consumers or corporate decision makers) who say, "I don't mind waiting two weeks for a service call; after all, I did get a good price." They may state service is unimportant during the initial sales conversation but I can guarantee that it will become an issue if they experience a problem down the road.
14. People won't pay extra for quality. Rubbish! While there is a small percentage of people who base their buying decision solely on price, these individual's are a minority. However, it is YOUR responsibility to demonstrate why the quality of your product or service is worth the additional cost.
15. Asking for referral sounds like I'm begging for business. I think every sales person on the planet understands the importance of asking for referrals. However, the vast majority fail to utilize this approach because they are uncomfortable doing so. Let me set the record straight. Asking for a referral in a professional manner will not sound like you are begging for business.
16. I remember when.... Give it a rest already! No one cares about the good old days except for you. Yeah, things were different ten years ago. But that was then and this is now. If you want to succeed, stop reliving the past and focus on today's reality.
You can make all the excuses in the world but it doesn't change the fact that you and only you are accountable for reaching your sales targets. This may sound harsh but if you don't want the responsibility, find another career.
By Kelley Robertson
Do you know what sales blunders are costing you money? Get a FREE audio program, Sales Blunders That Cost You Money and two other sales-boosting resources by subscribing to Kelley’s newsletter at www.Fearless-Selling.ca or email Kelley@Fearless-Selling.ca from http://www.FreeArticlesAndContent.com
The results of a 20 year research project into what differentiates the best salespeople in the B2B sales world. Provided by The Maverick Selling Method. Watch now...
There is an age-old, needs analysis question that sales people ask, but it hurts them more than it helps. In this episode of the Sales Management Minute, learn what that question is and why you should avoid it. Listen now...
Understanding the customers can be a really tricky thing! And corporate communication sometimes is a broken-phone talk. Do you recall that? For sure you do! After all, we are all people - and people are sometimes very much about fun. Let's have some fun on a fool's day - check out our funny picture and realize how the working process is driven in corporate reality.
Many businesses jump on the social bandwagon without considering the community they are there to serve. They are excited to tell the world the fabulous products and services they offer. The books and webinars people can purchase. It’s all about “ME!” Social platforms like Facebook and Twitter are not like a company website or brochure. If all people see and hear is “BUY MY CRAP,” or “SIGN UP FOR MY BRILLIANT WEBINAR,” they grow tired quickly and go away. People are OPTING-IN to receive your content, but what content will keep them coming back and sharing it with their friends? Content that is helpful and interesting….to THEM not just to YOU! Here are 7 ideas that can get you started:
Books that you find interesting and helpful- If you share what you are learning from books and then ask others to share what they are reading, you just might strike up some great conversations.
Interesting photos you find or take – Be sure they are appropriate and somehow tie back to your topic or area of expertise. People using your products; People at events you attend; your team in action serving others. Fun photos that can tie into something you are posting.
Products that you have found helpful- When I find great apps or gadgets, I figure if I love them, so will others in my community. What products and services are complimentary to yours that your community members may find useful?
Relevant news stories that you can comment on from your company’s perspective- How does your business solve similar problems or provide solutions that are different to those in the story?
Behind the scenes tips- Everyone wants to peek behind the curtain and see how you operate. A hotel can share housekeeping tips. A restaurant can share recipes or table setting information. Let people come a little closer and see something that only fans of your business can see.
Service projects you and your team are involved with- let others know the organizations you support and why. Who knows, they might want to jump in with you and serve side-by-side.
Customer generated content- This can be tricky as you may want to post a disclaimer that content must be appropriate and that spamming the community will get the post removed. Some have designated a specific day of the week as FAN SHARING DAY. Ask fans to share their favorite blog or photo or something else that ties into your business and yet encourages the community to share what is on their mind!
What are some other ideas you have seen done well on Facebook Pages? I’d love to hear your creative ideas. AND if you have some tech tips to share, we LOVE to have them on our Gettin’ Geeky Page over on Facebook!
by Gina Schreck Gina is a speaker, author and the host of SchreckTeck (airs each Tues at 8am PT) and Gettin’ Geeky. She and her team at SynapseConnecting love helping organizations create engagement strategies to connect with their communities. If we can be of any help–we are just a TWEET away! Or you can always call us at 303-978-0887 Gina Schreck President & Chief Hooligan at Synapse 3Di
It’s not a secret that social media has become extremely popular when it comes to driving traffic to your website. Social Media has evolved from a platform from where friends post photos from their last summer vacation to becoming a tool most savvy companies harness to boost their brand and get more traffic to their site.
Here are 4 mistakes most people make when they create their social media accounts on various networks. This will sure lead to bad traffic and perhaps curtail your chances of building your brand online.
1) Follow people who are in a different market than you.
This is a huge mistake because most people think all they need are a lot of followers or friends and they’ll be rolling in the money. This cannot be further from the truth since the message to market match needs to be the same.
For example, if you’re a golfer and want to start selling to golfers, you obviously need to build a list of followers who play golf. If you follow a bunch of people who like croquet, than you won’t be very happy with the results.
2) Don’t put your real face and name in your profiles.
If you’re trying to build yourself up as a brand, then you need to put your REAL name and your REAL photo online. I know some people are shy and don’t want to be super-exposed online.
But if you’re trying to build yourself up as an expert, you better make sure you have a strong social media profile on the various networks. And that means having your real photo, a well-written profile, and a website people can go to so they can find out more about you.
3) Pitch in every single message you broadcast.
If all you do is send out message and tweets that are pitches, than you aren’t doing a good job marketing yourself. Tweet out a great blog post you wrote, or send a message about an awesome resource you just ran into.
You want to me a welcome guest, not an annoying pest. People only buy from who they trust, so you need to earn that trust by sending out helpful stuff. That way when you do send out a pitch, they will most likely take action since they know you.
4) Never engage with your followers.
It’s one thing to pitch to them, but it’s another thing to not interact with your followers.
If you see someone make a great post or a nice tweet, you can either re-tweet or thank them for the awesome message. Then you could start an interaction with them that could lead to them buying from you, becoming your next joint venture partner, or promoting your site.
So if you’re making any of these 4 social media mistakes, you need to correct them ASAP.
Sean McPheat is widely recognized as one of the leading authorities in internet marketing and sales. As a leading entrepreneur Sean has over 20 different ventures all related to the field of marketing and making small and medium sized business more successful. A devoted husband and dotted father, Sean puts as much passion into his on field life as he does off the pitch. Sean's motto is "Live, Love and Laugh".
Terrible Lie #1: You need to sell more to make more money.
Fact: You need to sell less to make more money. I have a motto: In order to sell more, you must first learn to sell less, a whole lot less. Sound crazy? I have a friend who just moved from selling photocopier machines to selling Mercedes-Benzes in the most prestigious dealership in New England. His secret? While selling photocopiers, he did the exact opposite of what everyone else in his company was doing. He focused less on selling and more on why his customers wanted to buy. In fact, he stopped selling altogether and made his mission to discover precisely how he could solve more problems for his customers than anyone else in his company. He not only solved more problems, he made more money and opened up more opportunities than any other copier salesman in his industry.
Terrible Lie #2: Most salespeople are full of themselves.
Fact: The world's best salespeople are full of other people. In my seminars, I play a little game with the audience. I say, "It's the last week of the month and you haven't made half your quota. Your boss is on your case and you may lose your job if you don't make three sales in the next two hours."
Okay? So it's 9:30 in the morning and you need to make a sale. You pick up the phone to make your first call. So here's my question - what in the world is going through your head as you dial the telephone?
The typical responses from the audience include: "I wonder if I'll make this sale?" "I hope she says yes," and "This call better not turn out like the rest."
To these responses I ask, "As long as you're thinking about yourself, how interested will you be in finding out how you can help your prospect?"
The typical answer is, "Not too interested at all!"
If you're not interested in your prospect, why in the world would your prospect ever become interested in you? Terrible Lie #3: Selling is one of the worst paid professions on the planet.
Fact: Selling is the highest paid profession on the planet. After spending thousands of hours studying some of the richest salespeople alive (people like Steve Jobs, Larry Ellison, and Mary Kay Ash), I came upon two very surprising realizations:
1. The world's greatest salespeople never appear to be selling anything at all. In fact, you'll never catch a great salesperson making any irritating sales pitches or initiating a single close.
2. Despite the fact that the world's greatest salespeople don't appear to be selling anything, they still manage to outsell every one of their competitors! Remember, when most of us think of a typical salesperson we think of a pushy used car salesman or an annoying insurance representative. However, these so-called salespeople aren't really salespeople at all; they're professional peddlers or cashiers in fancy suits. In fact, successful business executives and celebrities are also good salespeople. Which leads us to Terrible Lie #4
Terrible Lie #4: Great salespeople use slimy tactics.
Fact: The world's best salespeople hardly use any tactics at all. Selling, in the traditional definition of the word, is a crude pursuit. We think of selling as using deceptive gestures, words, and emotional appeals to persuade and manipulate prospects into doing something he may or may not want to do.
Now, do you really think Steve Jobs became one of the most beloved CEOs in the world by using ridiculous, simple-minded sales tactics? What about Mary Kay Ash? Can you imagine her using "Leading Questions" or a "Porcupine Close" on national television?
Of course not! The world's greatest salespeople wouldn't be caught dead using crude, slimy selling techniques. They interact with thousands or even millions of people each year. They make the most money, attract the most opportunities, and effortlessly rise to the top of every profession without resorting to these techniques.
Terrible Lie #5: Great salespeople have the gift of gab.
Fact: The world's best salespeople have the gift of listening. Professional salespeople also enjoy listening to their prospects, they're not simply waiting for their turn to speak. Great salespeople never look for what their prospects can do for them. Instead, they are intensely interested in what they can do for their prospects!
By Len Foley If you're interested in learning more about "terrible lies" taught in many sales programs, see Mr. Foley's free article, "The Top Five (Most Idiotic) Sales Techniques" at www.sagelawmarketing.com/lenfoley.htm.
“Always be closing...That doesn’t mean you’re always closing the deal, but it does mean that you need to be always closing on the next step in the process.” – Shane Gibson
The WELL Question: What portions of your sales process can you enhance in order to improve on your “closing”?
By now, you've probably heard the news that participating in Linkedin discussions is a great visibility strategy for you.
I thought it might be helpful to offer you a few guidelines that have served me well.
1. Don't Post And Run: By far one of the quickest ways to look like a tool. Call me crazy but I actually have this as one of our rules in my Linkedin group. Aside from bad manners, your discussion has a greater chance of dying and dropping off of page one which doesn’t do much for your visibility huh?
2. Facilitate Your Discussion: You facilitate a discussion by...
Expanding on someone’s thought with a new one of your own. Asking them to expand on their thought. Asking them to give you an example. Asking follow up questions
3. Circle This One Please: Everyone has a story and wants to be heard, so make sure you acknowledge the thoughts of the participants. Want to know a secret? People like to feel good by being acknowledged publicly. That’s how you get more and more people hunting down your discussions because they get to feel good all over again. How cool is that? Answer: Way cool!
4. Enhance The Rock Stardom Of The Dudes/Dudettes In Your Network: Think about people in your network that have a particular area of expertise that can be invited. In some cases I would even talk them up before they get there. Do this (sincerely please) and you have a network of people who will jump into your discussions at the drop of a hat! Oh, before I forget, we should be doing this on any discussion we come across where we know someone who could add value ... not just our discussions!
5. When You Disagree ... Do It Politely: A simple "Thank you for your input" is a nice neutral way of "not going there girlfriend." But that’s common sense and everyone understands that in the groups. Right? Common sense is always commonly practiced!
6. Don’t Let Others Diminish Your Virtual Real Estate: I’ve had only a few situations where I thought someone was going out of there way to be an A Hole. In those cases I brought it to the group manager’s attention so I didn’t have to play “Paul Castain Online Vigilante.” Do that, and you become an A-Hole by association.
7. Thank People: Online and offline. Who doesn’t like a little gratitude in front of thousands of their closest friends?
8. Don’t Grade The Responses: In my coaching practice I always remind people to never grade the question when handling Q & A. Grading in this context would be if I tell Mary that her answer rocks and meanwhile I go silent on the other 12 responses. Way to tell everyone else they suck! Oh, and can we all stop with the "(fill in the name) nailed it" comments? Do this and you shut a discussion down real quick.
9. Don’t Disguise A Sales Pitch As A Discussion: I despise this one. If you want a discussion, start a discussion but don’t mislead the participants. And those reply privately messages with the sales pitch is equally annoying. Why would someone come back to participate in your next discussion if you just conditioned them to have their guard up? Think Forrest. Think!
10. Don’t Start A Discussion To Blatantly Posture Yourself: I see this one a lot. The problem with posting a question and then going in to “coach” mode is that most people don’t like it because they didn’t ask for it. Certainly not in front of thousands. Nuff said!
11. Don’t Over Post: It spreads you out way too thin (especially if you do this over multiple groups). Give your discussions a chance to breathe. I would keep it between 1-2 discussions each week depending on the volume of comments you get. To that end, only post one at a time dude!
Tip: Create a word doc with a list of discussions as you think of them. One way to get ideas is to think about the responses you get during a discussion. You might find a great opportunity for a follow up discussion.
Now if you’d like a PDF of these 11 tips plus 4 more, shoot me an email by clicking here and I will get one to you, no strings attached!
If you’d like a handy dandy PDF of these tips, drop me a line here and I’ll send you one. No strings attached!
Now get out there and facilitate!
Today’s News: If you’d like to have The Sales Playbook magically appear in your inbox like the other cool kids do, then by all means, click here and lets commence with your Jedi training!
by Paul Castain Paul Castain is the Vice President of Jedi Mastery for Castain Training Systems where he works with organizations and individuals to achieve higher levels of performance. Prior to working for Castain Training Systems, Paul was the Director Of Corporate Solutions Sales for Dale Carnegie & Associates and the owner of two successful businesses. Over the last 27 years, Paul has trained and mentored over 3,000 sales professionals, written sales training content for several Fortune 500 companies and is the creator of Castain’s Sales Playbook which just won a Sales Pop award for best sales website! Paul is an accomplished speaker and speaks on a variety of topics customized for your event. He marries good content with a delivery style that is fun, energetic and motivational.
A few weeks ago, bookstore chain Borders filed for bankruptcy. Unlike many of the other companies that have succumbed to recent economic pressures, Borders was unique in one important respect: It was recently rated as having the best customer experience of any company in any industry.
That, at least, was the conclusion reached by Forrester Research in their fourth annual Customer Experience (CxP) Index study. They surveyed consumers for opinions on their experiences with over 150 brands, and Borders came out on the very top. Ahead of Amazon. Ahead of Apple. Ahead of lots of storied brands.
How on Earth did the top-rated company for customer experience end up in bankruptcy court? Did Forrester miscalculate their survey results? Are they asking the wrong questions of consumers? Or, even worse, could this be some sign from the heavens that customer experience excellence doesn’t really pay any dividends?
There definitely is a lesson to be learned from Borders’ downfall, but it doesn’t have anything to do with the merits of Forrester’s CxP Index or the fundamental value of great customer experiences.
There’s no industry-wide survey of customer experience that’s perfect. Forrester’s take on this exercise is as respectable as any of the other measures commonly used to rank companies on the customer experience spectrum.
Plus, as I’ve reported in prior posts, in the four years since Forrester first started compiling its Index, an interesting pattern has emerged, suggesting a linkage between Forrester’s rankings and corporate stock performance. Similar patterns have been observed with other prominent customer experience ranking studies. Borders notwithstanding, there’s plenty of evidence out there suggesting that differentiated customer experiences do indeed lift business results.
No, the lesson to be learned from Borders is not about research failure, nor is it about stoking the fires of customer experience skepticism. The lesson is that while the quality of a company’s customer experience is a critical driver behind long-term business success… it’s not the only driver.
There are basic elements of business management that, if not capably executed, can derail the prospects of even those firms with the most revered customer experiences.
In Borders’ case, the fall from grace can be traced back to a variety of management missteps:
· Poor profitability oversight. Hundreds of Borders outlets were just plain losing money, yet it’s taken a bankruptcy filing to get the chain to significantly narrow its footprint and remove this financial albatross.
· Unfavorable lease terms. On average, Borders stores had 15-20 year leases, limiting the chain’s flexibility to respond to local real estate developments (such as a new, high-traffic mall opening down the street).
· Ill-advised outsourcing. Until just a few years ago, Borders outsourced its online book sales to Amazon. Talk about letting the fox guard the henhouse.
· Imprudent expansion. Instead of grasping the significance of Internet retailing to its business model (and doing something about it), Borders chose to focus on an ill-fated international expansion that took attention away from its core U.S. business.
· CEO turnover. Borders has run through four CEOs in three years. Guiding a large retail chain out of a tailspin is difficult enough – imagine trying to do it with this level of turnover in the executive suite.
Even though consumers (at least those surveyed by Forrester) praised Borders for its customer experience, lurking beneath the surface were a variety of issues that – while not always visible to the public – still compromised the company’s performance.
And, as Borders has sadly discovered, there are some management missteps for which even a spectacular customer experience can’t compensate.
Jon Picoult Jon Picoult is Founder of Watermark Consulting, a customer experience advisory firm that helps businesses impress their clients and inspire their employees, turning everyday people into loyal brand advocates. Previously, Jon held senior executive roles in service, technology, sales and marketing at Fortune 100 companies. Learn more at www.watermarkconsult.net.
If you are having trouble closing sales and overcoming objections just the techniques you used to get your way when you were a teenager. You will find something interesting. You were born knowing how to overcome objections but somehow over time, we stop using it. Let's remember back to when you wanted the car for a date on Saturday night.
Did you say, "Dad, could I have the car Saturday night?" If he said "No" did you say, "Here is my card, I'll be in all week, just call me if you change your mind"? How about the popular, "Well I certainly don't want to pressure you, just call me when you have made your decision"? How did we handle this kind of sale when we were teens?
Restate The Question
One of the techniques we all used as teen was to restate the request. We would just keep asking. Now, teens can be a bit annoying with this one but as salespeople, you can restate a few times by changing the words a little without being offensive. You might go over three things the customer really liked and end with, "When you look at all the benefits you liked, it only makes sense to go ahead. I'll get the paperwork started". Next, you could try something like, " I know you have some misgivings but as you can see, the benefits outweigh the risks. I'll get the paperwork started". You need to practice and rehearse 10 ways to restate and don't be afraid to use them. You had the courage when you were seventeen, you can get it again in your sales career.
Change The Offer
Another effective teen technique is to change the offer and try as many as required to get what they want. Using the car example again, a teen who has been refused might try, "Please? If you give me the car, I'll clean the swimming pool for a month." If that failed they might try, "Please Dad. If you do, I'll babysit three times so you and Mom can go to dinner". Another, "If you do, I'll never ask if I can get tattooed again". This technique can be easily applied to sales. It will definitely help you close sales and overcome objections. You can offer discounts, you can throw in extra equipment, extend warranties and do all manner if things that changes the offer and sweetens the deal.
Do these teen techniques work for teens? If you look at the number of teens who seem to have what they want, it sure seems to. Better yet, think back and ask yourself if it worked for you? I bet it did. As we said at the beginning, you never see a teen ask once and then hand out a card and ask to be called if the customer reconsiders. Maybe this means you should never do that as well and you should practice reverting back to the techniques that worked when you were a teen. These techniques helped you then and they w ill work for you now as well.
by Carl Davidson Get the facts about closing sales and overcoming objections and get free video clips and articles at http://www.close-more-sales.info or call us at 716-580-3384. Visit our blog with free articles and videos on sales and management topics at http://www.sales-solutions-now.com
Perhaps your business has been trying to make sense of this new social world and searching for that elusive ROI to help justify the vacuum sound you have heard as your time has been sucked away. You may have set up accounts, and tweaked the accounts, even had your college son or daughter post content for you on Facebook or Twitter, and still the frustration grows. You wake up and ask “Is there anything interesting to post today for our business?” You leave work asking, “Why can’t I get more people to follow our posts or take action on them?” You are probably standing on your desk right now, crying out, “What am I doing WRONG?” Okay, so perhaps that’s a bit melodramatic, but hearing your cry and rushing to your aid, we bring you 6 Super Steps to Do Social RIGHT!
1. Have a plan. Why are you wanting to set up social media sites? Do you want name awareness? Will you use these avenues to be more responsive to customers? Do you want the ability to share your expertise and be branded as the go-to person or company in your industry? Are you wanting more sales, or are you just wanting to make sure you aren’t the only person left on the planet who doesn’t have a Facebook Page for their business? The answers to these questions will determine who should manage your social media (marketing, customer care, communications) and how you connect strategically on each site.
2. Be Realistic with the Time it Will Take to do it Right! Many think if they throw a Facebook page or Twitter account up, people will flood to their doors. It doesn’t work that way. You must dedicate time each day to update sites, listen and respond to the community and be fabulously interesting…well at least somewhat interesting! In the beginning this may just be 15-30 minutes in the morning and then 15-30 minutes in the afternoon, but when your business grows and the community starts engaging, you will need time to analyze where your community members are coming from, what links are getting the most click-throughs, what content gets the best conversations going and more. Many organizations start by bringing in an intern to help with their social media marketing and find that they need someone with more of a marketing focus and it turns into a full-time position or they outsource a big chunk of the daily tasks.
3. Don’t BROADCAST! It is called SOCIAL Media, not BROADCAST Media. Those who just post (and usually it’s automated…even worse) get tuned out quickly. Unless it works for you to go to networking events and just stand in the corner handing out your business cards and postcards as you yell “BUY FROM ME!” it probably won’t work in your social networking either! Here’s a list of 7 things you can share BESIDES your products.
4. Listen More Than You Talk. Like any good sales person will tell you, the key to success is to spend more time asking questions and listening to your community in order to learn how to best serve them. Listen and respond to what they are talking about in your social circles. Spend some time each day scanning and replying.
5. Be Interesting and Helpful. My rule in social media is, “Be interesting, be helpful, or BE QUIET! Be sure your posts are worth reading and passing on. Too many people post content that is so over used or trite that no one will forward, share or ReTweet it. And when people ask me how to get their information to be more viral or ReTweeted more often I simply say, BE MORE INTERESTING!
6. Use the right tools. If you took a pair of scissors and set out to cut your lawn, you could certainly do it, but it would take you all of Saturday and Sunday…for the next two months. Using the right tools can make all the difference. There are many to choose from and each one does something different. For conducting searches, connecting strategically to your target audience members, tools like Hootsuite, TweetDeck (both tools to manage Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn), JustUnfollow (a service that shows you who you have followed or connected with on Twitter that has not followed you back so you can clean house a bit), SocialMention (a site that sends alerts like GoogleAlerts on information heard on the social vine), Analytics HD(iPad app to measure site traffic), or even good ol’ Google Analytics to see where your clicks are coming from and how to be more effective. These types of tools will help you be efficient, strategic and much more effective.
7. Be consistent. Posting once a week or two times a month will not get you anywhere in the social media arena. Your customers and potential customers are out here everyday talking, sometimes about you and your topic and sometimes talking about or with your competitors. You can choose to engage in the conversation or hang the GONE FISHING sign up in the window. If you cannot commit to posting regular content (daily at minimum) hire someone to help you with this piece. It is important that you find someone who can be “on” when your customers are “on” and that the person or company you hire understands your brands personality, values and policies for replying to customers. I did an earlier post about that.
What SUPER Tips do YOU have? We’d love for you to share your superpowers with us!
by Gina Schrek President & Chief Hooligan at Synapse 3Di Like Batman, Superman, or Tweeterwoman, Gina and her team of superheros are just a tweet or phone call away! Let us know how we can help you succeed in this new social world! Gina (at) Synapse3Di.com or of course on Twitter @GinaSchreck
I’ve just seen some really interesting results in an article in the March Edition of The Customer Experience Journal from Bruce Temkin across at the Temkin Group, a US a customer experience research and consulting firm.
The article is a digest of stuff that is going on with the Temkin Group, notable stuff in the world of customer experience and previews new research that they are producing.
Their most recent piece of research is called: How Consumers Give Feedback (the full report will cost you $195). Through their research they were able to survey 6,000 US consumers about how they most frequently gave feedback about Very Good and Very Bad experiences. Analysing their response, they found that when customers have a Very Good or a Very Bad experience with a business they found that they most frequently tell their friends about that experience via email, phone or in-person.
I’m not sure that is a real surprise.
There is a caveat here that this data is for US consumers but I do believe that there are some broad parallels that can be drawn for many ‘western’ businesses. Check out the summary results in the graphic below:
However, what I do think is interesting is some of the other results where they show
Only small percentages of people placed reviews or comments on social media sites, whether the experience was good or bad;
People are more likely to talk if it is a Very Bad experience than if it is a Very Good experience;
37% of all respondents said that even after a Very Good experience they did not tell anyone about it; and
25% of respondents didn’t tell anyone about a Very Bad experience.
The last two are the ones that trouble me.
Why do 37% of all respondents that have had a Very Good experience not talk about it?
Is it because that’s just the way they are ‘built’ and it’s not in their nature to share or is it that we as business have not given the right tools to share their experiences? and
How many of the 25% of respondents that have had a Very Bad experience and do not tell anyone never go back or do business with that company again?
What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Adrian Swinscoe Adrian Swinscoe brings over 15 years experience to focusing on helping companies large and small develop and implement sustainable growth strategies.
No, no, no! said the enraged businessman to the persistent salesman. “I cannot see you today!” “That’s fine,” said the salesman, “I m selling spectacles.”
In an environment where customer demands predominate, because competition is both relentless and increasingly international, the world of selling must accommodate a radically changed world of buying. If you cannot differentiate yourself by what you sell, and are unwilling to differentiate by how you sell, you will, by default, have to differentiate by how much you sell it for. Hence sales forces are seeking new and innovative ways of selling products that are increasingly commoditised.
The first rule is senior leadership support. Clear and unwavering support from senior management ranks first among factors that determine a company’s ability to effect complex change.
The second rule is to understand that change is difficult, requiring cross-functional collaboration. Hence successful innovators adopt a structured and formal process to encourage and test innovation.
The third rule is to give a high priority to building flexibility into business processes and in the workforce, and a willingness to use alliances and partnerships, to help them adapt to changing market conditions.
The fourth rule is to develop a deep understanding of customers’ business drivers, business processes and strategic imperatives. Innovative sales organisations frequently develop innovative solutions to problems that customers were not aware of.
The fifth rule is a willingness to reconfigure assets – people, infrastructure, technology and intellectual capital to adjust rapidly to new market conditions.
In the sales environment a great deal of innovation is driven by the insidious margin erosion caused by commoditisation. Boise Cascade no longer sell office supplies, they apply their skills in activity based costing, supply chain management and procurement to effecting substantial savings for large corporations and becoming their sole source supplier.
Southern Energy Marketing no longer sell kilowatt-hours, they utilise their expertise in risk management to assist major clients in pulp and paper and employ instruments such as asset swaps and futures, to stabilise pulp prices. This benefits both the paper mills and downstream clients, such as printers and publishers. Southern Energy benefits by entering into long-term contracts.
It is difficult to sustain competitive advantage through product features and innovation is largely focused on finding new ways of selling.
By Peter Gilbert
Peter Gilbert is Managing Director of HR Chally SA – an international sales consulting company specialising in Talent Management and Recruitment. www.chally.com
For how much time we all spend on the phone, it’s amazing how poor our skills can become if we are not intentionally improving such skills. Being in sales necessitates you be on the phone, so consider these phone sales tips when you are contacting customers:
Never ask if it’s a good time to talk. This gives the other person a perfect excuse to end the call. If you are unsure if the person has time to talk, then state up front that the phone call will only take 3 minutes. When you give the person an exact time, be sure you time the call. After the allotted time, tell the customer you’re at the end and ask them if they would like to continue or reschedule. Using this practice allows you to demonstrate how much you respect their time.
Ask questions. People will never hang up on themselves,so if you can get them genuinely responding to questions, the call will likely continue.
Use the person’s name at least 3 times in every phone call. Who doesn’t like to hear their name said?
When greeting people on the telephone, avoid using their last name. It makes the call seem too formal. Your objective should be to have a casual conversation, in the same way you would talk to a good friend.
Use visually descriptive words to help paint a picture of what you’re saying. Obviously, a phone call is not as multi-dimensional as talking to someone in person. This doesn’t mean, though, that a phone conversation has to be boring and stale.
When starting a new telephone conversation, always give your first and last name. Never assume the person you’re talking to is going to recognize your voice or think you’re the only one with your first name.
Watch your facial expressions by placing a mirror in front of you when you talk. It’s amazing how they come through over the phone.
Add energy to your phone calls by standing up. Nobody likes talking to a “blah” person. People who have good posture tend to come across more enthusiastic than those who don’t.
When you end a conversation, always summarize it in the same way you would end a live meeting. By doing so, you can prevent misinterpretation of your discussion.
Always allow the other person to have the final comment or question. Just because you’ve asked all your questions doesn’t mean the other person has asked all of his.
Avoid negotiating over the phone. Use it as a means to introduce information and to follow up or confirm information. It’s impossible to truly read body language over the phone and thus you lose a major negotiating tool. A phone call, however, can be an excellent way to introduce a new idea upon which you would like to receive some feedback. Many times it will allow feedback to be gained in a less threatening manner than if it were to occur in a traditional sales call.
Never use a speaker phone with a customer, even if they say it is fine with them. Speaker phones add to the perception the conversation is not important enough to capture 100% of the person’s attention. (The only exception, of course, is if there is a group involved.)
Applying these phone sales tips to your daily routine will help you boost your sales motivation, increase your success and better serve your customers and prospects.
By Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Mark Hunter, The Sales Hunter, is a consultative selling expert committed to helping individuals and companies identify better prospects, close more sales, and profitably build more long-term customer relationships. To find out more, visit www.TheSalesHunter.com.
When you have an opportunity to connect with someone (traditional or social networking) do you utilize a strategy to maximize your efforts or do you simply hang out in one place and hope for the best?
Today, we’re going to talk about how you can dramatically accelerate your networking efforts!
Linkedin:
When you connect with someone on Linkedin, slow down and take a moment to view their profile and see where else they network. If you see a Twitter account, check it out and consider connecting with them there. Do they have a Facebook Fan Page or personal account? Might want to consider connecting there or simply “liking” their Fan Page. Do they blog? You can subscribe to their RSS feed.
Note: If you aren’t following your client’s and prospect’s blogs, you are missing out on an opportunity.
Twitter:
Have you considered sending some of your key contacts a Facebook friend request or Linkedin invite? Or do you just let the communication happen there?
Linkedin and Facebook:
Do you sign your name with a handy dandy, clickable link to your site?
Here’s how I do this on Linkedin.
Let’s say Jamie just sent me an invite. Now hopefully, you know by now, that you don’t just accept, you respond and interact! Here’s how.
Note: The http:// in front of the website makes it clickable. Don’t make the mistake of just using a standard “www.”
The point of me putting a link to my blog is to offer another opportunity for Jamie and I to connect. It also gives Jamie an opportunity to check out Uncle Paul anonymously, on his terms.
Your Auto Signature In Your Emails
I would highly recommend that you include your social networking contact info in your auto signature. Again, it offers another opportunity for people to not only connect with you, but check you out on their terms.
Note: Do you pay attention to the auto signatures of your prospects and clients? Might be a social networking clue for ya there dude!
Networking Events
Do you look up those face to face contacts from networking events on the social networking platforms?
Oh and the opposite can work too. Do you you take your virtual network and network in real time?
Here’s the point folks
When we connect on multiple platforms, the “getting to know you” process can be accelerated and when you really think about it
The best relationships you have in your life are not exclusive to just one place, are they?
Today, you are cordially invited to slow down and really think about where else your contact likes to be “social”!
By Paul Castain Paul Castain is the Vice President of Jedi Mastery for Castain Training Systems where he works with organizations and individuals to achieve higher levels of performance. Prior to working for Castain Training Systems, Paul was the Director Of Corporate Solutions Sales for Dale Carnegie & Associates and the owner of two successful businesses. Over the last 27 years, Paul has trained and mentored over 3,000 sales professionals, written sales training content for several Fortune 500 companies and is the creator of Castain’s Sales Playbook which just won a Sales Pop award for best sales website! Paul is an accomplished speaker and speaks on a variety of topics customized for your event. He marries good content with a delivery style that is fun, energetic and motivational.
When a client tells me they’re not bringing in the sales they want, one of the first questions I ask is, “Are you asking for the business?” Their response is either “No, I don’t know what to say,” or “What if I ask and they’re not interested?” Well, if you don’t ask, you’ll never know where you stand with your prospect.
The close is a crucial moment of decision in the sales process when the prospect decides whether to enter into a business relationship with you or not. For many people this is such a painful time that 50% of all sales calls end without asking for some sort of commitment to the next step.
Let me share a story with you. Jim and Ron were friends for more than 25 years and golf buddies for nearly the same amount of time. They had grown up together, were as close as brothers celebrating each other’s personal and professional business successes over the years. One day, while they’re teeing off, Jim turned to Ron and said, “Ron, how come after all the years we’ve known each other, you’ve never given me any business?” Ron turned to Jim and simply said, “You never asked.” This response may sound surprising, but it’s true. The most common reason business owners don’t get the business is they don’t ask for it. It’s as simple as that.If you want the business, you must ask for it.
Let’s take a look at 7 key steps to asking for the business.
1.Prepare Yourself for the Close: There are a number of questions to answer before you ask for the business. Once you answer “yes” to these questions, you’re ready to ask the closing questions. Here are a few questions to ask yourself: * Does the customer want what I’m selling? * Does the customer believe in me and my company? * Can the customer afford my product? * Does the customer fully understand what my product is? * Have I prepared and practiced my closing techniques? * Am I prepared to remain silent after asking the closing question?
2.Trial Closes: Throughout the sales meeting, look for opportunities to get agreement from the prospect. Repeat back to the prospect what they told you is important to them and tie it back to the benefits. Here’s an example: “Don’t you agree, it’s going to give you the financial security you said earlier is so important to you?” Checking in with them throughout the meeting and getting agreement allows you to use the information as you prepare for the close. If your prospect agrees, you can bring them back to that at the end.
3.Assumptive Close: From the moment you walk in and sit down with the prospect, assume the prospect wants to buy your product. If they are willing to meet with you, they must have some interest in what you’re selling. If you continually assume the sale over and over in your own mind, you’ll project that confidence in your speaking when meeting with the prospect. Here are several assumptive statements you can make before the prospect buys: * “You’ll be happy you decided to buy it.” * “You’re going to love how it looks in your home.”
4.Ask Pressure-Free Closing Questions: The level of anxiety increases for a prospect as he or she gets closer to making a decision on whether to do business with you. This is an uncertain time for the prospect in the decision-making process and the sale can go either way. The way to keep the sales door open and lead the prospect to doing business with you is to ask pressure-free questions. “If” is the magic word to use when asking a pressure-free question. The word “if,” removes all risk and pressure from the question. The prospect will respond freely as there is no commitment to be made at this time. Here’s a couple of examples: * If you were to go ahead with…when would you...? * If you were to decide to...how many would you...?
5.Ask Closing Questions: There is no need to break your momentum now. You’re now at the most crucial part of the sales and the moment of truth. Nothing happens until the sale is closed. If you want the business, you simply have to ask for it. Here are a few questions you can ask potential clients in order to reach an agreement. * “Are you ready to get started?” * “Shall I draw up a contract?” * “Do we have a deal?” * “Let’s take a few minutes now so I can walk you through the agreement.” * “Let’s set up our next meeting and I can go over the plan with you then.” * “Shall I finalize the details?”
6.Be Quiet! Let Them Respond First: The biggest flaw leading to failing to close the sale is the inability to know when and how to ask for it and then be quiet. After you’ve made your recommendation and asked all your closing questions, remain silent. The prospect has listened to your presentation and needs a couple of moments to absorb the information and make the buying decision. Take a deep breathe, be quiet, and wait for the prospect to speak first.
7.Decide on the Next Steps: Whether or not you have closed the sale, be absolutely certain that both you and the prospect know what happens next. Before you end your meeting with the prospect, take out your calendar and set up the next meeting, or the next call. Never leave a meeting without knowing the next step.
ASSIGNMENT:
* Make a list of 5 Trial Closing questions, 5 Assumptive Closing statements, 5 Pressure-Free Closing questions, and 5 Closing Questions to ask the prospect and memorize them.
* Find a buddy and practice Steps 1-7.
by Rochelle Togo-Figa Rochelle Togo-Figa, creator of the Sales Breakthrough System(TM), a proven sales process that helps you close more sales and sign on more clients. Sign up for free sales articles and teleclasses, visit www.SalesBreakthroughs.com.
Site evolves into all-purpose web destination for messaging, video-sharing, gaming and more Facebook, the largest social network in the US as well as the world, has been adding members at a rapid clip for the past two years. While that growth will moderate now that the social network is reaching a saturation point among many age groups, it will continue to gain audience for the foreseeable future.
eMarketer estimates that 132.5 million people in the US will be users of Facebook this year; by 2013, that number will increase to 152.1 million.
“Facebook’s recent successes—and its future prospects—are intrinsically connected with the site’s diversification,” said Paul Verna, eMarketer senior analyst and author of the new report, “Facebook Users: The Juggernaut Rolls On.” “What started out as a pure-play social network has evolved into an all-purpose destination that is beginning to replace email, instant messaging, video sharing, gaming and other activities that were otherwise scattered across unconnected venues.”
This growth will be driven primarily by increased Facebook use among older boomers and seniors. At the same time, teens and young adults will remain the site’s most active and engaged age groups. Compared with other age groups, they show extremely high penetration rates, spend more time on the site and have more friends in their networks.
The 18-to-44 age segment represents the largest demographic slice, 56.7% of Facebook users, and is a key target for marketers.
“With so many options to promote their brands on Facebook and its partner sites, marketers have little choice but to formulate a cohesive social media strategy,” said Verna. “Whether they advertise on Facebook, seed viral content on the site, build their digital presence through branded pages, use the ‘like’ button in their own content or mine data from users’ newsfeeds, marketers have a wealth of methods for monetizing the massive Facebook audience.”
On LinkedIn, it would be easy to assume that you should simply be involved in only your peer groups. A better approach is to also connect with the groups that contain people who someday may be potential prospects.
You will broaden your horizon and learn about new industries.
LinkedIn has really come of age and is without a doubt a very effective tool for anyone selling in a B2B environment. This is all part of what I call the emergence of “awareness selling.” This is what I refer to as people using the web to explore and find out information on their time schedule without the involvement of the salesperson. It’s the equivalent of a customer walking into a store and browsing and telling the sales clerk they don’t need any assistance. The web has enabled the B2B market to now offer to customers many of the shopping traits that previously were only found in the B2C market.
When we become part of LinkedIn groups to which our prospective customers might belong, what we’re doing is allowing them to find out about us in a safe “browsing” environment. This is one of the reasons why the sales cycle for many B2B industries is becoming shorter and shorter. The customer is more educated at the start of the process.
If you’re a salesperson reading this, take the time now to review the LinkedIn groups to which you belong. One of the best ways to do is by looking at the profile of some of your prospects and finding out what groups they belong to.
If you’re going to spend time on LinkedIn, you might as well make it as effective as possible. If all you do is connect with fellow salespeople, then you might as well go spend all day in your break room at work talking to fellow employees. The end result will be the same — you’ll do a lot of talking and not much selling.
Over the next several years, we’re going to see sites like LinkedIn continue to evolve to be even more powerful. This is why I can’t stress enough the importance of every salesperson making LinkedIn part of their normal sales process. You don’t have to access the site daily, but you should minimally set aside 15 minutes each week.
By the way, if you’re not connected to me on LinkedIn, let’s get connected! Send me an invitation at my LinkedIn profile.
by Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Mark Hunter, The Sales Hunter, is a consultative selling expert committed to helping individuals and companies identify better prospects, close more sales, and profitably build more long-term customer relationships. To find out more, visit www.TheSalesHunter.com.
That's the question that was posed by a writer for a major trade publication. He also asked me if salespeople should adapt their sales approach to the personality types of their customers. Here's how I answered him...
A. Selling is a skill, comparable to accounting or engineering: Specific actions, properly applied in a proscribed order, produce the best results. Given enough motivation, almost any skill can be learned without formal training. Two of General Motors's top engineers never took an engineering course. Michael Dell didn't major in computers and dropped out of college.
B. Similar aptitude patterns are seen in highly successful salespeople, trial lawyers and teachers. Salespeople who lack the right aptitudes and attitudes can substantially improve their sales skills, if they are willing to change their behaviors. The changes they need to make are simple, yet it requires a lot of self-discipline to make those changes.
C. The type of training that is most likely to produce dramatic improvement is based upon the latest understanding of how the human mind works. It eliminates persuasion in favor of committed agreements.
D. The theory that salespeople can assess a customer's personality type, and then adapt their selling techniques accordingly, has been widely promoted.However, we have never seen a salesperson that can demonstrate that skill.
No one (or customer) has a static personality; we all change continuously, reacting to stimuli as we receive them. It's hard enough to figure out anyone's personality type; it's extremely difficult to analyze and react to it moment-to-moment. I believe that only trained, experienced psychologists are likely to be able to make practical use of that theory.
So, Are Top Salespeople Born or Made?
We studied the top 1% of salespeople across 23 different industries. Some are self-made, learning what works best through intuition and experience. Many were trained, learned several selling systems, and eventually settled on the selling system that produces outstanding results. The ironic thing is that most of the top salespeople are doing the same things, and what they are doing is radically different from the other 99% of salespeople. Our conclusion is that top salespeople are clearly made.
by Jacques Werth Jacques Werth, MBA, is president of High Probability Selling, a sales consulting and sales training organization. Werth has observed hundreds of salespeople in many different industries while they interacted with prospects and customers. He learned what the top 1% of the world's best salespeople do that the other 99% do not do, and this is what he teaches. For more information about High Probability Selling, please visit www.HighProbSell.com
As organizations push into the social media space many will start with a social media position, others will have a social media department within their company. Listen now...
According to IDC, One Third of Potential Selling Time Is Wasted Due to Poor Sales Enablement……wauuu, what a conclusion that came from the IDC Sales Advisory Practiceʼs recent sales enablement research was that shifting as little as 10 minutes a week to more productive selling time is worth $57,000 per year, per rep.
For the IT vendor community, sales productivity is more important than ever before. For the past year, it has been the key issue faced by most technology companies and, with the current state of the economy, sales productivity and efficiency will only become more important to sales and marketing executives and the executive teams running large companies.
Sales enablement, which IDC defines as the broad set of activities that prepare members of the sales team (including channel partners) for success in sales engagements, is a key lever for sales productivity. Despite this, most companies have not moved beyond first or second generation sales enablement strategies, which will be devastating in this economical situation.
"In addition to the staggering 26% of their week spent on administrative tasks, the IDC research found that sales professionals are spending, on average, 2.3 hours a week searching for marketing collateral; 5.8 hours a week searching for customer related information; and another 6.4 hours a week creating presentations," IDC noted. "In short, they spend a third of their potential selling time in sales preparation activities that could be done better by automated systems and improved processes."
"IDC research further suggests that shifting as little as 10 minutes a week from this unproductive time to productive selling time is worth $57,000 per year in increased revenues for an enterprise sales professional. In general there was a over 30% increase of productivity potential, that would have to be brought about by sales enablement focused on sales productivity".
Better sales enablement will have a profound impact on sales productivity. IDC found that "time to revenue" drops from months to weeks for organizations that have moved to "productivity" sales enablement environments. With more attention to enablement, sales people feel empowered, they perform better, and customer satisfaction increases.
Obviously have I as a Sales Coach over the years studied sales people as well and this is what I have found in terms of “their unproductive and most significant time consuming activities”.
The four most important, that I found again and again accruing – arranged by frequency – includes 78% of the waste of time the sales people experience:
• Attempts to do too much
• Distracting interruptions
• Crisis management
• Administration – paperwork, etc
Do you see the pattern?
I have the opinion that the most problems and solutions related to sales people and their time management can be put into the following two categories: productivity and efficiency.
1. Productivity means doing things right.
2. Efficiency means doing the right things.
I just thought that I wanted to share this, especially since we are in troubling times. Times where you need to do more with much less and where productivity and efficiency will be the key driver for that
On the phone you have about 10 seconds or less with your words to capture a listener's attention, break their preoccupation with whatever they were doing when you called, and place them in a positive, receptive frame of mind to share information with you and listen with an open mind. Therefore, you don't want to muddy up your call with wasted words, or meaningless words.
Here are some that are overused, and really are meaningless.
-"cost-effective," as in, "We provide cost-effective products."
-"leading," or "premier," as in, "We're the leading company in this field."
-"solution provider, as in, "We're a solution provider."
-"meet your needs, as in, "I'd like to discuss how we can meet your needs."
Check this one out:
"Ms. Prospect, Josh Verbose with E-Commerce Applications. We're the premier solution provider of cost-effective e-commerce systems. We help companies by facilitating their migration into electronic marketing by leveraging their options to meet their e-commerce needs."
Huh?
I received a call similar to the following the other day. Not only did the guy's monotone sound like he just arose out of bed with a stinging hangover, he slurred the unemotional pronunciation of words:
"Art, this is Joe Collins with Data International. We're the most respected provider of data funneling (or something like that--I had never heard the term before). We work with the IBM's, AT&T's ...," and the guy went on for at least 90 seconds, nonstop, with his droning. I was not a prospect, and even if I were, I wouldn't have been interested based on this opening.
Here are a couple of fundamental ideas to keep in mind before and during your calls.
-Know who you're talking to, both company and position-wise, AND know something about them. It's not that tough with all of the info available to you online. This guy was clearly in the wrong place. To avoid wasted time, energy, and resistance he could have simply done some Social Engineering with the person answering my phones by saying: "I want to be sure that what I have would be of some interest for your company. Please tell me ...," followed by some qualifying questions.
-Use clear terminology to quickly create interest. Let me say this slowly: you have just several seconds to create interest at the beginning of a call. You do this by alluding to what you might be able to do for them, and then asking a question.
So be simple with the hint of the result you could possibly provide. For example,
"Art, depending on how you're using your existing list of customers, we might have a way to help you get two or three times the amount of repeat business you're doing now, like we have for other sales training companies. I'd like to ask a few questions to see if it would make sense for us to speak further."
Along the same lines, avoid stilted words when simpler ones will do.
"use" instead of "utilize"
"talk" instead of "have a dialogue"
"help" instead of "facilitate"
Examine your own language, both in your openings, and in all parts of your call. Are you creating resistance instead of interest? If so, change it today.
For a massive collection of word-for-word what-to-say tips and scripts for openings, voice mail, answer to screener's questions, questions, responses to objections and more, take a test drive of Smart Calling Online.
Have your best week ever!!
by Art Sobczak Art Sobczak helps sales pros use the phone to prospect, service and sell more effectively, while eliminating morale-killing "rejection." He presents public seminars and customizes programs for companies. Art has a number of books, CD's and other learning resources to help sales reps. See free articles and back issues of his weekly emailed Smart Calling sales tips at www.BusinessByPhone.com. Also ask for a free copy of his monthly Telephone Prospecting and Selling Report newsletter and Telesales Success magazine by emailing ArtS@BusinessByPhone.com, or calling (402)895-9399) Also go to Art's Telesales Blog http://www.TelesalesBlog.com where you can hear actual recordings of good and failed sales calls.
There is a shift being made in businesses regarding their approach to gaining new business and managing their customers. Social CRM is on the rise and this is more than a few bells and whistles being added into your contact database. With a large focus being made in the movement away from sales data and into sales intelligence, sales professionals will need to make a few adjustments on how they do everything from prospect, develop new opportunities and manage their existing accounts.
Customer 2.0 is not waiting around for a sales person to get back to them with information, they are online looking for answers from people outside of your company within their own social networks and generally searching for people they should be in contact with. The trick (if you want to call it that) is to make yourself as visible as possible so that this new breed of customer has no option but to come across your name or profile during these searches. This is why Sales 2.0 starts with YOU.
5 Steps a person should take to make themselves more sales 2.0 ready
1. Create or optimize you LinkedIn profile. I came across another company this week that only had 20% of their sales team on LinkedIn. At first the sales manager was resistant to the idea of their team using LinkedIn but after some discussion, I think they changed their mind. I guess we’ll see in a couple weeks when we check back in with them.
Sales people should look at their online presence as an extension of themselves. Sites like LinkedIn can become self service lead generators once you optimize your LinkedIn profile and start building a network.
2. Get over your fear and join Twitter now! Maybe it’s because I didn’t have many friends as a teenage kid but I have always found Twitter to be a useful tool to meet people interested in the same things as me and have small conversations. Once I realized that Twitter could be used in a sales environment, I started building a mini network of people that were already customers and looking for products that I sold. You might be amazed at the number of executives on Twitter or just other employees that you can build relationships with online. Remember people buy from people, the more you are seen as a person and not another sales person the better.
Use the search feature or get an application like HootSuite or TweetDeck to help you focus on specific geographies and keywords your company is associated with.
3. This should be #1 but for the sake of editing it’s not. Go over to GoDaddy or another domain name company and buy yourname.com. Google yourself and look at what the results are. Owning your own domain name and building a simple site or even pointing the domain to your LinkedIn profile will help you stand out from the crowd. Your prospects are looking at your online identity just as you are them. Make sure you are searchable and showing your customers/prospects that you are a professional.
4. Stop cold calling and start engaging in conversations. Now that you have a shiny LinkedIn profile start spending a little bit of time in groups and asking/answering questions. You will be amazed at the number of people that are willing to give free advice to you about how to make yourself better or how thankful some people are that you were able to help them out. These are all little building blocks to make you a sales 2.0 expert and bring more prospects to you.
5. Add your social profiles to everything you send to prospects. Add your LinkedIn, Twitter and company blog URLs to your email signature. This is a great way to get some exposure to your Sales 2.0 identity and will let people learn more about YOU and not the sales person contacting them.
These are some simple steps a sales person can take that will build their credibility online and make it near impossible for customer 2.0 not to notice. Would you like me to look at your LinkedIn profile and offer any suggestions? Leave me a comment with the link and I’ll check it out.
by Koka Sexton Social Media Marketing Manager Computer Software, San Francisco Bay Area
Experienced in designing and using social media networks to increase buzz, distribute content, engage customers and drive lead generation. Currently working for InsideView, a SaaS application that drives sales intelligence to increase revenue for companies
Sales closing has something in common with skydiving. In both activities, there is a lot of preparation required; and when the time comes to take action, you simply must do it, or all the time and effort spent on preparation was for naught.
Ground school pre-jump instruction and the first accelerated freefall jump at a skydiving center near my home will set you back $275. The ground school instruction is a six-hour commitment. Just think, six hours of preparation time for just a few minutes of thrill! Similarly, a sales interaction can be one or several hours, but the closing of a sale itself can take only a few minutes. Closing is arguably the most thrilling portion of the sales process.
Both parachuting and closing the sale require decisive action. To be able to experience the thrill of the jump, the parachuter must exit the plane. This step cannot be ignored. If the parachute doesn’t exit the plane, his $275 investment buys him merely a brief ride in a plane; there is no thrill ride back to earth.
In sales, you have to ask for your prospect’s business. If you don’t take closing action, all your sales preparation will be wasted. The effort you spent getting to know your prospect, identifying their needs, and presenting product or service solutions to him will not be leveraged to create revenue for you and your company.
Here are five closing strategies that will help you tune-up your selling process so that you can experience the thrill of closing more often:
1. Make sure you do it. It’s not unusual salespeople will think they asked for the sale when they really didn’t. This “Closing Confusion” is a phenomenon I’ve documented repeatedly. Saying, “So, what do you think?” isn’t closing. Don’t be confused! Buying is decisive, so asking for the sale has to be decisive too.
2. Ask. Don’t suggest. It’s one thing to suggest a prospect buy, but it’s quite another thing to ask the prospect to buy. This is a suggestion: “If you place your order today, you’ll have your widget by Thanksgiving.” Here’s a close: “Should we go ahead and place your order so you’ll have your new widget by Thanksgiving?” The difference in outcome with these two different approaches is massive. Asking closing questions results in far more closed sales than does making a suggestion.
3. Ask more than once. If you’re serious about increasing your sales, you need to be prepared to ask for the order several times, and in different ways. If your first closing attempt was an “assumptive” close, then perhaps your second closing action should be a direct question close. With some products, the prospect will almost certainly refuse your first closing attempt, so expect it, plan for it, and develop a strategy to get beyond your first “no.” Salespeople that ask more than once sell more than salespeople who only ask once.
4. Be comfortable. Being asked to make a purchase can be stressful for the prospect. It can also be stressful for the salesperson. But showing stress won’t help the salesperson close more sales. To jump out of a plane at 13,000 feet, you need to calm and cool; and to be a successful closer, you need to be calm and cool, too. Just relax and enjoy the ride!
5. Don’t forget: closing is your job. Unless you get paid a salary, your job is to close (and one could argue that even salaried salespeople are paid to close, since not enough closed sales will result in the loss of the job!). Your job title may be “Design Consultant” or “Insurance Agent” or “Residential Relocation Expert.” But “consulting” and “agenting” and “experting” doesn’t pay your bills or support your family; only closing sales does that. Accept this reality: your job is to close the deal!
By Skip Anderson Skip Anderson is a recognized expert on consumer selling. He is the founder of Selling to Consumers, a sales training and consulting company dedicated to the achievement of remarkable sales performance. He is a frequent speaker on improving sales performance. Web: www.sellingtoconsumers.com
If you had the chance to listen in to the salespeople who made the least sales, and learn from them what NOT to do, would you take it? You bet your Granddad’s last Werther’s Original you would!
Well, on some of our sales courses, we’ve been gathering information that sums up what the worst salespeople out there actually do, and it makes sad, depressing, hands-in-the-air, can’t-believe-it reading.
Here’s seven of the biggest mistakes salespeople make in trying to win business. How many are you guilty of? Oh, come on…be honest!
1. Fuzzy Preparation. It’s amazing how many salespeople simply wing it and don’t have the ability to state exactly what they are aiming for in the call. Imagine that the client says to you “In one minute, tell me what benefits you can uniquely bring to my business and how much better it will be if we partner up.”
Could you do it? Yes, of course you could. Because you’re well-prepared and your thinking is clear. You resist the temptation to simply fly by the seat of your pants, because you know what would happen if you did. You remember the saying…”An amateur practices until he gets it right. A professional practices until he can’t get it wrong.”
2. Following on from that, the second mistake is having a poor structure to the call. If you want the client to remember you, have some pearls of wisdom to discuss with your client at strategic points in the conversation. Get some ideas to illustrate your points. Paint those pictures with words so the client knows exactly what you want them to remember afterwards. If you have a poor structure, they will get lost easily and have no inclination to take their interest further.
3.Having nothing memorable to say. Have you ever watched a film and the next day couldn’t even remember the title? I have. Many times. I always say I won’t make the same mistake again, and I’ll read reviews before going. But I’m always driven by the trailer, grabbed by the highlights. Then I realise that the trailer had all the best bits and I have to sit through two other hours of drivel.
Many salespeople make the mistake of just delivering drivel, with no highlights, nothing that stands out and makes the customer think “Wow, this is great, I have to know more about this!”
Have something memorable in your delivery that stands out. Otherwise the client will have to work it out for themselves. And that might not be possible. When asked “Who was that salesperson you saw yesterday, Frank?”, you don’t want them to say, “You know what, I don’t remember!”
4. In our Advanced Communication courses, we refer to how people make decisions based on emotional connection then justify them by logic. But poor salespeople make the mistake of little or no emotional connection. Remember the radio station that every buyer tunes into…WII fm.
Yes, the buyer’s antennae tunes in when they hear something that generates interest at an emotion level, and you answer the question “What In It For Me?”
So, tune into your buyers’ imaginations and make the demonstration come alive. It will give you the unfair advantage of building the emotional connection, which they can them justify afterwards with logic.
5. Talking at the wrong level. What I’m referring to here is the level that your prospect is thinking at. Have you looked down from a plane and seen how small whole cities look from up there? You have a fantastic, big picture view, but you can’t make out any houses or cars. Conversely, the people on the ground can see car number plates and shop signs.
Speak at the level that your customer is thinking. With big decision-makers, they may not want to know the detail of how your widget works, but they may need to know how selling 10,000 of them to their customers would raise their operating profit by 6.5%.
6.Having a poor opening and close. In psychology, there are two laws called the Law of Primacy and the Law of Recency. Both have an impact, particularly in demonstrations.
The Primacy Law talks about how people remember the first and important aspects of a meaning they give to something. If your opening is shallow or weak, it will be lost.
Say something you have found out about the success of their company. Congratulate them on a new contract or on their expansion. Make the opening come alive so they remember it.
The same goes for the summary or close. This is the last, or most recent, thing the client hears and so should stand out, as the Law of Recency dictates it will be remembered. Practice you asking for commitment, out loud, in front of a mirror, so it becomes natural and you don’t fluff it.
7. Not learning from mistakes. This last one is a real biggee! If things go wrong for poor salespeople, they won’t always have the business acumen to understand exactly what it was that made it go pear-shaped. By not learning from what goes wrong, you run the risk of repeating the mistakes and undermining the relationship with the next customer, too
Identify what went wrong and convince yourself that you will notice when it happens again. The saying “Repeating the same mistakes and expecting a different result is a sign of insanity” is apt here.
These seven biggest mistakes can be avoided if you pay attention, prepare well and give yourself the opportunity to learn from every experience.
Happy Selling
Sean
by Sean McPheat The UK’s #1 Authority On Modern Day Selling Sean McPheat is widely recognized as one of the leading authorities in internet marketing and sales. As a leading entrepreneur Sean has over 20 different ventures all related to the field of marketing and making small and medium sized business more successful. A devoted husband and dotted father, Sean puts as much passion into his on field life as he does off the pitch. Sean's motto is "Live, Love and Laugh". www.mtdsalestraining.com
I’m sure by now you’ve heard that we all should have some kind of personal website, blog etc where people can get to know us.
But what if you don’t have one?
There’s a simple fix.
Take your Linkedin profile and make that your portal to “learning more about me”.
Here’s what you can do with that simple little move:
1) Comment on blogs, articles etc in the space where you want to demonstrate your expertise. Most of them with have you fill out a 2 second form and one of the fields allows you to cut and paste your website. So now you have this cool comment and people click on your name to learn more about YOU! A big mistake people make is putting their company website. People buy you first and you’ve done nothing to build your personal brand. Doing this also increases your “Googleability”
2) Use that as your website if you have a Twitter account.
3) Include a handy dandy icon like this
as part of your auto signature in your emails.
4) Use it as your personal website if you submit articles to websites.
So there you have it. A real quick and simple way for you to continue to build that incredible brand called “YOU”!
by Paul Castain Paul Castain works with organizations and individuals to achieve higher levels of performance. He is so good that he was granted permission to talk about himself in the 3rd person. For more information on how Paul can help you and your company click here dude.
No matter how long you have been in sales, you will inevitably experience the ups and downs of the business world and create opportunities from them or suffer from the pain of lost sales. It would be wonderful to always maintain a high profile with all your customers, and be on top of your game at all times.
But what about the times when things don’t go according to plan? What can you do when you suffer from those bleak periods, when the sales just don’t happen and you fall into that stupor called the doldrums?
Here are some tips on how to deal with them.
1) Remember that “this too shall pass”. By focusing too much on what is going wrong, you will simply attract more of it. Don’t allow it to become the be-all-and-end-all of your days. Remember that it is simply a phase you are going through and, as inexorably as day follows night, if you get back on track, you will see the light at the end of the tunnel.
2) Remember back to when things were going well. You had a process to follow, a strategy to maintain, an attitude to keep up. By remembering what those processes were, what those strategies included and what that attitude consisted of, you can determine the plan of action that needs to be followed to get back there.
3) Concentrate on what you can control, rather than being at the mercy of what you can’t. It’s easy to blame the economy or the competition or your product for things looking bleak. But what you need to do specifically at this time is identify exactly what you can control and influence, and work on those things only. By moaning or whining about what you can’t control, you simply hand over responsibility for your emotions and feelings to an external force that you can’t do anything about.
Even the doldrums can be left behind if you concentrate on the actions that need to be taken to break free. Create those goals in your mind that will encourage you, and become once again the quality salesperson you know you can be.
Happy Selling
Sean Sean McPheat The UK’s #1 Authority On Modern Day Selling MTD Sales Training www.mtdsalestraining.com
This conference, which represents the most ambitious online event of its type ever staged, with thirty five sessions presented by some of the world's top sales experts... Click to read more...
Need a good laugh? The following classified ad was listed in a sleazy business opportunities home page: "How to get one million people to send you $2.00! Method plus proof it really works. Rush $2.00 and SASE to..."
It seems that most of the hype surrounding Sales 2.0 has been generated first by software vendors/social media evangelists and now by salespeople – but what do customers make of it all, has anyone stopped to tell them what’s in it for them?
Of course all of these tools (not necessarily new tools by the way) will help us find new opportunities, but will they really help us manage our existing client base, after all, CRM in one guise or another has been around since…well, I think I still had hair!
We all know that a vitally important sales activity is that of managing existing customer accounts, to consolidate and grow the relationship. Yet unfortunately, when compared over time, the customers’ interest levels increase while salespeople’s interest levels tend to decrease. This creates a “relationship gap” and is due entirely to complacency. I happen to believe that “complacency levels” are increasing alarmingly, and this goes some way to explaining declining levels of sales achievement.
Another major issue is that too often the salesperson fails to expand his/her “contact base” as this next survey proves, which results in vulnerability and exposure to competitive activity.
Periodically, the Financial Times conducts a survey of British industry to establish how companies go about their purchasing. The survey is very comprehensive, broken down into many kinds of products and services – and I have no reason to suppose that results are exclusive to the UK or Europe.
From a Sales Director’s perspective, these are very worrying statistics
Customer size (Number of employees): Less than 200 Average number of buying influencers: 3.43 Number of influencers visited by salespeople: 1.72
Customer size (Number of employees): 200 – 400 Average number of buying influencers: 4.85 Number of influencers visited by salespeople: 1.75
Customer size (Number of employees): 401 – 1000 Average number of buying influencers: 5.81 Number of influencers visited by salespeople: 1.90
Customer size (Number of employees): 1001 + Average number of buying influencers: 6.50 Number of influencers visited by salespeople: 1.65
In essence, without a sustained approach to ongoing servicing and support activities, customers that took months to win are ultimately lost because there was a lack of interest from their supplier.
To-days clients/customers are looking for vendors who can be business-partners, who are willing and able to share risks and who are able to properly manage the entire sales process.
They are also looking for business partners who will sell to them how they wish to be sold to – and that may not include via a Sales 2.0 or a “Social Media” approach.
Fact: It now costs fifteen times as much to locate and sell to a new customer as it does to an existing one – compelling reasons to build brick walls around our client base, before promiscuously chasing after every half-chance? It may not be as exciting, but be assured, it is a great deal more profitable.
“Dear Vendor, You probably will not see me on Twitter – now what?”
by Jonathan Farrignton Jonathan Farrington is a globally recognized business coach, mentor, author and sales strategist, who has guided hundreds of companies and thousands of individuals around the world towards optimum performance levels. He is Chairman of The Sales Corporation, CEO of Top Sales Associates and Senior Partner at The JF Consultancy based in London and Paris. Early in 2007, Jonathan formed Top Sales Associates (TSA) to promote the very best sales related solutions and products. TSA is now a subsidiary of The Sales Corporation, based in London and Paris. Visit his website
Due to all the scandals which have befallen this economy, it takes more of a conscious effort to build the trust and rapport with a prospect. People and companies are afraid to buy from the unknown, and sometimes rather stay with established vendors and established problems then taking a risk.
How do we build the level of trust and rapport necessary to get new business? Don’t think it is by lowering prices. I think most sales are lost because the rapport and trust was not well established, not price or the other established excuses for not buying. Here are some tips on building trust and Rapport.
1. Watch your body language and gestures
55% of communication is body language. Be aware of your body language and the prospect’s body language. An effective listener notices all aspects of communication and is aware of voice tone, facial expression, repetitive movements, and muscle tension.
2. Listen and hear what your prospect is saying
Make a conscious effort to hear every word and let them finish their thoughts. Do not respond directly without using phrases like the following:
If I understood you correctly I appreciate what you are saying ….
3. Get to know your prospects better on a more personal basis
Know where they came from and what got them in the business, and what they like and dislike about the business. Be sincere about your interest.
4. Develop the mindset of a business consultant rather than a sales person
Find out other problems and challenges, and if your product or service does not fit, perhaps your experience or contacts can help them.
5. Take notes and repeat back the actions that must be taken to move forward on the sale
Set dates when it will be done, and follow up, follow up, follow up.
6. Keep a consistent contact
Use your CRM to make periodic phone calls, send e-mails, or send interesting articles or information which pertains to the prospects problems and challenges. DO NOT send jokes, religious, politically slanted information.
Perhaps you know of other techniques that you use to help you build rapport. Please do not hesitate to share them.
by Allan Himmelstein Allan Himmelstein is President of Sales Coach AZ, which specializes in developing customized, highly effective sales processes for individuals and companies. Mr. Himmelstein’s core belief is that we are all Accidental Salespeople, and if we want to, we can improve our basic skills. His style is to take a strategic approach, utilizing a company’s unique strengths and core values to build a highly effective sales process that maximizes results. Mr. Himmelstein has a proven track record as a top-level executive for increasing business revenues and profit growth in competitive markets. His extensive business management experience includes the start up of an international company, which grew to $40,000,000 in nine years. He has held C level positions in Fortune 500 companies, including serving as VP of Sales and Marketing for ConAgra. http://salescoachaz.wordpress.com/
Using technology to collaborate with your prospects and customers respects their valuable time - while also making the most of yours. Gone are "sales calls" whose only purpose was the hope of stumbling on a potential business opportunity.
Here are suggestions for using social media to streamline and enhance your sales process.
Your Sales Process
A well-defined sales process is essential for efficiently and expediently accomplishing a series of activities and events that are necessary to consummate a sale.
There should be a reason for every step in your sales process; and your prospects should clearly understand those reasons too. That alone is a tip to share with your team: Make a note to educate your prospects about your process very close to front end of it.
Over time you should endeavor to trim the fat from your process. This is especially relevant today with so many tools and technologies available to do so. Use them to accomplish activities such as gathering and sharing information that drives your process - and makes face-to-face meetings more focused.
The Discovery Phase
Every sales process should begin with an exploration or discovery phase to determine whether or not it is necessary to have a first meeting. This has traditionally been done with an initial phone call.
That time consuming step is no longer necessary.
Should you begin a relationship with a cold phone call? Think about how you feel after 45 minutes of politely chatting with a prospect, whom you knew after the first 5 minutes was not a qualified buyer for your products or services?
There is now a better way.
Use the Social Networks
Now you can use social networking and marketing to share the information that is necessary for prospects to learn what they most need to know about you and your business. Once again, think back on all of your past sales calls and make a list of the criteria that successfully engaged prospects (or eliminated those that were not a good fit).
You will probably discover that essential information is necessary to educate and inform, but also to inspire, motivate, and otherwise build a bridget that leads to trust. This information may include:
How You Work - Your process. Doing your work with flair or efficiency are distinguishing qualities that prospects are vitally interested in.
Expertise - What you do best.
Credentials - Are your skills validated by credible sources? I'm not particularly interested in credentials, but I know some people are, so I mention my MBA in my bio for audiences that may find it relevant.
Budgets - Contrary to popular belief, it is healthy to talk budgets early and often in the sales process. You may consider sharing minimum and typical investments for your services.
Capabilities - Everyone has (and should) have a limit on the scope of work they can or will handle. Knowing your limits enhances your credibility.
Exclusions - What type of work will you not do? Speakers like me are often guilty of speaking on topics that are not right for them. Focus on what you do best or you undermine your highest value.
Typical Projects - While social media is not a forum for marketing in the traditional sense, you should find methods for showcasing successful work. The best way is to keep the focus on the customer when you are doing this. In other words, make it about them, not you.
Testimonials - Testimonials are still relevant. In fact, they may be even more so today, because prospects can easily use the social networks to easily engage with your fans.
How to Work with You - Here is how to work with me - below I show you how to set up a similar form for your small business.
Social Media Tips for Customer Service and Sales
1. Create Web-based forms.
Use these form to help prospects provide you with the information necessary to determine how you can best help them - or refer them to a colleague who is more qualified. This post on how to add a form to your blog shows you how with Google docs.
Create forms so that your current customers can initiate service requests. Instead of a phone call, they can now make inquiries 24/7. All of the information is stored on the Web and is readily accessible from your mobile device. Be sure to set the notifications to alert you when the document has been updated.
You could also use Google doc forms to assist your field staff in quickly sending service requests to the home office. This too is easily accomplished with mobile devices
2. Create a Private Facebook Group
Using the new Facebook groups to keep your sales team on the same page will not only build a buzz of their ongoing successes, it also minimizes emails and encourages teamwork.
This tool encourages your staff to be on Facebook where they can also interact and share information with customers and prospects. Remember, social media is a team effort.
3. Start a Blog
There is no better way to educate your prospects than with fully-functioning and active blog. When you use it to profile the unsung heroes that make a difference for your customers from behind the scenes, you humanize your company - and give a peek behind at how your business really works.
Case studies that profile how you serve your customers helps prospects to see their situation in those practical examples. The more stories you tell that illuminate what you do and how your company does it, the more easily you will align yourself with your future customers.
Also, your current customers can benefit from up-to-date tips and advice that can be easily communicated with your blog. Isn't it easier to proactively make one blog post than to respond to dozens of phone calls or emails after the fact?
This post gives you plenty of detail on how to start a blog. To learn more, explore these posts that many small business leaders like you have called their favorites.
Or use the Google search on this blog to look for more helpful tips and advice. You will find dozens of posts on blogs and blogging, Facebook, social media, and small business marketing in general.
by Jeff Korhan Jeff Korhan is a new media marketer, an award-winning entrepreneur, and a top-ranked blogger who helps small businesses maximize their Web visibility, reputation, and referrals with social media and Internet marketing. As a social media speaker, trainer, columnist and coach, Jeff applies three decades of marketing experience and an MBA with a special skill for simplifying technology and complex ideas to make them practical and useful for small businesses. Jeff is a recognized social media leader whose New Media and Small Business Marketing blog is ranked in the Top 100 Small Business blogs in by Technorati.
I get so many requests asking me how to handle objections, that I thought I'd go ahead and give you the secret method that I reveal in my in-person trainings - the definite way you should handle and deal with all objections.
This is a Top 20% favorite and it works because you are not answering or dealing with objections, rather, you're qualifying and isolating first, then, once you've found out if it's a real objection or a smokescreen, you're dealing with it in the most efficient way possible.
And you're asking for the deal when done. It's called the 5-Step Method of Handling Objections, and once you begin using it, you'll be amazed by how successful it is. Here's how it works:
The Five-Step Method
Step One: (Two Parts):
1. First, hear them out - completely. Don't interrupt!
2. Put in a softening statement before you answer:
"I complete understand how you feel." "Some of my best clients felt that way also." "I completely understand how you feel, this is a big decision, and right now I'm sure it makes sense for you to think about this."
Step Two: Question and Isolate the Objection B-4 Answering it.
As I've written about before, you can't begin chasing and answering every objection they give you! First you must question and isolate the objection to make sure it's the REAL objection.
Example: "The Price is Too High"
"I understand __________, and let me ask you a question: Assuming that the price on these hearing aids weren't an issue (or fit within your budget, or if someone were suddenly going to buy them for you), but if price weren't an issue here, is this the solution you feel is right for you today?" Or, "is this something you would go ahead and order today?"
Step Three: Answer the Objection (using a scripted response!)
No secret here that I'm recommending you use a scripted response once you understand what the objection is. Either use one of the scripts you already have, or write one. No matter what, though, use a SCRIPT!
Step Four: Confirm Your Answer:
One of the biggest mistakes 80% of sales reps make when answering objections is they don't confirm their answers - in other words, they just keep talking! And I mean talking past the close. The Top 20% understand the danger of talking past the close (like introducing new objections), and instead, after they have used their scripted response, they confirm their answer. Use any one of the following:
"Does that answer that for you?" "Does that make sense?" "Have I satisfied that for you?"
Step Five: Ask For the Deal!
This might sound obvious, but you'd be amazed by how many (like 80% or more) closers don't ask for the deal. Scripts assure that you do! And after you do ask for the order,
Shut up and Listen!
That's the whole technique. It may sound simple, like common sense, but 80 to 90% of your competition don't do this - and so they struggle day and day with common objections. If you want to begin handling and easily overcoming objections, then begin using the 5-Step Method today and watch your sales begin to take off!
The December 2010 issue of Harvard Business Review had a short article entitled “Do You Really Know Who Your Best Salespeople Are?” In this article the authors attempt to explain how the behavior of sales people affect their ability to be effective. They based the research on observation of 800 sales people.
Their conclusion: Of the eight “types” they identified, only three are effective. Those three are called “Experts,” “Closers” and “Consultants.” The ineffective types are:
Storytellers
Focusers
Narrators
Aggressors
Socializers
The three effective types supposedly represent 37% of sales people, but they also note that only 1 in 250 sales people exceed their targets. Either targets are unrealistic or 37% is too high. Or the remaining issue is not in Sales, which is the premise of my book The Secret To Selling More.
by Mitchell Gooze Mitchell Goozé is the president and founder of Customer Manufacturing Group. His broad scope of business experience ranges from operations management in established firms, to start-up and turn-around situations and mergers. A seasoned general manager, he has headed divisions of large corporations and been CEO of independent firms, always focusing the company strategy on the most important person in business . . . the customer. Prior to founding Customer Manufacturing Group, Mitch was president of Teledyne Components, a division of Teledyne, Inc., from 1985 until 1990.
Mitch's unique expertise in determining strategic positioning at the corporate or product level has resulted in the cornerstone element of the Customer Manufacturing System - Value Specification. For years he has used his Who, What and How assessment methods to help companies define what their customers are buying that they can't get from anyone else. As a recognized expert in marketing, strategic business planning, and customer relationships, Mitch has been invited to speak by business groups across the globe. His ideas have helped thousands of senior executives to gain a competitive advantage in their market through the assessment and redesign of their System to Manufacture Customers.
He has served as an outside director on the board of several companies and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Aquatrols. Mitch is a past member of the Board of Directors of The American Electronics Association and ASUCLA, and The Board of Advisors of the Leavy School of Business at Santa Clara University and the Board of Advisors of Customer Satisfaction Improvement, Inc. He has been an invited guest lecturer at The Columbia University Graduate School of Business and at Stanford University.
Mitch has been an invited guest speaker and published author for over fifteen years. His first book on marketing, It's Not Rocket Science: Using Marketing to Build A Sustainable Business, was first published in 1997 and was released in newly updated paperback edition in 2002. His second book, The Secret To Selling More was initially released in August 2001, and published in paperback in 2004.
Mitch holds a B.S. Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and an MBA from Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland.
It’s no secret that I firmly believe Every H-Rep Needs an E-Rep. Your electronic alter-ego’s 24 X 7 X 365 work ethic alone is a compelling enough reason to have one.
If all the web 2.0 and social media tools are a brave new world for you though, setting the whole thing up can seem a bit overwhelming. I get that, so it might make sense to be a bit schizophrenic at first. It’s OK to be an E-Rep wanna’ be for little while! Start with something easy.
Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. (You do that every day already!) Go out on the web and search for alternative sources of the stuff you sell. Behave like a ornery customer and avoid human contact! Learn what you can about several suppliers’ capabilities from their web site, blogs and LinkedIn profiles and groups.
Click the RSS buttons you see. Follow the posts. Learn!
After a few weeks of that – still in your customer’s shoes – choose a supplier. Choose soley based on the nature of their E-Reps. You have now absorbed enough to begin crafting your own E-Rep. Apply what you’ve learned. Post comments on blogs and LinkedIn discussions. Start your own blog. Do it!!!
After a few weeks of that, flip back to your other personality and learn some more. Flip back and forth between “Learner” and “E-Rep” several times. Learn a bit more about how E-Reps sell, then sell. Learn a bit more about how E-Reps sell, then sell. Learn a bit more about how E-Reps sell, then sell.
Actually, Social Media Schizophrenia might just be a good long term strategy.
by Todd Youngblood Todd Youngblood is passionate about sales productivity. His 30+ year career in Executive Management, Sales, Marketing and Consulting has focused on selling more, better, cheaper and faster. He began his career in 1976 as a Marketing Representative with the IBM Corporation and for fifteen years progressed through a wide variety of field and staff assignments. He then founded and operated an Information Technology Outsourcing firm providing Software Development and Maintenance Services. In 1994, he joined an electronic commerce firm serving the insurance and healthcare industries, as Vice President of Sales & Marketing. He established The YPS Group, Inc. in 1999 based on his years of experience in Sales Process Engineering – that is, combining creativity and discipline in the design, implementation and use of work processes for highly effective sales teams. Todd has worked extensively with firms in the Distribution, Manufacturing, Insurance, Services, and Telecommunications industries. He is the author of two sales management books, The Dolphin And The Cow and Think About It… He is married, has two daughters, enjoys cycling, is a second degree black belt in Choi Kwang Do and serves on the board of the Cobb Symphony Orchestra. http://ypsgroup.com/
Q. How is demand being generated within your organization, and how much is marketing expected to drive vs. sales?
This was the first of four questions in our latest Revenue Masters webinar titled: Key Questions Sales Leaders Must Ask To Ensure Revenue Success. The live session was hosted and moderated by Gerhard Gschwandter, Founder and CEO of SellingPower, and featured Bill Binch, VP of Sales and Customer Success at Marketo, and Barry Trailer, Co-Founder of CSO Insights.
The answer to the first question is: it depends. One of the deciding factors is technology. Barry Trailer presented results of a recent survey which demonstrated how sales and marketing roles are influenced by the use of Lead Generation Management (LGM) systems. The survey found that:
Marketing plays a larger role in lead generation amongst companies that use a lead gen management solution.
By having a lead management solution, 56% of companies have a good or excellent ability to use their marketing databases and tools to drive prospect interactions. For sales and marketing teams that don’t, the number is considerably smaller.
Lead generation management tools shift the work load of nurturing leads from sales towards marketing. They allow marketing to take care of supplying prospects with relevant content and keeping the brand front of mind over the course of the revenue cycle.
In organizations where marketing is able to lend strong support to lead generation and lead nurturing, sales can devote more of its resources to the pipeline’s active revenue opportunities. This way, technology is an enabler for marketing, but more importantly, an enabler for how sales and marketing teams can better work together.
by Andrew Spoeth Andrew Spoeth is an independent marketing consultant specializing in B2B demand generation, with emphasis on social media, marketing automation, and thought leadership strategy. He recently worked for four years as marketing director for Enquiro, one of North America’s top search marketing agencies. With that company, he lead corporate marketing strategy by leveraging webinars (the B2B Expert Series), white papers, SEO, PPC, lead scoring, web analytics, and strategic partnerships.
Andrew’s further interests branch out significantly beyond corporate marketing and include technology, physics, music and the psychology of leadership. This is fueled by a degree in physics, as well as a masters of music and physics education which he earned in Germany.
Besides his consulting work, he teaches Internet marketing for the Graphic & Digital Media Design program at the Centre for Arts and Technology in Kelowna, BC. You’ll also find Andrew speaking at industry events, guest blogging and co-moderating the weekly Twitter #B2Bchat series. You can follow him at @andrewspoeth, and view his blog at marketingfinger.com.
Sales Professionals are the Elite Athletes of the Business World. Like elite athletes you must train to win. To gain the winning edge in your career, make the PowerPrinciples Podcast a part of your training regimen. Listen now...
So, we’re at the end of the first quarter of the year…hasn’t it just flown by? I trust things have been good for you, and you’re enjoying your selling?
This is a good time to identify what you’ve done recently in your sales portfolio and what you can look forward to in the coming months. Here are some very effective questions to help you identify how well you are doing and to take stock of how well you’re geared up for the next quarter:
1. How well are you doing year-to-date versus your target? Are you getting near to or exceeding the goals you originally set?
2. If things carry on as they are going, how will your figures be looking at the end of the second quarter?
3. What can you specifically do today that will have an impact on how you are going to do in the next quarter?
4. Are there any new strategies, ideas, plans or actions that you can put into operation to affect your next quarter’s performance in a positive way?
You don’t need me to tell you that you are either below, on, or exceeding your target.
If you are behind, analyse what you can do to get rid of the obstacles that are hindering your progress.
If you are on target, congratulate yourself, then identify what you need to do to keep the momentum going.
If you are ahead of target, decide what you did right and what you can do to keep your foot firmly on the accelerator.
Don’t take your eye off the ball. Now is not the time to slow down. Keep your motivation high and you’ll see your figures rise during this next quarter.
Happy Selling
Sean
by Sean McPheat The UK’s #1 Authority On Modern Day Selling MTD Sales Training
“If you are not taking care of your customer, your competitor will.” – Bob Hooey The WELL Question: Which customers will you take extra steps with this week to ensure they are not only satisfied . . . but loyal as well?
Email is a widely used prospecting tool but it is seldom used correctly or as effectively as it could be. Most sales people and small business owners make a variety of mistakes that prevent them from increasing their sales when using email to grow their business. Here are the top six mistakes they make that cost them money.
Mistake 1--Poor subject line
Never, ever reference your company name in a prospecting email. That’s the fastest way to make sure it doesn’t get read. Also, don’t mention something lame like your new website. Do I REALLY care about your new website? Does anyone other than your marketing team and the person who approved the budget care about it? I highly doubt it. A prospecting email must start with a great subject line that catches your contact person’s attention. Executives receive hundreds of emails every day and if your email has a dull or boring self-serving subject line, it’s going to get deleted without being opened or read.
Mistake 2--Asking me for feedback
Once again, I’m too busy to give you feedback on YOUR stuff. This is not a compelling way to capture and keep my attention. Because your email is a sales letter (which I have nothing against) I know that your request is simply an attempt to get me to click through your link. If you want your email to take action make sure that you address a specific problem my company is facing. Then, I might be compelled to follow through on your request.
Mistake3--Generic approach
The statement, “It describes our services and success with companies just like...” tells me nothing about your product or service. While you or your marketing department might think that that is a creative and intriguing approach, it isn’t. If you really want to get my attention tell me what success have you achieved with other companies like mine. Show me that you have the solution to one of my problems. Answer those issues and I will be more likely to click through.
Mistake 4--Using the wrong company name
If you are going to use a computer-generated list, make sure that your information-gathering system actually captures the right information. Otherwise, people will know that your email was mass-produced from a list or computer-generated list. Enough said.
Mistake 5--Ask me to sign up for a webinar (or other ‘pitch’)
Most senders do nothing to establish any type of value so why would I waste my time signing up for a webinar? Especially a webinar that I know is going to be sales pitch and may or may not be of value to me. Decision makers are far too busy to sit through a thinly veiled marketing pitch. Give people something of value and you will get a better response.
Mistake 6--Poor use of the P.S.
It is widely known that a P.S. at the end of a sales letter or email gets read. However, the P.S. statement in most emails focus entirely on the company and do nothing to make people want to click on one of the links in the email. Use a testimonial from a satisfied client or a result you achieved with a particular company instead.
Email is a great way to connect with potential prospects and companies--when it’s used as part of an overall campaign and when it is used properly. Avoid these blunders and improve your odds of successfully connecting with your prospect and increasing your sales.
by Kelley Robertson Do you know what sales blunders are costing you money? Get a FREE audio program, Sales Blunders That Cost You Money and two other sales-boosting resources by subscribing to Kelley’s newsletter at www.Fearless-Selling.ca or email Kelley@Fearless-Selling.ca
Social media is changing the way our customers buy and the way in which we engage our customers. Before customers even see us for the first time, they have a great deal of information—not necessarily knowledge—about our company, our products, and our competition. I am often asked, “How should sales professionals be engaging in social media?”
The short answer is, I’m not sure—but every sales person must be gaining familiarity and leveraging social media. Social media and social selling is changing everything we do, the pace varies by industry, but every sales person must get familiar with how the world of engaging customers is changing.
The most powerful way sales people can be using social media is to listen—listen to the market, listen to customers, listen to competition, even listen to their own company. Tools like Twitter, Blogs, even company sites on Facebook and LinkedIn can give the sales people tremendous insight about what’s going on in their customers’ industries, in their customers’ companies, and in the industry. They provide great insight into what people are saying about our own companies and competition. Leveraging social media is critical for all sales people in being informed and competitive.
Sales people should leverage social media for their own personal development. There are great resources (Put the Customer Collective high on the list), where sales people can learn more about business, professional selling and things going on in their industries. Sales people should find and subscribe to a few of their favorite blogs (start with the Customer Collective and mine, www.partnersinexcellenceblog.com). Join some groups and participate in discussions on LinkedIn.
I’m always asked the question, should sales people be writing blogs? My answer is, “It depends—but probably not.” I know this sounds wrong, and I’ll probably change my position over time. I believe companies need to have strong blog presence, positioning themselves and their solutions, engaging customers in new conversations. The issue is, should sales people be doing that? With a few exceptions, I don’t think it’s a great use of sales people’s time. I also don’t believe most sales people are trained to be able to do this as effectively as others in the organization. Finally, I think sales time is best spent in engaging customers in specific situations relevant to their business.
Finally, sales people need to be cautious. Social media will absorb as much of your time as you let it. You can become consumed with it, not spending time focusing on specific opportunities with customers. Sales professionals don’t let the time the spend with social media become an excuse for failing to produce results.
What do you think? How does social media impact sales professionals? How should sales people be leveraging social media?
by Dave Brock Dave Brock has spent his career developing high performance organizations. He worked in sales, marketing, and executive management capacities with IBM, Tektronix and Keithley Instruments. His consulting clients include companies in the semiconductor, aerospace, electronics, consumer products, computer, telecommunications, retailing, internet, software, professional and financial services industries. www.partnersinexcellenceblog.com
Do you find you can interest people in your products but have a hard time closing the sale? You're not alone! As a sales coach, many clients come to me who have trouble closing and overcoming objections.
There is an easy improvement in how you sell that can make a huge difference to your closing success.
One recent coaching client of mine went from a 10% closing rate to a 50% closing rate after just one coaching session. What technique could make this much of a difference in your ability to close sales?
The simple answer is giving the customer a reason why today is the best day to buy. Unless you make this part of your presentation, you will only close those customers who happen to have a reason to buy today.
Let's look at an example: You are offering a product or service by phone to consumers that cost $300.00. You have made your presentation and the customer is interested. However, they tell you they will be definitely getting it in 2 weeks when their paycheck comes in (or any other excuse you wish to fill in here).
A weak salesperson ends the call. The sale is over. They will follow up in two weeks only to find that the customer doesn't return their calls or has lost interest. A stronger salesperson is ready for this situation with several reasons why today is the best day to make a purchase. Some can be discounts and but they don't have to be.
Here are a few examples: Bob, I don't blame you for wanting to wait a couple of weeks but we're not asking you to pay for it, we're just asking you to give us the go ahead. You can put it in your credit card and you won't have to make any payments for 30 days…I'll get the paperwork started.
Another approach could be a discount. Bob, normally I would want you to wait the two weeks to get started but here is something you might consider. I made a volume deal yesterday and got a special discount from the company. If we could complete your order this afternoon, I might be able to give you that same volume pricing and save you $75.00. Let's see if we can get you the benefits now and save you money. I'll get the paperwork started.
These are just two examples. For best results, customize the reason to buy fit your customer and your sales situation. In every type of sale, never try to close without a good reason to buy. You will find it makes a big difference.
It is always important to stay on top of trends in the industry. While I don’t encourage actually strategy and budget decisions being made on just statistics… it is important to understand the growth and decline of tools in the marketing world.
I stumbled across this infographic on Mashable from Ignite, a social media consulting firm. There were some pretty spectacular stats built into the graphic. Here are the top five:
1. The youngest demographic social networks (Ages 0-17) are Habbo.com and imvu.com
2. Surprisingly, imvu.com was also one of the top social networks with the highest percentages of women.
3. The oldest demographic social network (65+) is Plaxo.com and Newsvine.com
4. The top fastest growing social networks are Tumblr, Weibo and LinkedIn
5. The top three richest social networks (income) are LinkedIn, Plaxo, and Yelp.
It is important to note that the study is pulling data from all over the world. Even more important to note… it appears that the growth of social networking and social media tools is leveling off.
What do you think about the stats and the growth rate of social media?
This week I have been really thinking a lot about how companies are implementing social media. I tweet out social media tips each day and the past couple weeks of tweets have definitely been influenced by my thoughts on best practices, social media training, implementation and of course leadership. Some were tweeted while sitting in the airport in Calgary, some from Blenz Coffee in Vancouver and others while I was doing research online. These tweets represent my stream of consciousness over the past couple of weeks. Your feedback and additional thoughts on the topic would be greatly appreciated. Happy tweeting!
Social Media Tip: free is great BUT charge for things, people will appreciate them more and you will attract a different market.
Social Media Tip: Want to increase ROI? Have a well-trained sales team handling leads and inquiries. You still need to close the deal.
Social Media Tip: LinkedIn is about trusted networks connecting with trusted networks. It’s not a “friending” game.
Social Media Tip: Twitter is a marketing tool, networking tool, prospecting tool, research tool… it all depends on how you use/mis-use it
Social Media Tip: Many marketers don’t see social media as a revolutionary tool but part of the marketing mix. It can be if it’s applied effectively. Innovate
Social Media Tip: Having senior level buy-in is vital if you want to fully maximize your organization’s social media ROI.
Social Media Tip: If the major conference you are going to doesn’t have a #hashtag or a tweetup start them both and make more connections.
Social Media Tip: stakeholder engagement has it’s ebbs and flows, don’t be discourage, stick with the plan.
Social Media Tip: People care more about other people than things or brands. Use social media to tell stories and humanize your business.
Social Media Tip: Continually search for new social media platforms – they will expose you to new markets and business intelligence.
Social Media Tip: human curators are more important than others. People are trying to sort through all of the noise.
Social Media Tip: Consistency is important but being relevant and adding value with your content is equally as important.
Social Media Tip: If you can influence just one person negatively or positively you are a leader. Watch your intent.
Social Media Tip: Stop trying to control your employees and own their tweets. Instead win their hearts and work on your culture.
Social Media Tip: social media is evolving. Make sure your behaviors, tools, and rules of engagement keeping pace.
Social Media Tip: There’s more to social media than content. Strategy, etiquette, listening, relevance are vital.
Social Media Tip: Train your team and develop a socialized culture. Leverage your brand story through building community.
by Shane Gibson Shane Gibson is the author of three books (soon to be four) and a speaker on the topics of social media and sales performance, he has addressed over 100,000 people over the past seventeen years on stages in North America, Southern Africa & South America. He is quickly becoming known as one of the world's foremost speakers on the topic of sales performance and social media. As an author and speaker he combines a diverse background in sales force leadership, entrepreneur development and extensive sales and leadership coaching. Shane Gibson is the author of Closing Bigger: The Field Guide to Closing Bigger Deals and the book "Sociable! How Social Media is Turning Sales and Marketing Upside-down. Shane also co-authored the book "Guerrilla Social Media Marketing" (October 2010 release date) with Jay Conrad Levinson. Personally mentored by Jay, Shane is Canada's first and only Guerrilla Marketing Master Trainer. He has been published in numerous publications on the topics of Leadership, Marketing, Sales, and Social Media in magazine, radio and television interviews, including CMA Magazine, the Financial Post, and the Globe. He is also a certified Master Trainer and contributing author in the Complete Sales Action System™, and Managing Complex Business Relationships both published and produced by Knowledge Brokers International. http://www.closingbigger.net/
That's the title of Laura Petrecca's article in USA Today, but actually it's by no means just about "older" Americans: the stats indicate it's "just-plain American" (of all ages) who are starting new businesses, electing self-employment, and otherwise going off on their own as consultants, free-agents, and the like. Here are some of the key numbers on self-employment from that article:
"Folks 55 to 64 represented the second-largest jump in entrepreneurial activity by age (just behind 35- to 44-year-olds) from 2008 to 2009, according to an Index of Entrepreneurial Activity released last week by entrepreneur-focused group Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
"Other studies, such as a recent Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report, as well as data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), also show an uptick in older folks becoming their own bosses.
"The number of self-employed Americans rose to 8.9 million in December 2009, up from 8.7 million a year earlier, according to BLS data provided by outplacement firm Challenger Gray & Christmas. Self-employment among those 55 to 64 hit nearly 2 million, a 5% rise from the prior year. Self-employment for those 65 and older hit 939,000 — a 29% increase.
"The rise has been fueled by factors such as the tidal wave of Baby Boomers who don't want to stop working, economic necessity triggered by the recession, and the rise in longevity, says Dane Stangler, a research manager at Kauffman.
""Americans are not only living longer but also living healthier longer, suggesting that those entrepreneurial 60-year-olds could be 2020's entrepreneurial 70-year-olds," he says."
Sources of help for new self-employed and new business start-ups by those 50+
Also from the same article: "Those seeking counseling can now choose from numerous online resources that target older entrepreneurs, such as the Small Business Administration's "50+" page (sba.gov/50plusentrepreneur) and the "Start Your Own Business" section of RetiredBrains.com, a site started by 75-year-old Arthur Koff when he was 68."
by Michael McGaulley Please visit Michael McGaulley's website: http://www.SellingFacetoFace.com. Books include How to Sell Face-to-Face Survival Guide; Sales Training Tutorials; Sales Presentations and Demonstrations; and Selling 101.
Price has always been a main reason that keeps sales people from selling. At least, that's what sales people say. Here is some humorous evidence to the contrary. Sales people have always had a laundry list of excuses that keep them from being able to sell today. Yet, is there any excuse more infamous than the price one. "If we just lowered our price, I could sell a ton of this stuff." Oh really? People buy primarily-based on price? Well, if that's true consider this.
If price really matters… • Everyone would buy generic drugs • No one would have cable or satellite television • The seat every fan fights for would be the last row in the stadium • Satellite radio wouldn't have over 15 million subscribers • No one would own a Bose product • You would get your drinking water from a faucet • A Yugo would be in your driveway • Nordstroms would be empty • Everyone would shave with a single blade razor • Starbuck's wouldn't have poured a single cup of coffee • The only food in your kitchen would be supermarket brand • The toilet paper in your bathroom would be single-ply sandpaper • And… You wouldn't have any clients!
After all, someone bought from your company. Not just one person, lots of people have bought from your company. Remember this the next time you let yourself argue that you can't sell because of price. It isn't the price… It's your ability to demonstrate value to prospects. And, people will pay for value. You've just seen evidence that they do, even in your own backyard.
Most sales people are straightforward when cold calling. No doubt – it’s a benefit in most cases. Be careful though – sometimes it prevents you from seeing anything else apart from your speech template. Check out this funny picture and see what inflexibility can lead to.
It's not the economy; it's the company that makes the difference.
Last year I was reminded of an important truth: there is always someone who knows how to make a profit in any given economic condition. We saw an increase in the number of mid-size companies that intentionally improved their sales skills to take business away from the big dogs. Fortunately for them, many of the Big Dogs were tied to the porch by tight budgets and corporate edicts. They realized they could get a relatively quick ROI from any programs that would help them capture the big deals.
Next year promises to be another challenging year and, once again, the smart companies are positioning themselves by preparing their sales teams with the best tools.
Here are five techniques that will help you improve and can make the difference between success and survival in a tight economy:
1. Value Selling - sales people must learn to relate their offering to the customer's bottom line. This goes far beyond consultative selling and requires a new set of business, research, sales and presentation skills. Done correctly, a value based presentation will overcome most price objections and even create a budget where none existed before.
2. Team Selling - Gone are the days of simple one-on-one sales. Today, you use specialists, senior managers and support staff to make the complex sale. Smart companies are giving this team the skills they need to succeed together. These new skills include team building, communications, group presentations, sales process and investigatory skills for everyone on the team.
3. Time and Territory Management - This year your lean company will need to grow sales without growing costs. One of the keys will be their effective use of time. The bad news is that most people operate far below their own capability. The good news is that most of them want to do better. Give them the tools they need to succeed and you'll be surprised with the results.
4. Strategic Sales Process - If you can't adequately predict and grow your business, you need a better system. A Strategic Selling Process maximizes sales by ensuring that more of your leads become sales in a timely manner. Professionals don't fly by the seat of their pants; they build a plan and work the plan. This year more companies will customize a Defined Sales Process for their team and reap the rewards of increased sales and predictable results.
5. Coaching - Are your top performers achieving 100% of their potential? Statistically, you can show that a small improvement in your top people will give you a bigger ROI than a big improvement in you lowest performers. These are the people who are ready, willing and able to learn and eager to soak up and apply everything their coach has to say. That is why more companies will hire coaches for their top sellers in 2003 to give their sales the boost they need.
To add any of these techniques to your company this year will require change. Change takes time and effort and must be sustained over time. We have found that companies who succeed have champions who keep the goal visible and help everyone stay focused. I recommend that you find a different champion for each initiative you try and give them your full support.
Do you want to be the champion? If so, be sure to get the support of a core group of people who will stick with you until they see results. Once the benefits are clear, others will quickly follow. It is easier to work from the inside out than to force change from the top down.
Obviously we offer the training mentioned above and would like the opportunity to help you increase your sales. But whether you choose us or someone else, make the commitment to make the changes that will make a difference for your company.
This can be your year for dramatic sales growth!
by Steve Waterhouse Steve Waterhouse is Principal and Founder of Waterhouse Group (www.waterhousegroup.com), a sales consulting and training company that helps companies dramatically increase their sales. He can be reached at 1-800-57-LEARN or info@waterhousegroup.com.
True Networking is about giving, building and developing relationships. It bothers me when some people think ‘networking’ is about keeping a scorecard. Someone might say:“ I’ve given you three client leads. What are you going to do for me?” Personally, I believe it’s always better to give than to receive and what you give comes back ten fold. When you look at business leaders, from Andrew Carnegie to Bill Gates, you see how their generosity in giving to others earns them a lot of good press and happiness.
When you give to others, you build up your own personal public image, which goes a long way in developing business contacts now and well into the future. To help you do this, here are what I call the “Golden Rules of Networking.”
Respect other people’s time; it’s a precious commodity for everyone.
Offer to help others sincerely. People can tell the difference between an opportunist and someone doing a good deed.
Always convey appreciation. Gratitude can be in the form of a gift or a simple note of thanks. Either way, do it consistently.
Share information. If you know something that can help someone, pass it on. Imagine if previous generations didn’t leave us their knowledge, the world could not progress.
Follow up, follow through, and keep others in the loop. Avoid being a “missing in action” networker. Find a good reason to stay connected, even when there is no “breaking news”. You can always say thank you or something of interest.
One of my favorite sayings is, “Give without remembering and receive without forgetting.” Put this into action, it will come back to you in better ways than you ever imagined.
And remember: “Everyone is kneaded out of the same dough but not baked in the same oven.” Yiddish Proverb
All the best!
by Andrea Nierenberg Andrea Nierenberg is president of the Nierenberg Group. http://www.NierenbergGroup.com
Many small businesses have reached a fork in the road with respect to their social media marketing. As they get their feet wet in the social media waters, there is a realization that this is really not marketing at all.
Or is it?
If social media is marketing, then why are so many small businesses struggling with the dynamics of personal vs professional social media accounts - especially in the arena where most small businesses are focusing their efforts - Facebook?
One Web - One Community
The first thought that comes to mind is that this is one Web we are talking about. So, does it make sense to have separation between friends and customers when more than likely many of your customers are also good friends?
I understand that some of your customers, maybe even your best customers, who consistently pay their bills on time - are content to have nothing more than professional relationship. Nevertheless, they probably also reside in the same community as you do.
That's personal.
This is why having a community focus may be the solution.
Separating your friends and customers into distinct lists or groups to accomplish specific social and business objectives may ignore one essential quality - they are all connected to you as a result of your presence in the community they share.
Community Relationships are Partners
Here's a scenario: "Jeff, I'm getting a lot of engagement on my personal Facebook profile, but I'm having trouble transitioning some of that activity over to my company profile."
One explanation for this is that on your personal profile you are having conversations with friends - friend to friend. On your business page you are taking the role of a business - a seller, which naturally places everyone else into the complimentary role of buyer.
Wouldn't it be better to just encourage conversations on your Facebook page - any kind of conversation, and then let business become a by-product of that, if it happens at all?
Having a productive conversation is a partnership. This is why we refer to our spouses or significant others as partners. The point is that relationships are social and personal first, before they become anything else beyond that.
Where's the Value
For any partnership to endure there has to be an exchange of value, one that the respective parties perceive to be equitable - or nearly so.
Smart business leaders are interested in what their customers want - as they should be. While this is prudent on a business level, it ignores the fact that your business partners are people first. It may be more relevant to learn what they personally want, and that requires being personal.
What do people want? Among other things, they like to learn, to laugh, and to make emotional connections. Thus, the challenge for small businesses ramping up their Facebook pages and other social media accounts is to first consider the personal objectives of your friends and customers - while keeping an eye on how that relates to your business.
This suggests the means for increasing engagement with your Facebook page is to be more personal, more relaxed, and maybe even a bit weird - and for that matter, doing the same on all of your social media networking sites.
Marketing today for any business is a new game, one that relegates most of what I learned in my MBA program as irrelevant. It is a game, but games can be won if you are willing to learn new skills.
Engagement is key - and if you can call that marketing, then its a new form of marketing for many of us. This may not be what some of you wanted to hear, but I'm just calling it as I see it.
These new skills are not surprisingly people skills. To be effective with social media is to understand how to be interesting, entertaining, educational, and more. What matters most is understanding your core audience.
The only way I know of to accomplish that is to be personal.
Get involved. Meet new people. Try new things that take you out of your business role as you know it now. There is a reason we call this new media. For the most part, it's new to all of us.
To be effective and get desired results for your business you have to be adventurous, open-minded, and willing to experiment and learn as you go.
Think of this as a game. Play well, make good business decisions, be personal, and you will meet with unexpected successes.
That's a promise.
by Jeff Korhan Jeff Korhan is a new media marketer, an award-winning entrepreneur, and a top-ranked blogger who helps small businesses maximize their Web visibility, reputation, and referrals with social media and Internet marketing. As a social media speaker, trainer, columnist and coach, Jeff applies three decades of marketing experience and an MBA with a special skill for simplifying technology and complex ideas to make them practical and useful for small businesses. Jeff is a recognized social media leader whose New Media and Small Business Marketing blog is ranked in the Top 100 Small Business blogs in by Technorati.
The winners' circle of salespeople is filled with individuals who are always willing to learn more, even though they already know a lot. The following potpourri of sales pointers was culled from research, experience, and experts.
RAISE YOUR EXPECTATIONS Master negotiator Roger Dawson advises asking for more than you expect to get. It's a tactic that can often be applied to the sales exchange. Think about exceeding your own goal for your next sales call.
BRING IN THE UNINFORMED To get a new perspective on a new or unusual feature/benefit/advantage of your own product, ask someone who's never seen it or used it before to try it and tell you what he or she liked most about it. Use that information (especially is it's validated with repeated experiments) when you make your actual pitch to clients.
COMPLIMENT WHEN YOU CAN When appropriate, find a genuine reason for complimenting the prospect before launching your pitch. By all means, though, avoid insincerity--it's a real-turnoff for most people.
ELICIT INFORMATION Some of the best questions are not questions at all. Rather, they're short, declarative statements used as prompts. "Tell me why" is one example of a prompt that elicits quite a bit of information from prospective clients.
BEWARE THE LAST-MINUTE INCLUSION
Just before the deal closes, some prospects will try to throw in one last bargaining chip. Many salespeople are tempted to acquiesce at this point-in part because they feel so good that the deal's practically done and in part because they know they could ruin it if they're not careful. Some prospects will try to put you over a barrel at precisely this moment. Don't let them. The deal was made without this last request; accommodate it in some other way if you can, but don't be forced to do something that will cost you dearly.
LISTEN Don't mistake a prospect's good listening skills for interest. Their politeness may simply be masking a no-sale decision. Instead of talking non-stop, check with the prospect from time to time to ensure you're both moving in the same direction-straight toward the close.
BE ATTUNED TO PITCH Richard Bencin and Donald Jonovic cite research that says when people are trying to deceive others, the pitch of their voices rises. If you're trying to evaluate whether an objection is an honest one or not, pay close attention to the sound of your prospect's voice. But realize a raised pitch does not always indicate deception.
by Marlene Caroselli Dr. Marlene Caroselli is the author of 60 business books and one, just-released e-book: "Principled Persuasion--Influence with Integrity, Sell with Standards" (named a Director's Choice by Doubleday Book Club when it first appeared in print). Contact her at mccpd@frontiernet.net re: keynotes, training, curricula and books available for purchase.
Enterprise Social Software sales continue to grow and reached $664M in 2010, a 15% increase from 2009 according to Gartner.
The Software includes blogs, communitites, discussion forums, expertise location, feeds and syndication, social bookmarks wikis and integrated platforms. Sales this year are forecast to reach $769.2M, up 15.7% from 2010, said the analyst.
“The social software market is evolving in response to the demand for flexible environments in which participants can connect, create, share, and find people and information relevant to their work,” said Tom Eid, research vice-president at Gartner.
Cloud-based and software-as-a-service (SaaS) delivery continue to be key adoption factors, and of the more than 80 suppliers tracked by Gartner, more than 50 provide social software through cloud-based and SaaS delivery, said the research.
Success is to be found in managing the information and relationships in support of business initiatives and not the simple deployment of technology, said Eid. “One of the major goals is to capitalise on community involvement to drive higher leverage and productivity,” he said.
I went to speak to my friend and New York master sales trainer, David Leaver of Opus Partners, on this one. (You may have noticed a trend in my last two blogs posts that I am interviewing other experts. This is because I don’t know everything).
David has been at this sales training game for a while and as such is not easily impressed by gimmicks or gadgets that are “all flash and no cash.” So it’s notable that David has taken to LinkedIn like the proverbial mallard. That should tell all you Sales 2.0 doubters that there’s something here – my opinion.
Nigel: David what are the primary ways you use LinkedIn to sell?
David: I have a discipline each day to go into LinkedIn and spend 15-30 minutes there – no more. That’s important as social networking platforms and social media in general can suck you in and burn up all your selling time.
During my 15-30 minutes on LinkedIn each day I address the following things in order:
My LinkedIn Inbox
New Connections my 1st degree contacts have made
New Recommendations my 1st degree contacts have given to people
Questions I might be able to answer in the groups I belong to
Who viewed my profile
Nigel: OK that’s very structured. Can we go through each one?
David: Sure. So the first one is looking at my LinkedIn Inbox. This is pretty obvious but a good place to start. I check if there are any direct requests in there for my help, new contacts etc. Very basic LinkedIn usage.
The second thing I do is not obvious to most people. I check what new connections my new connections have today. This comes up on your LinkedIn home page if you have your LinkedIn settings set to display this (the default setting will show this).
The reason I look at this is that when one of the people I know makes a new connection with someone their relationship is quite active. It’s a great time for me to request an introduction to that new person too. It’s most likely my direct connection and the new 2nd degree connection have been talking or emailing and they feel a certain level of connectivity at this time. Because of this it’s more likely than normal that my request to connect will be accepted.
Nigel: OK that’s not something I’d though of. What about new recommendations? What’s that about?
David: Nigel it’s a similar principle. When one of my direct (1st degree connections) gives a recommendation to someone – or someone gives a recommendation to them – it signals to me that their relationship is strong. Hence it gives me a good clue that I can ask for an introduction to that person I don’t yet know. A recommendation is usually only given when people know each other well.
Nigel: Right, got it. Not obvious stuff from just looking at LinkedIn. And item #4 groups. What do you do there?
David: I belong to several LinkedIn groups that are sales-related and also to groups that my customers/prospects belong to. What I do is look for questions that I can answer in those groups. I make sure I only answer questions when I can really add value. It’s a great way to start a conversation. Of course, if the person I’m talking to is a potential client or partner I will try to move the conversation offline so that it becomes “real.” As you know I believe real conversations happen offline on the phone or in-person. Social media platforms like LinkedIn are just good tools for STARTING a relationship.
Nigel: Yup, agree that real relationships get formed offline. And the last one – looking at who viewed your profile?
David: I look at who viewed my profile recently (you need to be on the paid LinkedIn to do this, so it will cost you $24.95 a month). I don’t do this very often but sometimes when I see someone whose profile looks interesting to me I will email them through LinkedIn and say “I see you looked at my profile. Is there anything I can help you with?”
Nigel: OK got it. Some great stuff. I knew about some of those techniques but many of them I would not have though of. Super. Thanks David!
by Nigel Edelshain Nigel Edelshain is CEO of Sales 2.0 LLC. Companies that work with Sales 2.0 improve their sales results 2-3 times. They achieve these results by combining the use of Web 2.0 tools and social media with well-thought-out sales processes. Visit his website
Almost every business owner I know has difficulty hiring and keeping great sales people. From my experience, there is no behavior, and value assessment that you can rely on 100%. My friend and Sales Trainer, Joe Zente just wrote a blog Sales Training Doesn’t Work. Like Joe, I believe that they help, but still do not yield great results. Specially designed sales compensation plans are of benefit and help an organization measure sales success, but still does not make great people. A statement that I do NOT believe is that great salespeople are born that way. So can an organization develop great sales people, and is there a simple key to recognizing people that can become great?
This is a true story. A business owner I know hired a sales person 3 months ago. He spent hours on training, and was quite confident that this person could do the job. This guy could cold call, he was intelligent, and learned the technical parts quickly. The team liked him, and he was starting to bring in business. And then as soon as there was a problem with a customer, and a personal situation the sales person left. Who knew? How can one predict?
Then there is the situation where you hire someone because of experience in a particular industry, and had to fire 6 months later because all his “friends” did not buy as expected. These difficulties in hiring and keeping sales people are the normal things that occur.
Recently I had a discussion with life coach Linda Seiden of Evoking Excellence Coaching, about Emotional Quotient (EQ) and Emotional Intelligence (EI).
Daniel Goleman is a pioneer in the concept about Emotional Quotient (EQ). He wrote the book Emotional Intelligence in 1995 and how it is even more important than IQ. Here are the basic four dimensions of EI.
• Self-Awareness: the ability to monitor one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, accurately assess one’s own strengths and weaknesses, while having a high level of self-worth and respect. • Self-Management: the ability to adapt to change, regulate disruptive emotions, take effective actions toward goals, reach for self-improvement, act with integrity, and act on opportunities and see the glass as half full rather than half empty. • People Radar: the ability to understand others, recognize and attend to customer’s needs, and sense the political relationships and culture within an organization. • People Skills: the ability to inspire, mentor, initiate change, work effectively through conflicts, influence others, and collaborate toward common goals.
From Linda’s experience, if a salesperson is focused on self-awareness and is willing to focus on that aspect there will be substantial bottom line results. Bradberry and Greaves in their book Emotional Intelligence 2.0 stated “83% of people high in self-awareness are top performers.” When one is self-aware your choices are better, your pursuit of the right opportunities as well as allowing your emotions to guide you and NOT hinder you. A salesperson can know a product inside out, but cannot have long term success without the abilities to forge strong relationships and assess how a client is feeling, and to cope with their own emotions.
Emotional Intelligence may manifest itself in • Effectively dealing with difficult situations. • Maintaining self-control when under pressure internally and externally with customers. • Persuading others to support your point of view, and many other aspects of the sales process.
The good thing is that many of these skills can be learned. Important questions that you may want to explore further are: • Where am I lacking in EI and EQ? • Where are the sales people lacking in EI and how can it be improved? • What questions can be asked for new employees to see where their EI is? • Can you transform your sales development and training to emphasize the Emotional Quotient?
There are many offers on the internet to test your Emotional Intelligence. If you are interested, go to the following for link for a quick free assessment at Queendom.
by Allan Himmelstein Allan Himmelstein is President of Sales Coach AZ, which specializes in developing customized, highly effective sales processes for individuals and companies. Mr. Himmelstein’s core belief is that we are all Accidental Salespeople, and if we want to, we can improve our basic skills. His style is to take a strategic approach, utilizing a company’s unique strengths and core values to build a highly effective sales process that maximizes results. Mr. Himmelstein has a proven track record as a top-level executive for increasing business revenues and profit growth in competitive markets. His extensive business management experience includes the start up of an international company, which grew to $40,000,000 in nine years. He has held C level positions in Fortune 500 companies, including serving as VP of Sales and Marketing for ConAgra. http://salescoachaz.wordpress.com/
The Manager says: "Do you have any sales experience?" The Young Man says: "Sir, I was a salesman back in my home town." Well, the boss liked the chappie so he gave him the job. "You start tomorrow.. I'll come down after we close and see how you did." His first day on the job was rough but he got through it. After the store was locked up, the boss came down. "How many sales did you make today?" Young Man says: "Sir, Just ONE sale." The boss says: "Just one? No! No! No! You see here our sales people average 20 or 30 sales a day." If you want to keep this job, you'd better be doing better than just one sale. By the way, how much was the sale for?" Young Man says: " $101 237. 64" Boss says: "$101 237. 64? What the hell did you sell?" Young Man says: "Sir, First I sell him small fishhook. Then I sell him medium fishhook. Then I sell him large fishhook. Then I sold him new fishing rod and some fishing gear. Then I ask him where he's going fishing and he said down on the coast, so I told him he'll be needing a boat, so we went down to the boating department and I sell him twin engine Chris Craft. Then he said he didn't think his Honda Civic would pull it, so I took him down to our automotive department and sell him that 4X4 Blazer. I then ask him where he'll be staying, and since he had no accommodation, I took him to camping department and sell him one of those new igloo 6 sleeper camper tents. Then the guy said, while we're at it, I should throw in about $100 worth of groceries and two cases of beer. The boss said: "You're not serious? A guy came in here to buy a fishhook and you sold him a boat, a 4X4 truck and a tent?" Young Man says: "No Sir, actually he came in to buy Anacin for his headache, and I said: Well, fishing is the best way to relax your mind."
Sales people are inherently optimistic. Yet, the same optimism that helps them succeed also causes them to fail. In this episode of The Sales Management Minute, learn the question top sales managers ask of their sales people to ensure success. Listen now...
Over the years I’ve noticed that many sales pros come to training looking for the latest "magic formula" for sales success. One of the more common questions I hear is “Jill, what’s the magic formula for getting new prospects to return my calls or to listen to me?”
Technology and heightened competition have undoubtedly made it harder for sellers to grab the attention of new prospects. Technology and competition have also made it increasingly frustrating for buyers who are inundated with sales messages which, for the most part, are nothing more than “feature / benefit dumps”. Buyers have been tuning out sales messages for years because most sellers sound the same.
All evidence indicates that magic formulas lie in mastery of the fundamentals of good selling. Not the sexy creative answer you’re looking for? Well the reality seldom is.
One of the forgotten fundamental truths about getting the attention of anyone (this includes your customers, boss, spouse and kids) is that you need to talk about them, not about you.
Want the magic formula for getting the attention of a new customer?
Talk about him or her, not about you.
Open your sales letter or message by sharing what you know to be important to this person, company, or industry. If you know that “growing a presence in Eastern Canada” is a critical priority in his business strategy (and you have the capability to help him achieve this) then lead with your understanding of the importance of this market to him. You’ll be amazed at how much easier it is to open a dialogue that's perceived to be of value to him. And one that allows you to then briefly share your expertise and suggest a meeting to talk further.
Buyers have told me how refreshing it is to receive a call or e-mail from a seller who has done their homework, and who demonstrates their understanding of the buyer’s priority issues. In fact, to the buyer, this approach is a substantial differentiator, and motivates them to take the call or read further into the letter.
An abundance of information allows sales pros to conduct copious amounts of research on their new client opportunities. I'm often dismayed to then hear sellers launch into the habitual verbal brochure when they hear the voice at the other end of the phone. Doing the research is not enough. How you use your research within the first 60 seconds of your call or e-mail is your most powerful opportunity for differentiation.
So next time you write an e-mail, or leave a message, for a new prospect, listen to how you open your message. Is it all about you, or is it all about her?
by Jill Harrington Jill Harrington, president, salesSHIFT, has contributed to the success of thousands of B2B sales professionals around the world. She shifts your thinking and actions to enable faster, and bigger, sales results in extraordinarily competitive markets. For valuable sales tips and articles visit www.salesshift.ca
Picture: Make sure you add one if you don’t have one on your profile yet. Headshot is best.
Personal Tagline: Write one, and update it. Click on the blue text, “What are you working on” Maybe place your elevator pitch here?
Don’t Cut and Paste Your Resume: Describe experience/abilities.
Elevator Pitch: Make sure it is within your introduction section. You have 5 seconds to grab attention.
Specialties: This section is where you put your most important keywords for SEO, and searches within LinkedIn. Make sure you use variations of the keywords as well, so you will appear in LinkedIn searches.
Additional Information: Add websites, (customize it, don’t leave it as “My Website” and it can help with Google page rank) Add awards, passions, other abilities. Round out your profile.
Recommendations: Write them and request them.
Answer and Ask Questions: You will get more clicks on your profile when you ask thoughtful questions or give helpful answers. Establish your expertise and credibility in a field.
Add Connections: This boosts visibility and when people scan your profile, they will look to see who you know in common. If you know someone in common, your profile is often viewed in a higher regard.
Profile URL: Make a custom URL, to reflect your name or tagline. (Edit-’Public Profile’ near the top) You can then add this custom URL to your website or email signature.
Groups: Join groups that you wish to participate in their discussions. Ask questions and answer questions there. Be aware that many of the groups have turned into job boards or free advertising. So if you start a group, make sure to specify the rules/regulations. Starting a Group for yourself can be a great way to network and drive business as well.
Applications: There are some great new applications within LinkedIn that enable you to post presentations, travel information, attach your blog to your profile and many other ways to add depth to your profile.
by Jeremy J. Ulmer Jeremy J. Ulmer, President & CEO – Lead Sales Coach & Seminar Leader Jeremy is the #1 recommended sales coach within the entire LinkedIn network, former #1 ranked sales performer in the U.S. for 4 years at two Global Fortune 500 companies, former Director of Sales for the #1 Sales Outsourcing Firm, and Sales Skills Presenter at The University Of Chicago Booth School of Business. www.salescoachinghabits.com
“It costs too much,” “I need to think it over,” “I prefer to do business with_____,” “I have to ask my spouse,” etc, etc, etc! Have you ever heard these words? If you have been selling for more than a couple of days, you have. Do these words send chills down your spine?
Why do some salespeople hate objections? Probably because they feel it disrupts the flow of their sales pitch. Or perhaps they believe that the objection signals to them that they have lost the sale. Neither of these is true. An objection should never be considered a disruption or a loss. Objections are simply the customer’s way of asking for more information.
So, instead of doing your best to avoid objections you need to become an "Objection Detective." Make it your job to unearth every objection that the customer has. Have a "bring it on" attitude to objections. Because they are not the END of the sale they are the BEGINNING of the opportunity to understand your customer better and provide them with what they need to make an informed purchase.
Many salespeople think it is best to leave the objection buried. Perhaps if they ignore it, it will go away. But, when you do that, it eventually will come back to haunt you. Like any infection left untreated, it will only grow and grow. Your job is to surface it, clean it and move on in the sales process. Unanswered objections lead to lost sales or the need to lower the price to keep the sale.
So, how do you go about becoming an Objection Detective? You have to listen very carefully to what the customer is telling you. Sure you need to hear the words they are saying, but it is even more important to hear what they are not saying. Customers talk to us in all sorts of ways. Their body language, facial expressions and tone of voice often provide more information than their words. Watch for the sometimes subtle (and not so subtle) changes in a customer’s demeanor and then ask the questions that will uncover the issue. If you see that your customer stops making eye contact or starts fidgeting or looking at his watch, it is time to slow down or back up and find out the source of their discomfort. Even a slight change can signify a serious underlying objection.
What are some of the types of objection? Price, Time, Fear are some big ones. Let’s take a look at each of these in more detail.
Price
When you get a price objection, don’t immediately lower your price, instead hear what your customer is really saying. They are telling you that there doesn’t seem to be enough value for the price.
Value doesn’t mean talking about “feature, feature, feature.” Value is always in the heart of the customer. You need to know what is important to your customer and then make sure your products meet those needs. The phrase “what this means to you is” is a great way to talk about the IMPACT those features have on your customer’s life.
Time
If your customers are looking at their watch or saying “they have another appointment” make sure you look for the clues as to what led to this. Either they really have an appointment (in which case simply make another appointment with them.) Otherwise, think back to where the sale might have gone bad. When did you first notice a change in their demeanor? If you can’t figure out where the problem is, simply ask. You would be surprised at how you can turn someone around by asking if there is an issue. If they are honest and tell you what the problem is, make sure you change your approach immediately.
Fear
If your customer seems to be fearful of making a decision, ask the questions that will help you better understand where your customers fear is coming from.Then slow down and provide them with information that will ease those fears. Providing your customer with referrals, reference letters, and/or articles about your product or service will help.
By using a combination of active listening and providing valuable feedback you can uncover and answer most objections. The more objections you uncover and answer, the easier the close will be. And you want an easy close don't you? So become an “Objection Detective” and win your customers business!
by Laurie Brown Laurie Brown is an international speaker, trainer and consultant who helps people improve their sales, service and presentation skills. She is the author of The Teleprompter Manual, for Executives, Politicians, Broadcasters and Speakers. Laurie can be contacted through www.thedifference.net, or 1-877.999.3433, or at lauriebrown@thedifference.net
The latest IDC Study says that of the customers who changed vendors last year, 65% did so because they either had a poor relationship with their vendor or a better relationship with the new vendor. One of their conclusions is that companies need to do a better job teaching their salespeople how to develop relationship building skills, especially in the C-Level.
The latest Corporate Executive Board study starts out with this headline: "Most companies are betting that reps who focus on building stronger customer relationships will rebuild sales. They’re wrong—here’s why."
So why are these two studies coming to two different conclusions?
If we look inside the CEB study, they polled 450 first line sales managers and asked them to assess their salespeople in 44 different areas. There are three huge problems with this:
44 is far too large a number;
Most first line sales managers don't possess the ability to recognize what "good" is supposed to look like because good on their team could be the equivalent of poor on any other team;
Objective Management Group's data on more than 100,000 sales managers reveals that 52% of all first line sales managers shouldn't even be in the role and only 7% are elite. How can we place any value on a study that doesn't limit its participation to the top 7%?
The IDC study fared no better. They polled customers who then rated salespeople in various areas. How many customers are aware of how the salespeople performed compared to sales expectations? It was more likely that they rated salespeople in areas like responsiveness, relationships, attention to detail, ability to provide lowest prices and knowledge. These aren't sales competencies, they're professional competencies and they come with an agenda.
Both studies are really nothing more than surveys and surveys are only as good as the design, criteria, objectivity and demographic of the audience being surveyed.
Do companies need to develop their salespeople in the area of relationship building skills? Yes, of course. Our data shows that 74% of the 500,000 salespeople we have assessed are not as effective as they need to be in that area. But relationship building skills alone won't get the job done!
Companies must also develop their sales team's selling skills, formalize and optimize their sales processes and significantly develop and improve their sales management skills.
And even more important than all of that? You absolutely must have the right salespeople in the right roles and nobody can survey their way to those important decisions! You must evaluate your sales force to determine whether you have the right people, whether they can execute your strategies, whether they can sell the way one must sell to be effective in this new economy, to know how much better they can become, what it will take to get them there and how long before they'll arrive. Listen to me discuss the reasons to conduct a sales force evaluation.
by Dave Kurlan Dave Kurlan is a top-rated speaker, best-selling author, sales thought leader and highly regarded sales development expert. http://www.omghub.com
Did you jump on the Social Media bus early, but still haven’t gained any traction or seen results? Perhaps you tried a few things but soon gave up and abandoned the whole thing. Kind of like the kid’s song, “The wheels on the bus go round and round,” after a short while, it drove you INSANE and you ran screaming! (Okay, perhaps that was just me, AHHHHHHHHH, every time that song started up!) abandoned social media, social media for business, getting started with social media
These Wheels AREN'T Going ROUND & ROUND
There are so many abandoned Facebook and Twitter pages from individuals and organizations who set up shop and couldn’t find the time or resources to manage it effectively. Here are a few tips to help you start on the right track if you are new to this bus, or they will help you get that ol’ bus rolling again, if it is stalled out!
RE-ENGAGE the community! You’ve been dormant for a while. You need to let the members know you are back in business under new management! Do this by replying to some of their tweets and Facebook posts. Make comments that let your community know you are listening and not just pumping out promotional posts. Ask questions in your posts~ Seek engagement. If you are just starting out, don’t sit and wait for the engagement to happen. Put a few interesting posts up and then go out and start the conversations!
Lay out a CONTENT CALENDAR each month. What events will you promote? Are there any seasonal posts that you will make with Holidays coming up? (Check out the National Day of All Things Calendars) Do you have a product that you want to let people know about? Spread them out so you are not blasting your community with just promotions about YOU. Are there events coming up or book launches that are by others who compliment your services but equally benefit your audience? Put those on the calendar. Sprinkle in lots of tips by you that will be helpful for your community. Give away great content and people will start to get on the bus!
MAKE A POINT TO POST at least once in the morning and once in the afternoon (2 times a day minimum on Facebook) and perhaps push yourself to post 3 or 4 times a day on Twitter. Put this on your regular TODO list if you must! Use your smart phone to post on the go and load photos when possible –people love to SEE what you are talking about. Hire someone to do this for you if you don’t have the time. If you use your content calendar, it should at least keep you focused, but be sure to add in relevant comments to current happenings and how they relate to your business. Don’t forget to reply, comment or LIKE comments by others. Don’t just be a megaphone.*SIDE NOTE* Yes you can use a scheduler (on TweetDeck, Hootsuite or many other third-party tools) HOWEVER, I caution people, when scheduling posts, remember, you may get people who ask you a question regarding the post. Like most prize give-aways…YOU MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN!
KEEP IT PERSONAL! Even if outsourcing your social media, make sure you remember you are speaking to PEOPLE, not computers. Post with personality. Let your companies culture shine through.
BE CONSISTENT! Like any form of sales, you can’t send one postcard and expect results. You can’t make one phone call and have a great relationship with someone. Be consistent, post and converse regularly. Start with 15-30 minutes in the morning and again 15-30 minutes in the afternoon. As your bus fills up and the conversations get going, you may need to spend more time or bring on another driver to help you keep this bus going 24/7! But soon you will all be singing “The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round ALL THROUGH THE TOWN!” Ahhhhhhhhhhh
Want regular Social Media Management Tips? Join us in Geeky Town on our Facebook Page! Gina and her HAPPY team can help you get started or keep your bus running smoothly ALL THROUGH THE TOWN! Just ask~
by Gina Schreck Gina Schreck Gina Schreck, Technology Speaker, Social Media for Business, Tech enthusiast, social media management. http://www.synapse3di.com/ @GinaSchreck
Handling objections is always a challenge for sales people. Watch John Von Achen's video and learn how you can boost your abilities in handling objections in these tough economic times. Watch now...
The Social Competence - Character Model is a prescriptive Sales Performance theory developed in 2006 by Cay Clemmensen and myself in a Sales Performance Coaching engagement we had in our company Rosen Team for a large Global Company.
Why? Let’s face it........your Sales is dependent upon your Sales Force and his or hers social competence and character!
The social competence and character that we believe that is necessary for sales responsible, could actually be visualized as a scale, where integrity is the strong and solid base, and respect and responsibility are balanced on either side. A sales responsible with integrity are honest, trustworthy and authentic. They are also respectful of others and have a strong sense of personal responsibility. Relationship and respect is developed by the component qualities of Empathy, Emotional Mastery, Lack of Blame and Humility. Responsibility is developed by the component qualities of Accountability, Courage, Self Confidence and Focus on the whole (as a sales responsible with the abilities).
The 10 Social Competences of the Character Model that a sales responsible should have: 1. Social Competence skill - Respect 2. Social Competence skill - Empathy 3. Lack of Blame 4. Emotional Intelligence skill - Humility 5. Emotional Intelligence skill - Emotional Mastery 6. Emotional Intelligence skill - Responsibility 7. Emotional Intelligence skill - Accountability 8. Emotional Intelligence skill - Self-Confidence 9. Emotional Intelligence skill - Courage 10. Social Competence skill - Focus on the whole
1. Social Competence skill - Respect The sales responsible, that demonstrates Respect show’s unconditional high regard for others, acknowledging their value as human beings, regardless of their behavior (and isn't sales all about the value that the other person perceives to receive). The respect comes through in all situations, even during times of conflict or criticism. Demonstrating respect for others requires developing and refining the following core personal qualities (not faking it).
2. Social Competence skill - Empathy Treating everyone in the organization with empathy helps leaders earn trust. Leaders who are empathetic create strong bonds and are seen as less political. The sales responsible who demonstrates the core quality of empathy: • Can understand others’ points of view, including the views of those who are different • Shows genuine concern for others • Listens with understanding • Is respectful even when he or she has nothing to gain from the relationship
3. Lack of Blame The sales responsible who doesn’t blame others is not defensive. They are able to reflect honestly on their own behavior and are willing to admit mistakes. When things go wrong, they don't spend time assigning blame; they spend time fixing the problem. A sales responsible who demonstrates the core quality of lack of blame: • Admits fault when appropriate – even to customers • Does not look for a scapegoat in a crisis • Spends time fixing problems, not assigning them
4. Emotional Intelligence skill - Humility Humility is a lack of pomposity and arrogance. It is the recognition that all sales responsible are fallible, that we are all combinations of strengths and weaknesses. sales responsible who demonstrate humility, as someone has said, "don't think less of themselves; they just think more of others." Arrogance derails more leaders than any other factor. A sales responsible with the core quality of humility: • Listens to others with an open mind • Doesn't brag or name drop • Clearly sees and admits their own limitations and failings • Is not afraid to be vulnerable
5. Emotional Intelligence skill - Emotional Mastery sales responsible who have developed emotional mastery recognize that, as Epictetus said 2000 years ago, "It's not the facts and events that upset man, but the view he takes of them." For those in positions of formal power, the most important aspect of emotional mastery may be controlling anger. Outbursts of anger have no spot in the workplace, and can quickly destroy a sense of organizational equity and partnership. A sales responsible with the core quality of emotional mastery: • Says what he or she thinks, but never berates others • Stays calm even in crisis situations • Doesn't let anxiety interfere with public speaking or with other things that need to be done • Reflects before reacting and is able to consciously choose an appropriate response
6. Emotional Intelligence skill - Responsibility Responsibility is the acceptance of full responsibility for personal success and for the success of the sales, salesteam and proposalprocess.
7. Emotional Intelligence skill - Accountability The sales responsible who is truly accountable expand their view of organizational responsibility. At all levels, accountable sales responsible do what they can to get done what needs to get done, no matter where in the organization they have to go. They NEVER say, "It's not my job." They also hold themselves accountable for making relationships work - they don't say, "Well, I'll go halfway if they will." They take 100% responsibility for making any relationship work. A sales responsible with the core quality of accountability: • Takes the initiative to get things done • Is not afraid to hold others accountable • Is willing to cross departmental boundaries to help with a meaningful project • Takes personal responsibility for organizational success
8. Emotional Intelligence skill - Self-Confidence The sales responsible who is self-confident feels that they are the equal of others, even when those others are in positions of much greater formal power. The sales responsible who is self-confident also recognize the value of building the self-confidence of others and won't be threatened by doing so. Self-confidence in everyone builds a sense of partnership and helps the organization get maximum effort and ideas from everyone. A sales responsible with the core quality of self-confidence: • Has a self assured bearing • Is flexible and willing to change • Easily gives others credit • Isn't afraid to tell the truth
9. Emotional Intelligence skill - Courage The sales responsible with courage is assertive and willing to take risks. They ask forgiveness rather than permission, and are willing to try even though they might fail. They are willing to risk conflict to have their ideas heard, balancing that with the respect that makes constructive conflict possible. A sales responsible with the core quality of courage: • Champions new or unpopular ideas • Talks to others, not about others, when there is a problem • Accepts feedback and really hears what others say • Takes the ball and runs with it, even when there are obstacles
10. Social Competence skill - Focus on the whole The sales responsible that focuses on the whole think in terms of the good for the entire organization, not in terms of what's good for them, their team or their department. They can see interdependencies and can see beyond what is immediately observable. They have an understanding of and enthusiasm for the business and an understanding of their industry. For example, if working on a software project, they consider the implications of the whole project and commit to an outcome that works for the customer rather than focusing on just their piece of the project. A sales responsible who demonstrates the core quality of focusing on the whole: • Realizes that they represent their company to customers • Sees how the work in their area affects the entire project and the entire organization • Gathers information from all stakeholders when making decisions • Shares information throughout the company and understands the value of a knowledgeable workforce
I know that when we talk about the social competence and character necessary for sales responsible to influence the way they manage the sales process, that these are very psychological soft skills we are talking about and as you can read from my different article, do I strongly believe that sales excellence is made, not born. That's why I actually wanted to create this Blog and Forum and I'm dedicated to helping you personally grow beyond where you are today. Many sales responsible know that certain things they should do in a better way, but too often they don't know how - or do get started on the change process. We all work against some barriers that somehow keep us from doing what is best for us - and from realizing our true potential. If you need help in better understanding and exploit your potential in order to turn you into action mode and help you break through self imposed limitations that are holding you back from the power, balance, growth, and success that you strive for. Lets us talk about how I can help you explore how it is possible to build new levels of social competence and character - helping you to remove the mental and emotional obstacles that are limiting your personal and professional growth, power and sales performance.
The progress of sales as a profession is often hampered by myths, misunderstanding and plain ignorance. Over many years of testing, recruiting, researching and training salespeople, we have learned quite a few things about salespeople. Some may surprise you and some may not.
The 39% factor Interviews with over 100 000 business decision-makers have revealed that in B-2-B markets a customer’s decision to buy is based on:-
Salesperson’s competence (39%)
A total customer solution (22%)
Quality of product or service (21%)
Competitive price (18%)
The salesperson is the sale.
Commodity sales reps as stars Customers tell us that the best sales forces in the world are to be found in commodity and not “high tech” markets, as one might expect. The top 3 are fine paper, business forms and MRO (maintenance, repair and operations). The bottom four are pharmaceuticals, computers and software, delivery/freight, and telecommunications.
Sales superstars usually don’t shine academically This has very little to do with intelligence and everything to do with preferences. Visit any campus and the sales superstars of the future will be on the rag committee, a member of the local drinking club, and perpetually in the students union, when he is not with his professor negotiating his F to an E. He knows everyone on campus and everyone knows him.
Sales talent can be sharpened not created “You can’t train a person for a job they can’t do!” This old “saw” is typically forgotten in the rush to fill open territories or cover critical positions. The key is distinguishing between “talent-based” skills and those that can be learned. The most frequently identified talent positions include: sports, military leadership, political electability, entrepreneurship, creative writing, computer programming, design, mathematics, art, and most sales skills. This doesn’t imply you can’t teach anybody how to write programs, run for office, or play golf, but all the training in the world won’t make most of us into the next Ernie Els or Tiger Woods.
Sales training is not enough We are all familiar with typical sales training. Some focuses on the basics and some on more advanced skills. These are necessary but not enough. Research in two categories sheds critical light on the sales skills that make a difference in the customer’s decision to buy.
The first comes from correlating customers’ rating of salespeople against the volume, margin, and repeat purchases they made. Only three sales skills made a difference:
Competence at “personally” managing the total customer relationship
Understanding the customer’s business
Acting as a customer advocate to correct any and all problems
The second source of research analysis focuses on why customers defect. The No.1 complaint? “The sales rep didn’t understand my business.” The most powerful sales training focuses on learning the customer’s business and being able to manipulate your own systems efficiently to serve the customer’s business priorities.
Top-performing salespeople cannot sell in all markets It would be convenient to believe a simple philosophy, such as “just learn the skills and apply yourself, and you can sell to anybody.” Unfortunately, customers are too different for a one-size-fits-all approach. Some customers need a “high-tech” solution, while others need “high touch.” Some want neither and some want both. Just like professionals in other talent-based careers, the jack-of-all-trades is master of none. The most unique or specialised skills include new business development (hunters or rainmakers), strategic account managers, and outbound telesales personnel. Job descriptions that equally emphasise a number of criteria -- such as “penetrate existing accounts,” “develop new business,” and “expand to multiple contact levels within certain key accounts” -- cannot be filled by 99 percent of even the best salespeople. Even if such a rare superstar were found, the compensation level would be way out of reach.
by Peter Chally Peter Gilbert is the managing director of HR Chally SA www.chally.com, a sales recruitment and consulting company. (peter@challysa.co.za)
This prospecting by telephone skills checklist is a key tool to use in assessing your skill and deftness on the telephone, particularly when you are calling for the first time to make an appointment.
When you begin prospecting by telephone, or phoning for appointments, keep a small recorder on your desk, and record yourself as you make your calls for appointments.
DO NOT try to tape the other person's side of the call, as in many jurisdictions it is illegal to tape someone else on the phone unless you tell them and get their permission.
True, you could ask for permission, but that would distract from your selling message. But there is no law against taping yourself to improve your phone skills.
Also, keep a paper copy of this prospecting by telephone skills checklist on the desk in front of you, as a reminder. In time, your need for that job aid will drop away.
Later, review this prospecting by telephone checklist from time to time in the months to come. Add your own prospecting by telephone tips.
After you hang up after each call, play back your end of the conversation and assess how you sounded. Here's a checklist of items to listen for as you assess and improve your phone skills. Add your own ideas, as well.
1. Overall, did you come across as professional? Enthusiastic? Knowledgeable about your product and the market?
2. Did you sound natural? Did you sound like one human being phoning another, or did you come across like one of those computer-automated phone marketing machines that talk on and on, incapable of listening or varying the discussion?
3. Did you sound as though you were reading from a script? That's definitely not good. (It IS a good idea to have an outline of key talking points in front of you, but a full script is a bad idea, as very few people can read a script and sound natural.) As you listen, keep this phone skills checklist before you, and score yourself as an independent sales coach would.
4. Did your voice sound confident and friendly? For both men and women, the deeper and more resonant the better. When under stress, the voices of both men and women rise and become more shrill. ("Deep" and "resonant" are relative terms; the point is to sound natural and confident.)
5. Could you hear a smile in your voice? Even though the prospect can't see you over the phone, she can still hear a smile. The best way is to speak with a smile literally on your face. A smile can't be seen over the phone, but it can be heard. A smile impacts your mood, and shapes the way your voice projects, particularly on the telephone where the person on the other end can focus only on this one clue.
6. Was your pronunciation clear? If you found some of the words were mumbled, think what it was like for the stranger on the other end of the line.
7. Were your pace and tempo appropriate? There is a middle ground between being so slow that the other person wishes you'd just get on with it, and so fast that it sounds like you're mumbling a script you've said a thousand times before.
Be flexible, able to adjust your rate of speech to the listener. Listen for little things like "Uh huh, yeah, I understand," or "Yeah, yeah, yeah," which are subtle clues to move faster. Be alert also to clues that you may be moving too fast, such as a prospect asking you to repeat or explain, or even the kind of silence that indicates the other person is not quite tracking with you.
8. Did you personalize the conversation, so it sounded like a conversation, rather than you "talking at" the other person? Did you use their name a few times to make them feel that you are talking to them personally? Did you use "joint" words like "we" and "our" to convey that you and the DM are sharing the call?
9. Was your choice of language positive? Clear? We'll be looking in more detail about projecting positive expectations through your words. Basically, it is using words like "when we meet," not "if we meet."
Also, be careful about using too much insider jargon, or about being too technical at this point. If you are calling an appropriate Decision Maker, with Authority, Need, and Dollars, she may not know (nor need or want to know) the difference between megabytes, megahertz, and megaphones. A prospect is interested in bottom-line effect, and the technical aspects matter only as a means to an end.) You don't want to lose the prospect before getting the chance to meet face-to-face to make your case.
10. Did you handle any questions or objections confidently and persuasively?
Keep a record of the questions and objections that come up repeatedly. Figure out the best response for each, outline it on paper, then rehearse it until the words flow smoothly and confidently.
Try to boil your responses down to the minimum number of words that make the point. Remember, time on the phone is precious, and you don't want to get bogged down on "perfect" answers that cause the prospect to tune you out.
11. Ultimately, did you sound persuasive? Were you successful in getting the appointment? Why? If not, why not? What could you have done better?
by Michael McGaulley Michael McGaulley, JD, is a lawyer and management consultant. His consulting clients have included Xerox companies in the United States, Canada, and Europe; Kodak; Bank of America; Motorola; Sylvania; and others, as well as the Foreign Service Institute of the U.S. State Department. He is the author of Selling 101; How to Sell Face-to-Face: Survival Guide; Sales Presentations & Demonstrations; and Sales Training Tutorials. He is also author of the self-help book, Joining Miracles: Navigating the Seas of Latent Possibility. Upcoming books include “soft skill” areas including subtle questioning skills; and questions for career and work focusing. His blog is www.SellingFaceToFace.com.
You've heard everyone talking about how powerful social media is for marketing your business. How if you're not using it to market your business you're is stuck in the 80's. So you go out and create a Face Book page, open a LinkedIn account, start tweeting on twitter, build a Blog and start looking at You Tube. Now what do you do?
You're told by a friend to post snippets about your businesses and create a blog post about things you know, (although you're not sure what a blog is). You start to share information on various sites in the evening and before you know it. Bam, you're spending dozens of hours a week and getting nothing to show for your efforts. You say to yourself, what a pain in the neck social media marketing is!
If you want to avoid the pain of spending too much time posting to social media sites and not getting anything in return, then read on. I will show you a half-dozen cardinal rules you need to abide by to keep your credibility. I will show you how to avoid the most common pit falls beginners make, and I'll help you get the most from the time you spend marketing to your social media sites.
Social Media is not Advertising
First, remember that social media posts are not advertisements in the typical sense. You need to post what I call the cardinal 4 wanted items! People are looking for useful information. They want interesting facts. Participants want to be entertained and they want to connect with others! Posting information about your product/service should be a rarity. To be successful on social media, you have to give participants what they are looking for. If you want to do conventional advertising on social media sites, use their pay-per-click/view services. Their ads run about $1 to $3 per click through, other wise posts only the cardinal 4 items.
Create and stick to a schedule
Second, set aside a scheduled time to post your information and stick to it. It's all too easy to sit down, start posting your information and before you know it, it's three AM! I schedule my post twice a week and spend an hour each time. During the week, I gather useful information and links from my daily life. These include; email communications, my current events, new and old photos I find, online article I read, RSS feeds I use, internet headlines I like and just surfing the net. I suggest you do the same. Use these as part of posting the cardinal 4 items I spoke of earlier.
Be patient and stick to your growth plan
Third, don't create false expectations for your results. Before your network can produce meaningful traffic, you need it to grow to a reasonable size. Having a total following of a couple of hundred Face Book Fans, contacts on LinkedIn and followers on Twitter is cool but it not a big enough network to produce powerful results. Your social media influences (i.e. power to make things happen), is directly related to the number of members in your network. Social media has a viral quality to it. In this sense, it is a type of word of mouth marketing. Word of mouth depends on your credibility and the size of your network.
Save time by using aggregator software
Forth, you must leverage technology to save time. If you are not using aggregator software for your post, start using one today. Aggregator programs allow you to post to several social media site simultaneously. They also let you schedule post at future dates. These programs can save you lots of time and energy. I personally like Tweet Deck and Hoot suite. Search for them on the web and you will find they are free to use.
How big is big enough
Fifth, if you are going to build a social network, you must have a goal. It's my experience that real power becomes readily apparent at about 1000 unique followers. I'm not saying that anything smaller is useless. However, real movement, powerful results start with your ability to influence 1000 plus people.
If you concentrate your efforts on building your social network by providing your followers with what they are looking for (i.e. the cardinal 4 items), your network will grow at a slow but steady pace. If you want it to grow faster, provide them with what feeds their needs more often. Post to your network every day if you have time. The more often and regular you post, the better. The only other way to make it grow faster is to either spend more time on growing it or pay someone else to spend more time growing it.
What does this cost
Sixth, you have to set financial limits. I know what you're saying. You're already spending too much time (and money), posting to social media sites. If you still find this to be too time consuming, hire a service to do your posts. They can be had for as little as $100 a week. It can also run you $2000 a month if you're wanting to grow big and fast all at the same time.
If you have, an organized method that you developed, you can hire a college student to enter your post for a lot less. As a marketing expert I can generate anywhere from about eight to twenty new followers per day. You can do the same by following my advice.
By following these six rules you will get a lot more out of your social media marketing efforts. Remember to post the cardinal 4 items regularly. Create and stick to a schedule, even if you don't finish, stop posting when your hour is up. Set goals and limits for time and money your spending. Use aggregator tools to be more efficient and above all be patient. You know the saying. Rome was not built in a day, well that also goes for building your word of mouth social network. That will take some time also. Stick to your plan and before you know it, you will be ready to start harvesting rewards from your social media marketing campaign. That's my opinion, I welcome yours!
by Hector Cisneros Hector Cisneros is an entrepreneur/businessman with over 25 years experience, is a 17-year veteran of BNI, and was BNI Director for 6 years. Currently he manages 3 businesses, writes and coach's business people in the art of Word of Mouth and internet marketing. He has several intl. published articles covering word of mouth marketing, social media marketing and how to improve your 60-second presentations. His new book "60 Seconds to Success" is aimed at helping business people make great first impressions and make more money through referral and word of mouth marketing. To learn more about Social Media, Internet Marketing d Word of Mouth Marketing visit the Networkers Apprentice workshop on a regular basis at http://networkersapprentice.com/. To contact Hector write him at hecisneros@gmail.com
One of the great leverage questions you could EVER ask yourself is, “Now that I have this, what else does this make possible?” That’s how you kill two stones with one bird, as my mantra says. And the cool part is, when you plug your blog into that equation, the creative sales possibilities are endless.
SO, HERE’S THE SECRET: Your blog is non-threatening, not salesy, value-driven tool that you can use to close more sales, if you do it right.
Today we’re going to explore six strategies to incorporate your blog into your sales process.
1. Attraction.Can’t seem to fill your prospect pool? No worries. Consider writing practical, focused, pithy, not-to-long, meaty blog posts that help people make more money. Use emotional headlines, limited self-promotion, consistent humor and of course, list-based content, which, according to my experience, will work for these forty-three reasons; and, according to Copyblogger, will always work because of these seven reasons. Make your posts easy to read and easier to spread. Oh, and include basic contact information at the end of each one. Do this every day for six months, and I guarantee you’ll have more new prospects than you know what to do with.
2. Outreach. Can’t get new customers to email YOU? Fear not. Just remember: Your writing becomes persuasive the moment your readers take action on it. Now, ideally, you want them to contact you. Either to thank you for your awesome post, ask a question, or, hopefully, to buy. The secret is to include a Call to Action or Response Mechanism at the end of each post to garner a response. For example, you could offer a fifteen-minute phone consultation, a complimentary ebook or a free price quote. Anything to get your readers to personally reach out to you, right now. (See the end of this post for a perfect example of this strategy.)
3. Objections.Noticing some resistance to the sale? Understandable. Check this out: Next time a customer says something like, “Well, we’re not sure if we want to buy yet because our budget is cut and…” Simply respond with: “Actually, I’m glad you said that. Just last week I wrote an article on my blog that explains the five best ways to preserve your budget…” Who could resist?
4. Testimonials.Current prospect still need convincing about whether or not to hire you? No problem. Consider sending him a link to a blog post that includes one of the following: *A funny, yet practical success story from a recent business trip to visit one of your clients. *A video testimonial from a variety of past/current clients, each of which are positively describing their experience with you. *A glowing email you received from one of your customers – not saying how great YOU are, but rather, how great their lives are now that they’ve started working with you.
5. Follow-Up.Not sure how to approach that indecisive client? That’s cool. Instead of emailing your prospect with the vomitous, “Just wanted to see if you had any questions on my proposal…” you could use a value-driven follow-up approach like:
*“Hey Steve - I thought of you when I wrote this blog post this morning…” *"Mary! I just wrote an article using your company as a perfect example of (x)!” *"Morning, Mr. Randolph! Today I blogged about your biggest competitor. You won’t want to miss this.”
6. Repeat Business. Got an old customer you’d like to work with again, but don’t have a non-salesy reason to contact her? No biggie. Try this. Send her an email request for an interview. Explain that you’d like to share her company’s philosophy, mission and unique approach to doing business with your (thousands?) of readers. Email her a half-dozen powerful, penetrating questions. Let her think about them for a while, then conduct an informal, virtual lunch conversation/interview over the phone or Skype. Then, when the piece is published, send her an email right away.
Oh, and make sure to remind her to send it to everybody in her company. (Which she’ll probably do anyway.) The odds of her buying from you again will double.
CAUTION: Keep in mind that none of these six blogging practices will work unless you’ve already taken preparatory action. That means you need to actually HAVE a blog. That means you need to be WRITING, every day. That means you need to POST on your blog, every day. That means you need to attract decent TRAFFIC to your blog. That means you need to gather TESTIMONIALS from your customers fans. That means you need to earn your readers’ TRUST through (consistently) practical and helpful content. Hey, come on. If my Pitt Bull can write a blog, so can you. Look, these strategies work. I've been using them weekly for years to close LOTS of sales. And I'm not the only one.
SO REMEMBER: The ultimate leverage question to ask is, “Now that I have this, what else does this make possible?” The answer? A more creative, more unique, more unexpected, more value-driven; yet a less threatening, less salesy, less pushy and less predictable sales approach.
LET ME ASK YA THIS… How are you incorporating your blog into your sales process?
LET ME SUGGEST THIS… For the list called, “75 Ways to Take Your Blog from Anonymous to Award Winning,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!
A reader asked an interesting question about the relationship between sales assessment performance and income.
"If someone does well on the assessment but never earned more than $100,000, should that set off some red flags since $100,000 is the high water mark of sales success?"
It's a great question.
Sales income is all relative.
For instance, it means different things depending on whether the money was earned by an industry veteran of 30 years in the same territory, or a rookie who never sold anything before.
It means failure if the salesperson came from certain spaces in the technology business yet huge success if the salesperson came from industrial distribution.
It means different things depending on whether the salesperson was in a hunting role - cold calling for new business only - versus an account management role.
It means different things depending on whether it was earned in straight commission versus whether it was earned in salary.
It means different things depending on whether it was a high ticket complex sale with expected revenues of $5 million annually versus a low ticket transactional sale with expected revenue of under $500,000 annually.
The most important factor - it is most relevant when compared with what the other salespeople earned in the company the candidate was employed in. Was the candidate among the highest, lowest or average performers? It is all relative!
With all that said, there is one more thing to consider. How much lower were the candidate's earnings than what you would need the candidate to earn if employed by you? If you need the candidate to make a jump in earnings of more than 25% in a single year, that might be unrealistic. The size of the desired jump is a more important consideration than the sum of the best year's earnings.
by Dave Kurlan
Dave Kurlan is a top-rated speaker, best-selling author, sales thought leader and highly regarded sales development expert. www.omghub.com
When it comes to social media networking, most sales people currently fall in the category of “Unconsious Incompetence” – they do not know, and they do not know that they do not know. Meaning: you, as a sales person, are aware of what social media is, but you haven’t yet made the connection between the benefits of this technology and the benefits to you as a sales person.
As of this writing, there are a handful of social media resources that provide you the opportunity to greatly improve your ability to find and develop relationships with new customers. The ’short list’ would include LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. If, like most of your peers, you are a beginner in this area, I recommend that you get familiar with one site before moving on to the next, as each application is different. The one that I suggest you focus on first is www.linkedin.com.
LinkedIn, with over seventy million users, is currently the prominent, and most useful, tool for relationship development within the ranks of business people. LinkedIn works because of the principle that all of us are connected to one another through people that we know mutually. With this in mind, think of LinkedIn as a networking event on steroids.
When you are in a face-to-face networking event, such as a Chamber of Commerce function, you routinely meet people that you have something in common with. You already know this. What you don’t know at such an event is who you mutually know; this information, in fact, rarely comes out in a conversation, and when it does, it does so purely by chance. What LinkedIn does that your old-fashioned networking event does not, and can not, is to tell you, each and every time you make an online connection, who you and the new person that you have “linked” with mutually know. This is a huge asset, because we all know as sales people that people buy based on familiarity. The fact that you and a prospect, for example, have both done business with a mutual contact, or that a friend of your prospect is one of your established clients, pays huge dividends, because it eliminates the need for a ‘cold’ call when making an initial inquiry.
That said, there are a number of ways in which social media marketing differs markedly from traditional “prospecting” for sales people. If you think, for example, that this an environment in which to make online ‘cold calls’, you will find yourself electronically ostracized in short order. People who engage in social media activities do so to make connections, develop relationships, and get information. That does not mean they are here because they are begging to be sold. If we go back to our example of traditional networking events for a moment, you will understand the point.
Most of us have been to networking opportunities in which we have had a person approach us, give us their canned “elevator speech”, and try to immediately set up a meeting to do business together. (Insurance agents, in my experience, have, in the past, had a tendency to sell in this way). Unfortunately, most buyers react negatively to being approached in this manner, because there is no relationship yet established – all of us are leery of doing business with “strangers”. Social media follows the same principle; build a relationship first, and the business will follow. That said, here are five simple rules to getting off on the right foot with social media:
1) Don’t proactively sell in this environment. Period.
2) Deliver value. Provide information that people find useful, so that they will follow you. At a minimum, I try to post an interesting, brief quote on a daily basis. The goal? To make it interesting enough that people look forward to reading it every day. (Plus, I keep my name in front of all of my contacts, every day). There are many other ways to deliver content, but the key is to make your content worthy of the time to read.
3) Complete your profile. On LinkedIn, you never know when a well-qualified prospect is going to look for information here before they ever contact your company. Think of your LinkedIn profile as a resume for your company’s products and services.
4) Join groups. Within LinkedIn, there are untold sub-categories of people that share similar interests to you. These are the online equivalent of lead-exchange clubs. Join them, and participate in the dialogue. One speaker I heard recently referred to social media participants as falling into one of two groups: the Silent Majority and the Vocal Minority. If you want to get maximum value from this effort, you need to be in the latter category.
5) Ask your clients for recommendations. The equivalent of a testimonial letter, these are written by your satisfied customers and provide proof of your ability to deliver value. They will be the most important aspect of your profile to a potential buyer. One of my peers, an expert in this area, is the #1 LinkedIn user in the world, with over 700 recommendations. Do you think this just might have an impact on his ability to persuade people to hire him? You don’t need 700, but you need more than 2 or 3.
Social media marketing is the new frontier in new business development. Ignore it at your own peril.
by Landy Chase Landy Chase, the Sales Revolutionist™, is a nationally active author, selling expert and thought leader who specializes exclusively in educating audiences in cutting-edge strategies for new business development. Since founding his company in 1993, he has given over two thousand paid presentations to corporate and association groups in over sixty different industries, with clients all over the U.S. as well as in Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. He has earned a reputation for delivering exceptionally high-value, practical content, skillfully blended with humor, relevant examples and personal stories. His latest book, Competitive Selling, was published in hardcover world-wide by McGraw-Hill in June 2010. http://sellingrevolution.com/
Did you know you are not alone when you are closing? Your customers will help you. Watch John Von Achen's video and learn how you can empower your customers and get their support when you are closing the sale. Watch now...
If there is a kink in your revenue cycle, chances are your lead scoring system isn’t what it could be. When you consider that nearly 75% of leads are not sales ready when they first enter your system, any breaks in your lead scoring system can result in significant lost revenue.
The more streamlined the revenue cycle, the more your B2B marketing dollars and sales efforts will generate returns. But if you’re not getting the performance from your revenue machine that you expect, check out these 4 symptoms of a broken lead scoring system:
1. Sales and marketing are butting heads When you’ve got two definitions of what a sales-ready lead is, your scoring is bound to suffer. To avoid this, you’ve got to establish a collaborative effort between sales and marketing to erase ambiguities. It may take more than one session but it’s crucial to spend the extra time and effort to establish sales and marketing alignment. Not only will better-qualified leads make it through the cycle, you’ll be more able to quickly adjust when you find trouble.
2. Highly scored leads aren’t converting It may be that your scoring system is advancing prospects too quickly. Possible causes for this can range from industry shifts (i.e. tightening budgets) to the team loosening scoring guidelines to meet pipeline demands.If highly scored leads aren’t converting, take a moment to see if there are any commonalities to work from and revisit how leads are marked as ‘hot’.
3. Leads are getting kicked back from sales If sales is sending more leads back to the marketing team, marked as ‘not ready’, this is another sign that the lead scoring system needs fine tuning. You may have chosen standards that give a false positive about sales readiness. Whenever sales kicks back a significant number of leads, it’s time to connect the marketing and sales team, review the current system and further refine the lead scoring process.
4. Revenue predictions are not being met The best lead scoring provides accurate revenue predictions. If you think you are generating the right number of qualified leads but predictions are not being met, it’s time to talk to your sales people and discover why those leads aren’t living up to expectations. Clarification of revenue predictions is key, not only to supply management with the numbers they need, but also to prove to sales that your demand generation programs provide value.
As in most high-stakes situations, careful preparation pays off. If you follow lead scoring best practices using input from both marketing and sales, you will follow up with prospects at just the right time, i.e. just before they enter your – or your competitor’s – sales pipeline, leading to better ROI from the marketing programs that generated the prospects in the first place.
For further information on lead scoring best practices, check out this Definitive Guide To Lead Scoring e-book.
by Andrew Spoeth Andrew Spoeth is an independent marketing consultant specializing in B2B demand generation, with emphasis on social media, marketing automation, and thought leadership strategy. He recently worked for four years as marketing director for Enquiro, one of North America’s top search marketing agencies. With that company, he lead corporate marketing strategy by leveraging webinars (the B2B Expert Series), white papers, SEO, PPC, lead scoring, web analytics, and strategic partnerships.
Andrew’s further interests branch out significantly beyond corporate marketing and include technology, physics, music and the psychology of leadership. This is fueled by a degree in physics, as well as a masters of music and physics education which he earned in Germany.
Besides his consulting work, he teaches Internet marketing for the Graphic & Digital Media Design program at the Centre for Arts and Technology in Kelowna, BC. You’ll also find Andrew speaking at industry events, guest blogging and co-moderating the weekly Twitter #B2Bchat series. You can follow him at @andrewspoeth, and view his blog at marketingfinger.com.
Many web users like heading to Facebook for discounts, but some research suggests emails may be preferred—and more effective
Discounts and deals have been used by many brands as a tactic to encourage Facebook or Twitter engagement among shoppers, and research has shown that receiving such offers is a top reason social network users follow brands on the sites. But have consumers made a strong connection between social networks and retail?
March 2011 research from daily deal site Eversave found that fully three-quarters of female social network users thought social sites were useful for learning about offers from brands. Respondents usually heard about daily deals in their newsfeed, from brands they follow (85.7%). Friends were another big source of deal information (44.5%).
Activities Facebook Is Useful for According to US Female Social Network Users, March 2011 (% of respondents)
But December 2010 data from research firm ForeSee Results put social media sites toward the bottom of online shoppers’ preferred promotional channels. Just 8% wanted to hear about discounts via sites like Facebook and Twitter, compared to 64% who thought email was the best way.
Preferred Method for Hearing About Sales/Promotions According to US Online Shoppers, Dec 2010 (% of respondents)
When ForeSee Results asked US online shoppers about their preferred social media sites for retail communications, nearly half (47%) refused to choose one at all. Among the rest, Facebook was the clear winner (40%).
While deals are important to those social networking site users who follow brands, several factors add up to put email in an even stronger position: more consumers subscribe to retail emails than follow retailers on social sites, the desire for discounts may be even stronger among email subscribers, and many users still limit social sites to their primary purpose of communication and entertainment.
by eMarketer www.emarketer.com Keep your business ahead of the digital curve. Learn more about becoming an eMarketer Total Access client today.
Prospecting has never been harder – or easier. Yes, it’s hard to get responses, but you have all the tools at your finger tips to increase your odds of grabbing the attention of your top contacts and getting a reply.
Gone is the dialing for dollars mentality. You can do better than that.
You can use these tools to do everything from identifying who your best-odds prospects are to deducing why they’d want to speak with you, writing a powerful email, and ultimately attracting them to you. Here are some of my favorites.
1. Identify the who. Once you know the profile of the types of contacts and companies you want to approach, use Zoominfo.com, NetProspex.com, Insideview.com or Hoovers.com to search and get the names of the best contacts to talk to.
2. Delve in. Go a step further and do some research for the contacts you’ve uncovered on those same sites. What have they written? Where have they been quoted? You can quickly get a feel for what’s top of mind with them and where their passions lie.
Use this information to craft your grabber value proposition for phone calls and emails. Use it to write blogs or articles that’ll attract their attention and peak their interest. Comment about your ideas on social networks.
3. Secure contact info. Start with these same sites to find the most current contact information for your target prospects. Jigsaw and NetProspex are maintained by people like you and me, so they’ve often got very current information.
While you’re there, add a few contacts of your own and earn points for free contact information downloads. You can also use LinkedIn, Facebook and other social networks as a tool.
4. Find elusive email addresses. If you still can’t find an email address here’s a trick to try. From your search engine type “@their website domain” and it’ll pull up anywhere on the web where email addresses for that domain appear. Now you’ll have the email protocol for that company and can more effectively guess your contact’s email address.
5. Watch your prospects. No, we aren’t talking stalking. Watch what your top prospects are doing using alert services like Google Alerts for free.
Set up a daily alert and see all the tweets and comments they’ve made and where they’re mentioned. You’ll know what to talk about when you call and more importantly, when they need you to call.
6. Make your emails stand out. Use Gobbledygook.grader.com to pick out trite or hype-filled words and phrases you don’t even know you’re using. It’s a great tool to increase the impact of your brochures and online copy, too.
7. Know if they’re listening. One of the biggest challenges with email prospecting is knowing if anyone has read what you sent. Use ReadNotify.com to trace email opens and forwards, numbers of times read, and URL clicks.
Use Bit.ly to shorten long links for social network comments and emails. You can track how many times the links are opened, forwarded and by whom.
8. Increase your own productivity. If you’re a Microsoft Outlook user Xobni.com is a plugin that makes searching your inbox and finding information about your contacts fast and easy. You can even search social networks for information about your contacts.
Getting people to reply is the most difficult aspect of prospecting. These tools give you new levels of information and insight to increase your odds of success.
by Kendra Lee Kendra Lee is author of “Selling Against the Goal” and president of KLA Group. Ms. Lee is a frequent speaker at national sales meetings and association events. To find out more about the author, as well as subscribe to her newsletter visit www.klagroup.com or call +1 303.773.1285.
To some, networking means simply meeting or calling someone new for what might be a one-off discussion or event. In this limited sense, networking is only a trading relationship in which two parties seek to discover whether they have anything of mutual interest to talk about. They either make some sort of exchange or quickly move on. This makes networking a highly ‘transactional’ subject, much like buying and selling or negotiating with someone.
My view is very different, because I believe that networking has a much wider definition, now that we can enjoy the power of all the “Social Media” sites. In fact, it can be a major social and life skill to be used in both a business/organizational and personal setting.
Network and Relationship Building
The ‘relationship building’ aspect of networking is a long-term commitment to knowing more about yourself and others and what you may be able to do together that you couldn’t do (or couldn’t do as well) alone.
The reality is that anyone can systematically adopt effective networking as an individual strategy. It can play a key part in linking you with a wider range of people who can help you to achieve more – whatever ‘more’ means for you.
The Benefits of Networking
The benefits of effective networking are many. For example:
• It is the most cost effective marketing tool available
• Networking referrals will typically generate 80% more results than a cold call
• 70 – 80% of all jobs are found through networking
• Every person you meet has 200 – 250 people with whom they connect who can potentially assist you
Oh, and anyone that you might want to meet or contact in the world is only five to six people contacts away from you.
As if these reasons were not enough, a healthy and active link to a network is a vast resource available to every individual at a low personal cost. It can help you to achieve a range of goals that otherwise might be too hard or out of reach.
A key point to understand is that networking is achieved at low personal cost not no personal cost. I am not suggesting that networking is a quick fix or fad idea that can be easily adopted to make things better for a while. However, it can provide immediate results for those prepared to invest their time and energy.
The Concept of Networking
Many of the definitions of networking highlighted in the next paragraph may surprise some people, in as much as they suggest that networking is an altruistic activity involving giving and sharing, rather than taking.
In Summary – Networking Definitions
• A power that comes from a spirit of giving and sharing
• A willingness to honour ourselves, our relationship and our connections with the universal flow
• A way of sending out into the system what we have and what we know, and having it return to re-calculate continually through the network
• An organized way of creating links from people we know to people they know for a specific purpose
• Giving, contributing to and supporting others without keeping score
• People caring about people
• Fostering self-help, and the exchange of information; seeking to change society and work life and to share resources
• Ensuring the right to ask a favor without hooks
It works for me!
by Jonathan Farrington Jonathan Farrington is a globally recognized business coach, mentor, author and sales strategist, who has guided hundreds of companies and thousands of individuals around the world towards optimum performance levels. He is Chairman of The Sales Corporation, CEO of Top Sales Associates and Senior Partner at The JF Consultancy based in London and Paris. Formerly, Jonathan was the Managing Partner of The jfa Group, which he established in 1994. Early in 2007, Jonathan formed Top Sales Associates (TSA) to promote the very best sales related solutions and products. TSA is now a subsidiary of The Sales Corporation, based in London and Paris. Visit his website (http://www.thejfblogit.co.uk), which attracts thousands of visitors every day. Finally, Jonathan is the Chairman of the Executive Board over at Top Sales Experts.
It’s best to have the goal in mind – the sale. So let’s start from the end and work backwards.
8. Get all the powerful people – especially the most powerful person to commit to your offering. If it is a business sale, there may be lots of people involved. If it is a consumer sale (car, house, personal item), determine who has the power – husband, wife?
7. Ask for the commitment. i.e. “Since you’re feeling good about what we’ve just discussed, can I have your commitment today that you will support me/my company. If “yes”, you’ve won a vote - not the sale yet. If “no”, ask “How come?” i.e. “Seems like you have some concerns. Please explain”
6. Ask the magic question – “How do you feel about what I’ve just presented?” If good go for commitment. See above. If not good or hesitation, ask “What’s the issue.” See above.
5. Ask questions about what’s wanted/expected. “What would the perfect solution look like to you?” Stop talking and listen. Base your presentation on what’s said. a. The biggest mistake is to ask others what someone else wants/expects. b. If nothing is said about what should be a concern, expose and entice to sense if there is any interest. Otherwise let it go.
4. Make answering your questions a condition before presenting. i.e. “I know you’re expecting me to tell you about our stuff, but before I do, can I ask you a few questions about your wants and expectations so I don’t bore you with information that is of no interest to you.” a. People reveal more one-on-one and you have to appeal to this person to win is/her vote. b. Rescue strategy, when you can’t resist the urge to present, is to ask each person the magic, feeling question. See above
3. All the people who are touched or impacted by your product, especially those in high places are the vote you have to capture. The powerful will make the final decision. It is what it is. Besides, what would happen if your competition gets to the bosses.
2. Interviewing and presenting to all these individuals is a lot of work and should only happen after you qualify that this is a good company and a good opportunity for you to pursue. Anything with life is not good for you. Use history to determine the profile of those who are most likely to do business with you. These are your plumbs. Leave the rhubarbs for your competitors.
1. Have a systematic prospecting program. Your easiest prospects are current customers if you have developed C-level relationships, Read TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER$at www.sammanfer.com/productpage.htm. Your toughest prospects are new account, cold call, types. Prospect for those that fit your profile.
See selling is systematic and can be easy. People make it tough by pushing product, going after everything, and trying to beat the competition. Best case these people close 30%. Do the above and you’ll soon be closing 70% of those you choose to pursue.
by Sam Manfer Sam Manfer is the leading expert on selling to CEOs and powerful people. Sam is a sales strategist, entertaining key note speaker and author of TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER$, The Complete Guide to C-Level Selling – getting to and influencing top level decision-makers. Sam makes it easy for any business owner, manager or sales professional to generate quality leads, and beat the competition. Grab your FREE E-Books, Articles and other Advanced Sales Training Tips at http://www.sammanfer.com
All sales training programs extol the virtues of selling at the C-level. However, they underestimate how difficult it is actually to reach C-Level executives and truly don’t explain what to say and do when you finally reach them. That’s exactly why I wrote Heavy Hitter Sales Psychology: How to Penetrate the C-Level Executive Suite and Convince Company Leaders to Buy. Selling at the C-level is an increasingly uphill battle because of these five truths: 1. C-Level Executives Are Inundated By Salespeople
With the accessibility to information that has been unleashed by the Internet and other online information tools, it’s easier than ever to find the names of the top executives at almost any company. Guess what that means: everyone and his brother are calling the same people you are. The chances of that C-level executive returning or forwarding a generic voice mail or e-mail is remote. Instead of a generic message, in today’s world you need a very individualized messaging campaign strategy to reach C-Level Executives.
2. C-Level Executives Usually Aren’t “Product” Decision Makers
While a C-level executive will often stamp his or her approval on a purchase decision, it’s increasingly more common that they are not the ones making that product decision (except when it comes to the largest capital expenditures). Executives today empower their senior- and mid-level management to collect the facts and present “their” recommendation. The winning strategy is to have the executive mandate these lower-level decision makers conduct “their” evaluation with a predisposition towards your product or service.
3. C-Level Executives Might Not Feel the “Pain” and Sense of Urgency
The surest way to get someone to respond to your message is if they personally feel the business pain your solution solves. Oftentimes, senior executives don’t have visibility into the detailed daily operational issues. Consequently, they don’t appreciate the relevance and importance of your solution. Never assume the executive knows why your solution is applicable to his business. Instead, structure your message based upon your customer successes at similar businesses to motivate the executive to investigate further.
4. Blindly Calling C-Level Executives Can Damage Your Low & Mid-Level Relationships
No one likes to have an unknown sales rep call their boss’s, boss’s, boss. Rather, you need to execute a sales strategy that logically engages all levels the customer’s organization and emotionally influences them to promote you to the highest levels of the company.
5. You Must Know What to Say When You Reach C-Level Executives!
Never forget, you only get one chance to make a great first impression with a C-Level executive. Many times, the worst thing that could happen to you is the executive you’re calling actually picks up the phone! Chances are you won’t be able to connect with him in the precious few moments you have to talk. That’s why it is absolutely critical that you understand Sales Linguistics (the study of how the customer’s mind uses and interprets language).
by Steve W. Martin Steve W. Martin is the foremost expert on “Sales Linguistics,” the study of how customers use language during the complex decision-making process. Early in his career, he was also introduced to the concepts of neurolinguistics (the science of how the human brain constructs and interprets language). Without any sales experience to speak of, he was the number one salesperson in his company for the following four years. Steve went on to be a top sales producer for a billion-dollar company and was promoted into management to imprint his “selling model” on other salespeople within the organization. He is the author of critically acclaimed “Heavy Hitter” series of books about enterprise sales strategies for senior salespeople. Heavy Hitter Sales Psychology: How to Penetrate the C-Level Suite and Persuade Company Leaders to Buy (2009) is the first book to truly explain what to say and do in meetings with C-Level executives. Steve is also the author of The Real Story of Informix Software and Phil White: Lessons in Business and Leadership for the Executive Team (2005). Visit his website/blog: http://www.heavyhitterwisdom.com/ and http://heavyhittersales.typepad.com
Social media has become a defacto marketing tool for any organization, but it’s incredible how scared sales managers and teams still are of letting their sales reps join the party. But the reality is, the only thing you have to fear is fear itself…oh, and not closing more and larger deals faster than ever before.
Social networks like Twitter and LinkedIn (as well as the entire blogosophere) are target-rich environments to find new opportunities and leads, and engage with prospects in a powerful and effectively intelligent new way. So what is holding companies back? Of the dozen or so objections I have heard, my conclusion is: FEAR. Fear that their sales team will not produce results, fear that the sales team will waste their time online and fear that their sales teams will do or say something online that will tarnish their brand and kill sales. The fact of the matter is, NOT letting sales professionals engage on social media is detrimental to the bottom line for the reasons below.
In addition, it always surprises me when a company pushes off any new technology based on such fear, and masks it with an excuse. Businesses that embrace innovation and new tools have a great track record of becoming leaders in their spaces. Social media is no different as it applies to sales professionals. There are very simple reasons that all of these excuses should be thrown away and sales people given a green light to social media engagement with leads and prospects.
Fact: Social selling produces results
Sirius Decisions Inc. recently said in a webinar that in most sales cycles, customers are now in control. Customers are doing 70 percent of the research online that drives the buying decisions, and then contacting a specific vendor for the purchase. The old concept of customers calling into a company to be ‘sold’ something is quickly vanishing. Since more of the buying process is happening online in discussion groups and social networks, sales people that are paying attention and, in most cases, are already a member of these networks like Twitter, will capitalize on these conversations and identify new opportunities much earlier than those without such social involvement.
Myth: Social Selling is not a time-suck
If your sales team is wasting their time online or talking to friends on the phone most of the day, stop now and reevaluate your employees. If you have talented and hard working people on your sales team, then you shouldn’t expect them to behave any different with using social media throughout the sales cycle. If your sales team is already using Twitter or other networks for personal use, they will be able to adopt a sales methodology around the same tools to produce revenue.
Myth: ‘Social Selling’ is too risky
This is an objection that comes up more often than any other, and it’s a common misunderstanding that a business can be destroyed in the matter of one status update or blog post. But, I don’t agree with this any more than I would with the idea that a poorly sent email to a customer can do the same. There was a point in time where sales people didn’t have access to email for that exact reason, but can you imagine not having email as a tool? The same will be said about social media tools in 10 years – those who embrace it will be in the drivers seat, and ultimately win out.
It all comes down to “letting go” and enabling your sales teams to be more effective. Social Selling is not fit for every sales person, but I’d bet you have a strong percentage of your sales team that would welcome the opportunity to drive opportunities through social tools in addition to traditional phone and email tactics.
by Koka Sexton, InsideView Social Media Marketing Manager Experienced in designing and using social media networks to increase buzz, distribute content, engage customers and drive lead generation. Currently working for InsideView, a SaaS application that drives sales intelligence to increase revenue for companies.
Do your customers see you as cool and confident or as a sales dork? Well, customers dont buy from dorks. Watch John Von Achen's video and learn how to communicate effectively and build meaningful relationships. Watch now...
Lately, I’ve been thinking about what makes certain sales professionals better than others. More specifically, what gives some sales professionals that “edge”? Do elements just exist naturally within the DNA of great sales professionals that you can’t teach? There are many factors that set certain sales professionals apart from the rest, and today I’m declaring that one such essential element is a sense of “intuitive curiosity” (IC). Do you have IC? How do you know? In this month’s feature, I share the seven basic traits of IC. Why IC Is Especially Important for Today’s Sales Professionals Companies today are offering more solutions to become more differentiated. In other words, sales organizations must be able to do more sales discovery across product lines, as well as across their entire enterprises. Companies won’t be successful if they think that selling is a linear process or that one sales force can’t sell multiple products and services.
A hallmark of great sales professionals is that they’re confident and capable of managing multiple conversations about various product lines with multiple constituencies. Being able to do this greatly enhances your sales culture and your virtual team. And having the professional sales skill of IC is an essential part of being able to successfully sell multiple products and services to a broad spectrum of clients.
Do You Have IC? To determine whether you possess the sales professional skill of IC, think about your relationships with prospects and clients. Do you usually have the urge or gut instinct to ask questions and seek more knowledge about their companies’ issues and problems? Are you curious about their businesses, and do you ask more questions because of that curiosity?
The following are what I consider to be the seven basic traits of sales professionals who have IC:
You don’t start and end a sales campaign without uncovering some new area of need somewhere else in the organization.
You ask questions that uncover needs because you are genuinely curious, not because it’s in the training manual.
Your IC is natural and not formulaic.
You feel something is vaguely missing when you leave your client – as if something is left unsaid or uncovered.
You just want to know more, and you just know that there is more!
When you have IC, you will notice a different level of respect from your clients because you’re showing an authentic level of interest – and clients like that!
Your IC is like a tickle that never quite goes away.
I think I’ve read just about everything there is about what it takes to make great sales professionals – and I find much of it’s true. I want to add to that conversation, however, by making sure that we don’t forget about the intangibles and always personally strive to have a high degree of intuitive curiosity.
by Todd Cohen Since 1984, Todd Cohen has coached and led sales teams to deliver more than $500 million in revenue for leading companies including Xerox, Gartner Group, Pensare, Thomson-Reuters, and LexisNexis.
As the Principal of SalesLeader LLC, Todd inspires, advises, and builds high performance sales teams that produce outstanding results. He also provides strategic oversight for sales teams and serves as executive sales coach and advisor to clients ranging from small, rapidly growing start-ups to well-established, large corporations.
Todd is a frequent speaker at sales conferences and national association meetings and hosts his own radio show “Let’s Talk Sales Culture.” Todd’s book “Everyone’s in Sales” will be out in summer 2011.
Todd is the founder of The Innovators Club, co-founder of LinkedIn Live Philly, and co-leader of Career Transitions – a non-profit group dedicated to helping professionals in transition. He is a professional member of the National Speakers Association, a board member of the NSA Philadelphia chapter, and serves as chair of the Sales and Marketing group of the Greater Philadelphia Senior Executives Group.
Growing a base of Facebook fans is often a major objective for social media marketers. Whether through special offers available only to fans, the promise of exclusive content or simply through a compelling campaign that reaches already-loyal customers, marketers are building up their presence on Facebook pages and hoping consumers flock there as well.
But as fan bases grow, the danger increases that the larger community will be less close-knit and engaged than before. Link-sharing solutions provider Visibli analyzed Facebook pages with at least 100,000 “likes” and found that for brands and media organizations, pages with more fans received fewer “likes” on each individual post. Engagement went down as the number of people involved went up.
And overall, brands are behind both artists and media organizations when it comes to average number of “likes” and comments per post.
Average Number of "Likes" and Comments per Facebook Post, by Page Type, March 2011
In addition, the research from Visibli points to how brands should space out their posts. Half of all “likes” happen within 1 hour and 20 minutes of posting, and 70% happen within 4 hours. “Likes” taper off over time, until about 95% are received within 22 hours.
Timeframe for Facebook Post "Like" Accumulation, March 2011 (% of total "likes")
Furthermore, once a new post is up there’s less chance of “likes” on an older one, so brands should give messages time to play out and maximize engagement before updating.
by eMarketer www.emarketer.com Keep your business ahead of the digital curve. Learn more about becoming an eMarketer Total Access client today.
In this tough economic climate many companies are increasing new business activity in a drive to generate more clients and opportunities. One tactic for reaching new prospects and building up your sales pipeline is cold calling – but only if you do it well.
Remind yourself why cold calling is extremly important
Spend time focusing on your reasons for taking positive cold calling action everyday. This could be as simple as sticking a picture of the new car your determined to get on your PC and make notes in your diary to remind you why cold calling, and the results you get from it, is important to you.
Cold Call Consistently
To be successful you need to make cold calling one of your sales success habits. Cold calling is something that you should do regularly and consistently to ensure you have a regular pipleine of business opportunities, not just when you don’t have enough business. Making calls all the time ingrains positive sales habits – and positive sales habits means consistent sales success and in turn manifesting your dreams.
Record what works
Record what works and what doesn’t, what you learnt and how you could do things differently the next time. Keep a record of ratio of calls to conversations, to meetings, meetings to opportunities, and opportunities to deals. Knowing this will enable you to measure your progress and your skills and allow you to drill down to what works best.
Self Motivation and Expectations
Set your own expectations but make them realistic, don’t wait for your Sales Manager or Director to organise your time or find ways to motivate the sales team with competitions. Set your target higher than your competition and find the motivation to be the best you can possibly be. These positive behaviours and activities will ultimately bring top sales results, so it is these that you most need to reinforce.
Preparation
Being well prepared allows you to make more targeted and more professional calls. It increases your confidence in your ability to make a great call and focuses you on your prospect. Don’t worry when you make mistakes – everyone does. Remember you cannot win them all!! Even the best cold callers do not get a sale or an appointment everytime.
Maintain your intensity levels
Cold calling is more proactive, more productive and more fun when you keep up a healthy pace and a high level of intensity and energy. Challenge yourself to ‘go for it’ and maintain your intensity and energy levels everytime you are on the phone. Despite this you still need to remain cool calm and in control, dealing with emotions is one of the keys to becoming a cold calling superstar.
Don’t put the phone down between calls
To help you maintain your energy levels keep the phone in your hand after every call. Putting the phone down after every call will slow you down and impede your motivation. Try standing up whilst making your calls, this will keep your energy levels up and keep you determined, focused and motivated.
Avoid interuptions
Interuptions will make you lose your focus and your energy levels. Divert incoming calls, turn off your email, and ask colleagues not to interrupt you when you are on the phone. Many sales people make 5 or 6 calls and then pause to send out literature. Don’t do this, wait until you have completed your set number of calls and keep the pace and energy going to the end, then send out any literature.
Spend time with Sales Winners
If you have a sales superstar in your office, listen to what they say on the phone and watch how they focus intently whilst making cold calls. Avoid spending time with sales whingers they will only bring you down. Keep your pace and energy levels up and remain consistent. Cultivate a sense of humour – if cold calling goes wrong and you don’t get your desired results pick yourself up and move onto the next call – after all you are one call away from the deal that will get you the new car that you are dreaming of.
Get into a healthy cold calling routine and you will always know where the next deal is coming from.
by www.salesprorecruitment.co.uk Welcome to SalesPro Recruitment the UK’s online sales recruitment solution. If you are looking for a sales vacancy or you have a job in sales that you need to fill, SalesPro Recruitment is the leading the way in online recruitment. SalesPro Recruitment specialises in advertising 1000’s of the UK’s latest sales jobs, including Business Development Jobs, Field Sales Jobs Sales Director Jobs IT Sales Jobs and Telesales Jobs. SalesPro Recruitment caters for all levels of Sales professionals throughout the UK and has sales jobs from major UK employers, Sales employers, and sales recruitment companies.
Every time I speak at a conference or do a webinar someone asks about Twitter. Seems like that bird is a bit of an obsession these days.
I have a couple of theories on how sales people should use Twitter but I thought I’d check my sanity this week and ask a brain trust of sales experts for their top tips on how sales people should use Twitter. I asked them...
“What's the best way for sales people to use Twitter to develop leads?”
Miles Austin,Fill the Funnel Use Twitter as a “listening” device to gather information and develop an understanding of what is important to your prospects. It is a terrific way to help do your homework. If you want to sell to Ford, create a twitter list of all the keywords, topics, suppliers and competitors of Ford. Twitter provides a very big set of “ears” to listen into the conversation and learn the strengths and challenges of the company. If you sell phone systems, Twitter might help you discover that customers are expressing frustration with call disconnects and trouble hearing the representative when they call for help.
Kevin Popovic,Ideahaus Twitter is as a channel for sharing information, but its an even better listening device. And in our case, we’re going to listen for sales leads.
Tools, like TweetDeck, can help filter the stream of information (Tweets), much like a cable box helps decode and prioritize the “channels” so we can watch them, one from another. We can create a “channel” for our product and service categories by listening for keywords in the tweets; real estate, business, training, etc. The same words we think our prospects would use if they were search for us using Google.
When a Tweet is detected in the stream it shows it in a list, along with their user name and icon, i.e. a lead.
Its also a great way to demonstrate your experience and expertise in a vertical or specialty. Sharing information on a regular basis that helps, educates and informs establishes you as an expert in the space and a point of contact when they need to learn more (like who to hire or where to buy.)
Anneke Seley,PhoneWorks Provide something of value to your prospects and customers via Twitter. This could be a simple observation, a quote, or link to an article that's pertinent to the industry, geography or job function you serve, an invitation to an event, a recorded webinar, podcast or video...even content created by your own company such as e-books, white papers, surveys or events that could help increase their trust and engagement. You can also re-tweet something that your prospect or customer tweeted to show you are listening and value their contribution.
David Anderson, MyWay Interactive 1. Rather than look for leads directly on Twitter, I would suggest looking for other sales people on Twitter that would likely have the type of leads you are looking for. Sales people are easy to approach and they like to help other members of the "club". To begin, search twitter profiles by company, title and location such as Cisco, Sales, NY. Follow the sales people of interest to you. Read their profiles and see what they are interested in. Read their tweets. Then call them up and see if you might collaborate on the XYZ account or exchange some contact names.
2. Follow an industry leader in the market you are selling to. this may be the CIO of a major bank. Then follow their followers. Pick those followers who are also bank CIO's. Set up a system to monitor each of their tweets and detect conversations between them on subject areas of interest to your business such as security, virtualization of the data center, training etc. Look at each of their profiles and create news feeds (from Google) to monitor the things they have an interest in (wine, hiking, snowboarding). You then have a warm lead and you can tailor your initial approach to things you have in common.
Trish Bertuzzi,The Bridge Group 1. Lead by example: provide great content or thought provoking comments that are relevant to the audience you hope to attract. Demonstrate that you have a passion for your area of expertise and that you want to learn more about it. Listening is even more important than talking so don’t be afraid to show that you don’t know everything about everything. Twitter is a conversation not a monologue.
2. Show your personality: people buy from people they can relate to. If you appear boring, narrow minded or focused on nothing other than self promotion, who would want to buy from you? Let it rip…it is called social media so be social.
3. Spread the wealth: there is a lot of business out there and you may tune into a conversation stream that has nothing to do with your business but could be relevant for someone else. Don’t be afraid to make a referral via twitter. It’s a global voice for global businesses so keep your eyes open for opportunities…the good you give out will come back at you.
A got a tiny bit pushy with my friends here and followed up with...
“When you find something like a lead on Twitter how do you get from that to a real conversation on the phone or a meeting?”
Kevin Popovic,Ideahaus When your listening produces a lead you’ll have to evaluate the lead for the right type of contact. An explicit, “can someone please help me?” is an opportunity for a very direct, “Yes, I can help?” A less direct, “I’ve been trying to do this but not having much luck” maybe be better approached with a gesture of help, like a suggestion, and example or a link. End that one with, “if you need anything else please let me know – its what I do for my clients ;-)”. That higher road takes a little longer but what do you think that person is going to think of you?
Trish Bertuzzi, The Bridge Group I direct message the person and in 140 characters get them interested enough to chat. Pretty much "D nedelsha Love what you have been talking about. Think we could have a great conversation. Want to chat?"
So what you guys out there got?
Any additional ideas on how to use Twitter? Especially how to go from a Tweet that gives you a clue that you might have a lead to real-world phone conversation or meeting, where the selling rubber is really on the road.
Chirp up!
by Nigel Edelshain, Sales 2.0 Nigel Edelshain is CEO of Sales 2.0 (LLC). Sales teams trained by Sales 2.0 get radically superior cold calling results by employing social media and Sales 2.0 tools in their sales processes. Sales 2.0 provides sales training and consulting to companies in IT services, insurance, software, printing and telecommunications.
I hear this question a lot..."When should I move on?"
You have left 6 messages and haven't received a return call.
You have a prospect and things were moving along pretty well and now you can't get them back on the phone.
Should you move on?
First, the data is clear on this - it takes an average of 8 attempts - eight! - to reach a prospect. And if it's a prospect that is already in the sales process, you probably screwed something up....
Second, whether or not you should move on is dependent on six factors. I'll list them here:
Factor #1 - The Size of Your Prospect Pool: If you have thousands of potential prospects, it's easy to say, "next!", while if your pool of potential prospects is limited, "next" is not a viable option.
Factor #2 - The State of Your Pipeline: If your pipeline is filled with quality opportunities, it's easy to say, "next!", while if your pipeline is on the empty side, "next" is not a viable option.
Factor #3 - Competitive Nature: If you don't mind losing, it's easy to say, "next!", while if you can't stand to lose, "next" is not a viable option.
Factor #4 - Odds: If you don't have much of a chance to win the business, it's easy to say, "next!", while if you have a good chance to win the business, "next" is not a viable option.
Factor #5 - Profiling: If the prospect doesn't fit the profile of your ideal customer, it's easy to say, "next!" while if they are right in your sweet spot, "next" is not a viable option.
Factor #6 - Leverage: If the prospect was using you to keep their existing vendor/supplier honest, it's easy to say, "next!" while if low price isn't a factor and there isn't an existing vendor in place, "next" is not an option.
Can you think of any more?
by Dave Kurlan Dave Kurlan is a top-rated speaker, best-selling author, sales thought leader and highly regarded sales development expert. www.omghub.com
1. Broaden your definition of the close Many of us still think of the close as the ink on paper – a signed contract. We get into trouble because we’re aiming for the “close” when the customer is two steps behind us. As a result, we unknowingly lose the customer’s trust. Selling is a series of closes, each one moving you to the next logical step in the buying process.
2. Plan for a close on every call Efficiency in selling requires that every sales interaction end with a close, i.e. a tangible commitment to action from the customer. Understand what this will look like in this specific buying cycle, and plan how you will get there. Whether it is an introduction to another stakeholder, putting you on the shortlist, or signing the LOA, get clear on the next logical step and move to a commitment.
3. Earn the right What you do prior to the close has far greater impact on your likelihood of (and comfort with) closing the deal than what you do at the close. Earning the right to ask for the business starts at the very first meeting. Demonstrate positive intent, keep your focus on the customer’s success, do a thorough “two-sided” discovery, and position your offering against what’s most important to this customer.
4. Slow down to speed up Sales pros are often too eager, or are pushed by their customers, to present their capabilities or solution too early in the sales process – when they are not in a position to win. If you haven’t taken time to build a foundation of trust and / or you haven’t gathered enough of the right kind of information, avoid jumping to the solution.
5. Connect the dots People don’t buy your products or services. They buy what your products will do for them. Do not assume the customer makes the connection between your offering and what they are looking to achieve. Prepare your customer to “hear” your proposal by reminding her of what she indicated as critical in this purchasing decision. Then connect the dots.
6. Oversell. Lose the sale You’re enthusiastic about your product or service. Great! Enthusiasm sells. But don’t let your enthusiastic urge to share all the “feeds and speeds” of your recommendation lose the sale. Give a fraction of the data and keep it to what’s relevant to this customer. Information overload, death by PowerPoint, and unnecessary words cause the customer to tune you out.
7. Enable your customers to close the deal We often forget that a big chunk of the sales process continues when we’re not there. We rely on our client contact to make the sale internally to other key stakeholders. Be clear on the decision making process, build strong relationships with influencers, and equip them to be powerful advocates of your solution.
8. The power of four words “What do you think?” Whether you’re following up on a written proposal or ending a stand-up presentation there’s power in these four words. Provided you shut up and listen to the answer. Hear the customer’s perspective – without defending or interrupting. There are hidden gems in the answer - the opportunity to mitigate any concerns, and often a direct route to the close.
9. Got an objection? Get curious Use your listening and questioning skills to get clear on the real issue / interest behind any objections that come up. Don’t jump to defend or rationalize your position – it will only shut your customer down, and even jeopardize the sale. If you disagree, bite your tongue. Listen to understand why the customer might feel this way and work with him to resolve his concern.
10. Ask 63% of sales pros don’t ask for a commitment to move forward. They wait for the customer to make the move. If you’ve done a thorough job throughout the entire sales process, and maintained a customer–centric focus, then it will feel natural to ask for a commitment to the next logical step. And the customer will be expecting it.
by Jill Harrington Jill Harrington, president, salesSHIFT, has contributed to the success of thousands of B2B sales professionals around the world. She shifts your thinking and actions to enable faster, and bigger, sales results in extraordinarily competitive markets. For valuable sales tips and articles visit www.salesshift.ca
Do you display photos on your Facebook business page wall? If not, you’re missing out on a golden opportunity to create a unique marketing message with those 5 images.
Every time you upload a photo to your page, it will display at the top of your wall. You then have the option of keeping it there, or hiding it from view. Every time someone visits your wall, the images will be displayed in a different order – so don’t count on them to stay fixed like they do on a Facebook personal profile.
Just because the images change their order, doesn’t mean you can’t be creative with the message you display. Here is one example from Oreo:
You can clearly see their product, and Oreo even includes a call to action with the Facebook “like” image.
Here are a few simple steps and rules to follow so you can create your own branded photo strip:
1. Image Choice: Come up with 5 images that will display well in random order.
2. Image Size: Images that work best are horizontal and scaled to 97 x 68 pixels. You’ll need to create an image that size, or make sure it scales and crops well to that size.
3. Create Photo Album: Create an album for your images so they can be kept separate from other content.
4. Upload Images: Upload 5 images to your album, and they will automatically display in the photo strip as the most recent uploads. You can choose whether to publish the images or not for fans to comment.
5. Image Upkeep: Remember to hide any new images you add to your wall or other photo albums in order to keep your core 5 photo strip images in view.
You can choose to include a text message in the images you display too. You can use one word per image, as long as you don’t mind if the words get mixed up. Or include a call to action on an image, and in the description, add a link to your website so your fans have somewhere to go.
by Meredith Oliver Meredith Oliver, The Digital Diva, is an author, professional speaker and founder of Meredith Communications; a full-service web marketing specializing in website design and search engine optimization. She delivers keynote speeches and seminars internationally to business owners and salespeople on how to click with technology and Internet marketing to make more sales and make more money. Meredith holds a Masters Degree in Communication Technology and numerous industry designations. You can learn more about Meredith at http://thedigitaldivablog.com/.
Is your database looking a little dry these days? Are your orders/contracts not as big as you want them to be? Watch John Von Achen's and learn to sell strategically and reap higher profit form all your customers. Watch now...
Would you like to get published in the next SOLD issue? If yes, all you need to do is to share your sales story with us!
The story can be about sales success or failure. For example: How did you close your biggest deal? How did you find your best customer? How did you applied new sales tips and techniques in social media and maximized your revenue? etc.
The story has to fit the following requirements: - It should be personal. Only YOUR experience is valued! - It should be practical. What have you learnt and what do you want our readers to remember? - The story should be submitted at register@soldlab.com by June 24th , 2011
We guarantee that: - We publish the best story in the next SOLD issue and feature it in the social media. - We publish YOUR photo in the magazine - You will be proud of yourself
Throughout my career, I have never seen a company with sales and marketing in total alignment. Listening to a webinar by Bright Talk, they claim that 70% of brochures developed by marketing are not used. Sales people recreate the wheel 90% of the time by customizing to a customer. Yet these two disciplines have the same overall objective – DRIVING REVENUE.
Consider also, that the landscape has changed from 20 years ago. Buyers are taking advantage of the increased availability of information, and choosing to engage with sales people later in the decision process. Cold calling is still alive, yet 50% of sales time is spent on unproductive prospecting.
Companies generally assign marketing to generate the leads. One statistic from Marketo says that 80% of the marketing leads are ignored by sales. Does that make sense? Why does it happen?
Biggest Mistakes When Forming a Sales and Marketing Campaign
Not using a formalized process to develop marketing strategies and campaigns.
Not collaborating with Sales team when creating Marketing programs or materials.
Not spending the time to understand the competition and articulate the company’s unique selling proposition.
Lack of respect and understanding of the respective skill sets needed to be in Sales or Marketing.
Thinking prospects want to read or hear as much as the Sales & Marketing team want to share.
How to Change the Mindset and Get Marketing and Sales to Work in Concert
Train Marketing to think of Sales as their customers.
Clearly define market segments and target accounts in each segment.
Compensate both Sales and Marketing based on ROI and revenue generated.
Ensure that Marketing understands the whole sales process, not just how to generate leads.
Train and involve the Sales people with social media, and have Marketing help them by providing the right sales messages and other useable content.
Jointly develop an e-mail marketing strategy that combines Marketing and Sales communication. Marketing may send it out, and the follow-up is done by Sales.
Share data information on a regular basis. This means that sales must provide market intelligence on a regular basis, and marketing must provide trend information.
Cross-train Sales and Marketing people, for better understanding and respect.
In conclusion, maximum profit potential will be achieved when the roles of Sales and Marketing well understood, plans are aligned, and there is ongoing communication and coordination. A good alignment is when the targets are the same, the compensation package has a mutual reliance, and when marketing participates in the whole process NOT just lead generation.
by Allan Himmelstein Allan Himmelstein is President of Sales Coach AZ, which specializes in developing customized, highly effective sales processes for individuals and companies. Specializing in B2B sales, my mantra is “How can we save a company time, trouble, and money”? If we cannot answer this we have no basis for doing business. We will utilize a company’s unique strengths and core values to build a highly effective sales process that maximizes results. Mr. Himmelstein has a proven track record as a top-level executive for increasing business revenues and profit growth in competitive markets. His extensive business management experience includes the startup of an international company, which grew to $40,000,000 in nine years. He has held C level positions in Fortune 500 companies, including serving as VP of Sales and Marketing for ConAgra. He currently is focusing on foreign companies and adapting their sales approaches to maximize success in the USA market. Website/Blog: Sales Coach AZ
Patient: Doctor, you have to help me stop talking to myself. Doctor: Why is that? Patient: I m a salesman and I keep selling myself things I don’t want.
Does your selling style address the most fundamental needs of your prospects? What are the most important factors to someone making an important buying decision?
Universities and market research firms have conducted numerous studies to determine the most important buying decision factors for people who make significant purchases. We gathered as many of those studies as we could find, and did simple correlation analyses to average out the results. Here are the results, in order of importance.
Weighted Values* of Buying Decision Factors(c)
1. Level of Trust in the Salesperson: 87 2. Level of Respect for the Salesperson: 82 3. Reputation of the Company or Product: 76 4. Features of the Product or Service: 71 5. Quality and Service: 58 6. Price (non-commodity): 16 12. Like the Salesperson (rapport): 3 *(Weight = percentage of people listing each factor in their top 5)
The average salesperson knows how to effectively present 4 of the 7 factors cited above: Reputation (#3), Features (#4), Quality and Service (#5), and Rapport (#12). Most salespeople try to handle the two most important buying decision factors, Trust (#1) and Respect (#2), by establishing Rapport (#12).
Building “Rapport” is an inherently manipulative tactic. Ironically, typical salespeople attempt to establish Trust and Respect, non-manipulative factors, by manipulating people. Building rapport doesn’t establish trust and respect, it diminishes trust and respect. That’s why only 3% of all buyers surveyed rate ‘Like the Salesperson’ as an important buying decision factor.
If Trust and Respect are so important, why don’t most salespeople learn how to establish relationships of trust and respect with their prospects and customers? We’ve come to the conclusion that there are three reasons:
Most salespeople don’t know that it can be done.
If they learn a process that develops that kind of relationship, they feel uncomfortable using it because it’s very unconventional.
Trust and Respect are very personal emotions, and sharing emotions is commonly regarded as only suitable for intimate relationships. Most salespeople have a fear of intimacy. Yet, we’ve found that less than 1/2 of 1 percent of prospects and customers have a fear of intimacy.
Let’s suppose you’re faced with a very important buying decision. Let’s say you have decided to relocate thirty miles away from where you live now, so that you and your spouse will both have shorter commutes to work. So, you need to sell your current home and buy a new one. To whom would you entrust the sale of your most valued possession? Are you going to entrust the sale of your house to a charming and friendly Realtor who tells you that they have the best marketing system, the best skills, the best negotiating ability, and affiliation with the biggest real estate firm? Or, will you hire the Realtor whom you trust and respect the most to sell your most valued possession?
Regardless of whether you sell to consumers or B-2-B, all sales are made to people. When the sales are significant, most people want to buy from someone they trust and respect. Why? Fear of loss is the most important buying motivation. You could lose tens of thousands in the hands of an untrustworthy Realtor. At work, choosing an unreliable vendor could cost you a raise, a promotion, or your job.
If you learn a process that establishes relationships of mutual trust and respect with prospects during your first conversation with them, you will have the ultimate competitive advantage. If not, hope to be the most persuasive salesperson your prospects meet- and hope that someone who practices High Probability Selling isn’t your competitor!
by Jacques Werth Jacques Werth, MBA, is president of High Probability Selling, a sales consulting and sales training organization. Werth has observed hundreds of salespeople in many different industries while they interacted with prospects and customers. He learned what the top 1% of the world's best salespeople do that the other 99% do not do, and this is what he teaches. For more information about High Probability Selling, please visit www.HighProbSell.com
Every startup fears that one angry and unfair customer who can jeopardize the business by a SCREAMING post on Ripoff Report, Yelp, or one of the hundreds of other consumer complaint and review sites on the Internet. Most entrepreneurs don’t even know how to keep track of what people are saying about them on the web, much less how to respond or remove it.
Web reputation management, both business and personal, has become a top priority requirement. On the personal side, these items can kill your career, as I discussed in a prior article “Google Yourself to See How Other People See You.” Luckily, the basic principles for reputation management are the same for both business and personal environments:
Your reputation is your responsibility. The first step is to recognize that you alone are responsible for managing the reputation of your business and your life. Doing nothing, or counting on more laws, is not an answer. Due to First Amendment rights, offensive content, once entered, is often untouchable, and the sources are immune from liability.
Actively monitor what people are saying about you. You may assert that monitoring the entire Internet space is an impossible problem. Fortunately, there are already tools out there, like Google Alerts (free) and ReputationDefender, which can do the work for you, and send you a daily email report of every link where your name or brand appears.
Proactively build a positive reputation. Maintaining a good reputation means you have to build one early and maintain it. There is a big difference between no reputation with one negative comment, versus 1000 indications of a positive reputation and one negative. Most people accept that no person or organization is perfect.
Quickly address every negative. Many negative customer experiences can actually be turned into positives, if you quickly and unemotionally acknowledge the problem, resolve it, and spread the positive message before the negative one gets amplified. Don’t emulate the “United Breaks Guitar” experience.
Push negative content out of view. In reality, most people will never find negative content, unless a link appears on the first page of search engine results. With the right focus on search engine optimization, or the help of companies like DefendMyName, you can usually push negative links out of sight into the swamp of the Internet.
Remove unwanted content, where possible. Removing your content from the Web is not as easy as canceling your accounts, nor is it completely impossible. You can easily remove content you own (comments on your site or accounts). Experts, like Reputation Defender, have proprietary techniques to correct or completely remove other unwanted content.
The upside to the difficulty of removing unwanted content is that it does justice to those who have come by their bad reputations legitimately. For curbing bad guys, the speed and visibility of the Internet can be a very useful thing. For all the rest of us, it’s nice to know that we can shout back quickly and broadly, when someone starts to whisper about us.
As I have discussed in previous articles, social networking sites like Facebook are now the most frequently used websites on the Internet. Unfortunately, they have also become some of the most abused websites on the Internet, due to the emotions of failed relationships and the immature whims of young users.
So the social networks are the early place to start, in learning the discipline of building and maintaining a positive reputation. If you get that right, the transition to your business will be easy. On the other hand, if you let your reputation slide early to be “cool,” it may take a lifetime to recover. It’s easier to make Google remember than to forget.
by Martin Zwilling CEO & Founder of Startup Professionals, Inc.; Callaman Ventures Board Member and Executive in Residence; Advisory Board Member for multiple startups; Arizona Angels Selection Committee; Entrepreneur in Residence at ASU and Thunderbird School of Global Management. See me on Twitter as StartupPro, and on LinkedIn and Facebook by name. Published on Forbes, Harvard Business Review, and Business Insider. http://blog.startupprofessionals.com/
Because, in the competitive sale, the prospective account has initiated an inquiry, your Influencer has a built-in reason to cooperate with your need for information. While they rarely volunteer details, they are almost always cooperative when asked for them. In fact, the opening situation – that they, by contacting you, have demonstrated interest in a discussion – provides you a gilded invitation to collect information for your initial meeting. This is a huge opportunity if it is handled properly. The key here, given that we have limited time on the phone, is to ask the right questions – in the right order – to learn as much as possible about the current state of the buyer.
Most formal RFPs provide a contact person for questions. Whether responding to an RFP or handling an incoming phone call, the request should be as follows: “to make the best use of your time, do you have a moment to answer a few questions for me?” Because of the pre-established interest of the account, the response you will get is, “sure, what would you like to know?” Once you get this response, follow this seven-question sequence to lay the foundation for your strategy.
How did you hear about us? Predators always keep close tabs on where their leads are coming from. Enough said.
What prompted you to contact us? This will provide you with the Dominant Buying Motive – the primary reason for the action taken in contacting you. Let them talk – and take notes.
What else can you tell me about what you are looking for? This is often the most important question of the initial interview; this additional “dig” for more information can provide crucial details. In most cases, it will provide you with secondary data about the desired outcomes of the account – details that your competitors will usually miss.
What other options are you considering? This is a subtle and non-threatening way of asking “who is my competition?” Granted, they may refuse to share this with you – but that rarely happens. Worst case, they will not mind your asking. If you learn that competitors are being considered, immediately add the two “bonus” questions below:4a. Where are you in your meetings with them? This establishes pecking order. You will usually learn where you fall in the sequence of evaluating options, as well as how far along the account is in the decision process. If they have already met with your competition, add the question below: 4b. What have you liked, and not liked, about what you’ve seen so far? Again, they don’t’ have to tell you this information – but what is the harm in asking? You might hit the jackpot. I once asked a prospect this question about one of my competitors and his response was, “I disliked his presentation, and his pricing was out of line.” Would you find this information useful? I did – and it helped me to easily land the account.
What is your decision process, and who else besides yourself will be involved? As we will discuss later, there is almost never a single person who buys without the input of others. It is critical that you identify this “inner circle” as quickly as possible. Don’t be afraid to press for detail – “and what role does _____ have?” – and take notes!
What is your role in this process? This will usually clarify the level of influence that your initial contact has – or does not have – in the buying process. The most common response is “my job is to gather information for them.”
What is your time-frame for making a decision? This is an excellent question to establish the interest level of the buyer, and, incidentally, the quality of the lead. “We have to make a decision by ____” indicates a high-quality opportunity. “We are in no hurry” obviously indicates otherwise. “I’m not sure” translates to “I’m not high enough in our organization to know.”
As the result of this brief fact-finding mission, you now know:
What marketing channel brought the prospect to you
What the buyer’s Dominant Buying Motive is
Secondary details regarding what they are looking for
Who your competition is
Where the prospect is in terms of their buying timeline, as well as your location as you enter the opportunity
Their initial assessment of your competitors
Their sense of urgency regarding the decision process
It is also worth noting here that, as a result of asking these seven questions, you come across as being well-organized, knowledgeable, and professional. Frankly, most people will be impressed with the way in which you conduct this interview. First impressions are important – and following this sequence allows you to put your best foot forward. Also, be aware that it is highly unlikely that your competition will ask for this information. Because you did, you will begin the selling process armed with information that they simply do not initially have. And by the time they get it – if they do at all – it is often too late.
by Landy Chase Landy Chase, MBA, CSP is an expert who specializes in speaking to corporations and associations on sales, sales management, and social media marketing skills. His latest book, Competitive Selling, was published by McGraw-Hill in June 2010 and is available on amazon.com and all major retailers. To book Landy for your next conference or sales meeting, visit his website at www.sellingrevolution.com or call (800) 370-8026.
4a. Where are you in your meetings with them? This establishes pecking order. You will usually learn where you fall in the sequence of evaluating options, as well as how far along the account is in the decision process. If they have already met with your competition, add the question below: 4b. What have you liked, and not liked, about what you’ve seen so far? Again, they don’t’ have to tell you this information – but what is the harm in asking? You might hit the jackpot. I once asked a prospect this question about one of my competitors and his response was, “I disliked his presentation, and his pricing was out of line.” Would you find this information useful? I did – and it helped me to easily land the account.
I’m always amazed to hear people talk about master closers. It’s as if their skills are most significant at the END of the cycle. This seems to me to be rather misleading. Are we saying that it doesn’t matter how you handle the prior steps as long as you have some magic at the end?
I believe that ‘closing’ is something that happens naturally once you have successfully navigated all of the prior steps in the sales process. Think about it. If you don’t prospect well, listen well, problem solve well, and create trust well, there’s probably no way you are going to close well.
In essence, if you are masterful at understanding the value of your product or service, identifying your target market and then qualifying prospects within that scope, you should be closing easily. If we break it down into its components, you’ll see that by the time you get to the closing stage, if you’ve done everything else correctly, closing will happen naturally. You’ll come to an agreement with your prospect that they are right to do business with you – you are going to resolve their problem; alleviate their pain.
Understanding the value of your product or service:
Simply put, you should know the benefit that is realized by your client. It’s not what you think your product or service does. It’s what your prospect or client thinks the value is. Why does someone need what you have to sell? Why do they need it from you? When you know the answers to those questions, you’ll have a solid grasp on the value you bring to the table.
Identifying your target market:
Now it’s important to know who your prospective client is. Who has the problems your product or service solves? Are there particular industries, people, areas, companies? Having a concrete understanding of your target market ensures that you won’t be all over the place. Many people like to say that ‘anyone’ is an ideal prospect. Really?! Well, that may be but it’s hard to land on ‘anyone.’ And it’s hard to focus a concentrated effort when ‘anyone’ will do. The more focused you can be, the more your prospect will know that your product or service is ideal for them, specifically.
Remember, people want to know that you want to do business with THEM; not with ‘anyone.’ They don’t want to feel like you are blanketing the town and hoping for anything to stick. They want to believe you sought them out directly. Targeting your market is the way you accomplish this.
Qualifying prospects:
Within a target market, some companies or people will not be a good fit. You discover who those are by knowing what a good fit looks like. What is an ideal client? What makes the best business relationships for you and your product or service? Not sure? Take a look at your current client base. Identify your best or favorite clients. Are there any that don’t meet that description? What is it about those two pools? What characteristics make up a good match or a bad one? This is an essential step. You don’t want to waste your time – or anyone else’s.
Now take a look at where you are. You’ve nailed down the value of your product or service. You know why people buy from you. You’ve identified your target market as well as qualified those prospective clients within that market.
Now when you go after them, can speak intelligently about their needs, your ability to meet those needs, your previous experience meeting those same needs for current clients, and answer any questions they may have. You are now much closer to closing the sale. Why? Because you did your due diligence ahead of time. Closing is really a natural extension of your setup.
So the next time you are thinking about how well you close deals, turn your thoughts around and think about how well you are setting yourself up for success. It’s the upfront work that will guarantee you greater closing success!
by Diane Helbig Diane Helbig is a Professional Coach and the president of Seize This Day Coaching. Helbig works with salespeople, small business owners, and entrepreneurs, helping them realize success as they define it. Diane is also the Co-Founder of Seize True Success, a coaching practice dedicated to working with franchisees. Diane is a Contributing Editor on COSE Mindspring, a resource website for small business owners, as well as a member of the Sales Experts Panel at www.topsalesexperts.com. To learn more or schedule a complimentary discovery session, visit www.seizethisdaycoaching.com or www.seizetruesuccess.com.
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Is business BAD or are we becoming IRRELEVANT in the eyes of our customer? That is a scary thought and something we all need to consider. Why? Because in a time period where retail business is tougher than ever emerges a giant that changes the rules in less than 10 years, does more business per square foot company wide than the wildest dreams of the greatest retail executives, and sells their merchandise at full price, and NEVER has a sale, in the most cut-throat and price sensitive of all of retail categories. Of course I am talking about Apple.
This past week Apple released sales data to the press. Their stores average over $4200 per square foot. I actually thought it was more but their Downtown Manhattan store does over 400 million dollars and is open 24/7. There are expressions such as “gym rat’ or “mall rat”. Now we have “Apple Rat. ” I have become one. It is just a cool place to go, to learn new ways to do things, and hang out with a cross section of people coming together in a way that must be confusing the hell out of pinpoint marketers and demographic practitioners.
You see little old white haired ladies working with a 20 something guy with arms that have run out of space for any more tattoos, piercings all over their face, and a real spiked Mohawk. We are talking big time opposites, yet the Apple store brings theses divergent groups together and maybe teaches us something about ourselves along the way. People might be different but their goals and quest for knowledge are the same.
WE HAVE A CRISIS IN RETAILING TODAY AND IT’S ALL ABOUT CHANGE.
Maybe Charles Darwin, the great British Naturalist and author of the Theory of Evolution in the mid 1800’s, holds the key to our success. He said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”
This week I did a webinar on the power of Inbound Marketing and it made me think of the changes that have already occurred and those changes that are yet to be.
Read these facts and you might be in awe as well. Many of these are just subtle shifts in behavior that we have all become part of.
40% of smart phone users report that they have checked competitive prices on line with phones in the store.
79% of Americans use the internet
The average US Internet user views 2,750 web pages per month
1/3 of US consumers spend three or more hours online EVERYDAY.
One out of every 8 minutes online is spent on Facebook
24% of adults have posted comments or reviews online about the things they buy. This is becoming word of mouth advertising on steroids.
40% of Facebook’s user base is age 35+
WEB-BASED EMAIL USAGE IS ON A STEEP DECLINE (drops of 40 to 59%) among people under the age of 45, a steady decline from 45 to 60 and is increasing in popularity among 60+ year olds. My prediction is that within 10 years email will be as popular as the Fax Machine is today.
US internet users spend 3 times more minutes on blogs and social networks than on email
1 in 5 mobile phone owners use their device to make a purchase every month.
91% of email users have UNSUBSCRIBED from a company/store’s email they previously opted-in to.
Companies that blog get 55% more website visitors
67% of Business to Consumer companies who use Facebook credit it for attracting new customers to their business
66% of professional marketers describe a company blog as “CRITICAL” or “IMPORTANT” to their business
84% of professional marketers describe Facebook as “CRITICAL” or “IMPORTANT” to their business
Our marketing & advertising has shifted from “telling and selling” to building relationships first. The Chief Creative Officer from J. Walter Thompson (the world’s 4th largest ad agency) summed it all up like this. “We need to stop interrupting people in what they are interested in and BE WHAT PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN.”
Next week I will share what we do about all of these changes and share ways to adjust to all of these changes and start to create new protocols and procedures to compete on this new playing field. Let me leave you with the first lesson we all need to learn.
We can buy attention: That’s called advertising We can beg for attention: That’s called PR We can bug people for attention: That’s called Selling
OR
We can earn attention by creating something interesting and valuable and then sharing it on a blog, YouTube, a report, Twitter, or on Facebook. Let’s stop worrying about the mule going blind. Let’s start loading the wagon.
(The statistics represented in this piece were compiled from various sources by the team at Hubspot. -America’s leading innovator in In-Bound Marketing tools and information. Permission was received for their distribution.)
by Rick Segel Rick Segel, a Certified Speaking Professional, has spoken in 49 states, on five continents, with over 2,100 professional presentations. The most common words used by audiences are “we have never learned so much and laughed so much.”The philosophy that integrates fun, humor and playful behavior is critical in today’s highly stressful business environment. Because of that, we strive to incorporate a fun factor in almost everything we do.Rick Segel is the author of thirteen books, including two editions of the best selling Retail Business Kit for Dummies which has sold over 100,00 copies and translated into 7 languages. Rick’s number-one selling book, that is in its seventh printing, is Laugh & Get Rich, co-authored with Darren LeCroix, a past International Toastmaster’s Speaker of the Year award winner. Website: http://www.ricksegel.com/
If you think Twitter is a waste of time, or simply for young people, think again. A new Pew study found that 13% of online Americans now use Twitter – up 5% from November 2010. One in five U.S. adults ages 25-34 use Twitter, while 14% of users are between 35 and 44, up from 8% a half-year earlier. In addition, 25% of online African Americans and19% of online Hispanics use Twitter, compared to 9% of whites.
As this social networking site continues to grow in popularity, it’s also proving to be a useful resource for a sales team. Here are a few ways to use Twitter to make more sales:
1. Research Tool – When you have a prospect to call, do some research on Twitter first. Find out what employees and other customers are saying, so you have a better understanding of the company before making that call.
2. Keep up with Industry News – Use Twitter to learn about changes in your lead’s industry.Keep track of your lead’s competition by searching Twitter, and monitor real time updates to find out about any big news before it’s published on the web.
3. Post Useful Information – Share helpful information about your own industry,products and services on Twitter. Be sure to monitor the communication flow with tools like Hootsuite so you can reply to people on Twitter. Remember, social media onlyworks if it’s social! Engage in a dialogue with people, even it’s only for 15 minutes a day.
4. Determine When to Contact Leads – Watch when your prospect is on Twitter to find out when will be a good time to call. You might find out they’re traveling on business,in a meeting, or actually at their desk. There’s no guarantee your lead will answer the phone, but your chances are greater, if you know they’re really at their desk.
5. Get Feedback on Your Presentation – Monitor your lead’s conversation on Twitter to find out what they really thought of your presentation. It’s the best way to get some honest feedback about your pitch, so you can improve it in the future.
6. Stay Connected When Employment Changes – If your customers change jobs, it can be more difficult to stay in touch by email and phone. However, Twitter can give you an opportunity to stay in touch as your contacts move to new companies. Plus, the new job can present new business opportunities for additional sales from your existing contact.
7. Set Up an Event – Organize a “tweet-up” of your Twitter followers – an in-person event that is educational, but relates to your product or service. When you bring people together around a common interest, you can get to know each other better. That’s the first step towards making a sale since as we all know, people buy from those they know and trust.
by Meredith Oliver Meredith Oliver, The Digital Diva, is an author, professional speaker and founder of Meredith Communications; a full-service web marketing specializing in website design and search engine optimization. She delivers keynote speeches and seminars internationally to business owners and salespeople on how to click with technology and Internet marketing to make more sales and make more money. Meredith holds a Masters Degree in Communication Technology and numerous industry designations. You can learn more about Meredith at http://thedigitaldivablog.com/.
Just because you lost the sale ... DOES NOT mean you have to lose! Watch John Von Achen's video and learn how you can "profit" from almost all sales and all selling relationships. Watch now...
What can you learn from others? Sometimes it's what to avoid doing. These examples are mistakes that will cost you business.
1. Thinking you can do it all yourself. Selling used to be a numbers game. In the past you could spend your time smiling and dialing and that might have worked. Today too many people are too busy to listen to a pitch. Cold calls are a low probability and only worth your time if your time isn't worth very much. The assistance sales people need from others is good solid leads and referrals to meet new customers.
2. Talking too much. Some salespeople think that the best salespeople are the best talkers. That's not true. The best sellers are great listeners and they use silence well. Silence is really golden in selling. Use it when you want your customers to talk more. Silence is appropriate when you are listening so you don't interrupt your customer. It's appropriate to use when you think about what your customer is saying. This will enable you to give him a thoughtful response.
3. Doing the same things in all situations. One of the predictors of success is flexibility or the ability to do different things in different situations. Some salespeople start their sales calls the same way and act the same way with every type of customer. Customers are different and the salesperson needs to respond to the type of customer he is talking to. It is appropriate to get right down to business in a sales call with an assertive, more emotionally controlled customer. It is inappropriate to do the same with a customer who is less assertive and more responsive.
4. Expecting things to happen now. Patience is a virtue that salespeople especially need. Some things do take time. If you want a piece of business badly enough you may have to be persistent and try to make contact over a period of months. Be patient and don't give up if the account is worth it. Negotiating may take time and impatience to close a deal can cost you money. Salespeople have to be able to deal with ambiguity and the unknown. Your patience is your power when it's combined with persistence.
5. Not telling the truth. Salespeople need to be honest not only with customers, but with themselves as well. Some salespeople fool themselves that a sale is going to happen when the odds are it's not. They tell their manager the sale will close soon because they hope it will. If a customer is still thinking when they could have said yes, it's time to move on to the next account. Be honest with yourself. Let go and get going to the next prospect.
6. Not taking good care of customers. Selling isn’t asking a question to find objections and then beating your customer into submission for each objection. If it's not a reasonable fit, forget the sale. Find the prospects that do need your benefits and value.
7. Thinking it's easy. People think selling is easy only because the great salespeople make it look easy. I recently spoke with a sales master who sold upwards of $50 million worth of construction contract surety bonds over the years. He said he never prepares for a sales call. When I asked him what he meant he said that when he makes a sales call he knows a few things about the prospect's business and general requirements. Then he asks questions about the areas he thinks might apply. I replied, "You may think you don't prepare, but you're using 30 years of preparation to sell." Selling is only easy when you don't know what you're doing.
You can learn from your mistakes. It's even better to learn from other people's mistakes. Avoid these mistakes and you will make your selling more successful.
by Maura Schreier-Fleming Maura Schreier-Fleming works with business and sales professionals on skills and strategies so they can sell more and be more productive at work. She is the author of Real-World Selling for Out-of-this-World Results which is available at www.BestatSelling.com. She founded her company Best@Selling in 1997. You can reach her at 972.380.0200 or info@Bestatsellling.com.
(c) Copyright 2004 Maura Schreier-Fleming. All rights reserved.
There are a million excuses why your sales people can't sell today. Here's an entire calendar of funny (yet, not so funny) sales roadblocks.
Can’t sell in January. Between the terrible weather and everyone coming back from vacation, how can you expect someone to focus on buying now? I’ll pound the pavement next month.
Can’t sell in February. More snow and more vacation. Way to go, Washington and Lincoln; thanks for President’s Day! It’s such a short month. No one can make a decision in such a short month. Next month is going to be better.
Can’t sell in March. No one is going to make a decision on this with more holidays around the corner. Good time to shop for summer clothes. I’ll just use credit cards because I’ll make huge commissions later to pay it back.
Can’t sell in April. Who wants to focus on buying with Spring in the air? And hey, my kid’s birthday is this month. I’m sure my prospects are working on their taxes anyway. Next month will be better for sure.
Can’t sell in May. Great weather in May, and I hear that my prospect may be thinking about being acquired. No problem. I’ll look for better ones next month. There’s tons of opportunity out there.
Can’t sell in June. Kids are getting out of school. Wow! I almost forgot Flag Day. No one buys in this weather. Besides, July is a better month for sales anyway.
Can’t sell in July. Great time of year to be at the beach and enjoying the outdoors. I think all of my contacts are on vacation…together! August is a much better month anyway.
Can’t sell in August. Too hot! Besides, I’m taking my vacation. They probably are taking theirs too. No selling to be done now. Next month, for sure.
Can’t sell in September. Between the three-day Labor Day weekend and a new fiscal year kicking in, no one is buying anything. I’m feeling good about next month.
Can’t sell in October. Columbus’ birthday; what should I get him this year? I almost forgot Halloween! I’m going to focus on selling hard over the next two months. I’ll finish the year strong.
Can’t sell in November. Thanksgiving, ya know. Very short month. I don’t think any of my contacts have their budget yet. Can’t buy without a budget. Man, December is going to rock!
Can’t sell in December. Everyone has holiday fever in December. I know I do! Besides, who can focus on buying with the end of the year so close? What should I do for Festivus this year?
Oh well, maybe next year will be better for sales. Luckily, no one is buying anything from anyone this year.
Join Inc. 500-ranked entrepreneur Ali Brown for this entertaining podcast as she dishes advice for women on making more money, starting a business, marketing, self-confidence, and more. Listen now...
Millennials—also commonly referred to as Generation Y and echo boomers—are the first generation to come of age in the new millennium. Unsurprisingly, the internet’s role is paramount among the age group’s media habits and usage. From shopping to socializing to watching TV, they do it all online.
“Millennials represent a critical target for marketers, and the best place to reach them is where they are—online,” said Jared Jenks, eMarketer analyst and author of the new report, “Demographic Profile—Millennials.”
Millennials comprise nearly a quarter of the total US population, and are evenly split between males and females. Less than six in 10 are white, and aside from children under 18, millennials are the most ethnically and racially diverse generation in the country's history.
Virtually all members of this age group are online, and nearly as many are social network users. Millennials are ahead of the curve by almost any digital metric: online video viewing, mobile internet usage, mobile commerce, and location-based services.
Their presence on such a wide variety of digital media offers marketers a plethora of opportunities to target them, but millennials are typically unenthusiastic about advertising and prefer to avoid marketing messages that seem insincere.
“What appeals to them is authenticity,” said Jenks. “They are not opposed to connecting with brands, but do so only when there is an exchange of value and, of course, when it is on their terms.”
What are the demographic characteristics of millennials? How do millennials spend their time with media? What do they do online? How are they using mobile devices?
by eMarketer www.emarketer.com To purchase the report, click here. Total Access clients, log in and view the report now.
Everyone wants to attract affluent clients for their business – why not sell to those who have the money to spend? But not everyone knows how to gain these clients successfully. Moving from a general clientele to a wealthier client base requires a shift in your mindset, but it's a shift that can pay off tremendously for you and your business.
To that end, here are four basic techniques to appeal to affluent customers:
Look the Part and Be Confident
Before you approach affluent clients, you'll want to review all your marketing materials and website to ensure that they portray you and your business as a high-caliber enterprise. No business cards on cheap, flimsy paper. No cheesy clip art. Put your best foot forward so you'll look and feel confident.
That also means how you personally look and feel too! Is it time to update your wardrobe? The last thing you want when you're rubbing elbows with wealthy prospects is to appear needy or insecure, so don't gush or oversell yourself. And never show signs of intimidation. Even if that feeling creeps in on occasion, keep a brave face.
Build Your Network
Wealthy customers tend to buy from people they know or businesses that have been recommended to them. So, get out there and start planting the seed by attending charity dinners, golf tournaments, and the like. Chatting with people and being seen at these types of events will build your trust and credibility. Think of networking as a long-term investment, rather than a short-term project. You may not see results immediately, but it can pay off months or even years into the future.
Give Them the VIP Treatment
The kind of clients who are willing to pay top dollar are used to being treated extremely well. The Algonquin Hotel in New York City is legendary for noting each guest’s preferences so the staff can make sure that the room is exactly to the guest’s liking the next time they visit.
Do your research so you can customize your interactions to that client. When you're talking to an affluent client, they should feel as if they're your first priority. They should never feel rushed to finish a transaction or pressured to sign on the dotted line. Instead, ask how you can meet their needs and listen for clues.
Make It About Value, Not About Price
Wealthy customers don't check the price tag before they try on that gorgeous, hand-embroidered dress. Their eyes don't hover over the menu prices at that exclusive oceanfront restaurant. They buy or order want they want, because of the beauty, enjoyment, or other value it brings to their life. They have high standards, but appealing to their desire to save money or using the hard sell just won't work.
Instead, demonstrate the value that your product or service offers. Create a narrative about the positive feelings it will create. Price should be secondary to the product, but once you start talking dollars and cents, a higher price point can actually be attractive because it reinforces the idea that yours is a higher quality product or service.
The best part: Once you've built relationships with clients of this caliber, you'll find that you're able to charge more and work less because you have fewer client relationships to manage. Follow these tips, and you'll be well on your way.
by Ali Brown Ali Brown is a self-made millionaire and Inc. 500-ranked entrepreneur. She teaches women around the world how to start and grow profitable businesses that make a positive impact. Get her FREE CD "Top 10 Success Secrets for Entrepreneurial Women" and weekly articles at AliBrown.com.
While the marketing team is the one that is responsible for generating buzz about your company's product or service, the sales department are the ones that will be dealing directly with customers and forming the relationships that will lead to ultimate success and growth. Sales is largely a people-oriented business and using social media can make a huge difference. Most salespeople aren't familiar with the various ways that social media can be a boon to business. However, it is becoming more and more important to utilize modern technological tools to get a leg up on your competition. Here you will find 5 easy ways to leverage social media for your sales team.
Reputation is Vital
When it comes to dealing with customers and closing sales, you need to know what they are thinking about your team, your company and your product. The reputation that you have nurtured as you have grown is going to be the most important part of your team's ability to close sales. Social media provides a quick, easy and accessible way to keep your finger on that reputation in real time. By having an active fan base on a social media network, you can get real-time updates about specific reactions to your product. Promotions can be tracked based upon immediate reactions- something that has never been possible for sales teams before.
Keep Your Ear to the Ground
There is nothing that will boost sales like having relevant and up-to-date information that can be put to use right away. Social media is king when it comes to finding out about people: both what they think and how they structure their lifestyles. When it comes to working with sales, you absolutely must be on top of this information gathering process. It is essential to knowing the needs of your customers and what products and services they will be open to. For example, if you know that half of your fan base are young parents, you aren't going to try to market a retirement program; if you do, you will approach it in an entirely different way than you would with a more mature audience. Social media is notorious for being excessively open, and this is a huge advantage to a sales team.
Lead Generation is Key
While you will probably begin your social media experience with customers that may have already worked with you, don't negate the chance to use the forum to find new leads for your sales team. Regularly search for updates about your product or service, and that of your competitors. Also, many social networking sites follow a format where any interaction you have with an existing customer is seen by their own network. Developing relationships with your fan base will ensure that you gain more exposure with their associates, leading to a higher likelihood of generating new leads. Different social networks have different advantages when it comes to lead generation, so become familiar with each forum that you use and determine the best ways to tap into the extensive customer base that is available to your sales team.
Connecting Customers
When it comes to sales, nobody in the field is unfamiliar with the old saying that word-of-mouth is the best form of promotion. However, this can be a very slow process. On a social network, though, things can quickly go viral. Recently, a popular social networking site saw millions of women post their bra color in an attempt to promote breast cancer awareness. This began with one person and an idea, and spread like the plague! Imagine how much better the impact would have been if the campaign had been more organized and there was a connected base. This is what you should try to create. Get your customers connected, and talking amongst themselves. Be accessible on your social networks; share information; let your customers pre-sell for you.
Be the Facilitator
Not everyone feels like they are tech savvy, and there are likely people that you would like to reach that are in this position. When you begin using social media as a sale's strategy, you may have to overcome some biases and roadblocks along the way. Take the opportunity to actively promote social media, in general, among your customer base. The more people that use these sites, the better your sales team will be able to do their job. Offer workshops and seminars discussing social media and how it can help you stay in touch. You might be surprised at how many people are interested, but don't know where to start. Offering this instruction can be the first step to developing a long-term relationship with potential customers.
by David Steel David Steel is one of the nation’s leading experts on the topic of Sales Motivation. He’s a popular and widely recognized author and motivational speaker who works with businesses and individuals as a sales management consultant, offering insights into hiring, compensation, goals and strategies, and teaching the use of sales management skills to build and maintain highly aggressive sales teams. David teaches that incredible sales management is available to all of us; an invisible force that guides and motivates sales teams. When we follow his proven strategies, we are led to sharp increases in sales, less employee turn-over and a sales force focused on selling. He believes we all have the ability to access and develop great talent and achieve long-term goals. For more information he can be reached at dsteel@feedyoursales.com. Website: http://www.thesteelmethod.com
Unfortunately, there is no one issue that is more misunderstood and incompetently trained than that of "closing the sale." Much of the sales training on the subject, as well as the vast preponderance of sales literature, is way off the mark.
Closing is not a matter of continually pressing for the business, nor using manipulative techniques, nor clever repartee, nor memorizing any "magic" closes.
Just today I said "no" to someone who kept pressing me for the order. I interpreted his pressure as desperation on his part, and his desperation meant that there was something not right about the deal. I said "no." In this case, the highly trained, very skilled salesperson, with the right product at the right price, did exactly the wrong thing, and brought about a negative result, solely on the basis of his poor judgment about the customer, and his repeated attempts to close the sale.
When it comes to closing, the best salespeople do two things. In the traditional sense, they ask for the order when they sense that the customer is close to committing to a decision. This has always been the classic definition of closing the sale.
But in the hands of a master, closing takes on a larger meaning. Sales masters also understand that "closing" is more than an event that gets tagged onto the tail end of the sales process. They understand that "closing" is the process of attaining an agreement with the customer on the action that the customer will take as a result of every interaction. They have the mindset that every sales call - whether 45 seconds on the phone, or 90 minutes in the customer's office - always should end with some agreement on the next step.
The process of closing, then, starts with the first "Hello" and continues through every interaction that the salesperson has with the customer.
So, confirming an appointment is a mode of closing. As is gaining a commitment to view a presentation, test a sample, research other users, etc. The best salespeople continually seek, and obtain, commitment from the customer to take action at every step along the way.
As a result, the final decision to buy the product or service is a natural, logical result of all the commitments (closes) that went before.
The best salespeople are continually and effectively closing every conversation with the customer. That's why this is a best practice of the best salespeople.
by Dave Kahle Dave Kahle is the President of the DaCo Corporation, specializing in helping business-to-business companies increase sales and develop their people. Learn more at www.davekahle.com
Traditional sales psychology based upon the assessment of the customer’s personality traits is obsolete. The typical descriptions of personality types have little relevance to C-level sales calls and presentations.
In reality, the most important psychological factor is the language that the prospective customer uses. Sales Linguistics --the study of how the customer’s mind creates and interprets language during the decision-making process-- is the new sales psychology!
In my new book Heavy Hitter Sales Psychology: How to Penetrate the C-Level Executive Suite and Convince C-Level Executives to Buy, I teach salespeople how to winover senior executives using Sales Linguistics. But what exactly is Sales Linguistics?
Every day, you speak and listen to thousands of words. Through the words you speak, you are able to explain your ideas, recount your past experiences, and share your personality with others. Since the communication process comes so naturally, you assume you are understood. However, the most important words you speak during the entire year are those you say to C-level executives during the make-or-break meetings that determine if you will win a deal.
Most of the time, you probably don’t think about the specific meaning of the words you are using. Since the words are so integrated with your being, they just seem to happen. However, your words represent your attitude, outlook, and perspective about life. But language doesn’t consist solely of spoken words, it has an entirely nonverbal dimension as well. You actually use a series of different languages to communicate to the others and to understand what they are saying to you. The seven languages that are at the foundation of Sales Linguistics are:
1. Word catalog language. The mind’s method for receiving and interpreting information based upon the three sensory channels—visual, auditory, and kinesthetic (feelings and a sense of the body).
2. Internal dialogue language. The never-ending stream of communication inside the mind that represents honest, unedited, and deep feelings.
3. Physical language. Also known as body language, the nonverbal communication that is constantly being emitted by the executive’s body posture.
4. Intersecting activity language. Interests, hobbies, and personal pursuits by which the executive displays his personality, beliefs, and values.
5. Technical specification language. The androgynous, nonpersonal, and technical communication that is based upon the nomenclature and technical terms of the executive’s industry. For example, the computer industry terms RAM, CPU an megabyte.
6. Business operations language. The language that is specific to the daily running of the executive’s business and his role in the organization.
7. C-level language. The most powerful trust-based language by which the executive explains his personal needs, desires, and plans along with the strategy by which he hopes to fulfill them.
The ultimate goal for the C-level meeting is simple: you want the executive to expose his internal dialogue to you. You want him to honestly explain what he is trying to accomplish and why he is doing it from a business and, more importantly, personal standpoint. You want him to tell you about his personal needs and career desires along with how he plans to fulfill them. You want him to speak the confidential C-level language with you. In order to do so, you must progress through the various languages represented by the figure below.
Unfortunately, the majority of executive conversations never reach the confidential C-level language. The discussion gets stuck at the technical specification language or the business operations language.
Remember, your most important competitive weapon is your mouth and the words you speak. While you will frequently meet with lower-level and midlevel employees at companies whose business you’re trying to secure, the rare conversations you have with C-level decision makers will directly determine whether you win or lose the deal. Therefore, it is critical that you understand how C-level executives think and how they communicate and that you are able to adapt your use of language to match C-level decision makers’. Now more than ever, you need to understand and master Sales Linguistics.
by Steve W. Martin Steve W. Martin is the foremost expert on “Sales Linguistics,” the study of how customers use language during the complex decision-making process. Early in his career, he was also introduced to the concepts of neurolinguistics (the science of how the human brain constructs and interprets language). Without any sales experience to speak of, he was the number one salesperson in his company for the following four years. Steve went on to be a top sales producer for a billion-dollar company and was promoted into management to imprint his “selling model” on other salespeople within the organization. He is the author of critically acclaimed “Heavy Hitter” series of books about enterprise sales strategies for senior salespeople. Heavy Hitter Sales Psychology: How to Penetrate the C-Level Suite and Persuade Company Leaders to Buy (2009) is the first book to truly explain what to say and do in meetings with C-Level executives. Steve is also the author of The Real Story of Informix Software and Phil White: Lessons in Business and Leadership for the Executive Team (2005). Visit his website/blog: http://www.heavyhitterwisdom.com/ and http://heavyhittersales.typepad.com
We get a lot of questions about Twitter - how to get started, how to use it, how to get more readers and followers. The answer usually varies - depending on your audience, objective and focus.
That said, here are four pieces of advice we give often, specifically to those just getting started.
Use hashtags (“#” before your keyword) that are relevant to your audience. People will read your tweets if they follow you or find your content via a keyword search. Hashtags extend your reach beyond those who are following you, and help you accelerate new followers directly to your account. Tools like hashtags.org can help you find popular keywords. But don’t over-tag in a single tweet - no more than 3 hashtags per tweet.
Make your tweets a two-way street. Don’t just publish, participate in the conversation. If you see something that piques your interest, retweet it or respond to the Tweeter. This increases exposure to you and your message.
Write for your audience, not for yourself. Twitter’s not a press release page and it’s not your company newsletter. If you turn your Twitter account into a promotional channel, it’ll be difficult to get a wider audience. Think about reaching people who don’t yet know your business. Draw them in through content they care about (independent of what you actually sell).
Have a personality. Take time to interact and develop your public voice. Show that there's a real, live, interesting person behind the account. The more personality you show, the more people will be attracted to you (and share you with their own network).
Republished with author's permission from original post by Matt Heinz.
by Matt Heinz Matt Heinz is a national speaker and author, and his most recent book is Successful Selling. He is President of Heinz Marketing Inc, a Seattle area Marketing Agency focusing on Sales Acceleration. Matt's career has focused on delivering measurable results for his employers and clients in the way of greater sales, revenue growth, product success and customer loyalty.
Do know when the best time to close is? John does! This week he will share how you can identify specific "signs" customers display during the sales process that tell you they are ready to moving into what John refers to as the "closing zone". Watch now...
by David Steel David Steel is one of the nation’s leading experts on the topic of Sales Motivation. He’s a popular and widely recognized author and motivational speaker who works with businesses and individuals as a sales management consultant, offering insights into hiring, compensation, goals and strategies, and teaching the use of sales management skills to build and maintain highly aggressive sales teams. David teaches that incredible sales management is available to all of us; an invisible force that guides and motivates sales teams. When we follow his proven strategies, we are led to sharp increases in sales, less employee turn-over and a sales force focused on selling. He believes we all have the ability to access and develop great talent and achieve long-term goals. For more information he can be reached at dsteel@feedyoursales.com. Website: http://www.thesteelmethod.com
As I started mowing my lawn yesterday, a stranger pulled into my driveway. He approached with the determined look of a salesman. With no way to make myself scarce, I waited as he approached. He was taking a survey. Suspicious that it was really a guise for a sales pitch, I hesitated, contemplating the most effective way of returning to my lawn-mowing mission. Finally I consented out of a sense of expedience.
Question 1: "Do you think that right here today there is air pollution?" Answer: "Yes."
Question 2: "Do you think the air in your house is better, worse, or the same as the air outside?" Answer: "The same." (Actually I recall hearing that it is usually worse, but I was taking a calculated middle ground.)
Question 3: "Do you and anyone in your family suffer from asthma or allergies?" Answer: "No." (Real answer: "Some allergies," but I didn't want to give Kevin too much encouragement.)
Kevin said he would enter me into a drawing, asking for my name, my bride's name, and my phone number. Knowing that all three pieces of information are readily available, I supplied them, but determined to provide no more. Fortunately that was all he asked. I was now registered to be in a quarterly drawing for 1,000 gallons of gas and a daily drawing for two pizzas and eight movies passes.
Three hours later Meg called from "Southside" to tell me that my name had been drawn — imagine that. This was playing out as I suspected, so I went along. Kevin wanted to personally come out and give me my prize. A time was set and then Meg said that Kevin would get a bonus if I listened to a brief sales presentation about Rainbow products. (Brief, by the way, is "35 minutes — depending on how many questions you ask.") Pretending to be unaware, I asked what Rainbow was and Meg hesitated, "Well it's like cleaning the air with water."
Unfortunately collecting my prize was contingent on spending 35 minutes will Kevin. Although pizzas and movies are very high on my list of preferred things, I suspected that even after enduring a 35-minute sales spiel, there would still be a catch, so I declined. "Do you want me to give your prize to someone else?" Meg implored with a feigned incredulity.
"Sure," I responded, "go ahead." I wasn't any closer to my pizzas and movies — but at least I had enough info for my blog.
by Peter deHaan Peter DeHaan is a magazine and website publisher. A published writer for three decades, Peter has launched this blog to more frequently and informally connect with readers. http://blog.peterdehaan.com/
In the 1960s, Stanford University psychology researcher Walter Mischel conducted a study. He placed marshmallows in front of hungry, 4-year-old children. He told them they could have one marshmallow now, or if they waited several minutes, they could have two. Then he left for about 20 minutes. Some children quickly grabbed a marshmallow and ate it. Other children waited.
Mischel continued his research and followed these children for 14 years. The children who immediately grabbed the marshmallows ended up having lower self-esteem, got frustrated easily and often earned less than their patient counterparts. The kids who waited and stared longingly at the marshmallows scored about 210 points higher on their SATs, were more socially competent, assertive and dependable.
So why should you care about who ate marshmallows or not? One of the great predictors of success is a person’s emotional intelligence (EQ). The children not eating the marshmallows displayed a key trait found in people with high emotional intelligence: delayed gratification.
Let’s apply this research to the world of hiring salespeople. Business owners often forget to look for “marshmallows” in their interview process. They seek competitiveness, but forget to design interview questions that test for delayed gratification. As a result, companies experience one or all of the sales scenarios:
• Inconsistent prospecting and sales activity — Every good manager works with their sales team to lay out a plan that generates qualified opportunities. So why are salespeople inconsistent about prospecting?
This salesperson may not score high in the area of delayed gratification. For example, if one hour of cold calling doesn’t yield results, they quit doing the activity. Or if they don’t meet their next big prospect at an association meeting or networking event, they quit attending.
You’ve heard the quote, “The race is not to the swift, it’s to those who keep on running.” It’s not always the most skilled salesperson who wins the race; it’s the one that practices delayed gratification, shows up every day and executes a consistent activity plan that earns the big bucks.
Years ago, a fellow sales trainer had a new financial planner in his sales training class. Bob had no contacts, no clients and was building a territory from scratch. He prospected diligently for five month, but hadn’t closed any deals. Month six was a different story. His pipeline, full of prospects from consistent prospecting, started closing business.
Bob practiced delayed gratification, consistently executed the sales activity and ended up exceeding his quota.
• Sales skills — Good sales organizations invest thousands of dollars in sales training, hoping to improve communication, persuasion and selling skills. The problem is a company can hire the greatest sales trainer with the greatest content, but nothing will change if the sales team doesn’t practice delayed gratification.
Repetition is a key to mastery. After attending sales training, there’s a clear difference between the marshmallow-eating salesperson and the one who waits. One turns off reality TV to review curriculum notes. The other never looks at their curriculum notes again. One turns off their car radio to listen to a sales training CD. The other listens only to their favorite tunes. One delays the gratification of pleasure to achieve excellence. The other enjoys immediate gratification and settles for mediocrity.
• Major account sales — If your company has a long sales cycle with multiple decision-makers, you better hire a person who has proven history of delaying gratification. This type of sale requires more research, more navigation and more meetings than small-to-midsized accounts.
You and your team can do tons of pre-call planning and account analysis. However, if the salesperson isn’t willing to wait for the reward and execute the ongoing work of a larger deal, the close won’t happen.
A colleague in the mutual funds industry recently closed a $1.5 million deal. It was a real win for the company and my colleague. Sales cycle: four years. (There is a good chance this colleague did not eat marshmallows as a child.)
Change your hiring practices and interview for delayed gratification. Find out how long your potential sales candidate has pursued a goal and/or things they’ve given up to achieve a goal. You’ll find out whether or not you have a salesperson who’s willing to delay gratification.
by Colleen Stanley 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. She is also the author of “Growing Great Sales Teams: Lessons from the Cornfield.” Reach Colleen at 303.708.1128 or visit www.salesleadershipdevelopment.com. Reach Colleen Stanley at cstanley@salesleadershipdevelopment.com or 303-708-1128.
If you want to exceed your budget consistently and bring new business into your company, you need to be successful at prospecting, period! This is why the most successful sales professionals earn the big bucks! Sales managers hire sales people that can bring in new business, not manage existing accounts. Yet there are many ‘newbies’ that come into a new company hoping that they will be handed a gravy train account that just keeps sending in new purchase orders. Maybe that happened 20 years ago but not in this millennium.
To successfully prospect, you have to understand these three realities so that you have realistic expectations.
1. Get focused and dedicate the time. Successful sales professionals prospect between 4-10 hours a week and in some sales environments, it’s double that. Whether it’s doing research on a prospect, going to an industry event, a network meeting or cold calling to set up meetings, you have to do the time. Sitting by the phone for 3 hours and hoping you will get calls from a prospect to set up a meeting has about the same odds as snow in Texas in August! You must be proactive & focused to be successful in prospecting. The good news is that prospecting today is much easier than ever before thanks to the Internet and social media. You may wonder, how can that help my prospecting? When you post articles on websites in your industry and on LinkedIn you gain recognition and eventually status. Link these back to your website and it moves you up the rankings in Google and other search engines. You can also invite prospects you’re targeting to free webinars or Tele-classes. Or sign up to speak to professional, community and civic groups like Rotary or Chambers of Commerce. All of these methods will build your brand and your credibility!
2. Understand cold-calling. This is one method that many of you will avoid like the plague. Why? Because when you call prospects that don’t know you or your company, you will likely meet resistance, and who enjoys that! When it comes to cold calling, you are guilty until proven innocent. When prospects receive calls from sales people they don’t know, their initial reaction is to get them off the phone. They aren’t necessarily rejecting your solution; they are rejecting you - and, that’s tough to handle. Their perception is that you are interrupting them to sell something without having a clue about their business, goals, problems or needs. At least that is their perception and we know that perception is reality. To get around their mindset that we are guilty within the first 10 seconds you have to change their perception.
3. Set an intention. When you prospect, your intent counts more than technique. I’m not saying that technique doesn’t matter- it definitely does and my colleague Barry Caponi has the best technique I’ve seen when it comes to cold calling. The key point is that your “intent” is not to make a friend or a sale over the phone. How often have you called a prospect and the first words out of your mouth are “how are you doing today”? You don’t know them well enough to ask that! What if they say something disastrous? You’re not calling to find out about their personal life, you’re trying to get an appointment—-period. To get an appointment, you need to quickly convey that you have something they can benefit from. In order to capture their attention you can focus on the following:
- Do your homework - show them you have knowledge of their company or industry by citing a key issue or trend.
- Align your message by telling the prospect what problems you solve and mention a company in their industry that has been successful with your solution.
- Ask thoughtful questions that uncover issues they might be having today. Go beyond the overused, “what keeps you up at night” if you want this conversation to continue. Then listen. Your demonstrated understanding of their answers will increase the likelihood of a face to face meeting.
For you to be successful in prospecting you need to start with the right frame of mind. Get focused and dedicate the time, understand cold-calling and then set a solid intention on behalf of your prospect. The more you focus on their goals, the more likely it is that your solutions will meet their need.
Good selling!
by Stu Schlackman Stu has spent over 25 years in sales management, sales and sales training with world class companies like Digital Equipment Corporation, Cap Gemini and EDS. His focus is on “the application” of the skills and techniques he shares. Stu is active teaching business classes at Dallas Christian College and has developed an online sales management class at University of Texas, Dallas. He is a member of the Richardson Chamber Board of Directors and active on boards with Leadership Richardson, Prevent Blindness Dallas and the National Speaker Association of North Texas. Schlackman holds a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an MBA from Kennedy Western University. Website: http://competitive-excellence.com/
Using technology to collaborate with your prospects and customers respects their valuable time – while also making the most of yours. Gone are "sales calls" whose only purpose was the hope of stumbling on a potential business opportunity.
Here are suggestions for using social media to streamline and enhance your sales process.
Your Sales Process
A well-defined sales process is essential for efficiently and expediently accomplishing a series of activities and events that are necessary to consummate a sale.
There should be a reason for every step in your sales process; and your prospects should clearly understand those reasons too. That alone is a tip to share with your team: Make a note to educate your prospects about your process very close to front end of it.
Over time you should endeavor to trim the fat from your process. This is especially relevant today with so many tools and technologies available to do so. Use them to accomplish activities such as gathering and sharing information that drives your process – and makes face-to-face meetings more focused.
The Discovery Phase
Every sales process should begin with an exploration or discovery phase to determine whether or not it is necessary to have a first meeting. This has traditionally been done with an initial phone call.
That time consuming step is no longer necessary.
Should you begin a relationship with a cold phone call? Think about how you feel after 45 minutes of politely chatting with a prospect, whom you knew after the first 5 minutes was not a qualified buyer for your products or services?
There is now a better way.
Use the Social Networks
Now you can use social networking and marketing to share the information that is necessary for prospects to learn what they most need to know about you and your business. Once again, think back on all of your past sales calls and make a list of the criteria that successfully engaged prospects (or eliminated those that were not a good fit).
You will probably discover that essential information is necessary to educate and inform, but also to inspire, motivate, and otherwise build a bridget that leads to trust. This information may include:
How You Work – Your process. Doing your work with flair or efficiency are distinguishing qualities that prospects are vitally interested in.
Expertise – What you do best.
Credentials – Are your skills validated by credible sources? I'm not particularly interested in credentials, but I know some people are, so I mention my MBA in my bio for audiences that may find it relevant.
Budgets – Contrary to popular belief, it is healthy to talk budgets early and often in the sales process. You may consider sharing minimum and typical investments for your services.
Capabilities – Everyone has (and should) have a limit on the scope of work they can or will handle. Knowing your limits enhances your credibility.
Exclusions – What type of work will you not do? Speakers like me are often guilty of speaking on topics that are not right for them. Focus on what you do best or you undermine your highest value.
Typical Projects – While social media is not a forum for marketing in the traditional sense, you should find methods for showcasing successful work. The best way is to keep the focus on the customer when you are doing this. In other words, make it about them, not you.
Testimonials – Testimonials are still relevant. In fact, they may be even more so today, because prospects can easily use the social networks to easily engage with your fans.
How to Work with You – Here is how to work with me – below I show you how to set up a similar form for your small business.
Social Media Tips for Customer Service and Sales 1. Create Web-based forms.
Use these form to help prospects provide you with the information necessary to determine how you can best help them – or refer them to a colleague who is more qualified. This post on how to add a form to your blog shows you how with Google docs.
Create forms so that your current customers can initiate service requests. Instead of a phone call, they can now make inquiries 24/7. All of the information is stored on the Web and is readily accessible from your mobile device. Be sure to set the notifications to alert you when the document has been updated.
You could also use Google doc forms to assist your field staff in quickly sending service requests to the home office. This too is easily accomplished with mobile devices 2. Create a Private Facebook Group
Using the new Facebook groups to keep your sales team on the same page will not only build a buzz of their ongoing successes, it also minimizes emails and encourages teamwork.
This tool encourages your staff to be on Facebook where they can also interact and share information with customers and prospects. Remember, social media is a team effort.
3. Start a Blog
There is no better way to educate your prospects than with fully-functioning and active blog. When you use it to profile the unsung heroes that make a difference for your customers from behind the scenes, you humanize your company – and give a peek behind at how your business really works.
Case studies that profile how you serve your customers helps prospects to see their situation in those practical examples. The more stories you tell that illuminate what you do and how your company does it, the more easily you will align yourself with your future customers.
Also, your current customers can benefit from up-to-date tips and advice that can be easily communicated with your blog. Isn't it easier to proactively make one blog post than to respond to dozens of phone calls or emails after the fact?
This post gives you plenty of detail on how to start a blog. To learn more, explore these posts that many small business leaders like you have called their favorites.
Or use the Google search on this blog to look for more helpful tips and advice. You will find dozens of posts on blogs and blogging, Facebook, social media, and small business marketing in general.
by Jeff Korhan Jeff Korhan is a new media marketer, an award-winning entrepreneur, and a top-ranked blogger who helps small businesses maximize their Web visibility, reputation, and referrals with social media and Internet marketing. As a social media speaker, trainer, columnist and coach, Jeff applies three decades of marketing experience and an MBA with a special skill for simplifying technology and complex ideas to make them practical and useful for small businesses. Jeff is a recognized social media leader whose New Media and Small Business Marketing blog is ranked in the Top 100 Small Business blogs in by Technorati.
“I don’t have a sale yet, but a decision is pending”. Oh, really? In my experience, when a sales person says a deal is “pending” this usually translates to “dead on arrival”. How often are you saying this when what you really mean is “I haven’t got a clue when, how, or if the decision will be made”?
Let’s face it – your buyer has the right to “think it over”. In fact, when it comes to major purchases, I might suggest that a buyer who makes decisions on the spot might be using poor judgment by acting too hastily. I hope that doesn’t offend you.
On the other hand, once your decision-maker has all of your information and pricing, there is no reason for a long delay in a decision, favorable or unfavorable. In fact, they owe you a prompt decision as a courtesy.
“Prompt” here doesn’t mean “now”, it means “in a reasonable time frame”. That said, with the right approach you can get prompt decisions consistently on pending opportunities. First, however, you need to accurately identify why decisions are delayed in the first place.
There are three key reasons that business people fail to get prompt decisions from buyers. They are:
(1) No Decision Maker Involved
(2) No Negative Consequences
(3) No Deadline
Lets take a look at each of these points and how to correct them.
No decision maker involved. This is the most common strategic error you can make, and the one that has the most negative impact on your effectiveness. If your contact is taking your information to someone higher in the organization, you essentially forfeit control of the decision process.
In your initial meeting, ask your contact what their decision process would be in the event that they decide to buy from you. You have the right to ask this question; so ask it. If this person is not the decision maker, postpone a discussion of pricing. (Why would you give pricing to someone who cannot buy what you are selling?)
It is important that you provide justification for this. Explain that you are not yet in a position to provide pricing, because you have not yet obtained input from the other people involved in the business decision. This logic is right on target and is entirely appropriate here. It also shows good business judgment on your part, not pushiness. Ask this person to assist you in arranging a brief meeting with these other people prior to submitting your proposal. The objective is to partner with this non-decision-maker to help them and their employer to make a good business decision.
If they won’t cooperate with you, I suggest that you consider politely and graciously pulling out of the opportunity. If you cannot get input from the decision maker, you have less than a twenty percent likelihood of getting their approval. Your value proposition here is reduced to a brochure and a price quotation. Why waste your time putting together a proposal?
No negative consequences. If there are no negative consequences to delaying a decision, what motivation does the buyer have to act now?
Look for ways to impose a negative consequence for failure to act quickly. For example: “in order for us to guarantee shipping by ____, we will need your commitment no later than ______”. Or, “We currently have dates available this month for initiating this project; however if we do not get your go-ahead by ____ I cannot guarantee the availability of our staff”. The more substantial the consequences, the more effort made to get a decision made. This is also a good qualifying step to determine how serious the buyer is in doing business with you. Try it. It works.
No deadline established. Never conclude a presentation without establishing a date for the decision to be made. Say, “how much time do you need to make your decision; would three days be adequate?” In most cases, the buyer will say “yes, three days is fine”. Follow up this meeting immediately with a thank-you email. In it, thank them for the courtesy of their time. Include this passage: “thank you for your commitment to make a prompt business decision. I greatly appreciate it.” You will then need to make one follow-up call – in exactly three days You may get a “no”, but so what? Whether you are going to get a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ was decided at the time you concluded your presentation. What we need now is good time management – which means that either response brings this issue to a prompt conclusion. Now you can get on with the business of finding your next opportunity.
by Landy Chase Landy Chase, MBA, CSP is an expert who specializes in speaking to corporations and associations on sales, sales management, and social media marketing skills. His latest book, Competitive Selling, was published by McGraw-Hill in June 2010 and is available on amazon.com and all major retailers. To book Landy for your next conference or sales meeting, visit his website at www.sellingrevolution.com or call (800) 370-8026.
There are some interesting statistics out there about the number of calls a sales person will make on a prospect before throwing in the towel. These stat’s have been quoted by a number of reliable sources.
>48% of sales people quit after 1 call 23% quit after 2 calls 12% quit after 3 calls 6% quit after 4 calls <10% make 5 or more calls
Now compare that to the average number of calls needed to close a sale:
2% close on 1st call 3% close on 2nd call 4% close on 3rd call 10% close on 4th call 81% close after 5 or more calls
The first set of statistics (quitting too soon) is driven by being told “No”. The reason they said “No”? More than likely because the first call should never be a sales call! The first call on a prospect should be about them; their needs, their pains, their fears and their desires. The first call(s) need to be question based. Asking the prospect about what they are trying to accomplish and why it’s important to them. Unfortunately most sales people start telling (selling) so early in the game the prospect just says “No”. It’s easier that way—for both parties.
The other reason sales people quit too early? After just one or two calls they run out of things to say. They spent the first call telling the prospect about themselves and their company. They have no plan for future calls because the prospect didn’t respond to the first one!
One of my clients came to this realization recently. They stated it this way;
“If I want them to give me a 36 month long commitment (the length of their contract) the least I can do is spend the first few hours learning about them and their needs”.
So start off on the right foot with your prospects. Ask them about their business, and if you ask the right questions the sale will make itself.
by Les Lent Les is not only a certified SCI Sales Coach, he is a “Product of the Product” and brings with him over 15 years experience in sales and sales leadership. As a former client of Sales Coach International, Les utilized SCI’s core curriculum to build “World Class Sales Organizations” with two Fortune 100 Companies. Les has built and coached several sales teams to successful results. Implementing SCI’s real world, battle tested sales process Les’ sales teams have been repeatedly recognized for outstanding performance in both sales and profit growth. As a Partner & Certified SCI Coach Les works with sale professionals and leadership across a wide variety of industries throughout North America. Equally at home in the field working with sellers, or with large groups of sales managers, Les delivers both value and insight to his clients. His ability to provide candid real time feedback has made him an invaluable asset to many organizations. An accomplished public speaker, and member of the National Speakers Association, Les has won multiple awards for presentations on topics including; Marketing Strategies, Recruiting and Hiring Top Performers, Leadership Strategies for New Sales Managers, Goal Setting and Personal Branding. Website: http://leslent.com/
Out of all of the ways to advertise your business, social media marketing is one of the most effective. With social media advertising, you are provided with a way to obtain direct contact with others who may potentially be interested in your product without coming on too forceful. The worst mistake anyone can make when trying to gain traffic or customers is come on too strong.
Anyone who has a social media webpage knows that the whole point of it is to add friends, followers, etc. The most popular social media website currently is Facebook. Just about everyone and every business owns some sort of social media page. In order to make the magic happen, you must first add people because you want to be their friend. Do your best to be as genuine as possible because if you're using your social media marketing strategies just to get people to look at your product or business, then you'll fail miserably.
When you post status updates, talk about other things besides your business such as the weather, current events, etc. This will especially work when you are using social media for sales. People must first find you interesting before finding your products interesting. If you're only posting updates about your business, that is perfectly fine, but you may end up getting deleted because posting constant business updates can be very annoying to some users that only use social media websites for friends.
When it comes to the benefits of using social media marketing for business, there are plenty. First, you have the opportunity to post videos demonstrating how your product works. This also gives you the chance to let your friends and followers get to know your personality. You want to try to be as upbeat as possible when posting videos since it can have a very positive affect on your success.
Another thing you can do is provide sporadic tidbits of information on your business and products in your updates. Providing detailed information will give your friends a better idea of what you are offering and intrigue potential buyers into making a purchase. You may also want to submit links to various websites and blogs out beside your status just in case someone wants to click.
For the most successful results, add as many people as possible. Remember to maintain the mindset that you are also looking for friends. When someone says hello to you, reply back to them promptly without mentioning anything about your products. Although deep down you may only be interested in using social media for sales purposes only, your friends need to feel as if you are interested in them. You don't necessarily have to talk to everyone (as you are almost guaranteed to get deleted if you become a nuisance), but you should greet everyone who adds you as well as send a thank you to the people who accept your requests. If you follow all of the right steps to the best of your ability, your social media marketing endeavor will turn out to be a grand success.
by David Steel David Steel is one of the nation’s leading experts on the topic of Sales Motivation. He’s a popular and widely recognized author and motivational speaker who works with businesses and individuals as a sales management consultant, offering insights into hiring, compensation, goals and strategies, and teaching the use of sales management skills to build and maintain highly aggressive sales teams. David teaches that incredible sales management is available to all of us; an invisible force that guides and motivates sales teams. When we follow his proven strategies, we are led to sharp increases in sales, less employee turn-over and a sales force focused on selling. He believes we all have the ability to access and develop great talent and achieve long-term goals. For more information he can be reached at dsteel@feedyoursales.com. Website: http://www.thesteelmethod.com
Has the economic crisis caused your sales volume to drop? Are you having a harder time closing? In this video John shares 10 tactics all salespeople can use to help them close more sales, more often during the economic crisis! Watch now...
Some salespeople may be aggressive in their tactics, but knowing what type of personality they have should help you relate to their methods, and perhaps even result in an experience that's mutually beneficial. Below is a description of each type of salesperson's styles and manners.
by Dr. Tony Alessandra Dr. Tony Alessandra has a street-wise, college-smart perspective on business, having been raised in the housing projects of NYC and eventually earning his PhD in marketing from Georgia State University in 1976. Tony is CEO of Assessment Business Center, a company that offers online 360º assessments, author of 27 books and featured in over 100 audio/video programs and films. Recognized by Meetings & Conventions Magazine as "one of America's most electrifying speakers," Dr. Alessandra was inducted into the Speakers Hall of Fame in 1985, the Legends of the Speaking Profession in 2009, the Top 5 Marketing Speakers in 2010 and 2011 and the Sales Hall of Fame in 2010. Websites: www.alessandra.com & www.PlatinumRule.com
A customer at Morris' Gourmet Grocery marveled at the proprietor's quick wit and intelligence. "Tell me, Green, what makes you so smart?"
"I wouldn't share my secret with just anyone," Morris replies, lowering his voice so the other shoppers won't hear. "But since you're a good and faithful customer, I'll let you in on it. Fish heads. You eat enough of them, you'll be positively brilliant."
"You sell them here?" the customer asks. "Only $4 apiece," says Morris.
The customer buys three. A week later, he's back in the store complaining that the fish heads were disgusting and he isn't any smarter.
"You didn't eat enough, " says Morris. The customer goes home with 20 more fish heads. Two weeks later, he's back and this time he's really angry.
"Hey, Morris," he says, "You're selling me fish heads for $4 apiece when I just found out I can buy the whole fish for $2...You're ripping me off!"
When used properly, social media can be a great tool to help your business reach untapped, potential customers and stay connected to current ones. This podcast will help you get the most out of social media. Listen now...
I recently read an article published by Harvard Business School Introverts: The Best Leaders for Proactive Employees. Some key points made were that introverted leaders are more likely to listen to and process ideas than extroverted leaders. In a work situation, introverts are more likely to empower their employees. Some of the great leaders were introverts like Abraham Lincoln, Socrates, and Mahatma Gandhi. Does this reasoning also apply to sales?
Introverts Ask Purposeful Questions and Listen Intently
In the classical sense of being a salesperson, introverts are shunned. Yet it has been my experience that some of the best salespeople I know are naturally introverted. Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to be a social butterfly, or a super networker in B2B sales to do a great job selling. The best cold calling salesperson I know out of New York is an introvert. He does not mind hearing “NO”, but he firmly believes in the service he is offering. He is not as concerned about being liked, and he is extremely disciplined in making the calls and asking the right questions, he gets in a lot of doors.
One of the key attributes in being a great salesperson is in asking purposeful questions, and listening intently. By nature most introverts are listeners in a conversation rather than the ones dominating it. This is not a learned behavior for them like the classical extroverted salesperson, it comes naturally.
Introverts Excel In Long Term Relationships
Even in building relationships over the long term, introverts excel. If your product or service relies upon a strong continuing customer service, and with defined territories, an introvert is more likely to be a better candidate.
So the next time, you are hiring a salesperson think very carefully what you truly need. Is the company better off with the classical super friendly extrovert, or the disciplined, questioning, relationship builder introvert?
by Allan Himmelstein Allan Himmelstein is President of Sales Coach AZ, which specializes in developing customized, highly effective sales processes for individuals and companies. Specializing in B2B sales, my mantra is “How can we save a company time, trouble, and money”? If we cannot answer this we have no basis for doing business. We will utilize a company’s unique strengths and core values to build a highly effective sales process that maximizes results. Mr. Himmelstein has a proven track record as a top-level executive for increasing business revenues and profit growth in competitive markets. His extensive business management experience includes the startup of an international company, which grew to $40,000,000 in nine years. He has held C level positions in Fortune 500 companies, including serving as VP of Sales and Marketing for ConAgra. He currently is focusing on foreign companies and adapting their sales approaches to maximize success in the USA market. Website/Blog: Sales Coach AZ
1. Most people do not enjoy cold calling, but they need to realize it has to be done.(edit-not always, it might just be one of many strategies, or not used at all) It really is a mind-set. You have to set time daily to call, and make it part of your daily behavior/activities.
2. Not everyone will be a fit and that is ok! If they say “No” or “No Thanks!” that is totally fine. You are simply finding out who might be a fit or not. There will be less pressure on you if you keep that mind-set.
3. Celebrate the little sales. When you land a meeting or secure a conference call appointment, celebrate it on your own or with your team.
4. Get creative on the call and be yourself.
5. Recommend you attempt some calls prior to 8AM local time and after 5:00PM local time. Try some on Sat and Sun as well if needed!
6. Treat the prospect the way you would want to be treated, don’t hold them on the phone. If they don’t have time to talk now, call back. Remember, you are popping into their day unexpected, so be very courteous.
7. Focus on seeing if there is a mutual fit or not, versus making the sale. Then, focus on setting an appointment versus making a sale.
8. Gain their attention quickly, be concise and clear as to why you are calling…and then, LISTEN to their challenges/goals and struggles.
9. Quickly explain what is in it for them and the potential value of an appointment.
10. Start at the top and DO NOT GIVE UP.
by Jeremy J. Ulmer Jeremy Ulmer is one of the most dynamic and requested sales experts in the country. His company specializes in working with sales management, individual sales performers, and sales organizations to transform their sales results. They deliver customized sales coaching programs and corporate sales training. Sign up for free Sales Tips and free sales webinars at: www.SalesCoachingHabits.com
Facebook can be a great branding tool for your business, but you can drive people away from your page if you engage in some of these behaviors:
1. You’re the only one posting. If you don’t let others post on your page, what’s the point? This is a “social” networking tool. Let your fans into the party! Encourage their participation.
2. Posts are once a week or less. The key to developing relationships on Facebook is consistency. If you post only once or week, or even less frequently than that, your target audience will forget about you, since your posts aren’t showing up in their news feeds.
3. Comments are ignored. When someone takes the time to comment on your page, the least you can do is acknowledge it. If you never reply to questions, comments or concerns, there’s no reason for your fans to stick around.
4. Post the same specials over and over again. While a little repetition can be a good thing, posting the same special offer five times a day, five days in a row will turn off even your most devoted fans. Aim for a mix of content – blog articles, photos, events and special discounts.
5. You provide a great variety of content, including discounts, contests, how-to articles, etc. Yes, that’s correct. Even when you do everything “right” on Facebook, you are going to lose some fans. ExactTarget.com did a study called “The Social Break-up”and found that 38% of consumers “unliked” a Facebook page because they got bored, and 26% “unliked” because they were only interested in a one-time offer. Even more confusing: 24% “unliked” a page because the company didn’t offer enough deals, while another 24% “unliked” because the posts were too promotional.
What lesson can we learn here? Consumer expectations are divided, so it’s wise to strike a balance that satisfies both groups, while not coming on too strong either way.
by Meredith Oliver Meredith Oliver, The Digital Diva, is an author, professional speaker and founder of Meredith Communications; a full-service web marketing specializing in website design and search engine optimization. She delivers keynote speeches and seminars internationally to business owners and salespeople on how to click with technology and Internet marketing to make more sales and make more money. Meredith holds a Masters Degree in Communication Technology and numerous industry designations. You can learn more about Meredith at http://thedigitaldivablog.com/.
Always be prepared for price objections. When you anticipate them, you maintain a more positive attitude because you’re not thrown off guard—you know and accept that they will happen.
Here’s what you can do to prepare yourself for the inevitable:
When faced with a price objection, ask either an open-ended question about the objection or restate it in your own words making the objection a question. For example: (Open question) “When you say we’re higher, could you be more specific?” or (Restate) “Is it a question of our being justified in charging more than the competition?”
When clarifying a price objection, probe a little deeper to discover the motivation behind the objection. Here’s how:
First, ensure that the buyer is making an apples-to-apples comparison. Is the product she compares to yours exactly the same as yours?
Second, determine if the buyer is concerned with the total (long-term) cost of owning your product or just the acquisition cost.
Third, determine if the price is the buyer’s only consideration in purchasing your product.
Fourth, check the buyer’s expectations.
Fifth, determine the availability of funds. Your price may not be too high for the value you deliver. It’s just too high for the budget this person has (or says she has) available.
When dealing with customer objections—preparation, persistence, and pragmatism pays. When you’re prepared, you feel more confident being persistent. And you come across as more professional and convincing. But be realistic. You’ll lose some business because of price. And there is some business you want to lose because of price.
There are shoppers out there whose only priority is getting a better price. Avoid succumbing to the pressures. You want every opportunity—not every order.
by Tom Reilly Tom Reilly is president of Tom Reilly Training, a St. Louis based firm specializing in training salespeople and sales managers. He is the author of twelve books including Crush Price Objections.(636) 537-3360 or visit our website www.TomReillyTraining.com
As salespeople, we’re always looking for the magic pill, the holy grail that will ensure our success in sales and help us achieve riches beyond our dreams while doing as little as possible.
Well, we can dream!
Is there such a thing as guaranteed success? I’ve yet to find it. But I’ve come close to it by following these guiding principles that can take us a long way on the journey.
Taken from NLP, these principles help us to identify what we should focus on to achieve our goals, in as close to taking the magic pill as I can imagine.
Take a look and be inspired!
Firstly, be absolutely clear and sure on what outcome you want. The brain acts as a sort of laser, pinpointing areas that we can aim for. But only if we give it something clear to aim at. Woolly goals (make more money, sell more products, be more professional, etc) won’t work because they don’t offer any clarity.
Then, create a measuring system that helps you know if you are moving away from or gaining ground on your outcomes. We term this ‘sensory acuity’ or sensory awareness’, and it allows us to identify how far away or close to our goals and objectives we really are.
Then comes the fun bit. You know where you want to be, and you now know where you are. You now need the flexibility to vary your behaviour to adjust the journey on the way to success. Do you need more knowledge? More emotional intelligence? More listening skills? More quality leads? More enthusiasm? More time management skills?
The answers to these questions will help you drive your performance further forward, as you recognise what has to happen to keep you on track.
The next bit is a natural follow-on. You take all the necessary massive action to achieve the flexibility and adaptability to achieve the goal. Notice I said massive action. Pottering about doing one or two calls to fill the time won’t hack it. Being the kind of person a prospect would pay good money to partner with will!
Do these principles guarantee success in sales? Well, they get mighty close!
Happy Selling!
by Sean McPheat The UK’s #1 Authority On Modern Day Selling MTD Sales Training
Social media is one of the most measurable and engaging online compliments of marketing tools available. With that said social media is a rabbit hole that entire teams can dive down. It hurts your brand, it hurts your real world relationships and it wastes your resources. It’s time to get real about our habits.
Social media, particularly my blogging, Twitter and YouTube activity has brought me clients from three continents that include a number of Fortune 500 clients and major government organizations. So I’m a big believer, and this stuff works. Over the years here’s some things I have done that don’t work, things that many people can relate to:
I have hit Twitter instead of writing a proposal, it was for procrastination and fun, not for business or community building.
I have engaged in conversations that are off topic, not anywhere near my target market and spent hours on such conversations.
I have written numerous blog entries with no real goal or over reaching theme.
I have ripped, thumped and chastised newbies for their ignorance or blatant spam (which is also usually due to ignorance) and hurt my own credibility.
I have started, stopped, started again and then quit on blogging and podcasting. This cost me readers momentum and business opportunities as well as trust.
I have done another dozen things wrong at least (See Twitpics gone wrong part 1 and part 2)
Why do I share this? We’re all guilty of taking a good business tool and wasting time and resources. It can be cell phones calls for personal reasons, or business lunches that are really an excuse to cocktail it up etc. Executives and decisions makers are quick to blame the tools – the reality is we should blame the people, and blame management for not teaching and driving best practices. Here are 10 hard questions you need to ask about your social media use:
Have you started your social media marketing with a solid goal, plan, and monthly calendar that keeps you on message?
Do you abuse your social media voice and constantly bash competitors or suppliers before you try less public options?
Do you hop on Facebook or Twitter when there are more business critical and urgent revenue opportunities pressing?
Do you have a well-defined target market that you listen to and talk with – or are you mass broadcasting and hoping someone will hear?
Have you researched or been trained in social media use or does your company train staff before letting them run rough-shot with your brand?
If you have several staff, have you assigned a junior in-experienced person to manage your brand online versus a tenured strategic thinker?
Are you using multiple social media or just the ones you are comfortable with?
Are you consistent with your activity and your messaging?
Is your personal social graph putting you at risk (are there pictures, information or behavior that could hurt your brand?)
Are you involving your whole team and opening up multiple channels for client communication or is your marketing department hoarding your social media voice?
These are just a few hard questions. There are many more. If you want to succeed and get an ROI out of social media you will need to ask these questions, and constantly check in to make sure you stay on the path.
What questions do you ask? How are you auditing your social media use?
by Shane Gibson Shane Gibson is the author of three books (soon to be four) and a speaker on the topics of social media and sales performance, he has addressed over 100,000 people over the past seventeen years on stages in North America, Southern Africa & South America. He is quickly becoming known as one of the world's foremost speakers on the topic of sales performance and social media. As an author and speaker he combines a diverse background in sales force leadership, entrepreneur development and extensive sales and leadership coaching. Shane Gibson is the author of Closing Bigger: The Field Guide to Closing Bigger Deals and the book "Sociable! How Social Media is Turning Sales and Marketing Upside-down. Shane also co-authored the book "Guerrilla Social Media Marketing" (October 2010 release date) with Jay Conrad Levinson. Personally mentored by Jay, Shane is Canada's first and only Guerrilla Marketing Master Trainer. He has been published in numerous publications on the topics of Leadership, Marketing, Sales, and Social Media in magazine, radio and television interviews, including CMA Magazine, the Financial Post, and the Globe. He is also a certified Master Trainer and contributing author in the Complete Sales Action System™, and Managing Complex Business Relationships both published and produced by Knowledge Brokers International. http://www.closingbigger.net/
Motivations differ from general population Luxury marketers take note, according to a February 2011 Affluence Collaborative survey, wealthy internet users connect with brands on social networks for significantly different reasons than the general population. The social networks they use to do so are different, too.
Among the general population, the main reason cited for connecting with brands on social networks was to receive deals and discounts. This result from the Affluence Collaborative survey backs up earlier research from several sources on why consumers follow brands on social sites.
But according to Affluence Collaborative, this was a much lower priority for the wealthy. Their top reasons for following brands were due to a preexisting affinity for and a desire to be kept informed about the brand. The least-cited reason mentioned by all groups surveyed was to be entertained, suggesting that social media marketers still need to provide fans with value, even if it isn’t directly in the form of a coupon or sale.
, which showed that a huge component of liking a brand on Facebook was due not just to an affinity, but as a means of self-expression for others to see. This promotional desire was more pronounced in Facebook users than Twitter followers or email subscribers. Affluents then, in their “love of the brands” they connect with, are largely acting as brand ambassadors.
On the surface, a November 2010 L2 Think Tank survey might appear to contradict these findings. Affluent members of Gen Y (ages 19 to 33) cited promotions and offers as the main reason for engaging with brands on social media. Women were more likely than men to engage with brands in general and to want to receive offers. However, the survey included those who were “projected to earn $100,000 in the next two years”—meaning the respondents were more aspiring than actually affluent. The second biggest motivator was still an affinity for the brand.
Reasons that Generation Y Affluent Internet Users Worldwide Engage with Brands Using Social Media, by Gender, Nov 2010 (% of respondents)
Data from the Affluence Collaborative study also reveals that the affluent aren’t using the same social networks as the general population. Facebook was the No. 1 social network used by all groups surveyed, but LinkedIn and Twitter attracted affluent internet users at nearly double the rate of the general population.
Social Networks Used by US Affluent vs. General Population Internet Users, by Income, Feb 2011 (% of respondents in each group)
Any marketer targeting affluent consumers needs to know not only where to reach that audience, but what appeals to them. For wealthy internet users, connecting with a brand is largely about the brand itself, not gimmicks and offers. Affluents need to see a consistent message that makes following a brand meaningful for self-expression, just like when buying a brand in real life. Watering down the brand in order to gain a large social following may drive away the very people trying to be reached.
by eMarketer Keep your business ahead of the digital curve. Learn more about becoming an eMarketer Total Access client today.
A famous art collector is walking through the city when he notices a mangy cat lapping milk from a saucer in the doorway of a store and he does a double take.
He recognizes that the saucer is extremely old and very valuable, so he walks casually into the store and offers to buy the cat for two dollars.
The storeowner replies “I m sorry, but the cat isn’t for sale." The collector says, “Please, I need a hungry cat around the house to catch mice. I ll pay you twenty dollars for that cat.”
And the owner says “Sold,” and hands over the cat. The collector continues, “Hey, for the twenty bucks I wonder if you could throw in that old saucer. The cat’s used to it and it ll save me from having to get a dish.”
And the owner says, “Sorry buddy, but that’s my lucky saucer. So far this week I’ve sold sixty-eight cats.”
Recently we have announced the contest for the best personal sales story. We want to thank all of the participants. We were pleasantly surprised with the variety of different sales stories and the way people perform to succeed in sales.
This month we are happy to present you the Winner with the best personal sales story - "GOING THE EXTRA MILE FOR THE CUSTOMER" Go to page 6 of July issue and enjoy the inspiration of John Turley on how to serve the customers and make them loyal.
Want to get published in the next SOLD issue too? - Share your sales story with us! The story can be about sales success or failure. For example: How did you close your biggest deal or find your best customer or apply new sales tips and techniques in social media and maximized your revenue? etc. The story has to meet the following requirements: - It should be personal. Only YOUR experience is valuable! - It should be practical. What have you learnt and what do you want our readers to remember? - The story should be submitted at register@soldlab.com by July 20th , 2011 We guarantee that: - We will publish the best story in the next SOLD issue and feature it in the social media. - We will publish YOUR photo in the magazine - You will be proud of yourself :)
Meet John Turley
John Turley grew up in Brooklyn and on Manhattan’s Westside. He lives in Plymouth, Michigan with his wife and four children. He is an accomplished senior sales executive who thrives in challenging fast paced environments where his performance directly impacts the bottom line. Currently, he is in between sales jobs. John just completed an MS in healthcare organizational consulting and alternative dispute resolution and negotiation with a 3.85 index from Creighton University’s Law School, The Werner Institute for Alternative Dispute Resolution. His goal is to sell professional services and total solutions within the health care industry.
The majority of John’s career has been focused on selling professional services to global accounts. He is experienced in selling CXO level conceptual/solution sales, hardware, software and BP outsourcing. He is adept at developing account strategies, managing executive relationships and strategic sales initiatives and implementations in the USA and overseas. Recently, he received a commendation from the University of Michigan for “Making a Difference” in the hospital’s Emergency and Cardio Vascular Care departments. Contact John at: (734) 546-9959 or Johnbklyn606@yahoo.com
“Always be nice with people on the way up; because you’ll meet the same people on the way down” - Wilson Mizner (1876-1933), American playwright and entrepreneur
The WELL Question - What is your plan to socialize with your fellow co-workers this week?
As world economies slip into recession, B-2-B sales forces face unprecedented pressures at both an operational (individual salesperson) and at a strategic level – how is our company going to respond? In recent televised discussions between Howard Stevens (HR Chally) and Neil Rackham (Author), key messages emerged as to why some companies fare rather better than others in down markets. Some of the key learnings were:
1. There is a common myth, that in really tough markets, customers buy solely on price. The typical response is to slash prices, but generally this does not work as it diminishes customer confidence and serves only to erode margins.
2. The facts, in contrast, are that in recessionary times, buying organisations are more concerned about risk than about price, and savvy organisations understand that in times of serious economic difficulty, safety is a more important criterion than price.
3. Consequently, an understanding (or lack of) of these factors, drives strategic responses. Less successful business intensify their sales activities, half-selling to twice as many potential customers. Salespeople exude an air of pressure and desperation, which turns risk averse customers off even more.
4. In contrast, more successful organisations pursue a strategically measured response, characterised by a high level of focus on fewer, but better customers. Sales managers and other top executives strategically intervene with major clients and major deals, bringing a level of confidence and assurance to a jittery market place. They help their salespeople to accept that they are not under undue pressure or threat and to understand that risk mitigation is a key part of their function.
IBM itself created the brilliant slogan “Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM,” fully understanding that many clients will rather buy under-featured, over-priced offerings that are perceived to be extremely safe. During the last two major recessions IBM has faired relatively well.
The old Chinese saying – “If you chase two monkeys, both will escape,” is pertinent. Successful businesses bring extraordinary levels of focus and resources to bear in accounts that they can win. Losers behave like the proverbial “Baboon in a maize field”, pursuing every opportunity in sight and squandering both opportunities and scarce resources.
The Difference between Winners & Losers
Losers
Winners
Focused on Tactical remedies
Focused on Strategic Plans
Increased the Leads Funnel
Pruned the Leads Funnel
Reduced Qualifying Criteria
Increased Qualifying Criteria
Cut prices
Increased Prices
Cut Costs
Maintained and Reallocated
Created “Fire Sale” offers
Improved Service to Best Customers
Pumped up “Spiffs” or incentives
Increased Long Term Compensation
by Peter Gilbert Peter Gilbert is CEO of HR Chally SA an international consultancy specializing in sales research, sales effectiveness, and sales recruitment. Visit www.chally.com
Adding a blog to your marketing mix is a smart strategy for any size business. Writing articles on a regular basis will help your website’s search engine ranking. And a blog gives you credibility with your audience by establishing you as a thought leader in your industry.
In order to make your blog a successful marketing tool, it should include the following components:
1. Get creative with your blog theme. Devise a theme that appeals to your target audience and don’t be afraid to show your personality.
2. Create value for your readers. Include information in your blog that is relevant and useful for your target audience. Don’t “sell, sell, sell” your products or services. Your blog can subtly advertise, but don’t make it your primary purpose.
3. Wow your audience with impeccable branding & design. Be consistent with your company’s image when designing your blog. It will allow you to strengthen your brand with your target audience. Keep in mind who will be reading your blog. If your audience skews older, for instance, make the site easy to read with bigger fonts and easy to read backgrounds.
4. Exceed your audience’s expectations with great content. Don’t settle for ordinary; strive for extraordinary content to separate you from the crowd.
5. Mix up your content topics and delivery methods. Use photos, videos along with text to make the subject matter compelling and interesting to your audience.
6. Become the “go-to” source to build loyal followers. Make your posts interesting so your readers consider the site their “go to” place for quality information. Use compelling & engaging graphics, and keep targeting the interests of your audience even if it doesn’t have anything to do with the product or service you sell.
7. Use a broad range of contributors. Don’t rely solely on your employees (or yourself) as the main contributor to your blog. Ask outside experts to write articles. Their participation will add enormous credibility to your blog, and provide an implied endorsement of your company.
8. Make your blog “social.” Integrate your blog with other social media platforms. Make it easy for readers to share your blog articles on social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Digg, etc.
Do you have any other suggestions to add to the list? Please share them below.
by Meredith Oliver Meredith Oliver, The Digital Diva, is an author, professional speaker and founder of Meredith Communications; a full-service web marketing specializing in website design and search engine optimization. She delivers keynote speeches and seminars internationally to business owners and salespeople on how to click with technology and Internet marketing to make more sales and make more money. Meredith holds a Masters Degree in Communication Technology and numerous industry designations. You can learn more about Meredith at http://thedigitaldivablog.com/.
Are you sure you network with your target audience at the right places? Watch Alice Heiman's video and learn how to figure out the best places to network!
by Alice Heiman National speaker, consultant and trainer, sales expert Alice Heiman has been helping companies increase sales for more than a decade. Visit Alice's website www.aliceheiman.com and watch more videos on her YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/aliceheiman
“That’s too much money”. Is your client really correct? Or do you believe in the value of what you are offering?
Most business people simply don’t know what to do when confronted with this statement. They then try to handle the price objection by offering to lower the price. This approach sends three messages:
(1) The price you were initially asked the client to pay was inflated. Therefore, had the client paid what you initially asked, you would have been overcharging them.
(2) Where is the bottom to this thing? Translation: You have lost your credibility. From now on, every time you and the client do business together, they will expect to get a better “deal” than you initially present.
(3) You do not value yourself, your product/service, or your company the way that the client feels that you should.
I recently encountered this problem while meeting with a prospective client to discuss a speaking opportunity. Following an initial discussion, I submitted a proposal for my services that included pricing.
About a week later, the prospective client and I met to discuss my offering. “Here’s where we are” she began. “We would like to hire you for our program, but you are significantly higher than the speaker we had last year, and I have a strict budget I am working with. Can you do anything to help us out on your pricing?”
My response was polite and to the point. “While I understand that you have budget issues, my policy on this issue is that it would be unethical for me to charge you a different fee for my services than I would my other clients. Therefore, I cannot lower my price. However, I will guarantee that the value you receive from my presentation will be worth the investment. If you do not feel after my presentation that the value justifies the price, you may pay me whatever you think appropriate.”
In your business, could you look your client in the eye and make that statement like that? I did, and as a result, I was paid my full fee for services rendered, have been hired twice since then, and – best of all – the price issue has not come up again since. Would you and your employees be comfortable with taking this approach?
What is the message here? Simply this: It is unethical for you to ask two different clients to pay two different prices for the same amount of value. This also means that you have to be willing to walk away from a sale rather than give away something for nothing.
The next time this issue is presented to you, try the following:
(1) Empathize with your client. Say “I understand your concern; we are typically not the low-end option”. (This implies that your value is not of the lower-end variety, either).
(2) Separate the issue of price and value. Ask, “price issue aside, is the recommendation I’ve made the right fit for your needs?” (If the answer is “no”, you have nothing to negotiate).
(3) Isolate the price objection. Ask, “is price the only concern that you have at this point?” (Price always has to be the last issue on the table).
(4) Ask for commitment. Ask, “if we can get agreement on the price issue, are you ready to move forward?” (This is not being “pushy”, it is simply an appropriate question. Ask it!)
Finally, remember that a corresponding decrease in services rendered is the ONLY way to reduce price while maintaining your value position. If you can’t do that, be willing to walk away. After all, what is your integrity worth?
by Landy Chase Landy Chase, MBA, CSP is an expert who specializes in speaking to corporations and associations on sales, sales management, and social media marketing skills. His latest book, Competitive Selling, was published by McGraw-Hill in June 2010 and is available on amazon.com and all major retailers. To book Landy for your next conference or sales meeting, visit his website at www.sellingrevolution.com or call (800) 370-8026.
Twitter has proven to be an effective marketing tool, but a lot of businesses struggle because of the time it takes to do it right. Here are a few apps that can help you save time and use Twitter more efficiently for your business.
HootSuite allows you to pre-schedule tweets in advance, to save time each day. This is useful for posting some “evergreen” tweets, when you’re too busy to tweet in real time, but it shouldn’t be used exclusively. Twitter works best when you can engage in conversations.
This tool also lets you schedule Twitter posts for the future, and enables you to set up alerts and track keywords in the Twitter stream so you can monitor what people are saying about your company. SocialOomph also gives you the option to automatically follow Twitter users who follow you, approve them first or reject them.
Tweetdeck is a useful application that allows you to easily see what’s happening on Twitter as well as Facebook, LinkedIn or Google Buzz. You can customize your Twitter display with columns, groups, saved searches and automatic updates on the people and topics you care about.
This tool is similar to Google Alerts. It tracks Twitter conversations that mention you, your business or your products and services, and sends alerts to you via email.
Twitter lists are useful for keeping up with what’s happening in your industry and for connecting with relevant people. Chances are someone in your industry already has a great list of people to follow, so you can use a site like Listorious to search for other people’s lists by topic. Once you find a comprehensive list, follow it and monitor the tweets. When you have some free time, you can follow the top people on the list and start building connections.
by Meredith Oliver Meredith Oliver, The Digital Diva, is an author, professional speaker and founder of Meredith Communications; a full-service web marketing specializing in website design and search engine optimization. She delivers keynote speeches and seminars internationally to business owners and salespeople on how to click with technology and Internet marketing to make more sales and make more money. Meredith holds a Masters Degree in Communication Technology and numerous industry designations. You can learn more about Meredith at http://thedigitaldivablog.com/.
Once you build that fan page, here are three things you can do to get more fans sharing your information and driving more fans your way.
by Gina Schreck Gina is a speaker, author and the host of SchreckTeck (airs each Tues at 8am PT) and Gettin’ Geeky. She and her team at SynapseConnecting love helping organizations create engagement strategies to connect with their communities. If we can be of any help–we are just a TWEET away! Or you can always call us at 303-978-0887
Words that make a difference! Choose words that help customers buy from you. What one word will you say that resonates? Now use it and watch the response.
The best independent practitioners have a singular focus on helping their clients achieve their goals. They deliver value at every stage of their work, and they do so as quickly as possible and with ruthless efficiency. I know, because roughly half of my own 28-year consulting career has been spent working in a large global firm, and half of it running my own practice. I also have an ongoing window into both worlds today: many of my clients are large professional firms, and at the same time, I belong to several communities of practice composed of highly successful independent practitioners.
As I look at these two worlds, I see eight practices that larger firms can learn—or relearn—from the most successful professionals who have small or solo practices. In observing them, I have noticed that:
They create personal brands by building individual market renown. It’s not that hard to succeed as an independent professional for a year or two, but to build a sustainable practice you simply must develop a personal brand in the marketplace. The best independents create notoriety for themselves through publishing, speaking, and networking; and by focusing on a core specialty that they become well known for. All too often, professionals in large firms spend years sheltered under their firm’s brand, which usually gets them access to RFPs—enough to get by on—but they don’t build sustainable practices. The firm brand gets you in the door and into the competitive bids, but the personal brand gets you sole-sourced business.
They regularly develop and disseminate intellectual capital. Often, there are just a handful of partners in large professional firms who create all of the intellectual capital, and everyone else feeds off of it. Independent practitioners don’t have that luxury—if they don’t come up with new things to say each year, no one will do it for them. They’ve learned that there are many platforms and formats for their ideas—from white papers to blogs to monthly newsletters—and they don’t necessarily have to write a book or get published in the Harvard Business Review in order to be perceived as thought leaders.
They focus on conversations not PowerPoint. At some of my clients, every idea has to be immediately laid out in a graphically snazzy PowerPoint presentation, and every client interaction must be supported by loads of written documentation. While it is always a good idea to outline your thoughts in writing, creating so many PowerPoint presentations takes a huge amount of time and energy. There are knock-on effects, too—you have to write the slides and create the graphics, and then others have to review them and add their two cents. It’s like the GDP multiplier—an hour spent on PowerPoint production probably consumes another three hours of others’ time. The best independents lower their threshold for a client meeting. They talk often to their clients, and have learned how to hold an engaging conversation that advances the client’s thinking—all without necessarily using PowerPoint or written memos.
They try to achieve success not perfection. Author Alan Weiss, who mentors many independent professionals, talks about “success not perfection.” Because they have the resources and, often, the budget from the client, large firms sometimes over-deliver in ways that really don’t add more value. Data is analyzed 18 ways, every option is illustrated in depth, and 100 interviews are conducted when a dozen would probably suffice. When you lack these resources, you have to focus on delivering a solution that is good enough and works—not the most comprehensive and elegant one.
They have learned to eliminate non-value added activities. Large-scale projects do require planning, support, and client buy-in in a way that smaller ones do not, but it’s easy to go overboard and burn up huge amounts of time on “communicating” what you’re doing to everyone in the organization, “packaging” your findings, and “updating” senior management on a weekly or monthly basis. If you are a solo practitioner, every single activity has to contribute directly to the project’s goals and deliver value to the client—otherwise you work yourself to death and/or end up seriously diluting the time and effort.
They take responsibility for their own personal development. When you are on your own, you have to take responsibility for your own personal development and continuous education—no one will do it for you. There are no mandatory training seminars or meetings that you have to attend. This puts the burden on the individual to really think about the skills they want to develop and the topics they want to build expertise around.
They organize around clients. All large firms face the inevitable challenge of reconciling geography, practice groups, industry sectors, and functional expertise within the same organization structure. Sometimes, the client as a focal point gets lost within these complicated organizational matrices. Independents, however, are always organized around one simple and essential dimension: The client.
They truly act like it’s their own money. When you run your own practice or small firm, every cent you spend on expenses is a cent that doesn’t go into your own pocket (after some hefty taxes, of course). It’s a good mindset and a good discipline—which can get neglected in a large organization. I have seen some big firms (including my own, going back 15 years) make substantial investments that would never pass the entrepreneurial mindset test of “it’s our money, do we really want to do this?”
In today’s difficult economic environment, these are good principles to adopt and then keep for the coming good times.
by Andrew Sobel Andrew Sobel is the leading authority on client relationships and the skills and strategies required to earn enduring client loyalty. The most widely published author in the world on business relationships, he is a consultant, educator, and coach to major services firms worldwide. Andrew is the author of the recently released All for One: 10 Strategies for Building Trusted Client Partnerships—which was voted one of the top 10 professional services sales and marketing books of the decade—as well as the business bestsellers Clients for Life and Making Rain. He has contributed chapters to four books on leadership, marketing, and human resources management; and his articles and work have appeared in publications such as the New York Times, US Today, Strategy+Business, and the Harvard Business Review. He was a Senior Vice President and Country Managing Director for Gemini Consulting, where he served on the European Executive Committee, and for the last 15 years he has led his own consulting firm, Andrew Sobel Advisors, Inc. He can be reached at www.andrewsobel.com (Tel: 505.982.0211).
Well known psychologists suggest that human communication consists of 93% body language and paralinguistic cues, while only 7% of communication consists of the words themselves. Borg, John. Body Language: 7 Easy Lessons to Master the Silent Language. Prentice Hall life, 2008. Even though only 7% of communication may be the words you use, it is still important to choose the words you use wisely to convey the appropriate message.
Recently, I witnessed two situations where experienced and accomplished sales people used the wrong words and, completely turned off a potential customer and a potential referral partner.
“You should…”
The first example, I was at a networking event and one of the smartest and most detailed people I know used the words “you should” in response to another person’s venting about certain business issues. The person venting did not even listen to the advice given because he stopped listening as soon as “you should” was said. The phrase “you should” is what my mother used to tell me, when she did not like how I was behaving. “You should go to your room now.” Most people feel condescended (which means talked down to) when someone tells them “you should…” Does the following sound better?
Have you thought about ……? Have you tried ……..?
Advice
Sometimes people that ask for advice do not really want it. In situations like the above, it also may be useful to really try to assess whether the person venting is actually asking for advice and, whether you have permission to give them advice. A nice way of getting permission to give advice is to say something like, “I have encountered something similar in the past. That is difficult to deal with. Are interested in the way I handled it?”
“Obviously….”
The second example, at a sales training seminar, one of the sales people continually used the words “obviously” and “basically.” Those words can also be condescending. Depending upon the situation, people may interpret this as “What are you stupid?”
“I am just…”
When I was starting out in sales some 35 years ago, I was working for Kraft Foods. My supervisor was with me, when a customer asked me where she could find something. My reply was “I am JUST a salesman.” My supervisor gave me hell. When we use the word “just” we are lowering the value of ourselves and our offering. Sales is an honorable profession, you are an honorable person, and your products add value or you would (not should) be selling them.
As salespeople we must send positive strong messages. From other illustrious sales writers like Alan Fairweather, Larry Prevost, and Dr. Gary Goodman, here are other sales words that “you should” (just kidding), that you might want to avoid using.
Instead Of
“I’d like to”
“Perhaps”
“I can’t” or “You can’t”
“You will have to”
“But”
“I’ll try”
Consider Using
“What we’ll do is”
“What we do”
“I am unable to because”
“Are you willing to” or “Will you”
“And” or “However”
“This is what I can do.”
I would love to hear more words and phrases that you personally feel upset you, and see if we can come up with better ways of expressing them. Please send me your comments.
by Allan Himmelstein Allan Himmelstein is President of Sales Coach AZ, which specializes in developing customized, highly effective sales processes for individuals and companies. Specializing in B2B sales, my mantra is “How can we save a company time, trouble, and money”? If we cannot answer this we have no basis for doing business. We will utilize a company’s unique strengths and core values to build a highly effective sales process that maximizes results. Mr. Himmelstein has a proven track record as a top-level executive for increasing business revenues and profit growth in competitive markets. His extensive business management experience includes the startup of an international company, which grew to $40,000,000 in nine years. He has held C level positions in Fortune 500 companies, including serving as VP of Sales and Marketing for ConAgra. He currently is focusing on foreign companies and adapting their sales approaches to maximize success in the USA market. Website/Blog: Sales Coach AZ
Social media networking and marketing requires both creative and analytical skills. And few of us are proficient at both.
Left brain thinkers tend to be more linear and analytical. Right brain thinkers tend to rely on more circular methods of organization and creative solutions. A tip to keep the two straight is to associate the "L" of linear and left, and by deduction you know the right brain relates to the creative and intuitive skills.
Today I had a conversation with an association exec who was lamenting the fact that their social media planning and implementation was becoming unwieldy due to the fact that the necessary skill sets are spread out among many offices. She made the observation that there are left and right brain activities, and she has to delegate them accordingly to get the work done.
Entrepreneurs and small businesses may gain some insights from this for better managing their own social media activities, as well as some solace that they are not alone in their challenges.
Regardless of how many heads and hands you count on to pitch in, you should design a whole-brain approach that strategically maximizes the talents that are abundant in your organization.
Right Brain Activities
Content Creation
If you plan to be successful with blogging or any other social media activity, you need a steady flow of ideas. This is never a problem for me, which tells me I'm predominantly a right brain person. I personally believe this is an advantage with this platform because ideas, stories and anecdotes are what make the social networks come alive.
The problem with all of this creative thinking is applying it to get pragmatic results. Look at all of the micro-bloggers. You sometimes wonder if there is a point to all of that chatter. In many cases there isn't! Consider brainstorming sessions to combine the talents of two people who can together create ideas and then use them to get results that matter for your business.
Graphics
There is good news here. These skills are not necessary to succeed with social media. If you search in your local community your will find these talents for a reasonable cost. What may be challenging for you could take just a few minutes for someone proficient in that skill.
You can also take the time to get more proficient with how basic software such as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. I created the graphic for this post on Foursquare with MS Word. It does the job. Here's a tip: Save your graphics from Word or the Web into MS PowerPoint. Then do a 'Save As' to a jpeg file. Then load that up to Picnik to clean it up and crop it to fit. That's what I did with this one in less than 5 minutes.
Presentation Skills
No matter how talented you are, most presentation skills take practice. You cannot just pick up a camcorder and start shooting – although many do, and that minimizes their effectiveness. You need to develop an understanding of eye-contact, organizing the content, and otherwise being natural in your delivery. This post I created a couple years ago on video presentation skills may be helpful.
The same goes for writing skills. There are many posts in this blog on writing skills. Here's one on writing a quality blog post with an emphasis on speed. If you want more, just use the Google search box on my home page to search for blog tips or check out my Best Of tab. There are no secrets here; you still have to practice.
Left Brain Activities
Database Management
Thanks to Batchbook, this is getting easier for me. However you manage your contacts and lists, my suggestion is to keep it all Web-based. Databases on your computer or server are going to crash at some point. Let someone else manage that burden.
Though the most valuable aspect of Web-based databases is that they integrate seamlessly with the many other social media and Internet marketing services that are also Web based. This is a trend you don't want to ignore. Plus, I can assure you that you will save money in the long run, while also having access to the latest technology.
Internet Marketing
This can be an activity that sucks up a lot of your time. Though the main reason I minimize my use of eNewsletters is most people don't want them. We are on the cusp of this becoming old-school. I still do it with Mail Chimp, but I do it sparingly – no more than six times a year. MailChimp allowed me to easily insert a sign-up box right here on the home page of this blog.
One tip I recently learned is that actual snail mail is working better for some of my speaker friends. Paradoxically, it comes across as more personal these days. We appreciate that someone took the time to send us a personal, hand-crafted message.
Execution
This is a classic left brain skill, and one that us right-brainers highly value. Why is that? Because we are so busy traveling in our minds between new ideas that we fail to get the job done. Fortunately, I've managed to discipline myself to get this blog to you every day, and that's only because I enjoy doing it.
Take a Strategic Approach
If you are building a social media marketing plan for your business, consider looking at it from the front and the back. The right-brainers will start at the front with the technology they love. The left-brainers will start with the customers they love. You need to do both and meet in the middle.
Here's my simple 3M Method:
Market – Understand what the people you are serving really need.
Model - Build a social media process that extends your business model – one that makes it better.
Mindset – This is social platform. Change your mindset from clients and customers … to communities of friends
The rest is a no-brainer!
by Jeff Korhan Jeff Korhan is a new media marketer, an award-winning entrepreneur, and a top-ranked blogger who helps small businesses maximize their Web visibility, reputation, and referrals with social media and Internet marketing. As a social media speaker, trainer, columnist and coach, Jeff applies three decades of marketing experience and an MBA with a special skill for simplifying technology and complex ideas to make them practical and useful for small businesses. Jeff is a recognized social media leader whose New Media and Small Business Marketing blog is ranked in the Top 100 Small Business blogs in by Technorati.
A young sales person peeped into the office of someone who looked like a sales manager, muttered something then started walking away. After retreating a little he seemed to change his mind, seemed to head back to the door, where after some hesitation, he started to back away again. The Sales Manager, feeling sorry for the young man, and surprised that he was so badly trained called him in.
"You're a salesman aren't you? What are you selling"
"Sir.... uh ... yes ... I'm a salesman. I'm sorry to bother you. I was selling insurance, but I'm sure you don't want any. Sorry to have wasted your time."
Feeling sorry for the young bungler the Sales Manager bought 2 policies to give the young salesman some confidence and then started teaching him about selling. He said:
"You should have different pre-planned approaches for different kinds of ...."
"But I do, Sir, the one I just used is my planned approach for Sales Managers. It always works. Thank You!"
Boosting 'likes' and comments a balancing act as fan base grows
March 2011 research from link-sharing solutions provider Visibli found that among Facebook pages with at least 100,000 “likes,” engagement dropped as the number of fans increased. Each individual post by brands and media organizations received fewer “likes” as a proportion of the page’s fan base.
Similar data from social media engagement firm LoudDoor shows a more complex picture of how page size affects “likes” and comments per post. “Likes” increased with page size, except among pages with 2.5 million to 5 million users. On a per-user basis, “likes” began to decrease for pages with more than 100,000 fans, then rose again for pages with 1 million to 2.5 million followers. Larger pages had fewer “likes” per post per user, but the decrease did not correspond directly with page size.
Some of this effect could be difficult to avoid. Posts may still receive hundreds of comments, but the number of comments per user will inevitably be much lower when pages have millions of fans.
LoudDoor also noted that brands must be aware of the algorithms Facebook uses in determining which posts to present to which users in the newsfeed. The EdgeRank algorithm takes into account affinity with the content creator along with other factors. If page growth means that fans are becoming less similar to each other as more are added, and have less affinity for the brand, new posts may not even show up in their newsfeed—meaning they will never have the chance to engage with the brand there.
by eMarketer Keep your business ahead of the digital curve. Learn more about becoming an eMarketer Total Access client today. Get more articles like this one delivered every day. Click here for the eMarketer Daily newsletter.
I had all these ideas on my mind, but each of them was too short to make a blog post out of it. So, I decided to group all my ideas into one blog post. I hope you like it!
Idea #1: Stop Using the Wrong Metrics to Evaluate Business Success When people want to figure out how much money you make as a business owner, they ask about your revenues or number of employees. I think those are two horrible ways to measure success. A $1M business with 75% profit margin is very different from a $1M business with a 6% profit margin. However, they both have the same revenue. Also, some businesses make a few million dollars with only one employee, while others make half that much but have several more employees, so don’t let the number of employees a business has fool you.
There’s only one way to measure the financial success of a company: profits.
Idea #2: Is Your Business in a Plateau? It’s Time to Re-Invent It There’s a limit to how much you can grow doing what you do now. Once you reach that limit, you need to change the way you do things. Maybe that means introducing new products. Maybe it means targeting new audiences or switching from a service business into a product business. Don’t think incremental changes; think completely different business model. How can you tweak your business model to grow your company exponentially?
Email prospecting can be a very effective way to reach key contacts and turn them into sales leads.For that to happen, you want to master the Glimpse Factor and give your prospects a reason to respond to your message.
1. Doing your homework is key.
A number of sellers pointed out that what makes their email so relevant is the research they do beforehand. When it comes to understanding your prospect's business – not to mention the challenges he or she is facing right now – there's no substitute for doing a little bit of reading. You don't need an in-depth survey, 10 or 15 minutes for top prospects will give you the information you need to personalize your message.
2. Be current and relevant.
Set up Google alerts or a similar newsfeed to stay on top of what's happening with your biggest prospects. That knowledge will allow you to open your email with something that's important to the prospect at that moment. 3. Speak the prospect's language.
Your message, and especially the first few sentences, must pertain to the reader. Don't waste your prospect's time by talking about yourself or your company. The only way they're going to pay attention is if they see an immediate benefit that relates to them. Use their acronyms and industry terms to show that you understand their world.
4. Keep is short.
One seller said that her rule in prospecting emails is 3-5 lines at a maximum. All she focuses on is the business benefit for the issue she’s uncovered in her homework.
5. Use a subject line with clarity and purpose.
Put yourself in your prospect's seat. You have too much to do already, and an inbox that's growing by the minute. Would you take the time to read your email? Remember, the recipient is looking for an excuse to delete your message – don't give them an easy out with a generic subject line.
6. Break the rules now and again.
One sales rep mentioned that he includes a humorous image at the end of his emails. While having extra pictures and links is normally a bad idea (since it can trigger spam filters), his images work because they catch prospects' attention and highlight the important issue he’s mentioned. It's okay to break the email prospecting rules once in a while, but be sure you have a very good reason.
7. Test and test again.
Could your email prospecting be getting an even higher response rate than it is now? Another sales rep shared that he tweaks his approach regularly and records the results. He tests new messages, closing lines, length, links, subject lines, signatures and other details. He uses his observations to refine his prospecting emails and seen higher and higher percentages of prospects turn into leads.
8. Don't give up on important contacts.
Persistence is the name of the game. One seller shared that 2-3 days after sending a prospecting email she cold calls prospects. She uses a combination of prospecting emails and cold calls to get in the door. It can take up to nine different attempts to get a sales prospect to return a call or email. Most sales reps give up after two or three. Stick with it, and you'll eventually connect with the person you're trying to reach.
by Kendra Lee, President, KLA Group Kendra Lee is author of “Selling Against the Goal” and president of KLA Group. Specializing in the IT industry, KLA Group helps companies rapidly penetrate new markets, break into new accounts and shorten time to revenue with new products. Ms. Lee is a frequent speaker at national sales meetings and association events. For more information, contact the company at +1 303.741.6636 or info@klagroup.com or visit www.klagroup.com. To read more sales news, facts and tips click here
While several companies and small businesses use company pages on Facebook, many of them overlook the ability of a LinkedIn company page. Developing a professional appeal to consumers provides a "trust-like" factor. This is something several businesses miss in the online world.
LinkedIn has been around for years and was considered the first "real" professional social network. While there were a few who came before them, LinkedIn presented a style and appeal we could find in the offline world. Today it is one of the most notable websites worldwide.
Utilizing LinkedIn starts with your profile's 4 main pages:
* Overview * Careers * Products and Services * Analytics (only available to page admins)
Company integration in each area is a crucial step to enticing potential consumers to utilize your services. Without the proper wording, it's possible they will look elsewhere. Think of the company page as a resume where people come to compare similar competitors. A first impression is all it takes to win-over a potential client. It's also the fast track to failure.
The Overview is going to be the "introduction" of your company or business. In order to get the most from this area we suggest implementing a keyword strategy. It's very important for the information to flow naturally, but it's just as important to have keywords within the content. However, "any" keyword is not the goal. You should take the time to find out what consumers in your niche market is searching for in the search engines.
Think of the Careers pages as your selling piece. There are different options available to make your presentation stand out more to potential clients. One of the best additions to this area is the custom content modules. There are three of them available and they give any professional the opportunity to showcase areas of the business your viewers want to see.
We like to think of the Products and Services area as your "top product" section. Whatever your best service or product is, provide informative content about it in this area. If you have other benefits, list them below. This will turn people onto your best deal, but for those who don't need it they can look at everything else you have to offer.
Then of course, the Analytics section is for you and you alone. It's there to provide you details on how people are reaching your page. Whether it is through keywords, marketing strategies, or referrals, it's a huge bonus. It allows you to find the best approach when attracting potential customers.
If you don't have a LinkedIn profile, I highly recommend creating one for your business. Looking professional and having another traffic outlet are both beneficial pieces to your business.
by David Steel David Steel is one of the nation’s leading experts on the topic of Sales Motivation. He’s a popular and widely recognized author and motivational speaker who works with businesses and individuals as a sales management consultant, offering insights into hiring, compensation, goals and strategies, and teaching the use of sales management skills to build and maintain highly aggressive sales teams. David teaches that incredible sales management is available to all of us; an invisible force that guides and motivates sales teams. When we follow his proven strategies, we are led to sharp increases in sales, less employee turn-over and a sales force focused on selling. He believes we all have the ability to access and develop great talent and achieve long-term goals. For more information he can be reached at dsteel@feedyoursales.com. Website: http://www.thesteelmethod.com
Rejection is one of the biggest fears salespeople have. Oh is it? Watch Meridith Elliott Powell's video and learn why rejection is good information to have.
by Meridith Elliott Powell Meridith Elliott Powell, founder of MotionFirst, is an Internationally Certified Executive Coach, Speaker, and Business Development Expert. Author of two books, 42 Rules To Turn Prospects Into Customers and Mastering the Art of Success, Meridith specializes in helping Executives and Leaders build cultures that make sales fun, easy and incredibly productive. Author of two books, 42 Rules To Turn Prospects Into Customers and Mastering the Art of Success. Meridith is passionate about about the power of connection, and invites all of her audiences to connect with her on facebook, linked in and twitter. www.motionfirstnow.com
Being a sales person is not an easy job, no matter what the economy. But it’s been especially challenging these last few years. So here are a few free online sales tools that really will help you sell.
1. Google Alerts– Want to know when someone mentions your products or services online? Or how about staying abreast of what your competition is doing? With Google Alerts you can have that information sent to you via an automatic email update, or a daily/weekly email report. You can also track alerts using an RSS feed reader.
2. MyBrainShark– This free tool makes online marketing easy by enabling you to record and add an audio narration to a PowerPoint presentation. Once the files are combined online, you can then share the information with your clients or prospects via email or post the link on a social networking site like Facebook. The service also enables you to track who views the file.
3. Mikogo- Need to conduct an online meeting or sales presentation? This free service enables you to share your desktop so a prospect can view your presentation or anything else on your computer. You can also conduct online meetings with up to 9 other people.
4. Google Calendar – If you need help staying on schedule, check out this other free tool from Google. The easy to use interface, smart phone integration and ability to share calendars with anyone you wish, combine to create a handy tool for staying organized while you’re on the go.
5. Edgar (Electronic Data-Gathering, Analysis & Retrieval) System – This system is a database of financial statements for publicly-held companies compiled by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The documents include 10K (annual) and 10Q (quarterly) filings, which give you some insight into a company’s finances, as well as its organizational structure.
6. Hoovers– This free tool contains top level data on financials, strategies, competitors, key executives, market dynamics, etc. for more than 30 million corporations and organizations. The difference between this tool and Edgar is that it’s a little easier to sort through Hoovers’ information, rather than dig through the SEC reports. But if you want more detailed information, you’ll have to pay for it.
7. The Ultimate Cold Calling Tool – If you ever find yourself stumped to respond to an objection during a cold call, this is the tool for you. Simply click on one of the common objections you might encounter, and you’re presented with a list of possible responses. You choose the response that suits you best, click on it, and then continue the sales call.
by Meredith Oliver
Meredith Oliver, The Digital Diva, is an author, professional speaker and founder of Meredith Communications; a full-service web marketing specializing in website design and search engine optimization. She delivers keynote speeches and seminars internationally to business owners and salespeople on how to click with technology and Internet marketing to make more sales and make more money. Meredith holds a Masters Degree in Communication Technology and numerous industry designations. You can learn more about Meredith at http://thedigitaldivablog.com/.
When inviting your customers to do something suggest scheduling it right then. Reason-what doesn't get scheduled doesn't get done. What customer do you need to see today? Ask them to commit and they will.
Sales Challenge #3 To read more sales news, facts and tips click here When inviting your customers to do something suggest scheduling it right then. Reason-what doesn't get scheduled doesn't get done. What customer do you need to see today? Ask them to commit and they will. by Deborah Gardner, www.DeborahGardner.com Learn more about Deborah To read more sales news, facts and tips click here
Do you want more fans for your Facebook page? Here you have 7 ways to get tons of fans.
Invite Your Friends to Become Fans
This is really easy and it’s the first thing you should do. Click on the “Suggest to Friends” link and invite the people you think would be interested to become your fan. Once you have 25 fans, you can claim your URL-friendly page, like Facebook.com/YourCompany.
Embed the Facebook Page Widget on Your Site Facebook has plenty of widgets you can put on your site to invite people to become your fan. Check out this link.
Invite Your Subscribers Email all of your subscribers and invite them to become fans. Give them a good reason to do so, like exclusive deals to Facebook fans or a contest they don’t want to miss.
Do Viral Contests Ask your fans to post something to your wall. It could be a video, picture or a comment. Whoever gets the most likes wins, so encourage the contestants to invite their friends to vote for them. They need to click on the Share link and send it to all their friends. For their friends to vote for them, they need to become fans first. If you get 20 people to participate in the contest, and each of them has 20 friends to vote for them, you’ll automatically get 400 new fans.
Some ideas for contests: drink a whole bottle of our soda in less than 10 seconds (and videotape it), post a picture of your Halloween costume or post a comment explaining why your company should get a free website. The crazier you go, the better. People love sharing things out of the ordinary.
WildFire App is an awesome tool to create contests.
Include Your Facebook Page Link Everywhere You should have a link to your Facebook page in your email signature, business cards, at your store and in your brochures.
Use a Reveal Tab Facebook pages allow you to show one tab to fans and a different one to non-fans. This allows you to show non-fans a special message to persuade them to join. Show them what they get for becoming fans. It has to be something of high value. 1-800-FLOWERS invites you to like their page to get exclusive deals and Weekly World News has exclusive content for their fans.
Use Facebook Comments on Your Site The beauty of using the Facebook widget to allow people to post comments to your pages and blog posts is that these comments will go to their Facebook profiles as well, which all their friends can see, and will give your business a lot of free exposure.
This is what a Facebook Comments box looks like:
This tool will do all the work for you: Facebook Comments Code Generator. There’s also a WordPress plugin. Get Fans to Tag their Photos If you organize events and take photos, tag the people in the photos, or, better yet, get them to tag themselves. This will make the photos show on their walls, so all their friends can see them.
Embed Facebook Videos You’re probably familiar with embedding YouTube videos on your site. Did you know you can do the same thing with Facebook?
Use Facebook Ads Facebook ads are great if you know what you’re doing. But if you don’t, they’ll make you waste a lot of money. This is the approach I recommend:
Write a question-based ad, like “Do You Like Popcorn?” Keep it as short as possible.
Target your fans’ friends. For example, if Rachel is your fan and Mark is friends with Rachel, Mark will see this message: “Do You Like Popcorn? Rachel likes this.” This is great social proof. When our friends like something, we tend to like that, too. The more fans you have, the more people you’ll target and the faster your fan base will grow.
Invite Your Friends to Become Fans of Your Page by SMS (Text Message) All they need to do is send a text message to 32665 with the words “like YourUserName”.
And finally, don’t forget to keep your page alive. Fill out your profile, post content regularly, interact with your fans and ask questions. Fans like coming back to pages where they see a lot of positive activity.
by Zeke Camusio Zeke Camusio is a serial entrepreneur, marketing speaker, published author and CEO of The Outsourcing Company, an Internet marketing agency based out of Portland, Oregon.
Mark Zuckerberg (you know the movie star) popularized the term the “social graph” to give a visual representation to the way we are all connected socially (and to promote his movie.) The social graph represents the relationships between us as lines and us as the nodes (see the photo.)
Why does this concept matter to those in the frontline of selling? Simply because using relationships (and their cousin referrals) is by far the easiest way to get things sold.
Now the social graph has in fact existed since Adam and Eve (it was somewhat simple back then) but what’s changed in only the last few years are the tools we can use to take advantage of it.
Back in the day (circa 1995) the only way I could find out if you knew someone that I wanted to know was to ask you to bring you Rolodex (yes I mean the thing with the cards in it) to a coffee shop and I would bring mine. Then we’d sit at a table and look through these wonderful machines looking for people that could be useful to each of us. This was a cumbersome process and so, like so many cumbersome processes, it often did NOT happen.
Around 1998 we upgraded the same process by bringing our Palm Pilots to the same coffee shop and beaming each other business cards but not everyone seemed to have a Palm so this did not often happen either.
Today in the Post Linkedin Era (PLE) we have it so easy. If I want to know who you know, I jump onto Linkedin. I browse your connections or I search for the companies and people I want and back comes a list of my friends and how they can help me get a referral. Darn easy. No Rolodex lugging. No need to buy you a coffee.
The math on this social graph stuff is pretty amazing. There’s actual scientific research that shows that the average human can maintain up to 150 relationships. Now here’s the math: if I know 150 people and each of my friends knows 150 people that means I can get a referral to 150* 150 = 22,500 people. 22,500 people!
Now I’d say that as sales people if we knew that maintaining relationships was the best way to sell more we might be able to maintain more than 150 relationships (our livelihood seems like a good motivator to me.)
On top of that we now have a whole lot of tools to make maintaining more relationships easier than ever before. So you’d think we could pull it off. So let’s say we do push this boundary. Let’s say we can maintain 250 relationships but our friends (non-sales types) can only keep up 150. Then we can get referred to 250 * 150 = 37,500 people. How about if we can handle 500 relationships? 500 * 150 = 75,000 people.
Now I don’t know about you (actually I do know about most of you at least) but I have a lot more fun maintaining relationships with my friends and acquaintances than I do cold calling strangers that don’t treat me as an actual human being (of course there’s a human reason for this too). So instead of investing your energy into calling 1,000 strangers 7-12 times how about spending your time maintaining relationships with people that know, like and trust you? How about getting referrals to new prospects all the time and building out your network in the process?
Some research to think about: author Stephen Bistritz and North Carolina Business School did some research with C-level buyers for his book Selling to the C-Suite. They found that 80% of C-level execs will take your call if you have a referral from someone in their company but only 20% of the same execs will take your cold call (no referral). That’s a 4 x improvement using a referral vs a cold call.
More research: researchers at IBM put an actual monetary figure on the value of a relationship: $948. $948 for every relationship you have. Why? For all the reasons above. The researchers found that those with more relationships made more money.
Some more math: $948 * 500 = $474,000. So if you maintain 500 relationships that should be worth almost half a million dollars. And by-the-way that’s your money. If you maintain those relationships, they move with you -- even when you change jobs. Wouldn’t you like to add an extra half-mill to your net worth? And even have fun doing it. Get social!
Thoughts chaps?
by Nigel Edelshain, Sales 2.0 Nigel Edelshain is CEO of Sales 2.0 (LLC). Sales teams trained by Sales 2.0 get radically superior cold calling results by employing social media and Sales 2.0 tools in their sales processes. Sales 2.0 provides sales training and consulting to companies in IT services, insurance, software, printing and telecommunications.
These are the 10 most important business lessons I learned in the first half of 2011.
Up until 2010 I felt I was doing just fine, but I wasn’t aiming high enough. I learned that growing 100% is not much harder than growing 10%; you just need a different approach and bigger dreams. I don’t know how to prove this, but in my experience the size of your business has a lot to do with the size of your goals.
When You Don’t Try to Sell, You Sell More I thought I was a good salesman. But at the beginning of the year something really cool happened. We were fully booked and we couldn’t take any more clients for a while. I kept meeting with prospects but because we couldn’t accept clients, I changed my focus from selling to helping them find a solution to their problem.
Suddenly everyone wanted to work with us. I think it’s because when you don’t try to sell anything, people lower their guard. Also, when you help others without trying to get anything in return, you create a lot of goodwill. I learned this by accident and I’m so glad I did.
Free-Writing Rocks! Free-writing is a technique to unlock great ideas hidden in your mind. All you have to do is write. What about? It doesn’t matter. Just start writing and write a lot. Go with the flow. You’ll be amazed at how much you’ll learn about yourself and how many ideas you get by doing this.
It’s Not How Much You Make; It’s How Much You Keep I think I’ve been pretty successful at making money, but I’ve also been pretty stupid as to how to spend our company funds. Just recently we’ve started working with a CPA and a bookkeeper. They’ve been great at saving us money. They re-negotiated a lot of contracts with our vendors, bundled services to get discounts and got rid of a bunch of things we didn’t need.
If you’re not cheap, find someone who’s cheap and loves saving money. This is especially true during good times, because during bad times it’s pretty easy to cut costs, but when thinks look good, we tend to relax about cost-cutting. Remember: it’s not how much you make; it’s how much you keep.
There’s Nothing Like a Face to Face Meeting There was a time in my life when all I wanted was to be behind a computer all day. The fewer people I talked to, the better. Not surprisingly, I always had a hard time growing my business.
This year I decided that I was going to meet more people. I now meet about 10 people a week. It has helped me create a much wider network and get more clients, but more importantly, I’ve had the time of my life doing this. I’ve met some of the most interesting people in the world in the past six months.
Pay Yourself What You’re Worth in the Market I used to pay myself a really low salary and whenever I needed more money, I would just take it from the company funds. This is a terrible way to run a business.
What’s even worse is that I thought the company was doing well because our cash reserves were growing every month. But this was mostly because I was paying myself way less than what I’d have to pay someone with similar skills to replace me.
Let me give you an example: let’s say you pay yourself $5,000/month and your company profits are $3,000/month. Each month your bank account is $3,000 bigger. But the question is, “could you find someone to replace you for $5,000?” Probably not. If replacing you costs $10,000/month, then your company is losing $2,000 every month. Pay yourself a market salary. If you can’t afford it yet, that’s OK. Just keep in mind that you need to increase your profits, or you won’t have a business, you’ll have a job.
Ask For Help More Often In the past six months I’ve started asking for help a lot more. I was facing some growing pains with one of my businesses and I asked some of the most successful business owners in Oregon for advice. Out of the six people I asked for help, five agreed to help me. I was astonished. They were incredibly generous with their time.
I think that acknowledging our limitations and asking for help makes us stronger.
Join an Accountability Group A few months ago I joined Entrepreneurs Organization Accelerator Program, a community of very successful and smart entrepreneurs. Every month we get together and we share what our goals for the next 30 days are. Then, the next time we meet, we talk about what goals we accomplished and which ones we didn’t.
This is so powerful! You can do this with other business owners in your area. When other entrepreneurs hold us accountable we become a lot more motivated to reach our goals.
Systems Are Extremely Important A few months ago I was very discouraged by how inefficient we used to be. I’m a creative person, so creating systems is not something I’m very good at, so I asked a guy I have a lot of respect for to help me with this task.
He made everyone at our company keep a log of everything we did for an entire week. Then he broke down the tasks by category, wrote job descriptions and created a 5-page manual for each of us. Not only that, but he also created a one-page cheat sheet that we keep next to our desks. It’s an awesome checklist and it ensures that nothing falls between cracks.
Whether you like it or not, in order to scale up your company needs systems.
Don’t Discard Ideas Just Because You Don’t Want to Implement Them If you’re like me, you come up with ideas for your business all the time. And if you’re like me, some of your best ideas never get executed because you don’t have the energy or time to take care of them.
A few months ago I decided to let my team members implement the good ideas I didn’t have time for. It was amazing! I tend to be a control freak, but every time I decide to let go of my control issues and empower my employees, great things happen. I’m trying to do more and more of this.
So, let me ask you: What business lessons have YOU learned in 2011?
by Zeke Camusio Zeke Camusio is a serial entrepreneur, marketing speaker, published author and CEO of The Outsourcing Company, an Internet marketing agency based out of Portland, Oregon.
When a sales lead comes to you regarding your company’s products and services, it’s natural to look at such an event as good news – and in many cases, it is. Too often, however, the reality is that a number of these inquiries – especially those that begin by saying “I need for you to give me a price on _____” – may not what they appear to be. In fact, in quite a few cases, they may be nothing more than a waste of your time.
Many sales training programs focus on “qualifying” the prospect; I would suggest that your real objective with many leads is learning rather to disqualify them. Simply stated, this means knowing how to politely and quickly determine if there is a reason why you should not get involved.
Below are some of the more common scenarios that beg for disqualification, together with suggestions on how to handle them.
1) The person calling refuses to answer any questions about their needs. We’ve all had the call that begins with “Hi, I need to know how much you charge for _____”. You ask a probing question to better understand the buyer’s needs, and the response you immediately get is along the lines of “never mind, just give me a price”. Common sense dictates that a person with a serious interest would welcome some intelligent questions from you regarding their specific needs. Therefore, one of the simplest disqualifying criteria is established by determining if the caller is willing to discuss what they are looking for. At the risk of sounding harsh, I would suggest that you can eliminate this caller – NOW – as a legitimate prospect. Think about it – how often do people who only want to know what something costs actually end up being a client? If possible, “ballpark” these calls by providing a range of pricing that can be further clarified with the cooperation you initially asked for – after all, you don’t have enough information to get specific. If they balk at the generalities, say “that’s as specific as I can get with the information you have provided”. Then ask, again, for a moment or two of their time to get a couple of questions answered. In many cases, they will cooperate when you repeat the request.
2) The person requesting pricing is calling you on someone else’s behalf, and therefore is not a qualified buyer. If you’re not sure of the person’s role in the decision process, ask this question during the course of the conversation: “And are you the one making the purchase?” If they are not, ask “then what is the decision process within your company?” After this is provided, ask for access to the decision maker. Explain that the others involved are likely to have different questions and concerns regarding the item(s) in question, and that you would like to get their additional input to make an accurate recommendation. If they will not allow you this access, know that you have a 90% chance of not getting the business, and plan your time accordingly.
3) The person calling plans on using your pricing to “shop you around” to other options. This is the person who wants your “best price”. They are usually looking for the cheapest price they can find – which means, if you aren’t the lowest-priced option, you are not going to be a contender for their business. Not that you would want to be – these people also make the worst customers. In this case, ask “what other options are you considering?” before discussing numbers. If it turns out that they plan on calling competitors, ball-park a quote. Then suggest that they complete their fact-finding first, and call you after they have all of their information. This tables the price issue for now – and saves you unnecessary wasted time. It also gives you the ability to get the “last look” before a decision is actually made.
In spite of these pitfalls, too many business people think that “any lead is a good lead” – and fall right into the trap of providing pricing information to unqualified buyers. This isn’t just an issue of selling skill; it’s also an issue of time management. People who aren’t seriously interested in doing business with you are NOT entitled to a significant amount of your time. Your ability to avoid wasting your efforts in chasing such unqualified opportunities – without offending the caller – is a very desirable and productive business strategy.
by Landy Chase Landy Chase, MBA, CSP is an expert who specializes in speaking to corporations and associations on advanced professional selling and sales management skills. His latest book, Competitive Selling, was named an Editors Choice Best Business Books of 2010 selection and is available on amazon.com. To book Landy for your next sales meeting, visit his website at www.sellingrevolution.com or call (800) 370-8026.
Want to know the quickest way to connect with others on LinkedIn? Join a group.
Groups are an easy way to meet people and develop relationships that can be leveraged for business. You can join up to 50 groups, but a more effective strategy is to limit yourself to 10 or 20 groups, so you have time to participate and engage in discussions, and make meaningful connections. Here are a few tips on how to use groups effectively to build your business:
1. Join groups related to your target audience. Find groups that don’t have a huge membership – between a few hundred and a couple of thousand is best. Plan to visit them a few times a week, rather than wait for a weekly email update.
2. Join the discussion. Look for the most popular discussions (found at the top of the group) to see which ones you want to contribute to. These discussions are usually the ones that have the most comments anyway, so you can review them and add your own insight to the conversation, or ask a question. If you add value, members will begin to recognize you as a thought leader in the group and can “follow” you to keep up with your activity.
3. Start your own discussion. Once you’ve participated in the group for a while, you can start your own topics. You can share articles, including your own blog articles, ask a question, or even take a controversial stand on an issue to get the conversation going. The goal is to get as much engagement as possible. If you do, you could become a “top influencer” for the week.
4. Start your own group. Creating your own group gives you a real opportunity to promote your business. You can send messages once a week to your members. You can create a customized welcome message that includes a call to action – such as inviting members to sign up for your newsletter. As group manager, you can invite members to events you sponsor, and import RSS feeds into the news area, so your blog posts can be read by your members.
Devoting a little time to LinkedIn groups can have a big payoff for you in terms of building influence and obtaining business referrals, leads and sales.
If your sales team is not familiar with how to maximize LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter to increase sales, Meredith has the answer– Meredith Oliver’s Social Media Boot Camp! Meredith can teach your sales team click-by-click how to use and maximize social media for business. Email meredith@creatingwow.com for more information.
by Meredith Oliver Meredith Oliver, The Digital Diva, is an author, professional speaker and founder of Meredith Communications; a full-service web marketing specializing in website design and search engine optimization. She delivers keynote speeches and seminars internationally to business owners and salespeople on how to click with technology and Internet marketing to make more sales and make more money. Meredith holds a Masters Degree in Communication Technology and numerous industry designations. You can learn more about Meredith at http://thedigitaldivablog.com/.
How many attempts do you make to close a sale? Watch Meridith Elliott Powell's video and learn why you need to be prepared to go the distance! Watch now...
by Meridith Elliott Powell Meridith Elliott Powell, founder of MotionFirst, is an Internationally Certified Executive Coach, Speaker, and Business Development Expert. Author of two books, 42 Rules To Turn Prospects Into Customers and Mastering the Art of Success, Meridith specializes in helping Executives and Leaders build cultures that make sales fun, easy and incredibly productive. Author of two books, 42 Rules To Turn Prospects Into Customers and Mastering the Art of Success. Meridith is passionate about about the power of connection, and invites all of her audiences to connect with her on facebook, linked in and twitter. www.motionfirstnow.com
The critical factor in selling today is risk. Because of the continuous change, rapid obsolescence, and an uncertain economy, the risk of buying the wrong product or service has become greater than ever before.
One of our powerful needs is for security, and any buying decision that represents uncertainty triggers the feeling of risk that threatens that security.
There are four main factors that contribute to the perception of risk in the mind and hear of the customer.
Risk Factor 1: Size of the Sale The first factor that contributes to risk is the size of the sale. The larger the scale, the more money involved, the greater the risk.
If a person is buying a package of Lifesavers, the risk of satisfaction or dissatisfaction is insignificant. But if a person is buying a computer system for their company, the risk factor is magnified by hundreds of thousands of times.
Whenever you are selling a product that has a high price on it, you must be aware that risk enters into the buyer’s calculations immediately.
Risk Factor 2: Number of People Affected The second factor contributing to the perception of risk is the number of people who will be affected by the buying decision. Almost every complex buying decision involves several people.
There are people who must use the product or service. There are people who must pay for the product or service. There are people who are dependent of the results expected from the product or service. If a person is extremely sensitive to the opinions of others, this factor alone can cause him or her to put off a buying decision.
Risk Factor 3: Length of Life of the Product The third factor contributing to the perception of risk is the length of life of the product. A product or service that, once installed, is meant to last for several years, generates the feeling of risk. The customer panics and thinks, “What if it doesn’t work and I’m stuck with it?”
Risk Factor 4: Unfamiliarity The fourth major risk factor is the customer’s unfamiliarity with you, your company, and your product or service. A first-time buyer, one who has not bought the product or service before, or who has not bought it from you, is often nervous and requires a lot of hand-holding.
Anything new or different makes the average customer tense and uneasy. This is why a new product or service, or a new business relationship with your company, has to be presented as a natural extension of what the customer is already doing.
Overcoming Risk In every case, you must overcome the customer’s fear of risk if you are going to make the sale. Everything you do, from the first contact, through closing, the delivery and installation of the product or service, and the follow-up to the sale, must be done with the customer’s perception of risk uppermost in your thinking.
Successful sales people are those who position their products or services as the lowest-risk product or service available to satisfy the particular need or achieve the particular goal of the customer.
Low-Risk vs. Low-Price Your job is to be the low-risk provider, not necessarily the low-price vendor. Your job is to demonstrate clearly that your product or service represents the safest and most secure purchase decision rather than merely being the least expensive or highest quality.
Our customers today are the most experienced in customer history. They know that there is usually a close correlation between higher price on the one hand and greater security and after-sales satisfaction on the other. Your task is to make this differential clear in your sales presentation, especially when positioning you product or service against lower-priced competition.
Action Exercise Identify the risks that a customer might find with your product or service. Once you have clearly defined those risks, it will be easier to find solutions for them to ease nervous customers.
Want to learn how to separate your product from the competition and give your clients a reason to buy? With Brian Tracy’s 69 minute audio CD Selling Higher-Priced Products Against Lower-Priced Competition, you will learn how to find better prospects, zero in on client needs, close more sales, and much more! Click Here to learn more!
by Brian Tracy Brian Tracy is the most listened to audio author on personal and business success in the world today. His fast-moving talks and seminars on leadership, sales, managerial effectiveness and business strategy are loaded with powerful, proven ideas and strategies that people can immediately apply to get better results in every area. For more information, please go to www.briantracy.com
When I was first exposed to Twitter, I was not just negative, I was militant. The idea that a 140-character message was an effective form of communication was ridiculous. The time-suck of all-day blathering about my life, my wife, my meals, my dog, and on and on was offensive to my mid-west work ethic. Worse, I found the constant reading of everyone else’s details and their pandering for micro-fame in the digital ether numbing and nauseating.
My marketing partner is a nag. A twenty nine year-old, social-media-addicted, drank-the-Kool-Aid® of social networking, NAG. She pushed, cajoled, threatened, and bribed me into getting engaged in Twitter (and LinkedIn and Facebook, but those are stories for another day). So, I jumped in and 90 days later, here is my report from the front lines of the question: “Can you really make money on Twitter, even if you are not a PR/Marketing/Advertising/Social Media-consulting company?” The answer is YES.
I have landed three consulting/presenting deals in the last 90 days in part or in whole because of Twitter. These deals have to do with my core business of helping companies grow through large account selling and have nothing to do with being a social media expert, which is good, because I am not a social media expert. As a novice who has now sold 6 figures of consulting in 90 days, let me tell you some things I have learned along the way …
1. Be valuable. The Twitter consultants, I call them the Twitter-azzi, tell you to put your life up on Twitter as a way to generate a personal dialogue with people and to not always be marketing your products or services. Welllllll… Let’s say I think that the right mix for me is 75% providing access to valuable expertise and 25% personal. Value is the result of helping people find information that is important to them—whether your information or that of other people in your area of expertise.
2. Be specific. Choose the area in which you are an expert. You need to pick your topic and focus on the information that you’re going to help people find. If you’re talking about everything all of the time, you will be an interesting personality, but not clearly valuable in any one area. Well, except entertainment.
3. Be choosy. The Twitter-azzi sends out all sorts of ideas on how to be followed by more people, as if that’s beneficial in and of itself. There is a flaw in the assumption that if people follow me, they are listening to me. THEY’RE NOT! These high-volume followers are just trying to increase the number of followers that they have. Don’t follow everyone who follows you and don’t follow people who you are not going to listen to. Be selective. The people whose posts I read are not even those people who I am following, they’re the people who are a part of a group I have created on TweetDeck, or they are including terms that I find in my Searches.
4.Search. This leads me to the key to managing hundreds of followers and millions of people on Twitter: create searches that allow you to catch those people and topics that are important to you. For me, “Vistage” is a search because I am a Vistage speaker and I know that they have a lot of CEOs who are tweeting about that topic. When I spoke at the GrowCo conference in Orlando, sponsored by Inc. Magazine, I put the conference’s name in as a search and met a dozen people who were tweeting during my presentation. Use the searches to hone in on your most important areas of interest and to follow/be followed by people of like interest.
5. Be efficient. I use TweetLater to manage my posts. I can write a dozen posts and release them on a schedule throughout the day so that those people who are following me are not inundated with five tweets all at once. I follow a Vistage speaker who I like, but he releases 5-10 posts at a time and I skim over them rather than read them. I think he thinks that he can tweet paragraphs like an email if he just breaks the paragraphs into tweets. The platform isn’t designed for that. And, as mentioned before, I use TweetDeck to manage my searches and groups—it makes it easier to see them all and work through them.
6. Be responsive. This is not just a broadcast channel; you need to respond to other tweets and engage with other people. If someone follows you, thank them and engage with them if it makes sense.
7. Be active. Retweet good content. Visit profiles to understand people on Twitter and possibly engage with them. Put your Twitter tag on your business card and website. This is becoming an important method of communication like your cell number and email address.
So, these practices turned into money because…
People I met started to engage me, my content and expertise through Twitter. Tweets led them to my profile, my profile led them to my website and blog, that expertise led them to contact me. It sounds simple, and in the end it really was. The difference in each case was that the point of entrance was not my newsletter or my website; Twitter was the jumping-off point. You can follow me @tomsearcy.
by Tom Searcy Tom Searcy, the foremost expert in large account selling, has made a career out of doing big deals and creating explosive growth. As the founder and CEO of Hunt Big Sales, a fast-growth consultancy and thought leadership organization, he's helped clients transform the way they do business and close deals they would have never thought possible. Searcy has also developed a reputation as a successful speaking, sharing the secrets behind explosive sales growth with audiences around the world. As a regular contributor to the Inc. Magazine conferences and Vistage International, the leading organization for CEO thought leadership, he's introduced more than 5000 CEOs to the concept that can lead to their biggest deals ever. Searcy's revolutionary ideas are now more accessible than ever before. He is the author of RFPs Suck! How to Master the RFP System Once and for All to Win Big Business, the co-author of Whale Hunting: How to Land Big Sales and Transform Your Company, and regularly blogs about sales strategies and techniques at www.HuntingBigSales.com
I just attended a Social Media Panel discussion sponsored by the AMA. The Social Media speakers were from Monte Cristo Hotel and Resorts, The Phoenix Suns, and Southwest Airlines. We have all heard that the difference with Marketing / Social Media today is the two-way conversation. So it was interesting to hear how these Social Media / Marketing folks are now talking directly with customers via Facebook and Twitter. They talked about building relationships with customers, and not trying to sell them. I have supervised over 50 salespeople in my career, and I guarantee that 49 out of 50 would say they reason they sell is because of their relationship.
Traditionally, sales and customer service were the only ones speaking directly to the consumer. I found many marketing people fearing the direct contact with the client. It used to be that Marketing would give a message to the masses in a one-way conversation, and sales customized the messages for their prospects and clients. Other people explain Marketing as developing the Leads, and sales turning the leads into prospects, and customers. So my question to you folks is:
1. Are Marketing people now in fact sales people but like the sound of the name Marketing?
2. Is Sales a dirty word?
3. In today’s market where does marketing end and sales begin?
4. Is it important for Marketing professionals to learn the traditional sales ways of building relationships, and teaching people how to buy and not sounding like they are selling?
by Allan Himmelstein Allan Himmelstein is President of Sales Coach AZ, which specializes in developing customized, highly effective sales processes for individuals and companies. Specializing in B2B sales, my mantra is “How can we save a company time, trouble, and money”? If we cannot answer this we have no basis for doing business. We will utilize a company’s unique strengths and core values to build a highly effective sales process that maximizes results. Mr. Himmelstein has a proven track record as a top-level executive for increasing business revenues and profit growth in competitive markets. His extensive business management experience includes the startup of an international company, which grew to $40,000,000 in nine years. He has held C level positions in Fortune 500 companies, including serving as VP of Sales and Marketing for ConAgra. He currently is focusing on foreign companies and adapting their sales approaches to maximize success in the USA market. Website/Blog: Sales Coach AZ
This young salesman after just 2 days at the job walks into the sales managers office (Who has had over 25 years of selling experience, starting from the bottom and gradually rising to manager) and says "Sir, I'd like to resign, I've been insulted at the job."
The old man asks the young man to be seated and then adds "I have no problem with the resignation, if you want to leave, sure you can leave. But out of my personal curiosity, can I ask you a question before you go?"
Without waiting for an answer he carries on, "I've been selling for over 25 years now. I've sold on phone. I've been door-to-door. During all this time, I've been called names, my parents have been called names, I was once even kicked down 2 flights of stairs, and yet no one has yet been able to 'INSULT' me! How did anyone manage to insult you in just two days?"
According to research carried out by eMarketer, US marketeers will spend over $3 billion on social network advertisements this year. That would mean that ad spend in this region would see growth levels of 55% in comparison with 2010.
The most recent forecast is a far more positive outcome than previous estimations, with the 2011 figures looking to beat initial predictions by some $1 billion. The rise will also increase the proportion of total ad spend online in the US accounted for by social media based advertising; based on eMarketer's calculations, social media ad dollars will represent 10.8% of the total.
A principal analyst involved in the study pointed to the advancing penetration of Facebook in the world of online advertising, claiming that the increasing levels of acceptance of Facebook as a “major force in all of online advertising” has had a momentous effect on the industry as a whole.
In 2009, Facebook generated approximately half a billion dollars in ad revenue in the US (the figure was $0.18 for non-US markets). This figure has soared over the past 2 years, and is expected to reach over $4 billion dollars worldwide this year.
In the UK, online ad spend estimates for 2011 come in at around 3.57 billion, accounting for 30% of total ad spend expectations over the course of this year. In terms of ad impressions, it is believed that online display advertising within the British online sphere has grown by some 34% in the space of one year. For both display advertising and paid search, the latest research is encouraging news, urging businesses to invest in such a consistently profitable strategy.
The sheer and seemingly limitless growth of social media participation is a real powerhouse when it comes to the generation of advertising revenue. If sites such as Facebook continue to grow as they have been doing, ad campaigns can expect to continue to reap the benefits of a continuous growth in online ad spend across the globe.
2011 not only promises to be the year of soaring online ad spending, but the point at which companies and marketeers will look towards social media with a keener eye, and really start to capitalise on the reach and influence of social networking.
Want to turn prospects into customers? Give them the reason to choose you! Watch Meridith Elliott Powell's video and learn how to build your expert reputation. Watch now...
by Meridith Elliott Powell Meridith Elliott Powell, founder of MotionFirst, is an Internationally Certified Executive Coach, Speaker, and Business Development Expert. Author of two books, 42 Rules To Turn Prospects Into Customers and Mastering the Art of Success, Meridith specializes in helping Executives and Leaders build cultures that make sales fun, easy and incredibly productive. Author of two books, 42 Rules To Turn Prospects Into Customers and Mastering the Art of Success. Meridith is passionate about about the power of connection, and invites all of her audiences to connect with her on facebook, linked in and twitter. www.motionfirstnow.com
I like social media. I spend some time out here, and I have developed some nice relationships. Some of those relationships have turned into real personal relationships. Some of them have turned into business relationships.
The idea behind social media is connection, engagement, and sharing. It’s about winning friends, and sometimes it’s about influencing people. Some people struggle to understand this, mistakenly believing that they need to tear others down.
The Fastest Way to Alienate People (Don’t Do This!)
Over the last couple months, I have had a couple of people who share my passion for sales and all things selling decide to post nasty, critical comments, some of which attacked me personally. I am fine with that; in fact, I am more than fine with that, and I don’t have any feelings that can be easily hurt.
What bothers me about this is that they believe that this is a strategy for using social media to win business.
The people who adopt this strategy aren’t alienating me, they are alienating the very audience they are trying to develop. They are alienating other people with a social media presence, and they are alienating their potential clients. Instead of engaging in a conversation, where everyone is free to voice their opinion and disagree (without being disagreeable), they are disagreeable in hopes of demonstrating their expertise in sales and selling.
They are undoing themselves.
Instead of making friends, they are making sure that they are avoided. Instead of influencing people, they are creating an unnecessary barrier. Your potential clients don’t really want to work with someone with an unpleasant and nasty disposition.
You Catch More Flies with Honey than Vinegar
My mom used to tell me that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. I hated when she said that, and I wondered why I would want to catch flies in the first place. But, as is always the case, she was correct then and she is correct now.
Social media doesn’t work the way the people I am describing here believe it works. You don’t create positive attention, a positive buzz, and potential clients by running around trying to tear other people down—even those you perceive as your competitor. You catch more flies with honey.
As Far As I Can Tell (Do This!)
There are a lot of people who know a Hell of a lot more about Social Media than I ever will. But as far as I can tell, this is some of how it works.
You gain a following on social media by engaging with people. You participate in conversations. Disagreements are fine, as long as they are polite, professional, and you don’t come across as being disagreeable.
You gain a following on social media by pointing people to good content that other people have created. This is true even when the person (or business) creating the content is your competitor (or your perceived competitor). You pay forward the sharing of quality content, and others share yours.
You gain a following on social media, and that following translates to business when you demonstrate how you are a value creator. This is not the same thing as demonstrating how other people are not value creators.
A Skunk at the Garden Party
Showing up to the party, running into the middle of the group, and punching somebody in the face isn’t a great strategy for making new friends.
Questions
What are the rules of engagement on social media if you want to extend your brand and gain client?
What do the connections you make on the social web say about you? Why is social proof important?
What does your personal brand on social media stand for? Is that different than what your business brand stands for? Why is it attractive to your potential clients?
by S. Anthony Iannarino S. Anthony Iannarino is the Chief Sales Officer for SOLUTIONS Staffing, a best-in-class staffing firm with offices across the United States; the principal of B2B Sales Coach & Consultancy, a sales coaching and consulting firm with international clients; and an adjunct faculty member of Capital University’s School of Management and Leadership where he teaches MBA courses on Persuasive Marketing and Personal Selling. Anthony’s focus is helping individuals and organizations to make the strategic behavioral changes that allow them to massively improve their sales performance and their financial results. Anthony writes about sales effectiveness, competitiveness, marketing and strategy at The Sales Blog.
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Many companies I work with today are enthusiastic about diving into social media. It's shiny object syndrome at its finest. The problem I find most prevalent is that companies have no realistic idea about what it takes to launch and support a social media program.
It takes a lot more than creating an account and setting up a profile with the best of intentions to participate.
Here are 5 things to consider before you choose to add social media to your marketing mix:
Prospect Preferences. Do you know where your prospects hang out online? Do they engage in social media? If so, is their involvement based on personal or professional reasons. (e.g. many people use Facebook for family and friends, keeping it separate from business)
Content. How much of it do you have? Do you have plans to continuously develop a flow of content with the variety of contexts you need to meet expectations in different social media venues? Is your company stance to gate content or make it freely available? Is all this content focused on your prospects' perspectives? Is it helpful? Do your prospects engage well with the content you already share with them? In other words, will they be receptive to more of it? If not, fix that first.
Resources. How many people do you have that can spend time working on social media efforts? What? Just you? How much free time do you have in your current schedule? Social media is not free. Take a look at #2 above and then consider how much time it actually takes to keep up with conversational threads, developing and sharing your content—-as well as that of others—contributing to conversations, answering questions, etc. Are you a writer? If not, make sure you line up writing resources to contribute content you can use. If you think you can force people (engineers, product managers, customer service agents, executives, etc. to write blog posts, think again. It's harder to get busy people to make time to write than you'd ever imagine.) Solely interacting in social media by curating other people's content (not your own) may make you a relied-upon resource, but it won't make you a thought leader that people seek out for ideas.
Long-term Commitment. Social media is not something you start and expect to see amazing results with in 3 months or less. It's definitely the turtle that beats the hare in this race. It can take 6 months to a year to develop the following, engagement and participation that leads to directly attributed sales gains. And, if you start, what impression will you make if you stop and your accounts become inactive? Social media requires commitment. You must be prepared to measure short-term wins and long-term goals accordingly. And those goals must be reasonable and achievable or you'll be setting yourself up for failure. Getting pushy and trying to make it happen faster can (will) backfire.
Connection Points. How can you integrate your social media efforts with your existing marketing programs? Set up a plan to develop cross-over and help your prospects find the content they're searching for regardless of where they look. Make sure you've got calls to action designed to help them migrate from one platform to another to follow your ideas and engage with your content—and your company. How will you share what's going on in social media internally across your company so that when the subject comes up, your customer service agents, salespeople, installers, etc. know how to respond? For B2B companies, social media is not a singular effort but a plural one. If people are out of the loop and get blindsided, it can be problematic—both for your company's reputation and your own dealings with other departments within the company.
Social media can be a boon for marketers and companies. But it does require planning and commitment that's often out of reach for many marketing departments already spread thin.
The best advice I can share is to do your research and stockpile some content (or create an editorial calendar) before you begin. Incorporate it with your existing marketing programs from the start to give it legs. Choose one tool that matches your prospects' preferences and apply yourself to becoming the best at it. Measure as you go. Then add more platforms/tools as you and plan to be prepared before continuing to expand your efforts.
Consider starting with a blog. A blog is the surest way to generate the content you need to fuel sharing on other social media platforms. Plus, with the proper planning, you can incorporate blog posts into newsletters and nurturing sends right away. This said, go back and really take a hard look at the list above before you commit.
by Ardath Albee Ardath Albee, B2B Marketing Strategist of her firm, Marketing Interactions, Inc, helps companies with complex sales increase and quantify marketing effectiveness by developing e-marketing strategies driven by compelling content. She taps over 20 years of business management and marketing experience to help clients, including Covad Communications, LANDesk and Silicon Graphics [SGI], create customer-focused nurturing programs to engage and progress prospects to sales readiness. Her book, E-Marketing Strategies for the Complex Sale will be out this fall from McGraw-Hill. Ardath also authors the industry-leading Marketing Interactions blog.
The quality of the answers we receive is in direct proportion to the quality of the questions we ask. What better questions do you have for your customers?
To really understand you business, a good place to start is by asking probing questions. Ask yourself the below questions to improve sales success and boost sales motivation.
What is the strategy to contact outlets who don’t know anything about us?
Which one of the items we sell is the new customer more likely to buy first?
For those customers to whom we’ve sold, what do they say is the main reason they bought from us?
If somebody doesn’t buy from us, who do they buy from and why?
What are the major obstacles other companies similar to ours face in growing their business?
What would it take to develop a referral program from our current customers?
Who are our competitors for each one of our products, and what are five significant reasons for each one as to why we’re different?
How many sales calls is it taking to close a sale?
What are all of the objections/comments we’ve heard thus far from our customers, and how should we respond to them in the future?
How much more efficient do we have to be in our sales efforts to be profitable as a company?
by Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Mark Hunter, The Sales Hunter, is a consultative selling expert committed to helping individuals and companies identify better prospects, close more sales, and profitably build more long-term customer relationships. To find out more, visit www.TheSalesHunter.com.
A door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman manages to bull his way into a woman's home in a rural area. "This machine is the best ever" he exclaims, whilst pouring a bag of dirt over the lounge floor. The woman says she's really worried it may not all come off, so the salesman says, "If this machine doesn't remove all the dust completely, I'll lick it off myself." "Do you want ketchup on it?" she says, "we're not connected for electricity yet!"
“No-one should do a job he could do in his sleep” Cory Doctorow, Canadian journalists and author The WELL Question: What’s your effort for taking yourself outside of the comfort zone this week?
In a previous blog, we covered off some home truths that salespeople still cling to, in the hope that the olde worlde still exists out there somewhere. The fact is that although many salespeople still sell the way they did five or ten years ago, the buyers that existed then don’t exist any more. And this is especially true in respects to relying too heavily on relationships in selling.
Although it may have worked before, relying on ‘the old boy’s network’ is rapidly becoming another home truth that can bite the dust:
False: Relationships sell
Truth: Relationships help, but only if the prospect values what we offer, and if they trust us to solve their problems Now, of course, I’m not knocking how important it is to build and keep a relationship going…it’s just that most buyers tell us that a supplier just relying on long-term relationships without keeping up-to-date with competitor knowledge, industry acumen and company figures is risking an awful lot in these competitive days.
The value that is offered still has to be kept up, and the current and future problems faced still have to be dealt with.
A good question you have to repeatedly ask yourself concerning your loyal customers is, “If they had to choose a new supplier, in today’s business environment and with the same business pressures, would they still choose us?”
By making sure you don’t get too blasé about the relationship, you still concentrate on giving value and dedication to your loyal customers. That way, you don’t give them any reason to doubt your commitment to them, at the expense of newer, more demanding clients. By still providing that value, you keep the relationship and the business connection going. And that can only be good for business!
Happy Selling!
Sean
by Sean McPheat The UK’s #1 Authority On Modern Day Selling MTD Sales Training
Before we begin calling, we should have already mapped out the times on our calendar we’ll be asking for appointments.
Remember, when calling for appointments, we recommend asking for specific dates and times in our opening. We’ll cover the reasons for that next week. For now, let’s talk about the concept of knowing when we want the appointment, as that will become an issue whether you ask for a specific date and time up front or not.
When beginning a Call Block, we should take a look at our calendar and map out some times when we’ll want to meet with those we’re about to call. Not only does this impact time management, but it will also indirectly (or maybe directly, depending on how we look at it) apply to geography.
I set aside days to be out on the road for appointments. In fact, I even have time slots set aside on my calendar for appointments. My Initial Appointments take an hour to an hour and twenty minutes (don’t get me started on that topic—it just does). Therefore, I set aside 90-minute time slots on my calendar for appointments. Since I also usually have follow-up meetings on those days, I am careful to select times that match the geography of where I’ll be in relation to whom I am calling. The Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex is a pretty large area. That means that it could take me easily an hour or more to go from one appointment to another if I don’t plan well. I’ll leave to another day the issue of out of town appointments which take on another level of complexity if you have to do it.
So, before I pick up the phone, I take a look at where I’m going to be the day I want the appointment and pick the time I want to ask for the appointment. That makes me sound much more confident and professional when I’m asking for the appointment. If the target cannot meet at that time, I’ve already got a few back-up times when I’ll be available and want to meet based on the days I’ll be out and the geography of the day. That way I won’t feel pressured, or hurried when hunting for a back-up time which could very well impact my productivity the day of the appointment if I didn’t.
by Barry Caponi Caponi Performance Group and Contact Science jointly market the telephone prospecting and cold calling solution called Coldcalling101™. It is the only comprehensive solution to solving the biggest barrier to success in most selling organizations—the inability to secure enough Initial Appointments to begin the selling process. We accomplish that through simultaneously addressing both the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. We can be reached at 817 224-9900 or at barry@coldcalling101.com.
1) If all you do is show up with an “Entertain me circus boy” attitude. Get involved, start a discussion, give someone an AMEN but stop looking at the groups like they owe you some entertainment. Its up to you to create the experience.
2) If your idea is to show up and throw up. People simply despise shameless self promotion. Plus you look like a tool. Seriously . . . you do!
3) If you start a discussion and then bail. Stick around and facilitate your discussions. Would you do that in real life? Walk in a room, ask a question and then poof, you leave? Psst . . . the more you facilitate, generally, the longer the shelf life of the discussion and get this . . . the longer your discussion stays up on page one and (drum roll) that equal mucho exposure for YOU! I know, awesome, isn’t it! I feel like Flo in those Progressive Car Insurance commercials getting all excited about this stuff!
4) If all you do is join is join your industry groups. How many widgets are other widget purveyors gonna buy from you genius? Branch out. Where is the money? Go there. What are some parallel industries? Example: If I sell sales training, perhaps I should know some HR People and Leadership dudes/dudettes. Then I need to go where they hang out. No? By all means join a few sales groups. Sales people are on the front line and offer insight on what’s going on right now in this crazy economy. Oh, sales people, other sales people can help you get in! Don’t forget to join local groups and even groups where you frequently travel to.
5) If the group manager is absentee. This one bothers me to no end. I run a very successful group on Linkedin Sales Playbook and I love tilting my gun sideways and bustin caps in the asses of spammers, combatives and just a holes in general. If you belong to a group and it resembles Dodge City . . . voice your opinion and if that doesn’t work . . . go reward one of the more than 250,000 other groups with your participation.
6) If you have unrealistic expectations. You are building relationships, trust and all that good stuff . . . not a quicky in the alley. Don’t ever forget that!
7) If you are inconsistent with your efforts. Farming is a daily activity my friend and showing up today, chilling for two weeks, then going hot and heavy and chilling again, doesn’t work.
The best part of all of this, is that you are in control. Linkedin is simply what you choose to put into it. Nothing more brochocho!
Come join us on Linkedin. We have 20,000 + very cool people, with pure discussions . . . no spam! http://linkd.in/bLb2H5
by Paul Castain Paul Castain is the Vice President of Jedi Mastery for Castain Training Systems where he works with organizations and individuals to achieve higher levels of performance. For more information on how Paul can help you and your company click here dude.
How often do you lower the price of your product or service to close a deal? Many times objections come up during the sales process and we are too quick to appease with a price reduction. Price can be a smoke screen and if we rush too quickly to solve for that we may not find out the real objection. Price is only one type of objection. Prospects will have objections about timing, features, service, shipping and a myriad of other things.
Objections are a natural part of the sales process. When you and the customer are taking the steps to move forward in the sales process it is natural that objections will arise. You have to be prepared to handle them.
Sometimes people are just not interested but don’t know how to say no or they really can’t afford it and don’t want you to know that. Learning to handle objections is important so that you don’t spend time with prospects who are not going to buy and you insure that those who are going to buy have all the information they need to make a good decision.
What are objections?
When you have a qualified lead they are a signal that the customer is interested but not ready to buy. Objections usually arise because either you or the prospect don’t have a full understanding of something important. People want to feel good about their purchases, business or personal. They want to be sure they made the right decision. So sometimes an objection is really the prospect saying, “Tell me why your product is so great so I can feel good about my purchase.”
Most objections are legitimate and should be treated that way. Many salespeople talk about having to overcome objections. I always use the term “handle” instead. If I have an objection I don’t want to be “overcome”. I want to know how you will handle that objection and make sure the purchase is a good fit for me or my company. As a prospect, this will tell me a lot about how you will respond in the future if I become a customer.
Objections usually fall into one of 4 categories, price, timing, product or something the prospect will not disclose to you. An example of the 4th is something like, “my brother sells the same product and I need three quotes but I am going to buy from him” or, “I don’t like you, but I am not going to tell you that so I will throw out some other objections.”
You are familiar with all of the common objections for your sale so I suggest doing the following exercise with them.
Make a list of the objections you commonly hear.
Write several solutions that are appropriate for those objections. These must be things that the company approves.
Craft questions to ask the prospect that will help you understand the objections.
Example:
Objection: The price is too high.
Possible solutions: discuss the value – perhaps they don’t understand what they are getting for the price, provide financing, develop at payment plan, explain the return on investment, help them work it into the next budget.
Possible questions: What have you discovered in comparing our product to the competition? How much were you planning on spending? What is your budget for this purchase? Would financing make the purchase possible? What features and benefits would make the price work for you?
Once you understand the objection better by hearing the answers to the questions it will be easier to handle.
Handling objections is something you need to review frequently. New objections come up, but typically you hear the same objections and can work on good solutions to handle those. It is good to do the above workshop several times a year and review the process for handling objections below.
Process for Handling Objections
Listen – listen carefully to the objection. Listen with your eyes and ears. What words are they using? What is the tone of voice? What body language do you see?
Ask – ask questions to confirm your understanding of the objection. Ask questions to clarify the objection.
Solve – answer with the appropriate solution. What is it that your company can offer to handle this objection or is it a situation where you don’t have a solution and should point the prospect elsewhere.
Confirm –confirm that your solution covers their objection. Once you have provided a solution be sure that it is acceptable to the prospect by asking.
Move on – to the next steps. Don’t over sell the solution, if you have handled the objection take the next step to move the sale forward.
Handling objections is something that should be easy to do. Objections are a natural part of the sales process. In fact, if I don’t get any objections when I am selling I get a bit worried. I would rather handle objections before I close a sale than after because I want my buyers to be satisfied and become a long term customer with repeat business and referrals.
by Alice Heiman National speaker, consultant and trainer, sales expert Alice Heiman has been helping companies increase sales for more than a decade. To learn more about Alice visit her website: www.aliceheiman.com
To improve your sales performance, adopt the Golden Rule mentality.
The Golden Rule says to, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." It also says, "Love your neighbor as yourself." The Golden Rule mentality in sales, says simply, "Sell unto others as you would have them sell unto you."
Different Strokes For Different Folks What does this mean? Aren’t there all kinds of different personalities that require different approaches and techniques? Well, yes and no. Practicing the golden rule in selling simply means that you sell to other people the way you would like to be sold to. You sell with the same honesty, integrity, understanding, empathy and thoughtfulness that you would like someone else to use in selling to you.
