Trustworthiness by Jim Meisenheimer

Sometimes I just want to scream.

I go ballistic when somebody sets an appointment and
shows up late.

It happened again last week.

We hired a young man to do some painting for us.

It's not a big job, doesn't require a lot of talent,
and we thought of this person because he's currently
unemployed.

Everyday we asked him "What time will you be here
tomorrow?" The first three days he was late and I was
furious. He told Bernadette, my wife, he would show up
at 8:30 AM the next morning. In fact, he showed up
at 10:30 AM.

When he shows up, he gives me his "Alibi Ike" story -
all the reasons why he was late. How could he ever
be on time, when he's not even wearing a watch -
I wondered.

So without resorting to my in-your-face NYC style, I
pointed out to him I was disappointed in his inability
to show up on time.

I asked him "What time can you be here tomorrow?" He
said, "9:30 AM." Then I said - "Okay," and added, "If
you're one minute late you're fired."

The next morning 9:30 AM comes and goes. At 10:15 AM
he calls and tells Bernadette the reason he's late is
because he had to stop at Home Depot - to pick up
something.

Lucky for him, Bernadette answered the phone. So for
the next two days, Bernadette simply told him to show
up whenever he could.

I understand that not everybody is like me. I like to
be on time; in fact I like to be early to avoid being
late.

Here's a big sales tip for all entrepreneurs and
professional salespeople. You have to earn the
designation "trustworthiness" from your sales
prospects and customers.

The word "trustworthiness" means "worthy of trust." It
means "dependable." It means "reliable."

It means you "mean what you say" and "say what you mean."

It's not always possible to be on time - I realize that.

But I recommend, even if you're going to be only five
minutes late, call your sales prospect / customer and
tell him you're going to be five minutes late.

Cell phones make this a no-brainer for you.

It shows you respect their time.

It shows you care!

It shows you're dependable!

It shows you're reliable!

We are in a recession, and little things can make a big
difference when choosing a product and/or a supplier.

Always try to be early. If you can't be on time - always
call! Doing this will differentiate you from most of
your competitors.

Today is Monday and two pool technicians are late for
a 9:30 AM appointment they scheduled with us.

It makes me want to scream.

It pays to be on time, and it pays even more to be
perceived as trustworthy.

About
The Author:

Jim is a
Sales Strategist and is the creator of No-Brainer Selling Skills.
He shows salespeople and entrepreneurs how to increase sales,
earn more money, have more fun, and how to do it all in less
time. His focus is on practical ideas that get immediate results.
He offers Advanced Sales Management Workshops, Sales Coaching,
Consulting, In-house Sales Training Programs, and a wide variety
of Learning Tools i.e. books, special reports, sales manuals,
and CDs.Jim Meisenheimer
is a member of The National Speakers Association, where he earned
the C.S.P. designation, Certified Speaking Professional. He
has authored five books including, "The 12 Best Questions
To Ask Customers," and the recently published “57
Ways To Take Control Of Your Time And Your Life”.

Websites: http://www.startsellingmore.com/

http://www.meisenheimer.com/

Ten Suggestions For More Dynamic Sales Meetings by Jonathan Farrington

Suggestion 1:

Insist on punctuality, for there is nothing which detracts from a meeting so much as people coming in late with lame excuses or returning late from a coffee break. Not only is this disruptive for the meeting but it is bad for group discipline as well and each time a manager allows this, they relinquish a little leadership capacity. Start the meeting on time to the minute. Do not wait for late arrivals and whatever you do, do not be late yourself.

Suggestion 2:

Begin the meeting in the way you plan to carry on throughout - with a friendly smile and a dynamic greeting, do not commence in a flat uninspired monotone. Be informal, relax and encourage team members to do likewise. Do remember that a sales meeting is one of those few occasions where you can provide “collective motivation” so you need to be at your inspiring best.

Suggestion 3:

Explain the objectives and always ‘sell’ the objectives by providing the team with good reasons why each item has been placed on the agenda. It is likely that you will want to discuss performance(s) since the last meeting and it is essential that you highlight success. Whatever you do never, ever, hand out criticism en bloc because that is the most morale sapping thing you can ever do. Rather deal with sub-standard performance one to one. However, do feel free to deliver collective praise in copious amounts whenever appropriate.

Suggestion 4:

Use some kind of visual aid during each session. The most common and easy to use visual aid is a PowerPoint presentation; closely followed by the flip chart which allows you to be spontaneous should you need to be – one picture really does paint a thousand words!

Suggestion 5:

Make quite sure that you achieve full agreement at the close of each session. You should aim to get full commitment from all present at the meeting, that they will definitely do what you have asked them to do. At the end of the meeting an action plan should be prepared and circulated to everyone present at the meeting. The previous meeting’s action plan should always be progressed at the meeting.

Suggestion 6:

Make sure that at least fifty per cent of the meeting is taken up with some kind of sales training. You can deliver this yourself or you might consider using specialists from outside of the company.

Suggestion 7:

Plan the amount of time you can afford to allocate to each session well before the meeting and be sure to stick to your schedule. One tip I always pass on, is to avoid the dreaded “Any other business” at the end of the meeting. In reality, if an item is worth discussing it should be a full agenda item, allowing for proper preparation.

Suggestion 8:

Encourage everyone to participate by asking for their views and opinions or by giving them presentation projects to prepare in advance of the meeting date.

Suggestion 9:

Do not do all the talking yourself. Salespeople (and most other people) hate to be lectured at. Ask questions and listen to the answers. Ask for opinions, and always question the reason for a particular opinion. Do remember generally people comprehend:



11% of what they hear.

32% of what they see.

73% of what they see & hear.

90% of what they see, hear & discuss.

Suggestion 10:

Finally, do set an example as the meeting leader. The manner in which you package yourself, your cheerfulness, your positive attitude and the way in which you have planned and conducted the meeting - all these things will be noticed by even the least perceptive of your team. Do all these things well and you will strengthen your position as the leader of the group. Do them badly and you can forget about training and developing your people, for they will take not the slightest notice of anyone who does not practice what they preach.

Summary:

As with all things in life, the success of your sales meetings will depend to a large degree on the amount of planning and preparation you are able to do, so do try to consider the following:

The Timing: Best day, time of the week/month/quarter, regularity.

Location: In relation to cost, facilities and transport.

The Room: Its lighting, ventilation, heating, degree of sound proofing, layout of table, comfort of chairs, seating plan, pencils and paper, flip chart, poster paper, markers, and of course, presentation equipment

Organisation: Arrange for breaks and refreshments.

The Meeting:



Prepare the whole meeting.

Prepare the visual side

Prepare the timing

REHEARSE

About
The Author:

Jonathan Farrington
is a business coach, mentor, author and consultant, who has helped
hundreds of companies and thousands of individuals around the world,
achieve their full potential and consequently, optimum performance
levels, in his capacity as Managing Partner of The jfa Group.

Prior to establishing
his own consultancy, Jonathan earned his spurs in some of the most
demanding and competitive market sectors i.e. I.T., Telecommunications
and Finance. Outstanding achievement at an early stage in his career
provided a ‘fast-track’ passage to several general management
and director level appointments.

Challenging
assignments took him from the Middle East and Africa to Europe and
the USA, providing him with the opportunity to work with a number
of the largest and most successful international corporations including:
- IBM, Wang, Legal and General, Andersen Consulting, Litton Industries
and The Bank of Tokyo.

In 1995, Jonathan
formed jfa with the primary objective to deliver unique leadership
and sales team development programmes to both the corporate and
SME sectors.

Since then,
he has authored in excess of three hundred skills development programmes,
designed a range of unique and innovative process tools and written
extensively on organizational and sales team development.

Contact Information:

Website: http://www.jonathanfarrington.com/index.htm

Email: jf@jonathanfarrington.com

Eight Key Traits Essential to Sales Success! by Dave Anderson

Opening Thoughts: Character is defined as "the collective qualities or characteristics, especially mental and moral, which distinguishes a person or thing; a moral strength; reputation." Without question, being distinguished in sales by the right qualities and reputation will create more customers, retain those that you have and provide a more personally pleasurable livelihood. The following eight traits don't comprise a complete list of character traits essential to sustainable sales success, but they are essential blocks in your professional foundation.

Eight Key Character Traits Essential to Sales Success

1. Keeping promises. What it means: Doing what you say you'll do, when you say you'll do it and why you say you'll do it. And doing so regardless of the cost. This principle must apply equally to customers and co-workers.

A. How it benefits you: You earn trust referrals and more opportunities. So few people "swear to their own hurt” these days that when you do you'll find it easy to stand out and advance quickly.

2. A strong work ethic. What it means: You work hard even when no one else is watching; even when no one else is at all. This principle must apply equally when you are having great, mediocre or poor months. You don't let up when doing great, coast when doing well or let up when doing poorly.

A. How it benefits you: You gain self-respect because, as human beings, we intuitively know that each day we do less than we can we become less than we are. You also develop the discipline that comes from making yourself do what you know you should do and doing it long enough for the action to transform into a habit.

3. Remain teachable. What it means: You realize that you never "arrive.” You continue to learn more about your profession and shun the know-it-all, "been there and done that” attitude. This principle goes beyond reading books or listening to CDs in your field. It also means that you seek out feedback and eagerly try new things.

A. How it benefits you: You stay fresh and relevant by continuing to upgrade your skills set. This helps you stay out of ruts and makes your job more fun and interesting over time. As you work harder to improve yourself, you'll find that it's easier to elevate your results on the job. Remember: To get more than you've got, you must become more than you are! The BECOMING has to happen first.

4. Right motives. What it means: You do things for the right reasons. You don't put your personal agenda ahead of the team's or your customer's. When you employ this principle you'll become less self-centered and more outwardly focused. An outward focus always results in an upward income.

A. How it benefits you: Unselfish people are more likely to earn referrals, repeat customers and promotions. In a world where most people have the "Disease of Me,” this trait draws others to you.

5. Right language. What it means: You don't diminish yourself or others with profanity, slang, gossip and the like. Words do matter. They can either elevate or distract, inspire or diminish, draw others to you or cause them to secretly despise and mock you.

A. How it benefits you: You are perceived as more professional, responsible and stable. In sales, these three traits translate into income. Right language also carries the right example into your personal life, with family and friends.

6. Persisting in the face of difficulties. What it mean : Going one more step after everyone else has given up. Making one last call, starting a little earlier or staying a little later even when it would be easier to do nothing and wait for a better opportunity. Persistence is stubbornness with a purpose. Your purpose is your goal. Make it worth fighting for—create a big enough "WHY,” and you'll figure out a way to live with the "what” and "how” necessary to succeed.

A. How it benefits you: Persisting in the face of difficulties creates mental toughness. Over time it becomes a way of life and you become unstoppable. Mental toughness allows you to look at "no” as engagement rather than as rejection and regard obstacles as stepping stones rather than stumbling blocks.

7. Honesty in words and deeds. What it means: No white lies or false impressions. You say what is right rather than what is easy, popular or convenient. You don't spin, twist, mislead or deceive.

A. How it benefits you: A clear conscience, good name and solid reputation. When you sleep better, you sell better!

8. Accepting responsibility. What it means: Shunning blame and admitting mistakes. This displays maturity and humility, two key traits essential to sustaining success.

A. How it benefits you: Others trust you and rally around you and you have the opportunity to learn from your mistakes. Since you can't change what you don't acknowledge, you will never grow when you engage in blame and live in denial. Take responsibility that it is your inside decisions more than outside conditions that determines your success in any endeavor.

About
The Author:

Peak performance author, columnist, trainer, speaker and radio show
host for sales, management and leadership, Dave Anderson walks the
talk as a leader. He has led some of the most successful retail
automotive dealership in the country—the most recent dealer
group he led had over $300,000,000 in annual sales—and now
gives 150 presentations, workshops and speeches annually on sales
and leadership development around the globe.

Dave is author
of over 50 training programs on sales, management and leadership
including the books, Selling Above The Crowd: 365 Strategies For
Sales Excellence and No Nonsense Leadership: Real World Strategies
To Maximize Personal & Corporate Potential. Dave authors a monthly
leadership column for Dealer magazine, publishes a monthly leadership
newsletter and hosts the weekly radio talk show, Dave Anderson’s
Learn To Lead Hour. His books, cassettes, videos, newsletter, column,
web articles and live presentations pull no punches and provide
real world strategies for peak performance in business and in life.

Dave is a member
of the National Speaker's Association and is a featured speaker
at conventions worldwide.

Dave is president
of the Dave Anderson's Learn To Lead and LearnToLead.com, a cutting
edge web site providing hundreds of free training resources to thousands
of subscribers in over 30 countries.

Contact
Information:

The Dave Anderson Corporation

P.O. Box 1119

Los Altos CA 94024

Phone: 800-519-8224

www.learntolead.com

dave@learntolead.com

What Motivates Buyers to Buy? It Doesn't Add Up by Jerry Hocutt

Awareness + Need + Value = Sale

Right?  Wrong. 

How about this: “If I did ______________ every time, every customer would buy from me.”  (Please email me your answer immediately!)

Let’s try again: ? + ? + ? = Sale

If you can figure out the blanks, the sale is yours.  The trick is to determine what the blanks are.  When we do, we know what motivates buyers to buy.  So are there any common denominators?  Let’s see.

Desire?  I love McDonald’s fries.  But the love of the fries doesn’t motivate me to buy them every day.  Circumstances?  If I’m taking a vacation to Hawaii, I do have to buy my plane ticket, reserve my room, and rent a car.  But I don’t do that every day, or even every year.  Confidence in the economy is a motivator to buy.  But that’s lacking right now.  Psychologists and marketers find that some of the biggest motivators are water, food, shelter, sex, and money.  But even if you included that in your selling equation, it doesn’t mean you’ll make the sale to every one every time.

Recession is a motivator to save what you’ve got – not to spend.  Good times are a motivator to spend – but not to save.  Fear motivates.  Rewards motivate. 

But, really, what motivates buyers to buy?  This question has hounded salespeople, managers, and business owners since Grunk the caveman invented the wheel.  You’re not going to find the answer here.  If I knew what it was, I might be afraid to tell you.  Maybe it’s a secret I’d like to keep to myself.

How do you buy?

Look at your last purchase.  What motivated you to buy? 

As I’m browsing the shelves at Barnes & Noble, I’ll sometimes pick up a book, scan the contents and a few pages, look at the back cover, replace it on the shelf, and continue browsing.  As I’m looking at the other books, I’ll find my attention wandering back to the book that caught my eye.  I’ll go back, pick it up, and look at it once more.  But then I’ll return it the shelf, still not convinced to buy.  As I drive home, I keep thinking about the one or two ideas I gleaned from the book and debate with myself whether the book could pay for itself by increasing my sales. 

Arriving home, I kick myself for not getting it.  I know I can use the information to help my sales.  Then I find an excuse the next day or two to “be in the area of B&N” and go in to purchase the book.

What motivated me to buy?  First, the awareness of the book and what it had to offer.  Second, time had to pass to give me time to think about it and come up with justifications to buy.  And finally, the desire to have the information that could benefit me became so strong, that I had to return and make the purchase.

In my situation this time, Awareness + Time + Desire = Sale.

Iron Man, diets, and yoga

Our oldest daughter entered and completed her first Iron Man last summer and we couldn’t be prouder, especially seeing how much dedication it takes to prepare for such a grueling event.  She had motivation to buy into a killer event. 

Many people are motivated to buy into diets because they’re motivated by health issues or they just want to look and feel better.  Millions buy into yoga for the exercise, the spiritual aspects, to help a bad back, or simply for the rewarding inner peace and concentration it gives.

What motivates people to buy?  I feel that everyone has different motivations at different times.  But do you see any common denominators in the above examples?  Are the common denominators something we as salespeople can use to help motivate our buyers?  Not necessarily close the deal, but at least move them towards buying.

I see six common denominators

One: you have to have a qualified customer.  You can’t sell chocolate cake to a person allergic to chocolate.  (Sorry, Sarah.)  You can’t sell McDonald’s fries to someone who just finished a gourmet meal at a five-star restaurant.  As salespeople, we have to know how to qualify our customers.  We need to find the ones who can at least use (not necessarily need or want) our service or product.  Maybe now, maybe later. 

Two: the customer has to be made aware of your service or product.  As salespeople, it is our job to put ourselves out there to make sure customers know what we can do and how we can help.  (Why McDonald’s spends millions advertising...they know you’ll be thinking of those fries some day.)

Three: time.  Because people have different thought processes (for example, analytical vs. driver personalities), it will take some of them more time to make a decision.  Not every service or product is an impulse buy.

Four: the customer has to like you, trust you, and believe you.  You’ve got too much competition to come across as a snake oil salesman, inept, or incompetent.

Five: value.  As Warren Buffett says, “Price is what you pay, value is what you get.”

The lynchpin for motivating buyers

Six: emotion.  If you can’t get the buyer emotionally excited about your service or product, forget it.  All the other five common denominators, the quality of your service or product, the size of your company, and all the facts, figures, and proofs are worthless.

Webster’s defines emotion as: a. a state of feeling; b. conscious mental reaction (as anger or fear) experienced as a strong feeling directed toward a specific object and accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes in the body; c. defies reason, logic, intelligence, and knowledge.  Examples are faith, hope, belief, love, and heart.  Another example is a scary movie that has you jumping out of your skin.  Hey, it’s just a movie.  But the hairs standing up on the back of your neck still defy reason, logic, intelligence, and knowledge.

Emotions motivate.  Those McDonald’s French fries?  Sitting in your office before lunch, you can almost taste those salted, hot fries touching your tongue; your emotions are in play.  When you see yourself crossing that finish line in the Iron Man with your small son or daughter holding your hand for the last few yards, you get emotional and are motivated to buy into the tormenting bike ride you must take today.  When no doctor can remove the pain from your back, you talk to your yoga friends and get emotional enough to give those asanas a try because you can “feel” the relief.

Yeah, if I could give salespeople one piece of advice to motivate buyers to buy, it would be this: get the buyer into an emotional state first.  Get them tasting those salted, hot fries.  You won’t have to close them.  They’ll simply ask, “Can I have ketchup with that?”

About The Author:

© 2009 Jerry Hocutt. Read more articles by Jerry at his blog http://footinthedoor.squarespace.com/journal and listen to a free preview of his CD/MP3 audio program Cold Calling for Cowards® at http://www.footinthedoor.com/freepreview.html.

Women v. Men in Sales: Who’s Better? - When Selling to the Opposite Sex by Jerry Hocutt

“Quit interrupting me!”

If there is one glaring difference in the selling styles of men and women, interruptions is it. Body language experts, Allan and Barbara Pease, found that while men will interrupt women 76% of the time during a conversation, rarely will one man interrupt another man.

Yet the irony is that men hate to be interrupted by women. You can almost see the men seethe to control the conversation again. Ever watch Chris Matthews on MSNBC’s “Hardball”? No one can get a word in edgewise. People scream at their TV sets, “Will you shut up and let her answer the question without interrupting?”

The sales lesson for men selling to women? Hold your tongue. Even if you think the woman has stopped speaking, count to five before you speak. Maybe she’s trying to gather her thoughts. Maybe she simply needs to get another breath of air before continuing. Give her a chance.

But what if you’re a woman selling to a man? No, it’s not fair that men will continually interrupt you, but when a man is speaking, don’t interrupt him. Let him get it out of his system.

Yada yada yada View yada yada yada

Another big difference between men and women is the length of the conversation. Men are bottom line conversationalists, while women use conversation to build relationships. That’s why a woman should let a man talk without interrupting him. He won’t talk long, your meeting will be shorter, and you will get to the bottom line fast.

When men are selling to women, relax. True, your conversations will be longer, but women will give a more complete and detailed picture of what it is they want and what they expect. In other words, what they’re buying and what you better be selling.

Brain studies show men’s listening centers are smaller and in different parts of the brain than women’s.Men, they found, can only single task conversations, while women can multi-task conversations. That’s why women can watch The View, and men can’t. If there are several groups of women in a room talking, one woman can listen in on every conversation – even from across the room! – and understand what’s being said. Men, on the other hand, are looking for the nearest exit.

If two saleswomen take a man to lunch, it might be wise to designate one woman to lead the conversation and another to watch the man’s eyes to see when they begin to glaze over. Michael Gurian, author of Leadership and the Sexes: Using Gender Science to Create Success in Business, said that “men are more apt to zone out in a meeting since their brains are designed to enter a ‘rest state’ more easily than women. In that same meeting, women may run off topic before returning to the task at hand because they’re born multi-taskers.” If the designated watcher at the lunch sees the man drifting off to la-la land, she can signal the lead to get to the point.

Don’t you make that face at me buster!

A decisive advantage women have over men is in facial cue recognition. Jean Haner, in The Wisdom of Your Face, discusses the thousands of possible gestures a person can make with their face. Women, she said, are much more adept than men at recognizing a raised eyebrow as being dubious, a forced smile as being bored, or a tilted head as holding a question.

Men, she said, never pick up on these subtle silent signals, plow through the presentation, and then walk out thinking the deal is theirs. If a woman had been his selling partner, she would have noticed the changes in the client’s behaviors and warned the salesman the deal was not done, and more proof would be required.

Words are important

The preciseness of word selection is a strong characteristic for men in sales, especially when it comes to anything technical or legal. And especially if they’re selling to other men. Men pick their words carefully.Each word is important. Men speak literally, women speak emotionally.

One of the knocks about President Barack Obama, considered the greatest orator of our times, is his extremely measured use of words. Unlike any of his predecessors, he uses teleprompters (not notes on the lectern) on even simple speeches before small groups. When speaking impromptu, President Obama’s hesitation while he selects the right words causes awkwardness in his delivery, and a question of confidence in his listeners.

The president, perhaps because of his legal training, or because he knows his every word is being recorded, weighs everything he says. He, like most men, feels that the wrong words can lead to costly blunders and errors. (Remember his off-the-cuff gaff at the California fund raiser about people in Pennsylvania during the campaign? He does.)

So if you’re a woman selling to a man, be efficient with your words and understand that men will take them literally – and hold you to them.

Which sex sells best?

Neither. They’re just different. Each has advantages the other doesn’t. Each has to play to his or her strengths, be aware of their weaknesses, and adjust and adapt to the customers they’re selling to.

The ideal situation would be to have sales teams, pairing a man and a woman. But that’s not practical in most situations. However, if your service or product requires a long selling cycle, if your client has both men and women evaluating your wares, and if the sell is a major purchase, you would be advised to swallow your pride of thinking you can Gary Cooper-it and go it along. Even fighter pilots have a navigator to help them reach their destination.

Best advice when selling to the opposite sex? Meet the customer at his or her gender. Don’t force them to come to yours. They won’t.

About The Author:

© 2009 Jerry Hocutt. Read more articles by Jerry at his blog http://footinthedoor.squarespace.com/journal and listen to a free preview of his CD/MP3 audio program Cold Calling for Cowards® at http://www.footinthedoor.com/freepreview.html.

Are You Waiting for Things to Change, or Are You Changing Yourself? by Art Sobczak

Greetings!



As I've mentioned in my past couple of Tips and blog posts,
it's been quite a tornado of events for me over the past few
weeks, but finally slowing down to a mild sprint.



Thanks again for the emails, cards, and calls. Again, it is
humbling to realize how many people out there I have affected
over the years, and especially in the past few weeks.



A very brief Tip this week, but perhaps one that can also
have a huge affect on your success, if you want it to.



I was chatting with a group of people socially last night
that I had not seen in a while. Most of them fell into one of
these categories:



-lost their job,



-worked for a company that was downsizing and still
had their job,



-worked for a company that was greatly affected by
a slowdown.

Needless to say, there was a lot of doom and gloom
in the conversation. I usually try to extract myself from
that type of situation, but I was somewhat trapped
given the nature of the event.



As an aside, one comment that I found somewhat
amazing was from a guy who said that in an executive
meeting at their company earlier that week (he's in
operations for a building supply firm) their sales manager
announced that they really needed to start going after
new accounts since they couldn't rely on existing
customers any more. Oh, and their business has been
sucking for quite some time now.



Huh? NOW they need to go after new business? That
manager should have been fired on the spot.



Anyway, my point is this: you probably have been in
similar conversations. Maybe YOU are one of those
people. I have questions that I either casually or
directly insert into such conversations depending on
the people or situations:



-What have you been doing over the past six months
to minimize the effects that outside influences have
on your success and income?



-More specifically, what books have you read, websites
have you visited, audios have you listened to, or videos
have you watched to acquire new skills to help you
in this challenging environment?



-Which better describes your attitude right now?

1. You ask yourself, when will things get better and
when will we pull out of this?

2. What can I do right now to ensure that things get
better for me, my family, and my business?



I am amazed at how many people have done nothing,
are doing nothing, or have no intention to do anything
to change themselves in order to survive and thrive
in this stormy environment.

For a client I just completed some training with, they
very closely follow a sales process taught by Jerry
Vass, author of "Soft Selling in a Hard World: Plain
Talk on the Art of Persuasion." It's an excellent read
and I recommend it. Something that caught my eye
on the very first page were his thoughts on how to get
rich. He says,



"There are only three ways to make exceptional money:



-to work in a place nobody wants to be,



-to perform work nobody else wants to do,



-to perform work nobody else can do."



And it's the last two points that he says he explores
in his book, and he delivers. And it's also those two
areas where you can have the greatest impact on
your own personal success and income.



So this week's message isn't so much a how-to
on what to say in a specific sales situation as it
is a challenge:

What are you DOING, and what will
you DO to MAKE 2009 your best year ever?

Art

About the author: Art Sobczak, President of
Business By Phone Inc., specializes in one area only: working
with business-to-business salespeople--both inside and outside--designing
and delivering content-rich programs that participants begin
showing results from the very next time they get on the phone.
Audiences love his "down-to-earth,"entertaining style,
and low-pressure, easy-to-use, customer oriented ideas and techniques.
He works with thousands of sales reps each year helping them
get more businesses by phone. Art provides real world, how-to
ideas and techniques that help salespeople use the phone more
effectively to prospect, sell, and service, without morale-killing
"rejection." Using the phone in sales is only difficult for people who use
outdated, salesy, manipulative tactics, or for those who aren't
quite sure what to do, or aren't confident in their abilities.
Art's audiences always comment how he simplifies the telesales
process, making it easily adaptable for anyone with the right
attitude.

Contact Info

Art Sobczak

Business By Phone Inc.

13254 Stevens St.

Omaha, NE, 68137

402-895-9399

ArtS@BusinessByPhone.com

www.businessbyphone.com

 

Tough Sales Management for Tough Economic Times by Brian Jeffrey, CSP

It doesn’t matter if the economy is bad around the world, around the country, around the block, or around your industry or market, managing for tough economic times means that some difficult decisions have to be made, and you’re the person who has to make them.

Two Major Sales Management Challenges

I realize that there are a lot more than two major sales management challenges but, in tough economic times, two challenges stand out over the rest.

The first of these is how to maintain the overall morale and motivation of the sales team so that they continue to perform at as high a level as possible given the crummy market conditions.

The second challenge is how to fine-tune the team for optimum performance. Unfortunately, that fine-tuning can involve thinning out the sales herd by laying people off. Obviously, any downsizing of the sales team will have a huge impact on team morale and motivation.

Mismanaging in Tough Times

When economic times are tough, it’s time to review and retrench, not necessarily cut and slash. Companies that are headed or controlled by non-marketing type people (accountants, engineers, etc) often use tight economic times to cut expenses. They cut programs, cut training, cut advertising, cut staff, and cut anything else that represents what they see is a cost to the company. This is a very short-sighted view.

For example, the problem with cutting advertising is that the company’s visibility in the marketplace diminishes, some people stop buying and, as a result, revenue drops even further. So now the powers at the top, seeing less revenue, make even more cuts, and the downward spiral goes on.

When the cost cutting gets to reducing staff, sometimes the wrong people get cut. It’s very tempting to get rid of highly paid salespeople.

The Sales Arrow

It’s somehow easy to forget that the company’s salespeople are the tip of its sales arrow and, like any arrow, it’s only effective when it hits the target.

Let’s look at what makes up an arrow. The tip is supposed to penetrate the target, the shaft provides mass and the feathers provide direction. So if your salespeople are the tip of the arrow, then the company’s products and services are the arrow’s shaft and the feathers on the end represent management.

As a sales manager, you need to keep the tip of the arrow as sharp as possible.

Sharpen the Arrow

Tough economic times are often the best time to sharpen the sales arrow. While investing in outside sales training and motivational meetings may be out of the question, don’t rule it out. It might make the difference.

Check out my ebook on “Livening Up Your Sales Meetings” for some tips on dealing with bad news and some low-cost/no-cost training ideas.

Fine-Tune the Team

One of the toughest decisions a sales manager has to make is parting company with people he knows and likes. Deciding who goes and who stays is a gut-wrenching experience for even the most seasoned sales manager.

This is not the time to use a last-in/first-out approach. And it’s certainly not the time to play favourites. If you’re going to reduce the number of people on your team, you want to make sure you’re keeping the performers and those who have the potential to quickly develop into performers.

For some ideas on what you can do to determine who stays and who goes, read my article on “Rank and Yank – Fine Tuning Your Sales Team.”

And use an instrument such as our Sales Temperament Assessment to give you an impartial view of each team member and help with the final decision.

Desperate Times

When you fall onto desperate economic times, whether global or local, it’s usually the time for desperate measures and, apart from closing the doors on the business, putting people on the street is one of the things you have to consider.

The key is knowing which people to keep and then supporting them with all you’ve got while you weather the storm.

Walking the Thin Line

As a sales manager you often walk the thin line between upper management and your sales team. It is equally important for you to represent the needs of your team to upper management as it is to carry upper management’s message down to the team.

It’s critical for your team to see you as their champion, particularly in tough times. It’s also critical that upper management sees that you are being proactive in being a part of whatever solution is required to weather the economic storm.

As the team’s champion, you need to be prepared for cuts that will cripple your team’s ability to operate effectively. Cutting advertising or other marketing programs that remove the source of sales leads might be typical of something worth fighting for.

You also need to be prepared to cut members from the team if need be.

Bottom Line

If you see tough times ahead, plan now and be prepared to make those tough decisions that will be needed if you expect to come out the other side.

If you can stay ahead of the curve, even though the curve is heading down, you’ll be in a better position to take advantage of the situation when the sales curve is on an upward trend once again.

-0-

About the Author

Brian Jeffrey is President of Salesforce Assessments Ltd. His company works with sales managers who want to make the right hiring decisions and build a strong sales team. For more articles like this and your free copy of "The 8 Biggest Hiring Mistakes Sales Managers Make" go to => www.SalesforceAssessments.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

©2008 Brian Jeffrey. All rights reserved.

For reprint permission terms, visit www.SalesforceAssessments.com.

Turning a Simple Shopping Trip into a Great Learning Experience by Tim Wackel

My wife and I are the proud parents of two great kids—a teenage son and daughter. Our daughter is getting ready to start college next week, and our son is like almost every other 15 year old, living life large with lots of attention on comfort and few worries about appearance.

Last week I promised my son, Nicholas, that I would take him to the mall to buy new shoes. He loves to wear athletic shoes (or is still okay to call them sneakers?) and prefers to wear them until they fall part apart at the seams.

This shopping trip was going to be different because Nicholas decided he would expand his closet and buy a pair of Top-Siders (seems that these are making a bit of a come back on high school campuses). I figured we could find these at almost any department store but was surprised to find only one store in the mall that carried a variety of sizes and styles that he was interested in.

I find myself standing in Nordstrom’s shoe department surrounded by hundreds of pairs of shoes and a few well-dressed, professional looking salesmen. One of the younger men working in the department approached us and asked, “What brings you into the store today?” What happened next was one of the better (and least expected) lessons in “selling” that I’ve experienced in quite some time.

I have to confess that I’ve never thought of retail as being much of a selling environment. Point customers in the right direction, answer a few questions about sizes and availability, ring up the order and you’re done. So what valuable lessons did I learn in Nordstrom that day? Here are the four principles that everyone will recognize but very few consistently apply.

#1. Open questions close more business

The question that you are asked most often when you walk into a retail store is, “Can I help you?” This is a bad question, plain and simple. It’s closed and requires no thinking on your part. Most shoppers will simply blurt out “no” hoping to avoid premature pressure to buy something.

Let’s go back and look at what the Nordstrom shoes salesman asked:”What brings you into the store today?” Not exactly rocket science but this question encouraged me to share that Nicholas was interested in divesting his collection of athletic shoes and wanted to look at some Top-Siders. A conversation was born… what style, size and color? When did he plan to wear them? Looking for something dressy or just something to kick around in?

Ask questions that are thought provoking, not mind numbing.

#2.  Make it easy for customers to decide

Nicholas had pretty much lasered in on one particular style of shoe, but when the shoe salesman returned from the stock room he had several boxes in tow.

Nick immediately tried on his favorite style and began walking the floor to check out the fit. I could tell by his expression that he felt the shoe looked better on the shelf than it did on his foot. The salesman also picked up on this and suggested that Nicholas try on one or two of the other styles that he had taken the liberty to bring out of stock. After all, they were right there and it wouldn’t take but a minute to check them out.

The second pair generated a more favorable response but the third pair was a home run. Give your customer painless choices. What looks good in the window doesn’t always look good on your foot. Think ahead and develop contingencies. You’ll be glad you did.

#3. Look for unidentified needs 

Nick had picked out the right shoe, and we had the right size. We were ready to leave when the salesman asked permission to show us what he had in the remaining boxes he brought out of the stock room. He politely mentioned that he couldn’t help but notice how much “good use” Nick had gotten out of the shoes he was currently wearing. He then asked if my son would be interested in seeing some brand new athletic shoes in the latest back to school styles—need I say more?

Want to be more successful at up-selling? Read (and re-read) #3 above.

#4. Would you like some fries with that?

Nick and I have our purchases picked out, and we’re ready to leave when the young man pulls something out of his back pocket. As we walk to the register he shows me (the economic buyer) a shoe tree and shares facts about how these beautiful cedar appliances will extend the life of Nick’s new shoes (assuming I can get him to use them!). I hadn’t expressed any interest in shoe trees but this sales professional picked up on my frustration with how fast Nick could destroy a pair of shoes. He had the courage and the smarts to offer something we both knew had value. What was the worst thing that could happen?

I left the store that day with a lighter wallet but I got a real "deal" on some great sales training. These four simple (but powerful) lessons have been around for a long time, but very few reps consistently apply them.



Are you looking for ideas on how to take your craft to the next level? If not, you should be. You'll be surprised by what you can learn and amazed at where these lessons can take place.



Speaking of Sales is about finding, winning and keeping customers for life. If that’s part of your job, then you won’t want to miss the next issue.

Until then,

Tim

Tim Wackel

tim@timwackel.com

214.369.7722

Tim Wackel is hired by sales executives who want their teams to
blow the number away. Tim’s “no excuses” programs
are insightful, engaging and focused on providing real world strategies
that salespeople can (and will!) implement right away. Sales teams
from BMC Software, Cisco, Fossil, Hewlett Packard, Allstate, Thomson
Reuters, Raytheon, Pricewaterhouse-Coopers, Catalina Marketing,
Philips Medical Systems, Red Hat and TXU Energy count on Tim to
help them create more success in business and in life.

The Three ‘Real’ Secrets of Hiring Top Sales Reps

Ask any manager, V.P. or business owner what one of the biggest challenges they face in making their revenue numbers and they’ll tell you it’s identifying, hiring and retaining good sales reps.  If you are familiar with my management philosophy, then you’ve heard me talk about the 80/20 rule in sales, and all you have to do is look at your own company or industry to know it’s still true – 80% of the sales and revenue is made by the Top 20%.

So how do you identify who the Top 20% are BEFORE you spend all that time and money on hiring, training and then hoping they perform?  There are many ways to try to identify the characteristics in advance, and in fact a whole industry of profiling and assessment testing has sprouted up to help you make the right choice.  I have used some of these tests and have found them to be quite accurate and valuable.

I have also found an easier way to identify who the potential top producers are, and I’ve boiled it down into three “Real Secrets.”  If you are responsible for identifying and hiring sales reps in your company, then I recommend you use these techniques to help you find the right sales reps before you spend all that time and energy training, managing and hoping you’ve made the right choice…

Real Secret #1) The best predictor of future behavior and performance is

past behavior and performance.   This is a well known fact in psychology,

and it’s one you can use to predict how a new sales rep is likely to perform for you.  The bottom line is that however much your candidate earned in income in their last job, and the job before that, is mostly likely the amount they are going to earn working for you as well.

What you must determine is exactly how much money that was.  Ask your candidate to provide you with pay stubs or verification of income for the last 6 months, and, in addition, ask them what they earned in income each of the last three years.  Find a way to verify this.

Finally, determine how much of your product or service your candidate would have to sell to generate that kind of income again, and ask yourself if you would be happy with that level of performance – because that’s most likely what you’re going to get.

Real Secret #2) Determine what is really motivating your candidate.   What

we were exposing in the first real secret was your candidate’s comfort zone.  We all have comfort zones, and sales reps in particular will always live up to – and most likely down to – their comfort zone, especially in terms of income.

So if your candidate is really looking to your company and opportunity to better themselves and earn more money, find out what is driving this need and desire for more money.  Have their life circumstances changed?  For example, have they recently gotten married, had a child, purchased a home?

If so, then they may have a real motivation to work harder, make more money and enlarge their comfort zone.

If their situation hasn’t changed, then you can be pretty sure that they will not be motivated to work harder, learn more skills, and make more sales.  In essence, they will continue to live down to their current comfort level and you may once again be hiring another 80% producer.

Real Secret #3) Access their sales skills and previous training.  This is one of my favorites.  During the interview, I ask my candidates how they think they would do selling my product.  They all say, “I’d do great!”  I then do two things:

1) I ask them to sell me on the product.  What I’m looking for is for them to ask me qualifying questions rather than just start pitching.  Those who just dive right in and start pitching reveal themselves as middle to low 80% producers.  Top 20% producers, on the other hand, start asking me questions and gathering information.  They are the ones I’m interested in.

2) Next I give them a couple of objections and watch and listen to how they handle them.  You can immediately tell how much training someone has had, and how successful they were, by listening to them handle age old objections like “The price is too high,” and “I’ll have to talk to…”

These techniques have saved me hundreds of hours of poor hires, and they have often revealed who the real top producers were.  Use them – you’ll love how they will work for you as well.

If you found this article helpful, then you will love Mike’s new book:

“The REAL Secrets of the Top 20% - How To Double Your Income Selling Over the Phone.”  You can read about it by clicking here:

http://www.mrinsidesales.com/bookmarketing.htm

 

Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, works with business owners and inside sales reps nationwide teaching them the skills, strategies and techniques of top 20% performance. If you’re looking to catapult your sales, or create a sales team that actually makes their monthly revenues, then learn how by

visiting: http://www.MrInsideSales.com

Your Customer is Lying…Did You Catch It? by Mark Hunter

As much as we hate to admit it, at one time or another, we’ve all been lied to.  Sometimes the lie is exposed quickly and sometimes it takes awhile to surface.  In sales, lying from a customer occurs more often than we are aware of. 

 Did you realize that nearly every sales call starts off with the customer not disclosing the entire truth?  Salespeople rarely catch it right away.  Unfortunately, they often believe the lie and then complicate the situation by building the rest of the sales call around it.  When this happens, the salesperson is actually committing several fatal mistakes.  To start, they are demonstrating incredibly pathetic listening skills to the customer.  Second, the “close ratio” winds up being lower than it should be.  Finally, the customer winds up being cheated by not doing business with the salesperson and the products or services they’re offering.

 Let me explain.  It is usually not the customer’s intention to lie to the salesperson.  At the start of a typical sales conversation, many customers don’t know how to express themselves.  Their lack of confidence in who they are speaking to causes them to withhold the whole truth.  After the normal pleasantries have been exchanged, the first question posed by the salesperson often causes the customer to be somewhat uncomfortable.  In an effort to make the situation as comfortable as possible, they wind up reverting to familiar comments that don’t really communicate what they want to say.  You know the drill.  The salesperson asks the customer what they are looking for and then becomes excited about what has been shared with them.  This is the point when the salesperson fails to realize they were not given the whole truth.  The quick response by the customer and the innocent way in which it was spoken makes it seem accurate and complete.  In fact, the customer may not even realize they lied!  Because our nature is to give someone the benefit of the doubt, it makes their lie both harder to notice and, more importantly, harder to know how to respond to it.

 How can you prevent the inevitable lie from ruining your sales call?  First, accept the fact that you will be lied to.  Second, never believe the first thing any customer tells you as the whole truth.  In fact, you should never believe anything they tell you until you’ve heard the same thing twice.  Every comment they make needs to be challenged with a question. However, be careful not to drill the customer as if in a police interrogation.  Rather, you should probe deeper by asking for more information.  This elevates the importance of what they are sharing, thus helping the customer become more confident in you.  In addition, it gets the customer to elaborate on what they just said.  This is where it’s critical to listen carefully because the elaboration will contain the real information you’re looking for. 

 For further explanation, consider the interaction that typically takes place when someone buys a car.  At the start of the interaction, the salesperson may ask the shopper what he’s looking for.  He answers, “I’m looking for a 4-door that will fit my family.”   Although this response sounds normal and truthful, in reality, it is a lie because he left out the fact that he needs a car that also has enough storage space for the trip he makes every few weeks to his home in the mountains.  Because he failed to disclose the latter information, the salesperson winds up showing him a 4-door sedan that he, the salesperson, might like.  At this point, the customer becomes discouraged with the sales skills of the person helping him and either walks out or becomes disengaged.  In this example, the customer’s initial comment about his needs led the salesperson down the wrong path.  What the salesperson should have done is disregard the initial comment unless it was repeated.  He should have immediately asked a follow-up question regarding the customer’s first response.  By continuing to probe, the salesperson would be able to draw out of the customer precisely what it is he’s looking for.  In addition, the shopper will begin to repeat his needs and upon hearing something a second time, the salesperson would know he can take the information to the bank.

 Although the example used above was very simple, the same thing happens in the most complex of buying situations, whether business-to-business or business-to-consumer.  We’re all human and we all have an innate sense of not wanting to share our needs with people we don’t have confidence in.  Because of the number of poor salespeople every customer has had to deal with over the years, the level of confidence is rarely high when a customer meets a salesperson for the first time.  Unfortunately, human nature can cause this lying to even occur with those who we have done business with before.  Customers will rarely walk into a buying situation with their thoughts scripted and their actions choreographed.  Because of this, withholding information is just as likely to occur between two people who have an established relationship as it is with two people who just met.  Finally, keep in mind that you will even have to deal with it with professional buyers.  Be ready for it. 

 When you follow this method of asking follow-up questions, you actually do several things.  First, you allow the customer to express what they are looking for in their own words.  Second, you let the customer feel they’re in control of the process.  Third, and best of all, because the customer feels powerful, they will become less defensive and more willing to share with you their true needs.  This, in turn, allows you to draw out the best solution for the customer and when you do, you’re in a much better position to maximize your profit because you’re allowing the customer to maximize their desires.

 In a sales call, challenge everything that is said with a follow-up question.  Don’t accept anything as fact until you’ve heard the customer say it at least twice.  Avoid sabotaging the success of the sales call by being prepared to accurately identify the needs of the customer through questions.  Catch them in the act of lying and then use it to your advantage!

 

Mark Hunter, “The Sales Hunter”, is a sales expert who speaks to thousands each year on how to increase their sales profitability.  For more information, to receive a free weekly email sales tip, or to read his Sales Motivation Blog, visit www.TheSalesHunter.com.

Can You Send Me Some Literature? by Tim Wackel

It’s Monday morning and you’re sitting in the office planning your week of sales calls. The phone rings and suddenly you’re in a friendly conversation with a new prospect, Bob. Bob seems like a nice enough guy… knowledgeable about your industry, interested in your products and eager to ask all sorts of questions.

Up to now this is starting to look and feel like a real opportunity for you. But when you ask Bob about his decision criteria you hear those words that all sales people dread…”Oh, I’m just gathering information for someone else in my organization.” The atmosphere of the call has been positive, so you decide to ask Bob who the ultimate decision maker is. The conversation stalls for what seems like an eternity and then Bob says, “Sorry but I can’t do that.”

Sound familiar?

The BIG question is what do you do now? Is this a real sales opportunity or are you just wasting time? Do you attempt to go around Bob and get to the decision maker, or should you play along with the “info gatherer?”

Many sales reps fall into the friendly trap of these info gatherers. They are pleasant to work with (makes it easier for them to get what they want from you), they offer little resistance to your ideas and it’s another deal for you to stuff in your pipeline report. 

But what percentage of these opportunities do you win? What are your odds of success when forced to deal only with the info gatherer?  If you aren’t tracking this you should be…and the percentage is low.

Now look at the percentage of opportunities you win when you are able to work with the real decision maker. That number is larger...significantly larger! There shouldn’t be any surprise in this conclusion.

You can’t bet your success on the effectiveness of your corporate literature. I know it’s slick, colorful, filled with graphs and pictures of happy people using your products. Hey, wait a minute…that’s what everybody’s literature looks like.  Hmm…enough said.

But wait Tim…what about working closely with the info gatherer so that they become your internal advocate?  I see sales people every month who struggle to engage, persuade, convince and close with real decision makers. What are the chances that your info gatherer will do a better job than you? Best case scenario is that the decision maker is getting “You Lite” and that’s not a good thing.

I’ll give you two smart strategies you can start using now to maximize your success with the info gatherers you meet.  Can’t guarantee that they will work for you, but I can guarantee that they work.

#1. Get in front of the decision maker. (Brilliantly obvious…isn’t it?)

Make a list of compelling reasons why the decision maker should give you 20 minutes. These reasons need to be focused on their benefits in meeting with you—not the reasons why you want the meeting with them. Think about how other decision makers have profited from this conversation. What are some potential mistakes this conversation can help them avoid or possible solution benefits that they haven’t considered?

I know this is hard work, but the good news is that you only need to do it once. Get other members of your team to participate, invite a sales manager, brainstorm ideas and scrub them until they are clear and compelling. If you have trouble coming up with this list of reasons, then chances of getting access to the decision maker are slim to none.

Next, you need to create a professional letter (NOT an email) outlining your compelling reasons for an appointment and let the decision maker know that you will be calling to set up a time. It doesn’t hurt to mention what a great job the info gatherer has done in gathering preliminary data, either. Be sure your letter is crisp, concise, compelling and credible.  Address the letter to the decision maker and have it delivered via certified mail. This dramatically improves the chances of your letter being read (who doesn’t read certified mail?) and shows some creativity and initiative on your part. 

“But 20 minutes isn’t enough time for this appointment!” you cry. If you plan, engage and persuade properly, then chances are you will get more than 20 minutes or at least get invited back. It’s important to understand that you can’t wing this conversation. If you think you can walk in and “wow” them without any proper preparation, then please just stay in the car.

#2. Walk away!

That’s right…I said walk. There is a very polite way to disengage from info gatherers and I would recommend that you learn it soon. There is more than enough business to go around and you will achieve greater success pursuing 15 opportunities with real decision makers than chasing 30 deals with tire kickers. The freedom and power you will feel when you walk away is incredible (and scary at first!). Eliminate the mental overhead of chasing half-baked deals and focus your energy on where you can add real value. It isn’t about how hard you work—it’s about how smart you work. Always has been, always will be. Make life better for yourself and watch how much energy and focus you free up for creating more success. Trust me, this works.  



Speaking of Sales is about finding, winning and keeping customers for life. If that’s part of your job, then you won’t want to miss the next issue.

Until then,

Tim

 

Tim Wackel

tim@timwackel.com

214.369.7722

Tim Wackel is hired by sales executives who want their teams to
blow the number away. Tim’s “no excuses” programs
are insightful, engaging and focused on providing real world strategies
that salespeople can (and will!) implement right away. Sales teams
from BMC Software, Cisco, Fossil, Hewlett Packard, Allstate, Thomson
Reuters, Raytheon, Pricewaterhouse-Coopers, Catalina Marketing,
Philips Medical Systems, Red Hat and TXU Energy count on Tim to
help them create more success in business and in life.

Golf Pros & Sales Pros by Dan Adams

Q. Dan,

I have been involved in competitive sports all of my life. As my career in sales progresses, I find myself remembering my coach from High School and applying principles from those activities in my sales job. What do you think of that?

Kathleen, St. Paul, MN

A.

Kathleen, great observation! It may surprise some, but I propose that there are many similarities involved whether you strive to excel at sports or at sales. .

Take, for instance, the game of golf (one of my favorite sports). Bob Rotella, a renowned golf/sports psychologist and author of the book Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect, outlines suggestions to help golfers with their "mental game" on the PGA tour. We'll see in the analysis below that some basic tenets may be held in common.

Bob Rotella's Golf Rules: & Sales Lessons:


GOLF: Free will is a golfer's greatest source of strength and power. Positive attitude makes a great player. People by and large become what they think about themselves. Choosing how to think is a crucial decision. Negative thinking is almost 100% effective.

SALES: You and only you determine your attitude. Customers love positive people. Be positive and surround yourself with positive people!


GOLF: Golfers must learn to quiet their minds, stay in the present and focus on the shot to be played.

SALES: Don't celebrate too early. An order is not an order until: It's booked, you and the company have been paid, it's been delivered, installed/implemented, the customer is happy, the customer continues to buy from you and the customer refers others to you.


GOLF: A sound pre-shot routine is critical.

SALES: Developing a sound pre-call plan for sales calls, presentations and negotiations is vital.


GOLF: Golf is a game played by human beings, therefore, it is a game of mistakes. Successful golfers know how to respond and learn from mistakes.

SALES: Develop a routine for critically analyzing wins and losses. Feeling badly about losing a deal is natural, but think about trying to recover something positive from the experience--learn from it!


GOLF: Golfers must learn to love the challenge when they hit a ball into the rough, trees or sand. The alternatives, anger, fear, whining and cheating, do no good.

SALES: Excelling as a sales professional is not easy. Learn to savor the challenge.


GOLF: Quality of practice is more important than quantity, particularly for better golfers.

SALES: To the sales superstar, the process of becoming better is a never ending quest. There are tons of colleagues, sales books, sales trainers and selling methodologies. Be very selective about your choices; sift through material critically and assess mentors carefully in your search for advice.


GOLF: Great golfers must learn the importance of the training mentality and trusting mentality. Training mentality makes things happen and is used on the practice range to engrain swing mechanics. Trusting mentality lets things happen and is used on the course.

SALES: Sales pros must practice and prepare to insure that during "game time" (your time with customers) your responses and actions come naturally and easily.

GOLF: If a golfer chooses to compete, she must believe she can win.

SALES: Properly qualify opportunities utilizing the BMPCC account qualification strategy before you invest significant corporate and personal scarce resources into an opportunity.

"Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you are always right." Henry Ford


GOLF: On the first tee, a golfer must expect only two things of himself: to have fun, and to focus her mind properly on every shot.

SALES: Do your best and have fun doing it!


GOLF: You must play every significant round with a game plan! Follow a conservative strategy but have a cocky swing!

SALES: For major opportunities you must have a sound strategy (Building Trust, Growing Sales: chapter 4). Even more important than the strategy are the action items/tactics that flow from it.


GOLF: The best way to prepare a plan is to start from the hole and mentally review it backwards.

SALES: Develop a "Critical Event Time Line" for each of your major opportunities. Remember: 3-D: Discover, Document and Drive the customer's buying process starting backward from the customer's critical event.


GOLF: In golf, the bad news for the present champion is that tomorrow is a new day. That is when the competition starts again from scratch. That's the good news for everyone else.

SALES: Unlike most other careers, the selling professional is paid and rewarded based upon the here and now. The past is irrelevant.


Good Luck, and Close 'Em!

About
the Author:

Daniel Adams, author of Building Trust, Growing Sales,
and creator of Trust Triangle Selling™ helps corporations
improve their profits by optimizing the performance of their sales
teams. He is a frequent and popular speaker at national sales
meetings, workshops and association events. You can visit his
web site and read his other articles at http://www.trusttriangleselling.com/.

Sales Lessons From A Cruise by Jim Meisenheimer

Sales lessons can be discovered anywhere including a 10-day
cruise to the Caribbean.

Bernadette, my wife, and I drove from our home in Lakewood
Ranch Florida to Fort Lauderdale the day before the ship was to
leave port.

We stayed at the Marriott Renaissance Hotel just minutes
from the Port Everglades.

I'm always on the lookout for new sales tips and techniques
that I can share with my subscribers to my "Start Selling
More Newsletter."

B. and I were having a cocktail at the bar before dinner.

There was no one else sitting at the bar. Carol, our bartender,
was happy to talk with us.

One of the questions I asked her was "How big is the hotel?"
Without any hesitation she said "We're small, but mighty -
233 rooms."

A powerful choice of words.

Imagine telling your sales prospects, "We're big enough to
perform and small enough to care."

We sailed on the Emerald Princess. It was the largest ship
we've ever been on with 3500 passengers.

Our scheduled first stop was Antigua. Because of bad weather
and severe winds the Captain decided to take a pass, for
safety reasons, on this port.

So the island of Dominica was to be our first stop. The dock
was loaded with brightly colored umbrellas where the locals
were set up to sell almost anything you wanted to buy.

B. was in the market for some perfume. I forget the name,
but that's not important. B. found what she was looking for
and struck up a conversation with Noreen - the vendor.

Let the games begin. In almost all Caribbean Islands,
shopping usually includes some haggling between buyers
and sellers.

My wife asked Noreen if she could do any better on her price.
Noreen quickly responded, "If you talk to me, I'll talk to
you!"

So B. started telling Noreen about Morgan, her niece - who
the perfume was for.

After B. talked to Noreen, Noreen started talking too and
the result was a 20% discount.

Noreen didn't do much selling, but she did get the customer
(B.) talking. That's a sales lesson we can all benefit from.

Our next stop was St. Kitts, where B. did some serious
shopping for jewelry. I won't bore you with all the details
but you should know there were two very happy women when we
left the jewelry store - B. and the saleswoman!

B. was looking for several specific pieces. She spotted what
she was looking for and asked the salesperson if she could
set it aside for a while. Now how many times a day do you
think these jewelry shop salespeople hear cruise ship
passengers say, "We'll come back later?"

So Maggie, the salesperson, does everything under the sun
to get us to buy before leaving the store. This included
four different levels of pricing.

The store had "Looking pricing," they had "Thinking pricing,"
they also had "Buying pricing," and even had "Even better
than buying pricing." What a way to qualify your sales
prospects.

I must say it worked. B. wanted to look around to see what
the other shops were offering. She did however really like
the three pieces that Maggie had set aside for her. What's
more, we left the store with their "Buying pricing" which
meant when we went back to the store we could expect
an even better price.

It had a built in attractor factor for us. Go back to the
store to get an even better price for something B. really
liked.

We did go back to the store and not surprisingly we did get
an even better price. Perhaps another sales lesson here.

What struck me about these different encounters was the one
thing they had in common. They were unconventional, unusual,
unorthodox, and of course original which is what made them
memorable.

During your sales calls to existing customers and sales
prospects don't be boring.

All the product knowledge in the world doesn't add up to a
hill of beans if you can't distinguish yourself from your
competition.

It doesn't take brains to be different - it takes courage!

The choices you make in life determine your destiny. Choose
to be courageous.

Your customers will remember you and reward you with their
business - another sales lesson!

About
The Author:

Jim is a
Sales Strategist and is the creator of No-Brainer Selling Skills.
He shows salespeople and entrepreneurs how to increase sales,
earn more money, have more fun, and how to do it all in less
time. His focus is on practical ideas that get immediate results.
He offers Advanced Sales Management Workshops, Sales Coaching,
Consulting, In-house Sales Training Programs, and a wide variety
of Learning Tools i.e. books, special reports, sales manuals,
and CDs.Jim Meisenheimer
is a member of The National Speakers Association, where he earned
the C.S.P. designation, Certified Speaking Professional. He
has authored five books including, "The 12 Best Questions
To Ask Customers," and the recently published “57
Ways To Take Control Of Your Time And Your Life”.

Websites: http://www.startsellingmore.com/

http://www.meisenheimer.com/