Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Sales Compensation: What Is The Definition Of A Sale? by Alan Rigg

I recently received the following question from a website visitor:


"I have a question about the definition of 'a sale.' I would like to hire an outside, non-exclusive salesman that works on an 8% commission. I now need to determine what constitutes 'a sale' for the job description. How do I go about this? Does it mean he got me in the door and I have to do the rest, or does it mean he has to do all of the work and close the deal? If my outside salesperson gets in the door of a prospective customer, performs the initial sales pitch to capture their interest, but then the rest falls on me to close the deal, who's 'sale' is it? I see this being a very gray area and would appreciate some assistance."


Here is how I responded to this question:


When a salesperson is new to working with a company, it is common for them to have to rely on expert resources to help them manage sales cycles and close sales. In this scenario it is common for the salesperson to receive full credit for the sale, regardless of the fact that they are receiving assistance.


Of course, the goal over time is for the salesperson to become increasingly self-sufficient, at least from the standpoint of dealing with the "business" aspects of managing the sales cycle. Personally I don't care whether salespeople ever learn all of the technical details of their products and services. I'd rather have them focus on becoming experts at the things that only salespeople do: finding and qualifying opportunities, managing sales cycles, managing expert resources, and closing sales.


Your situation is different because it sounds like you are looking for a non-exclusive salesperson who is willing to work for 100% commission. I don't usually recommend 100% commission compensation plans for the reasons that are outlined on the following website page:


http://www.8020sales.com/sales_compensation.html


With that said, if you are going to look for a non-exclusive, 100% commission salesperson, it would be worth your while to look into manufacturer's representative firms. To find these firms, go to your favorite search engine and type in the phrase, "manufacturers representative association". This search will bring up some association websites that provide some pretty useful tools for searching for manufacturer's rep firms based upon criteria such as geography, types of products and services they sell, etc.


You can also consider paying different commission percentages based upon how much of the sales cycle the salesperson manages. For example, if they get you in front of a good prospect, they might get 2%. If they qualify the opportunity and manage the sales cycle and only use you as an expert resource, they might get 5%. If they perform the entire sales process all by themselves, they might get 8%. Just some food for thought.




©2009 Alan Rigg




About the Author


Sales performance expert Alan Rigg is the author of How to Beat the 80/20 Rule in Sales Team Performance, and the companion book, How to Beat the 80/20 Rule in Selling. His 80/20 Selling System™ helps business owners, executives and managers end the frustration of 80/20 sales team performance, where 20% of salespeople produce 80% of sales. For more FREE sales compensation information, visit http://www.8020sales.com/sales_compensation.html.


NOTE: You are welcome to reprint this article as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the "About the Author" information at the end), and you send a copy of your reprint to

alanrigg@8020sales.com .

Monday, September 28, 2009

Prospect Not Buying? Here’s Why … By Mike Brooks

We’ve all been there.  You’re on the phone with a prospect, you’re asking for the deal, well sort of asking for the deal, and your prospect is just giving vague answers and mild put off’s.  They say things like,


“Well, we haven’t had a chance to go through everything yet, but when my V.P. gets back from Europe, then we’ll…”  or,


“You know we’re still looking at a couple of different options on this, but I do like how yours…”

or,


“I haven’t yet heard back from the owner on this.  He won’t be back in town until Friday and then we’ll have a meeting and I should have an idea…”


I’ll bet these all sound familiar, don’t they?  They do because prospects have been using them since the beginning of time to stall or put off sales reps.  And when they use them, nine times out of ten it means they really aren’t going to move forward.


While this is bad enough, what’s worse is how most (like 80%) of sales reps handle this.  Instead of taking the direct approach (which we will go over in a moment), they will allow themselves to be put off and strung along.  They reason that the prospect isn’t saying no yet, and that there might still be a chance for the deal.  Heck, one out of 25 or so actually do sometimes end up buying so they’d better play along.


Well I don’t know about you, but for a Top producer, chasing and following up with 20 non-buyers is too demoralizing to go through.  Top producers know a weak prospect when they hear one, and they would much rather know ahead of time who is leading them on and not likely to buy, and who might actually be a deal.


Now I’ve written a lot of techniques you can use to isolate objections and get your prospect to reveal the truth, but here is the one question that works the best.  Now I’ll warn you – most sales reps would much prefer NOT to ask this question because they might get a negative response – in other words, the prospect might tell them why they aren’t ever really going to buy.  But that’s exactly what the Top 20% want to know.


And wouldn’t you really like to know now rather than after chasing and following up and wasting all that time and precious energy?  (I sure hope you answered yes…)


So here’s the golden question that will always get your prospect to reveal exactly why they aren’t ever going to move on your product or service:


“(Prospect), from your viewpoint, what do you think might stand in the way of your company (or you) moving forward with this?”


Now hit your mute button, shut up and take some notes.  If you deliver this question in the right way, and then really listen to your prospect, I guarantee they will tell you exactly why they aren’t going to buy.


I use this question all the time, and I’m never surprised by how a prospect will immediately reveal the truth as to what is holding them up and what is going to stop them from ultimately moving forward.  Some of the more common answers I hear are:



  • They were just in the information gathering stage and weren’t ready to make a decision in the first place.

  • Once they found out how much it cost, they decided to go elsewhere or do it in-house.

  • They were just looking to compare quotes and have someone who can do it cheaper.

  • They aren’t the real decision maker and the one who is has something completely different in mind.


Now I’m sure you can expand this list by at least three or four, but I’ll bet this covers much of what you eventually hear.  My question is: “When you get a prospect who is stalling, wouldn’t it be better to know this as soon as possible and move on?”


That answer is “Yes” for a Top 20% producer.  And the more you begin using this question, the more you’ll understand why.


If you found this article helpful, then you will love Mike’s Ebook: “The Complete Book of Phone Scripts,” which is packed with word for word scripts and techniques that you can begin using today to make more appointments and more sales.  You can read about it by clicking here:

http://www.mrinsidesales.com/scripts.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

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Why You Must Assume - Even Though You've Been Told It's Something You Should Never Do by Jill Konrath

Don't get me wrong! I love being a consultative seller. It's literally a part of my sales DNA. But a few years ago, I discovered that "being consultative" didn't convince decision makers that it was worth their valuable time to meet with me.


To show you what I mean, let me take you into their world and put you center stage as the designated future customer.


---


You're busy working at your desk - and have been since 7 a.m. this morning. The phone rings. You glance at the clock and see that it's 2:57 p.m. You can't believe that it's so late already. Your "to do" list is longer now that it was when you started.


But you're expecting a very important call at the top of the hour so, without even a glance at the originating number, you pick it up.


"Hello," you say.



"Pat," the voice on the other end of the phone answers. "This is Terry. I'm the account executive from Global Solutions. I'm glad to finally catch you in. Do you have a few minutes?"



You shudder. You'd have never answered the phone if you thought you'd end up talking to a salesperson. "I'm expecting a call at 3 p.m." you reply tersely, hoping to shake yourself free from this unexpected interruption.



"Not to worry," says the voice. "I'll be brief. As I said, I'm from Global Solutions. We specialize in state-of-the-art services to help companies like yours with all your solution needs.


I'd like to set up a time to meet with you to find out how you're handling your needs in this area - and share with you how Global might be able to help you out. I'm wondering how your schedule looks next Thursday?"



"You've got to kidding!" you blurt out. "You expect me to take my precious time to meet with you and tell you how we're doing things here? I've been slaving at my desk since bright and early this morning without even a break for lunch.


"Yet you have the audacity to request a meeting with me when you can't even give me a valid business reason for doing so?"



The voice jumps in, "Pat, I would never assume to know your needs. Every business is different. And I couldn't possibly recommend anything without learning more about your goals this year and how you're currently handling things.


"Plus, I'd like to understand these problems you're facing, as well as their impact on your organization. It would be presumptuous of me of me to assume."



"And," you butt in, "You'd don't think it's presumptuous to request a meeting with me when you haven't even taken time to learn about my company. Sorry, that just doesn't work with me. If I meet with you, you better bring something to the table."



The voice on the other end stammers, "I would never want to assume anything."



"You just don't get it!" you say emphatically as you slam down the phone, disgusted with another so-called 'consultative salesperson.' As far as you're concerned, all they're doing is wasting your valuable time without offering anything in return.


---


What just happened here? It's the end of a consultative sales era as we know it. Prospective customers simply don't have time for it today.


Instead, they need you to be assumptive! That's right. You need to assume - even though you were trained that to do so was to make an ASS-out-of-U-and-ME.


In short, you need to demonstrate expertise right up front in order to earn the right to be consultative.


So how should you approach a prospective customer? How about something like this:



"Pat. Terry from Global Sales. I know how much the economy is having an impact on manufacturing companies like yours. What we've found is that way too many organizations are paying way too much on their software licenses.


"We've been able to trim their expenses by up to 22.7% in the first year. If you're like other CFOs, you're looking for dollars everywhere in your budget. Let's set up a time to see how we can cut your costs in this area. Sound good?"



Feels completely different, right? You'll get appointments - not brush-offs - when you start assuming.


To be effective in today's crazy business environment, you need to be assumptive to demonstrate your value. Yes, you have to spend time doing research up front. Yes, you need to craft a personalized message.


But that's what it takes to get in the door. And after that, you can put your consultative sales skills to good use.


About The Author:


Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies, is a frequent speaker at annual sales meetings and professional conferences. Check out her new Great Sales Give website to get free sales training resources, plus have an opportunity to win valuable sales goodies. www.GreatSalesGive.com

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Are You Losing Them At Hello? by Jill Konrath

In the movie Jerry Maguire, when Tom Cruise is in the midst of his proposal to Dorothy, she stops him with, "You had me at hello." Every seller dreams of hearing those exact same words when they approach corporate decision makers.



Unfortunately, the opposite usually occurs. Instead of capturing their prospect's attention, most sellers create resistance with their opening remarks and blow the opportunity.


Why do bad things like that happen to good people? In short, weak value propositions.


If you're running into trouble cracking into corporate accounts, most likely the root cause is your failure to clearly articulate the business outcomes that customers realize from using your products, services or solutions.



A couple weeks ago, I did a new exercise while training a group of sellers. In small groups, they rated common value propositions that sellers could use when prospecting for new customers.



Using a 1-10 (tops) scale, they evaluated value propositions such as these on their effectiveness in initiating change from the status quo:


__ We offer one-stop shopping for all your (fill in the blank) needs.


__ We're the industry leader in (fill in the blank) and have been recognized
for our exceptional (fill in the blank).


__ We specialize in ( fill in the blank) and work with well-known clients
such as Microsoft, Best Buy and Kraft.



After serious discussion amongst the sellers, these value propositions received scores between 4-6. Their rationale? They were nice benefit statements about the company, but not quite as punchy as they could have been.



Since my book, Selling to Big Companies, was required reading prior to the session, I assumed these sellers would ace this exercise. Not so! In fact, they were way off.


The truth is that all the above value propositions really deserve a score of one. Not four. Not six. Just a measly score of one.


"C'mon, Jill," you might be saying. "How can that be? They're not horrible statements. They're nice."



Yes, they are nice. I'll give you that. But they're grossly ineffective and that's why they rated so poorly.



Capturing The Decision Maker's Attention

While those commonly used value propositions listed above might be important at some point in the decision process, they're totally and utterly worthless when prospecting.



When it comes to capturing a decision maker's attention, here's what you need to think about:


  • Strong value propositions pique curiosity and entice. When prospects hear them, they want to learn more.



  • Strong value propositions create a stark contrast from the status quo. When prospects hear them, they're willing to consider making a change.


Consider this: If you were on the other end of the phone and a seller called with this message, what would your impression be?


"Eric. Jill Konrath calling from Selling to Big Companies. We offer one-stop shopping for all your sales training needs - everything from lead generation to closing. We use state-of-the-art methodologies to ensure our training sticks."


Does it entice you? Not one iota. Does it get you to consider switching sales training vendors? Not likely. Does it make you want to invest lots of money that's currently allocated elsewhere? Not on your life.



Statements about your company and what it does are NOT value propositions. Period. They are not value propositions.


If you want to get decision makers "at hello", you need to clearly articulate the results the customers can expect from using your product, service or solution. That's results, spelled R-E-S-U-L-T-S.




For example, a few months ago I trained the national accounts team of a well-known media company. All sellers identified one large corporate client with whom they wanted to set up a meeting.


As a result of the workshop, 87% of the sales force landed an appointment with their targeted account.


Those outcomes are unheard of in my business. Virtually every Vice President of Sales will want to learn more.



That's the power of a strong value proposition. Even decision makers who weren't considering a change will think it's worth their time to find out about the sellers offering.



If you really want to "get them at hello," then make sure you:



TALK RESULTS.

Decision makers don't care about your products or services. They only care about the results they'll see. Stress that and you'll catch their attention. Omit those results and you've lost them.



GET REAL.

Refer to actual client successes and include measures or statistics. Success stories from other companies in their industry are especially compelling. By giving specific examples, you really pique their curiosity.



TEST YOUR MESSAGE.

After you've planned what to say, ask, "If I were the decision maker, would this message entice me? Would it make me want to spend an hour of my valuable time with this person?"



If your answer isn't a resounding yes, rework and revise your message till it is enticing. Don't leave it to chance. Don't hope that it will work. Your job is to make it so compelling that your decision makers "get it at hello."


About The Author:


Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies, is a frequent speaker at annual sales meetings and professional conferences. Check out her new Great Sales Give website to get free sales training resources, plus have an opportunity to win valuable sales goodies. www.GreatSalesGive.com

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Mismanaging Expectations: Are You Preparing Your Sales Team for Change? by Keith Rosen



Maria was a new sales manager hired by Media Pros, Inc., a sports management consulting firm. She was recently introduced to the coaching model at a seminar for senior managers in her company.



Maria went back to her team pumped up and ready to begin implementing some of the coaching methods. However, it seems that Maria missed the section of the seminar on how critical it is to prepare your team for coaching by managing their expectations.



Compound this with the fact that Maria has only been in her position for less than five weeks. It's difficult enough for a sales team to adjust to a new boss, but further changes without proper preparation and communication will cause a rebellion.



Maria’s boss set up a meeting with her and an outside executive coach to discuss the resistance Maria was running up against when attempting to manage and coach her team. Maria told the executive coach that she felt she had assimilated herself into her team and prepared them for any changes she was making. Since Maria's sales team worked remotely, she introduced herself to the team via a conference call and let them all know she was there to support them and help them become even more successful in their careers. Sounds pretty good so far, right? However, after further exploration, the executive coach uncovered the breakdown in Maria's new manager orientation process.



The executive coach asked Maria the following questions to help discover why Maria failed to manage her team's expectations as well as develop a strategy to communicate her objectives in a way her team would understand and embrace.



1.    Did you conduct one-to-one meetings with each salesperson on your team?

2.    Did you ask each of them how they like to be managed? Are they coachable?

3.    Did you inquire about their prior experience with their past manager? Was it positive or negative?

4.    Did you set the expectations of your relationship with them? Did you ask them what they needed and expected from their manager? What changes do they want to see?

5.    Did you inform them about how you like to manage and your style of management? This would open up the space for a discussion regarding how you may manage differently from your predecessor.

6.    Did you let them know you just completed a coaching course that would enable you to support them even further and maximize their talents?

7.    Did you explain to them the difference between coaching and traditional management?

8.    Did you enroll them in the benefits of coaching? That is, what would be in it for them?

9.    Did you let them know about your intentions, goals, expectations, and aspirations for each of them and for the team as a whole?

10.    How have you gone about learning the ins and outs of the company? Are you familiar with the internal workings, culture, leadership team, and subtleties that make the company unique? Have you considered that your team may be the best source of knowledge and intelligence for this? Did you communicate your willingness and desire to learn from them as well, so that the learning and development process can be mutually reciprocated?



With each question, it became more evident that Maria did not plan or prepare her staff for change. She did not prepare her team for a new boss or for her new approach to management.



At the end of the conversation, it was clear to Maria what she had to do. She would start with a team meeting to address many of the questions posed to her by the executive coach. Maria would use this meeting to explain the changes she wanted to make and the benefits each person on the sales team would realize. Maria also knew that she needed to address any gossip, rumors, or negativity that could poison the team. She would acknowledge that with any change in management there is an adjustment period. Maria wants her team to know that she is sensitive to what they are going through during this transition, as well as to each of their individual needs. She needs to reinforce her role and the fact that even though her style, personality, and approach may be different from what they are used to, she is there to help them thrive in their careers.



Once Maria finished facilitating this team meeting, she scheduled one-on-one calls with each salesperson on her team to discuss these questions. More specifically, the questions that relate to their specific needs and goals and how they want to be managed and coached. This experience was a huge lesson for Maria and would be for any manager. If you fail to inform your salespeople of your good intentions, they have no idea what they are, thus leaving it up to each salesperson to form his or her own opinion.



A situation where a salesperson had a less than favorable experience with the old manager can be made worse and repeated if the new manager does not take the steps to create a new experience between her and her salespeople.



If management does not break the cycle, they may encounter situations where their salespeople are not engaged at all, especially in the coaching process. New managers would then have to form their own conclusions, thinking that either the coaching doesn’t work or it just may be the salesperson who doesn’t work. In truth, what isn’t working is the exchange of communication and as such, a critical message goes undelivered perpetuating conflicts, communication breakdowns, distrust, and underperformance.



Ironically, you may be doing everything else right when managing your team. That is, your heart is in the right place, your intentions are pure and sound, and you truly want to be the best coach you can be for your team. But without defusing any faulty assumptions, gossip, or beliefs, resistance from your staff will be imminent and your coaching will be unsuccessful.



Whether you’re a new manager or a manager who’s a new coach, informing your team about any new initiatives or changes you plan on making and the enrollment process you will use to initiate buy in needs to happen prior to actually implementing the change.



To recap, first take that step back and assess your team’s needs as well as the unique needs of each individual on your team. Let them know how you plan on supporting them. Then manage these expectations with surgical precision. This will foster a strong, healthy relationship which you can build on right from the start, creating the nurturing and open environment that will enable you to earn your salespeople's deeper respect, trust and commitment to their objectives, even in the face of change.


Recognized by Inc. magazine and Fast Company as one of the most influential executive coaches today and the global authority on sales and sales leadership, Keith Rosen has successfully coached more salespeople and managers than any other coach on the planet. When you order Keith’s latest award winning book, Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions, you’ll receive hundreds of dollars worth of bonus gifts from many of the world’s top sales and business thought leaders. Click here to learn more and develop the new discipline of leadership to coach your sales team to bring in more sales today.


About The Author:


Keith Rosen is the Executive Sales Coach that top salespeople and managers call first to attract more prospects, close more sales and develop a team of top performing sales champions. Keith has successfully coached more salespeople and managers than any other coach on the planet to achieve positive, measurable change. He’s the winner of the 2009 Stevie Award for being The Sales Education Leader of the Year. An award winning columnist, speaker and best selling author, Keith has written several books including Time Management for Sales Professionals and the gold medal winner, Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions, which was named the Sales Leadership Book of the Year and one of the World’s Best Business Books of 2009. Inc. magazine and Fast Company named Keith one of the five most influential executive coaches. He's been featured in Entrepreneur, Inc., Fortune, The New York Times, Selling Power, The Wall Street Journal and Sales and Marketing Management. Keith sits on several editorial boards and advisory boards and is the expert sales advisor for Dun & Bradstreet, Hoover’s and AllBusiness.com. For sales training videos, podcasts, information on executive coaching and sales training, visit www.ProfitBuilders.com, call 516-771-1444 or email info@profitbuilders.com. Subscribe to his newsletter, The Winners Path, http://www.profitbuilders.com/winnerspath.htm.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

The Seduction of Potential by Keith Rosen

There are three areas in which managers constantly struggle. The first is deciding who to hire and where to find good talent. The second is deciding who to coach, how to coach and who to support when performance has dipped and the third is determining who to let go and when to do it.


When it comes to making these decisions, the questions I hear most often, sound like this:


How do you turn an underperformer into a top producer or at least into an average, acceptable producer?"


"When does it make sense to invest your time, money, and resources into someone who you feel you can turn around or who hasn’t lived up to their full potential?"


"How can I determine (with great certainty), based on a defined set of criteria, benchmarks, and measurable steps, when enough support, training and coaching is enough and let someone go?"


During a coaching workshop, a manager asked me how to handle an underperformer. While the manager shared in great detail the challenges she was having with a salesperson she hired several months ago, I noticed the reaction from the audience. Their heads were nodding up and down in agreement, as if she was sharing not just her story but everyone's story.


She told an all too familiar tale of a new, promising hire with incredible potential who wasn't working out.  A candidate with a wonderful resume, great background, stellar references, and a seemingly positive attitude, whose experience seemed to be a perfect complement to the new position.


The manager explained how this promising young superstar became one of her biggest disappointments, frustrations and expense. And it wasn’t as if she just called it quits after a few weeks and fired this person. Like most managers, she invested precious time trying to turn the person around. The more time she invested in supporting and training this person, the more her expectations were shattered.


This manager was stuck. She didn't know what to do. The new hire was costing her money, time, selling opportunities and resources. She ended her story with what sounded like a desperate cry for help, "Keith, what should I do?"


The room was silent. All the managers and business owners were gripping the edges of their seats, waiting, anticipating a magnificent piece of brilliance, a solution to this common and painfully eternal dilemma.


My response was, "Do not be seduced by the ether of potential."


Yes, we are often seduced by the potential we believe we see in others. We see potential in the people and opportunities, all around us. We see potential in our new hires and untapped potential in our veterans.


We believe that, if we give them just a little more time, resources, training, attention, they’ll finally live up to their potential. We believe our employees when they tell us, "Just give me a few more weeks. I'm about to close in on two big sales. Yes, I know my performance has slipped, but as I told you, those problems that have been distracting me are no longer there."


We think, "Okay, if they really could turn it around that would make my life so much easier. After all, it sure beats the painful and time-consuming process of having to recruit someone new, let alone having to figure out how to cover a territory with no salesperson!"


Ironically, it costs more in time, money, resources, internal conflict and lost sales to keep someone like this on your team. And, you’ll have less time to focus on growing your business and on the people who are performing.


That's when it happens. The seduction begins. You begin making decisions based on your emotions, feelings, hopes and unrealistic scenarios, rather than on the facts and what is best for you, the company and the person in question.


The seduction of potential clouds your better judgment. If you’re looking for evidence of this, just glance over at the people on your team today. When dealing with an underperformer, how many times have you thought, "Just one more week. He'll turn it around. I know he can do it. If he just follows the program. Just let him get through this next project. I hope he brings in some new business soon."


We often hire people based more on their potential than their achievements and then try to develop the potential we see in them. After all, the goal of management is to make your people more valuable. The key here is investing your time in making the right people more valuable. Otherwise, it’s a time-consuming and exhausting exercise in futility.


Potential is based on something that you have not seen yet nor have evidence to support. Potential resides in the future. You can’t build a business on potential. If you are making hiring decisions based on people's potential, and the candidates haven’t been living their potential by the time you meet them, what makes you think they are going to start living it once you hire them?


Either people strive to live their potential each day or they don't. It's management's responsibility to ensure each person on their team has the systems, tools, resources, training and coaching that allows them to do so.


Hey, I’m all for continued improvement. The difference between working off potential and lifelong improvement is this. With potential, you're looking for something that you have not seen yet nor have evidence for. With lifelong improvement, you're working with a known quantity and have the empirical evidence (possibly from past experiences) that supports your belief that turning this person around is truly possible. You have the verification, commitment and evidence that the situation can be made better.


The real problem is, managers wind up collapsing potential with possibility. So, what truly seduces you is the potential of possibility.


What's missing for managers is certainty. It's the uncertainty, the unknown, the fear that paralyzes managers who have to decide whether to terminate someone or invest time into turning them around. Managers rely more on their fear based gut reactions than on the facts.


Having certainty and confidence in their people supported by evidence of their capabilities is a healthier, more productive model when creating new possibilities. This is what I refer to as authentic human potential. The certainty comes from having a defined coaching program. Once you have a structured coaching program that sets expectations and holds people accountable on a daily and weekly basis, you no longer have to decide to retain or terminate them. Underperformers will make that decision for you, based on the defined set of criteria, goals and measurable action steps they need to take to demonstrate their commitment to their position and to dramatically improve their performance.


If you are responsible for hiring, developing, and managing a team, what process do you have in place to leverage their strengths from the time of hire through their first 30, 60, 90, even 120 days? Would having a Thirty-Day New Hire Orientation Program for every hire that details the measurable steps to take and the objectives they need to reach during this timeline help you and your team? Wouldn't this simplify your life dramatically? Now that you have a proven process documented, either the new hire is sticking by the program and achieving the expected results, or not. There's no room for you to be seduced by the potential of possibility. There's no probation or need to wait for the year-end performance appraisals.


You can now run your business or manage your team with greater efficiency. Once these processes are in place, you’ll be able to get back to doing what every manager is destined to do in the first place: make your people even more valuable.


Recognized by Inc. magazine and Fast Company as one of the most influential executive coaches today and the global authority on sales and sales leadership, Keith Rosen has successfully coached more salespeople and managers than any other coach on the planet. When you order Keith’s latest award winning book, Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions, you’ll receive hundreds of dollars worth of bonus gifts from many of the world’s top sales and business thought leaders. Click here to learn more and develop the new discipline of leadership to coach your sales team to bring in more sales today.


About The Author:


Keith Rosen is the Executive Sales Coach that top salespeople and managers call first to attract more prospects, close more sales and develop a team of top performing sales champions. Keith has successfully coached more salespeople and managers than any other coach on the planet to achieve positive, measurable change. He’s the winner of the 2009 Stevie Award for being The Sales Education Leader of the Year. An award winning columnist, speaker and best selling author, Keith has written several books including Time Management for Sales Professionals and the gold medal winner, Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions, which was named the Sales Leadership Book of the Year and one of the World’s Best Business Books of 2009. Inc. magazine and Fast Company named Keith one of the five most influential executive coaches. He's been featured in Entrepreneur, Inc., Fortune, The New York Times, Selling Power, The Wall Street Journal and Sales and Marketing Management. Keith sits on several editorial boards and advisory boards and is the expert sales advisor for Dun & Bradstreet, Hoover’s and AllBusiness.com. For sales training videos, podcasts, information on executive coaching and sales training, visit www.ProfitBuilders.com, call 516-771-1444 or email info@profitbuilders.com. Subscribe to his newsletter, The Winners Path, http://www.profitbuilders.com/winnerspath.htm.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

The Ultimate Sales Tip by Jim Meisenheimer

I'm sitting at an American airlines gate waiting to
board flight 1679 to Chicago.


Tomorrow morning I'm scheduled to do a one half day
sales training program for a dental manufacturing company -
a program I've done 28 times for them.


I was reading a chapter out of a copywriting course
titled, "127 More Secrets Of Direct Mail."


Then it happened.


I got to number 123.


It grabbed me by the lapels of my sports jacket.


It really throttled me.


It caught me by surprise.


It wasn't an entirely new concept for me.


It was the words. It was the language. It was
exceptional because of its brevity.


Simply brilliant!


These words will surely linger for a long time,
like a burning ember.


Look, if you're an entrepreneur or a professional
sales person you might want to type these words
on a 3 x 5 card and get it laminated. You do not
want to forget this sales tip or these powerful
words.


The plane's pulling back from the gate and we're
now headed to Chicago, and I'm writing this
feverishly, so I can capture the essence and the
power of what I just read.


It's so simple - why didn't I think of stringing
these three words together? So, even though I didn't
invent these words I can still share them with you.


Well - here's the secret # 123.


"Don't sell - SOLVE!"


Let me repeat this for you, "Don't sell - SOLVE."


So you might be wondering what's involved in the
SOLVING PROCESS?


Don't talk and tell - ask questions and listen.


It's that simple.


Based on my observations most salespeople do not
ask quality sales questions.


It's been said, you can tell the quality of your
sales questions by the quality of the responses
you get.


If you're serious about asking better sales questions
and learning more about the process of professional  selling you should take a look at my new:


Sales Trailblazer V.I.P. Selling Club


Serious stuff for salespeople who are serious about selling!


Check it out here


or cut and paste this into your browser window:


http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/?Clk=3236897


This is the ultimate sales tip and you don't ever
want to forget it.


"Don't sell - SOLVE."


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/

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Sales Points From a Movie by Art Sobczak



Greetings!



I've not yet seen the new movie, "The Goods:
Live Hard, Sell," with Jeremy Piven as a hired gun
who comes in to turn around failing used car dealers.


The reviews I've seen call it a tremendous waste of
time, incredibly stupid, and an embarrassment for Piven.
(All of which means I'll probably like it.)



Seems like people always ask me about the movies with a
sales theme, so I probably should see, but don't want to
waste my time if it truly is horrible. If anyone has seen it,
let me know your thoughts.



One sales movie that I stop on and watch every time
I stumble upon it while channel surfing is "Boiler Room."


It's kind of like the older movie, "Wall Street" from a few years
ago ... young greedy stockbroker chasing big bucks, conflict
with dad, a romantic interest, gets involved in some shady
stuff, and an unflattering depiction of salespeople using the
phone, particularly brokers. If you liked "Wall Street,"
or are in the securities business you'd probably love it.
And, I'd say anyone using the phone in sales would
get a kick out of it. Worth renting.


However, there are a couple of scenes in the movie that
perpetuate the cliches and myths of professional sales,
and at least one that is accurate.





MYTH: "THE ABC'S of SALES: ALWAYS BE CLOSING"

This line is used by Ben Affleck's character,
who although is billed as one of the stars in the flick,
has a very minor role as a trainer in the unscrupulous
securities firm, J.T. Marlin. His tirade with the trainees
about closing is a classic. You can watch it on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izOIOvguncU (WARNING: lots of foul language.)



As I've said so often, this is one of those myths that give
salespeople a bad name. Buyers can smell a "closing technique"
a mile away. No one likes to be techniqued. Granted, we do need
to ask for the business, but it must be part of the overall
sales process, where we progress through questioning to
identify needs, pains, problems and concerns, then make an
appropriate recommendation, THEN ask for some type of
commitment for action, whether that be the sale or the next
step. When done correctly, at the right time, it's the
logical, rational, seamless next step in the conversation.





But, when a sales rep uses a closing technique before the prospect
or customer is ready, that causes resistance and objections.
Like when rep cold calls someone and says, "I'm Pat Seller with
Ace Services. We're a leader in the ____ industry. I'd like to
drop by and show you a few of the things we could do. Would
2:00 or 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday work better for you?"





MYTH: "SALES IS PURELY A CONTACT SPORT"


Meaning, it's just a numbers game. In the movie, I believe
they wanted their trainees making 700 calls a day. It's not
JUST a numbers game, it's a quality game. Granted, you do
need to be on the phone to sell. But you should place
emphasis on QUALITY contacts.





REALITY: "DON'T PITCH TO WOOD"


That was their terminology for the most realistic sales
point made in the movie, meaning that the reps shouldn't
spend time with people who can't or won't make a decision.



And don't waste time sending info out to these people or
following up with them.



I see plenty of sales reps chasing shadows every day ...
placing follow-up calls to people yanking their chain.
Don't be afraid of asking direct questions,



"I'll be happy to call you back next month. What's going
to make that a better time for you?"



"So you're saying you'll be ready to move forward at
that point?"



OK, so there's my movie review for you. I think I'll stick
with my day job.





QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Forget the times of your distress, but never forget what they taught you."

Herbert Gasse





Go and have your best week 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

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Employee Loyalty by Tim Connor, CSP

    Words of wisdom for this week.   


The wise will always reflect on the quality not the quantity of life.”  Seneca


Employee loyalty today seems to be declining for many organizations.  Many employees seem to want more and more, are willing to tolerate less and less, and generally require more attention, compassion, understanding and interest.  Is this true for your organization?  If so, why?  Here are a few reasons:


1. There are several distinct groups of employees today that each require a different management approach, style and philosophy. When you give each group the  attention and management style they want and need the members of each group will tend to feel special, needed and  validated.


2. Layers of management are getting thinner and thinner – leaving more employees per manager to supervise, coach, train and lead.


3. Change, uncertainty, and unknowns are everywhere in the world today.  Many organizations don’t have a clue where they will be or what their organization will look like in five years. How can they then provide a clear career path that will satisfy their employees’ future needs/desires.


4. Personal values of various employee groups vary: ‘baby boomers’ want certain things from their organizations and managers, while the ‘gray’ generation wants other things. Giving the wrong responses, offering the wrong reactions to the values desired by each group, or not being ‘tuned in’ to the issues, concerns or wants of each group can spell disaster.


From my personal experience working with hundreds of organizations during the past 35+ years, I will tell you that employee turnover is one of the biggest costs your organization can have that will have a negative impact on every aspect of your company’s future success. It impacts customer relationships, vendor relationships, competitor attitudes, employee performance and your bottom line.


Many companies have very loyal long-term employees. Why?  There are hundreds of reasons. Here are a few that come to mind quickly:


1. Management really cares about the employees.  Not just as people who do work, but as individuals who have a life outside of work.


2. The organization is growing – giving employees career path options in the future.


3. The organization is generous with its profits, and doesn’t just save them for only top people at the top of the food chain.


4. Their corporate cultures are open, fun, honest, friendly and supportive.


Your turn, can you add any items to either list?


About
The Author:


Tim Connor, CSP World renowned Speaker, Trainer and best selling
author of 67 titles, Box 397, Davidson, N.C. 28036 USA, 704-895-1230
(voice) - 704-895-1231 (fax) - tim@timconnor.com (email) - www.timconnor.com (Website)


TO HIRE
TIM - CONTACT;


Tim Connor,
CSP

Speaker, Trainer, Best Selling Author

Box 397 Davidson, N.C. 28036 USA

704-895-1230 (voice) 704-895-1231 (fax)

tim@timconnor.com (email)

www.timconnor.com

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

"Another Lousy Appointment" by Jim Dunn & John Schumann

Problem: It was a gloomy day and had just started to rain when Rick left his second lousy appointment of the day. "Man," he thought to himself, "it's pouring down rain, my car is at the other end of the parking lot, and this appointment that I drove 40 miles to see was a total waste of time. My grandmother is a better prospect than this guy." He put his head down and dejectedly trudged through the rain towards his car. On his way back to the office he reflected on the appointments he had been on recently. The majority of them had been similar to these two, a waste of time for the most part...nobody seemed interested in buying. He was starting to feel like they were all bad prospects. The gloomy day mirrored his mood perfectly. But he needed to do something quickly since his sales were starting to suffer.


Diagnosis: There are no bad prospects; just ineffective salespeople. Unfortunately, salespeople seem to be willing to meet with virtually anybody who expresses so much a passing interest in what they are selling. Hope springs eternal, as they say, and salespeople hope that if they can just get face to face with someone, anyone, something good might happen. However, more often than not something not so good happens. Let's face it, most salespeople really don't want any bad news, so they don't ask the hard questions. You know, the ones that might disqualify a prospect. Questions like the ones we're suggesting below.


Prescription: If you want more productive appointments, change your attitude and plant your feet. Be adamant that you simply don't have the time to meet with anyone who can't pass a quick qualification test. Anyone who can't answer affirmatively to the following three questions may not be worthy of your time:


1. "Is the problem compelling enough for you to take a good, hard look at a solution, assuming one were available?"


2. "Are adequate resources available to implement a solution, assuming you found one that you felt would work?"


3. "Who else should be at the meeting who needs to be part of the final decision process, besides yourself?"


If the answers to the first two questions are affirmative, you probably have a good prospect. If you get a wishy-washy answer, chances are your prospect is not very close to buying anything from you or anyone else. (Let your competitor go on this call.) The third question is designed to make sure you have the right people at the meeting. How much better would you feel if you had this information before you went out to the appointment?


Your time is simply too valuable to waste with people who aren't serious or who don't have the resources to buy. And you can't afford to spend time with people who don't have the authority to buy.


Good Selling!

Jim Dunn & John Schumann

About
The Authors


The creators
of the Common Sense Selling® process are two
not-so-common sales professionals and trainers, Jim Dunn and John
Schumann. They saw the lack of results and frustration that most
salespeople experienced using the old “feature, advantage,
and benefit” selling approach in today’s more complex
selling environment.


Using their
combined 65 plus years of sales experience, they developed a new,
common sense approach to selling that is unconventional, by most
standards…and it works!


Visit them at http://www.whetstonegroup.com/