Coaching Employees to Meet Deadlines by Paul Cherry

Employees NOT meeting deadlines is a major factor in low team performance. As a leadership coach, exasperated managers and supervisors often ask me for effective ways to improve employees’ time management skills.



Listen to the following scenario…



John, a project coordinator, was called into the office of his supervisor Anne. He could tell, immediately, by the look on Anne’s face that she was struggling to keep her composure in check: “John, I thought we’d agreed three weeks ago to get this project finished by now. Now I’m hearing it’s nowhere near ready. What gives?”



Flustered, John said, “I’m doing the best I can, and I’ll get to it as soon as possible.”



When people make a habit of postponing certain tasks, putting off items on their to-do list, and failing to meet agreed-upon objectives, it’s maddening for the superiors counting on them. Even the most understanding managers can find themselves in badgering mode as deadlines are missed and desperation grows: “You told me you’d get this project to me two weeks ago. I’ve asked for it several times now, and I still haven’t seen it. I don’t understand. Why isn’t it done yet?”



I don’t like to use the word “distrust,” but when someone consistently fails to meet agreed-upon deadlines or goals, it’s easy to lose faith in that person. How do you deal with someone like John? What if you ask questions and get whiny, vague responses? Actually, getting negative or ambiguous feedback can be a blessing in disguise, giving you a heads-up that something isn’t right and you must view this information in a clearer light.



Coaching Tip: Get to the origin of the missed deadlines



Sometimes managers say, “What do I need to do to help you get this done?” We think we’re being a resource for the employee, but we’re actually undercutting his confidence. He ends up feeling scolded. Or worse, he becomes aloof, or skittish, and/or avoids you, knowing he’s annoyed you and he’s now under your watchful eye to do the job, pronto. Ironically, we think we’ve created a sense of urgency for this individual, when instead we’re taking ownership of the problem — not a good strategy when we already have enough on our plates!

Rarely do managers want to go down that nagging path where they constantly buttonhole employees with, “What’s going on? Why isn’t this ready?” Despite their best intentions to stay cool and professional, their frustration inevitably reveals itself in their words or tone of voice.



Stop missed deadlines from the start — Create a game plan.



Here’s Anne’s proactive approach: “Hey, John, it sounds to me like you’ve been incredibly busy. As you know from our conversation last week, we were talking about getting this project completed next Friday, one week from today. So tell me, how are you progressing so far? Walk me through the steps you’ve implemented since we spoke last week.” Listen very closely to John to find out what he’s initiated so far and what he hasn’t, as well as any other potential issues that can creep up.



Suppose John says…



“Well, things have been really busy around here, but I plan on getting the project done as soon as I can.” Or perhaps: “Well, it’s gonna be late, probably a week later than I would like.”

Whoa! There goes that red flag!



Three ways to deal with missed deadlines



As John’s boss, Anne has three choices:

• She can say, “Okay, I can live with that.” But probably not!
  
  


• She can negotiate with John and agree upon a more realistic timeframe if needed. Determine if there’s wiggle room to give John a day or two, versus his usual week or more of being late.
  
  


• She can recognize the sense of urgency here. After all, John and Anne had already agreed that the project was supposed to be finished by next Friday. This could easily become Anne’s problem instead of John’s, but since this is really John’s issue, Anne needs to keep the onus on him. She may tell John, “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid going beyond next Friday’s deadline is unacceptable,” adding an open-ended question that will encourage John to specify dates and provide feedback: “How can we ensure that we’ll stay within our agreed-upon timeline?”
  
  

Coaching Tip: Getting past lame excuses for missed deadlines



Now that he has a fire lit under him, John can respond, “Okay, I can realistically get this done by next Friday.”



Anne needs to stay in charge and confirm John’s action plan. “Great! What specific steps will you need to take between now and next Friday to accomplish this?”



Like many of us, John has his quirks. Maybe he’s a procrastinator. Maybe he has multiple priorities that require him to multitask, and his plate is already full. The bottom line: when next Friday rolls around, will John’s project be ready? When Anne follows up with John, it’ll be unacceptable if he responds, “Oh, gosh, I’m going as fast as I can. This came up, that came up, and I just couldn’t get to it…I’ll get it to you next Monday.” He might as well be saying “whah whah whah,” like the adults in the animated Peanuts cartoons.



John might blame his slow progress on lack of time. But pointing to time constraints can be a Band-Aid approach. Sometimes when people say, “I don’t have the time,” when you read between the lines, you may find they’re really saying, “I can’t do it…I don’t know how…I feel too vulnerable…I feel too insecure.” Time management issues often result from someone feeling like they’re outside their comfort zone. Their excuses can come across as whining or blowing smoke, which doesn’t help the employee or employer.

Proactive Questions: Getting employees to take ownership for their projects and tasks

The best way to manage John is to ask him proactive questions now, not asking him reactive questions later:



REACTIVE QUESTION:

“Why isn’t it ready? What have you been doing?”

This approach puts people on the defensive; bad move! You’ll cross that fine line between encouragement and nagging.



PROACTIVE QUESTION:

“John, walk me through the steps you’ll take to finish this project. Do you see any potential obstacles that could get in the way? (If so:) What are they? What will you do to ensure you’ll have ample time to finish the project by our deadline?”



This approach drives John to articulate the physical actions and resources he’ll use, what potential obstacles he may encounter, and how he’ll overcome them. Be good-natured about it: “Hey, John, how are things progressing since we talked Wednesday?”



Following Through



Managers may say, “Yeah, those are good questions, but do I really want the minutiae?” Yes, you do! When you deal with someone like John, you’ll want to know his level of commitment, willingness, confidence, and ability to follow through. If he can’t walk you through all the steps, that should send a red flag flying.



When you have encounters with such people, you want them to have a complete understanding of the steps and outcome desired. When they’re able to articulate the action steps, this also cuts back on the amount of hand-holding required.

When you get them to summarize and you hear the answers you’re looking for, insist that they put it in writing, including a couple of brief, informal progress report e-mails over the course of the week to let you know where they are in the process, such as: “What will you do between now and this Friday to make your deadline?”



As a manager, take the words “Here’s what you should/need to do” out of your vocabulary. The aforementioned direct report should articulate that. That’s where the ownership is, and it’ll reinforce your employees’ determination to stay on track.

Additional Questions to Coach Employees from Missing Deadlines

• What are your goals and timeline for this project?


• Take me through your action steps to get this project done by x


• How are you progressing with the project so far?


• Bring me up to speed where you are now compared to a week ago.  What’s working?… What’s not?… What are you going to do about it? 


• Explain to me what your plans are between now and next Monday.


• Great, so that I’m kept in the loop, send me an email by the end of today summarizing your progress and next steps. Does that sound fair?

 

About the Author

As Managing Partner & Founder of the Philadelphia-based firm Performance Based Results, Paul Cherry has 20 years experience as a sales training consultant with an emphasis placed on sales training, leadership development, sales coaching and leadership coaching. To date, Paul Cherry has trained and coached over 1,200 organizations in every major industry ranging from family-owned small businesses to leading Fortune 500 companies. 84% of clients report on average a 12:1 ROI from his training programs as the emphasis is on reinforcement and accountability. He is also one of the foremost experts on sales questioning methods and techniques. As a leading sales training consultant, Paul Cherry has written over 150 articles in leading sales publications, been guest speaker for webinars presented by Kiplinger.com and Business 21 Publishing, and has received media coverage in Investor’s Business Daily and Selling Power. He is the author of the top-selling book, Questions That Sell and the soon-to-be-released Questions That Lead.

What To Do With An Immediate Brush Off by Art Sobczak

Greetings!



At a training seminar this week I was asked what
to do with a prospect who blows you off the phone
even before you can get your opening statement
out of your mouth.

Should you just call back right away and act like
you were disconnected, he asked.

Well, you could, but really, is that going to cause
them to think how clever you are? I doubt it.



If this truly is a prospect that you want to pursue,
consider some alternatives.

First, consider that the prospect might be having a
bad day, or has just experienced an office emergency
requiring immediate attention. Therefore another contact
might be worth the investment, just not right now.

And instead of calling, try an email, fax or a brief note,
stating,



"I have the feeling I called you at a bad time the other day. I apologize. The purpose for my call was to run an idea by you that could potentially help you to (fill in the blank with some result they would be interested in). I'd like to ask you a few questions to determine if we have the basis for a conversation. I will call you again on Friday, or you can reach me at at 800-555-2922."



Is this likely to get a high response rate? No, but any
response you get would be better than the flat out "no,"
and the upside return on the investment could be huge.

Another alternative would be to simply place them back in
your calling rotation for a few weeks down the road. They
likely won't remember.

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

Please . . . Return My Call by Eric Slife

Getting prospects to return your calls is one of the most frustrating problems you experience. You can be 90% sure a deal will close in the next week and suddenly, silence. If you keep calling, you appear desperate and annoying, so what do you do?

Before you drive yourself completely crazy, take solace in the fact your competition faces the same problem. However, that alone won’t pay the bills. Before exploring some tactics that will help you get your calls returned, first ask yourself, “Why don’t prospects return my calls?”

Here are some of the more common reasons prospects don’t return calls:

• Fear – Most people don’t like confrontation. They would rather completely avoid you, than deliver you bad news.


• Too Busy – Prospects are bombarded by calls every day. Even though returning your call may only take 5 minutes, the thought of having to talk with a sales person when they have nothing new for you and a pile of work on their desk can seem like an hour. In addition, if they have 10 similar calls that day, it will take an hour.


• Lack Urgency – If their problem hasn’t reached their pain threshold, they will lack a sense of urgency to fix it. Without pain, their problem isn’t a high priority.


• No Value – If you are leaving messages that don’t provide additional value or specific reason for them to call you back, there is no point for them to call you. “I’m just calling to see if you got my brochure (or made a decision),” won’t stimulate someone to return your call.


• Using You – If a company is just fishing for information, they will lose all interest once they receive what they want. Don’t give up information without getting something in return. If they want a price quote over the phone or a brochure, make them first agree to an appointment.

How do you get people to call you back?

Your first action with your prospect is to establish the ground rules and expectations. Your prospect needs to know it is okay to say, “No.”

For example: “Mr. or Ms. Prospect I appreciate the opportunity to speak with you. At the end of today’s meeting, my goal is for us to establish if my product or service is a good fit for you and your company. In order to do this, I’d like to ask you some questions, so I better understand your business. Are you okay with this?

If at any time during our conversation today or future conversations it becomes clear to you that we aren’t a good fit, or you decide to go in a different direction, are you comfortable with telling me, ‘No’? In addition, if at sometime I need you to return a call or reply to an email for additional information or to determine what you want next, what method do you prefer? Great, let’s get started.”

By doing this, you are laying the ground rules. If they don’t return your calls, politely remind them of this conversation. This doesn’t mean you email or call them every other day. Give them an opportunity to respond. I suggest at least 4 business days between contacts.

Let’s say, you’ve laid the ground work, and your calls still aren’t returned, here are some specific techniques you can do to reach your prospect.

• Disengage Caller ID: Contact your phone company and ask them how to temporarily disengage your caller id. Let’s face it, we all screen our calls. If they still don’t pick up, don’t leave a message, but call back at a different time using the same technique.


• Use Email: Many times if a prospect can’t be reached over the phone, an email is your best alternative. I’ll often include the following in the Subject Line: John, regarding your request about…


• Fall on Your Sword: Don’t come across as upset or demanding. Take the opposite approach:
  
  

“Mr. or Ms. Prospect, unfortunately we’ve been unable to connect, and I’m starting to feel like I’m becoming an annoyance. I certainly don’t want to be a pain in your side, but I’m feeling like your situation has changed. Please let me know what’s changed, and how I should best follow up with you. This politely let’s them know they haven’t returned your calls, and they appreciate your graciousness.”

• Contact The Receptionist: That’s right, call the receptionist. Let them know you have had trouble connecting. See if your prospect has been out of town. They may even have information that sheds light on the situation. You may uncover some important internal politics or changes that are happening.


• Go Over Their Head: Sometimes, you may need to make an end run. One catch. Have your manager make the call to the person over your contact. This way you still may be able to save face with your prospect.

Call at Higher Levels: Most sales people think they are speaking with the decision maker, when in reality they aren’t. Many times sales people will ask, “Are you the decision maker?” Unfortunately, too many people don’t want to admit they aren’t the decision maker. To get a more accurate answer, ask them, “Who else besides yourself will be involved in the decision making process?”

 If you start by calling the actual decision maker, you will receive more direct and honest answers. True decision makers don’t have time to play games. In addition, if they tell you to call someone lower in the organization, you can always use that as leverage if someone isn’t returning your calls. You might say something like:

“Mr. or Ms. Prospect I know you are busy. However, I promised _________ (their boss) I would provide them periodic updates, or information by this date. Unfortunately, I can’t provide them with this until I speak with you concerning…”

• Fire Your Contact: If everything else has failed, it’s time to fish or cut bait. Reach out one last time, to inform them you are throwing away their file. Believe it or not, this will get some people to realize it’s time to make a decision. If it doesn’t work, walk away knowing you’re better off spending time with real prospects.

 

One final thought. Sometimes deals fall through. In this case, the best thing you can do is to build top of mind awareness. Create your own drip marketing campaign, so when a company is prepared to purchase, you are at the top of their list, or at least number two. In addition, this is a great way to obtain referrals!

About The Author: Eric Slife, is president of Slife Sales Training, Inc. He provides companies a comprehensive sales and sales management training program called Team Training. Team Training gives companies unlimited, on demand access to North America’s premier sales and sales management trainers.

Visit www.salestrainingcentral.com and receive a complimentary MP3 download of Top 10 Voicemail Blunders.

Your Best Investment By Eric Slife

Insanity: “Doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results.”

Albert Einstein

Does sales training pay? Too many companies were fat and happy during good economic times, and concluded that if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Sales people’s deficiencies were masked because they were simply order takers during prosperous economic times. As the economy turned downward, so have many company’s sales.

I recently spoke to a small business owner whose sales have dipped over 30% - unfortunately this is becoming normal!

Most companies will tell you their greatest asset is their employees. However, their actions don’t support their words. One of the last things companies spend money on is training, and it’s one of the first things companies cut.

I’m sure you’re reading this saying, “Well, you’re a training company, so of course your view is biased.” It certainly is. Well trained employees are more efficient and productive. Poorly trained employees not only get less done, but typically they cost you money and additional manpower to fix their mistakes.

Think about your own experiences in dealing with customer service departments. Over a year ago I discontinued using our Internet and cable provider in large part because of their customer support staff. That’s over $1200 in lost revenue for them in just one year from one client. That doesn’t include my mom who also switched based on my recommendation and lost revenue from subsequent years.

However, don’t take my word that training pays for itself. Bassi Investments, Inc. www.bassi-investments.com is a money management firm that invests in companies that invest in their people. They specifically develop recommended portfolios of firms that make significant investments in employee learning because those company’s stocks consistently outperform those that don’t put a priority on training.

The problem is too many companies view training as an expense, and don’t consider the long term benefits. Here are just a few tangible and intangible benefits of training:

1. Reduced Turnover – High turnover is devastating when you consider the expense incurred to hire someone and the amount of sales lost when someone leaves.


2. Improved Morale – When employees are happy they are more productive and efficient; not to mention less likely to bring a lawsuit against your company.


3. New Customers – Your salespeople are the first, and maybe only, impression prospects have regarding your company. Now, more than ever, your team needs to stand out from your competition.


4. Fewer Lost Sales – If each person brought in just 10% more sales, or retained 10% more of their current customers, how much would that improve your bottom line?


5. Higher Profits Margins – Top salespeople not only sell more, but they also sell at higher margins. Simple negotiating tactics can instantly result in thousands of dollars lost or gained in the blink of an eye.

These are just 5 benefits that can easily result in six digits swings for smaller companies and considerably more for larger companies.



Finally, if you still don’t think sales training is one of the best investments you can make, take 60 seconds to use our return on investment calculator http://www.salestrainingcentral.com/ROI%20Calculator.xls. You will be amazed of the impact just a 2.5% increase in sales or increase in profit margin can positively effect your company.

Investing in your employees and yourself is considerably less volatile than other investments, and more often than not will produce your greatest return.

About The Author: Eric Slife, is president of Slife Sales Training, Inc. He provides companies a comprehensive sales and sales management training program called Team Training. Team Training gives companies unlimited, on demand access to North America’s premier sales and sales management trainers.

Visit www.salestrainingcentral.com and receive a complimentary MP3 download of Top 10 Voicemail Blunders.

 

Bite Your Tongue by Kelley Robertson

Most people don’t realize how powerful a negotiating tool silence is. I discovered exactly how effective as
I recently observed someone discussing a deal with a prospective customer this past week.

The customer started describing his situation and after a few moments he paused – briefly. It was an
opportune time for the sales person to make a comment or talk about her product and service. However,
she remained silent, sensing that the customer had more to say. Her intuition proved correct - a few
seconds later he continued talking about his needs, and when he had finished discussing his point he
paused. The sales person refrained from speaking and her customer began talking again.

During this last monologue the sales person learned the exact information that she needed to close the
sale without resorting to discounting. If she had spoken during those moments of silence, she may still
have closed the sale but not as effectively.

I remember watching my wife use silence as a customer several years ago in a retail store. She had
brought a few items to the cash desk and when the sales associate rang them in my wife noticed a
discrepancy in price. When she questioned this difference, the employee mentioned that the items in
question were not available for the price my wife had thought. Instead of complaining or arguing my wife
chose to remain silent. The sales associate immediately began talking to fill up the “dead air” space, and
before long, had talked herself into giving my wife the discount she had hoped for.

The next time you meet with a client or customer – either face-to-face or over the telephone – bite your
tongue. Resist the temptation to talk immediately after they have spoken. Instead, pause for a few
moments. Because most people are uncomfortable with silence they will automatically say something.This is a very effective recruiting technique (called the pregnant pause) and it can be used in the sales
process as well.

Here are a few other situations when biting your tongue will benefit you:

1. After you ask a question. I’ve seen more sales people answer their own questions instead of holding
back and allowing their customer to talk. Let a customer tell you what’s on their mind and encourage them
to give you more information. This is extremely easy to do when you refrain from talking after asking
someone a question.

2. Anytime you ask for the sale. When you ask a person to make a financial commitment (aka a buying
decision) you need to give them time to think about their decision and to respond. Too many sales people
talk themselves out of a sale by continuing to speak afterwards. I recall one sales person telling me he
would give me time to make a decision even though I had told him I wanted his product.

3. When you are not sure what to say next. From time to time, I have found myself unsure of what I
should say after a comment made a prospect or customer. In these situations, an effective approach is to
remain silent. It takes patience and a lot of control. However, in most cases, the other person will fill up
that dead air space and give you information you would not have learned otherwise.

4. When people express disappointment. In situations of conflict our natural tendency is to explain why
something went wrong or to immediately offer a solution. However, allowing people the opportunity to
vent gives you the chance to offer the best possible solution. Many years ago I had a disgruntled
employee and I gave her time to express her opinions. After several minutes of heated words and angry
dialogue, I discovered that all she really wanted from me was the opportunity to vent her frustration. In
another situation, my customer actually told me what he wanted done which was less than I had originally
planned to offer.

I remember reading the following advice from an author some years ago – spend one day every few
months being as quiet as possible and responding only when it adds value to that particular conversation.
This will be incredibly difficult for the majority of people but imagine how much you will hear and learn that
day.

Most people who sell a product or service mistakenly think that they must do most of the talking.
However, my experience has taught me that some of the best sales people are also the quietest. And it’s
because they actually hear what their customer or prospect has to say. They learn what’s important to
that person. They find out the motivating factors behind the purchase. They allow the other person to
dominate the conversation. And let’s face it, the majority of people will always talk when given the
opportunity.

© 2009 Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved

Kelley Robertson, President of the Robertson Training Group, works with businesses to

help them increase their sales and motivate their employees. He is also the author of

“Stop, Ask & Listen – Proven Sales Techniques To Turn Browsers Into Buyers.” Receive a

FREE copy of “100 Ways to Increase Your Sales” by subscribing to his free sales and

motivational newsletter available at www.kelleyrobertson.com. Contact him at 905-633-

7750 or Kelley@RobertsonTrainingGroup.com

The Art Of How NOT To Get To Any Decision Maker by Dan Adams

If you consider yourself a professional sales representative or executive you have undoubtedly worked very hard to overcome the stigma sales professionals have faced over the years. For this reason I was very disappointed to read a newsletter written by a major international sales training firm entitled: "The Art Of How To Get To Any Decision Maker".  

I thought I would write about it this month in a newsletter that I will call: "The Art Of How NOT To Get To Any Decision Maker".

 

The author, president of a major international sales training company, offered claims and advice to get past any gatekeeper/assistant. He asserted: "I've been able to get in front of the CEO and CFO of "so and so" (name dropping a Fortune 500 company). Seeking to share his pearls of wisdom, the author offered suggestions as to how you too, can do it. He advised:

• "Don't be charming to the assistant because it's a dead giveaway you are selling something."


• "Tell the assistant what to do - don't ask them."


• "The other secret to getting that top executive on the telephone is to send the gatekeeper back as many times as you can, each time giving very little information."


• "You must lead the conversation at all times."


• "The biggest tip is that your voice has to sound like you're important." To the author's credit he states: "Never give false information." He then, however, follows up with,"That doesn't mean you tell the whole truth."

The author also advises to keep assistants "off-guard and off balance" by not telling them what your reason is for the call. He advocates sending the gatekeeper back so many times that the CEO finally gets fed up and tells her to put the call through. This sales trainer suggests making a contest out of your efforts: "Let's see how many times you can send the gatekeeper back to that CEO." This role play was suggested in the article:    



You: Hi.This is Bill Johnston. I'm calling for Carl. Is he in?

Assistant: Can I ask what this call is in reference to?

You: Just tell him it's Bill Johnston.

Assistant: Carl did not recognize your name, what is this in reference to?

You:  Did you tell him it's Bill Johnston?

Assistant: Yes. He didn't seem to know you.

You: Hmm. Just tell him I'm from XYZ Company. That might jog his memory.

Assistant: I'm sorry. Mr. Johnston, but the company name didn't ring any bells. Can you please tell me what this is in reference to?

You: Who am I speaking to?

Assistant: This is his assistant.

You: Are you his regular assistant?

Assistant: Yes.

You: What's your name?

Assistant: Shirley.

You [tone of authority]: Shirley, if you tell Carl that I'm following up on some correspondence sent to him that should be enough.





I imagine you feel as shocked at this manipulative and deceitful behavior as I do. The next logical question is, if you are a TRUE SALES PROFESSIONAL how DO you get access to key decision makers? The simple answer to this complex question is that you earn it through trust.  



How do you do that? Don't cold call! Work to get a referral from an existing satisfied client or someone else in their organization. Either way you must do your homework! Research the target company and your senior executive contact. Your goal is to know more about your clients than they know about themselves. Online tools now make this possible. You must be able to tie your solution to one of the top three key pain, challenges, issues or opportunities that they are facing.  



When you do reach out to the administrator, follow these four steps as you introduce yourself:

1. "I have done an extensive amount of research analyzing your company." (I am not cold calling);


2. "As a result of my research I know your: pain, challenges, issues or opportunities. I think your major areas of concern are...";


3. "We have helped other companies in your industry solve the exact same issue with excellent results. Here is how we helped them...";


4. "What is the best way for me to share this information with Sharon (the administrator's boss)?".

Here is an example of how it would sound:



"Hi Margaret,This is Dan with A&A. Over the past two months I have been researching your firm and have uncovered a strong focus on cost reduction through supply chain integration.  We are working with X and Y in your industry to solve this very same challenge. I believe that Sharon would be very interested in hearing what we have be able to accomplish for that client. What is the best way for me to share this information with her?"



Instead of viewing your "gate-keeper" as an obstacle, you have professionally justified your reason for seeking access to her company's executive. It is not advisable to keep anyone "off-guard and off balance". After all, it is your objective to provide professional and consultative service to your clients, and this introductory call will start you off on the right foot.



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 www.trusttriangleselling.com.

Win More Business by Selling Value Instead of Price by Alan Rigg

(Note About Author: If you enjoy the below article then don't miss Alan's upcoming sales management teleseminar, The Sales Compensation Conundrum - How to Develop a Truly Effective Sales Compensation Plan in 2 weeks.)

How "price sensitive" are your prospects and customers?

How often do they ask for a better price? When they compare your products or services to competing products or services, are the differences between the products or services obvious? Is it easy for the prospect or customer to justify paying a higher price for your products or services?

The above questions identify the issues that are at the core of selling Value vs. Price

If price is the focus of your discussions with prospects or customers, the unspoken assumption is that your products or services are basically identical to competing products or services. Is this assumption valid? Are there really no identifiable (and quantifiable) differences between your products and services and competing products and services?

If there truly are no significant differences between your products and services and competing products and services, you have to sell based upon your price and your relationships with prospects and customers, the quality of service your company provides and your negotiating skill. However, this tends to be the exception rather than the rule. For most products and services there ARE identifiable and quantifiable differences that can be leveraged to enable you to sell value rather than price.

What are these differences?

The best place to start is by doing a feature comparison between your product or service and a competing product or service. Compare the products or services feature by feature. Highlight the features for either product or service that seem to be unique or offer extra value.

Next, attempt to calculate a dollar value for any feature differences you have identified. How do you do this? Here are two examples:

1. Let's assume that two competing products offer different length warranties. One offers a one-year warranty and the other offers a two-year warranty. How do you calculate a value difference for this difference in warranty length?

If your company has a department that performs warranty repairs, you can ask someone in that department to tell you the kinds of repairs they perform most frequently for the product in question during the second year of its warranty. Then ask them what these repairs would cost if the product was not covered by a warranty. This will enable you to identify a specific dollar value for the difference in warranty length.

2. Maybe your product is more ruggedly constructed than a competing product. Because of this rugged construction a customer does not have to spend as much money on maintenance or repairs. How much money will this save a customer over the useful life of the product?

Change the focus of your prospect and customer conversations

If you are successful in identifying specific, quantifiable differences between your company's products and services and competing products and services, you will have the ammunition you need to change the scope of the conversation you have with prospects and customers. Instead of focusing on just the up-front purchase price for your products or services, focus on the total investment the prospect or customer will make during a specified time period or the entire useful life of the product or service. How much will they pay to purchase the product or service AND how much are they likely to pay for maintenance or repairs? How does the sum of these two numbers compare to the sum for competing products and services?

Does value selling always work?

The honest answer is "no." Some prospects and customers aren't willing to consider anything other than the up-front purchase price for a product or service. Fortunately this is also the exception rather than the rule. Most prospects and customers recognize that cash outlays are cash outlays, regardless of when they happen. They will see the merit in looking beyond the purchase price and considering ALL of the costs involved in owning a product or service.

Other uses for quantified value differences

Whenever you perform a feature and value comparison, it provides you with a "sanity check" for product and service pricing. In some cases you will discover that the quantifiable feature differences do NOT justify a higher price. In other cases you will learn that the quantifiable feature differences are so substantial that you could ask for, and justify, an even higher price!

Conclusion

If a product or service is truly a commodity and there are no substantial differences between it and competing products or services, it can be difficult to convince prospects or customers to pay a higher price. Your only leverage points are your relationship with the prospect or customer, the quality of service your company provides and your negotiating skills.

If you can identify specific, quantifiable differences between your company's products and services and competing products and services, you will have the ammunition you need to help you change the focus of your conversations with prospects and customers. Instead of focusing solely on the up-front purchase price for a product or service, discuss the total cost of ownership for the product or service during a specified time period or during the entire useful life of the product or service. If the total cost of ownership for your product or service is lower than that of competing products or services, you can win even when you charge a higher up-front price. That's selling value!

 

©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 information and more FREE sales and sales management tips, visithttp://www.8020sales.com.

How To Deal With Red Flags by Mike Brooks

One of the biggest mistakes 80% of salespeople make when qualifying is to overlook or not react to obvious Red Flags prospects give during the initial call.

In their haste or desperation to “generate a lead" or to “fill their pipeline," most sales reps hope that the possible objection they just heard will miraculously go away once the prospect sees their information or product or service, etc.

But you all know from experience -- it never does.  In fact, the law for calling back leads is that:

“Leads Never Get Better."

What appears to be an objection or deal killer always is.

Someone wrote me once about a prospect who wasn't calling him back only to find out the prospect was leaving the company.  He wrote me and said, “I guess intuitively I knew he wasn't the right guy to make the decision anyway."

And I'll bet he knew intuitively because he heard (but didn't question!) the Red Flags that came up during the initial qualification call.

So how do you deal with obvious Red Flags?  Do what the Top 20% -- as soon as you hear something that triggers your intuition or that gives you that sick feeling in your gut, stop and ask the tough questions!

Here’s how you do it:

If someone says that they usually buy from ________, but would like to see your information, ask:

“Why would you switch vendors?"  Or

“How many other companies have you looked at in the last six months?"

And then: "And how many did you go with?"

If someone says that they will pass it on to ________, say:

“Thanks.  So that I make sure I'm not wasting her time it's best that I speak with her for just a few minutes.  Can you please tell her that (your

name) is holding please?"  (If you're then told they are not available, make sure and get their direct line or the person's extension and keep calling until she picks up.

If someone says that they'd be glad to look at over, ask:

“Great, after you do, if you think that it can help you (or your business, etc.), when would you move on it?"

And so on.

The bottom line is that if you want to close like the Top 20% then you have to start questioning the Red Flags.

Remember: It's better to disqualify the non buyers early then to spend your time and energy chasing and pitching people who are never going to buy.

Plus it means that you have more time to find real buyers.

So this week, write up questions to the Red Flags you currently get and begin using them!  You'll feel so much stronger as a closer, and you’ll begin making more money.  Believe me, it’s a win/win.

About The Author:

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