The Biggest Mistake Sales Managers Make by Mike Brooks

If I were to ask you what the most important thing a sales manager can do to drive business, what would your answer be?  Hire the right reps to begin with?  Properly train them? Keep them motivated?  Help them close deals?  I’m sure you thought of these and many others, but I wonder if you thought about the one activity I’m going to share with you today.

That activity is to monitor and ensure adherence to best practice selling techniques.  You see, in  a nutshell a sales manager’s job is to give his/her team the most effective core selling skills or best practice techniques, and then monitor to make sure their team is using them on each and every call.

It’s like a professional sports coach.  What do they do?  They design the best plays and then coach each athlete to use the best techniques and skill sets on every play.  That’s why they study and break down game film so much.

It’s the same with recording calls.  As sales managers your most important job is listening to (monitoring) your sales reps during the sales process to make sure they are using the most effective skills.  The bottom line is that if they aren’t making their numbers, it’s almost always because they are delivering poor presentations to unqualified leads.  And that is a direct result of not using best practice core selling skills.

So … the biggest mistake sales managers make is monitoring and measuring the results (the revenue numbers) rather than the sales process itself (the actual skills used to drive those results).

If you want to improve the sales performance of your sales team, then you need to stay focused on and monitor what is driving those results – what your reps are saying and doing during their qualifying and closing presentations.

And here’s how you do that:

Start scoring adherence to your scripts (or outlines or presentations, etc.).  Break down each script into sections and assign a number value to them that add up to 100.  Then listen to the recordings of your reps and score their adherence to following the script.  Anything under a 90% adherence and you’re got work to do.

Bottom line – by staying focused on the most important part of the sale – adherence to best practices – you’ll avoid the biggest mistake most sales managers make, and in turn you’ll become one of the few managers whose team actually make their revenue numbers.

How great would that be?

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

How to Not Sound Like a Telemarketer by Mike Brooks

I don't know about you but I can always tell when a telemarketer is cold calling me. From the moment they begin speaking, "Hi is that Mr. Brooks?"
to the way they mechanically read their scripts, I have them pegged before they get past their first sentence. And like I'm sure it is with you, too, I am immediately not interested.

If you are reading this article, it probably means you have to pick up the phone - either to make appointments, call prospects back, return calls to clients, etc. - and if so, then you need to learn how to sound natural on the phone and avoid putting your prospects, gatekeepers, assistants, etc., on notice that you're trying to sell something.

The way you do that is by learning how to sound like you're not selling anything, and you do that by learning how to disarm prospects, sound natural yet professional, and how to be friendly without being phony. Use these 5 techniques to not only sound natural on the phone, but to also close more business:

# 1 - Always use the prospect's first name.  I know that there are two schools of thought on this, one being that you should show respect for someone you don't know and so use either Mr. or Mrs., but I don't agree. I think you can show respect for someone by being courteous and professional, and I think you're going to make a lot more progress if you use a person's first name. Here are the two reasons to do so:

a. First, by using a person's first name you aren't immediately signaling that you're a sales person! How do you feel when someone you don't know calls you and addresses you by "Mr." or "Mrs."? Also, when you use a person's first name, you are starting the call on equal footing, without giving them all the power.

b. Second, everyone likes the sound of their own name. In fact, psychologists have found that everyone's favorite word is their first name! By starting with that you are immediately making a connection, and a personal one at that.

#2 - Be polite. You'd be surprised by how many sales reps still try to trick or get around gatekeepers and assistants, and how many are even rude in doing so. Always, always use please and thank you when speaking with anyone over the phone (or in person for that matter).

Words like "please" and "thank you" go a long way when trying to make a connection with a prospect, and they work especially well when you're trying to get through to a prospect also. Examine your current scripts now and do all you can to insert the proper courtesies wherever you can.

#3 - Be brief. Most reps go into pitch mode the moment they reach their prospect, and it's no surprise they can't wait to get the rep off the phone. I review scripts all the time that essentially read the company's brochure to the prospect the moment they reach them.

You can turn that around and sound so much better by briefly delivering your presentation and checking in with your prospect. Try things like:

a. Briefly _________, the reason I'm calling is that we've been working with many companies like yours, and I just wanted to see if we could help you as well. Can I ask you just a couple of questions to see if we'd be a fit for you?

b. __________, you probably get a lot of calls like these, so I'll be brief. I'll just ask you a couple of quick questions and if I think we can save you between 15 to 20% I'll let you know and, if not, we'll part friends, is that OK?

Get the idea?

#4 - Make a connection.  This is one of the easiest of all and it's a great way to get your prospect talking. All you do is find something that you know is affecting your other clients (like new laws in their industry), and ask how it's affecting your new prospect as well. Try:

a. "You know ________ a lot of my clients have told me of the changes they are having to make because of (the new law/change in regulation, etc.), how is that affecting you?"

b. "__________ what are you planning to feature at the September trade show?"

By addressing something that they are dealing with now, you can instantly make a connection and get valuable information. Warning: you have to fit this in after you've established rapport, and you have to address something that is relevant to them.

#5 - Listen more. This may not sound like a way to sound natural on the phone, but believe me, it's probably the most important of all. Because most sales reps are so busy talking at their prospect, they usually lose them at the beginning. In most cases, the prospect has turned off and are just waiting for an appropriate pause to get rid of the rep.

By listening you actually create space for your prospect to speak (and to think), and because of that you are allowing the conversation to flow.
When you give the prospect a chance to get their thoughts and feedback out, they feel comfortable with you, and that is the best way for the conversation to unfold naturally. Hit your mute button after you ask a question and count three 1000's if you're having trouble remaining quiet.

There you have it - five easy ways to avoid sounding like a telemarketer and ways to sound more natural on the phone. The good news is that they are easy to implement, and, once you do, you'll make more connections and you'll feel more comfortable on the phone. And this will come across to your prospects and you'll end up qualifying better leads and making more sales.

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

The Next Step by Eric Slife

When you walk away from an appointment, telephone conversation, or even after leaving a voice mail message, always know the purpose of the next contact and its purpose

For example, you just completed a meeting with a prospect, and you need to reconvene the following week. Before you end the call, summarize what you just discussed, confirm what each party agrees to do before the next call, and get mutual consensus on what the outcome will be for the next call.

It might sound something like: “Sally, I really appreciate you meeting with me today. Just to make sure I understand correctly, when we meet next week, I will have the following information for you… In addition, you are going to meet with your boss on Friday to get the following information… At, the conclusion of next week’s meeting, you will be able to give me a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ if it makes sense for your company to proceed. Is this correct?”

Before the follow up appointment, email a simple reminder of the upcoming appointment regarding what will be discussed (agenda) and what will be accomplished.

Following the above simple steps will result in multiple benefits:

• You will have a better idea where you are at in the sales process.


• Your forecasts will be more accurate.


• Your calls will be more productive because you have an agenda.


• You won’t waste time with prospects that aren’t serious.


• You are less likely to waste your prospect’s time.


• You shorten your sales cycle, because things get done in a timelier manner.

If you are a sales manager before each call ask your reps what is their goal for their next meeting and why. You can then debrief them at the end of the call as to what is the next step. This will get them in the habit of planning each call.

About The Author

Eric Slife is president of Slife Sales Training, Inc. and developer of Team Training.

Regardless if you are a single individual or manage a large sales force spread across the globe, Team Training Program provides comprehensive sales training that is easily accessible and affordable.

Visit www.salestrainingcentral.com today and receive a free 7 day trial and download their recent program Anatomy of A Lousy Sales Pitch.

You'll Never Graduate From This School by Art Sobczak

Greetings!

 

It's graduation season, and odds are you know someone
who is involved with a graduating student.

I drove by my alma mater, Creighton University, the
other day on the way to the airport. It seems like yesterday
that I was still there attending classes. Reading hundreds of
pages weekly, doing papers, projects, speeches, investing
many hours in the library doing research ...pulling the
occasional all-nighter to cram for an exam when
I got a bit behind in the work, because I also had a couple
of jobs. Oh rest assured I did more than my share of the
college party thing, but often had to set aside other activities,
saying, "Nahh, I have an exam. Need to study."

I wasn't a straight-A student, but did pretty well because I
cared. And most anyone who halfway gave a hoot about being in
school for the learning can relate to what I'm talking about.



The fact is, if you wanted a good result, you needed to push
yourself to do the work and learn the material. The same, of
course is true for today's students.



But, what happens when we leave the formal institutions we
call "school"? When we get out into the school of hard knocks,
the real world. The one we're in the remainder of our lives. The one that determines how much we earn.



Hmmm, have you pulled an all-nighter lately studying up on
sales skills?



How many pages of sales skills material have you read in
the past week? Heck, the past year?



How many hours have you invested on researching the psychology
of sales, your sales process, questioning techniques? How much
have you practiced?



How often do you review the way you sound on the phone?



How much did your college tuition cost?

How about your books for a semester?

Compare that to how much you invested in your
own self-development, as it relates to sales, in the past year.

How does that compare to what you spent on coffee, or at bars,
restaurants, or pay-per-view movies?



Note to Sales Pros: please do not rely on your company to provide
you with everything you need. Some equip their reps with lots
of opportunities for growth, others fail miserably in this
area, yet expect great results (I'll get to them in a minute).
As Zig Ziglar said, "What you do off the job determines how well
you do on the job." If you want to grow, it is your personal
responsibility. Whatever is provided to you is a bonus.



And by the way, here is something I've never heard from the
leading salespeople, but hear quite often from the strugglers:"I've had sales training before." That's like saying, "I had
math in the second grade. I don't need it again." Or, "I've
had chicken pox."
Most people don't know what they don't know. IF they're
doing something wrong, how would they know, and get better?



Lots of people get really good at being bad, by continually
repeating the same mistakes.



One more thing: be humble about learning. I truly believe in
and live the adage, "The more I learn, the more I realize how
little I really know." Yet, after a training session I'll often
have someone come up to me and say, "Thanks, I knew most of this
already, but it reminded me of a lot of things."



Yeah, I know I'm not supposed to raise my body when I strike
the golf ball, causing it to go wildly right into the woods.
or desert. The fact is, I haven't practiced enough lately to USE the
information when I NEED it, and make it a part of my habits
and skills. Never be ashamed about learning.





Note to Managers and Owners: What do you invest in to really,
truly develop your people? And I'm not just talking about
buying a book and putting it in the library in case
someone wants to use it. I'm talking about working with your
people, listening to calls, evaluating, coaching. Regularly.



Are your sales meetings sessions where you go over administrative
details, or do you get into the nitty gritty of how to actually
open up a call, get to a decision maker, ask questions, deal
with resistance, move opportunities forward and close business?



You might not believe some of the nonsense I hear when it
comes to companies and their sales training. It is absurd,
really, when you think that a firm will pay thousands of dollars
per year in salary and benefits to hire and employ salespeople,
allow them to talk to hundreds of prospects and customers per
week, yet many don't provide more direction or training than,"Go over there and listen to Pat make calls, then get on the
phone next week." And Pat, by the way, was probably trained
the same way, and the same wrong, resistance-inducing techniques
are passed down.



If you coached or owned a professional sports team, would you
allow your team to just play games and not practice? Lots of
businesses do just that every day. The champions practice.

I actually heard this from a company recently: "We're thinking
about doing some training with our salespeople in the fourth
quarter (they've had none so far), but we don't want to
spend too much, and can't take more than a day." Good thing
they're going to wait, because I bet the salespeople working
for them right now won't be around. They probably won't sell
up to the company's expectations and get fired.
I am amazed at how companies will throw huge money at
technology, but virtually nothing on their most important
asset, their people, and what they are actually saying on the phone.





Note to the Skeptics Out Who Think I've Written This Just to Sell Stuff: That will probably be a result, and that's good
because I'm in the business of helping salespeople sell more.In fact, I do hope we sell tons of resources as a result of
this sale, since that means my message resonated.
(For complete info on the sale we are running right now go to http://www.businessbyphone.com/grad.htm)

 

However, if I can get just one or two people to email me"”and
they will--saying how they are just starting in sales and were
inspired to invest more time in taking advantage of all of the
great free sales material on the Internet, I will feel gratified.



Am I trying to shame and scold people?



No, I don't need to. I'm throwing out ideas for people to react
to. Of course many of the people reading this"”hopefully you"”are
already sales-info junkies, devouring all of the good stuff they
can lay their eyes on. And I have worked with many, fine, SALES
organizations (you know who you are). But there are others who
look at sales more as a job or a manufacturing position than what
it really is: an art, a science, and a skill. It is, indeed,
all of those. The master sales pro researches, studies, and
practices. And, by the way, cashes nice checks.

I'm not going to sit here and claim that I'm perfect. I did a
self-inventory and realized that as my business has grown, and
I'm pulled in many different directions, I know I can push myself
even more. It's just like taking care of one's self physically;
it's a matter of determining what you value, and what you're
willing to do to get it done. I know I can, and will continue to,
carve out more time to further my own knowledge.



How about you?



Action Step

As we observe students graduating, it's a great time to make a
commitment to our own self-development. What will you do? Don't
just think it or say it. WRITE it down, And then DO it.
Every day.



You will never graduate from the school of sales. You either
get better, or you decline. And you pick up momentum when
you're headed in either direction.





QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Real ongoing lifelong education doesn't answer questions, it provokes them."

Luci Swindoll



Go and have your best week ever!

Art