Characteristics of Great Sales Negotiators by Kelley Robertson

Virtually everyone in sales is required to negotiate.
After conducting hundreds of workshop and working
with thousands of people during the last decade, I
have discovered that most sales people are not as
effective at negotiating as they could be.

However, I do come across great sales negotiators
from time-to-time and have noticed that they typically
have a few things in common. Here are the
characteristics they usually possess.

Understanding of the negotiating process. Highly
effective negotiators recognize that negotiating is a
process, not just something that is done when
discussing the terms and conditions of a solution.
Negotiating is much more than haggling about price. It
requires an understanding of the dynamics that affect
the process and influence the behavior of people.
Great negotiators invest time learning different tactics
and strategies and how each technique contributes to
the overall outcome.

Focus on win-win. Win-win means that both parties
feel good about the outcome of the negotiating
process. Some books that state win-win solutions are
not possible in business negotiating; the authors write
that someone usually gives away more than they
should and the outcome becomes a win-lose
situation. Great negotiators don’t believe that. They
help their customer try and solve problems and look
for opportunities to give as much value as possible.
They also know how and when to limit their
concessions, give-aways, and discounts so they can
work out an agreement that is equitable for both
parties.

Patience. Too many people search for the quick fix
try to close the sale as fast as possible so they can
move on the next prospect. Great sales negotiators
recognize that patience is a virtue and that rushing
the process often leads to an undesirable outcome.
They don’t hurry to reach an agreement. Instead, they
take time to gather the necessary information. They
think carefully about possible solutions. They take
their time during the entire process. This is critical
because major mistakes are made when we try to
reach an agreement too quickly. We rush through the
process, not giving the other person’s offer ample
attention, and often end up with an outcome that is
win-lose. Simply because we were in a hurry.

Creativity. Most great negotiators are also very
creative. They use their problem-solving skills to
determine the best solution and look for unique ways
to achieve their goal. A friend of mine was once
embroiled in a bitter lawsuit with a company and after
months of negotiation, he came up with a solution that
ended the suit. He stretched out beyond the normal
answers and developed an alternative that was
accepted by the other party. In other words, he got
creative.

Willingness to experiment. Negotiating is a very
dynamic process because no two people are alike.
What works extremely well in one situation can
backfire in another. That’s why great negotiators
practise using a variety of concepts and techniques.
They experiment with different strategies, solutions,
and tactics. And a small failure does not prevent them
from experimenting with new ideas in the future.

Confidence. Great negotiators are confident when
they enter a negotiation. They aren’t arrogant or rude
or cocky—they are simply confident. They have
developed a high belief in their ability to reach an winwin
agreement. They are confident that they can
handle anything that comes their way in a negotiation
and this confidence is developed through experience.
Great negotiators evaluate themselves regularly.
They learn from their mistakes and victories. They
focus on improving their skill. They develop an
internal confidence that is unshakable.

Keen listening skills. People will tell you virtually
everything you need to know if you ask the right
questions AND listen carefully to their answers. I
personally believe that this one attribute is the most
important skill in selling and negotiating. I remember
my wife talking to a prospect on the telephone and at
one point during the conversation she sensed that he
had more to say. She waited patiently and listened
carefully and the other person eventually gave her
valuable information that helped her close the sale. Unfortunately, too many sales people simply wait for

their turn to talk, or even worse, interrupt their
prospect. This lack of listening means they often miss
hearing key information that will assist them in the
negotiations.

Negotiating is not a skill that is easily acquired. It
takes time, effort and energy. If you want to improve
your negotiating ability you must be ready to work at
it. Invest the time learning the dynamics and science
of negotiating. And be prepared to push yourself out
of your comfort zone.

.
© 2010 Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved.

Get your FREE copy of 100 Ways to Increase Your Sales by subscribing to Kelley's free newsletter, "59 Seconds to Sales Success" at www.Fearless-Selling.ca. Kelley Robertson, author of The Secrets of Power Selling helps sales professionals close more sales at higher profits. Kelley conducts workshops and speaks regularly at sales meetings and conferences. Contact him at 905-633-7750 or Kelley@Fearless-Selling.ca.

Creating Fresh Sales Opportunities By Jill Konrath, Author of SNAP Selling & Selling to Big Companies

There's nothing I like better than engaging prospects when they're NOT thinking of making any changes from the status quo. 

This may seem counterintuitive or perhaps even like sales heresy if you've spent your career chasing prospects who are already in the buying mode. After all, they already have money in the budget for your product/service and are actively looking for new options. 

So why would I recommend chasing "non-lookers" versus the tempting low-hanging fruit? Lots of reasons:

• The incumbent is sleeping. 
  
  
  
  Since dislodging the status quo is always your biggest sales challenge, you want to slip in under the existing provider's radar screen. 
  
  
  
  By bringing in new perspectives that help prospects better achieve their objectives, you gain a foothold in an otherwise impenetrable account. The incumbent's failure to do so creates a credibility gap for them and opens the door for you.

• Your competitors aren't around. 
  
  
  
  If you do things right, you can prove your capabilities, demonstrate your expertise, and establish a strong relationship long before any competitors enter the scene. They'll be playing catchup from the start. And, in most cases, they'll find it extremely difficult to close the gap.

• You set the playing field. 
  
  
  
  By bringing new ideas, insights, and information to your prospect, you help determine the criteria against which future "go-ahead" decisions will be judged. This gives you a chance to best position the strengths of your product, service, or solution.

• Sales cycles get condensed. 
  
  
  
  When you leverage your expertise to help customers sort through everything that has to be considered to make a change, their decision-making process go faster.

• Customers often love you.   
  
  
  
  Okay, I don't mean literally. But if you've ever had someone show you a better way, then made it simple to implement it, you know what I mean. That's how I feel when I visit the Apple Genius Bar, where tech gurus show me how to solve seemingly insoluble problems on my computer.

As you can see, there are many good reasons to get engaged with prospective customers earlier rather than later. Plus, you won't find yourself constantly fighting pricing battles. 

So start thinking about pursuing business with those non-lookers today. But don't talk about your products or services. Your prospects are only concerned about their objectives or eliminating the barriers that stand in the way of achieving them. 

Keep your focus on that and the possibilities are endless!

About Jill Konrath:

Jill Konrath, author of SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies, helps sellers crack into new accounts, speed up sales cycles and land big contracts. She's a frequent speaker at sales conferences. 

For more fresh sales strategies that work with crazy-busy prospects AND to get four bonus sales-accelerating tools, visit  www.snapselling.com.

Stealing Business From the Competition by Art Sobczak

Greetings!



This is a bit longer tip this week. Actually more
of a sales training session. I know many of you
use these tips in your sales meetings, so this
will be an excellent fit for that.



And by the way, this was a recent cover article in my
monthly Telephone Prospecting and Selling Report eight-page newsletter, just one of the member
resources for my Telesales Success Inner Circle participants.



Let's dive in.



If you place prospecting calls (hopefully Smart
Calls) you probably often hear, "I already buy
from X-Company," or, "We're happy with who
we're using."



I know, at this point you feel like saying,



"X Company! What a bunch of losers. How can
you be so dumb?"



Almost as bad--and what many salespeople
actually do--is data-dumping a pitch explaining
why your company is better. It's confrontational,
and only causes the prospect to harden his defenses.



Another strategy is to simply make a quick exit.

Which might not be bad, depending upon your
industry, and the quality and quantity of names
you have to work on. Many stockbrokers take
this route. After all, repeatedly running into
a brick wall, rebounding off, reloading and
ramming into it again isn't the most efficient
use of time if you have stacks of other leads
staring you in the eye. Plus it hurts after
a while.



But if your prospect pool is relatively finite,
you can't afford to burn through names. You need
to take the next step.



Get Them Talking

Your best approach is to engage the prospect
in a two-way conversation. You see, prospects
often say "I'm happy with my supplier," because
it's an easy way to get rid of a salesperson.
It's instinctive. It's easy. Jumping into a
pitch at this point not only falls on deaf
ears, it's unwise because you don't yet know
anything about them.



Engaging them in conversation, however,
gets them involved, and gives you material
you can work with.



A suggested route is to learn why they
selected their present vendor. Once you
know what influenced that behavior, you
have insight into what to say so they'll
consider you.



But DO NOT say, "Why did you choose them?"



The reason is that "Why?" puts them on the
defensive. It forces them to justify their
selection. And it can be interpreted as an
attack of their reasoning. You might as
well poke them in the ribs with a sharp
stick and then try to sell to them.



Saying, "Oh I'm sorry to hear that," or, "Any particular reason you use them?" has
the same effect.



Instead, you want to ask questions that
open them up, build rapport, and ease
into a conversation about how they chose
their supplier, again avoiding the stern "Why?" word.



For example,



"What influenced the decision to select them?"



"What prompted the decision to go with them?"



Notice that the last two questions take the
emphasis off the person, and place it instead
on the decision. It's non adversarial, and
is a soft way to get them talking.



By the way, I don't favor the oft-recommended "What do you like best about them?" Some might
argue it gives you insight into what they
want in a vendor. I maintain it asks them to
reinforce their decision to pick their
existing vendor--the exact opposite of what
we truly want to accomplish.



The Competitions' Weaknesses

What you should do now is ask questions
designed to extract information not only on
what his needs are, but also to point out
your strengths and the competitors' weaknesses.



For example, if you know X Company has poor
quality--allowing them to charge that lower
price--instead of blatantly slamming X's
workmanship, you'd ask a question to shed
light on it:



"How often do you have customers return for
service because of defective parts?"



"What do you do in situations when the
units overheat?"



Now it's not YOU disparaging the competition;
they're doing it for you. More importantly,
they're reliving their negative experiences
as they explain them. Delicious.



I don't want to paint too rosy of a picture
here. Despite your best efforts, in most cases
the prospect still won't budge. Then your
best tactic is to keep the door open for
the future. After all, we've all had those
written-off, discarded prospects who surprised
us with a phone call announcing,



"You called us a couple of months ago, and
we'd like to do business with you."



Here are additional questions that can make
that happen more often.



"Do you have a backup supplier?"



"What type of contingency do you have in
place if something were to happen where you
needed something in an emergency?"



"If anything were to happen with your
existing supplier, could I be on the list
of people you would consider?"



Or tell them,



"Please put my name and number in your
vendor's file. If anything happens where
they can't provide you something when you
need it, would you please give me a call.



Selling against someone's existing vendor
can be difficult--if you make it that way.
Instead, get them talking, and you might
find out exactly what you need to do to
get your foot in the door.



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

Stop Selling On Price

The price objection is the curse of every salesperson's life and yet, as sales managers, we do little to help our people deal with it effectively.

Despite what we seem to believe, unless you're involved in transactional or commodity-type sales where price is the be-all and end-all, price is NOT the primary factor in the customer's buying decision. It's a safe bet that price is always going to be a factor in every sale but it is rarely the deciding factor, particularly in non-commodity sales.

The results of various surveys taken over the years show that between nine and fourteen percent of buyers will put price first in their buying decisions. This means that 86 to 91 percent of buyers have other factors they consider more important than price.

The Factors

One of those other factors is confidence. Prospects want to be confident that you'll do what you said you'd do, when you said you'd do it. Confidence comes from building trust and rapport with your prospects.

One of the fastest ways to destroy rapport and therefore confidence is for the salesperson to start selling before he really knows what the prospect wants to buy. That's sort of like the doctor who gives you a prescription before making a diagnosis. How much confidence would you have in the doctor? Probably not much. Your salespeople need to learn to properly qualify before they sell.

A second factor is choice. Prospects don't like to be in a position of having just two choices — to take it or leave it. Any time your salespeople can offer the prospect a choice, they strengthen their selling position. This is a particularly effective strategy when you are being compared against a competitor. Instead of the situation being one of them versus you, it becomes them versus you, you, and you. Much better odds. Teach your salespeople how to effectively use this technique.

Another factor is service. Prospects want to know you'll be there after the sale is consummated and that you're not going to sell 'em and leave 'em. You need to assure them you'll be there if (or when) they need you. Make sure your salespeople are equipped with evidence or testimonial material to help remove the FUD factor (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt).

The last factor is value. Prospects want to know they're getting the best quality for their money. This is probably the single most important factor in non-transactional selling and one where many salespeople could use some help. Are your salespeople talking catalogues or are they truly able to create value in the prospect's mind about what they are selling? You need to make sure your salespeople really understand the value of what they're selling.

Why Should I Buy From You?

Here's a test for you to try with your salespeople. Ask them, "If I were a prospect, why should I buy from you?" and see what kind of answer you get. Can they give you a value-based reason or do they fall back on the "well-we-have-a-good-price" type of response that gets the prospect thinking dollars and cents again. Some salespeople are so taken aback by this question that they sound like they have a mouth full of marbles as they stumble through their answer. Now that really instills confidence.

If the salesperson doesn't know why a prospect should buy from him, it's a safe bet that the prospect doesn't know either. If the prospect can't tell the difference between you and your competitor, she is more likely to make her buying decision based on price.

In order to move the prospect away from price as a prime consideration, salespeople must be able to articulate what additional value they bring to the offering. Not all the added value is in the product/service you offer. You have many hidden factors that would be of value to the prospect if she only knew about them.

Typical hidden values are: number of years in business, years of experience, organizational background, family-owned business, highly trained service staff, certified technical people, free delivery, toll-free ordering, money-back guarantee, life-time warranty, location(s), easy access, technical capabilities, past relevant experience, strategic alliances, personal attention, etc.

Salespeople need to be aware of these hidden values and know what they mean to a typical prospect so they can effectively answer the often unspoken question, "Why should I buy from you?"

The Value Iceberg

I recommend you walk your salespeople through the "value iceberg" exercise at your next sales meeting. Draw your best rendition of an iceberg on a flip chart (or whatever) and title the part above the waterline as "price" and the part below the waterline as "hidden values." Point out that your prospects often just see the tip of the iceberg— the price— and they need to be aware of the hidden values that can impact a sale. Brainstorm with your people until you've developed a list of hidden values that you offer. If you can, get them to put a dollar amount on as many values as possible.

This exercise will help your salespeople know and appreciate the additional value they and your organization bring to the sale. Being able to effectively explain these to their prospects will help move the prospect away from price as his or her primary decision factor. Remember, it's important to sell value because if prospects can't tell the difference between what you're offering and what your competitor is offering, then they'll make their decision based on price.

Sell Value

Once you help your salespeople deal with the other factors that impact the buying decision and teach them to sell value before price, they'll never go back to selling on price again.

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About the Author

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

Get The Crud Out Of Your Sales Funnel by Brian Jeffrey, CSP

Most salespeople understand the concept of the sales funnel. It works just like an ordinary funnel that you might use to transfer liquid from one container to another.

We all know that if you stop pouring the liquid into the top of the funnel, fluid stops coming out the bottom. We also know that if you try to pour too much in at one time, the funnel overflows and you lose some of it.

You'll also lose liquid if the funnel leaks. If you have blockages in your funnel, the flow may stop or back up, causing an overflow situation.

So how does this work for sales? Simple. If you stop putting potential sales opportunities into the top of the funnel, closed sales stop coming out of the bottom.

If you try to put too many sales opportunities in at the same time, the sales funnel overflows and you lose some potential sales. This can happen after a trade show where you simply have too many leads to follow up in a timely manner.

You'll also lose sales if your sales funnel leaks. Leaks are simply lost sales that probably weren't going to happen in the first place.

A blockage in your sales funnel could be something as simple as the inability to get a proposal or quote out in a timely manner, the inability to deliver by a specific date, or indecision on the part of someone in your organization.

Clogging Up the Funnel

By far the most common blockage that clogs up the sales funnel is an overabundance of non-sales opportunities that are eating up the salesperson's time. It's this problem we want to explore in more detail and provide a quick-and-easy solution to removing or minimizing this blockage.

Why Blockages Occurs

A lot of salespeople feel they are doing their job if they keep their sales funnel full to capacity. Not true. Your job as a sales professional is to not just keep your sales funnel full, but to keep it full of "real" opportunities and not "wished/hoped-for" sales.

Overly optimistic salespeople will dump almost any potential opportunity into their sales funnel just as long as the prospect is breathing. Just because someone is breathing doesn't mean they're a live prospect; it just means they're alive period! Unfortunately, your sales funnel can get clogged up with too many non, or poor, opportunities and you spend your time spinning your sales wheels instead of focusing on business that you can close in a timely manner.

One way to minimize the sludge is to make sure that it doesn't get into the funnel in the first place. It's important to properly qualify the opportunity during the Probe part of the sales process. Sharp salespeople not only take the time to properly qualify opportunities but they take pains to disqualify those opportunities that can result in wasting their valuable selling time.

Separating the Wheat from the Chaff

Even the most efficient salespeople will find their sales funnel getting filled with sales sludge from time to time. You need to review what's in the funnel and take the time to separate the good opportunities from the bad and clean it up so the funnel is flowing effectively again.

How often you decide to clean out your funnel will depend upon how many new or potential opportunities are added each month. As a minimum, you should probably be cleaning up your funnel once a quarter, or even monthly, if you're doing the type of selling that generates a lot of potential opportunities.

Sludge Cleaner

Here is a relatively simple tool that will help you decide whether an opportunity is worth keeping in the funnel or not, and if it is worth keeping, what priority you should assign to it. This method allows you to quickly assign a percent chance of closing the sale to each of your opportunities.

Once you've assigned a percent chance of getting the sale to your opportunities, all you have to do is rank them in order to determine which opportunities you should be working on and which one you should let die a natural death.

All you need to do is look at each of your opportunities and check off the questions in four categories — price information, degree of urgency, funds approval, and competitive edge.

Price Information

10% Prospect has written quote or price information.

5% Prospect has verbal quote or informal pricing information.

0% Not quoted as yet.

Degree of Urgency

30% High degree of urgency. Prospect must buy something now.

20% Medium degree of urgency. Prospect should buy now.

10% Some degree of urgency. Prospect may decide to buy now.

0% No/low degree of urgency. Prospect doesn't need to buy now.

Funds Approval

30% Opportunity funded to or above our price.

20% High probability of funds approval.

10% Good probability of obtaining funds.

0% Funds not yet available and/or approved.

Competitive Edge

20% Sole source, no other competitors being considered.

10% Good rapport, preferred or favoured vendor.

5% Competitors still being seriously considered. Who & why?

0% Sale possible only with difficulty. Why?

You'll note that, at best, you can only have a 90 percent chance of getting the business. That's because a sale isn't 100 percent until the product/service has been delivered, installed, completed, paid for, etc, and you've done a follow up to ensure the customer is satisfied.

Make It Work for You

Of course this system isn't a "one-size-fits-all" solution to the problem of sludge removal but it can be changed and modified to fit most sales situations. Take the time to make it fit yours and keep the sales flowing.

Both you and your sales manager will be delighted you did.

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About the Author

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

Packing A Punch With Voicemail Messages by Paul Cherry

Voice mail messages can be a double-edged sword.  On the one hand, voice mail is an easy way for you to leave a brief but useful message for a prospective customer.  On the other hand, we all know it’s just as easy for those same prospects to ignore or simply erase voice mail from unknown salespeople.  If you hone your voice mail messages for maximum impact, however, you’ll create great sales opportunities.

WHY VOICE MAIL IS A POWERFUL SALES TOOL

• Your voice communicates enthusiasm, warmth, and energy that easily gets lost in a printed or e-mail format.


• Because voice mail is such a basic communication tool, you don’t have to worry about technical compatibility and accessibility from your prospects’ end.


• You can communicate your message to many prospects within a short time.  A seasoned rep can easily convey a powerful message to 20 prospects in under an hour. If that leads to one callback who’s truly interested, you’re on your way to getting results.


• Voice mail saves money.  The average voice mail message is 30 to 45 seconds long.  If you factor in time to connect and transfer into voice mail, your average cost per call should be 10 to 30 cents—cheaper than a first class postage stamp!


• Voice mail is flexible.  From lead generation, scheduling appointments, connecting with past customers, or announcing special offers or a letter or e-mail already on its way, your opportunities are unlimited.


• Most prospects receive a few dozen e-mail solicitations daily—but in that monsoon of e-mail and direct mail solicitations, voice mail messaging stands out like a ray of sunshine. 


• With so much information thrown at customers, standing out is no easy feat.  Voice mail hasn’t been exploited like e-mail or direct mail.  Leaving a powerful, concise voice mail message lets you differentiate your own unique message that speaks to your prospects’ needs.


• Voice mail messaging builds confidence and sales presentation skills.  New sales reps especially must learn all about product features while fine-tuning their selling skills.  Their biggest fear is if they have to interact with a live prospect who asks a question for which they don’t have an answer.  Practicing a well-rehearsed script on voice mail gives new reps experience while they acquire product knowledge.


• For new reps, voice mail messages can be limited to introducing special offers or promotions, or to schedule a joint sales call.  These approaches give new salespeople a great opportunity to reach out to veteran customers and new prospects in a safe, controlled environment.

EXAMPLES OF VOICE MAIL THAT PROVOKES RESPONSES



Note that the following examples cite articles covering subjects of interest to the prospect.

By citing an article or other tool to help your prospect enhance her work environment, job, or career, you’re positioning yourself as a consultant and advisor, increasing your prospect’s interest in calling you back.  When you connect with her, you’ll have positioned yourself as a credible source who understands her issues, not just another peddler eager to launch into a sales pitch.

• “Hi, my name is _____, and last week I read an article in the Wall Street Journal that claimed drug testing is an ineffective tool to weed out poor-quality job applicants.  Yet, five times more companies test for drugs today compared to ten years ago.  I have worked with a company in your industry that has reported saving over $5 million by streamlining its hiring process and increasing its retention rates.  Is this something you’re looking to address?  If so, please call me back at _____.”


• “Hi, my name is _____, and I recently read an article in U.S. News & World Report stating that over 75% of high-tech firms today turn to foreign workers to manage their help-desk operations.  One of the key challenges seems to be surmounting the language barrier and the difficulty customers have had communicating with the new help-desk personnel.  My company is currently working with a client who has addressed this concern and increased customer retention by 30% over the past 12 months as a result of our services.  Is this an issue you are experiencing?  If so, please call me at _____.”

A template can help you form more educational questions to suit your situation, like the following examples:

• “Hi, my name is ____, and I recently came across some information that would be of interest to you.  While reading the trade journal __________, I learned that __________ which seems to be an issue a number of my clients are dealing with.  I’m curious if this is an area you are looking to address and, if so, we have some ideas.  Please call ________.”


• “… and I’ve learned about some pending legislation that might affect your company.  The legislation is _____.  Does your company have a plan in place to deal with this change? Over (number of companies) in your industry have turned to us for solutions…”


• “… and I read an article this morning in _____ claiming that ________.  My clients’ experiences have been different, however, and I was wondering how your company’s experience compares…”

Make your voice mail messages an engaging calling card for you and your company, and you’ll increase the likelihood of prospects calling you back.

Paul Cherry is President of the sales and leadership firm Performance Based Results and the author of QUESTIONS THAT SELL, published by AMACOM Books.  Paul can be reached at 302-478-4443 or e-mailed at cherry@pbresults.com. When you subscribe to our quarterly newsletter at http://www.pbresults.com, download our free white paper, “Top Questions that Sell,” based on PBR's latest research on what salespeople need to ask in order to up-sell, cross-sell and win more customers!

Two Types Of Salespeople by Jim Meisenheimer

Actually "There are three kinds of salespeople; those who make
things happen, those who watch things happen and those who are
wondering what happened."

You've probably heard that one before. In fact, there are two
different types of salespeople and they are very easy to spot.

The first type is the improvisor. He seldom prepares, his
preferred style, is to take things as they come. He likes to
be spontaneous. He usually relies on his instinct and counts
on his intuition to carry the day.

His days are fun filled and exciting, because he literally treats
each sales call as an adventure. He's the Indiana Jones of
selling, foot loose and fancy free, whatever that means.

The second type is the professional. He also enjoys his work, for
different reasons. He anticipates everything, especially the
routines and repetitive stuff. He knows the routines which gives
him the opportunity to prepare in advance.

For example, he handles recurring objections. He knows he'll get
them over and over again, so he prepares in advance how he will
deal with them.

He plays with words, until he creates power phrases that work
like magic. Once prepared, he knows that to execute a perfect
delivery, he must practice what he's prepared until he nails it.

He records his power phrases into a digital recorder and plays
them over and over until they are anchored into his subconscious.

His sales calls are different because he treats them as
opportunities not as adventures.

There are two types of salespeople and of course they achieve
two different results.

Each one follows a pattern, one is unstructured and one isn't.

Each can be seen as a formula. One formula gets better selling
results than the other. Here they are:

I + I = I (Instinct + Intuition = Improvisation)

P + P = P (Preparation + Practice = Professionalism)

The secret to achieving consistent selling success is that there
are no shortcuts, no quickies just plain old fashioned hard work.

These are the formulas and you get to choose. One doesn't require
much preparation.

One pays better than the other.

Remember this too, preparation trumps improvisation every day of
the week.

Also remember, your customers can tell the difference between "Improvisation" and "Preparation."

When you combine preparation with practice you get professionalism
which enables you to meet with a success you never before imagined.

About
The Author:

Make sure you check out Jim's Sales Trailblazer program: http://salestrailblazer.com

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/

Are Your Follow-Up's Accomplishments, Or Just Activities by Art Sobczak

Greetings!



Do you really know where you stand with the
prospects in your follow-up files right now?



Come on, really now? I'm not trying to make
you feel bad, but my experience is that many
sales reps have no clue where they are in
the sales process with a majority of the
people they are following up with.

Yet, they continue to call, continue to
leave voice mail messages ("Hey, I'm just
checking in with you, wondering how it's
going..."), send an endless stream of emails,
and HOPE that something will happen.



It's like running on a treadmill. There's
lots of activity, but you don't go anywhere.



And it can exhaust you. (Actually, the
treadmill is better since at least you are
accomplishing something physically-more
people should do it. I digress.)



Although some reps argue that at least they
are making contact and "touching" their
prospects through their messages, I say,
bull. Here's why:



1. Repeated messages with no value puts you
in a position where you're viewed as a vendor...
a salesperson whose goal is to sell them
something. The more you call to "just check
in," the more the image of the "stalker
salesperson" is solidified in their mind.



2. You waste time, and money, on a couple
of levels. First, let me make the assumption
that many of these "prospects" never will
do anything with you. Therefore, you are
throwing away time--which translates into
money--by continuing to call them. Not only
are you wasting the time when you actually
DO reach them, but factor in all of the
attempts and messages you leave.



And then add the prep time for each call
(You are doing pre-call planning, right?)



OK, so what should we be doing?



Let's zoom in to a call. We need to gauge
the temperature of the prospect and get a
snapshot of precisely where we are with them.
I've found that it's always best to let the
prospect tell you their perception of the
progression of the sales cycle and what
the next steps should be.

For example, when you reach the point
where you feel things have moved sufficiently,
ask,



"So, where are we right now?"



"Where do we sit right now?"



"How far do you feel we have progressed

to this point?"



"How close are we to making this happen?"



"What are the next steps?"



"What next?"



"What needs to happen on your end to move
forward?"



"How do you see us proceeding?"



And then...?



Assuming you've done this, received good
information, and the person truly is a good
prospect, then what?



Well, let's use a real situation posed to
me by a reader. Donald Holbrook with Stanford
Keene asked,



"I manage three guys that are on the phone
every day and talking to the top executives
in companies worldwide. I am continuously
working on my verbal communication as well
as theirs. As you can imagine, we have to"follow up" with our contacts and have
found that it is common for these guys
to say that they are calling back to "touch
base" or "when is a good time for me to get
back in contact to touch base and see how
things have progressed?" What suggestions
would you have to replace these words?



Recommendation

To tie this into what I have covered earlier,
I always say the success of the follow up is
in direct relation to the success of the
previous call, and what is to happen next.



It involves getting a commitment that they
(the prospect) will do something and you'll
do something as a result of the call.



Then you can follow up with,



"I'm calling to continue our conversation
of last week where we had discussed ____
and you were going to review the statistics
I sent you. I'd like to go through those
with you and I have some additional
information I believe you'll find beneficial."



On your follow-up calls it's important to
remember that your prospects are likely
not doing pre-call planning like you.
Therefore, you can't assume they are in
the same frame of mind as you when your
call arrives. Actually, you should assume
they might not even remember you. Then
you'll make it a point to briefly review
where you left the previous conversation:



"The last time we spoke you had shown
interest in..."



"I'm calling to continue our conversation
from last week where we had discussed ____
and you were going to..."



Remember, activity is not accomplishment.



Worse, it could be costly. Use these ideas
to move your prospects forward, and your
sales higher.
 



_________________________________





QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Listen long enough and the person will generally come up with an adequate solution."

Mary Kay Ash

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

32 Fatal Negotiating Mistakes That Cost Salespeople Money by Kelley Robertson

Most sales people are required to negotiate with their prospects and customers. But let's face it, today's consumer and corporate buyer is much more aggressive when negotiating the terms of a sale. Unfortunately, many sales people lack the same level of sophistication when negotiating with savvy purchasers. Here are thirty-two fatal mistakes that sales people often make when they negotiate.



1. Believing that price is the primary reason why people make a buying decision. Although price is a factor in every sale, it is seldom the motivating factor behind a person's final decision.



2. Not asking enough high-value questions. I'm still amazed how few sales people take the time to ask great questions during the sales process which makes it more difficult for them to effectively position their offering.



3. Not gathering the RIGHT information. While it is essential to ask questions, it is equally important to ask the right questions so you can negotiate more effectively.



4. Falling prey to the myth that ALL of your competitors are always cheaper. Someone, somewhere will always be able to sell a similar product for less. However, unless you are the absolute highest priced vendor in your marketplace, not all of your competitors will be cheaper.



5. Failing to establish the value of their product, service or solution. Value is in the eyes of the beholder so determine what is important to each buyer or customer and position your product or service accordingly.



6. Allowing their ego to get in the way. Negotiating is part of business but I have seen people walk away from a good deal because their ego got in the way and clouded their judgment.



7. Failing to remain objective during the sales and negotiating process.



8. Another mistake is to reveal any deadlines you working with. A tight deadline puts you under time pressure and a savvy person will use this grind out a better deal for themselves.



9. Neglecting to negotiate with limited authority. Don't hesitate to tell a prospect that you need to check with your boss before you agree to a concession. This gives you wiggle room and allows you to appear that you are working on behalf of your customer.



10. Failing to plan. Failure to plan means planning to fail. Invest the time to plan your approach, the tactics you will use, the concessions you are prepared to make, and what information you still need to negotiate the best possible outcome.



11. Failing to determine a walk-away point. If you don't know when to walk away from a sale, you could end up losing money.



12. Unable to walk away. Too many sales people find themselves in the position of accepting an offer only to discover later that the deal actually cost them money. If the sale doesn't make good business sense be prepared to walk away from it, regardless of the time you have invested.



13. Not taking a time out to think. Important decisions are sometimes made without proper thought; often in the heat of the moment or in order to get the deal done. Taking the time to think about the implications can save you money and add critical profit dollars to your bottom line.



14. Failing to get a different perspective. I often talk to my business partner before making a final negotiating decision. This gives me a different perspective, and often, new ideas and strategies. Use your time out to review the deal with someone who is not attached to the outcome.



15. Negotiating with the wrong person or people. If you're not talking to someone who can make a final buying decision then you are dealing with the wrong person.



16. Talking too much. I have watched dozens of sales people negotiate with themselves because they talked too much. The best negotiators listen more than they talk.



17. Not using silence as a negotiating strategy. I saw this in action when my wife spoke to a client on the telephone. Instead of immediately responding to the person's request, she paused and remained silent. A few moments later, the client made a concession that added more money to the deal.



18. Making too many assumptions. You may have heard the expression, "Assuming makes an ASS of U and ME." Enough said.



19. Not properly using written testimonials and endorsements. Assuming you have testimonials in place, I suggest arranging them into different categories so you can use the right testimonial at the right time.



20. Giving in too soon. People appreciate what they have to work for. If you give in too soon, people will think that something is wrong with the product or that you are desperate for the sale.



21. Not listening carefully enough. Instead of waiting for your turn to speak listen intently to other person. It sounds simple but it takes effort, energy and patience.



22. Fear of losing the sale. Remember, there will always be someone else to sell to. This fear is more prominent when a sales person's pipeline is running on empty so avoid it by constantly adding new prospects to your pipeline.



23. Immediately offering a discount to close the deal. Remember, price is seldom the primary reason people make buying decision. Avoid the temptation to drop your price unless you have first considered other options.



24. Making too many concessions without getting something in return. If the other person refuses to make concession, you are simply negotiating against yourself. Don't be afraid to ask for something in return for offering a concession.



25. Failing to pay close attention for clues and underlying messages. Watch the other person's behaviour and body language. If they look down when asking for a discount, it indicates that they may be uncomfortable making that request.



26. Making concessions too quickly. When you make people wait before you concede to something, you increase the value of that concession and you subconsciously tell them that if they keep asking for concessions, the negotiating process will take longer.



27. Lack of confidence. This is usually a result of lack of negotiating skills which is why it is important to practice negotiating as often as possible. It can also be caused when negotiating with someone who is perceived to have more power than you.



28. Being overconfident when entering the negotiations. Get your ego out of the picture. I have seen some sales go sideways because the seller was overconfident in their approach.



29. Failing to practice. Great negotiators use every available opportunity to practice their skills. The more you negotiate the better you will get and the more comfortable you will become.



30. Believing that the buyer or customer has all the power. While I accept the fact that buyers have more leverage in today's business climate, it is essential to realize that you can walk away from a deal if the other person get too aggressive or makes unrealistic demands.



31. Not using a variety of tactics and strategies. Great negotiators are well versed and they know how and when to use specific tactics such as the Flinch, Trade-off Principle, Nibble, etc.



32. Trying to rush the negotiating process. Effective negotiators have the patience of Job. They can wait out delays and they never show anxiety when the process doesn't move as quickly as they would like it to.



There you have it. Thirty-two mistakes, blunders and gaffes that sales people make when negotiating. Avoid these errors and improve your results, your top-line sales and your bottom-line profits.



© MMX Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved.



Get your FREE copy of 100 Ways to Increase Your Sales by subscribing to Kelley's free newsletter, "59 Seconds to Sales Success" at www.Fearless-Selling.ca.



Kelley Robertson, author of The Secrets of Power Selling helps sales professionals close more sales at higher profits with less effort. Kelley conducts sales training workshops and speaks regularly at sales meetings and conferences. Contact
him at 905-633-7750 or Kelley@Fearless-Selling.ca.

Negative Selling - Does It Work? by Dan Adams

Dan:



It is election season, so I'm seeing quite a few negative ads on TV in which political candidates criticize each other. It seems it must work because the negativity is used frequently in both political arenas and in the traditional B2B selling world. 



What are your thoughts?



Kathleen - St. Paul, MN





Kathleen:



Great question!!



I am certainly no political expert, but it seems that we can draw parallels to the business world. In my experience (with large investment, long buying process, B2B high technology sales to educated senior executives) it does not work. In fact, it accentuates the traditional negative perceptions of the selling profession. Now some may say it does work. I would argue that any success enjoyed as a result of negative selling was sheer luck and probability at work. The negative sellers only drew the conclusion that their negative methods worked. This reasoning might be as accurate as predicting the gender of an unborn child by way of a coin toss. Anyone will be correct 50% of the time! 



In my workshops and book I stress that reps need to understand that their needs as well as the needs of their company and client are best served over the long term by utilizing a highly consultative approach. That approach has TRUST as its core foundation. Negative selling results in withdrawals from the bank of trust versus deposits. See First National Bank of Trust.



What should be done if there is a feature or characteristic about my competition that I want my customer to be aware of? Here is the first question you ask yourself: "Is that issue related to one of my customer's key purchase criteria?" You may recall from an earlier email that one of the key BMPCC account qualification questions results in a thorough understanding of your client's purchase criteria. If the issue is not currently on of your client's purchase criteria then you can use a Change the Game Strategy to help the customer to add it to her criteria. 



If and only if this issue is one of your client's key criteria, you may highlight your positive rather than your competitor's negative. For example, let's say your system has better quality that your competition. You simply accentuate your quality and invite a comparison to others.



Another approach is to utilize the statement: "There is no perfect solution. Each of the offerings you are considering has tradeoffs". If the customer invites further discussion, you can highlight the positive aspects of the competitive offering and then, in a balanced approach, discuss the "tradeoff" of their offering. The key here is balance. Focusing only on the negative, or spending more time on the negative versus the positive, will result in less trust.



In summary, I believe that people buy from whom they trust. Negative selling decreases trust rather than increases trust.



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.