Start 2011 by closing the “Easy Sales”

Okay, I know, you thought I fell off the edge of the world or something bad happened to    me because I have not updated, added to, or really done anything to Gr8SalesTips in the last month.   The reason is that I have been in the process of moving from Southern California to Dallas, Texas, selling my house, looking for a new house, and starting a new job as a Director of Sales for a Drug Testing Company.   I’m excited for the job, the move and just been busy.  I apologize for the lack of Gr8SalesTips, but I’m back and ready to go. 

So to start off the new year, in sales you get a new comp plan, a new set of goals, and think you have to go out there and hit the ground running to develop new business.  Well, a good friend of mine, Art Sobczak, wrote a recent article on how to start 2011 by closing the “Easy Sales.”  So what are the “Easy Sales?”

Well, did you go through an annual review recently?    They can be very profitable.

Oh, I’m talking about YOU doing an annual review of your customer and prospect database, and then doing reviews with your customers and prospects.

That’s right. The first place to mine for gold is in the treasure you now possess.

Most people begin a new year with grand plans to increase their new business. Yet many of those same people don’t pick up the easy stuff first, skimming  the cream that already residing in their computer.

Here’s how.

1. CALL YOUR BEST CUSTOMERS

Of course, you know everything important that’s happened recently in the world of each of your best customers, right?

And you have your thumb on exactly what their plans are for 2011 and beyond, right?

And they’re going to continue buying from you at the same level, right?

Of course you know this because they are very, very important to you, accounting for most of your income.

They are helping to finance that new car, house, boat, or whatever else you have your eye on.

You are ingrained in these accounts because you also know that your smartest, hungriest competitors are having strategic sales meetings right now putting bulls eyes on those accounts, targeting them to steal away from you, so that THEY can get lots of business from them.

 What’s that you say?

 Maybe all of those things are NOT true? Maybe you should pay more attention to them? 

 Yes, of course you should. Quickly.

 Today. Target the 20% of your customers that now give you over 80% of your business. Call and do an annual review with them. But DO NOT say you just want to call and make sure everything is OK with them. Be proactive. Tell them that your goal is to help them have their best year ever.

Find out about,

-Major changes.

-News.

-Bought or sold divisions, assets.

-Added or dropped product lines.

-Major initiatives.

-Changes planned for 2011.

-Personnel changes for them? Promotions. Changes in the department(s) that you affect.

Know the answers to these questions, and you’ll increase your value to them, consequently providing a payoff for you.

2. CALL YOUR SMALL CUSTOMERS

Mine your database and pull out the customers who bought from you once, or those who just buy one or two items or limited single services from you.

 Are you customers small because you THINK they are?

 Or are they buying other things that you sell from your competitors?

 Chances are, the answer is “yes” to both questions.

 3. CALL YOUR LOST SALES

Scan your database and pull out the 10-20 biggest sales you really wanted, worked hard for, but did NOT win in 2010. Call them.

 But, please, do NOT say,

 “I’m just calling to touch base.”

 Review your notes and develop a value-added reason for calling. Say something like,  “I came across some interesting information in Info Industry Journal, and remembered how you were concerned with the issue of external data security locking in a multi-user environment. I wanted to send that to you …”

 Of course you would then ease into a discussion of their present situation, and perhaps uncover any possible areas of dissatisfaction.

Calls to all three of these groups are really no-brainers!

 …you’ve already done the heavy lifting with all of these people. You’ve put in the long hours, investing time and money in proposals and calls. You know their situation.  And very importantly, you’ll get to these people more easily than you would cold prospects. You probably know their executive assistants on a first name basis.

Think about it …

Try this. What will it be worth when you pick up a piece of business from one or two of them?

Make Next Week Your Best Week Ever!

Another …. Gr8SalesTip

From Gr8ScottMiller – The $ales Turn-Around Expert

Note:  My friend, Art Sobczak’s, newest book “Smart Calling” was named winner of the Top Sales Book of 2010 by Top Sales Awards. If you do any type of prospecting for new  business, see how thousands of others have found new business by using the Smart Calling
methods.  For more info, go to http://smart-calling.com/training.html

20 Quick Tips To Increase Your Sales Productivity

Here are 20 quick tips to help you increase your sales productivity. Keep in mind, not every tip will be useful for every person. Just pick the tips that are helpful for you and integrate them into your routine.

Here are a few suggestions when reading through all of these tips:

-Don’t do them all at once. Focus on one at a time.

-Experiment with different tips.

-These are not in any particular order, so browse through them all.

So, here they are, 20 tips to increase your sales productivity:

1. Less is more. Focus on your most essential tasks each day. Eliminate or delegate as much as you can.

2. Exercise. Make this a habit if it is not already. For me, exercising is the key to my energy, health, and productivity. It also greatly reduces stress and can be a form of meditation.

3. Stop rushing. Focus on what you are doing in the moment and don’t rush through it. It will be much more relaxing for you and in the end, your quality of work will be improved.

4. Fail. Don’t be afraid to fall flat on your face and fail. If you are afraid of failing, you will never take important first steps. Without failure there would be no success.

5. Find what you love to do. Find something you love to do, and your quality of life and work will improve. If you love your work you will become more productive and less stressed.

6. Wake up early. This is not for everyone, but it can make a huge impact on your life and what you get done in a given day.

7. Eat clean. Don’t buy junk and don’t bring it into your house. That will instantly help you stay lean and trim. Be aware of what you are eating, your mouth is not a garbage disposal.

8. Get organized. The more organized you are, the less time you will waste finding things and the more productive you will be.

9. Review goals. Don’t just set goals, but take a look at them each month to see what is working and what is not working. It is ok to change your goals.

10. Be positive. Focus on the positive. Focus on what you have, not on what you don’t have. Surround yourself with people who have positive energy.

11. Practice being compassionate. “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” – Plato.

12. Visualize. Envision your most positive future self. What would life be like for her or him? Where would you live and what would you be doing? Let that vision pull you into the future you want to have.

13. Set goals. Long-term goals are important to set, but also be sure you are setting daily and weekly goals as well.

14. Get the toughest things done first. Aim to accomplish the 3 most important things of your day before 12noon. Give them top priority.

15. Be focused. Work on one goal and one task at a time. Don’t spread yourself too thin.

16. Enjoy the ride. Don’t just focus on the end goal, but enjoy the process and learning that takes place as you strive to achieve them.

17. Enjoy the little things. A joyful and happy person is a more productive person. Editors Note: I used to walk my grandma on long walks in her wheelchair and the little things gave her the most joy. Seeing a Cardinal bird, a beautiful flower, or simply getting some fresh air, made her day and taught me a lot about what really matters.

18. Single-task. Stop multi-tasking and this will instantly increase your productivity.

19. Be in the now. Be present and focus on being in the now more than the past or future.

20. Volunteer and help others. Just one hour a week of volunteering can make a huge impact on the world and on yourself. I find volunteering to be one of the most fulfilling things I do. Try it out, and you just might become hooked too! When you volunteer you will not only be helping others, but you will provide yourself with many health benefits that will increase your energy and productivity.

More Gr8SalesTips

Gr8ScottMiller – The $ales Turn-Around Expert

Article written by Jeremy Ulmer

16 Gr8 Rules to Live By

I hope you enjoy this article from Bob Parsons, the founder of Go Daddy Web hosting and a bunch of other businesses…

Here are the 16 rules I try to live by:

1. Get and stay out of your comfort zone.

I believe that not much happens of any significance when we’re in our comfort zone. I hear people say, “But I’m concerned about security.” My response to that is simple: “Security is for cadavers.”

2. Never give up.

Almost nothing works the first time it’s attempted. Just because what you’re doing does not seem to be working, doesn’t mean it won’t work. It just means that it might not work the way you’re doing it. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and you wouldn’t have an opportunity.

3. When you’re ready to quit, you’re closer than you think.

There’s an old Chinese saying that I just love, and I believe it is so true. It goes like this: “The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed.”

4. With regard to whatever worries you:

Not only accept the worst thing that could happen, but make it a point to quantify what the worst thing could be. Very seldom will the worst consequence be anywhere near as bad as a cloud of
“undefined consequences.” My father would tell me early on, when I was struggling and losing my shirt trying to get Parsons Technology going, “Well, Robert, if it doesn’t work, they can’t eat you.”

5. Focus on what you want to have happen.

Remember that old saying, “As you think, so shall you be.”

6. Take things a day at a time.

No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through it if you don’t look too far into the future and focus on the present moment. You can get through anything one day at a time.

7. Always be moving forward.

Never stop investing. Never stop improving. Never stop doing something new. The moment
you stop improving your organization, it starts to die. Make it your goal to be better each and every day, in some small way. Remember the Japanese concept of Kaizen. Small daily improvements eventually result in huge advantages.

8. Be quick to decide.

Remember what General George S. Patton said: “A good plan violently executed today is
far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow.”

9. Measure everything of significance.

I swear this is true. Anything that is measured and watched improves.

10. Anything that is not managed will deteriorate.

If you want to uncover problems you don’t know about, take a few moments and look closely at the areas you haven’t examined for a while. I guarantee you problems will be there.

11. Pay attention to your competitors.

But pay more attention to what you’re doing. When you look at your competitors, remember that everything looks perfect at a distance. Even the planet Earth, if you get far enough into space, looks like a peaceful place.

12. Never let anybody push you around.

In our society, with our laws and even playing field, you have just as much right to what you’re doing as anyone else, provided that what you’re doing is legal.

13. Never expect life to be fair.

Life isn’t fair. You make your own breaks. You’ll be doing good if the only meaning fair has to you is something that you pay when you get on a bus (i.e., fare).

14. Solve your own problems.

You’ll find that by coming up with your own solutions, you’ll develop a competitive edge. Masura Ibuka, the co-founder of Sony, said it best: “You never succeed in technology, business, or anything by following the others.” There’s also an old Asian saying that I remind myself
of frequently. It goes like this: “A wise man keeps his own counsel.”

15. Don’t take yourself too seriously.

Lighten up. Often, at least half of what we accomplish is due to luck. None of us are in control as much as we like to think we are.

16. There’s always a reason to smile.

Find it. After all, you’re really lucky just to be alive. Life is short. More and more, I agree with my little brother. He always reminds me: “We’re not here for a long time; we’re here for a good time.”

[Copyright © 2007 by Bob Parsons. All rights reserved.]

I hope this article struck a cord with you like it did for me.

Life, happiness and success are something we all choose…or not.

More Gr8SalesTips

Gr8ScottMiller – The $ales Turn-Around Expert

 

 

TWO KEY GOALS TO COLD CALLING SUCCESS

Let’s be realistic.   Most Sales people hate to prospect, let alone cold call.  If they had their choice they would be following up on warm leads from interested prospects who called in, clicked in or came into the store or were already pre-qualified by a lead generator or telemarketer.

But if you as a salesperson have  to go out and cold call, it is a matter of maintaining your perspective if you want to achieve success.  Most sales people are impatient and want to see immediate results.  They end up quiting and not doing any cold calling because they don’t see themselves making any progress.  But remember,

Your cold calling results is not the product or measure of a single event or one session of activity.  It is the cumulative effect over a span of time that produces the greatest return on your efforts.

You have two (2) goals that determine your Cold Calling Success:

Goal #1: The most important thing you want to gain from cold calling is to gather information that will benefit you in making the sale, whether in the immediate or far off future.  You want to find out information such as:

• Who is/are the decision maker/s.
• When is the best time to reach them
• How do your reach them?  Get their address, phone numbers (direct dial and/or cell), e-mail, etc.
• What other products, vendors, or services are they using that is comparable to your offering.
• Find out if they are on a contract, lease or payment plan and when it expires.
• Find out what they like and dislike about their current product or service.
• Find out what other areas of opportunities they might have that you can help them out with.  (ie. other locations, subsidiaries, looking at other vendors like your self, get on a bidders list, etc.)

Your primary goal is to get as many details as possible to help qualify the prospect as a viable lead for your pipeline and to put a time frame on the opportunity.

Goal #2: Very seldom will you get the deal on your very first call when cold calling.  Therefore, you need to change your expectation from immediate sale to that of getting future follow-up opportunities. This is where you begin to lay the foundation and build your pipeline that will return big time results in th future!!

If a prospect is not able to talk now or they have to wait until their contract is almost ready to expire, you need to find out the best time/date to call them back to schedule an appointment.

Now you have a time frame and an opportunity to call them back at the designated time they are ready to talk with you.  And now, the “cold” part of cold calling is over.  You now need to be dependable and persistent in following up.

A quick story:  I participated in a trade show along with many of my competitors.  A prospect came up to our booth inquiring about our product.  He showed interest and in our conversation was able to get out of him that he saw value in our product, could use it and it would help him.  However, despite how hard I tried to close him which included offering him our trade show, limited time discount offer, he wouldn’t buy.   I got his business card and he said call him back in 3 weeks.

Well, what happened from this point, was each time I called him on the date he told me (2 weeks, 2 months, 4 months, 3 weeks, next week) whatever the length of time, I put it into my CRM tracking software and religiously called him back each time on the specified date.  Each time asking more questions, gathering more information.

Finally, a little more than two years later, he finally bought from me.   After he signed on the dotted line, I asked him,  “Why did you decide to finally buy from me?”   He told me that out of all the competitors and vendors he collected information from at that trade show, that I was the only one that was persistent and followed up with him on a regular basis and found out what his needs were and how my product could benefit him the most.  He also told me that one of my competitors called him out of the blue two days before we met and offered their product and a 10% discount lower than my price.  He told them no.  His reason,  I showed him the value, I showed my and my companies professionalism, consistency, and despite the lower price of the competitor, he felt I earned the business over time and showed that we would be there in the future offering great service.

So when you look back at the end of your cold calling session, you might have made 10, 20, even 50 cold calls and feel like you got nothing out of it….mainly because you didn’t schedule that many appointments.  And maybe you have a couple of days and haven’t scheduled any appointments.  Don’t get discouraged.

I recommend that you look at it from a different perspective.  The results of your cold calling effort should be measured in how much information you collected and how many qualified opportunities you have for your pipeline for the future.

By achieving these two goals of cold calling:

1. Gathering Information, and
2. Follow-Up Opportunities

will set you up for future success.

Another Gr8SalesTip

Gr8ScottMiller – The $ales Turn-Around Expert

 

 

 

OVERCOMING THE PRICE OBJECTION

One of the most common, yet feared objections during a sales call is price. The very mention of it seems to paralyze any rational thinking by the sales representative. Desperate to overcome their fear of rejection, they struggle to justify their price to the customer. Hence, in their quest to preserve any shred of success and salvage the sale, they succumb to the demands for a lower price. There is a better way!

More often than not the price objection is a conditioned response rather than a legitimate concern. The customer may simply be price resisting and not price objecting. There is a big difference. Price objecting is a clear case of opposition; the inability to pay because the price exceeds the limits of their budget or the customer has no budget. Price resistance suggests the capacity to withstand or tolerate the price but further convincing (bridging) is required.

So next time you are confronted with a price objection, take a deep breath of confidence and simply isolate your customer’s concern. Put your customer’s mind at ease by offering an appropriate response. To accomplish this you may need to do one of the following: a) reinforce your value proposition by highlighting the accepted benefits b) continue to build value by asking conversational probes to identify possible features to bridge as benefits.

These two strategies will build the value your price represents and “the bag of money” will feel confident about switching to your solution.

Remember, your pricing says a lot about you and your passion and belief in what you represent. Don’t compromise either by allowing the customer to sell you on a lower price. Every time they succeed, you’re the one who has just been sold! What’s wrong with this picture?

Hence, in the event of legitimate price resistance and to help reinforce confidence in your price, I offer you 22 proven responses. Become familiar with the ones you feel will work for you and your clientele.

“YOUR PRICE IS TOO HIGH”

1) Compared to what?

2) What was your expectation?

3) Yes, on the surface it may appear higher. However, given our superior quality and value, it means you actually pay much less over the life of the product.

4) The small difference in price represents our “quality insurance premium”. It is your insurance against poor performance and poor representation on my part.

5) I’m glad you mentioned price. That is actually the best part about my proposal. Our price makes a statement about our value and the quality associated with your purchase. Imagine your response if we were the lowest…

6) You really feel that it is too high? Can you share with me your rational…

7) We can be the lowest if that is your main buying criteria, but you need to make a decision on what options or benefits to cut from our proposal so that I can reduce your price.

8) If I honestly felt that low price was your principal buying criteria, I would have gracefully declined making this presentation and suggested other vendors for you to consider…

9) We are not the cheapest in our field, nor is that our objective. We have a 25% market share, we sell 1000 units a month and we continue to grow every year. We do that by delivering the best value, not the best price.

10) If you were to go skydiving, would you try to get a 20% discount? What would you be prepared to give up?! My point is that we will not compromise our quality and safety by accepting discounted prices. Our relationship depends on meeting and exceeding your expectations…

11) As a consumer, when was the last time you made a purchase based on price only? I suggest that you haven’t… let’s review the benefits associated with this purchase.

12) I can appreciate that price is one of the many considerations, however, my research tells me that company X charges $100 and company Y charges $110… that makes our price very competitive. What does your research reveal?

13) Yes, price is important and that is why we need to look at this as an investment instead of a cost. Your R.O.I. on this purchase is very attractive and these are the reason why…

14) I understand how you feel. Other customers have felt the same way, but after their purchase this is what they found… You are certainly welcome to chat with any of our satisfied clients…

15) Is the price too high in comparison to your budget or compared to other competitive quotes?

16) Our company has found that it is much easier to explain a competitive price once than explain poor quality and service several times…

17) We both appreciate that you “get what you pay for”. What is it that you would like to get?

18) I am sensitive to your budget and, given that, I can speak to management about terms or even issuing smaller invoices to offset the impact on your budget. What terms would work for you?

19) Yes, the price may seem high initially, but let’s look at it on a monthly or quarterly basis (break it down into smaller units to offset sticker shock).

20) I can understand your budget concerns, but our company prides itself on the total value that we deliver. Unfortunately, we do not offer an “ a la carte” menu.

21) Price is only a monetary number based on an of exchange fairness. Where is it in our proposal that you don’t get a sense of fairness?

22) Once you have completed your market research, I ask that you give me the opportunity to respond to any competitive quotes that you receive. Although I offer a fair and competitive price, I cannot predict what my competition will do. Hence, I want to keep the door ajar to respond to any unforeseen market conditions. Will you call me?

PRICE FACTS:

1) Price is the most convenient objection a prospect can use to thwart your sales effort.

2) 70% of the time it is salespeople who mention price first.

3) Never be the one who brings up price. Unless the customer mentions it, consider your price competitive.

4) Price is usually 5th or 6th on their list of buying criteria. Nothing is ever purchased based on price alone.

5) Price should be evaluated only after all the apples to apples comparisons are complete.

Another Gr8SalesTip

Gr8ScottMiller – The $ales Turn-Around Expert

Article writtin by Tim Breitchaupt © 2007

Characteristics of a Gr8 Sales Person

Selling is a profession and not simply a job. It takes time, dedication and commitment to be successful. However it is a profession which pays for the personal commitment of the sales person.  Many people outside of the profession are astonished at the amount of time and preparation required to be a successful sales person. The image of the peddler pushing his or her wares is long gone. Today’s sales person is dedicated, educated, highly trained, technically savvy and committed to their profession. Implications to the Sales Person Realistically review the nine characteristics listed below and assess your skills and abilities accordingly. While there is no pass or fail in this test, it does serve as a benchmark as to where you want to be if you wish to be at the top of your profession. If you see a need for improvement, develop a mini-plan for each characteristic. Develop your goals, objectives and a timeline to develop the skill. Skill development will take a specific plan and commitment to achieve. The Application  What makes a Gr8 sales person? Here are nine specific characteristics that define success in a very competitive profession. Positive Attitude is everything. In the face of rejection, failure and endless frustrations, a Gr8 sales person is able to keep everything in perspective. They do not take things personally and remain upbeat and positive. Persuasive A Gr8 sales person is able to use of his or her skills, experience and expertise to be persuasive, bring people around to his or her point of view and ultimately make the sale.

Patient

A Gr8 sales person understands that selling today takes an average of eight calls before a commitment is made. They persist and remain on track until the sale is consummated.

Precise
The Gr8 sales person doesn’t not need puffery or exaggeration to make his or her point. They use the precise details of the products to clearly represent the features and benefits of their products.

Polite
The Gr8 sales person minds his or her manners. They remain cool, unemotional and professional throughout the sales process.

Planning
The Gr8 sales person understands the value of planning their time and sales strategies to achieve their goals and objectives.

Prepared
The Gr8 sales person is prepared for every sales call, focusing on a specific reason or purpose for that call. They are prepared to handle objections and take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves.

Punctual
The Gr8 sales person understands the value of time. They respect both the time of the prospect and their own time. They make sure they are on time for their appointments and if necessary call to reschedule if they are going to be late.

Practical
The Gr8 sales person is both practical and pragmatic. They understand failure and rejection are a part of the job. They are able to keep things in perspective and walk away from unprofitable situations.

Something to Think About

Gr8 sales people are committed and purposeful. With that in mind consider the following points:

1. As you review the nine characteristics listed above, think of the various situations where one or more of these characteristics allowed you to make a sale.

2. What characteristics do you need to work on and polish? What is your plan to improve this skill?

Remember, Sales is a process made up of many components.  You only get as good as your weakest component in the process.  Work on each component so that they are all equal in strength and your capabilities

More Gr8SalesTips

Gr8ScottMiller – The $ales Turn-Around Expert

Portions of this blog are from an article by Timothy F. Bednarz, PhD, Principal Partner of the American Management Development Group.

The Ultimate Cold Calling Tool

When you’re cold calling whether in person or on the telephone, you will get the auto-pilot responses we’ve talked about before that are excuses to blow off the standard sales rep calling on a prospect.

Here are a few of the more common excuses or replys that you will receive from prospects and responses back that you can use as a rebuttal to their response and hopefully start a conversation that leads to an appointment and sales call.

SEND ME INFORMATION…

I’d love to…

• …Of what I just said, what caught your interest?.
• …Let’s say you like the information…where do go from there.
• …What information would you like me to send?
• …What are some of your priorities in this area?
• …What are some of the challenges that you face in this area?
• …How are you currently handling this kind of problem/opportunity

WE HAVE NO BUDGET …

• I’m sorry.  When you say you have no budget, that’s a budget for….
• I understand.  Let’s say budget wasn’t an issue.  What are your priorities around...
• I understand.  Let’s say budget wasn’t an issue.  What are your challenges around...
• I understand.  Let’s say budget wasn’t an issue.  How satisfied are you with...
• I understand.  Let’s say budget wasn’t an issue.  What do you find frustrating about…
• What if it turned out that we could [major solution benefit]?
• What if it turned out that we could [major cost savings]?
• What if there were an immediate and measurable ROI

NOT A PRIORITY NOW …

No problem.  Just out of curiosity…

• …what are some of your priorities in this area?
• …what are some of your challenges in this area?
• …what is at the top of your priority list that we might help you with?
• …what if turned out we could…[compelling solution benefit]?
• …what if turned out we could…[major cost savings]?
• …what are some of your frustrations in this area?
• …what if we could give you a big competitive advantage?

WE ALREADY USE A COMPETITOR …

No problem.  Just out of curiosity…

• …what do you like about them?
• …what do you not like about them?
• …what would like to see them do better?
• …what prompted you to use them originally?
• …what complaints do you hear about them?
• …what are some of the challenges you face working with them?
• …exactly how are you using them?
• …around how much are you paying them

IT COSTS TOO MUCH …

No problem.  Just out of curiosity…

• …when you say it costs too much, what do you mean?
• …what has been your past experience with solutions like ours?
• …how do you know it costs too much?
• …what has been your past experience with companies like ours?
• …what are some of your priorities for saving money in this area?
• …have you figured out the potential cost of not taking action?
• …what are your priorities in this area

CALL ME BACK IN SIX MONTHS …

It sounds like you’ve got a lot on your plate.  Just out of curiosity…

• …why six months?
• …where are your CURRENT priorities?
• …what are your current frustrations?
• …what if it turned out we could [major solution benefit]?
• …what if it turned out we could [major cost savings]?
• …what will be different in six months that would make you want to speak with me?
• …what are some of your current challenges?

I’M NOT THE DECISION-MAKER (CALL HIGHER) …

Thank you for your help.  Just out of curiosity…

• …what can you tell me about them?
• …what do you think their priorities will be around…?
• …how do you suggest that I interact with them?
• …what can you tell me about them?
• …what’s your advice on the best way to get on their calendar?
• …what’s your advice on the best way to approach them?
• …what’s most likely to get their

I’M NOT THE DECISION-MAKER (CALL LOWER) …

Thank you for your help.  I will give them a call.   Just out of curiosity…

• …what can you tell me about them?
• …what do you think is their top priority?
• …what are some of YOUR priorities in this area?
• …what are the challenges that you see them facing in this area?
• …what are the frustrations that you’re sensing from them in this area?
• …at what point do they consult with you about the actual purchase?

ASK FOR THE APPOINTMENT

• What would be your thoughts on having an initial conversation with us about ______?
• What is your availability over the next few weeks?
• How would I get on your calendar, please, for an initial conversation?
• I would love to have an initial conversation with you about ______?  What is the best way to get on your calendar?
• What would your thoughts be on an initial appointment?
• How might I get on your calendar?
• When would be a good time for us to talk?
• How does this week work, or is next week more convenient?
• What would be your thought on at least having an initial conversation with us?
• If we really could do [major solution benefit], what would be your thoughts on learning more?
• If we really could do [major cost savings], what would be your thoughts on learning more?

Another Gr8SalesTip

Gr8ScottMiller – The $ales Turn-Around Expert

This tool was on an Oracle blog site and written by Jeffrey James.

 

HARD WORK 0R HARDLY WORKING – YOU DECIDE…

I love a good story, joke, or life experience to share with people that gets across a great moral or teaching point.  That’s one reason you will see from me short articles, stories or other items from others that I believe constitutes a Gr8SalesTip that I can share with you.

Here is one from a mentor of mine Mack Newton.

Several years ago a young man came up to me (Mack Newton) after a workshop and said, “Mr. Newton, you have reputation as hard worker, just how many hours do you put in everyday?”

I replied, “I simply work a half day, everyday…12 hours!”                                                

In my study of human achievement, I’ve found that all things are positively impacted by hard work.

There’s nothing that will bring you to the attention of your superiors faster than you developing the reputation of being a hard worker and longer, you will undoubtedly impress the people who are in a position to help you and accelerate your career.

Dr. Thomas Stanley conducted a study in which he interviewed dozens of self-made millionaires in America. Almost every single one told him that their success was due more to hard work than to any other factor.

In this country a normal workweek is considered to be 40 hours. However, 40 hours is just for survival. If all you work is 40 hours, all you get is enough money to survive. You tread water, you stay even, but you never break out and move ahead to the great success that many be possible for you. No, not on only 40 hours per week! Every hour over 40 (working or preparation) that you put in is an investment in yourself.

If you’re only working 40 hours per week, you’re just not serious about fulfilling your potential! The number of hours over 40 that you put in is an indication of exactly how serious you are about  being your best.

It seems to me that the harder you work, the luckier you get. When you work hard, hard, hard toward a goal that is important, you open up a vast storehouse of opportunities for yourself and it will bring people and resources to you that would not have come any other way.

Remember, to get more out of life, you must put more into life.

Another Gr8SalesTip

Gr8ScottMiller – The $ales Turn-Around Expert

THE SALES PROCESS – SIMPLIFIED

The definition or process of selling can be either simple or be made to be very complex.

I once went to a sales training class and the instructor asked everyone in the class to write down the steps involved in the sales process we each go through.  He gave us 5 minutes for the exercise.  Some of us were done rather quickly and others needed more time.

The number of steps involved in the sales process varies from sales rep to sales rep, from sales training methodologies, from industries you’re selling in to many other factors.  So the best thing to do is to write down the basic steps of selling.  But that too can be different based on your perspective and how detailed you want to get.

My list consisted of:

1. Select your target market
2. Research your target market
3. Prospect
4. Set Appointment with Decision Maker
5. Questions
6. Handle objections (Throughout and varies in position)
7. Recommend Product or Service
8. Close
9. Negotiate
10. Implement
11. Follow-Through/Follow-Up
12. Ask for Referrals

Do any of you remember the old television show called “Name That Tune?” It was a game show where two people competed against each other and would bid that they could name a song based on the fewest number of notes played of that song.   It amazed me that some people could name a song in just 4 or 5 notes of a song, but then there were others that either were really good, had inside information or just a lucky guess and could name a song in just 2 notes based on clues given by the host of the show.

Well, this got me thinking.  I did some more research and here is the same concept of condensing down the sales process to the fewest steps possible but yet still being able to recognize it.

The first is:

“If you call more people, you will see more people.

If you see more people, you will sell more people.

If you propose more, you will close more.”

This is pretty basic, but it’s true!

The second is:

This is my favorite and probably as simple and basic as you can get in describing the sales process.

It came about after talking to a doctor who is also a sales person.

A doctor’s process is:

1. Examination – (Ask Questions- Tell me what’s wrong.)
2. Diagnosis – (Problem solve)
3. Prescription – (Propose a solution)

So if you follow the doctors example and break the sales process down to it’s simplest and most basic steps, it would look like this.

Basic Sales Process

1. Establish Rapport
2. Identify the Problem
3. Present a Solution

So there you have it!  Just like the old game show “Name That Tune,” we can say that we can describe the sales process in just three steps and people will be able to understand and know what you are talking about.

Another Gr8SalesTip

Gr8ScottMiller – The $ales Turn-Around Expert

TAKE YOUR COLD CALLS OFF AUTOPILOT

I love training new sales reps and going out “Cold Calling” with them.  I usually take one or two calls to show them then let them take one or two, then we  switch again.  As the day goes on it eventually gets to the point where I let them do all the cold calling.

The funny thing about it is that for the first month these new reps tend to get a lot of prospects out of their cold calling compared to my veteran sales reps that have many months or even years under their belts in sales.

You might ask WHY do these new reps get more prospects than the more seasoned reps?

The answer quite often is that the new reps don’t use the same pitch every time.  They mix it up.  They’re new so they try different things and don’t sound rehearsed or on auto-pilot with no emotion or using the same approach they and everyone else has been using on the prospects.  In other words, it sounds more sincere, is different and catches the prospect off guard.

Most sales people approach cold calls with a script that sounds too familiar, one everyone is using.  So the prospects  simply go into automatic pilot where they tune out the sales person and look for a chance to end the call, usually with the same response they use all the time, because they too are on auto-pilot.  You know the familar responses:

• I’m not interested.
• We’re happy with our current vendor.
• We’re on contract and can’t change right now.
• Oh, we just renewed, changed, signed up last month.
• Call back in a few months when we’re ready to make a change.

Both parties go on auto-pilot, both the sale rep and the prospect.  A better approach involves surprising the prospect and keeping them intrigued.

If they don’t know where you’re coming from or where you’re going, then they are more likely to hear you out and not give you their standard response.

Begin by saying something like:

Sales Rep: Hi John, This is name .  You’re probably not familiar with who I am, are you?

The prospect will most likely say “No”  they’re not, but they will wonder if they should be, and so they don’t get into autopilot mode thinking about how to get rid of you.

Sales Rep: That’s okay, but I want to be upfront and let you know that this is a sales call, and you’re free to hang up at any time if what I have to say isn’t worth your time, okay?

Usually, unless they are really busy, just plain rude, then they won’t.  You see, you’ve peaked their interest because you used a different approach.  They don’t know what product/service you represent.  But be sure that they are getting ready to go into autopilot mode unless you have something really convincing to say now.  So the pressure is on, what do you say?

Now, instead of pitching your features and benefits, tell the prospect the kinds of pains you solve for your customers, begin qualifying them.  Ask them questions if they have similar problems, if yes, then ask them to tell you more, if no, ask them what kind of problems or pains they are experiencing.

So try a new approach, even if it gets you one or two more prospects talking to you, it’s better than going on auto-pilot and getting nothing due to rehearsed rejections.

Another Gr8SalesTip

Gr8ScottMiller – The $ales Turn-Around Expert