John Hirth's commentary on sales...

Hurry...fix my sales problems!

            

I was on a coaching call yesterday with a sales person from one of our technology clients. As is often the case, he wanted all of the answers to his most pressing sales problems...right now! Although I was able to provide some advise that I knew would help, I was also quite sure that the same problem would probably occur again!

In reality, being more successful in sales and making the behavior modifications required is not a "quick fix" proposition. It requires hard work, discipline and a willingness to change. It also requires the application of three basic principles that drive higher success in all learned skill activities (selling skills are learned, not born!).

To understand these principles I often use the game of golf as an analogy. Being more successful in golf requires the application and commitment of these three basic principles:

    1. Play- Just playing the game more often will deliver better results.

    2. Practice- Practice in golf is done at the driving range or on the putting green. This is where we         take new skills and work to develop new "muscle memory".

    3. Learning and developing good skills- Taking lessons and getting coached, on a regular basis.

So, how would we apply these principles to the business of sales and could they improve our "sales game"?

    1. Play- In sales, the "play" is making sales calls (in person or telephone). Like golf, just making         more calls will make you more successful regardless of your level of skill! Remember, selling is         a numbers game, the more you try the more you'll win! 

    2. Practice- The practice in sales is something very few sales people are willing to do...role play! You         need effective strategies (created in the third element below) that are learned and well rehearsed.         When your prospect/customer says "your price is too high" that's the wrong time to come up with         an answer! Your role playing will create "muscle (response) memory" just like the putting green or         driving range in golf.

    3. Learning and developing better skills- Just like golf, you need to get "lessons" and be willing         to learn new skills or selling techniques. Most of the time, you need an outside influence to help         you make and identify what skills need to change. The old adage "if you knew what needed to         change you would have already changed it" is true.

So, if you're "in a hurry"...sorry. But if you are willing to apply these three principles to your selling career I'm sure you'll be more successful!

 

 

Are you "committed to success in sales"?

The most successful people in any profession are usually the ones who are the "most committed to success in their chosen profession". Without real "what ever it takes" commitment, you'll end up in the middle of the pack doomed to be part of the 80% of sales people that do 20% of the business. You'll be an "amateur" not a true "professional" and your paycheck will show it!

To understand what commitment is it helps to look outside of our profession at examples of people that are truly committed to success in their chosen field. Being a Chicagoan, I need look no further than Walter Payton as a great example of someone "totally committed" to success in their chosen field. Walter was one of the hardest workers during the off season and that work paid off with not only great performance but durability few players have ever been able to match. Commitment to success goes way beyond "game performance" and relies much more on preparation. For sales people, this translates into "preparing" for the call and not just "making it".

"What is real commitment to the sales profession and how do I know if I have it"? Candidly, if you have to ask what real commitment is in sales you probably don't have it. True commitment in sales is the drive that puts everything else in your day "on hold" if it in anyway impedes your daily sales goals. I'm not suggesting that you become a martyr and make your sales career the "only thing in your life". However, during the day when you can be engaged in selling activities they must take priority over everything else (barring life threatening emergencies!). You've got to make a decision that you're willing to do "whatever it takes" (within legal and moral grounds) to succeed in your profession.

We'll talk about more commitment in future posts but part of being committed is finding things to do that will impact your performance and drive more successful results in your day to day selling activities. So,why not start today and identify something that you can do that can improve your results. If you can't think of anything specific, why not go back through some of the blog posts that I've written and commit to an action step that you currently don't take. Make it realistic, measurable, specific and you'll find your success will foster more of the commitment you need to succeed!

Action Step: Review posts on sales strategies and make a commitment to adopt a new behavior to implement and master.

"While I'm looking it up..."

Talking with an inside sales representative (tele-sales, inside sales, tele-marketer, et al) from one of our clients, I was asked about responding to questions about availability and pricing on inbound customer/prospect phone calls. It is something that happens daily to both inside and outside sales people and usually not given a lot of thought. However, it is a perfect opportunity that will allow you to establish a "difference" between you and your competitors and leave the impression of both professionalism and caring. It is a question/situation that you need to prepare for that can have great impact on your business.

Often, in your haste to "respond", you give your customer/prospect the impression that you are only interested in answering a question, rather than really trying to find out what it is that they need. Often, by just answering the "literal" question you end up not attending to the underlying problems that have driven the request in the first place. Remember, questions are always asked for a reason and real sales "professionals" always try to find out what the reason is. It is a great example of the difference between an implied need and a hidden one.

So, when that next call comes in for pricing or availability try responding with one of the following reflectors;

      "While I'm looking it up... what are youcurrently using?"

      "I'll be happy to check... is this a product you are currently using?"

       "What are you currently using?"

       "How are you doing it now?"

       "There are some options, do you mind if I ask you a few questions about what you're using now?"

       "Who do you normally call for these products?"

       "Are you having a problem with your current source of supply?"

I know, I know, you already know the price and you don't have to look it up! But, keep in mind that by asking a few simple questions you might get some additional information that will allow you to help them more and really add value to the transaction. It's that type of value that will keep them coming back and create a difference between you and your competition!

Action Step: Practice using some of these reflectors and don't be in such a hurry to just "answer the question!" Sometimes the simplest strategies are the best!

Being a good "Sales Citizen"...

I've often been asked by sales people what they should focus on in order succeed within the structure of their company and in the mind of their sales manager. I've also been asked by sales managers to help learn to communicate better with their sales people on what their expectations are.

What it all boils down to is good communications skills on the part of both sides.
Being a good "sales citizen" requires many of the same communications skills that make good sales people; knowing the prospects "Motive and Pain" and creating a solution for it. Being a good "sales management citizen" requires many of the same habits as being a good "sales citizen".

Here are some suggestions on what you need to focus on as a Sales Person to be successful. Ironically, the list is the same in terms of what a good Sales Manager needs to communicate to his/her sales people that will allow them to achieve the success we are all looking for.

1. Know and support the companies goals. As a sales person, Align yourself with the goals and values of your boss' and the company's. Make your boss' priorities your priorities. As a sales manager you need to help your people know what the mission is and then set goals to support it.

2. Know how you'll be evaluated. As a sales person, know precisely which skills, behaviors and accomplishments you will be judged on and rewarded for. As a sales manager, identify areas of improvement for each of your reports and provide a training/development program to allow your staff to improve their skills.

3. Be dependable. As a sales manager, don't subscribe to the philosophy "do as I say not as I do!" Do what you say you're going to do. As a sales person, make it a habit to under-promise and over-deliver. Make sure you set expectations that you can fulfill!

4. Project positive energy. As a sales person don't be the one to whine or criticize the boss or company direction. Be positively inclined: the person everyone wants to be around. If you can't support the mission and be positive you may need to move on. For sales managers a negative influence will spoil everyone else... take corrective action or "change players".

5. Make your sales manager or sales people look good. As a sales person, finish your work on time and with a high level of professionalism. Bring your sales manager ideas that will help him/her and the department and offer to take charge and implement them. As a sales manager don't take credit for what you didn't do! Give credit to your people for their good work and ideas.

6. No Excuses!- Take responsibility for your mistakes by focusing on what you've learned rather than what you've done wrong. For example, "I think this deal could have been won if we'd gotten the real decision maker's buy-in early on," or "Next time I would talk more with the end-users up-front..."

7. Be organized, set priorities. As a sales person, plan your next day before you leave work. Rank your tasks by urgency and importance and make a point of doing at least the top two items on your list. As a sales manager, help your team plan and hold them accountable for getting it done.

8. Be on time. Arriving for work or meetings on time (even early) shows you're enthusiastic, dependable and able to manage your life effectively. Both parties need to have respect for each others time and make meetings and time spent together productive.

9. Help solve the problem. As a sales person, don't run to the boss with every question you have or setback you encounter. Think things through first. If you must report a problem to the boss, develop possible solutions to present. As a sales manager encourage your people to come to you with solutions and support their ideas. They can become problem solvers and will use less of your time.

10. Broaden your horizons.  As a sales person take advantage of company-sponsored training courses and volunteer for projects in areas outside your everyday expertise. As a sales manager make development programs available to your people.

11. Stay informed, know what's happening. Keep abreast of industry and company trends by reading trade journals and attending professional association events.

12. Stay Technically informed. As a sales person, stay current with technological, legal and knowledge advances in your area. Upgrade your skills and learn new ones. As a sales manager use technology to make your people more efficient.

13. Be courteous. Show respect and loyalty to your sales manager/sales people and speak well of her/them to others.

14. Be flexible. Change is inevitable. Companies need people who can adapt and go with the flow. Resisting change defends the status quo which most of the time will not work!

15. Take care of your health. When you're run-down, productivity and ambition suffer -- as does your image.

16. Leave your personal life at the door. Using your co-workers as therapists not only hurts productivity; it damages your credibility and can contaminate your work relationships (even if people seem sympathetic). Sales managers need to have outside confidants or coaches to discuss their problems with and not with their people!

17. Go beyond the call of duty. Take on added challenges, put in extra hours, and never use the phrase, "That's not in my job description."

18. Be a team player. Show your sales people and sales manager that you have their best interests at heart by being empathetic and offering to help out when they need it. As a manager don't just criticize but offer solutions.

19. Take a break now and then. A clear head and balanced life can give you energy and perspective.

20. Look and act promotable. Don't let anyone think you work because you have to.

21. Find a mentor. Most successful people find both a mentor and a support group. Seek out help from others and don't ever be afraid to admit that you "may not know it all"!

This is a good starting point and will help to build "good sales citizenship" for all!

Action Step: Evaluate your self on the preceeding 20 items and make plans on how to improve each of them. Establish 5 "to do" items that you can do immediatly to be a better "Sales Citizen".

"Could you send me some literature??..."

...I love this one! The worst part is many sales people actually send it, when often it's nothing more than a polite blow off. I'll give some perspective on this request that will help you get more control of what you spend your time on and help you identify who you should really send literature to.

First, let's define what literature really is and then determine the best way to use it. Literature is a marketing tool, not a selling tool! Let me repeat, literature is a marketing tool not a selling tool! What I mean by that is literature should be used to maintain awareness (leave behind after the call) or as a way to make impact quickly on a large group of people to flush out prospects (mass mailing) and create selling opportunities.

Literature should not be used as a crutch in a selling situation when a prospect has shown "interest". Pulling out a piece of literature on a sales call will focus the prospects attention on the "piece" rather than on their problems. A request for literature on the telephone will often have the sales person do nothing more than "lengthen the selling cycle" by sending it and forcing an additional follow up call.

As I have mentioned a request for literature is sometimes a blow off but it may be a request driven by real interest. Let's create a response that will help to "filter" out real interest from no interest. The key here is to not send literature but get more information.   

Try responding with:

"Thanks, I'd be happy to send/get it to you, was there something specific you were trying to find out."   or

"There is a lot I can send you were you looking for something specific?"

A "real" prospect will have a specific answer identifying what they have interest in. The "impostor" will usually respond with "nothing specific, just send what ever you have". Suddenly, by using a selling tool (question) rather than a marketing tool (literature) we might find out what they are after and have a discussion (face to face) or make an appointment (telephone call). Both of these situations have us moving the sale forward, or making an "advance". If, on the other hand, they have no specific interest at this time you could always send or leave literature as a leave behind awareness piece, aka marketing tool.

Next time you get the request "send/leave literature", create a "filter" that will  help you determine "prospect or time waster?" Bottom line, you'll stop wasting time and shorten your selling cycle!

"...how much do you charge for "x"?"

This is a question that comes up a lot on sales calls and one that you want to handle with care. As I've stated in other posts, questions are always driven by thoughts and never happen by accident. There is always a "context" from which the questions come and your ability to understand the context will improve your odds in developing the right answer. When I suggest that we work to create the "right" answer I don't mean that we are trying to fool anyone. Frequently, when we are addressing questions there are multiple answers and we just want to make sure that we have a higher likely hood of picking the right one.

In relation to price questions, it is always important to answer the question "in context". So usually, in order to understand the "context" in which the question was asked you'll need to ask more questions. Also, you'll often find that the question "how much do you charge" is really not the real question. Starting a dialog with the prospect about what they want will move them away form price and get you better information. Using a "reflector" or reverse will help you understand the real question.

Of all of the "reflectors" or reverses that we teach in relation to price one of the simplest has turned out to be one of the best. When asked about price try "...it depends". This simple phrase has an uncanny way of handling an awful lot of the price questions you'll get. Price often depends on a lot of things like:

         When do you need it?

         How many do you need?

         What kind do you need? (good, better, best?)

Another great reflector, particularly effective on the telephone for inside sales people is "while I'm looking it up did you select that item for a reason?". Often times prospects calling in for a price on an item, hear it... and hang up. Engaging the prospect and getting better information will not only help you build rapport but eliminate a lot of those "get a price and hang up calls".

Talking about price before understanding what your prospect is trying to accomplish is sales suicide. Use some of these simple reflectors and you'll get better results!