As you can well imagine, I talk to a lot of sales professionals every week from numerous venues - mostly services - some product with services - and I know you can identify with their common complaint - the marketplace stinks - opportunities are hard to find. I don't doubt that for a minute !I don't live in a vacuum. People are not beating down my door either. But short of giving up, I only know one thing to do. Make sure you are doing every bit of the BASICS ! I remember with some mixed sentiments my days on the gridiron - in college more than high school - the coaches screaming about the BASICS - especially when it looked like our chance for success was dismal.. And somehow it made sense and contributed to our instant improvement and even an occasional win. Well, that's where I'm coming from !
Because after listening to my clients unload about their lack of opportunities, I start to ask some embarrassing questions. When is the last time you did any networking for leads ? Cold Calling ? Prospecting ? Sent a personal thank you note after an appointment ? Asked for a referral ? Did anything to resource yourself ( like a class, a book, a CD, a DVD on professional sales ) ? Developed new value propositions ? Did some role playing - ( utilizing the objections you are hearing on the street ) ? Looked at your goals ? Added some new campaign steps ? Developed some new questions to ask ? Etc., Etc, Etc.
Look I know it's not easy. Sales is not easy even in good times ! Only the strong survive and you can't give up or you will get swallowed up ! You know all the well worn cliches - shake off the frustrations - jack up your attitude - get positive and go out there and make it happen. And make no mistake, the strength to get out there and make it happen has to come from within you. It doesn't come from motivational tapes, books, or the multitudes of sales gurus and coaches like me. All outside influences are short lived. Yes, you can learn a lot by listening, reading, and even benchmarking other successful sales pros, but you have to make up your mind that you are going to deal with this economy and the resulting marketplace. Your determination, your attention to the basics, and your recognition that any negatives that you allow to influence your thoughts will drain the energy of your support team and yourself. Your will and determination to excel are the key factors in your success. Don't let anybody or anything get you down. You are the CEO of your life; hold yourself accountable to all of your shareholders !!
Always remember - "people still buy people" and that's why we have sales professionals !
***** "The Biggest Obstacle to Sales Success is the Resistance to Change How You Sold Yesterday in Order to Be More Successful Today "
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Being Professionally Assertive
What does "Being Professionally Assertive" mean ? It means that until you close the sale or the deal that you do everything you possibly can to make it happen ! What does that mean ? What if I offend the buyer(s) ? Do you have the sale now ?
This can be a very sensitive subject to a lot of sales professionals. Because it involves individual style. Because it involves your perception of yourself. Because it fits your "stereotype" of the traditional used car salesperson. Because it hovers around the fears of many a salesperson.
This is the true professional's challenge. How can you be professionally assertive and not appear unprofessional ? It's a learned art. It's what you say ( the actual words ). It's when you say them. It's how you say them ( tone of voice, etc. ). It's your mental determination to find out where you stand. To find out the next step in the decision making process. To ask questions about their criteria for the decision making process. Is there a matrix utilized to make the decision ? Are certain criteria weighed heavier than others ? And many other questions for you to have ready to utilize. Want some thought provoking ideas ? Read "The Seven Powers of Questions" by Dorothy Leeds - ( especially chapters 7,8, & 9 ).
I'm always amazed by the number of salespeople who work very hard ( or somebody does ) to get in front of customers. Face time is so valuable and yet they are so unprepared with discovery questions. They spend most of their time presenting while they should be listening. "Telling is not selling".
Bottom-line, being professionally assertive also entails being well trained to be a good listener. Asking the right questions at the right time will enable the closing process. Buyers respect and admire professional salespeople and want to give their business to people who earn that opportunity.
Becoming more professional is not rocket science; it's recognizing what you don't know or understand about what to say or when to say it. It's about having a "library" of questions and utilizing them to postion yourself for more success ! Questions - call me !!
Always remember - "people still buy people" and that's why we have sales professionals !
***** "The Biggest Obstacle to Sales Success is the Resistance to Change How You Sold Yesterday in Order to Be More Successful Today " ******
This can be a very sensitive subject to a lot of sales professionals. Because it involves individual style. Because it involves your perception of yourself. Because it fits your "stereotype" of the traditional used car salesperson. Because it hovers around the fears of many a salesperson.
This is the true professional's challenge. How can you be professionally assertive and not appear unprofessional ? It's a learned art. It's what you say ( the actual words ). It's when you say them. It's how you say them ( tone of voice, etc. ). It's your mental determination to find out where you stand. To find out the next step in the decision making process. To ask questions about their criteria for the decision making process. Is there a matrix utilized to make the decision ? Are certain criteria weighed heavier than others ? And many other questions for you to have ready to utilize. Want some thought provoking ideas ? Read "The Seven Powers of Questions" by Dorothy Leeds - ( especially chapters 7,8, & 9 ).
I'm always amazed by the number of salespeople who work very hard ( or somebody does ) to get in front of customers. Face time is so valuable and yet they are so unprepared with discovery questions. They spend most of their time presenting while they should be listening. "Telling is not selling".
Bottom-line, being professionally assertive also entails being well trained to be a good listener. Asking the right questions at the right time will enable the closing process. Buyers respect and admire professional salespeople and want to give their business to people who earn that opportunity.
Becoming more professional is not rocket science; it's recognizing what you don't know or understand about what to say or when to say it. It's about having a "library" of questions and utilizing them to postion yourself for more success ! Questions - call me !!
Always remember - "people still buy people" and that's why we have sales professionals !
***** "The Biggest Obstacle to Sales Success is the Resistance to Change How You Sold Yesterday in Order to Be More Successful Today " ******
Monday, July 14, 2008
Sales Compensation
I have received numerous emails and calls about the beloved topic of sales compensation ! So let's talk a little bit about that sensitive subject.
Depending upon your industry, your organization, your status, and the various traditional ways of compensating sales pros in general; there are likely to be some changes for you and / or your company. Why ? As most marketing graduates know the sales department is usually a sliver of the total marketing budget for any company. In certain organizations that sliver has grown larger over the years and in this type of economy, management is checking all areas to diminish expenses. This is especially true in service organizations where the "sales" portion of the marketing budget is much larger due to the "sales professional" being the primary force for getting and sustaining business relationships. And on top of the economic concerns, now comes the increasing value of the internet and other means of promoting business opportunities. Increased competition and new technology to market your product or services is provoking new "looks" at the marketing dollars.
Bottom-line, how much is a successful sales professional worth in today's marketplace ? Better yet - when you define successful - how much are they worth to your company ? How do you attract them and retain them ? Do you let them nest in recurring sales ? Do you turn tenured accounts over to salaried account managers or customer service whizkids ? This is a real issue for small and mid-sized business organizations. Small and medium companies are prone to commission sales and a draw against commissions as the ideal way to build a sales force ( after initial training and acclimation ). The problem is that the sales professionals are left to their own direction and generally speaking accountability is lacking. Sales management ( I like coaching ) can be virtually non-existent because the sales manager is also responsible for his own accounts and doesn't have the time, or training that it takes to be a good sales coach.
What to do ? Obviously there is no simple answer. But get ready, it will likely be discussed soon.
Most of the corporate giants have already dealt with this issue - some not. A lot of organizations utilize some form of salary plus to compensate key salespeople. And a large percentage base the incentives on establishing new customers not account management. They have also learned that the professional sales coach with a full time responsibility is a worthwhile expense.
Whatever you do - don't forget ! "people still buy people"
Remember - "The Biggest Obstacle to Sales Success is the Resistance to Change How You Sold Yesterday in Order to Be More Successful Today "
Depending upon your industry, your organization, your status, and the various traditional ways of compensating sales pros in general; there are likely to be some changes for you and / or your company. Why ? As most marketing graduates know the sales department is usually a sliver of the total marketing budget for any company. In certain organizations that sliver has grown larger over the years and in this type of economy, management is checking all areas to diminish expenses. This is especially true in service organizations where the "sales" portion of the marketing budget is much larger due to the "sales professional" being the primary force for getting and sustaining business relationships. And on top of the economic concerns, now comes the increasing value of the internet and other means of promoting business opportunities. Increased competition and new technology to market your product or services is provoking new "looks" at the marketing dollars.
Bottom-line, how much is a successful sales professional worth in today's marketplace ? Better yet - when you define successful - how much are they worth to your company ? How do you attract them and retain them ? Do you let them nest in recurring sales ? Do you turn tenured accounts over to salaried account managers or customer service whizkids ? This is a real issue for small and mid-sized business organizations. Small and medium companies are prone to commission sales and a draw against commissions as the ideal way to build a sales force ( after initial training and acclimation ). The problem is that the sales professionals are left to their own direction and generally speaking accountability is lacking. Sales management ( I like coaching ) can be virtually non-existent because the sales manager is also responsible for his own accounts and doesn't have the time, or training that it takes to be a good sales coach.
What to do ? Obviously there is no simple answer. But get ready, it will likely be discussed soon.
Most of the corporate giants have already dealt with this issue - some not. A lot of organizations utilize some form of salary plus to compensate key salespeople. And a large percentage base the incentives on establishing new customers not account management. They have also learned that the professional sales coach with a full time responsibility is a worthwhile expense.
Whatever you do - don't forget ! "people still buy people"
Remember - "The Biggest Obstacle to Sales Success is the Resistance to Change How You Sold Yesterday in Order to Be More Successful Today "
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