GOLLY ! Late again. You would presume that business is so good that I don't have any time to keep up with my postings to this website and my blog ( http://my-salescoach.blogspot.com/ ). Well, that's partially true ! But, I never have enough business !
Our topic this week is as you can see, "diversification / value justification". What does that mean. It means that price becomes the only factor that matters when you do not create sufficient justification for spending more. You allow the customer to make you a commodity. Quality of your product or service and what you bring to the sale evidently has no value. So, it becomes a real simple issue for the customer (s). Just go to Wal-Mart - they sell everything cheaper ! I being mean - I love and respect Wal-Mart very much.
To avoid being caught in that situation a lot; you have to find ways to bring measurable value to the sales arena. How do you do that ? By differentiating yourself from the competition. Either real or perceived you must create extra value ! You can do that a number of ways but here is where a lot of sales professionals get lost. And what happens, most of the competition waits until they find out what you are doing differently and they steal your rhetoric, your value, and enhance the whole deal with their puffery ( that's the legal term for BS ).
This is not for the weak or lazy ( most of your competition ). It takes a lot of ONGOING EFFORT to continue to distinguish yourself from the competition. Why ? Because whatever you do different, they will eventually steal or mimic. So, the most successful salespeople and organizations are constantly BRAINSTORMING what they can do, offer, detail, and bring to the sale that's different and / or has added value.
I can tell you with a lot of experience that when coaching individuals and or sales teams; this challenge is overwhelming. Part of it is a lack of vision ( seeing what to do ), part of it is no experience, part of it is not wanting to change, part of it is not recognizing what the customer needs to justify paying more to themselves or to management, and part of it is expecting someone else to provide all of this awareness and progressive thinking.
I don't care who you are or what you sell; there a million things that you can do to differentiate yourself from the competition ! And most of them cost very little ! Try setting down and accepting this challenge ! ( as an individual or a team )
Or you could get a sales coach !!!!
I didn't mention the economy today - I'm tired of talking about it. We need to find buyers !
NOW GO SELL SOMETHING - YOUR BABY NEEDS A NEW PAIR OF SHOES !
Monday, April 27, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
BEING MORE COMPETITIVE - DETERMINATION
First, I apologize for being late with this weeks offering. Today is my birthday and I took a few days off to go up to the foothills with my Mrs. and our two cats in the motorhome. Great time ! Great weather !
Second, I got as much feedback, questions, comments, etc about last week's perspective as I ever gotten from previous ones. So, as you can see, I've decided to elaborate a little more about this quality that a few people have, but others can acquire. Call it what you will, but it's determination, it's a competitive nature, it's motivation to analyze what you can do differently to find buyers, to close deals, and to build long term relationships.
Very few people who do sales for a living really get it. When I'm in a session with a group or with individuals and ask them to brainstorm / analyze what they could do differently to add to their success. The suggestions or ideas usually don't come fast and furiously, if at all. It's not stupidity and it's usually not laziness ( sometimes, maybe ). It's generally a combination of not seeing the value of putting forth the effort and needing some form of leadership or direction to understand what might possibly be done to add value to their existing product or service.
I don't care what you sell, there are numerous ways to compliment your efforts with new and different directions. There are different ways of presenting what you sell. There are different ways to add more value to what you sell ( and many don't cost much at all ). There are different ways of finding buyers - marketing yourself and your products. And there are unique ways that you haven't even considered for enhancing existing relationships plus finding / building new ones.
What holds certain salespeople back ? Fears. All kinds of fear. Fear of being wrong ! Fears of failing ! Fear of self -promotion - don't want to be perceived as being a pushy salesperson. Fear of public speaking ! Fear of doing something different ! And numerous other fears. And my standard comment to all of those fears - "DO YOU HAVE THE BUSINESS NOW " ? What's the worst that's going to happen ?
My last comment about this topic ( for this week ) ! How many of you know or remember the term "benchmarking" ? Tom Peters and many other guru's were preaching this method of improvement way back in the 80's & 90's. It means you find some one or some organization that has a level of successway beyond wherever you are now and ask them to share how they got to where they are. In the case of an aspiring salesperson, find a super successful salesperson in another market than yours and ask them to share what they do that might possibly affect your success ! For me, it was a commercial real estate broker who in 1985 was making close to a million dollars a year. He blew me away with his skills, organization, database, etc. and greatly affected my success.
Or you could get a sales coach !!!!
I didn't mention the economy today - I'm tired of talking about it. We need to find buyers !
Second, I got as much feedback, questions, comments, etc about last week's perspective as I ever gotten from previous ones. So, as you can see, I've decided to elaborate a little more about this quality that a few people have, but others can acquire. Call it what you will, but it's determination, it's a competitive nature, it's motivation to analyze what you can do differently to find buyers, to close deals, and to build long term relationships.
Very few people who do sales for a living really get it. When I'm in a session with a group or with individuals and ask them to brainstorm / analyze what they could do differently to add to their success. The suggestions or ideas usually don't come fast and furiously, if at all. It's not stupidity and it's usually not laziness ( sometimes, maybe ). It's generally a combination of not seeing the value of putting forth the effort and needing some form of leadership or direction to understand what might possibly be done to add value to their existing product or service.
I don't care what you sell, there are numerous ways to compliment your efforts with new and different directions. There are different ways of presenting what you sell. There are different ways to add more value to what you sell ( and many don't cost much at all ). There are different ways of finding buyers - marketing yourself and your products. And there are unique ways that you haven't even considered for enhancing existing relationships plus finding / building new ones.
What holds certain salespeople back ? Fears. All kinds of fear. Fear of being wrong ! Fears of failing ! Fear of self -promotion - don't want to be perceived as being a pushy salesperson. Fear of public speaking ! Fear of doing something different ! And numerous other fears. And my standard comment to all of those fears - "DO YOU HAVE THE BUSINESS NOW " ? What's the worst that's going to happen ?
My last comment about this topic ( for this week ) ! How many of you know or remember the term "benchmarking" ? Tom Peters and many other guru's were preaching this method of improvement way back in the 80's & 90's. It means you find some one or some organization that has a level of successway beyond wherever you are now and ask them to share how they got to where they are. In the case of an aspiring salesperson, find a super successful salesperson in another market than yours and ask them to share what they do that might possibly affect your success ! For me, it was a commercial real estate broker who in 1985 was making close to a million dollars a year. He blew me away with his skills, organization, database, etc. and greatly affected my success.
Or you could get a sales coach !!!!
I didn't mention the economy today - I'm tired of talking about it. We need to find buyers !
Sunday, April 12, 2009
ARE YOU COMPETITIVE ? ENOUGH ?
Here's another question that I get asked a lot from recruiters, owners, other coaches, and business owners. What's the # 1 trait or characteristic to look for when recruiting, hiring, or coaching professional salespeople. As you can probably guess from your own experiences, it's difficult to have just one answer to that question.
But, one of the top two answers I would have would be a very competitive nature. I mean that the individual is determined to be super successful no matter what it takes. Their efforts must be ethical and in line with their organization's policies, but motivated to win every opportunity that comes their way as well as to be the number ONE salesperson in their field.
I'm not speaking of prices here. That's a factor which affects their competitive nature for sure. But assuming their organization allows them to offer competitive prices ( that's a whole different discussion ); not the lowest but competitive ( within 20% ), then we are speaking of people who will go to the end of the energy spectrum to excel. They are constantly analyzing what they need to do to get every sale that they go after ( which is another whole discussion LOL ). By that last comment I mean that some salespeople try to go after everything and maybe some of that needs to be discussed.
Being super successful at sales is not an easy challenge for sure. But being extremely motivated to excel and to go the extra mile to differentiate yourself from competitors is what we want in a professional. Their ability and motivation is usually obvious by their nature of activities or past experiences. Asking to see documentation of short range and long range goals can be good indicators of potential. I don't care if they are an extrovert or introvert. All I want see is that they are willing to do whatever it takes to excel. Willingness to work long hours, set, document, and achieve goals are some of the things that indicate people with a competitive nature.
Change is the other major indicator; willingness to change their paradigm ( to learn to do things in a different manner ) is another good indicator of a competitive nature. Given the right direction with the right attitude and the determination to win every time anyone can become super successful at sales.
What sacrifices are they willing to make to become super successful ?
I could go on forever about this topic. It's one of my favorites. And it's the spirit I bring to my clients. Part of my initial evaluation and discussion (before the relationship is initiated ) is an exam which gives me great insight into this competitive nature.
But, one of the top two answers I would have would be a very competitive nature. I mean that the individual is determined to be super successful no matter what it takes. Their efforts must be ethical and in line with their organization's policies, but motivated to win every opportunity that comes their way as well as to be the number ONE salesperson in their field.
I'm not speaking of prices here. That's a factor which affects their competitive nature for sure. But assuming their organization allows them to offer competitive prices ( that's a whole different discussion ); not the lowest but competitive ( within 20% ), then we are speaking of people who will go to the end of the energy spectrum to excel. They are constantly analyzing what they need to do to get every sale that they go after ( which is another whole discussion LOL ). By that last comment I mean that some salespeople try to go after everything and maybe some of that needs to be discussed.
Being super successful at sales is not an easy challenge for sure. But being extremely motivated to excel and to go the extra mile to differentiate yourself from competitors is what we want in a professional. Their ability and motivation is usually obvious by their nature of activities or past experiences. Asking to see documentation of short range and long range goals can be good indicators of potential. I don't care if they are an extrovert or introvert. All I want see is that they are willing to do whatever it takes to excel. Willingness to work long hours, set, document, and achieve goals are some of the things that indicate people with a competitive nature.
Change is the other major indicator; willingness to change their paradigm ( to learn to do things in a different manner ) is another good indicator of a competitive nature. Given the right direction with the right attitude and the determination to win every time anyone can become super successful at sales.
What sacrifices are they willing to make to become super successful ?
I could go on forever about this topic. It's one of my favorites. And it's the spirit I bring to my clients. Part of my initial evaluation and discussion (before the relationship is initiated ) is an exam which gives me great insight into this competitive nature.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Professional Sales - Artistry or Science ?
Believe it or not this topic is a request from a sales manager that remembers me discussing it at a presentation some time ago. It's not new or revolutionary but hopefully provocative.
Professional sales is both an artistry and a science but many salespeople are not convinced of that. So, let's discuss it briefly.
It's an artistry because the salesperson is the artist and each one of us has our own style of presenting ourselves and what we sell. Our style comes from our learning, our background, our experiences, our upbringing, our beliefs, our values, and much more. Some of us are convinced that our style is the only way and not open to change. Some of us are constantly looking for ways to differentiate ourselves. Some of us are on this form of compensation and some of us are on another form. Some of us are satisfied with our level of success ( probably not now ) and some of us are never satisfied. Some of us work for large companies and some of us work for small companies. Some of us have managers / coaches and some of us don't. I could on and on but bottomline there is no one way to do professional sales. Especially now with the technological changes and this screwed up economy. The most important thing to recognize about the previous sentence ? Just because there is no one way to do it doesn't mean that anyone knows it all. Your artistry can be improved / enhanced by your desire to do so.
It's a science because the buyer or buyers have to possess or be convinced that they need your particular product or service more than they need what they got or don't have. It's the salesperson's responsibility to move them across an imaginary line from need ( or perceived need ) to justifying spending their dollars with you. The key word here is "justify". How do you enable them to justify making a decision on your behalf. How you recognize and influence their justification process is the science side of sales and how you do that is the artistry. When you are in the middle of a sales process are you getting acknowledgement of the points which justify in the buyer's mind(s) a decision in your favor ? You can actually watch a buyer(s) sell themselves by the justification points you utilizeif you are really good at closing sales. If you don't see it happening then there is a problem, possibly a misunderstanding, an objection, or other hangups / stalls.
Do you have the skills to handle their meandering's ?
There is a lot to learn about your artistic abilities and the science of the sales process !
Professional sales is both an artistry and a science but many salespeople are not convinced of that. So, let's discuss it briefly.
It's an artistry because the salesperson is the artist and each one of us has our own style of presenting ourselves and what we sell. Our style comes from our learning, our background, our experiences, our upbringing, our beliefs, our values, and much more. Some of us are convinced that our style is the only way and not open to change. Some of us are constantly looking for ways to differentiate ourselves. Some of us are on this form of compensation and some of us are on another form. Some of us are satisfied with our level of success ( probably not now ) and some of us are never satisfied. Some of us work for large companies and some of us work for small companies. Some of us have managers / coaches and some of us don't. I could on and on but bottomline there is no one way to do professional sales. Especially now with the technological changes and this screwed up economy. The most important thing to recognize about the previous sentence ? Just because there is no one way to do it doesn't mean that anyone knows it all. Your artistry can be improved / enhanced by your desire to do so.
It's a science because the buyer or buyers have to possess or be convinced that they need your particular product or service more than they need what they got or don't have. It's the salesperson's responsibility to move them across an imaginary line from need ( or perceived need ) to justifying spending their dollars with you. The key word here is "justify". How do you enable them to justify making a decision on your behalf. How you recognize and influence their justification process is the science side of sales and how you do that is the artistry. When you are in the middle of a sales process are you getting acknowledgement of the points which justify in the buyer's mind(s) a decision in your favor ? You can actually watch a buyer(s) sell themselves by the justification points you utilizeif you are really good at closing sales. If you don't see it happening then there is a problem, possibly a misunderstanding, an objection, or other hangups / stalls.
Do you have the skills to handle their meandering's ?
There is a lot to learn about your artistic abilities and the science of the sales process !
EARNING THEIR BUSINESS
Customers love to be sold ! That statement may or may not be acceptable to you but whatever you think isn't important. It's what the customer thinks that is important.
Keep in mind that we are speaking of professional buyers; people who have the responsibility of purchasing for their organization products or services that become the basis of what they offer or need to support what they offer. We are speaking of professional buyers who have been trained and seen literally thousands of salespeople over the length of their career in procurement.
These professional buyers are for the most part very able to recognize the varying degrees of competency in professional salespeople. They are very familiar with being solicited, cold called, voice mails, emails, mailings, etc. along with follow up and / or follow through. They respect what the salesperson has learned about their organization, their needs, and their need to justify whatever they decide to purchase to their chain of command ( change or new directions must be justified with cold hard facts ).
They can tell by the types of questions asked, the ability to listen, and the level of professional persistence utilized whether they want to find a way to buy from this particular salesperson.
They easily recognize whether they really want a relationship with this individual. They recognize communication skills, thoroughness, level of preparedness, and innovative ways of getting their attention. And most important they gain immense respect and admiration for professional salespeople. They want to give their business to someone whom they feel has "EARNED" the opportunity to sell them.
It is very likely that your company or your industry has done focus groups where we get a group of your potential and / or existing customers together and ask for their opinions and feedback about their needs, wants, and insights. Their comments about salespeople are always very inciteful. I could go on and on about their specific comments but I'll just mention for now the two most prominent. 1. Salespeople are usually very poor listeners. 2. Salespeople really don't understand what we are all about, what we do , and what we need - in other words - they come to a presentation or meeting less prepared than needed from a buyer's perspective ( their discovery process stinks ).
Where do you stand in this perspective ?
I didn't mention the economy today - I'm tired of talking about it. We need to find buyers !
NOW GO SELL SOMETHING - YOUR BABY NEEDS A NEW PAIR OF SHOES !
Keep in mind that we are speaking of professional buyers; people who have the responsibility of purchasing for their organization products or services that become the basis of what they offer or need to support what they offer. We are speaking of professional buyers who have been trained and seen literally thousands of salespeople over the length of their career in procurement.
These professional buyers are for the most part very able to recognize the varying degrees of competency in professional salespeople. They are very familiar with being solicited, cold called, voice mails, emails, mailings, etc. along with follow up and / or follow through. They respect what the salesperson has learned about their organization, their needs, and their need to justify whatever they decide to purchase to their chain of command ( change or new directions must be justified with cold hard facts ).
They can tell by the types of questions asked, the ability to listen, and the level of professional persistence utilized whether they want to find a way to buy from this particular salesperson.
They easily recognize whether they really want a relationship with this individual. They recognize communication skills, thoroughness, level of preparedness, and innovative ways of getting their attention. And most important they gain immense respect and admiration for professional salespeople. They want to give their business to someone whom they feel has "EARNED" the opportunity to sell them.
It is very likely that your company or your industry has done focus groups where we get a group of your potential and / or existing customers together and ask for their opinions and feedback about their needs, wants, and insights. Their comments about salespeople are always very inciteful. I could go on and on about their specific comments but I'll just mention for now the two most prominent. 1. Salespeople are usually very poor listeners. 2. Salespeople really don't understand what we are all about, what we do , and what we need - in other words - they come to a presentation or meeting less prepared than needed from a buyer's perspective ( their discovery process stinks ).
Where do you stand in this perspective ?
I didn't mention the economy today - I'm tired of talking about it. We need to find buyers !
NOW GO SELL SOMETHING - YOUR BABY NEEDS A NEW PAIR OF SHOES !
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