Value Reflection for 2013

As I shared with clients over the years, there is simply no magic wand in increasing business. A comprehensive game plan along with all the initiatives, activities, and behavior for keeping you funnel full, is the only answer in the generating more business.

As I mentioned in my “Sales Tip of the Week” this week that the development of  a “value-positioning statement” is important to create a clear vision in the mind of others as to what you specifically do, but most importantly, what differentiates you from the competition. Always talk in terms “value” and how others can benefit and solve problems by doing business with you. As I have mentioned on occasions, always look for a win-win for all involved. You will quickly find that this sort of a mind set will pay dividends further into the future.

 People want to do business with those whom they like and trust that look out for their best interest. Is it an old way of doing business? Let me assure you, this is  the right way. Set your goals and objectives in 2013 to increase the amount of satisfied clients by creating a win-win and building a solid foundation of renewable business.

We are going to take some time off during the holidays. See you right after the first of the year.

We have accumulated 40+ blogs in out archives for review, if you feel the need to reinforce idea sharing from 2012. 

Have a wonderful holiday season! See you next year.

-Mike

New concept of prospecting

Prospecting is a life blood of successful sales performance. Surprisingly, over the years I have discovered that there are people who have a natural ability for  prospecting, and those who struggle with it. The real key is to look for people or companies that are having problems and discover if what you do or the product that you represent can solve their problem.

Joe’s sales people approach in the past was to trying to create an issue or a problem, instead of discovering if it really existed or not. Normally, it either does or does not. What you represent is either a good fit or its not. If yes, you can both decide if it makes sense to move forward. If not, take the time to refer them to someone or a company that appears to be a potential fit.

Sales in the past, the “old concept”, was about the creating the desire instead of discovering if indeed it existed. We call it “hard sell”.

Sales are essential for a growth of the organization. Without it there is not much for others to do. Sales for years have had a number of negative connotations, because of some sales people, who are prone to sell regardless of whether the problem existed or not.

The world is ever-changing in relationship to the sales arena. Getting Joe’s people to embrace change was not easy, but they soon discovered that to develop a long-term relationship and trust was absolutely essential.

Simply stated, “do not sell.” Instead, create an environment for buying. By doing so we will create a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Team Mentality

There is an old saying that still rings through today: “If you keep doing what you have always done, you will be getting what you have always gotten or maybe less.”

In the beginning of working with Joe’s sales team, I soon discovered that there was a pattern of prospecting and communicating with current as well as prospective clients that had a lot to be desired. Their prospecting game plan seemed to lack creativity and the right activity, which is essential in growing businesses.

We started with a discovery process by identifying the missing elements of a well thought-out prospecting game plan. My seminars were very participative, so we could achieve buy-in from each participant, and most importantly develop a team mentality, instead of competitive mind set that existed before the training.

The team concept allowed each participant to tie their personal goals into a company’s vision and objectives, so they were able to predict a doable financial goal for the company for the next fiscal period.

Over short period of time I started to notice  that their activity and behavior were redirecting  to an allover team effort, which included mentoring/mentee relationships between seasoned and newer players.

With an introduction of fresh ideas came a great change in an attitude for everyone in company. It opened up lines of communication for the sales people, design and construction team, and, of course, management.

Next week we will continue exploring what it takes to develop a prospecting mentality.

Networking for Success

The concept of networking has been around since the evolution of a man kind. It started as a form of a relationship building between tribes and communal settings. It enhanced survival and safety, as well as growth opportunities in a quickly emerging society.

Networking in a modern era has also evolved primarily as a concept for relationship building. It is an important component in generating business opportunities by introducing people in an informal as well as formal setting, so they could explore and discover in what way they could compliment one another with a service or a product that can solve other people’s problems.

My formal introduction to the world of networking started little over 20 years ago. In 1992 the concept was emerging out of California. It was intended to generate business for each participant. In Central Ohio we were called network professionals. My first group branched out to 11 chapters with up to 40+ members in each group. I retired in1997 to concentrate on my business advisory business.

Having an opportunity to be a founder of networking in Central Ohio gave me a unique view of the emerging concept of an ever-changing process. It now includes social networking such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc as well as formal and informal get-togethers.

Networking is alive and well. If you are committed to growing your business and reach its potential, networking is an important key in your progressive game plan. People want to do business with people they know, like, and trust.

Do your do-diligence in picking network setting that not only makes sense to you and your business, but also is doable. Relationships are built over time so patience is a virtue.

P.S. I hope that you have a great Thanksgiving week. I will not be posting my blog next week.

Game plan that works

As I mention in my last week blog, Joe’s sales team began to understand what it takes to develop well-conceived game plan. They also started to see significant results that can come from putting together daily, weekly, and monthly goals. Joe’s team had developed specific activities and initiatives that not only made sense, but most importantly they were doable. Because of Joe’s background in the design and construction of upscale exhibit booths, he was a very detail-oriented person and taught his people to measure twice and cut once.

The five people on the Joe’s sales team worked on their plan individually, based on formulas we put in place. Then, to ensure that everyone shared common understanding of company’s goals, differentials, and unique traits, we met as a group to blend our individual plans into overall company’s game plan. These group meetings also helped us to stay on the same page in developing particular actions necessary for application of non-traditional sales system.

After the company’s game plan was in place, we took a 10-thousand-foot look so as to ensure that we had all bases covered and that we were not short-sighted in any areas.

Now that we had a very well-thought-out game plan with all initiatives and activities, we felt very confident. We started to apply our new strategy to ensure that the company reaches its objectives and secures a consistent growth pattern in the short and long term.

Joe and His Team Got It!

Within several months of our work together, Joe started developing a positive perspective and a reflective understanding of what it takes to grasp the real difference in attaining high performance from his sales people.  He came to realize that when sales people get involved in determining the specific activities and initiatives to ensure a prosperous future for everyone involved, they tend to have higher motivation and better outcomes.

One of the members of Joe’s sales team revealed to me that over the six of transition to a new sales concept have been truly rewarding. Of course, I asked her:”Why?” She told me that getting involved in mapping out a game plan, being part of the whole process, the financial rewards, and the psychic fulfillment that came with doing a good job has inspired not only her but everyone on the sales team. She also related that it had a positive impact on the people in the departments of design and construction.

It all became possible because, they saw the consistent growth and a security from the company that respected their views and took their opinions into account. . At the same time those that chose not to buy in had soon left the company on their own accord.

When you have a lot of happy campers in an organization, the trickle down could be most inspiring, rewarding, and of course profitable. 

Make sure that you follow my weekly "Sales Tip of the Week"

Joe’s Dilemma: Quotas vs. Goals

Today I want to continue with Joe’s saga of his growth as a sales manager.

When I first started working with Joe, I told him that I was not a quota guy. As I shared with him, quotas produce OK results from the sales people, but lack the important buy-in that you need from your sales people as well as the entire sales team.

Many times the financial projections that are given to sales team lack the following:

·         A clear understanding of the company’s goals blended into the individual goals and objectives of each sales person

·         Each sales person needs to be a part of a decision making process in respect to their own individual projections tied into the company’s financial plans.

On the other hand, if sales people are provided with clear objectives as well as are assured that they are a part of the process and are responsible to make decisions, the job will be done with a better outcomes and higher motivation.

Sales people need a clear vision on how their individual productivity ties in to the company’s plan and clearly see their role. Goals motivate and work; quotas many times create anxiety and “just do it” mentality. It is just not a formula that ensures steady and consistent company growth.

Joe and I worked diligently with our sales people in creating an interesting, fun, and realistic game plan, which eventually created a win-win situation for everyone.

Becoming an effective sales manager: Joe's success story (continued)

Today I am continuing the success story of sales manager Joe and some of the challenges that he was faced with.

Joe was an extremely likable person. He had an ability to engage people in what he was doing, making everyone root for his success. The five sales people that he inherited and made up his team liked Joe. But at the same time they were able to take advantage of him. Here is how the story unfolded.

Having a good base salary, we quickly discovered that they were not overly motivated to put an effort into gaining  greater sales performance. When Joe and I began to read over the past weekly sales reports, it was rather evident that 85% of their time they were calling on existing clients, instead of reaching out to new prospective clients. We referred to that method as farming versus hunting.

When I saw the situation at hand, I realized that Joe, as a team leader, needed a helping hand in developing a game plan to generate new business as well as holding sales people accountable for their activity and behavior.  

We started small. First of all we had to identify areas and, more importantly, particular companies that had a potential to become new clients for Joe’s business.

When I first came to the company, each of sales people was making 1-2 new prospect calls a week. When Joe and I put together a new game plan and started to implement it, sales people were responsible for contacting 5-6 new prospects a week. Within the first month the sales team was able to extend their new prospect contacts to over a hundred people. Within 60-90 days new business was coming through the door and almost doubled.  

However, this new strategy of acquiring new clients was not the only pulse point that moved the company forward. Joe and I had also developed a new compensation plan for his sales team. We were both well aware of the fact that change in employees’ compensation can create problems within the sales team. However, we managed to do it in such a fashion that created a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Within a short period of time we had developed a sales team that was holding themselves accountable. They began benefiting from the result-oriented system, creating a productive and positive environment.



Becoming an effective sales manager: Joe’s success story

On Tuesday in my “Sales Tip of the Week” I talked about traits and qualities that makeup successful and productive sales manager. I talked about what sales manager can and cannot manage. I have a real life example of a sales manager, who had a most challenging journey to success.

I first met Joe at a networking event. When he found out that I was a sales and business adviser for emerging businesses, he shared with me the following story.

Throughout Joe’s career he was a designer for trade shows exhibits. He told me that he had recently been hired as a sales manager for a 20-year-old trade show manufacture. He soon became a leader for five sales associates. Never being directly involved in sales in the past, he soon begun to understand how demanding it is to manage and create the sort of activity to ensure business success.

When I first started to work with Joe, our main priority was to develop a successful sales management role. One of the positive things was that Joe had not developed any negative habits, so I did not have to retrain him.  When it came to developing a well-structured game plan, Joe’s optimistic attitude made up for the lack of formal training.

Working with him during the first few months, we were faced with creating doable game plan as well as working on sales concepts and strategies for his sales team. One of our key focuses was to figure out the way to differentiate their firm in a saturated market place. In a reasonable period of time, Joe was able to develop proper DNA to be an exceptional sales manager.

When issues would arise, we would go through the debriefing process, look at ways we could solve various problems, and make good decisions. He was literally learning while working on the job.

Within a relatively short period of time, he learned how to lead his team and, most importantly, how to generate more business. It took him some time to learn all the concepts, but he became a very competent sales manager. He understood what it really took to generate a profitable business.

Next week we will break down what Joe learned in the process of becoming a really effective sales manager. Stay tuned!

Interview Selling: Sales with Care

As I mentioned in my “Sales Tip of the Week” this Tuesday, you always want to apply 70-30 rule in the beginning of your selling process. This refers to the fact that you need to listen to your prospect 70 percent of the time as well as verbalizing and asking thoughtful, well-planned questions 30 percent of the time.

The simplicity of this is that until we discover a prospect’s needs, there is very little reason to present your product or service. Interview selling is all about exploring and  gathering information to fully determine if indeed the product or service that you represent is potentially a good fit for solving your prospect’s problem or issues.

It is either a good fit or it is not. If not, it is perfectly fine to move on. Always remember that people don’t want to be sold, they want to buy for their own reasons. If the need for you product or service does exist, your job is to create a comfortable environment of buying.

As I am sure you have already noticed, our consumers are becoming  a lot busier. They all have important things to take care of every day. If we show them that we appreciate their time and value the relationship of mutual respect, we will begin to see an interest in their eyes. And interested client can easily be converted into buying client.  

Always remember, interview selling is about discovering and determining, if a potential match is on the horizon. If not, try to help them to get their needs met from other sources. I bet they will never forget that you were a trusted consultant and worked in their best interest.

Take care and see you next time!

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Marketing and Sales - What is the difference?

I’ve always been somewhat surprised at the confusion that seems to exist between the marketing and the sales process. Hopefully the following blog will eliminate some of the discrepancies.

I am not a marketing person, but I’ve had the opportunity to work with a number of marketing professionals over the years while initiating sales concepts that compliment a well-conceived marketing effort.

Both marketing and sales are critical to ensure the growth of a business, but they are not the same. Let’s discuss the differences.

In simple terms, marketing is a game plan, which creates visibility and awareness of an aspiring enterprise, its products, and services. It also creates a “call to action” for your target market if they perceive that your product alleviates a need or problem. Marketing can consist of everything from collateral material, a promotional website, email correspondence, and social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Marketing is all about creating a presence and creating a favorable perception about the product or service. If this perception is favorable, it creates a response that helps to initiate the sales process.

Although the term “sales” sometimes evokes negative feelings in a person’s mind, it is the major key to generating business. Sales is the engine that moves a company. It creates a cash-flow and operating capitol. Without sales, there is no way to develop new growth and expansion in a company.

The sales concept is primarily direct contact with perspective clients. It is a follow up to the marketing effort. Sales concepts can take several forms: response to an email inquiry, responding to contact from a website, a telephone conversation, or a face-to-face meeting.

Simply put, sales is all about responding to a perspective client’s need or problem with direct contact, which leads to a sales transaction. It is about creating a win-win situation for everyone involved. The transaction will not take place until the perceived value of a product or service exceeds the cost. Without this, there is no cash-flow or momentum in the company. Because at the end of the  day, there’s not much for anyone to do, until a transaction takes place.

As you can begin to see, sales and marketing are very complimentary but certainly differ in relationship to their intended purpose. The fine line between the two is often blurred to most people, who group sales and marketing together without understanding their differences.

“The way it is”, Mike Levi’s weekly blog

09.06.2012

To blog or not to blog – that is the question. I have not totally figured out how this thing, called social media, works. Why do we sometimes give away our intellectual knowledge failing to see clear ROI? I guess, I will continue asking myself, how this social media concept works. How much is too much or too little? How will I know if I am doing something wrong or right?  I am also wondering, with so many people doing it, if there is anybody out there really listening?  

Social media is something that I am going to work on very diligently for the next three or four months. Then I will be able to say to myself: “I honestly did it”. I will either see fruits of my labor or not. If not, why?

I am very intrigued by this medium. The cost, other than time, seems to be pretty affordable. I am most interested in discovering if the potential is as real as it appears? Is a payoff something that we can all enjoy and benefit from?

I am always open to suggestions on ways to address this communication tool that we refer to as social media in a proactive manner that is acceptable. Thanks in advance for helping an ancient human being to begin to better understand this communication phenomenon.

The way it is

Hi,

Sorry I got a little bit lazy and did not produce the sort of blog over the last couple months that you and I would expect.

We are going to be spending the next few months exploring ways to help your company or enterprise begin to move towards its potential.

What has been missing in business, especially over the last decade, is a sense of loyalty on everyone’s part. That includes ownership, management, and employees.  There are three primary reasons why companies fail to succeed. They are:

·         Capital. Most start-up or emerging businesses are undercapitalized. They do not have essential financial resources to do what needs to be done.

·         Decision making. Decisions that you have made in the past and the ones that you are currently making, oftentimes lack the proper do-diligence and information gathering, which I found to be critical for good decision making.

·         Positive attitude. Truly envisioning what is doable and building a game plan, which incorporates all the activities and initiatives, is essential for  moving forward.

These are good starting points if you are struggling or failing to take your company to the next level. But what is especially critical is to have a consistent team effort by all involved, and work towards a common goal.  

I always find that almost everyone likes to be a part of the decision-making process, wants responsibility for their contribution to a project, and like to be recognized for it. This starts with a process called delegation. Employees with a sense of ownership and purpose can get done a surprising amount of work, especially if you build a trust among them.  You may be amazed to find out that there are many people in this business world that simply do things better than us.

If what you are currently doing is not working, I would highly encourage a change of direction.

P.S. I hope this blog meets your expectations.   

Integrity Selling - The Beginning

 

As I mentioned last week, the real key to professional selling is in the discovery process. What you do in the interview process can go a long way in determining if the services or products you represent can solve an existing problem. Building on this, your products or services may be able to add something that will allow the company to perform better than it is currently.

Always remember that it’s possible for everyone to win. By asking good questions, you are able to decide if you need to expand the interview process or realize that what you do and what they want are simply not a good fit.

Integrity selling is really okay. Okay for all involved to come out with a win-win proposition. If it makes good sense for you to solve an issue then in return the customer gets something that makes their business life easier and more productive.

Have some fun this week and see if you can help someone solve a problem that maybe they didn’t know they had.

System Selling: More on Conceptual Selling

      As I’ve mentioned in some my past sales tips: people are motivated to buy for 2 reasons pleasure (15%) and to relieve pain, discomfort (85%) or solve a problem.

      The profession of selling is very misunderstood. Most people think that it’s all about closing the sale. In actuality, people don’t want to be sold; they want to buy for their reasons and only their reasons. Selling is about exploring and discovering whether or not what you do or the product you represent can alleviate the issues that a prospective client is faced with. It’s less about actually selling and more about discovering the problem facing a prospect and determining if your product or service is a good match to alleviate their problem.

      Always remember that by creating a healthy buying environment you’re working in the best interest of your potential client, which will lead toward a win-win for all involved.

      If you follow this sales tip closely, you’re well on your way to a mutually beneficial partnership between you and your prospect.

System Selling: Theoretical vs. Conceptual Selling

There is a significant difference in the 2 major approaches to selling:

• Theoretical Selling: Can be otherwise referred to as a textbook approach to sales that has been around for many years. Theoretical selling has a tendency to lack a flexible point of view and usually fails to address the issues that the prospect is faced with. Further, it does not use the guidelines of effective interviewing. Many times this approach to selling fails to discover what the prospect is truly looking for. It’s easy to teach or learn but lacks the personal interface that comes with the conceptual approach to selling. 

• Conceptual Selling: Allows for constant flexibility. It’s all about discovering and having a constructive interface with a prospect so you can come to a conclusion of what they actually want. Conceptual sales begin with a comfortable conversation which is called interview selling.
• Interview Selling: Refers to the way a salesperson applies a flexible system of interviewing a prospect. The interview selling approach I use is a 70/30 rule where you should be listening 70% of the time and asking effective questions 30% of the time. Until you determine if the prospect has a need for what you’re selling never venture into the selling scenario. 

Why Salespeople Succeed or Fail

The first thought that comes to mind when discussing salespeople is that they are very people oriented and have an outgoing personality. 

Yes, it’s true that these traits are certainly important in the make up of a professional salesperson. However, it might surprise you when I say that these important qualities are far from being the real difference maker in why people succeed in the sales profession while others fail.

 Let’s add some additional elements and traits to this persona:

1. A natural confidence that comes with a person who is willing to do due diligence and truly learn about their profession.
2. A real desire to be the best in their respective field. It’s an attitude that separates the good from the very best.
3. A natural energy level that draws people to you. If it’s genuine it can be very contagious. People can tell when you’re really engaged in your profession.
4. Someone that has a genuine interest in solving other people’s problems. They take pride in creating a win-win for all involved.
5. Some of the finest salespeople are very much in touch with themselves and display a comfortable laidback personality. Just being yourself is really the key. 

          These traits and attitudes are essential elements in helping people to maximize their professionalism, character and sales.

System Selling – The Importance of a “Value Positioning Statement”

As a business advisor I’ve worked with a number of companies over the past 20 years. I’ve find out that one of the greatest challenges that businesses are faced with, is that many times business owners do not have a real good grasp of what they really do for a living and how it benefits others.

The development of a VPS is the real key in our ability to communicate with others about what our company does and how it may solve a prospect’s problem. 

Value positioning statements should be no more than 10-15 seconds in length. A well thought out VPS cannot be emphasized enough

When people ask you what you do for a living what’s your response?

• A value positioning statement starts with I’m in the business of…

• Example: For Levi Inc. the VPS is:

“I’m in the business of building and implementing sales and growth strategies for emerging businesses as well as improving and strengthening the top and bottom line to ensure that a company reaches their full potential”

• You’ll be constantly developing your VPS; it’s never perfect.

Your homework for the next month is to start to capture your Value Positioning Statement. 

System Selling: Networking

Networking is key in generating business opportunities and is an important strategy that, if laid out properly, will get you in front of a number of people in a reasonably short period of time.

While talking to people about networking I’m constantly stressing that it needs to be a 2 way street. I find that in today’s society people are more inclined to be a bit more self serving. If you want to receive referrals you should warm-up to the idea of giving them.

The key aspects of effective networking are:

o   Game Plan: requires researching potential business categories and specific groups

§  Research: you need to be able to gather information on your prospect in all aspects.

§  Objectives & Goals: having a strategy in place in which you can picture what your end result will look like.

·         Example: deciding how many contacts you would like to make at a certain event or over the next month through various means.

o   Perseverance: simply making sure you stick to your game plan.

o   Follow-up: is key because the lack of it seems to be the root cause of why people fail to attract a reliable pool of networked contacts.

Perfecting these key aspects allow you to be well connected in your field of business. The next step is tackling the various networking mediums that are in today’s marketplace. Some of these forms include:

o   Organized networking groups: attending one that meets on a regular basis

o   Business networking: can be in person + using email as a tool for communication.

o   Social media: technology driven, cost effective and requires regular maintenance

o   Trade associations: joining one that has a connection to your business

o   Trade shows

o   Forming core groups with complimentary businesses

§  Example: a realtor, a mortgage broker, a title agency, etc.

Keeping up with connections made through these forms is highly important when trying to build your networking base. Having a strong pool of contacts allows you to generate business for not only yourself but the other people you’re connected with. Making the situation a win-win for all parties involved. In essence, Networking is all about making connections, discovering possibilities, extending connections and developing relationships.

There will be a continuation of networking in next weeks blog update!

System of Selling: Information Gathering and Interviewing

When you first begin to analyze system selling it’s important to know that you need an organized approach in doing business. This starts with information gathering, which allows you to get to know your prospect without actually spending time with them.

Before meeting with a prospective client it’s important to do your due diligence in gathering information about the company and the individual that you’re interviewing.

The things you should do are:

1.    Check out their company’s website, when looking through the site take note of the company’s:

o   Mission Statement

o   Purpose

o   Product or Services

o   Players Involved

o   Business History

2.    Visit the prospect’s LinkedIn and Facebook profiles

o   This will give you a good idea of the experience and background of the individual

o   When looking through their profiles jot down some points of interest that you may share

3.    Doing this will provide you with a good foundation when going into the first meeting. It will be immediately apparent to the prospect that you as an interviewer have done your homework.

o   It’s important to note: just because you gather information on someone doesn’t mean you necessarily need to use it, it could be tucked away for future clarification or developing a better dialogue with the prospect.

4.    Through these information gathering concepts you should be able to gain insight into the company’s strengths as well as identifying weaknesses.

Being prepared before your meeting gives you added confidence, an objective perspective, as well as building a basis for good interviewing. The interview is all about discovering if you have a potential fit. At the end of the interview, both parties should be able to come to a conclusion regarding whether or not you should remain connected. Having good interviewing skills and the ability to gather information is essential in your pursuit of an effective selling system.

Be sure to leave a comment regarding any thoughts you have about this week's post or anything you would like us to cover in future blog posts.

System of Selling: Introduction/ Connecting With People

The introductory phase is really all about the importance of relationship building and connecting with people.

First things first, you need to find networking opportunities that will get you in front of the type of people that you would like to meet. This includes social media contacts as well as face-to-face contacts. As you’re building your network of contacts, there are going to be certain characteristics and traits you are going to look for.

Some things to look for:

·         People that have centers of influence. It’s really all about connecting with people and creating visibility for yourself. In a lot of cases, people don’t know that we exist.

·         Individuals that you would like to build a relationship with. It’s always nice to work with people that you readily identify with, ones you would like to stay in touch with and ones that offer a fresh perspective.

·         You want to develop relationships with people that compliment what you do. A complimentary business usually is one that is not competitive, but may work in the same arena. An example would be a business attorney that builds an alliance with a domestic attorney.

Some things you should remember:

·         You need a strong value positioning statement that will explain to people what you do in short order. An example is Levi Inc. is “in the business of building and implementing sales and growth strategies for emerging businesses”.  

·         Open up the lines of communication. This will ensure continuity and building trust.

·         Do the research and due diligence to determine if any opportunities exist. Keep your funnel of activity full, over time you will build a strong business network.

After all it’s all about building a network of people that you can rely on not only for references but friendship, trust and business.

Next week we’ll continue to add to your portfolio by discussing the essential systems of professional selling.

Do I need a System of Selling?

I had a client ask me this week: Do I need a system of selling? My answer was: No, you do not unless you want to be successful and do more business.

Let’s continue with a rather obvious observation:

Just because you’re in selling doesn’t make you a sales professional.

I’ve been in the sales arena for 40+ years and quite honestly there isn’t a week that goes by that I don’t learn a new or different way of looking at sales. To put it bluntly, you’re always going to be a work in progress. Learning is a life long process that makes our profession interesting, fun and rewarding.

Starting with this week’s sales tip and over the next month we’re beginning to develop a system of selling. When doing so it’s important to realize that there’s a hundred systems out there, all good and very much alike in a lot of respects.

My selling system, which is considered by to many to be non-traditional, will give you the following:

·         A sales track to run on

·         An insight into a game plan that will help you to identify where you’re at in the selling process

·         The ability to debrief each interview in order to identify what you did well as well as areas that need improvement

·         A way of developing a flexible process that puts logical steps in the process.

·         An interface with the prospect to quickly determine if you’re going to be able to move forward or if it’s in everyone’s best interest to disconnect

·         Directions that afford you and the prospect the opportunity to have a meaningful dialogue to determine if you have a potential fit

 Check back next week for more on sales systems

Do You Have An Effective Selling System?

Welcome to our first Wednesday blog update! This week’s topic will deal with why it’s important to have a system or concept for selling. Having a system affords you the ability to understand where you’re at in the sales process.

A few days ago a client asked me “why is it so hard for my salespeople to close?” I told him that the reality is that closing a sale is actually the easiest part of the process. I informed him that where his people are most likely failing was during the discovery process. The discovery process refers to the portion of the selling system where it’s crucial to effectively interview and ask the right questions of the prospective client. The discovery process allows us to understand the pain or challenges that the business is facing. It’s difficult to solve a problem if what you’re representing will not fix the issue.

After interviewing a prospect the salesperson should have discovered the challenges within the prospect’s business that they can readily solve. A sale occurs because a prospect realizes that the value of what you’re product or service represents is greater than the cost. If a solvable issue does not exist, it’s okay to move on, but do so in a way that leaves the door open for future business to take place, should a solvable issue arise. You don’t want to get into the chase, which occurs many times when the prospective client doesn’t want to tell the salesperson no.

Basically you should communicate to the client that what you’re selling is a win, win for all involved. By showing them an issue you can readily solve, you enhance the client’s business without letting it skip a beat. This will help to create loyalty with a client that will lead them to come to you first if they have an issue.

We all need a selling system that helps us identify a problem and work towards a solution. Communicating what you can do for them will make it so the prospective client will realize right away that you’re working towards a win, win solution.

Be sure to check out our weekly sales tips where I will be covering the system of selling in greater detail over the next month. You can sign up for that here.

Tracking Systems and Poor Attitude

Welcome back! After our week long hiatus I am glad to be back. During the past 3 weeks we have covered how to avoid failing at prospecting and why it’s important to keep the funnel full. Today we continue this trend by discussing tracking systems and why it’s key to keep an open mind when looking into new prospecting opportunities.

Insufficient tracking system

If you are tracking a perspective client, or an existing one, this information can be essential in establishing an updated historical review that the company or sales representative can draw from in creating communication initiatives for the present and future.  Tracking is also a key ingredient in getting a clear perspective of the activity and behavior of your sales people.  If a sales representative leaves your company, you still have a road map for an effective transition by having the necessary background information on your clients.  Act and Goldmine are the two most widely used software programs.  Through the use of this software, and through staying up to date with your client database, transitions between salespeople who enter or leave your workplace can have a semi-seamless transition.

Remember it is important to immediately contact prospects and clients to informing them of the transition because it is very possible that the salesperson may be going to work for the competition, that’s the reality of the sales profession.

Poor Prospecting Attitude

Webster defines attitude as a relatively stable and enduring predisposition to behave or react in a characteristic way.

I am constantly finding that sales people have a tendency to pre-judge prospecting opportunities.  I strongly believe that everyone brings something to the table; they may not fit the profile of someone you would directly do business with, but they very well may have a strong center of influence. They may have the ability to introduce you to people they know, that could be highly beneficial to your business if your product or service is a good fit.  So before we develop a predetermined attitude about an individual or situation, take the time to go through the discovery process and see what opportunities exist.

A lot of people, while doing sales training and working in the prospecting arena, raise the question of when is the proper time to ask for a referral.  To keep it simple you’ll find that referrals will come your way when you have a very satisfied client. This which could be at the time of completion of the job or sometime after they have had an opportunity to have a positive experience with your product or service.

NOTE: We will be switching to Wednesdays for the blog and sales tip of the week for the next few months.