What we drive speaks volumes about us. Sometimes it might not be what we think it is.
There was a mildly successful salesman whose territory was in the country calling on various types of manufacturing plants. After 10-15 years calling in this area, he took an opportunity for a partnership in another part of the U.S. The salesman who took his place found out that while customers respected the previous man's knowledge they didn't feel that he needed their business.
A gentleman with an HVAC business had an appointment to visit a friend to price out a new central air conditioning system. The job almost didn't happen for him.
A salesman for a very high grade tool company was barely successful. Some of his customers weren't sure of his capabilities despite being given good service.
In the first two cases, the customers felt that volumes were being spoken by the salesman's respective cars: "I Don't Need Your Business!" . The industrial salesman was driving a top of the line Mercedes and the HVAC guy was driving a Porsche. I don't know what the industrial salesman drives today but I know the HVAC man ONLY drives his service truck for any kind of job now. In the third case, the tool salesman was driving a 15 year old compact car that looked ready for the junkyard. Nothing about the car said "success".
What does your car say about you? Is the image that you want to project being sent AND received? Is your office on the road clean - inside and out? Are you able to transport a customer on a moment's notice without embarrassment? Are you driving a vehicle that suits your business?
Monday, October 19, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
The Genius !
One of the most amazing men of all time has to be Michelangelo along with that other guy, Da Vinci. Perhaps this was one of Michelangelo's PMA phrases he used to propell himself. It has been attributed to him.
"The greatest danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short but in setting our aim too low and ACHIEVING our mark."
"The greatest danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short but in setting our aim too low and ACHIEVING our mark."
Monday, October 12, 2009
Sell High !
Oops! Not THAT high!
One of the imperatives is to sell high, meaning as high up the ladder as you can get and to maintain pricing levels. However, that does not mean to price yourself so absurdly that it approaches usury.
As a manufacturer's rep for many years, I found that one particular product line my distributors sold generally went for about a 27 - 30% mark-up. Large orders ($10k ) went for less, usually. This was a multi-tiered distribution product that was discounted according to sales volume. Key distributors got a 30% better price than those distributors that purchased erratically.
One of my key distributors received an opportunity to place a bid for a very large quantity of product, about $22,000 at their cost. One other distributor, not a key account, also got the bid and of course their price was 30% higher. The non-key distributor got the order.
The sales manager of the key distributor called and asked who had authorized better pricing for the other distributor. Investigating, I found out that the other distributor had NOT gotten any better pricing. Reporting back to the sales manager, I asked how much his salesman had put into the quote. The sales manager shuffled some papers and advised "yep, our fault". I pressed for a more concise answer to which he muttered that "the greedy guy put 70% into it".
This was done by a seasoned salesman who knew better but thought that he had the order locked up. Instead what happened was his customer REMOVED him from the bid list believing that my key distributor was, uh, taking indecent liberties.
Know your products, competitors, customers and pricing levels. In today's marketplace, customers (ok, some) will pay more for the sheer "pleasure" of doing business with you. Others will pay more for a better product, service and knowledge. You've got to think really hard to be able to rationalize being twice (or in this case, more than twice) as high as your competitor. Just do the math quickly; Key distributor quoted $73,000 and the non-key distributor quoted just $34,500 , for the exact same product. The salesman probably wanted to put in 30% but most likely used the wrong equation. Somebody besides the customer should have caught this mistake.
Of course, I actually came out ahead because I got a better commission. C'est la vie!!
One of the imperatives is to sell high, meaning as high up the ladder as you can get and to maintain pricing levels. However, that does not mean to price yourself so absurdly that it approaches usury.
As a manufacturer's rep for many years, I found that one particular product line my distributors sold generally went for about a 27 - 30% mark-up. Large orders ($10k ) went for less, usually. This was a multi-tiered distribution product that was discounted according to sales volume. Key distributors got a 30% better price than those distributors that purchased erratically.
One of my key distributors received an opportunity to place a bid for a very large quantity of product, about $22,000 at their cost. One other distributor, not a key account, also got the bid and of course their price was 30% higher. The non-key distributor got the order.
The sales manager of the key distributor called and asked who had authorized better pricing for the other distributor. Investigating, I found out that the other distributor had NOT gotten any better pricing. Reporting back to the sales manager, I asked how much his salesman had put into the quote. The sales manager shuffled some papers and advised "yep, our fault". I pressed for a more concise answer to which he muttered that "the greedy guy put 70% into it".
This was done by a seasoned salesman who knew better but thought that he had the order locked up. Instead what happened was his customer REMOVED him from the bid list believing that my key distributor was, uh, taking indecent liberties.
Know your products, competitors, customers and pricing levels. In today's marketplace, customers (ok, some) will pay more for the sheer "pleasure" of doing business with you. Others will pay more for a better product, service and knowledge. You've got to think really hard to be able to rationalize being twice (or in this case, more than twice) as high as your competitor. Just do the math quickly; Key distributor quoted $73,000 and the non-key distributor quoted just $34,500 , for the exact same product. The salesman probably wanted to put in 30% but most likely used the wrong equation. Somebody besides the customer should have caught this mistake.
Of course, I actually came out ahead because I got a better commission. C'est la vie!!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
It's Time to Make Records
Have you ever seen real fear? The type of fear that requires full concentration but yet is wildly distracting? I have and it ain't pretty.
The same gentleman I wrote about in my last blog that had taught me several things not to do also taught me to do one thing well: Maintain Good Records. The lesson was purely by accident, of course.
The poor guy got a letter from the IRS simply asking to review his travel records including mileage and expenses. He had little to offer and had to recreate from call reports where he had been for his mileage, and call customers he thought he might have taken to lunch. He of course had his tax records but now he needed specifics about customers. Can you imagine THAT conversation; "Uh, Joe, do you remember going to lunch 11 months ago? Oh, I've never taken you? Must have been Jim, can you connect me to him?"
Keep good and complete records for yourself, your company and our governments!
By the way, he did get out alive but a thin man looked a little thinner by the time he was done.
The same gentleman I wrote about in my last blog that had taught me several things not to do also taught me to do one thing well: Maintain Good Records. The lesson was purely by accident, of course.
The poor guy got a letter from the IRS simply asking to review his travel records including mileage and expenses. He had little to offer and had to recreate from call reports where he had been for his mileage, and call customers he thought he might have taken to lunch. He of course had his tax records but now he needed specifics about customers. Can you imagine THAT conversation; "Uh, Joe, do you remember going to lunch 11 months ago? Oh, I've never taken you? Must have been Jim, can you connect me to him?"
Keep good and complete records for yourself, your company and our governments!
By the way, he did get out alive but a thin man looked a little thinner by the time he was done.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
The Bigger They Come . . .
Are you easily intimidated? Do you conjure images of failure before making an attempt?
There was a co-worker many years ago that I learned many things from. Almost all of them were things NOT to do. He was an old guy, probably 28 or 29 to my 23 and he had an awesome territory. Easy geography, no more than a 2 hour drive to get to an account and a list of accounts that were good steady C accounts thru good steady A accounts as well as some prime potentials.
As part of my training, I would frequently get to travel with a "senior" salesman for a day every once in a while. It was fun and educational to meet customers and find out what their business was and how we fit in.
"Prince Frederick" and I headed out for calls in the furthest part of his territory, in a town I'd never been to. Leaving one account, we headed down a quiet, country road rounded a curve and into view came the largest building I had ever seen! As we drove by the entrance gate I asked "Aren't we going in there?" Prince Frederick's reply was complex and he talked plenty about why he never went there. It all came down to lack of confidence in himself to make the call for an appointment or to just drive up and make a cold call.
Upon getting back to the office the next day it was discovered that our business amounted to a few thousand dollars a year. It bothered me that Prince wasn't making an effort and that the branch manager was letting him get away with it. A couple of years went by and a new sales manager took over and assigned a new salesman. His impact was immediate as he made the calls and dedicated himself to top to bottom selling. Opportunities came daily and sales grew rapidly. I wish I could say it was me but alas it wasn't. Sometimes with a little work these big accounts will fall nicely into place.
Are you rationalizing not visiting accounts? Are you a winner at mom & pop establishments but a whiner concerning accounts where there are more people to contact than you have in your family? Have you done your math and looked at the return on investment of time spent at the various accounts?
You have what it takes or you wouldn't have your job! Step up and back your own fears into the toilet where they belong.
There was a co-worker many years ago that I learned many things from. Almost all of them were things NOT to do. He was an old guy, probably 28 or 29 to my 23 and he had an awesome territory. Easy geography, no more than a 2 hour drive to get to an account and a list of accounts that were good steady C accounts thru good steady A accounts as well as some prime potentials.
As part of my training, I would frequently get to travel with a "senior" salesman for a day every once in a while. It was fun and educational to meet customers and find out what their business was and how we fit in.
"Prince Frederick" and I headed out for calls in the furthest part of his territory, in a town I'd never been to. Leaving one account, we headed down a quiet, country road rounded a curve and into view came the largest building I had ever seen! As we drove by the entrance gate I asked "Aren't we going in there?" Prince Frederick's reply was complex and he talked plenty about why he never went there. It all came down to lack of confidence in himself to make the call for an appointment or to just drive up and make a cold call.
Upon getting back to the office the next day it was discovered that our business amounted to a few thousand dollars a year. It bothered me that Prince wasn't making an effort and that the branch manager was letting him get away with it. A couple of years went by and a new sales manager took over and assigned a new salesman. His impact was immediate as he made the calls and dedicated himself to top to bottom selling. Opportunities came daily and sales grew rapidly. I wish I could say it was me but alas it wasn't. Sometimes with a little work these big accounts will fall nicely into place.
Are you rationalizing not visiting accounts? Are you a winner at mom & pop establishments but a whiner concerning accounts where there are more people to contact than you have in your family? Have you done your math and looked at the return on investment of time spent at the various accounts?
You have what it takes or you wouldn't have your job! Step up and back your own fears into the toilet where they belong.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Athletes of the Company
"The individual who is not spending a minimun of one hour a day developing sales skills is just kidding him or herself about how serious he or she is as a professional." Zig Ziglar
Professional athletes practice constantly for their time in the spotlight. Professional presenters (entertainers) practice constantly for their time in the spotlight.
How much time do you devote to perfecting your skill? Or are you making the same mistakes call after call, day after day, etc?
Professional athletes practice constantly for their time in the spotlight. Professional presenters (entertainers) practice constantly for their time in the spotlight.
How much time do you devote to perfecting your skill? Or are you making the same mistakes call after call, day after day, etc?
Monday, October 5, 2009
Prospecting
Last spring I was sitting in my library and happened to be staring out the window (where WAS my mind?) when a Cooper's Hawk landed on top of the large azalea bush right next to the window and dove in. There was a whole lot of shaking going on but I couldn't see into the bush. In a moment, the bird re-appeared and took off.
Knowing that there was a bird's nest with eggs in that bush started me thinking. Had the hawk been watching for a while or did he just get lucky and notice activity in and around the bush? The bush is obscured from open visability for about 250 degrees of the circle with walls 15 and 30 feet around it. Was it luck and the hawk just knew instinctively that it was the time of the year to be hunting? I checked the bush and sure enough, the eggs were gone.
When we are prospecting do we keep our eyes and ears open? Do we network? Ask for referrals? Ask for the NEXT order? Do you occasionally make an unscheduled cold call just to squeeze one more chance in for a good days' work? Are you well read and keep up with the comings and goings of clients and potential clients? Are you checking the sign-in sheet to see who else is visiting your customer?
Some businesses have a limited number of potential customers. I had an account that if they sold 2 pieces of equipment every five years, they were somewhat happy. Other business have infinite opportunities. Develop a plan for prospecting which includes expanding business in your current accounts and finding new ones. Then, of course, implement the plan.
Knowing that there was a bird's nest with eggs in that bush started me thinking. Had the hawk been watching for a while or did he just get lucky and notice activity in and around the bush? The bush is obscured from open visability for about 250 degrees of the circle with walls 15 and 30 feet around it. Was it luck and the hawk just knew instinctively that it was the time of the year to be hunting? I checked the bush and sure enough, the eggs were gone.
When we are prospecting do we keep our eyes and ears open? Do we network? Ask for referrals? Ask for the NEXT order? Do you occasionally make an unscheduled cold call just to squeeze one more chance in for a good days' work? Are you well read and keep up with the comings and goings of clients and potential clients? Are you checking the sign-in sheet to see who else is visiting your customer?
Some businesses have a limited number of potential customers. I had an account that if they sold 2 pieces of equipment every five years, they were somewhat happy. Other business have infinite opportunities. Develop a plan for prospecting which includes expanding business in your current accounts and finding new ones. Then, of course, implement the plan.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Energy
Newton's Law, Einstein, the Bunny and on and on.
Generally speaking, we all have energy to do what we want to do. The weekends at my house encompass many things, some of which I "don't" have energy for. However, every Sunday night for 20 years my level of energy grew by leaps and bounds around 5 p.m. From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m it was running and gunnin time with my buddies on the basketball court! It might have taken 4 hours for me to rake leaves but I was "full of it" as my wife said when it came time to play and spend two hours of perspiration and pleasure.
If you are truly interested in representing your company well and handling your customers your energy will flow. See the value of your company, product and yourself and some of the uninspired days will be up-lifted. Your natural energy will take over and provide the source of making every day a good day. Want to do a good job and you will have energy.
A long time ago I met a gentleman that was on the edge of being obnoxious with his energy and his product. What I thought was an inconsequential item, he took to the top of Mt. Everest. Customers proved him right and me wrong as it was a money and time saver for them. The gentleman's positive attitude was well-placed and it served him and his customers well.
Believe in your company,product and yourself and project that positive feeling into your day. You, your company and your customers will be better off for it.
Generally speaking, we all have energy to do what we want to do. The weekends at my house encompass many things, some of which I "don't" have energy for. However, every Sunday night for 20 years my level of energy grew by leaps and bounds around 5 p.m. From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m it was running and gunnin time with my buddies on the basketball court! It might have taken 4 hours for me to rake leaves but I was "full of it" as my wife said when it came time to play and spend two hours of perspiration and pleasure.
If you are truly interested in representing your company well and handling your customers your energy will flow. See the value of your company, product and yourself and some of the uninspired days will be up-lifted. Your natural energy will take over and provide the source of making every day a good day. Want to do a good job and you will have energy.
A long time ago I met a gentleman that was on the edge of being obnoxious with his energy and his product. What I thought was an inconsequential item, he took to the top of Mt. Everest. Customers proved him right and me wrong as it was a money and time saver for them. The gentleman's positive attitude was well-placed and it served him and his customers well.
Believe in your company,product and yourself and project that positive feeling into your day. You, your company and your customers will be better off for it.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Influential People
I'm really not sure why it has taken me so long to get to this topic as it is really important. One of our imperatives is to sell as high up the ladder as we can. However, we also need to know who influences the final decision maker. Wife, administrative assistant, engineer, lawyer etc. Even a competitor can be an influential person to your buyer.
When I was a neophyte, I would work with my boss who was a well respected care-taker of his customers and knew his business. He had bid on a job providing product that he routinely got. Doing his due diligence, he had called to follow-up the quote and found out that he most likely would not get this order.
Grabbing me and some of the product quoted, he exclaimed that "we" needed to go save the order! During the drive of 2 -3 miles to the production facility he explained the facts to me. I believe he was just rehearsing but, who knows. It seems that the price of the product would go higher if this order was lost and we were the closest supplier to this customer. Upon reaching the customer, Wiley - yes that was his name, proceeded to show our customer the price book. If we were unable to purchase in volume, we wouldn't be able to distribute to him at the price he was used to. The customer was interested in the lower price that had been offered and wanted to try a new supplier, "just because". Wiley admitted that he understood but was concerned because without our standard business, emergency orders (nights & weekends) would not be available as it would not profitable to stock it anymore. "Oh, and by the way, here we are with the product. Do you want it or shall we take it back?"
Order earned and purchaser influenced by a salesman. Imagine that!
One of the worst examples of someone not "getting it" as far as the importance of talking with influencers happened to me a few years ago.
I was selling engineered components to a company making high-speed packaging machinery. The customer (A-Z) had engineering in my territory and purchasing elsewhere. As the new design was heading towards culmination, A-Z wanted to audit our manufacturing facilities. The buyer, whom I'd spoken with on the phone, asked me to attend and said that 4 associates would be joining her. The night before the plant tour, my sales manager called and advised that I would not be needed. Suffice it to say that I argued but somehow managed to keep my cool (I think) until we had hung up! When I called the next afternoon to follow-up with my people about the level of success they had, I was stunned. Four company officers had met with the five customers but not one had gotten a single name, much less contact information!! When the sales manager, actually with a fancier title than that, asked me why it mattered, I knew that I had signed on with a company doomed for failure. That man could not see the importance of knowing who the influencers are despite my attempts to persuade. I should have sent him a list of books and high-lighted the appropriate page numbers for his education.
Cover your bases !! You may be talking with the final decision maker and as Wiley did, be able to influence the decision, but DO know who has (and how many have!) the decisions makers' ear and respect.
When I was a neophyte, I would work with my boss who was a well respected care-taker of his customers and knew his business. He had bid on a job providing product that he routinely got. Doing his due diligence, he had called to follow-up the quote and found out that he most likely would not get this order.
Grabbing me and some of the product quoted, he exclaimed that "we" needed to go save the order! During the drive of 2 -3 miles to the production facility he explained the facts to me. I believe he was just rehearsing but, who knows. It seems that the price of the product would go higher if this order was lost and we were the closest supplier to this customer. Upon reaching the customer, Wiley - yes that was his name, proceeded to show our customer the price book. If we were unable to purchase in volume, we wouldn't be able to distribute to him at the price he was used to. The customer was interested in the lower price that had been offered and wanted to try a new supplier, "just because". Wiley admitted that he understood but was concerned because without our standard business, emergency orders (nights & weekends) would not be available as it would not profitable to stock it anymore. "Oh, and by the way, here we are with the product. Do you want it or shall we take it back?"
Order earned and purchaser influenced by a salesman. Imagine that!
One of the worst examples of someone not "getting it" as far as the importance of talking with influencers happened to me a few years ago.
I was selling engineered components to a company making high-speed packaging machinery. The customer (A-Z) had engineering in my territory and purchasing elsewhere. As the new design was heading towards culmination, A-Z wanted to audit our manufacturing facilities. The buyer, whom I'd spoken with on the phone, asked me to attend and said that 4 associates would be joining her. The night before the plant tour, my sales manager called and advised that I would not be needed. Suffice it to say that I argued but somehow managed to keep my cool (I think) until we had hung up! When I called the next afternoon to follow-up with my people about the level of success they had, I was stunned. Four company officers had met with the five customers but not one had gotten a single name, much less contact information!! When the sales manager, actually with a fancier title than that, asked me why it mattered, I knew that I had signed on with a company doomed for failure. That man could not see the importance of knowing who the influencers are despite my attempts to persuade. I should have sent him a list of books and high-lighted the appropriate page numbers for his education.
Cover your bases !! You may be talking with the final decision maker and as Wiley did, be able to influence the decision, but DO know who has (and how many have!) the decisions makers' ear and respect.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Quote of the Day
"The world has the habit of making room for the man whose words and actions show that he knows where he is going."
Napolean Hill
What does this tell us?
Plan and execute then plan and execute again !
Napolean Hill
What does this tell us?
Plan and execute then plan and execute again !
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
And Your Position Is ?
Salesman !
Regardless of the title we are given (sometimes in lieu of something else!) we are in the business of selling. Account Executive, Territory Manager, Sales Engineer, etc, we still need to remember to not get lost in the marketing mumbo jumbo and that our job is to sell.
During a conversation a few years ago with a young district manager, he discribed his job in management terms - account manager, district manager and new client procurement specialist. Upon being asked if he managed others he answered that his clients all had to be managed to ensure success in the territory. At no time did he mention that he had a product to sell and I found out later that he was doing "OK" but not great in his job. We discussed selling and in particular the mindset required for the job . I tried to get him to acknowledge that managing and selling are not the same and do require different thought patterns. The young man had totally bought in to "management of accounts" as the proper way to sell to clients and I don't believe that he ever used the word "sell" during our discussions.
Acknowledge your job to yourself and others. Without us, the world ceases to revolve !
Regardless of the title we are given (sometimes in lieu of something else!) we are in the business of selling. Account Executive, Territory Manager, Sales Engineer, etc, we still need to remember to not get lost in the marketing mumbo jumbo and that our job is to sell.
During a conversation a few years ago with a young district manager, he discribed his job in management terms - account manager, district manager and new client procurement specialist. Upon being asked if he managed others he answered that his clients all had to be managed to ensure success in the territory. At no time did he mention that he had a product to sell and I found out later that he was doing "OK" but not great in his job. We discussed selling and in particular the mindset required for the job . I tried to get him to acknowledge that managing and selling are not the same and do require different thought patterns. The young man had totally bought in to "management of accounts" as the proper way to sell to clients and I don't believe that he ever used the word "sell" during our discussions.
Acknowledge your job to yourself and others. Without us, the world ceases to revolve !
Friday, August 21, 2009
Quote of the Day
First say to yourself what you would be and then do what you have to do !
Epictetus
The operative word here is an action word "DO" .
Epictetus
The operative word here is an action word "DO" .
Friday, August 7, 2009
Quote of the Day (week, month?)
The foolish and the dead alone never change their opinion.
James Lowell
James Lowell
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Qoute of the Day
"There is always a new RULE # 1" - Craig Souser
"If you don't like what's happenng, wait a minute" - Bruce Ashby
"If you don't like what's happenng, wait a minute" - Bruce Ashby
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Expansion of Business
Some sales people seem to have the gift of being clairvoyent. They see multi-dimensionally and can tie pieces of several puzzles together to make one beautiful picture.
I don't have the gift but by asking questions and listening I have been able to make up for not being clairvoyent. Be inquisitive. Practice asking the probing questions. One that I use sincerely is "Are there any plagues in your life right now? I've got a lot of contacts after 33 years in this business, maybe one of those could help if I can't." It is surprising the number of times the client will say that help is needed in another area.
A manufacturing plant in eastern Virginia was consulting with me on a new piece of equipment that would increase their own equipments' efficiency. The question was asked and another whole opportunity unveiled itself for a different item for a different piece of equipment. While I had given sales coverage for this item previously, enough tiime had passed and the new problem so new that neither the customer nor I had put the two together.
Keep your head up, eyes and ears open, ask questions and listen.
I don't have the gift but by asking questions and listening I have been able to make up for not being clairvoyent. Be inquisitive. Practice asking the probing questions. One that I use sincerely is "Are there any plagues in your life right now? I've got a lot of contacts after 33 years in this business, maybe one of those could help if I can't." It is surprising the number of times the client will say that help is needed in another area.
A manufacturing plant in eastern Virginia was consulting with me on a new piece of equipment that would increase their own equipments' efficiency. The question was asked and another whole opportunity unveiled itself for a different item for a different piece of equipment. While I had given sales coverage for this item previously, enough tiime had passed and the new problem so new that neither the customer nor I had put the two together.
Keep your head up, eyes and ears open, ask questions and listen.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Doing What Must Be Done !
Sunday afternoons are frequently my "honey-do" time slots. Depending on what honey is supposed to do, my energy level may run from having to lounge in the recliner to rest and watch a game to happily riding on my mower to trim the grass.
However, when 5:30 comes around, my energy level gets a huge boost and 15 minutes later, I'm out the door headed to my weekly basketball game. I play for two hours with my buddies and run like the wind. Which is to say some times I'm not moving, some times I'm blowing hard and some times I'm all over the place !
Isn't it funny how we all have the energy to do what we want to do?
The same thing applies to our sales efforts, doesn't it? When we go see our best customer, we're all pumped up and ready to go. If we are going to see an account that is a headache, many times the speedometer barely reaches the speed limit.
We need to practice the positive mental attitude that Napolean Hill spoke so eloquently about. Self-motivation. Grab your ear and pull. Find the positive and make it happen.
I had a friend that had an account that he hated. Tommy got little business or respect even though he was an honest salesman. I asked him why he would beat himself up and consistenly call on this account. It seems that he had broken it down to dollars and cents. If he got the business he was after, the return on investment would be close to $50/hour at that time. Of course the longer it took to get the business then the dollar value would drop. BUT, he massaged those numbers by adding dollar value to his product for inflation. He said he hated to think of an account only in terms of money but that was his only way to motivate himself.
What do you need to do to energize yourself to make that next call ?
However, when 5:30 comes around, my energy level gets a huge boost and 15 minutes later, I'm out the door headed to my weekly basketball game. I play for two hours with my buddies and run like the wind. Which is to say some times I'm not moving, some times I'm blowing hard and some times I'm all over the place !
Isn't it funny how we all have the energy to do what we want to do?
The same thing applies to our sales efforts, doesn't it? When we go see our best customer, we're all pumped up and ready to go. If we are going to see an account that is a headache, many times the speedometer barely reaches the speed limit.
We need to practice the positive mental attitude that Napolean Hill spoke so eloquently about. Self-motivation. Grab your ear and pull. Find the positive and make it happen.
I had a friend that had an account that he hated. Tommy got little business or respect even though he was an honest salesman. I asked him why he would beat himself up and consistenly call on this account. It seems that he had broken it down to dollars and cents. If he got the business he was after, the return on investment would be close to $50/hour at that time. Of course the longer it took to get the business then the dollar value would drop. BUT, he massaged those numbers by adding dollar value to his product for inflation. He said he hated to think of an account only in terms of money but that was his only way to motivate himself.
What do you need to do to energize yourself to make that next call ?
Friday, July 17, 2009
Quote of the Day
The first step in the acquisition of wisdom is silence, the second listening, the third memory, the fourth practice and the fifth teaching others.
Solomon Ibn Gabriol
Solomon Ibn Gabriol
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Fear of Phoning?
Recently while discussing a young man's business with him, he spoke about how hard it is to get on the phone and call people. Using the "fear of phoning" phrase, I pressed the importance of making appointments. Rather quickly, he corrected me; "I'm not afraid of phoning. It's just such a waste of time because nobody picks up the phone anymore."
In the past, and probably today too, we were afraid to call because we knew what the answer would be - "no", "too busy" etc. Add to that not being able to reach someone and "fear of phoning" takes on a whole new level.
This is an area where goal setting is advantageous. Decide on the number of phone calls to make each day. Set a minimum number of reaches you will accept. Have your thoughts together so that when you do reach someone you'll speak intelligently. Perhaps in the middle of your calls you should call a friendly customer so that your spirits will remain strong. Make the calls at odd times of the day - before 8 a.m., during lunch (not everybody goes out!), after 5 p.m. Leave concise messages and perhaps follow-up a message with a piece of snail-mail like a post card etc.
Don't hate the process. It is what it is and it needs to be accepted as part of business and move on. But this does underscore the fact that when you get the face to face meeting you must make a good impression, start a relationship and leave yourself in a position to be able to reach the client or get the call back.
What do YOU do to reach people? Let us know !
In the past, and probably today too, we were afraid to call because we knew what the answer would be - "no", "too busy" etc. Add to that not being able to reach someone and "fear of phoning" takes on a whole new level.
This is an area where goal setting is advantageous. Decide on the number of phone calls to make each day. Set a minimum number of reaches you will accept. Have your thoughts together so that when you do reach someone you'll speak intelligently. Perhaps in the middle of your calls you should call a friendly customer so that your spirits will remain strong. Make the calls at odd times of the day - before 8 a.m., during lunch (not everybody goes out!), after 5 p.m. Leave concise messages and perhaps follow-up a message with a piece of snail-mail like a post card etc.
Don't hate the process. It is what it is and it needs to be accepted as part of business and move on. But this does underscore the fact that when you get the face to face meeting you must make a good impression, start a relationship and leave yourself in a position to be able to reach the client or get the call back.
What do YOU do to reach people? Let us know !
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Service, Please?
I'm back from the beach where I enjoyed the finest weather I've seen at the Outer Banks ever. Got a little sun, floated a little in the kayak, enjoyed the ocean and ate at a restaurant or two.
The analogies between servers in a restaurant and sales people in the rest of the world can be pretty much non-stop. The server's ability to make money is contingent on first impressions, sincere greeting, quality of service, speed of service, ability to be gracious and on the product produced.
Take mental notes on the wait staff the next time you are in any type of restaurant. How would you do it differently? Is what the server does with you something that you can modify for your own use? Are they prompt? Is corrective action take quickly if needed? What kind of attitude is projected?
Do you offer the kind of service and product that is worthy of a large tip?
The analogies between servers in a restaurant and sales people in the rest of the world can be pretty much non-stop. The server's ability to make money is contingent on first impressions, sincere greeting, quality of service, speed of service, ability to be gracious and on the product produced.
Take mental notes on the wait staff the next time you are in any type of restaurant. How would you do it differently? Is what the server does with you something that you can modify for your own use? Are they prompt? Is corrective action take quickly if needed? What kind of attitude is projected?
Do you offer the kind of service and product that is worthy of a large tip?
Friday, July 3, 2009
Quote for the Day
"Learning to write is learning to think. You don't know anything clearly unless you can state it in writing." - S. I. Hayakawa
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
The Biggest Misconception
"The customer is always right".
Everytime I hear that, it makes me want to scream like Howard Dean. What people really mean, I hope, is "The customer is king"! The underlying psychology behind these two statements is as different as store-bought ice cream and homemade ice cream.
If the customer is king, you want to do anything you can to satisfy him so that you won't be sent to the dungeons or the guillotine. You want him to be happy to see you and to know that the time spent with you is golden.
If the customer is always right, you have nothing to sell and become an order-taker. If the customer says she wants to use Prudential for life insurance and you work for Northwestern, what do you do? Walk out? Of course not. Since she is the queen, you find a way to delicately convince her of the error of her ways and sell your policy.
Everytime I hear that, it makes me want to scream like Howard Dean. What people really mean, I hope, is "The customer is king"! The underlying psychology behind these two statements is as different as store-bought ice cream and homemade ice cream.
If the customer is king, you want to do anything you can to satisfy him so that you won't be sent to the dungeons or the guillotine. You want him to be happy to see you and to know that the time spent with you is golden.
If the customer is always right, you have nothing to sell and become an order-taker. If the customer says she wants to use Prudential for life insurance and you work for Northwestern, what do you do? Walk out? Of course not. Since she is the queen, you find a way to delicately convince her of the error of her ways and sell your policy.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Road Warrior
A few years ago, I was in a training session with a new salesman named Nick. He was a very intelligent young man who took copious notes and tried to implement everything that was taught. That ultimately got him fired but that is another story for another blog on another day!
Nick was a little immature and asked me how much I enjoyed life on the road - "you know; bars, booze and broads". I told him that A. "I'm a happily married man" and B. "I don't drink". But I did have some advice for him that might help him succeed.
Early to bed, early to rise will, besides the obvious, also get you to your appoinments on time with a relatively sharp mind. Eat healthy and drink water.
Allow time between calls so that you can maintain speeds that will let you keep your driver's license. I knew a guy that lost his license and had to be chauffeurred. That lasted about a month then he was gone.
Go see the movie with Glenn Close and Michael Douglas, "Fatal Attraction". If that doesn't scare you straight, I'm not sure what would.
Oh, sure I know what would scare you straight; AIDS.
Nick was a little immature and asked me how much I enjoyed life on the road - "you know; bars, booze and broads". I told him that A. "I'm a happily married man" and B. "I don't drink". But I did have some advice for him that might help him succeed.
Early to bed, early to rise will, besides the obvious, also get you to your appoinments on time with a relatively sharp mind. Eat healthy and drink water.
Allow time between calls so that you can maintain speeds that will let you keep your driver's license. I knew a guy that lost his license and had to be chauffeurred. That lasted about a month then he was gone.
Go see the movie with Glenn Close and Michael Douglas, "Fatal Attraction". If that doesn't scare you straight, I'm not sure what would.
Oh, sure I know what would scare you straight; AIDS.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Fair's Fair
The previous post about partnerships seems to point the finger at customers who lie and take advantage of salespeople. We all know that this IS a two way street.
Salespeople today must have the highest integrity and serve customers well. Without that trust, clients will be unwilling to give the business to you even if they have to pay a higher price. AND customers have a very good memory if they think they have been, uh, mishandled.
Perhaps the most common type of lie or simply being "misleading" is lying by omission. Frequently, there is all kinds of information that has no relevance and doesn't need to be discussed. However withholding information that is relevant that could cost you the sale can sink your career faster than a canoe with a 12" hole in the bottom. The other common type of lie from sales people is "yes we can" without knowing it to be true. When clients learn the truth . . .
Many sales trainers believe that "no" should be taken out of the dictionary. While I am a "yes" kind of guy, if I don't know, I ask for time to do the homework. It is much better to under promise and over deliver!!
I've been fortunate enough to have worked mostly with and for people of high integrity. I have also let the people I work with know that integrity is expected. By having high expectations of myself and others, rarely have I been let down. I hope that the same is true for you.
Salespeople today must have the highest integrity and serve customers well. Without that trust, clients will be unwilling to give the business to you even if they have to pay a higher price. AND customers have a very good memory if they think they have been, uh, mishandled.
Perhaps the most common type of lie or simply being "misleading" is lying by omission. Frequently, there is all kinds of information that has no relevance and doesn't need to be discussed. However withholding information that is relevant that could cost you the sale can sink your career faster than a canoe with a 12" hole in the bottom. The other common type of lie from sales people is "yes we can" without knowing it to be true. When clients learn the truth . . .
Many sales trainers believe that "no" should be taken out of the dictionary. While I am a "yes" kind of guy, if I don't know, I ask for time to do the homework. It is much better to under promise and over deliver!!
I've been fortunate enough to have worked mostly with and for people of high integrity. I have also let the people I work with know that integrity is expected. By having high expectations of myself and others, rarely have I been let down. I hope that the same is true for you.
Put it there, Partner !
The question is "Where is what put?" .
While talking with an old friend recently the subject of "partnerships" came up. Partnership is a term used for a "close relationship", an "alliance", a "synergy between the companies" etc. Every good salesman for thousands of years has worked towards close relationships with customers. Partnerships are built on mutual trust, shared goals and a desire to see both companies succeed.
HOWEVER, there are exceptions to every rule as my friend, Mr. Marks, pointed out. He said "frequently partnerships tend to be parasitic with the vendor as the host". Sometimes while working towards the common goal, a salesman (salesperson!) can find themselves on the super highway which is, by the way, one way. Once on it, it can be difficult perhaps even impossible to change direction.
Be aware that some customers / potential customers will obfuscate / lie to better themselves. They will talk about mutual success through the partnership but when push comes to shove, you'd better have your position very stable.
As a very young salesman, I got severely conned - "partnered" almost out of a job. A company that I had pursued came to me with wonderful promises and orders in hand. My product was purchased, used and never paid for - to the tune of $30,000, large $$ to me at the time. The only thing that saved me was the fact that the factories that I got the orders for as a representative didn't do any kind of financial check.
If a situation occurs that seems to good to be true - be skeptical, keep the eyes and ears open and the mouth shut until all the cards have been dropped. Partnerships are great but everybody has to be up front, honest, trustworthy, brave and true !
While talking with an old friend recently the subject of "partnerships" came up. Partnership is a term used for a "close relationship", an "alliance", a "synergy between the companies" etc. Every good salesman for thousands of years has worked towards close relationships with customers. Partnerships are built on mutual trust, shared goals and a desire to see both companies succeed.
HOWEVER, there are exceptions to every rule as my friend, Mr. Marks, pointed out. He said "frequently partnerships tend to be parasitic with the vendor as the host". Sometimes while working towards the common goal, a salesman (salesperson!) can find themselves on the super highway which is, by the way, one way. Once on it, it can be difficult perhaps even impossible to change direction.
Be aware that some customers / potential customers will obfuscate / lie to better themselves. They will talk about mutual success through the partnership but when push comes to shove, you'd better have your position very stable.
As a very young salesman, I got severely conned - "partnered" almost out of a job. A company that I had pursued came to me with wonderful promises and orders in hand. My product was purchased, used and never paid for - to the tune of $30,000, large $$ to me at the time. The only thing that saved me was the fact that the factories that I got the orders for as a representative didn't do any kind of financial check.
If a situation occurs that seems to good to be true - be skeptical, keep the eyes and ears open and the mouth shut until all the cards have been dropped. Partnerships are great but everybody has to be up front, honest, trustworthy, brave and true !
Friday, June 26, 2009
Self-Motivation
Motivation is a concept right up there with "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", "to each his own" etc. What moves one person may not get as much as a blink of an eye with the next.
A few years ago a sales contest was held to give a boost to a particular product group. Polling the sales guys revealed that most would be interested in a vacation trip for two. The grand prize ended up being a four night, five day stay in the Bahamas - company paid and no personal vacation time required to be used. It was wildly successful with exposure and sales for that product line more than tripling over the previous quarter. The winner didn't want the prize and only asked that he be able to take the 5 days as extended weekends over the course of the year. A quiet man, his only goal was to show that he was the best.
While many seminars on motivation seriously motivate some people, most attendees that I have talked with admit that the surge lasts only a few days. My question to them then is "Have you learned anything that you can use to motivate yourself when you need to achieve?" Most say they know what to do and they just have to make themselves do it. This is where goal setting blends with motivation - set a goal and take the steps to do it.
When I young in the sales game, I blazed away for a while and then I "blazed away" like a piece of charcoal. Still hot but the bright flame was hard to see. My manager, an "old" guy who at the time was younger than I am now called me to his office as he could see some of my frustrations.
After admitting that it was difficult getting "up" to see some accounts he put it very succintly - "Do your job and then some and you'll pick back up very quickly. If you don't do your job, it WILL very quickly become a real chore and you will fail". How right he was! If you at least do the job and a little bit more, the bad times will be in the past and you'll get moving again.
As Zig Ziglar says "the auto-university" is an excellent way to listen to motivational people and to learn. The big sellers are big for a reason; they speak well, they speak to you and they speak to success. Invest the money to listen to the best like Ziglar, Napolean Hill etc. I'll go through my audio library soon and will give you a list of some that I like.
My son makes fun of me for this but I like to listen to music that inspires me before I go into a big meeting. "1812 Overture", Theme from Superman, "Hall of the Mountain King", "Star Wars", "Impossible Dream" etc. Do what it takes if you require a little mental boost. Put a picture on your dashboard of the person you want to impress, read a great speech, listen to a motivational speaker or to music that wakens your soul. BUT BE SURE TO DO IT.
A few years ago a sales contest was held to give a boost to a particular product group. Polling the sales guys revealed that most would be interested in a vacation trip for two. The grand prize ended up being a four night, five day stay in the Bahamas - company paid and no personal vacation time required to be used. It was wildly successful with exposure and sales for that product line more than tripling over the previous quarter. The winner didn't want the prize and only asked that he be able to take the 5 days as extended weekends over the course of the year. A quiet man, his only goal was to show that he was the best.
While many seminars on motivation seriously motivate some people, most attendees that I have talked with admit that the surge lasts only a few days. My question to them then is "Have you learned anything that you can use to motivate yourself when you need to achieve?" Most say they know what to do and they just have to make themselves do it. This is where goal setting blends with motivation - set a goal and take the steps to do it.
When I young in the sales game, I blazed away for a while and then I "blazed away" like a piece of charcoal. Still hot but the bright flame was hard to see. My manager, an "old" guy who at the time was younger than I am now called me to his office as he could see some of my frustrations.
After admitting that it was difficult getting "up" to see some accounts he put it very succintly - "Do your job and then some and you'll pick back up very quickly. If you don't do your job, it WILL very quickly become a real chore and you will fail". How right he was! If you at least do the job and a little bit more, the bad times will be in the past and you'll get moving again.
As Zig Ziglar says "the auto-university" is an excellent way to listen to motivational people and to learn. The big sellers are big for a reason; they speak well, they speak to you and they speak to success. Invest the money to listen to the best like Ziglar, Napolean Hill etc. I'll go through my audio library soon and will give you a list of some that I like.
My son makes fun of me for this but I like to listen to music that inspires me before I go into a big meeting. "1812 Overture", Theme from Superman, "Hall of the Mountain King", "Star Wars", "Impossible Dream" etc. Do what it takes if you require a little mental boost. Put a picture on your dashboard of the person you want to impress, read a great speech, listen to a motivational speaker or to music that wakens your soul. BUT BE SURE TO DO IT.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Quote of the Day
"Remember that someone, somewhere is practicing and when you meet him, he will win."
Edward Macauley
Rehearsal time is needed for every profession that requires constant thought and action. Surgeons, athletes, lawyers, actors, financial advisors, dancers and sales people.
Be prepared. Use down time to review the sales process, to try to predict objections, to learn more about your customer.
Some of the highest paid professions in the world require constant fine-tuning. Why should we sales types just "wing it"?
Edward Macauley
Rehearsal time is needed for every profession that requires constant thought and action. Surgeons, athletes, lawyers, actors, financial advisors, dancers and sales people.
Be prepared. Use down time to review the sales process, to try to predict objections, to learn more about your customer.
Some of the highest paid professions in the world require constant fine-tuning. Why should we sales types just "wing it"?
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Imperative: Goals
There must be a reason why so many books, magazine articles, seminars and speeches are given about goal setting. What do you think it is? To make money? Maybe / probably but that isn't the main reason. It is important? BINGO ! So why don't more of us do it?
Not setting goals makes life so much easier. No pressure to meet expectations. No deadlines.
How about - NO SALES ! Sure some industries are easier to float with the current than others but is that going to help you, your customer, your co-workers or the company?
Some experts turn goal setting into an ordeal by giving you life advice on setting goals for everything. Some focus strictly on the money aspect - Two Million $$ a year at 43% profit, etc.
Most of us don't want to be decathletes but some of us are willing to work on what we understand to be weaknesses. Perhaps we do need to set a dollar goal or a goal for the number of phone calls required per day. Maybe it needs to be to see a new person each time you visit an established account or to invite a customer to lunch more frequently.
Goals need to make you stretch yourself, to be something positive, sustainable and trackable and to be realistic. In a college PE class, we had to set up a fitness schedule that we could implement once we became working adults. I failed it because "this is great if you want to go to the Olympics but not reasonable for the average person with a job and family".
Think about what needs to be accomplished, prioritize, plan and start to implement!
Not setting goals makes life so much easier. No pressure to meet expectations. No deadlines.
How about - NO SALES ! Sure some industries are easier to float with the current than others but is that going to help you, your customer, your co-workers or the company?
Some experts turn goal setting into an ordeal by giving you life advice on setting goals for everything. Some focus strictly on the money aspect - Two Million $$ a year at 43% profit, etc.
Most of us don't want to be decathletes but some of us are willing to work on what we understand to be weaknesses. Perhaps we do need to set a dollar goal or a goal for the number of phone calls required per day. Maybe it needs to be to see a new person each time you visit an established account or to invite a customer to lunch more frequently.
Goals need to make you stretch yourself, to be something positive, sustainable and trackable and to be realistic. In a college PE class, we had to set up a fitness schedule that we could implement once we became working adults. I failed it because "this is great if you want to go to the Olympics but not reasonable for the average person with a job and family".
Think about what needs to be accomplished, prioritize, plan and start to implement!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Thought for the Day (ok - evening!)
Be cognizant.
If someone steps back from you - there may be a reason.
If someone offers you a mint or piece of gum - take it!
They might be following the old rule - share and share alike
OR
They might not have the courage to say that your breath is
OUTRAGEOUS.
Bathe.
There was a co-worker once that rarely seemed to smell good and all hints were ignored.
Finally, the branch manager of the office called the guy in and suggested to him that if he
was going to do sweaty work at home before coming to the office then he needed to allow time for a shower. Thank goodness that helped; not everyday was great but the man improved.
Wear clean, neat clothes and if you serve in a humid part of the country or in an industry where you can get sweaty and dirty - at least keep a clean shirt handy to switch into before the next call. You cannot predict the future and can never know what opportunity may arise. Sure, Chris Gardner pulled it off (at least in the movie "Pursuit of Happyness" he did) but that is a card you probably shouldn't try to play.
If someone steps back from you - there may be a reason.
If someone offers you a mint or piece of gum - take it!
They might be following the old rule - share and share alike
OR
They might not have the courage to say that your breath is
OUTRAGEOUS.
Bathe.
There was a co-worker once that rarely seemed to smell good and all hints were ignored.
Finally, the branch manager of the office called the guy in and suggested to him that if he
was going to do sweaty work at home before coming to the office then he needed to allow time for a shower. Thank goodness that helped; not everyday was great but the man improved.
Wear clean, neat clothes and if you serve in a humid part of the country or in an industry where you can get sweaty and dirty - at least keep a clean shirt handy to switch into before the next call. You cannot predict the future and can never know what opportunity may arise. Sure, Chris Gardner pulled it off (at least in the movie "Pursuit of Happyness" he did) but that is a card you probably shouldn't try to play.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Imperative: FOLLOW-UP
Recently I had an opportunity to follow my own advice. After a very important phone call to sell myself, I provided follow-up in the form of a greeting card to express appreciation for the time given to me. Besides being basic good manners, it is an opportunity to promote your name / company one more time.
The high speed world is providing more and more instant communication, some of which is lost or deemed insignificant simply because of that volume. By using the post office as a follow-up resource, you can increase the chance to raise your visability. Virtually everybody will open a piece of mail that looks like a personal card.
Quality cards for business use are difficult to find. Basic "Thank You " cards are ok, especially with a hand-written note. http://www.successories.com/ has a wonderful variety of cards for business and I have used them for years but be prepared to spend a little money.
Follow-up. It is a selling imperative that should not be ignored but unfortunately, frequently is.
The high speed world is providing more and more instant communication, some of which is lost or deemed insignificant simply because of that volume. By using the post office as a follow-up resource, you can increase the chance to raise your visability. Virtually everybody will open a piece of mail that looks like a personal card.
Quality cards for business use are difficult to find. Basic "Thank You " cards are ok, especially with a hand-written note. http://www.successories.com/ has a wonderful variety of cards for business and I have used them for years but be prepared to spend a little money.
Follow-up. It is a selling imperative that should not be ignored but unfortunately, frequently is.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Shake On It !
Meeting someone for the first time requires so much of you to be sure that the first impression is a good one. So many things can go wrong; poor dress, bad breath, poor posture, bad handshake, etc.
Shaking someone's hand is an opportunity to convey a non-verbal, positive message. I liken it to holding a baby; infants want to feel secure thus a fretful baby frequently quiets down when held closely and firmly. When you shake someone's hand, do it with a firm grip and with sincerity. Don't crush the hand or fake how happy you are to meet a person.
The WORST thing you can do is offer a limp hand where the fingers are barely curved around the person's hand with little pressure, not curved at all applying no pressure or provide no hand to shake. The message that is instantly sent is "I don't really care about you". True or not that piece of information you send is probably not one that would ever be verbalized but would come out of your customer as "I don't know, there's just something about him I don't like."
When a new person enters the room, stand up, smile and shake hands. Even if it is someone that you know, do it. Do you think you won't be liked for standing up to greet someone? Of course not but if you don't stand, you might be adding to the "I don't know . . ." file.
Shaking someone's hand is an opportunity to convey a non-verbal, positive message. I liken it to holding a baby; infants want to feel secure thus a fretful baby frequently quiets down when held closely and firmly. When you shake someone's hand, do it with a firm grip and with sincerity. Don't crush the hand or fake how happy you are to meet a person.
The WORST thing you can do is offer a limp hand where the fingers are barely curved around the person's hand with little pressure, not curved at all applying no pressure or provide no hand to shake. The message that is instantly sent is "I don't really care about you". True or not that piece of information you send is probably not one that would ever be verbalized but would come out of your customer as "I don't know, there's just something about him I don't like."
When a new person enters the room, stand up, smile and shake hands. Even if it is someone that you know, do it. Do you think you won't be liked for standing up to greet someone? Of course not but if you don't stand, you might be adding to the "I don't know . . ." file.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Notes on a Previous Blog
Last Monday, June 9th, I had an entry about body language and that it is really hard to miss the message that a customer sends by looking at a clock or a watch.
A nurse practitioner called me to provide some input about the almost total lack of appreciation of her and her staff's time by pharmaceutical reps. It seems that most of the reps pop into this office unannounced and don't hesitate to stand in the hall, in the way until somebody on the staff signs a "call sheet" to prove that the offending salesperson has in fact had their body in the office of this particular practice. This practitioner said that those salespeople have been told that this form of "selling" is not appreciated and these pharm reps do not get many, if any, orders or prescriptions placed.
However, there are a few that call in advance and generally stop in before the day fills up with patients. One rep would frequently bring fruit parfaits for the whole office early in the morning and was very respectful of the medical offices' time.
This case study of what not to do allows once again for this to be said; It is imperative to build a relationship with your clients. Part of this requires respect for the client and the amount of time the client can afford to give. DON'T think that now is the time to tell everything you know out of fear that you'll never be seen again. Be succinct. Be factual. If the client wants to talk more, take all the time that is given and listen. By knowing what is important to the client, the next time you call for an appointment you'll be able to hit the hot buttons thus have time allotted to you.
A nurse practitioner called me to provide some input about the almost total lack of appreciation of her and her staff's time by pharmaceutical reps. It seems that most of the reps pop into this office unannounced and don't hesitate to stand in the hall, in the way until somebody on the staff signs a "call sheet" to prove that the offending salesperson has in fact had their body in the office of this particular practice. This practitioner said that those salespeople have been told that this form of "selling" is not appreciated and these pharm reps do not get many, if any, orders or prescriptions placed.
However, there are a few that call in advance and generally stop in before the day fills up with patients. One rep would frequently bring fruit parfaits for the whole office early in the morning and was very respectful of the medical offices' time.
This case study of what not to do allows once again for this to be said; It is imperative to build a relationship with your clients. Part of this requires respect for the client and the amount of time the client can afford to give. DON'T think that now is the time to tell everything you know out of fear that you'll never be seen again. Be succinct. Be factual. If the client wants to talk more, take all the time that is given and listen. By knowing what is important to the client, the next time you call for an appointment you'll be able to hit the hot buttons thus have time allotted to you.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Value is In the Heart of the Beholder
How do you negotiate?
From a position of knowledge?
A position of strength?
Is your product totally unique?
Is value offered?
Do you have alternatives ready?
Are you Listening well?
Are you Able to walk away?
Negotiating thru a good relationship?
From a position of knowledge?
A position of strength?
Is your product totally unique?
Is value offered?
Do you have alternatives ready?
Are you Listening well?
Are you Able to walk away?
Negotiating thru a good relationship?
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Good Book
check out Thinking for a Change by John Maxwell.
It has been several years since I read it but I just pulled it out to peruse again.
The chapter I most remember is "Master the Process of Intentional Thinking" with the key word being "Intentional". It's a good book that is well worth the time invested which is one of the Imperatives - ROI of Time.
It has been several years since I read it but I just pulled it out to peruse again.
The chapter I most remember is "Master the Process of Intentional Thinking" with the key word being "Intentional". It's a good book that is well worth the time invested which is one of the Imperatives - ROI of Time.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Truth and Consequences
This is such a basic topic that very little is written about it. Books, chapters are not dedicated to the importance of truth because we all believe in it. Right? Once in while you'll find a magazine article dedicated to truth and its application in selling but that is about it.
Unfortunately, many people believe that truth is in the eye of the beholder, that getting the job/order is the only truth that counts; "my truth is the paycheck!" Recently, a friend of mine was telling me about an argument that he had with his boss. My friends' company needed 8 weeks to produce a product and his boss wanted him to tell the customer 4 weeks. The discussion was essentially that the boss was afraid if 4 weeks was not quoted, they'd never get the job. The point my friend made was if they lied to get the order, they may never get another!
For some reason when it comes to a customer lying it suddenly becomes "shrewed negotiating". It's considered ok for a purchasing agent to request getting a shipment overnight knowing the product won't be needed for a week. Or to say that they are paying considerably less than they actually are. In one prime example of this, I had been trying to do business with a very large tire manufacturer but I'd lose every opportunity and each time I followed up, the same answer was given "your price was too high" . The next opportunity to quote was for a specific product that was distributed by my company and several competitors but by contract I had a "protected" territory and a pricing structure equivalent to everyone else in the USA. The price quoted to the tire company was 10% below my cost and the order was still lost. While talking with the purchasing agent I admitted what I had done and asked him what was going on, diplomatically of course! Somebody else had a better relationship with that PA, he was required to get three quotes and that was that. Lesson learned on my part - DEVELOP A BETTER RELATIONSHIP!
Or perhaps to try to trick the salesman into making a mistake. Several years ago a very large company started having problems with a product that I represented. The product had been installed for about 10 -15 years. When I investigated the situation, it was determined that production had been ramped up so much during that time that my product was being asked to perform twice as well as it had been designed to do. When I advised the customer this, the engineer said "Oh, we knew that. We just wanted to see what you'd say" . Which implied to me that a mistake on my part was being hoped for so that they wouldn't have to spend their money.
I am brutally honest, perhaps to a fault, with my customers and the companies that I represent. It has won me a lot of business because I'm trusted. It has greatly irritated people that I have sold for, from presidents down to folks producing products. Lying or misleading customers only leads to disasterous results down the road and some of the stories that I have heard from customers have confirmed that to me. Now, many times the customers will set themselves up for disappointment and will have very selective memories but being truthful and upfront will win in the long run. "Honesty is the best policy" and "do better unto others than you would have them do unto you."
Unfortunately, many people believe that truth is in the eye of the beholder, that getting the job/order is the only truth that counts; "my truth is the paycheck!" Recently, a friend of mine was telling me about an argument that he had with his boss. My friends' company needed 8 weeks to produce a product and his boss wanted him to tell the customer 4 weeks. The discussion was essentially that the boss was afraid if 4 weeks was not quoted, they'd never get the job. The point my friend made was if they lied to get the order, they may never get another!
For some reason when it comes to a customer lying it suddenly becomes "shrewed negotiating". It's considered ok for a purchasing agent to request getting a shipment overnight knowing the product won't be needed for a week. Or to say that they are paying considerably less than they actually are. In one prime example of this, I had been trying to do business with a very large tire manufacturer but I'd lose every opportunity and each time I followed up, the same answer was given "your price was too high" . The next opportunity to quote was for a specific product that was distributed by my company and several competitors but by contract I had a "protected" territory and a pricing structure equivalent to everyone else in the USA. The price quoted to the tire company was 10% below my cost and the order was still lost. While talking with the purchasing agent I admitted what I had done and asked him what was going on, diplomatically of course! Somebody else had a better relationship with that PA, he was required to get three quotes and that was that. Lesson learned on my part - DEVELOP A BETTER RELATIONSHIP!
Or perhaps to try to trick the salesman into making a mistake. Several years ago a very large company started having problems with a product that I represented. The product had been installed for about 10 -15 years. When I investigated the situation, it was determined that production had been ramped up so much during that time that my product was being asked to perform twice as well as it had been designed to do. When I advised the customer this, the engineer said "Oh, we knew that. We just wanted to see what you'd say" . Which implied to me that a mistake on my part was being hoped for so that they wouldn't have to spend their money.
I am brutally honest, perhaps to a fault, with my customers and the companies that I represent. It has won me a lot of business because I'm trusted. It has greatly irritated people that I have sold for, from presidents down to folks producing products. Lying or misleading customers only leads to disasterous results down the road and some of the stories that I have heard from customers have confirmed that to me. Now, many times the customers will set themselves up for disappointment and will have very selective memories but being truthful and upfront will win in the long run. "Honesty is the best policy" and "do better unto others than you would have them do unto you."
Monday, June 8, 2009
Oh My Gosh, Look at the Time !
There is a news commentator in the evening that periodically will have a body language expert on the show to interpret the body language of people in the news. While most of the time I agree with her assessments, frequently I would think that you really need to know or study this person to be sure what message is being sent by the body. Sure enough, one segment she said that - "I really don't know and haven't studied this person so I can't be sure but . . ."
As salespeople, we look for signs all the time. Is the buyer open? Is now the time to ask for the order? Is this the right person to talk to? etc. My contention is that we must be very careful doing this until several meetings have passed. Unless, of course, the body language is one of the universal signs that everybody does like glancing at the wristwatch or the clock on the wall. When that happens, either the customer wants to speak or you have over-stayed your welcome. In either case, stop talking, ask a pertinent question or invite yourself to leave.
As a psychology student, I had a professor who was a practicing psychologist. This guy was really into body language and even had his practice set up so that he could see the waiting room and the patient had to walk a long hallway also in his view, to get to him. He would make notes and then compare them after the session of questions with the patient. He claimed that he was right 90% of the time on his asssesment by body language but then again, professors always think they're right!
Do observe your customers closely and learn what some of their body language is saying. It may be the unspoken key to getting the business!
As salespeople, we look for signs all the time. Is the buyer open? Is now the time to ask for the order? Is this the right person to talk to? etc. My contention is that we must be very careful doing this until several meetings have passed. Unless, of course, the body language is one of the universal signs that everybody does like glancing at the wristwatch or the clock on the wall. When that happens, either the customer wants to speak or you have over-stayed your welcome. In either case, stop talking, ask a pertinent question or invite yourself to leave.
As a psychology student, I had a professor who was a practicing psychologist. This guy was really into body language and even had his practice set up so that he could see the waiting room and the patient had to walk a long hallway also in his view, to get to him. He would make notes and then compare them after the session of questions with the patient. He claimed that he was right 90% of the time on his asssesment by body language but then again, professors always think they're right!
Do observe your customers closely and learn what some of their body language is saying. It may be the unspoken key to getting the business!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Be Careful At Lunch
As a follow-up to yesterday's post there is one caveat. Mind your table manners!
Be aware of how you may be perceived as you eat. Do you hover over your food like a hawk after a kill? Does your hand go to your mouth with the speed of a packaging conveyor? Do you talk with food in your mouth? If you have a mustache or beard, are there particles clinging to you?
I have a friend that I have lots of meals with but I have to make sure I don't sit across from this person. After every meal, the nose cleaning process begins. Not just blowing the nose but using the napkin like a q-tip in each nostril right at the table. I don't know if there is a food allergy problem or what but it is pretty disgusting especially while people are still eating.
Pick up a book about etiquette. Ask your friends who are brave enought to tell you, "Do I have any habits, particularly at the table, that annoy you?". As you eat a meal ask yourself "Do I look like a cave dweller or a modern human being?". Even if you don't know the difference between a butter knife and a carving knife, practice looking good while you eat. Of course there is the other rule - eat the same way your guest eats!
Be aware of how you may be perceived as you eat. Do you hover over your food like a hawk after a kill? Does your hand go to your mouth with the speed of a packaging conveyor? Do you talk with food in your mouth? If you have a mustache or beard, are there particles clinging to you?
I have a friend that I have lots of meals with but I have to make sure I don't sit across from this person. After every meal, the nose cleaning process begins. Not just blowing the nose but using the napkin like a q-tip in each nostril right at the table. I don't know if there is a food allergy problem or what but it is pretty disgusting especially while people are still eating.
Pick up a book about etiquette. Ask your friends who are brave enought to tell you, "Do I have any habits, particularly at the table, that annoy you?". As you eat a meal ask yourself "Do I look like a cave dweller or a modern human being?". Even if you don't know the difference between a butter knife and a carving knife, practice looking good while you eat. Of course there is the other rule - eat the same way your guest eats!
Friday, June 5, 2009
A Good Book About ROI Time
Keith Ferrazzi wrote a good book and his best advice is the title - Never Eat Alone .
Every salesperson must use their time wisely and consider what constitutes the best return on their investment of time. Some road warriors have to use the lunch hour to travel from one town to the next. In between bites of grilled chicken sandwiches, using a voice activated recorder you can make notes, dictate e-mails or letters that you want to go out. I know that in the name of safety on the roads, you wouldn't be making cell phone calls to clients providing them with follow - up. Yeh, I know they are at lunch but you can always leave well thought out messages or provide follow-up information .
However, if you possibly can, have lunch with a client or potential client. Help yourself and your customer by developing a relationship with each other; building trust and familiarity. There are 5 - 10 hours a week that can be used for this purpose. Take the person out that you don't have a relationship with or just don't like. Expand your contacts at the account by offering to take your customer and their boss or someone of your customers' choice.
Many times breakfast is an excellent choice for dining with a client. You beat your competitors in the door that particular day, you can plant positive seeds about your company and product that will last most of day and your client probably hasn't encountered any issues yet so there are no walls to communication that had been built that day. Plus, it is almost always a less expensive meal !
It's usually pretty safe to let your client pick the place because they will pick someplace where they are comfortable and most of the time won't try to stick you with an unreasonable bill. If the place is TOO reasonable, don't hesitate to recommend an upgrade. Remember to ask questions (work related for the tax break oh and for the business!, personal for relationship building) and listen. All the world loves a good listener!
Don't be abusive to your company's policies and if your company doesn't pick up the tab, keep the receipts for your personal tax deductions.
Every salesperson must use their time wisely and consider what constitutes the best return on their investment of time. Some road warriors have to use the lunch hour to travel from one town to the next. In between bites of grilled chicken sandwiches, using a voice activated recorder you can make notes, dictate e-mails or letters that you want to go out. I know that in the name of safety on the roads, you wouldn't be making cell phone calls to clients providing them with follow - up. Yeh, I know they are at lunch but you can always leave well thought out messages or provide follow-up information .
However, if you possibly can, have lunch with a client or potential client. Help yourself and your customer by developing a relationship with each other; building trust and familiarity. There are 5 - 10 hours a week that can be used for this purpose. Take the person out that you don't have a relationship with or just don't like. Expand your contacts at the account by offering to take your customer and their boss or someone of your customers' choice.
Many times breakfast is an excellent choice for dining with a client. You beat your competitors in the door that particular day, you can plant positive seeds about your company and product that will last most of day and your client probably hasn't encountered any issues yet so there are no walls to communication that had been built that day. Plus, it is almost always a less expensive meal !
It's usually pretty safe to let your client pick the place because they will pick someplace where they are comfortable and most of the time won't try to stick you with an unreasonable bill. If the place is TOO reasonable, don't hesitate to recommend an upgrade. Remember to ask questions (work related for the tax break oh and for the business!, personal for relationship building) and listen. All the world loves a good listener!
Don't be abusive to your company's policies and if your company doesn't pick up the tab, keep the receipts for your personal tax deductions.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Malloy said to "Dress for Success"
In the late '70s, John Malloy wrote an excellent book called Dress for Success. Many of the suggestions in the book still apply to certain industries. However, dressing for success has changed and I'm not sure for the better. Some sales people take the whole casual business dress to the extreme; wearing tennis shoes, no socks, shirts that aren't clean, skirts that are too short etc.
I had an opportunity to make some joint calls with a regional manager for one of the largest corporations in the world and they had a fairly strict dress code; suits and solid shirts with ties.
Unfortunately, we were going to make calls to and in coal mines. I advised that in this particular case, the mining companies wanted to see someone who could get dirty and jeans, older shirt, boots and no tie were recommended. He didn't even flinch - "can't do it".
We traveled to 3 mines and in each case we weren't allowed out of the office of the safety engineer even though there was equipment to inspect. I was dressed appropriately but that didn't help and had to come back the next week to do the work.
Another time a national VP of sales was with me, in the sunny south during the middle of July. We both had coats and ties and were on our way to the last call of the day. The VP asked if we could lose the coats and I advised that this next call was with a good friend and would be no problem. Wrong call !! We were chewed out for being unprofessional. I found out later that my friend made examples of us because he had just chewed out one of his guys for not dressing well and wanted to be sure the message go through.
Regardless of your industry, dress well and cleanly. No little stains (that just beg to be stared at), no little rips etc. How you look says a lot about you, your attention to detail or sloppiness. Remember, all the professional literature says that you are judged by people within the first 2 - 3 seconds of being seen.
I had an opportunity to make some joint calls with a regional manager for one of the largest corporations in the world and they had a fairly strict dress code; suits and solid shirts with ties.
Unfortunately, we were going to make calls to and in coal mines. I advised that in this particular case, the mining companies wanted to see someone who could get dirty and jeans, older shirt, boots and no tie were recommended. He didn't even flinch - "can't do it".
We traveled to 3 mines and in each case we weren't allowed out of the office of the safety engineer even though there was equipment to inspect. I was dressed appropriately but that didn't help and had to come back the next week to do the work.
Another time a national VP of sales was with me, in the sunny south during the middle of July. We both had coats and ties and were on our way to the last call of the day. The VP asked if we could lose the coats and I advised that this next call was with a good friend and would be no problem. Wrong call !! We were chewed out for being unprofessional. I found out later that my friend made examples of us because he had just chewed out one of his guys for not dressing well and wanted to be sure the message go through.
Regardless of your industry, dress well and cleanly. No little stains (that just beg to be stared at), no little rips etc. How you look says a lot about you, your attention to detail or sloppiness. Remember, all the professional literature says that you are judged by people within the first 2 - 3 seconds of being seen.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Follow the News
Following the news is so important on so many levels. Following it through several sources is something that I would strongly recommend.
Almost thirty years ago I had developed a very nice account in the hills of Wild and Wonderful West Virginia and knew the owner right on down to the guys and gals who kept the plant running and making money. Most of my calls were made on the plant manager or the maintenance superintendent.
Early on a Tuesday morning, upon reaching the plant I went to the reception area only to find the desk empty. In a few moments the receptionist came back and asked who I needed to see. When I asked for the maintenance manager she advised that he wasn't in, neither was the plant manager and neither was the owner. She looked at me and said "Didn't you hear that the corporate plane went down? They were all in it." To this day I have no clue if I said anything intelligent.
May your prayers include the passengers and families of those on Air France Flight 447.
Almost thirty years ago I had developed a very nice account in the hills of Wild and Wonderful West Virginia and knew the owner right on down to the guys and gals who kept the plant running and making money. Most of my calls were made on the plant manager or the maintenance superintendent.
Early on a Tuesday morning, upon reaching the plant I went to the reception area only to find the desk empty. In a few moments the receptionist came back and asked who I needed to see. When I asked for the maintenance manager she advised that he wasn't in, neither was the plant manager and neither was the owner. She looked at me and said "Didn't you hear that the corporate plane went down? They were all in it." To this day I have no clue if I said anything intelligent.
May your prayers include the passengers and families of those on Air France Flight 447.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
$$$$$
While doing research on the net about the average cost of a sales call, I could find no consensus. Some industries are probably in the $600 to $700 range but those would be the very high tech, big dollar industries. Perhaps $350 to $450 is more of a median.
Regardless, it is not cheap and some business requires multiple calls. Considering this, why do so many salespeople wait until the end of the sales process to talk about price? I learned this the hard way. Helping a manufacturing plant in their considerations to move from mechanical devices to electronic, I spent several face to face calls discussing the pros and cons and crawling around equipment to make sure I had considered all aspects of the change over.
This plant had 70 pieces of equipment to retro-fit; it would be a nice order. During one of the last calls to put the finishing touches on the project, the chief engineer asked what all this would cost him. Being the clever salesman that I thought I was I said that it wouldn't cost him anything as he would re-coup his expenses very quickly in improved manufacturing and less down time. The outlay would be about $4,000 per machine.
He was stunned and said that their budget was only $150,000! Had I asked about the budget up front, the whole process could have been handled differently. Different equipment might have been able to be used. How much of my time, the customer's time, and design engineer's time had I wasted? All for want of asking the right question at the right time.
Be bold! Ask early, very early in the process if the purchase is definite, probable, just being considered, money alloted, how much, this quarter, next quarter etc. Remember that ROI on time is an imperative.
Regardless, it is not cheap and some business requires multiple calls. Considering this, why do so many salespeople wait until the end of the sales process to talk about price? I learned this the hard way. Helping a manufacturing plant in their considerations to move from mechanical devices to electronic, I spent several face to face calls discussing the pros and cons and crawling around equipment to make sure I had considered all aspects of the change over.
This plant had 70 pieces of equipment to retro-fit; it would be a nice order. During one of the last calls to put the finishing touches on the project, the chief engineer asked what all this would cost him. Being the clever salesman that I thought I was I said that it wouldn't cost him anything as he would re-coup his expenses very quickly in improved manufacturing and less down time. The outlay would be about $4,000 per machine.
He was stunned and said that their budget was only $150,000! Had I asked about the budget up front, the whole process could have been handled differently. Different equipment might have been able to be used. How much of my time, the customer's time, and design engineer's time had I wasted? All for want of asking the right question at the right time.
Be bold! Ask early, very early in the process if the purchase is definite, probable, just being considered, money alloted, how much, this quarter, next quarter etc. Remember that ROI on time is an imperative.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Quote for the Day
"It is how you play the game that determines if you win or lose." Gil Minor
Years ago I worked with a small distributorship that only had three salespeople and maybe four office / warehouse people. This was an industry that was male dominated; engineers and mechanics, while NASCAR, hunting/fishing, football etc were the topics of the day.
The number 1 saleperson at this account was (probably is) a lady. No, she was not a tall, willowy blonde but a very plain, short and round person. Her strengths were product knowledge and efficiency. Her products were industrial tools, machine tools and top of the line customer service. Though relatively young in the industry, she could talk about cutting speeds, lubricants, torque and all the types of accessories needed in the machine shop industry.
In the days before cell phones, she constantly stopped at hotels (they're quieter) and used the pay phones in the lobby to call for P&D or technical information. She'd then call the customer right back and would always ASK FOR THE ORDER. She was really successful.
Your phone is probably in your pocket, on your hip or on your ear. How quickly do you handle customer requests? Do you always ask for the order? Even if the customer says "no rush", you should react as if there is because frequently the first in the door will win the war.
How does this tie in to the quote? The world is full of beautiful people, genious people, social people but all of that is for naught if you don't do what needs to be done to win the game.
Years ago I worked with a small distributorship that only had three salespeople and maybe four office / warehouse people. This was an industry that was male dominated; engineers and mechanics, while NASCAR, hunting/fishing, football etc were the topics of the day.
The number 1 saleperson at this account was (probably is) a lady. No, she was not a tall, willowy blonde but a very plain, short and round person. Her strengths were product knowledge and efficiency. Her products were industrial tools, machine tools and top of the line customer service. Though relatively young in the industry, she could talk about cutting speeds, lubricants, torque and all the types of accessories needed in the machine shop industry.
In the days before cell phones, she constantly stopped at hotels (they're quieter) and used the pay phones in the lobby to call for P&D or technical information. She'd then call the customer right back and would always ASK FOR THE ORDER. She was really successful.
Your phone is probably in your pocket, on your hip or on your ear. How quickly do you handle customer requests? Do you always ask for the order? Even if the customer says "no rush", you should react as if there is because frequently the first in the door will win the war.
How does this tie in to the quote? The world is full of beautiful people, genious people, social people but all of that is for naught if you don't do what needs to be done to win the game.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
The Imperatives
RELATIONSHIP: perhaps more important today than ever
TIME MANAGEMENT / GOALS: what is your ROI on time and goals reached?
PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE: Customers have less time today for people without knowledge
LISTEN: Ask more questions, listen better so you can understand nuanced conversations
FOLLOW-UP: Grow your business through better communication in all stages
WORK ETHIC: Work Smart, Work Hard, Practice to make yourself better
TIME MANAGEMENT / GOALS: what is your ROI on time and goals reached?
PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE: Customers have less time today for people without knowledge
LISTEN: Ask more questions, listen better so you can understand nuanced conversations
FOLLOW-UP: Grow your business through better communication in all stages
WORK ETHIC: Work Smart, Work Hard, Practice to make yourself better
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Imperative: Listen !
For some reason, many of us think the way to a sale is to talk, ask a question or two and talk again. This unfortunately is the road to ruin.
People are interested in what they think and want to be able to pass what they think on to whomever will listen. Have you ever been upset because someone wanted to listen to you talk? Take advantage of this by asking your customer intelligent, pertinent questions then listen to the responses and don't let your mind wander about. Focus. Ask questions that will help build your relationship, ask questions to find out about the budget for the project, ask questions about specifics of what the customer needs and listen. When a question is asked of you be sure you have it in context before you answer. Or ask another question. "I'm not sure I understand . What is it exactly that you want?"
My son manages a very small commercial bakery and makes 3 varities of one product with various packaging available. When his customer asks for a case of cheesestraws, he must ask
degree of heat (mild, regular and hot) and if the case is 3 oz bags, 6 oz. bags, 8 oz boxes or 10 oz tins. During the learning process many follow-up phone calls are made for clarification.
Listening for a living is what we do. Do it well and -
Remember the old cliche about two ears and one mouth!
People are interested in what they think and want to be able to pass what they think on to whomever will listen. Have you ever been upset because someone wanted to listen to you talk? Take advantage of this by asking your customer intelligent, pertinent questions then listen to the responses and don't let your mind wander about. Focus. Ask questions that will help build your relationship, ask questions to find out about the budget for the project, ask questions about specifics of what the customer needs and listen. When a question is asked of you be sure you have it in context before you answer. Or ask another question. "I'm not sure I understand . What is it exactly that you want?"
My son manages a very small commercial bakery and makes 3 varities of one product with various packaging available. When his customer asks for a case of cheesestraws, he must ask
degree of heat (mild, regular and hot) and if the case is 3 oz bags, 6 oz. bags, 8 oz boxes or 10 oz tins. During the learning process many follow-up phone calls are made for clarification.
Listening for a living is what we do. Do it well and -
Remember the old cliche about two ears and one mouth!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Making Enough $$$$ for the Time Spent?
Some industries and customers rely on the "milk run" approach to selling. This is when a salesperson is at the same account on a given, repetative schedule. Unfortunately, this can lead to a territory not getting enough analysis because the salesperson reasons that his customers don't want any deviation. He can't "afford" to anger anybody by not being where he is "supposed to be".
James was a milk run kinda guy. He had been in his territory for 25 years and by his reckoning "knew everybody worth knowing" . The first day that we worked together, I had the printout, for you younger folks that was the predecessor of the laptop spread-sheet.
The first call of the day was to one of his "key accounts". First call every Monday. We stayed about an hour and James said that was pretty normal. Looking at the print-out I did some basic math quickly in my head and asked if he knew how much he was making at XYZ. When I advised that he was making a little more than $4 each call, he was amazed and said there was a mistake. Doing the math with him showed him the light. That was not the kind of money our company wanted him to make and he agreed that he didn't either. The next account we went to had much better potential but his sales there were poor and thus he didn't put in much effort. He agreed to stop at the first company once a month and increase the time and effort at the other, which paid off for him and the company.
Have you done your math? How much do you need to sell each year, month, week, day, hour and per sales call to reach your goal?
James was a milk run kinda guy. He had been in his territory for 25 years and by his reckoning "knew everybody worth knowing" . The first day that we worked together, I had the printout, for you younger folks that was the predecessor of the laptop spread-sheet.
The first call of the day was to one of his "key accounts". First call every Monday. We stayed about an hour and James said that was pretty normal. Looking at the print-out I did some basic math quickly in my head and asked if he knew how much he was making at XYZ. When I advised that he was making a little more than $4 each call, he was amazed and said there was a mistake. Doing the math with him showed him the light. That was not the kind of money our company wanted him to make and he agreed that he didn't either. The next account we went to had much better potential but his sales there were poor and thus he didn't put in much effort. He agreed to stop at the first company once a month and increase the time and effort at the other, which paid off for him and the company.
Have you done your math? How much do you need to sell each year, month, week, day, hour and per sales call to reach your goal?
Quote to Implement
"The art of memory is the art of attention" - Samuel Johnson
To add to that, perhaps the art of attention is actually caring.
Maybe an extreme analogy would be this; your dog or cat is sacked out in the house and you call for it with no results. However, when opening the source of food for your pet, it shows up almost instantaneously. It doesn't care about you (probably the cat) but does care for its' food.
We humans are much the same; if we care we remember. I know people who can recite whole movies or songs verbatim but can hardly remember 7 or 8 features and benefits of what they are selling. Or can tell you the starting line-ups for every NFL team but don't know the key players at each of their customers.
The sales profession is about taking care of your family, your co-workers and your customers and therefore should be on your priority list of things to care about.
To add to that, perhaps the art of attention is actually caring.
Maybe an extreme analogy would be this; your dog or cat is sacked out in the house and you call for it with no results. However, when opening the source of food for your pet, it shows up almost instantaneously. It doesn't care about you (probably the cat) but does care for its' food.
We humans are much the same; if we care we remember. I know people who can recite whole movies or songs verbatim but can hardly remember 7 or 8 features and benefits of what they are selling. Or can tell you the starting line-ups for every NFL team but don't know the key players at each of their customers.
The sales profession is about taking care of your family, your co-workers and your customers and therefore should be on your priority list of things to care about.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Follow-up Sucess Story
A winning story about follow-up;
Back in the mid-nineties I was selling to a billion dollar corporation that had 300+ branches around the country. This company had every possible item in its' cart to sell but frequently was not well respected by customers or competitors. Lack of product knowledge bothered the customers and selling on price bothered the competitors.
I happened to be in a district managers' office towards the end of their fiscal year. He was extremely pleased because his territory had increased their sales significantly. Upon asking what the secret was for his teams' success he admitted it was almost all follow-up. It seems the previous year they only followed up on about 25% of their quotations. The hit rate was the industry standard of 20ish % . However, during that current year a new policy was instituted that all quotes over X$ would be followed up. The success rate moved to a phenominal 38% !
Follow-up is a winning habit. Do it in all points of the sales cycle not just after a quote is issued. But make a concentrated effort to follow up anything that has the $ sign.
Back in the mid-nineties I was selling to a billion dollar corporation that had 300+ branches around the country. This company had every possible item in its' cart to sell but frequently was not well respected by customers or competitors. Lack of product knowledge bothered the customers and selling on price bothered the competitors.
I happened to be in a district managers' office towards the end of their fiscal year. He was extremely pleased because his territory had increased their sales significantly. Upon asking what the secret was for his teams' success he admitted it was almost all follow-up. It seems the previous year they only followed up on about 25% of their quotations. The hit rate was the industry standard of 20ish % . However, during that current year a new policy was instituted that all quotes over X$ would be followed up. The success rate moved to a phenominal 38% !
Follow-up is a winning habit. Do it in all points of the sales cycle not just after a quote is issued. But make a concentrated effort to follow up anything that has the $ sign.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
the badger approach
Having a good relationship with your customer and asking questions (intelligent questions and yes, I DO believe there is such a thing as a dumb question and so do you!) will help you be flexible.
A few years ago, a young lady I know wanted a set of steak knives being given away by a vacuum cleaner company. She agreed to the appointed time and said "I only want the knives". The salesman shows up and goes into his pitch without asking anything or paying attention to her house, which is very clean. He proceeds, without asking, to dump the proverbial small pile of sand on her light colored carpet. Knowing my friend, this probably started an immediate freak-out. To show the power of the vacuum, it took multiple passes to get most of it up which of course meant that he would never get the sale. If he had asked first, she'd have taken him to another room for his demonstration. Part of his sales process also was to stay in the house, conjuring up all sorts of sales talk for about 2 hours and handling of objections. Her husband finally came home from work, presented his business card (an attorney) and told the guy to get out. Do you think that salesman and company will EVER have something good said about it by this lady? Yet there are companies out there who practice this everyday - once you get face to face, stay there until you get the order.
Persistence is good. Insistence is perhaps ok but badgering harms everybody.
A few years ago, a young lady I know wanted a set of steak knives being given away by a vacuum cleaner company. She agreed to the appointed time and said "I only want the knives". The salesman shows up and goes into his pitch without asking anything or paying attention to her house, which is very clean. He proceeds, without asking, to dump the proverbial small pile of sand on her light colored carpet. Knowing my friend, this probably started an immediate freak-out. To show the power of the vacuum, it took multiple passes to get most of it up which of course meant that he would never get the sale. If he had asked first, she'd have taken him to another room for his demonstration. Part of his sales process also was to stay in the house, conjuring up all sorts of sales talk for about 2 hours and handling of objections. Her husband finally came home from work, presented his business card (an attorney) and told the guy to get out. Do you think that salesman and company will EVER have something good said about it by this lady? Yet there are companies out there who practice this everyday - once you get face to face, stay there until you get the order.
Persistence is good. Insistence is perhaps ok but badgering harms everybody.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
ROI of Time
Think of all the famous quotations about time, all the cliches and all of the time that we have lost as well as all of the time we've got coming. There must be a reason so many people have said so much and thought so much about TIME !
I had a friend, whom we'll call Bill, that was a salesman for one of my customers. Very energetic and friendly, Bill did a good job. His company decided to put more emphasis on my product and joint calls were arranged with the various sales people, with Bill first in line.
The calls were to be in a territory 2 hours away so I suggested that we meet at a fast food restaurant about 6:15 so we could get in a full day. He advised that the sales manager required all sales people to check in at the office each morning at 8. "Ok, we'll just have to tell the wives dinner will be late" but again I was advised that check in at the office was due at 4:30!
We spent more time driving than selling that day. The next day I called the sales manager and managed to keep the conversation somewhat polite; "if you think you have hired children that need to be herded about - fire them. Free up your people to work!" He was so paranoid about people not putting in their 8 hours that he didn't allow the others to start early with me, either. He had to lay eyes on them twice a day.
As a salesperson or manager, you have to put the best effort in and base it upon the best times to see your accounts. For some industries it is best to see people before their day actually starts, others want to do lunch and people knocking on doors of homes have to do it at night or weekends. Dulles Airport wanted me there at 11 p.m. for a project . Do what has to be done to serve your customer and in the long run, what will serve your company and yourself.
I had a friend, whom we'll call Bill, that was a salesman for one of my customers. Very energetic and friendly, Bill did a good job. His company decided to put more emphasis on my product and joint calls were arranged with the various sales people, with Bill first in line.
The calls were to be in a territory 2 hours away so I suggested that we meet at a fast food restaurant about 6:15 so we could get in a full day. He advised that the sales manager required all sales people to check in at the office each morning at 8. "Ok, we'll just have to tell the wives dinner will be late" but again I was advised that check in at the office was due at 4:30!
We spent more time driving than selling that day. The next day I called the sales manager and managed to keep the conversation somewhat polite; "if you think you have hired children that need to be herded about - fire them. Free up your people to work!" He was so paranoid about people not putting in their 8 hours that he didn't allow the others to start early with me, either. He had to lay eyes on them twice a day.
As a salesperson or manager, you have to put the best effort in and base it upon the best times to see your accounts. For some industries it is best to see people before their day actually starts, others want to do lunch and people knocking on doors of homes have to do it at night or weekends. Dulles Airport wanted me there at 11 p.m. for a project . Do what has to be done to serve your customer and in the long run, what will serve your company and yourself.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Leave the door open !
Always leave yourself in a position so that you can come again.
Several years ago I was planning on spending a day working with a salesman and asked that a particular account be scheduled as it held a lot of potential. The salesman advised that he had been told he was no longer allowed on the premises. It seems that he (and competitors too) had been told that certain departments were off limits beginning a certain date and he had been caught twice talking with people in those departments.
Upon calling the plant manager to introduce myself as the new sales manager, he confirmed that the story was true. My salesman would make an appointment with one person then spend the day wandering around talking with others. Thus the plant manager instituted the new policy. We agreed to an appointment time and included the salesman in the meeting. During the meeting, the plant manager set a new policy for the salesman; meet your appointment in the lobby, no going into the office area or production area. Darn close to a death sentence.
This arrangement was tried for several months with sales plummeting each month. By switching up accounts, we put a new man on the account with no restrictions and sales slowly began to build again.
We sales types like to push the envelope but we must know when to back-off. Once the door is shut, it is really difficult to get back in.
Several years ago I was planning on spending a day working with a salesman and asked that a particular account be scheduled as it held a lot of potential. The salesman advised that he had been told he was no longer allowed on the premises. It seems that he (and competitors too) had been told that certain departments were off limits beginning a certain date and he had been caught twice talking with people in those departments.
Upon calling the plant manager to introduce myself as the new sales manager, he confirmed that the story was true. My salesman would make an appointment with one person then spend the day wandering around talking with others. Thus the plant manager instituted the new policy. We agreed to an appointment time and included the salesman in the meeting. During the meeting, the plant manager set a new policy for the salesman; meet your appointment in the lobby, no going into the office area or production area. Darn close to a death sentence.
This arrangement was tried for several months with sales plummeting each month. By switching up accounts, we put a new man on the account with no restrictions and sales slowly began to build again.
We sales types like to push the envelope but we must know when to back-off. Once the door is shut, it is really difficult to get back in.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Competition Quote
If you are not going to compete, then I'll dominate you.
Michael Jordan
This man practiced every day. Do you?
Michael Jordan
This man practiced every day. Do you?
Imperative - Follow-up
Last night at church, some friends and I were talking about life in general when one of them mentioned having had some landscaping done. He was impressed with the work done AND that the salesman followed-up after the job was finished. We then spent at least, oh, 30 seconds talking about how rare that is at anytime in the sales process these days.
A few years ago the decision was made to purchase a new vehicle for business use. Since I was a road warrior, each car lot that I passed within a three hour drive of my home became a stop for me. At each dealership, the salesman was given my business card and told that within three weeks a purchase would be made. Twenty-seven dealerships were visited. I had to find a salesman at 12 of them to talk to AND only one (1!) bothered to follow-up. He did get my business.
This sad story is true in many professions but for some reason, it really seems to be a part of the automotive sales process but I'm not sure why. Customers want to know that you "love" them and appreciate them. It is imperative to follow up.
A few years ago the decision was made to purchase a new vehicle for business use. Since I was a road warrior, each car lot that I passed within a three hour drive of my home became a stop for me. At each dealership, the salesman was given my business card and told that within three weeks a purchase would be made. Twenty-seven dealerships were visited. I had to find a salesman at 12 of them to talk to AND only one (1!) bothered to follow-up. He did get my business.
This sad story is true in many professions but for some reason, it really seems to be a part of the automotive sales process but I'm not sure why. Customers want to know that you "love" them and appreciate them. It is imperative to follow up.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Thought for the Day
Do you practice "Parkinson's Law"?
Let's hope not! That law states that "work expands to fill the time". As salespeople, we should be looking at our ROI of time. Parkinson's Law is detrimental to sales success !
Let's hope not! That law states that "work expands to fill the time". As salespeople, we should be looking at our ROI of time. Parkinson's Law is detrimental to sales success !
Monday, May 18, 2009
Sell High !
This is a statement that has two meanings and many sales people, particularly new ones, have a problem with both meanings; Sell High.
The first and perhaps most important is the need to sell as high up the ladder as you can. Relationships at accounts need to be fully developed on as many levels as possible so why not start with the president of your new potential? If the president doesn't want to meet with you, in all probability you will at least get a referral. Then you'll be able to say to that person, "the president suggested that we meet". If the CEO does meet with you, use the time wisely and make sure that the meeting is worthwhile for both of you. And do ask who else you may need to work with.
If you start the selling process in the lower echelons, when you do need to move up, those people may feel left out or think that you are going behind their back and you'll possibly create a detractor.
The other SELL HIGH is about price. Anybody can lowball a price. Sell well and prove to your customer that the price you are asking is worth it. AND a 10% discount is a 25% profit loss! How do you get that back?
Develop relationships as high as you can in the corporation and don't roll around in the gutters with your pricing. In fact, in some businesses there may be times when it will be better to lose an order than to win it at a low ball price. Plan your strategy and anticipate objections. Better yet, sell well so that objections never happen!
The first and perhaps most important is the need to sell as high up the ladder as you can. Relationships at accounts need to be fully developed on as many levels as possible so why not start with the president of your new potential? If the president doesn't want to meet with you, in all probability you will at least get a referral. Then you'll be able to say to that person, "the president suggested that we meet". If the CEO does meet with you, use the time wisely and make sure that the meeting is worthwhile for both of you. And do ask who else you may need to work with.
If you start the selling process in the lower echelons, when you do need to move up, those people may feel left out or think that you are going behind their back and you'll possibly create a detractor.
The other SELL HIGH is about price. Anybody can lowball a price. Sell well and prove to your customer that the price you are asking is worth it. AND a 10% discount is a 25% profit loss! How do you get that back?
Develop relationships as high as you can in the corporation and don't roll around in the gutters with your pricing. In fact, in some businesses there may be times when it will be better to lose an order than to win it at a low ball price. Plan your strategy and anticipate objections. Better yet, sell well so that objections never happen!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Quote of the Day
"He who cannot change the very fabric of his thought will never be able to change reality and will never, therefore, make any progress."
Anwar Sadat
Anwar Sadat
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Food For Thought
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."
Calvin Coolidge
Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."
Calvin Coolidge
Monday, May 11, 2009
Quote Worth Reading
"You want to see a miracle, son? BE THE MIRACLE"
God (Morgan Freeman) in the movie Bruce Almighty
God (Morgan Freeman) in the movie Bruce Almighty
Sunday, May 10, 2009
The Danger of Empathy
Hats off and on your feet to honor the person who got us started!
Happy Mother's Day !
While shopping with my son to find a gift for the lady of the house, we observed a lesson about communication during a selling situation. My wife wanted a camera so we went hunting for the best we could get within our budget. We were not the first in the store and had a couple of people in front of us. The first customer finished up, the clerk asked the 2nd customer what he could do for him and the customer said, "yeh, dude, hook me up with a big discount. The camera I want is expensive". At which point the sales clerk cleverly said, "yeh, man, I know what you mean but that's the price".
Of all the things the clerk could have said he should not have chosen a statement reinforcing that the camera was expensive. Generally, if something is expensive there is a reason for it and THAT is what should have been reinforced. Instead, he was empathetic with the customer and the customer walked out without the camera and without knowing why he should pay more for that particular camera.
When I was in a management position and hiring salespeople, I designed a short test about selling in general and included a few questions that addressed customer empathy. These questions were put in such a way to find out the potential salesperson's personal comfort level for spending money, their mindframe about presenting high-priced items and other things. I'd allow 90 seconds for a 15 question test. Those people whose comfort level for personal spending was $500 and below almost always exhibited that they would EXPRESS their empathy with the customer on pricing. Justified or not. Those comfortable with $500 to $1500 were empathetic but were more reluctant to express it. Those comfortable with $5000 and up generally thought "ante-up and let's move on!"
I did it with a co-worker in the late '90s. I had joined a new company and was working with an experienced guy developing a quote for an electronic controls system and parts. At one point, Ron gave me a price of 13 95, which while writing it down, I said 13 dollars and 95 cents. He laughed and said "No, $1395.00" My comment was the truly professional "holy moly, you're kidding me!" Thank goodness that was to a co-worker and I was able to maintain my composure while talking with the customer!
If you have pricing empathy, you may be susceptible to offering discounts, paying for shipping or worse yet, being understanding when the customer says he meeds to buy somewhere else. Be careful to not reinforce price objections to yourself or the customer. Do your homework and practice your responses
Happy Mother's Day !
While shopping with my son to find a gift for the lady of the house, we observed a lesson about communication during a selling situation. My wife wanted a camera so we went hunting for the best we could get within our budget. We were not the first in the store and had a couple of people in front of us. The first customer finished up, the clerk asked the 2nd customer what he could do for him and the customer said, "yeh, dude, hook me up with a big discount. The camera I want is expensive". At which point the sales clerk cleverly said, "yeh, man, I know what you mean but that's the price".
Of all the things the clerk could have said he should not have chosen a statement reinforcing that the camera was expensive. Generally, if something is expensive there is a reason for it and THAT is what should have been reinforced. Instead, he was empathetic with the customer and the customer walked out without the camera and without knowing why he should pay more for that particular camera.
When I was in a management position and hiring salespeople, I designed a short test about selling in general and included a few questions that addressed customer empathy. These questions were put in such a way to find out the potential salesperson's personal comfort level for spending money, their mindframe about presenting high-priced items and other things. I'd allow 90 seconds for a 15 question test. Those people whose comfort level for personal spending was $500 and below almost always exhibited that they would EXPRESS their empathy with the customer on pricing. Justified or not. Those comfortable with $500 to $1500 were empathetic but were more reluctant to express it. Those comfortable with $5000 and up generally thought "ante-up and let's move on!"
I did it with a co-worker in the late '90s. I had joined a new company and was working with an experienced guy developing a quote for an electronic controls system and parts. At one point, Ron gave me a price of 13 95, which while writing it down, I said 13 dollars and 95 cents. He laughed and said "No, $1395.00" My comment was the truly professional "holy moly, you're kidding me!" Thank goodness that was to a co-worker and I was able to maintain my composure while talking with the customer!
If you have pricing empathy, you may be susceptible to offering discounts, paying for shipping or worse yet, being understanding when the customer says he meeds to buy somewhere else. Be careful to not reinforce price objections to yourself or the customer. Do your homework and practice your responses
Friday, May 8, 2009
Magic Phrases
Twice in the past 3 years I have been in sessions with trainers who had "magic phrases".
One was a woman who had gotten a copyright on a phrase "guaranteed" to close sales. The phrase included words of empathy and words of thought hoping to appeal to both sides of the brain; emotion and rationality. While the group of us being trained were polite, we were very skeptical. However, several of us did try it with no success.
More recently, I talked with a man who trains people in phone sales. During our discussion I expressed concern about modern technology; texting, tweeting(?) and voice mail. He exclaimed that he could train me to make the calls at the right time of day and either get the person I wanted or the right message so that I would get a call back. After I apologized for laughing at him, I realized that his major business is collections and his messages would probably include some type of threat to make people call.
However, other than trainers, I've never met a salesperson (particularly making cold calls) who had a "magic phrase". I know that for some successful salespeople "golf", "lunch", etc help with reaching a current customer and getting call backs. For the rest of us, if you have a magic phrase that you are willing to share - please do!!
One was a woman who had gotten a copyright on a phrase "guaranteed" to close sales. The phrase included words of empathy and words of thought hoping to appeal to both sides of the brain; emotion and rationality. While the group of us being trained were polite, we were very skeptical. However, several of us did try it with no success.
More recently, I talked with a man who trains people in phone sales. During our discussion I expressed concern about modern technology; texting, tweeting(?) and voice mail. He exclaimed that he could train me to make the calls at the right time of day and either get the person I wanted or the right message so that I would get a call back. After I apologized for laughing at him, I realized that his major business is collections and his messages would probably include some type of threat to make people call.
However, other than trainers, I've never met a salesperson (particularly making cold calls) who had a "magic phrase". I know that for some successful salespeople "golf", "lunch", etc help with reaching a current customer and getting call backs. For the rest of us, if you have a magic phrase that you are willing to share - please do!!
Imperative - Follow-up
Following-up on quotes AND business received should be as natural to a salesperson as eating. However, as in real life, following-up and eating can be very selective and that can be detrimental to your health if not done correctly.
Recently, I was exploring marketing ideas for www.BEDSFORKIDS.us and asked a young salesperson, working for a new company, for a quote. It took four days, the salesperson didn't call with the quote or ever bother to follow-up even though I see this person on a regular basis. This salesperson's competitor had a similar P&D but was interested enough to call me with the quote, follow-up with today's version of a hard copy (e-mail) and then called again to see where things stand. Umm, I wonder who wins this one? Don't assume that the pretty girl that is always around loves you. Until you ask, you don't know!
Timely, effective follow-up must be done.
There are two more stories that I'll share soon about follow-up; one is a nightmare example and the other shows the effectiveness of follow-up.
Recently, I was exploring marketing ideas for www.BEDSFORKIDS.us and asked a young salesperson, working for a new company, for a quote. It took four days, the salesperson didn't call with the quote or ever bother to follow-up even though I see this person on a regular basis. This salesperson's competitor had a similar P&D but was interested enough to call me with the quote, follow-up with today's version of a hard copy (e-mail) and then called again to see where things stand. Umm, I wonder who wins this one? Don't assume that the pretty girl that is always around loves you. Until you ask, you don't know!
Timely, effective follow-up must be done.
There are two more stories that I'll share soon about follow-up; one is a nightmare example and the other shows the effectiveness of follow-up.
The Work Ethic Required
Please read the comment from KAJ2729 attached to Imperative +1 . Work ethic is definitely required to be successful and, what is the famous quote, if you fail to plan then you are planning to fail !
Thanks for the input, KAJ!
Thanks for the input, KAJ!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
The Imperatives +1
SELL FROM THE TOP DOWN; We sales professionals need to sell as high up the ladder as possible. These selling IMPERATIVES will be posted on a regular basis hopefully we will all get involved in discussing them and their merits.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
The Imperatives
With today's multiple modes of communication most of which do not include face to face, I believe the following to be Selling Imperatives:
1. Relationship; your face to face time is being curtailed. It is imperative to make the most of your personal meetings, every time.
2. Follow -up; in a timely manner. Most salespeople are very poor at this important aspect of selling.
3. Listen ; Ask questions and then ZIP IT !
4. Product Knowledge; Surveys show that most customers don't think we know enough.
5. Time Management / Goals; ROI on time spent. Are you making enough money per sales call? Are your goals well thought out and constantly changing?
Many more aspects of course but I consider these to be common weak areas across our profession.
1. Relationship; your face to face time is being curtailed. It is imperative to make the most of your personal meetings, every time.
2. Follow -up; in a timely manner. Most salespeople are very poor at this important aspect of selling.
3. Listen ; Ask questions and then ZIP IT !
4. Product Knowledge; Surveys show that most customers don't think we know enough.
5. Time Management / Goals; ROI on time spent. Are you making enough money per sales call? Are your goals well thought out and constantly changing?
Many more aspects of course but I consider these to be common weak areas across our profession.
Great Book
There are several tons of books that have been written about sales and marketing. One of the best is Selling the Invisible by Harry Beckwith. It doesn't get "flowery" about selling and is an easy read, which with my simple mind is a great help! There are many topics but each is only a few paragraphs long. Just enough to get you thinking and get yourself going.
Great Website!
Dr. Marshall Goldsmith has a wonderful website full of free information / articles about selling and management. Oddly enough it is www.marshallgoldsmithlibrary.com ! I strongly suggest that you consider visiting his site and bookmarking it for future reference.
Initial Thoughts
The art of selling is a very important science and every company needs to pay attention to the process. There is a plethora of information available that the novice and senior salesman should review on a regular basis. Over the course of this blog's life we'll discuss them.
We salespeople are the athletes of the corporation! We must be able to plan ahead and then be able to react to our customers' needs and the (sometimes) ever changing requests of management or our back-up team. Does Tiger, LeBron, Peyton, Phelps or any professional athlete come out on game day without preparation? For some reason, MOST sales people think they have enough background to be able to just wing it that they will be great at crunch time. "oh, I see these guys all the time", " I know what they need".
This will NOT be a rah-rah, sis boom bah motivational site. I'm one that believes the best motivation comes from our own lives and dwells deep within us. We have to tap it ourselves. IE : breast cancer - I always donated but since my sister was hit with it, I'm much more motivated to serve in different ways.
REMEMBER: Listen for a living and sell well or not at all !
We salespeople are the athletes of the corporation! We must be able to plan ahead and then be able to react to our customers' needs and the (sometimes) ever changing requests of management or our back-up team. Does Tiger, LeBron, Peyton, Phelps or any professional athlete come out on game day without preparation? For some reason, MOST sales people think they have enough background to be able to just wing it that they will be great at crunch time. "oh, I see these guys all the time", " I know what they need".
This will NOT be a rah-rah, sis boom bah motivational site. I'm one that believes the best motivation comes from our own lives and dwells deep within us. We have to tap it ourselves. IE : breast cancer - I always donated but since my sister was hit with it, I'm much more motivated to serve in different ways.
REMEMBER: Listen for a living and sell well or not at all !
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