You have problems. I have problems. We all have problems.
The Best Problems
There are a lot of problems we face that can be collectively solved if we focus on one or two problems.
Become a Problem Solver
OK, no fooling, if you solve problems for others you will be compensated. The compensation is usually money. Money is often the solution to many of our personal problems and can make many of yours go away.
How it Works
There are things that you know about, can do or deliverables that others will give you money for. Once you determine who needs your product or service, you can contact them and explain to them how they will be better off for dealing with you. If you both agree to work together and after this fair exchange of value occurs, both of you will be better off. You have solved a problem and your client gave you money. You use the money to solve problems of your own.
Become a Professional Problem Solver
Solving other people’s problems is what selling is really about.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Basic Sales Truths Work in Real Life
I flew to Iowa last Thursday
I spent a long week-end in the Quad cities.
I went to see my daughter and her family. Her husband was transferred last year. He was told to move or lose his job. Nice. They have three beautiful children that I haven’t seen in months. Boy 9, girl 7, girl 4. They are precious cargo and I am greatly blessed for the chance to spend quality time with them.
No Surprises
We had a happy and loving reunion. The kids have grown and had a lot to show and tell me.
Until...
As we settled down for the evening it was me and the three children on the big couch hugging and watching television. I was in a good place to be. That is until they put the “Veggie Tales” in the DVD player.
If you aren’t familiar with “Veggie Tales, The Dance of the Cucumber”, it is an animate movie about a Larry the Cucumber and Bob the Tomato who sing and play with other vegetables. Not my idea of how to spend an evening.
I had to make a quick decision. Should I watch the singing vegetables and have my grand kids hug my neck for two hours or leave and watch the History Channel in the other room. The decision was not even close. Hugs and vegetables won, hands down.
The Lesson
This is a sales classic. According to Zig Ziglar, “You can get anything you want if you give others what they want”. I wanted hugs and kisses and paid a very small price to get a big return. They wanted hugs and kisses and the Veggie Tales. That was a win-win. It is a great example of the truth we face daily as professional salespeople.
Thanks to Larry and Bob
I spent a long week-end in the Quad cities.
I went to see my daughter and her family. Her husband was transferred last year. He was told to move or lose his job. Nice. They have three beautiful children that I haven’t seen in months. Boy 9, girl 7, girl 4. They are precious cargo and I am greatly blessed for the chance to spend quality time with them.
No Surprises
We had a happy and loving reunion. The kids have grown and had a lot to show and tell me.
Until...
As we settled down for the evening it was me and the three children on the big couch hugging and watching television. I was in a good place to be. That is until they put the “Veggie Tales” in the DVD player.
If you aren’t familiar with “Veggie Tales, The Dance of the Cucumber”, it is an animate movie about a Larry the Cucumber and Bob the Tomato who sing and play with other vegetables. Not my idea of how to spend an evening.
I had to make a quick decision. Should I watch the singing vegetables and have my grand kids hug my neck for two hours or leave and watch the History Channel in the other room. The decision was not even close. Hugs and vegetables won, hands down.
The Lesson
This is a sales classic. According to Zig Ziglar, “You can get anything you want if you give others what they want”. I wanted hugs and kisses and paid a very small price to get a big return. They wanted hugs and kisses and the Veggie Tales. That was a win-win. It is a great example of the truth we face daily as professional salespeople.
Thanks to Larry and Bob
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Passion for Selling
Fuel For Success
One thing the great ones have in common is a passion for selling. Passion for selling provides extra energy, focus, durability and the will to win.
We all have extra interest in the things we really care about. That includes the people we love, the fun things we do and, hopefully, how we spend our time earning a living. That extra interest fuels our passion for the things that makes us happy. It generates the drive and the focus we need to chase our dreams, accomplish our goals and live happy lives.
In sales, there are a few elements that generate the passion required to win.
We Like It
First of all we must like being in sales. We are problem solvers who like to engage, learn, understand and deliver solutions to our prospects and customers. While doing so, we have to fight off our competitors. We struggle to outwit, outplay and outlast our rivals. If this is fun you, you’ve got some passion.
We Believe
Next, we can build and maintain passion for selling if we sell a product or service that we believe in for a company that we are proud to represent. It’s difficult to be selective these days, but picking the right environment matters. If you are in a bad place with a bad product and a company that you don’t believe in it is difficult to keep the passion for selling meter in the right place.
Our Rewards
Finally, the rewards for success in sales are worth the effort and can generate and maintain a passion for selling. In sales, when you do well you are highly compensated, awarded and admired by many. There is nothing that will fuel passion for selling more than getting results and making money.
The Lesson
If you have passion for selling you are or will soon become a force to be reckoned with.
One thing the great ones have in common is a passion for selling. Passion for selling provides extra energy, focus, durability and the will to win.
We all have extra interest in the things we really care about. That includes the people we love, the fun things we do and, hopefully, how we spend our time earning a living. That extra interest fuels our passion for the things that makes us happy. It generates the drive and the focus we need to chase our dreams, accomplish our goals and live happy lives.
In sales, there are a few elements that generate the passion required to win.
We Like It
First of all we must like being in sales. We are problem solvers who like to engage, learn, understand and deliver solutions to our prospects and customers. While doing so, we have to fight off our competitors. We struggle to outwit, outplay and outlast our rivals. If this is fun you, you’ve got some passion.
We Believe
Next, we can build and maintain passion for selling if we sell a product or service that we believe in for a company that we are proud to represent. It’s difficult to be selective these days, but picking the right environment matters. If you are in a bad place with a bad product and a company that you don’t believe in it is difficult to keep the passion for selling meter in the right place.
Our Rewards
Finally, the rewards for success in sales are worth the effort and can generate and maintain a passion for selling. In sales, when you do well you are highly compensated, awarded and admired by many. There is nothing that will fuel passion for selling more than getting results and making money.
The Lesson
If you have passion for selling you are or will soon become a force to be reckoned with.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Careers in Sales - You Can Sell
Selling is Essential
Our economy is and has forever been driven by sales. All commerce involves sales transactions being made. If sales were suspended the day-to-day business world as we know it would grind to a halt. All employment, in any category, is created and supported by sales revenue. No sales = no jobs for anyone. That makes salespeople pretty important and absolutely necessary to business and industry.
Workers in the blue and white collar workforce deliver the products and services sold to end users by salespeople. These people work for companies and fill positions for the purpose of fulfilling sales contracts. All workers are trained either formally or on the job to do their part to get the job done.
There is Another World Out There
Many workers are unaware of the parallel universe, an army of others, who sell what they produce or sell products or services to them in support of their jobs. Accountants buy accounting software, computer hardware, business forms, and books, attend classes, and require support services for their systems. There are dozens of different jobs that support accounting and accountants. On the other hand, public accountants sell their services to other businesses. Likewise, there are many similar opportunities in health care, engineering, government, manufacturing, distribution and in all other categories of business and industry. There is no end to opportunities for employment in sales.
It's a Very Big Space
For example, there are a large number of sales transactions that are made, in the manufacture of an automobile…before cars leave the showroom. The actual sale of an automobile is the climax of a string of sales that can be traced back to the real estate salesperson who sold the land to the mine that dug up the iron ore that eventually became steel for the car’s frame. Think it over. Every raw material, transportation, tool, process, facility, every sales transaction that happened in the process of manufacturing an automobile could number many hundreds. There are probably more sales made than can be documented. The great news is that as part of every sale a salesperson was involved and compensated.
Just Talk the Talk
So, there are hundreds of thousands of sales jobs that sell to people like you, companies like yours. Who fills those jobs? People like you, with the knowledge and skill set like yours, sell to people like you. If you are a medical laboratory technologist, there are dozens of people who sell to you. Salespeople in this space know their customer’s job…they can talk the talk. They can easily discuss reagents, photometers, culture media, and the hundreds of other categories of supplies and equipment that support a medical laboratory. Guess what? Every product or service has multiple vendors for each and they all employ dedicated salespeople.
Sales Jobs Go Begging
You can sell. Sales jobs are out there looking for people. Companies are hiring ambitious people who understand their products or services and are willing and able to learn their sales processes. There are many different types of sales jobs and different ways to conduct day-to-day business, but in every case the high level goal is to call on customers and prospective customers, uncover their needs, fill their needs, and while doing so, make sales transactions.
Top Earnings Potential
Successful salespeople are highly compensated. Because selling is a career that offers no practical limits salespeople can advance to “professional” status by learning how to behave and by working hard. Think about people you know who are in sales. The good ones do pretty well financially. The great ones earn great money and live like other professionals…doctors, lawyers and business owners and executives.
Not Too Hard...In Theory
Selling is not too complicated. In a very basic way sales jobs require you to meet new friends and get to know them and their needs. Salespeople fill the needs of their customers. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale said: “Find a need and fill it.” That is simple enough. Another great definition of the sales process came from Mark Thelen. Mark noted that “Selling is activity based on a fair exchange of value. After the transaction, both parties are better off.” What could be a better way to spend a career than fairly exchanging value with nice people who need your products or services?
Consider A Sales Career
Anyone who is out of work, displaced and searching for a new career should consider a career is sales. There are many types of sales positions in various categories, but they all offer opportunities for unemployed or under employed to get a fresh start and earn a good to great living.
Our economy is and has forever been driven by sales. All commerce involves sales transactions being made. If sales were suspended the day-to-day business world as we know it would grind to a halt. All employment, in any category, is created and supported by sales revenue. No sales = no jobs for anyone. That makes salespeople pretty important and absolutely necessary to business and industry.
Workers in the blue and white collar workforce deliver the products and services sold to end users by salespeople. These people work for companies and fill positions for the purpose of fulfilling sales contracts. All workers are trained either formally or on the job to do their part to get the job done.
There is Another World Out There
Many workers are unaware of the parallel universe, an army of others, who sell what they produce or sell products or services to them in support of their jobs. Accountants buy accounting software, computer hardware, business forms, and books, attend classes, and require support services for their systems. There are dozens of different jobs that support accounting and accountants. On the other hand, public accountants sell their services to other businesses. Likewise, there are many similar opportunities in health care, engineering, government, manufacturing, distribution and in all other categories of business and industry. There is no end to opportunities for employment in sales.
It's a Very Big Space
For example, there are a large number of sales transactions that are made, in the manufacture of an automobile…before cars leave the showroom. The actual sale of an automobile is the climax of a string of sales that can be traced back to the real estate salesperson who sold the land to the mine that dug up the iron ore that eventually became steel for the car’s frame. Think it over. Every raw material, transportation, tool, process, facility, every sales transaction that happened in the process of manufacturing an automobile could number many hundreds. There are probably more sales made than can be documented. The great news is that as part of every sale a salesperson was involved and compensated.
Just Talk the Talk
So, there are hundreds of thousands of sales jobs that sell to people like you, companies like yours. Who fills those jobs? People like you, with the knowledge and skill set like yours, sell to people like you. If you are a medical laboratory technologist, there are dozens of people who sell to you. Salespeople in this space know their customer’s job…they can talk the talk. They can easily discuss reagents, photometers, culture media, and the hundreds of other categories of supplies and equipment that support a medical laboratory. Guess what? Every product or service has multiple vendors for each and they all employ dedicated salespeople.
Sales Jobs Go Begging
You can sell. Sales jobs are out there looking for people. Companies are hiring ambitious people who understand their products or services and are willing and able to learn their sales processes. There are many different types of sales jobs and different ways to conduct day-to-day business, but in every case the high level goal is to call on customers and prospective customers, uncover their needs, fill their needs, and while doing so, make sales transactions.
Top Earnings Potential
Successful salespeople are highly compensated. Because selling is a career that offers no practical limits salespeople can advance to “professional” status by learning how to behave and by working hard. Think about people you know who are in sales. The good ones do pretty well financially. The great ones earn great money and live like other professionals…doctors, lawyers and business owners and executives.
Not Too Hard...In Theory
Selling is not too complicated. In a very basic way sales jobs require you to meet new friends and get to know them and their needs. Salespeople fill the needs of their customers. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale said: “Find a need and fill it.” That is simple enough. Another great definition of the sales process came from Mark Thelen. Mark noted that “Selling is activity based on a fair exchange of value. After the transaction, both parties are better off.” What could be a better way to spend a career than fairly exchanging value with nice people who need your products or services?
Consider A Sales Career
Anyone who is out of work, displaced and searching for a new career should consider a career is sales. There are many types of sales positions in various categories, but they all offer opportunities for unemployed or under employed to get a fresh start and earn a good to great living.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Salespeople Need Courage
Long ago I learned that courage is a key element of a successful sales career.
What is there to be afraid of in sales?
Other than the potential for an angry prospect or customer to give you a tough time, there doesn’t seem to be much to be afraid of. Then why is courage an attribute of success? Salespeople need courage to address and overcome more subtle challenges that we all face on a continuing basis.
Rejection
Rejection was my biggest personal hurdle. I was afraid of failure for the first few years of my career. I was afraid to be turned down by prospects or customers. Rejection was embarrassing and humiliating. It became such a problem for me that I stopped calling on busy customers so that if I was turned away or told no that others would not witness the humiliation. Once I recognized that my career would be over if I couldn’t overcome fear, I became determined to suck it up and make those calls anyway, under any circumstances. I was still nervous, but I did what I had to do anyway. Having courage to fight through my fear saved my sales career.
Competition
If something is worthwhile, a good product or service to sell, a money maker, you can be sure that there will be serious competition. Competition used to make me nervous. It was hard to sit in a waiting room staring down the guy or girl who wanted to beat me. At some point I decided that I was going to stand up to competition and fight to win every time, always. I studied my competition. I learned about them, their strengths and weaknesses. I worked at being better than the competition. My funniest incident happened one day when a strong competitor drove in the customer’s parking lot behind me. No kidding, I actually ran from the car to the door and was seen first. First come first served. I got over worrying about competitors and decided to win baby win.
Change
Just about the time you get control of your career and get in a groove, things seem to change. No, things always change. Change can be our friend if we understand and adapt to it. We need courage to step into unknown territory, away from the security of what we know, our comfort zones. Winners don’t worry about change and winners don’t procrastinate when change arrives. They continue to learn about, adapt to and master changes that others withdraw from or ignore. The reality is that those who aren’t courageous enough to change will fail.
Security
Have you ever worried about your job, your security? Sure you have. We all have. With house payments, car payments, kids to raise and a lifestyle to maintain I used to worry about my future constantly. What if my industry changed? (It did), what if my employer faltered? (It did) What if? What if? What if? If you can’t live in the insecure world of sales, you won’t make it. When I began to realize that my career security was based on the skills and work habits I developed, I stopped worrying. I started to believe in myself. Our reality is that as producing sales professional we are totally employable. All companies need sales and that requires talented salespeople. Need a job? Get the word out and the phone will ring. The good news is that you provide your own career security and are immune from outside factors. Stop worrying.
The Lesson
Over time, I have conditioned myself to overcome my fears to deal with rejection, competition and change. “No” became “Non-Yes”. Competitors were left behind in the dust and change became my friend…a welcome opportunity to establish a competitive advantage. I stopped worrying about career security. It stopped being a problem.
Practical Application
A few weeks ago I was kicked out of a building by a big guy who decided he didn’t want to talk to me after all and wanted me out of his office immediately. He was a former Marine Staff Sergeant (evidenced by lots of stuff on his office walls), so I willingly left right away. Once in the parking lot I checked and did not have any visible bumps or bruises. My feelings were not even hurt. As a forty year veteran salesperson in the field, and at sixty-two years of age, I had again been severely rejected by a prospective customer. My attitude was “So what, next?”
In Hindsight
I should have qualified that guy a little better.
What is there to be afraid of in sales?
Other than the potential for an angry prospect or customer to give you a tough time, there doesn’t seem to be much to be afraid of. Then why is courage an attribute of success? Salespeople need courage to address and overcome more subtle challenges that we all face on a continuing basis.
Rejection
Rejection was my biggest personal hurdle. I was afraid of failure for the first few years of my career. I was afraid to be turned down by prospects or customers. Rejection was embarrassing and humiliating. It became such a problem for me that I stopped calling on busy customers so that if I was turned away or told no that others would not witness the humiliation. Once I recognized that my career would be over if I couldn’t overcome fear, I became determined to suck it up and make those calls anyway, under any circumstances. I was still nervous, but I did what I had to do anyway. Having courage to fight through my fear saved my sales career.
Competition
If something is worthwhile, a good product or service to sell, a money maker, you can be sure that there will be serious competition. Competition used to make me nervous. It was hard to sit in a waiting room staring down the guy or girl who wanted to beat me. At some point I decided that I was going to stand up to competition and fight to win every time, always. I studied my competition. I learned about them, their strengths and weaknesses. I worked at being better than the competition. My funniest incident happened one day when a strong competitor drove in the customer’s parking lot behind me. No kidding, I actually ran from the car to the door and was seen first. First come first served. I got over worrying about competitors and decided to win baby win.
Change
Just about the time you get control of your career and get in a groove, things seem to change. No, things always change. Change can be our friend if we understand and adapt to it. We need courage to step into unknown territory, away from the security of what we know, our comfort zones. Winners don’t worry about change and winners don’t procrastinate when change arrives. They continue to learn about, adapt to and master changes that others withdraw from or ignore. The reality is that those who aren’t courageous enough to change will fail.
Security
Have you ever worried about your job, your security? Sure you have. We all have. With house payments, car payments, kids to raise and a lifestyle to maintain I used to worry about my future constantly. What if my industry changed? (It did), what if my employer faltered? (It did) What if? What if? What if? If you can’t live in the insecure world of sales, you won’t make it. When I began to realize that my career security was based on the skills and work habits I developed, I stopped worrying. I started to believe in myself. Our reality is that as producing sales professional we are totally employable. All companies need sales and that requires talented salespeople. Need a job? Get the word out and the phone will ring. The good news is that you provide your own career security and are immune from outside factors. Stop worrying.
The Lesson
Over time, I have conditioned myself to overcome my fears to deal with rejection, competition and change. “No” became “Non-Yes”. Competitors were left behind in the dust and change became my friend…a welcome opportunity to establish a competitive advantage. I stopped worrying about career security. It stopped being a problem.
Practical Application
A few weeks ago I was kicked out of a building by a big guy who decided he didn’t want to talk to me after all and wanted me out of his office immediately. He was a former Marine Staff Sergeant (evidenced by lots of stuff on his office walls), so I willingly left right away. Once in the parking lot I checked and did not have any visible bumps or bruises. My feelings were not even hurt. As a forty year veteran salesperson in the field, and at sixty-two years of age, I had again been severely rejected by a prospective customer. My attitude was “So what, next?”
In Hindsight
I should have qualified that guy a little better.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Mind Over Matter
A Favorite Song of Mine
“Mind over Matter” was one of my favorite songs when I was a teenager. Nolan Strong and the Diablos made it a hit. It was an early Motown sound. The song wasn’t about selling, but the message is still relevant.
Looking for Answers
I continue to interview business owners, sales managers and salespeople who are looking for answers. Our economy has collapsed, particularly in Michigan. The sales pie is smaller and selling has never been more competitive.
The Dots Don’t Connect
One thing that many of my clients and prospective clients have in common is that they don’t have much structure in their professional lives. By structure, I mean there are few or no formal sales processes or procedures in place. A lot of people out there are winging it. This is a bad economy to be “winging it” in.
Structure Rules
I teach sales strategies, tools and tactics. There is a lot of best practices information available for salespeople and managers these days. Books, magazines, tapes, DVD’s, seminars, webinars, and private consultations tell the story of what to do and how to do it. If you don’t have a budget for training materials, go to the library. The library is free. Getting things right and keeping them that way is a real case of “Mind over Matter”.
Will You or Won’t You?
Will you? Will you seek out answers to gain a competitive advantage by bringing structure to your careers? And, once enlightened, will you do it? Will you consistently work on maintaining structure in your day-to-day sales world? Can you maintain the level of self discipline required to tighten up and focus on getting the most out of your time and effort? Maybe you can and maybe you can’t.
Is The Answer...Hypnotism?
OK, keep reading. Don’t leave me quite yet.
A year or so ago I attended a networking luncheon. It is a regular event that I enjoy. The luncheon features good food, good fellowship and interesting speakers (for the most part). The speaker that day was a Hypnotist. After lunch and during her lecture, she proceeded to hypnotize most of the people in the room. I cheated and watched everyone else in the room from a slightly opened eye. The imaginary balloon on their right hand lifted most right hands in the room. The imaginary heavy rock in their left hand had many breathing hard and struggling to keep their hand level. It caused me to ask a few questions.
I asked the Hypnotist if her services would be useful to sales organizations. Could she condition salespeople to do the right things and avoid doing the wrong things? She said it was possible. Hmmmmm! That would also be an example of “Mind over Matter”.
No Brain Games
The concept fascinates me. It is out of the box. It makes me chuckle. Will I recommend it? No…I don’t thing so.
“Mind over Matter” was one of my favorite songs when I was a teenager. Nolan Strong and the Diablos made it a hit. It was an early Motown sound. The song wasn’t about selling, but the message is still relevant.
Looking for Answers
I continue to interview business owners, sales managers and salespeople who are looking for answers. Our economy has collapsed, particularly in Michigan. The sales pie is smaller and selling has never been more competitive.
The Dots Don’t Connect
One thing that many of my clients and prospective clients have in common is that they don’t have much structure in their professional lives. By structure, I mean there are few or no formal sales processes or procedures in place. A lot of people out there are winging it. This is a bad economy to be “winging it” in.
Structure Rules
I teach sales strategies, tools and tactics. There is a lot of best practices information available for salespeople and managers these days. Books, magazines, tapes, DVD’s, seminars, webinars, and private consultations tell the story of what to do and how to do it. If you don’t have a budget for training materials, go to the library. The library is free. Getting things right and keeping them that way is a real case of “Mind over Matter”.
Will You or Won’t You?
Will you? Will you seek out answers to gain a competitive advantage by bringing structure to your careers? And, once enlightened, will you do it? Will you consistently work on maintaining structure in your day-to-day sales world? Can you maintain the level of self discipline required to tighten up and focus on getting the most out of your time and effort? Maybe you can and maybe you can’t.
Is The Answer...Hypnotism?
OK, keep reading. Don’t leave me quite yet.
A year or so ago I attended a networking luncheon. It is a regular event that I enjoy. The luncheon features good food, good fellowship and interesting speakers (for the most part). The speaker that day was a Hypnotist. After lunch and during her lecture, she proceeded to hypnotize most of the people in the room. I cheated and watched everyone else in the room from a slightly opened eye. The imaginary balloon on their right hand lifted most right hands in the room. The imaginary heavy rock in their left hand had many breathing hard and struggling to keep their hand level. It caused me to ask a few questions.
I asked the Hypnotist if her services would be useful to sales organizations. Could she condition salespeople to do the right things and avoid doing the wrong things? She said it was possible. Hmmmmm! That would also be an example of “Mind over Matter”.
No Brain Games
The concept fascinates me. It is out of the box. It makes me chuckle. Will I recommend it? No…I don’t thing so.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Your Second Most Valuable Career Asset
Time...Your Most Valuable Asset
If you optimize your time you will increase your productivity and make more sales and more money. If you don’t respect your time it will work against you. Other than your time, there are a couple of other important assets that salespeople need to manage.
Your Database
Your second most important asset is your database. A clean, updated database of your customers, prospects, vendors and colleagues is a most valuable tool of the sales professional.
In the “old days” we maintained and accessed our database by using business card holders in loose leaf binders, Rolodex or 3 x 5 card boxes with tabs for dates, month, the alphabet, or address books. These systems worked reasonably well but did leave a lot to be desired. The data could not interact, it was not relational and could not produce reports of any kind.
Computer software has replaced these manual systems.
Database Management Software
The current acronym for database management software is CRM. CRM stands for Client Relationship Management. CRM not only hosts your database but manages database activities. Letters, labels, e-mails, calendars, meetings, phone calls, tasks and many other functions are organized and streamlined by CRM. CRM is a one-stop productivity tool that puts your database to work for you.
Here’s the Rub
You have to use the software and keep your database current to get the most value out of this important asset. Salespeople are notorious for not keeping their database management systems and data fresh. A well maintained database housed in a powerful CRM software system is a big advantage when used correctly and faithfully.
The Irony
The irony is that a database management system is the best tool to optimize your time. Go figure.
If you optimize your time you will increase your productivity and make more sales and more money. If you don’t respect your time it will work against you. Other than your time, there are a couple of other important assets that salespeople need to manage.
Your Database
Your second most important asset is your database. A clean, updated database of your customers, prospects, vendors and colleagues is a most valuable tool of the sales professional.
In the “old days” we maintained and accessed our database by using business card holders in loose leaf binders, Rolodex or 3 x 5 card boxes with tabs for dates, month, the alphabet, or address books. These systems worked reasonably well but did leave a lot to be desired. The data could not interact, it was not relational and could not produce reports of any kind.
Computer software has replaced these manual systems.
Database Management Software
The current acronym for database management software is CRM. CRM stands for Client Relationship Management. CRM not only hosts your database but manages database activities. Letters, labels, e-mails, calendars, meetings, phone calls, tasks and many other functions are organized and streamlined by CRM. CRM is a one-stop productivity tool that puts your database to work for you.
Here’s the Rub
You have to use the software and keep your database current to get the most value out of this important asset. Salespeople are notorious for not keeping their database management systems and data fresh. A well maintained database housed in a powerful CRM software system is a big advantage when used correctly and faithfully.
The Irony
The irony is that a database management system is the best tool to optimize your time. Go figure.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Time is Your Most Valuable Asset
A lot of elements factor into a successful sales career. In my opinion, the most important factor, by far, is management of your time.
Time Never Stops
The clock is constantly running and can’t be turned back. Time spent is gone forever. Time wasted is opportunity lost. In sales, time optimization is a skill understood and employed by top producers.
Manage Your Time
Here are a few tips to get control of your time and set the stage for increase sales, income, and status and career success.
Document
Keep a diary of your time. It doesn’t matter what you use to document how you spend your time. It is most important to get as detailed as possible. The more you document over the longest period, the better you will be able to get an accurate picture of how you spend your time. If you are like most salespeople, you will be taken back by all of the wasted time. Wasted time is opportunity lost.
Categorize
After you complete your diary, one or more days of activities, the first thing you should do is to categorize the things you did. Make a list. Put things in categories, by type. Prioritize each category and sort them in order from most important to least important. Hint: My most important activity is receiving deposits for signed sales orders. If you can do it in an Excel spreadsheet it will be easier to manipulate the list.
Prioritize
Begin to schedule your time according to you priority list. As a sales professional, any opportunity you have to be in front of a qualified prospect making a sale takes priority over everything else in your day. As a rule of thumb, if you can choose between checking your e-mail and making a sales call, in person, you know what to do. More often than not, the e-mail will not produce revenue, the sales presentation can.
Prime Selling Hours
Prime selling hours are the hours your prospective customer is available to meet with you and buy your products or services. Honor prime selling hours by doing non-selling tasks during non-prime selling time. When I called on hospital purchasing departments, prime selling hours were 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM. Hospital purchasing agents and buyers were available to meet and buy things during those hours. At 3:31 PM they went home. So, prime selling hours were easy to understand and honor. What amazed me was the number of empty seats in the purchasing waiting room in the early morning. What are prime selling hours in your business?
Geography
Long drives, between sales calls, used to be completely dead time. When cassette tape players became available we gained the option of listening to training or motivational tapes. It let us learn something while driving. When cell phones were introduced, the car became an extension of the office. I make most of my business calls in the car, on my cell phone, while driving from call to call, meeting to meeting. If I could keep only one tool of the trade it would be my cell phone. Still, in spite of the improvements in the tools of the trade, it is imperative to schedule your appointments with drive times in mind. Sometimes it isn’t possible to do, but I recommend that your make an effort to clump your calls together for drive time efficiency. Since you are the one asking for the appointments, ask for a day and time that is most convenient for you. More often than not, your prospect or customer will accommodate you.
Take Charge
Conquer and control your time and optimize this essential tool of success. As a professional salesperson, effective time management is your most valuable personal asset.
Next Time:
Another high value professional asset…
Time Never Stops
The clock is constantly running and can’t be turned back. Time spent is gone forever. Time wasted is opportunity lost. In sales, time optimization is a skill understood and employed by top producers.
Manage Your Time
Here are a few tips to get control of your time and set the stage for increase sales, income, and status and career success.
Document
Keep a diary of your time. It doesn’t matter what you use to document how you spend your time. It is most important to get as detailed as possible. The more you document over the longest period, the better you will be able to get an accurate picture of how you spend your time. If you are like most salespeople, you will be taken back by all of the wasted time. Wasted time is opportunity lost.
Categorize
After you complete your diary, one or more days of activities, the first thing you should do is to categorize the things you did. Make a list. Put things in categories, by type. Prioritize each category and sort them in order from most important to least important. Hint: My most important activity is receiving deposits for signed sales orders. If you can do it in an Excel spreadsheet it will be easier to manipulate the list.
Prioritize
Begin to schedule your time according to you priority list. As a sales professional, any opportunity you have to be in front of a qualified prospect making a sale takes priority over everything else in your day. As a rule of thumb, if you can choose between checking your e-mail and making a sales call, in person, you know what to do. More often than not, the e-mail will not produce revenue, the sales presentation can.
Prime Selling Hours
Prime selling hours are the hours your prospective customer is available to meet with you and buy your products or services. Honor prime selling hours by doing non-selling tasks during non-prime selling time. When I called on hospital purchasing departments, prime selling hours were 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM. Hospital purchasing agents and buyers were available to meet and buy things during those hours. At 3:31 PM they went home. So, prime selling hours were easy to understand and honor. What amazed me was the number of empty seats in the purchasing waiting room in the early morning. What are prime selling hours in your business?
Geography
Long drives, between sales calls, used to be completely dead time. When cassette tape players became available we gained the option of listening to training or motivational tapes. It let us learn something while driving. When cell phones were introduced, the car became an extension of the office. I make most of my business calls in the car, on my cell phone, while driving from call to call, meeting to meeting. If I could keep only one tool of the trade it would be my cell phone. Still, in spite of the improvements in the tools of the trade, it is imperative to schedule your appointments with drive times in mind. Sometimes it isn’t possible to do, but I recommend that your make an effort to clump your calls together for drive time efficiency. Since you are the one asking for the appointments, ask for a day and time that is most convenient for you. More often than not, your prospect or customer will accommodate you.
Take Charge
Conquer and control your time and optimize this essential tool of success. As a professional salesperson, effective time management is your most valuable personal asset.
Next Time:
Another high value professional asset…
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
America is Still Standing Tough and Proud
Anyone who doesn’t acknowledge that we are having difficult times is out of touch or in denial. Or, they could be tough, experienced sales bangers who don’t give up and continue to compete in spite of the conditions around them and the barriers that they face.
Bull Dogs
Hard working, hard charging, relentless sales professionals are slow to give in to prevailing conditions. Some of my most revered sales brothers and sisters are like punch drunk fighters who continue to throw punches and land blows while enduring furious punishment and setbacks.
We Can Handle It
Rejection, failure and setbacks are part and parcel of the day-to-day world of selling. We get it, we deal with it. Sometimes I think we (the career sales guys and girls) have some wires crossed. Someone once said that “What doesn’t kill you will make you strong”. I tend to agree.
Am I Wrong?
Am I wrong to think that there has never been a better opportunity for salespeople to take the economy on and beat it back into shape? Am I wrong? I believe we can do it. This is personal for me.
Do Good, Feel Good
I have dedicated a big portion of my life training, coaching and mentoring salespeople. I am helping them get back on track. It seems like its happening one person at a time. That’s OK. At the end of the day, if one person is better equipped to earn a living and “make it”, I am deeply satisfied.
Self Promotion
Calling myself “The Sales Mechanic” seems to be self-promoting. Sales Mechanics is a term I use. My material, my training, is based on what I refer to as the “Nuts and Bolts of Selling”…“What to do and how to do it”. The reality of being “The Sales Mechanic”, when the dust clears, is the incredible rush I get from giving others ideas and tips that help them make sales and secure their lives. In reality, helping people is a very humbling experience. A mission?
Competitive Feedback
I get a lot of negative energy from competitive sales training and sales support organizations. One well known player in the field refered to me and my material as junk. My partner, Judd Seida, loves it. He sees the backlash from competitors as the highest level of endorsement and validation. I never thought that I needed validation, but I see his point. I try to never talk bad about competitors…or anyone, for that matter.
It’s My Book
I walk the walk. Unlike most of my peers in the sales training, coaching and mentoring space, my material is my material. I lived the life. The strategies, tools and tactics I teach are a result of my life’s experiences. I’m not reading someone else’s book.
Say What You Do, Do As You Say
I contacted over 500 new friends today…organizations, both public and private. I offered my programs and services to help them, their members and clients. Since there is only one me, and one Judd, I’m confident that I (we) will fill our docket and will help people survive and thrive, one person at a time. That is good. Life is good.
Bull Dogs
Hard working, hard charging, relentless sales professionals are slow to give in to prevailing conditions. Some of my most revered sales brothers and sisters are like punch drunk fighters who continue to throw punches and land blows while enduring furious punishment and setbacks.
We Can Handle It
Rejection, failure and setbacks are part and parcel of the day-to-day world of selling. We get it, we deal with it. Sometimes I think we (the career sales guys and girls) have some wires crossed. Someone once said that “What doesn’t kill you will make you strong”. I tend to agree.
Am I Wrong?
Am I wrong to think that there has never been a better opportunity for salespeople to take the economy on and beat it back into shape? Am I wrong? I believe we can do it. This is personal for me.
Do Good, Feel Good
I have dedicated a big portion of my life training, coaching and mentoring salespeople. I am helping them get back on track. It seems like its happening one person at a time. That’s OK. At the end of the day, if one person is better equipped to earn a living and “make it”, I am deeply satisfied.
Self Promotion
Calling myself “The Sales Mechanic” seems to be self-promoting. Sales Mechanics is a term I use. My material, my training, is based on what I refer to as the “Nuts and Bolts of Selling”…“What to do and how to do it”. The reality of being “The Sales Mechanic”, when the dust clears, is the incredible rush I get from giving others ideas and tips that help them make sales and secure their lives. In reality, helping people is a very humbling experience. A mission?
Competitive Feedback
I get a lot of negative energy from competitive sales training and sales support organizations. One well known player in the field refered to me and my material as junk. My partner, Judd Seida, loves it. He sees the backlash from competitors as the highest level of endorsement and validation. I never thought that I needed validation, but I see his point. I try to never talk bad about competitors…or anyone, for that matter.
It’s My Book
I walk the walk. Unlike most of my peers in the sales training, coaching and mentoring space, my material is my material. I lived the life. The strategies, tools and tactics I teach are a result of my life’s experiences. I’m not reading someone else’s book.
Say What You Do, Do As You Say
I contacted over 500 new friends today…organizations, both public and private. I offered my programs and services to help them, their members and clients. Since there is only one me, and one Judd, I’m confident that I (we) will fill our docket and will help people survive and thrive, one person at a time. That is good. Life is good.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Part Time Sales Manager
I was hired earlier this year to serve as a part time sales manager for a computer systems integrator in a vertical market. They sell turn key Point-of-Sale systems to specialty retailers. I have known my client, Randy, for decades. He and his company are very successful and have been in the business for over twenty-five years.
Raw Material
The sales team consisted of two young men who were eager to sell computer systems and make good money. One had been on the job for six months, or so, while the other had only been on board for a few weeks. They were still both pretty green, but seemed to have the right stuff to become successful. They were intelligent, motivated and willing to learn what it took to become a sales professional.
A Success Formula
My belief, acquired over a lifetime of managing salespeople, is that a balanced blend of activity, skill and knowledge is a formula for success in sales. My job was to work closely with these young men to assess, evaluate, train, mentor and manage them. I was asked to make sure they had a clear understanding of what was expected of them; provide clear instructions on what to do and how to do it, and then manage them and measure their progress, making correction along the way.
Part Time Sales Management
My job was well defined. I was asked to work with the men once a week. I arrived every Monday morning and met with them individually and collectively. At the end of the morning the owner joined us for a summary and update session. This was a terrific engagement for me and allowed my client to offload the job of sales management so he could run his company. My goal was to help a friend and client, teach ambitious young people how to sell and succeed, to earn some personal income and have the rest of the day and week to work on other things.
Unintended Outcome
This engagement resulted in an unintended outcome that surprised me. After a few weeks the newest hire abruptly quit. He decided that he did not want to be in sales anymore. I was surprised. Looking back, I guess the certainty of having to interact with me every Monday morning was more than he could deal with. I held his feet to the fire. He had to report on his activity from the previous week, in detail. He had to provide me with his plan for the upcoming week, along with names of prospects, the value of sales proposals and the probability and timeline for booking sales. Being accountable was apparently too much for him. Waaaah.
It Was OK
Randy was taken back by the resignation. After a short and rational discussion it was clear that sales guy number one did not have what it took to succeed and that he did the company a favor by leaving. The good news was that there still was a great kid on the job who I could focus my mentoring on and show how to become a top producer.
The Second Shoe
No kidding, within a month or so, the remaining guy resigned. This left the company without a dedicated sales resource. That ended my sales management engagement. It was good while it lasted…I guess. I mean, from the surface, it looks like I was hired to help and then ultimately wiped out the department. Can I paint in a positive way?
The Outcome
Well, surprisingly, Randy is very happy. He is saving a lot of money on salespeople who did not sell. He is relieved from the anxiety associated with having to write checks to employees without a payback and with the uncertainty of if and when the return on investment will happen. His bottom line quickly got a lot better along with his peace of mind.
The New Way
When the dust settled we implemented some cool lead generating programs that don’t require a lot of his time. He has personally taken over the duties of meeting with and selling highly qualified leads. I spoke with him this afternoon. He couldn’t be happier.
The Cleaner
I had cleaned out the sales team. I wasn’t mean or mad. I did exactly what my client asked me to do which was to evaluate, train, coach, mentor and manage his sales team. I did hold their feet to the fire, but it was just tough love.
A New Service
One of my associates thinks that I should offer a new service. The service will be referred to as “Cleaning”. The object would be to go to work for companies doing exactly what I did for Randy. The outcome would be to “clean” or “purge” those who don’t care, aren’t working or are not suited for selling. The cleaning or purging would happen organically when non-producers become accountable. They will just quit.
Don’t Worry
If you are a salesperson and someone like me shows up to evaluate, coach and manage you, don’t worry. You have nothing to worry about if you are working hard and smart getting measurable results and feeding back good information to management. My most sincere desire is that you succeed. Failure is not a feather for anyone’s cap.
Raw Material
The sales team consisted of two young men who were eager to sell computer systems and make good money. One had been on the job for six months, or so, while the other had only been on board for a few weeks. They were still both pretty green, but seemed to have the right stuff to become successful. They were intelligent, motivated and willing to learn what it took to become a sales professional.
A Success Formula
My belief, acquired over a lifetime of managing salespeople, is that a balanced blend of activity, skill and knowledge is a formula for success in sales. My job was to work closely with these young men to assess, evaluate, train, mentor and manage them. I was asked to make sure they had a clear understanding of what was expected of them; provide clear instructions on what to do and how to do it, and then manage them and measure their progress, making correction along the way.
Part Time Sales Management
My job was well defined. I was asked to work with the men once a week. I arrived every Monday morning and met with them individually and collectively. At the end of the morning the owner joined us for a summary and update session. This was a terrific engagement for me and allowed my client to offload the job of sales management so he could run his company. My goal was to help a friend and client, teach ambitious young people how to sell and succeed, to earn some personal income and have the rest of the day and week to work on other things.
Unintended Outcome
This engagement resulted in an unintended outcome that surprised me. After a few weeks the newest hire abruptly quit. He decided that he did not want to be in sales anymore. I was surprised. Looking back, I guess the certainty of having to interact with me every Monday morning was more than he could deal with. I held his feet to the fire. He had to report on his activity from the previous week, in detail. He had to provide me with his plan for the upcoming week, along with names of prospects, the value of sales proposals and the probability and timeline for booking sales. Being accountable was apparently too much for him. Waaaah.
It Was OK
Randy was taken back by the resignation. After a short and rational discussion it was clear that sales guy number one did not have what it took to succeed and that he did the company a favor by leaving. The good news was that there still was a great kid on the job who I could focus my mentoring on and show how to become a top producer.
The Second Shoe
No kidding, within a month or so, the remaining guy resigned. This left the company without a dedicated sales resource. That ended my sales management engagement. It was good while it lasted…I guess. I mean, from the surface, it looks like I was hired to help and then ultimately wiped out the department. Can I paint in a positive way?
The Outcome
Well, surprisingly, Randy is very happy. He is saving a lot of money on salespeople who did not sell. He is relieved from the anxiety associated with having to write checks to employees without a payback and with the uncertainty of if and when the return on investment will happen. His bottom line quickly got a lot better along with his peace of mind.
The New Way
When the dust settled we implemented some cool lead generating programs that don’t require a lot of his time. He has personally taken over the duties of meeting with and selling highly qualified leads. I spoke with him this afternoon. He couldn’t be happier.
The Cleaner
I had cleaned out the sales team. I wasn’t mean or mad. I did exactly what my client asked me to do which was to evaluate, train, coach, mentor and manage his sales team. I did hold their feet to the fire, but it was just tough love.
A New Service
One of my associates thinks that I should offer a new service. The service will be referred to as “Cleaning”. The object would be to go to work for companies doing exactly what I did for Randy. The outcome would be to “clean” or “purge” those who don’t care, aren’t working or are not suited for selling. The cleaning or purging would happen organically when non-producers become accountable. They will just quit.
Don’t Worry
If you are a salesperson and someone like me shows up to evaluate, coach and manage you, don’t worry. You have nothing to worry about if you are working hard and smart getting measurable results and feeding back good information to management. My most sincere desire is that you succeed. Failure is not a feather for anyone’s cap.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Beat the Bear
Old School and New School
My friend, Judd Seida, and I are traveling around Michigan hosting marketing and sales events. We are an interesting team. I am at the end of a long and rewarding career in sales and he is a young Internet marketing wizard out on the edge of technology. Judd helps sales people master and leverage the Internet to gain and maintain a competitive advantage. I’m not selling myself or my input short. Its one thing to build a massive pipeline of qualified sales leads. It is a different story turning leads into business. Converting qualified leads into sales is where I come in.
Empty Seats
We have yet to have a crowd at our events. We seem to fill a small conference room everywhere we go, but we have yet to sell out and have never turned people away. Why not? Times are tough. The business “pie” is smaller than ever. Competition has stiffened up. We have ideas. We have tips. We have answers. Our programs are very affordable. Why don’t we draw crowds?
The Answer
The answer is no different that it was during good times. In the sales profession some people do well, most don’t. Those that don’t are either uninformed, don’t care or aren’t suited for sales. Either way, spending a few hours and dollars for an informative and motivational marketing and sales event doesn’t seem like a valuable investment to them. Of course, I disagree.
Who Attends Our Events?
Winners attend. Am I surprised? No, I am not surprised at all. When we put a sales event together the sales people who attend are almost always at the top of their game or on the way up and looking for something to grab onto to lift them to the next plateau. When I ask my students if they have had sales training, either formal or informal, just about all have been formally trained. They know much of what we teach, but universally appreciate the review and the fresh information about how to leverage the new and emerging strategies, tools and tactics to their advantage. They also appreciate the opportunity to spend time and share information with like minded sales professionals in the audience.
The Bear
You don’t have to outrun the bear. All you have to do is outrun the guy or girl running next to you. Get an edge. Learn strategies, tools and tactics to beat your competition and beat the Bear.
My friend, Judd Seida, and I are traveling around Michigan hosting marketing and sales events. We are an interesting team. I am at the end of a long and rewarding career in sales and he is a young Internet marketing wizard out on the edge of technology. Judd helps sales people master and leverage the Internet to gain and maintain a competitive advantage. I’m not selling myself or my input short. Its one thing to build a massive pipeline of qualified sales leads. It is a different story turning leads into business. Converting qualified leads into sales is where I come in.
Empty Seats
We have yet to have a crowd at our events. We seem to fill a small conference room everywhere we go, but we have yet to sell out and have never turned people away. Why not? Times are tough. The business “pie” is smaller than ever. Competition has stiffened up. We have ideas. We have tips. We have answers. Our programs are very affordable. Why don’t we draw crowds?
The Answer
The answer is no different that it was during good times. In the sales profession some people do well, most don’t. Those that don’t are either uninformed, don’t care or aren’t suited for sales. Either way, spending a few hours and dollars for an informative and motivational marketing and sales event doesn’t seem like a valuable investment to them. Of course, I disagree.
Who Attends Our Events?
Winners attend. Am I surprised? No, I am not surprised at all. When we put a sales event together the sales people who attend are almost always at the top of their game or on the way up and looking for something to grab onto to lift them to the next plateau. When I ask my students if they have had sales training, either formal or informal, just about all have been formally trained. They know much of what we teach, but universally appreciate the review and the fresh information about how to leverage the new and emerging strategies, tools and tactics to their advantage. They also appreciate the opportunity to spend time and share information with like minded sales professionals in the audience.
The Bear
You don’t have to outrun the bear. All you have to do is outrun the guy or girl running next to you. Get an edge. Learn strategies, tools and tactics to beat your competition and beat the Bear.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Converting Sales Leads into Sales
Judd Seida is one of my closest business associates. His company, http://www.biz-hive.net/ provides online marketing services to business and industry. Judd and I partner in the 2009 Success Express series of sales and marketing seminars and workshops. (http://www.successexpressmi.com/) My topic, material and presentation is all about selling. Judd teaches online and emerging marketing tools and tactics. We’re a good team where marketing and sales “old school meets new school”.
New School Tools
Most of us have been exposed to new, emerging web prospecting tools like Ad-Words, Ad-Sense, Analytics, Blogs, organic search engine optimization and social networks like Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter and others. Some of us are using these tools to meet people, develop relationships and to do business.
Using the Tools
What I have learned from Judd, as we roll the Success Express around Michigan, is that, like anything else we do, there is a wrong way, a right way and a better way to use Internet tools to generate business. The Success Express is all about employing the best marketing and sales practices.
We Deliver
In the real world, Judd’s customers are getting more bang for their marketing dollars. Their web tools are properly set-up, tuned up, working as designed and delivering results. More traffic is attracted to their websites (more hits) and more prospective customers are being identified and qualified. This is a great story. Company hires Biz-Hive, Company increases Internet traffic. Company qualifies more sales leads. Big sales pipeline is being managed and growing.
We Have a Problem
Back to the real world: Not all of these clients are able to convert these quality leads into sales. Incredibly, many of them just don’t know how to sell. They don’t have sales processes and procedures defined and in place. No sales strategies, tools or tactics exist. They don’t understand or employ essential sales skills. Some don’t even have dedicated salespeople on staff.
Marketing and Sales are Different
I’m sorry that I have to do this. Marketing activities are about lead generation and qualification. Selling is the art and science of converting sales leads into sales.
The Answer?
Sales skills, like marketing tools and tactics can be taught and can be learned. If you find yourself in a similar situation…leads but no sales, get some help. Call a good salesperson and talk to them. Share your story. Ask for advice. Or, go to the library and check out books and tapes on selling. Tom Hopkins is my favorite. Or, rent Glengarry Glen Ross. Unconverted leads were an issue discussed in the movie.
Commercial Break
Or…attend an upcoming 2009 Success Express seminar and workshop. Judd and I present proven strategies, tools and tactics for both marketing and sales. Fill your sales pipeline and close sales.
Our Places or Yours
The venues, dates and details of the 2009 Success Express are listed on my website, http://www.davebilbrey.com/ and at http://www.successexpressmi.com/. If you can’t attend our public meetings, call us and we will bring the Success Express to you.
Good Hunting!
New School Tools
Most of us have been exposed to new, emerging web prospecting tools like Ad-Words, Ad-Sense, Analytics, Blogs, organic search engine optimization and social networks like Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter and others. Some of us are using these tools to meet people, develop relationships and to do business.
Using the Tools
What I have learned from Judd, as we roll the Success Express around Michigan, is that, like anything else we do, there is a wrong way, a right way and a better way to use Internet tools to generate business. The Success Express is all about employing the best marketing and sales practices.
We Deliver
In the real world, Judd’s customers are getting more bang for their marketing dollars. Their web tools are properly set-up, tuned up, working as designed and delivering results. More traffic is attracted to their websites (more hits) and more prospective customers are being identified and qualified. This is a great story. Company hires Biz-Hive, Company increases Internet traffic. Company qualifies more sales leads. Big sales pipeline is being managed and growing.
We Have a Problem
Back to the real world: Not all of these clients are able to convert these quality leads into sales. Incredibly, many of them just don’t know how to sell. They don’t have sales processes and procedures defined and in place. No sales strategies, tools or tactics exist. They don’t understand or employ essential sales skills. Some don’t even have dedicated salespeople on staff.
Marketing and Sales are Different
I’m sorry that I have to do this. Marketing activities are about lead generation and qualification. Selling is the art and science of converting sales leads into sales.
The Answer?
Sales skills, like marketing tools and tactics can be taught and can be learned. If you find yourself in a similar situation…leads but no sales, get some help. Call a good salesperson and talk to them. Share your story. Ask for advice. Or, go to the library and check out books and tapes on selling. Tom Hopkins is my favorite. Or, rent Glengarry Glen Ross. Unconverted leads were an issue discussed in the movie.
Commercial Break
Or…attend an upcoming 2009 Success Express seminar and workshop. Judd and I present proven strategies, tools and tactics for both marketing and sales. Fill your sales pipeline and close sales.
Our Places or Yours
The venues, dates and details of the 2009 Success Express are listed on my website, http://www.davebilbrey.com/ and at http://www.successexpressmi.com/. If you can’t attend our public meetings, call us and we will bring the Success Express to you.
Good Hunting!
Monday, May 18, 2009
You Are A Tool
Yes, if you are in sales, you are a tool. You are the most important tool of all.
Tools Of The Trade
We spend a lot of time acquiring, learning and using various tools that help us in our day-to-day activities. These are helpful things that maintain prospect and customer lists, create and manage outbound sales and marketing activities and other related tasks. These tools of the trade include an array of electronic gadgets, software and the power of the Internet.
Tools From The Good Old Days
What sales tools did we use in the “good old days”? We didn’t have many tools to rely on other than ourselves. Let’s see…We didn’t have computers. We didn’t have cell phones. What did we have? Well, we had business cards and change in our pockets for phone booths. If we were at our desk we had a phone and the Yellow pages. We had a yellow pad and a file or a plastic three ring holder to collect and business cards.
My First Tickler File
My first sales tool that mattered was a neat 3 x 5 card holder that helped organize my day, week, month and year. The box had tabs for the days, 1 – 31, and months, January through December. It also had A-Z tabs. By moving the cards around, I knew who to call on and when. This manual system worked great. It made sure that I never missed an appointment or phone follow-up. The best thing is that it cost about $5 and it didn’t need to be power or Internet access.
Why We Load Up On Sales Tools
We equip ourselves with a variety of sales tools to help us sell more and to make more money. But, what is the outcome of a successful e-mail campaign or a blog posting that rocks? How do Ad words, a landing page and a white paper advance our bottom line? That’s easy. The tools of the trade are good at getting your prospect’s attention and for qualifying opportunities. They help you generate, qualify and manage prospects, but they don’t make the sale, unless you are selling commodities on a web store. You have to convert the leads into sales. You. In person.
The Sales Tool You Can’t Do Without
It’s you. You are the ultimate sales tool. You are the boss of your sales career. Bottom line: You close the business. Everything else you use is in support of helping you get in front of prospects and converting them into customers.
The One And Only You
There isn’t much out there in the form of sales tools that are exclusive to anyone. As things change, and they always seem to, you can’t and won’t have an exclusive on any sales gadget or system. If you do, it won’t be for long. No, the real advantage that you have in the sales game is you. You can be better than your competitors and can maintain an advantage by being the best sales tool you can be. Really.
Tools Of The Trade
We spend a lot of time acquiring, learning and using various tools that help us in our day-to-day activities. These are helpful things that maintain prospect and customer lists, create and manage outbound sales and marketing activities and other related tasks. These tools of the trade include an array of electronic gadgets, software and the power of the Internet.
Tools From The Good Old Days
What sales tools did we use in the “good old days”? We didn’t have many tools to rely on other than ourselves. Let’s see…We didn’t have computers. We didn’t have cell phones. What did we have? Well, we had business cards and change in our pockets for phone booths. If we were at our desk we had a phone and the Yellow pages. We had a yellow pad and a file or a plastic three ring holder to collect and business cards.
My First Tickler File
My first sales tool that mattered was a neat 3 x 5 card holder that helped organize my day, week, month and year. The box had tabs for the days, 1 – 31, and months, January through December. It also had A-Z tabs. By moving the cards around, I knew who to call on and when. This manual system worked great. It made sure that I never missed an appointment or phone follow-up. The best thing is that it cost about $5 and it didn’t need to be power or Internet access.
Why We Load Up On Sales Tools
We equip ourselves with a variety of sales tools to help us sell more and to make more money. But, what is the outcome of a successful e-mail campaign or a blog posting that rocks? How do Ad words, a landing page and a white paper advance our bottom line? That’s easy. The tools of the trade are good at getting your prospect’s attention and for qualifying opportunities. They help you generate, qualify and manage prospects, but they don’t make the sale, unless you are selling commodities on a web store. You have to convert the leads into sales. You. In person.
The Sales Tool You Can’t Do Without
It’s you. You are the ultimate sales tool. You are the boss of your sales career. Bottom line: You close the business. Everything else you use is in support of helping you get in front of prospects and converting them into customers.
The One And Only You
There isn’t much out there in the form of sales tools that are exclusive to anyone. As things change, and they always seem to, you can’t and won’t have an exclusive on any sales gadget or system. If you do, it won’t be for long. No, the real advantage that you have in the sales game is you. You can be better than your competitors and can maintain an advantage by being the best sales tool you can be. Really.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Go Straight...Straight Commission
Sales Jobs in Tough Times
A lot of good salespeople are on the street these days, looking for employment during the tough economic times we are experiencing. Under normal conditions, it would be hard to accept the economy as a reason for seasoned sales men and women to be unemployed. Excuses have never been acceptable in the tough competitive world of selling.
Things are Different
It seems that I hear from someone who has been let go from their sales job just about every day. It continues to amaze me. There seems to be a large segment of the corporate world that is contracting as fast as they can get it done. They are rushing to or are already in survival mode. Once a decision is made that there are no buyers buying, the sales team becomes most vulnerable and most expendable. I, like a minority of others, believe that now is the most critical time for companies to push for new sales, possibly in new industries or segments, but the current rule seems to be to cut overhead by shrinking the sales department.
A Ton of Talent
There are a lot of educated, experienced and talented sales professionals looking for work because of our once in a lifetime economic slowdown. I can’t hold someone at fault for failing to produce sales in an industry or segment that is in free fall. When I think of how far our domestic automobile industry has fallen and will continue to fall and the resulting cascading effect of thousands and thousands of suppliers, and the services and support resources that rely on them, it makes me very concerned.
We’ve Been Spoiled
As productive sales professionals we’ve had it good over the decades. We really made a lot of money and benefits and have been living high. We have enjoyed salaries, bonuses, incentives of every type and have consistently been among the highest earners at our companies. We earned it.
Things Changed
On the subject of sales compensation, things have changed and may never be the same again. I suspect that the days of substantial salaries and other “up front” or front loaded sales compensation plans have gone away and will stay away. A lot of companies are hurting and are financially fragile. That is the reality of business today. They would love to have a strong sales team on the street fighting for business in the smaller market available today, but they just can’t underwrite the cost of maintaining a sales department that is not making numbers or is non-productive.
Need a Sales Job?
My friends and colleagues, who have lost their sales jobs, are competing in a very tough job market for the positions that are hiring. Some of the jobs are positions beneath what they were doing and offer much less in compensation. It’s a problem. Many of them are not getting hired because their requirements are high and they aren’t budging.
Earn What You Earn
I’m helping coach a Little League Baseball Team. My grandson is playing and I enjoy being there and helping coach the kids. One of the dads who help coach the team has been with a medical device manufacturer for twenty-six years…on straight commission. I was a medical supply salesman for twelve years and forget that I was indeed on straight commission. I was paid a percentage of what I sold. The job was great, I made money. The pay plan was equitable and had no effective limits on earnings. My coach friend confirmed that, for the most part, health care sales compensation is still performance based. Sell more, make more.
Job Hunters: Change Your Thinking
My advice is a little bit tricky. If you are looking for a sales position, it’s a good idea to look in an industry that isn’t distressed. America is still open for business. Commerce still happens every day. If you really anxious to get back to work and if you are confident in you ability to sell, why not change your thinking? Why not consider applying for a commission based position? A position where pay is based on results? The fact is that if you hold out for big salaries and perks you might be holding out for a very long time.
A lot of good salespeople are on the street these days, looking for employment during the tough economic times we are experiencing. Under normal conditions, it would be hard to accept the economy as a reason for seasoned sales men and women to be unemployed. Excuses have never been acceptable in the tough competitive world of selling.
Things are Different
It seems that I hear from someone who has been let go from their sales job just about every day. It continues to amaze me. There seems to be a large segment of the corporate world that is contracting as fast as they can get it done. They are rushing to or are already in survival mode. Once a decision is made that there are no buyers buying, the sales team becomes most vulnerable and most expendable. I, like a minority of others, believe that now is the most critical time for companies to push for new sales, possibly in new industries or segments, but the current rule seems to be to cut overhead by shrinking the sales department.
A Ton of Talent
There are a lot of educated, experienced and talented sales professionals looking for work because of our once in a lifetime economic slowdown. I can’t hold someone at fault for failing to produce sales in an industry or segment that is in free fall. When I think of how far our domestic automobile industry has fallen and will continue to fall and the resulting cascading effect of thousands and thousands of suppliers, and the services and support resources that rely on them, it makes me very concerned.
We’ve Been Spoiled
As productive sales professionals we’ve had it good over the decades. We really made a lot of money and benefits and have been living high. We have enjoyed salaries, bonuses, incentives of every type and have consistently been among the highest earners at our companies. We earned it.
Things Changed
On the subject of sales compensation, things have changed and may never be the same again. I suspect that the days of substantial salaries and other “up front” or front loaded sales compensation plans have gone away and will stay away. A lot of companies are hurting and are financially fragile. That is the reality of business today. They would love to have a strong sales team on the street fighting for business in the smaller market available today, but they just can’t underwrite the cost of maintaining a sales department that is not making numbers or is non-productive.
Need a Sales Job?
My friends and colleagues, who have lost their sales jobs, are competing in a very tough job market for the positions that are hiring. Some of the jobs are positions beneath what they were doing and offer much less in compensation. It’s a problem. Many of them are not getting hired because their requirements are high and they aren’t budging.
Earn What You Earn
I’m helping coach a Little League Baseball Team. My grandson is playing and I enjoy being there and helping coach the kids. One of the dads who help coach the team has been with a medical device manufacturer for twenty-six years…on straight commission. I was a medical supply salesman for twelve years and forget that I was indeed on straight commission. I was paid a percentage of what I sold. The job was great, I made money. The pay plan was equitable and had no effective limits on earnings. My coach friend confirmed that, for the most part, health care sales compensation is still performance based. Sell more, make more.
Job Hunters: Change Your Thinking
My advice is a little bit tricky. If you are looking for a sales position, it’s a good idea to look in an industry that isn’t distressed. America is still open for business. Commerce still happens every day. If you really anxious to get back to work and if you are confident in you ability to sell, why not change your thinking? Why not consider applying for a commission based position? A position where pay is based on results? The fact is that if you hold out for big salaries and perks you might be holding out for a very long time.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Sales...A Great Profession
What’s Not to Like About Selling?
After almost 40 years in the field I can say without a doubt that selling is the greatest profession of them all. I've talked about a lot of negatives associated with sales. They include challenges like hard work, competition, rejection, change and instability that face salespeople on a daily basis. But on the other hand, there is a tremendous upside to the sales profession that puts it in a class of its own.
Skills are Industry Transferable.
Sales skills are industry transferable. Technology changes and companies come and go, but the fundamentals of selling remain the same. Sure, there are new tactics tools strategies that modify behavior and results of sales activities, but in my opinion, if you can sell widgets, you can sell do-dads. Productive salespeople are always employable.
No Limits
What excites most productive salespeople and motivates them to excellence is the fact that there are no practical limits on their earnings. Sure, some sales jobs are salary based in with bonus, quotas and other rules of compensation, but when the dust settles, salespeople are paid what they're worth. If not, the move on or are terminated. I have yet to hear an owner, manager or an executive ever tell a salesperson to slowdown. Salespeople exist to generate business and revenue and no rationally thinking business executive would ever slow down a productive salesperson.
Freedom
Most salespeople enjoy freedom that is not shared by others in the workforce. Something as simple as being able to drive to the bank or stop for coffee or to plan your day is taken for granted by salespeople. That freedom would be very precious factor to most working people. Arriving at the same office or cubicle or desk or shipping counter and doing the same exact thing every day for 40 years would have not made me happy. I have always valued the freedoms inherent with my outside sales jobs.
New Friends
An attribute of most successful salespeople, is their eagerness and ability to meet and deal with strangers. Over time, and if things go right, those strangers become friends. I once employed, a young salesman, who had never sold before. He asked me what he should do. I told him to go out and meet people. He came back and told me that there is a problem, because many of the new people he met wanted to talk about our products and services. I pointed out that what he was really doing was cold calling for new business. Meeting new friends is a great way to advance your career.
Change and Challenge
One thing about sales careers is that there is always change and challenge to deal with. Change and challenge are two of the reasons why people do not like to sell. But for those that are up for change and challenge, they are motivating factors. Selling isn't for everybody. In fact, most people would never, ever consider it. However, there are some hearty souls who thrive in this environment.
Doing Good
Mark Thelen defined selling as activity based on a fair exchange of value. After the sale is made both sides are better off. To be more specific, professional salespeople are problem solvers. Salespeople offer and deliver solutions to problems and are compensated with money. In my mind problem-solving is a do good activity.
Your Company and Your Colleagues
Another rewarding side effect for successful salespeople is the benefit they share with their company and their colleagues. Revenue generated by sales, keeps the lights on and keeps the company working. So, selling is essential for business and industry to survive and thrive. To a sales professional, that fact alone is a reward far beyond financial.
What's Not to Like?
Other than the obvious world of hard work, competition, severe rejection, constant change, and insecurity, what's not to like about selling?
After almost 40 years in the field I can say without a doubt that selling is the greatest profession of them all. I've talked about a lot of negatives associated with sales. They include challenges like hard work, competition, rejection, change and instability that face salespeople on a daily basis. But on the other hand, there is a tremendous upside to the sales profession that puts it in a class of its own.
Skills are Industry Transferable.
Sales skills are industry transferable. Technology changes and companies come and go, but the fundamentals of selling remain the same. Sure, there are new tactics tools strategies that modify behavior and results of sales activities, but in my opinion, if you can sell widgets, you can sell do-dads. Productive salespeople are always employable.
No Limits
What excites most productive salespeople and motivates them to excellence is the fact that there are no practical limits on their earnings. Sure, some sales jobs are salary based in with bonus, quotas and other rules of compensation, but when the dust settles, salespeople are paid what they're worth. If not, the move on or are terminated. I have yet to hear an owner, manager or an executive ever tell a salesperson to slowdown. Salespeople exist to generate business and revenue and no rationally thinking business executive would ever slow down a productive salesperson.
Freedom
Most salespeople enjoy freedom that is not shared by others in the workforce. Something as simple as being able to drive to the bank or stop for coffee or to plan your day is taken for granted by salespeople. That freedom would be very precious factor to most working people. Arriving at the same office or cubicle or desk or shipping counter and doing the same exact thing every day for 40 years would have not made me happy. I have always valued the freedoms inherent with my outside sales jobs.
New Friends
An attribute of most successful salespeople, is their eagerness and ability to meet and deal with strangers. Over time, and if things go right, those strangers become friends. I once employed, a young salesman, who had never sold before. He asked me what he should do. I told him to go out and meet people. He came back and told me that there is a problem, because many of the new people he met wanted to talk about our products and services. I pointed out that what he was really doing was cold calling for new business. Meeting new friends is a great way to advance your career.
Change and Challenge
One thing about sales careers is that there is always change and challenge to deal with. Change and challenge are two of the reasons why people do not like to sell. But for those that are up for change and challenge, they are motivating factors. Selling isn't for everybody. In fact, most people would never, ever consider it. However, there are some hearty souls who thrive in this environment.
Doing Good
Mark Thelen defined selling as activity based on a fair exchange of value. After the sale is made both sides are better off. To be more specific, professional salespeople are problem solvers. Salespeople offer and deliver solutions to problems and are compensated with money. In my mind problem-solving is a do good activity.
Your Company and Your Colleagues
Another rewarding side effect for successful salespeople is the benefit they share with their company and their colleagues. Revenue generated by sales, keeps the lights on and keeps the company working. So, selling is essential for business and industry to survive and thrive. To a sales professional, that fact alone is a reward far beyond financial.
What's Not to Like?
Other than the obvious world of hard work, competition, severe rejection, constant change, and insecurity, what's not to like about selling?
Friday, April 24, 2009
Sales Jobs Are Secure...Part II
When noting the reasons why people don’t like to sell, I mentioned that selling isn’t secure. In reality, salespeople are very secure if they understand and practice their profession. I believe that sales skills are industry transferable. If a salesperson changes companies or industries, they do need to learn their new environment, but they will not have forgotten the principles of selling.
Outside Factors
Things go wrong in business and industry. There are a variety of outside factors that can upset sales careers. In April of 2009, if your job is selling capital equipment to General Motors, you are probably having a tough time making quota. Does that mean that you don’t understand or have forgotten how to sell? Not exactly. How are typewriter ribbon sales these days? Carbon paper salespeople are non-existent. They moved on.
Good Salespeople Adapt to Change.
In the mid-1980’s I sold computer systems to doctors. The first few systems we delivered did not have hard drives. They had a floppy drive for programs and one for data. As time went on, bigger capacity hard drives were introduced to computers for more data storage. These were exciting times. First there was a 5 mega-byte hard drive, then 10, 20, 40 and 80 mega-byte drives. One day we were introduced to the new 190 mega-byte hard drive. It was incredible. The retail price was $9,750 each. We sold them as fast as we could get them in stock and made a bundle. Over the years the prices of computer hardware fell to a point where there wasn’t enough profit in them to even sell hardware anymore. The irony of it all is that I can buy a 4 giga-byte thumb drive at the check out counter at my local drug store for about $20. One day they will be free. What did the evolution of computer hardware pricing have to do with sales skills? Nothing.
Bad Company
When things go wrong salespeople are the first to get flashlights shined into their faces. They get blamed for just about everything. In reality a bad economy, an evolving industry, a weak company or bad leadership can torpedo the progress of the best salespeople. Job security depends as much on the sales environment as on the person.
Who Needs Security?
If you can sell, you are employable. What business can you think of that doesn’t want or need revenue? Revenue occurs when sales are made. Salespeople are indispensable to business.
The Answer
If you are a skilled and hard working salesperson who is underachieving or displaced, step back and evaluate the lay of the land. Are you working for the wrong company in the wrong industry? Healthcare, government and energy are running on all cylinders these days. There are other segments that are thriving. Pick one and go there. Sometimes the problem is not you.
Outside Factors
Things go wrong in business and industry. There are a variety of outside factors that can upset sales careers. In April of 2009, if your job is selling capital equipment to General Motors, you are probably having a tough time making quota. Does that mean that you don’t understand or have forgotten how to sell? Not exactly. How are typewriter ribbon sales these days? Carbon paper salespeople are non-existent. They moved on.
Good Salespeople Adapt to Change.
In the mid-1980’s I sold computer systems to doctors. The first few systems we delivered did not have hard drives. They had a floppy drive for programs and one for data. As time went on, bigger capacity hard drives were introduced to computers for more data storage. These were exciting times. First there was a 5 mega-byte hard drive, then 10, 20, 40 and 80 mega-byte drives. One day we were introduced to the new 190 mega-byte hard drive. It was incredible. The retail price was $9,750 each. We sold them as fast as we could get them in stock and made a bundle. Over the years the prices of computer hardware fell to a point where there wasn’t enough profit in them to even sell hardware anymore. The irony of it all is that I can buy a 4 giga-byte thumb drive at the check out counter at my local drug store for about $20. One day they will be free. What did the evolution of computer hardware pricing have to do with sales skills? Nothing.
Bad Company
When things go wrong salespeople are the first to get flashlights shined into their faces. They get blamed for just about everything. In reality a bad economy, an evolving industry, a weak company or bad leadership can torpedo the progress of the best salespeople. Job security depends as much on the sales environment as on the person.
Who Needs Security?
If you can sell, you are employable. What business can you think of that doesn’t want or need revenue? Revenue occurs when sales are made. Salespeople are indispensable to business.
The Answer
If you are a skilled and hard working salesperson who is underachieving or displaced, step back and evaluate the lay of the land. Are you working for the wrong company in the wrong industry? Healthcare, government and energy are running on all cylinders these days. There are other segments that are thriving. Pick one and go there. Sometimes the problem is not you.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Sales Jobs Are Secure
I watched a television news show that featured a man who lost his job as a salesman and is having problems making ends meet. In the spirit of kind understanding, I still have a tough time comprehending why salespeople are unemployed. I understand that the economy is soft and there are a lot of factors in play, but there is always opportunity for salespeople who can sell. America hasn’t shut down and people are still buying and selling.
Selling During The Good Times
In the 1980’s and early 1990’s I was a partner in a technology company that sold patient and insurance billing systems to physicians. The market was strong. There was a real need and we were the leading provider in the space.
Growing My Company
I followed a simple plan to grow the company. I hired a new salesperson every ninety days. They received a guaranteed salary and expenses for a 90 day period. At the end of 90 days, the guarantee became a draw versus commission pay plan, freeing up the guarantee budget for the next hire’s ramp-up. Salespeople who sold systems at my company made a lot of money under this program. There was no cap on earnings. The sky was the limit. Because of the open ended earnings opportunity, I attracted hard working, ambitious men and women. Our sales force was the best in the business, hands down.
Hands on Sales Management
As a Sales Manager, I stayed very close to my sales team. We were in constant communication. Everyone was a required to attend a weekly sales meeting followed by a short private meeting with me to go over their sales report. The report was a simple pipeline report that gave me the information I needed to evaluate the person’s performance. Of course, the ultimate metric was a sales contract and deposit check.
Ramping–up a Newbie
One of my new sales hires was inexperienced. He had never sold before I hired him. It didn’t bother me because he was well educated, a good communicator and presented well. When I hired him it was understood that he was inexperienced in sales, but was very interested in learning and would give it his best shot. I did not think it was too much of a risk because of his background and the straightforward nature of our products and services.
Extra Attention
New sales hires were required to meet with me every day, in addition to the weekly meetings. I wanted to make sure that the person succeeded and was determined to do whatever it took to make that happen.
Sales is a Hard Job
OK, not everyone is cut out to sell. Remember, selling is hard work, it’s competitive, you mostly get rejected, things are always changing and there isn’t job security for those who don’t perform.
Code Red Alert
It took about eight weeks for me to question if I was getting the kind of effort I needed out of this fellow. He was saying the right things and produced all required reports and information on time. Early in his tenure he reported a handful of doctors who will be placing their orders anytime. That’s was great news. What eventually got my attention, and put me on alert, as the weeks went by, was that these same names continued to show up on reports with no movement. There were no new names. Red flag!
Check the Facts
As the ninety day ramp-up started to wind down, it was clear that if he didn’t close one of the deals on his report he would fail. He didn’t have anything else in his pipeline. I decided to find out the truth for myself. I called each prospect on the list. I introduced myself as the salesman’s supervisor and inquired about their pending purchase. “I there anything I can do to help your purchase decision along?” Very sadly none of them intended to buy a computer system from us, at least not anytime soon.
Tough Love
I had to fire him. It was tough love. He squandered his opportunity either by not working or not working smart. Either way, he had to go. He cried, I cried and then I walked him out. I wasted time and money, but moved on to the next hire and continued to build my sales staff and my company.
Lack of Work
A few weeks later, I opened a letter from our local unemployment office. This fellow had applied for unemployment insurance. The reason was lack of work. Lack of work? That upset me. Salespeople make work. Incredibly, I fought the claim and won.
Sales Jobs Are Secure
The lesson for aspiring salespeople is that you are measured, and will always be measured, by your production. If you sell your products and services and earn money for yourself and your employer you are very, very secure.
Selling During The Good Times
In the 1980’s and early 1990’s I was a partner in a technology company that sold patient and insurance billing systems to physicians. The market was strong. There was a real need and we were the leading provider in the space.
Growing My Company
I followed a simple plan to grow the company. I hired a new salesperson every ninety days. They received a guaranteed salary and expenses for a 90 day period. At the end of 90 days, the guarantee became a draw versus commission pay plan, freeing up the guarantee budget for the next hire’s ramp-up. Salespeople who sold systems at my company made a lot of money under this program. There was no cap on earnings. The sky was the limit. Because of the open ended earnings opportunity, I attracted hard working, ambitious men and women. Our sales force was the best in the business, hands down.
Hands on Sales Management
As a Sales Manager, I stayed very close to my sales team. We were in constant communication. Everyone was a required to attend a weekly sales meeting followed by a short private meeting with me to go over their sales report. The report was a simple pipeline report that gave me the information I needed to evaluate the person’s performance. Of course, the ultimate metric was a sales contract and deposit check.
Ramping–up a Newbie
One of my new sales hires was inexperienced. He had never sold before I hired him. It didn’t bother me because he was well educated, a good communicator and presented well. When I hired him it was understood that he was inexperienced in sales, but was very interested in learning and would give it his best shot. I did not think it was too much of a risk because of his background and the straightforward nature of our products and services.
Extra Attention
New sales hires were required to meet with me every day, in addition to the weekly meetings. I wanted to make sure that the person succeeded and was determined to do whatever it took to make that happen.
Sales is a Hard Job
OK, not everyone is cut out to sell. Remember, selling is hard work, it’s competitive, you mostly get rejected, things are always changing and there isn’t job security for those who don’t perform.
Code Red Alert
It took about eight weeks for me to question if I was getting the kind of effort I needed out of this fellow. He was saying the right things and produced all required reports and information on time. Early in his tenure he reported a handful of doctors who will be placing their orders anytime. That’s was great news. What eventually got my attention, and put me on alert, as the weeks went by, was that these same names continued to show up on reports with no movement. There were no new names. Red flag!
Check the Facts
As the ninety day ramp-up started to wind down, it was clear that if he didn’t close one of the deals on his report he would fail. He didn’t have anything else in his pipeline. I decided to find out the truth for myself. I called each prospect on the list. I introduced myself as the salesman’s supervisor and inquired about their pending purchase. “I there anything I can do to help your purchase decision along?” Very sadly none of them intended to buy a computer system from us, at least not anytime soon.
Tough Love
I had to fire him. It was tough love. He squandered his opportunity either by not working or not working smart. Either way, he had to go. He cried, I cried and then I walked him out. I wasted time and money, but moved on to the next hire and continued to build my sales staff and my company.
Lack of Work
A few weeks later, I opened a letter from our local unemployment office. This fellow had applied for unemployment insurance. The reason was lack of work. Lack of work? That upset me. Salespeople make work. Incredibly, I fought the claim and won.
Sales Jobs Are Secure
The lesson for aspiring salespeople is that you are measured, and will always be measured, by your production. If you sell your products and services and earn money for yourself and your employer you are very, very secure.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Get Help...Get it Now. Don't Wait.
Get Answers. Get Them Now
The answer to slipping sales during tough economic times is to work harder, work smarter and to leverage any and all available strategies, tools and tactics to fight for and land a bigger piece of the smaller pie that is our current economy.
I See it Everyday
I spend a lot of my time working with small and mid-sized Michigan based manufacturers, distributors and allied businesses. They are hurting.
Grim Realities
My clients share similar profiles and find themselves in one or more of the following categories…
“I purchased the business. My industry and my customers are hurting. My business volume is way down. I don’t know how to sell. I don’t know what to do.”
“I have come to realize that my sales staff are account managers and order takers. They are terrific with existing customers but can’t seem to land new clients. Now what?”
“We have better products, services and pricing than our competitors. Why aren’t our customers calling and placing orders? It doesn’t make sense. I hope business gets better soon.”
“I inherited my business and my customers. My industry and my customers are hurting. Sales have disappeared. What can I do?”
“All of my business was generated by manufacturer’s representatives. They have stopped selling. Now what should I do?”
“I built up my customer base years ago. I used to know how to sell but have spent the last decade or two providing service to my existing customer base and have lost my selling edge. I don’t have answers.”
Help is Everywhere
There is hope for any struggling business. Help is everywhere. If you need to turn things around, start by checking in with your Chamber of Commerce. Next, ask around and visit your local business networking groups. In Michigan there are County and State departments that provide free counseling for struggling businesses. Sometimes there is grant money available to help turn things around. Organizations like SPARK in Ann Arbor, Automation Alley in Oakland County, PTAC and TechTown at Wayne State University offer programs, networking and support services dedicated to helping business and industry. Wow! Help is everywhere.
Tools of Change
Next, check out the incredible tools that can help you get your message out to potential new customers, possibly in new industries. SwiftPage or Constant Contact are inexpensive and powerful tools that allow you to create, launch and manage e-mail campaigns. Blogger.com is a free tool to create and publish your message and will establish you as a subject matter expert. Linkedin is a free social network dedicated to business and industry. Microsoft Shared View is a free software tool that empowers you to make presentation on the Internet. Get the picture?
Plan
Creating a plan to take advantage of available help and tools is essential to making positive change happen. You must have a plan. No plan – no go.
Do
Execute. By all means, execute on your plan. Meet people, tell your story, ask for help, ask for referrals, broadcast information, make phone calls, ask for appointments, ask what it will take to do business with you and, by all means, ask for orders. Do it. Do a lot of everything.
Get Ideas…Get Positive and Stay Positive
Finally, buy a magazine, buy a book, buy a CD, attend a sales conference, and get marketing and sales training. Like my upcoming 2009 Success Express seminar and workshop events. There is a wealth of great information that will fill your head with useful, positive and happy information that will get you through your ordeal. Personally, I recommend Tom Hopkins material. He gets it and is interesting and funny. You can find him on Amazon.com
Can’t Do It? No Problem!
If you can’t do it yourself, there are people like myself who are available to help and guide you as you take control of your circumstances and turn things around. We are here to help. Just write or call.
The answer to slipping sales during tough economic times is to work harder, work smarter and to leverage any and all available strategies, tools and tactics to fight for and land a bigger piece of the smaller pie that is our current economy.
I See it Everyday
I spend a lot of my time working with small and mid-sized Michigan based manufacturers, distributors and allied businesses. They are hurting.
Grim Realities
My clients share similar profiles and find themselves in one or more of the following categories…
“I purchased the business. My industry and my customers are hurting. My business volume is way down. I don’t know how to sell. I don’t know what to do.”
“I have come to realize that my sales staff are account managers and order takers. They are terrific with existing customers but can’t seem to land new clients. Now what?”
“We have better products, services and pricing than our competitors. Why aren’t our customers calling and placing orders? It doesn’t make sense. I hope business gets better soon.”
“I inherited my business and my customers. My industry and my customers are hurting. Sales have disappeared. What can I do?”
“All of my business was generated by manufacturer’s representatives. They have stopped selling. Now what should I do?”
“I built up my customer base years ago. I used to know how to sell but have spent the last decade or two providing service to my existing customer base and have lost my selling edge. I don’t have answers.”
Help is Everywhere
There is hope for any struggling business. Help is everywhere. If you need to turn things around, start by checking in with your Chamber of Commerce. Next, ask around and visit your local business networking groups. In Michigan there are County and State departments that provide free counseling for struggling businesses. Sometimes there is grant money available to help turn things around. Organizations like SPARK in Ann Arbor, Automation Alley in Oakland County, PTAC and TechTown at Wayne State University offer programs, networking and support services dedicated to helping business and industry. Wow! Help is everywhere.
Tools of Change
Next, check out the incredible tools that can help you get your message out to potential new customers, possibly in new industries. SwiftPage or Constant Contact are inexpensive and powerful tools that allow you to create, launch and manage e-mail campaigns. Blogger.com is a free tool to create and publish your message and will establish you as a subject matter expert. Linkedin is a free social network dedicated to business and industry. Microsoft Shared View is a free software tool that empowers you to make presentation on the Internet. Get the picture?
Plan
Creating a plan to take advantage of available help and tools is essential to making positive change happen. You must have a plan. No plan – no go.
Do
Execute. By all means, execute on your plan. Meet people, tell your story, ask for help, ask for referrals, broadcast information, make phone calls, ask for appointments, ask what it will take to do business with you and, by all means, ask for orders. Do it. Do a lot of everything.
Get Ideas…Get Positive and Stay Positive
Finally, buy a magazine, buy a book, buy a CD, attend a sales conference, and get marketing and sales training. Like my upcoming 2009 Success Express seminar and workshop events. There is a wealth of great information that will fill your head with useful, positive and happy information that will get you through your ordeal. Personally, I recommend Tom Hopkins material. He gets it and is interesting and funny. You can find him on Amazon.com
Can’t Do It? No Problem!
If you can’t do it yourself, there are people like myself who are available to help and guide you as you take control of your circumstances and turn things around. We are here to help. Just write or call.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
It's All About You...Or Is It?
A Star Was Born
In 1970, after three miserable months in Life Insurance sales and after attending Dale Carnegie sales training, I landed my first career opportunity. My job was selling medical supplies to doctors in their offices. My sales manager, Earl Howie (think Dick Van Dyke), was the best sales manager I have ever had the privilege to work for or work with.
You Don't Know What You Don't Know
My territory was the East Side of the City of Detroit. I was unaware that the territory had never produced for the firm. I was grateful for the chance to work and support my young family. I received a salary for my first 90 days and then was paid with a draw against commission earnings. I also didn’t really understand or appreciate the path I was on. Was I a green bean, a cupcake or just plain naive? I was probably all three.
Real Leadership
Earl was dedicated to my success, his success and in the welfare of the company. During my first 90 days, I had a daily early morning appointment with Earl in his office for 30 – 60 minutes of personal training. He taught me everything I needed to know about the products, our customers and how to sell. His commitment to me went way beyond my expectations. Because of his training, I was able to sit for a test and earned my “Certified Consultancy” from the Health Industries Manufacturers Association.
Me, Me, Me
My commission earnings immediately exceeded my draw and I never looked back. I was a star at my company, with our vendors and in the local medical supply circles. I was the kid that did what others couldn’t do...make money selling in the city. I deserved a lot of the credit. After all, I studied and worked hard. I learned what I needed to do and performed.
Selling is a Team Sport
What I did not totally appreciate was the leadership, support and company infrastructure that was as important to my success as my newly developed skills and execution. My company represented the best product lines in the industry. They kept stock levels high and could fulfil the orders I entered. Our prices were competitive and my colleagues were the most professional group in the business. In other words…a perfect environment in which to succeed.
In Memoriam
There was something else I had never considered as a factor in my success. Many before me attempted to conquer the Detroit territory and had failed. In reality, the failure of those that had preceded me set the stage for me to reach the top. Their failures contributed to my success. The irony is that the last occupant of my desk was really close to making it. He was close. If he would have stuck it out a little longer he very well may have enjoyed what I inherited. He gave up.
The Lesson
Who you work for, who you work with, what you sell and who went before you are as important to your success as you are.
In 1970, after three miserable months in Life Insurance sales and after attending Dale Carnegie sales training, I landed my first career opportunity. My job was selling medical supplies to doctors in their offices. My sales manager, Earl Howie (think Dick Van Dyke), was the best sales manager I have ever had the privilege to work for or work with.
You Don't Know What You Don't Know
My territory was the East Side of the City of Detroit. I was unaware that the territory had never produced for the firm. I was grateful for the chance to work and support my young family. I received a salary for my first 90 days and then was paid with a draw against commission earnings. I also didn’t really understand or appreciate the path I was on. Was I a green bean, a cupcake or just plain naive? I was probably all three.
Real Leadership
Earl was dedicated to my success, his success and in the welfare of the company. During my first 90 days, I had a daily early morning appointment with Earl in his office for 30 – 60 minutes of personal training. He taught me everything I needed to know about the products, our customers and how to sell. His commitment to me went way beyond my expectations. Because of his training, I was able to sit for a test and earned my “Certified Consultancy” from the Health Industries Manufacturers Association.
Me, Me, Me
My commission earnings immediately exceeded my draw and I never looked back. I was a star at my company, with our vendors and in the local medical supply circles. I was the kid that did what others couldn’t do...make money selling in the city. I deserved a lot of the credit. After all, I studied and worked hard. I learned what I needed to do and performed.
Selling is a Team Sport
What I did not totally appreciate was the leadership, support and company infrastructure that was as important to my success as my newly developed skills and execution. My company represented the best product lines in the industry. They kept stock levels high and could fulfil the orders I entered. Our prices were competitive and my colleagues were the most professional group in the business. In other words…a perfect environment in which to succeed.
In Memoriam
There was something else I had never considered as a factor in my success. Many before me attempted to conquer the Detroit territory and had failed. In reality, the failure of those that had preceded me set the stage for me to reach the top. Their failures contributed to my success. The irony is that the last occupant of my desk was really close to making it. He was close. If he would have stuck it out a little longer he very well may have enjoyed what I inherited. He gave up.
The Lesson
Who you work for, who you work with, what you sell and who went before you are as important to your success as you are.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Food For Thought
Things are moving quickly in the world of promotion, marketing and sales. I have barely recovered from learning about Google ad words, RSS feeds and Linkedin and now I have to figure out Twitter and Tweets. Technology is spinning fast. Hang on and enjoy the ride.
Is Technology the Answer?
Technology is a big part of the puzzle, but if we hang our hat on and rely exclusively on high tech tools and toys to drive our business we may be disappointed.
Seminar Selling…an Old Friend
I have always liked seminar selling. There is nothing high tech about it. You target some new friends, tune up your message, book a room, send an invitation, follow-up with a phone call and talk to the group at the appointed day and time. If you feed them, your response will be even better.
My Biggest Sale
In the mid-1980’s I hosted a seminar on a snowy Friday at the Holiday Inn in Grand Rapids. At the time I was selling Medical Billing Systems. The turnout was poor. Three attended. One Doctor slept through the entire presentation. I had lots of donuts left when the meeting was over. The results? The two that stayed awake were part of a computer software search team for the Michigan State University Department of Human Medicine. Friends, they purchased a medical billing system for every clinic in their network. Their referral caused the University of Wisconsin to make a similar purchase. These sales were responsible for my best year ever. The irony of the story is that I probably would not have met these people any other way.
My Biggest Save
A few years ago, a good friend of mine asked me to help him sell his Internet services to C-Level Executives at Fortune 500 Companies. I’m not sure if you have every tried to make a sales call on these men and women, but take my word for it, it is very difficult to get them on the phone, let alone book an audience with them. My friend was running out of money while being hard pressed by his board of directors to make a sale. The curtain was falling. My answer was simple. We would make the “C’s” an offer they might accept. I went on the road and hosted luncheons in most major cities at the best restaurants in town. The luncheons were reasonably well attended and because of it I landed a major contract that helped the company secure a million dollars in funding. The travel was grueling, but seminar selling was the answer for my friend and client.
Breakfast at the Coney Island Restaurant
Another good friend of mine sells point of sale (POS) computer systems to specialty retail stores. He is one of the brightest guys I know. He recently hired me to train and coach his sales staff and design programs to uncover opportunities, qualify leads and make sales. Really, who doesn’t want that? Among the problems we faced is that the retailers are hurting in this economy like everyone else. They are also hard to sell because they are busy working long hours at their stores during the day and evenings. A retail store is not an ideal venue for a sales call or a software presentation. I suggested that he host a breakfast seminar to attract prospects and to qualify leads. My idea was accepted. A venue was secured, a hard hitting message was created, and an invitation was mailed to 150 specialty retailers, followed by a phone call. To my delight, 15 retailers attended the breakfast. My friend delivered a terrific presentation and he certainly will sell point-of-sales computer systems to a handful of the attendees. Wow.
Old School Still Works
Seminar selling remains a solid tactic to attract and qualify prospects. Seminars are time tested. They do require careful strategic planning and execution and must deliver value to succeed. I strongly suggest that you consider seminars to build your business.
Tweet!
Is Technology the Answer?
Technology is a big part of the puzzle, but if we hang our hat on and rely exclusively on high tech tools and toys to drive our business we may be disappointed.
Seminar Selling…an Old Friend
I have always liked seminar selling. There is nothing high tech about it. You target some new friends, tune up your message, book a room, send an invitation, follow-up with a phone call and talk to the group at the appointed day and time. If you feed them, your response will be even better.
My Biggest Sale
In the mid-1980’s I hosted a seminar on a snowy Friday at the Holiday Inn in Grand Rapids. At the time I was selling Medical Billing Systems. The turnout was poor. Three attended. One Doctor slept through the entire presentation. I had lots of donuts left when the meeting was over. The results? The two that stayed awake were part of a computer software search team for the Michigan State University Department of Human Medicine. Friends, they purchased a medical billing system for every clinic in their network. Their referral caused the University of Wisconsin to make a similar purchase. These sales were responsible for my best year ever. The irony of the story is that I probably would not have met these people any other way.
My Biggest Save
A few years ago, a good friend of mine asked me to help him sell his Internet services to C-Level Executives at Fortune 500 Companies. I’m not sure if you have every tried to make a sales call on these men and women, but take my word for it, it is very difficult to get them on the phone, let alone book an audience with them. My friend was running out of money while being hard pressed by his board of directors to make a sale. The curtain was falling. My answer was simple. We would make the “C’s” an offer they might accept. I went on the road and hosted luncheons in most major cities at the best restaurants in town. The luncheons were reasonably well attended and because of it I landed a major contract that helped the company secure a million dollars in funding. The travel was grueling, but seminar selling was the answer for my friend and client.
Breakfast at the Coney Island Restaurant
Another good friend of mine sells point of sale (POS) computer systems to specialty retail stores. He is one of the brightest guys I know. He recently hired me to train and coach his sales staff and design programs to uncover opportunities, qualify leads and make sales. Really, who doesn’t want that? Among the problems we faced is that the retailers are hurting in this economy like everyone else. They are also hard to sell because they are busy working long hours at their stores during the day and evenings. A retail store is not an ideal venue for a sales call or a software presentation. I suggested that he host a breakfast seminar to attract prospects and to qualify leads. My idea was accepted. A venue was secured, a hard hitting message was created, and an invitation was mailed to 150 specialty retailers, followed by a phone call. To my delight, 15 retailers attended the breakfast. My friend delivered a terrific presentation and he certainly will sell point-of-sales computer systems to a handful of the attendees. Wow.
Old School Still Works
Seminar selling remains a solid tactic to attract and qualify prospects. Seminars are time tested. They do require careful strategic planning and execution and must deliver value to succeed. I strongly suggest that you consider seminars to build your business.
Tweet!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Qualifying Leads
Qualifying leads is a very important part of the sales process.
The concept is straightforward. Do not spend your valuable time attempting to sell to people who are not qualified to be your customer. Your time should be spent with prospects that you have a fair shot at selling.
Before you can qualify leads as those who meet your requirements, determine what “qualified” means to you. For years, I would not spend time with any prospect unless they clearly had a need, a budget and could make a decision. Without investing too much time you can ask a few questions to your prospect to determine if they are qualified and to what degree they are qualified to do business with you.
Here are some common sense ideas to consider when qualifying prospects.
Need
From your experience, you already know the profile of a good customer. They may really need what you are selling but don’t see the value. The chance you take by spending time with an “unaware of their needs” prospect is that they may never understand and you will have wasted your time. The solution is to invest a few minutes in a great consultative sales call by phone or in person to get them to acknowledge their needs. You accomplish this by asking probing questions and getting them to agree that they need what you have to sell.
Budget
There are business cycles where prospects are not inclined to spend money. Just like prospects that don’t see a need for your product or service; they may not see any value in buying from you. Assuming you are offering something of value that streamlines operations, cuts costs or creates revenue, it is up to you to engage in a consultative conversation to get the prospect thinking right about the value they will enjoy by working with you. Qualifying the budget might be as simple as offering terms or waiting until next month when they will have the money.
Decision Making
Decision making is a formidable roadblock to the sales process. If you spend time working a non-decision maker you are probably wasting your time. The non-decision maker, at best, will tell your story to the decision maker if they are convinced that you have something of value to consider. I don’t want to rely on a non-decision maker to tell my story to their boss. The facts will surely be mixed up or omitted and questions will go unanswered. A good strategy here is to ask your contact who the decision maker is and insist that they participate in your process.
It’s Your Call
Who you chase and under what circumstances you launch your campaigns is your call. I have successfully pursued opportunities that were less than qualified based on a sense or feeling that I could make the sale.
I guess the rule of thumb is that if you’re flush with highly qualified leads you can enforce strict rules. Common sense says that if your sales funnel is empty, you should work less than qualified leads.
More Leads
The best strategy to increase the number of qualified leads in your sales funnel is to prospect for more leads. (Duh!) There are some powerful emerging tools and tactics that will help you to increase your volume of sales opportunities.
More to Come…
The concept is straightforward. Do not spend your valuable time attempting to sell to people who are not qualified to be your customer. Your time should be spent with prospects that you have a fair shot at selling.
Before you can qualify leads as those who meet your requirements, determine what “qualified” means to you. For years, I would not spend time with any prospect unless they clearly had a need, a budget and could make a decision. Without investing too much time you can ask a few questions to your prospect to determine if they are qualified and to what degree they are qualified to do business with you.
Here are some common sense ideas to consider when qualifying prospects.
Need
From your experience, you already know the profile of a good customer. They may really need what you are selling but don’t see the value. The chance you take by spending time with an “unaware of their needs” prospect is that they may never understand and you will have wasted your time. The solution is to invest a few minutes in a great consultative sales call by phone or in person to get them to acknowledge their needs. You accomplish this by asking probing questions and getting them to agree that they need what you have to sell.
Budget
There are business cycles where prospects are not inclined to spend money. Just like prospects that don’t see a need for your product or service; they may not see any value in buying from you. Assuming you are offering something of value that streamlines operations, cuts costs or creates revenue, it is up to you to engage in a consultative conversation to get the prospect thinking right about the value they will enjoy by working with you. Qualifying the budget might be as simple as offering terms or waiting until next month when they will have the money.
Decision Making
Decision making is a formidable roadblock to the sales process. If you spend time working a non-decision maker you are probably wasting your time. The non-decision maker, at best, will tell your story to the decision maker if they are convinced that you have something of value to consider. I don’t want to rely on a non-decision maker to tell my story to their boss. The facts will surely be mixed up or omitted and questions will go unanswered. A good strategy here is to ask your contact who the decision maker is and insist that they participate in your process.
It’s Your Call
Who you chase and under what circumstances you launch your campaigns is your call. I have successfully pursued opportunities that were less than qualified based on a sense or feeling that I could make the sale.
I guess the rule of thumb is that if you’re flush with highly qualified leads you can enforce strict rules. Common sense says that if your sales funnel is empty, you should work less than qualified leads.
More Leads
The best strategy to increase the number of qualified leads in your sales funnel is to prospect for more leads. (Duh!) There are some powerful emerging tools and tactics that will help you to increase your volume of sales opportunities.
More to Come…
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Hang in There
A Dartnell study from a while ago determined that the average business to business sale is made on the fifth sales call. They also learned that forty-eight percent of salespeople don’t make the second call. Almost half of sales people are statistically out of the competition after the first call. I’m not going to dispute their numbers. They are close enough for me.
We all know that a minority of salespeople make most of the sales. There are a number of reasons why some thrive while others just survive.
Some of the success factors are within the power of individuals to manage. Other factors are out of our control. Is there a market for your product or service? If so who are the buyers and why do they buy from you? If you are selling carbon paper you are out of luck no matter how good you are.
Part of a successful sales career is the ability to accept rejection. It goes with the landscape. We mostly lose and win once in a while. That happens to be enough to make a good to great living.
Good to great
What separates the good from the great? If you’ve been with me for a while you know that I believe that a slight edge wins the day in sales and every other competitive activity.
Don’t give up too soon
Let’s go back to the forty-eight percent of salespeople who don’t make the second call. I believe that these people gave up on their lead too soon. OK, sometimes there is no hope, but most of the time they give up too soon. For those that give up because they are going through the motions and don’t really care, I can’t help you. If you aren’t getting the results you need and care, here is some good advice that will help you break through barriers and land the second encounter.
Ask another question or two…
If your prospect tells you “no” or “not interested” and if you terminate the call, you are selling yourself short. You must ask the next question and then another question. By doing so, you’ll find out what it will take to move the sales forward or really confirm that there is no opportunity.
Let’s role play
Here are some examples of the right and wrong way to handle a prospect for your product or service.
This is the wrong way:
“I’m not interested”
“OK, good bye”
This is a much better tactic:
“I’m not interested”
“Why not?”
“I can’t afford your product”
“What if we offered twelve easy payments?”
“Now I’m interested. Tell me more”
It’s just that simple
The message is clear. If you give up too easily and bail out too early you will squander a lot of opportunities and leave them for others to close. If you will just condition yourself to ask one or two more questions when on the phone or in front of your prospect, some prospects will open up and give you what you need to develop your sales opportunity. Now...step over the line into the fifty percent of salespeople who earn the chance to make the second call and develop new business by not giving up too soon.
We all know that a minority of salespeople make most of the sales. There are a number of reasons why some thrive while others just survive.
Some of the success factors are within the power of individuals to manage. Other factors are out of our control. Is there a market for your product or service? If so who are the buyers and why do they buy from you? If you are selling carbon paper you are out of luck no matter how good you are.
Part of a successful sales career is the ability to accept rejection. It goes with the landscape. We mostly lose and win once in a while. That happens to be enough to make a good to great living.
Good to great
What separates the good from the great? If you’ve been with me for a while you know that I believe that a slight edge wins the day in sales and every other competitive activity.
Don’t give up too soon
Let’s go back to the forty-eight percent of salespeople who don’t make the second call. I believe that these people gave up on their lead too soon. OK, sometimes there is no hope, but most of the time they give up too soon. For those that give up because they are going through the motions and don’t really care, I can’t help you. If you aren’t getting the results you need and care, here is some good advice that will help you break through barriers and land the second encounter.
Ask another question or two…
If your prospect tells you “no” or “not interested” and if you terminate the call, you are selling yourself short. You must ask the next question and then another question. By doing so, you’ll find out what it will take to move the sales forward or really confirm that there is no opportunity.
Let’s role play
Here are some examples of the right and wrong way to handle a prospect for your product or service.
This is the wrong way:
“I’m not interested”
“OK, good bye”
This is a much better tactic:
“I’m not interested”
“Why not?”
“I can’t afford your product”
“What if we offered twelve easy payments?”
“Now I’m interested. Tell me more”
It’s just that simple
The message is clear. If you give up too easily and bail out too early you will squander a lot of opportunities and leave them for others to close. If you will just condition yourself to ask one or two more questions when on the phone or in front of your prospect, some prospects will open up and give you what you need to develop your sales opportunity. Now...step over the line into the fifty percent of salespeople who earn the chance to make the second call and develop new business by not giving up too soon.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Be the Answer
It is no secret that the business climate has toughened up for everyone. Commerce has slowed down, particularly in the Detroit area, but it has not stopped. Transactions are still happening, money is still changing hands, and value is still being exchanged. Let’s say that the glass is half full.
A lot of local firms are struggling with slumping sales and don’t quite know what to do about it. Some have been so busy servicing their customers during good times that they forgot how to hunt for new business. Others, who purchased or inherited existing companies, never really knew how to develop new clients.
Helping Hands
Sales consultants, sales coaches, business development programs, seminars and other sales information sources are doing a land office business. Events are sold out. Companies are looking for answers.
I recently wrote about the value of developing and maintaining a slight competitive edge as a tactic for winning business. I also have noted that you have to want to sell to be successful. And, that sales activities count toward success. More sales calls equal more sales. There is a more important truth. The path to recovering and rebuilding your business is based on problem solving.
Solving Problems
At the very core of the sales elite are problem solvers. They understand that buyers will invest in solutions to their problems. As a problem solver, you immediately separate yourself from the pack of order takers and underachievers.
Your product or service has value to someone. Do you have a clear understanding of who is served by and why they are better off for dealing with you? Figure it out. It’s the first step to business recovery. Problem solving is the essential factor in getting back in the hunt.
Be the Ball
“Be the ball” is a saying in sports that when roughly translated means to be focused on task like a laser beam. In the sport of sales you don’t need to be the ball but you do need to be the answer.
A lot of local firms are struggling with slumping sales and don’t quite know what to do about it. Some have been so busy servicing their customers during good times that they forgot how to hunt for new business. Others, who purchased or inherited existing companies, never really knew how to develop new clients.
Helping Hands
Sales consultants, sales coaches, business development programs, seminars and other sales information sources are doing a land office business. Events are sold out. Companies are looking for answers.
I recently wrote about the value of developing and maintaining a slight competitive edge as a tactic for winning business. I also have noted that you have to want to sell to be successful. And, that sales activities count toward success. More sales calls equal more sales. There is a more important truth. The path to recovering and rebuilding your business is based on problem solving.
Solving Problems
At the very core of the sales elite are problem solvers. They understand that buyers will invest in solutions to their problems. As a problem solver, you immediately separate yourself from the pack of order takers and underachievers.
Your product or service has value to someone. Do you have a clear understanding of who is served by and why they are better off for dealing with you? Figure it out. It’s the first step to business recovery. Problem solving is the essential factor in getting back in the hunt.
Be the Ball
“Be the ball” is a saying in sports that when roughly translated means to be focused on task like a laser beam. In the sport of sales you don’t need to be the ball but you do need to be the answer.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Why Most People Don't Like Selling
Why Don’t They Like to Sell?
After decades on the job I have been conditioned to deal with the negatives associated with selling. There are some things about selling that ordinary people don’t want to or can’t deal with.
Before going there, let’s review what real selling is. Mark Thelen said it best. “Selling is activity based on a fair exchange of value. After the transaction, both parties are better off.” Now what is wrong with that?
One other thing…top producing salespeople are well compensated. They are always among the top earners at their company. It’s a fact.
So why isn’t their a line to sign up for sales jobs? Why do most salespeople fail?
A couple of weeks ago, I was in the car listening to the Jim Rome radio show. Jim is a sports commentator and a funny guy. The day I tuned in he was rambling on about when he sold office machines. It was hilarious. He really hated the job and his rational was right on.
Why They Hate Selling
Selling is a competitive activity. If you don’t like fighting for business you probably aren’t fit for sales.
Selling is hard work. Successful salespeople not only have to work hard and long but they also have to work smart. More sales calls equal more sales. A lot of people don’t have the appetite to do what it takes to sell.
Salespeople take a beating. It’s continual. If you work the phones to book appointments it isn’t unusual to hear “no” a lot before getting to “yes”. The cold hard reality of selling is that you lose most of the time and win once in a while. It can wear on you. It can wear you out.
Business, markets, the economy, sales strategies, tactics and tools and the rules of conduct are constantly changing. I have just recently been introduced to blogcasts. Blogcasts? Really? What next? You can’t sit still in sales. You must be forward thinking or you will be left behind.
Selling jobs offer no security. Sales Executives want to know what you have done for them lately and what is pending. Selling is about results. Have a couple of bad months in a row and your popularity meter will fade.
Born to Sell?
No. Conditioning yourself to deal with the many negatives that constantly confront you is essential to a long and successful sales career.
Dealing with the Negatives
After just short of 40 years in the field, being in the trenches, fighting for every sales opportunity and doing my best to win every deal, I can speak with authority on how to live with the negative issues.
Start by understanding the sales landscape. Things happen. Circumstances set you back. There are hurdles that get in the way. Deal with them.
Rejection is the rule, acceptance is the exception. Don’t take rejection personal. If you care to take rejection personal, blame yourself, not your prospective client. Mark Thelen correctly pointed out that no is not no. No is non-yes. If you believe Mark, when no is the answer it is your fault. If you had done your job better the no would have been yes. If you believe this, as I do, you can fix what caused the no and try again.
This leads to taking responsibility for yourself and your outcomes. In a recent posting I discussed the concept of the slight edge. You earn a slight edge by knowing more about your market, products or services and the art and science of your profession. You also get the edge by working harder and smarter than your competition.
You Can Do It
The answer to why people aren’t attracted to selling or fail at sales is simple. Selling is very hard and there are lots of built in hurdles. You can become a top producing salesperson. The answer to enjoying a successful sales career is that you have to want to do it. If you want to sell you will. Face the negatives...deal with them. Things will become easier over time, you'll be happier and make a great living.
After decades on the job I have been conditioned to deal with the negatives associated with selling. There are some things about selling that ordinary people don’t want to or can’t deal with.
Before going there, let’s review what real selling is. Mark Thelen said it best. “Selling is activity based on a fair exchange of value. After the transaction, both parties are better off.” Now what is wrong with that?
One other thing…top producing salespeople are well compensated. They are always among the top earners at their company. It’s a fact.
So why isn’t their a line to sign up for sales jobs? Why do most salespeople fail?
A couple of weeks ago, I was in the car listening to the Jim Rome radio show. Jim is a sports commentator and a funny guy. The day I tuned in he was rambling on about when he sold office machines. It was hilarious. He really hated the job and his rational was right on.
Why They Hate Selling
Selling is a competitive activity. If you don’t like fighting for business you probably aren’t fit for sales.
Selling is hard work. Successful salespeople not only have to work hard and long but they also have to work smart. More sales calls equal more sales. A lot of people don’t have the appetite to do what it takes to sell.
Salespeople take a beating. It’s continual. If you work the phones to book appointments it isn’t unusual to hear “no” a lot before getting to “yes”. The cold hard reality of selling is that you lose most of the time and win once in a while. It can wear on you. It can wear you out.
Business, markets, the economy, sales strategies, tactics and tools and the rules of conduct are constantly changing. I have just recently been introduced to blogcasts. Blogcasts? Really? What next? You can’t sit still in sales. You must be forward thinking or you will be left behind.
Selling jobs offer no security. Sales Executives want to know what you have done for them lately and what is pending. Selling is about results. Have a couple of bad months in a row and your popularity meter will fade.
Born to Sell?
No. Conditioning yourself to deal with the many negatives that constantly confront you is essential to a long and successful sales career.
Dealing with the Negatives
After just short of 40 years in the field, being in the trenches, fighting for every sales opportunity and doing my best to win every deal, I can speak with authority on how to live with the negative issues.
Start by understanding the sales landscape. Things happen. Circumstances set you back. There are hurdles that get in the way. Deal with them.
Rejection is the rule, acceptance is the exception. Don’t take rejection personal. If you care to take rejection personal, blame yourself, not your prospective client. Mark Thelen correctly pointed out that no is not no. No is non-yes. If you believe Mark, when no is the answer it is your fault. If you had done your job better the no would have been yes. If you believe this, as I do, you can fix what caused the no and try again.
This leads to taking responsibility for yourself and your outcomes. In a recent posting I discussed the concept of the slight edge. You earn a slight edge by knowing more about your market, products or services and the art and science of your profession. You also get the edge by working harder and smarter than your competition.
You Can Do It
The answer to why people aren’t attracted to selling or fail at sales is simple. Selling is very hard and there are lots of built in hurdles. You can become a top producing salesperson. The answer to enjoying a successful sales career is that you have to want to do it. If you want to sell you will. Face the negatives...deal with them. Things will become easier over time, you'll be happier and make a great living.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Born to Sell?
A Pretty Good Book
I wrote a book titled “Born to Sell”. The book was both autobiographical and instructional. I wrote the book in the early 90’s. It was a fun project. At the time, I thought I knew everything about selling and had a very high opinion of myself and my thoughts on the topic. Although the fundamental principles and truths about sales endure, I have learned a lot more about selling since then.
A Great Question from George
After my recent speech to the Wayne State University's Entrepreneur’s Breakfast, a WSU Program Director, George Azrak, asked me if people are born to sell. He explained that his father and brothers are salespeople and had encouraged him for years to join them in the profession. George’s problem with the idea was that selling just didn’t interest him.
George asked me if there is such a thing as natural born salespeople.
Natural Born Salespeople
There is no such thing as a natural born salesperson. No one is born to sell. In reality, all salespeople are different. A better characterization of the journey sales professionals follow is “learn to sell”. Salespeople learn to sell…it’s a process. When people enter the profession they bring different attributes to the table. Our sales brethren are young and old, big and small, happy and sad, educated or not, excited or indifferent. Hey, the profile of sales people is just like that of any other trade or profession.
The Answer
I think the best answer to George’s question is that salespeople must want to sell. If there is a desire to join the sales team and have a great career, it can be accomplished by anyone. No kidding.
I wrote a book titled “Born to Sell”. The book was both autobiographical and instructional. I wrote the book in the early 90’s. It was a fun project. At the time, I thought I knew everything about selling and had a very high opinion of myself and my thoughts on the topic. Although the fundamental principles and truths about sales endure, I have learned a lot more about selling since then.
A Great Question from George
After my recent speech to the Wayne State University's Entrepreneur’s Breakfast, a WSU Program Director, George Azrak, asked me if people are born to sell. He explained that his father and brothers are salespeople and had encouraged him for years to join them in the profession. George’s problem with the idea was that selling just didn’t interest him.
George asked me if there is such a thing as natural born salespeople.
Natural Born Salespeople
There is no such thing as a natural born salesperson. No one is born to sell. In reality, all salespeople are different. A better characterization of the journey sales professionals follow is “learn to sell”. Salespeople learn to sell…it’s a process. When people enter the profession they bring different attributes to the table. Our sales brethren are young and old, big and small, happy and sad, educated or not, excited or indifferent. Hey, the profile of sales people is just like that of any other trade or profession.
The Answer
I think the best answer to George’s question is that salespeople must want to sell. If there is a desire to join the sales team and have a great career, it can be accomplished by anyone. No kidding.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Keep an Open Mind in 2009
Looking For Some Fun
One of my softball buddies, Joe Patti, worked for the Ilitch family on the side. They own Little Caesars Pizza, The Detroit Tigers, The Detroit Red Wings, The Fox Theater and much more. A telephone installer by trade, he and his brother minded the elevator systems at Joe Louis Arena for all Detroit Red Wing games, concerts, etc. Their compensation was season tickets. Joe sold the seats to the games and concerts for cash.
Joe and I, and our best gals, got together one night and the girls decided that it would be fun if we could go to a concert together. There were a lot of major acts scheduled at The Fox. After studying the list of shows, the girls decided that that they wanted to see Johnny Mathis. Johnny Mathis? No way.
There Was a Time
There was a time for Johnny Mathis. I recall that when young and in love, Johnny Mathis music was a value add. I am now old and in love and I can tolerate Johnny. When I was middle aged and in love, and a man’s man softball junkie, the farthest thing from my mind, the absolute worst use of my time and the last place in the world I wanted to be, let alone seen, was at a Johnny Mathis concert.
There was no way we could talk the girls out of seeing Johnny. We were going, no matter what. Joe and I were beside ourselves.
The Long Drive
It was a long drive, on a cold winter night, to The Fox Theater. The place was packed. As luck had it, we had great seats. Up front and in the middle. Joe and I were praying that we wouldn’t be seen by anyone we knew. I had my collar up and did not look up. Once in the seat, I slid down for cover.
Out Came Johnny
Well, here’s why we should all keep an open mind in 2009. The concert was spectacular. Johnny Mathis was extremely entertaining. He sang great songs, had a great voice and was terrific. It was an evening to remember. Joe and I stood up at the end, arms in the air, yelling “Johnny, Johnny, Johnny”. We left the event better off than when we arrived.
I don’t know about Joe, but the lesson I’ve carried over is to keep an open mind in 2009.
One of my softball buddies, Joe Patti, worked for the Ilitch family on the side. They own Little Caesars Pizza, The Detroit Tigers, The Detroit Red Wings, The Fox Theater and much more. A telephone installer by trade, he and his brother minded the elevator systems at Joe Louis Arena for all Detroit Red Wing games, concerts, etc. Their compensation was season tickets. Joe sold the seats to the games and concerts for cash.
Joe and I, and our best gals, got together one night and the girls decided that it would be fun if we could go to a concert together. There were a lot of major acts scheduled at The Fox. After studying the list of shows, the girls decided that that they wanted to see Johnny Mathis. Johnny Mathis? No way.
There Was a Time
There was a time for Johnny Mathis. I recall that when young and in love, Johnny Mathis music was a value add. I am now old and in love and I can tolerate Johnny. When I was middle aged and in love, and a man’s man softball junkie, the farthest thing from my mind, the absolute worst use of my time and the last place in the world I wanted to be, let alone seen, was at a Johnny Mathis concert.
There was no way we could talk the girls out of seeing Johnny. We were going, no matter what. Joe and I were beside ourselves.
The Long Drive
It was a long drive, on a cold winter night, to The Fox Theater. The place was packed. As luck had it, we had great seats. Up front and in the middle. Joe and I were praying that we wouldn’t be seen by anyone we knew. I had my collar up and did not look up. Once in the seat, I slid down for cover.
Out Came Johnny
Well, here’s why we should all keep an open mind in 2009. The concert was spectacular. Johnny Mathis was extremely entertaining. He sang great songs, had a great voice and was terrific. It was an evening to remember. Joe and I stood up at the end, arms in the air, yelling “Johnny, Johnny, Johnny”. We left the event better off than when we arrived.
I don’t know about Joe, but the lesson I’ve carried over is to keep an open mind in 2009.
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