A few days ago I was watching a television show about golf and I was intrigued when I heard the host of the show suggest that golfers analyze their divot. He said they could learn a lot about their swing if they took the time to study their divots.
For you non-golfers, a divot is the chunk of grass that golfers often tear up when taking a shot. BTW. I don’t consider myself a golfer since I haven’t played in at least five years ago. However, I immediately thought about the relevance of the pro’s comment to sales and selling.
When was the last time you analyzed a sales call (face-to-face or telephone)?
Taking the time to analyze our performance should be part of our daily routine. After all, how we can expect to improve if we don’t regularly critique ourselves?
Here are three questions you can ask yourself after every sales call, meeting or appointment.
What went well?
I like to focus on the positive and believe it’s important to review what we did well on a particular call because it reinforces our strengths.
What did I miss or forget to do?
I can’t think of a single sales call where I didn’t forget something. It may have been asking an important question, making a suggestion, asking for the next step, or something else. Sometimes it was a minor item, other times it was important.
The key is to review that call and identify what could have been improved.
Here’s a slightly different perspective…
I play softball two nights a week during the summer and this year I have changed my stance to try and hit better. Because I have changed my stance I inevitably forget something so after each time at bat, I mentally review what I did well and what I forgot to do. Conducting this mental review helps me remember what I need to do the next time I get up to bat.
That leads me to the third question…
What will I do different next time?
It’s one thing to critique yourself…however, you also need to have a plan of action for your next call. Asking yourself this question can help you change or modify your approach and constantly improve your results.
You can take this process to a completely different level by recording your responses.
When I began conducting sales training workshops back in 1995 (Wow! Was it that long ago already?!?), I implemented this idea at the end of every day of training.
I wrote down my thoughts and after six months of conducting three to four training sessions every week, I had a tremendous amount of personal insight into my performance and how I could improve.
Selling has changed. It has become more difficult. And more competitive. That means we need to regularly evaluate our performance and find ways to improve—even if it’s only slightly.
So, the next time you tear up a divot on the golf course, analyze it and then use that as a reminder to analyze your performance in your sales calls.
For many sales people—myself included—the thought of a $75,000 sale causes them to salivate, wag their tail like an excited puppy, and start making plans how they will spend the commission. And, in many cases, walking away from a sales opportunity like that would give their manager (or spouse) a heart attack.
A few days ago, I did just that.
A client with whom my wife and I had been doing some consulting work for over the past three years sent us an RFP (request for proposal).
The project was certainly in our wheelhouse. However, it would have required us to dramatically change our business model and the way we do business due to the scale of the project.
I did the math and worked out every possible scenario to see how much money would end up in the bank at year end if we bid on the project and were accepted. Unfortunately, the numbers just didn’t add up. Although we would have made a decent margin after the direct expenses and costs, the net dollars after factoring in our time to get the project up and running and then maintain it just didn’t work for us.
The opportunity was excruciatingly difficult to pass up but we knew that we wouldn’t generate enough profit to make it worthwhile.
However, I know one of the other companies (a friend AND competitor) who was invited to bid on the project and know that his business model is perfect for this type of project (high-volume, low–margin).
It pained me to decline the opportunity but I also know that it was the right business decision to make.
And that leads me to my point…
When we consider potential sales opportunities it is essential to calculate the impact on our business. Just because the top line looks good does not mean that will translate to the bottom line.
I once worked with a small, independent retailer who constantly matched her competitor’s prices, even when it cost her money. She could not see that this behaviour was detrimental to her business because she was conditioning her customers to constantly price shop.
She believed—mistakenly—that her customers would eventually pay full price if she could demonstrate how good her service was. Unfortunately, this rarely happened and she eventually closed her doors.
You can’t sell to everyone. And sometimes, it is better for your bottom line to walk away from a big sale.
I will never, ever suggest that it’s an easy decision to make. But it is better to make that tough decision early rather than end up with a losing proposition down the road.
Now, excuse me while I go and figure out how to replace that business…
Last week I wrote a slightly sarcastic post that focused on the negative aspect of credibility in sales.
Today’s post takes a positive approach and offers tangible ideas you can use to improve your credibility as a sales person.
1. Arrive early for calls and appointments
Let’s face it…punctuality can be challenging at times. Meetings that run over their allotted time, traffic delays, construction, etc. can make it difficult to arrive on time for your sales calls. However, when you arrive late for an appointment you not only run the risk of losing your credibility, you also stand the chance of losing the sales opportunity.
My suggestion is to plan your schedule so that you arrive at least 15 minutes early for every sales call, meeting or appointment. This can certainly be challenging if you schedule multiple appointments in a day. However, if you add buffer time to each meeting and the necessary travel time required to get from one appointment to the next, you can reduce the likelihood of arriving late.
This not only helps you arrive on time, it also reduces your stress and gives you time to mentally prepare for the upcoming meeting.
2. Research your prospect’s business or company
Regardless of how busy you are, invest a few minutes gaining an understanding of their business, their customers, and some of the business challenges they face related to your product or service BEFORE you contact them. In most cases, a quick Google search or browse of their website will achieve this goal.
Be careful not to fall into the trap of investing hours of time research a company instead of making your calls. I remember talking to one sales rep who admitted that she spent more than 40 hours researching one prospect. That was definitely excessive!
3. Spend most of your meetings or sales calls listening
Telling is selling…at least in some people’s minds. However, this approach prevents you from engaging your prospect in a meaningful dialogue, and generally speaking, it is ineffective.
It is much more effective to give the other person the majority of the airtime, even if you are doing a formal sales presentation. If the objective of your sales call is to present a product, structure your presentation so that it gets the other person involved. Checking in for questions or asking them to comment are two simple ways to achieve this goal.
4. Don’t interrupt your customers and prospects
It’s okay if your customer interrupts you to make a point or ask a question. However, you need to resist the temptation to do the same, especially if you possess a Driver-style personality.
Interrupting someone to make your point is a selfish behavior and it usually prevents you from learning more about the other person’s situation. When you encounter those situations, bite your tongue and wait patiently for the other person to finish talking before interjecting your comment.
5. Tell people only what they need to know about your product, service or solution
Contrary to popular belief, your customers and prospect seldom, if ever, need to know everything about your offering. This may be difficult to comprehend if you are an Analytical type individual because I know you believe that an abundance of information is critical in order to make a decision.
However, very few people need to know all the details, specs, features and bell and whistles. You can be much more effective by discussing only the elements of your offering that are relevant to each particular customer or prospect.
6. Follow through
Most sales conversations require some type of follow up or follow through. When you fail to execute the follow-up steps, you will be seen as someone who can’t execute.
If you make a promise or commitment to someone, make sure you do what you say you will do, when you say you will do it. Schedule it in your Smartphone, Outlook calendar, or DayTimer (does anyone actually use these anymore?) and then execute it.
7. Pitch your offering after determining if a need exists
Too many sales people still make the fatal mistake of pitching their product or service before they have uncovered a need or demand for it.
You can increase your credibility as a sales professional by asking well-thought-out questions to determine a prospect’s potential need for your offering. Even if your research has determined that a need exists, you should validate it by asking a few questions.
8. Regularly update your product knowledge
This can be difficult, especially in businesses where the life-cycle of many products is shrunk or in industries that have rapidly developing technology.
It may be impossible to become highly knowledgeable about all of your products; however, investing time to update your knowledge is a good investment of time. Talk to your engineers or product specialists.
9. Befriend the gatekeeper
I know many sales people who will say or do almost anything to get past the gatekeeper in order to connect with a key decision maker. However, this type of manipulative approach seldom pays off in the long run.
When I worked in the corporate world my desk was across from the Vice President’s executive assistant and it was interesting to watch how she responded to people trying to connect with our boss. The most successful people enlisted her help, treated her with respect, asked her questions, and in some cases, treated her like she was the actual decision maker.
What do you think? Are there other behaviors that can help you improve your credibility? What do you do to gain credibility?
Want to know exactly how to capture a prospect’s attention? Watch this video by Tim Carter aka Tim the Builder (it’s less than five minutes) and then read the rest of this post.
Address a specific problem.
Tim opened this video by addressing a specific problem…clutter in the garage. Fortunately, I don’t have this problem (honestly!) but I know many people who do.He demonstrated the impact of a cluttered garage and used this to open the video.
Sales tip: When contacting a prospect address a particular problem they might be facing.
It was targeted
He also made it very clear that his video was directed towards DIY home improvement guys (and gals). Anyone who is not interested in building a shed or DIY projects would likely tune out pretty quickly.
Sales tip: The more targeted your prospecting efforts, the more likely your prospect will sit up and pay attention.
Use different perspectives
Tim addressed the same problem but he attacked it in different ways. Instead of focusing just on garage clutter, he also addressed the common solution of placing everything in a storage unit. And, he presented some of the key problems of using that solution in a few sentences and single video clip.
Sales tip: You need to use different approaches to capture and keep a prospect’s attention.
He was passionate
It was obvious that Tim was passionate about his business. You could hear it in his tone and see it in his body language.
Sales tip: Are you passionate about your products and services?
Make it visual
He used a model of a shed to reinforce every point he made. When he talked about windows, he pointed to them in the model. He did the same thing when he said he would help viewers learn how to cut and install roof rafters. And he repeated the process for each aspect of the project.
Sales tip: What props can you use to enhance your sales presentation?
He painted pictures
When he talked about keeping the shed affixed to the ground, he referenced the house that Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz lived in.
Sales tip: What stories or picture can you use to create a memorable sales presentation?
He used a great hook
It wasn’t until the latter part of the video that I realized this was “fund-raising” video. Well, fund-raising is a stretch. The guy wants to create a new video series on how to build a great shed and he needs to build a shed to do that.
This takes a substantial amount of money so he used a creative approach to try and raise the funds. I figure with more than twenty-three thousand subscribers he will raise more than enough money to build the shed.
Sales Tip: What hook can you create to capture and keep a prospect’s attention?
He had a call to action
He made it clear what he wanted people to do…make a pledge.
Sales people can learn from this because far too often they don’t include a call to action in their emails, proposals or face-to-face meetings.
Sales Tip: What’s your call to action?
Tim the Builder may seems like a good old country boy but make no mistake…he is a brilliant marketer and sales person. Regardless of what you sell, you can learn something from this guy.
The sales profession is not always perceived in a positive light and given the behavior of some of the sales people I have encountered, it’s no wonder.
Here are 9 things you can do to destroy your credibility as a sales person.
1. Arrive late for calls and appointments
Prospects need to be more accommodating and accepting of the fact that you can’t always show up at their office exactly on time. You do your best but traffic jams, construction, and customers who fail to show up on time or who talk too much, can affect your carefully planned schedule.
2. Don’t learn anything about your prospect’s business or company
Even though a 15 minute web search of your prospect would give you insight, you know that most people love talking about their company, their problems, and their business. So, why would you waste time researching a company beforehand? It is much more effective to get them to tell you everything you need to know when you show up for your meeting.
3. Spend most of your meetings or sales calls talking
Telling is selling, right. If you’re not talking about your product, service, solution or offering how can you possible make a sale?
Sure, it’s important to ask your prospect a couple of questions but the goal of your meeting or appointment is to tell them as much as you can about your company, the awards they have won, the clients on their roster because this type of information will demonstrate why they should do business with you.
4. Interrupt your customers and prospects
Let’s face it…some people take forever to make their point. Besides, you’re not there to listen to them. You need to present your offering so you can make a sale. Aggressive is better than passive and sales people who are assertive in making their point close more deals.
5. Tell people everything about your product, service or solution
Information is power so if you don’t discuss every feature, every bell, every whistle, how can they possibly make a buying decision? The more information you give people, the more they will see how your offer or solution is better than a competitors and the more likely they will make a positive buying decision.
6. Don’t follow through
Everyone is busy so if you forget to send someone information right away they will forgive you. Besides, when you’re dealing with dozens of sales leads you can’t be expected to follow-up with everyone. If people want your product of service they should contact you.
7. Pitch your offering before determining if a need exists
If you pitch to enough people you will eventually get a deal. After all, sales is a numbers game. Besides, most people don’t really know what they need so pitching your solution may open up an opportunity to capture a sale.
8. Don’t update your product knowledge
We all know that products change faster every year. In fact, some products are almost obsolete by the time they hit the market. Prospects and customers also know this so they don’t expect to keep up with everything.
That’s where marketing brochures come into play. Your marketing department invests thousands of dollars developing expensive, full-color, glossy materials so when a customer has a question, you can easily hand them a brochure.
9. Bypass the gatekeeper in any way possible
Everyone in business knows that you need to be manipulative and sneaky if you want to talk to business executives so getting past the gatekeeper is a game…a challenge. And one that requires ingenuity, cleverness and a certain amount of slyness. The main goal is to connect with your prospect or decision maker regardless of what it takes.
What do you think? Are there are other things sales people do that cause them to lose credibility?
The majority of people who sell a product or service make the same fundamental mistake—they focus their attention on the wrong person.
Many sales people have a tendency to launch into a discussion about their products and services too quickly. They are focused on achieving their goal (closing the sale) instead of helping their customer accomplish their objective (making an educated buying decision or solving a problem). As a result, they often end up presenting features that are not relevant to their customer or prospect.
The most effective sales presentation is focused solely on the other person’s agenda. That means learning what is important to them, giving them plenty of airtime (at least 70-80%), and allowing them the opportunity to share as much information as they feel the need to.
Most people will sell themselves providing they are given enough time to talk.
Resist the temptation to launch into a detailed monologue about your products or services until you have given your customer ample time to talk. Encourage them to share their thoughts about that particular buying decision.
If you have been selling more than a few years I suspect that you have read, or heard someone say, that you should be sending handwritten thank-you cards or notes to people on a regular basis. This practise seems to be going the way of the dodo bird and very few sales people take the time to incorporate it into their daily or weekly routine.
Here are 16 circumstances or situations when it makes sense to send a handwritten note or thank-you card.
1. After you meet someone at a networking event.
2. After you meet with a new prospect.
3. When a prospect (or customer) accepts your proposal.
4. After a prospect rejects your proposal, product, service or offering.
5. When a colleague or other internal employee does you a favor or helps you.
6. After a customer receives their order or after your solution/service has been implemented.
7. Anytime someone sends you a referral.
8. When an employee does something extra for a customer.
9. When a supplier goes above and beyond the call of duty.
10. On any special occasion such as a client’s anniversary—personal or business.
11. When an employee in a customer’s company helps you.
12. When an employee in a suppliers helps you with a problem.
13. When someone gives you a great idea to improve your business or your sales.
14. When you see someone do an outstanding job or put forth extra effort to accomplish something.
15. When a customer tells you about a mistake or problem in your business.
16. When someone you know is mentioned in a newspaper, magazine, television, radio or other form of media.
Some people struggle with what to say in their thank-you card or note. It doesn’t have to be complicated. And you don’t have to write a long letter. Short, simple, and to the point, will do the trick.
There is no immediate pay-off. You are not going to close a big deal just because you sent your prospect a handwritten note. However, with some persistence and consistent effort, your efforts will pay dividends.
What do you think? Are there other circumstances or situations when it’s appropriate to send a handwritten thank-you card or note?
During my career as a sales trainer and keynote speaker, I have been able to interact with thousands of salespeople and I have discovered that many of them still believe some myths about sales and selling.
Here are seven of the most common myths.
1. Price is the primary reason people make a buying decision
I will never argue the fact that price is a factor in every buying decision. However, it is seldom the primary reason people make a buying decision. It is important to note though, that people will default to price if you fail to demonstrate the value of your product or differentiate yourself from your competitors.
2. Do whatever you need to do in order to get the sale
Manipulative, aggressive, high-pressure sales tactics work. But, they don’t create loyal customers and clients. You may win the sale, but in the long run, you will lose the customer.
I once had a participant in a workshop proudly claim, “I don’t care what my customers want, I’ll sell them what I need to hit my quota.” {{{shudder}}} I don’t know about you but I take serious offense to this mentality and type of behavior because it casts all sales people in a negative light.
3. Buyers are liars
I’m still shocked by how many salespeople use this expression.
Do people mislead salespeople?
Of course. But it’s usually because the sales person has failed to earn that person’s trust.
Gaining someone’s trust means focusing your attention on THEIR situation rather than trying to close the sale. Earning trust means treating people with respect and dignity even if they are not prepared to make a buying decision right now.
4. Anyone can be persuaded to buy
This may be true for small purchases but in today’s business world, buyers are more savvy than ever before. I once heard someone say, “If you have a strong case you will clarify it. If you have a weak case, you will try and persuade the other person.”
The real key is to determine whether or not the person or company you are speaking to has a genuine need for your product or service. If they do not, then your best strategy is to move on to someone who does need AND want your particular solution. Even if a company could benefit from your product but they are reluctant to give you the opportunity to discuss, your time is better spent looking for other prospect.
5. What works well for one person will work for everyone
Countless books have been written about one sales strategy or another and I have read dozens of them. In this search, I have discovered that we all have our unique personality and what works well for someone may not work as effectively for us. However, instead of discarding that particular idea you should look for a way to integrate it into your natural style and approach.
6. Close the sale as quickly as possible
This is one of the craziest beliefs.
Yes, it’s important to move people towards a buying decision. Yes, it is important to gain commitments along the way. Yes, it is important to include a call to action in your proposals and conversations. But, it is also important to recognize that not every sales decision will be made quickly. Decisions can be delayed for a number of reasons, and in certain situations, trying to rush the other person to a commitment will actually cost you the sale.
7. Close the deal at any price
Too many people feel they have to close every deal, even if it does not make good business sense to do so. I have spoken to countless sales people who will accept a deal that has virtually no margin just so they can get the sale.
I recall talking to a store owner who quickly matched the prices of her competitor in order to prevent people from going to her competition. However, this seldom creates loyalty and only conditions that customer to continue asking for a better price.
Decisions like this cost you or your company money.
If you are not making your desired gross profit on a particular sale, then you need to consider whether it makes good business to accept it. I know small business owners who will offer substantial discounts to a large company in the hopes of generating additional business from that client in the future. Unfortunately, they end up giving away their services and expertise because they don’t get any more business from that company. They neglected to negotiate an upfront agreement.
Selling is an honorable career and sales professionals need to avoid falling prey to these myths.
In the seventeen-plus years I have been working with sales people and helping them increase their sales, I have noticed that many fail to ask for the business. In my sales training workshops, people express a variety of reasons why they don’t ask for the sale.
Here are 7 of the most common reasons why sales people don’t ask for the sale and what you can do about it.
1. Fear of rejection
This is by far the most common reason why people don’t ask for the business. I don’t know many people actually enjoy being rejected and sales people are no different.
However, it is critical to realize that a ‘no’ is not a personal slam against you. It simply means that you prospect or customer does not need or want your product, service or solution. It doesn’t mean they dislike you as a person—unless of course, you were pushy, rude or arrogant.
2. They don’t know how to ask
Some people, especially individuals who are relatively new to sales, simply don’t know how to ask. I remember my first sales call more than 20 years ago.
I had gone through my presentation and my prospect appeared interested; however, I didn’t know what to say so we sat there in silence for a few moments until I finally blurted out, “So, would you like to go with it then?” She said, “Sure.”
The key is to develop a variety of questions that you are comfortable asking.
3. They don’t know when to ask
The timing can be critical. Some sales people don’t know exactly when to ask a prospect for their business so they wait—often waiting too long, and thus, missing the opportunity. Although you don’t want to ask too early, you can’t afford to wait too long either.
An approach that can work is to build it into your sales presentation. Take the guesswork out of the equation and figure out the best place to position the “close.” I generally position it after we have discussed my proposal or solution and addressed any questions my prospect may have.
I usually say something like, “What other questions or concerns do you have?” If they say, “None” I reply with, “Should we book a date for the training now?”
4. They are afraid of being perceived as being pushy
Unless you use manipulative sales tactics, aggressive closing lines, or the wrong tone of voice, people will seldom think you are being pushy when you ask them to make a buying decision.
The key here is to ensure that you done an effective job at identifying a potential problem, presenting your solution in terms that make sense to your prospect, and addressed any potential concerns they may have.
If you achieve that goal, you have earned the right to ask for the sale.
5. They don’t like being asked for their business
People in my sales training workshops have said, “I don’t like it when someone asks me for the sale so I won’t do that to other people.”
I respect that position. I also believe that we need to eliminate our personal biases. However, I know that this is easier said than done. The key is to identify the personal biases you have related to sales and selling and figure out a way to get past them.
My personal bias is that I abhor aggressive sales people. However, I have learned that you don’t need to be aggressive in order to ask for the sale.
6. They are afraid of objections
Objections are a natural part of the sales process and the best way to deal with them is to anticipate them and address them in your sales presentation or proposal. It is also important to realize that when someone expresses a real objection, it actually demonstrates an interest to buy. It is much better to hear an objection than to walk away from a potential with no idea of why your prospect didn’t buy.
7. It feels awkward or uncomfortable
I will be the first to admit that it DOES feel uncomfortable taking this step—at least at first. But that’s just like anything else you attempt for the first time.
The key is to create a variety of lines, phrases, statements and questions that you are comfortable using and then practicing them until they flow smoothly and comfortably from your brain to your mouth. Don’t dismiss this simplicity of this idea.
Verbal rehearsal and practice is one of the most effective ways to remove any discomfort from a new sales approach, question or response.
I believe that it was Wayne Gretzky who said, “You will always miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take” and this applies to sales, too.
In today’s highly competitive world you need to be proactive in asking for the business. Otherwise, a competitor who is more assertive will capture the business you deserve.
What do yuo think? Did I miss any reasons people fail to ask for the sale or other ways they can get over their fear? I’d enjoy reading your comments below.
A few days ago I was watching a television show about golf and I was intrigued when I heard the host of the show suggest that golfers analyze their divot. He said they could learn a lot about their swing if they took the time to study their divots.
