During the last decade or so I have learned that the more you give away, the more you attract.
Sound confusing?
Allow me to clarify…
One of the concepts I consistently “preach” about is adding value to a prospect’s business BEFORE you get the business.
This means providing them with information that will help them improve their business.
Here are a couple of examples…
If you sell pumps, valves and controls, you can send your prospects (and existing customers) information on how to reduce their repair and maintenance costs, common mistakes people make when ordering replacement parts and factors that affect the performance levels of these items.
Let’s say you sell promotional products. You can send people details on how to improve employee productivity through incentive programs. You can discuss the impact that logoed products have on brand recognition. Or you could talk about the mistakes companies make when developing an incentive program.
Unfortunately, many companies resist doing this because they feel that “giving the information away” will prevent that prospect from buying their product.
This scarcity mentality is simply not accurate.
None of this information will prevent people from buying your product. Nor will this information suddenly cause them to buy from a competitor.
If anything, it will encourage them to buy from you because you are providing valuable information that will help them with their business.
Unfortunately, this is a concept that many companies just don’t get.
You can give away free information without affecting your business. You don’t need to attach strings or conditions.
When you give people useful information, you become a resource.
When you become a resource, you increase your value.
When you increase your value, you differentiate yourself from your competition.
And when you separate yourself from your competition, you will increase your sales.
Don’t be afraid to give away information. When you give away the right information, to the right person, at the right time; you open doors of opportunity that may never have been offered to you in the past.
Looking for a speaker for an upcoming meeting? Here’s a video clip of a recent keynote presentation I delivered at a conference. 905-633-7750 or kelley@fearless-selling.ca
The other day I had the privilege to be a guest speaker for a webinar Colleen Francis of Engage Selling hosted for her membership program. The topic of focus was follow-up and I thought I would share a couple of the ideas we discussed.
One of the issues many sales people face in today’s business climate is actually trying to reconnect with prospects and customers. Decision makers in business today are extremely busy so it is very difficult to connect with them even after an initial conversation or two.
Pre-arrange the Follow Up
One powerful strategy is to pre-arrange the follow-up during every conversation.
During an initial call you need to establish a day and time for a subsequent conversation. You can do this simply by saying, “It seems like we need to talk again. Does next Tuesday morning at 9:15 work for you?” Pinpointing a specific day and time is critical but most sales people say something like, “I’ll call you next Tuesday.”
This approach leaves the door open and forces the other person to actually look at their calendar and consider your request.
Once you nail down a day and time, tell them that you will send them an Outlook invite and then send it…immediately after your call.
When you call at the determined time you may get their voice mail so hang up and call back in 2-3 minutes. If you still get voice mail leave a message, “Mr. Jones, Kelley Robertson calling as promised. I suspect you got called away so I’ll give you a shout at 11:45.” In many cases, the other person will either return your call shortly or they will be at their desk the second time you call.
Consider Snail Mail
Too many people rely solely on email or telephone to connect with people when they follow up. However, regular mail works very effectively. The key is to send them something that catches their attention or adds value to their business. I have sent high-value prospects a book that is on their LinkedIn reading list or a magazine that relates to a personal interest.
For example, if a person’s profile shows that they enjoy scuba diving send them a diving magazine with a note that says, “I know you enjoys diving and thought you would enjoy this magazine.”
This approach takes time AND effort so use it only with your high-value prospects.
Use Multiple Approaches
I mentioned this concept in a previous post. Most decision makers rely on text messages or will respond to messages from their LinkedIn account or Twitter more quickly than a standard email. This has proven to be an effective way to connect with busy decision makers.
These are just a couple of ways you can improve your follow-up and increase your sales. The key to reconnecting with prospects and customers is to be persistent without being a pest.
Did you know? I deliver high-impact sales training workshops and keynote speeches. If you’re planning a conference, sales meeting, or other event call me and we can discuss a program that will help you achieve your objectives. 905-633-7750 Kelley@Fearless-Selling.ca
This post was inspired by a newsletter written by Doug Fleener, during which he listed a few things he wish he had known earlier in his career. As I read the newsletter, I couldn’t help but think of the things I wish I had known many years ago.
Here, in no particular order, are some sales strategies I wish I had known earlier in my career.
Learn how to hunt.
Regardless of the marketing and networking you do, you still need to learn how to hunt for new business. If I had known this earlier in my career, I would have attended every workshop, read every book, and listened to every program I could fit into my schedule.
Develop a killer value proposition.
This is something that most sales people don’t get and I admit that I didn’t’ either. What sounds good on paper or to you can sound completely lame and generic to a prospect.
Always be marketing.
Visibility is critical even if you work as a sales rep for an organization. Visibility not only helps you generate new leads it can you land a new job if you happen to be downsized, laid-off, or merged out.
Focus on ROI.
What will your prospect gain by implementing your solution or offering? If your solution costs ten thousand dollars, how soon will your prospect earn that money back? The more effectively you can do this, the greater the likelihood you will close more deals.
Talk less, listen more.
Years ago, I spent waaaaaaaaaaaay too much time talking. I made the mistake of believing that telling was selling and that approach cost me money. I think I’m a pretty good listener during a sales conversation but I know that I still talk too much. What can I say…I’m an expressive!
Be willing to let go.
Like many people in sales, I have chased leads that ultimately didn’t go anywhere. I knew in my head and my heart hat the sale was going to be a bust but I kept spending time making calls trying to make it happen.
Turn away business.
Not all business is good business. Years ago, I finally closed a deal with a prospect I had been courting for a year and when I hung up the phone, I had a sinking feeling that I had made ar error. Sure enough, subsequent conversations
Think before speaking.
My wife has this concept mastered and she can refrain from saying what pops into her mind until she thinks it through. However, I’m a reaction-type person and from time-to-time I say things before thinking of the consequences which leads into the next point.
Underpromise.
Many sales people and service providers tend to overpromise and I’m no exception. It’s easy to say, “No problem, I can do that” only to realize later that that concession cost me time and money.
What about you? Are there things you wish you had known earlier in your career?
If you’re like most people in business you likely are. But…are you busy in the right way?
Busy is a subjective term.
When I think of the word busy, I relate it to sales activity and sales results. However, many people I talk to are busy but they’re not generating the sales they want (or need).
They’re busy rushing from networking event to networking event.
They’re juggling work/life balance.
They’re attending a variety of meetings.
They’re responding to client problems, issues and requests.
They are busy but they’re not accomplishing a lot.
There is a distinct difference between being busy and being productive!
Personal experience has taught me that you can fill a 40 or 50 hour week with activities that make you feel like you have accomplished a lot. But at the end of the week, you still haven’t done much to move your sales forward.
Responding to RFPs, attending networking events, conducting research, meeting with existing customers, and conversations with colleagues and associates can quickly fill a calendar.
I won’t dispute that these activities are important but they seldom generate immediate results.
Are you attending the right networking events?
Are you blocking time in your calendar to prospect for new business?
Are you looking for new opportunities within your existing customer base?
Avoid the pitfall of believing that activity and “busyness” is effective. If you want to achieve long term success in sales it is critical that you invest a significant amount of time each and every week on activities that generate new sales opportunities.
Could your sales team improve their productivity? I might be able to help. Call me and we can talk about the best approach to help them increase their sales. Kelley@Fearless-Selling.ca or 905-633-7750.
After weeks of trying you connect with a prospect. Woo hoo!
The conversation goes well and finishes with something like, “I’ll get that information to you by tomorrow and I’ll call you early next week to discuss it with you.” But when you call the following week, you get your prospect’s voice mail. After repeated failed attempts to connect with your contact, you move on to another opportunity.
Sound familiar?
Here’s how you can prevent this situation from happening. Pinpoint and nail down a specific day and time before you end your call. Here is an example of how you can do that easily and without sounding aggressive or rude.
“I’ll get that information to you by tomorrow and I’ll call you next week to discuss it with you. How does Tuesday morning work for you? Great, what time works best for you? Any time in the morning? Is your calendar open at 10:15? Terrific; l will send you an email invitation this morning so we can both confirm next Tuesday at 10:15 AM.”
This assertive approach is extremely effective for getting your prospect to schedule a specific time to speak with you which means that you increase the likelihood that you will actually connect with your prospect especially if you have the courage to ask them to mark the call in their calendar. Not only does it demonstrate your expertise and professionalism, it differentiates you from your competition, and in today’s crowded marketplace, it is essential to find little, yet meaningful ways to stand out from the crowd.
Sometimes, however, it is easy to get mislead by an unfocused prospect who simply says, “Call me next week.” The key here is to use the same approach and narrow down a specific day and time. Here is how you handle that conversation and the questions you need to ask:
“What day usually works best for you?” If they say, “Any day is fine” narrow it down with, “How does next Tuesday look?”
Follow this with, “Do mornings or afternoons work best?” or “Is there a particular time of day that works better?” The word ‘particular’ is key because it encourages your prospect to consider their typical day and think of the best time to call.
In some cases, they may still respond with a vague answer like, “mornings” so take a deep breath and ask one more question: “Does 10:15 work for you?” or “What’s your schedule like at 10:15?” I have found that scheduling an appointment on a quarter hour is more effective than a standard time like 10:00 or 10:30. Some other sales trainers even suggest that you request a time like 10:20 or 10:40. I haven’t tried that so I can’t comment on its effectiveness.
This approach requires a bit of gentle persistence and practise but it is not aggressive or offensive and people respond well to it because it shows that you respect your prospect’s time. One key to remember is to keep your voice evenly modulate and your tone conversational. Avoid allowing any type of frustration to creep into your tone because you will automatically be perceived as aggressive instead assertive.
Finally, when you do make your follow-up call, start the conversation by saying something like, “Mr Contact, I’m calling you as promised.” If you happen to get their voice mail, hang up and call three- to- five minutes later. If you get bumped to VM again, leave the above message. More often than not, you will get a return call. At least that has been my experience.
Resist the temptation to leave the next call or meeting unscheduled and you will dramatically improve your results. By the way, this approach works equally as well for face-to-face meetings.
Planning a sales meeting, conference or retreat? If I can help you or your company, please drop me a line and we can talk. 905-633-7750.
