Last week my wife ventured into an Apple store to pick up a cable to connect her iPod to our television. It was 9:47 and the store wasn’t scheduled to open for another 13 minutes. However, the front doors were open so she entered the store.
She noticed a group of employees huddled together near the back of the store and one of them left the group and approached her. Mrs. Fearless expected the employee to tell her that the store wasn’t open.
However, the employee said, “We don’t open for a couple of minutes but I’m sure one of us can help you.”
My wife explained what she wanted and the employee quickly located the item. She then pulled an electronic gadget from her pocket and said, “If you want to pay by credit card I can process that right here for you.”
As the transaction was being processed, the employee said, “We can send the receipt to you via email, is that okay?”
From start to finish, the entire transaction took less than eight minutes!
Compare that to a typical retailer who wouldn’t dream of unlocking their doors until the precise moment the shopping center officially opens.
Compare that to the typical retail employee who stands behind a cash desk and waits for customers to approach them with a question, then points in the general direction of the required product. Or an employee who can’t pull themselves away from their smartphone or a discussion with a coworker.
People want attention. They want to know that they are important. They want to know that they are appreciated.
And, in today’s complex world people—both consumers and corporate decision makers—want to do business with companies (and sales people) who are easy to work with.
So, how easy are you to work with?
Do you make people jump through hoops, read complicated proposals that contain page after page of corporate marketing speak or techno-babble, or conform to rigid standards that are archaic and outdated?
The easier you make it for people to do business with you, the more likely they will. And, it’s one way to create a raving fan.
When my first daughter was two or three years old, I remember taking the time to watch a caterpillar crawl along a sidewalk. We studied that bug for an eternity until she stepped on it and killed it (just kidding!).
Several years later my second daughter and I lay down on the grass behind our apartment building and spent a long time staring into the sky. We looked at the clouds and watched them as they drifted by.
Both situations gave me a different perspective on something I had seen hundreds of times.
A different perspective can be healthy in sales, too.
Sometimes we encounter a situation that we haven’t dealt with before. Or, something changes mid-way through an existing sales conversation/process and we don’t know how to manage that change.
It can be helpful to get a different perspective.
Have you created a network of people you can approach that will give you honest, open feedback for situations like this?
I have several good friends and a great business partner (aka my wife) with whom I can discuss new problems, challenges and obstacles.
Their viewpoints and insights help me see my problems from a different perspective. They can’t always offer a solution but they usually ask me questions that help me discover an answer that has been evading me.
Sometimes, you don’t have time to consult with others so here’s another approach that I have suggested in my sales training workshops from time-to-time…
Write the challenge or problem you are struggling with at the top of a sheet of paper. Below that write, “What if…”
Then, for 3 minutes, record every thought that pops into your head. Don’t edit those thoughts. Don’t filter them. Allow the ideas to flow as freely as possible.
A few years ago, I was searching for ways to improve an existing training program I taught on a regular basis. I listed the title of each of the seven modules on a separate sheet of paper and brainstormed ideas.
Admittedly, some of the ideas were ludicrous and hare-brained.
But, I also generated some excellent thoughts that helped me reformat the program and improve its effectiveness.
Getting a different perspective can help you increase your sales, improve your approach and find creative ways to solve the problems that crop up from time-to-time.
In recent weeks my wife and I have visited a variety of open houses and the lack of salesmanship we have encountered has been disturbing.
Here are a few examples…
During a conversation with one real estate agent my wife described our criteria—the house we were looking at didn’t meet our needs—and the agent suggested that she had other homes that might fit the bill. She never got back to us.
Very few, if any, agents actually asked us what we were looking for, or needed, in a home. We both run separate businesses so we have a few, very specific requirements especially related to layout.
Even fewer, asked for our contact information when we DID tell them what we were looking for or when we expressed potential interest in a particular property.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t one aspect of successful sales learning the criteria people are basing their buying decision upon and looking for opportunities to find solutions to those criteria? And, making sure you have a way to contact those individual’s afterwards?
You may laugh and say that you never miss opportunities like this.
I suggest otherwise.
You see, many sales people are so focused on their objective that they miss opportunities that are not directly related to their business.
Several years ago a friend of mine attended a networking event and bumped into a former colleague. They had a lengthy conversation and when my friend told me about this discussion, my first comment was, “Did you call him?”
His reply, “No, it’s not exactly what I do.”
I said, “Are you serious? Maybe not directly, but your expertise could help in a different way.”
My friend followed up and eventually secured a deal.
Ready to capitalize on any sales opportunity that presents itself.
Here’s another example…
A sales trainer friend once overheard someone talking to a colleague on his cell phone. Although my friend could not hear the entire conversation it was apparent that the person she could hear was not satisfied with his team’s results.
When he disconnected the call, she approached him and said, “I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation…we should talk.” And she handed him a business card. A few days later he called her and she landed a five-figure sale.
Succeeding in sales means more than showing up.
Showing up is the bare minimum and entry-level admission.
If you want to differentiate yourself from your competition and improve your results, listen and watch for every sales opportunity that presents itself.
In today’s ultra-competitive business world it is becoming more difficult to stand out from the crowd and impress new prospects. However, there are a few things you can do to achieve this and start increasing your sales.
1 – Do your homework
Before you pick up the telephone and dial for dollars invest a few minutes to research the company or person you are calling. You don’t need to spend hours on this, simply do enough homework that you can speak intelligently about their potential issues.
A friend of mine was cold calling a company and he read through their recent annual report—which was available on their website. During his conversation he referenced a point from the report and his prospect said, “You know more than I do!”
2 – Be punctual
I have heard sales people proclaim, “Why can’t my prospect see me; I’m only 10 minutes late?”
Late is late! You are either on time or you aren’t.
If you say you will call someone at 2:30 make sure you follow through. Allow plenty of time for travel when meeting face-to-face with prospects. Road construction, an accident or other unexpected delays shouldn’t cause you to be late.
Key decision makers are too busy to wait for you so be punctual and on time. It’s a little thing but it makes a big difference.
3 – Get to the point
Don’t waste a lot of time on small talk or social chit-chat—unless your prospect initiates this type of conversation. Instead, get to the reason for the meeting. Your prospect will respect you and you will stand out from your competition.
An effective to open is to verify the time available, “Mrs. Prospect, when we spoke last we allotted 60 minutes for today’s meeting; is that still good?” This ensures that you and your contact are both on the same page with respect to scheduling.
4 – Recap
Just before you launch into your sales presentation, recap your understanding of your prospect’s situation, problems or concerns. This bullet-point summary demonstrates to your prospect that you have a handle on their issues and captures their attention immediately. Plus, it gives you the opportunity to modify the presentation of your offering if your prospect’s situation has changed since your last conversation.
5 – Focus on them
Instead of talking about your company, your client list, your products and services, how long you have been in business or anything else that focuses the attention on you and your company, concentrate on showing your prospect how your offering will help them and/or their organization.
Prospects are not interested in hearing the self-puffery details that your marketing department so desperately wants you to share. They want to know how you can help them solve a potential problem. The more your presentation focuses on this, the longer you will your prospect’s attention and the greater the likelihood you will move the sales process forward.
6 – Don’t overstay your welcome
Unfortunately, many sales calls and meetings go into overtime which disrupts the decision makers’ already jam-packed schedule. I have personally been on the receiving end of sales call that was supposed to take 30 minutes but quickly stretched to 40 and would have gone on longer had I not cut it short.
Just because you have 60 minutes allotted for your meeting does not mean you have to use it all. You can impress a prospect by wrapping up early and giving them a few minutes of “free” time. You will never hear a prospect say, “Wait…we had 60 minutes scheduled for this meeting and we’re only at fifty. Keep talking for another ten minutes.”
These six steps will help you impress your prospects and stand out from the competition.
What others can you think of?
Looking for a keynote speaker for an upcoming sales meeting or conference? I deliver high-energy, impactful presentations that get results. Here is a video clip of one of my presentations: http://bit.ly/ef5P5l 905-633-7750 or Kelley@Fearless-Selling.ca
I can honestly say that no topic has generated more feedback, emails and comments than my recent posts about establishing rapport.
Several people vehemently disagreed with me and emailed their comments, often without reading the article(s). They said that building rapport with people and developing relationships were factors that were instrumental in helping them achieve sales success.
I don’t disagree with them.
Establishing rapport is still important.
Unfortunately, many people still believe that rapport consists of making social chit-chat, discussing areas of commonality, or talking about a photo or some other item of interest in a prospect’s office.
But…
The approach to establishing rapport has changed.
Today, business rapport consists of demonstrating that you have done your homework, researched the company you’re calling on, presenting the most appropriate solution, and focusing on business issues rather than personal ones.
When you execute these concepts, you don’t need to discuss non-sales-related topics.
Some of the people who disagreed with me stated that they sell primarily to consumers, not B2B.
I contend that the same approach is still effective.
You can still develop a high level of rapport with people but you should do it AFTER the initial sales conversation is done.
Even though I am a social person, I don’t like it when a salesperson tries to develop rapport with me until I know they can solve my problem. Once that is achieved, I am much more open and willing to talk about things that are more personal. That’s because they have earned my trust.
Here’s a suggestion…
For one month, use a more direct approach by saying something like, “I know your time is valuable so let me ask you a couple of questions…” Then get to the point of your meeting, your sales call, or your presentation and take care of business.
AFTER you’re finished, talk about personal things (assuming the other person has time) and see how people respond.
I’m willing to bet that you won’t notice a difference in your results AND you will have saved time AND differentiated yourself from the other sales people your customers and prospects deal with.
Looking for a dynamic speaker for an upcoming conference? Let’s have a quick chat about your goals & objectives to determine if I can help: 905-633-7750 Kelley@Fearless-Selling.ca
