Sales Training Tip #193: Getting Back to the Basics

Don't forget to sell to the outcome / result. It sounds basic, yet we often sell based on the product's features and not on what it will do for the customer. Think about your last sales call. What were you selling to? Do you need to get back to the basics?

Sales Training Tip #192: PMOC

Do you know your customer's PMOC - Preferred Method of Communication? Every client and prospect has one. By using their PMOC (email, voice, voice- mail, telephone, in-person, etc.), you will undoubtedly become more valuable to them.

A Testimony About the Importance of Passion

Recently, I received an email from a young salesperson who can attest to my theory that passion is a lost art. Only 22 years old, he has already assumed the responsibilities of someone twice his age. He wrote, "I have been in sales since I graduated high school . . . and have been the top sales person in both sales jobs I have had and currently have." He has been a corporate account executive for a large cellular telephone company and now has an entire state as his territory for a company in the fuel industry.

How did he achieve so much in such a short time? He attributes his success to his passion: "I seized the opportunity. . .I am so passionate about my product and I have been told by my customers in testimonials and meetings. . .Because I think that having these responsibilties is important, that shows me that self improvement is very possible. I am 22 with the responsibilties of a 40 year old man."

Passion, at any age, can take you places. It's never too late to show it.

A Quote to Ponder

A friend in Lincoln, Nebraska, shared an interesting quote with me recently:

"I am not who I am think I am, I am not who you think I am, I am who I think you think I am".

Sales Training Lessons from Michael Moore and His Movie, Sicko

It's amazing where we can find a sales training lesson. I have yet to see the movie, Sicko, but I have seen a number of reviews, rebuttals, etc. regarding the wide use of facts and figures presented by Michael Moore. Every review uses their own set of facts and figures to knock down the credibility of the movie. After it's all said and done, the only thing to really believe is the realization that you have to question every number or fact presented in the movie or in the media.

The corresponding sales lesson is simple: anytime you're on a sales call, you have to make sure the facts and figures you're using are believable and credible to the customer / prospect. The best way to validate your information is by having a question prepared that you can ask regarding each number or fact you present. In this way, you're getting the customer involved and you're securing their validation before you move on. I've watched too many sales go up in flames because some facts and figures presented early on did not jive with what the customer / prospect was expecting.