Sales Training Tip #162: Goal Setting

Congratulations on reading this during a week when many people are on vacation. Take some time to reflect on the goals you’ve set for next year and determine now how and what you’ll need to do to make your goals a reality in 2007.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Holday Selling

I'm amazed at the number of sales people who fail to take advantage of the Christmas season (or any holiday period) to jump ahead. I run into people all the time who tell me that they take it easy around any holiday period because, in their minds, people don't want to be bugged. That is the farthest thing from the truth! The best example I know is something I experienced as a new sales person. Being a novice and not having been brain-washed by veterans, I believed every workday was a great day to sell. The day after Christmas promptly at 8 AM I walked into a new account I was trying to land. Needless to say, the customer was shocked and stunned I was there. Over time, the account wound up being a great one for me. On numerous occasions, the buyer said it was a result of me walking in promptly on December 26 because it showed him I could be counted on.

Sales Training Tip #161: Listen For Facts Twice

When you hear a customer say something, don’t immediately jump to conclusions. Many times, they’re making comments that are nothing more than distractions. Only when a customer says something twice should you begin to accept it as a valid fact.

Sales Training Tip #160: Cell Phone Numbers

Make sure your business cards have your cell phone number on them. Giving out that number communicates that you’re ready to do business anytime.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Selling With No Excuses Attached

Sales is all about customer service and customer service is all about helping the customer. Some companies don't get it when they think they're giving quality customer service. In reality, all they're doing is giving long drawn-out excuses. Instead of providing your customer with excuses as to why you can't do something, think outside the box and provide them with solutions. Remember, Abraham Lincoln's most famous speech was probably his shortest...The Gettysburg Address. Rambling on about why you can't do something will be perceived by the customer as you won't. Find a way to make it happen!

Sales Training Tip #159: What’s On Your Screen Saver?

Have you ever encountered a salesperson using their PC to make a presentation when it suddenly goes sour because an inappropriate screen saver pops up? If you have, then you know why you must be very careful with what you have on your PC, especially when a customer may see it.

Professional Selling Skills Training: The Importance of Passion

Passion is the missing ingredient for a whole lot of failed sales calls. It's amazing how many times I receive phone calls or e-mails from sales people complaining about how they can't close enough sales. The single biggest reason continues to be a complete lack of passion, not for the company the sales person works for, but for helping the customer succeed. In the long run, the best sales person will always be the one who passionately cares about the success of their customer.

Sales Training Tip #158: Passion Sells

It’s amazing how a person’s passion comes through in a sales call. Consider how a person’s “blah personality” can minimize even the best presentation. If you don’t have passion to serve the customer, you shouldn’t be selling.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Attitude Makes the Sale

Based on your attitude, do you close sales or lose? Every week, I encounter sales people who are clearly losing sales because they fail to have an attitude that is both positive and timely. A positive attitude is self-explanatory. A timely attitude is one that encourages people to get things done now, not later. There are way too many people who have positive attitudes, but lack the drive to win. Take a moment to evaluate your attitude. Is it both positive and timely?

Sales Training Tip #157: Keep Prospect Names Handy

Always have the names and phone numbers of prospects handy for when you have a few extra minutes during the day. By doing so, you can use the "unexpected" time more effectively.

Sales Training Tip #156: Email and Your Phone Number

Make it easy for people to contact you. Be sure to conclude all emails with your name, phone number, and cell number.

Professional Selling Skills Training: The Curse of Distractions

This past week, I encountered a sales person with a great track record of being able to get the job done. However, because of their willingness to get sucked into the mire of issues they can't control, they are now struggling. They are allowing their energy to be consumed by discussing and thinking about things that are occurring within their company and it’s taking away the energy they previously used to sell. Top performing sales people stay top performing sales people because they don’t allow distractions to get in their way. Take a look at what you’re worrying about and what you’re working on. Determine if it’s really something you can change or if it’s something that really impacts your ability to sell. Chances are there is at least another 15% of potential time and effort available to you by not allowing yourself to be distracted by the things you can’t control. How much more would you be able to sell if you had 3 more selling days each month?

Professional Selling Skills Training: Holiday Gifts

It’s the time of year for me to rant and rave about excessive holiday gifts! There’s nothing wrong with giving somebody a gift of appreciation for their business. However, what upsets me is when a sales person gives a gift that is excessive in value or taste to what the customer is used to receiving or may expect. There’s no need to feed the frenzy of trying to "out-do" everyone else in terms of the monetary value. Remember, the real value of your gift is in the meaning behind it - a true appreciation for their business.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Customer Service is Sales Service

Providing great customer service is something we all talk about, yet I am shocked at the number of times I encounter sales people who fail to demonstrate it during the sales process. I often see them only giving great service as long as the sales process is moving along. Then, as soon as they encounter a roadblock from the customer, they shut down. Many sales are made, and more importantly, many great long-term relationships emerge when the customer has the chance to really see what the sales person is made out of. There’s no better way to demonstrate this than by continuing to exhibit a high-level of service, even when the sales call has stalled. Yes, it takes time, but nobody ever said sales would be easy or quick.

Sales Training Tip #155: Allocate Your Time By Size

Make sure you’re allocating your day based on the size of the sales opportunity, not on the individual demands of a customer or prospect. It’s too easy to get caught up doing activities that might be very important but, ultimately, bring you little, if any, sales.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Respecting the Current Customer

What is the right balance between giving the customer what they want and what you believe they will want? This is a question that has hit the ever-popular website “Facebook” (a MySpace website geared towards college students). Facebook added a new feature called “news feed” which tracks the movements of users. Needless to say, their user base was not broadly consulted on this before it was implemented and now they’re upset. So, here’s the question: what is the right way to implement a product improvement to your existing customer base?

Professional Selling Skills Training: Customer Service..To Tell The Truth

Customer service is as much about integrity as it is about doing things right and it's time to vent about people who love to twist the truth. Today, I received an e-mail announcement from a major HR trade group about an upcoming event. Needless to say, it didn't look right and, sure enough, a couple of hours later, a new announcement came out saying that "due to technical difficulties, the previous announcement should be disregarded." Bunk! Don't lie to us HR people! Tell us the truth...you blew it! Is it so hard to say, "Oops, we made a mistake. We're sorry, but please disregard the previous message." I'm not perfect. I've made more than my share of mistakes. But, one thing I've learned is that it's OK to tell it the way it is. And, it's even better to poke a little fun at yourself for the mistake you made. If you want to create a stellar customer experience, then you'd better treat them with respect. Selling is all about building integrity and, as a sales person, keep in mind that people are watching your every move.

Sales Training Tip #154: Confirm Appointments Via Voicemail

If you need to confirm an upcoming sales call, do so by leaving a voicemail rather than email. When you use e-mail, it’s easy for the prospect to hit “reply” and cancel the meeting. Voicemail requires more time and will result in fewer cancelled meetings.

Sales Training Tip #153: Holiday Planning

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it’s time to think about how you intend to service your clients during the busy period from Thanksgiving through Christmas and the New Year. Plan now to determine how you and your counterparts will provide the best service possible everyday.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Tracking Your Sales Time

Fortune Magazine (Oct. 16 edition) has a great interview with Jim Donald, CEO of Starbucks. In the article, Jim talks about how he charts his time by month to determine how he is spending it. I've been talking about this for years...for sales people to truly perform at the highest level, it's important to measure how your time is spent. Now I feel vindicated! When a CEO of a high-profile company advocates doing it, you know it makes sense. If you haven't read the article or read some of my material, here's what you need to do: Track your time by key activity for an entire month. The objective is not to determine the total hours, but the % of time you spend on an activity. In the case of sales, the activities need to be sales-focused, not administration, meetings, or anything that isn't truly helping you either keep a sale or make a new one.