Professional Selling Skills Training: Have You Heard the Latest Podcasts?

The following audios were recently posted on iTunes. You can access them through our website (www.TheSalesHunter.com) or by doing a search of "The Sales Hunter" in the iTunes podcast category. Check them out for more information!

1. Sell the Future: Don't sell what your product is. Rather, sell what your product can be.
2. Prospecting for Big and Small: Close more sales by focusing your efforts on a cross-section of prospects.
3. Weekly Improvement: Improve your selling skills every week throughout the year.

Sales Training Tip #167: Respect the Gatekeeper

Always treat the gatekeeper in the same manner and with the same level of respect you will use with the person you are desiring to meet. The gatekeeper is analyzing your demeanor and approach with them to determine if you’re worthy of meeting with the person they’re working to keep people away from.

Sales Training Tip #166: Great Probing Questions

Some examples of great probing questions are:

• What goals are you trying to achieve?
• How are you going to achieve them?

Professional Selling Skills Training: What is the Best Way to Begin a Cold Call Sales Pitch Over the Phone?

Why spend time making a cold call when you can make warm calls instead? Avoid cold calls altogether by using the following strategy. When making the call, you need to first identify why the customer would be interested in you. In addition, your second goal should not be to close the sale, but to be able to earn the right, privilege, and opportunity to continue the discussion with the prospect.

It’s important to keep in mind that you're talking to a prospect. When you’re making a cold call, don’t view the other person as a customer. Customers are those who have provided you with information that is not normally known by others. Prospects are those with whom you have not been able to develop a detailed dialogue with and, as such, they have not provided you with some key information.

When making the call, keep in mind that you have only 10 seconds to convey your passion and interest in desiring to serve the person on the other end. Begin by addressing them by their first name only. Using the person’s last name makes the call more formal. Second, state your name clearly. Don’t waste time by giving the person your title or company name, unless it is compelling enough to generate their interest. Next, you should make a single statement that both serves as a compliment to the person and peaks their interest. An example of this might be: “You’re fortunate to be employed by one of top 100 companies to work for in America and the reason I'm calling is that I assist companies in making sure they stay ranked there.” You would then follow it by saying, "May I ask you a question?" If the prospect doesn’t allow you to do so, ask if there might be another time when they would have 3-5 minutes. This communicates that you're not looking for a lot of time. Often, the person will ask you to continue right then. If they don’t and won’t give you another time, finish the call and move on. Always avoid getting sucked into the trap of allowing the prospect to drive the outcome with a response like: “I don’t have time right now, but go ahead and send me some information.” This of course is the kiss of death!

When the customer allows you to ask your first question, keep in mind that it must be short and open, while, at the same time, beginning to convey your expertise. An example might be: “We often work with companies like yours that know the value of being a great place to be employed because they understand what it takes to be great. What are you currently doing to help your sales people be more productive?" A follow up comment might be: “Lately, I’ve been talking to a number of buyers who have shared with me some concerning information and I’m struggling in know if it’s accurate. May I share with you a couple of their comments?” Keep in mind, I’ve only made two comments / questions and, as a result, I will most likely be able to either keep the conversation going or will have earned the right and privilege to contact the person again. Either way, the cold call has been successful since I’ve achieved my goal of being able to continue the dialogue.

Voicemail, of course, is where the vast majority of phone calls wind up. When making the first call to a prospect, if you are connected to voicemail, do not leave a message. The chances of getting it returned is extremely low unless you’re a doctor, attorney, or banker. You should only leave a message on the third attempt, assuming you’ve varied the time of day and day of the week when you’ve made the other two calls. (The best time to prospect call is from 7:30 – 8:30 AM and the best month is late in December.) When you leave a message, don't give enough information to allow the prospect to rule out why they don’t need you. Your message should be upbeat and enthusiastic. In no more than 12 seconds, you need to leave your name, phone number (slowly), and one interesting comment to get them to remember you. An example I might use would be: “Hi, I’m Mark Hunter, The Sales Hunter, and I’m calling you to compliment you on being named as one of the best companies to work for in America. You can reach me at 402-445-2110.” Notice I didn’t try and sell anything. All I did was let them know who I am and compliment them. I have also accepted the fact that the customer will probably not return the call, but the compliment I left will serve to make them more receptive to me the next time I contact them.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Why Buy Now?

Each day we're faced with far more demands for our time, and all of us have to make decisions as to how to allocate it. With this in mind, do we know how to leverage time to our advantage when making a sales call? More importantly, do we know how to use time to our advantage when closing the deal? In both instances, we have to make sure the customer understands why it is important to buy right now.

Every sales call must create a need for the customer to realize how much time they will lose if they don't buy today. This does not mean every close comes with a discount if they buy by a certain date. Rather, it means that we must seek to help them understand how they will be making better use of their time if they buy now. When the customer understands the value of time and how much their own time is worth, then they will be far more likely to make a decision right away.

Many salespeople spend too much time with people who are not driven to make a decision. In the end, they wind up making a lot of sales calls with not a lot to show for it.

Sales Training Tip #165: You’re The Expert

Never forget that you are an expert, not because of what you sell but because of how you sell. You play a very important role to your customers and that includes listening to what they have to say. Be an expert of your industry in general and your customers in particular.

Sales Training Tip #164: Defining Failure

Is failure a set level, or is it a level we set on ourselves? Failure is not a word. It’s a state of mind. Are you setting yourself up for failure in 2007?

Sales Training Tip #163: Defining Success

Success is not measured by what you do. It is measured by what you do with what you are given. Never allow the appearance of having a bad territory, bad marketing materials, etc., ever stand in your way. Consider where you might need an attitude adjustment so that you can be more successful in 2007.

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?