1. If your goal is to get the phone call returned, don’t leave information that would allow the person to make up their mind. Add a call-to-action to your message by providing a key date or something of interest that will encourage the person to return the call. You have to create a reason for them to call you back.
2. Repeat your phone number twice. If the person can’t quickly write your number down, you’ve given them a perfect reason to not call back.
3. Avoid asking ask the person to call you back at a certain time. This provides them with an excuse not to call you.
4. Never state in the message that you will plan to call them back. Again, this only gives the person an excuse to ignore your message.
5. Messages left on a Friday afternoon are the least likely to be returned. For most people, Monday mornings are very busy and, as a result, only high–priority activities will get their immediate attention.
6. Do not leave voicemail messages at odd hours of the night. Most voicemail systems offer a time stamp and the person hearing the message will immediately suspect you really did not want to talk to them.
7. The best hours to leave voicemail messages are from 6:45 AM to 8:00 AM and from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Aggressive people are usually working during these time periods, and the person receiving your message could potentially view you as one.
8. Wisely use time zone changes to make as many calls as possible during the optimal voicemail periods listed in the previous tip.
9. Voicemail messages are an excellent way to introduce yourself to a person. Be personable, yet professional, and link your message to something of interest to the person you are calling (such as another person or event). The recipient may view your message as a waste of time if you have no purpose other than getting your name in front of them.
10. When leaving a message with multiple points, be sure to immediately disclose how many you will be making. This will prevent the recipient from accidentally fast-forwarding or deleting it before it is completely heard.
11. If you can’t say it briefly, don’t say it at all. Voicemail is not “story time”. Leaving a long message is an invitation to have the entire message skipped. The optimal voicemail message is between 8 and 14 seconds.
12. When leaving your phone number, do not leave your website address as well. This will give the person an opportunity to make a decision about you without calling you back.
13. Leave a “PS” at the end of your message. A “PS” is a very quick, additional piece of information that will connect with the person.
14. Mention the person’s first name at least twice in the message, but don’t use their last name. Doing so comes across as very impersonal.
15. Refer to a mutual acquaintance in your message as a way of connecting with the recipient. (Caution: Make sure they think positively of that person!).
Friday, March 30, 2007
Professional Selling Skills Training: "Learn / Teach / Sell” Yourself to More Sales
Every sales call you make needs to include the “Learn, Teach, Sell” concept. Today’s customer has many options available to them. Rarely are we in a position to sell to a customer something that is so unique and compelling that they have no other choice but to buy from us. To help create a competitive edge in the marketplace, we must find ways to distinguish our selling process from our rival’s.
One of the most effective ways to do this is to use each call to “learn” something about the customer and to “teach” them something about the business. When we take the time to both “learn” from and “teach” the customer something, then we have earned the right to “sell” them. This is a consultative selling approach.
“Learning” something about the customer is absolutely essential if we are going to be in a position to help identify their true needs. Therefore, the questions you ask must allow you to gain information that can be used either in the current call or at a later time with the customer. An example might be finding out from a customer what their financial limits are.
“Teaching” is the way we can help the customer become more qualified in their position and, in turn, make better decisions. Teaching them something should not be centered on the products or services we offer, but on the industry and business practices. The key is to provide them with practical information. By doing so, you will demonstrate that you are interested in helping them be more successful, rather than just selling them something.”
Selling” is the final step. Naturally, we want to sell our products on every call. However, reality reminds us that many times there are objections and other issues that must be overcome before the customer will buy from us. Still, it is essential for us to do on every sales call, whether it is simply selling our integrity, our listening skills, or our personal style.
In the end, we have been successful if we have earned the right, privilege, honor, and respect to call on the customer again. This is best achieved when we’ve taken the time to learn from them and teach them information of benefit.
One of the most effective ways to do this is to use each call to “learn” something about the customer and to “teach” them something about the business. When we take the time to both “learn” from and “teach” the customer something, then we have earned the right to “sell” them. This is a consultative selling approach.
“Learning” something about the customer is absolutely essential if we are going to be in a position to help identify their true needs. Therefore, the questions you ask must allow you to gain information that can be used either in the current call or at a later time with the customer. An example might be finding out from a customer what their financial limits are.
“Teaching” is the way we can help the customer become more qualified in their position and, in turn, make better decisions. Teaching them something should not be centered on the products or services we offer, but on the industry and business practices. The key is to provide them with practical information. By doing so, you will demonstrate that you are interested in helping them be more successful, rather than just selling them something.”
Selling” is the final step. Naturally, we want to sell our products on every call. However, reality reminds us that many times there are objections and other issues that must be overcome before the customer will buy from us. Still, it is essential for us to do on every sales call, whether it is simply selling our integrity, our listening skills, or our personal style.
In the end, we have been successful if we have earned the right, privilege, honor, and respect to call on the customer again. This is best achieved when we’ve taken the time to learn from them and teach them information of benefit.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Professional Selling Skills Training: Selling a Higher Price in a B-B Environment
Even the most sales savvy among us have had to fight back the nerves that materialize whenever we are faced with telling a customer about a price increase. Talking about it never makes for an easy conversation. When discussing a price increase in a business-to-business environment, it is important to remember that our customers have probably had to have the same discussion with their own customers. A company exists only as long as it earns a profit and it can only do that if it delivers a quality product or service at the right price. This means that the key to any conversation about raising the price is to emphasize that such an increase will ensure product quality.
As you begin to prepare your strategy for communicating a price increase, ask yourself the following questions:
1. Does the customer take your product/service and add a standard percentage increase in price when selling to their customers? If this is the case, you can point out that your customer will make more money by taking a standard percentage of a higher amount.
2. What percentage of the customer’s business is your product/service? If the percentage is small, tell them that the amount of increase is only a small percentage of their total business. If the percentage is great, then you can emphasize that the price increase is necessary to maintain the level of product quality necessary for them to serve their customers.
3. Has the customer faced any other price increases from other vendors? If so, try to identify what some percentages of the other increases have been. If yours falls into the low end, then you can point out how your increase is comparatively smaller than that of many others. If your increase is at the high end, you can either explain how yours is the only one you expect to take or that you wouldn’t be surprised to see others coming back to take another round of price increases.
4. How does the customer view you and the products/services you sell? If you have a quality reputation and record, then you can emphasize that the increase has been carefully thought through and it is only being taken to ensure continued quality. If you have a spotty record with the customer, then you should stress how the price increase will allow you to begin addressing some of the issues in question by allowing you to improve the overall quality of service they have been receiving. Naturally, it is important to make sure all comments are backed with a commitment to follow-through.
5. Will the customer raise an issue with the price increase? Be prepared to show documentation of how your costs have escalated and how other companies are experiencing the same increases. (An example is the increasing cost of oil, which has forced any company that uses petroleum in the manufacturing or transportation of goods to most likely increase prices.) When having this discussion, be sure to show empathy for the customer, but remain firm in what you’re saying. If the customer senses any hesitation on your part, they will likely try to exploit it in the form of a price concession from you. Also, be prepared to share steps that your company has taken in an attempt to avoid a price increase. This can include ways you’ve already cut costs or how the price increase is the only way to maintain the quality and service the customer expects. A final point to emphasize is the time lag between this price increase and the previous increase. Having information available concerning the rate of inflation during that specific time period may also help diffuse the issue.
6. Why does the customer buy from you anyway? Knowing this will allow you to reinforce these points when talking about the price increase. You should also have ready at least two key needs of the customer that your product or service satisfies. Be sure all of your strategic information about the customer is up-to-date before a price increase is announced.
7. How much business is at risk from the customer? We can sometimes get carried away thinking that if we raise prices, we’ll lose the customer, even though this is rarely the case. Think through what steps the customer would have to take to move to another vendor. Many times the work involved in moving is not worth the effort, and thus the business is less at risk than thought.
The following Sales Presentation tips are the best practices to employ when executing a price increase:
1. Give the customer lead-time. Provide the customer with enough notice to allow them to make adjustments in their information systems and to exercise at least one more order at the existing price.
2. Avoid showing favorites. Pricing integrity is always essential, but especially so during a price change. Do not treat particular customers more favorably than others in pricing during an increase. Different pricing levels are fine as long as they can be logically defended so that a customer who is not receiving the price break can understand and accept the price change.
3. Do not allow your customer to find out about a price increase from your invoice. Any changes in pricing must come from the account executive or a person of high position within the company. Information regarding a price change should only appear on an invoice after every person involved has been personally notified. (Sufficient time should occur in the price increase timeline to allow at least one invoice to contain a note of the pending increase in price.)
4. Make sure each customer service representative and anyone else who comes in contact with the customer is fully aware of when the price increase is going to be communicated. One of the most significant possibilities for confusion is when the customer hears conflicting information from different departments. Everyone in customer service needs to be fully aware of the price increase, the reasoning behind it, and the logistics for implementation. They should also be provided with a FAQ guide to ensure that when customers do ask them about elements of the pricing increase, they are able to share accurate information.
5. Believe in the price increase. In order to be paid what you are worth, you must charge what you are worth. Although this is not something that can be explicitly communicated to the customer, this general sense is what sets apart the best practice companies and high-performing sales professionals.
6. Instill an open-phone/open-door policy. Any time a price increase takes place, it is important for all senior executives to be willing to answer a phone call from a customer or to make phone calls to key customers. For successful consultative selling, nothing sends a stronger signal to a sales organization than seeing their senior executives on the front-line when dealing with a price increase.
7. Before and after the price increase, monitor the sales patterns of your individual customers. It is important to quickly catch any changes that occur as a result of the price increase.
During the 1970’s and 1980’s, price increases were common and expected. In the past 10 years, however, we’ve all grown used to lower inflation and the overwhelming impact of Wal-Mart’s philosophy on pricing. Today, price increases are again growing more common and acceptable as long as they are well thought through and not seen as a way to merely increase profits. Because they are an inevitable part of business today, we can’t let ourselves avoid dealing with price increases. Instead, we should seek to use them strategically to increase our selling potential.
As you begin to prepare your strategy for communicating a price increase, ask yourself the following questions:
1. Does the customer take your product/service and add a standard percentage increase in price when selling to their customers? If this is the case, you can point out that your customer will make more money by taking a standard percentage of a higher amount.
2. What percentage of the customer’s business is your product/service? If the percentage is small, tell them that the amount of increase is only a small percentage of their total business. If the percentage is great, then you can emphasize that the price increase is necessary to maintain the level of product quality necessary for them to serve their customers.
3. Has the customer faced any other price increases from other vendors? If so, try to identify what some percentages of the other increases have been. If yours falls into the low end, then you can point out how your increase is comparatively smaller than that of many others. If your increase is at the high end, you can either explain how yours is the only one you expect to take or that you wouldn’t be surprised to see others coming back to take another round of price increases.
4. How does the customer view you and the products/services you sell? If you have a quality reputation and record, then you can emphasize that the increase has been carefully thought through and it is only being taken to ensure continued quality. If you have a spotty record with the customer, then you should stress how the price increase will allow you to begin addressing some of the issues in question by allowing you to improve the overall quality of service they have been receiving. Naturally, it is important to make sure all comments are backed with a commitment to follow-through.
5. Will the customer raise an issue with the price increase? Be prepared to show documentation of how your costs have escalated and how other companies are experiencing the same increases. (An example is the increasing cost of oil, which has forced any company that uses petroleum in the manufacturing or transportation of goods to most likely increase prices.) When having this discussion, be sure to show empathy for the customer, but remain firm in what you’re saying. If the customer senses any hesitation on your part, they will likely try to exploit it in the form of a price concession from you. Also, be prepared to share steps that your company has taken in an attempt to avoid a price increase. This can include ways you’ve already cut costs or how the price increase is the only way to maintain the quality and service the customer expects. A final point to emphasize is the time lag between this price increase and the previous increase. Having information available concerning the rate of inflation during that specific time period may also help diffuse the issue.
6. Why does the customer buy from you anyway? Knowing this will allow you to reinforce these points when talking about the price increase. You should also have ready at least two key needs of the customer that your product or service satisfies. Be sure all of your strategic information about the customer is up-to-date before a price increase is announced.
7. How much business is at risk from the customer? We can sometimes get carried away thinking that if we raise prices, we’ll lose the customer, even though this is rarely the case. Think through what steps the customer would have to take to move to another vendor. Many times the work involved in moving is not worth the effort, and thus the business is less at risk than thought.
The following Sales Presentation tips are the best practices to employ when executing a price increase:
1. Give the customer lead-time. Provide the customer with enough notice to allow them to make adjustments in their information systems and to exercise at least one more order at the existing price.
2. Avoid showing favorites. Pricing integrity is always essential, but especially so during a price change. Do not treat particular customers more favorably than others in pricing during an increase. Different pricing levels are fine as long as they can be logically defended so that a customer who is not receiving the price break can understand and accept the price change.
3. Do not allow your customer to find out about a price increase from your invoice. Any changes in pricing must come from the account executive or a person of high position within the company. Information regarding a price change should only appear on an invoice after every person involved has been personally notified. (Sufficient time should occur in the price increase timeline to allow at least one invoice to contain a note of the pending increase in price.)
4. Make sure each customer service representative and anyone else who comes in contact with the customer is fully aware of when the price increase is going to be communicated. One of the most significant possibilities for confusion is when the customer hears conflicting information from different departments. Everyone in customer service needs to be fully aware of the price increase, the reasoning behind it, and the logistics for implementation. They should also be provided with a FAQ guide to ensure that when customers do ask them about elements of the pricing increase, they are able to share accurate information.
5. Believe in the price increase. In order to be paid what you are worth, you must charge what you are worth. Although this is not something that can be explicitly communicated to the customer, this general sense is what sets apart the best practice companies and high-performing sales professionals.
6. Instill an open-phone/open-door policy. Any time a price increase takes place, it is important for all senior executives to be willing to answer a phone call from a customer or to make phone calls to key customers. For successful consultative selling, nothing sends a stronger signal to a sales organization than seeing their senior executives on the front-line when dealing with a price increase.
7. Before and after the price increase, monitor the sales patterns of your individual customers. It is important to quickly catch any changes that occur as a result of the price increase.
During the 1970’s and 1980’s, price increases were common and expected. In the past 10 years, however, we’ve all grown used to lower inflation and the overwhelming impact of Wal-Mart’s philosophy on pricing. Today, price increases are again growing more common and acceptable as long as they are well thought through and not seen as a way to merely increase profits. Because they are an inevitable part of business today, we can’t let ourselves avoid dealing with price increases. Instead, we should seek to use them strategically to increase our selling potential.
Professional Selling Skills Training: The First 30 Minutes of the Day
The first 30 minutes of the workday will set the tone for the entire day. For most people, the first half hour of the day consists of settling into the office routine by grabbing a cup of coffee, checking the internet, and, of course, chatting with others. Now, I will never be one to say we have to avoid coffee and/or socializing, but I will be the first to say it is advantageous to put these activities aside until later.
One of the ways that top-performing salespeople separate themselves from others is by effectively using the first 30 minutes of the day. It is highly beneficial to your productivity to know exactly what you are going to accomplish during this period. Therefore, you must determine the day before what you intend to do when you first arrive in the morning. For anyone in sales, this means one thing: start the day by making a minimum of three sales calls before you do anything else.
To begin using this strategy, your objective today (and everyday in the future) should be to identify three people you want to call first thing tomorrow morning. There is no better way to start the day than by calling customers. If you are the type of person who arrives in the office early, your phone calls will wind up going straight to voicemail. Great! In fact, using voicemail is an effective way to demonstrate to others that you are a hard working individual and you take your relationships seriously. For those of you who have a large number of clients, this is also a perfect way to personally reach out to them, while not having to wind up in a long, drawn-out telephone conversation.
In addition to beginning the workday more productively, you will also find yourself warmed up to make additional phone calls throughout the day. This will help you overcome a very common problem among anyone in sales: the initial reluctance to make the first call of the day. Many studies have shown that people waste on average 15 minutes each day just getting ready to make that first call. It is ironic to think that you will have made three phone calls in the time it takes the average salesperson to even start making theirs.
An additional benefit of this plan will come when you begin applying this same principle to the first 15 minutes after returning from lunch. Use that time to make three prospecting calls. Again, you will find yourself becoming productive faster and you will be less likely to find yourself at the end of the day looking back to realize that you did not make the phone calls you needed to.
By establishing these habits, you will increase the number of phone calls you make every day from utilizing time that, in the past, was unproductive. Make it part of your routine at the end of each day to identify both the three people you intend to contact the next morning and the three you’ll contact after lunch. Do not fall into the trap of thinking you’ll come up with the names the next day because the chances of you actually contacting those people will fall dramatically.
One of the ways that top-performing salespeople separate themselves from others is by effectively using the first 30 minutes of the day. It is highly beneficial to your productivity to know exactly what you are going to accomplish during this period. Therefore, you must determine the day before what you intend to do when you first arrive in the morning. For anyone in sales, this means one thing: start the day by making a minimum of three sales calls before you do anything else.
To begin using this strategy, your objective today (and everyday in the future) should be to identify three people you want to call first thing tomorrow morning. There is no better way to start the day than by calling customers. If you are the type of person who arrives in the office early, your phone calls will wind up going straight to voicemail. Great! In fact, using voicemail is an effective way to demonstrate to others that you are a hard working individual and you take your relationships seriously. For those of you who have a large number of clients, this is also a perfect way to personally reach out to them, while not having to wind up in a long, drawn-out telephone conversation.
In addition to beginning the workday more productively, you will also find yourself warmed up to make additional phone calls throughout the day. This will help you overcome a very common problem among anyone in sales: the initial reluctance to make the first call of the day. Many studies have shown that people waste on average 15 minutes each day just getting ready to make that first call. It is ironic to think that you will have made three phone calls in the time it takes the average salesperson to even start making theirs.
An additional benefit of this plan will come when you begin applying this same principle to the first 15 minutes after returning from lunch. Use that time to make three prospecting calls. Again, you will find yourself becoming productive faster and you will be less likely to find yourself at the end of the day looking back to realize that you did not make the phone calls you needed to.
By establishing these habits, you will increase the number of phone calls you make every day from utilizing time that, in the past, was unproductive. Make it part of your routine at the end of each day to identify both the three people you intend to contact the next morning and the three you’ll contact after lunch. Do not fall into the trap of thinking you’ll come up with the names the next day because the chances of you actually contacting those people will fall dramatically.
Sales Training Tip #175: Ask the Right Type of Questions
You may be good at asking questions, but are you efficient in asking the right type? Open-ended questions should make up 85% of the questions you ask on a sales call. Closed questions should never exceed 15%. These percentages are important in helping you gain the necessary information from your customers and prospects.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Professional Selling Skills Training: Informal Networking
Networking and being successful in sales go hand in hand. One of the best ways I’ve found to network is by spending time each week in very public places. For me, this means Starbucks and Panera, and not just the ones where I live. I also do this when I’m on the road in major cities. My reasoning stems from my amazement at the number of people I run into and the subsequent business it leads to. I can count numerous deals which I’ve put together for myself and for others based off of chance encounters in public places. However, don’t go expecting to meet people. Rather, go as a way to get some solid thinking time and while you’re out, be prepared to run into your next big opportunity.
Professional Selling Skills Training: Sales Strategies for Tomorrow
"Who in their right mind would ever need more than 640k of RAM!?" - (Bill Gates, 1981)
With Vista now being rolled out, I couldn’t help but laugh over this comment made by Bill in 1981. Microsoft is now telling everybody that to run Vista, a PC should have 1 gig or RAM. It sure appears Bill Gates was a little off base with his comment in 1981.
We need to keep this in mind when we are developing our sales strategies. The vast majority of people are thinking way too small when they’re creating theirs. Remember, your sales strategies are to reflect the vision of what you expect your business to look like at a future point in time. Our problem lies in our perspective. When you’re developing your sales strategies, take a step back and envision your business far beyond where you’re at today and what you believe to be possible in the next few years. One year ago at this time, I was toying with putting audio on the web. I thought there might be a way for me to market myself to new people using audio or video. In less than a year, this strategy (that I believed would take 5 years to develop) has been achieved. I don’t share this to "toot my own horn", but to encourage you to develop sales strategies that will push you to being far bigger than you ever thought possible.
(Now, I will "toot my own horn". If you haven’t already, check out “The Sales Hunter” on iTunes in the podcast section. You can download in either audio or video formats.)
With Vista now being rolled out, I couldn’t help but laugh over this comment made by Bill in 1981. Microsoft is now telling everybody that to run Vista, a PC should have 1 gig or RAM. It sure appears Bill Gates was a little off base with his comment in 1981.
We need to keep this in mind when we are developing our sales strategies. The vast majority of people are thinking way too small when they’re creating theirs. Remember, your sales strategies are to reflect the vision of what you expect your business to look like at a future point in time. Our problem lies in our perspective. When you’re developing your sales strategies, take a step back and envision your business far beyond where you’re at today and what you believe to be possible in the next few years. One year ago at this time, I was toying with putting audio on the web. I thought there might be a way for me to market myself to new people using audio or video. In less than a year, this strategy (that I believed would take 5 years to develop) has been achieved. I don’t share this to "toot my own horn", but to encourage you to develop sales strategies that will push you to being far bigger than you ever thought possible.
(Now, I will "toot my own horn". If you haven’t already, check out “The Sales Hunter” on iTunes in the podcast section. You can download in either audio or video formats.)
Professional Selling Skills Training: Selling to Large Companies
Selling to larger companies will always allow you to sell at a higher price. Small companies make their buying decisions on a far more personal level. The trade-off is that the small company customer will be less likely to stop using you because they are more personally involved. Large companies have a higher cost of entry because it takes longer to penetrate into the customer's buying decision level. Therefore, it's important to make sure you allocate the proper amount of time to be able to close a large customer.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Professional Selling Skills Training: Negotiating and Donald Trump
I'm watching a television interview (The Big Idea with Donnie Deutsch) where Donald Trump is talking about why he's such a great negotiator. I have to laugh at how he likes to mock those who tell him that they are great negotiators. What's ironic is that he is really mocking himself while making fun of others.
The first rule of negotiating is to never brag about your skills when you do you're telling everyone to be careful when negotiating with you. This is one of the things that made Sam Walton so effective in the early days of setting up Wal-Mart. Sam came across as a soft-spoken person and was able to get the people he was dealing with to lower their guard. Donald Trump, on the other hand, does everything he can to inform others of his excellence in negotiating. Now, I'm not going to knock Donald Trump. He's built a personal franchise that, in a business sense, is successful. However, for me, I will always choose the anti-Donald Trump approach and behave more like Sam Walton.
The first rule of negotiating is to never brag about your skills when you do you're telling everyone to be careful when negotiating with you. This is one of the things that made Sam Walton so effective in the early days of setting up Wal-Mart. Sam came across as a soft-spoken person and was able to get the people he was dealing with to lower their guard. Donald Trump, on the other hand, does everything he can to inform others of his excellence in negotiating. Now, I'm not going to knock Donald Trump. He's built a personal franchise that, in a business sense, is successful. However, for me, I will always choose the anti-Donald Trump approach and behave more like Sam Walton.
Sales Training Tip #174: The Perfect Time
If you’re waiting for the perfect time to make a sales call, you’ll be waiting forever! Right now will always be the perfect time. So - don't delay any longer!
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Professional Selling Skills Training: The Sales Call and Sincerity
I talk a lot about having passion in what you do and in serving your customers. After speaking to a group about having passion in sales earlier this week, a person in the audience mentioned how important it is to also be sincere. Without a doubt, sincerity is essential! I run into a lot of sales people who come across as if they really care when, in reality, they could care less. This is where I believe it can become very difficult for a sales person. You can overcome this by taking the time to determine what are the key drivers for the customer and what their short and long-term objectives are.
It's rather ironic that if a sales person takes the time the time to truly understand the customer, then they not only will be able to be viewed as sincere, but, in the end, they will achieve a higher level of profit with the customer. The more a sales person is able to fulfill the needs and objectives of the customer, the more likely they will be to sell their goods or services at a price that yields a higher margin.
In my book, the sales person who is truly sincere with their customers will achieve a higher level of profit over a longer period of time than one who shows no concern for the real interests of the customer.
It's rather ironic that if a sales person takes the time the time to truly understand the customer, then they not only will be able to be viewed as sincere, but, in the end, they will achieve a higher level of profit with the customer. The more a sales person is able to fulfill the needs and objectives of the customer, the more likely they will be to sell their goods or services at a price that yields a higher margin.
In my book, the sales person who is truly sincere with their customers will achieve a higher level of profit over a longer period of time than one who shows no concern for the real interests of the customer.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Professional Selling Skills Training: Selling With Voicemail
Here's a quick sales tip regarding voicemail:
If you're going to leave a voicemail message, avoid using a bluetooth device or any other type of headset. I'm amazed at the number of voicemail messages that are extremely hard to hear and/or understand. The vast majority of time, this is due to the use of portable headsets, etc. If you're doing any kind of prospecting through voicemail messages, you're already at a disadvantage because the majority of them will not be returned. So, why make it any harder on yourself? Use a headset when initially making the call, but when you get sent to voicemail, reach for the handset to ensure the message is as clear as possible. (By the way, to the the three of you who left me voicemail messages today, sorry but there's no way I could decipher who you are or what you were trying to sell me.)
If you're going to leave a voicemail message, avoid using a bluetooth device or any other type of headset. I'm amazed at the number of voicemail messages that are extremely hard to hear and/or understand. The vast majority of time, this is due to the use of portable headsets, etc. If you're doing any kind of prospecting through voicemail messages, you're already at a disadvantage because the majority of them will not be returned. So, why make it any harder on yourself? Use a headset when initially making the call, but when you get sent to voicemail, reach for the handset to ensure the message is as clear as possible. (By the way, to the the three of you who left me voicemail messages today, sorry but there's no way I could decipher who you are or what you were trying to sell me.)
Monday, March 12, 2007
Sales Training Tip #173: Be Intriguing
Does what you say when you introduce yourself to someone beg them to want to know more about you? Consider how you can make them more intrigued when they are formulating their first impression of you.
Friday, March 9, 2007
Professional Selling Skills Training: Trade Show Leads, Closing the Sale
This past week, I was in Las Vegas for a major trade show called Global Shop (You can read more about it in my Emerging Trends blog). In talking with companies who were displaying there, I ran across a wide range of comments when I asked how they were doing. In the end, the ones who captured my attention were those who said that they would have no idea how good the show was until they turn some of the leads into business. How true! The real work of a trade show is not the show itself, but what takes place after it's over. If you do not follow up with your trade show leads within 72 hours, you've lost the vast majority of opportunities. It's a shame that so many companies spend significant sums of money participating in trade shows only to have their investment fail them because of their lack of follow-up.
Learn how to avoid this pitfall by listeneing to an interview I recently recorded with author Susan Friedman for NARMS Radio. Susan has written the book on how to get the most out of trade shows. You can download the interview from iTunes (keyword: NARMS), by following the link on my homepage (www.thesaleshunter.com), or from www.NARMS.com.
Learn how to avoid this pitfall by listeneing to an interview I recently recorded with author Susan Friedman for NARMS Radio. Susan has written the book on how to get the most out of trade shows. You can download the interview from iTunes (keyword: NARMS), by following the link on my homepage (www.thesaleshunter.com), or from www.NARMS.com.
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Professional Selling Skills Training: Sales Office Politics
Selling Tips and Sales Advice Reader Feedback:
Readers of Selling Tips From The Sales Hunter are always sending in questions about sales. I'm not able to reprint most of the questions. However, here is one that I'm sure is of interest to a number of readers:
"I am a top-performing sales person who recently changed companies and in the new organization, I'm having to deal with a lot of office politics arising from lower-level sales people shooting arrows at me. How should I respond?"
Answer:
(Before you read the ideas below, never forget your skill set that got you to where you are or allow yourself to do anything to diminish your selling skills as a way of trying to get other sales people to like you.)
1. First, don't expect to be able to quickly change people's attitudes. Rather, your best approach is to befriend one of the sales people and, as your relationship with them grows, they will convey to others the fact that you're a great person and a team player.
2. Spend as much time as possible away from the office. It's hard for people to shoot arrows at somebody if they don't see them. Don't take this to an extreme and never show up, but pace yourself to be in the office less time than the others.
3. Food / drink: It's amazing how a little food or drink can change another person's opinion. Bring in some doughnuts on occasion or have some candy at your desk. It will often soften things up.
4. Offer to be a sales coach to the newest person in the office. But when you do this, don't allow your ego to get in the way. Rather, convey your skills with an incredible sense of humility. A key thing to keep in mind when coaching somebody is if you have to tell somebody how good you are, you're really not very good. People should know your skills simply through the results you obtain. (Donald Trump never has to tell anyone how rich he is...his problem is he has an ego.)
5. In sales meetings, avoid dominating any discussions. Take a more quiet approach and when asked your opinion, answer humbly by stating something like, "Well, an idea that may work might be something like....."
6. Become a cheerleader to the office. Anytime somebody else in the office does something, be sure to compliment them and ask them how they did it. If they're looking at you as a super sales person and you take the time to ask them how they did something, it will elevate their thinking about themselves. (The key is to bring the others up to you, rather than you dropping down to them.)
Readers of Selling Tips From The Sales Hunter are always sending in questions about sales. I'm not able to reprint most of the questions. However, here is one that I'm sure is of interest to a number of readers:
"I am a top-performing sales person who recently changed companies and in the new organization, I'm having to deal with a lot of office politics arising from lower-level sales people shooting arrows at me. How should I respond?"
Answer:
(Before you read the ideas below, never forget your skill set that got you to where you are or allow yourself to do anything to diminish your selling skills as a way of trying to get other sales people to like you.)
1. First, don't expect to be able to quickly change people's attitudes. Rather, your best approach is to befriend one of the sales people and, as your relationship with them grows, they will convey to others the fact that you're a great person and a team player.
2. Spend as much time as possible away from the office. It's hard for people to shoot arrows at somebody if they don't see them. Don't take this to an extreme and never show up, but pace yourself to be in the office less time than the others.
3. Food / drink: It's amazing how a little food or drink can change another person's opinion. Bring in some doughnuts on occasion or have some candy at your desk. It will often soften things up.
4. Offer to be a sales coach to the newest person in the office. But when you do this, don't allow your ego to get in the way. Rather, convey your skills with an incredible sense of humility. A key thing to keep in mind when coaching somebody is if you have to tell somebody how good you are, you're really not very good. People should know your skills simply through the results you obtain. (Donald Trump never has to tell anyone how rich he is...his problem is he has an ego.)
5. In sales meetings, avoid dominating any discussions. Take a more quiet approach and when asked your opinion, answer humbly by stating something like, "Well, an idea that may work might be something like....."
6. Become a cheerleader to the office. Anytime somebody else in the office does something, be sure to compliment them and ask them how they did it. If they're looking at you as a super sales person and you take the time to ask them how they did something, it will elevate their thinking about themselves. (The key is to bring the others up to you, rather than you dropping down to them.)
Friday, March 2, 2007
Sales Training Tip #172: The Key To It All!
Remember: people buy solutions, not products! Frame your questions around how the customer will either use your product or how they can see your product or service helping them achieve their goals.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Professional Selling Skills Training: Voice Mail Messages
Selling yourself via voice mail is difficult in any circumstance. In response to several requests from readers, here is my perspective:
First, accept the fact that very few voice mail calls will be returned if you don't have a relationship with them. This means that the voice mail message you leave will wind up being only the first part of your sales process.
Secondly, never leave any more information than you need to. The more information you leave, the less likely the person will call you back. People use voice mail messages as a screening tool, so if you leave too much they will use it to validate in their mind why they don't need you. Keep your message concise by providing only your name, phone number, and a very short statement. You are opening the door for you to contact them again under the premise that the first voice mail call is probably not going to be returned.
The exception: If you're dealing with an opportunity that has a very low chance of ever coming to pass, then go ahead and leave them a lot of information (enough to disqualify you). With this strategy, they'll only return your call if they truly do have a reason for doing business with you. Keep in mind that this should only be undertaken if you have the ability to leave thousands of voice mail messages and you don't care how poorly people view your name and company. In other words: keep your messages short and be sure to repeat your phone number slowly, saying it at least twice.
First, accept the fact that very few voice mail calls will be returned if you don't have a relationship with them. This means that the voice mail message you leave will wind up being only the first part of your sales process.
Secondly, never leave any more information than you need to. The more information you leave, the less likely the person will call you back. People use voice mail messages as a screening tool, so if you leave too much they will use it to validate in their mind why they don't need you. Keep your message concise by providing only your name, phone number, and a very short statement. You are opening the door for you to contact them again under the premise that the first voice mail call is probably not going to be returned.
The exception: If you're dealing with an opportunity that has a very low chance of ever coming to pass, then go ahead and leave them a lot of information (enough to disqualify you). With this strategy, they'll only return your call if they truly do have a reason for doing business with you. Keep in mind that this should only be undertaken if you have the ability to leave thousands of voice mail messages and you don't care how poorly people view your name and company. In other words: keep your messages short and be sure to repeat your phone number slowly, saying it at least twice.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Sales Training Tip #171: Help Them Describe Their Problem
The key to understanding how much you can be of benefit to a customer is to ask questions that allow them to quantifiably describe their problem to you. When they are able to explain the size of their problem in dollars, you've hit a home run.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Sales Training Tip #170: Analyzing Fear
The level of a customer's fear drives more sales and loses more sales than any other single factor. What are you doing in your sales process to decrease your customer's fear? What are you subconsciously doing that may increase a customer’s fear?
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Professional Selling Skills Training: Better Questions to Close More Sales
You will close more sales when you ask better questions. To help with this on-going problem, I've created a spreadsheet designed to help you develop better questions. You can download it from my website: www.TheSalesHunter.com. Scroll to the bottom of the home page to find the links. By following the instructions to complete the spreadsheet and using the process for two weeks, I guarantee you will improve your closing ratio. Please use this blog to let me know your results. Also, if you have any questions about how to use it, feel free to email me or pose your question on this blog. For additional ideas on how to use it, I encourage you to download the free audio from iTunes (keyword: The Sales Hunter).
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