Solution Sales On Steroids

A recent article, I recommend, from the Harvard Business Review unlocks the secret that many top performers have known for some time.  Although the title End of Solution Sales, infers an end of an era and a needed change in the sales approach, it’s truly simply an adjustment sales people have always faced and top performers have been able to identify and respond to.

It’s finding the right problem and offering the right solution, even when the client does not recognize it themselves. The article’s premise is that today’s buyer has done the research, identified their problem, researched the solution and has made 60% of the purchasing decision before they speak to a sales person; so when the prospect is that far along then they are simply looking for a bid from your company.

Top performers have the ability to recognize the true internal need for the client and help the client meet the needs of the future. He can find problems or conditions of the solution the client thought met their needs and help the client understand the true impact their solution may have on the company, preparing them with better fit solutions for problems the client did not previously recognize.

Top Performers (TP) are masters at putting Solutions Sales on Steroids. I have seen an average sales rep uncover a problem and not even respond, but go right into the company’s typical feature/benefit sales spiel that so many companies focus on in sales training. Traditionally we teach our sales reps about the product, its features and benefits and send them off into the wilderness to find their target.  The difficulty here is that a representative may have followed the sales process and never get the contract, because they did not adapt themselves to the situation.  A sales process, when structured solely on products, features and benefits or problem-solution, lock and key fit to products, leaves little room for the creativity necessary to be a TP.

As sales managers, we need to give our sales team the ability to be more creative and allow them to be adaptable to all situations.  Good sales managers and top performers both recognize that the sales process is a road map and NOT a railroad track.   A TP also knows enough about business and technology to be creative.

Give your sales team the ability to be more adaptable and more creative by having the group list all the possible and typical problems or issues that top business positions have. Understand each position and each level and their priorities first, rather than focus on what your solution does.  Write these down.

Here are some examples of top concerns by position:

Procurement Positions

1.  Keeping as little inventory in stock, while
2. Keeping product in stock and
3. Keeping within budget and
4. Making sure the boss is happy

CFO

1. Cash flow, cash flow, cash flow
2. Remaining compliant and out of trouble
3. Keeping all costs down
4. Making sure the boss is happy.

CEO

1. Generating revenue
2. Controlling costs
3. Motivating employees
4. Remaining compliant
5. All of the above

The next step of the group is to develop effective questions related to the issues and to develop solutions for each one.

Getting the picture?

Don’t stop here.

Keep going; there are always other problems and solutions your team has not yet thought of.  Keep the list to work on at every sales meeting and seek out new problems.  Help your team forecast problems for your business prospect.

What’s happening in their market we can help them prepare for?

How is the market trending?

What legislation, technology, tax, etc. will impact your client?

What’s happening in the world around them?

Let the creative juices flow.  By creating a demand for a problem (opportunity) that was not seen before and helping the client to recognize the need, the deal will often close itself.

Get your new Sales Process and Road Map started today.

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Sales: 24 Hour Follow Up Rules

 

 

Years ago, when I was working for a European company, they had a 24 follow up rule. From my experience, most companies can increase revenues by at least 25% just by improving their follow up methods.  This simple rule changed the company I wa swith, and we increased our sales by 30% / year for at least 5 years.

 

Some companies are relying way too much on their website and automated responses.  The first job of any company is to build credibility and trust that they have their prospects interests first.  How credible is your company, if you do not follow up within 24 hours?

 

So my next question is “How have you trained your people to follow-up after that first contact?  How many of you make a second and third call? If you do, is it the just checking in call, or just touching base call?   You check into a hotel,and you touch base in baseball.  It is best to first ask the prospect for permission to follow-up.   Have a purpose.  I have read that the average sale takes 7 touches. The average sales person gives up after 2-3 follow-up calls. Today it probably takes more than 7, because people are not as trusting as they once were. Remember you are trying to deliver value on every call, and every correspondence.  Following is a list of ways to follow-up over time.  Perhaps you space each of them a week or a month apart.

 

1. General Follow-Up – Make sure before leaving the appointment, that there is an agreement on what details must be followed up and when.
2. After sending follow-up information make a  phone call to make sure the information was enough.  Don’t be a brochure dumper.  Make sure to highlight the areas of particular interest to the prospect. 
3. Send a Third Party Article Related to Their Business and your Discussion – This sets the tone that you are a resource of information.   With so much information on the internet, this is easy.  Make sure to send an e-mail or handwritten note saying why it was relevant to your discussion.
4. Share Your New Company’s New Product or Service – This is a no brainer, and so important.  Even if it does not pertain directly to them, it may show that your company is an innovator.
5. Customer Testimonials – Don’t be shy.  If you got them, flaunt them.  Testimonials are powerful, especially if they are from someone who your prospect knows.
6. Look for Referrals for the Prospect  – Ask first what good referrals for them are?  The idea is that we are all in this together.  Again be a resource not just a salesperson.
7. Send News Articles about Their Company  – Set up Google Alerts about announcements about their own company.  Send Congratulations.  This shows that you are interested about the goals and opportunities of the prospect.
8. Add them to Company E-Newsletters  – Again the best way is to ask for permission, but if not ask for forgiveness.
9. Send Competitive Information – Your buyer always wants to know what competition is doing.  Just make sure that it is public information, and that you are NOT sharing any trade secret.
10. If you have a CRM add your special sales process follow-up list to it, and make sure that your sales people have done everything to complete the process.  I promise you will have more success.  If you have other ideas on following up, I am anxious to hear them.  Please add to the discussion, or contact me personally if you want to tailor this to your company.

 

Listening: The Crucial Step to Closing the Sale

Every sales course talks about the two important aspects, asking questions and listening intently.  I find that teaching people to ask questions is easy, but teaching them how to listen effectively is more challenging. In putting this article together my esteemed co-writer, Christine Kerr and I wound up arguing about the questions again and not the listening.

 

Many times not listening stems from the fact that people are too anxious to sell, and have little concern about the customer’s needs.  In other cases, some salespeople just think that they have more control when they are talking and not when listening.  When in fact listening allows you more control over the situation.    Despite the popular belief, the best sales people are the best listeners, not the best talkers.

 

Listening is truly an art.  It can be learned and it takes practice.  I thought I was a great listener until took a listening assessment I am quite good but I can be better.

 

How vital is listening to negotiating and closing deals?

 

English: Ear. Good for listening. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

It’s everything.

 

Have you ever found yourself doing the following?

 

•         You are wondering when this guy is ever going to stop talking, so you can tell him how wrong he is. 
•         You’re cell phone just beeped, and you are sitting there with ants in your pants and are just dying to see who it is?
•         You feel that you are talking 80% of the time, and why isn’t this guy asking questions or participating.   
•         When the prospect answered how you stacked up to competition, you give a stock answer, and don’t know why he is asking.
•         You interrupt your client to give an answer or solution for everything that your prospect has objections or concerns about. 
•         You try to close the deal by offering price discounts, and it fails.
•         You are preparing your response mentally before the prospect has finished.
•         You find yourself in a debate with your prospect, rather than a conversation.
•         You are always first to break the silence.

 

And the absolute worst, the prospect buys and the next day they cancel the order.

 

These are all symptoms of sales situations, where not listening loses business.

 

Listening is purposeful; it requires discipline, energy, and a total focus on the customer.  To listen effectively you cannot have an emotional involvement, because you will tend to hear what you want to hear.  You can think faster than someone can speak so your mind has a tendency to wander while someone is speaking.

 

To practice effective listening try these tips:

 

1.  Encourage the prospect to speak by asking relevant questions. Then stop, breath, and focus on taking in every word.
2. If you find yourself answering each question as it comes up, try asking at least two to three questions before responding with a solution. You may find the answer to the next questions help you more clearly understand the customer and keeps you from responding with an incorrect solution.
3. Give your undivided attention to whoever is speaking.  Turn off the cell phones.
   

   Listen, Understand, Act (Photo credit: highersights)

 

One study at UCLA indicated that up to 93 percent of communication effectiveness is determined by nonverbal cues.

 

 

 

4. Body language is the most effective form of communication.  Nod occasionally or smile to let your customer know you are actively listening and remember they are listening to your body language.
5. Make eye contact to let your prospect know it’s them you are paying attention to.
6. Take notes. Taking notes forces you to pay attention to what’s being said, rather than focusing on how you’re going to answer and gives you a tool to help summarize your customer’s concerns.
7. Let someone finish their thoughts and do not try to formulate answers before the person is finished speaking, never interrupt your customer in mid-flow. It’s distracting and frustrating for your customer.
8. Summarize and confirm what your customer has told you using your notes and your own words and ask for clarification to make sure there is no misunderstanding.

 

You’ll find that top sales performers are effective listeners; they have taken the time to practice their listening skills.  Good sales managers also practice their listening skills with their sales staff because they realize their sales people are also their customers.

 

Tell me your story.  When did effective listening make or break your sale?

 

Steps Top Sales Managers Take to Motivate

“My sales people are not motivated.”

“They are not prospecting enough.”

“They want everything handed to them.”

“They’re fine as long as I develop the lead for them.”

I have heard these complaints so many times. In a recent coaching session with a Sales Manager, the repeating issue arose once more.

Why is this a familiar theme?

It’s not just sales people and it’s not just about the money.

I searched the internet to study ideas.  The blogs I read are all missing the point.

You first have to look inward as a sales leader. What are you doing to motivate?

As a Sales Manager, I feared demotivating my sales staff.

I noticed if I was negative, they were negative.

If I was positive and upbeat, they were positive and upbeat, seems simple.

*Remember, they are masters at reading and reacting to emotions and attitudes.  And they watch and listen to you, the sales manager or business owner, more than anyone else.

Let’s face facts; sales can be a tremendously frustrating experience if there is no support or help.

Are you too worried about the numbers, and not about the people?

If you are managing too much by the numbers, you are managing but not leading.

People want leaders.

“He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help.”
― Abraham Lincoln

English: Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States. Latviešu: Abrahams Linkolns, sešpadsmitais ASV prezidents. Српски / Srpski: Абрахам Линколн, шеснаести председник Сједињених Америчких Држава. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So what can you do to Motivate and Not De-motivate sales people?

1.  Make sure your goal is to help the sales people and not beat them with numbers.

2.  Have a vision and attainable goals that the salespeople can buy into.  Everybody loves to fight for a cause.  Make sure that the salespeople understand the direction the company is going, but more importantly WHY and HOW.  If they don’t believe in your vision, or see it as unattainable, then how can they sell for you with conviction?

3. If you set the goals, make sure the sales people develop the strategies with marketing and management.  There is nothing worse than being dictated goals without strategies and actions to get there.  Have a joint responsibility to reach the goal, but give them the responsibility of carrying out the strategies.

4.  Make a fair compensation plan.  Profitability of industries many times dictates the compensation plans.  However, I see too many companies who want to pay strictly on commission.  Most salespeople would take less money in commission, if they had a solid monetary base to work from.  It will not demotivate them to have a base.  They are people.  What is demotivating is working for a couple of months, making new contacts, and having nothing in the bank or to bring home to show for it.

5.  Having sales tools is important, but giving great support is more important.  Too many companies spend an inordinate amount of time teaching their sales people all the technical stuff and not enough time on the real reasons to buy a product or a service.  Have you ever had a sales person dazzle you with their technical knowledge and not sell a damn thing?  Having too much technical information can be a detriment.  The focus has to be on how this will help a prospect / customer.

6.  Collaborate with the top performers; manage and coach the others.  Top performers do not like to be managed.  However, they do like collaboration and creative strategy.  To them it is a game.  The others need to be managed more.  Get rid of the bottom feeders.

7.   Communicating with salespeople as someone that can and wants to help and support is very motivating.  What better way to motivate and support a salesperson than to have a contest in which the internal people, like customer service representatives and technicians, share in the winnings. Then they are all pulling together to make it happen.

8.  Treat them like business people.  Share valuable information like gross profit and sales trends.  If they cannot be trusted with this information then they should not work for you.  Give them account information like year- to- date sales and sales comparisons.

9. Know what motivates them other than money and help them get there.  It can be family, new toys, time off, notoriety (being known), position in the company, learning, security, or having their back.

10. Make sure they know the critical steps in the sales process like: * Advancing the sale * Learning to ask the right questions * Preparing successful presentations * Negotiating a winning agreement *

11.   Listen and probe with questions.  Your salespeople are Your customers.  Learn to listen effectively to your sales force and hear what is truly demotivating them.

Tune in next blog to discover tools for effective listening.

Sales People Need to Put the the Skunk on the Table

I could hear both the elation and the frustration in my son Ben, a young competent attorney in Phoenix, as he shared his story.  Impressed with Ben’s credentials, a prestigious company had approached him to ask about his legal services.  The company, now with a well-known large law firm, was curious about Ben’s abilities and his fees.

Let’s not be naïve; they were also talking with other law firms.

Ben’s frustration resulted from his attempts to gain the trust and confidence in getting the company to deal with his smaller firm when they are used to doing business with a larger firm.

“Put the Skunk on the Table”, I told him.

My suggestion, say,” Let’s be honest.  Mr. Company Person you want a better price, but you are afraid to make a change.  It’s not only price, it’s trust.  So, other than price, what other issues are you encountering that you would like improved, or what problems have you had in your communication with your current firm? 

Many people would not feel comfortable being so upfront, yet as salespeople there are times when we must.

As salespeople,  there are times where we feel that the customer is not responding or our negotiations to complete the sale are not going anywhere.  I have seen many people get that “deer fear” in their eyes, thinking they are going to lose the sale.

Is it a time to back off, or is it a time to be more direct and “Put the skunk on the Table”.

Has this ever happened to you?

You are trying to sell someone your product or service, and they agree with everything, and say they are going to buy, yet never do.

Or, they give you the “Maybe” or “let me think about it”.

You have gone through all the classical sales techniques.  You have cited the problem, shown the benefit, tried some closes, and the customer says “Let me think about it”.

Do you walk out the door, do you ask if it’s all right to call in a week, or do you put the skunk on the table?

What do I mean by “Put the Skunk on the Table”?

Skunks seem to know their power. It’s not as if they’re beckoning us to get closer-they warn us to steer clear.

The skunk: the underlying problem or issue the client is not sharing with you, but is keeping him from buying.

At some point in the process, you must be very direct, steering clear only means the issue (the skunk) has control.  In trying to be nice or to avoid confrontation, many buyers will not be honest with you.  In some cases, the buyers are just insecure about the decision and are delaying.  You have to get to the bottom line by asking more direct questions.

Many salespeople fear being too direct.  They are afraid to lose the sale or are afraid they will offend someone.   Instead they try to start back at the beginning, reselling and restating what has already been said.  This only alienates the prospect more.  It is better for the buyer and the seller to be more direct.

Here are some examples of direct questions to help pull out the underlying issue.

v  What do you really have to think about?

v  On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the best, where are you in your decision to buy our product?

v  Tell me what you perceive the benefits and/or concerns to be.

v  What exactly is stopping you from moving forward?

v  What aspects, other than price, would make you comfortable in buying?

How do you face the skunk without getting sprayed?

You can always preface these remarks with comments like:

• I don’t mean to be rude, or
• I don’t want you to feel pressured, or
• I want to make sure that we are on the same track and that I am not wasting any more of your time.
• My biggest concern is that this is of benefit to you and your business, so I have to ask.

My whole point is that you and your prospect will feel a lot better once you put “The Skunk on the Table”.

Before you know it, you’ll love skunks too.  Your comments are welcome, and if you want to discuss further, please do not hesitate to call or write me an e-mail.

English: Skunk being cuddled Italiano: Una puzzola coccolata (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Check Your Ego At the Door

No one is perfect, and growth is stunted by pride, so set your pride aside.

A company sales position requires more reflection and focus on self-improvement than any other position.  The market changes constantly and so must sales people, however, like most people, we are all apprehensive towards change, especially when we have been successful in the past.

We try to believe that what created success today, will create success tomorrow.  What got you to the top before may not get you there in the future.  Besides I don’t like to think of it as change; it’s about improving. I was just reading John C. Maxwell’s Self Improvement 101 and it reminded me that it’s not about change; it’s a way to improve.

Plan 1: Focus on self-development and not self-fulfillment.  Reaching your sales goal is self-fulfilling.  Has it really improved your sales skills?  Have you reached your sales potential, if not, what will you do to get there?

Plan 2:  Reach your potential by having the mindset of a continual learner.  This is one of the first characteristics I look for when hiring a sales person.  What books have you read about your profession?  What seminars or workshops have you attended?  No matter how many years you have sold you can always learn something new.

Plan 3: Take time to read, listen or reflect. Self-Improvement must be planned for; the same way you develop a business plan.  Make an appointment with yourself every day or every week to take time to read about your profession, listen to webinars, or reflect on what good and bad things happened during the week, and what can be improved.  Bullet- point your weekly activities, and then bullet point lessons learned.  If you learned nothing, you’re doing something wrong.

A great way to improve yourself is to teach your peers something you’re learning. Conversely, you can learn a lot from your peers, even if you do not think they are as proficient as you.  I will never forget my younger brother, a high school All-American wrestler, asking for my advice about wrestling.  He not only asked me, he asked everyone.   He could learn something from anyone, younger or older.

Do you have a mentor or coach that can help you improve? 

Nobody likes to be criticized, and many of us love sales, because we like to be our own boss.  However, we all need some coaching and/or mentoring. All the great golfers have coaches because they cannot see everything themselves.

Aren’t we the same? 

Harvey McKay, author of How to Swim with the Sharks and owner of a $100M printing business stated that he had seven different business coaches.

Call me today to see how I can help you improve your sales.

 

 

Ten Ways Golf Improved My Sales

“Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you.” – Arnold Palmer

 

 

 “You should take up golf; it will help your sales.” Anyone in sales has heard this famous line.  I have heard it many times throughout my sales career. Apparently I had trouble believing it; I didn’t take up golf until I was 50.   Of course, most people were referring to building relationships on the golf course.  Relationships aside, here are a few of the golf lessons I’ve learned that have also improved my sales techniques.

 

 

1. Always try to get better-One of the greatest things about golf is, no matter what your age, you always feel that you can get better.  People will buy better golf clubs or work on their short game or go to the practice range.  LESSON LEARNED: In sales, never stop learning; there is a variety of fun new tools like Social Media (i.e. Facebook, Linked-In) and CRMs (i.e. salesforce.com) that make sales enjoyable.
2. Know your strengths and weaknesses- This is so important in golf.  You should not try shots that have a very low percentage success rate and countless times I have heard, “Play within your abilities.”  LESSON LEARNED: Stay on target, and don’t shoot for targets that are NOT achievable.
3. Take your best shot and move on-One of my major faults is getting too emotional about winning and losing sales.  In golf, you think about what you did wrong or could have done better, but move quickly to the next shot.  The key is staying calm and focused.  Getting tense and upset only guarantees a poor swing next time. LESSON LEARNED:  Do not wallow in the sale you did not get.  Learn from it, move on and there will be another shot at it.
4. Best ways to improve your score- Pros will tell you that two of the best ways to improve your score is course management and improving your short game.  Know the course well, preview your target, and plan two or three shots before you take your swing.  LESSON LEARNED: Know your market and your competition, preview your prospects, and be prepared with two or three simple plans.
5. Stop Thinking and Swing – you should know what you want to do before you stand next to the ball.  The worst thing you can do is stand there thinking about it, tense up, and hit a lousy shot.  Take a very relaxed confident swing, and commit yourself to the shot.  LESSON LEARNED: Getting in front of a customer is a risk.  Take it.  Sometimes you do not have all the answers; sometimes you will do it wrong.  You only get better when you swing at it. 
6. Golf is not just about the Driver – You have to use other clubs in the bag.  You can have a great drive and blow the second shot when you use the wrong club. LESSON LEARNED – Don’t rely on just one tool.  There are many sales tools in your sales bag.  Make sure that you know which tool to use in which situation.  You would not use a driver, when you need a putter. 
7. Top Performers do not make excuses- Ever listen to PGA player who has had a bad day?  They only blame themselves and are totally accountable.  No one wants to listen to excuses.  LESSON LEARNED: If you want to be a top performer, be accountable for your sales.
8. Know the obstacles before you take your shot – In golf you look at the sand traps, the water, the desert, and whatever obstacles there are before you take your shot.  You know the risk/reward.  Sometimes you take the chance and go for it, and sometimes you lie up and play it safe.  In any case you have to take a shot or you quit playing.  LESSON LEARNED:   You have to keep playing.  Know the objections and what the risk/ rewards are before you engage the customer.  Trying with confidence is better than not trying at all.  
9. Follow Through-If you want to have an executive swing that is consistent, you must learn to follow through properly.  LESSON LEARNED: You can have a great presentation, have all the potential benefits outlined for a customer, but having good follow-through is a must; it builds trust and confidence for you customer.
10. Practicing the wrong thing does not improve your game – Practice is important.  However, in golf, you can be practicing the wrong things.  No matter how much I listen to tapes or read to improve, unless a golf pro sees what I am doing, my improvement is minimal.  If Tiger Woods has a coach, why shouldn’t I?   LESSON LEARNED: A great coach or mentor is a tremendous value.  No matter how great you think you are you can always learn from someone that has a different perspective. 

Developmental Editing by Christine Kerr – christinek8488@hotmail.com

 

Scratch Golf Ball Rocket (Photo credit: jurvetson)