The Sales Pro Insider Building Performance Profits and People

 I have been working on a post about email prospecting.  There has been some BAD email prospecting going on these days.   A robust post is coming because I’ve asked other sales experts to weigh in on this approach to prospecting and want to include their comments.  But this post couldn’t wait…

Maggi, a seasoned sales pro, forwarded me a series of emails that demonstrate a nasty side of human nature…the act of pointing fingers when someone else makes an error!  The story follows…

A newer sales rep at a Chicago radio station sent out a mis-guided attempt at email prospecting.  Ignoring the text of the message itself, the biggest problem was that she inadvertently included ALL the names/emails of the distribution list so they could be seen by everyone on the list.  Ouch!  

Yes, definitely an error.  And an error that isn’t that hard to make.  What happened next is what has me irritated… more than a dozen people on the list decided to Reply All and humiliate the poor woman to everyone on the list!  They called her unprofessional, asked how she got their email, and on and on. 

C’mon!  Is THAT professional?  Clogging up EVERYONE’s mail box with your complaint?  And for what?  What was to be gained?  Finally one person asked for it to stop  – his note…

“This is nuts! I think we all agree that she made a mistake,
so can we stop replying all, why the need to embarrass her any further?
Reply to her directly and ask to be removed from her list, now that
would be the professional thing to do. If you’ve had the opportunity to
meet with her, you’d realize that she is a young and aggressive AE
learning the business and I’m sure this is one lesson she soon won’t
forget, but c’mon, enough already…”

Thanks for standing up for her!  Mob mentality isn’t a good thing.  And as business people can’t we help build and support each other?  This error was not one that needed THAT much time and attention from everyone on the list.

Next time you see someone who made an “oops” how about a direct message giving constructive feedback that they can use?  And maybe a little compassion because on the path to learning to be great, we ALL make mistakes!

Filed Under: Uncategorized, learning
Tags: Email Prospecting

Ringggg.   Ringggg.  Not my favorite sound in the evening when I am in the midst of all kinds of fun mothering activities – think homework, cleaning, moderating disagreements.  And yet last week I picked up the phone…”Hi Nancy, its Virginia.”  Oh, okay, I know who this is…and after some pleasantries…”I’m calling to tell you about my work because you asked the other night.”   Hmmm.  “I’m so excited and want you to meet the guys I work with.”  And so the discussion went.  Me justifying I didn’t need to meet these guys as I don’t need their services and Virginia giving me more and more options on time and location because I should meet them.

I hung up feeling like I had dodged the bullet for now…and went on with my evening.  Forty-five minutes later … Ringggg.  Ringggg.  Now who?  “Hi, its Virginia again. I’m calling to get some advice.  Do you have a few minutes?”  Of course…  “I don’t think the conversation went the best before and I want your advice on what I can do to have different outcomes in making my calls.”

What???  Calling a sales expert who trains people to ask for advice?  Now THAT got me involved!  We then had over an hour discussion on the importance of making calls, putting the focus on the caller instead of our own excitement about what we do, asking good questions and being a great listener.  And that all of these being critical skills are ones she had developed in her years in the medical profession!

Wow, I am so proud of Virginia’s professionalism.  She did what so many sales professionals will not do…she:

• - Evaluated her call objectively
• - Noted that it could have gone much better
• - Asked for coaching to do better next time

She realized that these first calls  in her new role- to the people she already knew – could make or break her future.  And she didn’t want to burn any of these relationships even if she was excited about her new role in sales. She didn’t get defensive. She listened to the advice, tried to get down to specific actions she could take and then committed to those actions.  What a great demonstration of strong emotional intelligence!

Rookie or not, her willingness to call me back sets her apart from a lot of seasoned sales professionals.  I think she has a great career ahead of her with that type of mindset.

A challenge to all sales professionals…what are you currently doing that isn’t producing the results you want/need? Who can you call for advice or coaching so you can do better?  Now, pick up the phone and call them…you’ll be glad you did. 

Filed Under: Sales, Uncategorized, learning

Do you like horror movies?  Some people do, I don’t.  The goal of a horror movie is to scare and keep you from feeling safe and comfortable.  Various scare tactics with music, visuals and suspense are used to drive the fight or flight response and leave us feeling a little creeped out and unsettled.  Not a place most of us want to be for very long.  

So why would sales strategies focused on scaring people stick around for decades?  I thought these were dead and gone.  But I was wrong - some people are  still preaching that sales professionals should use the economy and recession effect to scare prospects into buying!

A competitor had an awesome sounding webinar this week on selling in these times. And a couple of people who participated thought it was GREAT information and helpful. But a client of mine said something just wasn’t sitting well with her.  That an underlying message in the lecture is that, in this economy, we need to scare our customers to increase their sense of urgency…and force them into buying now.

What??!  Scare our customers?  Isn’t that the “old” way of selling?  That we need to dig  until we find pain, help them feel the pain, and then “create’ the need for what we do?  Does this work?  For some people yes, but I don’t think most sales professionals are comfortable with that approach. 

Long-term success in selling comes from building strong customer loyalties when we help people discover their needs by asking them great questions and exploring WITH them the impact of their situation and what they can do to remedy it.   At its’ essence this is similar to the “find the pain” philosophy in that we are finding gaps in something…yet a focus on collaborating and working with our prospects is more professional and comfortable for most sales pros. 

By following a methodical process in our selling, we move the discussion through finding the gaps directly into how we can help.  We do discuss impact – both positive and negative.  But our approach to “scaring” or “helping” makes a difference!  We can professionally increase the sense of urgency to action without “scaring” them. 

People have enough real fears these days and if we aren’t selling something that truly saves their life, we should leave the scare tactics to the film industry. 

Contact Nancy Bleeke if you need to increase your sales. 

Need ideas on how to effectively sell in this economy?  Get your FREE ebook, Recession Proof Your Sales when you sign up for The Sales Pro Insider Timely Tips ezine!  Click here to sign up now.  Promise:  No scare tactics included in the tips!

Filed Under: Sales

My students hear me say there are not many “absolutes” when dealing with people.  Our ability to flex and adapt in real time separates the pros from the rookies!  Case in point:  the recent post on Always and Nevers.  These are stated as absolutes…and that can absolutely be a problem!

Jill Konrath of Selling to Big Companies fame (and a real pro for cracking into corporate accounts) just wrote about an exception to the Never Assume note.  When prospecting we need to assume that the person we are calling is busy and be prepared with a relevant, targeted, specific approach.  You can read the entire article below.  And within Jill’s bio at the end is a great offer for a free Sales Planning Guide – a $19.95 value!

 Why You Must Assume – Even Though You’ve Been Told It’s Something You Should Never Do

By Jill Konrath

Don’t get me wrong! I love being a consultative seller. It’s literally a part of my sales DNA. But a few years ago, I discovered that “being consultative” didn’t convince decision makers that it was worth their valuable time to meet with me.

To show you what I mean, let me take you into their world and put you center stage as the designated future customer.

– You’re busy working at your desk – and have been since 7 a.m. this morning. The phone rings. You glance at the clock and see that it’s 2:57 p.m. You can’t believe that it’s so late already. Your “to do” list is longer now that it was when you started.

But you’re expecting a very important call at the top of the hour so, without even a glance at the originating number, you pick it up.

“Hello,” you say.

“Pat,” the voice on the other end of the phone answers. “This is Terry. I’m the account executive from Global Solutions. I’m glad to finally catch you in. Do you have a few minutes?”

You shudder. You’d have never answered the phone if you thought you’d end up talking to a salesperson. “I’m expecting a call at 3 p.m.” you reply tersely, hoping to shake yourself free from this unexpected interruption.

“Not to worry,” says the voice. “I’ll be brief. As I said, I’m from Global Solutions. We specialize in state-of-the-art services to help companies like yours with all your solution needs. I’d like to set up a time to meet with you to find out how you’re handling your needs in this area – and share with you how Global might be able to help you out. I’m wondering how your schedule looks next Thursday?”

“You’ve got to kidding!” you blurt out. “You expect me to take my precious time to meet with you and tell you how we’re doing things here? I’ve been slaving at my desk since bright and early this morning without even a break for lunch.

“Yet you have the audacity to request a meeting with me when you can’t even give me a valid business reason for doing so?”

The voice jumps in, “Pat, I would never assume to know your needs. Every business is different. And I couldn’t possibly recommend anything without learning more about your goals this year and how you’re currently handling things.

“Plus, I’d like to understand these problems you’re facing, as well as their impact on your organization. It would be presumptuous of me of me to assume.”

“And,” you butt in, “You’d don’t think it’s presumptuous to request a meeting with me when you haven’t even taken time to learn about my company. Sorry, that just doesn’t work with me. If I meet with you, you better bring something to the table.”

The voice on the other end stammers, “I would never want to assume anything.”

“You just don’t get it!” you say emphatically as you slam down the phone, disgusted with another so-called ‘consultative salesperson.’ As far as you’re concerned, all they’re doing is wasting your valuable time without offering anything in return.
—–

What just happened here? It’s the end of a consultative sales era as we know it. Prospective customers simply don’t have time for it today.

Instead, they need you to be assumptive! That’s right. You need to assume – even though you were trained that to do so was to make an ASS-out-of-U-and-ME.

In short, you need to demonstrate expertise right up front in order to earn the right to be consultative.

So how should you approach a prospective customer? How about something like this:

“Pat. Terry from Global Sales. I know how much the economy is having an impact on manufacturing companies like yours. What we’ve found is that way too many organizations are paying way too much on their software licenses.

“We’ve been able to trim their expenses by up to 22.7% in the first year. If you’re like other CFOs, you’re looking for dollars everywhere in your budget. Let’s set up a time to see how we can cut your costs in this area. Sound good?”

Feels completely different, right? You’ll get appointments – not brush-offs – when you start assuming.

To be effective in today’s crazy business environment, you need to be assumptive to demonstrate your value. Yes, you have to spend time doing research up front. Yes, you need to craft a personalized message.

But that’s what it takes to get in the door. And after that, you can put your consultative sales skills to good use.

Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies, helps sellers crack into corporate accounts, shorten sales cycles and win big contracts. She is a frequent speaker at annual sales meetings and association events.

For more articles like this, visit http://www.SellingtoBigCompanies.com . Get a free Sales Call Planning Guide ($19.95 value) when you sign up for the Selling to Big Companies e-newsletter. 

Filed Under: Sales, sales tips

As sales professionals we have an opportunity to do the right thing…or the wrong thing…with every contact.  That means every action and word matters.  Last week I asked sales pros and managers to share some of the rights and wrongs from their experiences.  And I narrowed down the list to share with you the top three Always and Nevers of sales.

Always

1. Listen.  Talking doesn’t get you very far for very long.  The ability and willingness to be a great listener and to hear words, intentions, fears, and excitement is what matters.
2. Prepare.  The level of preparation depends on many factors but the need to prepare is a definite always.
3. Focus on your customer.  The acronym I use for this is WiifT – What’s in it for Them.  It’s a mindset with specific actions throughout your sales process and relationships.  Focus on them in every way and you succeed.

Never

1. Lie.  Not much more to add to this one.  Never lie is NEVER lie. 
2. Assume.  Heard the old adage…when you assume you make an A_s out of U and ME?  Making assumptions creates lost opportunities, sales and relationships.
3. Posture yourself above them.  Yes, you are an expert in what you do and they are not.  Yet when we are side-by-side with our buyers we are better off in the long run than being over them.

It seems we complicate what sales is…and boiling it down to 3 always and nevers will ALWAYS help us NEVER fail.

And some Exciting News!  My article on Recession Proof Your Sales is a nominee for the Top 10 Sales Articles for last week!  You can check out all the nominees here.  

Filed Under: Sales

“Hi, may I take your order?” is a perfectly acceptable question if you are working at a fast food drive thru.  If you are in the sales profession though, being an order taker  is like putting the cart before the horse.  It won’t get you where you need to go (a close!), lessens the value we provide, the size of our sales and our professionalism. 

It got me thinking…how often do we do that as sales professionals?  Do we offer or agree to quote a solution BEFORE exploring what they need? Unfortunately this happens, even with the best of intentions, more often than we think.  

Sound like a rookie error?  Its’ not!  Many experienced sales professionals fall into the trap because they’ve “been there and heard that before” so it’s easy to skip some of the steps in selling and prematurely offer solutions.

An example, a prospect called me and said “I heard you train sales people.  Can I get a quote for training my sales team at our national meeting this year?”  Wow, a nice call to get…sort of.  I could give him a quote, but if I don’t know exactly what they need to accomplish, the likelihood of him seeing value in what I quote is low.   I needed more information – and  more than how many, when, and where. 

Let’s keep the horse before the cart (or the needs analysis before the recommendation).  Taking orders is so outdated, let’s put things IN order during our sales calls. 

Filed Under: Sales

Tuesday’s headlines in Milwaukee were dismal – earning projections lower than expected from major local companies, more job cuts are scheduled and a report that foreclosures for January were nearly 20% higher than a year ago. 

It reminded me that, as sales professionals, we possibly have more control over our future than people in so many other professions.  We are compensated based on our efforts and sales results.  And if we don’t get caught in the negative traps of believing NO one is buying, we can continue to take actions to succeed.

To help you succeed, I’m sharing ideas for ACTIONS you can take to Recession Proof your Sales in a Salesopedia podcast.  Salesopedia Editor, Clayton Shold, has just posted the 7 minute podcast of his interview with me on recession proofing you rbusiness.  Click here to access the podcast.

Take action on the ideas today and you won’t be the sad news next month. 

Filed Under: sales tips

How exciting to find out that this morning my article on Recession Proof Your Sales is the feature article on  Salesopedia!

Click on the link above to read the whole article.  And here are a couple of recession proof tips shared in the article with links to even more tips on each one:

1. Identify alternative prospect streams.  Review which industries are doing well in this economy.  Is there a way for you to connect your solution to that industry?  A full article on this tip is here. 
2. Reintroduce yourself to “lost” customers.  Use information about the economy as a springboard to a discussion with customers who you haven’t done business with.  A full article on this tip is here. 

Last week I interviewed Clayton Shold, the editor of Salesopedia.  What a fascinating man and consummate sales AND marketing professional!  If you haven’t bookmarked the Salesopedia site, you are missing out!  The content on this site is constantly updated.  And it is GREAT content from other sales experts like Jill Konrath, Kim Duke, Colleen Francis, Colleen Stanley, Kendra Lee, Leslie Buterin and so many more. Plus other great resources for you to grow your sales!

Later this week a podcast of a conversation between Clayton and I discussing some of the top tips for recession proofing your sales will be available.   I’ll keep you posted.  Until then, take the opportunity this week to implement some of the tips – we still have 11 months of potential great success for 2009!

And visit The Sales Pro Insider, Inc. website for even more articles, resources and information on the great solutions we offer!

Filed Under: recession proof sales