Sales Machine

Two weeks ago, I posted “Top 10 Sales Tips from the Seinfeld Show“.  It proved so popular, I thought it would be worthwhile to post an additional 10 tips.  Like the previous 10, I think you’ll find them useful in honing your sales skills.

As before, I’ve included polls so you can vote on your favorites.  Here’s the first; the link to the rest is at the bottom of the post.

GEORGE SHOPS FOR A CAR

SALES TIP: No matter what you do, some customers are going to dislike you, simply because you’re a  sales professional.  Usually they’re people with weak minds who are paranoid about being manipulated, BTW.

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CLICK for the next Seinfeld sales tip »

Want to really irritate your customers?  Here’s are six annoying things that will ensure you not just lose sale, but never get in to see that customer again:

• Walk in and wing it. According to a recent survey, only one out of six (!) sales reps making sales call were “extremely well-prepared” and one of out of four (!!!) were “not at all prepared.”  There’s no surer way to show a prospect that you’re fly-by-night than not bothering to do your research.
• Do an information dump. In most cases, the prospect knows as much or more about your product, and your competitors, than you do.  Therefore, a good way to really irritate the prospect is to review your product and its benefits in excruciating, mind-numbing detail.
• Be late to the meeting. The prospect’s time is valuable, so wasting some of it needlessly will definitely raise some hackles!  When you do show up, be sure to have some lame excuse (like “there was lots of traffic”) that could have been prevented with a little forethought and planning on your part.
• Spout unsubstantiated opinions. Why be shy.  Tell the prospect that your product is the best in the world, and that other products and approaches aren’t any good.  If you’re pressed for facts or studies proving it, be sure to act offended, as if the prospect is calling you a liar.
• Show up and throw up. There’s nothing like a detailed PowerPoint slide, with plenty of bells and whistles, to make a prospect wish he’d stayed at home.  So be sure throw up lots of slides, with plenty of animations and goofy pictures on them.
• Wear something inappropriate. Forget about that “dress for success” look.  If you’re a male, annoy the customer by wearing jeans and sneakers.  If you’re a female, wear something provocative.  The more distracting the outfit, the more annoyed the customer!

READERS: Any more suggestions?

According to John Asher, CEO of the sales training firm Asher Strategies, there are 10 key sales skills, without which you will never reach your potential as a sales professional. I think there’s a lot of wisdom in what he has to say, so I’ve created a post to help you assess your own skill level, for each of these key skill.  I’ve also provide a link to a blog post that can help you develop any key skill which needs improvement.

I truly believe that this could be the most useful quiz I’ve ever posted here.

Give it a try, and tell me what you think!

CLICK for the first key sales skill »

The powers-that-be have reminded me that this is supposed to be a SERIOUS blog, and that stuff like Top 10 Sales Tips from the Seinfeld Show distracts from that purpose.  With that in mind, here is a series of videos that explain, in six easy steps, exactly how companies make buying decisions for mission-critical B2B solutions.

Step #1: The Customer Sets a Corporate Strategy

Your customer’s corporate strategy is the most important determinant of whether they will purchase your offering.  Therefore, it is essential to understand exactly how they’ve set that strategy, which will determine the basic parameters of their business model.

Note: This video has two segments; ignore the second part.

CLICK for step #2 of the customer buying process »

Want to sell more quickly?  Then you’ve got to be able to read your customer’s mind.  Fortunately for you, your customers are all thinking the exact same thing… in the exact same order.  The big questions is: do you know that order?  Here’s a little game that assesses how well you can read the customer’s mind when it comes to this all-important decision-making process.

When you first contact a prospect, which of the following questions is uppermost in the prospect’s mind?

• Does the value and price of this product meet my expectations?
• Is this the right time to make a decision to buy this product?
• Do I want to do business with the firm this sales professional represents?
• Do I want to do business with this particular sales professional?
• Do I want and need the product this sales professional is offering?

Gatekeepers are a persistent and annoying reality in Sales.  Unfortunately, many sales pros make their interactions with gatekeepers more difficult by using their voice ineffectively.  To get a gatekeeper to open the gate, you’ve got to sound as important as the person you’re trying to reach.

Here are four simple rules to follow:

• Rule #1: Express authority in every word. You are not trying to wheedle, cajole, or convince.  You’re calling on important business, so you need to sound as if you’re the boss’s social equal.
• Rule #2: Speak from your chest. Many sales professionals  talk so that the sound resonates in the throat or (worse) whines in the nose.  Powerful people always speak from the center.
• Rule #3: Use statements not questions. “Please put me through to Warbucks” is more likely to motivate a gatekeeper than “Can I please speak with Ms. Warbucks?”
• Rule #4: Never up-tilt your sentence endings. If you end a sentence — even a statement — with a rise in your voice, it ends up sounding wimpy and weak.

Needless to say, you also need a a good reason for the gatekeeper to put you through.  But if you’ve got the right tonality in your voice, you’re halfway there.  On the other hand, if you sound like a supplicant, well…, you’re probably not going to get through, no matter what words come out of your mouth.

The above advice is adapted from a conversation with Wendy Weiss, aka “The Queen of Cold Calling”.

Here’s a real-life problem sent in by a Sales Machine reader.

SCENARIO: You’re selling software to utility companies, most of which are government agencies. To be profitable, you must sell your core product for around fifteen hundred dollars per copy.  When you talk to prospects, you want to quote a price that will move the sales process forward.

Which pricing strategy is best?

• Strategy #1: Quote them $1,500. CLICK HERE
• Strategy #2: Quote them $1,495. CLICK HERE
• Strategy #3: Quote $1,600 then discount. CLICK HERE

The following post was edited from some great material provided by Roger Hamilton, VP of Sales & Marketing at Contact Science.

The underlying reason for poor performance (and low productivity) when setting first appointments on the telephone is a lethal combination of three fears:

• Fear #1: Fear of Sounding Stupid. You’re afraid that once you have a target on the phone, you will stumble and fail to convert the conversation into an appointment.  This is not a fear of “rejection”; it fear comes from not having mastered the skill of converting a conversation into an appointment.
• Fear #2: Fear of Wasted Effort. You’re afraid that you’re not “working” the target correctly; that you are in a random pursuit.  A call here, a call there; leave this voicemail; craft an email, etc., etc. . You’re flailing and you fear your results will correspondingly flail and your efforts will be ineffective.
• Fear #3: Fear of Lousy Process. You have the same hesitation and take the same deep breath you would take before starting to rake leaves with a shovel in a wind storm. Experience says that, even if you’re successful in getting the appointment, there is no efficient way to develop and close the deal.

OK, now what?

Here’s a three point plan to eliminate these fears::

• Step #1: Develop Your Skills. Either through available training or available written material work to improve the ability to control the flow of the conversation, to handle pushback’s and to secure an agreement to meet.  You must learn how to deftly and professionally handle the predictable negative responses to a request for an appointment and still secure an appointment.  As a result, you’ll feel the confidence that comes from being able to control the conversation. (Geoff’s note: Start advice: “The Ultimate Cold Calling Tool.”)
• Step #2: Adopt a Sales Methodology. Find (or create) a written methodology that sets in place the specific pursuit of any group of suspects, including how many times to call, the frequency of those calls and the messaging used in voicemails, emails, and/or videos. Developing the “Best Practice” model will eliminate the feeling of flailing or being caught up in a random pursuit going nowhere.  (Geoff’s advice: Start here: “The Customer-Drive Sales Process.“
• Step #3: Measure and Adapt. Either manually or with available technology develop a way to execute your best practice and training in a way that enables you to track the pursuit of targets very precisely and in the most efficient way. By tracking activity you will gain control and give purpose to your telephone activity. You can begin to determine how many initial appointments you need to make quota, how many conversations you need to get those appointments, how many calls you need to make that conversation goal. (Geoff’s advice: Start here: “Live Post: Sales 2.0 Conference in Chicago“.)

READERS: Got something you’d like to share with the Sales Machine community? Email me a guest post — instructions are HERE.

Use lousy words to describe what you experience and you’re programming yourself to produce lousy results.  Use powerful words to describe those same experiences and you’re programming yourself to be more successful.

Earlier this week, I gave some advice about rejection in “Personal Rejection is an Illusion.“  That advice was so basic that I almost didn’t post it.  Even so, some readers thought the post was just some sort of word game.  Behold:

“I feel that you were circling around the term rejection and trying to convince us that it doesn’t exist. What you say later in the anecdote about the girl confirms rejection, and with the recruiter, it is rejection because you were not chosen.” (comment by Bob Wileman)

“Honestly Geoffrey, it read like you were skirting round the issue and just playing around with words. If a girl you ask out says no, it doesn’t matter whether you call it rejection or you not fitting her rules - it hurts.” (comment by Ian Brodie)

Well, gentlemen, that’s simply not the case.

It’s crazy to cling to the word “rejection” — with all its negative connotations — to characterize an event that’s inevitable in selling situations.  Here’s why…

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During a cold call, you must make quick decisions based on your reading of the prospect’s state of mind. Here’s a quick test of your acumen in responding to a prospect’s attitude.

SCENARIO: You got through to a prospect and just gave him your elevator pitch. You sounded great (at least to yourself) but the prospect says: “Well, that sounds sort of interesting, but I’m not sure.”

Pick the response most likely to move the opportunity closer to an actual sales appointment:

• #1: Click HERE. “What would your thoughts be on having an initial conversation with us about [something of value to the customer]? What is your availability over the next few weeks?”
• #2: Click HERE. “If we really could do [something of value to the customer], what would your thoughts be on having an initial conversation with us to hear more?”
• #3: Click HERE. “I would love to have an initial phone conversation with you about [something of value to the customer]. What is the best way to get on your calendar?”
• #4: Click HERE. “How do I get on your calendar, please?”

BTW, this post is based on a conversation with sales trainer extraordinaire Barry Rhein.