Sales Salve

Four Sales Techniques to Build Credibility with a Prospect

I have always been a fast talker, not like a huckster or snake oil salesman, but more to do with rate of speed - like the guy at the end of a commercial that reads a list of disclaimers.  Needless to say that this has always worked against me when trying to build credibility and trust with new prospects and customers.  Like many sales people, I was taught some sales techniques for rapport building.  For example, when you begin a sales call, take a visual survey of the person’s office.  Attempt to find some common ground or points of interest like golf, the kids, the alma mater or favorite sports team.  This may have a place somewhere in the sales relationship but I don’t believe that its place is early on in the process.

The first encounters with a prospect are similar to that of an interview; it is a time to assess if there is potential for a mutually beneficial partnership.  Think of it as an interview where, simultaneously, the prospect interviews you and you interview the prospect.  If you want to have no chance of making a sale, go ahead and establish yourself as the master of small talk, wasting precious time that you may never get back.  Along these same lines, try not to crack jokes; no one wants to buy from the class clown.  If you have a good sense of humor, let it be a pleasant surprise later after you’ve established more credibility and respect.

The good news is that in B2B sales, there is often more time to build some history with a prospect.  A shift in thinking is necessary.  Sales people should think of prospects as potential life-long customers with whom they’re building a lasting professional bond, strong enough to survive changes in situation and even employment.  So with this is mind, leave the BS for your competition and try these sales techniques instead:

1.    Be Squared Away

One of my former mentors was an ex-Naval officer and whenever any of his employees would say, “I am sorry,” he would say, “don’t be sorry, just be squared away.”   Show up for the meeting on time, show up for the meeting prepared, with respect to your appearance as well as your pre-call prep.  Do not make excuses or jokes, and when you are asked a question, keep your answer concise and efficient.  If you don’t know the answer, say that don’t know and commit to finding out and following up with them.  Be sure to write it down (even if you know you’ll remember) and communicate back in a timely fashion once you’ve learned the answer.  Think about it - who do you want to help you with your problem, Mr. Magoo or Mr. Miyagi?

2.    Send a Pre-Call Questionnaire

I am seeing sales 2.0 lead/business information engines popping up all over the place, and there are some really good ones out there.  Without a doubt, it is helpful to have detailed research at your fingertips, but nothing can supplant the understanding you can gain first hand from your prospect, in their own language.  A great place to start is at the very beginning of the process.  Send a survey or questionnaire that asks the vital questions that will give you a head start in customizing a sales solution.  Some great free options to quickly and easily create on-line surveys is Google Docs and Zoomerang.

3.    Become a Team Member (or at least a fan)

Ask if you can schedule some time to observe or lend a hand in a certain department that relates to your product or service.  Observe and make note of the:
•    way things are currently being done
•    challenges they face
•    language that is used
•    team dynamics - see who is really in charge.

Look for inefficiencies and be prepared to make professional recommendations.  Start to look at the people you are about to do business with and see how, once your product or service is implemented, their situation will change.  Start to learn their prospects, customers and competition in order to find a way to make them more competitive in their marketplace.

4.  Prepare an Implementation or Rollout Plan

In your sales presentation, prepare and administer an implementation plan and schedule.  This can be the most effective means of proactive closing.  You will show that you know exactly what steps to follow, as well as alleviate any concerns your prospect may have that makes them feel uneasy about the difficulty of switching to, or purchasing, your product.  Furthermore, sometimes the prospect does see a fit, realizes the urgency, but has no idea what to do next.  A proactive implementation plan will serve as a guide for follow-up and help keep momentum going during the sales process and beyond.

Remember, you are not just winning the sale for today, you are building career-long business relationships.  Start the process by being squared away, then build on it by sharing powerful industry knowledge in the context of their unique challenges.  Once you’ve built the foundation of a solid business partner that provides value, you can then start to share your sense of humor and make other personal connections.  These can definitely enhance a relationship but it’s important that you establish from the beginning that these are not the basis of your relationship.

3 Sales Techniques for Better Follow-Up

Have you had a look at your CRM lately and seen all the dead wood?  How about that stack of stale business cards getting in the way of your mouse?  Why have these once hopeful opportunities died on the vine and how do we prevent this from happening again?  Here are some tips on effective sales follow-up that will help keep these hopefuls from becoming hopeless. 

1. Show that you've listened and observed

The sales qualification process is similar to a puzzle - each party gathers information, like puzzle pieces.  They try to fit the pieces together to form a complete picture, or at least a more complete picture.  Once all of the research is complete, you are ready to propose your solution.  To stand out from the crowd, try adding a section to your follow-up proposal called "other suggestions."  In this section, outline other issues or problems that you've observed through careful study of their business practices, along with your suggestions for improvement.  Most importantly, be willing to roll up your sleeves to help implement these suggestions in order to demonstrate what you are really made of.

2. Always present, and propose, an opportunity

When presenting a solution to a prospect or customer, make sure it is in the form of an opportunity.  Nobody wants to be the person who let a golden opportunity slip through his or her fingers.  Salespeople must master the art of painting a picture for a buyer of exactly what life will be like after their product or service is adopted.  Presenting an opportunity, instead of a feature or price driven solution, will motivate the buyer and seller alike.  If you are not able to phrase your offer as an opportunity, then go back to the drawing board until you can.

3. Follow up quickly and completely.

Unlike you and fine wine, follow-ups don't get better with age.  It is absolutely critical that you demonstrate to your prospect that you're on your game. 

Struggling to gain momentum in the sales process?  Quick and thorough follow-up helps you to maintain the momentum in the sales process and sets the tone for subsequent sales communications.

Components of an ideal sales follow-up include:

• a brief summary of the current situation
• confirmation of completed items
• a gentle reminder of customer requirements
• clearly defined next steps
• all of the necessary materials (documentation, forms, links, etc.) for your prospect to complete their next steps

Please share with us any other follow-up components that have worked well for you.

Three Things Every Sales Force Needs to Know

Recently I had a conversation with a very good friend of mine who is a director level sales executive for a global Fortune 100 organization.  We have been known to mix it up, dig into big issues, analyze and solve them.  Once we finished our expert analysis of all the offseason roster moves made by the NY Jets, we directed our conversation to our second love - sales.  As our conversation progressed, I learned that his sales organization was struggling mightily.  By the end of our conversation, we had identified three root causes of their problems.

Many of the problems could be traced systemically back to basic causes, all rooted in a lack of understanding of three very important things:

1. Company Direction

While the focus du jour of the company emphasizes the acquisition of new business, all signals seem to indicate that the de facto focus is still on cultivating business from existing customers.  The sales force is receiving mixed messages.

There is little doubt that without a clearly conceived and communicated vision, organizations perish.  It is the responsibility of sales executives and sales managers to disseminate a message clearly, simply and powerfully.  As long as the right individuals are hired, given a proper vision and realize an unwavering commitment from leadership to achieve these goals, sales success becomes highly attainable.

2. Product, Services and Differentiation

This lack of understanding goes deeper to include why this product is priced the way it is.  The lack of understanding of cost structure, coupled with not understanding how to de-commoditize the product, is causing a serious disconnect between sales reps, prospects and the company.  Every company should employ the tactic of training its salespeople to understand its pricing strategy.

When I was growing up, my family had a little Italian deli in upstate New York.  The keys to being solvent were obvious.  Whatever we charged for a sandwich had better be more than the sum of the costs that went into making it (bread, cold cuts, electricity, wrapping paper, etc.).  Frankly, I am amazed at how many people in sales today have no idea of what goes into making, maintaining and marketing their product or service.  To these people, sales is just a game that is played by hanging on long enough, doing the compulsories, and manipulating the numbers and activities into creating a situation of positive earnings for themselves.  This thought brings us to our third cause.

3. Basic Priorities Every Salesperson Should Observe

There are three basic priorities that salespeople must understand and keep in a specific order in order to ensure the symbiotic health of all involved.  If these basic priorities are observed in any order other than the prescribed order you put all three risk.  However, when these priorities are embraced and observed in the prescribed order, it is a recipe for success for all those involved. 

The priorities in the exact order in which they need to be followed are the health of your:

1) Company

2) Customer

3) Paycheck

A healthy company is best suited to take care of their customers, offer the best products and services, and compensate its sales people.  An essential element of a healthy company is having healthy customers.   A healthy customer is loyal, especially when they can attribute some of their wellbeing to your business relationship.  Top sales earnings are a natural byproduct of getting the first two priorities straight.

So we've diagnosed the issues.  We need a strong vision, clearly communicated to a well-aligned sales force that has a deep understanding of their offering.  Now it's time to administer the treatment.  Here's a question for you all, how do you recommend administering this treatment?

6 Types of Sales Reps that Sales Managers Should Avoid

When hiring a salesperson, organizations often place a heavy emphasis on things such as personality tests, education, and other outward qualifications to determine which salespeople will be the most effective for their organization.  Each of these things has their place in the evaluation process but over the years I have seen some salespeople that measure well by these barometers yet would not be a salesperson I would ever have working for me.  These "salespeople" fit into several different profiles.  Here are six types of salespeople that will never work for me:

1) The Camper

In basketball, when a player is guilty of a three-second violation in the key, they are said to be ‘Camping in the Key.'  In sales, this is the sales reps who just hangs around in a sales territory long enough because they know a lucky bounce will eventually come their way.  When it does, they reap the benefit of business that they win by default because they happen to be in the right place at the right time. This person, who refuses to put their heart and soul into their job will never work for me.

2) The Babysitter

This is the sales rep that doesn't think that he should be responsible to go out and find new business.  They feel that leads should be handed to them - qualified and ready to buy.  At the expense of selling, they focus on the implementation and management of the account.  This babysitter is not welcome to watch my family (my coworkers and customers).

3) The Robot

This is a sales rep that does the same thing every day.  They come to work at the same time, take lunch at the same time, and go home at the same time. Their methods of prospecting never change, nor does their sales pitch or anything else for that matter.  Of all of the sales reps that I would not hire, the robot is probably the best all-around salesperson due to the fact that they maintain a highly disciplined regimen.  However, this still will not cut.  The robot lacks creativity and desire to examine and improve their current processes; therefore I'm pulling the plug.

4) The Windbag

This is the sales rep that has no idea when it is time to stop talking.  I run into salespeople all the time who have been selling for many years and still have no internal "shuttheheckupometer."  The windbag, despite many signs from the customer that it is time to end the sales presentation, just never seems to get it and always thinks they have to say one more thing.  The windbag puts customers to sleep, puts me to sleep and frankly has no business giving sales presentations, so I'm deflating them.

5) The Ghost

This is a sales rep that may have good numbers but never participates as a team member.  They are a ghost because you never see them.  They are not interested in collaborating with their peers or sharing knowledge of best practices.  The ghost causes hard feelings among their teammates because it seems that ghosts work by their own set of rules.  If you're going to work for me, you've got want to be part of a team.  If you're a ghost, you know who I'm gonna call.

6) The Sloth

While I am certainly not advocating (or practicing) any age discrimination, it is important to understand the pros and cons that each generation of worker tends to bring.  Compared to other generations, sales people in Gen Y are generally very bright, highly educated and excellent with technology.  However, there is a subset of them that I refer to as the Sloth.  The Sloth tends to come to the workplace with a very different ethic than us old-timers.  We have taught these sloths to eat when they are hungry, sleep when they are tired and work only when they are inspired (or feel like it).  They do not identify with their profession as part of who they are; it is just another thing that they do (and doing it is not real high on their list of priorities).  I'd let these people cut my grass, wash my car or build a sand castle for me.  However, a person with a bunch of education, and no work ethic will never work for me in sales.  Let the sloth sleep on their own time, not mine.

Each of these types of potential sales candidates may have some excellent attributes that we'd like all of our sales reps to have: the Camper knows how to be in the right place at the right time, the Babysitter tends to be excellent at taking care of existing clients, the Robot is highly disciplined, the Windbag is articulate, the Ghost requires little supervision and the Sloth is bright and highly educated.  However, these types of salespeople tend to be one-dimensional.  Sales is one of the most challenging and dynamic professions one can pursue.  It requires special people to do the job and as sales managers we need to be very careful in who we invite to join our teams.  There are other types of sales reps that I would not want to work for me but, for now, this will suffice.

Please share some of your best practices for identifying and avoiding them.

Four Advanced Sales Techniques for Opening Locked Doors

Much to the dismay of many sales managers, a lot of salespeople have a tendency to sit in limbo waiting for their prospects to put out an RFP, RFQ, or some other form of bid.  Often when sales professionals are told that there is a contract in place or that the time is not right to review their product or service, the sales professional will pass the opportunity by.  The net result: some prospects that may have the greatest potential are taken out of the sales pipeline and relegated to a calendar entry to be called sometime in the distant future.

1. Change your Approach - Respectfully

Although we need to be mindful and respectful of our prospect's buying cycles, there are things that we can do, strategically, to gain a foot in the door with some of our dream clients - even if, at first, that door seems to be locked.  I do not advocate a hardheaded approach; rather, I suggest a persistent and methodical approach to selling new business.  Here are some sales techniques you can use to open a window of opportunity when the door has been locked.

2. Make an Appointment - Proactively

Within your dream prospect, try to find someone in a position of influence and understanding with whom you can begin to forge a lasting bond.  Make the appointment like this, "Hello Ms. Smith, I realize that you're under contract with our competitor for the next two years.  When your contract is up for bid, in order to ensure that my company is prepared to make an offering that truly meets your needs, I would like to begin to understand your business now.  I have long realized that in order to add value to an organization, I need to become a student of the organization.  I would like to learn about what you do and what challenges you face".

After you make the initial phone call to set your appointment, I suggest leveraging online presentations for your sales follow-up.  Online presentation software enables you to email your prospects engaging, personalized and trackable information via email.  You can add quick-capture personalized video using your prospect's name and their company's name.  This way, they know that your communications were tailored specifically for them and not part of a generic mass marketing campaign.  After they've had a chance to view the online presentation, call them and ask if they have any questions.  If you weren't able to set the appointment with your initial call, use this sales follow up to book the appointment.  You have now started to differentiate yourself from the sameness in sales.

From experience, I can tell you that you will get many appointments this way.  By focusing on customer need, the threat level is low.  I recommend on this first appointment, do not attempt to sell anything other than your desire to learn and understand.  Simply ask questions and do just what you said: learn.  Learn about this individual, their department, the company mission and the challenges that they're facing.  Take copious notes and before you leave, make sure you schedule another appointment.  Most importantly, establish the fact that you respect and are intrigued with their company, and while you are not asking for them to use your product, ask if it's okay if you share specific industry trends and information that might help them to be more successful.

3. Stay Connected - Virtually

After meeting with this potential client, send a follow-up in the form of an online sales presentation.  In it, sum up what you've learned in your meeting and stress the importance of having another meeting to dig a little deeper.  You may also use online presentations to keep this prospect informed of industry trends and news that might interest them in regard to the things that you've learned about them.  This enables you to include more dynamic multimedia content and gives you the necessary tracking to assess their level of engagement.  You may also have an opportunity to educate them with powerful information that, most likely, your incumbent competitor is not sharing with them.

When you cannot be in front of this client, leverage video to keep your face in front of their face.  This will help in developing the sales relationship - staying top of mind and keeping the sales momentum.

4. Ask for an Opportunity - Naturally

Over time (and it may be sooner than you think), you'll have the selling opportunity to ask for some piece of business that you may use to prove yourself and your company.  As time goes by, the scope of the contract may be altered as an organization's business needs evolve.  New needs for products and services within your industry may develop outside the scope of their current contract.  This may give you an opportunity to present one of your solutions.  You will have already established that you:

• Care about this customer enough to learn about them
• Have meticulous follow-up and listening skills
• Put your prospect needs ahead of your own
• Were a friend and business partner before you asked for one dime

Once they transition from prospect to customer, make sure that you keep up the same level of attention that earned you their business.

I called this post an ‘advanced selling technique' because I've seen very few other sales professionals employ this approach.  Does anyone have any selling techniques they've found to be very effective yet rarely utilized?  Please share.

Sales Stars: Defenders Of The Galaxy

Have you ever wondered how two companies can offer a similar service but one is good and the other is bad.  I believe that often the cause of the bad service offering is rooted in the culture of the leadership of that organization.  Typically there is a culture of arrogance that starts with the leadership but permeates throughout the organization.  These companies become complacent and aloofly feel that their offer is great (as is), and refuse to listen to feedback from prospects.  Please realize that I am not referring to customer feedback.  If they are already customers, most companies (even arrogant ones) will listen or even seek customer feedback.  The feedback I am referring to is from prospects; those who have recently bought and those who did not.  The insight into what about your offer is compelling, and what is not, lies within this group.  Possessing this buyer knowledge is invaluable to any organization looking to grow and evolve their offer into one that buyers cannot refuse.  Where can you obtain this precious information?

This information comes from Sales Stars.

In case you have trouble spotting them,

Look Here,

They are consistently in the top half of your sales performance indication list for revenue production. They have the ability to give great sales presentations, the ability to sell when others aren't, and the ability to manage their time effectively. But one thing that often gets overlooked is that the very best salespeople in the world are also a kind of corporate Special Forces. They are Commandos in the war against mediocrity.  They are fierce competitors, always on guard against anything that would jeopardize the business that they have earned and most of all, the voice of the customer to their own organization.

Managing top performers is not always an easy task.  A balance needs to be struck between challenging them to be the best they can be and leaving them alone so they do not feel micromanaged.  Anyone who has managed, been managed by or is a top sales performer can attest to the many personality quirks that come along with elite performers.  However, a common thread among the best of the best is that they have little tolerance for anything that could tarnish their reputation.  To that end, when the company they represent drops the ball, they are the squeakiest wheel.  Any company would do well to listen attentively to their top performers and to adjust their operations accordingly.

The Upper Management Eclipse

It is common these days to see sales management executives concerned primarily with the appearance of their performance, instead of the efficacy of it.  Many times, these sales managers focus more on what will make them look good to their direct reports instead of focusing on how their company can do good for their most important investors - their customers.

Often times, organizations get stuck doing the same thing over and over again but in today's economic climate that just doesn't cut it.  Listen to your sales leaders - they have the direct knowledge of how your company is perceived by those who truly matter most.  If you want to know where to invest in your offering, if you want to know which initiatives to pursue, and if you want to know how you're really doing as a company, just ask your top sales performers.  Better than any crystal ball is the insight of those who's very living depends upon living up to their word.  When their word depends upon the performance of others, salespeople get understandably sensitive when other people don't live up to their end of the bargain.  In every salesperson's job description, right along with new business development goals, there should be a section that clearly appoints them and explicitly charges them with the task of holding their own organization accountable to deliver on its promises.

No one else has this depth of insight and clarity of vision into the things that make or break sales effectiveness.  No other department has this level of motivation to get and keep customers.  We all know that effective sales are the lifeblood of any organization.  Even if your salespeople are telling you things you don't want to hear, and even if you have some serious doubts about their motivation for doing so, try to glean some thread of truth from the things that they are saying.  It just might be that you will find that the words and thoughts of your sales stars are truly prophetic and might help you avoid fiscal catastrophe.  My recommendation is, if you currently do not have a forum to share brutally honest feedback, put it at the top of your to do list; you will thank me later.

Obviously, this type of 'voice of sales/voice of prospect' forum must not be allowed to supplant selling activity, but if you hire the right people, this will not be an issue.

Please share ideas for establishing an effective forum for sales input.

9 Ways to Avoid Getting Made Fun Of as a Sales Manager

Did you ever wonder how some executives get into the position that they are in?

Judging by their lack of interpersonal skills, arrogant attitude and weak sales game, they must have some damning pictures of the boss in Vegas.  Does this sound familiar?

Actually, many of you reading this may have thought this very thought, what is even more alarming is that some of you reading this could be the very subject of this blog, but have no clue.  We used to call my second sales manager Colonel Mustard - he thought it was due to his mustache but it was because he didn't have a clue.  The sales manager that is arrogant and basically worthless on a sales call, might be you and you don't know it.  For me, as a sales manager, the respect of my team is just as important as the good graces of those to whom I report.

Here are some ideas to help you not be the dorky sales manager everyone makes fun of.

1.    Make Sure You Can Fog a Mirror.

When you are on a sales call, you bring strength and experience.  You should bring energy and understanding.   You should bring the communication of a vision for the business relationship you are proposing.  Most of all you should know what you can commit to and be a master negotiator.  Bring value to a sales call or sales presentation in the form of energy and knowledge. Do not sit like a bump on a log. Conversely,

2.    Do Not Dominate the Sales Call.

When on a sales call, do not miss the opportunity to develop your team.  You must realize that when you are riding along with a rep on a sales call, that there are two basic starting points.  One is your top performers are going to be prepared to show you how well they are doing and be looking to gain your respect and trust by knocking it out of the park.  The second situation is when a rep is ill prepared, and runs the sales presentation haphazardly.  Yes, you are there to bring value, but the greatest value is the development of your sales people.  Recognizing the well prepared and coaching the ill prepared are more important than flashing your fancy sales techniques. Then,

3.    Make Sure You Are Prepared.

Ask for the agenda ahead of time, take a look into your CRM to check the activity on the account, potential revenue, level of contact you are meeting. Look at the company website, and competition, think of similar companies you may have dealt with previously.  Leverage technology like Inside View or Gist to learn more about your prospects.  Think ahead of time about which elegant negotiables you are be prepared to offer to advance the deal.  After a meeting,

4.    Make Sure You Send a Follow-Up.

All sales managers should set the tone for pinpoint, heartfelt follow-up.  Use whatever means necessary; I'm partial to a personalized online sales communication, but no matter what you use, make sure you are delivering on your promises.  And for heaven's sake, if you make a promise, live up to it. If you do not, I promise you...you thought of as a jerk. Try hard to

5.    Never Disrespect or Belittle Your Reps,

no matter how they act, no matter how they stumble and whatever they say... do not disrespect or talk down to anyone - especially someone you manage and especially in front of a customer.  We have all seen this type of behavior, and can remember who committed this terrible act and when and where.  No one wants to do business with people like that. It's also good to

6.    Know What the Heck You're Talking About.

Just because you are the manager please do not regard your title as an excuse to get soft on sales skills.  As a leader, you should set the example of product mastery and artful negotiation.  Since you're reading this post, chances are you're among the leaders who seek opportunities sharpen your skills.  For the busy professionals, be sure to check out SalesAce where you can see excerpts from the best of many of the top sales blogs.

7.    Never Hide or Point Fingers

when things do not go as planned.  When things are going badly, do not shrink back and point fingers, instead stand up and take responsibility, then take corrective action to make sure there is not a repeat.  In Good to Great, Jim Collins describes this trait as the ‘mirror and the window'.  He explains that when true leaders have problems, they look in the mirror and take personal responsibility while the weaker ones look out the window and blame the problems on other people.

8.    Learn to Delegate;

get everyone involved in sales management.  Many managers think they exist to remove extraneous burdens from the sales team.  However, this often becomes an excuse for not digging into more important, uncomfortable matters. Delegate what you can and spread these activities evenly through the team.  This will help to develop your future leaders and free you to spot the "kick me" sign before someone hangs it on your back.  Now, the best for last,

9.    Give Your Team Credit When Credit is Due.

If you make sure your team shines, they will make sure you shine.  When someone has a great idea and executes on it, give them all of the credit and recognize them for it.  Never, never, pass someone else's idea off as your own.  The best of the best, are focused on simply getting things done.

Please share your Colonel Mustard stories with us.

Four Sales Strategies for Proactive Customer Interactions

A young man was sick of the fast life so,
He entered a monastery,where he was informed of the rules by the head priest.
One, you're not allowed to speak at all.
Two, once per year you will be allowed to speak...but only two words so choose wisely.
The first year passes by and it comes time for the young man to speak, he steps up and says "Bells Noisy".
Then a whole year passes by once again, and the young man has his turn to speak, this time he says "Floors Cold"   
A third, long year passes by and when the young man steps up to speak, he says "food stinks"
The fourth year passes by, and as he begins to speak, he takes a good look around and says "I quit".
The head priest turns to him and says, well doesn't surprise me, all you've done is complain since you got here.

This anecdote is a perfect illustration of what not to do when communicating with customers. If a customer only hears from you when there's a problem,  what do you think their perception of your service will be?  They will place you and your company in a section of their mind reserved for things that are problematic. They will not think of all of the flawless execution of your company provides, just the problems because that is all they hear about. One of the main keys to customer satisfaction is the customer's perception of the value that you are providing. There are many factors that go into an effective customer communication strategy from a sales perspective - let's look at a few that are easy to implement and you can begin doing today with just a little effort.

1) Always Set the Right Expectation

As you enter into a business relationship with a new customer, make sure you set the expectation of what you will be delivering. Do not promise more than what your company is able to deliver. Do not promise more than what you are willing and able to do. Instead, if it takes your company three days on average to complete its work, promise to deliver in six days. If your company's product costs $75 promise $100, then delight the customer by surprising them with a better result. At the onset of a sale in its early stages, make sure you layout for the customer your plan of action for implementing your product or service. Show them that you've been there before, and that you know what you're doing. These time lines will serve as a reminder for you, and equally important, as a natural implementation process to get the customer up to proper utilization levels, and revenue levels. The main idea here is to set an expectation for your customer, or paint a picture of what it will be like for them, so as to make the only surprises happy ones. 

2) Weekly Check-In

Use a weekly communication structure to let your customer know proactively, how your company is performing and shape their perception of your company's performance. Your contact will tell you what issue you need to address and with whom, as well as make you aware of any other red flags.  I am well aware that it is not always possible to meet weekly with your customers face-to-face, but by establishing predictable contact at the same time every week they can schedule it, expect it and hopefully look forward to it.  The advantages to this communication strategy are too many to mention here. But overall, the main benefit is that you will begin to develop a reputation for exceeding expectations and promises. One great way to establish a personal and cost-effective weekly check in is with an online sales presentation.

3) Use Proactive Reporting

No matter how good your product, customer service and price may be, a day will come when the decision to partner with you will be challenged. It is crucial to plan for this moment ahead of time.  It can be in the simplest format, nothing fancy at all, but begin to provide your contacts with key performance indicators, in the form of proactive reporting. Your company will most likely have a way to get to this data, but if they do not, then it is your job to stand on your desk and scream until you get the data. If you're feeling shy, you could alternatively figure out how to get the data yourself. Do not be afraid of less than perfect results, just make sure you address them and have a plan on how to fix them. No one will knock you for a lack of perfection, but failure to address these problems could be very costly. This data can be sent monthly in preparation for a face-to-face meeting.  If the data needs explanation, consider sending it in an online presentation so you can include personalized video to clarify.

4) Hook Them Up

Make yourself a hub of business relationships for your customers and prospects. Do not be afraid to introduce your customers to each other. By doing the first two items on this list, you will know to be on the look out for complementary services. Possibly even useful technology and best practices from each other's organization to help make them more successful.  Let's face it, most busy executives do not see the light of day - when they are in meetings, they're stuck behind a desk fighting their way out from behind a pile of work. As a salesperson you should be a breath of fresh air, a burst of energy and a sight for sore eyes. By you exposing your customers to your other customers when it makes sense, you develop value beyond that of a simple service provider and begin to become a valued partner.

By implementing the above steps, you will begin to establish a reputation for being a great account manager, a good friend and a class act. These are virtues you can take with you everywhere. What is more, once you have established this reputation, the odds of your competition being able to take business from you are slim. The time that you get to spend customer-facing is very limited. Be sure to make it count.  

Okay, it's your time to talk - what do you have to say (preferably not 'post stinks')?

4 Ways to Avoid the “Just Friends” Speech in Sales

As the recipient of my fair share of "just friends" speeches, I can tell you for a fact that they stink.  Similar to the hope of finding love in a relationship, is the expectation that a hiring manager has for a new sales representative.  With hopeful expectation, a manager asks you to begin a relationship with their product by applying the same passion you showed for getting the job in the first place to your daily selling activities.

Last night I received a call from a good friend of mine, who has always been a top sales performer.  Recently, he switched companies to sell a new product at a much higher rate of pay and more generous commission structure.

I'm getting appointments, he said, but I haven't had any luck closing anything so far.  I asked him "so tell me about this new product that you are selling."  He went on to tell me about the product and all of the benefits that his new company claims to provide.  However, I did not hear the same passion in his voice that I used to hear when he was representing the previous company.  So after listening to a features, advantages, and benefits monologue, I took a minute to ponder the spirit in which it was given.

And then I asked him some questions (and I recommend you ask them to yourself, I certainly have):

Do you like your product?

Do you believe in your product?

Do you love your product?

I will spare you all the details of his answers, but the salient point that came from this conversation, is that he kind of likes the new product, but doesn't really believe in it yet and he certainly does not love the product.

In today's economic climate, people who make decisions to purchase products need to have more than just information.  Buyers need to feel good that they are making the right decision to benefit their organization.  I won't even discuss the problem of not even liking your own product, because if you are in that position it is time to look for something else to sell.  But if you do like your product, it's time to take it to the next level.  Time to become someone that believes in, even loves, the product.  Believing in, and loving, your product will cause you more sales success, because your belief and passion are highly transferrable.  People may not remember your entire sales presentation, but they will remember the passion, or lack thereof.

Here are some ideas on how to stop being "just friends" with your product:

1. Become a student of your product

Pretend that you are a customer, and learn everything about your product from a customer point of view.  Learn how to use the product.  Call up your support team to experience your company's customer support, everything from signing up to paying an invoice.  Even try to reach yourself as a representative, see if you are delighted or frustrated.  Now, go embrace your company's sales training. But approach it as someone who's looking to become an expert, not just someone who is conversant.  Once you learn your product from the customer's perspective, and from the provider's perspective, you are now ready to take the next step.

2. Become a student of your competition

In a respectful and forthright manner, immerse yourself in the knowledge and culture of your competition.  Identify those who you are competing against and gain a close understanding of what difference you can provide.  Know how they differ from each other, and from your product.  Be prepared to speak in the language of your customers as it relates to your competition, know what words are synonymous with your company's own vernacular.  Be prepared to speak always in a complimentary way to their capabilities.  Never, never, never bash your competition, instead use this approach: we agree that XYZ company is good at what they do, but let me show you what our company has to offer, and how we feel this can bring you a superior value.  Little else will turn a customer off faster than competition bashing.  Even if they begin to bash the competition, do not participate.  Instead, try to understand where their point of frustration is and offer your solution through consultative approach.

3. Become a student of your customer

In order to be a top performing sales executive, you must begin to think of the customer as YOUR customer.  Not a company to be sold, convinced or closed, but a customer that you personally take care of with an in-depth understanding of their goals, needs and challenges.  Become a student of their products, and their competition, just like you have become a student of yours.  This step will change your mentality, from thinking that they are an obligation, an entry into our CRM, or a name on a spreadsheet, they will now become a lifelong customer no matter which product you are representing.

4. Become the voice of your customer

Once you grasp your product, understand your competition and embrace your customer, it is time to gain the edge by developing a passion for the product you are selling as it relates to your customer.  Knowing that your product is the right fit for the customer, and the knowledge that you are going to be there for them no matter what, will instill a sense of confidence when you speak to a prospect.  You will know that, although they don't yet know you or your product, given the opportunity sometime in the future, they will be very happy and grateful for the day that they met you.  Holding yourself and your company accountable to provide the very best service to your customer will cause a bond with your most important benefactors.

Now put this all together and approach your selling activities with new vigor, realizing that you're not just going through the motions, but you are providing a superior value to help your customers remain competitive in the marketplace. What is more, they will get a lifelong friend out of the deal.  Transferring knowledge about a product is difficult, and if you are able to transfer it, inspiring a desired action can be even more daunting.  Infinitely more transferable is a feeling or belief. Once you believe in it, and actually feel good about what you're selling, you'll see dramatic increases in your close ratio.  You'll actually be shocked when someone doesn't buy your product, not surprised when they do.

So what's not to love?

5 Tips for More Effective Sales Communication

Hello Mr. Customer, it's Dave, I just wanted to touch base with you because I heard that you had awarded my competition a contract to handle your online sales presentation business?

Hi Dave. Yes, we awarded that business to your competition.  I had no idea your company performed that type of service.

Mr. Customer, with all due respect, the last four times we spoke I brought up the fact that our company had a cutting-edge sales presentation product, and that we could make it available to you at a fraction of what our competitor would charge because of your existing business with us, does this ring a bell?

Yes Dave, I remember now, and not sure why, but I had no idea that's what you were talking about, sorry about that...hope there are no hard feelings, just wish you had made it more clear, so when are you coming by to take us to lunch?

The above scenario is not uncommon. It is absolutely mind-boggling how you can tell a customer something over and over again while looking them right in the eye, but they do not hear you.  Has this ever happened to you?  If you've been in sales for more than a few months, then it probably has, and you share the frustration with all other sales people.  But what can be done about this? How can we make sure that we are getting our point across?  I would like to offer five suggestions to help you in your quest to be heard and to turn the hearing into understanding and understanding into earning.

1.  Listen First

Always listen first.  You are designed very purposefully, with two ears and one mouth. This design ensures that we are very slow to speak and very quick to listen so that when we do speak, we will have more to say. By listening actively, you will ensure that your customer or prospect feels heard, because they are heard. Once your customer or prospect is heard in a sales situation, they will be more apt to give the floor to you. Mainly because you will be speaking in the context of their understanding.

2.  Clarify Your Understanding

When you do not understand, ask for clarification.  Sometimes your customer or prospect says things to you that simply don't make sense, at least you. Sometimes your mind is wandering, thinking about the next thing you'll say, or the next place you are going (this is human, it happens). But what are you to do about it? Hopefully, pride does not come before a fall. When you do not understand something the customer saying or you do not grasp some nuance of their business model, simply stop and ask for clarification. No one will ever fault you for wanting to understand.  They will, however, fault you if they tell you something, you nod your head in assent, but in actuality you never really get it. Little will kill a sale faster than this.

3. Ask Smart Questions

Never introduce an idea to a customer by pontificating. Although it might feel great to you to go on a rant and rave about the things that your company has to offer, it is simply white noise to busy people who have their own things to worry about. Start instead, by asking questions, smart questions, questions that demand an answer that lead to uncovering a need that you, naturally, have a way to fix. Instead of saying "my company has sales consulting services, if you'd ever like to take advantage of it let me know," ask the following: "Are you up against some difficult revenue objectives? Wouldn't it be nice to have your sales force achieve its sales objectives and bring some much-needed revenue to the table? If this is the case, I think we can help. If I could show you a way to solve this problem, would you be interested?"  Think they are listening now?  You bet.

4.  Follow-Up

When a new idea is introduced, always follow up: never assume because you connect with someone on a certain topic that they have understood what you said and have committed it to memory, or that they are willing to act upon it.  Instead always assume that you need to clarify your objectives and offering in order to ask for the business.  Always summarize the thoughts and ideas that are born from sales meetings, sales presentations, sales calls and any other selling situation.  Never take anything for granted, and remember nothing your company offers is worth anything until a customer understands it and buys it. Sales follow-up is by far one of the greatest differentiators between top sales performers and those who never quite make it.  Millions of dollars are left on the table due to lack of sales follow-up, because once momentum is lost, is very difficult to break inertia once again. It is even more frightening to think that after you have introduced your client, prospect or customer to a new concept and identified a need at their organization that, because you didn't followed up, they turn around and select your competition as the provider.  I encourage you to consider utilizing online sales presentation software - sales software specifically designed to help sales professionals stay connected with their prospects and customers.

5. Be a Detective

Utilize the famous pre-planned Columbo close.  If you have ever seen the 1970's crime drama series, you would remember Peter Falk, on his way out the door, turning around and saying just one more thing.  That 'one more thing' would unlock all the mysteries of that episode - the culmination of all of the facts he had gathered during the episode.  After a while you would know, that just when you thought it was over and there was no way he could get the bad guy, 'that one more thing' would nail them to the wall.  This is a great selling technique.  Before every sales meeting, plan the Colombo close, just one more thing that you will ask the customer on your way out.  "Just one more thing, Mr. Customer, who is handling your brokerage business out of Southeast Asia at this time? Is that right? I don't know if I ever mentioned it, but we actually provide that service and using our service would be a tremendous enhancement because..."

Just one more thing...I was wondering, do YOU have any suggestions for making sure there is powerful two-way communication during the sales process?