Sales Salve

Sales Is A Numbers Game - But No One Wants To Be A Number

To a large extent, sales is a numbers game.  Few sales professionals would argue that point.  You have to throw a lot of tomatoes against the wall to get some to stick.

These days, however, despite pouring on the numbers, many sales people are still struggling for sales.  Often times a sales manager will ask a sales person to show greater numbers.  It seems logical enough - by increasing the sheer volume of cold-calls, sales presentations, and proposals, they hope to better the odds of finding, qualifying and closing more deals.  It is a serious event when a sales person makes the all-important phone call.  The problem is that many times, under the pressure of it all and due to a bit of laziness, sales people forget what is on the other side.  On the other side, is a person first, and a potential revenue number or opportunity second.

Prospects know that they are a number; they can feel it.  Some even hire gatekeepers (a person too) in an attempt to keep the onslaught of sales forces at bay.  If a prospect feels like they are just a random number in your call cycle, I guarantee that, short of you selling life rafts as their place is flooding, you will be rejected.

Buyers who know they are a number get turned and ticked off!  The implication is that more sales people experience more rejection.  Consequently, more people don’t get the help they need from sales people who have real solutions to real problems.  So how do we, as sales professionals, overcome this?

1.    Realize that you are in sales, not marketing.  

Marketers say, ”It slices, it dices, it chops, it grates!”  A sales professional would say, “What are you doing today?  Are you slicing or dicing?  Slicing?  That is interesting, how are you slicing?  How do your competitors slice?  How do your customers perceive your slicing?  Do you have any problems effectively slicing for your customers?  Do you see yourself chopping in the future or are you looking into any other cutting markets?”                

You Get the idea:
Marketing is about getting the masses of prospects to take a look at you; sales is about you, taking a massive look at your prospect.

2.    Prove that they were not a one-call stand.

Sometimes sales people treat buyers like a lottery ticket – we hold out hope for immediate gratification but as soon as it is determined to be a loser, the ticket is summarily discarded and then off to the gas station to buy a new ticket for the next drawing.  Like so many ill-fated quick picks, they’ll then sit somewhere on a list or scratch pad never to be checked again.

Prove to your prospects that they are not a number and that you are not a taker.  The best way to prove this is to be there.  Prove that you are there to partner with them and not just there to cash in and move on.  This approach requires multiple touches - not just a cold call.  A cold call is just a starting point.  Follow up with additional communications such as another call, a proactive online sales presentation or a letter or post card.  If your prospects are close by, frequent events where they will be and seek them out with some useful information to share.  The purpose of these activities should not be aimed at an immediate sale but to demonstrate that you are looking to make a career-long sales connection. 

3.    Learn the real numbers on which the game is based.

The number that should be the priority is the number of times you touch, visit or follow-up with a prospect.   We run into more and more sales people who are looking to blast off a sales message to a large email list.  This simply does NOT work.  The thought is, to put a message into an email and assume some people will read and possibly buy.  The communications you have with your prospects need to be customized and personalized.  Does this take extra time?  You bet it does but the sales elite understand that the extra mile is part of the path they take everyday.

The numbers game that should be played is the ten-touch rule.  Do everything possible to have ten interactions with a prospect.  The number may vary but, for the most part, I have seen ten as a great rule of thumb.

So you just made a cold call, ok that’s one.  What will you do next?

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?