Month: March 2011

The Best Information Comes From Short Questions

Post author By Ethan Theo
Post date March 20, 2011

Article Contributed by Mark Hunter

There’s no better way to improve the quality of information you receive from a potential customer than by asking short questions. We all can recall far too many times when we’ve sat across the table from a customer we’re trying to help – and we know we can help, if they would just provide us information about their needs and goals.

The problem is that no matter what question we ask, we get the same response: a big fat “I don’t know” (or something along that line). Then, almost without thinking, we put on our super salesperson cape and start telling the person everything they need.

Unfortunately, when it comes to agreeing to the sale, the person turns cold. Our problem in dealing with this type of customer is we need to find a better way to engage them and to get them to think about what they want and need – and then share that information with us.

The answer to this dilemma? Short questions. I believe that short questions get you long answers (while long questions get you short answers). What too often happens is we are talking to a customer and asking them what we believe are simple questions, but in reality, those questions are simple only to us. To someone unfamiliar with our product and services, the questions are complex.

For example, we ask a question that has a couple of facts wrapped up in it. As a result, it winds up being more of a statement for which we are simply looking for feedback or agreement. No wonder customers can give us the cold shoulder and the blank stare.

What we want to do is ask short questions. In their simplest form, they are questions like “why” and “how.” Or possibly they look like this: Could you give me an example? Could you explain that again to me?

The shorter the question, the more likely we are to get a long answer. The next step is to ask them another short question, following up on what they just said. The beauty about this is it allows the customer to do all the talking. By doing the talking, they’ll tell you their needs and desired benefits. They’ll tell you their goals and will reveal a level of information you need to determine how to best serve them.

When using the short question approach, there are only two things you need to remember. First, ask the customer a soft easy question to which you know they’ll respond. Then after they have given you a response, continue with the short questioning approach by asking, “Could you give me another example?” You then pause and allow the client to give you more information, upon which you follow up again with another short question such as, “How?” or “Why?” Basically, you want to do whatever you can to get them talking more.

The second rule to remember is to not keep asking the same short questions. If you do, you’ll come across as an inquisitive 3-year-old rather than the professional salesperson you know you are. You can avoid this best by picking up on a single item they shared with you and drilling down on just that one item.
When you drill down on a single item, you demonstrate your listening skills and your ability to truly discern information. The beauty of this approach is when it works, the customer will many times share with you exactly what they want and will begin asking you questions about features and benefits.

Short questions get you long answers. Long questions get you short answers. It is up to you as to the approach you want to take, but if you want to actually learn something about the customer’s needs, you will get there quicker by asking short questions.

About the Author:

Mark Hunter, “The Sales Hunter,” is a sales expert who speaks to thousands each year on how to increase their sales profitability. For more information, to receive a free weekly email sales tip, or to read his Sales Motivation Blog, visit www.TheSalesHunter.com. You can also follow him on www.Twitter.com/TheSalesHunter, on www.LinkedIn.com/in/MarkHunter, and on www.Facebook.com/TheSalesHunter.

Communication Skills

Top 10 Sales Coaching Tips To Improve Your Listening Skills

Post author By Ethan Theo
Post date March 12, 2011

Article Contributed by Jeremy Ulmer

“Deep listening is miraculous for both listener and speaker. When someone receives us with open-hearted, non-judging, intensely interested listening, our spirits expand.” ~Sue Patton Thoele

1. Be Present & Stay Focused. Stop thinking about what you are going to say next and focus on what the speaker is telling you. Be curious and ask follow up questions to learn more about what they are telling you.

2. Pause Before You Respond. Take 2 full breaths before responding. It will ensure the speaker is finished and give them space to share more. It will also help you control the amount of talking you are doing.

3. Refocus If Your Mind Wanders. If you start thinking about your next meeting, travel plans, or what you have planned for the evening, bring yourself back to the moment.

4. Summarize & Bottom Line The Key Points. Play back to the speaker the key items you are hearing to ensure you are capturing the essence of what is being relayed to you. Make sure to take notes of these key items so you can revisit them as needed later in the meeting.

5. Focus On Listening & Understanding Versus Judging & Opinion. It is natural to want to share your 2 cents right away, or to be making judgments in your mind about what you are hearing. However, that is not focused listening. Stop yourself from doing this by placing your attention on learning, listening, and understanding. Ask open ended questions that begin with “What” to stay focused on listening and understanding.

6. Use Your Intuition. Whether you are on the phone or in person, you should be listening not only with your ears, but with your intuition as well. Notice the speaker’s breathing, tone, pace, and energy. There is a lot of information to be gathered and the more you pay attention to your intuition, the more effective your listening will be.

7. Never Talk Over Anyone. If the speaker is talking, simply wait your turn. Do not try to interject, and if you do, catch yourself, and say, “Sorry, please carry on…”

8. Ignore Internal & External Distractions. Image you are in a bubble with the person you are speaking to and they are the center of your universe. Try it out and watch what kind of impact it will have.

9. Resist Telling The Speaker How You Handled A Similar Situation. Pause yourself from sharing your own input and experiences until you have fully listened to what the speaker has to say.

10. Relax. The more calm you are, the more information you will gather from the person you are listening to since they will be at ease with you.

About the Author:

Jeremy Ulmer is one of the most dynamic and requested sales experts in the country. His company specializes in working with sales management, individual sales performers, and sales organizations to transform their sales results. They deliver customized sales coaching programs and corporate sales training. Sign up for free sales tips and free sales webinars at: http://www.SalesCoachingHabits.com

Work Life

Personal Growth: How Are Your Resolutions Holding Up?

Post author By Ethan Theo
Post date March 11, 2011

Article Contributed by Lynda-Ross Vega

If you are like most people, every January you make a few New Year’s Resolutions: “This is the year I am going to. . . lose that extra 10 pounds, finally get organized, stop watching so much television, etc., etc.” But if you are like most people, by the time you get to mid-February (or even earlier) all of your good intentions, dedication, and will power have succumbed to the relentless force of your daily routine.

Likewise, every year there are articles from various sources telling what you need to do to do to stick to your resolutions, or why they’re so hard to keep. These articles focus on discipline or the lack thereof, habit formation, (i.e., it takes 21 days to turn a new behavior into a habit), will power and how to get it, changing your environment to support the change you want—the list goes on and on.

All of these articles suggest that you need to grow, develop, strengthen, or adopt some behavior that doesn’t come naturally to you. This isn’t the only way to approach meaningful change. In fact, the number one reason why most New Year’s Resolutions fail is that they are set up in a way that requires behavior that is not supported by your Perceptual Style.

Consider the resolution to ‘finally get organized.’ The first step of setting up almost any conventional system of organization is to fill in your calendar, set your goals, create your plan, etc.—but for many people, trying to achieve those simple steps is what keeps them in limbo.

The fact is, there are only a few Perceptual Styles that can actually use one of these step-by-step organization methods, and those are the types that most likely already somewhat organized!

When we choose a system, approach, or method that does not draw on our inherent natural skills and talents, we are setting ourselves up for failure. As with all intended changes in behavior, New Year’s Resolutions most always fail when they involve set prescriptions or hard and fast rules about ‘how to.’ If the method you choose sounds like work, it probably will be. But if it sounds easy, or like fun, it will probably be a fit for you.

For instance, an Activity person might dread spring cleaning, but love clearing out space in time for a spring gathering or party. A Visions person might dread a day-by-day checklist for launching a new business, but love doing something everyday for the new business, based on opportunities as they present themselves.

So if you really want to make some lasting and meaningful changes in your life, take the time to discover your inherent Perceptual Style and the natural repertoire of skills that derive from it. When you do, you’ll be able to make resolutions (whatever they are) that work with who you are and how you really operate, and even pick resolutions that allow you to further develop your natural potential. You never know, you just might change your life!

About the Author:

Lynda-Ross Vega: A partner at Vega Behavioral Consulting, Ltd., Lynda-Ross specializes in helping entrepreneurs and coaches build dynamite teams and systems that WORK. She is co-creator of Perceptual Style Theory, a revolutionary psychological assessment system that teaches people how to unleash their deepest potentials for success. For free information on how to succeed as an entrepreneur or coach, create a thriving business and build your bottom line doing more of what you love, visit www.ACIforCoaches.com and www.ACIforEntrepreneurs.com.

Planning & Management

Who Protects Your Greatest Vulnerability?

Post author By Ethan Theo
Post date March 9, 2011

Article Contributed by Jeff Beals

Have you ever seen The Blind Side? It’s an acclaimed movie based on a true story first described in a best-selling book by Michael Lewis. It’s quite inspiring.

The Blind Side introduces us to Michael Oher, one of 13 children born to a mother addicted to crack cocaine living in a Memphis housing project. When the story begins, the teenage Oher doesn’t know his father, his birthday or even his true last name. His reading and writing skills are almost non-existent. A victim of utter neglect, he spends his days and nights unsupervised, wandering the crime-ridden, inner-city streets.

Through a twist of fate – or perhaps divine intervention – Oher finds himself enrolled in an upscale, suburban prep school where he meets an affluent family that eventually adopts him. With this new love and support, he overcomes culture shock, catches up academically and discovers the game of football.

He not only discovers football, he turns out to be darned good at it, and receives a full-ride athletic scholarship to the University of Mississippi. Today, Oher is a star offensive lineman for the National Football League’s Baltimore Ravens and consequently a very wealthy man.

While the compelling story behind The Blind Side is the amazing metamorphosis of a young man, there’s a second story line: the evolution of the game of football. You see, there’s a reason why Oher is such a wealthy player today. He plays a position that is critically important and perhaps the most difficult one for a coach to staff: left tackle. There is a scarcity of truly great left-tackle talent. That makes Oher unbelievably valuable to coaches and team owners.

Why is the left tackle so important? Because he protects the quarterback’s blind side. Most quarterbacks are right handed, so when they drop back to pass, they can’t see pass rushers coming from their left sides. Given that, defensive coordinators usually line up their most ferocious athletes on the quarterback’s left side.

As the highest paid and typically most valuable player on the team, the quarterback must be protected at all costs. But it’s not enough for a left tackle to be big and strong. He must possess the rare combination of size, strength, speed, balance and agility. In other words, a left tackle must be a huge guy with the agility of a little guy. Very few human beings possess this priceless combination of abilities. Michael Oher is one of them.

As a quarterback, you need a world-class left tackle covering your blind side, your greatest vulnerability. If you get blindsided too much, you not only lose the game, you might lose your career.

Just like a professional quarterback, you are incredibly valuable. You are valuable to your company, your colleagues, your staff, your family, your friends, your community, and just as important, to yourself. Like a quarterback, you have a blind side that must be protected at all costs.

In today’s competitive, high-stakes economy, you can’t afford to be blindsided. You need protection. You need your own Michael Oher, so to speak.

So, who or what protects your blind side?

Your left tackle could be a trusted colleague, who keeps you informed, covers for you and stands with you when the going gets tough. Perhaps you serve as his or her left tackle when that person is distressed.

Your left tackle could be a staff with which you have built great synergy or a boss with whom you have developed a symbiotic working relationship.

Actually, your left tackle does not necessarily have to be a person. Your protector could be a carefully designed management system with checks and balances designed into it. It could be a strategic plan with contingencies built in.

Whatever or whoever you choose to be your left tackle, you need one. There’s no need to go through life paranoid, but take some time to develop your own left tackle. When your blind side is protected, you have a foundation to stand upon. You have the liberty and security necessary to take risks and chase your dreams.

About the Author:

Jeff Beals is an award-winning author, who helps professionals do more business and have a greater impact on the world through effective sales, marketing and personal branding techniques. As a professional speaker, he delivers energetic and humorous keynote speeches and workshops to audiences worldwide. You can learn more and follow his “Business Motivation Blog” at http://www.JeffBeals.com.