Category: Sales & Marketing

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Sales & Marketing

Increasing Sales and Productivity: Action and Fundamentals

Article Contributed by Sharpenz

We recently surveyed dozens of sales managers about tools and solutions they use to help their sales teams be more productive and successful in selling. When I analyzed these expert sales managers’ feedback, the key ingredient or “secret” to high sales productivity is ACTION!

Ernest Hemingway said, “Never mistake motion for action.” This is so true in sales! We can be in motion but not going anywhere. Action means productively moving forward.

The activities of planning, preparation, research, reworking value propositions, and putting together effective presentations are all important. But without action with clients or prospects, those activities are insignificant.

Successful sales professionals take action when others don’t and actions that others won’t.

The sales professionals we work with to increase selling skills intellectually agree with the tools, steps and behaviors we outline and practice. What makes the difference in results is that the most successful people immediately put these ideas, skills and tools into action in sales calls. And they make sales. The others make excuses why they couldn’t use them, get caught up in busy work and then are surprised when sales don’t happen.

Another important aspect of success and sales performance is focusing on the fundamentals.

Michael Jordan, undeniably a long-term example for sports performance, said, “You have to monitor your fundamentals constantly because the only thing that changes will be your attention to them.  The fundamentals will never change.”

The same is true in our professional business careers: if we want to increase our sales productivity, we need to give attention to the fundamentals of great communication, preparation and follow-up.  These are timeless, universal fundamentals.

Want to increase your sales results and success?  It’s really not a secret after all…move beyond activities that are just motion. Take purposeful and consistent action and focus on the fundamentals!

What selling fundamentals or action can you take today to set yourself up for success this week? Let us know in the Comments section. Now, “Just do it”!

About the Author:

Sharpenz is dedicated to providing sales managers the resources and tools they need to energize, engage and equip their sales team to sell more each week. Our 30-minute power sales booster meetings help companies increase sales by providing the right tools and training – fast. Designed with the busy manager in mind, Sharpenz ready-to-go sales training kits will give your sales team the opportunity to grow and earn more – all in a half hour of power.  To learn more, visit www.sharpenz.com and sign up for your free ready-to-go sales training kit today!

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Sales & Marketing

Why Buyers Don’t Like Salespeople

Article Contributed by Mark Hunter

If buyers could get by without salespeople, do you think they would?  It is an interesting question if you stop and consider the role of the salesperson. Of course, considering the role in an abstract way is one thing, but what about when you consider it from a personal perspective?  What happens as a salesperson when you put your emotions aside for a moment, relax, take a deep breath and honestly ask yourself, “What role do I play with my buyers?”

When I ask salespeople what value they bring to their buyers, I usually get a typical answer that is full of a lot of smoke puffery.  When I ask this question of buyers, and in particular professional buyers, I get an entirely different answer.   For professional buyers who see a wide variety of salespeople, the value they place on them is usually very minimal.  Are you wondering why?

There’s one simple reason that can sum it all up:  Most salespeople bring to their buyers only information. Interestingly, information is something any buyer can gather from other sources. At the end of the day, you as a salesperson must ask yourself, “Am I merely a conduit of information?”  If you are, then you’re wasting your time, your company’s time, and your customer’s time.  You might as well just email your buyer the information and then go play golf.

If you can’t as a salesperson honestly lay claim to problems you’ve helped your customers overcome, then you really have to begin questioning the role you play.  Yes, I’m being quite harsh, but with the advent of technology and communication, the role of the salesperson has changed. If you as a salesperson have not recognized and embraced this change, then you are nothing more than the walking dead.

Buyers don’t want people who bring them nothing more than information. They want solutions. Unfortunately, because buyers often have far too much to do, they don’t even know what their problems are or what challenges their company is facing.   This is the role the salesperson needs to play — the role of helping identify the problems, whether blatant or obscure, and turning them into opportunities you can solve for the customer.

So how do you go about identifying problems? You as the salesperson must become an investigator – someone who is determined to find out what really is happening in an organization, industry and global marketplace.  Then, you need to show your customer how what you found is impacting them now or will be impacting them in the future.

Start this process by shifting your focus. Instead of just delivering information to your customer, begin to ask more questions.   A very simple rule I tell salespeople is for every minute you spend gathering information to share with a customer, you need to spend an equal amount of time developing questions to ask that customer. Don’t develop questions for which you already have the answers or could easily find the answers.  In fact, those are the wrong type of questions.

Instead, you need to develop questions to which you don’t have answers. More than likely, these will be questions to which your buyer doesn’t have answers either.  By asking these questions, you’re helping move the buyer to viewing you differently.  Your role is to be seen as the one salesperson who is genuinely committed to helping them move themselves and their company to a higher level. This may be by growing their sales or helping them reduce their costs.

When you can clearly identify ways you’ve helped your buyer achieve either of these outcomes, then you will know you’re no longer the type of salesperson that buyers love to hate. Plus, you’ll be growing your bottom line at the same time.  And that’s a lot better than simply doling out information!

About the Author:

Mark Hunter, “The Sales Hunter,” helps individuals and companies identify better prospects, close more sales and profitably build more long-term customer relationships. Since 1998, he has consulted nationally and internationally with thousands of salespeople and global companies. You can follow his Sales Motivation Blog at www.TheSalesHunter.com. You can also connect with him on Facebook www.facebook.com/TheSalesHunter, Twitter www.twitter.com/thesaleshunter, and Linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/markhunter.

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Sales & Marketing

Do You Wish There Was An Easier Way To Respond to Sales Objections?

Article Contributed by Sharpenz

Customers are saying ‘It costs too much.” “Business is slow I don’t need to advertise.” And most sellers have a prepared response.  Unintentionally, these responses are often framed to prove the customer wrong.  There’s a better sales technique.  It’s very simple:  You don’t need to have an answer.  You only need a question!

This week Ed Baron of Ed Baron and Associates and myself are facilitating an annual 5-day Sales Boot Camp for 18 sellers of radio, internet, newspaper, alternatives and community newspapers.  The week consists of sales training topics on selling skills, competitive media, proposal writing made easy, and powerful partnering. We finished Day 3 and have been having very interesting conversations about sales objections.  One seller asked, “Do advertising executives have a cologne of their own?  I walk into businesses and they immediately know I’m an advertising sales representative and often before I can even say hello and shake their hand I’m hearing everything and anything from I can’t afford it to, I tried it before and it didn’t work to the economy is bad and I’m not advertising.”  A big discussion ensued about what to say to each of these ‘objections.’   Everyone had many different ‘come backs.’

After listening intently to this conversation, Ed and I asked how often do their responses work and the customer opens up and accepts the opportunity for a meeting to discuss their business and how the seller may have a marketing solution to turn cost into an investment and no customers into more customers?  And they said very few.

So, I guess that way isn’t working!  I can see where that would be very frustrating and after enough of that kind of rejection begin to demoralize a seller.  Sellers can fall into the trap of believing the economy is so bad and business owners won’t buy from me now.

We know that’s not the case.  Businesses are buying and they could and would buy from these sellers if they changed how they are currently responding to these objections.

It’s very simple:  You don’t need to have an answer.  You only need a question!  Think about that.  If you have a question you:

• Engage the customer. They will be the one talking and often they talk themselves into advancing the sale!  Their talking builds rapport and trust.

• Gain more information.  It costs too much is too vague.  What does that really mean?  I don’t have money, I spent money before and didn’t get a return on my investment or I don’t see a value in what you are selling.  How do I even know how to respond if I really don’t know specifically what ‘it costs too much’ means to them?

• Reduce stress.  Knowing you need the perfect answer is stressful.  Wondering if what you say will satisfy the objection and help you advance the sale is stressful.  Think about this… having a good question is less stressful.  Good questions to those often asked objectives are easy to have – and having several questions to select from is easy which also makes it less stressful.

I challenge to you list the objections you hear and prepare at least one question you can ask to help you advance the sale.

About the Author:

Sharpenz is dedicated to providing sales managers the resources and tools they need to energize, engage and equip their sales team to sell each week. Our 30-minute power sales booster meetings help companies increase sales by providing the right tools and training – fast. Designed with the busy manager in mind, Sharpenz ready-to-go sales training kits will give your sales team the opportunity to grow and earn more – all in a half hour of power.  To learn more, visit www.sharpenz.com and sign up for your free ready-to-go sales training kit today!

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Sales & Marketing

How to Jumpstart Your Sales in a Stalled Economy with a GREAT Sales Process

Article Contributed by Sharpenz

A tough economy may seem like an improbable time to move current and prospective customers forward to a sale. Yet, it can actually be a great time – if you position yourself as a strategic consultant so customers realize they should not wait.

A good sales process focuses on a wants and needs assessment before introducing a solution. A GREAT sales process focuses on wants, needs, opportunities, challenges, fears and risks! Re-read this list – it includes challenges, fears and risks.

Your market is facing these realities today. Your value increases when you think strategically with your customer and can help them answer tough questions they may not want to think about.

Here are some ways to strengthen your strategic value:

1. Look at your customers’ needs in a different light that includes the challenges, fears and risks that your customers will be facing. Answer the following questions as preparation. If you don’t know an answer, research what is going on in their specific industry or company.
•    What challenges are they facing now that they weren’t the last time you spoke with them?
•    What “realities” are a part of their immediate future?
•    What are the risks to them purchasing – or not purchasing – now?
•    What opportunities might they miss?

2. Develop open-ended questions that will get them talking about these
areas. (Notice how none of the following example questions are directly about
your product or service.)
•    How is the unstable economy affecting your business?
•    What are you facing today that you never thought you would?
•    What are some of the measures your organization is taking to maximize the rest of this fiscal year?
•    The last time we spoke, you mentioned that you were under a tight budget. How are you accomplishing your cost containment?

3. Restate the “What’s in it for Them” (WiifT) of your solution:
•    If your solution will save them money in the long run, you might say, “You mentioned that you have to tighten your budget. We can help you with this. Our xxxx will save you $xxx in this next month. How will that help your cost containment?”
•    If you can minimize a risk, you might say, “As you look to maximize your profitability for the remaining fiscal quarter, our solution will allow you an ROI of twice what you invest. This will help you meet budget.”

Recently a client who uses our Call Reluctance assessment asked to discuss it with me.
I assumed they were going to cut out this “expense”. But I changed my mindset and prepared for a great, strategic discussion. I learned they needed to increase productivity quickly. They had not thought about using the assessment information for managers to coach and increase individual productivity. They are now moving forward to train these managers.

Don’t get caught in default thinking such as, “No one is going to buy now.” Stay positive and be prepared with questions and information to assess wants, needs, opportunities, challenges, fears and risks. This will not only set yourself apart, it will help you jumpstart your sales.

About the Author:

Sharpenz is dedicated to providing sales managers the resources and tools they need to energize, engage and equip their sales team to sell each week. Our 30-minute power sales booster meetings help companies increase sales by providing the right tools and training – fast. Designed with the busy manager in mind, Sharpenz ready-to-go sales training kits will give your sales team the opportunity to grow and earn more – all in a half hour of power.  To learn more, visit www.sharpenz.com and sign up for your free ready-to-go sales training kit today!

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Sales & Marketing

Top 10 Ways To Stay Motivated In Sales

Article Contributed by Jeremy J. Ulmer

“Nothing contributes so much to tranquilize the mind as a steady purpose–a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye.” -Mary Shelley

1. Get Inspired Everyday. Inspiration is one of the best motivators, and it can be found everywhere. Sources of inspiration can include, but are certainly not limited to:sales blogs, sales articles, sales online success stories, sales forums, peers, friends, sales books, and motivational quotes.

2. Hire A Sales Coach. Working one on one with a sales coach has proven to be one of the most effective methods to truly achieve breakthrough sales results. However, be sure to ask these questions of any sales coach you interview before hiring a sales coach.

3. Have Compelling Reasons For Your Actions. Write them down and know your reasons for wanting to achieve your goals and stay motivated. When you clarify why you want to accomplish certain goals, and what it will mean to you to accomplish them, it will help increase your motivation and keep you on track.

4. Be Ready For Negative Self Talk. Become very aware of that inner voice that says you should just quit and give up. One of the most powerful things you can do is to simply raise your awareness and recognize when it is happening. Just by naming the negative self talk alone, it will help you consciously decide what you need to do.

5. Get Back On The Horse If You Fall Off. Don’t beat yourself up if you slip up one day, but make it a rule to get back into your routine the next day. Don’t wait any longer. You don’t need to be perfect all the time, you just need to brush yourself off, and get back on the horse.

6. Visualize Your Sales Goals. Visualize the successful outcome of staying motivated in great detail a few times for 2 minutes each day. Close your eyes, and think about exactly how your successful outcome in sales will feel. Form as clear of a mental picture as you can.

7. Create A Daily Journal For Your Sales Goals. If you can become consistent about writing notes in your journal, it can be a tremendous motivator. You should focus on writing about what you got done that day and how you felt about the things you did or did not do.

8. Get Competitive. Many sales people are driven by competition. Take advantage of this natural drive by using it to fuel your sales goals. Take a look at your peers around you and see where you are ranking on new clients per month, revenue, or appointments set. Aim to be #1, or stay on top, if you are already #1.

9. Make A Public Statement About Your Commitments. Make a statement on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or announce to your friends and family that you are going to achieve a certain sales goal by a certain date. You will get support and accountability automatically with this method.

10. Think Positive. Monitor your thoughts and become more aware of your self-talk. If you hear negative thoughts, notice them, and then choose to replace them with a positive mind-set.

About the Author:

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