Program on Persuasion

Invest In Sales Training Now, or NOT?

Jim Collins, in his best-selling book Good To Great, distinguishes the Great companies from the Good in that the Great have an understanding of what they can be the best at.  He is not describing a competency.  Collins informs us that the Great understood what they could be the best at then pinned their futures by allocating the proper resources.  If you are in a sector that employees a sales force, it is critical to note that the most important criteria in supplier selection, by B2B customers, is the effectiveness of the sales person (HR Chally research).  Therefore, if customers chose the most effective sales person, it seems essential that the organization insure that they have the best sales force. 

The best sales people attract people to them largely in part because of their positive energy.  Customers feed off it and sales people must sustain it.  Whether it's referred to as body language, karma or energy; customers feel it when they see it and sales people are fueled by it.  Joe Paterno once said "you are either getting better or you are getting worse, there is no staying the same".  Investing in getting better is part of building the momentum and maintaining a wet edge on the positive energy. 

This economy will produce fewer players, weak survivors, and a few that seized the opportunity to invest in that which they can be the best at.  Some organizations will emerge as the new Great and others will extend their lead.  Some leaders will try to "time the recovery" and pray it saves them before they run out of customers, perpetuating mediocrity at its core.  Great leaders will improve their organizations now and in the future by gaining more customers by giving customers what they want . . .  the most effective sales person!  The sales force receiving the growth hormone, sales training, will be further energized and gain ground.

What Caused A 33% Business Mortality Rate and How You Can Avoid It?

33% of the paint and wallpaper contractors that were in-business January 1^st, 2007 no longer exist (Source: Bizminer SIC code 1721).  This does not include those filing for bankruptcy protection or bleeding red ink.  While the industry struggled during this 3-year period, overall it contracted from $24.3B to $24.1B – less than 1%, it was not the primary problem.  Why then have so many failed, especially to the point of fatality?  According to Dunn & Bradstreet, the industry is NOT the common denominator; rather lack of sales is the simple but deadly culprit.  When we lose focus on generating sales, regardless of economic conditions, we put our business in harm’s way. 

If your business is demonstrating symptoms of sales loss, here are the 3 most common causes (according to over 80,000 B2B customers in a massive study conducted by the HR Chally organization):

1st)  When it comes to sales, senior leadership tends to be too focused on the numbers rather than the capabilities of its sales force; 

2^nd)  Most employer-sponsored training is not designed to deliver the right skills and behaviors; and

3^rd)  Most salespeople are not prepared when they enter the profession.  Consider that 66% of college graduates enter the sales profession while less than 1% of the colleges offer a degree sales curriculum.

Evolution is derived from necessity.  Either develop your ability to compete or face extinction.  If you are still trying to generate leads, build client relationships and develop your skills the same way you did years ago, it’s a good time to reevaluate.  There are competitors that are “hungry” and they are developing new and better capabilities to attract and retain YOUR current, long-term customers.  Failure to adapt and change proactively renders you vulnerable.

How can you assess your vulnerability?  If a 3^rd-party consultant were to ask your top customers about the quality of their relationship with you, how would they respond?  Do they view you as an expert, do they have outstanding communication with you, and the ultimate question . . . how much confidence do they have in you?  This confidence questions marks the fulcrum of the vulnerability equation.  People buy from people, specifically people they trust.  Trust has two elements: integrity and competency.  If your customers have more trust with you than your competitors your business will survive. 

30,000 paint and wallpaper contractors failed over the past 3 years.  Of the remaining survivors, they grew 13%.  Considering that many did not grow but contracted instead, those that indeed increase sales did so mightily.  This industry is projected to increase 4% per annum over the next 5 years.  If you have a system for building and increasing your sales force capabilities YOU WILL THRIVE!

Sales Success - 9 Tips to Win Customer Loyalty and Business

Get proactive about your business and your customers! Maybe it's time to change the way you think about sales success. Instead of striving to just make another sale, focus on your customer's needs and wants. Here are 9 Tips on how you can become your customer's "go-to" guy, winning their business, and their loyalty.

We can get so caught up in our own needs and wants that our customers and prospects can fade into a nameless faceless pool of "maybe someday". We chart, we graph, we calculate our commission checks-all based on ourselves, and our company's objectives. Maybe it's time to readjust our thinking to reflect the customer's best interest. It sounds obvious, but unfortunately, it's oftentimes not the case.

Relationships, Relationships, Relationships. Don't think of your customer as a commodity. They are people. Just like you, they have families, interests, goals and needs. Get to know them beyond just an assigned number in your database. The more levels you connect with your customer, the better you will understand their business wants and needs, personal preferences, trigger points and how your relationship can be mutually beneficial.

Listen. Stop talking at your customers. In our fast paced, eager-tongued, bottom-line, show-me-the-money world... the best sales people take the time to listen to their customers. It will set you apart. It will give you the advantage of really understanding the best fit for them and help you know how to best serve their needs. It also communicates to them that you are there for them and you get that it's really not all about you.

Customer Service. Don't just focus on what you want from them-to make a commission check, up your company's ratings or add them as a win on some internal chart. Keep the focus on them. It's not complicated. It's all in the words: Customer Service - how can you best serve your customer? It may not always be convenient or advantageous on the cuff, but excellent service always comes back to reward you.

Be Their Advocate. Go to bat for them. If they tell you they've been quoted a lower price at your competitor, don't just shrug it off to a lost deal. Get creative with your margins and find a way to win their business. If they've had an unpleasant experience with one of your internal departments, follow through with it on their behalf so it doesn't leave a bad impression in their mind. Let them know you are on their side and that you are in this thing together.

Make an Impression. Go the extra mile. Anyone can be average. Purpose to go above and beyond what they ask for or expect. This will always stand out in the long run, and certainly over your competitors. They will not quickly forget you and that's invaluable to branding you in their minds the next time they need what your business has to offer!

Educate Them. Help them to really understand your services and products. Don't forget your company's history, strengths, unique value points, culture or anything that might set you apart. No one knows your company and offerings more than you do, so use that to your advantage every time you touch them. What sets you apart? Spell it out for them. Don't wait for them to ask all the questions-guide them along the way, build the momentum for them.

Be Available. How many times have you had to follow up when a company representative should have returned your call, responded to your question or provided you with requested information? It can be exasperating. Respond quickly, when you say you will, and if you don't have the answer-be prompt to let them know you're checking on it, and then follow through. Surprise them by pro-actively offering tips and suggestions, inquiring of their current needs, or simply just checking in.

Stay Informed. Do your customers contact you for advice? Do you even cross their mind when they want to know the latest in the industry? Can they trust you to give them the straight story about the competition, new innovations, industry initiatives or product timelines? Strive to not settle with the ABCs of your own services or product line, but to be a wealth of information and trusted source beyond your next sale.

Is the Customer Always Right? Well, no... but neither are you. If you are wrong, say so. It will foster loyalty and respect, you don't see that too often. Transparency and humility speak volumes.

Winning customer loyalty and business takes effort, but it's well worth it. It's not always about the best price, convenience or even having all of the bells and whistles. People prefer to work within established, trusted relationships where their needs are being met. Challenge yourself to become your customer's "go-to" guy by following these basic tips and see how it enhances your business relationships.

By author April McCallum -- who is passionate about Communications, Strategic Process, Innovation, and People. Her experience spans from International Global 500 and privately held companies, to the Non-Profit and solo professional sectors, in the global high-tech, healthcare and media industries. Contact Info: http://www.linkedin.com/in/AprilOtisMcCallum

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=April_McCallum

How to Get Out of a Sales Slump

Like hitters in baseball, salespeople also fall into a decline in performance.  Usually, one begins the slump due to a hitch in their mechanics, a real physical problem with the manner in which they are executing the method or their skill, but if it continues it soon reaches the level of a confidence problem.  If we recognize the issue quick enough, it can be corrected with mechanical adjustments.  However, once someone loses their confidence, physical adjustments alone are not enough to remedy the problem in a timely manner.

All salespeople eventually slump.  Increases slow down or growth ceases altogether.  When this occurs to you, don’t panic, just follow the following steps:

1.       Take action.  Don’t freeze up and focus on the negative.  Know the “lead measures” of your success (i.e. number of outbound calls to target customers per day) and begin immediately measuring your performance.  The act of beginning will improve your confidence and eventually your results.  No one ever recovered from a slump by riding the pine, sitting on the bench; they had to play their way out. 

2.       Discover what is working?  While few desire to be the bearer of bad news, most people like to help and encourage others.  Rather than focusing on the unsuccessful opportunities (of which most people will not be 100% honest anyway), ask the decision-makers of the successful deals why they decided to go with you.  These people are in a position to provide valuable insight as to what is or was appealing about your value proposition to your target audience.

3.       Remember the 40+ Rule.  Most are satisfied after working a 40-hour week.  The more time you put into “getting out”, the quicker you can recover.  Focus on the perfection of the basics.  Find the time to plan your week, upgrade your questions, and spend time building key relationships.

4.       Take control of your thoughts!  Henry Ford once said “whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re probably right”.  Science has proven that what we choose to think about and the meaning we give to the events and circumstances in our lives hold more sway than anything else in determining our outcome.  Our happiness is in direct relation to the amount of control we think we have over our lives.  By taking control of that which we choose to think about (i.e. abundance verses scarcity) we trigger our minds like magnetizing a piece of iron to draw to us that which we desire.  Your mind is the power-source and your thoughts are the key.