Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Beating Seasonal Slumps
I hear from a lot of salespeople that it's tough to sell in the summer. Or during "the holidays." Or in early January. Or at tax time. Or...(fill in the blank with your favorite time of year for not being able to sell)
Lots of contacts are on vacation, it's hard to get appointments, you can't get people to make decisions.
Here's what I have to say about that...BALONEY!
Unless you're selling snow shovels in the summer (and I'd even argue that you can sell snow shovels in summer) you should be able to sell all summer long and all winter long. (Spring and Fall too)
Here's the problem... (but there's a solution) people DO take more vacations during the summer. And some people do take off the week between Christmas and New Year's. It's harder to reach them. Harder to get appointments with them. It is more difficult to get them to make decisions, especially if they need some else's approval and that person is on vacation. Facts are facts, and you can't fight the facts, but you can be prepared for them. Was your office empty all summer? Probably not, and if your office wasn't empty your prospect's office wasn't empty either.
Here's the "trick." (although you're not going to like it)
Prospect more than usual in advance of typically slow times.
Summer usually slow? Prospect twice as much late spring. Winter slow? Prospect three times as much as usual in late Fall. It might take two or three times as much, during a slow season, to reach the same amount of prospects but by preparing in advance you can still set appointments and close business.
The same thing happens for most salespeople when they go on vacation. If you (not YOU...I'm mean the average salesperson) take a one week vacation, and are like most salespeople, the week before the vacation is shot. The week before is spent talking with associates about the great vacation you're going on the following week, taking care of last minute details and shopping, dreaming about where you'll be the next week. Then you go on vacation and, of course, when you're on vacation you should be enjoying yourself. Try not to think about work or think about it as little as possible. But then you get back from vacation and spend the next week talking about the great week you just had, sharing pictures and stories. You start to make calls to set up appointments but, of course, people are busy and can't see you immediately so it takes time to refill your pipeline. The smart rep takes the week before they go on vacation and doubles or triples the amount of prospecting they do so that when they come back from vacation they can hit the ground running.
Yes, it stinks but it's a fact of life. Sometimes you need to prospect more than others if you want to keep your income steady. By buying into the mindset that "You can't sell during the summer" (or whatever other time of year you think is slow for you) you doom yourself to substandard income. Don't let it happen to you. Prepare, Prospect, Prosper.
As always, please call or write if I can help you. It's always my pleasure.
Make It Happen!
Jeff
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Determine the Right Amount of Activity for You
I often show salespeople and their managers how to determine the "right" amount of daily prospecting activity. For most, it's a real eye-opener! The average sales rep does as much prospecting as they have time for or as much as their manager told them they should do. Both of those are good ideas IF they get you to your goal. For most of us, they don't. That's what the average rep does and that's one of the many things that make them average. Want to be above average and earn an above-average income? (Or, at least, know what it will take to do that?) Then it makes sense to figure out the amount of activity you personally need to do each day, based on your own metrics, so that you can actually achieve and exceed your goal, rather than hope that you make it. Hope, as has been so aptly said in the past, is not a great strategy.
In order to determine the correct amount of activity the first thing you'll need to do is to track your numbers over time. I recommend a minimum of 30 days, and it will probably be 60 days before you can get metrics you can rely on but it's well worth the minimal investment in time and effort it will take to track your activity. You'll need to know the:
1) Number of distinct Dials you make (Calling the same person 15 times does not count as 15 dials)
2) Number of DMCs you make (Decision Maker Contacts - each time you speak with a decision-maker. Leaving a message and speaking with an assistant do not count as a DMC)
3) Number of Appointments you set
4) Number of Sales Visits you go on (This can be different from the # of appointments you set - sometimes people aren't there for the appt. or can't see you when you get there)
5) Number of Sales you close
6) Average Dollar volume per sale (Total $ volume of all sales divided by total # of sales)
You can only discover the above numbers for yourself by tracking them over time but you can easily set up a manual system that allows you to keep track on a daily basis. At the end of each prospecting period simply transfer your metrics to an Excel spreadsheet. By putting in a formula at the bottom of each column you'll have a running total for each of the above (Dials, DMCs, Appointments, Sales Visits, Sales) and over time your real metrics or ratios will become evident.
Once you've got your baseline numbers it's fairly easy to figure out the "right" amount of activity for you.
Here's an example:
Goal - Earn $100,000.00 in commission
Average dollar volume per sale = $800
$100,000 divided by $800 = 125
You need 125 sales for the year to reach your goal of earning $100,000 in commission. 50 week year (2 weeks off for vacation) = you need to close 2.5 sales per week.
Assume a closing ratio of 1:7* (you close 1 sale for every 7 first appointments)
*Of course you'll want to use your own numbers and any change in any of the numbers from this example changes the results. Get better at closing? You'll need fewer appointments to make the same money. Raise the average dollar volume per sale? You'll need to close fewer deals. Or you can continue on with your current activity levels and make more money to blow away your quota and reach your real goals!
2.5 (sales per week) x 7 (number of first appointments needed to close one sale based on your 1:7 closing ratio) = 17.5 first appointments needed each week
Assume a DMC to Appointment ratio of 3:1 (every 3 conversations with decision makers results in 1 appointment)
17.5 (# of first appts. needed per week) x 3 (number of decision makers needed to speak with to set 1 appt) - 52.5 conversations with decision makers over the phone to set 17.5 appointments
Assume a Dials to DMC ratio of 4:1 (Every 4 dials results in 1 conversation with a decision maker)
52.5 (# of conversations needed each week with decision makers over the phone to set appointments) x 4 (# of dials needed to have 1 conversation with a decision maker to set an appt.) = 210 dials
210 (# of dials per week) divided by 5 (# of days in a week) = 42
42 dials per day gets you 52.5 conversations with decision makers which results in 17.5 appointments per week which results in 2.5 sales per week which results in $2000 in commission per week which results in $100,000 in commission for the year.
Once you figure out that last number (42) life becomes simple...simply make certain, that no matter what else happens, each day you'll dial the phone 42 times to people who might set appointments with you.
You'll need to track your activity levels over time in order for you to figure this out for yourself but once you do, you're golden!! Sales is tough enough...make your life easier by figuring out exactly what you need to reach your financial goals...then do it.
As always, please call or write if I can help you. It's always my pleasure.
Make It Happen!
Jeff
In order to determine the correct amount of activity the first thing you'll need to do is to track your numbers over time. I recommend a minimum of 30 days, and it will probably be 60 days before you can get metrics you can rely on but it's well worth the minimal investment in time and effort it will take to track your activity. You'll need to know the:
1) Number of distinct Dials you make (Calling the same person 15 times does not count as 15 dials)
2) Number of DMCs you make (Decision Maker Contacts - each time you speak with a decision-maker. Leaving a message and speaking with an assistant do not count as a DMC)
3) Number of Appointments you set
4) Number of Sales Visits you go on (This can be different from the # of appointments you set - sometimes people aren't there for the appt. or can't see you when you get there)
5) Number of Sales you close
6) Average Dollar volume per sale (Total $ volume of all sales divided by total # of sales)
You can only discover the above numbers for yourself by tracking them over time but you can easily set up a manual system that allows you to keep track on a daily basis. At the end of each prospecting period simply transfer your metrics to an Excel spreadsheet. By putting in a formula at the bottom of each column you'll have a running total for each of the above (Dials, DMCs, Appointments, Sales Visits, Sales) and over time your real metrics or ratios will become evident.
Once you've got your baseline numbers it's fairly easy to figure out the "right" amount of activity for you.
Here's an example:
Goal - Earn $100,000.00 in commission
Average dollar volume per sale = $800
$100,000 divided by $800 = 125
You need 125 sales for the year to reach your goal of earning $100,000 in commission. 50 week year (2 weeks off for vacation) = you need to close 2.5 sales per week.
Assume a closing ratio of 1:7* (you close 1 sale for every 7 first appointments)
*Of course you'll want to use your own numbers and any change in any of the numbers from this example changes the results. Get better at closing? You'll need fewer appointments to make the same money. Raise the average dollar volume per sale? You'll need to close fewer deals. Or you can continue on with your current activity levels and make more money to blow away your quota and reach your real goals!
2.5 (sales per week) x 7 (number of first appointments needed to close one sale based on your 1:7 closing ratio) = 17.5 first appointments needed each week
Assume a DMC to Appointment ratio of 3:1 (every 3 conversations with decision makers results in 1 appointment)
17.5 (# of first appts. needed per week) x 3 (number of decision makers needed to speak with to set 1 appt) - 52.5 conversations with decision makers over the phone to set 17.5 appointments
Assume a Dials to DMC ratio of 4:1 (Every 4 dials results in 1 conversation with a decision maker)
52.5 (# of conversations needed each week with decision makers over the phone to set appointments) x 4 (# of dials needed to have 1 conversation with a decision maker to set an appt.) = 210 dials
210 (# of dials per week) divided by 5 (# of days in a week) = 42
42 dials per day gets you 52.5 conversations with decision makers which results in 17.5 appointments per week which results in 2.5 sales per week which results in $2000 in commission per week which results in $100,000 in commission for the year.
Once you figure out that last number (42) life becomes simple...simply make certain, that no matter what else happens, each day you'll dial the phone 42 times to people who might set appointments with you.
You'll need to track your activity levels over time in order for you to figure this out for yourself but once you do, you're golden!! Sales is tough enough...make your life easier by figuring out exactly what you need to reach your financial goals...then do it.
As always, please call or write if I can help you. It's always my pleasure.
Make It Happen!
Jeff
Friday, February 11, 2011
Conversational Selling
If the key to selling is asking the right questions, and plenty of them, then the key to being a better question-asker is to make it more conversational. Nobody likes to be interrogated. It brings pictures to mind of movies where detectives have hot, blinding lights shining directly in the face of their prisoner as they hammer the prisoner with question after question. The prisoner has a sweat-covered face and a wild look in their eyes. Not a pretty picture and certainly not the way to gather useful information from your prospects. The fact is, if you ask the right questions then SHUT UP AND LISTEN, your prospects will tell you everything you need to know in order to help them get involved with your product or service. (Sell them)
I use, and teach, a very simple method for turning what could easily be seen as an interrogation into a conversation, and it's by using what I call "softeners." A softener is a word or phrase that comes before your question, and softens it. I'm just curious, would you like an example? Hey, I just used a softener! In the preceding sentence, "I'm just curious," softens the question, "Would you like an example?" (No, we didn't need a softener...I wanted to use one as an example)
"I'm just curious," "By the way," and "Out of curiosity," are all examples of softeners that I use constantly. These aren't the only softeners; they're just the ones I like to use most often. I'm sure you can come up with more!
You'll also want to be sure you're prepared to ask questions when you go on a sales call. Once you're sitting across from your prospect it's too late to prepare. You're already "on stage" and need to be completely focused on your interaction. Before you go on a sales call you should stop and ask yourself, "What information do I need to gather today in order to consider this a successful meeting?" "What questions will I need to ask in order to get that information?" Amateurs "wing it" but professionals plan in advance. You should also plan for how you're going to move the sales process forward, if appropriate, by having a Best Next Action Step in mind. The way you can judge how interested a prospect is in doing business with you is by asking for a BNAS at the end of your meeting. In fact, that's the best way to shorten your sales cycle...by never leaving a meeting or phone call without arranging the next meeting or phone call (Best Next Action Step) right then and there. If a prospect gives you some of their valuable time, and agrees to give you some more of their valuable time (by agreeing to another meeting or call) they're letting you know they're interested in continuing the conversation and possibly doing business.
Keeping it conversational and always getting a Best Next Action Step...two great ways to make selling easier and more profitable.
I use, and teach, a very simple method for turning what could easily be seen as an interrogation into a conversation, and it's by using what I call "softeners." A softener is a word or phrase that comes before your question, and softens it. I'm just curious, would you like an example? Hey, I just used a softener! In the preceding sentence, "I'm just curious," softens the question, "Would you like an example?" (No, we didn't need a softener...I wanted to use one as an example)
"I'm just curious," "By the way," and "Out of curiosity," are all examples of softeners that I use constantly. These aren't the only softeners; they're just the ones I like to use most often. I'm sure you can come up with more!
You'll also want to be sure you're prepared to ask questions when you go on a sales call. Once you're sitting across from your prospect it's too late to prepare. You're already "on stage" and need to be completely focused on your interaction. Before you go on a sales call you should stop and ask yourself, "What information do I need to gather today in order to consider this a successful meeting?" "What questions will I need to ask in order to get that information?" Amateurs "wing it" but professionals plan in advance. You should also plan for how you're going to move the sales process forward, if appropriate, by having a Best Next Action Step in mind. The way you can judge how interested a prospect is in doing business with you is by asking for a BNAS at the end of your meeting. In fact, that's the best way to shorten your sales cycle...by never leaving a meeting or phone call without arranging the next meeting or phone call (Best Next Action Step) right then and there. If a prospect gives you some of their valuable time, and agrees to give you some more of their valuable time (by agreeing to another meeting or call) they're letting you know they're interested in continuing the conversation and possibly doing business.
Keeping it conversational and always getting a Best Next Action Step...two great ways to make selling easier and more profitable.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Amazingly Affordable Sales Coaching with Jeff!
High performers have a coach, sometimes multiple coaches. Many of you have asked me for personalized sales coaching over the years but, because of my corporate training schedule, the hourly rate has been unaffordable for most. In this still very challenging economy I've been searching for a way to help as many people as possible get more appointments with decisions-makers, shorten their sales cycle and close more business, more profitably. I've finally come up with an answer that will give you the assistance you can use to propel your sales career forward in 2011 at a rate that is amazingly affordable!
Starting on Wednesday, February 2nd, at 8:00 p.m (Eastern Standard Time) we'll begin a series of weekly, one-hour conference calls that will address the exact sales issues and challenges you currently face in order to make 2011 an outstanding year for you financially.
Here's how it works: For just $10 (USD) per week (Investment is paid monthly) you'll be on a conference call with me. Prior to each call you'll receive a reminder to email me a question or situation you're currently dealing with. (For example - "Jeff, I met with a prospect this week and they are a perfect fit for what we offer but she told me to check back next quarter. Really, our offering is exactly what they need. How do I get the deal NOW?") Each person on the call must email me at least one question per week. (That's right, you have to do some work! Just like when you go to the gym...you don't get fit by paying the annual fee...you have to work out) During the hour I'll answer an many questions as we have time for with "real-world" advice.
The beauty of this method is that even if your particular question doesn't get answered during any one phone call, you can bet that you've either experienced, or will experience, what did get discussed on the call. The result? You'll be better equipped with the tips, tools, techniques and specific advice you need to close more business and make more money!
There's no contract! We'll do one, one-hour call per week and before the beginning of the next 30 day period you'll get an email reminder to renew. If you choose not to participate there's nothing to do. Your credit card or PayPal account won't be charged unless you take action and renew for the following 30 days. If you're getting at least $10 worth of value per week and decide to continue you'll renew. If not, you're always free to rejoin us in the future but the choice is yours.
There will be a limit on the number of participants so if you're interested, invest in yourself. Cut and paste this address into your browser to go to the registration page in order to register now and join us on the kick-off call on Wednesday, February 2nd! http://stores.be-your-own-coach.com/-strse-4/Telephone-Sales-Coaching-with/Detail.bok
Questions? Call me at 516-608-4136 or email me at jeff@jgsalespro.com
I'm excited about the prospects for 2011 and working with you to help make this your best sales year ever!!
Make It Happen,
Jeff
Starting on Wednesday, February 2nd, at 8:00 p.m (Eastern Standard Time) we'll begin a series of weekly, one-hour conference calls that will address the exact sales issues and challenges you currently face in order to make 2011 an outstanding year for you financially.
Here's how it works: For just $10 (USD) per week (Investment is paid monthly) you'll be on a conference call with me. Prior to each call you'll receive a reminder to email me a question or situation you're currently dealing with. (For example - "Jeff, I met with a prospect this week and they are a perfect fit for what we offer but she told me to check back next quarter. Really, our offering is exactly what they need. How do I get the deal NOW?") Each person on the call must email me at least one question per week. (That's right, you have to do some work! Just like when you go to the gym...you don't get fit by paying the annual fee...you have to work out) During the hour I'll answer an many questions as we have time for with "real-world" advice.
The beauty of this method is that even if your particular question doesn't get answered during any one phone call, you can bet that you've either experienced, or will experience, what did get discussed on the call. The result? You'll be better equipped with the tips, tools, techniques and specific advice you need to close more business and make more money!
There's no contract! We'll do one, one-hour call per week and before the beginning of the next 30 day period you'll get an email reminder to renew. If you choose not to participate there's nothing to do. Your credit card or PayPal account won't be charged unless you take action and renew for the following 30 days. If you're getting at least $10 worth of value per week and decide to continue you'll renew. If not, you're always free to rejoin us in the future but the choice is yours.
There will be a limit on the number of participants so if you're interested, invest in yourself. Cut and paste this address into your browser to go to the registration page in order to register now and join us on the kick-off call on Wednesday, February 2nd! http://stores.be-your-own-coach.com/-strse-4/Telephone-Sales-Coaching-with/Detail.bok
Questions? Call me at 516-608-4136 or email me at jeff@jgsalespro.com
I'm excited about the prospects for 2011 and working with you to help make this your best sales year ever!!
Make It Happen,
Jeff
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Insatiably Curious
I’ve been giving a lot of thought lately to what makes the best salespeople good at what they do. Here are a few of the characteristics that almost all great salespeople seem to have and some thoughts on how you can develop them if you don’t. Don’t sweat it if you don’t have them all!
1) Insatiable Curiosity (Thanks, and a tip of the hat to Bruce Zutler of MCI Products Group – I mentioned curious and he threw in the “insatiable!”)
The most important part of the sales process is the questioning phase so you either have to be curious or act like you are. The more you know about your client’s world the more likely it is that you’ll be able to help them. If you don’t find out who they are and what they need it’s unlikely you’ll sell them anything. Great salespeople are genuinely and insatiably curious about everything having to do with their prospects. They ask lots of questions, over time, about their personal lives, (to establish rapport) their business, how they do what they do, what they want to accomplish and lots more areas that help them to develop a relationship and uncover what makes sense to the prospect.
Practice being more curious. Ask friends and associates lots of “why” questions. Try to get enough information to figure out what “makes them tick.” If you can do it with friends and associates, you can do it with prospects and customers.
2) Strong Sense of Self-Worth (ego)
The truth is that is almost every company and industry we hear the word “No” more often than the word “Yes.” In order to be able to handle this rejection great salespeople have a thick skin. I’ve often heard it suggested that we shouldn’t take rejection personally as they’re rejecting our product or service, not us. I disagree. People buy relationship and value. When they say “no” to us it means we either didn’t establish and strong enough bond or we failed to help the prospect see the value in what we have to offer. When they say “no” they are rejecting us but good salespeople are able to shake it off and say, “Well, I didn’t get that one but I know that it takes me 3 “No’s” to get one “Yes” so I just need to more and I’ll be in “sale city!”
Know your personal numbers. Review “wins” to discover what went right and remember these things. Review “losses” to figure out how you might have done things differently to try to reduce losses in the future. Remember that no one closes every deal that you only need to hit one of three pitches in the major leagues to be a hall of famer!
3) Strong Verbal Skills (Written too)
Sales is a communication game. The better we’re able to communicate with our prospects the more likely we are to close the deal. Great salespeople are well-spoken and well-written. They pay attention to things like grammar and punctuation in all written communications. It says you’re either lazy or ignorant if you don’t take the time to make sure even your quick emails to a client or prospect are free from spelling and grammar errors. The great salespeople are good storytellers and make sure to include verbal proof stories in their presentations. They know how to verbalize the benefits of what they have to offer and they always tie features to benefits. They understand that from the client’s viewpoint, it’s all about the W.I.I.F.M. and they make sure the client can see it.
If your communication skills need improvement take a course at a local college, join Toastmasters, attend seminars to learn to communicate more effectively. Double check and, if possible, have someone else check your written communications (especially proposals) before sending.
4) Consistent Business Development
The best salespeople know that the pipeline can dry up pretty quickly and are constantly adding new leads to their database and new prospects to their pipeline. It’s part of a salesperson’s daily grind.
There’s no way around it. Schedule time, each day, on your calendar to do business development. If it’s on your calendar it’s far more likely that you’ll do it then if you don’t plan for prospecting.
5) Great Time Management
The best salespeople respect their prospects time but they respect their own too. Time is a limited resource but most salespeople act like they’ve got plenty of it. Great (smart) salespeople protect their own time like a mother lion protects her cubs. They don’t waste time with prospects that aren’t buying and only invest their time where and when it makes sense. They actively monitor their pipeline to make sure they’re working with enough prospects at all times and only work with prospects that will give them a next action step.
Track where your time goes for three days. If you’re like most of us you’ll find that you invest a lot of time in activities that don’t pay off at all or pay off slightly. Focus your time and energy on activities that pay off. PROTECT your time.
6) Constant Improvement
The best are always looking to improve. They read books, blogs and newsletters, watch DVDs, listen to CDs and attend seminars. No one knows it all and there’s always something we can learn in order to help us do our jobs better.
What do you think makes great salespeople great? Write to jeff@jgsalespro.com and let me know what I left out.
As always, get in touch if there’s anything I can do to help you and be sure to
Make It Happen!
Jeff
1) Insatiable Curiosity (Thanks, and a tip of the hat to Bruce Zutler of MCI Products Group – I mentioned curious and he threw in the “insatiable!”)
The most important part of the sales process is the questioning phase so you either have to be curious or act like you are. The more you know about your client’s world the more likely it is that you’ll be able to help them. If you don’t find out who they are and what they need it’s unlikely you’ll sell them anything. Great salespeople are genuinely and insatiably curious about everything having to do with their prospects. They ask lots of questions, over time, about their personal lives, (to establish rapport) their business, how they do what they do, what they want to accomplish and lots more areas that help them to develop a relationship and uncover what makes sense to the prospect.
Practice being more curious. Ask friends and associates lots of “why” questions. Try to get enough information to figure out what “makes them tick.” If you can do it with friends and associates, you can do it with prospects and customers.
2) Strong Sense of Self-Worth (ego)
The truth is that is almost every company and industry we hear the word “No” more often than the word “Yes.” In order to be able to handle this rejection great salespeople have a thick skin. I’ve often heard it suggested that we shouldn’t take rejection personally as they’re rejecting our product or service, not us. I disagree. People buy relationship and value. When they say “no” to us it means we either didn’t establish and strong enough bond or we failed to help the prospect see the value in what we have to offer. When they say “no” they are rejecting us but good salespeople are able to shake it off and say, “Well, I didn’t get that one but I know that it takes me 3 “No’s” to get one “Yes” so I just need to more and I’ll be in “sale city!”
Know your personal numbers. Review “wins” to discover what went right and remember these things. Review “losses” to figure out how you might have done things differently to try to reduce losses in the future. Remember that no one closes every deal that you only need to hit one of three pitches in the major leagues to be a hall of famer!
3) Strong Verbal Skills (Written too)
Sales is a communication game. The better we’re able to communicate with our prospects the more likely we are to close the deal. Great salespeople are well-spoken and well-written. They pay attention to things like grammar and punctuation in all written communications. It says you’re either lazy or ignorant if you don’t take the time to make sure even your quick emails to a client or prospect are free from spelling and grammar errors. The great salespeople are good storytellers and make sure to include verbal proof stories in their presentations. They know how to verbalize the benefits of what they have to offer and they always tie features to benefits. They understand that from the client’s viewpoint, it’s all about the W.I.I.F.M. and they make sure the client can see it.
If your communication skills need improvement take a course at a local college, join Toastmasters, attend seminars to learn to communicate more effectively. Double check and, if possible, have someone else check your written communications (especially proposals) before sending.
4) Consistent Business Development
The best salespeople know that the pipeline can dry up pretty quickly and are constantly adding new leads to their database and new prospects to their pipeline. It’s part of a salesperson’s daily grind.
There’s no way around it. Schedule time, each day, on your calendar to do business development. If it’s on your calendar it’s far more likely that you’ll do it then if you don’t plan for prospecting.
5) Great Time Management
The best salespeople respect their prospects time but they respect their own too. Time is a limited resource but most salespeople act like they’ve got plenty of it. Great (smart) salespeople protect their own time like a mother lion protects her cubs. They don’t waste time with prospects that aren’t buying and only invest their time where and when it makes sense. They actively monitor their pipeline to make sure they’re working with enough prospects at all times and only work with prospects that will give them a next action step.
Track where your time goes for three days. If you’re like most of us you’ll find that you invest a lot of time in activities that don’t pay off at all or pay off slightly. Focus your time and energy on activities that pay off. PROTECT your time.
6) Constant Improvement
The best are always looking to improve. They read books, blogs and newsletters, watch DVDs, listen to CDs and attend seminars. No one knows it all and there’s always something we can learn in order to help us do our jobs better.
What do you think makes great salespeople great? Write to jeff@jgsalespro.com and let me know what I left out.
As always, get in touch if there’s anything I can do to help you and be sure to
Make It Happen!
Jeff
Monday, July 26, 2010
Guest Post - Are You a Time Junkie? by Andrea Feinberg
You know what I'm talking about:
- You find yourself running around, with never enough time to get everything done
- Your to-do list is a mile long and seemingly getting longer by the minute
- You end each day wondering why almost everything you planned to do still needs your attention and you wonder 'what the heck did I accomplish today?'
Well - you're far from alone. In fact, over the past 11 years, I've coached hundreds of entrepreneurs and long-time business owners who have found themselves in the same exhausting position. Some were stuck in a rut, unable to achieve their goals because just maintaining the status quo was taking everything they had. Others wanted to sell their business and move on but found themselves unable to break free and wondering 'who'd ever want to buy this headache?' Over the years, a number of powerful strategies revealed themselves. Through experimentation, I discovered they have universal power to heal the Time Junkie business owner and turn her into a visionary, well-balanced master of her universe (her business). In fact, they became the basis for my newly published, first book: "Time Junkie - 101 Ways for Business Owners to Break the Habit and Get More Free Time NOW!"
Here are 6 of those strategies that, while initially freeing up hours in a week, will lead to a far more valuable result: a well-run business without the owner's ongoing presence. And this is a prerequisite for the owner to focus on her/his primary task: building the business as his primary product and asset. Think you might want to sell your business one day? Don't pass by these important tips.
Tip #1: Stop taking on so much responsibility that your time is no longer yours. Empower employees to have confidence and relevant levels of authority to make smart decisions. Once this is achieved you can delegate at will and focus on the work only you can do.
Tip #2: Learn to move forward without becoming bogged down by the past (you know you are!) We all have a tendency to wonder 'what if' or 'I wish I'd done x' over past events. The problem with this ongoing looped conversation is its power to take hold and prevent us from focusing on the very real opportunities we have now, directly in front or ahead of us; we lose track and we lose time. Best way to deal with this is to discover the lesson in the past and apply it to the present, improving performance or possibilities. Learn now to forgive - yourself or others - and you'll gain insight as well as time.
Tip #3: "Knowledge is power" is actually very far from the truth. Here's an old adage I'd love to see modified: knowledge is power only if it leads to action and change! The reason the personal development industry continues to grow so fast is because people are willing to continually open their wallets - to cd's, events, workshops, retreats, books and more - and think that's the important step that will change their lives and business. It ain't so! Only when you apply these investments to changed behaviors, attitudes, expectations and assumptions will knowledge truly become the powerful force for change you sought. Otherwise, you're wasting time with investments that are not giving you the return you expected and you're missing the opportunities (and time savings) they could provide if you apply the lessons.
Tip #4: Schedule your day so you can handle unexpected situations without throwing your whole day out of whack. Here's a bit of irony: people tend to think that by packing their day full of tasks and activities they'll get more done. So what happens when the unexpected comes along? It throws everything out the window and you do little else except worry about how to handle the prior commitments AND the new attention-getter. If you schedule just 65% of your day not only can you comfortably attend to what you've identified as important, you can also easily be responsive to the unexpected events, opportunities or emergencies that you know will arise.
Tip #5: Hire a top-flight team that can handle most of your daily operations, leaving you free to do what you do best. If you believe I AM the business or believe that only you can get work done the way it's 'supposed' to get done, you're travelling down a path of diminishing returns. You'll get trapped by less important tasks that are below your pay grade while you're not developing the team that can add value to your business and free up your time to envision the bigger picture, strategize plans, nurture relationships and alliances or just relax once in a while (remember relaxing?)
Tip #6: Ask for help without feeling like a failure or that you're letting yourself down by not knowing how to do it all. This is a lesson I learned a long time ago: if we ask help of someone who's in a position to provide it without feeling pressure or resentment, not only do we get the assistance we need (and the time we would have spent struggling with a difficult task), we also give another person a gift of pride and acknowledgment for their skills and ability to contribute. A win-win if I ever heard one! While implementing the changes I recommend, you'll be adding value to your business AND finding ways to make more money with every hour you gain!
Want more tips like these? For a limited time a special report: '5 Ways to Get More Free Time and Super Productivity from Well-Run Meetings' is available along with the Time Junkie Book. http://www.timejunkiebook.com/
Andrea Feinberg is the President and Founder of Coaching Insight. She helps businesses discover and leverage the many intangible and hidden treasures you and your business possess in order to expand your effectiveness. Andrea can be reached at 631.642.7434 or andrea@coachinginsight.com
- You find yourself running around, with never enough time to get everything done
- Your to-do list is a mile long and seemingly getting longer by the minute
- You end each day wondering why almost everything you planned to do still needs your attention and you wonder 'what the heck did I accomplish today?'
Well - you're far from alone. In fact, over the past 11 years, I've coached hundreds of entrepreneurs and long-time business owners who have found themselves in the same exhausting position. Some were stuck in a rut, unable to achieve their goals because just maintaining the status quo was taking everything they had. Others wanted to sell their business and move on but found themselves unable to break free and wondering 'who'd ever want to buy this headache?' Over the years, a number of powerful strategies revealed themselves. Through experimentation, I discovered they have universal power to heal the Time Junkie business owner and turn her into a visionary, well-balanced master of her universe (her business). In fact, they became the basis for my newly published, first book: "Time Junkie - 101 Ways for Business Owners to Break the Habit and Get More Free Time NOW!"
Here are 6 of those strategies that, while initially freeing up hours in a week, will lead to a far more valuable result: a well-run business without the owner's ongoing presence. And this is a prerequisite for the owner to focus on her/his primary task: building the business as his primary product and asset. Think you might want to sell your business one day? Don't pass by these important tips.
Tip #1: Stop taking on so much responsibility that your time is no longer yours. Empower employees to have confidence and relevant levels of authority to make smart decisions. Once this is achieved you can delegate at will and focus on the work only you can do.
Tip #2: Learn to move forward without becoming bogged down by the past (you know you are!) We all have a tendency to wonder 'what if' or 'I wish I'd done x' over past events. The problem with this ongoing looped conversation is its power to take hold and prevent us from focusing on the very real opportunities we have now, directly in front or ahead of us; we lose track and we lose time. Best way to deal with this is to discover the lesson in the past and apply it to the present, improving performance or possibilities. Learn now to forgive - yourself or others - and you'll gain insight as well as time.
Tip #3: "Knowledge is power" is actually very far from the truth. Here's an old adage I'd love to see modified: knowledge is power only if it leads to action and change! The reason the personal development industry continues to grow so fast is because people are willing to continually open their wallets - to cd's, events, workshops, retreats, books and more - and think that's the important step that will change their lives and business. It ain't so! Only when you apply these investments to changed behaviors, attitudes, expectations and assumptions will knowledge truly become the powerful force for change you sought. Otherwise, you're wasting time with investments that are not giving you the return you expected and you're missing the opportunities (and time savings) they could provide if you apply the lessons.
Tip #4: Schedule your day so you can handle unexpected situations without throwing your whole day out of whack. Here's a bit of irony: people tend to think that by packing their day full of tasks and activities they'll get more done. So what happens when the unexpected comes along? It throws everything out the window and you do little else except worry about how to handle the prior commitments AND the new attention-getter. If you schedule just 65% of your day not only can you comfortably attend to what you've identified as important, you can also easily be responsive to the unexpected events, opportunities or emergencies that you know will arise.
Tip #5: Hire a top-flight team that can handle most of your daily operations, leaving you free to do what you do best. If you believe I AM the business or believe that only you can get work done the way it's 'supposed' to get done, you're travelling down a path of diminishing returns. You'll get trapped by less important tasks that are below your pay grade while you're not developing the team that can add value to your business and free up your time to envision the bigger picture, strategize plans, nurture relationships and alliances or just relax once in a while (remember relaxing?)
Tip #6: Ask for help without feeling like a failure or that you're letting yourself down by not knowing how to do it all. This is a lesson I learned a long time ago: if we ask help of someone who's in a position to provide it without feeling pressure or resentment, not only do we get the assistance we need (and the time we would have spent struggling with a difficult task), we also give another person a gift of pride and acknowledgment for their skills and ability to contribute. A win-win if I ever heard one! While implementing the changes I recommend, you'll be adding value to your business AND finding ways to make more money with every hour you gain!
Want more tips like these? For a limited time a special report: '5 Ways to Get More Free Time and Super Productivity from Well-Run Meetings' is available along with the Time Junkie Book. http://www.timejunkiebook.com/
Andrea Feinberg is the President and Founder of Coaching Insight. She helps businesses discover and leverage the many intangible and hidden treasures you and your business possess in order to expand your effectiveness. Andrea can be reached at 631.642.7434 or andrea@coachinginsight.com
Guest Post - How to Handle the Skeptical Prospect by Craig James
It's common knowledge that prospects are a lot better-informed nowadays than they were 10, or even 5 years ago about solutions to the problems they encounter, and for the objectives they're looking to achieve. The easy availability of information on you, your company, and your competitors has shifted the balance of power away from us salespeople, and towards prospects. No longer can we count on prospects to accept every claim we make at face value; we need to be able to convincingly support them. This is particularly pertinent if you or your company are an unknown quantity (you're a start-up, you're entering a new market, new vertical, or new geography), or if your company is a known quantity, but has had some bad press lately. The onus falls on us to back up our claims; if we don't it's just too easy for prospects to move on to a competitor with whom they feel more comfortable.
So what's the best way to do this? Before answering this question, it's helpful to understand why - in addition to the reasons above - prospects are skeptical of what we claim. Here are a few:
1) For some, it's their nature.
2) For others, it's experience. They've been duped before, so they've developed an instinctive mistrust of anyone they feel is trying to sell them something.
3) Similar to #2, you haven't yet developed a high enough trust level; they simply don't know you well enough (the start-up and new markets scenarios above)
4) What you're claiming is so hard to believe, most people would doubt it
5) They've heard bad things about you or your company, whether they're true or not (the bad press scenario above would fall into this category)
Your challenge is to provide evidence that supports your claim and that is acceptable to the prospect. The good news is that irrespective of which of these reasons applies in any given situation, you can use the same 5-step formula for dealing with and getting beyond it:
*Acknowledge the validity of and show respect for the prospect's skepticism
*Gently question why he's challenging what you're claiming
*Ask what kind of supporting evidence would be acceptable to them and would satisfy them
*Provide the evidence
*Check for acceptance that the evidence has fully addressed their concern, and that it is no longer an issue.
Let's examine each of these steps and why they're necessary:
Acknowledge the validity of, and show respect for, the prospect's skepticism. Most prospects, when they put up any kind of resistance, expect most sales reps to get defensive - because most do. This sets up a confrontational dynamic - one not conducive to conducting business. Don't be like most sales reps; instead, use the understanding you now have about why prospects are skeptical to respectfully engage them in the process of addressing and eliminating their skepticism.
Gently question why they're challenging what you're claiming. Information is power. Conversely, the lack of information will make it virtually impossible to get beyond this obstacle.
Ask what kind of supporting evidence would be acceptable to satisfy them. Different kinds of evidence will be required for different people. One person may need to see the results of rigorous testing by an independent lab. Another may need to know that you've been endorsed by a respected thought leader. Still others may be impressed to see your company mentioned favorably in the press, or see your CEO quoted in a trade magazine, or interviewed on a radio spot.
Provide the evidence. You should have (in your sales kit) a variety of proofs covering all the possible requirements prospects may have. Select the one(s) - and only the one(s) - that your prospect has told you are meaningful and convincing for them.
Check for acceptance that the evidence has fully addressed their concern, and that it is no longer an issue. Simply ask.
Here's an example:
Prospect: "I find it hard to believe you can improve on the level of service we're getting now - and to the degree you claim."
You: "I can certainly appreciate why you'd find this difficult to believe. Most of my customers intially did as well. So that I can try to address your concern, can you share with me why you find it difficult to believe?
Listen to the response, confirm with the prospect your understanding of it, and then ask, "Tell me, how can I help you feel comfortable that my claim is valid?
When dealing with skeptical prospects (or any qualified prospect with whom you're engaged in a sales cycle), keep in mind that in most cases they want you to prove them wrong. Why else would they still be talking with you? If they truly were not interested in buying what you sell, and buying it from you, they'd have already brushed you off by now.
ACTION ITEM
For each claim you might make about you product/service or company, assemble proofs to cover all the possible requirements prospects may have for you to support them. Then role-play with a colleague, or with your manager, or at your next team meeting. One of you makes a claim, and the other, playing the role of prospect, expresses skepticism with the claim. Each of the "non-prospects" responds to the "prospect" using the 5-step formula, choosing the appropriate proof to support his or her claim. Repeat this enough time so that it becomes second nature. Then, the next time you encounter a prospect that isn't quite buying what you're saying, you'll be suitably armed to handle them, and get your deal moving ahead again towards closure.
Good Selling!
Craig James is the President of Sales Solutions. You can reach Craig at 781-269-5690 or Craig@Sales-Solutions.biz
So what's the best way to do this? Before answering this question, it's helpful to understand why - in addition to the reasons above - prospects are skeptical of what we claim. Here are a few:
1) For some, it's their nature.
2) For others, it's experience. They've been duped before, so they've developed an instinctive mistrust of anyone they feel is trying to sell them something.
3) Similar to #2, you haven't yet developed a high enough trust level; they simply don't know you well enough (the start-up and new markets scenarios above)
4) What you're claiming is so hard to believe, most people would doubt it
5) They've heard bad things about you or your company, whether they're true or not (the bad press scenario above would fall into this category)
Your challenge is to provide evidence that supports your claim and that is acceptable to the prospect. The good news is that irrespective of which of these reasons applies in any given situation, you can use the same 5-step formula for dealing with and getting beyond it:
*Acknowledge the validity of and show respect for the prospect's skepticism
*Gently question why he's challenging what you're claiming
*Ask what kind of supporting evidence would be acceptable to them and would satisfy them
*Provide the evidence
*Check for acceptance that the evidence has fully addressed their concern, and that it is no longer an issue.
Let's examine each of these steps and why they're necessary:
Acknowledge the validity of, and show respect for, the prospect's skepticism. Most prospects, when they put up any kind of resistance, expect most sales reps to get defensive - because most do. This sets up a confrontational dynamic - one not conducive to conducting business. Don't be like most sales reps; instead, use the understanding you now have about why prospects are skeptical to respectfully engage them in the process of addressing and eliminating their skepticism.
Gently question why they're challenging what you're claiming. Information is power. Conversely, the lack of information will make it virtually impossible to get beyond this obstacle.
Ask what kind of supporting evidence would be acceptable to satisfy them. Different kinds of evidence will be required for different people. One person may need to see the results of rigorous testing by an independent lab. Another may need to know that you've been endorsed by a respected thought leader. Still others may be impressed to see your company mentioned favorably in the press, or see your CEO quoted in a trade magazine, or interviewed on a radio spot.
Provide the evidence. You should have (in your sales kit) a variety of proofs covering all the possible requirements prospects may have. Select the one(s) - and only the one(s) - that your prospect has told you are meaningful and convincing for them.
Check for acceptance that the evidence has fully addressed their concern, and that it is no longer an issue. Simply ask.
Here's an example:
Prospect: "I find it hard to believe you can improve on the level of service we're getting now - and to the degree you claim."
You: "I can certainly appreciate why you'd find this difficult to believe. Most of my customers intially did as well. So that I can try to address your concern, can you share with me why you find it difficult to believe?
Listen to the response, confirm with the prospect your understanding of it, and then ask, "Tell me, how can I help you feel comfortable that my claim is valid?
When dealing with skeptical prospects (or any qualified prospect with whom you're engaged in a sales cycle), keep in mind that in most cases they want you to prove them wrong. Why else would they still be talking with you? If they truly were not interested in buying what you sell, and buying it from you, they'd have already brushed you off by now.
ACTION ITEM
For each claim you might make about you product/service or company, assemble proofs to cover all the possible requirements prospects may have for you to support them. Then role-play with a colleague, or with your manager, or at your next team meeting. One of you makes a claim, and the other, playing the role of prospect, expresses skepticism with the claim. Each of the "non-prospects" responds to the "prospect" using the 5-step formula, choosing the appropriate proof to support his or her claim. Repeat this enough time so that it becomes second nature. Then, the next time you encounter a prospect that isn't quite buying what you're saying, you'll be suitably armed to handle them, and get your deal moving ahead again towards closure.
Good Selling!
Craig James is the President of Sales Solutions. You can reach Craig at 781-269-5690 or Craig@Sales-Solutions.biz
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