Clayton has a post on his Salesopedia blog that references some recent survey results from their highly-visited site. One result jumps off the screen: What’s the toughest objection? Indifference …….. 64.7% Price …………….. 26.5% Timing …………… 8.8% Isn’t that the truth? We used to work for a sales trainer who always stressed that indifference is the worst outcome of a sales call. Salespeople know what to do with a yes (after writing that, I wondered if there are salespeople who don’t know what to do with a yes…), they know what to do with a no, but no one is certain of what to do with a maybe. As a… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Reminder-Be Valuable
This reminder is from the daily JustSell.com email: Harvard Business School Professor Emeritus Theodore Levitt once said, “People don’t want a quarter-inch drill, they want a quarter-inch hole.” The sales point: your prospect doesn’t want a product; she wants a solution. You need to listen to uncover your prospect’s hidden needs, and then sell your product as a solution. It’s not about what you’re selling – it’s about how what you’re selling can help the customer. Be valuable. And remember – a good salesperson walks away if he cannot truly help his prospect. That last sentence is difficult for many salespeople.
Continue ReadingRainmaker Traits
Here’s a good post on sales “rainmakers” from my friend Bob Rosner. I suspect that most of you are aware of our emphasis on salespeople with strong listening abilities. Part of a rainmaker’s skill set? Absolutely: DO Listen and synthesize. The biggest difference between an average salesperson and a rainmaker? Mr. Average assumes his most important tool to making a sale is his golden tongue. While Ms. Rainmaker knows that it’s her ears. That may be the most important aspect of their abilities. Unfortunately, we have seen this work against them in an interview. Some hiring managers want to be wowed in the interview by some form of verbal gymnastics. … Read More
Continue ReadingOpen-Ended Questions
Asking the right questions is the backbone of successful selling. The reason they are so important is that the right questions qualify the right information. This information allows the salesperson to determine how good of a fit exists between the prospect’s needs and the salesperson’s solution. Simple, right? But what questions should the salesperson ask? JustSell.com has an excellent starting point where they list 30 open-ended questions. An example: qualifying What do you see as the next action steps? What is your timeline for implementing/ purchasing this type of service/ product? What other data points should we know before moving forward? What budget has been established for this? What are… Read More
Continue ReadingReasons You Are Not Selling
This article is from the Salesopedia website. The article is excellent and rather amusing to read (probably since I am guilty of many of the author’s items). For instance: If you’re a professional salesperson and you’re not selling, it could be because: • You are boring. Do customers cut you off in mid-sentence, or jump in when you pause for breath? Chances are, you’re boring them. Paint a vivid picture and put them in it; use an example or interesting case history to illustrate your point. Whip out some visuals to show them how much they will save. I love it. When is the last time your read something that… Read More
Continue ReadingWhen Prospecting, Be Real
I received an unsolicited email this morning from a niche job board that is really lame. The remarkable offer: I spoke with my Manager specifically about your company. I asked him to help me put together a cost effective trial package that would need to give you a good feel for how effective our service can be. I was able to create a private promotion that my Manager has authorized until the end of February. Since this is a private special, it is not available online. If you want to take advantage of it, you must call me. And of course the offer appears to be a 70% discount. Please. … Read More
Continue ReadingMonologue Communication
JustSell.com’s latest newsletter has a quick-hit tidbit that caught my eye: Be careful to avoid working to get the needs of your paying customers and highly qualified prospects “off your plate”. These are the people who deserve your attention and time. Technology has allowed us to communicate by monologue – in one direction – sending or leaving a message in the written form (email) or oral form (voice mail) and then moving on until we receive a response. This can cause us to get lazy in our service efforts – creating gaps of needed care and attention and subsequently weakening relationships that might otherwise build stronger barriers to competitive entry.… Read More
Continue ReadingDefining The Sale
Salesopedia.com offers an excellent article titled Top Salespeople Win at the Numbers Game. The article is a bit of a promo for a specific selling system, but the author provides a list of questions that all sales managers should retain. In the last 6 months: 1. What is the average number of prospects that you attempted to call (dials per week?) 2. What percentage of those dials resulted in contact with a decision maker (not voice mail or a gatekeeper)? 3. Out of all the dialing you did in #1, what percentage resulted in talking to the person who could sign a contract, issue a purchase order, or cut a… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Pain Of Change
We’re big fans of Jeff Thull here at The Hire Sense and we always try to keep up with his articles. This one from Inc.com – Three Keys to a Successful New Year – is well worth the read. Ok, we might be a bit late getting to this one since it’s theme is for the new year. I have always appreciated a doctor analogy for selling and I think Thull lays out a good example here: Like an experienced doctor who continually diagnoses for problems and recognizes symptoms, you see the issues your solutions address far more frequently than your customers do. You know the business drivers that your… Read More
Continue ReadingQualifying Is In The Questions
Successful selling is far more than being a smooth talker. It requires the ability to listen attentively and move within the conversation. This principle is discussed in a ManageSmarter.com commentary titled Build Sales Relationships: Consultative Questioning. The opening recollection of the author’s first sales position is excellent: I marched into orientation, ready to close like a champion. That’s when my real learning began. My manager opened training with a startling insight: “Want to be successful in sales? Keep your mouth shut and your ears open.” His approach contradicted everything I read: He stressed dialogue instead of dominance and questioning in place of presenting. And he always customized his approach based… Read More
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