Sales Training Tactics

A warm prospect reaches out and wants to hear about your solution. You set an appointment, do your homework and show up prepared to put on a Five-Star performance. You build trust, engage with questions and offer a solution you know will make them happy. In the end, the prospect tells you they like what they are hearing and tells you to follow up next week. You leave your materials and off you go. The following week you place a follow up call and the prospect tells you they still aren’t ready to move forward. You try again the following week and you get the same response. WHAT HAPPENED? It all seemed so promising at the initial meeting!

So how do you get the Do-Nothing Prospect to do something? It’s simple. You ask! Too many “solution” salespeople and sales “consultants” believe their job is simply to offer solutions and advice, and then let the prospect come to their own conclusion. That mentality is designed to reduce the pressure the prospect may feel. The unfortunate result, however, is that it often reduces the salesperson’s responsibility and potential impact on the end result. Truth is, a third of the prospects are going to buy from you whether you stink at sales or not. A third are never going to buy from you regardless of how good you or your solution are. Which means you are fighting over that middle third. The secret sauce in closing that middle third lies in two words…URGENCY and EXPECTATION.

Below are the steps to getting people to pull the trigger more quickly. Pulling the trigger doesn’t mean you get a YES every time. It just means you are getting the quick truth, be it positive or negative, faster than most. First, it’s important to understand just how important quicker decisions are. For every hour you spend chasing a customer who is never going to buy from you, you are sacrificing an hour that can be spent on other high-value activity. To avoid this, you need to do more ASKING!

1.    Ask…who makes decisions and how they are made EARLY in a sales presentation by asking, “Who as well as yourself is responsible for making decisions?”  Don’t wait until the end. This will prevent you from wasting words on the wrong people.

2.    Ask…for a meeting with the higher-level decision-makers. Don’t assume the person you are speaking to has all the buying power…even if they do. If they tell you they need to take the decision higher up, ask for an audience with that person. EXPECT to be at the table where the real decision is being made.

3.    Ask…your lower level prospect what they think may be important to the other decision-makers with, “What do the others need to hear to come to the conclusion that my solution is a good one?”

4.    Ask…what is preventing us from moving forward after you get the dreaded, “We are still thinking it over.”  Face it…sales isn’t for wimps. So why is it that so many sales “consultants” are afraid to pull the truth from the prospect.  Try something like:

“Sue, please help me to understand something. You mentioned that I addressed all your concerns and that you believe my solution is a good one. The proposal meets your budget requirements and yet I still sense some hesitation. What can I do to get you to move forward with this project and when?”

Is this pushy? No! Remember, you’re not a jerk (how’s that for inspiration). If you’ve done a good job matching your solution to their wants and needs, you have earned the right to ask. By doing so, you will either pull out a real objection and then be able to respond to it. Or you will learn that this may be an opportunity that you need to give a rest for a while.

5.   Ask…yourself how much you are worth. Understand that your most valuable assets are your time and expertise. There is a cost associated with chasing opportunities blindly.

So this month, focus on getting to YES and NO more quickly. No more assuming! A quicker YES means quicker commission. A quicker NO means more hours to fill your sales funnel with new prospects, find new ways to delight current customers, and more time to learn. And who knows, you may even have extra time to take in that baseball game with your #1 customers…your family and friends.

President of Kansas City-based PRECISE Selling, Brian Sullivan, CSP delivers seminars and internet training programs on sales, customer service, leadership and presentation skills to companies of all sizes. To sign up for his free 7 Part Video Series on How to Become a Sales Weapon, go to www.preciseselling.com or email Brian at bsullivan@preciseselling.com.

“Good nature is worth more than knowledge, more than money, more than honor…” 
– Henry Ward Beecher

“How’s it going,” were the words I casually used as I walked past a fellow vacationer in a hotel hallway. The bearded man responded reluctantly, “It’s going.” That was it! No “Fine, how are you?” …or “Great, how you doing?” “Oh well, perhaps the guy is just having a tough day,” I thought. The next day as I carried my 3-year old’s floatie to the pool, there he was. As I walked past him I tried again, “How’s it going?” Sure enough, he responded with the same apathetic grunt, “It’s going.”

As I walked away I wondered why he had chosen to make THAT his response to a simple greeting. Why did he CHOOSE to be cold and uninterested in a stranger who was showing interest in him? So how do YOU greet strangers and even co-workers when you pass them in the hall? Do you look down at your feet as if the answers to life’s problems are on your shoelaces, or do you make the first “warm” move? If you said the latter, congratulations!

So this week, pay attention to every casual encounter you have and be sure to deliver your best. Because with each warm greeting and smile you deliver, you increase your worth and value to your customers, organization and world. In other words, your “stock” value goes up. But perhaps even more importantly, you help other’s “stock” value go up as well. And don’t be surprised if the gift of good nature that you deliver is returned in the form of more knowledge, more money and more honor…whether you intended it to or not.

Brian is the author of the book, 20 Days to the Top-How the PRECISE Selling Formula Will Make You Your Company’s Top Sales Performer in 20 Days or Less. To download a free iPhone App of 20 Days to the Top, go to www.preciseselling.com.

Tired of customers asking you to lower your price? Don’t be. They are supposed to…but only if they are smart buyers. In fact, professional buyers are trained to ask you for a discount five times. Good news for them is that most salespeople buckle after the first attempt. And the rest usually fall after the second. But here’s the good news. You don’t have to be THAT salesperson. The key to great negotiation is preparation and reluctance. First, you know you are going to get asked for a discount, so don’t seem so shocked when it hits. Prepare what you will say the next time you hear it.

For example, you might reluctantly respond with, “I would be able to match that price but that would be without the _______ and the ________. But without those features you won’t be able to _______”

By lowering the price they understand that they are NOT getting the same value. Lesson: NEVER give the same value AND lower your price.

Or perhaps you respond with this, “I am unable to match the price, but I would be willing to provide ______. But to provide that I will need ________.”

See what happened here. They asked for lower price (like they should), you provided something of value other than the price, and then asked for something in return. Often they won’t want to give that something in return and will just stick with the original price. But if they take it, you are STILL happy because you gave…but received something of value back.

So this week, be prepared to hear, “Is that your best price?” But then be even more prepared with pre-planned responses that will increase margins and set you up for your best sales year ever!

As president of PRECISE Selling, Brian Sullivan, CSP helps improve sales, customer service, negotiations, leadership, and presentation skills through seminars and Internet training programs. Follow him on Facebook at  www.facebook.com/Preciseselling

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” -Pericles

The same attributes that make great humans are the same that make great salespeople, entrepreneurs, managers and friends. Think of the people who have the most impact on us. What are their behaviors? How do they communicate? First, the best of the best are selfless in nearly everything they do. And selfless people give without the expectation of getting back. But you know what…they always get back more than they give.

And the same thing happens in business. Those that give more than what is expected will be rewarded with relationships that create customers and loyal associates for life. So this week, think about what more you can give. Perhaps:

• More thanks
• More knowledge
• More patience
• More time
• More respect
• More understanding
• More listening
• More volunteering

In short, by being the type of person who lives with the goal of leaving their mark on others, you can be nothing but successful. And the good news is, the by-product of being a really good person…is you sell a ton of stuff!

As president of PRECISE Selling, Brian Sullivan, CSP helps improve sales, customer service, negotiations, leadership, and presentation skills through seminars and Internet training programs. Visit him at www.preciseselling.com.

The Power of Thought

Take a minute to think of the last conversation you had with yourself. Were you nice or were you a nag? Was there a, “You can do this,” or instead a “You are such an idiot!” If your tendency is to be too hard on yourself…STOP IT! Because the self-nagging adds up. It also sucks the energy out of you and steals the confidence you need to be a positive influence in others’ lives.

The good news is…you have a choice to have your thoughts work for or against you. It’s like choosing the type of food you put into your body. Put in bad stuff to look bad. Put in good stuff to look good. Your mind is no different. Pollute it with negative thoughts, and you will be a negative influence on others. Nourish it with good thoughts, and you will positively impact everybody you touch.

So this week, whether in your car alone traveling to your next sales call or sitting in your office at the end of the day, pay attention to your self-talk. If it’s negative, silence it! Redirect that energy to a thought about you or others that just feels right. Make a habit of finding that energy within you, and it will frequently find its way to others. Touch a ton of people, and there is no way to be anything less than a true success.

Brian Sullivan, CSP teaches sales teams how to steal customers, sell deeper into accounts and discount less. Plus, he put’s on a heck of a keynote or sales seminar!  www.preciseselling.com shows you how.

“Simplicity means the achievement of maximum effect with minimum means.” -Albert Einstein

If you want to be smart in communication, do what one smart guy recommends. Deliver your message with maximum effect and minimum words. In short, simplicity sells.

• Sales- Stop delivering a bunch of details about how your product works and instead discuss what your solution does to make prospects’ lives easier, faster, more productive or more fun…in as few words as possible.
• Management- If you hold one-hour weekly sales meetings, cut it to 30 minutes. And after 30 minutes…STOP! Urgency will force you to get more done more quickly
• Marketing- As you put together that new website or brochure, think SIMPLICITY. The words you put on that page only matter if somebody reads them. People will only read something initially if they can get through it fast.

So this week, be PRECISE by using fewer words and minutes to make your point. Your internal and external customers will not only appreciate it, but they will reward you with action and purchase orders.

Brian Sullivan, CSP teaches sales teams how to steal customers, sell deeper into accounts and discount less. www.preciseselling.com shows you how.

You must take action now that will move you towards your goals. Develop a sense of urgency in your life.

-H. Jackson Brown

Studies show that average salespeople close one sale for every 26 sales calls they make. They visit each prospect 4.4 times, and their closing rates average 17 percent, or approximately 1 sale out of each 6 prospects.

What if you still made 1 sale for every 6 prospects but rather than having to make 4.4 sales calls to get the order, you were able to only make 2 calls to achieve the same results? This would mean you are getting more done in each call.  Which would mean you have more time each day to get more done. You could literally double your sales by moving the sales process along…fueled by a sense of urgency. For example:

Non-Urgent Process
Call #1- Salesperson makes a call to show a prospect a brochure on a new product and to see if there is interest.
Call #2- Salesperson demonstrates the product.
Call #3- Salesperson delivers price quote on product.
Call #4- Salesperson follows up to close the deal.

Urgent Process
Call #1- Salesperson makes call, asks questions to create curiosity, and sets appointment to demonstrate.
Call #2- Salesperson then demonstrates with sample product. On same call, salesperson delivers prepared price quote, asks for the order, and closes the deal.

This week, let’s get more done on each call. By being more prepared, and by asking for and expecting quicker decisions, you will be rewarded with more time each day to become famous in your industry.

For sales tips and occasional creative and random thoughts, follow Brian Sullivan on twitter @preciseselling. President of Kansas City-based PRECISE Selling, he delivers seminars and internet training programs on sales, customer service, leadership and presentation skills to companies of all sizes. Check him out at www.preciseselling.com.

If I could show you a way for you to easily annoy almost every prospect you meet, would you be interested? Well here it is. Simply start your sales questions with, “If I can show you a way…” Fact is, countless sales calls since 1973 have begun with this phrase. (Which means we are now on our third and forth generation of buyers who are sick of hearing it.) For example, if I asked you:

“If I can show you a way for your facility to make $100,000 more this year, would you be ready to move forward with us today?”

First of all, if you can do that for a customer…great! But because you used a clichéd phrase to start your questioning, the educated buyer’s defenses go up. Plus you made them feel like a 9 year old. While this type of question was originally created to create curiosity and gain some commitment, it has run its course.  Remember, before posing sales questions you first need to build respect and trust…then create curiosity with a question. Try:

“Thank you for your time. I know how valuable it is. I wanted to let you know about a product we offer that has helped facilities of your size increase revenue by as much as $100,000 a year. Would you be interested in hearing more about how we did it?”

If you get a positive response, follow with, “If you like what you hear, great, we can talk more. If not, no problem. Thanks anyway for the time.”

So this week, prepare an opening that, if it were delivered to you, would make you feel comfortable and curious. And by NOT sounding like you’ve been transported from 1973, you will create the type of sales conversations that lead to long-term relationships…and orders!

As president of PRECISE Selling, Brian Sullivan takes out the garbage, cleans toilets, and does everything his CEO (his wife) tells him to do. His tactical selling skills are proven to work on all sales prospects…except spouses. Check him out www.preciseselling.com

“Why Doing More Should Make Your Wallet Fatter”

There is a lot of talk about adding value to customers as a way of differentiating you and your company. The problem is, most salespeople don’t know how to do it. The second problem is, those that do add value are often the same ones who STILL end up discounting or matching their competitor’s price.

So the first question is, “What added value do you actually provide your customers?” Take a few minutes in your office right now to list at least five things you can provide that you know your competition will not or cannot. This list can contain activities that if given, would take extra time, effort or margin. (Free shipping, unlimited in-services, online training, dedicated support person, your personal cell number, free ROI consulting, free lunch for staff during training, etc.)

Value List

1.    ___________________________________

2.    ___________________________________

3.    ___________________________________

4.    ___________________________________

5.    ___________________________________

Now take a look at your list. Now if I asked your competition to do the same exercise, would their list look exactly like yours? If so, grab some white out and start again. Don’t stop until that list proves in YOUR mind that you actually have more to give.

So how do you use your list? First, you need to understand that the ADDED value you provide should NOT be free. If the competition can’t or won’t provide what you can, why should you just throw it in? In fact, the more you just throw things in, the LESS your customer actually values those things. This is where you need to act more like a negotiator and less like a “desperate for your business” sales schmuck.

So on your next deal, remember the steps to Value Added Earning:

1. Understand what makes you better than the competition and be prepared to articulate the specifics.
2. Before you make your presentation, make that list of things the customer may value beyond your standard proposal. (As listed above)
3. Ask detailed questions to first determine what the prospect actually values. (No use throwing it in if they don’t even find value in it.)
4. Deliver your presentation with passion, leading the customer to the understanding that you ARE better than all others. (Even without having to discount or throw in a bunch of freebees)
5. If you discover that some of the extra value items you would be able to throw in ARE important to the prospect, deliver more than one option in your proposal. Option #1 includes those items but at a PREMIUM Price. Option #2 is your standard proposal without them.
6. Understand the psychology of buyers. Despite popular belief, PREMIUM buyers still exist. These folks are motivated by the fear of getting less than the best. For everybody else, they still have Option #2, which is still a better solution than the competition. (Because you convinced them how good you are)
7. Stop giving without getting. Anytime you have to give something extra, ask for something YOU value in return. For example, they come back and want free shipping, or extra training sessions, don’t just cave in. Ask for something you value…such as three references of possible prospects, an introduction to another department decision-maker, etc.

In short, great sales performance begins with YOU understanding what makes you good. Then by being prepared with the EXTRA value you can provide. Then with the attitude that you are SO good, that you deserve to win just as much as the customer does. In the end, your customers will be happy they are doing business with the best partner. And with a higher gross profit, you will have discovered the meaning of Value Added Earning.

Brian Sullivan, CSP teaches sales organizations how to create happier customers and fatter sales margins. To sign up for free sales training modules on getting to the top, go to www.precisesellingonline.com. Or drop Brian an email at bsullivan@preciseselling.com.

“Beach sand, perfect tans. Day walks, night talks. Sleepless nights, pillow fights, and spending every day with those who matter most.”

-Unknown

You work hard. Real hard. Up early checking emails, mid-day customer emergencies, kid’s game starts at 6:30 and you still need to get that proposal done before morning. Nearly everything you do is designed to make other people’s lives better. Good news is, summer is your reward for your super human effort…but only if you take advantage of it.

Don’t forget that your life won’t be judged by the number of sales you make or by the size of your gross profit dollars. It will instead be judged by the resume of memories that you create. So this week, take 30 minutes in your office to think only of activities that, if you did them, would make this your most mentally productive summer ever. As Mark Twain said, “25 years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do, than by the things you did do.” Make this summer the beginning of the best 25 years of your life.

Business Coach Brian Sullivan, CSP works with organizations to create happy customers and fulfilled salespeople. After your swim, visit him at www.preciseselling.com.