Yes, I know what you’re thinking.  Everybody knows you should have a good attitude to be successful in sales.  That applies to all jobs, right?  Of course it does, but I truly believe it applies to sales more than any other.  For example, let’s say you’re an auto mechanic.  Sure, your attitude is important, especially when it comes to doing what your boss asks of you.  However, you can be negative, withdrawn, depressed and just unpleasant to be around, but if you show up on time, every day and fix every car perfectly, guess what?  Chances are you will probably have a job for life.

Now let’s apply that same attitude toward selling.  Who in his or her right mind would want to buy from somebody like the auto mechanic described above?  I realize I am stating the obvious, but I am doing so to make sure what I am about to say isn’t misinterpreted.  While being positive and upbeat is terrific, being that way without also having a realistic attitude can be problematic.

Any long time reader of this blog knows that I manage a lot of salespeople.  Each with their own unique personality and approach to their profession.  The one thing I have noticed over the years is that attitude isn’t always what it may seem.  Sure, it’s easy to predict that somebody like our auto mechanic friend is going to be an immediate failure in the sales game.  But frankly, I have never met anybody quite that bad in my career in sales.

Instead I routinely run into people that, on the surface, seem very friendly and positive.  It’s not until you see them in action over a period of time do you find out what they are really made of.

Here’s the problem.  Some people go into the job thinking their cheery attitude will be all that’s needed to succeed and overcome obstacles.  I have been to countless seminars that feature inspirational speakers.  They all stress positive attitudes, but I have found that they also tend to sound like idealists.  Frankly, that’s never worked for me.  I live in a very real, and sometimes cruel, world.  I think it’s unrealistic for anybody to stand before an audience proclaiming how you always must be positive.  The old saying, “you can if you believe you can”, sounds terrific, but I am pretty confident that just thinking you can isn’t enough.  Sure, that positive attitude can go a long way, but it’s the attitude you apply to the real obstacles of selling that really matter.  Here are a few examples of how a realistic attitude can serve you well:

1. Cold calling – Most everybody hates it, but all good salespeople know it’s a must.  I have never had what one would call a great attitude about cold calling, but I have always had a realistic attitude.  Bottom line:  I know it’s a must and I accept that.  I don’t love it or even pretend to like it.  I just do it because it’s necessary.  Now I’m sure there are many better people than I that can genuinely say they love it.  Good for them!  I think they are the exception and not the rule. If I were to try to pretend to love cold calling I would go nuts because I would only be fooling myself.  

2. Conflict with management  - Unless you own your own business you’re going to have to deal with some management decisions or rules that you won’t like.  I think it’s ok to disagree and respectfully verbalize your position.  It can be very cathartic.  But in the end your attitude needs to be realistic.  Again, you don’t have to pretend to be happy about everything, but being realistic and accepting that everything won’t always be perfect is a good thing.

3.  Dealing with a sales slump or economic downturns – Yes, it’s tough to stay positive during these times.  I think it’s ok to feel down, but only for a brief time.  Who wouldn’t feel down after seeing their income plunge?  However, a realistic understanding that good times and bad times never last can go far.  The old saying, “when the going gets tough the tough get going” is very true.  The only way out of a slump is hard work – That’s reality!  Oh sure, a little luck never hurts, but don’t count on it. 

4. Problems – Back orders, service interruptions, quality issues, tight credit, etc. can make sales a grueling environment.  There are some days when you think you need to get a restraining order against Murphy (as in Murphy’s Law).  Here’s what works for me.  I know that I would have absolutely no selling related problems if I had no sales.  Hmmm, somehow that puts it all into perspective.  

By now I trust you are getting my point.  You don’t have to be a Pollyanna to be successful.  In fact I think that an unrealistic Pollyanna type attitude could actually backfire because the real world just isn’t that perfect.  I have had many salespeople quit because the job proved to be too tough.  It didn’t meet their high idealistic expectations.  By having a realistic attitude with a positive slant you can win big without trying to live up to an unrealistic “super attitude” expectation that so many motivational speakers promote.

Here’s to reality and the success that accepting it can bring!  And to the Zig Zigler’s of the world, please accept my apologies.

There have been volumes written on this topic plus countless seminars you can attend to sharpen your negotiating skills.  And while every information source brings value and a unique perspective, here’s my abbreviated take on this very important sales skill.

If you sell anything that requires negotiating price, finance terms, etc. congratulations!  You have a lot more selling power than the guy selling in a structured (probably retail) environment with rigid rules.  That may seem odd since most people don’t get too excited about the prospect of lowering price, bending on terms, etc.  But consider this: negotiating also means you might be able to get more out of the deal not less. 

I think many people look at negotiating as a painful experience.  It certainly can be, but only if you allow it to be.  What I mean is that it will be painful if you’re a salesperson coming from a position of weakness.  A shrewd customer might be able to negotiate price down to the point where near zero commission is the result.  Instead the strong salesperson must always make sure the playing field is at very least level.  Here are a few rules I try to live by when negotiating from the salesperson’s side of the desk:

1. Know that the better your relationship is with the customer, the less you will have to negotiate.  There is no substitute for the trust a long-term relationship will provide.

2. Never negotiate anything until you have made your presentation, including asking the right questions that illicit the customer’s buying criteria.  That means you must get the chance to review your product’s features and benefits and match them to your customer’s needs.  Believe me, you’re going to need to remind your customer of the value of the product/service you’re selling more than once during your negotiation.  Make it meaningful!

3. Know the competitive marketplace.  Don't even consider lowering your price until confirming you are comparing "apples to apples" products or services.  If you truly offer higher quality, sell the superior value of your offering.  Customers will choose value over price most of the time. 

4. Know your bottom line and don’t allow yourself to go below it.  Your time is valuable.  And I am not talking just about the time it will take you to negotiate.   If the resulting sale will require you to do follow up work to complete the sale, factor that in too.  Ask yourself: will the resulting commission be enough to justify my time?  If not, I think it’s OK to walk away from the deal.  You only have so many hours in a day so it’s best to use it selling and servicing customers willing to pay a fair price.

5. Calculate the lifetime value of the potential customer.  It’s sometimes worth taking little to no commission on an initial small order to get your foot in the door.  If you are selling consumables this tactic can be very effective.  Customers usually won’t give you all their business before they can fully trust you.  You can build that trust by giving an offer they won’t refuse.  Just remember to be clear about why you are making such a concession and get the customer to agree to buy at regular price once you and your company have proven yourself.

6. Never give anything unless your customer is willing to give you something in return, preferably a commitment to buy.  It’s the ever popular “If I can, will you” statement that must be in play.  A typical exchange may go something like this:  (Customer) “Your price is too high, I wouldn’t pay over $15,000 for that system.”  (Salesperson) “Mr. Customer, I understand your position. If I am able to get my manager to approve the price of $15,000 will you go ahead with your purchase today?”  If the customer says yes, and you know $15,000 is doable, the sale will be made.  Now this example is highly simplified, but it makes the point that you want to leverage anything you give away to close the sale.

7. Know how powerful your position is.  You may not have to give up anything.  For example, you won’t find car dealers negotiating on certain brand new super popular models.  Why?  Because they don’t have to.  In fact, the dealer may be able to get more than the manufacturer’s suggested retail price if the car is popular enough.  While I am all for maximizing profit by getting what the market will bear, I do suggest you be careful.  Your short-term gain could result in a long-term loss by alienating the customer.  Nobody wants to feel taken advantage of.  So remember, if you are in business for the long term, and want customers to come back, treat them fairly.  I have always subscribed to the adage, “pigs get fed, but hogs get slaughtered.”  Don’t be a hog!

8.  If you do have to lower your price, don't give more than you have to.  Beating your competitor by 1% can be equally effective as beating them by 20%.  Customers want to feel like they have won the battle.  That's OK.  However, I recommend that you not let them win in a landslide.

9.  Above all be prepared by having a precise game plan before you enter into any negotiation.

Relationship selling is defined as the art of selling in which the primary objective is the building of long-term relationships with customers from which repeat business will flow.  Sounds easy enough, right?  For some it is, but for others it’s a challenge. 

Let’s start out by making sure we all accept the fact that relationships alone won’t make a sale; however, it sure stacks the deck in your favor, especially if you are selling consumables or a service that is necessary on an ongoing basis.  It’s no secret that people prefer to buy from somebody they like; it’s human nature.  So why is it so difficult to get everybody to like you?  Well, my theory is this:  everybody is different and consequently their criteria for “likeability” are different. 

Just look at yourself.  Unless you qualify for sainthood, you don’t like everybody you meet, associate or work with.  I sure as heck don’t.  Of course that goes for customers as well.  We, as salespeople, aren’t going to like some of our prospects and customers.  Naturally the reverse is also true.  So how do you “stack the deck” in your favor?  Simple, adaptability!

Great salespeople are like chameleons; they are able to adapt to their environment.  That also means adapting to the different personality types that one naturally encounters along the way.  Now, if you’re the type that insists that your sparkling personality is loved by all well, I don’t like you already!  You might be thinking that I’m joking, but I am not. I’m a driver – I’ll explain later.

I meet salespeople every day.  And as I have said before, I love to “kick tires” and test the skills of salespeople I encounter.  I’m always so tempted to give them advice, but instead I usually tell my wife how the salesperson I met earlier that day could have improved.  She usually encourages me to share a story or two just before bedtime.  Apparently it’s a wonderful sleep aid, but I digress.

Take me, for example.  I am a self-described “driver” personality type with a hint of “expressive” personality that surfaces in certain situations.  That means that I like salespeople to deal with me in a straight forward no non-sense way.  Early in the sales process I don’t want to chit-chat, I don’t want to exchange trite pleasantries and I sure as heck don’t want to waste time discussing anything not germane to the buying/selling situation.  Boy, don’t I sound like a real jerk?  Maybe, but this much I can tell you, I spend a lot of money on stuff.  And when I do it, I usually do it quickly without making the salesperson jump through a lot of hoops or play any games. 

The really good salespeople I have met immediately sense that.  They are adaptable.  They read my body language, my voice, my questions and statements then respond in a way they know I will appreciate.  The bad ones go in an entirely wrong direction.  The interesting thing about my buying habits is this: once a salesperson gains my trust, usually over time, I change from being a “driver” to a very amiable customer.  Why? Because that salesperson has earned my respect! 

I think most buyer personality types ultimately end up being the amiable type once the salesperson earns their respect.  It’s human nature.  More on that in a minute. 

K. David Katzmire puts people in 4 basic personality categories.   Here’s a link that will give you a very detailed overview of his theory, which I believe in, by the way. There are also lots of books out there that talk about this theory.  A simple Amazon search will give you some options if you’re interested.  In the meantime here’s my abbreviated take on the 4 basic types:

Drivers – They want just the facts presented to them clearly and quickly.  They don’t want to socialize.  Instead they want to deal with somebody that’s knowledgeable and capable of filling their needs now.  They appreciate efficiency and salespeople that get to the bottom line ASAP.  Conversely, the slightest hint of incompetence or lack of ability will cause the driver to say NO!

Analytical – These are the “bean counters” of the world.  They love data, the more the better.  They want all the facts and figures of the product they are thinking of buying presented to them in a systematic and logical way.  They want to compare, they want to shop and they want to do their due diligence before they purchase.  Hey, I can’t fault somebody for wanting to make an informed decision.  So if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.  Give them what they want; however, it’s important not to let this get out of hand.  In other words, give them enough to satisfy them, but don’t forget to steer them to the close.  If you don’t, you may grow old waiting for them to run that one last spreadsheet.

Amiable – Ah, these are the “nice” people all salespeople just love.  Hey, I’m a driver and I love them too.  And why not?  These are people that are friendly, open and easy to work with.  For these people you must meet their expectation that you too are a nice person.  That means you are going to want to engage them in conversation that involves things like the weather, their most recent vacation, the beautiful jewelry they are wearing, the picture of their grandkids.  You get the point.  Amiables tend to be very loyal.  So don’t let their open empathetic pleasant personality fool you.  They want to please everybody, so saying no isn’t easy for them. 

They have a hard time saying, no and instead they may make up excuses not to say no.  They prolong the sales process because it’s easier than raising an objection.  So be very careful and look for the signs.  If you’re dealing with a super amiable person, you aren’t getting any objections and instead are finding yourself making sales call after sales call with no results, it’s time you take the bull by the horns and either close the sale now or move on to your next prospect.

Expressive – These people tend to be very enthusiastic and motivated people.  They are confident and full of ideas.  However, many times they are very scattered and impulsive which makes making decisions that actually stick, a challenge.  They usually like to talk a lot and may have a flare for the dramatic.  Often times these people are in positions of authority because they can be very confident, convincing and controlling.

In reality everybody is a blend of these 4 basic personality types.  However, most of us tend to have personality traits that are far more dominant than others.  Like I mentioned before, I think I am mostly a driver type, but I must admit to having expressive tendencies.  That means that I need to feel like I am in control.  And contrary to the driver personality, I do sometimes like to talk and socialize, even be the center of attention as a performer or speaker on a stage.  So salespeople dealing with the expressive personality need to let the customer talk and feel like they are in control of the buying decision.  They will also want to skillfully fill the ego of the expressive by asking questions that prompt them to talk about themselves or about what they know.

I want to close by reminding you that you don’t have to change your personality to succeed with the different personality types mentioned above.  Instead, you just need to adjust your personality to suit the personality you are selling to.  Once you understand and implement that philosophy greater success will be yours!

Yes, that’s right, expert advice doesn’t always work.  Not even mine.  However, the good news is that following great advice will most always increase your chances of success. 

I decided to write about this topic because I deal with salespeople on my staff every day who have to be reminded that the sales game isn’t a cake walk.  Even with the best of talent, knowledge and selling tools nobody closes every sale.

Allow me to reach into my favorite baseball analogy bag to make my point.  Any baseball fan knows that even the greatest hitters are only successful 3 out of every 10 times at bat.  These are the best of the best.  They go through rigorous training, study their swing, see a sports psychologist, practice all the time and perhaps most important of all, they apply what their coaches teach them. 

Yet, even with all that help, they still aren’t successful most of the time.  But the best hitters work very hard anyway because they know that by applying proven batting techniques, they will improve their batting average by as much as 10%.  Now that may not sound very impressive, but, in baseball, that can mean the difference between being an average player, batting .270 and the player that’s going to the hall of fame because he’s batting .300!

Just like great hitters, great salespeople understand that they can’t bat a thousand.  However, they do know that consistently applying the right techniques and heeding good advice will raise their closing average exponentially.  What’s more, unlike the ball player, a salesperson can double, triple or even quadruple their average (not to mention their income)!

So don’t despair.  Instead, make your commitment now to do what it takes to be a hall-of-famer! 

Unless you’re selling trips into outer space on Virgin Galactic, you’re going to have to deal with competition every day of your selling life.  But that’s ok because without competition there would be no sales jobs.  So let’s take a look at the best ways to keep your competition in check.

To begin with, you need not be afraid of your competition.  Instead you need to know as much about them as humanly possible.  As I have said many times before, knowledge is power (I only wish I made that up).  And when it comes to competition, there’s never been a truer statement.

Today’s savvy shopper has more tools at their disposal than ever before to research the products and companies they are considering purchasing from.  Chance are they will do their due diligence prior to making any major purchase (and sometimes minor ones as well) so you better do yours as well.

You must begin by visiting the competition.  One of the best ways to learn about your competition is on-line.  Virtually every major company today tells all about their products and services on-line.  In many cases they include specifications, pricing, delivery time, etc.  You can also visit their stores, pick up brochures, etc.  All of this information is a goldmine in the hands of a prepared salesperson.

Before I forget, let’s get one thing perfectly clear: NEVER, and I mean NEVER, knock your competition.  For if you do you will decrease your chances of success significantly.  Even if what you are saying is true, your potential customers are going to be turned off by your negative approach.  What’s more, they are going to wonder why you have to stoop to knocking your competition instead of extolling the virtues of your own company’s product or service. 

I can’t tell you how many times my own customers have shared with me something negative or derogatory my competition said about the company I worked for.  Each and every time the customer was happy to share the information with me because A:  they knew it wasn’t true and B: they felt comfortable enough with me to share the information knowing it might ultimately benefit me.  Frankly, I love it when the competition is so desperate they resort to knocking my company or product.  It tells me I am winning!

Now that that is out of the way, I need to explain how to “expose” the competition’s weaknesses without disparaging them.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with comparing your company’s offering with the competition as long as you are being completely truthful.  However, you don’t want to potentially bring up your own objections, so you must know when to talk about the competition and when to keep your mouth shut!

For example, let’s say you are selling mattresses in a retail store.  You are showing several bedding options to your prospect and all is going well.  They’re asking questions that you are answering with confidence and ease.  All signs are indicating that you will be able to ask for and close the sale.  Would you bring up the competition? NO!  You’d have to be an idiot to do that. 

However, let’s say the prospect has mentioned to you that they were considering one of those air adjustable beds that they have been hearing about on the radio.  What they are actually saying to you is, “tell me why your bed is better than the competition.”  Now it’s time to show them you are an informed professional.  Your presentation might go something like this:  “I’m glad you mentioned the air adjustable bed.  I’ve done a lot of research on that product myself and learned there are significant differences between their bed and ours.  To begin with you’re going to have to pay about twice as much for theirs vs. ours.  What’s more that bed does not come with the hypoallergenic cover that ours does.  So if you are an allergy sufferer you’re going to want to consider that.  Finally the warranty on their beds is only 5 years.  That’s important since their bed has mechanical moving parts.  Our beds feature a 15-year warranty backed by a company that’s been in business for over 50 years.

Did I disparage the competition?  No.  I simply stated facts and allowed the prospect to assess the information.  In some cases, your knowledge of the competition will be enough for the customer to justify buying from you.  Sometimes it won’t.  But in either case, you made sure the customer is thoroughly (and truthfully) informed and hopefully, you did it in such a way that made your product shine and move your customer to buy your product.

Now if I have said something like, “Oh yes, I’ve heard of that bed.  I know somebody who bought one and they really hate it.  It’s really a cheaply made product.  In fact I’m surprised they are still in business.”  I think you get the point.

So to sum up dealing with the competition, be sure to stick with these rules:

1. Don’t bring up the competition unless you know your customer is shopping or highly likely to shop.
2. Understand that your prospect mentioning the competition is a buying signal.  They are telling you they want to be sold!
3. Never knock the competition.
4. Know your competitor’s product or service inside and out. 
5. Be able to explain why your product is better using only the facts

And for whatever it’s worth, if you’re selling a product that truly isn’t as good or better than your competition, you better have the lowest price or you’re sunk.  However, my advice would be to try to get a job with the company offering a high quality product or service.  I have always been able to defend a higher price tied to higher quality, but it can be real hard to defend low quality at any price.

Unless you’re just getting into sales, you’ve no doubt heard of programs like Act!, Goldmine, Maximizer, etc. These programs are designed to help salespeople manage the information they obtain about their prospects and customers. And frankly, I can’t imagine being a professional salesperson today without using this kind of software.

All CRM software, whether it’s off the shelf or custom designed, pretty much has the same objective. That is to help the salesperson house critical information that will ultimately assist them in closing sales. Programs available today are very powerful and customizable. There’s even a very popular web-based option called Salesforce.com. These programs can run reports and deliver data 6 ways from Sunday. Unfortunately the information provided by any CRM software is only as good as the data entered into it. In other words: garbage in - garbage out, so every user must take the task of quality data gathering and entry very seriously.

For many salespeople the idea of having to type in tons of data about a customer is nothing short of torture. After all, it’s not at all glamorous or fun. In fact, some will tell you that spending that same time contacting customers is a far better use of their time. But unless you have a personal secretary that can do it for you, it’s a necessary evil.

The old adage, “knowledge is power” is absolutely correct, especially when it comes to sales. Yes, a CRM program does act as a database housing basic contact information, etc. about your customer, but that’s not the main reason to use it. The power of CRM software is that it can organize and memorize things better than you could ever dream of. And with a couple of keystrokes, you can access that information when needed.

For example, a typical salesperson prospects dozens or maybe hundreds of people during the quest for a single sale. Additionally, the amount of individual customer contacts or touches required to close a sale are many and varied. To set yourself apart from the rest you must go into every sales opportunity fully armed with all the information you can get your hands on.

When I started in sales there was no such thing as CRM software, so we relied on writing things down and keeping the information in a hard copy file. Can you imagine? It was tedious work, to say the least, but even then, we understood how valuable this information was going to be in helping us make the sale. It wasn’t perfect, but it was all we had.

So you can imagine how excited I was when I first heard about software that could automate all of the manual processes I once was saddled with. I remember when ACT! was introduced. I bought a copy immediately and went to work. I loved how it allowed me to store the critical data I needed. I custom designed data fields to suit my industry and away I went. 6 months later the company I worked for promoted me to Regional Sales Manager (I was outselling everybody else). It was then that I used my newfound power to get every salesperson in my region on the same system. Once again, their sales grew and I was considered a genius for bringing this newfangled software into the company.

Obviously I wasn’t a genius. I just had enough common sense to realize how valuable managing prospect and customer data could be. It was at that time when I realized how the power of the computer could turn sales from mostly and art to somewhat of a science.

To this day my entire sales force uses a CRM program religiously. Of course the one we use today is totally customized and costs a whole a lot more than the $150.00 ACT! program I bought off the shelf in the early 90’s. Our salespeople must input customer information into a set of pre-defined information fields. These fields prompt the salesperson to ask the right questions every time they speak to a customer, including, buying criteria, who is the decision maker, influencer, gatekeeper and much more. We also regularly pull reports from our system to make sure this information is actually being gathered. What’s more these reports help pinpoint sales opportunities quickly and easily.

Here is an example of how a presentation can go using information gathered and stored in CRM software:

Hello Mr. Smith (Pre-set data field entitled “decision maker”), I’m calling today to let you know that I have been in contact with Ms. Johnson (Pre-set data field entitled “influencer or end user of product”) and she let me know that you are currently using the ACME 2000 software suite (pre-set data field entitled “what they are using now). She mentioned to me that she loves the program, but thought it had one major drawback when it came to generating the accounting reports she needs (pre-set data field entitled “buying criteria or customer need”). She went on to say that she spends an extra 7-10 hours per month creating extra reports in Excel because of that shortcoming, which brings me to the point of my call.

Mr. Smith, our company has created a highly cost effect software program that fills the void the ACME 2000 software has created. What’s more, it is fully compatible with ACME 2000 so no major reprogramming is required (pre-set data field entitled “customer objections or reason sale not yet made”- Ms. Johnson mentioned it in a previous call). I’d like to schedule about a half hour of time with you to show you how our system can benefit Ms. Johnson, as well as your entire accounting staff. I’m going to be in your area on Thursday. Would morning or afternoon be better for you?

I hope you can appreciate the difference between making a call like the one above vs. a similar call without any specific data. That call would probably go something like this:

Hello, to whom am I speaking? Oh, hello, Mr. Smith. Can you tell me who is in charge of purchasing software for your accounting department? Answer: It’s me, but I’m not interested in anything today. Thank you anyway.

The above example illustrates the power of information. Every good salesperson uncovers this kind of information during their prospecting efforts. The great salesperson stores it in a CRM program and uses it to sound prepared, professional and deserving of an audience. Both scenarios above could potentially result in a sale, but if I were a betting man my money is on the guy selling in the first scenario.

So if that’s not you, get thee to a software store immediately!

It’s happed to every salesperson I know. No, I’m not talking working hard on selling a prospect only to lose the sale. I’m actually talking about working hard on non-selling activities during prime time selling hours.

Let’s face it none of us are robots. Well, I do know one or two people that could be, but you know what I mean. Anyway, we don’t always do what we are supposed to when we are supposed to. This is one of my greatest challenges as a sales director. Salespeople, like anybody else, like to perform certain tasks more than others. Some may love data entry, others may love preparing quotes and still others may love researching prospect information on the Internet. All of these things may indeed be integral parts of the sales process; however, unless you’re in a situation that can’t wait, all of these tasks should be performed during non-prime time hours.

When you don’t prioritize your selling time you are in trouble. For example, let’s say you are in business-to-business sales and you know most of your customers are available from 10:00 – 3:00. Naturally you should be prospecting and selling during those times, yet I commonly see salespeople working on spreadsheets, researching, etc. during that time. Why? Because it’s easy! Prospecting is hard, so human nature will cause many to put it off in favor or doing other things– Don’t!

My mantra has always been “Do what you hate first!” Obviously that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but I think it makes the point. I don’t know very many salespeople that actually like to cold call, but it’s a critical part of selling for most sales jobs. The sooner you adapt the attitude of doing what you hate first, the sooner you will maximize your sales. Yes, I know you have to do the other stuff, but do it during off peak hours. When scheduling your day, schedule prime time selling exclusively for activities that involve dealing directly with your customer. Commit now to never allowing yourself the luxury of doing non-selling work during prime selling time. Here are a few suggestions that should help:
 

• Stick to a schedule that only allows person-to-person selling activities during prime selling time.
• If you work in an office, get your co-workers to adopt the same philosophy. Make sure everybody is free and encouraged to remind each other when someone falls off the wagon.
• Post a sign above your computer monitor to remind you “Prime time is selling time. Now get back to work!” Or my favorite, “How much money did you make surfing the Internet today?”
• Set daily prospecting and sales goals and never allow non-selling activities get in your way.
• If you work in an office, watch the socializing or as I call it “The silent commission killer.”

Good luck!

I have to thank Andrew for his insightful comment regarding my last post. He points out how important it is to really listen to the answers and other information a prospect provides. Now that may seem pretty obvious, but in my experience, it is one of the greatest weaknesses of so many salespeople. Let me share with you a real example of how a salesperson team I recently encountered managed to prove this point.

I am currently helping my daughter look for her first house. Since I have experience in this area I have been doing most of the communicating with the realtors involved. Just a couple of days ago I called on a listing and clearly explained to the agent that I was looking for a house for my daughter and that I was calling to make an appointment to see the house. The agent responded by saying “The house has a lock box so you can show it to your client any time.” I said, “I don’t understand. What do you mean there is a lock box?” She responded by saying, “Oh, I thought you were a broker.” How’s that for instilling confidence?

So she finally understood I was a buyer and not an agent and told me she would have an associate of hers, Matt, call me to set an appointment to view the house. The associate called me later that evening and he told me he would call the owner of the house to schedule the appointment. I then asked him to call me the next day to confirm the appointment. I waited and waited and no call. So by the end of the day I called him to confirm and his response was, “Yes, I was waiting for you to call me to let me know if you still wanted to see the house. I’ll call the client now.” I was incredulous!

When we arrived at the house the agent was 15 minutes late stating he got lost on along the way. He also asked me, (no, I didn’t ask him) what school district the house was in. Boy, talk about not being prepared! This guy obviously was never a Boy Scout. And, as you would expect, he asked me if he and the other agent, apparently a team, could be my exclusive agents in this process. It took every fiber of my being not to respond with “You’ve got to be kidding!” Instead I said, “No thanks” and moved on. By the way, at the end of the appointment he asked me for my e-mail address, but when I gave it to him, he never wrote it down. He promised he would e-mail me some information I requested, but needless to say, it never came.

Frankly, I don’t understand how anybody this inept can make a living in commission sales; however, it also tells me that if he can do it there’s hope for anybody with even the most mediocre skill set. To make sure you don’t become like Matt, I suggest you:

1. Shut up when your prospect is talking.
2. Don’t multitask when listening; give the client your undivided attention.
3. Write the important stuff down!
4. Clarify anything you aren’t crystal clear on.
5. At the conclusion of the conversation repeat back to the customer the action items that resulted from your meeting.
6. Follow up in a timely fashion.
7. Review my “be prepared” post.

So thanks again, Andrew. I found this post very therapeutic!

The “Be Prepared” post just before this one talks about the basic things every salesperson should be prepared for prior to making a sales presentation. Among those things is the category of “knowing what you’re going to say.” To a lot of people that means learning a scripted presentation so you can be sure to cover all of the features and benefits of the product or service you are selling. That’s fine and necessary. After all, there are certain points about your product or service that must be conveyed to every prospect, regardless of their buying criteria. But every presentation must also include key questions you will need to ask during your presentation.

One of my favorites things to look for when I am witnessing a salesperson in action is how he/she works their way through the presentation process. The novice salesperson commonly makes the mistake of plowing through the sales presentation taught to him by the sales manager or trainer without even taking a breath. As I have mentioned in past posts I do believe every salesperson needs to have a formal presentation and have it down cold; however, that presentation always must include questions that illicit answers that will enable the salesperson to obtain the information or buying criteria that must be met before you can close the sale.

By asking questions throughout the presentation the salesperson will pick up nuggets of information that ultimately will enable them to make the sale. Also those questions will uncover topics (information) that may not be important to the prospect and therefore can be deleted or abbreviated. For example, let’s say I’m looking to buy a car. I know I like 2 or 3 different models, but I’m not sure which one I will buy. So I go to my local dealer and tell the salesperson I am interested in seeing a specific model. The salesperson responds with, “good choice, let me show it to you!” (I’m already skeptical since he has absolutely no reason to know if it is a good choice for me because he hasn’t asked me any questions!). Anyway, he goes on to tell me about the high performance engine it has: 300 horsepower, fuel injected overhead cam engine, 295 ft. lbs of torque, continuous variable timing control system, blah, blah, blah, blah…

OK, if I’m a gear head I’m thrilled to hear about the engine specs, but what if I am not? If not, I probably lost interest at “300 horsepower” and probably already decided to move on to another dealer. If I don’t care about the specs why would it be part of my buying criteria? Now let’s roll back the tape and let this guy try again. If instead he asked, “What is important to you in a car?” I would probably have answered something like this: “Well, I need something that will hold my family of 5, be economical to drive and is really safe, and it all has to come in under $25K out the door.” 

If I’m the salesperson I am thrilled the customer is so forthcoming. This prospect just gave me the road map to the close! So my response would be something like: “Terrific, I think you will be pleased with this model. It has seating for 6 (feature) so your family will be very comfortable (benefit), it gets over 30 miles to the gallon on the highway (feature) so you will spend less on gas (benefit), and comes with front and side curtain airbags (feature) for extra safety (benefit)! Mr. Customer, if I can get you into this car for under $25K will you go forward with the purchase today?” (Trial close) If he says yes to that last question, you’re almost home!

I’m not or never have been a car salesman, but I feel this formula applies to any selling situation. In the example above the salesperson found out what was important to the customer early in his presentation. He subsequently didn’t include anything that wasn’t important to the customer. Not only did he make things clear and easy for the customer to understand, but he also was careful not to raise his own objections. Now let’s go way back to when our imaginary salesperson was talking engine specs. The stuff this customer didn’t initially even care about.

Now, since the engine specification information has been brought up, the customer is now starting to think about those things. He’s asking himself, “Should I care?” Then he starts to thinking about what kind of gas he has to use in this “high performance” engine. The answer: Premium Gas! He also wonders if that “high performance” engine will cost him more for insurance and maintenance. The answer: Yes! Congratulations, Mr. Imaginary Salesperson! By not asking the right questions up front and by proactively talking about things the customer initially didn’t care about, you managed to get the customer to worry about things he would otherwise never have thought of. The result? Well, since economy is part of his pre-set buying criteria, the customer decides the car isn’t right for him because premium gas costs more than regular, his maintenance cost would be higher and his insurance may cost more as well. So, he thanks the salesperson for his time and moves on to the next dealer to see his second choice. Sale lost!

The moral to my story: Find the need (by asking questions) - fill the need (by answering the questions); and never ever raise your own objections!

As a matter of fact the Girl Scouts have the very same motto:  “Be Prepared” and why not?  I think everybody can agree that being prepared is always a good thing, right?  But in sales, being prepared is more than just a safety net it is one of the building blocks of success.  Yet time and time again I see salespeople that enter the sales battlefield without enough ammunition. 

There are only 3 reasons why salespeople don’t properly prepare for sales presentations:

1. They’re lazy – it’s a lot of work to properly prepare!
2. They’re arrogant – some think they’re so good, they can “wing it” and still close!
3. They’re ignorant – they just don’t realize how important it is and that’s just sad!

While every sales situation has a unique preparation checklist, there are some things that every salesperson should do to prepare for any sales presentation:

• Know who you are talking to – that includes their name and the correct spelling of their name, their title, their role in the purchasing process, i.e. decision maker, influencer or gate keeper and, if possible, something about them and their company, if applicable, that you can use to show them you’ve done your homework.
• Basic tools of the trade – I am always stunned when I invite a salesperson to my home or office and they forget to bring a tape measure, pencil/pen, business cards, etc.  Come on, people, do you think Tiger Woods ever forgets his golf clubs!
• Samples and/or marketing materials – Even the most attentive customer will forget most of what you told them during your sales presentation.  However, they will be far more likely to retain and appreciate what you are telling them if they can see, touch or experience your product or service in some tangible way.  Yes, I know those tile samples are heavy, but if you’re too lazy to bring them on the call, your briefcase may stay nice and light, but so will your wallet!
• Know what your going to say and script it if you have to – I highly recommend using a presentation book, PowerPoint or basic outline that will keep you on point and force you to deliver a professional presentation.
• Anticipate objections and have your responses rehearsed and ready to deliver – If you stutter, beat around the bush or worse yet, respond with a weak argument, your customer usually won’t buy.  However, if you understand that objections are buying signals and properly prepare for them, you can calmly and eloquently respond in such a way that the customer will feel good knowing their fear or concern has no foundation; clearing the way for them to sign on the dotted line!
• Have a “fall back” strategy – let’s face it, nobody closes every sale on the first call.  If you have done everything possible to close on the first call, assuming you are in a selling situation that logically allows for a one call close, establish a strategy that will commit your customer to the next phase of the sales cycle, i.e. set an appointment for the next call.  If in a retail situation, at very least get the customer’s phone number and/or e-mail address so you can follow up.  And by the way, it will be much easier to get the customer to commit to the next step if you give them a compelling reason to do so.  So find one and use it!