top-ten skills of the super salespeople

Copyright and proprietary information. Reproduction of this document is prohibited without written authorization from ASHER.

VERSION D: AUGUST 2009

TOp-TEN SkIllS Of ThE SUpER SAlESpEOplE

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The Bottom Line

“If you listen closely enough, your customers will explain your

business to you.”— Peter Schutz

3Asher © 2007

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 — THE SKILLS AND PROCESSES USED BY THE SUPER SALESPEOPLE..................... 5Section 1.1 The Biggest Sales Problem (Finding Competent Salespeople) ... 6Section 1.2 The Five Factors for Success in Sales ....................................... 8Section 1.3 Sales Aptitude Assessments .................................................... 9Section 1.4 The Top-Ten Skills of the Super Salespeople ........................... 10Section 1.5 Marketing, Sales and Customer-Relationship Strategies ......... 11Section 1.6 The Top-15 Best Practice Marketing, Sales and Customer-

Relationship Processes ....................................................... 12

CHAPTER 2 — ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT/CUSTOMER CARE ................................................. 13Section 2.1 Management Techniques ...................................................... 15Section 2.2 Account-Management/Customer-Care Practices .................... 17Section 2.3 Customer Feedback .............................................................. 29

CHAPTER 3 — STRATEGIC PLANNING ................................................................................... 32Section 3.1 Strategic Planning ................................................................. 34Section 3.2 Vision Statements ................................................................. 36Appendix One Strategic Planning Process .................................................. 254

CHAPTER 4 — BRANDING AND STRATEGIC MARKETING....................................................... 38Section 4.1 Branding Strategies .............................................................. 41Section 4.2 Business Intelligence ............................................................. 43Section 4.3 Product/Service Lifecycle ...................................................... 45Section 4.4 Growth Strategies ................................................................ 49Section 4.5 Every Employee Can Be Part of the Sales Process .................. 51Section 4.6 Selling in a Soft Economy...................................................... 54Appendix Two Strategic Positioning, Market Segmentation and

Customer Segmentation ................................................... 256

CHAPTER 5 — INTERNET ........................................................................................................ 57Section 5.1 Internet Marketing................................................................ 59Section 5.2 Websites .............................................................................. 60Section 5.3 Search Engine Optimization/Pay-Per-Click ............................. 61Section 5.4 Email ................................................................................... 62Section 5.5 New Web Tools ..................................................................... 63

CHAPTER 6 — SALES AND MARKETING MANAGEMENT ........................................................ 64Section 6.1 Sales Managers’ Responsibilities ........................................... 66Section 6.2 Five Factors for Managing Salespeople.................................. 68Section 6.3 Four Famous Selling Fears .................................................... 71Section 6.4 Characteristics of Top Salespeople ......................................... 77Section 6.5 Selling Through Indirect Channels (Software Sales) ................ 83Section 6.6 Managing Independent Sales Reps ........................................ 85Appendix Three Compensation Programs and Goal Setting .......................... 261Appendix Four Recruiting and Interviewing Salespeople.............................. 264

INTRODUCTION ThE BIGGEST SAlES pROBlEM 1 Section A.1 The Biggest Sales problem (Finding Competent Salespeople) 2 Section A.2 The five factors for Success in Sales 4 Section A.3 Sales Aptitude Assessments 5 Section A.4 The Top-Ten Skills of the Super Salespeople 6 Section A.5 The four Major Business Growth processes 7

ChApTER ONE fOCUS ON A fEW TOp pROSpECTS 9 Section 1.1 prospecting 10 Section 1.2 Qualifying leads 16 Section 1.3 lead Management 17 Section 1.4 Telephone Calling processes 22

ChApTER TWO USE COAChES/INSIDERS TO fUllY UNDERSTAND CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS 32 Section 2.1 Identifying Buyers and Using Coaches 33 Section 2.2 Understanding personality Types 37 Section 2.3 Matching/Mirroring personality Types 51

ChApTER ThREE ThOROUGhlY RESEARCh pROSpECTS AND ThEIR ORGANIZATION pRIOR TO fIRST CONTACT 53 Section 3.1 Selling Yourself to The Buyer 54 Section 3.2 Relationship-based Sales 62 Section 3.3 Researching Buyers’ Interests 67 Section 3.4 Guidelines for Initial Contact 68

ChApTER fOUR ASk QUESTIONS AND lISTEN 72 Section 4.1 Ascertaining Needs and proposing Solutions 73 Section 4.2 Becoming a Trusted Advisor 75 Section 4.3 Solution Selling 76 Section 4.4 Asking the Right Questions 78 Section 4.5 The Importance of listening 81

ChApTER fIVE BE A BUSINESS CONSUlTANT AND SOlUTION pROVIDER 87 Section 5.1 Overcoming the Salesperson’s fear 88 Section 5.2 proving The Value of Your Offerings 92 Section 5.3 Offering Solutions 94 Section 5.4 handling Objections 95 Section 5.5 price is Not The Most Important 98

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3Asher © 2007

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 — THE SKILLS AND PROCESSES USED BY THE SUPER SALESPEOPLE..................... 5Section 1.1 The Biggest Sales Problem (Finding Competent Salespeople) ... 6Section 1.2 The Five Factors for Success in Sales ....................................... 8Section 1.3 Sales Aptitude Assessments .................................................... 9Section 1.4 The Top-Ten Skills of the Super Salespeople ........................... 10Section 1.5 Marketing, Sales and Customer-Relationship Strategies ......... 11Section 1.6 The Top-15 Best Practice Marketing, Sales and Customer-

Relationship Processes ....................................................... 12

CHAPTER 2 — ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT/CUSTOMER CARE ................................................. 13Section 2.1 Management Techniques ...................................................... 15Section 2.2 Account-Management/Customer-Care Practices .................... 17Section 2.3 Customer Feedback .............................................................. 29

CHAPTER 3 — STRATEGIC PLANNING ................................................................................... 32Section 3.1 Strategic Planning ................................................................. 34Section 3.2 Vision Statements ................................................................. 36Appendix One Strategic Planning Process .................................................. 254

CHAPTER 4 — BRANDING AND STRATEGIC MARKETING....................................................... 38Section 4.1 Branding Strategies .............................................................. 41Section 4.2 Business Intelligence ............................................................. 43Section 4.3 Product/Service Lifecycle ...................................................... 45Section 4.4 Growth Strategies ................................................................ 49Section 4.5 Every Employee Can Be Part of the Sales Process .................. 51Section 4.6 Selling in a Soft Economy...................................................... 54Appendix Two Strategic Positioning, Market Segmentation and

Customer Segmentation ................................................... 256

CHAPTER 5 — INTERNET ........................................................................................................ 57Section 5.1 Internet Marketing................................................................ 59Section 5.2 Websites .............................................................................. 60Section 5.3 Search Engine Optimization/Pay-Per-Click ............................. 61Section 5.4 Email ................................................................................... 62Section 5.5 New Web Tools ..................................................................... 63

CHAPTER 6 — SALES AND MARKETING MANAGEMENT ........................................................ 64Section 6.1 Sales Managers’ Responsibilities ........................................... 66Section 6.2 Five Factors for Managing Salespeople.................................. 68Section 6.3 Four Famous Selling Fears .................................................... 71Section 6.4 Characteristics of Top Salespeople ......................................... 77Section 6.5 Selling Through Indirect Channels (Software Sales) ................ 83Section 6.6 Managing Independent Sales Reps ........................................ 85Appendix Three Compensation Programs and Goal Setting .......................... 261Appendix Four Recruiting and Interviewing Salespeople.............................. 264

ChApTER SIX USE AppROpRIATE MARkETING MESSAGES 105 Section 6.1 Value-Added Selling 106 Section 6.2 Appropriate Marketing Message 107 Section 6.2.1 Killer Arguments 108 Section 6.2.2 Key Discriminators 110 Section 6.2.3 Ghosting Discriminators 111 Section 6.2.4 Return-On-Investment Analysis 112 Section 6.2.5 Testimonial Letters 117

ChApTER SEVEN RECOGNIZE ThE BUYER’S ShIfT 119 Section 7.1 Closing When The Buyer Is Ready 120 Section 7.2 Recognizing the “Buyer’s Shift” 121

ChApTER EIGhT kNOW hOW TO ClOSE ThE SAlE 124 Section 8.1 The Closing point 125 Section 8.2 Closing Approaches 126 Section 8.3 Sales To Avoid 136

ChApTER NINE BUIlDING lONG-TERM RElATIONShIpS 137 Section 9.1 Client Service 138 Section 9.2 Account Management 140 Section 9.3 handling Customer problems 147 Section 9.4 Customer feedback 150

ChApTER TEN ASk fOR REfERRAlS 152 Section 10.1 Referral Marketing 153 Section 10.2 Generating Referrals and following Up 154

ChApTER ElEVEN USING fORMAl SAlES pROCESSES 156 Section 11.1 prioritizing Opportunities 157 Section 11.2 Twenty-Step New Business Capture process 159 Section 11.3 Ten-Step Sales process 162

OffERINGS fROM AShER 164

SAlES AND MARkETING BIBlIOGRAphY 168

QUIZ/BlANkS ANSWER kEY 169

IMpORTANT lEARNING pOINTS NOTE pAGES 170

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1

Section A.1 The Biggest Sales Problem

Section A.2 The Five Factors For Success In Sales

Section A.3 Sales Aptitude Assessments

Section A.4 The Top-Ten Skills of the Super Salespeople

Section A.5 Characteristics of a Successful Salesperson

INTRODUCTION

The Biggest Sales ProblemFinding Competent Salespeople

The Biggest Sales Problem

Finding Competent Salespeople

The top 4% of the country’s salespeople sell _____% of the country’s goods and services

• When you eliminate the large capital sales 20% of the salespeople sell 62%

— 2004 study at Harvard University of 100,000 business-to-business salespeople — 25 year study by The Gallup organization of 3,000,000 salespeople (completed in 2005)

— Study of 80,000 salespeople by H. R. Chally (published in 2007)

Section A.1: The Biggest Sales Problem

Demographics

280 million people 180 million working people 17 million outside salespeople 3 million inside salespeople 3 million sales engineers, sales associates, recruiters, estimators 2 million executives, program managers, sales managers and business development people

= 25 million B2B salespeople— 2000 U.S. Census

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The Positive Result

4% of 25 million salespeople = One million super salespeople

The Less Than Positive Result

96% of 25 million salespeople = 24 million “others”

The 2007 USA turnover rate for outside salespeople was 37 percent

— Bureau of Labor Statistics Department of Commerce

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Section A.2: The Five Factors For Success in Sales

The Super Salespeople

1 Product Know their business, their customer’s Knowledge: business and their competitor’s business extremely well

2 Aptitude: Are born with a natural talent for sales

3 Selling Skills: Know and use the top-ten sales skills

4 Motivation: Are self-motivated, are in the right typeof sales position and are continually selling

5 Sales Are working in companies that have Processes: best-practice branding, marketing, sales and customer relationship processes to support them

– And the salespeople have the values and discipline to follow through with them

— Dr. Larry Craft

* Numerous correlation studies show that 50% of the results for outside salespeople are due to their natural talent (aptitude).

*

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Section A.3: Sales Aptitude Assessments

Sales Aptitude Assessments

The idea that anyone can sell is nonsense– Even in the best companies, 35% of the sales force does not have

the aptitude necessary to reliably achieve acceptable results

The total cost of hiring the wrong person is:– $15,000 for a retail clerk– $150,000 for an outside business-to-business salesperson selling

complex solutions

The natural talent of every person for any role in a company can be measured on a scale of 0 to 50 with a description of...– Personality type, strengths and weaknesses– How to best manage the person to maximize sales (or results)

Assessment can be used for numerous roles, including:– Sales manager– Inside salesperson– Outside salesperson– Customer service representative

Available on Internet 7/24/365– www.asherstrategies.com

— Discover Your Sales Strengths

Definition of APTITUDE

ap·ti·tude n. 1. An inherent ability, as for learning; a talent.

2. The condition or quality of being suitable; appropriateness.

— Wikipedia

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1. Focus on a few top prospects– Give them a lot of contacts

2. Use coaches (insiders) to fully understand customer requirements– Match/mirror personality types with prospects– Use neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) techniques

3. Thoroughly research prospects and their organizations prior to first contact– Know how to get buyers to talk about themselves and their business issues

4. Ask questions and listen much more than they talk 5. Because of their superb knowledge, they can act as a

business consultant and solution provider– Help prospects solve problems– Know how to overcome objections

6. Provide appropriate marketing messages to prospects– Killer arguments (we’ve done it before)– Key discriminators (why they should choose us)– Ghosting discriminators (why they shouldn’t choose the competition)– Business case analysis/Return-On-Investment (why fund this activity at all?)– Testimonial letters (who says so?)

7. Recognize when buyers are ready to buy (Buyer’s Shift) 8. Know how to close the sale 9. Build long-term relationships with prospects and customers by

providing superb customer-care/account-management services10. Ask for referrals and use a process to follow up on them

— “The Top Ten Skills of the Super Salespeople”

Section A.4: The Top-Ten Skills of the Super Salespeople** These skills are listed in the order they are normally used by super salespeople

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Branding– Raise market awareness such that when an unqualified lead

becomes qualified, they contact you

Marketing– Get qualified leads

Selling– Use the first eight of the selling skills

(page 8) to pursue and close the qualified lead

Account Management– Use selling skills nine and ten to •Executeflawlessly •Up/Crosssell •Askfor,andfollowupon,referrals

— “How to Hire and Develop Your Next Top Performer”

Section A.5: The Four Major Business Growth Processes

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They Persevere

Persistence trumps brilliance almost every time– It is not the size of the dog in the fight; it’s the size of the fight in the dog!

Most salespeople give up after three contacts; on average, it takes ____ contacts to make the sale

When asked how many contacts they make before giving up, the most successful salespeople refuse to give an answer– They pursue qualified prospects until the prospect “buys or dies”

— 2006 Survey by AMACON (NYC)

“Wendy will be with you in a minute. In the meantime, feel free to pump

yourself up.”

Have a Positive Attitude

Have an enthusiastic outlook (glass is half full) Have an enthusiastic answer to “How are you?” Are always excited and up

– A positive attitude is contagious– The more passionately you believe, the more persuasive you become

— Charles Schwab

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Section 1.1 Prospecting

Section 1.2 Qualifying Leads

Section 1.3 Lead Management

Section 1.4 Telephone Calling Processes

CHAPTER ONE

Focus on a Few Top ProspectsTop-Ten Skill Number One

Section 1.1: Prospecting

Generating Prospects

General Guidelines

Call three current customers every week and ask for referrals

Call three new prospects every day right after lunch

Make several appointments per week– One in the morning– One in the afternoon

Take a current or prospective customer to breakfast or lunch at least once a week

Go to at least one meeting a month for networking purposes

As appropriate, coordinate closely with marketing to follow up on the leads they generate

— “Your Sales-call Success Ratio is All in the Numbers” — “The Sales Hunter”

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Sizing Up Prospects

Readiness to buy depends on four variables– Source of lead – Timing– Need – Budget

Source (where they came from)– Three points for a referral– Two points because it came from a known source (e.g.,

website)– One point for an unknown source (cold)

Need (the prospect’s reason for responding)– Three points because of a mission critical need– Two points for doing research for a planned project in the

future– One point for curiosity

Timing (how soon they will make a decision)– Three points for immediately– Two points for three to six months– One point for sometime in the future

Budget (do they have the money to pay for it?)– Three points if it is in the budget– Two points if budget has been requested– One point for no budget

Action needed– 12 points – immediate attention– 10 - 11 points – start making appointments and using coaches– Eight to nine points – use email and phone– Less than eight points – shift to marketing

— “Opt-In Marketing”

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Prospecting Networking Technology

Shorten sales cycle time by 25% Can turn cold leads into a referral Can help you find coaches for new and existing

opportunities Examples

– Linkedin.com (free site that lets you search your online network by keyword, name, industry locations or title)

– Spoke.com (combines basic corporate data from licensed vendors, web crawling and its user interface ... 35 million contacts)

– Jigsaw.com (online marketplace where users can buy or trade business card contacts ... 5 million contacts)

— “Six Degrees of Separation” (Dr. Stanley Milgram)

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Generating Prospects in Your Existing Vertical Markets

Analyze your best clients to find your verticals (financial, healthcare, etc.)

Find other prospects in the same verticals. Use:– Industry directories– State and regional associations– National trade and professional associations

Become an expert in the industry

Join trade or group associations– Give talks and presentations at meetings

Put the information you gain in customer-focused newsletters

— “The Art of Sales Momentum”

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Starting Rich Conversations Immediately When Networking

Reveal something personal about yourself: (“What do you think about this conference? I have been on the road a lot and miss my wife and kids.”)– People will respond in kind– You gain intimacy

immediately– When others volunteer

something personal, show empathy (“Yes, that’s true for me too.”)

Strengthen the bond by looking for opportunities to give something to the other person– Technical, professional or personal information

When approaching bigwigs or speakers, start with:– I have followed your recommendations with great results.– They will want to help you Do not be embarrassed to accept the help. “It is a gift to let others help you!”

— Keith Ferrazzi

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Generate Leads By Looking for Chaos Look for chaos — it leads to opportunity

– Revenue problems– Rapid growth– Mergers and Acquisitions– Competitor’s salesperson leaves– Personnel changes– Reorganizing/Reengineering– CRM/ERP Implementation– Recession

Chaos usually means prospects are open to new solutions– From new providers (their problem is caused by their current provider)

— “Selling is a Woman’s Game”

Other Lead Generating Techniques Look at classified ads looking for people in your market

– Perhaps they should outsource the work to your company instead– Especially in markets with very low unemployment rates

Optimize your website for search engines/use pay-per-click Generate leads at trade shows Use your field team

– Those people closest to the customer generate the best leads Use internal cold-call specialists (telemarketing) Join business/nonprofit/industry groups Follow clients as they change jobs/organizations When at the prospect’s site, ask support people, “Where did

you work before you came here?”– Can generate great leads

Give a lead to get a lead Outsource lead generation to a company that specializes in it

— Antower and Company

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Section 1.2: Qualifying Leads

Qualify Leads/Referrals By Asking Questions

Does this prospect fit the profile of our ideal customer group (e.g., Fortune 2000 manufacturer in upper midwest with over ten IT people)?

Does the prospect have a critical or urgent ______?– A key driving force causing the prospect to take action

Is solving this need in the organization’s budget?– Can the prospect get the money?– Is the budget approved?

Has a purchasing time frame been established?– e.g., will a buying decision be made within 90 days?

Do we understand the decision-making process?

Have we identified the right decision makers who have the authority to buy?– User, technical and economic buyers

Do we have a coach in or close to the customer’s organization?

Do we have a potential solution to satisfy the prospect’s need?– Can we provide a credible hard ROI?

Are the projected revenues and margins sufficient for us?

What is the prospect organization’s credit history and current financial condition?

Is this a buyer that we want as a customer?— “The New Solution Selling”

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Section 1.3: Lead Management

Lead Management

It takes an average of _____ contacts to make the sale to a qualified prospect in business-to-business sales– The average salesperson only makes ________ before they move on

A contact can be a:– Personal visit – Instant message– Telephone call – Audio postcard (salesforceaudio.com)– Voice mail message – Personal note– Text message – Copies of interesting articles– Email exchange – Social engagements– Direct mail – Newsletters– Broadcast email – Special reports– Webinar – Sporting event– Tweet – Facebook/Myspace

Use Client Dynamics software and/or “Google alerts” to email recent interesting new articles or blog entries

The thumb rule for contact frequency is once a month– Use customer-relationship management (CRM) software tools to

manage contacts

Use standard voice mails to ease recording time in CRM Always leave an interaction with a buyer with an action item

for yourself, even if you have to suggest it When appropriate, send an email to the prospect thanking

them for the initial meeting and summarizing the agreed-to action items– Within 24 hours of the meeting

— Zig Ziglar

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Rationale Behind the 12 Contacts Rule(Business-to-Business Sales)

It takes time for the prospect to feel comfortable with you, your product/service and your organization

Prospect company’s internal decision process/budgetary issues/timing

Prospect has other priorities (other “stuff”) Need to displace an incumbent or beat other

competitors

A Minimum Number of Quality Contacts Are Required

Of the 12 contacts required, the average buyer requires seven quality contacts prior to a sale– Face-to-face discussions– Discussions on the phone– Active email/instant messaging/

text messaging exchange

Average salesperson makes only ______ quality contacts with each prospect

— 2000 Study at Harvard Business School

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Perseverance Pays Off

80% of all sales opportunities are closed only after the fifth contact, but (oops) . . .

– Only ______% of the salespeople make more than five contacts

— “Psychology of Selling”

Focus on a Few Top Prospects

Average salespeople make a ______ contacts on a ______ of prospects

Top salespeople make a _______ of contacts on a _______ top prospects

— “Selling to Very Important Top Officers (VITO))”

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The Focus Formula

Based on how long it takes to make a contact, your average sales cycle time and the percentage of the time you are actually selling, make a rough calculation of how many prospects you

have time to touch twelve times during your selling cycle.

Example: ASSUMPTIONS Average time spent making contacts (quality and non-quality) is one hour Average sales cycle time is six months Average work hours in a day is eight National average for the % of time sales people actually sell

(for complex sales) is 27% Average number of contacts made to a buyer before the close is 12

CALCULATIONS

Make sure you are focusing on the correct number of prospects.

1,040 work hours in a six-month sales cycle27% percentage of workday spent actually selling

280 “selling hours” in the six months12 contacts to close the sale (each one takes an hour)

23 PROSPECTS TO FOCUS ON

X

=

=

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Improving Time Management

At the end of the day, make a list of tomorrow’s action items

Prioritize the action items

Make action items that are related to more sales the top priority every day

Allocate a set time for each task– Focus on managing your time, not

managing your tasks

Analyze how you spend your time in a daily log and review it at the end of each week– Identify the top three things you do that

add value to the company Spend more time doing them Stop doing almost everything else

– Identify items that should/could be done by someone else just as well or better than you

Shift them, delegate them or change the underlying company process

– Identify others’ time that you waste; ask them for input Change your behavior

– Identify the recurring fire drills Fix the processes

– Analyze attendance at meetings Is there an agenda? An objective?

Use technology (e.g., CRM) to better manage information— “The Effective Executive”

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Section 1.4: Telephone Calling Process

Warm Call Process

1. Introduce yourself2. Grab attention (the grabber)3. State reason for call4. Convey benefits to the buyer

– Use killer arguments, ghosting discriminators or ROI– Using metrics (e.g., ROI) is most convincing

5. Make a request for time

All five steps are usually completed uninterrupted in less than 15 seconds.

Used by top sales professionals to get what they want on the

telephone

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Introduce Yourself

Who are you?

“Good morning, Mr. Brown. I’m John Smith with Southern Security Systems.”

— In general, do not use first names on the first call.

Grab Attention

Why shouldn’t I hang up right now?

I’m calling at the suggestion of ...” (your coach) “I just read the article you wrote for the ...” “In researching your website, I noticed that ...”

— “Customer Driven Sales”

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State Reason for Call

Why are you calling me?

“I’m calling because we’ve just introduced a new technology that will affect your business.”

“I’d like to briefly describe how we can be your backup supplier for packaging supplies.”

“I’m calling about your need for office furniture for your new facility.”

Convey Benefits to the Buyer

What’s in it for me?

“Our single sign-on system will typically pay for itself in reduced call center costs in about six months.”

“Our product helps our customers cut production cycle time by about 30%.”

“Using our sales training, our three most recent clients have increased sales by 11 to 16 percent in the first three months.”

Note: Using actual percentages and/or dollars gained/saved (ROI) for your current clients increases the

impact on the prospect by an order of magnitude

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Example

“Hello, Mr. Jones. I’m Donna Smith from Trident Software Systems. Bill Short suggested I give you a call about your need to reduce internal call center costs. Our single sign-on system reduces these costs and pays for itself in about six months. Do you have a minute to discuss this?”

Keys to Making These Calls

Keep it short, simple, tight and focused

Use the coach (Bill Short)

Keep it conversational (shouldn’t sound like you are reading a script)

Combine steps if possible - “Bill Short suggested I give you a call (step 2), about your need for office furniture.” (step3)

Have an ROI (pays for itself in six months)

Make a Request for Time

“Do you have a minute to discuss this?”

“Do you have a moment?”

“Have I caught you at a good time?”— “Customer Service NOW”

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If You Get Their Voice Mail

Use exactly the same procedure Match the tone of their message Call again, every 24 hours for three days

– If you haven’t heard back, send an email

Responses to “No”

If the prospect says– “No”– “I am happy with my current

supplier.”

Sample responses– “We would appreciate the

opportunity to qualify as your backup supplier.”

– “I appreciate your candor. Before I hang up, may I ask if your mind is completely closed to this idea, or is there a slight chance that you might re-examine this need at some future time?


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Improve Your Vocal

Stand up when making telephone calls– Gives your voice more power– USC study discovered that the brain’s information processing

power increases by up to 20% when standing

Use a mirror when making calls– Makes it seem like you are in person– Put a smile on your face– Keeps you focused, increases confidence and increases sales

Take the time to speak clearly Keep your voice pitched as low as you comfortably can Listen to your own voice mail

– Identify poor speaking habits

It is particularly important for people with _________ to speak slowly

— “201 Super Sales Tips”

Impact of the Two Vs

This is how people remember you from your phone conversation or voice mail.

Vocal (how you sounded) (_______ percent) Verbal (what you said) (_______ percent)

— Study by Dr. Albert Mehrabian at UCLA

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Other Considerations

__________________ is the best day to call Call early or late and bypass the gatekeeper

— Liaison Agency

Voice Mail Considerations

Voice mail is here to stay so integrate it into your sales efforts

Leaving a routine voicemail– Use their full name and your full name “Hello, this is Angela Green from the customer service

department of Southwest Airlines calling for Mr. Don Adams”– Slow ______ when you leave your phone number– Consider leaving your name and phone number

__________________ Beginning and end– Start by saying “area code ....” Gives them a chance to get ready to write– Include the date and time of your call And, the date/time you can be reached

In your recorded message, clearly state when they can expect a call back, e.g., within one business day

— J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Customer Satisfaction Survey

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Winning Over Gatekeepers

For some buyers, gatekeepers act as virtual assistant buyers– They screen sellers based on their knowledge of the company’s

needs and the seller’s offerings– Treat them like buyers! Respect their position!– They can really help you (or hurt you)

If they ask, “Is there something I can help you with,” tell them– Establish credibility by referencing the coach, the research

you’ve done or the triggering event that identified the company as a prospect

Show your value proposition with appropriate marketing messages

Remember their names; makes them feel important Mention their helpfulness to your customer Send them hand-written thank you notes Build rapport; turn them into your __________

— “Selling to VITO” — “Selling to Big Companies”

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Using Receptionists EffectivelyRECEPTIONIST: XYZ Company. How can I direct your call?

YOU: Hi, my name is Joe. May I have your name please?

RECEPTIONIST: This is Beth. How can I help you?

YOU: Beth, I need help. What is the name of the person responsible for buying office supplies for your company?

RECEPTIONIST: That would be Bill Hardnose. He’s not available. Would you like his voice mail?

YOU: Beth, yes, but before you do, could you give me his extension number and the best time to reach him?

KEY POINT: Once you have built a little rapport, you can ask a wide range of questions.

— “The Certifiable Salesperson”

ASKING FOR HELP IS THE KEY TECHNIQUE

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Scheduling Sales Calls

Before 8:00 a.m.– Less interruptions– Customer’s agreement is a big buy signal

Breakfast meetings– Less vulnerable to cancellation– Saves prospect time– Simple menu; more time for discussion– Prospect knows it is not a social event

After 3:00 p.m. on Friday– Prospects are more relaxed, more forthcoming, less

harassed and less defensive– Getting a deal done late in the week provides a nice sense

of accomplishment for buyers— “How to Become a Rainmaker”

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Section 2.1 Identifying Buyers and Using Coaches

Section 2.2 Understanding Personality Types

Section 2.3 Matching or Mirroring Personality Types

CHAPTER TWO

Use Coaches/Insiders to FullyUnderstand Customer Requirements

Top-Ten Skill Number Two

Identify the Buyers

* In most cases we need a yes from all three of these buyers.— “Strategic Selling”

BUYER DESCRIPTION ASKS

User* Selects you to help them get their job done

“Will your offering respond to my need?”

Technical/System*

Gives technical approval “Does it meet specifications/requirements?”

Economic/Strategic*

Approves the money transfer to your company

“What kind of return will I get on the investment?”

Your champion in, or close to, the buying organization

“What information can I give you to help you make this sale?”

Section 2.1: Identifying Buyers and Using Coaches

33

Five Criteria For a Coach

Credible within the prospect’s organization

Knowledgeable of the organization’s requirements

Person with whom you have credibility

Wants you to get the job

Can be inside or very close to the buyer’s organization– The User buyer is usually the best possible coach– Always useful to have multiple coaches

— “Strategic Selling”

SHORT CUTTING THE 12 CONTACT RULEOne of the principal short cuts to the

12 contact rule is having a coach

34

Percentage of Executives Agreeing to Meet with Salespeople

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%

Coach No Coach No Coach

A typical 80/20 rule— “Executive Selling”

Inside Recommendation

Outside Referral

Offsite Contact

Salesperson Letter Followed By Call

Salesperson Telephone Call

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Finding Coaches

Use your current customer base

Use your vendors, suppliers and consultants

Ask referral sources to be __________

Use channel partners

Ask everyone in your organization (use email)

Find areas where you can join forces with a salesperson from another company while avoiding direct competition (be each other’s coach)– “You get me into one of your accounts” (FEDEX)– “In turn, I’ll get you into one of mine” (J&J)

Build relationships with salespeople in your prospect’s organization

Use social networking sites– Linkedin.com– Alumni Websites

— “Codebreakers; How to Close a Million-Dollar Sale in Two Sales Calls”

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Ego Drive

Ego Drive is the proactive dynamic behind human behavior. When it comes to completing their job duties or overcoming obstacles, individuals with high Ego Drive are risk-takers who place an emphasis upon the end result and “back into” the systems or relationships required to achieve it.

On the other hand, individuals with low Ego Drive are more ____________ and consistent and depend upon traditional systems, processes and/or relationships to achieve results.

Empathy

Empathy is the emotional/intuitive insight to perceive the needs of others.

When it comes to completing job duties or overcoming obstacles, individuals with high Empathy are more relationship-centered and emphasize social skills and personal insight.

Individuals with low Empathy are more task-oriented and emphasize self-discipline and efficiency.

Section 2.2: Understanding Personality Types

37

Personality Types


High Ego Drive (impatient)

Low Ego Drive (patient)

Low Empathy (task oriented)

High Empathy (people oriented)

34% * 39% *

8% * 19% *

* % of top salespeople with this personality type

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Driver

The Driver has a high Ego Drive coupled with Low Empathy, causing them to confidently and efficiently focus on the results of any effort. Their high Ego Drive produces impatience while their low Empathy keeps personal relationships from interrupting their on-task behavior.

Well-known examples of the Driver style are the U.S. General George S. Patton, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, American director/actor Clint Eastwood, General Norman Schwarzkopf, music icon Madonna, Republican Senator John McCain, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

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Driver Recognition Factors Work area is formal and often cold Desk keeps you at arm’s length Office doesn’t contain many personal items Greeting is formal and firm; lacks charm Leans forward and looks through you Nonexpressive body/facial movements Not interested in your personal life; sometimes abrasive Direct and to the point; readily discloses expectations Opinionated; poor listening skills

Driver/Authoritative CharacteristicsDominating, forceful, competitive, tough, stubborn Ambitious, decisive, strong-willed, highly-motivated,

independent, goal oriented and assertive Fast talker/fast paced, high energy, action oriented Likes to take control; problem solver, independent Short attention span, impatient, intolerant when goals not

met; task-oriented; self-motivated Processes information quickly; initiates change Will talk forcibly about the bottom line, results-oriented;

doesn’t get bogged down in details Good at putting things in context, efficient, workaholic,

impulsive, not a team player Cool demeanor; decisive, willing to take risksLess of a need for close personal relationships

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Getting a Decision from a Driver

DO . . .

Use spoken communications; it reaches them better than written

Be punctual and precise Maintain good eye contact; exude confidence Be clear, specific, brief and to the point Stick to the big picture Come with organized support material Present bulletized list of recommendations Let them control the sales interview and tell you what they

want Selling points: money, time, efficiency, power, status,

shortcuts Let them make the decision via choices Tell them about other high profile decision makers who do

business with you

DON’T . . .

Get into their space by leaning forward Appear disorganized Leave loopholes or cloudy issues Talk about details Emphasize a personal relationship Exaggerate features/benefits

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Motivator

The Motivator has a high Ego Drive coupled with high Empathy, causing them to be motivated toward meeting and entertaining others. Their high Ego Drive produces an impatience for results and a need to be socially active while their high Empathy produces a relationship-centered need to relate to others.

Well-known examples of the Motivator style are former President Bill Clinton, comedic actors Jim Carrey and Robin Williams, talk show hosts Regis Philbin and Oprah, President Barrack Obama, and comedian Jerry Seinfeld.

42

Motivator/Persuasive Characteristics Expressive, personable, outgoing, optimistic, stimulating and

motivating Magnetic, enthusiastic, demonstrative, political, talkative and

good sense of humor Fast-paced and energetic; goal-oriented Thrives on options, possibilities, plans and change Creative, big picture type; dream chasers Not always strong on follow through; avoids details Desire to please; service driven; fun to work with Innovative, interactive, articulate, cooperative Likes new situations and meeting new people Warm personality; great communicator; big talker Excellent communication skills; enjoys selling and persuading Does not like making decisions

Motivator Recognition Factors Greets you enthusiastically; socially impulsive Work area is typically cluttered, disorganized Prefers close physical distance Has active/expressive body movements Work area contains personal information, toys Leans forward when talking Likes to talk about personal life Friendly, open and talkative; shifts subjects frequently Poor listener, easily bored Not good at time management Relies on hunches

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Getting a Decision From a Motivator

DO . . .

Greet them informally with enthusiasm Use examples, stories and experiences Feel free to name drop; compliment them Provide a warm and friendly atmosphere Be ready for changes in direction; support their ideas Allow time for them to consider options Stay with the big picture Provide testimonials from people they perceive as

important Be patient Allow them to talk about themselves Allow them to express opinions/feelings Be interesting and entertaining, but brief

DON’T . . .

Erect barriers Be cold, curt or tight-lipped Control the conversation or cut them off Emphasize facts, figures and abstractions Provide unnecessary detail Be competitive Be argumentative

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Thinker

The Thinker has a low Ego Drive coupled with low Empathy, causing them to emphasize sales processes that involve preparation, organization, and detailed analysis of information. Their low Ego Drive produces a methodical, step-by-step approach while their low Empathy keeps personal relationships from distracting them.

Well-known examples of the Thinker style are Alan Greenspan, Spock (Star Trek), Columbo (Peter Faulk), golf professional Tiger Woods and former CEO and chairman of Microsoft, Bill Gates.

45

Thinker/Analytical Characteristics Analytical, introspective; relies on structure and procedures to

complete duties Deliberate, distant and reserved Dependable, neat, conservative, logical, precise, perfectionist,

careful, deep and thoughtful Slow talker; slow and even paced, systematic, motivated by

security, precision and order Thrives on details. Processes a lot of info. Wants to know the whole story; skeptical, accurate Respects people who provide thorough analysis and organized

background information Cool demeanor, hates to be wrong

– Typically ignores the emotional or feeling aspects of a situation– Low need for acceptance

Thinker Recognition Factors Skeptical of the intention of others; insensitive to needs of others Has neat, well organized work area Greets you formally and without enthusiasm Dress and work area are conservative Shows no emotion Facial expressions nonexistent Over analyzes things before speaking; methodical Writes things down and takes notes Wants facts, figures, details Overly cautious Says “I think” rather than “I feel”

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Getting a Decision From a Thinker

DO . . .

Be well organized and on time Provide written materials and thorough research in advance Be patient and persistent Carefully prepare; have detailed analysis; use email Provide facts and numbers Provide information in a linear fashion Be accurate and realistic; don’t exaggerate, be precise; be logical Be polite Follow through on promises; missing a deadline is seen as a

personal affront Close only after addressing all concerns

DON’T . . .

Get in their space by leaning forward Be giddy, casual, informal or loud Waste time with small talk Be disorganized or messy Jump from subject to subject Try to rush through decision making Be overly friendly Be overly expressive or emotional

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Supporter

The Supporter has a low Ego Drive coupled with high Empathy, causing them to give more priority to close relationships. Their low Ego Drive produces patience and tolerance while their high Empathy gives them the ability to perceive the needs of the buyer and build long-term relationships.

Well-known examples of the Supporter style are Mother Theresa, former First Lady Nancy Reagan, American actress Grace Kelly, the late Princess Diana and actress and Good Ambassador Angelina Jolie.

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Supporter/Amicable Characteristics Amiable, well liked, sensitive to others, friendly Patient, predictable, reliable, steady, relaxed, modest,

noncompetitive, soft hearted, easy going Dislikes intellectual analysis, slow to change, possessive;

low ego drive Slow paced, consistent, patient, slow to make decisions Family-oriented, interpersonal, self-sacrificing Will pass your idea around the office to get full consensus;

team player; avoids risk Concerned with feelings of others; very empathetic Happiest when everyone is happy; enjoys relationships that

are open and honest Warm personality; service-driven

Supporter Recognition Factors Work area has photos of loved ones Greets you warmly with enthusiasm; sensitive to your

needs Has genuine interest in you; concentrates on you Has transparent facial expressions Easygoing and slow paced Agreeable; wants to please you Avoids conflict whenever possible; keeps opinions to

themselves Seeks advice from others Says “I feel” rather than “I think”

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Getting a Decision From a Supporter

DO . . .

Use casual, down-to-earth approach Give a slow-paced presentation Provide validation that is well established and conservative Emphasize personal relationship building Have patience, emphasize service to others Be tactful, appreciative Present yourself softly, nonthreateningly Be a good listener Encourage discussions of fears/concerns Keep personal notes (birthdays) Ask questions to determine needs Ask them for their help Discuss feelings instead of facts

DON’T . . .

Erect barriers between you Be domineering or demanding Rush headlong into the decision process Force quick response to your questions Provide solutions with no structure Disrupt the status quo

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Benefit of Matching or Mirroring Personality Types

________% will eventually buy when personality types are matched or mirrored

Only _________% will eventually buy when personality types are neither matched nor mirrored

Selling diagonally across the personality types is most difficult (e.g., Driver to Supporter)

Another 80/20 Rule

— Cargill Consulting Group, Inc.

The Two 80/20 Rules


80% X 80% = 64%Got a •coach

Successfully •match or mirror personality type

Chance of •making the sale

20% X 20% = 4%No •

coachFailed to match •

or mirrorChance of •

making the sale (cold call)

Section 2.3: Matching or Mirroring Personality Types

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Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP)

A new field that attempts to understand why some people are terrifically successful– What they do differently in terms of thinking, language use and behavior

NLP research shows that these terrifically successful people build rapport quickly with others by literally matching them in both spoken and body language

As you communicate with others, match– Postures – Voice tones– Hand gestures – Buzz words– Other body language – Breathing rates

If you can accomplish this in a natural, unobtrusive way, you can quickly establish uncommon rapport with little effort– The uncommon rapport happens subconsciously– The other person quickly says to their subconscious, “Wow, this person

is just like me. They are GREAT!”— “Neuro-linguistic Programming for Dummies”

To Effectively Mirror Personality Types

Give the buyer the necessary information, based on their personality type, to make the decision– Not what you naturally want to give based on your personality type

Respond to their speed (fast or slow)– Driver and motivator personality types are __________ decision makers,

talkers and thinkers– Supporter and thinker personality types are __________ decision makers,

talkers and thinkers

Mirror their personality temperature (warm or cool)– Drivers and thinkers __________– Motivators and supporters __________

— Cargill Consulting Group, Inc.

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INTRODUCTION


53

Section 3.1 Selling Yourself to The Buyer

Section 3.2 Relationship-based Sales

Section 3.3 Researching Buyer’s Interests

Section 3.4 Guidelines for Initial Contact

CHAPTER THREE

Thoroughly Research Prospectsand Their Organization Prior

to the First ContactTop-Ten Skill Number Three

Section 3.1: Selling Yourself to The Buyer

Good at Selling Themselves

We are all salespeople every day of our lives– We are selling our dreams, plans and ideas to all with

whom we come in contact

“You must sell yourself before you can sell your organization, your product or your service.”– “The customer may buy you and not the product” “They won’t buy the product without buying you”

“______% of buyers must be comfortable with sellers before the sale can take place.”

— Zig Ziglar

First Impressions

You never get a second chance to make a first impression– It happens in ___________ seconds

— “Zig Ziglar”

First impressions are very important– People make up their minds about you in about

__________ seconds— “Psychology of Selling”

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The Subtle Importance of Appearance

Buyers unconsciously use your appearance to make inferences and draw conclusions– Happens fast– Can you sell a high-end car wearing cheap, unshined shoes? The prospect’s brain screams “Warning: Incongruity!” and starts looking for other mismatches, this time in your offering

Image consultants advise (as appropriate to your industry)– Update your eyeglasses– Whiten your teeth– Wear a first class watch– Keep your car neat and clean– Shine your shoes and heel edges– Use business cards with photo (as appropriate for your industry)

Dress should signal confidence, success, expertise, sensitivity, professionalism and attention to detail

When people dress more casually, they tend to act more casually and less professionally

— Michele Nichols

Importance of Appearance

The impact of the three Vs– Visual (how you look) (_____ percent)– Vocal (how you sound) (_____ percent)– Verbal (what you say) (_____ percent)

This is how people initially judge you— Study by Dr. Albert Mehrabian at UCLA

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We Make Up Our Minds Fast

People decide 10 things about you within 10 seconds of seeing you– Your economic level– Your educational level– Your trustworthiness– Your social position– Your level of sophistication– Your social heritage– Your educational heritage– Your economic heritage– Your level of success in life– Your moral character

Your goal is to create an aura of confidence and assuredness when you walk into a room– Make sure your clothing

contributes its part

Your posture is one critical aspect– Walk and stand with confidence– Stomach in, shoulders back and head up

— “Breakthrough Networking - Building relationships that last”

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Appearance Is Disproportionately Important

You do not want to turn off the buyer because of the way you are dressed or the way you look– 55% of how they judge you– Most people have expectations of how you should look —

don’t disappoint them!– Ask your coach (or the admin) “How should I dress for

this meeting?”

A $250 Billion Procurement

Which one would you choose as the joint tactical fighter aircraft for the 21st century?

BOEING LOCKHEED MARTIN

57

Importance of Maintaining a Professional Image

APPEARANCE

IMAgE is what you reflect to others in your APPEARANCE, ATTITUDE and bEhAvIOR

DO’s Clean shoes before putting away Organize closet by pieces and color Invest in a full-length mirror Keep a lint brush handy Stand tall Use good eye contact Maintain pleasant

facial expression

MISTAKES Chewing gum No eye contact Casual clothing Wrinkled clothing Stained teeth Chipped nail polish No smile Run in hosiery Scuffed shoes Hair unkempt Biting fingernails Poor choice of accessories Too many accessories (too

many rings) Standing with arms folded

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DO’s 100% POSITIVE ATTITUDE

AT ALL TIMES Maintain a can-do attitude even

in tough situations Challenge with respect and

understanding of other’s views Treat every person no matter

their position, race or gender exactly the same and with respect

Praise the success of others

MISTAKES Negative Complains Undermines the successes of

others Sarcastic Hyper-critical of others Gossips about the company,

co-workers, vendors Jealous of others Bringing personal issues into

the workplace

DO’s Treat professional “hat” like a

part in a play - rehearse the lines and scenarios

Understand your role in the play

MISTAKES Sloppy speaking habits (i.e.

“You Know?”, “Yeah!”, “Like”) Aggressive Undermining the successes

and reputation of others

Importance of Maintaining a Professional Image continued

ATTITUDE

bEhAvIOR

59

DO’s Speak clearly Maintain professional

character at all times Enunciate Pause for effort Use inflections Use proper grammar

MISTAKES Unpredictable Belittle people in front

of others Highly critical Impolite Not a team player - won’t

share the spotlight Jokes at other’s expense Discriminatory Silent treatment

Professional Image Inventory

1. Take 1 minute and share your strengths

2. Take 1 minute and share your weaknesses

3. Strategize with teammate for improvements

4. Sign an agreement and share accountability

bEhAvIOR

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Other Initial Impression Principles

Smile (shows interest, excitement, empathy and concern)– Most men smile when

they are pleased– Most women smile

to please

Make solid eye contact– Maintaining good eye

contact denotes attention, concentration and true concern for what the customer is saying

– Make it and keep it

Address people by their name– British Airways boosted its customer satisfaction

ratings 60% by getting employees to address customers courteously by name

Have a firm handshake (web-to-web) with solid eye contact– Both women and men– Straight up and down; two or three pumps– Avoid the bone-crusher, limp fish and double-handclasp

handshakes

Do not carry a ______________ into the first meeting– Or too big a purse/handbag/pocketbook

— “Nothing Happens Until We Communicate”

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Gender Differences

When selling to women– Listen and do not interrupt– Men use interruptions as a control tactic—it turns

women off– Treat women equally in all aspects of business

Women thrive on emotional satisfaction from the sale– Help them feel the sale

Women are interested in the product, not long stories– Shorter is better

When selling to men– Speak clearly and confidently– Present the facts and hard evidence– Have a sense of humor

Men respond to it better than women

— 2006 Survey by Miller and Miller, Inc.

Section 3.2: Relationship-based Sales

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Meetings and Social Event Tips

Stand up straight Introduce people to other people Wear your name tag on the right so it is easier to read

when you are shaking hands Smile, make solid eye contact and repeat the other person’s

name when being introduced; then ask them to spell it (as appropriate)

When meeting new people, ask how the other person’s business helps people– Then tell them about yours (I’m an accountant. I help people

save money.)— “Power Networking”

Be Interested in Other People

People want to do business with people they like and trust Buyers like and trust people who:

– understand them – are human– focus on them – are knowledgeable– like them – are spontaneous– have integrity – are honest– make them feel important – are interesting

Interesting people (to a buyer) are people who are ____________ in them

— Dale Carnegie

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Importance of Rapport Building

Decision makers are more interested in ________ than what you are selling (agrees with Ziglar).

What you say in the first minute of every sales call is one of the key factors in whether or not you make the sale

Decision makers will usually buy what they need (the business products/services that they are actually buying) only from sellers who demonstrate that they understand and appreciate the buyer’s individual interests (all about the person)– Use professional/technical/business interests as the first

choice to get the converstation going

— “You Are Working Too Hard to Make the Sale”

Build Rapport

Purpose– Make friends and build trust– 90% of buyers must feel comfortable with you first

Buyers will usually not immediately give you the key to the sale (i.e., telling you exactly what they need)– They know that if they do, they will find it very difficult

to logically reject a compelling sales offering that responds exactly to what they need


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We Make Up Our Minds Fast About a New Salesperson

_____ SECONDS TO FORM A PRIMARY PERCEPTION DURINg AN IN-PERSON SALES INTERvIEW.


YOUR OPENING STATEMENT


Exactly the same in both cases



POSITIVE NEGATIVE

Trust (“You understand my

interests.”)

Mistrust (“You don’t understand

my interests.”)

Open Mind (“Tell me how you can

satisfy my needs.”)

Closed Mind (“You can’t

satisfy my needs.”)

Your benefits Your benefits

Facts about your company

Facts about your company

Your Price Your Price

SAlE _____ percent chance

NO SAlE _____ percent chance

Primary perception formedin first 18-39 seconds

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Take Control of The Buyer’s First Impression of You

Devise an opening statement with an open ended question that gets them to talk about what they like to talk about

Conversation Starters In a Sales Interview

74% of prospects, especially “Driver” and “Thinker” personality types, find unsolicited small talk by the seller to be negative– You want to get the buyer talking

Top salespeople will start the conversation and keep it going by getting the buyer to talk

— “The New Science of Selling and Persuasion”

Identify professional, business and/or technical interests of the buyer beforehand– If you can initially demonstrate that you understand and

appreciate the buyer’s interests, they will usually talk for an extended period (10-15 minutes), depending on personality type

As a general rule, don’t start with personal information– Getting too personal too fast can turn off some buyers,

especially Driver and Thinker personality types

As a last resort, decipher the “cave artifacts” (e.g., the pictures on the wall, the trophies in the bookcase)– Use the artifacts to get the conversation going


66

Obtaining Information About Buyers’ Interests

(Business/Technical/Professional/Personal)

Use the following techniques– Your internal coaches– “Google” them– Search services Zoominfo.com • Facebook.com Spoke.com • YouTube.com Wink.com • MySpace.com Whitepages.com • Plaxo.com– Your external network– Websites– Use their customers, suppliers and channel partners– Their salespeople– Ask everyone in your organization (use email)– Secretary-to-secretary network (exchange bios)– Social networking sites (e.g. LinkedIn.com)– Alumni websites

If you do all the necessary research, you will be able to get the buyer talking. This will give them a positive primary perception of you, which will eventually result in a 93% chance of making the sale to this buyer.

RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH


Section 3.3: Researching Buyer’s Interests

67

Section 3.4: Guidelines for Initial Contact

Guidelines for Your Opening Statement With a New Buyer

Keep it conversational and simple

Make a statement about their interest and ask an open ended question

Stay away from words that are too flattering (terrific, outstanding, etc.)

Keep it focused on business, professional or technical items of interest to them– Use personal items as the last resort, unless you have

a strong, mutual personal interest (e.g., golf or French impressionist prints)

Mention your coach– EXAMPLE: “Good to meet you Bob. Bill Smith told me

about your program to mentor young engineers. How did you get the program started?”

If you have nothing else, use their job– EXAMPLE: “Good

to meet you Bob. It looks like you have a great job here at the company. How did you get started here?”

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Selling on Emotion

Buyers buy for their own reasons– Almost always emotion based (interests)

Not because the seller’s proposed solution– Usually based on logic

The buyer may use the seller’s logic to justify the purchase (needs), but only after they have decided to buy based on ___________ (interests)– They feel a connection with the seller.

— “Two Paradigm Selling”

Additional Relationship Principles

The relationship building is over when the ______________ decides it is

The _____________ should never prematurely end the relationship-building discussion

In most great initial conversations, the _______________ does most of the talking– The more the buyer talks, the better they feel about the seller

— “How to Win Every Sale”

The sale today is not as important as the relationship tomorrow

— Harvey Mackay

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Natural Follow-up Rapport Building Open-ended Questions

How long have they been with organization? (7 years)

What has changed most about the business in the last seven years?

How did the buyer develop their personal knowledge of the industry?

What are the most exciting opportunities facing the company?

Who do they consider as their main competitors?

How does the company differentiate themselves from the competition?

What are their development goals?

What obstacles are in the way of reaching the goals?

— “Action Selling”

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Credibility Building Statement

May be required if a relationship-building period is not possible

Most successful business people can succinctly describe their offering in less than 15 seconds

Indicate that you have a potential solution to the buyer’s problem. Back it up with:– Your success with other clients (“killer arguments”), or– Your key or ghosting discriminators, or– Appropriate ROI results

If appropriate, reiterate the success with the client who referred you

Sometimes called the “_________________” speech

EXAMPLE: “Bob, Bill Smith (your coach) told me about your interest in reviewing your business insurance portfolio. We help companies manage risk across the entire enterprise and our solutions provide a nice ROI for our customers. What types of risks are of most concern to you?

The Next Level of Rapport

Building rapport comes from great questioning and listening

(STEP TWO)

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INTRODUCTION


72

Section 4.1 Ascertaining Needs and Proposing Solutions

Section 4.2 Becoming a Trusted Advisor

Section 4.3 Solution Selling

Section 4.4 Asking the Right Questions

Section 4.5 The Importance of Listening

CHAPTER FOUR

Ask Questions and ListenTop-Ten Skill Number Four

Key: Ask Questions About The Buyer’s Needs

Section 4.1: Ascertaining Needs & Proposing Solutions

Market Knowledge

What your customers/prospects want you to know before you meet with them

What issues are of most concern in their industry?

What are the emerging challenges in their industry?

What problems are causing the greatest degree of confusion among their customers?

How are the industry leaders addressing these issues, challenges and problems?

What solutions are their competitors, industry experts and academicians proposing?

How do your products relate to these issues, challenges and problems?

How do your products and services relate to the solutions?

— 2007 Survey of 80,000 Business Executives by the H.R. Chally Group, Inc.

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Top Salesperson’s Mindset Research the buyer(s), their business, their needs and the general

competitive landscape beforehand– Prospects have very little interest in spending time educating you about their

business (especially C-level executives)– Pump the coach for as much information as possible– Needs are either “pain” or an opportunity (“gain”)

Your job as a salesperson is to thoroughly understand the buyer’s need and to help them

The most effective way to uncover the pain or opportunity is to ask questions and be a great listener– You cannot sell them on the correct solution until you have sold yourself

that you can help them– If you do, buyers will feel like they are “buying” — not being “sold to”– Once you have uncovered the pain/opportunity and you have decided on the

correct solution, offer a combination of your products and services KEY psychologies behind asking questions and listening

– Their trust level increases and they open up even more– They feel like they are in control of the conversation But you really are in control as you are guiding the conversation where you

need it to go to extract the information you need– If you closely listen to all wants, needs and desires, your solution will be

exactly on target, and you will seem like a very intelligent salesperson– If your product/service does not fit, say so and recommend one that does (even

if it is not yours) Do this once and become a trusted advisor for life – The buyer knows that in your mind their interests come first– It is more important to customers that the salesperson understands their needs

than it is for them to understand the salesperson’s products— “Neuromarketing: How Selling to the Old Brain Will Bring You Instant Success”

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Section 4.2: Becoming a Trusted Advisor

Which Salesperson Are You?

Average salesperson:– Tells prospects what they want to hear– Tries to make everyone his or her customer– Focuses on closing first and foremost

Top salesperson:– Remember that the prospect buys “you” first, before they buy

your product or service– Uses permission-based phrasess so the prospect feels in control– Focuses on adding value by providing solutions– Wants to become a “trusted advisor”

— “Go Big...or Stay Home”

Becoming a Trusted Advisor

— “The Trusted Advisor”

Level One Sales Engineer

You are a subject matter or process expert in a narrow niche

Level Two Salesperson You also have expertise in related fields

Level Three Expert Salesperson

You are a recognized expert in your field

Level Four Trusted Advisor

Your customers know that you always have their best interest at heart and can find a solution to any problem they may have

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Solution Selling

Today’s savvy buyers want four capabilities from salespeople:1. Thorough knowledge of the buyer’s business, the general

market conditions for the buyer’s products and services and the buyer’s main issues

2. Thorough knowledge of how the seller’s solutions can help the buyer improve their business performance

Higher Revenues Higher Margins Lower Costs

3. People skills4. Sales Skills

They want solutions to help them improve their business performance — solution selling– Not just products or

services

In order to sell solutions you must be a great questioner and listener

— “Executive Selling”

Section 4.3: Solution Selling

76

The Classic Five Buyer Decisions (And Their Related Questions)

You– Do I like and trust you?– Are you honest, credible and knowledgable?

Your Organization– Is your organization a good match for mine?– Is it known for the types of things I expect from a supplier?

Your Product/Service– Which of my problems will it solve?– Or will it create new opportunities?– Does it match my needs?– How does the product stand up with the competition?

Your Price– Is it a good value compared with competitive offerings?– What must I invest(time, money, hassle) to gain the benefits?– Is there an ROI?

Their Time-to-Buy– How soon do I need to make up my mind?– When do I need the results that the product will deliver?– Shall I stall?


Section 4.4: Asking The Right Questions

77

The Classic Five Buyer DecisionsTo get the Buyer to make these classic five buyer decisions favorable to you, it takes three principal skills:

Relationship building (Get them to talk first) Questioning | needs analyses and proposing solutions Closing


Questions to Discover the Highest Potential Needs

The Buyer will usually describe the need as– a problem, or as– an opportunity

Once the need is discovered ask– “In your opinion, what is causing the problem (or behind the

opportunity)?” (the root cause)

Then ask the question that usually gives you the need with the highest potential– “What are the consequences to your company and to you

personally if the problem isn’t solved and the current situation drags on?” (the emotional connection)

– Answers to this question will generally increase the sense of urgency in the buyer’s mind

Now you have discovered the need with the highest potential and with a sense of urgency


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If They Ask About Your Company

“I’m prepared to discuss our solutions, but if you could give me your thoughts on your main issues (the reason you set up the meeting) first, we can focus on what is important to you.”

OR “So that I can recommend the best solution, I need to understand ...”

— “The Socratic Opener”

Follow-up Questions Once Highest Potential Need is Discovered

So I can zero in on the capabilities that would seperate us from the competition, can you tell me who you are considering besides us?

What is your timeframe? (Urgency to make the purchase)

Who will make the buying decision?

Who influences the buying decision?

Who is affected by the buying decision?

What do you look for when choosing a new solution provider?

Is their anything else I need to know??

79

The Importance of Listening

95% of buyers said that salespeople talk too much– __________________ before proposing solutions– “You sure are a good listener. I can’t believe you are in sales!”

74% of buyers said they would be “much more likely” to buy from a salesperson if the seller would simply listen to them

“I never learned anything when I was ____________.”

— Larry King

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER INTERRUPT THE BUYER!

Section 4.5: The Importance of Listening

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Listening Habits

Covey’s Habit Number Five (of the seven habits) Active _______________

Seek first to understand (the buyer’s need)

Listening uses only 25% of our brain– Other 75% thinks about what to say next, or– Stops listening if the conversation is not stimulating

— “Seven Habits of Highly Successful People”

Solution! Take Notes

Ask permission before you start: “Do you mind if I take a few notes? I want to make sure I have your requirements exactly right.”– Keep eye contact– Take bulletized notes only– Only take notes about the customer’s business needs

It says, “I’m actively ___________ to you; what you say is very important to me and I am interested in solving your problems.”– Lets the customer know her words are valuable enough to

write down– It inspires confidence in buyers; they know that you have

all the relevant information recorded– It forces you to have “20/20” hearing– It gets prospects to share more information– It will help you focus on solutions

— “Listen to Win: A Manager’s Guide to Effective Listening”

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Top-Three Rules of Salesmanship

___________ ___________ ___________

Average salespeople talk _________% of the time

Great salespeople talk only _________% of the time

Never miss a good chance to shut up

Another 80/20 Rule— Zig Ziglar

NOTE: THE REGRETTABLE DEFAULT POSITION FOR MOST MEN IN BUSINESS IS TO TALK.

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Ten Reasons Why Most Men Talk Too Much (in Business Settings)

and Don’t Listen

To show how smart they are

Ego

Men are from Mars (Problem-solvers)– They hear the first hint of a problem and will quickly offer a

solution

They think they are in control of the conversation when they are talking

They prefer speaking to listening

They are too anxious to rebut the other person’s point

They allow themselves to get distracted and don’t concentrate on the buyer

They jump to conclusions before all the evidence is in

They dismiss much of what they hear as irrelevant or uninteresting

They tend to discard information they do not like

— “The Selling Advantage”

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The Most Famous Salesperson Question

Is there anything else I need to________________?”

Other variations:– Have I covered everything?– Is there anything I have missed?– Have I asked about every detail that is important to you?– What other items should we discuss?– What other concerns do you have?– What question should I be asking that I haven’t asked...?

— “How To Become a Rainmaker”

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Summarizing Buyer’s Requirements

Just prior to offering solutions, _____________ the buyer’s requirements back to them– Use your notes

The summarization cements in the buyer’s mind that– You were really listening, and you really understand their

issues– You will propose solutions that will respond to the real

requirements No buyer wants a salesperson to come back with solutions to

the wrong problem


Arguing With Customers

PROBLEM: Sometimes customers are wrong

You usually cannot win if you argue

If you do win the argument– You might lose the customer

Use __________________ to lead them to the correct solution

— “Best Practices in Customer Service”

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INTRODUCTION


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Section 5.1 Overcoming The Salesperson’s Two Fears

Section 5.2 Proving The Value of Your Offering

Section 5.3 Offering Solutions

Section 5.4 Handling Objections

Section 5.5 Price Is Not The Most Important

CHAPTER FIVE

Be a Business Consultantand Solution Provider

Top-Ten Skill Number Five

Section 5.1: Overcoming The Salesperson’s Two Fears

Overcoming the First Fear

Know your stuff!– Better than anyone else

Knowledge builds your expertise and increases your persuasiveness

“The top salespeople are the knowledge giants” Top salespeople also know the competition’s business

better than the competition does If needed, take a sales engineer with you

— Dale Carnegie

Knowledge is Power

”The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to his/her commitment to excellence,

regardless of the chosen field or endeavor.”— Vince Lombardi

THE SALESPERSON’S FIRST FEAR

The salesperson’s fear of their own lack of knowledge of what they are selling

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Build Total Trust with Customers

TRUST = Personal Characteristics + Knowledge

Important Personal Characteristics– Honesty– Integrity– Straight forwardness– Ability to listen and empathize

Knowledge– of your business (products/services)– of your competition’s business– of the customer’s business– of the general competitive landscape

Being a good person is not enough to build trust– You must also be able to deliver value

Lack of trust kills more sales than the other top three reasons combined

— Miller Heiman

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Techniques for Overcoming the Second Fear

Rationalizing that it was not us that was rejected– “It couldn’t be us, the customer is stupid.” Unfortunately, in many cases, it was us

It wasn’t a “NO;” it was a “NOT NOW”– They may change their mind in the future– Build the relationship

Realizing that sales success is a numbers game– No attempt = no sale– Each day as you are about to go home,

make one more call

Considering the rejection as a success because it is a learning experience– Analyze the loss to determine reason for rejection– Get feedback from the customer

Focus on high probability sales (e.g., with coaches)– Not ones that will result in more frustration

— “Selling Power”

THE SECOND FEAR

The fear of being rejected by the prospect

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Techniques Used By Top Salespeople

Totally overcome the fear of rejection Use visualization techniques Do all functions of the sales process a little bit better

than the average salesperson

– Top _____% sell 55 times as much as the other 80%– Top _____% sell 16 times as much as the other 96%

— A 2005 Study at Harvard University of 100,000 Business to Business Salespeople

Consequences of the Fear of Rejection

Average salesperson gets going at the “crack of eleven” and spends only 90 minutes per day selling

Only 20% of sales calls are successful _____% of the people in sales positions in the U.S.

leave the profession every year The importance of salesforce training cannot be over

emphasized— A 2005 Study at Harvard University of 100,000 Business to Business Salespeople

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Section 5.2: Proving The Value of Your Offering

THE BUYER’S FEAR

The Buyer’s fear that they do not fully understand the value of your offering

Overcoming The Third Fear

To overcome this fear, use a small group of “demonstration” partners (your best customers) who will welcome your prospects into their company to see your solutions in ACTION

– In return, give them something (e.g., better pricing)

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Selling Your Company

Once you have sold yourself by building rapport, asking questions, listening and uncovering high potential needs– Sell your company

Sell three areas quickly– What does our company do? (standard)– What is it known for? (standard)– Are we a good match for

the buyer’s company? (must be customized) Use the classic

marketing messages: – Killer Argument – Key Discriminators – Ghosting Discriminators – ROI

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Section 5.3: Offering Solutions

Sell Your Product

Cite no more than three offerings– The maximum the brain can handle

Include the gain for the customer– Gain = Value Cost– Value is the combination of three areas for the buyer Financial (ROI) Strategic Personal (e.g. make them look good)

Include your marketing messages (top reasons your clients buy from you)– Killer Arguments– Key Discriminators

– Ghosting Discriminators– Return-on-Investment

ALL DISCUSSED IN CHAPTER SIX

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Handling Objections

Objections are generally great news! Objections tell you

– What you have to do to make the sale– Where you weren’t clear or effective– Where the prospect needs more information

When clients have no objections, the success rate is low When clients have a few objections and you can satisfy them, the

success rate is _____%– Face them candidly and answer them completely and convincingly

— 2004 Survey of 200 Sandler Sales Franchises

Brainstorm Buyer’s Likely Questions and Objections Beforehand

If you have really understood the customer’s needs and proposed a perfect solution, there will be few objections

If there are unanswered questions or objections, the sale usually cannot be made in the call

Objections are usually the way prospects mask pleas for help and information

The buyer’s questions and objections usually provide the key to the sale– Script their likely questions and objections, and your responses, beforehand

— Zig Ziglar

Section 5.4: Handling Objections

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Turn Objections Into Objectives

Listen carefully Restate the objection in your words and get agreement Reframe the objection into a mutual prospect/salesperson

objective– (Prospect) “Your delivery time is too long”– (Salesperson) “So our objective is to get you the product when you

want it, correct?”

The benefits of the change– Tone of the language goes from adversarial to positive– The prospect’s “yes” response is an invitation to continue– Permission has been granted to ask more questions to fully

understand the prospect’s concern

Use the “feel, felt, found” response– “I understand how you feel”– “Some of the other customers felt the same way when they first

heard of our solution”– “But once they implemented our solution, they found the that they

got a substantial ROI”— “22 Keys to Sales”

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Responding to Objections

NEvER gET ThE SLIghTEST bIT DEFENSIvE– Pause before answering– Restate the objection

Even the slightest degree of defensiveness will turn most buyers completely off– You come across as a “know it all”

Find a way to agree . . . “that’s a good point”

Probe to fully understand the objection– Ask permission . . . “Do you mind if we explore that idea a bit?”

Satisfy the objection

Gain agreement and move on— “Yes, You Can”

Learn to Overcome Objections by Role Playing In Company Sales Meetings

Ask all salespeople to write down the top objections they hear and how they overcome them

The usual top-four categories are:– Bad experience with your company– Product lacking needed features/benefits– Competitors offering a different deal– Price

— Reality Times Web Site

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Buyers’ Priorities When a Commercial Service Contract Exceeds $1M

Quality of the provider’s staff (90%)

Enthusiasm and commitment (80%)

A vendor who listens to clients’ goals and needs (79%)

Reputation (73%)

Initiative (70%)

Overall grasp of client’s business (70%)

Demonstrates confidence (70%)— In 2008 Survey by Rogen International

Price is NOT in the Top Ten

What’s Important When Customers Choose Their Vendors

Salesperson’s competence (39%)

Total solution provided (22%)

Quality of offering (21%)

Price (18%)— 2007 survey of 80,000 business customers by H.R. Chally Group, Inc.

Section 5.5: Price Is Usually Not The Most Important Reason

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Federal Government IT Procurement Officials’ Priorities

Reputation for delivery on time, in budget, in scope (57%)

Quality of proposed technical solution (55%)

Domain knowledge (31%)

Price (27%)

Program management (24%)

Innovation (22%)

Quality of staff (22%)

— 2006 survey of 470 Federal government IT procurement officials asked to name the

top three factors for award “Campbell Communications, Inc.”

Price Usually Not Most Important

Multiple surveys show that price is not the top priority for buyers

– Most buyers buy based on value; an emotional combination of price, quality and service

– ______ ranks as only the fourth to sixth most important consideration

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Insights Into Price Objections

Buyers need to obtain the right products/services/solutions to help their internal people support their customers– Buyers get fired

when they buy products and services that do not satisfy their internal customers

A price objection is the quickest and easiest way for a prospect to get rid of a salesperson that they do not like

Buyers are trained to bring up price on a continuing basis to test the waters– Some Buyers are compensated on the % of price reductions

they can obtain

Concentrate on benefits (that justify the price); not features– Show the ROI (It trumps price objections)– Sell on value before discussing price

— “The Best Seller”

“SIR, THE BUYER WILL SEE YOU NOW.”

Knowledge of these factors allows salespeople to not cave on price so fast

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Role of Purchasing Manager is Changing

Used to focus just on price Now needs to understand the total cost of ownership

– Quality– Service– Price

Lower-level buyers focus on price only; higher-level buyers focus on increasing revenues, lowering costs, increasing productivity, increasing margins

The pressure is on the purchasing manager to get the right partner

— The Verghis Group

“I WONDER IF IT WILL WORK? AFTER ALL, HE’S A SALESMAN AND SHE’S A

PURCHASING MANAGER.”

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Response When Your Price Exceeds Their Budget

Propose alternative payment structures– Extended billing across two budget years– Phased implementation

Look for shared funding sources– e.g., if ROI is good, perhaps the Facilities Manager’s reduced

maintenance budget can help pay for your solutions Rescope your offering such that you preserve your value Reduce fidelity, resolution or other areas of robustness Prioritize needs and fund the most important first Shift part of your solution to be funded in their next fiscal year Suggest extended billing solutions

— “Non-manipulative Selling”

Price Objections

A price objection usually means you have not sold the buyer on the value of your offering– Qualify price objections by asking, “Is price your only concern?”– Quantify price objections by asking, “How far off are we?”

Other reasons for the price objection– A _________________ ploy– The buyer does not have as much money in their budget as you are

asking— “The Best Seller”

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“I Want to Think It Over”

The generalized “I want to think it over” response usually means “no”

People don’t think it over– Only _____% will actually think it over and decide to buy

More questioning is required to understand and satisfy the real objection(s)

70% of the time, the buyers really mean “No” 30% of the time, there is a misunderstanding that you can clear up with questions


Be the First to Mention Price (If you know your prices are higher than the competition)

If you know your price is higher, bring it up before the customer does– “Because of our outstanding value, our product/service is a little more

expensive than others in this market. Is that going to be a concern?”

Usually, the buyer will be refreshed by your straight fowardness

This technique gives you a chance to take the offensive and explain the greater ____________ behind your higher price

— “When the Other Guy’s Price is Lower You Can Still Make the Sale”

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Overcoming Negative Perceptions

Negative perceptions of your company are a “speed bump” that cannot be overcome by ignoring them

Acknowledge the problem– If appropriate, take personal responsibility

Describe the solution, e.g.:– Fixed the problem so it won’t happen again– Management involvement– Improved the underlying process

As appropriate,– Show metrics (that demonstrate improvement)– Offer testimonial letters (delighted clients)

Sample Responses

There is obviously some aspect of my solution that concerns you. (pause)

Is it a question of price? (pause) What concerns you the most? Is it the way we

propose to solve your problem or our price?— “The Best Seller”

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INTRODUCTION


Section 6.1 Value-Added Selling

Section 6.2 Appropriate Marketing Messages

Section 6.2.1 Killer Arguments

Section 6.2.2 Key Discriminators

Section 6.2.3 Ghosting Discriminators

Section 6.2.4 Return-On-Investment Analysis

Section 6.2.5 Testimonial Letters

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CHAPTER SIX

Use AppropriateMarketing Messages

Top-Ten Skill Number Six

Section 6.1: Value-Added Selling

Value-Added Selling

Provide great customer service– Including after-hours phone numbers

Delivery– Free/fast/same-day/least-expensive means

Inventory– Just-in-time/consignment/high-fill rate/vendor-managed inventory

Guarantees and extended warranties Training

– More/better/on-site/frequent– Train their salespeople

Packaging/Labeling– Bar-coding/custom/least volume/pre-kitting/RFID

e-commerce (EDI/Interactive Website/e-store)– Ordering/tracking/inventory levels/job status/order history

Volume discounts Features/functionalities

– More/better/customized

Share best practices for internal processes Higher quality Technical/engineering services

– Design services/failure analysis/testing

Terms Co-marketing/co-branding Provide market info they cannot get on their own

— “Value Added Selling” and “50 Ways to Add Value”

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Section 6.2: Appropriate Marketing MessagesSection 6.2.1 Killer Arguments (done it before)

Section 6.2.2 Key Discriminators (why choose us?)

Section 6.2.3 Ghosting Discriminators (why not choose the competition?)

Section 6.2.4 Return-on-Investment Analysis (why do this at all?)

Section 6.2.5 Testimonial Letters (who says you can do it?)

These marketing messages have been developed by top marketers over the years, because they:

– answer the logical questions that most buyers have

– allow you to differentiate yourself from the competition

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The Killer Argument

“We’ve done it before”– Greatly reduces the risk in the buyer’s mind– TROUBLE IS: You usually haven’t done it before

What to do? The average salesperson starts by saying, “We haven’t done this before, but ...” (ugh!)

The great salespeople:1. Team up with other organizations as

necessary2. Translate what they have done

that relates to the need3. Take advantage of what their

senior people have done in previous organizations (remember, people give business to people)

4. Use the experience of their contractors, suppliers and vendors as part of their selling proposition

5. If it truly has never been done before by any organization, demonstrate that we have the time-tested processes in place to assure success

— “Dale Carnegie”

Section 6.2.1: The Killer Argument (Done it before)

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Teaming Considerations(with other organizations)

What teammates do we need to make the killer argument (done it before)

Taking small companies, or niche players, off the street How we can structure our team to be the only credible provider Strategic (teaming) or political (quid pro quo) considerations

Reasons Why Prime Contractors Choose Sub-contractors

The sub has a low bidding IQ and is easy to use and abuse The sub is smart and can help us technically The sub understands the customer; we don’t The sub is the incumbent The sub has the best:

– Price– Value– Insight into customer needs– Software conversion plan– Technical migration plan– Product introduction plan

The sub has teamed with us before and done a good job The sub will be exclusive and others won’t

— 2004 Government Marketing Report

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Key Discriminators

Need to answer the question: “Why should the buyer choose us?” – What do we do extremely well? – What is our added value? – What is our unique selling proposition? – What are our points of difference? How are we different (not necessarily better)? – What is our sustainable competitive advantage?

With appropriate metrics – How do we provide an engineered solution?

— “How to Become a Rainmaker”

Most Key Discriminators sound like an average salesperson keeping average solutions

Section 6.2.2: Key Discriminators (Why choose us?)

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Ghosting Discriminators

Need to answer the more important question:– “Why shouldn’t the buyer choose our competition?”

Determine Ghosting Discriminators by:– Analyzing the competition’s weaknesses– Emphasizing the opposite of the competition’s weaknesses as our

strengths

Result — we have pointed out the weakness of the competition– Without mentioning the competition

You must use identifiers to point out the differences– Most, always, unique, least, etc.


Ghosting Discriminator Examples

COMPETITION’S WEAKNESS GHOSTING DISCRIMINATORSchedule and budget problems “We always deliver on time and within budget.”

No key facilities “We have unique facilities.”

Stock/financial problems “We are the most financially-stable supplier of these products in the area.”

High turnover of people “We have the most stable workforce in the industry.”


Section 6.2.3: Ghosting Discriminators (Why not the competition?)

Most Top Salespeople use Ghosting Discriminators to differentiate their solutions

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Return-On-Investment (ROI) Analysis

Most purchases are made to solve problems or grow the business– 40% of solutions can be expressed in financial terms

Justify your offering’s price by demonstrating how quickly the offering will pay for itself

When a seller can express this payback with convincing numbers, the buyer’s psychology changes radically– From focusing on how much your offering costs to calculating how

much money can be made/saved from your offering after the short payoff period

Show the buyer how taking no action costs more than funding your proposal

Use the info as themes in proposals Top decision makers almost always use ROI to decide


Types of ROI

HARD — Can show real numbers (reduced head count) SOFT — There is an ROI, but cannot show real numbers

(people freed up to do other activities) WHAT IF — We do not buy enough insurance

Section 6.2.4: Return-On-Investment Analysis (Why buy at all?)

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Typical Hard ROI Metrics

Bottom-line improvers– Reduced installation time– Reduced maintenance time– Reduced labor costs– Reduced process downtime– Reduced energy costs– Reduced manufacturing-cycle

costs– Reduced environmental

penalties– Reduced costs of scrap and

rework– Reduced equipment

downtime

Top-line improvers– Faster new product start-

up time– Improved product yield– Improved quality– Assured production

scheduling– Product uniformity– Same-day order

fulfillment– Longer-term warranty– Increased lead conversion– Higher website

conversion ratios

ROI Examples

Computer systems that increase productivity Automated systems that decrease the need for people Equipment-monitoring systems that extend maintenance

intervals Models and/or simulations that save on prototype and

development costs Process improvements that reduce operating and/or total

ownership (life-cycle) costs Products/services that do the job faster, better, and/or cheaper Web technologies that increase efficiency

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What C-Level Executives Want

Return-On-Investment (ROI)– How much capital is required?– How long to get a return (products)?– How long to go cash-flow positive (services)?

______ line growth (remove road blocks to growth)– 100% retention of existing customers

__________ line improvement– Getting all the possible add-on, high-margin business– Increasing efficiency of revenue-generating employees and

mission-critical processes– Cutting non-value expenses

Time– Reduced time to market– Reduced R&D, production

and sales cycle times

Brand – Increase their brand identity

— “Learn the Language to Sell to ‘C-Level’ Staff” (Business First)

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Why Government Contractors Win Business

They provide a technology solution at a great price because they were paid to develop it for another government customer (ROI)

They have a unique forward-leaning new technology/process/integrated solution– That provides an ROI

They own the relationship– Internal coaches

— “Master Sales Strategies”

Sell the Sizzle, Not the Steak

STEAK ... “We offer a full range of services to nonprofits, including x, y and z.”

SIZZLE ... “Our services help nonprofits that need to simplify the administration of their trusts, to maximize the ROI that these trusts deliver and to minimize their exposure to legal and financial risk.” (another ROI)

— “Two Paradigm Selling”

NOTE: The ROI provides the sizzle.

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Keys to Selling Complex Technical Solutions

Use reps who can make the business case– Today’s buyers want an ROI in six months

Bundle them with branded products or companies (e.g., CISCO) Obtain prestige endorsement (e.g., from the American Bankers

Association) Educate the sales reps or take sales engineers on the sales calls Be patient ... these sales take longer Be ready to sell to multiple levels within the organization Use reps who can talk to C-level executives and take a holistic

view of the customer and their needs— “Selling Power”

What Business Customers Want

Solutions that provide an ROI– Not products or services

Outsourcing solutions that are less expensive than they can do it (ROI)– Everything except their core competencies

A substantiated Return on Investment (ROI) for their business– with your guarantee, or– your sharing of the financial benefits of your solution

— 2007 Survey of 80,000 Executives by the H.R. Chally Group, Inc.

SHORT CUTTING THE 12 CONTACT RULEThe second shortcut to the 12 contact rule is having a credible, hard ROI

115

“THESE ARE THE BEST TESTIMONIALS WE COULD GET?”

Section 6.2.5: Testimonial Letters

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Testimonial Letters

The best testimonial letters are case studies with appropriate metrics (ROI)

Outline a case study of a current delighted client– Short story of their business challenge– The solution you provided– The results of your solution with metrics (ROI)– A testimonial from the client about the satisfaction of the

results you provided

“The sales training provided to our sales force has resulted in a 24 percent increase in new accounts and a 19 percent increase in revenue. We are thrilled at the outcome of this sales training program.”

Sally Client, President XYZ Company

Write the case studies for the client and ask them to sign off on them

Post them on your website and use in your other marketing materials

— Sittig, Inc.

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INTRODUCTION


118

Section 7.1 Closing When The Buyer Is Ready

Section 7.2 Identifying “Buyer’s Shift”

CHAPTER SEVEN

Recognize The “Buyer’s Shift”Top-Ten Skill Number Seven

Section 7.1: Closing When The Buyer Is Ready

Closing Principles

You cannot close until the buyer is ready to buy

Prospects will almost never close themselves, even when they are ready– You must get them to the decision point with a closing proposal– They want to know what you are offering

Always ask for the larger order– You may get it

“_______% of all sales calls end without an attempt to close”

— Brian Tracy

Salespeople who have not been trained to recognize buyer’s signals never try to close

Trained salespeople know that if they try to close before the buyer has shifted, it will come across as being “pushy” and may kill the sale

Once buyers decide to buy, they quickly become frustrated with sellers who do not recognize that they are ready to buy– The window of opportunity is short You only have a minute or two

— Sales Pro Magazine, 6/2006

The national closing rate is only _____% (current/new)— Sandler Sales

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Section 7.2: Recognizing The “Buyer’s Shift”

Buyer’s Shift

Watch/listen for the buyer’s shift; i.e., when the buyer changes his/her point of view and decides he/she wants your product or service– Sometimes you will get verbal signals– Most of the signals are nonverbal and nonvocal– In many cases, four to six of these signals occur simultaneously

Body language provides 55% of the signals

Body language almost always indicates the true feelings— “Non-verbal Selling Signals”

Principal Body Language Signals

Face

gREEN (Buyer has shifted)

Friendly Smiling Slow head nod Pleasant expression Tilted head to one side ActiveChin stroke

YELLOW (Buyer has not shifted)

Furrowed brow Little change in expression Tense, displeased Eye rub Nose or face scratch Frowning Shaking head Pursed Lips Biting Lips

— “The Vocabulary of Sales Body Language” — “Non-verbal Communications: The Unspoken Dialogue”

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Principal Body Language Signals continued . . .

gREEN (Buyer has shifted)

Good eye contactRaising both eyebrowsEyes wideningLooking upward with fixed expression; blinking eyes rapidly

Pupils growing wider

RelaxedPalms openHandling your materialRubbing hands togetherFall to the sides (if standing)Hands on leg as if ready to standOn cheekStroking chin or beard

RelaxedUncrossedTaking jacket off

Uncrossed, or crossed towards you

Contemplative postureRelaxedUpright, or towards youAnimated reactionsMoving closer to youSitting on edge of chair

YELLOW (Buyer has not shifted)

Avoiding eye contactRaising one eyebrowLooking at watch or clockStaring unblinkinglySquintingPupils narrowingSideways glances

Hands behind backClasped, clenched, tenseFidgeting with objectsPushing on desk away from youCovering mouth while speakingRubbing cheek, forehead, mouth or noseBringing a hand to the back of the neckHands in pocketPen tappingBiting fingernailsPointing index fingerFist-like gesturesCracking knucklesGrasping items tightly

TenseCrossedShoulders raised

Crossed at the anklesCrossed away from youBouncing leg up and downTapping foot

Slouching, hunched overPutting space between youTenseLeaning awayTurned awayLeaning back in the chair

Eyes

hands

Armss

Legss

body Angle

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Typical Verbal Buying Signals

The buyer makes “buyer attachment” statements– “This is a good location for the item.”

(They see themselves as “owning” the product already)

The buyer repeats a question– “Can you explain the response feature again?”

(They are confirming that it is right for them)

The buyer asks risk-mitigation questions– “So you said this comes with a guarantee?”

(They are leaning towards buying but want to make sure they cover their bases)

The buyer mentions an outside recommendation– “Bob is using your service and he says it is working well for

him.” (Prospects that seek recommendations on their own are serious about buying)

The buyer relates unfavorable stories about specific competitors– “I had a problem when I used X company for a similar

product.” (With reassurance that you are different, they are ready)

The buyer asks you for personal details– “How long have you been with the organization?”

(They are ready to buy the product and need to buy you also)

— “Reacting to Buying Signals”

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INTRODUCTION


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Section 8.1 The Closing Point

Section 8.2 Closing Approaches

Section 8.3 Sales To Avoid

CHAPTER EIGHT

Know How To Close The Sale Top-Ten Skill Number Eight

Section 8.1: The Closing Point

At the Closing Point

Once the buyer has shifted, go for the close

If the salesperson has ascertained needs and presented a reasonable solution– They have a 50% chance of closing

If they are timid about closing– They have a _____% chance of losing the sale

Customers expect to be asked for their business– Don’t disappoint them

— “10 Steps to Sales Success”

Trial Closing Principles

The trial close is an opinion-asking question:– “What is the most important aspect of our offering?– “Where do we go from here”

It tells you what you need to adjust to get the sale

The actual close is a decision-asking question:– “When would you like us to start delivery?”

— “The Best Seller”

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Top-Ten Closing Approaches

(Decision-Asking Questions)

Direct (50% of the closes) Assumptive Alternative I recommend Pilot project Use of the “If or When” phrase Test it out first Window of opportunity The timeline technique Return-on-investment

“THIS IS THE PART THAT ALWAYS GETS TO ME ... WHEN THEY ASK FOR THE ORDER.”

Section 8.2: Closing Approaches

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Direct

KEY When all needs have been identified and all solutions are explained, use a statement that helps make the prospect comfortable enough to close the deal.

EXAMPLE: “Linda, it looks like we’ve got a nice match between what you need and what we are offering. Restate their needs, our solution and the price, and ask “Would you like to go ahead with this?”

Assumptive

KEY In this close, the seller lays out the scenario and proposes a course of action based on a strong sense that the client wants to buy, but just doesn’t know how to say it.

EXAMPLE: “I’d propose installing my automated maintenance system on two of your helicopters. I’ve got several existing maintenance contracts in place already with your organization. Which one would work best for you, Jill?”

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I Recommend

KEY If clients sense that you really understand their needs, they will follow your recommended course of action, especially if they trust you.

EXAMPLE: “In order to add this functionality to your algorithm, we’ll need a contract modification of about $20,000. I recommend that we get started right away in order to meet your schedule. How does that sound, Joe?”

Alternative

KEY There is the implied assumption that it is not a question of whether or not the client will buy, but what will be bought.

EXAMPLE: “Bob, would you want to start with the sales training or with the strategic planning facilitation”

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Pilot Project Close

KEY You select one small part of a project as a means of getting started and providing a chance to establish an initial working relationship.

EXAMPLE: “Sam, I suggest we start with a pilot project with 10 users to test out our CRM system. We can be ready to start as early as next Monday. How does this sound to you?”

Use of “When” or “If”

KEY You have the capability to modify your product or service to satisfy the buyer’s objection(s).

EXAMPLE: “So, if we include Global Positioning System functionality into our algorithm will you be ready to include it in your avionics upgrade package?”

The Timeline Techniques

KEY Offer the prospect choices as to the timing of the initial project.

EXAMPLE: “Usually we need around two months lead time to order materials in order to be ready to start on the first of June — or do you need to start this project sooner?”

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Test It Out First

KEY The client agrees to use a small portion of your service on a pro bono basis.

EXAMPLE: “We will be pleased to provide you and the CEO with a Blackberry for one month on a trial basis.

When would you like to have them delivered?”

P.S. This is sometimes called the “puppy dog” close.

Giving Product Demonstrations

Many prospects want proof before they decide– Samples – Small assignments– Product trials Product evaluations– Demonstrations – Beta tests– Test results – Pilot projects

Always attempt to get a commitment in return: “If the demo is successful, will you be ready to go ahead with the project?”

Usually get one of two responses– Unresolved issues (which you can resolve)– Agreement

Always be there and closely involved with the demo/trial/testing


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Window of Opportunity

KEY The client realizes that if they do not buy now, they will lose the opportunity.– Have you heard this technique “today only” from

your friendly car dealer?

EXAMPLE: “The next quarterly computer simulation training class starts next month. If you are going to participate, I really need your commitment by the end of next week.”

Return-on-Investment

KEY You have demonstrated a compelling “hard” ROI.

EXAMPLE: “Will you look at the numbers and decide for yourself if they make sense?”

– By agreeing to decide for herself, the option of not deciding is eliminated. She must look at the numbers and decide!

– If she rejects the solution, she must admit that she can’t decide for herself (which most people do not want to do) and since the ROI is compelling, she must buy.

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Intermediate Closes

If you cannot get the actual close, get agreement for something that keeps the sales process moving (sometimes called the objective of the call)

– Meet again– Review product literature/presentation– Accept a bid or proposal– Participate in a demonstration– Talk with others who use the product or service– Use the product or service on a trial basis– Arrange a meeting with a decision maker

Ask, “What is the next step?”— “Developing and Leading the Sales Organization”

Closing Principles

After you ask for the business, say nothing until the buyer responds– You want the buyer to say “Yes,” “No,” or “No because ...” (the objection you’ve been looking for)– He who speaks next “loses”– Technical as well as sales people need to be trained to be silent

at the closing point— “The Best Seller”

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Stalls and Objections

If you get an objection(specific reason) handle it as previously discussed (page 94)

If you get a stall (no particular reason) say:“I understand”– Restate the features the customer liked and add an additional

feature•(e.g.bestwarrantyintheindustry;twoyears)

– “Would you like to move ahead?”•Secondattempttoclose

After the Close is Complete, STOP SELLING

– You may sabotage the sale! All customer-interface people need to be trained to stop talking

at this point Buyers are busy—it is time to go!

— Zig Ziglar

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Confirm The Sale

“Buyer’s Remorse” can set in once the Buying Decision is made– Buyers may suffer from FUD Fear Uncertainty, and Doubt

Counter FUD by:– Assuring the customer that their decision was a good one

“ I am really pleased as my experience tells me that our product/service is a perfect match for your needs”

– Thanking the customer for their business “ Thank you for your showing such confidence in our

product/service”– Schedule the next event

“ I suggest that we schedule the kick-off meeting for your people and mine early next week. How does Tuesday look?”


Additional Closing Opportunities

Closing can provide other immediate opportunities– Ask why you won and use the information– Up sell (more quantity at a lower price)– Cross sell (other related products/services)– Get a long-term contract– Meet with other buyers in same organization– Meet with more senior buyers/executives in same

organization– Referrals to other organizations in their supply chain

— “The Rainmaker’s Tool Kit”

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When You Lose a Sale

Compliment the customer on their choice (grin and bear it!)– Never bad-mouth the competition It makes you look small It insults the prospect’s judgment

Ask for a debrief from the prospect– Use lessons learned to improve your sales processes and bid

strategies

Send a thank you note that says “Thanks for letting us bid [make a presentation]. I’m sorry we couldn’t help you this time. Please keep us in mind for future projects.”

Offer to qualify as a backup supplier with 10% of the business

Ask for a referral

Check in with the prospect periodically– Mention your

new offerings or improvements to existing offerings

— “Making Sales Manager”

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Section 8.3: Sales To Avoid

Consider Walking Away From These Sales

The time and energy the prospect will require as a customer does not justify the potential gain

The prospect is buying your offering based on price alone

The prospect wants you to invest up front, but is unwilling to do so themselves

The buyer asks for too many modifications that makes you uncomfortable with your resultant offering

The buyer will put too many unnecessary, stressful demands on your fulfillment team

The product/service will not work well for the customer

Margins are unacceptably low or nonexistent, and there is no strategic potential from “buying in”

The buyer demands a kickback or bribe

The buyer abuses/bad mouths your company, your co-workers, or the product/service

You have a gut feeling that the relationship will not work— “Close The Deal”

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INTRODUCTION


136

Section 9.1 Client Service

Section 9.2 Account Management

Section 9.3 Handling Customers Problems

Section 9.4 Customer Feedback

CHAPTER NINE

Building Long-Term Relationships Top-Ten Skill Number Nine

Client Service

Why keeping current clients delighted is so important– It costs six times more to attract a new client than it does

to keep an old one– A dissatisfied client will tell _____ people about their

negative experience •With“blogs,”thepotentialnumberisunlimited

— Xerox Sales Training Institute

A Delighted Client Will...

Give you high margin add-on business

Call you first when any related need arises

Help you design your new products

Agree to be a demonstration partner

Give you access up and down the hierarchy of their enterprise

Willingly give you referrals in their supply chain

Provide testimonials if asked— “Getting to VITO”

Section 9.1: Client Services

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Operate as an Integrated Team with Your Top Customers

You anticipate customer needs and deliver solutions quickly

Customers are involved in early stages of development of your offerings– Make them feel like they have an inside track with your

new offerings

Open communications and total trust exist between you and your customers– Look for things you can do that advance the level of trust

between you in small steps over time

You get periodic feedback with focus groups Top management is involved with the ___________

customers— Total Quality Management

Focus on Your Top Customers

Determine the 20% of your customers that are giving you 80% of your business—these are your top customers!

Focus on them—give them special attention, including attention from top management.

— “The New Management Marketing”

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The Ugly Truths About Customers

Your organization chart is of no interest to them They do not care about your problems The fact that you are “trying hard” has no impact They are self-centered They always notice bad service You must almost always ask to get feedback Customer loyalty is fragile and fleeting

Results of Indifferent Account Management

68% of clients that stop doing business with organizations do so because they are being treated indifferently, not because of dissatisfaction with the product or service

_______% of unhappy clients who ceased doing business with an organization because of being treated indifferently did so without explaining the reason(s)– Average organizations treat customer complaints as an

“annoyance”– Top organizations treat customer complaints as a “gift”—this is

the information needed to improve operations— “2005 American Management Association Study of 2,000 Companies in the Mid-Atlantic Region”

— “Service America”

Section 9.2: Account Management

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Meet All Levels of Customer Needs

Best Practices for Customer Care

1. Listen to the customer2. Meet all three levels of customer needs3. Always give something extra4. Take ownership of customer problems5. Fix problems immediately

— Multiple Sources

Identify and record all customer preferences– Need a CRM System

— “Legendary Customer Service”

generated

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Always Give Your Clients/Prospects Something Extra

The law of increasing returns– Whatever extra you give to customers/prospects will be

returned to you by a factor of __________

Must be recognizable by the customer/prospect as truly something extra

Make sure your customers know that what you are doing is extra

Cannot be too much– Customers will expect more and more– Profitability will be affected

Under-promise and over-deliver— “Think and Grow Rich”

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Typical Examples of Extras

Free up-front audits, analyses, assessments, inspections, etc.

Allows you to identify needs »and build relationships

More, better and timely information on the status of your deliverables

Free training on your products/services

Articles of interest to themPersonal, professional »

and/or technical

Free samples, delivery Manage their inventory (of your offerings) Design services, testing and failure analysis of

their products Co-branding/co-marketing Food/snacks Small gifts Bringing them new customers

— “Multiple Sources”

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Today’s Telecommunications/ email Response Expectations

Technique ExpectationCall centers Most people want a live person 24/7

Voice mail Most users are frustrated by voicemail; they want to be able to do things (e.g., order) between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

70% of business callers 60% hang up are put on hold 30% don’t call back Callers hearing music while on hold stay on hold 30 seconds longer Callers hearing useful information while on hold stay on hold three minutes longer

E-mail Customers want a response within ________ hours It does not have to be a real response, an auto response is OK (“We’ll get back to you within 24 hours”) If they know you have a Blackberry (or equivalent) response is expected quickly

Text messaging/ Response is expected almost immediately Instant messaging

— Ragan Communications (2006 BONUS Sales and Marketing Report)

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Emotionally Bond With Your Customers

Be optimistic, encouraging, upbeat and cheerful Express approval of them, their concerns and their needs Offer appreciation – thank them frequently Give admiration – compliment frequently Be agreeable

– Customers like to deal with agreeable people

Give the customer your focused attention– It makes them feel at ease with you

— “Emotional Value: Creating Strong Bonds With Your Customers”

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Eight Things Not to Say to Customers

When at the Customer’s Site, Keep Your Ear to the Ground

Listen and watch for– Problems, issues, chaos, needs– Their new products and services– Their expansion plans– New key people– Their network and associates (e.g., channel partners)

— The Alexander Group

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The Ten-Step Process for Solving Customer Problems

1. The person who first hears the customer problem owns it until the customer is satisfied

2. Thank them for notifying you of the problem

3. Repeat the complaint in your own words– “Let me see if I understand you completely.”

4. Ask for details. LISTEN carefully — with empathy (puts you both on the same side against the problem)– It is impossible to scream about small details– Let them vent completely– Take notes

5. Try not to interrupt the customer until the complaint is voiced– Do not argue with the customer, even if the complaint is groundless

6. Sympathize, soothe the customer– I’m sorry you had to go through this.”– “Based on what you told me, I can see why you are upset.”

7. Ask for their input– “How would you like to see the problem resolved?”– “How can we make this up to you?”

Section 9.3: Handling Customer Problems

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The Ten-Step Process for Solving Customer Problems continued

8. Make a commitment to solve the problem– Attempt to remedy the problem before you complete the

conversation with the customer “I will solve this problem today.” “I will get back to you.” (if appropriate)

9. Follow up to cement the relationship– Make sure the problem was solved quickly to the customer’s

satisfaction Make a follow-up call or send a thank-you note

– Provide explanations to the customer and what is being done to prevent recurrence

– Reaffirm your commitment to serving the customer: “Here’s my cell phone number. Call me if the problem recurs.”

– If possible, give something extra

10. Take internal action to preclude similar problems in the future– Enter the problem in the CRM

database— “Value Selling” and “Loyalty Based Selling”

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Fix Problems Immediately

Fix the customer’s problem– 90% will do business with you again

Fix the customer’s problem immediately– _____% will do business with you again soon

Smart salespeople don’t mind when customers complain. They see it as a chance to shine — to win the customer’s loyalty for life– We show customers that we are truly committed to

superior customer service

Statistics from National Car Rental’s superior program for recovering from mistakes– 85% chance that a satisfied customer will rent again– 90% chance that a customer who experiences their great

service recovery program will rent again They fix the problem immediately They give something extra They enter the event in their CRM database

— “Managing Major Sales”

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Section 9.4: Customer Feedback

Customer Feedback

After winning the business, follow up with a written thank-you note

Call and request feedback– After starting the job– Thirty days after starting the job

Conduct a formal face-to-face feedback session every six months with continuing customers

— “The Marketing Report ”

Best-Practice In-Office Customer Feedback Questions

1. What do we do well?2. What could we do better?3. On a scale of one to ten, how likely is it that you would

recommend us to your friends and colleagues?4. What are your biggest current problems?5. What kinds of requirements will you have in the near

future to which we could respond?6. Are there other organizations who could use our services/

products? Would you introduce us?— International Benchmarking Institute

NOTE: Assuming all goes well, and as appropriate, ask if they would be a demonstration partner.

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How General Electric Uses Customer Feedback

Answers to Customer Feedback question #3 are categorized as:

The percentage of detractors is subtracted from the percentage of promoters to give a Net Promoter Score (NPS). For example, the following company’s NPS is 20%:

Across all GE businesses, the highest NPS scores have the highest margins– The lowest have the lowest

If any business unit gets an NPS score of less than zero, immediate action is taken to discover the reasons and fix it

— Sales & Marketing Magazine

0-6 Detractors7-8 Passives9-10 Promoters

Customer Score CategoryA 7 PassiveB 5 DetractorC 9 PromoterD 8 PassiveE 9 PromoterF 6 DetractorG 7 PassiveH 9 PromoterI 10 PromoterJ 8 Passive

Detractors Passives Promoters NPS2 (20%) 4 (40%) 4 (40%) 20%

Most Company Executives Do Not Understand Their Customers

58% do not have a true dialogue with customers 67% do not meet frequently with their customers 54% said that the role of the customer is not well-defined 54% said that their company does not deserve customer loyalty

Companies remain self-centric, transaction-based and product-focused— 2005 Survey of Business Executives by the STRATIVITY Group, Inc.

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INTRODUCTION


151

Section 10.1 Referral Marketing

Section 10.2 Generating Referrals and Following Up

CHAPTER TEN

Ask For Referrals Top-Ten Skill Number Ten

Section 10.1: Referral Marketing

Gaining Initial Contact With the Prospect

Introductions or referrals 48%

Organizations and associations 42%

Trade shows and events 41%

Viral/Word-of-Mouth 36%

Direct Mail 34%

Telemarketing 27%

Email campaigns 27%

Website 24%

Channel partners 23%

Advertising 21%

Search Engine Optimization 16%

— from “BtoB Special Report – Technical Marketing” (2007)

The number one item on everyone’s list when looking to buy is a

personal/peer recommendation

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Section 10.2: Generating Referrals and Following Up

Following Up On Referrals

Sales that result from referrals from existing clients have a 92% retention rate

54% of all qualified referrals that are properly pursued eventually buy

But, oops...– 87% of all referrals are NEVER pursued

— “Issues and Answers in Sales Management” (March 2006)

Generating Referrals

Referrals should be managed– Everyone who interfaces with clients can ask for referrals

Ask your best customers for referrals– In customer feedback sessions– Ask them for referrals to companies where they know

you can really add value

Ask prospective clients who do not buy for referrals (“Who could use our services?”)

Join a referral organization (Business Network Int’l.)

Average salespeople never ask for referrals. Top salespeople always do.

— “The World’s Best Marketing Secret” — “Customer Relationship Management”

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Referral Follow-up Process

Thank them for the referral Turn the referral source into your coach Use the coach to help qualify the prospect Use the coach to

– Provide a testimonial via phone call, letter or email– Set up a conference call to introduce you– Set up a meeting/meal/golf game for all three of you

Tell your referral source, “I will do my best to give them the same excellent service I have given you.”

— “Little Red Book of Selling”

Provide Feedback to the Referring Person

Keep the referral source updated on your progress They want to know how it worked out

– They may give you more referrals

Repay them by– Recommending their business (Referring them)– Sponsor networking events or social gatherings for them– Invite them to association lunches that have a great speaker– Thank them by sharing information that will help their business Best practices for manufacturing processes

Marketing information Useful websites


SHORT CUTTING THE 12 CONTACT RULEThe third short cuts to the 12 contact rule is having a referral

where the referring source acts as your coach

154

INTRODUCTION


155

Section 11.1 Prioritizing Opportunities

Section 11.2 Twenty-Step New Business Capture Process

Section 11.3 Ten-Step Sales Process

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Using Formal Sales Processes

Section 11.1: Prioritizing Opportunities

Prioritizing Business Opportunities

Is this a qualified lead?

Do we have a ____________________?

If we win, how much ________________ will we get ...– in the first two years?– over the life of the job?

If we win, how many months from now until the funding starts?

How much internal investment is required?– What is the internal ________________?

How profitable will the work be?– How much direct labor will we generate?

What is the probability of winning?

What is the degree of difficulty of winning?

Is this a strategic opportunity? e.g.,– Will lead to a new market penetration– Will result in much more revenue in future years

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Electronic version available for download at: www.asherstrategies.com/pdf/Priority.pdf

157

Section 11.2: 20-Step New Business Capture Process

The 20-Step New Business Capture Process

The 20-step process for capturing new business– How the top organizations pursue large new

business opportunities

Uses

Gets you ready for a sales call Gets you ready to make a bid/no bid decision

158

The 20-Step New Business Capture Process

1. Recognize buyers who have needs by using market research, your current customers, referrals, scouts or coaches

2. Identify the buyers (user, technical/system and economic/strategic) and the coach for this opportunity

3. Form an internal capture team

4. Obtain information on the opportunity– Details of the buyer’s needs

5. Obtain information on the buyer’s interests (professional, technical and personal)

6. Obtain information on the money available and revenues expected in first two years and when the first monies will be available

7. Identify the main competitors

8. Assess the competition’s strengths and weaknesses

9. Determine amount of internal investment required to make the sale

10. Determine the internal ROI– Assess profitability

159

The 20-Step New-Business Capture Process continued . . .

11. Develop our response to the buyer’s needs

12. Develop killer arguments

13. Develop key and ghosting discriminators

14. Analyze the return-on-investment for the buyer

15. Determine the appropriate team e.g., if we do not have the killer argument by ourselves

16. Match the salesperson(s) to each buyer

17. Develop the preselling contact plan

18. Brainstorm potential questions, objections, and our responses

19. Develop appropriate closing approaches

20. Prepare a short, focused presentation to use, if necessary, and/or to leave with the user buyer

An electronic version of the checklist (and detailed implementation instructions) can be found at:

www.asherstrategies.com/PDFs/Quick/20StepCaptureProcess.pdf

160

Sales Processes

Of 1,275 companies surveyed (B2B)– Less than half have a formal sales process– Less than half of those have CRM or other related tools– Less than 10% have

their sales process built into their CRM and use a metrics dashboard to monitor the sales processes

— 2008 Sales Performance Optimization Study

Benefits of Having a Formal Sales Process

Salespeople are 50% more likely to meet quota

The sales staff turnover is reduced by 39%– Salespeople are more successful, make more money and

therefore stay with the company— 2006 survey by the TAS Group

Section 11.3: 10-Step Sales Process

161

The 10-Step Sales Process(Given a Qualified Lead)

1. Research the prospect and the prospect’s organization using all available tools including their website, Google, Zoominfo.com, etc.

2. Develop a “Coach” who can add insight into the prospect’s issues3. Ask the “Coach” to help you with the initial contact, which could be:

– Meeting– Meal– Trade show– Conference call– Social event– Sporting event

4. For large sales, prior to the first meeting with the prospect, complete the 20-step capture process to ensure an understanding of the customer’s problem, our proposed solution and approach, and develop the appropriate marketing messages– Killer arguments (done it before)– Key discriminators (why they should choose us)– Ghosting discriminators (why they should not choose the competition)– ROI examples (why do it at all)

5. In the initial meeting, build rapport with the prospect by getting them to talk about their passions (keep it business related, if possible). Let them talk about them as long as they want and let them shift the discussion to business.

6. Ask the prospect about their business issues. Ask a lot of questions and keep asking until all of the issues have been adequately identified (as appropriate, formulate the questions prior to the first meeting).

162

The 10-Step Sales Process continued...

7. Once you have fully determined the scope of the customer’s situation, discuss how we (and our teammates or other suppliers, if necessary) can help solve their problem(s) with our solutions.

8. Provide appropriate marketing collateral about our organization (brochure, PowerPoint, etc.).

9. Send the prospect a handwritten thank-you note.10. Follow up with the prospect as many times as necessary

to close the sale. Examples of follow-up activities are:– Tour/demonstration of our facilities– White papers on how we propose to solve their problem(s)– Sending interesting/relevant articles related to their issues

(use clientdynamics.com)– Bringing experts (inside our organization or trusted

partners) to help– Inviting them to appropriate activities (trade shows, open

houses)– Providing statement of work/proposal– Drafting the internal paperwork for them that they need

to sell our solution to their supervisors and/or to form the basis of a Procurement Request

– Communicating frequently via (find out the prospect’s preferred method of communication and use it): Telephone

Voicemail Email Instant messaging

Text messaging Podcasts

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Top-Ten Skills of The Super Salespeople »Top-15 Best Practice Marketing, Sales and Customer Relationship Processes »Role-playing Exercises »

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Customized Sales Coaching• For Sales Reps, Sales Managers and Sales Executives »

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Customer Service Seminars•

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WORKShOPSBreakthrough Negotiations•

Gender Communications•

Leadership and Management Skills•

Marketing Message Development•

Forging Program Success•

FACILITATIONStrategic Planning•

Winning Proposals•

ASSESSMENTSSales and Marketing Processes•

Aptitude of People in Sales Related Jobs•

164

STEP 1 Sales Aptitude AssessmentsAssess your team’s natural aptitude for a variety of customer-facing positions using the Craft Personality Questionnaire (CPQ).

STEP 2 SELLING EXCELLENCE SEMINARTrain your sales executives, managers, salespeople, account managers and customer-service representatives on the Top-Ten Skills of the Super Salespeople and the Top-15 Best Practices for Business Development. Includes effective role-play exercises.

Session Length: Two Days »Attendees: Up to 24 participants »

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Session Length: Two Days »Attendees: The executive and management teams »

STEP 4 Role-Playing for Outside Salespeople and Sales ManagersReview the Top-Ten Skills of the Super Salespeople and role-play your successful sales and marketing processes.

Session Length: One Day »Attendees: Up to 15 salespeople »

STEP 5 Strategic Planning FacilitationDevise your company’s BHAG (vision), purpose, hedgehog concept, a few goals for the year and, for each goal: a champion, action plans, timelines for the action plans and key sales metrics.

Session Length: Two Days »Attendees: The executive and management teams »

OFFERINGS FROM ASHERSALES IMPROVEMENT ROADMAP

165

PLEASE CALL TO SPEAK WITH AN ASHER CONSULTANTFOR PRICING AND MORE INFORMATION

Corporate Office:202-742-6639•Toll-free: 877-50ASHER

CONTINUING SERVICES

THE TOP-TEN SELLING SKILLS One-Day SeminarIn-depth training focusing on the Top-Ten Skills of the Super Salespeople. Perfect »for new hires! Available on-site or nationwide including quarterly sessions in the Washington, DC area.

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BEST PRACTICES: CUSTOMER CARE One-Day WorkshopThis one-day workshop teaches the best practices for Customer Service and »Account Management and is tailored to the needs of the participants with examples of real business challenges and strategies to emphasize learning points. Available on-site or quarterly as open enrollment sessions in Washington, DC.

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166

SALES AND MARKETING BIBLIOGRAPHY

(Top Ten in Order of Priority)

“Think and Grow Rich” Hill

“You’re Working Too Hard to Make the Sale” Brooks

“Psychology of Selling” Tracy

“Selling is a Woman’s Game” Joy

“The World’s Best Marketing Secret” Misner

“Secrets of Closing The Sale” Ziglar

“How To Close Every Sale” Girard

“How To Win Friends and Influence People” Carnegie

“Power of Positive Thinking” Peale

“The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” Covey

167

168

QUIz/BLANKS ANSWER KEy

INTRODUCTIONpage 2 94%page 8 12

CHAPTER ONEpage 16 needpage 17 12 3page 18 1.5page 19 10% few lot lot few

CHAPTER TWOpage 27 Accents 82, 18page 28 down twice Mondaypage 29 coachpage 33 coachpage 36 coachespage 37 cautiouspage 38 Driver Motivator Thinker Supporterpage 51 82 18page 52 fast slow cool warm

CHAPTER THREEpage 54 90 7 to 20 30page 55 55 38 7page 61 briefcasepage 63 interestedpage 64 youpage 65 18-39 93, 1

page 69 buyer seller buyer theirpage 71 elevator

CHAPTER FOUR page 80 listen, talkingpage 81 listening, listeningpage 82 listen, listen, listen 80, 20page 84 know page 85 summarize questions

CHAPTER FIVEpage 90 20 4 37 page 94 64page 98 pricepage 101 negotiatingpage 102 Value, 5

CHAPTER SIXpage 113 Top, Bottom

CHAPTER SEVENpage 119 48, 27

CHAPTER EIGHTpage 124 90%

CHAPTER NINEpage 137 10page 138 toppage 139 90page 140 unanticipatedpage 141 10page 143 4page 148 95

CHAPTER TENpage 156 coach money ROI

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IMPORTANT LEARNING POINTS

170

IMPORTANT LEARNING POINTS

top-ten skills of the super salespeople

Business

strategic marketing

sales process

strategic planning process

strategic positioning

internet marketing

biggest sales problem

sales aptitude assessments

branding strategies