Why Buyers Don't Like Salespeople
by Mark Hunter

If buyers could get by without salespeople, do you think they would?  It is an interesting question if you stop and consider the role of the salesperson. Of course, considering the role in an abstract way is one thing, but what about when you consider it from a personal perspective?  What happens as a salesperson when you put your emotions aside for a moment, relax, take a deep breath and honestly ask yourself, “What role do I play with my buyers?”

When I ask salespeople what value they bring to their buyers, I usually get a typical answer that is full of a lot of smoke puffery.  When I ask this question of buyers, and in particular professional buyers, I get an entirely different answer.   For professional buyers who see a wide variety of salespeople, the value they place on them is usually very minimal.  Are you wondering why?

There’s one simple reason that can sum it all up:  Most salespeople bring to their buyers only information.  Interestingly, information is something any buyer can gather from other sources. At the end of the day, you as a salesperson must ask yourself, “Am I merely a conduit of information?”  If you are, then you’re wasting your time, your company’s time, and your customer’s time.  You might as well just email your buyer the information and then go play golf.

If you can’t as a salesperson honestly lay claim to problems you’ve helped your customers overcome, then you really have to begin questioning the role you play.  Yes, I’m being quite harsh, but with the advent of technology and communication, the role of the salesperson has changed. If you as a salesperson have not recognized and embraced this change, then you are nothing more than the walking dead.

Buyers don’t want people who bring them . . .

nothing more than information. They want solutions. Unfortunately, because buyers often have far too much to do, they don’t even know what their problems are or what challenges their company is facing.   This is the role the salesperson needs to play — the role of helping identify the problems, whether blatant or obscure, and turning them into opportunities you can solve for the customer.

So how do you go about identifying problems? You as the salesperson must become an investigator – someone who is determined to find out what really is happening in an organization, industry and global marketplace.  Then, you need to show your customer how what you found is impacting them now or will be impacting them in the future.

Start this process by shifting your focus. Instead of just delivering information to your customer, begin to ask more questions.   A very simple rule I tell salespeople is for every minute you spend gathering information to share with a customer, you need to spend an equal amount of time developing questions to ask that customer. Don’t develop questions for which you already have the answers or could easily find the answers.  In fact, those are the wrong type of questions.

Instead, you need to develop questions to which you don’t have answers.  More than likely, these will be questions to which your buyer doesn’t have answers either.  By asking these questions, you’re helping move the buyer to viewing you differently.  Your role is to be seen as the one salesperson who is genuinely committed to helping them move themselves and their company to a higher level. This may be by growing their sales or helping them reduce their costs.

When you can clearly identify ways you’ve helped your buyer achieve either of these outcomes, then you will know you’re no longer the type of salesperson that buyers love to hate. Plus, you’ll be growing your bottom line at the same time.  And that’s a lot better than simply doling out information!

Mark Hunter, The Sales Hunter, is a consultative selling expert committed to helping individuals and companies identify better prospects, close more sales, and profitably build more long-term customer relationships. To find out more, visit www.TheSalesHunter.com.

Back To Top

10 Ways To Make Your Prospects Like You Enough To Buy From You
by Bill Lee

Buyers buy from people they like.

The only possible exception occurs when buyers have no choice but to do business with a particular salesperson or a particular company. Perhaps the company manufacturers or sells a proprietary product or service. Perhaps the buyer’s preferred vendor is out of stock and the buyer has to go elsewhere to service his or her customer. There are probably several other reasons I could think of, but these are rare exceptions, not the rule.

As I said above, people by and large do business with people they like. I would even go so far as to say that people go out of their way NOT to do business with people that they DON’T like.

Some call this system the “good old boy” system and say that it’s not fair. I disagree. I believe that it is everyone’s right to do business with whomever they choose. If how much buyers like a particular salesperson is the criteria they choose -- well, it’s their money and they can spend it wherever and with whomever they wish.

As the salesperson, it’s your job to make prospects like you better than they like the salesperson they currently do business with. If prospects like your competitor better than they like you, whose fault is it? I believe it’s your fault! If 99.9% of buyers do business with people they like, then your skill level at getting your prospects to like you better than they like your competitor is certainly as important if not more important than all of the other skills a top producing salesperson must possess.

Techniques to Get Prospect to Like You

1. Put the prospect’s interests above your interests.

Never be so desperate for an order that you will make a sale when it would be in the customer’s best interest to purchase another product from another salesperson. When a meeting planner calls me to discuss speaking at, say, the company’s managers conference, I always quiz the meeting planner to make sure that I am the best speaker for the job. If I’m not – if I know of a speaker that would provide more value than I can provide – I do my best to guide the meeting planner in the direction of the more appropriate speaker. When prospects see you putting their interests ahead of your own, you all of a sudden become better liked and better respected.

2. Remember the Platinum Rule.

No, I’m not confusing my precious metals. The Golden Rule says, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The Platinum Rule© says, “Do unto others as THEY would have you do unto THEM.”

There’s a big difference between these two rules. One focuses on you and what you like, while the other focuses on your prospects and that THEY like. Another way of putting it might be to say:

“Treat your prospects like they like to be treated.”

“Talk to your prospects about the kinds of topics that they like to talk about.”

3. Dedicate time to researching your prospects.

Learn a lot about your prospects likes and dislikes, pet peeves, interests, hobbies, hot buttons, etc. The more you know about a person, the better position you’re in to apply the Platinum Rule, earn their respect and make them look forward to your visits.

A few years ago, my daughter was sales manager for Nextel in Charlotte. One day she called me from the Lowe’s Motor Speedway. “What are you doing at a race,” I asked her in amazement that she would be spending her Saturday at race track.

“As you know, dad, most of my customers here are home builders and every time we’re together, all they seem to talk about is NASCAR racing. If I’m going to have a chance of beating out my competitors in this market, I’m going to have to be able to participate in conversations that include NASCAR. That’s why I’m here.

Personally, I love Atlanta Braves baseball, but when I work in Philadelphia or New York, I don’t find a groundswell of interest in the Atlanta Braves. In fact, the baseball fans in the northeast seem to be pretty tired of the Braves winning the Eastern Division year after year. So when I am talking to prospects in those markets, it behooves me to learn a little bit about the Philadelphia Phillies, the New York Mets and Yankees.

4. Smile a lot. Never complain.

Almost everyone likes a person who is happy and easy to be around. Almost no one enjoys being around a person who is always having a bad day or who is a persistent complainer. When a customer or prospect asks you how you’re doing, get in the habit of answering, “Terrific.”

5. Look for something that is worthy of a compliment and point it out to the prospect.

The rule is that the compliment must be sincere. The prospect will see through an insincere compliment in a heartbeat. Study the prospect’s business well enough to find something that this company is doing better than similar companies you know about. First of all, when you identify something specific a prospect is doing that is worthy of a compliment, you will come across as an astute observer. Second, you will make the prospect feel ten feet tall.

6. Employ Customer Care tactics.

If your conversation with a prospect uncovers that the decision maker is a big Pittsburgh Steeler fan, go to the Amazon.com Web site and peruse the books that have been written about the Steelers. Find one you can afford – not too expensive and not too cheap – and give a copy to the prospect on your next call. Say something like, “I ran across this book and thought about you. I sure hope you enjoy it.” Be sure to jot a short note in the front of the book so the prospect will remember who gave it to him.

Customer care tactics are endless. The better you get to know each prospect, the more effective you’ll be at identifying small gifts, magazines, articles, etc., that the prospect will appreciate. (As you practice #3 above, you’ll find more opportunities to use Customer Care tactics.)

7. Help a prospect solve a problem.

We all have pressing problems that drive us nuts. Anyone who can bring us a proven and workable solution will be forever appreciated. Once you have earned the right to ask this kind of question, say to your prospects: “I do my best to be not just a salesperson to my customers and prospects, but also to be a problem solver. If you will share with me a business problem that is eating at you, I will do everything in my power to bring you a couple of ideas to help you solve the problem.”

The is the best way to earn an order and to make a prospect really like and also regard you as a business partner.

8. Be humble, always give credit to others for any success you enjoy.

Only Ted Turner and a handful of celebrities can get away with arrogance. No one – and I mean no one – likes a blowhard; that is, someone who is quick to give himself credit when things go great and blame others when things go poorly.

The self-demeaning statement is powerful at making customers and prospects like you. Here’s an example of a story a salesperson recently told a prospect on a sales call:

“I am the luckiest salesperson on the planet. Yesterday, I was driving down the highway when my cell phone rang. I recognized the number as that of one of my biggest prospects. As I was flipping open the phone to answer it, I dropped the phone and it rolled under the driver’s seat. I could hear the prospect yelling into the phone as I pulled over to the side of the road to retrieve it from under my seat. By the time I got to the phone, he had hung up. Of course, I called him back immediately. When I told him what happened, he laughed himself silly, just before he finally gave me a huge initial order. I felt like I really dodged a bullet. I had been calling on this prospect for over a year.”

What did telling this story do for the salesperson? It make him look “human.” He obviously had enough confidence in himself to tell a story that might have made him look like a klutz to his prospect. It had a happy ending. He got the point across that he was persistent, committed and diligent in pursuing a key prospect.

9. Be appreciative. Show respect. Be courteous.

Always write a thank you note when a prospect gives you an appointment, gives you your first order, gives you a specific obstacle you must overcome, etc. Thank you notes are so rare among salespeople that you can really set yourself apart in an extremely positive way by taking time to write one.

10. Show your prospect how to make more money.

This is my favorite, so I saved it for last. I personally like people who through their suggestions put more money in my pocket than I would have had without their input. Back when I was in purchasing, a vendor invited me to an educational program whereby I had a an opportunity to listen to some of the brightest and sharpest business experts present. This was one of the most beneficial days I had ever spent and it didn’t cost me one nickel. The vendor asked nothing in return. But it was the vendor’s way of gaining my favorable attention and making me genuinely appreciate that company in a way I had not appreciated them in the past.

I hope these techniques will benefit each subscriber to this electronic newsletter.

For more information on Bill Lee and his books, go to Bill’s new Web site: www.BillLeeOnLine.com

About The Author:
Bill Lee is president of Lee Resources, Inc., a consulting and training firm that works with owners and general managers who want to earn optimal bottom line profits and with salespeople who want to increase their sales and improve their gross margin.

Bill’s national clients include: Ace Hardware, Amarok, American Wholesale, Andersen Window Corporation, BMA, BMC-West, BSC Corp., Budget Car Rental, Blue Tarp Financial, Building Suppliers Corp., CALPLY, ENAP, Stock Lumber, Datastream Corporation, Diamond Hill Plywood, Do-It Best Corporation, Drake Group, Home Depot, Equipment Resources, Lanoga Corp., LMC, Lowe’s Companies, Lumberman’s Merchandising Corporation, National Gypsum Company, National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association, Nextel, Owens Corning Fiberglas, True Value Hardware, and Zep Manufacturing.

Bill can be reached at 800-277-7888 or at blee3paris@aol.com.

This Will Get You Rejected by Art Sobczak

Greetings!

Many sales reps look at ads, direct mailing pieces, catalogs, the Internet, or anywhere there's advertising as sources of prospects.

This is wise. But I find so many of these people ill-prepared for what they inevitably hear on calls.

Here's an example of what I received.

Caller: "Hello, this is Bill Jones with Video Recorders. I saw the promotion for your Telesales Success DVD videos and we do DVD duplication."

"Uh-huh."

He became flustered at this point, probably because I didn't say, "Oh, you do DVD duplication? Where should I send my master copy; you can do mine."

"Uh, I 'd like to talk to you about doing yours."

"Look I'll save you some time. I selected my existing company after evaluating quite a few. They have a very good price, quality is fine, and service is great. I have no reason to even consider looking around."

"Oh, OK. Keep us in mind."

Yeah, sure.

Analysis and Recommendations
So you might be thinking that I gave this guy an iron-clad objection that was impenetrable. And you're right for the most part-when it comes to getting a sale on that call. However, he undoubtedly runs into that same objection quite a bit, so I'm surprised he hasn't learned to use something that won't totally slam the door so suddenly in his face. Here's what I would do in his situation:

• Call Strategy and Preparation: If I were placing this call, my Primary Objective would be to get commitment that the prospect would use my service the next time they had a DVD project. Although that wouldn't be achieved on a majority of the calls, it's always best to aim high. After realizing on the call this wouldn't be reached, objectives in descending order would be: to get commitment that I could at least bid on their next job, and if that wasn't met, to get agreement that they would at least keep us on file as a back-up supplier in case their existing duplicator for some reason no longer met their needs, or if they had other future projects coming up.
  
  
• Preliminary Information: He knew nothing about me when he called. He could have asked the person who answered the phone here about who we now use, how many we typically order, what we pay, and any other qualifying information which would have better-equipped him for the call.
  
  
• Opening Statement: He gave no reason for me to even listen. He may as well just said. "Well, I've finally called you, so I guess you can start using us now."

Simply dialing the phone does not give a person the right to take someone's time. Promising or hinting at some value they could get does.

I would have listened to this: "I'm Bill Jones with Video Recorders. We specialize in top quality DVD duplication, and now work with quite a few training organizations. Depending on the price you're now paying and your level of satisfaction with the quality and service you're getting, it might be worth it for you to take a look at a bid we could do for you. I'd like to ask a few questions to see if it would be worth your while to talk about it."

I would have been more likely to answer questions at this point. However, even if I did retort with the same objection mentioned earlier, he could have picked up on it and used it to ask more questions. For example, "I see. What price are you paying?" If that resulted in a dead-end, a last resort question to at least try and accomplish the last chance objective would be, "What plans do you have in place for a back-up supplier, if for example, you needed a large quantity in a hurry and your supplier wasn't able to accommodate you for some reason?"

Determine if parts of your call process are similar to this one. Analyze every step of the process, determine your own strengths and enhance them, and shore up the weak areas.

Let me help you. Download my step-by-step process, along with tons of word-for-word examples that you can use to avoid rejection and get more Yes answers. Check it out at http://www.businessbyphone.com/HowToPlace.htm

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible."
Arthur C. Clarke

Go and have your best week ever!
Art

About the Author:
Art Sobczak, President of Business By Phone Inc., specializes in one area only: working with business-to-business salespeople--both inside and outside--designing and delivering content-rich programs that participants begin showing results from the very next time they get on the phone. Audiences love his "down-to-earth,"entertaining style, and low-pressure, easy-to-use, customer oriented ideas and techniques. He works with thousands of sales reps each year helping them get more businesses by phone. Art provides real world, how-to ideas and techniques that help salespeople use the phone more effectively to prospect, sell, and service, without morale-killing "rejection." Using the phone in sales is only difficult for people who use outdated, salesy, manipulative tactics, or for those who aren't quite sure what to do, or aren't confident in their abilities. Art's audiences always comment how he simplifies the telesales process, making it easily adaptable for anyone with the right attitude.

Contact Info
Art Sobczak
Business By Phone Inc.
13254 Stevens St.
Omaha, NE, 68137
402-895-9399
ArtS@BusinessByPhone.com
http://smart-calling.com/

Back To Top

Screeners See Right Through These Cheesy Techniques
by Art Sobczak

Greetings!

This actually happened to me a few years ago, and I was reminded of it when a reader told me he received a call from a guy using the same technique.

The caller was suspiciously evasive with my assistant: "I'm calling him back. Will you connect me now please?"  he insisted.

My calls aren't screened, but I do want to know who's calling and the nature of the call. "There's some guy on line one ... says he's calling you back. I don't recognize the name. Sounds like kind of a jerk."

The caller greeted me:

"Hi Art, Gary Smith with International Investors."

He then breathlessly spewed a pitch on municipal bonds.

I interrupted him. "I don't know you and never called you. You told my assistant you were calling me back."

"Yeah, well, heh, heh ... I called you a few days ago, you weren't in, so now I'm calling you back. I told the truth."

Wonderful. Someone who practices "technical truth."

Perhaps deception, mincing of words, evasion of questions, and outright lies are accepted by and expected from some people, but I believe they have no place in professional sales. I have to wonder, when callers use these tactics, what are they thinking? That the person they actually get through to--if they do--is going to congratulate them for being a slimeball? Hey, nice job buddy on using the old, "It's a personal call" technique to get through to me. Haven't heard that one in a while!

Tactics to Avoid
Here are tactics to avoid when dealing with screeners, and on voice mail ... approaches that clearly label callers as time-wasting, self- interested salesmen.

- Leaving only a name and number for a call back. Not identifying your company suggests you have something to hide. Granted, it almost forces the prospect to return the call, thinking it might be a prospect or customer. He might even get his expectations up. But the balloon falls with a thud when he realizes it's a salesperson trying to sell him something.

- Making a statement, then a demand. As in, "I need to speak with Jan Smith. Please connect me." Sure. Let's try to intimidate the screener into putting the call through. What are these people thinking?

- Believing the nonsense of, "Never give screeners any information because they can't buy from you." Maybe most of them can't make the final decision to buy, but they can make the decision that no one will buy from you.

Keep in mind what the screener says to the boss after they put you on hold and announce the call to the boss. You don't want them to say, "There's some bozo on the line who sounds like he's selling something. Want me to ditch him?"


What To Do Instead
Here are some ideas on what to do to enhance your chances of reaching your decision maker, getting help in doing so, and having more and better information once you arrive.

- Ask for help. The simplest, yet most effective technique I know is asking for help. You appeal to a person's innate sense of feeling needed, wanted ... important.

- Ask for information. Engage in "social engineering" as I explain in "Smart Calling." Gather as much elementary, factual, qualifying information as you can before speaking with your decision maker. They expect it. Their job is not to waste time educating you with stuff you should already know by the time you reach them. Preface your questions to screeners, assistants ... anyone, with, "I want to be sure that what I have will be of interest to Kathy. There's probably some information you could give me ..."  This also positions you apart from typical salespeople who don't respect the buyer's time.

- Have something of value. This is the not so secret "secret" to getting people to return your calls, or at least them being in a positive frame of mind when you call back. You must, I repeat, must, have something of interest for them. Why would they take your call otherwise?

- Your value item should answer a question: "What will you help them gain or avoid?" They don't care diddly about your products or services. They'll let you through or return your message if they suspect you might be able to help them get something they want, or avoid something they don't. And the more customized and relevant your value item, the better (see the point above about gathering information).

About the Author:
Art Sobczak, President of Business By Phone Inc., specializes in one area only: working with business-to-business salespeople--both inside and outside--designing and delivering content-rich programs that participants begin showing results from the very next time they get on the phone. Audiences love his "down-to-earth,"entertaining style, and low-pressure, easy-to-use, customer oriented ideas and techniques. He works with thousands of sales reps each year helping them get more businesses by phone. Art provides real world, how-to ideas and techniques that help salespeople use the phone more effectively to prospect, sell, and service, without morale-killing "rejection." Using the phone in sales is only difficult for people who use outdated, salesy, manipulative tactics, or for those who aren't quite sure what to do, or aren't confident in their abilities. Art's audiences always comment how he simplifies the telesales process, making it easily adaptable for anyone with the right attitude.

Contact Info
Art Sobczak
Business By Phone Inc.
13254 Stevens St.
Omaha, NE, 68137
402-895-9399
ArtS@BusinessByPhone.com
http://smart-calling.com/

Back To Top

The 80% Your Customers Don't Tell You
by Jill Harrington

I still have vivid memories of a time I was making an important purchase for my company.  A vendor raked me over the coals when she found out that I had shared a piece of information with her competitor and not with her.  She lost the bid, and held my unfair act responsible for her loss.  I suppose I should feel some guilt or remorse.  I don't.   

The reality is ... buyers rarely share the breadth and depth of information you need to build a winning proposal.  The onus is on you to draw it out of them. 

Savvy sellers know that trying to win a deal with partial information is akin to Tiger Woods expecting to win a golf game with only one club in his golf bag.  Depending on who he's competing against, it's not impossible, but the odds are stacked heavily against him. 

And, if sharing information is critical to buyers getting the right solution, why do customers hold back?  The good news is ... it's rarely intentional. 

I've observed four fundamental reasons for this phenomenon: 

1.  Buyers make assumptions.

They provide you - and everyone else - what they believe is "enough" information to enable you to submit a recommendation.  But guess what? It's never enough!   

If you're working with the same information as your competitor your proposal comes dangerously close to looking like theirs.  And, if you all look the same - guess what threatens to raise its ugly head as the prime differentiator? PRICE!  If you want to get to the 80% that will win you the deal, or be in a position to decide if a deal exists, then you have to work for it.  And that means pre-planning important questions and shifting the conversation into territory the customer has neglected to cover. 

Territory that is often overlooked, may be sensitive, and that requires forward planning in terms of what you will ask, and how you will ask includes ...   Current business priorities and how this initiative contributes to, and is perceived in context of, critical strategic objectives  ...  Key stakeholder preferences and interests - there are people formally and informally involved in the process that the client may neglect  to mention ... The specific conditions and criteria that will decide how, and if, they will move forward - and with whom ... Who and, more importantly, what are you competing against - traditional competitors, new forms of competition,  or the status quo? 

2. Buyers are time-starved.

The buyer may not be the expert on the issue that confronts them.  And they don't have time to think of everything. That's why they talk to you.  But they don't want sellers who simply spew product features and benefits.  They're looking for . . .

an expert to ask valuable customer-centric questions that help them decide "the right path of action," and not just "the path to your door." 

My favorite personal sales success is the time I met with a client who had just verbally awarded his business to one of my competitors.  Talk about bad timing.  With no immediate opportunity on the table I took advantage of the meeting to learn more about his business.  As I listened I found incongruence between his problem and the solution he had selected.  And, with no intent other than curiosity, I asked him, "Given your current acquisition strategy and ultimate goal, why do you believe this to be the right solution?"  

He thought about it and started to question his decision.  He asked me for input. I provided my thoughts in context of the business priorities he had shared earlier. He liked what he heard and asked for a proposal.  This buyer walked away from his previous verbal agreement.  And awarded me the contract. I had just earned what was to be one of the most loyal, and enjoyable, business relationships of my entire selling career. 

3. Your contact doesn't have the full picture.

You already know what I'm going to say about this one.  "YOU'RE TALKING TO THE WRONG PERSON!"   And / or you're not having the right conversation with ALL of the relevant people.   

Organizational decision making has become increasingly complex in recent years with a greater cast of characters playing key roles.  Get clear on where the real influence lies.  Do it early in the sales process.  Identify who has most at stake and who has vital information before you get "locked in" with a go-between or gatekeeper lower on the food chain.  

Deepen your understanding of the critical influencers, specifically what's important to them now, and use this knowledge to give them a reason (from their point of view) to answer your questions directly. 

4. The buyer doesn't want to provide YOU additional information.

It happens.  Customers do, on occasion, hold back intentionally. 

First find out why.  There may be a valid reason that you need to understand - before you decide how to get them to spill the beans.  

Often there's an unspoken cause and, if it's one of the following, that's a BIG red flag:

If you believe this may be the case, don't even think to proceed without getting straight answers to some tough questions. 

Is this a real opportunity for you?

What is their disposition to your company?

Why would they consider a change?

And why would they consider you? 

And don't accept the "polite" answers.  Get to the truth, even if it hurts. I've done this and been told, "Jill you can't win.  We're very happy with our current partner.  We need an extra bid."  Ouch!  But now I know where I stand and I have a choice...  Be the extra bid, do my homework to best show my stuff, and start to slowly build a relationship over time.  Or walk away. 

Remember, buyers don't intuitively provide all of the information you need to develop a differentiated recommendation.  You need to work at retrieving it. 

You want to win in golf? 

You need a full set of clubs.    

You want to win in sales?

You need to work at uncovering the hidden 80%. 

Good selling! 

Jill

Jill Harrington is the president of salesSHIFT and has contributed to the success of thousands of B2B sales professionals around the world. She shifts their thinking and actions to enable faster, and bigger, sales results in extraordinarily competitive markets. www.salesshift.ca

Back To Top

7 Strategies to Branding Yourself and Increasing Your Tele-Sales Revenues for 2011 by Jim Domanski

Here's the good news for 2011:  

Tele-sales as a selling application (and as a profession) is growing as field sales continues to decline. More and more B2B companies are jumping onto the tele-sales bandwagon because it is fast, less costly and because it appeals to a new generation of buyers who do not need the same level of face-to-face contact. What they need and want is instant information and the telephone (in conjunction with the internet, e-mail, webinars, tele-conferences, etc.)  is poised to deliver it. So this means there is a huge opportunity for you to succeed in tele-selling.

But here's the bad news for 2011:  

Because tele-sales is growing there's going to be a glut of competition in the marketplace. More of your competitors will be calling your customers and prospects.  In fact, more of your non-competitors are going to be using the telephone to contact your customers and prospects.  So this means you need to differentiate yourself; stand out from you competitors and non-competitors.  You need to be better, smarter, and more valuable so you stick out from the clutter.

And here's the solution:  

Create your own personal 'brand.'  In other words, you need to distinguish yourself in the eyes of your clients.  You need to be recognizable, memorable, and valuable. You want your clients to say, "I'll take that call" or "I'll return that message."

7 Personal Branding Strategies

Strategy #1: Become a Business Resource

To be a strong brand, it is not enough to simply be a source of information (source of brochures, promotional literature, products, prices, offers, services etc.), you've got to be a "resource."  A resource is someone who supplies prospects and clients with 'extras' that go beyond pitching a product or service. A resource provides unsolicited Special Reports and White Papers to add value. Resources scan industry magazines and rip out articles that they share with clients. They provide links to web sites that can help the client work better, smarter and faster. They send independent newsletters and data that their competitors would never think of doing.

Becoming a resource means you have to do more homework and become the industry expert; the product guru; or the 'go-to' guy when clients have a question.  Resources do more. Extra. They create value.

2.  Build Stronger Personal Relationships

All things being equal, people will buy from people they know, like and trust.  In fact, all things being relatively unequal, people will still buy from people they know, like and trust.  How well do you know your clients? How well do they know you? What have you done to create likability and trust?

You see, that's the difference between a transaction and a relationship.  Customers can transact business with any company/sales rep that is relatively decent and competent.  But they would prefer to do business with people who not only add the value (See Strategy #1) but who are interesting, likeable and 'worthy' of the business.
 
Even in B2B situations, there is still an element of emotion in the buying process.

To brand yourself, you need to tap into this emotional stream. It is planned and purposeful. That means sending thank you cards every now then. It means remembering a birthday or that their son plays hockey or their daughter plays volleyball. It means sending a Memphis Dry Rub recipe to an avid BBQer; it means sending an article from Golf Digest on chipping; it means finding memorable quotes; it might mean sending a cartoon; it could mean gentle teasing about Notre Dame losing to Michigan.  

 
Building a relationship could mean sending homemade cookies, chocolates, or candy.  Maybe donuts. Anything that solidifies the personal side of the selling equation.

3. Plan and Prepare More

Look, with the glut of competitors calling the same target markets, your call NEEDS to be well planned and prepared if you expect your clients to listen and perceive value. What this means is having a well- defined primary objective supported by secondary objectives.  Once you know your objectives, you can define your step-by-step approach to the call itself.  Think of the questions you should ask, the points you should make, and the objections you might encounter. Figure out how to leverage your relationship. Create a pre-text for calling. Craft your opening statement so it conveys a benefit to your customer or prospect. Rehearse if you need to.

Well planned call is a welcomed call. It wastes no one's time. It's clean, crisp and professional.

4. Get Better at E-mail Communications and Selling

Today's top 'brand' of B2B tele-sales reps must communicate at two levels. FACT: you will not achieve superior sales results if you cannot effectively use the telephone to prospect or sell if you cannot effectively craft a superb e-mail. The telephone provides audio messages (via direct contact and voice mail) and e-mail provides visual messages. In today's marketplace, the two go together like peas and carrots.  The trouble is most reps do not know how to compose an effective e-mail that is persuasive and interesting. They write ponderous copy with a dozen sentences. The e-mail is crammed with self-serving propaganda. The grammar is questionable at best.

Learn how to write a good e-mail that LOOKS good and the READS good.  And if you don't know how to do that, drop me an e-mail and I'll send you a report or two.

5. Practice Add On Selling

Over 70% of calls to clients and prospects end up in voice mail.  What this means is that you must make the absolute most of the 30% or so calls that reach a live decision maker. Add on selling (AOS) is a means to squeeze, leverage and extract every single ounce of potential from the calls that you make in a professional, value added manner.

In practical terms, that means cross selling or up selling in a manner that educates the client and makes them want to listen and learn. For you that means additional revenue, usually at a better margin and typically, that means a better, bigger commission. AOS means asking for referrals because a good referral closes at a rate of 75%. AOS means getting curious and asking questions that gather 'market intelligence' by 'picking' your clients brains to get their thoughts, feeling and suggestions.

6. Work Just a Little Bit Harder

Do you want to quickly get a good name for yourself internally or externally? Then simply work harder. The top brands - products or people- did not become the top brand by sitting on the sideline watching their competitors waltz by.  Top brands worked hard to achieve the #1 spot.  It doesn't have to be 14 hour days. Translated, working hard means cranking out a few more calls in a day or arriving a little bit early - even fifteen minutes or staying late every now and then, and doing some work from home. It means searching for value added articles or recipes or thank you cards to send to clients to build personal relationships. It means learning your products inside and out. Break a sweat now and then.

7. Invest in Yourself

Invest a few bucks in yourself. Buy a book. Order some DVDs. Pay for a download. Sign up for a Send Out Cards program.  Attend a webinar or conference and do it on your own dime. Invest in yourself and you invest in your brand by making it better, sharper, more professional.  The moment YOU take some financial risk is the moment you'll want a greater ROI. You'll push yourself. You'll work harder because of it (see above).  You'll buy those thank you cards and use them. You'll follow up a little more closely.

Summary

Are your ready to take advantage of the changing marketplace? Becoming your own brand and being the tops in your department, market or industry is not terribly difficult.  But it does take focus and discipline. Follow these seven steps and you'll be the best 'brand' in the business.

About The Author:

Teleconcepts Consulting works with companies and individuals who struggle to use the telephone more effectively to sell and market their products and services. For more information on consulting services and training programs, articles, and other resources visit  www.teleconceptsconsulting.com   or call 613 591 1998.

Board Room or Bored Room? The Three Rules for Survival in Today’s Competitive World by Tim Wackel

Imagine you’ve been working on a significant opportunity for several months. You’ve invested long hours with all of the key players and it’s almost time to go to contract. The final step is a simple “show-n-tell” presentation that you need to deliver to the executive committee. All you need is their nod and you’re off to the bank to deposit the commission check.

The day of the big pitch arrives and you’re feeling good. You walk confidently into the board room, connect your laptop and launch the presentation. Suddenly all eyes are on you and without warning you find yourself stumbling through a lame introduction that goes something like: “Hi, my name is Bob and I work for XYZ Company. Thanks for taking some time to be here today.”

You race through the deck until you get to the meat of the presentation (easily identified by the slides that have lots of words typed in small fonts). Finally you begin to feel strangely comfortable as you start reading these complex screen shots to the decision makers.

And then, without warning you find yourself staring at a blank slide. There is nothing left in the deck so you immediately ask for questions and of course there aren’t any. You awkwardly thank everyone for their time and head back to the office. Now you’re left with no clue if you’ll win this opportunity but you’re certain that you won’t get a second chance.

Sound powerful? Probably not, but I’ll bet it sounds familiar.

So what does it take to keep the Board Room from becoming a Bored Room? Here are three quick tips to get you back on track now.

#1. Get a hook!
Most audiences rush to conclusions in the first two minutes of your presentation. Failure to develop a solid introduction is one of the biggest mistakes sales professionals make. Leverage those first two minutes to take command of your listeners. Engage them with a relevant story. Grab their attention with an alarming insight. Or just make them smile with some simple humor. Worry less about educating (do you like to be educated?) and worry more about entertaining (everyone likes to be entertained).

I’m not suggesting you start your next presentation with a card trick (although that could be a great hook). But I am suggesting you take a hard look at how you get your audience to lean in for the first two minutes of your next presentation.

Script, practice and polish your hook until it is rock solid. Grabbing their attention from the very start sets you and your ideas apart from everyone else who just “wings” their opening. And a great hook creates confidence that you can build upon throughout your presentation.

#2. “I know this next slide is a little hard to read”
PowerPoint was originally developed to be a visual aid; a tool that presenters could use to add “power” to their message by highlighting a key “point.” Think big fonts, few words, maybe even a picture or two to drive home important ideas.

PowerPoint was not designed to be a proposal tool or a script. Save the Gantt charts for the appendix:
PLEASE!

PowerPoint decks aren’t the presentation, you are the presentation. The deck is there to support you and your ideas.

Look at it another way. PowerPoint decks that are jammed full of data, charts, conclusions and complete paragraphs could just be emailed to the customer. What do they need you for? The customer can read it themselves and it saves you from having to make a sales call. What an interesting way to decrease business and work yourself out of a job.

#3. The two words that everyone loves to close with.
presentations I get to watch (and I get to watch hundreds every year) close with the presenter saying “thank you.” Not exactly a strong call to action, is it?

You deliver presentations because you want someone to do something. You might want their approval or an introduction or maybe you want their feedback on an idea. The bottom line is you want something from your listener and the best way to get it is to ask for it!

I know you won’t always get what you want, but if you’ll ask for something specific it becomes a springboard for questions, discussion and next steps. You walk out of the board room knowing where you stand versus going back to the office and hoping that your phone will ring.

It takes courage to admit you could be a better presenter and confidence to believe you can change. It takes nothing to create excuses.

Speaking of Sales is about finding, winning and keeping customers for life. If that’s part of your job, then you won’t want to miss the next issue.

Until then,
Tim

Tim Wackel
tim@timwackel.com
http://www.timwackel.com
214.369.7722

Tim Wackel is hired by sales executives who want their teams to be more successful at blowing the number away. Tim’s “no excuses” programs are insightful, engaging and focused on providing real world strategies that salespeople can (and will!) implement right away. Sales teams from BMC Software, Cisco, Fossil, Hewlett Packard, Allstate, Thomson Reuters, Raytheon, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Catalina Marketing, Philips Medical Systems, Red Hat and TXU Energy count on Tim to help them create more success in business and in life.

Back To Top

Are You Scaring Your Prospects Away?
By Jill Konrath

Nothing warms my heart more than hearing about my prospective customer's problems. Because it's so darn hard to set up meetings with decision makers today, moments like this are few and far between.

Is it any wonder that I salivate like Pavlov's dog when prospects say things like:

"Our sales reps are really struggling to crack into corporate accounts"

"Customers don't appreciate our value. They always want us to cut our price."

"Our last new product launch fell short of our projections."

It takes every bit of willpower I possess not to break into a big grin when I hear their tales of woe. Inside I'm practically giddy from the glorious opportunity that's just presented itself.

While you may think that I'm a sadistic sort of person who takes perverse pleasure in their pain, you couldn't be further from the truth.

Instead, I am their savior!

The merest hint of displeasure awakes the hero within. Sitting astride my white steed, I am ready to swoop into action and rescue them from their dismal condition.

There's no doubt in my mind that I can make a significant difference for their company. My offering is just what they need. And to be honest, I really need their business too. It's truly a win/win situation.

So, at the earliest possible opportunity, I pounce.

Instinctively I lean forward, eager to show how I can save them from their misery, restore order to their chaos, and help them reach their unachievable objectives.

Overcome with passion, I babble fervently about my incredible leading-edge solutions. I point out the convenience of our one-stop shopping. I expound on my firm's virtues and commitment to excellence.

My prospect's head is nodding, but his eyes have glazed over. He doesn't look convinced.

Fueled by a burning desire to help (and, of course, to get a sale), I expand on all the additional ways I can assist his company. More and more ideas flow from my mouth. I pull out my brochures, customer list and data sheets pointing out the relevant details.

Nothing can stop me now. I see the future. They're happily using my offering. Their problems are solved. They love working with me. They've become a highly profitable, long-term customer.

Then suddenly I am jolted back into reality.

Sometimes a simple question wakes me up: "How much does it cost?" Immediately I jump on the defensive as I'm forced to prematurely justify my price.

Other times a comment does the trick: "It's not that big of a deal. Things aren't that bad here." Given what I know about their situation, this seems almost incomprehensible. I'm stymied and don't know how to respond.

I wonder what has happened to my hot prospect. Why is he pulling back from me and erecting seemingly insurmountable barriers? Can't he see that I'm only trying to help? My dream rapidly turns into a nightmare as I watch the opportunity evaporate into thin air.

---

If you're like most sellers, you're probably all too familiar with this scenario. What you may not realize is that you scared your prospect away. You created your own problem.

The moment they mentioned a problem, difficulty or dissatisfaction, you pounced on them so quickly that they needed to protect themselves from the onslaught. Invariably, your rush to a solution only creates obstacles to doing business.

How can you prevent this from happening?

You have to change your behavior. Your prospects need to know that you fully understand their situation and care about helping them. While you may think that immediately offering a solution does this, in their mind it positions you as a self-serving salesperson. All they can think about then is how to escape from your clutches.

So what do what you need to do? As soon as your prospect mentions an issue, lean back. This prevents you from being overcome with diarrhea of the mouth and keeps you in a consultative mode. Then ask questions. Lots of them.

Find out why it's a problem. Ask your prospect to expand on the issues. Learn how they've tried to address it already. Explore the impact it's having on their operation. Discover the value of a solution.

Then take what you've learned under advisement and leave. Before you go, set up a follow-up meeting to either learn more about their situation or present your ideas.

Make sure to plan those questions ahead of time. It's impossible to come up with good ones when you're under pressure.

And whatever you do, don't go barreling headlong into a solution in your initial meeting. You'll only frighten prospective customers away.

About Jill Konrath:

Want to learn more about the new rules of selling to crazy-busy prospects? To get four FREE sales-accelerating tools and download two chapters of SNAP Selling, visit www.snapselling.com.

Jill Konrath, author of SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies, helps sellers crack into new accounts, speed up sales cycles and win big contracts. She's a frequent speaker at sales conferences. 

For more fresh sales strategies that work with crazy-busy prospects AND to get four free sales-accelerating tools, visit  www.snapselling.com.

Back To Top