Sandler Training Kansas City Blog

How to become a Trusted Advisor

2010-07-09T11:02:00.000-05:00

Recently I was working with a company’s executive team in reviewing the progress we had made together in solving a longstanding, difficult problem that had stunted their growth for years and slowed their momentum. It was rewarding to see their excitement as we reviewed the results of our efforts together. It was a good team meeting and an encouraging feeling to share our successes. I should have left well enough alone, yet I recognized that the true learning and best growth had not gone far enough. I posed three follow-up questions:

”How did this problem get into your organization in the first place?”
”How many people in the company realized that this problem existed and could have pointed it out sooner and allowed it to be resolved sooner?”
”What other problems should you now notice that might be connected to this past issue?”

In other words, don’t just fix the obvious problem without evaluating how the entire culture is affected. Don’t accept it as just another typical business issue, another bullet dodged; use what you learned to ask better questions.

After discussion of these three questions, it became clear we had only done part of the work needed. Not surprisingly, several of the senior level managers acknowledged it was a problem they were aware of and should have addressed earlier, however, the culture of the company and their overwhelming pressing schedules had made it unacceptable to do so. Does this sound familiar? Well, so much for the celebration, but I wasn’t through yet; I offered one more question:

“How is solving this problem going to affect how you personally operate going forward?”

You might wonder why I was so intent on irritating an otherwise good and loyal client who had come to treat me as a trusted advisor … the fact was that is exactly the position a trusted advisor should take.

Salespeople who do think of themselves as trusted advisors most often can only ask one-dimensional questions to elicit one-dimensional answers. Salespeople do this a lot. My favorite example is a thermostat that measures ambient temperature against a standard setting that turns the heat source on or off accordingly. The whole transaction is binary and, therefore, one-dimensional. Harvard Professor Chris Argyris calls this single loop learning.

Argyris also describes a next step called “double loop learning,” which takes an additional step and turns the question back on the questioner. It asks follow-up questions. In the case of the thermostat, for instance, double loop learning would wonder whether the current setting was actually the most effective temperature at which to keep the room and, if so, whether the present heat source was the most effective means of achieving it. A double loop process might also ask why the current setting was chosen in the first place. In other words, the double loop learning asks questions not only about the objective facts but also about the reasons and motives behind those facts. I call it the context of the problem.

I use yet a third loop of learning, which occurs when you make it personal and apply it to yourself. How does this change or impact you? What makes this significant in your world? Selling should be a triple loop learning experience.

Loop One: Questions should be focused on how to solve your client’s problem and help them secure a successful solution.

Loop Two: Questions should be focused on how to help your client understand the context of the problem, how and how long it existed, and other things it is connected to. Help your client to see a bigger sense of what you are doing for them.

Loop Three: The questions help your client understand how they will be different personally because of the work you have done.

If you can lead your client through a triple loop learning curve, you will be far more than just the next salesperson that comes through the door; you will quickly and truly be viewed as a trusted advisor.

Sales Managers Should Coach

2010-07-08T10:16:00.000-05:00

Coach, Don't Tell...

The best managers are the ones who help others discover the lessons for themselves. The “lousy” ones not only tell, but they yell. . . which also covers phrases like, “If you screw this up…,” “I hate to be so negative,” and “You’ve got to make quota this month or else.”

Managers deliver their message this way to make themselves feel stronger (to feel more “OK” about themselves and their own self-worth) – most times on a subconscious level. “Telling” doesn’t build sales character; unfortunately, it can either cause your salespeople to lose respect for you or de-motivate them to not really try.

Effective mentoring and coaching strategies include asking good questions, especially when you already know the answers, to help your protégés come up with the “light bulbs” on their own. Coach, Don’t Tell.

Developing Patience in Sales Training

2010-07-06T13:44:00.002-05:00

Be Patient...

Amazingly few people are willing to be patient. However, putting off gratification until later in order to obtain larger rewards than those immediately available is essential to achieve true success.

Patience does not mean catering to unnecessary delays which are really screens for procrastination, resignation, or dependency. Taking more time merely to avoid commitment is not a way to achieve success. However, most of us will recognize the difference between a rationalization like, “I need more time,” and the precept that achieving solid, lasting results requires time.

If we put off doing a thing and find ourselves going nowhere, we are sabotaging ourselves. If we put off doing it but find that, with struggle and effort, we are slowly progressing toward the desired goal, we can congratulate ourselves on having demonstrated a true willingness to postpone gratification ― an enormous asset and an indispensable element in self-realization and success.

Training and development of any kind takes time. An inability to wait virtually guarantees that our rewards will be small. Rewards are generally proportional to the ability to endure necessary waiting. To become a surgeon, lawyer, diplomat, or professional salesperson takes time and dedication. While working toward the goal, little or nothing is earned, and recognition for work done and energy output is minimal. The rewards come later. And, of course, if patience results in work that is interesting, gratifying, and rewarding in all regards, the postponement of gratification will have led to a situation likely to generate meaningful successes.

Sales Manager Excuse: Hurried Hiring

2010-07-01T08:30:00.000-05:00

“I’m forced to fill a vacant territory too quickly.” If you have high turnover, learn to build up a People Bank. Just as your salespeople are always prospecting for new customers, your “bait should always be in the water,” looking for new salespeople. If you’re not prepared for turnover, then you’re asking for trouble every time your weakest person turns over.

Break the cycle and interview people even when you’re NOT looking to immediately hire a new salesperson. “Always keep your bait in the water!”

Maintaining Existing Business

2010-06-30T13:10:00.003-05:00

Let's Do Lunch

In today’s environment, the cost of acquiring new accounts has skyrocketed. Studies over the years have shown that selling additional products and services to an existing client base can be more cost effective than spending time in new client development. With existing accounts, we have already absorbed the cost of acquiring the business. Our existing client base would utilize more of our services if only we had the foresight to ask for the business. Yet, we seldom ask.

So, how should we bring up the subject? One of the most successful ways to do this is to take your client to lunch. This enables the buyer-seller relationship to change. Inside the office, your client has a role to play and many demands to meeting. Inside the restaurant, you can focus on selling the additional business.

Follow these suggestions for a successful business lunch with your client:

Thank your client for the existing business. Tell the client you appreciate them. Let them know they are an important part of your business, and you will strive to maintain the partnership.

Review the history of the account with your client. The Sandler Selling System teaches us to have the client do the review. Ask for input as follows:

How long have you been doing business together?
How satisfied is the client with your services?
How does the client feel you could improve your service, and in what areas?
How receptive would the client be to giving you a reference letter?

Most successful salespeople have a book of reference letters. Instead of extending the sales cycle by having a prospect call your existing client, you can pull out your reference book for immediate review. A reference letter enables your client to put their thoughts and feelings into concrete form. If your client has trouble putting thoughts and feelings into concrete form, it’s helpful to go over the letter with them.

Ask what expectations your client has for the upcoming year. Ask how much business they have given you thus far. Then ask, “Based on where we are in the year and projects that you have going on internally, where do you think we will end up at the end of the year? What additional business would I be involved with?” Get that number. Use it to help forecast sales and check that reality with the number in your account plan.

Ask for a list of other upcoming projects or purchasing decisions happening. This will expand the scope of your business. Often, your client does not understand your full line of products and services. By having your clients explain what is going on internally, you can use your product knowledge to decide how to best apply it, and where.

Ask your client for the names of other people working in other departments within his/her company. Ask for the names of those in charge of purchases and projects within the scope of your expertise.

You will experience tremendous outcomes following these suggestions. The client will feel that they are an integral part of your business and are in partnership with you for the future. Asking for a reference letter from them makes them feel important, too. Furthermore, you will have a clear picture of what is ahead and a good roster of outside referrals.

Good luck, and bon appetit!

What is the most important word in sales?

2010-06-29T11:52:00.003-05:00

When a prospect expresses interest in your product or service, "what" plays a pivotal role in developing the potential opportunity.

Why? Because asking "what" questions in the early stages of the selling cycle facilitates obtaining the information needed to understand the nature and scope of the opportunity.

Let's examine some of the "what" questions to which you will need answers as you work toward defining the opportunity.

What does the prospect want?
What does the prospect need?
What triggered the need or desire?
What, exactly, is the prospect attempting to accomplish?
What problem is the prospect attempting to solve?
What goal is the prospect attempting to achieve?

The answers to these questions will enable you to initially determine if your product or service will satisfy the prospect's perceived needs.

As the scope of the opportunity begins to take shape, you need answers to additional "what" questions to get a sense of the prospect's commitment to move forward with the purchase.

What, if anything, has the prospect already attempted to do to fulfill the need or desire? And, what was the outcome of the attempt?
What level of urgency has the prospect assigned to satisfying the need?
What are the likely consequences if the need or desire is not fulfilled?
What are the prospect's expectations regarding the investment necessary to fulfill the need?
By what date and by what means will the prospect ultimately make a buying decision?

When you have fully defined what the prospect wants and needs, and you have determined that you have an appropriate product or service to offer, there are additional "what" questions for which you will need answers before you begin working on a presentation. What are some of those questions?

What would cause the prospect to award the sale to one company over another?
What can you provide that not only specifically addresses the prospect's need, but also differentiates your company in a favorable manner from your competitors?
What additional benefits will accrue to the prospect by doing business with you?
What value does the prospect place on those additional benefits?

When you have answers to all of the "what" questions, you'll know whether the opportunity is one you can win... and what it takes to win it. What could be more important than that?

You Can't Win 'em All

2010-06-28T12:58:00.005-05:00

How many times have you said, "Oh, well. You can't win 'em all?" It may be true that you won't win all sales opportunities you pursue, but that doesn't mean that you can't win them all. In the context of the saying, "can't" is a destructive word. It implies that you are unable to win... that fate somehow won't allow it. And, that mode of thinking provides a readily acceptable excuse for not being held accountable to the outcome.

If you don't take responsibility for unsuccessful outcomes, but simply chalk them up to the notion that "you can't win 'em all," then it's unlikely that you'll learn anything from the experiences. And, if you don't lean anything from them, you are destined to repeat them... which reinforces the negative notion. By allowing that manner of thinking (and justifying) to persist, it's a short jump from "You can't win 'em all" to "You can't win any of 'em at all."

So, what can you do to avoid coming down with "you can't win 'em all-its"? Approach every opportunity not only expecting to win, but prepared to win. It should go without saying that you must be thoroughly knowledgeable about your product or service. But, product knowledge is not enough. You must know enough about your prospects and the likely reasons why they would need your product or service so you can ask intelligent questions that help them connect your product to those needs.

Preparation means doing the research and then preparing and practicing asking your questions. It means mapping out your development process in advance so you can manage your actions and evaluate the results. And, it means identifying potential roadblocks and predetermining how you will deal with them should they occur.

Will preparation guarantee that you will win 'em all? No. But it will guarantee that when you don't win an opportunity, you'll be able to identify the reasons why. And, knowing why will help you better prepare for the next opportunity and increase your chances of winning the next one. So, even when you don't win a sale, you don't exactly lose, either.

NORTH KANSAS CITY BREAKFAST CLUB

2010-03-29T14:15:00.003-05:00

The morning dawned cool and gray as a sizable crowd of 89 Breakfast Clubbers and their guests filed into the back room at Cascone’s.

Steve Montague, owner of Effective Sales Development and our current chairman of the board, was our speaker today. Steve and his wife, Carol, have been married for 31 years. They are very proud of their three successful children.

Steve is a firm believer that whatever we can conceive and believe, we can achieve. He loves his job because he gets to coach and help people “know and learn things they don’t know they know.” He enjoys developing profiles and evaluations. He helps his clients hire people and manage cultures within organizations that are striving for excellence. Steve believes it is important to evaluate people like you’re recruiting for a top team. Who are the players? Do they have what it takes to be a contributor to your team? He focuses on trainability and coachability. He believes the number one enemy of great is good. Having a good salesperson that quits looking at how to be better is a common problem.

It’s like baseball. Just a few extra hits separate a good player from a great player. When he looks at a salesperson, he wants to see a desire and commitment to be in sales. Do they take personal responsibility or do they make excuses for the lack of results? Top winners don’t make excuses. Outlook is another factor. Do they really believe that the light at the end of the tunnel is a light, or is it a train coming at them? Steve likes to give people an opportunity to believe. He says there is no glass ceiling. You can achieve anything if you dream and believe you can achieve. Effort and desire can sometimes be more important than capability. Steve focuses on empowering people and showing them that the opportunity out there is great.

Steve enjoys working with people on the hiring process. He says ninety percent of people hire for competence and fire for attitude. Steve likes to reverse this way of thinking. He stresses the importance of first determining if a person has the attitude, desire and commitment to succeed. If people have those qualities, they can learn anything. Steve is available for public speaking engagements and offers a free sales training class every Tuesday morning. See www.effectivesales.net for more details.

The book is at Effective Sales Development, 4824 NW Gateway Ave., across from Eagle Animal Hospital.

Free Sales Training Class In Kansas City!

2010-03-29T09:07:00.002-05:00

FREE Sales Training Class on Negative Reverse Selling on April 6th in Riverside...

Check it out: http://ping.fm/pPDYb

Free Sales Training Classes In Kansas City!

2009-12-14T12:52:00.003-06:00

Closing the Sale in Kansas City!

Effective Sales Development is now offering FREE TRY-OUTS in Kansas City on Tuesday Mornings! Just click on our calendar and register for any Tuesday Morning President's Club training session from 8:00 am - 10:00 am, and come free of charge.

The first FREE Try-out of 2010 will be January 5th! This sales training class will focus on Closing The Sale.

You will understand how to develop presentations that demonstrate to the prospect that you can solve the prospect’s pains within the identified budget and in a manner that is consistent with this decision process. You will learn how to close the sale, prevent buyer’s remorse, ask for future business and referrals, and transition into the deliver phase.

Click here to register for free!

Breaking the Success Barrier!

2009-12-07T15:35:00.003-06:00

By David H. Sandler
The creator of the Sandler Selling System, David Sandler was an expert at motivating salespeople, as this excerpt from his President’s Club program demonstrates.

There is an invisible barrier that is holding you back. It is the reason why many of us aren’t achieving the goals we set for ourselves. It has been constructed brick-by-brick since we were very young. Unintentionally perhaps, by people who probably wanted the best for us, but nevertheless, there it is – blocking our path to success. What most of us don’t realize is that since it is part of our inner core it can only be torn down one brick at a time, and that doesn’t happen overnight.

We live in a world that demands instant gratification. Instant coffee, buy now – pay later, instant hot water taps, microwave ovens, etc. When we set goals, we expect them to happen instantaneously. We become impatient, and when our goals are not fulfilled fast enough, we become discouraged and give up. But each “give-up” is actually another brick being set in our success barrier.

There are only two options when it comes to the success barrier: You are either removing a brick or laying another. There is no such thing as the status quo in the universe. Things are either growing or dying. You are either tearing down your wall of limitations, or throwing up more barriers to stand in your way.

Since that is a universal law, there is no choice. You must move forward. Do the thing you fear the most, and that thing will become your greatest asset. You cannot turn away from the things you fear. The “brick” will not disappear. It will always be part of you, unless you remove it. When you look at success from this point of view, you can see that the motivation to break your success barrier is built into every brick that is holding you back.

Viewed in this light, a goal is actually a jackhammer. Each time you set a goal a goal for yourself and act upon it, you are chipping away at your success barrier. As each brick is removed, the barrier wall becomes smaller and weaker. That is the reason why success breeds success. The toughest part of tearing down your wall is removing that first brick. The choice is yours. Remove one or place one. You have no other options.

Click here to register for our Motivation & Goal Setting Workshop on Dec 15th, 12pm -3pm for only $95 in our last minute special price to the first 7 people to sign up through this link.

* * *
Source: The President’s Club Report, November-December 1998. ©1998 Sandler Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Identifying The Prospect's Decision Making Process

2009-11-23T11:39:00.005-06:00

One of the biggest mistakes made by hardworking salespeople is the failure to prepare effectively for a sales call – not by packing a sample case, but by recognizing the true goal of their efforts. Don't just pack a sample case; think of a goal for each call, and clearly identify the prospect's decision making process before you get to the meeting.

See if this scenario is familiar: A telephone call is made to get an appointment with a prospect. A request is made for only fifteen minutes of the prospect’s time. It is important to meet face-to face; once the prospect sees the value from the demonstration of the product or service, he or she will certainly be as excited about buying the product or service as the salesperson is about selling it.

Now comes the rehearsal of the product demonstration to cover all of the available features. For any of the features which cannot be demonstrated on site, or may need further explanation, the salesperson plans ahead to bring along enough literature to distribute.

When the time arrives for the appointment, the salesperson is all prepared to conduct a Million Dollar Demonstration. Since fifteen minutes have been allocated for this meeting, the first order of business is to perform the product demonstration.

Successful presentation completed, the hardworking salesperson asks probing questions and goes to a carefully rehearsed closing technique.

Result: Sometimes an order. Always a tired salesperson.

This common scenario is happening to salespeople many times every working day. Where did the salesperson go wrong? The demonstration was great. How could anyone resist buying such a good product/service, especially when it would help the prospect?

To answer these questions, the following questions must be closely analyzed and answered:

Does the salesperson contact a prospect with the intention of qualifying whether or not the prospect meets certain criteria for doing business with his/her company?
When the initial phone call is made to the prospect, does the salesperson conduct an interview or merely make a plea for a small amount of time to see prospect?
Does the salesperson believe that the features, quality or value of the product/service will convince the prospect to make a purchase? Or, does he/she recognize that there are other reasons the buying decision is made?
Companies spend millions of dollars developing and printing brochures on their products. How should such literature be used most effectively by a salesperson? Often the literature is being used as a means of allowing the prospect to end the sales interview, i.e.: Prospect: "Can you leave me some information to look over and then I’ll get back to you?"
Why does the salesperson approach the prospect with the intent of providing a product demonstration at any cost, even if it means not closing a sale?
Does the salesperson have the pressure of a time limit imposed on him/her to complete a product demonstration?
Who created that pressure: the prospect or the salesperson?
Does the salesperson go to the prospect with the purpose of selling or helping the prospect?

The answers to these questions may seem obvious to you. If they are apparent, why are so many salespeople falling victim to the scenario described at the beginning of this article?

One simple step of identifying the prospect's decision making process and setting goals can make a world of difference.

Making a sales call means conducting a sales interview. The goal is to sell the product/service, not provide an education through demonstrations. The professional salesperson knows this, and works with a system to conduct the interview and end the sequence at the salesperson’s discretion. If the result is less than a sale, he/she knows what the next step is in the process, and the salesperson has maintained control of the situation. It means no more wishing and hoping that someday this prospect may become a customer.

It means establishing a head of time who the decision maker is and what that process consists of in order to walk with the prospect through the decision making, instead of pushing and praying...

Free Sales Training For Kansas City!

2009-11-10T10:03:00.003-06:00

FREE SALES TIP

Objection: Your Price is Too High!

Whenever you hear “Your price is too high”, how do you respond?

Did the prospect ask a question or did they make a statement? “Your price is too high” is a statement, not a question. Never answer a statement as if it were a question. Statements from prospects are additional information, not an invitation to you to respond.

Instead of just jumping to assumptions, try this instead: Prospect says: “Your Price is too high”. One way you may respond is, “Which means?”

You may be surprised that your price may not be too high.

Don’t create doubt in your prospects by answering their unasked questions. You are there to ask the questions and then, based on the answers, determine whether or not the answers you receive are moving you closer to a sale.

Use specific question techniques in order to uncover the prospect’s budget.
Counter the prospect’s most common avoidance responses to budget questions.
Confidently discuss budget issues with the prospect.

FREE SALES TRAINING IN KANSAS CITY:

Uncovering The Prospect's Budget

November 17th: 8am-10am
You will learn how to use special question techniques to uncover the prospect’s budget that’s available to invest in your product or service.

Call to reserve a seat 816-505-2500.
Click Here To Register

Do You Have To Be An Expert?

2009-11-03T13:44:00.003-06:00

Are you avoiding a task (for example: calling on a particular group of prospects, writing an article for a trade publication, or giving a speech to an organization) simply because you didn't consider yourself an expert in the particular endeavor? Perhaps, the perceived complexity of the learning process or amount of time it would take to become an “expert" has discouraged you from making any attempt.

Do you have to be an expert?

Are you an expert driver capable of taking a Formula 1 car around a 14-turn Grand Prix track at 200+mph (without damaging the car ... or yourself)? Probably not. But, I'll bet you can competently drive your car, day to day, to get where you need to go.

Are you an expert chef capable of whipping up a gourmet meal for 14 guests with only three hours notice? Again, I suspect not. However, I'll bet that you can toss a salad , broil a few steaks, bake a few potatoes, and steam some vegetables competently enough to even please your in-laws. (OK, that may be stretching it... but you get the point.)

The same applies to speech making, article writing, and prospecting. You don't have to be an expert; you only have to be competent-in many cases, only somewhat competent.

But, you'll never become competent without first "giving it a try." If you've been putting off writing that article or outlining that speech or developing that compelling prospecting strategy, stop procrastinating and just start. Ask a friend or colleague to review your work and make suggestions. With a little effort ... and faith, it will come together.

No one starts out as an expert; they must first develop competency. And, no one develops competency without first starting out. So, what are you waiting for?

Hard Work = Big Sales

2009-10-30T12:48:00.003-05:00

Which Way to Easy Street?

Common sense would dictate that it's impossible to reap the rewards of your efforts if you don't actually exert the effort. So, why do some salespeople, perhaps many, believe that they can grow their client base, close more sales, and earn more money without doing the work, sometimes hard work, associated with those accomplishments? Perhaps Voltaire had the answer when he observed that "Common sense is not so common.”

No investment - no reward.

You won't grow your client base without actively and consistently engaging in the activities that will put you in contact with potential clients (for example: proactive prospecting, networking, obtaining referrals, and forming strategic alliances). And , you definitely won't grow your client base by sitting at your desk waiting for marketing or advertising leads to come in and direct you toward hot, or even luke-warm, prospects.

You won't grow sales with existing clients unless you invest the time to know the ir businesses as well as, or perhaps better than, they know their businesses so you can discover additional opportunities for your product or service. Of course, you can sit at your desk and wait for your clients to make the discovery…and hope they contact you before contacting your competition.

Identifying potential new clients and new opportunities with existing clients won't guarantee more sales (and more commission for you) unless you can effectively develop those opportunities in a timely manner. That means putting every opportunity under the microscope; identifying every aspect of it to make sure it meets the benchmarks defined by your selling process; and investing your time and energy in those that truly measure up and reject the ones that don't. Sounds like work, doesn't it?

More clients, more sales, more money - it takes work; effort and energy. And, it takes a commitment to do what needs to be done…without excuses. There's no free lunch. But, once you've paid the price... enjoy the meal.

What is the Appropriate Length for a Thirty-Second Commercial?

2009-10-28T11:58:00.003-05:00

No, it's not a trick question. Hopefully though, it's a thought-provoking one. The objective of a "30-second commercial" or "elevator pitch" whatever you choose to call it, is to achieve one thing-initiate a conversation. So, how long should it take to accomplish that? Is 30 seconds long enough? Is it too long? Too short, perhaps?

If you suspect that the time element-whether it's 15 seconds, 30 seconds, or 67.3814 seconds is not so important, you're correct. Time is not the benchmark; it's what you say, how you say it, and more importantly, the reaction it elicits from the prospect that really counts.

Since the objective is to initiate a conversation with your prospect, your commercial should be delivered in a conversational tone... as if you were ta lking to a friend or colleague. You shouldn't sound like an infomercial announcer, barking the unique aspects of your product at an unsuspecting prospect, nor should you sound like an unimpassioned college professor, lecturing on the benefits of your product and the advantages that will accrue to its users.

Instead, keep your message simple and brief. Focus on the one aspect of your product or service that your research and experience indicates is likely to be of greatest interest to the prospect. Then, boil it down to one thought that you can articulate in a conversational manner-an idea the prospect can absorb and understand quickly.

Here's an example:
We provide international freight forwarding services for several large companies who rely on us to not only expedite their overseas shipments, but do so at substantially lower costs than they were accustomed to.

One idea: faster shipments at lower costs. If the prospect is at all interested in efficiency and profitability, he's likely to engage in a conversation. So, don't be so concemed about the length of your "pitch"; focus on the content. And, keep it to the point, one thought. If your commercial sparks the prospect's curiosity to know more about what you do or how you do it, you've accomplished your goal - to start a conversation.

Why Mailing or Giving Literature Fails

2009-10-26T13:32:00.002-05:00

Literature informs, but people sell. Traditionally, trained sales people bombard prospects with literature and information that most people never read and usually throw away. People will buy a $50,000 automobile and never read the owner’s manual. You think your prospect is going to read a 5 page color brochure cover to cover? And often, does the prospect ask for literature just to get rid of you?

Learn how to get past the, “Send me literature” objection. Plant your feet, stand your ground, don’t wimp out. You’ll close more deals and stop subsidizing your friendly neighborhood printer.

Sale Tip: Who You Call On Is A Conceptual Thing

2009-10-23T10:12:00.002-05:00

When you make calls, whether it’s a brand new sales call, or a service call to a customer, the level you call at the organization is a reflection of how you see yourself conceptually. If you make sure to meet the president, even if only briefly, then you believe you belong there.

Amateur sales people only will go as high as their mother will let them go. They keep calling on purchasing agents and other non-decision makers time and again, even if they get nowhere. Professional sales people technically know how to get invited in to see the president, and they also understand conceptually why they belong there. Where do you wind up over and over, the President’s office or the janitor’s closet? Who you call on is a conceptual thing.

Psychology Behind The Sale - Nov 6th

2009-10-15T11:45:00.003-05:00

Psychology Behind The Sale
NOVEMBER 6th, 2009
Johnson County Community College
Center for Business & Technology - Regnier Center

Are You The Ideal Salesperson?
How about the rest of your sales staff?
LEARN THE PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND THE SALE!

Why some sales people can’t see value
Why some sales people don’t seem to improve
The crucial elements of a successful sales person
Why some sales people let business slip through their fingers
The difference between someone who CAN sell and someone who WILL sell

Just register for this event, and we will give you some of the most important tools you need to change the shape of your business and career!

Register online for the Half-Day or Full-Day presentation
Or call Rick Doolittle 816-505-2500 or email rick@effectivesales.net for more information.

HALF-DAY: 8:30 to 12:30 - $275
We at Sandler Training believe this workshop will give an understanding of how you can exercise better control over your sales, make a greater penetration in your marketplace, edge out your competition, make your job easier, and guarantee you sizable increases in both sales and profits.

Psychology Behind The Sale
DISC & Values and Workplace Motivators

Click here to register for the Half-Day!

FULL-DAY: 8:30 to 4:30 - $800
This comprehensive sales based evaluation will provide salespeople and their managers with an objective review of their selling strengths and weaknesses, as well as problem areas and limiting factors. Learn how much growth potential you have in the area of sales or sales management.

Psychology Behind The Sale
DISC & Values and Workplace Motivators
Personal Talents Skills Inventory
Kurlan Salesperson or Manager Evaluation

Click here to register for the Full-Day (Including the Kurlan Assessments)!

JCCC Center for Business and Technology

2009-10-14T11:14:00.004-05:00

Effective Sales Development Teams Up With Johnson County Community College

We are proud to announce that Sandler Training will now be offered as part of the JCCC Center for Business and Technology. JCCC will be offering Sandler sales training classes on Wednesday's this fall starting on November 4th from 3-5 pm.

The Center for Business and Technology classes are conveniently located at Regnier Center on the JCCC campus with enrollment open to everyone, not just JCCC credit students. For more information please contact Rick Doolittle at 816-505-2500 or email rick@effetivesales.net

How To Close A Sale

2009-10-07T10:22:00.003-05:00

When to close, has been asked by many sales people who have difficulty CLOSING. The problem is not necessary when to CLOSE but how much information has the sales person obtained from the customer?

Does the sales person know the REAL REASONS why the prospect wants to buy?
Most sales people assume they know, but didn’t ask the right questions to find the true buying motives.
Does the salesperson understand how much money the prospect can afford and is willing to spend?
Most sales people are afraid to talk about money because they are afraid of being too pushy or turning the prospect off.
Finally, does the sales person really understand how people or companies make decisions?

Get these answers first, and you’ll CLOSE more deals.

Reach Your Personal Goals

2009-10-01T09:31:00.005-05:00

You'll never reach your personal goals until you are completely honest about what you really want. Setting personal goals should not be a "wish and hope" exercise. Instead, setting personal goals should be first and foremost an exercise in being honest with yourself. A time to answer the question, 'What do I really want?"

So, what do you really want? More money? More recognition? More free time? More responsibility? Once you decide what you really want-here comes the really hard part-ask yourself, 'why don't I already have it?’

If you really wanted more money, wouldn't you have it? Wouldn't you have implemented the behaviors that would have put you in front of more prospects and created more opportunities to close sales and earn more money? Wouldn't you have stepped up your prospecting and referral generation efforts? Wouldn't you have been more selective about where and with whom you invested your time? If you truly wanted more money, wouldn't you have done the things required to obtain it?

If you really wanted more recognition from your superiors and colleagues, wouldn't you have gone the extra distance to earn it-doing whatever was needed to accomplish department initiatives without being asked? Wouldn't you have jumped in and picked up the slack wherever it was needed before a request for help was issued?

If you really wanted more responsibility, wouldn't you have asked for it, rather than waited for someone to ask you to take it on? Wouldn't you have brought ideas and projects to your superiors and asked for the opportunity to orchestrate and carry them out?

If you really wanted more time, perhaps to spend with your family, wouldn't you have implemented processes to better plan and organize your day so you wouldn't have to take work home at the end of the day or deal with work-related matters over the weekend?

If your goals aren't in alignment with what you truly want - your real passions, your real values, and that which truly drives you-then regardless of how refined your goal-setting process or how detailed your plan of action, you will only be going through the motions. You may reach the end of your plan, but what will you really accomplish? How meaningful will it be?

Before you develop new goals (or review existing goals) determine what you really value-what energizes you and provides you with a sense of satisfaction personally, professionally, spiritually, and in relation to your family and community. In which activities can you remain enthusiastically engaged irrespective of the time or the roadblocks? For work related goals, what would excite you enough to show up for work early and stay late?

Before you establish personal goals, determine what you really want by first examining your values. When your goals reflect your true values, their accomplishment is inevitable.

Don't Make Waves When You Can Make Ripples

2009-09-30T13:57:00.003-05:00

Building a successful selling career isn't about making waves-making big sales. Selling is about developing relationships that produce streams of ongoing business and referrals. And often, those relationships start with a ripple-a small sale.

For many salespeople, chasing big sales that would propel them to the top of the sales charts has been their downfall. Those big sales are typically too few and far between. And, narrowing their focus only on the big sales creates two patterns of behavior that ultimately diminish their success.

The first is wasting an inordinate amount of time chasing opportunities that most often don't come to fruition. Unfortunately, the more time they "invest," the less likely they are to let go even when it becomes clear that the opportunity has stalled.

The second destructive behavior is forgoing other opportunities that may not measure up in terms of sales revenue or commission (at least when compared to the expected payoff of a "big" sale), but do have the potential to establish new relationships and lead to additional sales, and perhaps a stream of future business and referrals.

It's easy to become seduced by the potentially big payoff of a big sale. With one or two ''wave makers” you satisfy your quota and reach your income goal. It's much harder, and takes more discipline, however, to focus on smaller sales as a means of reaching your goals. But there are significant benefits-financial and emotional.

When you are concurrently developing several ripples rather than counting on one wave maker, no single opportunity represents a "life or death" outcome in relation to your sales quota and commission.

Consequently, you are less likely to become emotionally invested in any one opportunity and more likely to be able to make objective decisions about the quality of the opportunity and your chances of closing it in a timeframe consistent with your goals. If an opportunity doesn't measure up, letting it go doesn't leave you empty handed.

It simply frees up some time to find another opportunity. And, because you have other ripples in development, you can find that opportunity without the pressure you would likely feel if the one , and perhaps only, opportunity in your pipeline to which you had pinned all of your hopes had just fallen through.

Making Up-Front Contracts

2009-09-28T16:08:00.003-05:00

The Five Outcomes of a Sales Call.

Amateur sales people think that there are only three outcomes to a sales call: yes, no, and some kind of a maybe. Actually, there are five outcomes to a sales call. They are yes, no, clear future, lesson and referral.

Yes - Professional sales people have a selling system and they understand why they get to ‘yes’, instead of just taking an order.

No - Many sales people would rather take some kind of a maybe instead of a no. Get the customer to tell you no. Once the no is out on the table, at least you know where you stand.

Clear Future - Is not a maybe such as call me next week... Think of a clear future as a mini contract. There is a time set as to when there will be another appointment. At the next meeting, certain objectives will be set such as a yes for an order, or a no..

A Lesson - If you don't get a yes, no, or clear future... Be objective, learn what you could have done differently and the information you obtain will help in securing future orders.

Referral - Even if you get a no, if you were able to build any kind of a relationship with your prospect, there isn’t a better opportunity to get a referral.

Effective Sales Development is offering a FREE Sales Training Class next Tuesday on Making Up-Front Contracts. Just register for this event, then in two short hours, we will give you some of the most important tools you need to change the shape of your business and career!

Call to reserve a seat 816-505-2500.
Click Here To Register