Blog

Want to land THAT sales job?

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:23:17 +0000

Here are the three key things that you need to know in order to be able to land the sales job of your dreams. And how do I know what these are?

I am currently recruiting for sales people for one of our clients and follow an amazing process that quickly reveals the sparkling, shiney gems. So I am here to tell you, do these three things and you will have the best shot ever of landing the sales job of your dreams.

1. Put together your evidence of previous sales successes. This includes information on the size of your market/territory at the start of your time in the role and the size of the increase over the timeframe. Document your targets and whether you achieved them and if they were standard or stretch targets. Did you get bonuses and how much of your role was commission? Provide this information in your resume and be prepared to provide more detail in the interview. You can tell me you are a great sales person but I won't believe you - give me the stats!

2. Understand your sales process including how you go about prospecting, the key ingredients for great cold calling, how do you build rapport (and saying the prospects name a hundred times during the interaction is NOT rapport building) and trust, how you set up networking opportunities, how you qualify prospects, uncover their budget, understand their needs, your understanding of closing and how you handle objections. Be prepared to speak comfortably and openly about your sales process.

3. Manage your emotional state and check your need for approval at the door. Interviews for sales roles means that you have to be selling yourself. And this includes working to understand what the recruiter is looking for in a sales person by listening to their questions and matching your "solution" to their need. They should be testing you so don't take it personally! You don't have to be liked by the recruiter, they just need to be able to respect your expertise. Be warm, be professional and keep your emotions in check when they question you extensively. Same as if you were in a tough sales position with an important client. Don't get defensive.

Trust me! Use your high level influence and negotiation skills with integrity backing it up with evidence and a calm demanour and you will be on your way to your dream job.

In it for the money $$$

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 03:37:27 +0000

Which kind of sales person are you? Are you in it for the money? Or do you thrive more on intrinsic motivation to provide great value to your clients (and to your employer and yourself)? And what impact will your answer to these have on your sales performance, career progress, and your overall lifestyle too? This is worth thinking about.

I work with a lot of salespeople and it's interesting to spot the differences in mindset. I've heard some people boldly say "anyone who says they're not doing it for the money is lying!" I've heard others say, "of course you're doing it for wider meaning, reward or fulfilment."

What's interesting is that global research has shown that the top performing sales people are more intrinsically motivated, doing what they do for personal satisfaction, meaning, pride or recognition. Why? Because it's more sustainable. Their performance isn't tied to external factors or company reward structures. Instead (or as well) they are more likely to have a fire in their belly that drives them.

It reminds me of an inspiring quote I read years ago:

"If two warriors were fighting, one for the purse, the other for a cause, who do you bet on?"

My advice to sales recruiters, managers and sales people, would be to find the 'cause'. Think about it, and talk about it with your team. Get those who are more intrinsically motivated to talk about why they are. Talk about your clients problems that you solve, and the knock-on effects of these. Talk about the value you provide and what it means to your clients. Help ignite a flame in yours and your sales team's belly, and if done right as you progress, it will grow.

How intrinsically motivated are you, and what rewards do you personally gain from your work?

The 10 Minute Sales Close

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 03:58:31 +0000

I was closed a few days ago by an exceptional sales person in under 10 minutes. It was a $500 purchase, he nailed me on the spot, and I had to pick my jaw up off the floor before I excitedly reached for my wallet.

Here's what happened, and I encourage you to grab a pen and make some notes on how you can steal his technique!

I make a lot of sales and coaching phone calls and I needed a new telephone headset. I didn't really know where to start, so I googled and tried this first online retailer.

He first asked why I wanted a headset and based on my answer, he slightly humorously amplified the consequences of me continuing to make long calls with just the phone handset. Then he questioned what sort of calls I was making, to whom, and the quality of call I was after. Before I could blink he was talking about my comfort on the call and confidence. What?? Most people just talk about the quality of the sound….not…..my feelings! He quickly discovered that I prefer to have the sound boomed into both my ears rather than one. I guess my mind connects when my senses are used to the full! Finally, he established that I'd prefer to not be chained to my desk - that freedom and movement would be of great benefit and that wireless would increase my confidence on any call, knowing that I could move if I had to.

The guy was an artist! He painted a very desirable picture in my mind, swiftly and confidently. I wanted to move myself towards that picture quickly!

Before I could even think about anything else, he told me the exact model I needed that would deliver everything I wanted. And that was a very specific and unique headset I needed! And I knew the rather lengthy model number came from his mind..not off a sheet of paper or a screen. He facilitated my decision process very effectively and won me on his technique, his product knowledge, his professionalism, his need for speed, and he nudged me over the tipping point by saying, 'and would you like that to be delivered tomorrow morning?'

I said, '……..(gulp) yes please.'

Epilogue: I've been using the headset and it's better than he said it was! I'm clearly blown away by the whole experience because I'm here blogging about it. That's how great sales works!

Do you have a sales story to share where you were either sold quickly or you closed the sale quickly? If so what did you do? Don't hide it - share in the comments below!

{jcomments on}

Middle Managers Extreme Influencers

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 02:13:30 +0000

I take the opportunity to learn from all our clients. Although I am often considered an ‘expert’ in my field, there is certainly room for more professional and personal development on my behalf.

Recently I have been working on a cultural diagnostic for one of our medium sized clients. This diagnostic has revealed some interesting things about the organization (of course) but more importantly is has given me pause to consider the following question.

How much influence can a middle management team have within an organization with a laid-back CEO and infighting amongst the senior executives?

This is not an uncommon situation. Quite often we find CEOs who have been promoted due to longevity or technical expertise, not for leadership capability. If they have not had the opportunity to develop their leadership skills, these CEOs can take the option of being mates with their executive. The likely results are power plays, the blame game and political sabotage within the second level. Without boundaries, we start to push the envelope…. Some more than others.

So what does this mean for the next level down? I have been witness to a number of scenarios, the most common of which is the development of alliances in order to protect themselves from above. The middle managers come together to create a barrier between the executives and the operational staff. The key issue with this is that it inhibits the ability for the organization to deliver on its strategies. This is because of the lack of trust, lack of clarity and communication issues that occur between the different levels of management. Oft times the middle managers determine the ‘real’ organization strategy through their actions.

All organization cultures can be influenced by anyone within the organization so long as they have the right approach, alliances and skills. A great CEO can change an organization just by being appointed, as can a poor one. Working as a middle manager in an organization with lack of trust and clarity of communication requires immense influencing skills and so long as there is a desire for the greater good this can go a long way to decreasing staff turnover and increasing profitability.

We all have a choice as to who we are when we show up for work in the morning. Are you a middle manager operating with integrity and authenticity?

Talking Shop

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 23:27:23 +0000

I have just received another one of those emails that tells me that I must blog in order to get more business. I decided earlier today, that it is not about blogging for business, but blogging for connectedness.

I think we all recognise that it is our self disclosure that builds relationships and the type and amount of that disclosure demonstrates the depth of the relationship.

The writing style of a blog is generally very informal and personal. One of the key tenets of my beliefs about leadership, is that authenticity is paramount to building trust. So I recommend, as a leader, that you consider blogging for your organisation. The reason for this is two fold. Firstly, sharing your current thoughts on the marketplace, or a common issue that is being identified by your customers, demonstrates your expertise building trust with your customers and staff.

Secondly, sharing a part of yourself, being authentic in what you believe about your business at this point in time, creates connectedness between you, your customers and your staff. Make sure you send the link to the blog to your team. Let them hear how it is that you are feeling and your view of the world. This self disclosure goes a long way to building good relationships. Make sure you show "yourself" with a bit of humour and, please, use your discretion to know when "too much information" is TOO MUCH.

This reminds me of a CEO I know who blogs on his businesses website. He is the CEO of a Credit Union in Australia. His blogs clearly demonstrate his expertise but they also provide a delightful insight into the man who is taking care of the money. He says that it has improved his relationships within the Credit Union as well as with the members. He seems more approachable to others and for himself, he enjoys the greater connectedness with others because he is more able to just be himself. Win - win situation if ever I heard one.

We say so much - 4 principles of communication

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 02:00:46 +0000

We say so much, all the time. Blogs like this, emails, Twitter, and other social media sites are key examples of how much we “talk” and obviously like to talk, not to mention the normal day to day conversations with others.

I was fortunate enough to be co-facilitating the first day of a leadership program with one of our clients the other day and as part of our program we discuss four key communication principles. Even though I have heard them over and over again and also explained them to others, they still cause me to reflect and influence the way I communicate with others.

1. The map is not the territory

We ask our participants to draw a map of how to get from their house to work. They can draw it however they like or even write it as a set of instructions. We then tell them that they have it ‘wrong’. That we know a much better way to get to work from their house and that they really shouldn’t be following their map as it is not the best way to travel.

Sweet, aren’t we?

The point of the exercise, outside of the obvious differences between people’s ideas on how to draw a map, is that our physical territory is not described by the map we carry in our head.

We all have our own maps of the world which provide the frame for how we interpret that world. Telling someone that their map is not right, serves no purpose and does more to erode trust than position you as an expert.

As a leader, you need to step into others’ maps of the world and explore the way they see the territory.

2. The meaning of my communication is the response I get

I am sure you have all had the experience where you over hear the scuttlebutt in the office about things you have said and it is completely contrary to the message you were delivering at the last team meeting.

Sorry to say, there is no point getting frustrated or believing the proponents of the scuttlebutt to be idiots. What you say means exactly what other people hear and the response they give you. A very ‘postmodern’ approach for those philosophers amongst you, in that, a book isn’t written until it is read. Same goes for what you say.

A useful strategy is “triangulation”. If you have an important piece of information or message to pass on, particularly in light of organisation change projects and the like, it is best to check in with three completely different people as to what they heard you say. And don’t just choose people you have a good relationship with! You will then have a good idea as to whether you are presenting your communication in a way that makes sense to them and that you are all on the same page.

This includes taking 100% responsibility for yourself – always an admirable trait in a leader.

3. You cannot not influence

I struggle with the double negative in this sentence as I was taught proper English, but the point is that every communication influences others. Even not saying anything is a communication. Often silence is seen as compliance, particularly in meetings.

Both our verbal and non-verbal communication is interpreted and influences the dynamic of conversations and interactions. For a leader, this is an important principle as it instills a sense of mindfulness about your communication and also how your behaviour may be interpreted. I am sure we all agree it doesn’t hurt to create a greater awareness of yourself and foster compassion and authenticity in interactions with others as you understand the influence you are having in that moment.

4. There is a positive intention motivating every behaviour

We can’t always develop great friendships with people who work for us nor do we want to necessarily. Sometimes this results in having people you work with who you do not always ‘understand’. You might have issues with some of their behaviour including actions that undermine the dynamics of the team.

Drawing on this principle, the key in these situations is to consider what the positive intention behind the behaviour might be and rectify the action based on this motivation. Uncovering the positive intention brings the conversation with your staff member into a collaborative frame where you work together to find other ways to achieve the desired outcome.

Too often I have seen leaders write people off because they are demonstrating perceived bad behaviours in the work place. This might be the case, but in the first instance, I recommend uncovering the positive intention behind the behaviour – it might just reveal more important things than you realize.

Are you a penguin or an elephant?

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 00:52:09 +0000

When I was at the Melbourne Zoo the other day, I had an interesting conversation with one of the Zoo Keepers. It prompted me to think about leadership and how many of us run on instinct as compared to strategic leadership.

The Zoo Keeper explained to me that Penguins operate mostly on instinct. They don’t pay attention necessarily to the others in their group but respond to their environment based on their instinct. The group of fairy penguins that I was watching had to contend with two divers cleaning their tank so they were avoiding the water. Their instincts told them that something big and black in the water was dangerous. And to make matters worse, another zoo keeper was attending to their dry land habitat forcing them to choose between the shore and the water. They were stuck, diving in and out of the water.

Elephants on the other hand, learn from the matriarch of the herd. She teaches the younger members of the tribe what she has learnt through a lifetime. Which plants are edible, which animals to fear, the best path to the waterhole. The elephants integrate this with their own experience.

You can see where I am going with this.

As a leader, you are a role model for future leaders. Through your experiences, you will have developed a particular leadership style. It is important for all of us to enhance our leadership skills and ensure that we are strategic in our approach. Consider that your staff will be integrating your learnings and demonstrated behavours with their own views of the world.

Operating based on our reactions is likely to result in situations where we are stuck between a rock and a hard place, making work and creating flurry. We have all been in situations where we have had a knee-jerk reaction to a situation and ended up worse off for it. So let’s leave that for the fairy penguins because they are much cuter than us, and opt for the strategic leadership of the elephants and develop the leadership culture that you want to see for your organisation.

Take charge!

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:55:42 +0000

I participated in a fun run on the weekend. Run for the Kids - a run that raises money for the Royal Childrens Hospital in Melbourne. It is a fantastic event because of what it supports, the 'vibe', and the huge number of like minded people that enter. In fact, there were 30,000 people there ready to run or walk in order to raise money for the Kids.

When I registered, it was with my sister-in-law because her husband (my brother) had dared her to run up the Bolte Bridge which was part of the course. She roped me in and we were excited to be running 14.6km together. It would be the furthest she had run and it would be my longest 'fun run' since the half marathon in October last year. I also haven't had much experience running 'hills' so it would be a good challenge for me. And who could miss out on running for the Childrens Hospital, an absolute icon in Melbourne.

Well, my sister-in-law sprained her ankle a couple of weeks before the run and so wouldn't be participating. My brother said he would take her spot. There would be no chance that I could keep up with him, so I would be on my own up the Bolte Bridge.... I have been managing a sciatic issue for a couple of months, so weak glutes and hills weren't going to be a winning combination - ah, go hard or go home, right?

So, the day dawned bright and clear. Such a cliché, but true. It was a magical morning and all 30,000 runners were agreed that it would be an amazing day for a 'fun' run. The vibe at the start line was brilliant. All of us standing around chatting and joking before we shuffle off in the congestion that marks the start of any event.

To cut a long story short and cut to the point of this blog, at the 6km mark, I started to climb the Bolte Bridge onramp. It was as tough as I expected. My incredible Garmin watch told me that my pace had dropped by 30 seconds a kilometre - no kidding! I told myself, just take it one step at a time, keep this pace, stand up straight, breath deep, move your arms more, focus on the top. The sun was beating down on me, I was getting hot, my breathing was getting hard.

Runners have a myriad of techniques for getting to a goal, like the top of a hill. Pick out a marker and make it past it, counting, focusing on your breathing and many more. You probably have a few of your own. Me, well, I thought about the great work that the Royal Children's Hospital does and I thought of my sister-in-law who couldn't run but wanted to. I told my mind, we are NOT walking, not anywhere, because this is a 'run' and I need to finish it. And then I thought about John McLean, a paraplegic who did the Hawaiian Iron Man. Here I am, able bodied. Sure, feeling sore and tired, but I have this body and it is mine to control. So that is what I did. I would say they would call that sheer determination.

Looking back on making it up that hill and the others that followed, and then making it across the finish line without having walked a step (despite my mind trying to trick me into believing that it would be ok to walk) I wondered about what kept me motivated. What was it that made me keep running despite feeling hot, tired, sore and ready for a sit down in the shade?

I have a solid belief that I am stronger than my mind. That my choices weren't in my legs, they were in my head. I know it sounds strange, that "I" am stronger than my mind considering it would all be the same mind at work, but at times like this I realize we have an 'observer'. Part of ourselves that can look on to the patterns of thinking that we are playing and make a decision as to whether to follow them or not. We are not victims to our thinking; we are in control of our minds. And when we take that time to look at the patterns, we can come to see that we are playing certain lyrics over and over again, some of which aren't particularly useful.

Lucky for me, I have had training in Neuro-Linguistic Programming and so have learnt some fantastic techniques for reframing limiting beliefs and for being able to manage my mind. And the more I use them, the better I become at staying motivated and focused and being aware of my thoughts.

How do you do it? And do you know when you are playing victim to some of your less useful thoughts and how do you go about strengthening the good ones? When it comes down to it, we are what we think, so make those thoughts great ones.

Six Tips for Recruiting Top Sales People

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:10:32 +0000

Sales people are not like any other staff in your organisation. They must overcome competition, face rejection, they will encounter hostility and have to accept a lack of control over the sale. Here are six critical tips for recruiting professionals in this unique field.

1. Define the criteria for success in your company! Identify what you believe a person must do in your business to be successful - under ideal circumstances. Start by looking at your market, why people buy your product, pricing against competitors. Consider the customer development - whether you want your sales person to sell and service or sell and move on, who does the closing of the sale, who should they call on? And other factors such as: average size of an order, your sell cycle, % of new business vs existing, level of supervision and pressure on the sales person. This way you will know what you are looking for.

2. Describe the candidate that you want! When advertising, most companies fail to differentiate their company and opportunity from other advertisers. They describe the company, the opportunity and the job just like everyone else. Describe the candidate that you want, not yourself.

3. Screen your candidates at the point of application! Don't waste time talking to and meeting people that do not meet your criteria for success. A specific sales pre-employment screen can reduce hiring mistakes from the beginning. Make sure that you use a tool that assesses candidates against your criteria and that you can understand, and then apply the results.

4. Find out what is missing from the resume! Important but typically missing information may include:

Real (vs. their stated) reason for leaving
Salary vs commission for each position
Number of new accounts acquired and the average revenue
Growth of existing accounts
How much resistance the candidate really had to overcome
The amount of competition
The pricing compared to the competition
What activities the candidate engaged in on a daily basis to reach goals.

5. Focus on function not fit! Most recruiting focuses on "fit". Do you like them, do they have the right background and will they fit your culture? When it comes to sales, what you really need to know is - will they sell successfully in your company, within your industry, calling on your marketplace, with your particular product or service positioned against your competition? It's important to make the distinction between fit and function.

6. Create a live preview of the "sales" environment for the candidate! If you really want to see how the candidate will respond to tough prospects, create this for them in the interview. The only way you'll learn if they can do it is to let them try. Be professional and respectful, be direct and don't get emotionally involved.

Recruit Renae today to ensure your next sales candidate is a success.

Mrs Renae Quinn - Dip HR, Cert IV Training & Assessment, NLP Practitioner
Renae is a sales development specialist. She holds a Diploma in Human Resources, a Certificate IV in Assessment & Workplace Training and is an accredited NLP Practitioner.

Her thirteen years experience in sales, recruitment and sales management has provided her with a passion for understanding the particular strengths and weaknesses of the sales mindset and the impact on business results.

Renae is dedicated to both individuals and businesses achieving their goals and to their successful development.

When you think 'Sales" who comes to mind?

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:56:41 +0000

I ran a 2 day sales workshop last week with 18 people from 3 different organizations. The workshop really reinforced for me how much of sales success comes down to whether or not you identify yourself as a sales person.

In these programs I always ask the group up front, "when you think about a sales person who comes to mind?" The response I get tells me about their self perception as a sales person and can easily be correlated to how successful they are in sales.

I was amazed at how many people answered 'used car' or 'telemarketer' and this was a negative perception. The answer to the question should be themselves and it should be an extraordinarily empowering self image.

People often associate the profession of sales with lacking integrity. The only way these people can turn around their ability to succeed in sales is if they redefine their own sales identify with values and beliefs that fit with their self perception. That is, they need to decide on their own empowering sales identity and stop using some old ridiculous stereotype.

This also relates strongly to the idea that sales people who have a need for approval (want to be liked or loved) will also struggle to find their feet in sales. Need for approval is something we pick up as kids and not only affects sales, but leadership and life in general.

I love the quote by Jack Canfield; "what other people think about you is none of your business." I spent some quality time with the group on helping them create their ideal sales identity and minimize the effect of need for approval. In so many ways this is much more powerful than just teaching sales technique and really helps them personally.

It's in these moments that I feel the most aligned to why I do what I do...

Dr John Gora - Ph.D (Psychology), B.Sc (Hons), NLP Trainer, EQ-I Accred
For the past decade, John and his organization have served as business strategists, consultants and coaches for some of Australia’s leading companies. His unique array of qualifications, including a PhD in Psychology, NLP Master Practitioner and Trainer, Emotional Intelligence Facilitator and Martial Arts Instructor, have enabled John to develop a number of personal and business related technologies designed to inspire people and organizations to achieve their potential.

With a strong focus on Business Strategy, Leadership & Coaching, Sales & Influence, and Values Alignment, some of his clients have achieved over 400% improvements in sales outcomes. What began as a young boys’ desire to help people through martial arts has evolved into a passionate crusade to redefine what’s possible for people in their personal and professional lives.