Sales Is Not For Sissies

Cold Calling: Final Thoughts

2012-06-01T08:23:00.000-04:00

The past few posts have focused exclusively on cold calling. To end the week, here are a few more tips to help you with the process:

You get a prospect on the phone -

The prospect agrees to a conversation.
The sales process moves forward.

You get a prespect on the phone -

The prospect is too busy to talk to the sales process is handcuffed.
Sales must call back to build awareness.

The prospect doesn't answer the phone -

The sales process stops.
The prospect is unaware of the product.
Sales must call back to build awareness.

Cold Calling: What to do when...

2012-05-30T12:00:00.000-04:00

You're on a cold call and the prospect says, "I had a horrible experience with your company."

Say you are sorry and then pause. If they want to tell you more, they will. If not, say, "We've made many changes to improve quality for our customers. I'd like to hear more about your experience and tell you about the changes we've made." Then ask for the appointment and be prepared to discuss your quality strategy.

Cold Calling: What to do when...

2012-05-25T09:06:00.000-04:00

You're on a cold call and the prospect says, "We're happy with our present vendor."

You say, "I appreciate that. Many of my clients say the same thing. But maybe at some point your needs will change and if they do, I hope you will consider us. With that in mind, would you allow me ten minutes to introduce myself to you?" Then ask for an appointment.

Cold Calling: What to do when...

2012-05-23T08:04:00.000-04:00

You're on a cold call and the prospect says, "Send me information."

Do what they ask. Send the information along with a letter. The letter should tell them why you called and state that you will follow up. When you follow up, be sure to ask for an appointment.

Cold Calling: The Script

2012-05-21T07:59:00.000-04:00

A prospect has picked up the phone and said "hello"...now what?

The Script

Say who you are and who you represent.
Ask who is in charge of buying .
When you have the buyer in the line, tell them who you are and who you represent. Be sure you are talking to the right person.
Ask, "Do you have a minute to talk?"
Tell them why you called - offer a benefit.
Find out if they need what you sell.
Wrap it up. If you sell what they buy, say so.
Ask for an appointment. Be specific and give them two date and time options. Example: Bob could I have a few minutes of your time next Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning? If they say no, ask for an appointment the following week. If they say no again, ask when it would be convenient for them.

Reaching a Client Who Never Picks Up

2012-05-18T07:52:00.000-04:00

Wondering how to reach a client who never picks up? Try these tactics:

Try calling early in the morning and late in the day
If you've called repeatedly, leave a polite message explaining who you are
Send them a letter and then follow up on it
Persist if you really want them as a client
Is there a way to get a referral to Mr. or Ms. Avoid-you?
Block you phone number with *67 and see if they pick up

A Summer Check List for Savvy Sales Professionals

2012-05-16T08:48:00.000-04:00

Summer is upon us and with clients on vacation and sales slowing down, savvy sales professionals like you know it's important to take advantage of any down time and use it to build your sales skills.

Here are the Top 5 Things You Should Aim to Accomplish This Summer:

1. Engage with prospects using LinkedIn, and get at least one meeting with someone you met through the social media site.

2. Focus on one area where more expertise would get you more sales. For example, become an expert on one cross-media solution. Read all the articles, whitepapers and case studies you can, talk to colleagues and attend in-town workshops and seminars.

3. Update your elevator speech so it's relevant and will help you sell today.

4. Resurrect at least one customer you thought was dead.

5. Attempt to cross-sell/up-sell to at least three customers.

Great information like this can be found in our free monthly newsletter Self-Taught Sales. To sign up, email melissa@thoughttransformation.com.

Uh-Oh...Now What?

2012-05-14T06:40:00.000-04:00

Did you or your company make a mistake? Everyone does time and again, but how you correct the problem is essential to keeping your client happy and buying from you. If something went wrong, create an Executive Summary to explain exactly what happened and how you'll stop that same problem from happening again in the future.

The Executive Summary is one to three pages long, and when using it to address problems, it has four sections and a title page.

Section I: State why you are preparing the summary. List the objective in number order and try and keep it to three objectives or less.
Section II: Recap the current situation. No blaming allowed! Just state the facts.
Section III: Explain what will be done to fix the problem in the future.
Section IV: Wrap it up. Tell the client you value their business and want their feedback.

After you type the Executive Summary up, read it out loud. Keep sentences short, simple and to the point. Cut unnecessary words and make sure it looks professional.

Constructing Your Value Proposition

2012-05-11T08:30:00.000-04:00

To construct your value proposition, a good place to start is by writing out the features, advantages and benefits of your offering.

Feature: A specific characteristic of a product or service. This is what the customer gets when they make a purchase.
Advantage: What your product or service does better than the competition. Advantages describe comparative value.
Benefit: What the customer gets from choosing this product or service. This is the "What's in it for me?"

Once you construct your value proposition, conduct this test:
If your customer heard it would they say, "So What?" OR "TELL ME MORE!"

Value

2012-05-09T08:24:00.000-04:00

What determines the worth of a product or service? Your answer comes from how your customers answer these questions:

What's in it for me?
What does it cost?
How does your product compare to the competitor's product?

People buy products because of the benefits they deliver. In its most basic form, a value proposition says, "We can do this for you because we're great in this specific way." Value propositions connect a customer's desired benefits to your core competencies. For best selling results, be sure your value proposition appeals to your customers' strongest decision drivers!

Smart Questions That Get Real Information

2012-05-07T07:40:00.000-04:00

Be a salesperson with a questioning attitude. It takes you a long way down the road to sales success. Here are a few examples of smart questions that will get you real information:

What is your typical day like?
What changes do you expect in your company over the next year?
How do marketing and purchasing work together on projects?
What should I know that we haven't covered?
What was your best experience with your previous sales representative?
What was your worst experience with your previous sales representative?
What should I bring the next time we meet?
What do you think sales representatives like me do that "un-sells" us?

Body Language Part 2

2012-05-04T07:34:00.000-04:00

Here are a few more body language tips to ensure you have an effective conversation.

Beam - be the first to smile.
Say "hi" and attach your name to it. "Hi, I'm Linda." Extend you hand and try to say their name, so you can store it in your memory. "Good to meet you, Bob."
Lean in a little.

Body Language

2012-05-02T08:30:00.000-04:00

I think Nicholas Boothman's book, "How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less," should be required reading for every sales person. He says that the first few seconds are critical to create the perception that you are sincere, safe and trustworthy. He outlines five steps to an effective introduction.

Start with a positive attitude. Check your body language to make sure that's what you convey. Keep your heart aimed at the person you're meeting. Whenever possible, unbotton your jacket or coat.
Be first with eye contact. Look this new person directly in the eye. Use your eyes to reflect your positive attitude. Look at the other person long enough to see the color of the person's eyes.

Check the blog on Friday for more great tips!

Warning Signs To Heed

2012-04-30T07:25:00.000-04:00

Is a yellow light flashing in an account? Don't ignore it! Here are eight warning signs to heed.

A new person comes on board.
A trusted buyer leaves.
No one calls like they used to.
No one has time to go to lunch anymore.
A new printer's name appears in the visitor's log.
You bid on a job but few come through.
You're asked to bid a job that would have just come to you automatically in the past.
A buyer who is your ally confides they are unhappy at their job.

Servicing vs. Selling

2012-04-27T08:21:00.000-04:00

Servicing and Selling are not the same thing.

Servicing: Making sure clients are satisfied on specific jobs and with the tasks related to them.

Selling: Making sure clients are satisfied on specific jobs and with the tasks related to them.

Think about that for a couple of seconds. When was the last time you went out to see your best client without a proof, quote or other material related to your job? When was the last time you prepared a list of smart questions and set up an appointment with that customer so you could increase your understanding of where their business was headed?

If it's been more than four weeks, it's time to make a "sales" call. Remember that's how you got this piece of business in the first place, and it's what your competitors are doing right now!

Hunting For Prospects: Part 2

2012-04-25T08:14:00.000-04:00

Here's part two of two places to hunt for prospects:

Spend an afternoon stopping by the businesses surrounding you. Ask if they buy (Insert what you sell here). Some will say yes.
Pick an office building. See who is listed in the directory. Call them.
Pick a catergory in the Yellow Pages. See who else is listed there.
Ask friends, family and clients for help. Get referrals or ideas.
Look at your mail, trucks on the road, signs on buildings.

Hunting For Prospects: Part 1

2012-04-23T07:58:00.000-04:00

This week I'll share a few different places to hunt for prospects. Good Selling!

Google. Type in Corporate Headquarters, My Town, My State.
Go to siccode.com. Pick a category like manufacturing. Go to advance search and put in your city and state. See what comes up.
Sign up for your local business chronicle's daily e-newsletter. Here in Atlanta we have the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
Buy a directory from the local Chamber of Commerce.
Look at want ads on Monster.com and in the paper. See who's hiring.

PACE

2012-04-20T08:53:00.000-04:00

Have a problem? Use PACE to solve it!

Pause
Assess
Correct
Elevate

Do you have any other recommendations of how you go about solving problems in the work place?

Gamification

2012-04-18T07:31:00.000-04:00

Have you heard about Gamification? According to Wikipedia:

Gamification is the use of game design techniques, game thinking and game mechanics to enhance non-game contexts. Typically gamification applies to non-game applications and processes, in order to encourage people to adopt them, or to influence how they are used. Gamification works by making technology more engaging, by encouraging users to engage in desired behaviors, by showing a path to mastery and autonomy, by helping to solve problems and not being a distraction, and by taking advantage of humans' psychological predisposition to engage in gaming.

The technique can encourage people to perform chores that they ordinarily consider boring, such as completing surveys, shopping, filling out tax forms, or reading web sites. Available data from gamified websites, applications, and processes indicate potential improvements in areas like user engagement, ROI, data quality, timeliness, or learning.

See Gamification in action.

Business Letters - Final Thoughts

2012-04-16T07:27:00.000-04:00

• I often get asked if it is a good idea to include a date in the letter when the potential customer should expect the follow‐up call. The answer is yes—if you can guarantee absolutely you will follow up on that date. If you can’t guarantee you’ll make good on your promise, don’t include a date!

• When you tell people what you do, be specific because specific information makes a more powerful impression than generic fluff.

• Be sure you spell‐check.

• Read your letter aloud before you send it out! Reading aloud helps you catch mistakes and identify confusing sentences.

• Can you do anything to enhance the level of visual attractiveness? Your letter should please the eye and give the impression of competent professionalism.

• Pay attention to echoing words because repetitive overuse causes words to lose power.

A good business letter helps you build awareness and make the right impression, and that helps you sell.

Good selling!

Business Letters - The Structure

2012-04-13T07:24:00.000-04:00

A simple and effective business letter has three paragraphs.

• The opening paragraph lets your reader know why you are writing.

• The middle paragraph provides brief details on your offering and tells the reader why they should care.

• The final paragraph thanks the reader for their time and explains what happens next.

Important! Busy people usually don’t read letters word for word. They skim information. Generally when we’re skimming our eyes follow the pattern of an inverted letter “L” or letter “F.” We read the first couple of lines in their entirety to find out what the letter is about. Then, we’ll scan the page by running our eyes down the left side.

When people are skimming they won't think too hard to figure out what your letter is about. Write for ease of comprehension. Eliminate unnecessary words in sentences.

Business Letters - What Should You Say?

2012-04-11T05:16:00.000-04:00

We all receive mass mailings. Most of those letters are tossed into the trash because they aren’t relevant. Either we didn’t care about the problem the letter promises to solve or don’t see value in the solution.

The success of your letters is determined by how well they address your audience’s concerns. Before writing a letter you should know:

• The job title of the recipient.

• An important problem they need to solve.

• The benefits of your solution.

Most companies solve multiple problems for customers. Limit yourself to ONE important problem and one good solution per letter.

Focusing on one important problem makes a bigger impact because the customer clearly grasps how you can help them. Customers won’t sort through laundry lists of products and services to find valuable information.

When you over‐share in a letter, you un‐sell!

Business Letters

2012-04-09T07:13:00.000-04:00

Business letters are effective low‐tech sales tools that communicate more than ink‐on‐paper information. Writing a letter offers tangible evidence to potential customers that you view them as important and worth an investment of time. Letters demonstrate your understanding of customer problems and how you can solve them.

Opening a letter is a tactile experience, engaging our senses. Opening a letter and touching a sheet of paper helps to create and strengthen memories—particularly if the information in the letter is relevant.

Letters build awareness. Readers read them in their own way and at their own speed, aiding comprehension. Well‐written letters leave readers with the impression that you’re professional, intelligent and you understand their problems, and that’s why they help pre‐sell you.

Learning to write a good business letter is an easy skill to acquire and it pays off. Keep checking back over the next few days for the tips and tricks to writing an effective business letter.

Mark Potter: I Do

2012-04-06T07:00:00.000-04:00

Because we just can't get enough of our good friend Mark Potter, here's another one of his insightful messages included in a recent issue of CANVAS Notes.

A member of the CANVAS team took a huge step this past weekend. Our marketing manager popped the question and much to his relief she accepted. They are very much in love and have been together for a couple of years now and I am sure will have a long and happy marriage.

I think it is interesting to note that these young adults went through a process that took some time, confirmed their feelings, and cemented their affection. They realized that beyond their initial attraction there needed to be substance in order to truly connect.

I also find it interesting that most organizations in the modern world think of marketing as some sort of sales support tool or promotional arm that needs to be validated immediately. What they don’t realize is that marketing is about creating long-term, sustainable relationships with specific groups of clients.

In other words, in order for a market to accept your hand in business, then process and time must be prevalent.

Marketing is very much like dating. First, you need to be where they are. You can’t be sitting at home playing Xbox if you would like to meet someone. Subsequently, you cannot be spending all of your time and money on print conferences if you want to truly engage a market of your own.

You need to create an initial attraction and that can only occur with excellent design and style. Just remember, you cannot keep their attention without first grabbing their attention. And, trust me a cold call won’t inspire anyone.

If you are lucky enough to get their attention with the flash of a smile, a corny line, or a spanking new pair of shoes, then that is when the hard part starts. There must be substance and substance is rooted in them not you. In other words, they want to know if you run in the same circles, know the same people, are genuinely interested in what they are saying, and can you make them laugh.

How much are you truly part of the markets that you aim to serve? Are you where they are? Do you truly understand them? Can you converse with them? Do you really care? If you can say yes to all of these and make them laugh then chances are that you have invested the time that is needed for a real relationship. If you have this kind of connection with a market then you too might be ready for the big commitment.

LinkedIn Questions

2012-04-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

I'm a firm believer that when used properly LinkedIn works. It can help you promote your personal brand and is a powerful prospecting tool. The thing is, it seems a lot of people are confused and have questions about how to use this social media tool. Here's your opportunity to get your LinkedIn questions answered.

Send any question you have about LinkedIn to melissa@thoughttransformation.com before April 18th. The Thought Transformation team will compile a list of questions and answers and post them to the blog later this month.