8 Reasons Your Customers Don’t Care

Jun 26, 2013

If you want to close more sales, you better first do something about these 8 reasons your customers don’t care:

1. Why should they care about you when you don’t care about them?

Don’t even try faking it. If you do try to fake that you care, your customer will throw you out even faster.  Successful salespeople care about their customers.

2. There is no difference between what you’re selling and what your competitor is selling.

If you can’t come up with at least 5 reasons why you’re different than your competitor, then how will you ever expect the customer to buy from you?

3. Zero credibility.

There is nothing you’ve said or done that has even one ounce of credibility.   Customers will pay for trust and confidence. In fact, they will pay big money for trust and confidence.   Structure your sales process to allow them to see it.

4. The customer thinks you’re a loser based on how you present yourself.

You wouldn’t want to do business with a loser, so why should your customers?  If you can’t present yourself properly, then how will you ever build trust and confidence?

5. You, the salesperson, comes across as the person who knows it all and is not hesitant to tell everyone how smart you are.

Salespeople who are trying to build their self-esteem off their customers shouldn’t be in sales.  They should be back in middle school where they belong.

6. The customer doesn’t have to talk because you the salesperson is doing all the talking.

Nothing like ignoring what the customer has to say. Yet, too many salespeople do just that — ignore the customer!

7. The salesperson doesn’t know when to close.

In fact, they don’t have anything resembling a sales process.   I call it  showing up and throwing up.   The number one part left out of a sales process is the close, and the reason is simple — the salesperson doesn’t have a plan.

8. There is nothing you’ve shared with the customer they couldn’t find on the internet or, worse yet, already did find on the internet.

In case you missed the memo, sales has changed. Customers are far more intelligent than they used to be thanks to the internet.

There is no doubt that if you want to close more sales, you can’t skirt around the above issues.  Take a hard look at your sales process, your attitude and your belief in your product.  Determine if sales is the right field for you.

If it is, become even more diligent in understanding your customer’s needs and wants — and showing them how your product or service can help them achieve the outcomes they desire.

Copyright 2013, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog.

(from: http://thesaleshunter.com/8-reasons-your-customers-dont-care/)

Voice Mail Week – Part II – It’s More Than Just The Message

by Tibor Shanto – tibor.shanto@sellbetter.ca

In Monday’s video I mention the fact that voice mail is just one of a number of ways to reach out and touch prospective buyers.  There is e-mail, SMS or text message, all forms of social media, traditional snail mail in the form of a letter or card, or other more creative means of reaching out and touching a prospect.  Why is this important, because with all the things buyers have to deal with these days, it takes many more touch points to just get on someone’s radar, or have them react to our approach.

Back around 1999, I read a book that suggested that it takes anywhere from 5 to 7 touch points for the reaction to potentially happen.  Since then, technology has evolved, mobile is pervasive, people are expected to do more with less, more than ever people need to pack 16 hours’ worth of work into a 10 hour day, which makes getting their attention even more challenging.  Because of that, and this is confirmed by some of the things I am reading today, it may take 9 to 12 touch points for that initial reaction to occur.

So if nothing else, say you diminished expectations to no call backs at all, zero, there is still a value to leaving voice mail, it is a touch point, and touch points are compounding.  This is why I don’t worry about the depth of the content of the voice mail message, because it will lead to one of two outcomes:

1. You’ll get a call back, and speak with the prospect (the XXX accompanying video talks to that outcome Or 2. You will achieve a touch point which when executed in context of the overall approach is a plus.

Yet in a recent unscientific poll, only 52.5% of respondents answered ‘yes’ when asked: “When you are prospecting by phone, do you leave a voice mail message on the very first call?”  What a wasted opportunity.  First off, they could be getting calls back from 30% – 50% of people they leave messages for, leading to engagement and sales.  Second, no touch point, no start, and what you don’t start you can’t finish.

One important take away from this beyond the fact that you have to leave a message, is that you have to map out a touch point campaign whenever you target or pursue a potential buyer.  Not only do you have to make the commitment to touch them enough times in a given period to facilitate contact, but plan and write it out, and the of course execute.  My minimum goal is seven touch points in two business weeks.

You can leave a voice mail on Monday morning, follow up with a brief, not Tolstoy style, e-mail after 5:00 pm that day.  Another voice mail Wednesday; the e-mail that follows Wednesday’s voice mail will have one additional element, you will tell them that you will call them again say Thursday at 9:30 am.  I am not naïve, I don’t expect them to be chained to their desk at that time, but, if they were mildly interested in your message but were busy running around this could provide the focus they need.  But more likely they will not be at their desk, and you’ll leave another message.  The BIG BUT and GAIN, is that you will have demonstrated that you follow up on your word, something many sales people are falsely accused of not doing.  Talk about laying a pebble of trust.  So here we are five touch points by Thursday morning, and I don’t think we are near an injunction order.  Repeat the following week, you’ll have more conversations, but it starts with commitment and execution.

Sadly the same survey showed that most sales people give up after three or so tries, priming the pump for those of us who are willing to go the distance.

(from: http://www.sellbetter.ca/blog/voice-mail-week-part-ii-its-more-than-just-the-message/)

10 Sales Training Tips That Will Help You To Make More Sales

BY GAVIN INGHAM 

 am feeling short , sharp and snappy today so here are 10 sales training tips that will help you to win more business…

1. Play from a 10. 
   Attitude is your ability to access your skill. If you’re not on top of your game, you won’t make many sales. We all know that, yet many salespeople don’t fire on all cylinders when they need to. Try measuring your attitude on a scale of 1 to 10 and concentrate on ensuring that you are on top of your game for all important sales  tasks such as prospecting, meetings, presentations, negotiations…
2. Believe & achieve.
   If you believe you can, you’re probably right. If you believe you can’t, you more than definitely are! What you believe is one of the biggest predictors of what you will accomplish. Believe you can maintain profit margins, guess what you’ll fight to achieve? Believe you can’t, and guess what? Oh dear! Ask yourself, “What do I need to believe to achieve sales success?”
   
   
3. Care about your clients. 
   Many clients don’t engage with salespeople fully or honestly because they have been “abused” by a salesperson who was only interested in themselves at some point or other. Most salespeople care only about the sales and themselves, not their clients. Prove you are different by focusing on adopting the mindset of genuinely caring about your clients.
   
   
4. Set big goals.
   Set your sights on the stars. Go for gold. Think big and go for it. Mediocre goals and targets are for sales wimps not sales superstars! What do you want to achieve in 2010? What clients do you want to engage with? How much revenue do you want to secure? What are your goals for yourself, your business and your life?
   
   
5. Take action. 
   Nothing happens when no-one does anything. Most people sit chatting, surfing the internet and faffing around with their “to-do” piles whilst sales winners make money. What can you do today that will take you one step close to your dreams and goals?
6. Ask great questions. Sales superstars ask great questions. Great questions come from a mindset of genuine interest in the client, their business and their life. Do an audit of your questioning skills and habits. Plan and design some new questions to try out. What can you do to improve your questioning techniques?
   
   
7. Listen. 
   No point asking questions if you don’t listen to the answers. Listen to what your clients say. Listen to what they nearly say. Listen to what they didn’t say. Listen to what they meant. Listen to genuinely understand. Listen without an agenda. The objective of listening is to understand, really understand, what your clients are talking about… from their perspective. How would you rate your listening habits?
   
   
8. Add value.How can you add value for your clients? How can you help your clients? Without knowing how you add value you will be constantly battling with your clients over price. You should be selling on value not price. What questions can you ask your clients to better understand why they want and need you and how you add value.
   
   
9. Match don’t pitch. 
   Pitch – the worst and most misleading word in selling. Pitch is what you do to a baseball, not a client.Dictionary: Pitch – to throw, fling, hurl, or toss. So that’s going to work then! You shouldn’t talk solutions until you know what a client wants and needs and why. Match don’t pitch. Ask yourself, “What does this client want and need and why?” Don’t guess, ask!
   
   
10. Keep learning. 
    Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone loses sales. Everyone gets knocked down by the express train that is life. How fast are you going to get up and what are you going to learn so that you can perform better next time? Great salespeople keep theirsales techniques and sales strategies sharp by reading sales books, attending sales seminars, learning from others and self-assessment. Do you?

(from: http://www.gaviningham.com/10-sales-training-tips-that-will-help-you-to-make-more-sales/)

3 Ways to Improve Sales: Incremental Business

Working in sales leadership and management, I’ve met with sales leaders operating in global businesses, major corporates, SMEs and privately owned businesses; people who have challenges that are unique to their role, but who also face challenges that are common to every sales force. One of these is generating incremental income: new business that can be described as unplanned or not targeted , but that can significantly impact on sales performance.

I have always been impressed by sales leaders who are aware of what incremental income can do for performance.  These are leaders who ask the question, 'What could be?' Equally, seeking incremental income is often a necessity if sales plans fail to deliver forecasted business levels.

Recently I met with a Sales Director who was wrestling with how to improve sales because of a shortfall in performance. He had settled on a plan in which his 28 sales people had been tasked with identifying ten prospects; the aim was that each sales person would open two new accounts producing average annual sales of £30,000. Multiply that by 28 sales people and, in theory, that will generate £840k of income.

This enthusiasm was impressive, but for a number of reasons I had doubts over how successful the campaign would be. The most important being the capability of the Account Managers to win new business.

The results were unsurprising: the team had done what was asked (identified the prospects and began working with them), but sales were nowhere near the original £840k projection.

The challenge is to answer the question, 'How do we improve sales?', and the simple answer is: generate new business. Here are three ideas you might want to try with your teams:

1.    Promotion Accounts: In every portfolio of accounts there are what can be described as ‘Promotion Accounts’. Such accounts may already be of high value, but there is also an opportunity to do significantly more business with them. Take an account that delivers £100k per annum. If that is their maximum spend on products and services then you have the business. However, if the account spends £100k with you and £900k with competitors, there is an incremental business opportunity for you to take.

‘Promotion Accounts’ are accounts where you can increase sales. However, if you have a 10% share of a customer’s business and you keep doing the same things, you are guaranteed to continue having a 10% share.

Consider:

Asking Why:  Do you get 10% because the customer’s buying policy is to spread business across several suppliers? Does the customer have a ‘special’ relationship with a competitor? Alternatively, would it make sense to establish the reason why you get 10%? You have to know the answers to these questions before you can start working on ‘Promotion Accounts’.

Change: How can you change your approach to make the customer want to do more business with you? Do you need to speak with different people within the account, change the business proposition you offer, improve service levels or even test a different sales person?

If you want to generate incremental business then it is usually easier to sell to people you already do business with. However, if you don’t change your approach to ‘Promotion Accounts’ then you will continue to produce the same results.

2.    New Business: Some people will argue that new business development is the responsibility of a ‘specialist’. Others will argue that every account manager and sales person should be responsible for winning new accounts.

Regardless of the approach you take, new accounts are key to generating additional business, but you must:

Focus on markets and sectors where opportunity exists. Develop the knowledge that positions your people as experts that customers want to work with. Too often I see prospect lists which feature targets that are simply names. Any prospect should be a business that you can help to achieve objectives and meet their needs.

Define Targets. Make sure you are working with prospects that will turn into long-term, profitable customers.

Sell appointments: E-mail, telephone or letter - the first contact is about selling a prospect the idea of meeting you. Make sure your team know how!

Create a New Business Process: Starting with ‘Initial Contact’ and ending with a ‘Live Date’, what are the steps that your sales people must implement to open a new account? If the names on a prospect list are not changing, you do not have a new business process; you have a list of names that will never deliver further income.

Coach: There is no point creating a New Business Process unless you are prepared to coach the team on the skills and behaviours needed to implement it.

3.    New Thinking: Managers do things right, leaders do the right things. Would a change of approach, service offering, or product benefits open up incremental business streams?

There is no formula here; this is about sales leaders testing new thinking and breaking unwritten rules. It may mean:

• Moving from a transactional to a consultative sales approach
• Restructuring the sales force to align the account management proposition with the needs of customers
• Using different delivery channels to provide better customer service
• Reformulating products and services so that they appeal to new markets

‘Promotion Accounts’, New Business and New Thinking are three opportunities for new business that you can start exploring to improve sales performance.

Brett Lyons is the Managing Director of TLSA International. His time is spent working with clients to develop world class sales leadership, account management and sales functions that deliver outstanding and sustainable business performance.

- See more at: http://www.tlsasalestraining.com/content/3-ways-improve-sales-incremental-business#sthash.OMkZEQQb.dpuf

Successful Sales Professionals use Tools…Here are the Best!

JUNE 26, 2013 BY MICHAEL NICK

The most successful sales professionals are able to take the tools provided and leverage them for higher sales and commissions. The question becomes, what are those tools and how do I get my hands on them? Let me begin with a simple sales process. There are seven stages in my simple process.

1. Qualify
2. Discovery
3. Prove of value / presentation
4. Proposal / Business Case
5. Due diligence
6. Close
7. Post sale follow-up

During the qualification phase, a sales professional must ask questions to determine if the prospect meets your marketing criteria. In other words are they a viable candidate to sell to. There are many tools to help you determine this beginning with Business Intelligence Systems like InsideView or ZoomInfo for example. They will tell you at once the annual revenue, number of employees and latest news out there. In addition they will match the people in the organization to your LinkedIn account, Outlook or Gmail accounts and other sources of contacts like Facebook. Obviously a web search and review of the website it a good idea as well.

Once you identify qualified prospects try a Value Hypothesis to open the door. This document is basically a quick ROI to be sent ahead of a phone call. It should make assumptions based on similar size organizations and laid out in a simple graphically rich format. It should contain at least three sections: Issues summary complete with estimated values delivered, Cost of status quo and decision delay, and a basic summary of economic impact. Use this tool to both open a door and do a quick ROI when you need to communicate estimated values delivered.

Assuming the prospect is qualified you will need to perform a discovery session. (Perhaps many) Discovery is I believe one of the most critical steps in the sales process. You really only have a short period of time to get all of the data you need to determine if you can help this prospect. Once you pass the point where you are now selling, returning and asking more of the discovery type questions makes you look incompetent and even sometimes desperate. Good discovery tools are a key success factor. It is important to be consistent across your sales team. Use automation like ROI Selling to capture the key financial information and help you determine issues, cost of status quo, and whether you are able to resolve the prospects issues. Here is where ROI based questions are important. If you can measure the cost of status quo and monetize your value you are ahead of the competition who showed up with a legal pad and asked questions willy nilly.

Proof of value and the presentation requires you to demonstrate you can resolve the issues your prospect is facing. Here is the point I tried to make earlier. Once you move to the presentation phase, you lose your opportunity to identify additional issues through demonstration. You ought to be focused on the issues you have identified and show proof you can resolve them by reducing their costs, avoiding other costs or improving the prospects revenue. The presentation phase is where you can use Economic Impact or ROI tools to establish goals, measure cost of decision delay and cost of status quo. Have the discussion on threshold for pain or tipping points. This critical phase of the sale is basically your last opportunity to prove to your prospect you are the vendor to buy from. Once you provide the proof and the price, the prospects interest will likely begin to wane. From here on in, you have no more cards to pull to spike interest. This is why without great discovery tools and an economic impact model, you lose to status quo.

The presentation phase of a sale is the one opportunity for you to reconfirm issues, pains and goals that were determined in the discovery phase. It also provides a forum to gain agreement on the current cost and threshold for pain, or tipping point. Once you have gained agreement and discussed tipping points, demonstrate your value. Remember to use your discovery document to guide your presentation. Stay focused on your resolution. Don’t waste your prospects time on “cool” features.

In the Proposal Phase (Business Case) it is critical to restate your findings along with your solution. Be sure to include economic impact analysis. Look for metrics that your impact that your prospect cares most about. For example, if your prospect has a heavy payroll and you impact labor costs, be sure to demonstrate your impact on revenue per employee, or payroll as a percentage of revenue. Both are great metrics labor intensive organizations use to measure their financial health.

Due diligence is usually done toward the end of a sale. If you utilize a 360 degree ROI tool, then you can use the data that you have collected over the years to share with your prospect. If you do not, be sure to have your references lined up, and your team ready to answer any questions.

Closing a sale is sometimes one of the most difficult things for a sales professional to do. So many things have to go right for you to win the sale; identify issues you are able to resolve, demonstrate and prove your value, beat the competition, provide a comprehensive Business Case, Negotiate a contract and of course deliver the solution you promised. A lot of stars must line up. Use your discovery tools, Value Hypothesis, and Business Case as guides to keep your prospect focused on your value not your cost. Keep the prospect engaged with reports that spell out the issues you are resolving, the value are delivering and set their expectations for success

Post-sale follow-up should consist of a visit to your prospect between nine and twelve months after their deployment of your solution to measure your progress (success). We use the very same tools you used in discovery to measure their current situation and compare it to their situation when you first performed discovery. This exercise will help improve and enhance your customer relationship, provide a means of measuring success and offer potential revenue opportunities. Simply stated, it is a good practice to get into. Also it keeps the prospect focused on why they bought from you in the first place.

Here is the bottom line: Use a Value Hypothesis, Discovery tools and Value estimation tools to gather important prospect information and monetize your value. Then use a Business Case to present a proposed solution and a 360 Degree ROI to perform a follow up session after the implementation is completed.

(from: http://topsalesworld.com/blog/resources/successful-sales-professionals-use-toolshere-are-the-best/)

4 Tips to Close with Confidence

Closing represents a natural conclusion to a well-handled sales process, yet many salespeople view it as an anxiety-laden moment of truth. When nerves sap your confidence, your sales may pay the price. Use these four tips to help you anticipate closing as a logical and achievable step in the selling sequence. 

1. Your closing attitude affects your performance. If you face a close with excessive nervousness or dread, you'll probably have to struggle to conceal your emotions – possibly jeopardizing the sale. Resolve to change your attitude by viewing your close as a golden opportunity. Enjoy the chance it offers you to exert a positive influence. 

2. Closing begins with the first step of the sales cycle. Consider closing's role throughout the selling cycle instead of regarding it as a separate event tacked on to the end of a presentation or appointment. Closing actually begins with your initial contact with the prospect, so don't associate it exclusively with the end of the sales cycle. 

3. A successful sale requires many preliminary closes. If your prospect is prepared to make a buying decision, you must already have closed successfully on a whole host of decisions (setting the call, agreeing on strategy and goals, etc.). Remember these successful preliminary closes to help boost your confidence when it's time to ask for the order.

4. A successful close naturally follows a well-planned presentation. The close simply represents the last logical step in a long sequence of carefully planned and executed events. Look forward to it as the exciting and long-awaited payoff.

(from: http://www.sellingpower.com/content/article/?a=9470)

Mastering the Momentum: 7 Ways to Supercharge Your Productivity

Posted by Carla Young on June 17, 2013

Productivity is a funny thing — it’s part personal habit, part organization and ALL mindset. If you feel overloaded and overwhelmed, the best preparation isn’t going to help you get past that stuck feeling. Conversely, if you are all ready to go, but your organization is a disaster, you will quickly expend all that energy spinning your wheels.

The good news about productivity is that good habits and routines go a long way to maintaining your momentum. Daily habits supported by smart ‘get-it-done’ strategies and a focused mindset will kick your productivity into high gear and keep it there. That’s the thing about productivity — once you have mastered the momentum, it just becomes how you do things!

7 Ways to Supercharge Your Productivity 

Apply a Little Pressure – Give yourself reason to tackle your task quickly. Looming deadlines are always a good motivator, but what about all those tasks that don’t really have a hard deadline? Sometimes we are our own worst enemies when it comes to getting things done, forgiving ourselves too easily when we dilly-dally and don’t get the job done. Even if you don’t have an official deadline, give yourself one and stick to it!

Slow Down and Think Fast! — Take a moment (or two if you need it) to carefully evaluate the task to determine the best way to handle it quickly. What is the ultimate end result you are trying to achieve? Is there a technology trick that you can apply that will speed things along? Are there unnecessary steps that you can shortcut or eliminate altogether? Spending extra time at the beginning of a project will help you finish it faster than just plunging in without thinking it through.

Start With a Sprint — Once you have figured out your plan of attack, start the task at a whirlwind pace. For example, if your task is to write a blog post, a sprint start strategy would be to map it out in 5 minutes or less or do a 5 minute freeform brain-barf (similar to a brainstorm, but with even less control). You can (and will) slow down later, but the motivational boost you get by starting quickly will carry you to the end a lot faster.

Stay On Task — Get in the habit of finishing one task at a time. It’s okay to take breaks to clear your mind, but come back to the same task until you finish it. Starting tasks that you fail to finish is a surefire way to drain your productivity because you feel like you aren’t getting anything done (because you really aren’t when all you manage to do is get started). Don’t start a task unless you have the time and ability to finish it.

Avoid Fake-Work Projects — Learn how to recognize ‘fake-work’ projects for what they are: productivity-draining time sucks! A ‘fake-work’ project can be anything that doesn’t step you closer to your ultimate goal, but seem like productive work because they closely resemble work. Examples of ‘fake-work’ projects include cleaning your desk, reorganizing your filing system, or learning how to do something you would be better to outsource.

Record Your Results — Find a way to track of your accomplishments and review your progress regularly. Tracking your results forces you into a bit of a competition with yourself. For example, if your goal is to write 2,500 words a day, record what you actually wrote in your calendar each day and review your progress regularly, trying to stay ahead of your best week.

Give Yourself Mental Space — Clear your work space of distractions. For example, if that pile of mail sitting on your desk waiting for you to open it is driving you crazy, either open it and deal with it right now or file it out of sight (but not forgotten) until you have time to handle it. It’s a good idea to schedule mental distractions in your calendar so your brain can truly let it go and focus on the task at hand.

(from: http://www.momeomagazine.com/mastering-the-momentum-7-ways-to-supercharge-your-productivity/)

8 Tips for a Successful Sales Call

Learn the vital telephone skills every salesperson needs to avoid rejection.

BY TOM HOPKINS

Read more: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/78540#ixzz2XFLuxdC1
 

Too many people in business look at the telephone as an anchor--that's how they feel about lifting it when they have to make outgoing calls to potential clients. For some, you'd think it was covered with spiders or that it might electrocute them if they touch it. That reaction revolves around the fear of rejection. Granted, not too many people are brave enough to willingly put themselves in a position to be rejected. However, those who do will find all sorts of long-term rewards for the temporary pain they'll experience.

With the right attitude and by paying close attention to what happens, each rejection you deal with will be a learning experience. You'll learn what not to say and when not to call. The key here is to turn that around so you can master what to say and when to call. With every rejection, you'll want to take a quick moment to analyze the situation in order to benefit from it. Rather than letting it ruin your attitude for the next call, you should find yourself saying, "Well, that didn't work. What's a better way to say it?"

With proper fine-tuning, you'll soon find your calls being well received and you'll experience fewer rejections. To save you some time on this learning curve, here are eight points you need to consider before making any business calls.

1. Develop a professional greeting. Don't just say hello and jump into your telephone presentation without taking a breath or allowing the other party to participate. Your greeting should err on the side of formality. Begin with Mr., Mrs. or Ms, as in "Good morning, Mr. Smith." Or "Good evening, Mrs. Jones." Everyone else says, "Hello." Be different. Be professional.

2. Introduce yourself and your company. "My name is Sally Smith with ABC Company. We're a local firm that specializes in helping businesses like yours save money." Don't get too specific yet. Don't mention your product. If you do, that allows the other party to say, "Oh, we're happy with what we've got. Thanks anyway," and hang up. By keeping your introduction general, yet mentioning a benefit, you'll pique your prospect's curiosity and keep them on the line longer.

3. Express gratitude. Always thank the potential client for allowing you a few moments in his busy day. Tell him that you won't waste a second of his time. "I want to thank you for taking my call. This will only involve a moment of your time so you can get back to your busy schedule." Don't say that you'll "just take a moment." The feeling evoked by them hearing that you'll take anything from them will put them off.

4. State the purpose of your call. It's best if you can provide the purpose within a question. "If we can show you a way to improve the quality of your product at a lower cost, would you be interested to know more?" This is very likely to get a yes response. At this point, you're ready to start selling an opportunity to meet this person or to get their permission to provide them with more information. You're not selling your product yet--you're selling what your product will do for him.

5. Schedule a meeting. Get a confirmation to meet, either in person or to teleconference to get the information you need in order to give a solid presentation. If he's so interested that he wants to do it right then and there, that's OK.

6. If a face-to-face meeting is the most appropriate next step, use the alternate-of-choice questioning strategy. Offer him two times, "Mr. Johnson, I can pop by your office at 2:15 p.m. today to discuss this further. Or would 9:45 a.m. tomorrow better suit your schedule?" You didn't say, "When can we meet?" When you use the alternate of choice, you take control of getting the appointment. And note: Asking for an off-hour gets you noticed. There's something about setting a meeting at an off-hour that says you're a salesperson who'll be punctual and respect your prospect's time. Try it.

7. Thank them for their time today and for the upcoming appointment. Reconfirm the date, time and location of the appointment. Ask for directions if you need them. Tell him how much preparation you'll do in order to make the best use of the time you'll share. Give him your contact information this way: "If anything else comes to mind that I should be aware of prior to our meeting, please contact me at (212) 555-1212."

8. Follow up. If your meeting is more than a few days in the future, send a letter of confirmation immediately. If the meeting is tomorrow, send an e-mail confirmation. Keep it short and upbeat.

Read more: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/78540#ixzz2XFLxuCBF

Boost your summer sales with these three tips

TIBOR SHANTO

The Globe and Mail

Published Tuesday, Jun. 11 2013, 10:19 AM EDT

Last updated Tuesday, Jun. 11 2013, 10:23 AM EDT

 

At this time of year, a lot of sales professionals shift into summer mode, the down time before the sprint to the finish line between Labour Day and the end of the year. There’s a reduced level of activity in some circles, making it a period of low productivity, but there are steps you can take to get the most out of your selling time.

 

While July 1 marks the start of the second half of the calendar year, your sales year crossed the halfway mark some time ago. If you have a sales cycle that is 90 days, your year end is Oct. 2, and anything new in your pipeline beyond that will close after Dec. 31. If you’re on an eight week cycle, it is Nov. 5. Summer can help you finish the year strong, ahead of target.

Here are three simple things you can do now, to make sure you play to win:

Process and plan

Markets and conditions change and evolve, so your sales process must evolve as well. Sellers tend to implement their process, then work it throughout the year with no regard for market realities. Mid-year is a good time to step back to ensure that your “selling process” continues to fit the “buying process” of your customers. If it doesn’t, make the adjustment now, not after you review your year. The same holds true for your sales plans, collectively and individually, at the rep and key account level.

The goal is not wholesale changes, but proper adjustments to win sales. Many salespeople see planning as a strategic annual activity rather than a tactical, continuing activity. They spend time and energy trying to make their processes work rather than stepping back and reviewing and adjusting their plans through the year. Start by doing this now.

Dead pool

Studies have found that as many as 40 per cent of business-to-business sales cycles that are started never conclude. They are neither lost nor won, they just die. The bad news? Not getting the customer or revenue. The good news? You’re aware of their situation and requirements, and you can build on some common ground that led to the engagement in the first place.

Summer is a good time to go back, look at no-decisions over a period of, say, nine months and see if or how things have changed from your perspective and your clients. It sounds like something that should be a continuous activity, but salespeople and small-business owners are so focused on the next opportunity, they examine few, if any, no-decision deals through the year.

I’m not suggesting you reach out to every past prospect, but specific opportunities where factors merit. The upside is you know the players, their objectives and their criteria. It is easier to get in touch, to do a quick re-qualification, and to act accordingly. If you do re-engage, cycles are relatively shorter, with potentially fewer competitors.

If someone you call is not yet ready, you score points for being proactive, and you set yourself up as the emotional favourite, if and when they are ready in the future. Follow-up is always important, but this type of targeted follow-through is a great way to fill the summer doldrums.

Read a book

Given the slower pace of summer, with more long weekends, pick up and read a sales or business book. I find it odd that many salespeople don't read them on a regular basis, even one a year, and this includes front-line managers. Many companies make sales books available, some VPs diligently share them with their front-line managers and encourage them to share with their teams, but still the uptake is low.

If you’re a sales professional who regularly reads sales book and blogs, go beyond: read a book your target buyers read or a general business book. It will expand your peripheral vision, and your ability to better engage in areas of interest to your prospects and to communicate in a way they understand.

Here are a couple of suggestions:

General: The Ten-Day MBA, fourth edition, by Steven A Silbiger.

Sales: The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation, by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson.

Sales management: 52 Sales Management Tips – The Sales Manager's Success Guide, by Steven Rosen.

Tibor Shanto is a principal at  Renbor Sales Solutions Inc.  He can be reached at tibor.shanto@sellbetter.ca. His column appears once a month on the  Report on Small Business  website.

 

(from: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-marketing/sales/boost-your-summer-sales-with-these-three-tips/article12468296/)