Making Sales a Profession

I just launch my website mysalesguru.com.au I will utilise this site to provide knowledge on what I think make a professional sales person.

I will be drawing from all sorts of information sources in the hope that those sales people out there can upskill themselves in an easy to access environment.

Not much has change in the sales world, as the basics still remain. And yet so few sales people implement the basics.

I have chosen mysalesguru with the thought in mind of a mentor, guru or teacher taking one step at a time. Mentoring is not high on the agenda in business anymore, a shame. Too many times people are thrown into the role without the knowledge and skills to perform to the employers expectations.

Just last month I again from a mature business owner 'Good Sales People are born that way' I wanted to correct him, its like saying good accountants or lawyers are born that way. What he should say is the there are people that seem to enjoy communicating in an effective way that generates positive relationships which in turn allows them to enter the sales arena that enables them to sell products and services.

Have a look at www.mysalesguru.com.au let me know your thoughts.

Thoughts from the other side

I had an ex CEO from a large mining company drop in yesterday. Whilst semi retired he has some positions on boards for some supply companies (they wanted him for his contacts).

'I is so hard to find the decision maker, they all think they are but they turn out to be just part of the decision chain. I now understand what it was like from a suppliers perspective when I was CEO of a mining company. I probably would have changed how I treated people if I had experienced this before".

Hindsight, a wonderful thing. But lets take this on board and examine the statement.

Do you ask the question:- Are you the decision maker on this project, what is your spend authority?

I know a Global Procurement manager for a large Engineering Construction company who cannot spend anything over $5000 himself for internal use, but externally on behalf of business, $1M.

Next question:- What is the process to make this happen, who needs to sign off on the purchase order, are there any recommendations that need to be made and by whom?

So next time you are out there closing the deal, who are you closing it with. Do not waste your valueable time (and hopes) on someone who does not have the authority to make and sign off on the decision to purchase. Find the decision maker or get out of the selling loop.

Let me know how it goes?

Keeping Focussed on the Customer

It is all too easy to get distracted these days. Really the only way to remain successful is to keep focussed.

This will probably mean listing your main objectives per goal.

This will also men stay focussed on your daily task list.

In sales this means focussing on making the calls face to face.

People buy from people they know and respect.

So here are a couple of tips to remain focussed.

Focus on your customer with empathy:

They only way to earn respect is to listen and let the other person know you care. Through listening you will uncover their pain points both personally and within the organisation.

Very rarely does someone get heard internally and therefore when someone external to the organisation takes the time to listen, the bet is it will pay off.

I would guess the customer problems, whilst not immediately apparent to you and how you can assist, never the less will be tied into your solutions.

For instance do you know your clients values, missions, goals? This can be tied into your proposal to them.

Customers always change. People within your customer organisation change. Therefore never assume you know them. Just because they gave you the flick last year does not mean they are in the same position this year, this month, this week. How many times have you known your solution was the best but they chose an inferior one, and you were itching to tell them ‘I told you so’.

Maybe we need to constantly advise them of our successes, with their company and with other customers.

What are your thoughts?

When times are tuff in sales

So, everywhere you go people are sticking you for a discount because times are tuff and they need to reduce cost. Predictable.

But if you give a discount this time where does it stop? As I recall people want discounts when time are good aswell. Generally people want to feel they have received something extra, a guesture that they matter, that they differ from everyone else you have seen/sold to today.

Therefore why not acknowledge this by not providing a discount but by adding value to the package. For instance provide a small product along with the sale (a smaller loss on your business) but a bigger gain for the customer. Or throw in an audit service (which will ultimately get you in further with the business and see things you never had access to before). Maybe an initial one hour consultation/service set up.

Either way it is far better proviing something extra than providing a discount. It sets a better value proposition in the customers eyes and will pay off in word of mouth advertising.

Let me know how it goes?

Rejection and being at a standstill in sales

I have many people coming to me saying 'I do not know where to go from here, I am unsure how to progress, I am worried that...'

This all stems to 'I'. In selling it is not about I it is about them, the customer, the human being infront of you that has a problem. Whilst you think you have an answer, its about convincing him that 'YOU or your company has an answer. Therefore it is not about you personnaly, its about you being the face of the company.

So if the client wishes to confirm your solution vialibilty or your companies credibility, then take it on board and assist the process by providing information, working through the objections.

It is not about you. So use your logical part of your persona not your emotional side.

Try it and let me know

Prepositioning

I cannot stress the importance of prepositioning with people, especially clients.

While the oppotunity to close the deal may be staring you in the face, check their expectations, no really check hard. For as much as they will cover everything in paperwork, personal expectations will only be discovered by asking directly.

Why is this so important, the next sales, the next engagement is what you should be considering.

If you find out their expectations, then you can preposition the outcomes.

You do not want to hear from second hand sources that the client was not really happy with your solution, even though you provided everything ask for - on paper that is.

You do not want to hear from them directly next time you are trying to close the next deal - "I was not really happy last time, you company did not really ... I thought you would provide...."

So Preposition the outcomes and check expectations, this includes costs, solution delivery, payment terms and any other commercial requirements. If they start baulking at any of your company requirements, its best to find out up front and sort through it than at the end. A sale is not a sale until its paid for and the client is willing to provide a reference.. that's another topic.

So try it, nothing to loose, only something to gain. Let me know how it goes

Just ask the question

How hard is it to ask the question?

Well quite hard actually, that's why many sales people don't ask. The fear of rejection, the sting of NO, the dissapointment of achieving the answer you wanted.

I maintain great sales people ask as they know the worst they can hear is no, even greater sales people will ask again but in a different format. If ask in the correct way with the best intentions explained then normally you will get the answer you were after.

I train people in asking questions such as 'what did you pay last time, what can you afford, what is your budget?'

Usually we get the answers we are looking for - its makes sense. Everyone's time is precious, so why wouldn't your potential customer give you it. Either they are waisting your time for their own purposes, eg using you as a 2nd or 3rd quote or just needing to budget.

Turely though if they really wanted to buy from you, your company or your product/services then they would assist you as much as possible.

So, are you willing to gove it a try, again and again. Build self confidence, its not you they are going to say no to, its your pitch, your value proposition - it was not set up correct. If they say no, retreat and come back at them.

Ask, so what is it that I have not clarified, what are we missing that you require?

I maintain, if you don't ask you don't get - so go ahead, make my day - ASK.

Let me know how it went. michael@mlang.com.au