The “He’s Just Not That into You” of Sales

Not long ago, a movie was released called “He’s Just Not That into You.” You may or may not have heard of this movie. Essentially it is a cautionary tale of dating rules and how to tell if someone is interested in dating. Guess what; sales is a lot like dating.

I can’t tell you how many times I would be coaching a sales person when they show me their records for a specific prospect and they have left over 20 voicemails with not one return phone call. Guess what? He’s just not that into you!

The sales process has a certain momentum that builds to the closed sale. Certainly there is a lot of variation of timing for different potential customers but the momentum is still there. It is very easy to tell if a prospect is “into” you and will eventually buy. The trick is to figure this out early and focus on these leads. Don’t waste your time chasing down prospects who will probably never buy from you.

Here’s how to tell if a prospect is “into” you:

1. They return your phone calls and / or emails. If you have built respect and rapport with your prospect, they will want to hear what you have to say. You must be prepared with powerful sales scripts and confidence. You still have to impress them with the unique selling proposition of your product or service. When you are successful at this, your prospect will be responsive and the sales momentum can be built.

2. They will set up the next “date” while they are still on a “date” with you. What do I mean by this? Well, here is where I see one of the biggest sales mistakes! Many of my clients will hang up the phone or leave a meeting with a prospect and say, “Okay, I will follow up with you in the next couple weeks or so.” While you are still in the meeting or on the phone, you should set up the next steps and a time and date to do so. If you don’t, you could go into the voicemail abyss. If the prospect will not set up the next time and date, they are probably not that interested.

3. They will tell you information about themselves. When a prospect is willing to answer questions about their goals, needs and challenges, they are telling you that they want your help. If they are unwilling to provide any information, they are not “into” you. You can even create a questionnaire of important qualifying information that will help you present your solution to them. If they answer these questions they are interested in your solution and you have positioned yourself as a trusted advisor.

How about those leads that don’t seem that “into” you? Well, play hard to get. I’m not kidding. Don’t just jump when they want you to. Your time is valuable as well. Don’t let your prospect treat you as if your time is not valuable. If they say, “Why don’t you just call me in a month?” Confirm that they are truly interested. You can even ask something like, “What will happen in the next month that you think you will be more interested in our solution?”

The bottom line is that any good sales relationship has a quid pro quo quality. If you are giving something of value to your prospect than in return your prospect is also giving you value as well. This is a more or less equal exchange of mutual respect, value of time and information. By creating these types of sales relationships, you will not only close more business but create better and more profitable customers.

Your success is our mission!

Sincerely,

Joanne

ph: 888.856.3185
fx: 415.663.4183
www.salessolutionsusa.com
www.breakthroughsalessystem.com

Prepared Sales Scripts: Will You Sound Like a Robot?

Did you know that 80% of sales people start pitching as soon as they get the prospect to answer the phone? Yuck! There is a better way.

Now many people tell me they do not want to have a pre-written and pre-rehearsed script because they are afraid they might sound like a robot. Believe it or not, not being prepared is why people will start pitching and not engaging their prospects. Why? Well, not being prepared ahead of time can cause a level of anxiety and when there is anxiety, there can be chatter.

The purpose of sales scripts is to present your unique selling proposition in a powerful way. But one of the most important reasons to know what you are going to say ahead of time is so you can listen to your prospect. When I am coaching people who are not prepared, I find that they are thinking about what they are going to say next rather than listening to the prospect and noticing important clues about what the prospect is thinking.

Here are some tips to creating your own sales scripts:

1. Don’t say, “How are you.” It sounds insincere and puts the prospect on guard. They may be thinking, “Oh no…a sales person.” Do you really care how they are anyway? Pleasantries are expected but be creative. Okay, this might sound dorky but I will say things like (with a slightly sarcastic tone), “Happy Monday.” Well, no one likes Mondays and most people will lighten up a little. The goal is to build rapport.

2. In your initial call, do not try to get out all the great information about your product or service. Let’s face it your prospect could care less about you or your company. You have literally interrupted their day. It is important to be brief. Introduce yourself and company quickly and get right to the point. “Hi this is [blank] from [blank]. We help our client [lower costs, increase leads, etc.] by providing [blank]. If we are able to do this for you, wouldn’t you be interested in learning more?” So simple. All you are trying to do is to find out if they are willing to explore their options with you.

3. Set an appointment for the next step in EVERY interaction. I can’t tell you how many times I have to remind my clients of this very important step. You should always set up the next step with a time and date for the appointment. This way you are not leaving voicemails ad infinitum. You will know how interested they are in moving forward in the sales process when they make a follow up appointment with you. If they won’t you may want to move on to pursue a more viable prospect.

4. Breakdown your value proposition into short benefit statements. These have to be from the prospects point of view. They should answer the prospect’s question, “What’s in it for me.” For example, if you say you have been in business for 15 years, so what? What does that mean to the prospect if they become your customer? Have at least 10 to 25 of these statements memorized and your “scripts” will sound more conversational rather than rehearsed.

What’s the bottom line? Being prepared will give you the advantage. Listening to your prospect is much more important than having a great pitch. Being prepared will help you quiet your mind and keep your trap shut. You will set yourself apart from trying to sell your prospect to being respected as a trusted advisor. You will be pleased how much easier it will be to close new business.

Your success is our mission!

Sincerely,

Joanne

ph: 888.856.3185
fx: 415.663.4183
www.salessolutionsusa.com
www.breakthroughsalessystem.com

How Self-Worth Can Affect $$$$ in Your Sales

In life and in business, we are often confronted with our feeling of self-worth. At times we may believe that we deserve success and other times it may seem like a pie in the sky goals never to be achieved. When we find ourselves not measuring up to society’s criteria for success our self-worth depreciates dramatically. The illusion of being successful and admired gives way to disillusionment and achievements that once nourished our souls fail to satisfy our appetites.

Whether you are part of a sales team or a business owner, self-worth is often tested in how we feel about sales. Sure there are those out there who by the shear will of their personality can push and persuade their prospects to close. But this can be like a house built on sand. I have seen where their sales success can be fleeting or not balanced throughout their whole life.

What I am talking about is authentic selling built upon feelings of self-worth and confidence in the ability to deliver results. In sales, there can be so much “rejection.” This is only the perception of the person who is selling. Rejection is not happening in sales. The prospect just may not be interested; that’s it. True self-worth comes from within and has nothing to do with outside influences and situation. It comes from realizing and knowing the source of your value and purpose.

Here are some ideas to help to build your self-worth while selling:

1. Forgive yourself for your perceived mistakes and disappointments. Correct what you can and move on! Nothing is permanent and anything can be fixed. Don’t get bogged down by events and situations. Make a choice to view the situation in a positive light and you will learn what is necessary from the event.

2. Know who you are and your purpose. If you truly know who you are, you will not be affected by other people’s perception of you. For example, if you are selling and someone hangs up on you, you will know that it has nothing to do with you. This will allow you to move on to the next opportunity with an open mind.

3. Seek out and build on your strengths you may not use. Knowing you have these strengths and utilizing them is a great confidence builder. Take chances and learn new skills. All the answers you need are out there; you only need to ask.

4. Create balance in your life. Since self-worth comes from within, working harder and longer hours is not what will create an increase in your self-worth. Discover the balance between your personal, family and professional life. Yes, this does get personal but this is what is necessary to authentically sell to your clients. They will sense your confidence.

Do we talk about self-worth enough in business or sales? I’m not sure but I do know that truly sustainable success is built upon an inner knowing I deserve my own vision of success. It may not look like your vision. But when I am on the outside as I am on the inside, I have built my house on rock.

Your success is our mission!

Sincerely,

Joanne

ph: 888.856.3185
fx: 415.663.4183
http://www.salessolutionsusa.com/
http://www.breakthroughsalessystem.com/

5 Sales Myths and What's the Real Truth

I know I’m in a business that many people gag when I tell them what I do. I can see it in the faces when I tell them that I provide sales consulting and training. Then when I tell them that I actually LOVE sales, they give me an even weirder look. I promise you. I’m not crazy.

In every country and in every moment, sales is happening whether you are in a bazaar in Turkey or the boardroom of a Fortune 100 company. So why do we despise or dismiss it so much. I have a saying which is, "If your business isn't selling, are you in business?" At the end of the day, the entire purpose of a business is to sell something.

So let's dispel some myths and get to the truth about sales.

1. You have to be aggressive and arrogant to close a sale.
False. I think this may be the number one reason why we despise sales. Somewhere along the line, someone has been too aggressive and we were turned off by that. It can be one bad sales experience that makes some people make a decision about all sales people. Without a doubt, being aggressive is one way to close the sale but it does not build long term relationships. In the new world of selling, it’s about building long term relationships with the right clients for your product or service. By focusing on this, you will build sustainable revenue streams with loyal customers.

2. Sales is all about playing golf and smoozing the potential customer.
False. Sales is not just about playing golf and having fun. I’ve heard employees not on the sales team think sales is all fun and games and may even have resentments about it. Selling does take skill and technique. It’s about building relationships not about entertaining people. It’s about communicating value in a powerful way that compels the potential customer to buy. The value needs to be communicated as it applies their needs and problems otherwise they will hear, “Blah blah blah.” Do this right and you will have a happy customer, golf or no golf.

3. If I sell someone, they may not like me.
False. Okay, at the risk of sounding sexist, this one may apply more to the women out there. Selling does not need to be an uncomfortable process. You can actually learn to enjoy it as I have. How can someone not like you if you are authentically listening to their needs and problems? How can they think you are being pushy if you are making sure your product or service is the right fit for them? When you shift the paradigm from chasing your potential clients to developing a relationship built on mutual respect, your new clients will love you.

4. Sales scripts will make me sound slick.
False. You have to be prepared. You have to know what is unique about your product or service. This starts by understanding your business from your mission and vision to developing your Unique Selling Proposition. I’m not suggesting that you write out an entire script that sounds like the callers trying to sell you long distance. Breakdown your services into bite sized benefit phrases. Then you can mix and match the phrases that meet the needs of your potential client. And if you have a sales team, you will want your entire team to know these phrases so they can present your solution consistently.

5. Using sales tactics is bad. My product / service will sell itself.
False. People have actually said this to me. They have completed all their marketing and now they are going to wait by the phone for the orders to come in. Oh how I wish that were true. Sales is necessary in every business. Yes, the internet has made it much easier to make a transaction without having direct contact with the customer but that is not the only person you will be selling to. You will need to sell your investors, partners, employees, etc.

Sales is critical to every business. Let’s set aside the couple of bad experiences and think of all the good ones we have had too. Every single thing around you right now is something that was sold to you, so sales can’t be all that bad. Shifting the sales paradigm can happen right now…with you.

Your success is our mission!

Sincerely,

Joanne

ph: 888.856.3185
fx: 415.663.4183
http://www.salessolutionsusa.com/
http://www.breakthroughsalessystem.com/

How to ask the right questions to help you close the sale

When I was a fledgling sales person selling computers to the government, our sales trainer would say, “The quality of your questions determine the quality of your paycheck.” This was a commission only position but asking the right questions eluded me and therefore, I was struggling.

I was so anxious to get my pitch out that I did all the talking. Plus I thought if I asked a lot of questions, I might bother the prospect. So I made a zillion calls and through the force of this volume was able to make and exceed my numbers.

I took additional sales training and finally learned a systematic approach to asking the right questions. The reason you want to ask the right questions is to:

1. Build Rapport
2. Develop trust in the relationship
3. Show the potential client that you are interested in their needs
4. Qualify the potential client to see if they are right for your business

When your goal is to understand the needs of your prospects to ensure that your solution is right for them, these questions will be critical to this goal.

To give credit where credit is due, this is the Dale Carnegie Questioning model and it works extremely well,

1. Ask “As Is” questions
“As Is” questions are questions about their current situation. Some examples are:

What are the challenges you are currently facing?
Why did you select your current vendor?
What are you hearing from your customers?

2. Ask “Should Be” questions
Should be questions are what the prospects is hoping to achieve.
Some examples are:

Looking forward 6 months, where would you like to be?
If you could wave a magic wand, what would be different?
What do you want to hear from your customers?

3. Ask “Barrier” questions
Barrier questions are what is blocking them from achieving their goals. Some examples are:

What’s preventing you from achieving these objectives?
What is holding your company back from making the transition?
What is the level of urgency for making this change?

4. Ask “Pay Out” questions
Pay out questions invokes emotion from your potential client by asking them to imagine they have achieved their goals.

If you were able to…what would that mean to your company?
What would it mean to you?

Okay, now that we have gone through this questioning model, I am going to give you my secret question. This question allows people to feel comfortable telling me everything important to them. I don’t have to remember all the questions above because of this question. Here it is:

Tell me about…(your company, your goals, etc.)

Then be quiet. Quiet your mind as well as don’t interrupt. Take notes if you need to and come back to fill in the blanks. This question is selling magic!

One last note here, if you have not developed rapport from the beginning of the relationship, your prospect will not feel comfortable answering your questions. You will need to ask permission to proceed and earn the right to ask these questions. Once you have mastered this, your sales success will explode.

Your success is our mission!

Sincerely,

Joanne

www.salessolutionsusa.com
www.breakthroughsalessystem.com

The difference between being a pest and being persistent

Have you ever wondered how many times you should contact a hot prospect but worry you might be perceived as a pest? We have all heard that persistence in selling is important but when is it too much.

The standard statistic for the number of “touches” is between 7 to 10 times. The average sales person will stop at 5. This means that you can set yourself apart with the additional touches. A “touch” can be a call, voice mail, email, etc. However this type of persistence works best when you are in the beginning of the sales cycle or the prospecting stage. The goal at this stage is to find a qualified prospect who is interested in learning more about your product or service.

Make sure that you bring value to every touch. This means you will have to get creative. You can send information or articles that could be pertinent to their industry, congratulate them if they have won any recent awards or provide them with some new ideas of how you can help their business.

When can these touches go from being persistent to being a pest? Here are a couple examples:

1. When you leave the same voicemail over and over.
2. When you call too many times in a short period of time.
3. When you do not build rapport and seem to be interested in them
only for a sale.

In order to avoid being a pest once you are further along in the sales process, you will want to also follow a few rules:

1. Be sure to always set up a follow up action and set a date for next call while you are still on the phone.
2. Ask questions about when they will move forward.
3. Ask questions about the factors they will be considering to move
Ahead with your product or service.
4. Be straightforward. Let them know that you want to be sure that becoming your client is the right choice for you and the prospect.

You can be persistent without being a pest when the approach is thoughtful and smart. Don’t be afraid to be direct and let your prospect know that you are excited to work with them so you will continue to stay in touch. Your new clients will appreciate your honesty and your persistence.

Your success is our mission!

Warmly,

Joanne

ph: 888.856.3185
fx: 415.663.4183
www.salessolutionsusa.com
www.breakthroughsalessystem.com

The Science of Six Degrees of Separation and Sales

I was watching a show on one of the discovery channels about the science of 6 degrees of separation. I was surprised to find out this theory goes back before Kevin Bacon. The idea dates back to a 1967 experiment by Stanley Milgram, who tried to determine how many acquaintances it would take to pass a letter between two randomly selected people. The result is it took six steps or fewer to bridge the gap between any two people. Since 1967, there have been various groups of mathematicians and scientists who have worked to prove this theory.

So, how does this apply to business and sales?

Well, whether or not the scientists prove this theory, we can still leverage the concept in our businesses especially with tools out there like Linkedin and Twitter. For many of my clients, the challenge is getting in front of key decision makers to begin a sales dialog to sell their products or services. However, your connections to key decision makers may not take an obvious path. For example, if you want to reach the Director of Marketing at a company like Yahoo, you may be able to leverage relationships around you that you wouldn’t normally think of. You neighbor’s uncle’s wife’s hair dresser may have gone to high school with the Director of Marketing at Yahoo. This would be a great way to get an introduction to this decision maker.

When I was in corporate sales, we did not have tools like Linkedin or Twitter. This makes it even easier than the scenario above. Look through your connections to see who they are connected to and ask for introductions. People are always eager to help. Once you get that introduction, set up meetings either by phone or face-to-face.

Once you get these meetings, it will be important to be prepared with your sales skills. You will want to make the right impression and start your sales dialog off with a bang!

Your success is our mission!

Warmly,

Joanne Hernon
ph: 888.856.3185
www.salessolutionsusa.com
www.breakthroughsalessystem.com
Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joannehernon

What is sales anyway? Wouldn't you like to know...

There seems to be a lot of different opinions about sales out there.I thought I would share mine since I talk about and provide salesanswers every day. Simply put, "Sales" is: Creating and building relationships, communicating value and closing the sale. This last part is what sets sales apart from marketing.

How can this information help your business?

You can use these three as the corner stone of your sales and marketing strategies. It is so important to be strategic and focused on how you continue to keep new leads coming into your pipeline. This will help stablize your income if you focus on the following techniques to brining in new business.

1. Focus on creating and building relationships with your ideal customer. I am sure you have heard this before, but everyone is not your customer. Focus on the types of customers who will bring youthe highest return. 80% of your revenue comes from 20% of your clients. If you focus on bringing in more of the 20%, you will growyour revenue exponentially.

2. Communicate your value to your specific ideal client from their point of view. You want to demonstrate you understand their problems and needs. Then you can demonstrate how you have the solutions. By communicating your value this way, you will build trust and customers need to trust you to buy from you.

3. Closing the sales seems to be the trickiest for people. I hear from my clients that they are not good closers. If you focus on the above, I can guarantee that closing will be much smoother. And don't forget to ask for the sale!

Closing is so easy when you focus on your ideal customer and youcommunicate your value from their point of view. New business with the right clients will help you build a sustainable and profitable business. Not to mention how much more you will enjoy yourself as you create your success.

Your success is our mission!

Warmly,


Joanne Hernon
ph: 888.856.3185
http://www.salessolutionsusa.com/
http://www.breakthroughsalessystem.com/
Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joannehernon

Creating a Sales Culture

As I was thinking about my clients this morning, I started to think about how to create a culture of sales. A client of mine was discussing some of her staffing issues. One of her employees was too busy to check the voice mails on their general line and that got me thinking. Then there was another client who was complaining that when customers call, they are interrupting her from getting her work done. WHAT? What else could be more important than responding to our customers and prospective customers? How can a team develop a Sales Culture?

1. Team Intention

It is important for every member of the team believe that there is a bottom line mission in business and that is to make a sale. Certainly we do this with integrity but without sales, there would be no need to keep the doors open. Whether your business is selling products or services, it is all about acquiring new customers and selling to them. This needs to be communicated to your staff as well as made a priority for yourself. Whether you like to sell or not, if you are the head of your business, you must be selling.

2. Clearly Defined Sales Goals

I cannot tell you how many times I start working with a new client and when I ask them what their monthly goals are, they tell me that they don't have goals. Or maybe they have goals and when I ask how they are communicated to the team, they say they do not talk to their staff about these goals. Annual, quarterly and monthly goals should be communicated to everyone on your team. In addition to this, the progress of reaching these goals should also be announced so that your team can get excited about reaching these goals. Make sure that the goals are attainable and that you communicate the strategy of how you will reach them. A detailed sales strategy will build your credibility with your team and in turn they will get behind you and the company mission.

3. Ongoing Sales and Business Training

Ongoing training is essential to develop your team. Sales training should not be reserved for only the sales staff. Sales training as well as providing training in areas such as customer service, problem solving and even listening skills are critical to your business. Your employees are your number one asset to your business. However, providing training courses to your employees does not have to be cost prohibitive. It could be as simple as finding a book that resonates with you and providing that to your employees.

Whether you are a solo-preneur or are a large business, when you focus on sales, your business will weather this storm and thrive. Continual effort and intention needs to be applied to your selling to ensure that your revenue goals are met. Lastly, make it fun. Selling can be fun and the more you and your team are making it fun, the more success and results you will see in your business.

To your success,

Joanne Hernon
CEO of Sales Solutions
http://www.breakthroughsalessystem.com
http://www.salessolutionsusa.com