here - Jonathan Farrington

Transcription

To celebrate his first 1000 posts …..
JF AND SOME GOOD FRIENDS
Present
FIFTY FAVORITES
Compliments of
Contents
Introduction
7
98 Years Old – And With Wit As Sharp As A Razor
By Jonathan Farrington
9
Expect Victory
By Billy Cox
12
Accepting 100% Responsibility Creates Transformation
14
Increase Your Profits by Keeping More Customers!
By Colleen Francis
16
And God Made Britain …..
21
The Bullocks Behind Sales Training
By Dan Waldschmidt
23
Buyer Motivation - What's That All About?
28
Waiting It Out Is Not A Strategy For Success!
By Dave Brock
30
Can You Sell At C-Level If You Have Never Been A C-Level
Player Yourself?
32
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Visit: www.thejfblogit.co.uk
For more B2B sales and marketing thought leadership, visit http://blog.marketo.com/
2
Sales Is Like An Obstacle Course
By Dave Kurlan
36
Customer Focus Really Does Create Competitive Advantage
38
6 Mistakes Companies Make When Selecting A Sales Trainer
By Dave Stein
40
Feast or Famine - It Doesn't Have To Be That Way!
42
Follow Up Focus
By Diane Helbig
45
Foolish Consistencies and Dull Routines
47
Managing The Millennials
By Dr. Greg Stebbins
49
How Much Longer Will You Continue To Be Promiscuous?
54
Don't Feel Bad, Many Geniuses Go Unnoticed
By Dr. Tony Alessandra
57
Human Nature vs. Human Relations
59
Promiscuous Prospecting
By Jill Konrath
61
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www.thejfblogit.co.uk
3
If You Don’t Understand the Importance of Empathy –
You Are Probably On the Wrong Wavelength
65
How to Say Goodbye!
By Joanne S. Black
68
It’s Official – Customers Are an Unwelcome Distraction!
71
Learn to Let It Go Or Lose The Sale
By Keith Rosen
74
Leadership – The Myths About Greatness
78
The Power Of One
By Kelley Robertson
81
When They Grab Your Nuts, It's Time to Fight Back
84
Give Your Prospecting Legs with Social Media
By Kendra Lee
88
Pro-Activity, Reactivity and Vilfredo Pareto…
91
The Power of a Symbol
By Kevin Eikenberry
95
Ready To Absorb A Higher Level Of Thinking?
98
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4
Sales Tips: Make a List, Delete Excuses
By Linda Richardson
100
Some Good News For Anyone Suffering From The “Fear of Calling”
102
In Building Business, It’s Nearly Never Too Late for Four Things
By Lori Richardson
104
Some Home Truths About Sales Training
107
Should Social Media Replace Cold-Calling?
By Mark Hunter
110
The Three “I”s of Open Ended Questions
By Nancy Bleeke
112
Some Interesting Facts About Referral Based Selling….
115
99% of Businesses are Being Stiffed! And You’re Probably One of Them
By Nancy Nardin
119
Business Blogging, The lessons of 100+ Posts
By Niall Devitt
121
The Pleasure Of Negotiating
124
Have You Earned the Right to Get In?
By Nigel Edelshain
127
The Many Misunderstandings of Cold Calling
By Paul Castain
129
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5
When Leaders Are Inspiring, Followers Enjoy Following
133
Snakes, Scorpions, Gila Monsters and Objections: Handled correctly
none of these are Deadly
By Paul McCord
138
Sales Management Case Studies
Five Ways for Sales Leaders to Stay Inspired
By Steven Rosen
142
When You Come To That Place Where The Two Paths Divide…….
146
Director of First Impressions
By Tibor Shanto
148
What Is Selling?
By Wendy Weiss
150
When & Where Emotional Intelligence Needs To Enter an Organization
153
Jonathan Farrington
Biography
155
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6
Introduction
October 5th 2006
“Welcome to my brand new blog! Hopefully, you will return often to enjoy
articles, advice, commentary, interviews with experts in the fields of
professional sales and sales leadership and maybe even contribute with
your own comments.
Although tomorrow, October 6th, is the official launch date agreed with
the technical team, I am actually out of the country on business and so my
first real blog of note will be early next week when I return home to France,
however let me share a few thoughts from this week with you, and what a
week!”
With those immortal words, so began my love affair with the JF Blogit, although
actually, I don’t even remember why I chose that name, because it sounds
rather odd now, but there must have been a jolly good reason.
I cannot pretend that my motivation to post regularly has always been as
strong as it is today. At the end of that first month, with average unique daily
visitors of around seven, I almost threw in the towel. If it hadn’t been for my
mother threatening to beat up her fellow bridge club members if they didn’t
read my stuff, things could have been a lot, lot worse.
As you can see, I did persevere, and amazingly, this document celebrates my
first 1000 posts. Note that I say “first” because I have every intention of
soldiering on, although there are no guarantees that I can make it to the 2000
mark! But hey, what is a man without ambition?
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“Insightful commentary; inspiring words of wisdom; with more than a dash of wit ...”
7
Now it’s time to roll the credits:
First up, to Bill Jeckells, aka “Bill the Graphic” for producing another stunning
piece of work – he never fails to amaze me.
To all the guests who have contributed over the years – many of whom share
this celebration here with me – thanks guys, you are brilliant.
Finally, a really big THANK YOU to my readers, who pitch up every day from all
around the world (181 countries at the last count) in the hope of reading
something interesting – I always do my best!
I hope you all gain as much pleasure from this gift as I have had from
compiling and publishing it.
My Best
JF
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98 Years Old – And With Wit As
Sharp As A Razor
This is sheer genius and should go round the work place, it is no mock up, it was
printed in THE TIMES – -
LONDON TIMES Letter of the Year!
A SENIOR MOMENT – (I PRAY TO GOD THAT I HAVE THEM LIKE THIS……)
An elderly lady actually wrote this letter to her bank. The bank manager
thought it amusing enough to have it published in The Times and this
newspaper thanks him most sincerely...
Dear Sir,
I am writing to thank you for bouncing my cheque with which I endeavoured
to pay my plumber last month. By my calculations, three ‘nanoseconds’ must
have elapsed between his presenting the cheque and the arrival in my
account of the funds needed to honour it. I refer, of course, to the automatic
monthly deposit of my Pension, an arrangement which, I admit, has been in
place for only eight years. You are to be commended for seizing that brief
window of opportunity, and also for debiting my account £30 by way of
penalty for the inconvenience caused to your bank.
My thankfulness springs from the manner in which this incident has caused me
to rethink my errant financial ways.
I noticed that whereas I personally attend to your telephone calls and letters,
when I try to contact you, I am confronted by the impersonal, overcharging,
pre-recorded, faceless entity which your bank has become. From now on I,
like you, choose only to deal with a flesh-and-blood person.
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9
My mortgage and loan payments will therefore and hereafter no longer be
automatic, but will arrive at your bank by cheque, addressed personally and
confidentially to an employee at your bank whom you must nominate…
Be aware that it is an offence under the Postal Act for any other person to
open such an envelope. Please find attached an Application Contact Status
which I require your chosen employee to complete. I am sorry it runs to eight
pages, but in order that I know as much about him or her as your bank knows
about me, there is no alternative. Please note that all copies of his or her
medical history must be countersigned by a Solicitor, and the mandatory
details of his/her financial situation (income, debts, assets and liabilities) must
be accompanied by documented proof…
In due course, I will issue your employee with a PIN number which he/she must
quote in dealings with me. I regret that it cannot be shorter than 28 digits but,
again, I have modelled it on the number of button presses required of me to
access my account balance on your phone bank service. As they say,
imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Let me level the playing field even
further. When you call me, press buttons as follows:
1–
2–
3–
4–
5–
6–
7–
To make an appointment to see me.
To query a missing payment.
To transfer the call to my living room in case I am there.
To transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am sleeping.
To transfer the call to my toilet in case I am attending to nature.
To transfer the call to my mobile phone if I am not at home.
To leave a message on my computer (a password to access my computer
is required. A password will be communicated to you at a later date to the
Authorized Contact.)
8 – T o return to the main menu and to listen to options 1 through 8
9 – To make a general complaint or inquiry, the contact will then be put on
hold, pending the attention of my automated answering service. While
this may, on occasion, involve a lengthy wait, uplifting music will play for
the duration of the call.
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Regrettably, but again following your example, I must also levy an
establishment fee to cover the setting up of this new arrangement.
May I wish you a happy, if ever so slightly less prosperous, New Year.
Your Humble Client
Addendum from the Editor:
IMPORTANT to REMEMBER that this letter was written by a 98 year old woman;
DOESN’T SHE MAKE YOU PROUD!!!?
Please RT, and tell all your friends!
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11
Expect Victory
By Billy Cox
Do you wake up in the morning thinking, “This is going to be a lousy day” or
“Nothing good ever happens to me”? If you have an important presentation
to make, do you tell yourself, “I don’t have a chance at closing this sale”? If
you routinely think this way, how does your day turn out? Do you make the
sale? I’d be willing to bet you get exactly the results you expected.
Winners wake up every morning with excitement, enthusiasm, and
confidence, knowing that success is in store for them. Top performers set their
minds for victory; they set their minds for success.
Setting your mind for success doesn’t happen automatically. You have to
constantly tell yourself “today is a great day, good things are happening, and
new and exciting doors are opening.” Go out each and every day believing
success will come your way.
Now, you may think, “My business isn’t doing well, nobody will buy from me,
and I can’t pay my bills. How can I live with enthusiasm? How can I be positive
when I have so many problems?”
You gotta make a decision that you’re going to have confident expectancy
about everything you do. You have to continually expect that things are
going to get better. Positive expectation is a conscious choice and a habit of
faith. It is a conscious choice to see a positive outcome instead of a negative
one. As you think, so it is created. As you believe, so it is done.
Expectancy is about seeing beyond where you are. Look out into the future
and see yourself as successful, happy, and enthusiastic. See sales coming your
way, see yourself having all the contacts you want and watch your income
soar. See things better than they are . . . see them as you want them to be.
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Develop a habit of focusing on what’s right in your world instead of what’s
wrong, on what you have instead of what you don’t have, on your talents
instead of on your weaknesses. You’re probably asking, “What if I do that and
it doesn’t work?”
My question to you is, “What if you do it and it does work?”
If you will consistently think about and focus on what you want, you will
ultimately get it. By focusing on positive thoughts, you open up your mind to
start attracting success. This is why top salespeople seem to effortlessly sell so
much more than average negative-thinking salespeople. People want to do
business with positive, upbeat, successful individuals.
When things look impossible or you’re tempted to go through the day
negative and self-destructive, that is when you have to step up and change
your belief level. Expect good things to happen. Expect to rise above your
challenges. Expect victory!
When those around you predict doom and gloom for everything from the
economy to your dreams and goals, remember that success in life, business
and sales is mostly a mental game. Your thoughts will drive your results, your
success, even your destiny. So proactively focus on the positive, defend your
mind against the negative, and expect victory. You have the power to
choose your thoughts and your attitude and, therefore, your success.
Billy Cox is an internationally recognized business leader, author, and
inspirational speaker he energizes people to dream big, take action, and
achieve results. His message comes from the authenticity and credibility of his
own inspiring, all-American success story. Billy Cox now teaches the essentials
that led to his own success – he has lived what he speaks. Billy pairs his powerful message
with a high-energy, passionate, and down-to-earth style.
You can find out more about Billy here: www.billycoxinternational.com
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13
Accepting 100% Responsibility
Creates Transformation
When was the last time you put your hand up and said “I screwed up” or “Why
on earth did I take that decision?” Not just privately, but publicly?
You see, every action we take creates a reaction that is based on the formula
of cause and effect.
Everything that happens is the effect of an underlying cause.
Most people spend their lives operating at effect….
“It’s not my fault I always end up in bad relationships.”
“Life’s so unfair, things always happen to me.”
“We’re in a recession, that’s why I haven’t achieved target.”
“If I could only match our competitor’s prices, I’d win more deals.”
True personal power can only be achieved when an individual accepts 100%
responsibility for what they create in their lives.
To put it another way, you get one of two things; the result or outcome you
want or the reasons why you did not (you may recognize these as ‘excuses’!)
The more we focus on the reasons (excuses) and blame circumstances
beyond our control we push away our personal power.
Therefore, if we believe that we are in control of the situations that life
‘appears’ to throw at us, then we are in control of our thinking and emotions,
and therefore in control of our own life.
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This belief has given thousands of salespeople the determination to
breakthrough so many barriers and overcome countless challenges when at
times it was tempting to wallow in self-pity. If something good or bad happens,
we must ask our self, “How did I create that?” This question enables us to tap
into our brain’s infinite potential and it will give us all the answers we need.
If we are prepared to commit 100% to taking responsibility, the results really
can be extraordinary. This has been my mantra for as long as I can remember
– it is something my mother taught me very early in life, and it was a
particularly important lesson for someone who has spent most of his
commercial life evangelising and crusading: That route may well be cathartic,
but it is fraught with risks – the “online sycophantic crew” try to come down
very heavily quite often - trust me.
However, I remain wedded to my convictions, and I sleep very well at night –
because I accept 100% responsibility!
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15
Increase Your Profits by Keeping
More Customers!
By Colleen Francis
Who are your customers, and what do they really want?
Knowing the answer to this question can help you to keep your customers
longer, sell them more products over time - and increase your profits by
between 75–95%. Given that the potential rewards are so great, what can you
do today to dramatically lower your rate of customer departures?
First, you need to understand where those big numbers are coming from.
While the figures can vary from industry to industry, retaining more customers
will result in significantly higher profits and revenues for three key reasons:
1. Selling more to existing customers is 5 to 15 times less expensive than
acquiring new customers (less advertising, less direct mail costs…and much
less time);
2. Loyal customers will often refer you to their family, friends and colleagues,
further reducing the time and cost of acquiring new customers and closing
new business; and
3. Every time you lose a customer it takes time - and effort - to find a
replacement.
So how can you reduce your customer departure rate?
By keeping your customers happy. The key to keeping your customers happy is
to know what they want, and then find the product that provides them the
best possible value - that's it.
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I can't tell you how many deals I've seen go sour when an over-exuberant
salesperson on the brink of closing a big deal has blown it by saying something
along the lines of: “Mr. Buyer, this product is exciting because not only will it
give you A, B and C which you need, but also D, E, F and G!”
Adding bells and whistles to a presentation by offering features that the
customer has not said they want will only create objections and foster doubt
in the customer’s mind. Even worse, it may lead them to start asking
themselves whether they are paying more for extra features they don’t require
- just when they were about to place their first order.
To help you keep your customers happier and longer, try some of the following
best practices carried out by firms that excel in client retention:
1. Measure your current status
A very effective technique is the “third-party interview.” While many
customers often won't tell you directly the things you most need to hear,
they usually aren't nearly so reticent - or so flattering - when a third party
asks them for feedback. To find out what your customers really think of you,
consider hiring a consulting or telemarketing firm to conduct a customer
satisfaction survey on your behalf.
2. Confirm the criteria for success
Determine what's most important to your customers, and make sure your
definition of success is consistent with theirs. Sales people often mistakenly
operate from what they think is important. Instead, try to identify your
prospect’s true challenges, by asking leading, open-ended questions that
allow the prospect to reveal their real needs, like:
“John, when I speak to executives like yourself, they often tell me that
although their business is going great, they have concerns about (a
problem your product addresses). Is this a problem for you?”
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Or:
“Mary, when I speak to executives like yourself, they find that our products
are able to solve problems in one of three areas: (specify three key issues
your product addresses). Are these problems ones you can identify with?”
The key is to pick a few serious or common problems that your product can
solve. That way, you are almost guaranteed your prospect will admit that they
are having the same problem, and then you can follow up by asking them to
be more specific about the problems they have. Remember that as a general
rule, a salesperson should talk only 20-30% of the time, and listen the remaining
70-80%. This will help you determine which product features or benefits you
should focus on - and which you shouldn't.
3. Know your customers
To serve a good client well (and to decide which clients merit the best
service), you need to fully understand their strategic direction, how they
operate and who makes their decisions. You or your salespeople can
collect this information by writing up account plans for your largest or most
profitable accounts, including a review of their industry and revenue
projections, as well as how you are positioned in the industry, the threats to
your position, a plan to expand within the account, your most recent
customer satisfaction survey results and a plan for building and maintaining
executive relationships. Then, ask your salespeople to review the plan with
your managers or executives, to get additional insights on how to maximize
the opportunities presented.
3. Ask questions
Last but not least, remember that the most successful salespeople uncover
specific problems, and then align their products as solutions to those
problems - nothing more, nothing less. So what are the right questions to ask
your prospects? The right questions are those that move them from an
intellectual position of knowing they have a problem that needs to be
solved, to an emotional state of trusting you to solve that problem in a way
that will satisfy them.
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In other words, the right questions are ones that reveal true buying
motivations, which will get the customer engaged in a real conversation.
Unfortunately, many customers have a tendency to become frustratingly
vague when asked what's most important to them. Their first instinct may be to
respond with generic or cliché statements like “to do a good job,” “to work
hard” or “to be sensitive to what the customer wants.”
These phrases lack specifics, so it is critical that you clarify exactly what they
mean. If your customer becomes vague, try asking some of the following
specific questions, designed to elicit very specific answers:
● What are your top three priorities defining the success of this project?
● Specifically, what is most important to you?
● When you reflect on this project, what needs to be in place for you to feel
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
that it is a complete success?
What does success on this project look like for you?
How will you do that?
How will you deal with that?
What plans have you made to handle that?
How is that working for you?
How do you mean?
What have you done to fix that?
When you say (insert vague word here), what do you mean by that?
How will you use that to your advantage?
How will your toughest competitor react to that?
Is that what you really want?
If your prospect still has trouble being specific, make some suggestions to help
them. And if they really don’t know what they want, start by asking them what
they don’t want. Then explain that your questions are intended to help you
better solve their problems - and serve their needs.
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Colleen Francis is the president and founder of Canada-based Engage Selling
Solutions — a thriving sales–training organization that delivers tailor–made,
winning solutions to sales and marketing professionals internationally. Businesses
of all size call on Colleen — not only because of her highly regarded,
people–friendly approach and her company’s innovative field–tested selling principles.
They also count on the insight that comes from her experience as a top-ranked sales
professional who has been in the trenches of day–to–day sales and marketing.
www.EngageSelling.com
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And God Made Britain …..
It’s the weekend, so that means it is JF Uncut. Thought you might enjoy this ……
God sighed a deep sigh of satisfaction and proudly pointed downwards
through the clouds, “Look Michael, look what I’ve made.”
Archangel Michael looked puzzled and said, “What is it?”
“It’s a planet,” replied God, “and I’ve put LIFE on it. I’m going to call it Earth
and it’s going to be a great place of balance.
“Balance?” inquired Michael, still confused.
God explained, pointing to different parts of Earth; “For example, North
America will be a place of great opportunity and wealth, while South America
is going to be poor; the Middle East over there will be a hot spot. Over there
I’ve placed a continent of white people and over there, is a continent of
black people.”
God continued, pointing to different countries. “This one will be extremely hot
and arid, while this one will be very cold and covered in ice.”
The Archangel, impressed by God’s work, then pointed to a small land mass
and said, “What’s that one?”
“Ah,” said God. “That’s Britain, the most glorious place on Earth. There are
beautiful lakes, rivers, streams, and hills. The people from Britain are going to be
modest, intelligent and humorous and they’re going to be found travelling the
world. They’ll be extremely sociable, hard-working and high-achieving, and
they will be known throughout the world as diplomats and carriers of peace.”
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Archangel Michael gasped in wonder and admiration but then proclaimed,
”What about the balance, God? You said there would be balance!”
God replied wisely: “Wait until you see the b******s I’m putting next to them in
France.”
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The Bullocks Behind Sales Training
By Dan Waldschmidt
Sales training is broken.
It’s dead. Washed-up.
And we might be all the better if we helped give it a final push into the coffin.
Take a quick jump over to Google and look at the sales training landscape.
It took me a full 7 seconds to type in my search for “sales trainers” and only 0.23
seconds to get back a list of 6 million results (6,090,000 to not slight the proper
performance of the Google search platform).
Another 0.19 seconds later I learned that there were more than 150 million
results for the topic of “sales training”.
Which didn’t surprise me one bit. 150 million tips-and-tricks and yet we are
ever only so narrowly avoiding the worst economic marketplace in 8
decades.
My theory — Sales training is a bunch of bullocks.
And it’s not just me being extra intolerant today as I sit at my computer
drinking coffee by the mugful, scratching out my angst on my trusty Dell
Inspiron. Somehow that’s a gut instinct that I have been feeling for the past
few decades. (And at 31, I just might have figured out that “just threw up in
my mouth feeling”.)
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From my first days on the streets growing a lawn-mowing empire at 12-years
old to my first company “turn around” at 20, it has always felt odd to listen to
sales training.
Not because I was prepared to any better job at training. I was just a dude
with a Jewish mom and no TV anywhere in the house, who inherited a massive
inferiority complex. “Being better” was served up like warm butter on a
morning bagel. I got the concept.
I just never got this brand of “better”. A million different mantras (150 million to
be exact) and very little that I could actually use.
We’ve all hired coaches, mentors, therapists, or consultants. Narcissism (a.k.a.
being a selfish human being) doesn’t work. To be the best, you need the best
help.
And like a lot things in life, the “best” may not be overly clear, but what’s not
sure is clear.
Here’s a few warning signs that your training might be 150 million degrees of
broken.
1. It’s too short.
We spend less time teaching proper sales behaviors than we do teaching our
poodles not to puddle on the carpet.
You’re smiling because it just might be true.
We decide that a weekly sales meeting is the level of commitment that best
suits our needs. And then when we do roll out a plan to “grow revenue 800%
over the next quarter”, we set aside a day to get the sales dudes up to speed.
It’s just not enough.
It’s not even a start. It’s a waste of everyone’s time.
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Look around at your top sales execs. There is a reason that they are on their
iPhones. That sigh and sideways glance – let me help you decode. You are
wasting their time.
You want this off your plate and expect that an all-day training session will be
the answer.
Guess what? Next time you call for an all-hands training session, we might
take a sick day. Save you the trouble of telling us to pay attention.
How about you feed me a little bit each day? How about you set aside
dedicated time each week, each month, each quarter to mentor me in new
directions?
You want commitment? Commit to my success. Training based on the “one
night stand” process are the reason we have 150 million options we don’t
want.
2. It’s too boring.
We have (at best) a 20 minute attention span. Please remember that 47
minutes into your monotone dialogue.
Oh, and another thing.
Just because it has PowerPoint in the file name doesn’t mean it’s a
presentation.
And why is that I have to think through my sales pitch, but you show up and
“wing it” with my training? (and if you’re not, we can’t tell the difference…)
Your slides are 17 sessions old. And the examples are completely out-of-touch.
It’s like you don’t even care. Is it because I am forced to listen to you?
I am sure you have something amazing to say. I just stopped listening a long
time ago. I just want to be inspired. Can you help me with that?
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3. It’s too detached.
We try to program sales behaviors rather than sales attitudes.
Ever sit in a sales training session where the entire focus of the training is a series
of mind-numbing steps? (Like, every one, right?)
Makes you wonder. Is there a special island where sales trainers all live where
everyone’s personal life is completely perfect?
Why aren’t trainers teaching me how to stay mentally strong? Why not talk
candidly to me about my fears, and failures, and how I can’t stand rejection?
I get skeptical and a little irritated at you when you try to teach me nonsense
that doesn’t include the mental preparation to repeat the process once you
leave through the front door.
Why do I get the sense that all your “landed the whale” stories are a little too
rosy? It just doesn’t connect.
In reality there’s really only one thing that sales training should be all about.
There’s really only one thing that really matters. And your mother probably
already taught it to you.
Empathy.
That’s right. It’s not a three step program or a seven paragraph calling script.
It’s a deep sense of genuine concern for yourself and those around you.
It’s about “Fewer tips for closing and more tears of concern…”
You can sell anything when you care enough about the person on the other
end of the deal. It just happens.
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And yet we don’t teach it.
● We don’t teach caring (questioning so that the client gets everything that
they need)
● We don’t teach compassion (positioning so that the client wins)
● We don’t teach candor (leading so that the client doesn’t feel misled)
We choose transaction over transformation.
And that’s the bullocks behind sales training.
Dan Waldschmidt is a former technology CEO, one of the founders of IntroMojo,
a popular inspirational speaker, and a sought-after strategist on creating edgy
conversations in the marketplace. He blogs regularly on his popular
motivational selling blog Edge of Explosion and is the husband to a cute gal
named Sara and the father to two energetic boys. He’s just an ordinary dude who happens
to have an outrageous vision. And he wants to help you change the world…
http://danwaldschmidt.com/
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Buyer Motivation What's That All About?
All meaningful actions are performed for some reason or purpose. This is
commonly called “motivation”.
Success in selling requires understanding these basics of motivation:
● Your motivation both as a person and as a salesperson
● The other person’s motivation both as a person and as a buyer
The most important fact to remember in influencing the behaviour and
decisions of others is that – People do things for their reasons, not ours.
Every successful sale, then, is made not so much because of the excellence of
your product or of your sales pitch, but because, consciously or unconsciously,
you have found the human reason why your prospect should buy. You have
found the door to their motivation and have opened it. The more you
understand the function of human motivation, the more successfully you will sell.
In its simplest form, motivation emerges as a cycle. It starts with a want or
need, expressed or hidden. Inherent in this is a problem, a problem that must
be overcome in order to satisfy the want that must be solved. Once solved,
the want can be satisfied and the cycle is completed.
In terms of personal development there are several levels of needs. You will no
doubt be familiar with Maslow’s pyramid of need:
These needs are basic to everyone you sell to, live with, or encounter.
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At the bottom of the pyramid are the Physiological Needs. These include
food, shelter, warmth, sex and sleep. They are instinctive needs common to all
living creatures. Until these needs are satisfied, the higher needs are purely
academic.
Then comes Safety which is almost as basic. Security is another word for this
need; security in one’s job, in one’s place in society…safety from unknown
dangers…freedom from pain.
Love is a more sophisticated but no less essential need. Every human being
wants others to care about them, to receive affection. They want to have the
approval of others…to be understood…accepted…respected…to belong.
And equally important, they have a need to be involved…to care about and
give affection to others. The two are inseparable.
Self-esteem is equally essential. Every human being needs to feel that they are
important in some sphere of life…that their presence on earth has meaning
and significance. The mature person knows that this begins with self-respect.
This need provides a tremendous motivational force.
Self-actualization is the highest need: for personal growth and achievement,
for self-fulfilment, the best use of one’s capabilities, the fullest possible
realisation of potential, within an honest understanding both of the limitations
and scope of that potential.
People of course, are different. Their needs will vary in degree, in shape, and in
the nature of their answers. But they are common to all. As you are alert to
them, as you understand them, so will your success with others be measured.
How do people seek to satisfy their needs? Thorndike’s "Law of Effect" supplies
the answer:
"People tend to behave in a way to gain rewards and avoid punishment”
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Waiting It Out Is Not A Strategy
For Success!
By Dave Brock
I have to admit to being a little bit more than impatient–my wife says I have to
be more tolerant. But there are conversations that just drive me up the wall—”We’ll just wait it out” is one of those conversations that drives me crazy.
Over the past couple of years, I’ve heard that about the economy, “Things will
get back to normal; we’ll have to wait it out.” But I hear it about all sorts of
thing—major changes within a company; we don’t have the right products
now, but new products are around the corner; our customer is going to let
things settle down; changes with the way our customers buy—-the list goes on.
Underlying this statement is the assumption that things will go back to normal,
if we just wait, the “good old times” will return.
Frankly, it’s a defeatist attitude. How long have we been repeating the maxim,
“the only constant is change?” But it’s accurate. Business is about change—as
sales professionals, we are driving our customers to change. We can take
different positions about change–whether our organizations are driving
change, whether we respond to it, but if we don’t change, we will be left
behind.
This impacts us as individuals, as well. We have to constantly change, learn,
and grow. Our companies, products, competitors, and customers are
changing. If we sit around to wait for thing to get back to normal, we will be
left behind forever.
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I think Fleetwood Mac had it right:
Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow,
Don’t stop, it’ll soon be here,
It’ll be, better than before.
Dave Brock has spent his career developing high performance organizations.
He worked in sales, marketing, and executive management capacities with
IBM, Tektronix and Keithley Instruments. His consulting clients include companies
in the semiconductor, aerospace, electronics, consumer products, computer,
telecommunications, retailing, internet, software, professional and financial services
industries.
http://partnersinexcellenceblog.com
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Can You Sell At C-Level If You Have
Never Been A C-Level Player Yourself?
I would estimate that less than 5% of the world’s sales population sell into the
corporate sector – “big ticket selling” – which makes it even more surprising
that there are so many books on the subject. Most talk about strategy; some
stop at tactics; few, if any, discuss the human element. That in itself is
disappointing, but I think the most obvious reason is the authors themselves
have never operated at “C-Level” As a consequence, they can only see the
“relationship” from one perspective – a sales perspective.
The reality is that the playing field has become very flat, and proving
differentiation between your products/services/solutions is more difficult now
than it ever has been, so the need to build on the “human element” is vital.
Easier said than done. Like all those people who write about succeeding at
the “C-Level” few frontline sales professionals have the ability to relate and
communicate at that level, because they lack the experience and the
exposure.
The only real differentiator today is us – our unique personalities; our
communication skills; our ability to develop and sustain strong enduring
relationships. This is where sales psychology comes into play – and
understanding the four personality types is a very good place to begin.
There are four personality types or social styles – Analyticals, Drivers, Expressives
and Amiables – and all four have their own unique approach to business, their
own language and thought processes etc. As a consequence, the very best
sales professionals have become adept at recognizing which personality they
are dealing with and adapt their approach and communication style
accordingly.
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In every boardroom, you will always find three of the four personality types,
occasionally, all four: I have discovered over the years which personality is
likely to fill which position on the board, but more on that later.
The Driver:
Let’s begin by looking at the characteristics of the Driver. Drivers are action
and goal oriented, need to see results and have a quick reaction time. They
are decisive, independent, disciplined, practical, and efficient. They typically
use facts and data, speak and act quickly, lean forward, point and make
direct eye contact. Their body posture is often rigid and they have controlled
facial expressions.
They rarely want to waste time on personal talk or preliminaries and can be
perceived by other styles as dominating or harsh and severe in pursuit of a
goal. They are comfortable in positions of power and control and they have
businesslike offices with certificates and commendations on the wall. In times
of stress, drivers may become autocratic.
The Analytical:
Analyticals are concerned with being organised, having all the facts, and
being careful before taking action. Their need is to be accurate, to be right,
precise, orderly, methodical and conform to standard operating procedures,
organisational rules and historical ways of doing things. They typically have a
slow reaction time and work more slowly and carefully than Drivers. They are
perceived as serious, industrious, persistent, and exacting.
Usually, they are task oriented, use facts and data, and tend to speak slowly.
lean back and use their hands frequently. They do not make direct eye
contact and control their facial expressions. Others may see them as stuffy,
indecisive, critical, picky, and moralistic. They are comfortable in positions in
which they can check facts and figures and be sure they are right. They have
neat, well organised offices and in times of stress, Analyticals tend to avoid
conflict.
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The Expressive:
Expressives enjoy involvement, excitement, and interpersonal action. They are
sociable, stimulating, and enthusiastic and are good at involving and
motivating others. They are also ideas oriented. have little concern for routine,
are future oriented and usually they have a quick reaction time. They need to
be accepted by others, tend to be spontaneous, outgoing, energetic, and
friendly and focused on people rather than on tasks. Typically, they use
opinions and stories rather than facts and data. They speak and act quickly;
vary vocal inflection, lean forward, and point and make direct eye contact.
They use their hands when talking; have a relaxed body posture and an
animated expression. Their feelings often show in their faces and they are
perceived by others as excitable, impulsive, undisciplined, dramatic,
manipulative, ambitious, overly reactive, and egotistical. They usually have
disorganised offices and may have leisure equipment like golf clubs or tennis
racquets. Under stressful conditions, Expressives tend to resort to personal
attack.
And Finally – The Amiable:
Amiables need co-operation, personal security, and acceptance. They are
uncomfortable with and will avoid conflict at all costs. They value personal
relationships, helping others and being liked. Some Amiables will sacrifice their
own desires to win approval from others. They prefer to work with other people
in a team effort, rather than individually and they have an unhurried reaction
time and little concern with effecting change. Typically, they are friendly,
supportive, respectful, willing, dependable, and agreeable. They are also
people-oriented.
They use opinions rather than facts and data, speak slowly, and softly, use
more vocal inflection than Drivers or Analyticals. They lean back while talking
and do not make direct eye contact; they also have a casual posture and an
animated expression. They are perceived by other styles as conforming,
unsure, pliable, dependent, and awkward. They have homely offices – family
photographs, plants etc. An Amiable’s reaction to stress is to comply with
others.
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Most people’s first reaction after reading the four profiles is to believe that they
fit into more than one category and this is absolutely right. However, everyone
has a dominant style and no-one should believe that they fit into more than
two because they don’t.
So, which Social Style do the various residents of the boardroom typically
have?
Managing Directors/CEOs are typically Drivers, as you might expect.
Finance Directors are usually Analyticals
Sales Directors are nearly always Expressives
Marketing Directors are also Expressives
Technical Directors are almost always Analyticals
And Finally: In Sales
Level 3, Top 5% Achievers, are normally Drivers
Level 2, Sales Professionals, are typically Expressives
Level 1, Emerging salesmen and women are almost always Amiables
It is of course dangerous to generalise and there will always be exceptions,
however based on my experience, I have very rarely been mistaken using this
concept of personality identification, which makes communication so much
easier and indeed relevant.
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Sales Is Like An Obstacle Course
By Dave Kurlan
If you sell, then you encounter obstacles every step of the way. There are the
prospects you can't get through to, the same ones who don't return your calls,
and those who offer so much resistance that the obstacle appears to be more
like a road block than an obstacle. Then there are the obstacles of timing,
competition, budget, and disinterest, along with using and happy with
someone else, doing it themselves and bad experiences with your company
or simply companies like yours. There is no selling without obstacles.
The difference between great salespeople and everyone else is how you
approach those obstacles - your mindset, and how you handle those
obstacles - your strategy and tactics.
When it comes to mindset, it is crucial that you approach each obstacle as an
opportunity. Opportunities to differentiate you from everyone else in your
industry, every other salesperson who has called on this prospect and
everyone else this prospect has ever worked with. It is an opportunity perform
at close to 100%. Let's go to baseball. A pitcher might be throwing at 80-90%
at the point in the game where he finds himself in a bases loaded jam with
only one out. At that point, he might reach back for something extra and
throw at close to 100% of his capacity to escape the jam. Does he seek to be
removed from the game? Does he give in? Does he give up? Does he back
off? Does he back down? No, no, no, no and no! He focuses, slows things
down, gets himself in control and ratchets it up a couple of notches. Which
approach is yours in selling?
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When it comes to strategy, yours should be the element of surprise. The
prospect expects you to resort to features and benefits - to begin explaining
why he should talk to you, why he should meet with you or why he should buy
from you. Simply don't do that. Do whatever he isn't expecting, which brings
us to tactics.
Tactically, when you say what your prospect isn't expecting, it should result in
the lowering of his resistance, the changing of his position and the opening of
his mind. What are some of the things you can say or do at that moment to
accomplish any and all of those things?
● I'm sorry, I shouldn't have called today.
● You must not have this problem.
● You're right.
● I shouldn't have assumed that you would want to cut expenses.
● I never should have thought that you would want to improve efficiency.
● So you don't want to fix the problem you shared with me.
You can add another 100 examples to this list but they should first lower
resistance and second get them to change their position. Do not try to turn
them around using logic, features or benefits.
You can read more about turning obstacles into opportunities, including use
of The Cycle and the Hidden Ball Trick in Baseline Selling at
http://www.davekurlan.com/
Dave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of the Objective Management Group, Inc.,
the leading developer of sales assessment tools, headquartered in Westboro,
Massachusetts.
He is also the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a leading sales force development
firm. He possesses more than 30 years of experience in all facets of sales training, sales
management and consulting.
http://www.objectivemanagement.com/
http://www.davekurlan.com/
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Customer Focus Really Does Create
Competitive Advantage
The traditional customer call once seemed indispensable to the selling
process; the time and expense involved were just a basic cost of doing
business. In recent years, however, the business community has come to
regard the sales call as an expenditure for which there are substitutes.
For many companies telemarketing, video conferencing and direct email
have made the sales call a choice not an inevitability. This is not surprising
when various studies suggest that getting one sales person in front of one
customer now costs $1500 – this cost has trebled since 1983. As a
consequence professional salespeople have to be more effective than ever
to justify the investment in a face to face effort.
What I can say (and often do) is that the one term which sets top performers
apart is customer focus.
Outstanding sales results depend on:
● The ability to think from the customer’s point of view
● Understanding the customer’s agenda, buying cycle and best interests
Beyond a superficial reading of immediate customer needs, salespeople must
gain a deeper understanding of both the buyer’s long-term goals and the
overall business climate. Certainly at the heart of customer focus is the art of
listening constructively – the best salespeople are masters at capturing
information.
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Customer focus also means taking the customer seriously – to-day the
salesperson who clings to the product orientation of a decade ago is losing
ground, because as client companies branch into new markets and
unfamiliar territories, they are demanding unique, flexible solutions from their
vendors – customised to support specific goals.
Another myth which can be exploded is that whilst customers value flexibility,
being too flexible can undermine the sales relationship. On the whole
salespeople imagine that customers value a vendor’s responsiveness above
all. However recent research shows that their primary concern is reliability.
In summary, in order to maintain customer focus the best salespeople
become facilitators, creating a partnership that extends the selling
relationship within the customer’s company.
The motivation to achieve this should be strong – it now costs fifteen times as
much to attract and sell to a new customer as it does to an existing one!
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6 Mistakes Companies Make When
Selecting A Sales Trainer
By Dave Stein
Over and over I’ve read and heard sales experts say that, “It doesn’t matter
which sales approach or methodology you use, as long as every salesperson
in the company uses it.” This myth has been around for decades. Don’t
believe it. It just isn’t true.
When ESR does post-mortems on failed sales training initiatives, we often find a
significant mismatch between the client’s sales performance improvement
requirements and the vendor’s capabilities. That’s not the only reason that
these initiatives fail, but it’s a common one. If you have a whole sales team
following the same process, but that process doesn’t match customer buying
patterns and preferences, for example, you’re not going to get very far at all.
Here are some of the reasons companies wind up with the wrong training
company for their needs:
They hire a training company based on brand recognition only, without doing
a deep dive into the vendor’s capabilities. Although millions swear by CocaCola, it isn’t the right drink for everyone, is it? Neither is Pepsi.
They engage with a training provider with whom they have worked in the
past, even though their present company’s situation is very different. I used to
get my car serviced at the Jeep dealership. I no longer have a Jeep. Should I
bring my Prius there? Do they understand the design and functions of a hybrid
car?
They get a referral from colleague (or a suggestion in a comment to a LinkedIn
group query). The friend’s company is in a different market, selling different
products to different customers, but they hire the trainer anyway.
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They hire a company that has the hottest new approach, or a trainer who
wrote a book with what is purported to be a brand-new solution to what the
company believes its problem is. Wasn’t it Los Del Rio that gave us the
Macarena in 1996? Hmmm.
They attend a promotional event (webinar, sales leaders’ conference, or
public training event) and are impressed with the passion, quality and
unbelievably deep insights of the trainer, so they hire him or her. Ron Popeil
was brilliant, but I wouldn’t have hired him to train my sales team. (You’ve got
to read the essay on him in Malcolm Gladwell’s What the Dog Saw.)
They search the Internet to find a trainer whose offerings are appealing based
upon what is represented on the trainer’s website. Maybe it’s all true. Maybe
it isn’t. Maybe it’s what the company needs. Maybe it isn’t. Rolling the dice
on a career doesn’t make sense to me.
Dave Stein is the founder and CEO of ES Research, an organization that provides
on-line, membership-based analyses of, and recommendations about, the
sales training and sales performance and consulting marketplace and the
companies that serve it. He also writes a very popular and relevant blog
http://www.esresearch.com/
http://davesteinsblog.esresearch.com/
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Feast or Famine - It Doesn't Have
To Be That Way!
By Jonthan Farrington
Many years ago, I realised that my organisation like most others, occasionally
suffered what is commonly known as "The Peak and Trough Syndrome" or
more usually, "Feast and Famine". However, me being me, rather than blithely
just sit back and accept it as a fact of commercial life, I determined to
challenge it and front it head-on - this is what I came up with:
The Sales Cabinet concept is a sophisticated process for analysing, planning,
directing, and monitoring the activity of a sales team.
It is an essential tool for setting sales policies and the management, at
whatever level, of a sales team, if not every sales call produces an order and
there is a time lag between the first contact with a potential customer and
that company placing an order. SC is also a valuable tool for marketing and
business development personnel.
The Dimensions of Sales Cabinet:
Sales Cabinet is an imaginary four drawer filing cabinet and each drawer
represents not only a stage in the buying cycle, but also the critical tasks a
sales team should be performing if they are operating in a “balanced” mode.
The aim is to elevate as many of the inhabitants of the bottom drawer up to
the top drawer as possible, whilst continually finding replacements for them.
The Buying Drawers:
We have two buying drawers, the top two. In the very top one, we keep our
long term stable partners. We might well have preferred supplier agreements
with them or a clearly defined and established purchasing history.
In the second drawer, we place the less well established clients, the
occasional buyers or the one off buyers. A great deal of purposeful, strategic,
objective-based selling can and should be done within these two drawers.
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In the precarious second drawer of the cabinet, every piece of business has
to be fought for and often secured through sacrificing margin. Whereas in the
secure environment of the top drawer, the inhabitants respect the added
value we bring to the relationship and seek stability and value for money,
rather than lowest price. However, developing and promoting Drawer Two
occupants has obvious benefits to the growth and profitability prospects of
the Company.
The Working Drawer:
In Drawer Three, we keep our prospects, potential customers who we have
visited and qualified, but have yet to win the first order. Though this is a crucial
part of the development of an ideal customer base, sales work in the Working
Drawer is, in general terms, the least cost effective unless rigorous qualification
processes are followed. Its importance and its costs make it, therefore, yet
another important focus for the Sales Manager. What can we do to heighten
our success with a major sales opportunity? When are we best to back off?
How can we capture big opportunities more quickly? Etc.
The Marketing Drawer:
Drawer Four, is where we keep our suspects, those potential opportunities
identified but not yet visited or qualified. As with most things in life, the more
work that is put into the preparation phase of the sales process, the less effort
will be wasted in the long-term. The selection of the right opportunities from
the market place can ensure better sales, better profits and can reduce the
cost of the sales work. Selection criteria have to be established and
graduated by experienced sales personnel. Once in operation and proven,
their continued use can be maintained by other members of the organisation
who will develop, to a much higher level, the specific skills needed. Banks of
qualified prospects can be built up if appropriate – ready for a concerted
attack on a targeted part of the market place.
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Summary:
When I first designed Sales Cabinet, I realised just how important it is that
balance be maintained between the four drawers (where market conditions
permit). Excessive top drawer activity will constrain the growth of the business
into those areas that are identified as the opportunities of the future. It is also a
symptom that the organisation has got itself into a rut or a ‘comfort zone’, that
the communication of policy is poor, that management is not controlling the
work, or that people lack the confidence to tackle new areas (or a
combination of all of them). Too much emphasis on the bottom two drawers is
inefficient and will dramatically reduce the potential for growth, will increase
the cost of sales unnecessarily and could well lower the reputation of the
Company.
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Follow Up Focus
By Diane Helbig.
How effective is your follow up? Do you follow up? So many businesspeople
and salespeople fail to follow up with prospects, clients, and associates.
However, follow up is a critical part of business existence and growth.
Many people tell me they just don’t have time to follow up. I submit they don’t
have time not to follow up! The key to successful follow up is developing a
tracking system. Decide what methods you want to use for touching the
contact. This depends on results and desired outcomes.
The Sales Process:
When you are selling, your follow up can be the difference between getting
the sale or not. Think about it – what is the point of making the initial contact
(cold call or introductory letter) if you aren’t going to follow up with a phone
call? Why bother? Do you really think the prospect is going to call you?
Sometimes they do. More often than not, they don’t. You’re the salesperson.
It’s up to you to show the prospect that their business is important to you. There
are several ways you can stay in contact with prospects: calling, emailing,
sending snippets of information you think might be of interest to them. Establish
a program and stick to it. Like any habit, it gets easier once fully adopted.
New acquaintances:
When you meet someone at a networking event, luncheon, seminar, etc., ask
them for their business card and follow up with them. Sometimes just a
handwritten note is sufficient. Depending on whom they are and the
conversation you had with them, you might want to drop them a note and
suggest a future meeting. Once again, you’ll have to follow up on the
suggestion. Don’t wait for them to call you up. They might, but if it’s important
to you to develop a relationship with them – prove it. Call them.
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Old acquaintances:
Have you ever run into someone you knew in the past but for some reason you
had lost contact with them? Whether they are someone you want to establish
a current relationship with or not, send them a handwritten note telling them
how nice it was to see them. If you have no interest in pursuing a relationship,
wish them well. If you do want to keep in touch, suggest a meeting. And
again, follow up on the suggestion.
Clients:
Some people are in constant contact with their clients so follow up may seem
unnecessary. I submit that everyone should be following up with their clients
on a regular basis. This can take the form of a survey, a drop-in, a note
thanking them for their continued business and support, a small gift, and so on.
Choose one or more methods depending on your client base, and establish
the routine to make sure it happens.
Everyone likes to feel appreciate and important. By taking the time to follow
up, you are letting the people you know and meet, that you value them. It’s so
simple and yet can yield huge results.
Diane Helbig is an internationally recognized business and leadership
development coach, author, speaker, and radio show host. As a certified,
professional coach and president of Seize This Day Coaching, Diane helps
businesses and organizations operate more constructively and profitably. She
evaluates, encourages, and guides her clients.
In her book, Lemonade Stand Selling, Diane offers a straightforward, common sense and
clear guide to the sales process. She reminds her readers that selling is as easy as when you
had that lemonade stand as a child.
www.seizethisdaycoaching.com
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Foolish Consistencies
and Dull Routines
“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds” - Ralph Waldo Emerson.
For” foolish consistency” read “dull routine”.
Routine – doing things by habit, subconsciously, without thinking – is the enemy
of success.
The human mind is a computer. You programme your computer by the input
you feed into it: learning, knowledge, experience and so on. If you
programme your mind with images of failure, you will fail. If you build a bank of
success images, your computer will direct you to success.
How do you build and input images of success into your computer? By
creativity…by thinking.
The fruit of thinking is knowledge; and knowledge is the medium from which
skills are built.
In skills learning, there are four steps:
Step One: The Unconscious Incompetent. They don’t know that they don’t
know. The salesperson that is making mistakes, but is not aware of them.
Step Two: The Conscious Incompetent. They know that they don’t know. This is
the beginning of wisdom. The salesperson that is aware they are not cashing in
on their full potential and wants to learn how to improve.
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Step Three: The Conscious Competent. They have learned and are aware of
what they have learned – and they use it! They know why! The salesperson
who knows how to make a successful approach call and can programme
and execute their presentation to achieve their objectives.
Step Four: The Unconscious Competent. They have learned so well that they
use their knowledge with a semi-automatic skill. Their skills have reached a
level where they are no longer self-centred. They are free to devote their
efforts to the needs of others. The professional salesperson who does the right
things to get results, but functions without conscious attention to what they are
dong or why.
Note that I say semi-automatic. Even the Unconscious Competent should
have the ability and the sharpness to call forth self-awareness.
Purposeful self-awareness, plus a knowing application of skill, generates
maximum personal horsepower.
The handmaiden of creativity is imagination. Imagination is the well that brings
forth the new ideas that are essential to your growing success.
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Managing The Millennials
By Dr. Greg Stebbins
Independent, tech-savvy, social, and optimistic – why are these “kids” so hard
to manage?
The New Millennial’s, people born after about 1981, are now entering the work
force en masse. Even seasoned sales managers are having challenges
helping these people become productive. They have a different approach to
life, which greatly impacts their ability to sell effectively. Understanding them
and some key events that took place during their youth will help you get a
handle on their outlook on life in general and work in particular.
While they were growing up there was a technology explosion. Their every day
reality included video on multiple devices, mobile phone, computers, and
iPods. They have been bombarded with marketing messages that are
constantly changing. School violence and global terrorism (specifically 9-11)
have made them wary about the world and helped them develop a global
perspective. For the most part, poverty is something that they have seen on
television. Watching their parents get downsized in the 80s and 90s has caused
them to question loyalty to the company. Reality television, MySpace,
Facebook, Second Life and Google have caused them to believe (and
experience!) that information is available for the asking so being
“transparent” (putting everything out there for all to see) is the way things
should be.
While I often hear comments about their lack of work ethic, those are the
same comments that were leveled toward Generation X and Baby Boomers
when they first entered the work force. Neuro research now tells us that the
prefrontal cortex of our brain continues to mature until about the age of
twenty-six.
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So Millennials may continue to be a little irresponsible until they’ve been on the
job for a while. It’s neurological, not attitudinal. So make life a little easier on
yourself and cut them some slack. What is different is their work style,
motivations and view of the world, especially the corporate world. These
individuals do have loyalty, which is focused on their social network and
specific managers and members of the team – not on the company.
Generally they have an ability to find information about anything at a rate
that far exceeds expectations of management.
What they lack is discernment about the accuracy of the information. If it’s on
the Net they tend to believe it must be accurate. They can instantly
communicate this information to their social network via Blogs, Instant
Messaging (IM), personal Web pages and cell phones. Some companies have
found out the hard way that their management mistakes are common
knowledge within days, if not hours.
Many of these people had parents who hovered over them during every
waking hour, giving birth to the term “Helicopter Parents.” With probably
hundreds of possible activities, from soccer to music lessons, Millennials have
been over-committed and over-scheduled. They also have been smothered
in praise with constant reinforcement about how great they are: blue ribbons
for the entire team, there are no losers, etc. They expect recognition for
everything, even the most mundane activities. They may not know their own
strengths and weaknesses because there have not been many opportunities
for self evaluation or honest, constructive criticism.
This creates your greatest management challenge. How do you help them
understand that there are indeed losers as well as winners in the sales world?
How do you provide constructive criticism without devastating their psyche?
Keep in mind that these people will tend to look at you as a parental
substitute. I know that makes most sales managers more than a little
uncomfortable.
Nonetheless, since their parents didn’t wean them, you get to do that. And,
generally, this is going to be a shock to the Millennial.
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You’ll need to teach them basic decision making by coaching and guiding
them step-by-step, before you tell them, “You decide.” Don’t be surprised if
they’re calling you constantly asking the simplest questions.
Here’s a four step process that can be helpful in guiding them in decisionmaking (this process may take two to six months total):
1. The first time they approach you, work with them to think through at least
three options. Then make the decision for them. Having them consider
options is the first step of developing the ability to reason.
2. After this, when they want your input, make sure they come in with the three
options already thought about. Then help them understand the
consequences of each option. Add in other options if they haven’t
considered all of the consequences. Then, you make the decision.
3. The third stage is that they come in with three options, understand the
consequences and a recommendation for the course of action. Either
agree with their course of action or make suggestions. Essentially they will
be making the recommendation which you are approving.
4. The final stage is to cut them loose and have them handle a situation on
their own. However, also have them provide a written report (IM or Text
message is OK). The report needs to tell you what the situation was, the
options they considered and the decision they made. This step won’t last
that long as their need for independence will kick in and they’ll just stop
coming to you with every little situation.
Keep in mind that these individuals are going to need much more coaching
than their predecessors. The good news is they are used to being coached.
After all, many of them have been on soccer teams since they were four or
five years old. Like all previous generations they’ll be coming into the work
world thinking that they have all the answers and know how to do the job
better than you do. Once we turn about 35, we begin to realize that we don’t
have all the answers and things may not be as they seem.
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Developing mastery at work requires us to listen intently, understand the history
of each situation and gather the different perspectives of each of the players
involved. However, growing up protected and interacting with others largely
through technology has created a generation whose people savvy is very
limited. Their ability to read a person in a face-to-face situation (and almost all
selling is face-to-face) will tend to limit their success, especially when selling to
people of a different generation. Help them understand the nuances of body
language, the uniqueness of each person’s office and what the contents of
that office reveals about the customer. (Shameless promotion: Our book,
PeopleSavvy for Sales Professionals covers these points in detail.)
In your coaching efforts with Millennials, your focus and approach may need
to be different from others you have worked with. You’ll need to provide
structure and give information in bite-size pieces. Praise for what they do is
important to their self-esteem. If they’ve messed up you’ll need to present it as
a development opportunity. Course correction instead of scolding or browbeating is a better approach.
Millennials generally have short attention spans, so keep your coaching
sessions short. If you go beyond about 20 minutes you will lose them. Use
technology freely before and after the session; they’ll come in to the session
better prepared and will actually appreciate the follow up. If you’re not
comfortable using IM, it’s time to learn. Their mobile phone is like a third arm
and gives you more access to them than you’ve probably ever had with
anyone.
Have frequent coaching sessions. Remember they’ve been sitting in front of
video games knowing instantly what their score is and how they compare with
others. Waiting to give them feedback at their annual performance review
won’t work. In fact, without feedback, they will probably be long gone before
that performance review happens. Provide the rationale behind your
coaching. This generation is hungry to learn and if they feel they’re learning
from you, they will be loyal—to you. If they feel like their skills aren’t being
developed, they’ll leave.
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In some ways you’ll need to teach them patience. They’re used to instant
gratification. On the plus side, their impatience for results can be a bonus in
the sales world. On the negative, they can be easily frustrated when they
don’t get immediate results. Work/life balance is important to Millennials. One
of the biggest challenges to Baby Boomer managers is that Millinnials don’t
want the same life style. Many Baby Boomers were brought up in sales to
believe that if you were working from 6 AM to 6 PM, you were still only working
half days. Millennials want “time and flexibility” often before financial
compensation and benefits. No other generation has had “time and
flexibility” in their top three drivers.
And finally, transparency or confidentiality is often mismatched between
Millineal and manager. It is not unusual that a private discussion between a
manager and employee becomes public. You’ll need to teach your
Millennials why discretion is important, and it may be difficult for them to
understand. If your entire life is on the Web for anyone to see—even pictures in
a drunken stupor at a college party—they just won’t understand why
someone wants to keep something private or would be embarrassed about it
being public. Be patient and explain why it’s to their benefit. In other words,
you may need to sell them on the idea.
Smart managers that focus on developing Millinneal’s people savvy and who
understand flexible work roles and effective virtual teams while leveraging
technology will help them become a valuable asset sooner rather than later.
Managers who meet the challenges of working with, not against, this
generation will reap the rewards that come with shorter ramp times and more
rapidly gaining some very valuable sales professionals.
Greg Stebbins is an internationally recognized authority on sales psychology
who is a master at improving the greatest asset of any business – its people. As a
trainer, Greg has designed and delivered numerous corporate sales,
management and human resource development programs. He has consulted
on strategic planning, leadership development and organizational culture for dozens of
organizations, large and small, profit and not-for-profit.
www.peoplesavvy.com
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How Much Longer Will You
Continue To Be Promiscuous?
As the recession begins to fade into our memories, like a really bad dream that
came true, now is the time to make the very most of our most important
customers: They remained loyal through the harsh times, and we need to
repay that loyalty – but do we?
A vitally important sales activity is that of managing existing customer
accounts to consolidate and grow the relationship. Yet unfortunately, when
compared over time, the customers’ interest levels increase while
salespeople’s interest levels tend to decrease. This creates a “relationship
gap” and is due entirely to complacency.
It is not totally dissimilar to the sixties, seventies and eighties, when sexual
promiscuity was rife; or if you were a male, “de rigour” - the next conquest was
always going to be much more interesting than the last. But was it really? We
never hung around long enough to find out.
Another major issue is that too often the salesperson fails to expand their
“contact base” as this next survey proves, which results in vulnerability and
exposure to competitive activity.
Periodically, the Financial Times (London version) conducts a survey of British
industry to establish how companies go about their purchasing. The survey is
very comprehensive, broken down into many kinds of products and services.
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From a Sales Director’s (VP Sales) perspective, these are very worrying
statistics.
Customer size (Number of employees):
Less than 200
Average number of buying influencers:
3.43
Number of influencers identified by salespeople: 1.72
200 – 400
4.85
401 – 1000
5.81
1001 +
6.50
In essence, without a sustained approach to ongoing servicing and support
activities, customers that took months to win are ultimately lost because there
was a lack of interest from their supplier.
To-days clients/customers are looking for vendors who can be businesspartners, who are willing and able to share risks and who are able to properly
manage the entire sales process.
Fact: It now costs fifteen times as much to locate and sell to a new customer,
as it does to an existing one.
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Are you making the most of your customer base? Answer the questions below
honestly and find out.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
How many regular clients do you have?
Has that number increased in the last twelve months?
How many of them have bought in the last three months?
Of those ‘regular clients’, how many have you contacted in the last month?
Of those, in how many have you progressed upwards from the
user/recommender?
6. With how many of them do you enjoy exclusivity i.e. “preferred supplier”
status?
7. How many of your clients have bought more the ‘second’ time around
than when they originally bought from you?
8. With how many of your regular clients have you conducted an account
review within the last six months?
Study your answers – are you still confident you are making the most of your
most important accounts?
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Don't Feel Bad,
Many Geniuses Go Unnoticed
By Dr. Tony Alessandra
What do "experts" know anyway?
A number of the world's all-time great geniuses were at first thought to be
anything but gifted.
Einstein, we know, left school in Germany because of poor grades in history
and the language arts. The problem wasn't Einstein, of course, but the type of
learning he was forced to do, which required a lot of rote memorization and
very little of the problem solving he was good at.
We find an even better example of unrecognized genius in the case of Emily
Dickinson. Dickinson, now considered one of America's greatest literary
geniuses, died an obscure poet at 56. A handful of friends and family recognized
her potential, but Dickinson herself longed to be known by the world.
In 1862 she wrote a letter to Thomas Wentworth Higginson, an eminent literary
man of this day, and enclosed four poems for his approval and advice.
Higginson was impressed with the raw power of her poetic imagery, but didn't
think her poetry was publishable. When he tried adapting the poems to fit the
florid, fancy style popular during the day, Dickinson lost interest in the project
and gave up. As a result, only seven of Dickinson's poems were ever published
in her lifetime - five of them in her local paper.
When a cache of 1,700 poems was discovered in Dickinson's cabinet after her
death, ironically it was Higginson who published the first volume of her poetry.
Within a few short years, Dickinson's poetic genius was being hailed within the
most respected literary circles.
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You may look at your own experiences in life and find a teacher, a co-worker,
a friend, a boss, or a spouse, who - for whatever reason - can't seem to
recognize the unique gifts or talents you possess. Maybe your gift is hidden
below a shy, unassuming exterior. Maybe you're not in the right environment
for it to shine. Or maybe it's still in the infant stages of what it will become with a
little extra work.
Or maybe, just maybe, your gifts are so innovative and ahead of their time
they can't be appreciated by those schooled in older, more conservative
traditions.
The point is, you shouldn't let a few people's "expert" opinions and judgments
crush your hopes and dreams and keep you from exploring the full potential of
your talents.
A better course of action would be to accept criticism for what it's worth and
continue sharing your talents with the world. Search for trusted mentors and
role models who can give you honest, positive feedback to help you
strengthen your skills while still being true to your authentic style. Read books
and take courses. Whatever you do, don't lose confidence in your ability to
master your skill. With time, your talents can only get stronger. Besides, down
the road, you may finally meet someone who will recognize your talents and
give you that long-awaited opportunity to be noticed.
Sure, you may never be called a genius in your lifetime, but then again, very
few geniuses ever are.
Here's to more personal insight.
Dr. Tony Alessandra has authored 17 books translated into 50 foreign language
editions, recorded over 50 audio and video programs, and delivered over 2,000
keynote speeches since 1976. If you would like more information about
Dr.Alessandra, call his office at 1-760-603-8110, email him at
TA@Alessandra.com or visit his website at www.alessandra.com
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Human Nature
vs. Human Relations
The buyer-seller situation – like any human contact – is an exercise in human
relations: the interplay, cause and effect of behavior by two or more people
on each other. In the buyer-seller situation, the seller must be responsible for
shaping mutual behavior.
What’s the difference between human nature and human relations?
● Human nature is the instinctive behavior that governs action concerned
with the self and with self-interest.
● Human relations are concerned with how we think and act in terms of
other’s interests.
Successful selling demands that human relations be dominant over human
nature.
Selling is not something a salesperson does to a prospect. Selling is something
you do with the prospect in a process of discovery and interaction — human
relations at work.
The greatest barrier to success in this process is the “egocentric predicament.”
This consists of being overly and unnecessarily concerned with the self. Our
ability to be perceptive and concerned about others is inversely
proportionate to our self-concern.
When the self gets unnecessarily in the way, the fruitful cycle of good human
relations stops producing.
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The key to understanding and accepting others is to first understand and
accept oneself – starting with the realization that, rather than striving for an
unattainable “I should be” image, we should settle for our real self as “I am” –
accepting shortcomings along with strengths.
The following points provide a practical answer to the “I am” versus “I should
be” conflict:
● Recognize it – and recognize that its source is rooted in the views of others.
● Either (a) accept your “I am” image or (b) decide on attainable,
constructive steps to achieve “I should be” in the future.
● Our behavior is a reflection of our attitudes, and our attitudes grow out of
our values. Each is an integral part of the other. Do your life values make it
easy for you to put the other person’s interests first?
● Sincerity is a much-used word in relation to selling. Integrity is a kindred
word. Integrity implies a consistent kind of honesty: acting outwardly the
way you truly feel inwardly. That’s why sound values are so important to
your success with others.
Remember: “People buy our product not so much because they understand
the product . . . but because they feel that we understand them.”
There are many effective ways of doing this: The best way to create this kind of
buying climate is to “transmit on their frequency.” This opens their mind to you
and makes them willing – and eager – to listen.
A sincere, specific compliment on a point of real meaning to them gets the
other person talking about things of interest to them. It opens doors.
“Before I sell my prospect what my prospect buys, I must first see my prospect
as they see themselves.”
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Promiscuous Prospecting
By Jill Konrath
"How many prospecting calls did you make last week?" That's the first thing my
sales manager asked me every single Monday morning. I dreaded those
meetings because they put me in a no-win position.
I hated to lie, but if I told the truth I'd get in big trouble. My numbers were
significantly and consistently below the sacrosanct corporate standards
which were established to help us be more successful.
Behind these expectations was the pervasive belief that the more calls you
make, the more sales you'll get. Selling was simply a numbers game and I was
clearly failing to do my job.
Yet month after month, despite my abysmal prospecting statistics, I
outperformed and outsold my colleagues. This paradox confounded me. My
manager was stymied as well since it went against everything he'd been
taught. But he didn't stop too long to examine what was happening. Instead,
he pushed me out the door to make more calls.
All this happened a long time ago when I first started selling. Sometimes I'm
amazed at how little has changed.
I was working late in my office one night last year when the phone rang. When
I answered, the voice on the other end of the line stammered, totally surprised
to find me at my desk. He'd just read my article on voicemails and was
checking to see if the phone number in the sample message was really mine.
(It was!)
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We got to talking about prospecting. He told me that he made 300+ phone
calls a day. At first I thought he'd misspoken. No one could possibly make that
many calls every single day. But when I double-checked with him, he
reiterated that he called 300 prospects each day of the week.
Actually he was quite proud of this achievement. When he first got this job, he
was in a large class of new hires. Now he was the only one left. No one else
was "tough enough" to keep dialing despite the never-ending rejection.
I wasn't quite so impressed. I told him I thought it was insane and that his
company needed to rethink their sales process.
Promiscuous prospecting does NOT work. It never has and it never will. Follow
these guidelines to get out of the "More is Better" trap which is absolutely
ineffective for selling to big companies in today's marketplace.
Be Choosy
To be successful in corporate sales be more selective. Calling indiscriminately
on every prospective buyer is a total waste of your time.
Some firms are significantly more likely to buy your products or services than
others since your offering has a greater impact on their business than others.
Figure out what it is. Perhaps professional services firms benefit most. Maybe
you do best with rapidly growing companies. Possibly your best prospects are
going through mergers.
Identify companies that meet your best client profile and then pursue business
with them. Target those firms where you have the highest likelihood of success
and forget calling everyone else.
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Be Prepared
If you want to work with large corporations, don't ever wing it. To get your foot
in the door, it's essential to research the organization.
Corporate decision makers expect you to have a general understanding of
their business. They expect you to be up-to-date on trends in their industry and
knowledgeable about how other firms are addressing the critical challenges
relevant to your offering.
Figure out ahead of time what you're going to say if you get voicemail or if you
talk to a real person. Determine how you'll address the common obstacles you
invariably encounter. Practice saying these things.
Under the pressure of an actual conversation with a prospective client, I can
assure you that you'll sound like a blathering idiot unless you're fully prepared.
Be Reflective
In my opinion, the biggest error with the "make more calls" theory is the
assumption that your sales approach is perfect. If it really was, every time you
connect with a decision maker should yield an appointment.
Since that doesn't happen, it's imperative to analyze the multiple variables
that influence your success. As such, you might want to evaluate if you've
targeted the right companies or identified the appropriate decision makers.
Take a look at what you're saying in your voicemails, written correspondence
or phone conversations. If you're not getting in, experiment with different
approaches.
If you encounter objections and obstacles when you do connect with a
decision maker, consider what you might be doing to create them. In my
experience, nearly all of them can be eliminated upfront by changing your
approach.
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Now back for a final moment to my own story. Unlike the seller who made 300
calls per day, I focused on finding those opportunities where I had a better
chance of getting in.
I was intent on learning what it took capture a decision maker's interest and
gain an appointment. Everything was examined through the eyes and ears of
my prospects.
This approach required me to continually change what I did. It required me to
invest hours in preparation. I viewed it all as a grand experiment. Effectiveness
was what counted, not numbers.
As I said earlier, being a promiscuous prospector doesn't work. You have to get
smart about it. When you start out, you'll make more calls because you're new
at it and making more than your share of mistakes.
Focus on learning. It's the only way you'll ever get yourself out of the numbers
game.
Jill Konrath is the author of SNAP Selling (#1 Amazon sales book) and Selling to
Big Companies, a Fortune "must read" selection. As a frequent speaker at sales
conferences, she helps sellers crack into new accounts, speed up sales cycles
and win big contracts.
For more fresh sales strategies that work with today's crazy-busy prospects AND to get four
free sales-accelerating tools, visit www.snapselling.com
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64
If You Don’t Understand the Importance of
Empathy – You Are Probably On the Wrong
Wavelength
“If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him you are his sincere
friend.” Abraham Lincoln
Nowhere is this truer than in selling, where you are trying to persuade another,
often a stranger, to make a decision they may not even have considered prior
to your meeting.
The buyer-seller situation – like any human contact – is an exercise in human
relations: the interplay, cause and effect of behaviour by two or more people
on each other. In the buyer-seller situation, the seller must be responsible for
shaping mutual behaviour.
What’s the difference between human nature and human relations?
● Human nature is the instinctive behaviour that governs action concerned
with the self and with self-interest.
● Human relations are concerned with how we think and act in terms of
other’s interests.
Successful selling demands that human relations be dominant over human
nature.
Selling is not something a salesperson does to a prospect. Selling is something
you do with the prospect in a process of discovery and interaction – human
relations at work.
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65
The greatest barrier to success in this process is the “Egocentric Predicament”.
This consists of being overly and unnecessarily concerned with self. Our ability
to be perceptive and concerned about others is inversely proportionate to
our self-concern.
When self gets unnecessarily in the way, the fruitful cycle of good human
relations stops producing.
The key to understanding and accepting others is to first understand and
accept oneself – starting with the realisation that, rather than strive for an
unattainable “I should be” image, we should settle for our real self as “I am” –
accepting shortcomings along with strengths.
The following points provide a practical answer to the “I am” versus “I should
be” conflict.
Recognise it – and recognise that its source is rooted in the views of others.
Either (a) accept your “I am” image or (b) decide on attainable, constructive
steps to achieve “I should be” in the future.
Our behaviour is a reflection of our attitudes; and our attitudes grow out of our
values. Each is an integral part of the other. Do your life values make it easy for
you to put the other person’s interests first?
Sincerity is a much-used word in relation to selling.
Integrity is a kindred word. Integrity implies a consistent kind of honesty: acting
outwardly the way you truly feel inwardly. That’s why sound values are so
important to your success with others. Remember: “People buy our product
not so much because they understand the product… but because they feel
that we understand them.”
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66
There are many effective ways of doing this: The best way to create this kind of
buying climate is to “transmit on their frequency.” This opens their mind to
you…makes them willing – and eager – to listen.
A sincere, specific compliment on a point of real meaning to them gets the
other person talking about things of interest to them. It opens doors.
“Before I sell my prospect what my prospect buys, I must first see my prospect
as they see themselves.”
In Summary:
Empathy is the magical word in the lexicon of human relations. It means
feeling as the other person feels, not just with them. It means putting yourself in
their shoes and shaping your attitudes accordingly.
Beyond getting the order, the plus factor in selling is to make people look good
in their own eyes and in the eyes of others. Rather than sell to them, we help
them buy.
We do this best by building their self-image. This helps them grow. And as we
help others grow, we grow. To do this, we must be open and honest - this is the
essence of good human relations.
These concepts are applicable to every facet of our lives and in selling; they
pave the way to the truest and most fruitful success.
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How to Say Goodbye!
By Joanne S. Black
When it comes to difficult customers, you know the warning signs—they nickeland-dime you on price, don’t return phone calls, tell you they’re the decision
makers when they’re not, threaten you with your competitors, make
unreasonable demands, and expect fast, complete, and reliable delivery of
your service.
I call those customers PITAs: “pain in the ass” customers. PITA customers are
never happy. They’re emotionally draining and they use up your valuable
resources. Collect too many PITA customers and watch your profits dwindle—
not a compelling scenario. Yet companies continue to accept this bad
business, all the while thinking it’s better than no business.
But is it?
When organizations take bad business, they are paying a hidden opportunity
cost—the opportunity lost to use their resources to go after the phenomenal
clients they want and need to make money! Servicing a PITA customer takes
away time we could use providing something extra for our truly great
customers.
How is it we end up with a few customers that drive us crazy when we can see
the warning signs a mile away? Sometimes it’s because we have a quota to
meet, or our company insists we doe deal, or we think that we can turn a bad
situation into a good one. We’re dreaming. Bad business is bad business.
Period.
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Salespeople frequently say that they will sell to “anyone who fogs a mirror.”
Avoid that kind of thinking. We shouldn’t target just “anyone.” “Anyone” all
too frequently turns out to be a PITA customer, the one who plays the nickeland-dime game. You need to create a profile of your “Ideal Customer” so you
can recognize perfect opportunities when they arise.
These Ideal Customers are those you want to serve and the ones you will bend
head over heels for. You will also use this profile when you are asking people to
refer you. Think of yourself as an artist—the more color and lines you put in your
description, the easier it will be for others to recognize the picture of your Ideal
Customer and refer them to you.
For a lot of salespeople, being too specific in describing their Ideal Customer
may seem like they might be leaving good business on the table. We often
think that if we don’t mention everything we do we'll miss a sale. This is exactly
the opposite of what happens. The more specific you are, the easier it will be
for someone to refer you. A long list of the things you do blurs your image. For
someone to be able to refer you, they need a clear picture of you.
Create a description using the following categories:
Industry: In what industry does your company have a track record?
Geography: Where would these customers be based—regions of the United
States, North America, Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa?
Size Company: How large would the company you would most like to work
with be and how do you measure its size (i.e.: number of employees, revenue,
age, geographical coverage)?
Business Unit or Function: What group of people within the company are your
ideal contacts—CEOs, CIOs, COOs, HR, marketing?
Type of Person: What are the personality traits (sense of humor, responsible,
dedicated, integrity) of your “Ideal Customer?”
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Situation/Need: “What sort of situation is your ideal customer in that creates
the need for your help? Here are some ideas: “My salespeople aren’t
performing, our teams are not working together, we've just acquired another
company, we have difficulty recruiting the right talent, we don’t have enough
clients, our systems are at capacity, we’ll be acquiring more companies.”
And if a prospect doesn’t meet your criteria: Say NO! A PITA prospect is just the
beginning of a bad relationship. The downward spiral will have begun. The
cost to you will be exorbitant—your resources will be drained, you won’t make
money, and you will have lost the opportunity to focus on good business. Say
“No!” and a big weight will be lifted off of your shoulders. And, I’ll bet that your
“Ideal Customer” will be right there waiting for you.
Take the first step…
Build a referral system that will leave your competition in the dust.
Call Joanne Black at No More Cold Calling™ NOW! 415-461-8763.
Joanne Black, a leading authority on referral selling, is the author of No More
Cold CallingTM: The Breakthrough System That Will Leave Your Competition in the
Dust. Joanne’s proven No More Cold Calling system works: Referral selling
generates revenue faster than any other business development method —
while decreasing costs, aceing out the competition, and gaining new clients more than
50% of the time. A captivating speaker, Joanne is a member of the National Speakers
Association and regularly speaks at sales and incentive meetings, sales conferences and
association meetings.
www.NoMoreColdCalling.com
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It’s Official – Customers Are an
Unwelcome Distraction!
It seems to me, based on some recent experiences, that Directors and
management often see customer relations as the affair of a complaints
department, while they are occupied with far more important tasks, like
running the business. This is a form of warfare carried out against the irritating
habits of customers seeking fair treatment, a fair deal or equality of
relationship.
Then we have salespeople who often see customers as an unruly, disobliging
and dishonest source of commission.
Support staff accept that they are paid to (try to) cope (on a good day) with
unreasonable, whining, stupid, ungrateful customers who just will not be
behave.
Next, administrators, who see customers as dunces who must be forced to
follow the rigid procedures developed for the convenience of the supplier (an
endless nuisance to the customer).
Oh, and of course technical people, who often see customers as stick-in-themud know-nothings to be loftily put in their place by the use of elitist technojargon.
We cannot exclude production people who ignore customers entirely,
because otherwise customers would get in the way of how they want to run
the place.
Finally, my favorites – finance people, who treat customers not as people, but
as reference numbers with obligations required to fit processes.
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Unkind comments? Not at your place? Sure? Ok, great! But be assured, antiattitudes like this abound right across the commercial spectrum.
You do business with your customers — not despite them! Customers pay the
wages for everyone, not just the sales force.
There is always a penalty for poor customer relations. It plays out over the
weeks and months ahead when people — and those they influence — simply
avoid your firm.
The drive for continuous improvement will come from your customers — if you
let it, and if people’s arrogance does not get in the way.
Believe me, the customer is an expert in your business. They may not know how
to make grommets, or how to merchandise goods, or how to write software,
but they do know what they want from you.
Imagine them saying, “As customers, we do not want it your way; we want it
the way that suits us. And we will tell you, if you want to listen, and providing
we see you want to do something about it.”
One of the problems with employees in many companies is that they just do
not want to be told anything, especially by a customer. No one’s going to get
anywhere with customer relations until they recognize that customers are
valued assets, not dumb milk cows for money.
Customer relations is a strategic understanding, not a departmental name.
Most people in most companies don’t think about their responsibility for
developing good customer relations, because they simply do not see it as
their “job.” The trouble is that you cannot see the cost from a simple item on
the profit-and-loss sheet. Most of it is hidden in the cost of losing business and
winning new business.
Existing customers cost much less to keep than new customers cost to win!
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And you? Can you truthfully say in your heart of hearts that you believe in the
value and need for everyone in the business to help to build good customer
relations? If not, then watch out for the competitor who will figure that out first
— or the person competing for your job who knows that is how it’s done.
Customers are the reason you go to work every day – without them, no job,
and in fact, no company!
And now the good news: I am compiling a list of companies who are excelling
in the field of customer service, ahead of a white paper and a forum due out
later in the year.
So far I have Eurostar, Virgin, and way ahead, Johnnie Boden who is now in the
USA too.
I did a quick calculation, and I have purchased twenty-four items this season,
and do you know what? They all met my “Five Rights”
● The right quantity
● Delivered to the right place
● At the right time
● For the right price
● In the right way
They are virtually faultless, and I have been buying from them for ten years.
Their clothes are “ageless” – and they continually exceed my expectation.
And if you want to learn more about my thoughts on the man that is behind
Johnnie Boden, you can catch up HERE
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Learn to Let It Go Or Lose The Sale
By Keith Rosen
Denise and I were getting ready to wrap up our weekly coaching call. She’s
been a salesperson for about 18 years and recently took a new position in
media sales. I sensed there was something going on with Denise that was
getting in her way; some limiting or dangerous thinking that was sabotaging
her selling efforts without her even knowing it. We continued our conversation.
Here’s how it went.
“It’s addicting if that’s what you mean. You can bet that I’ll continue to keep
pushing to get more sales. I’ll just have to do a better job at controlling the
process and each sales call I go out on.”
“That’s interesting. Do you believe that a sales call or your sales process is
something you feel you can actually control?”
“Well, I’ll certainly try harder to do so!”
“Really?” I paused for a moment, reflecting back to the beginning of our
conversation. “You said earlier that confidence equates to control. May I ask,
what’s the relationship you have with control?”
“If you mean I’m a control freak, then the answer is a resound yes and proud
of it.”
“Are you familiar with the paradox of control?”
“No, please share.”
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“To give you some background, the word paradox is Latin for ‘beyond
opinion.’ A paradox is a seemingly contradictory statement that may be true.
They are a way to test and challenge reality or the limiting or general
assumptions we have made that stall our evolution.
‘The more we try to maintain control in our lives, the less freedom we create for
ourselves,’ illustrates one of the many paradoxes in life. While we may strive to
maintain control over our lives, our careers, even over other people in order to
produce certain outcomes, this desire to control creates rigidity or resistance
to change. We feel if we control certain things it limits risk and error.
This lack of flexibility creates friction in our lives, especially in the face of
adversity.
The result? As we continue to put our energy into preventing change, or
staying within what we know what is safe and comfortable, control becomes
the very thing that limits the progression, inhibiting the ability to create or
recognize even better opportunities. As we let go of the need to control,
greater possibilities unfold naturally.
You can determine if you are attempting to control something that you can’t
by asking yourself the following questions.
1. Are my efforts and actions enhancing my life or consuming my life?
2. Do I want to continue doing things the way I am doing them now for the
next thirty years?
3. Is this my agenda or someone else’s agenda?
Do I have an attachment to the outcome?
4. What am I afraid of? (What's the fear?) What am I trying to avoid?
5. What am I trying to do or create perfectly? What result am I hooked on
achieving?
Paradoxes such as this illustrate how the very actions we take to generate
desired results, often slow us down and diminish the quality of the outcome we
want to achieve. (Another paradox!)
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In other words, consider what would be possible if you responded to the
events in your life, both in action and opinion, in the exact opposite manner in
which you would normally respond to them? (If you're a Seinfeld fan, you may
remember the episode where George made better, successful decisions by
doing the exact opposite thing he would normally do.)
Once explored, these contradictions open up new possibilities by challenging
certain beliefs that we may have initially thought of as true.
This exploration into contradiction is evolutionary, since it immediately creates
alternative opportunities and paths to travel upon.
The Only Three Things You Can Ever Control
In life there are many things we try to control. Ironically, there are only three
things that we truly have the ability to control and have any real control over.
They are:
1. Your actions
2. Your responses to situations and your experiences
3. Your thoughts, beliefs or attitude.
That’s it. Everything else that we think we can control the things we complain
and worry about; is an elusion. The irony is, most of us spend our time trying to
control the things we can’t rather than focusing on mastering the things we
can; these three areas that we truly do have control over.”
“That is so true,” Denise declared. “Hmm. I can’t help but think of the countless
hours, days even years I’ve wasted trying to control the things I can’t! Well,
today is certainly the start of a new day for me and a new approach to selling.
Any other jewels you want to share today?”
“Is that one not enough?” I said, jokingly.
“Oh, absolutely it is! Talk to you next week, coach!”
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Keith Rosen is fanatical about increasing your sales and helping you achieve
what matters most to you. That's why almost half of the Fortune 1000 Companies
and the top companies in six major industries chose his training and coaching
solutions. He is the Executive Sales Coach that top salespeople and managers
call first to attract more prospects, close more sales and develop a team of top performers.
Visit his website.
www.ProfitBuilders.com
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Leadership –
The Myths About Greatness
Shakespeare was good about leadership, as about most other things. The
spoof letter which caused poor Malvolio to make such a fool of himself
contains words that say a lot about the subject. “Some men are born great,
some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them”.
Greatness and leadership are so closely akin that the words give us a useful
point of departure.
“Born great” has two possible meanings: either being born to a great position,
such as that of an hereditary monarch, or possessing natural talents and/or
virtues of an exceptional kind. Clearly not everyone born to a great position is
worthy of it, and relatively few have the qualities of a great leader. But the
greatness of certain offices can rub off on their occupants, who may not
otherwise have qualities out of the ordinary.
Some appear to have the gift of leadership, but are found to lack it when
tested. Tacitus wrote of an early Roman emperor that he would have been
thought capable of ruling if only he hadn’t actually been called upon to rule
(capax imperii nisi imperasset). Others are recognised as “born leaders” and
exercise effective leadership up to a certain level, but prove disastrous failures
beyond that level. It is very hard to judge the point beyond which a person will
be over promoted.
“Some achieve greatness” denotes, above all, those whose greatness is selfmade. But all of the really great leaders must be regarded as achievers,
whatever their advantages of birth and training. Alexander the Great was
born to kingship and inherited a strong army. With Aristotle as his tutor, he was
perhaps the most privileged person, educationally, that there has ever been.
Nevertheless, what he achieved in his short life was beyond anything that
could remotely have been expected of him.
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Much the same is true of Julius Caesar. He was a young Roman aristocrat
whose career began as a demagogic politician, but who turned out to be a
military commander of genius. The trajectory of his career could never have
been predicted.
Napoleon is the supreme example of the utterly self-made leader – the man
who “achieved greatness” by his own unaided efforts. When he was on his
way to St Helena, he was still slightly younger than John F. Kennedy at the time
of his assassination. And Napoleon was not a millionaire’s son. Of course, he
was privileged in another way, having the good luck to be born in a
revolutionary period, when opportunity beckoned to a man of his
phenomenal talents. But luck is a precondition of most human achievements.
Natural leaders know how to exploit their luck.
Most of those who achieve anything in the world are ambitious, and some
have very exalted ambitions which they have never the chance to realise. A
few rise higher than they or anyone else could have imagined, and then
prove equal to the challenge. Like those born to great offices who prove,
against the odds, worthy to hold them, such people have “greatness thrust
upon them”.
A case in point was Harry S. Truman. He was not born great, and seemed
unlikely to achieve greatness beyond the level of a US Senator. Only Franklin D.
Roosevelt’s incredibly casual, last-minute choice of him as running-mate for
the 1944 election, soon followed by Roosevelt’s death, precipitated him into a
situation where, as he said, he felt that the moon and stars had fallen on him.
But he grew in the office of President and achieved a stature that surprised
everyone, including probably himself. He was a man who seemed to be over
promoted, but was not.
Churchill and de Gaulle, two of the greatest leaders of modern times, also
depended upon chance for the fulfilment of their potential. But they had
formidable talent and limitless self-belief. Destiny seemed to wait on them.
They were manifestly above the ordinary run of humanity, and made no
attempt to conceal the fact.
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By contrast, Mahatma Gandhi, though no less extraordinary a person
achieved his appeal to the Indian masses by seeming to identify with them. His
style was studiedly anti – charismatic, yet it gave him a charisma that was
quite unique. Like many effective leaders, he used dress (or in his case relative
undress) as a weapon. His loincloth was the PR equivalent of Napoleon’s black
hat and grey overcoat, or Churchill’s boiler suit. (When Gandhi met George V
at Buckingham Palace, and was asked afterwards if he felt at a disadvantage
wearing only a loincloth, he replied cheerfully: “Oh no, His Majesty was
wearing enough for both of us”).
Leadership is partly a confidence trick, and those who practice it cannot
afford to be too predictable. Some have alternated ruthlessness with
generosity. (This was one of Caesar’s trademarks). Others have appeared at
times to be listless and drifting, only to spring suddenly to life. (This was Stanley
Baldwin’s style).
Democratic leaders have the difficult task of both guiding the people and
seeming to respond to the popular will. Autocrats are obviously freer to
exercise leadership, but among them the most successful have been aware
of the need to be loved and admired as well as feared, just as many of the
best democratic leaders have been natural autocrats, restrained only by
conscience and realism. The essential qualities of a good leader are much the
same, whatever the environment.
Of all the qualities needed for leadership, only one is indispensable – courage.
Without it, all the others are more or less useless. Courage has been shown by
all who we recognise as true leaders, from Alexander to Thatcher. A leader
must have the ability to take hard decisions and calculated risks. This rule
applies at all levels and in all situations – in school, factory, boardroom or
sporting arena, no less than on the battlefield or in the council chamber.
Leaders have to give courage to others, while creating the illusion that they
know exactly what they are doing. In Shaw’s Caesar and Cleopatra, when
one of Caesar’s officers says something intended to lift his spirits, he replies
witheringly: “Do you presume to encourage me?” Shaw, like Shakespeare,
knew what leadership was about.
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The Power Of One
By Kelley Robertson
One is a very tiny number. However, it can have a tremendous impact on your
revenues. Here are some ideas to consider:
● Make one more cold call every day. One extra call a day equals 260 calls in
a year. How many meetings could you set up with this number of calls and
how many of those meetings could you turn into sales? Consider your
current conversion ratio and think of the impact on your business.
● Suggest one additional item to every customer. This is particularly important
if you sell lower priced items or work in a retail environment. Too many sales
people are focused only on getting the initial sale. However, almost
everyone has additional items, products, or services that could beneficial
to their customers.
● Invest one day per month developing your skills. Many of the most
successful people in business invest in themselves. They attend workshops,
conferences, and participate in webinars and tele-seminars on a regular
basis. Considering that the majority of people do not invest in developing
their skill, you can quickly out-pace your co-workers and competition. Read
one book every month. Expanding your knowledge will help you become
more successful. Read books related to your industry or that will provide
insight to helping you improve your skill in a specific area.
● Ask one more question during each sales call. Before you starting “pitching”
your product or service, ask your prospect one more question. This question
might give you the additional insight you need to more effectively position
your product or service.
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● Pause for one moment longer than usual before responding to a prospect’s
question or request. Known as the pregnant pause, this often prompt the
other person to blurt out something they had not intended to say. The
secret behind this strategy is that most people are uncomfortable with
silence and will begin talking to fill the “dead” air space.
● Get to the office one hour early. Remember the expression “The early bird
gets the worm”. That one extra hour first thing in the morning can be the
most productive time of the day. You have a better chance to reach
decision-makers, there are fewer distractions, and you can often achieve
more in that 60 minutes than in several hours.
● Address objections one more time before giving up. Too many sales people
give up too soon when faced with objections. I’m not suggesting that you
beat your customer into submission in order to close the sale. However, I do
recommend that you tackle each objection one more time before you
give up.§ Send one more email to the prospect who has been sitting on the
fence. Sometimes, people need that little push and encouragement to
move forward. But in many cases their time is occupied by other projects
and priorities which means they are not focused on your solution. Gentle
reminders are often appreciated providing you don’t follow up so
frequently that you appear to be stalking them. Even though they may not
be ready to make that particular buying decision, you will help keep your
name in their mind.
● Ask for an endorsement or testimonial one more time. Endorsements and
testimonials are greatly underutilized by most people in business today.
Quite often we ask a client for a testimonial but because they have other
priorities, they forget. Call them or send an email and politely request the
testimonial again.
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● Suggest one more idea to help a customer improve their business.
Schedule a breakfast meeting or lunch with your customers but instead of
trying to sell them something, focus on learning more about their particular
challenges. Offer solutions that do not include your products or services
and your customers will begin to see you more as a partner than a supplier.
● Send one more thank you card or note. Very few sales people make the
effort to thank their customers. You can stand out from the crowd by
sending handwritten notes to thank customers for their most recent order,
meeting with you, or sending an on-time payment. You can also send a
note when you see their company mentioned favorably in the news
Kelley Robertson helps specialty retailers drive more profit to their bottom-line by
teaching front-line staff how to capture more from each sale. His best-selling
Stop, Ask & Listen—Proven Sales Techniques to Turn Browsers into Buyers outlines
customer-focused strategies that have helped well-known retailers such as
Home Hardware, the Sony Stores, and Staples improve their sales results.
www.kelleyrobertson.com
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When They Grab Your Nuts,
It's Time to Fight Back
Watching a French TV program last week all about "the haves" and "the have
not’s" in Moscow, where a very wealthy woman was purchasing a punnet of
six strawberries for the equivalent of $50, I was reminded of a story that was
related to me a few weeks back.....
Two elegant Russian women arrived at a Heathrow check-in desk at the same
time, and were admiring each other's Vuitton luggage, which was identical in
every way: "$10.000 from Paris" the first one claimed, with considerable pride.
"$17.000 from Moscow" the second retorted, almost disdainfully.
So there we have it, a perfect example of why Moscow is now irrefutably the
most expensive (and vulgar) city in the world - the rich are getting richer and
the poor are looking on in total disbelief.
Well the rich were getting richer up until very recently, and I watched another
superb French documentary this week about Russian "oligarchs" (Don't go
thinking that I indulge myself in French television, it is not that good - just two
hours this week, the rest was crap! - thank God for satellite dishes and the
good old BBC).
Oligarchs? Here's what Wiki has to say:
"Oligarchy (Greek Oligarkhía) is a form of government where political power
effectively rests with a small elite segment of society distinguished by royalty,
wealth, family, military powers or occult spiritual hegemony. The word
oligarchy is from the Greek words for "few" (olígios) and "rule" (arkhein). Such
states are often controlled by politically powerful families whose children were
heavily conditioned and mentored to be heirs of the power of the oligarchy.
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This type of power by its very nature may not be exercised openly; the
oligarchs preferring to remain "the power behind the throne", exerting control
through economic means. Oligarchies have been tyrannical throughout
history, being completely reliant on public servitude to exist. Although Aristotle
pioneered the use of the term as a synonym for rule by the rich, for which the
exact term is plutocracy, oligarchy is not always a rule by wealth, as oligarchs
can simply be a privileged group."
Financial sources estimate Russia's oligarchs have lost as much as $230 billion
during the recent fall of the world's stock markets - that's almost $7 billion per
oligarch.
"They should take us all off the Forbes list" of billionaires, said Alexander
Lebedev, who owns 30 percent of the Russian airline Aeroflot and was ranked
by Forbes Magazine as the world's 358th richest man.
Lebedev said he may have lost nearly half of his estimated $3.1 billion stock
portfolio, The Times of London reported Saturday.
"The bell has started to ring," Lebedev said, noting the financial meltdown may
bring some sanity to the lives of Russia's big spenders, the Times reported.
It's "reach for hankies time"
Roman Abramovich, a steel magnate who owns Britain's Chelsea Football
Club, (Now known in the UK as "Chelski") is estimated to have lost more than
$20 billion in recent market trading, while Oleg Deripaska, reportedly Russia's
richest man, has lost billions of his estimated $28 billion empire, the Times also
reported.
There were fewer than 150 billionaires put on the Forbes list twenty year ago.
Nowadays things have changed. The 2006 Forbes list of billionaires contains
793 entrants. The computer genius Bill Gates has retained the title of the
world’s richest man for the twelfth consecutive year. He added about $5
billion to his net worth this year.
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There are 33 Russian billionaires on the latest list. Next to New York, Moscow has
the biggest number of billionaires - and yet when it comes to "standard of
living" Russia is 57th in the world?
Unsurprisingly, most Russian billionaires reject the Forbes ratings. Nearly all of
them make statements claiming they cannot be that rich. Boris Berezovsky
seems to be the only exception; he is still out of reach of the Russian Prosecutor
General’s Office. However, none of the tycoons has sued the magazine for libel.
Therefore, we can assume that the Forbes ratings are quite accurate.
One of the very few consolations of all this financial turmoil and chaos is the
daily dose of revelations.
Stories of even more obscene gluttony, greed and astonishing financial mismanagement.
I watched Greenspan this week, looking totally bereft of an explanation,
describing our current experience as a Tsunami, and that in itself is probably
the most pathetic and implausible utterance this once revered man has ever
made: Note to AG.
Dear Alan,
For the record, a Tsunami is known for its suddenness; it strikes without warning
and almost always leaves a path of total destruction in its wake.
The legacy you have left us with - conveniently stepping down just prior to it's
arrival- did not creep up on us: Most observers with an IQ higher that a gnat's
left testicle recognised the signs years ago, how come you didn't? Or maybe
you did and chose to ignore them? Why did you take a stand against
regulation as long ago as 2004?
"Give me one example where regulatory control would have made a
difference JF" I hear you say.
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AG, I can give you hundreds, but here is just one:
Fannie Mae misstated earnings for three and a half years, leading to a $9
billion restatement that wiped out 40% of the supposed profits in the period fair enough?
So many "why's?" AG
Yours In Total Disbelief
A Sucker
It can only be hoped that in years to come, there will in fact be greater
regulatory control and increased visibility. Our trust has been shattered, and as
I survey the pieces scattered liberally around my feet, I remain unconvinced
that recovery will be as swift as our over-optimistic political leaders would
have us believe.
November 15th could represent Bretton Woods II - we wait and we wonder,
but we no longer have faith.
Tomorrow: "India Is A Very Poor Country - Oh No It Isn't" - more revelations here
on JF Uncut.
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Give Your Prospecting Legs
with Social Media
By Kendra Lee
Social media is all the buzz in prospecting lately. You hear about it everywhere
with Facebook Fan pages, tweeting, and LinkedIn profiles. You may even
have an account on several different social networks. But have you given
thought to how to use it to increase your prospecting results, or do you just see
it as something fun to do when you have time?
Or, is it possible that you’re one of the skeptics who don’t believe social media
can really bring you new prospects?
Let’s ponder that for a moment.
The two primary questions in prospecting are always:
1. How can you reach a broader audience?
2. How can you reach your audience more effectively?
Once you’ve defined your target market and your ideal prospect within it, you
identify the key business needs they have and craft your value proposition.
You’re ready to prospect.
But who do you approach? And, how do you approach them?
Referrals and networking are always the desired approach because the
personal relationship increases your chance of gaining access. But that isn’t
always possible, especially if you want a broader reach than that. So, you
supplement them with the tried and true prospecting methods of cold calling
and sending emails.
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The challenge with cold calling and email prospecting is that your results are
only as effective as the list you’re operating from and the probability that your
contacts got your message.
To address the challenge that your target prospects may not have noticed
your message, you call and send emails repeatedly over a period of weeks,
maybe even months. These repeated touches will definitely increase your
response rate, but there will always be a percentage of those stubborn few
prospects who never respond. What that percentage is depends on how
good your message is.
In the end, your prospecting success is bound by the size of your list and the
percentage of contacts you can entice to respond so you can start a
conversation and ultimately draw new opportunities into your pipeline.
What you need is another prospecting strategy to supplement the cold calling
and email and give it legs to reach a broader audience.
Here’s where social media comes into play.
By expanding your reach beyond your list, your great message will draw in
prospects you haven’t even heard of and wouldn’t have met through
referrals and networking. What I’ve discovered over several years of tweeting
and commenting is that the people who watch social networks often are not
the same people who respond to emails and calls.
Don’t get me wrong. They may respond if you use the hounding strategy I’ve
taught you, but what they probably do instead is watch you. Your emails and
calls with the great message caught their attention. They saw your Twitter,
LinkedIn or Facebook link in your signature and started following you so they
could listen to what else you have to say.
They aren’t ready to engage in a full conversation just yet. They want to get to
know you through your comments. Over time they begin to respond to your
comments. They may even email or call you directly!
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Even better is that new people begin to watch you. Because you’re tweeting
about the issues and triggering events your micro-segment is interested in,
those are the people who perk up and pay attention.
Suddenly you’ve moved beyond your list. Your message has legs, expanding
out to others in your target market that your list builder and personal network
didn’t know about. Not only have you increased your reach to a new group of
people, but you’ve increased the percentage of responses and filled your
pipeline with a fresh set of opportunities in a manner you could never have
found before.
People are watching social networks. I can’t tell you how they find the time to
do it. I can only tell you that they are doing it, and you want to be out there to
meet them.
If you aren’t sure what you should be commenting about to attract prospects,
follow me on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Kendra Lee is a top IT Seller, Prospect Attraction Expert, author of the award
winning book “Selling Against the Goal” and president of KLA Group.
Specializing in the IT industry, KLA Group works with companies to break in and
exceed revenue objectives in the Small and Midmarket Business (SMB) segment.
Ms. Lee is a frequent speaker at national sales meetings and association events. To find out
more about the author, read her latest articles, or to subscribe to her newsletter visit
www.klagroup.com or call +1 303.741.6636.
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Pro-Activity, Reactivity and
Vilfredo Pareto…
The value of the Pareto Principle is that it reminds us to focus on the 20% that
matters. That is to say, of the things we do during our day, only 20% really
matter!
Those 20% produce 80% of our results, so doesn’t it make sense to identify and
focus on those things?
When our time robbers begin to sap our time, we need to remind ourselves of
the 20% we need to focus on. If something in the schedule has to slip, if
something isn't going to get done, we have to make sure it's not part of that
20%!
A New Management Theory:
There is a management theory that proposes to interpret Pareto's Principle in
such a way as to produce what is called Top Gun Management. Those
advocating this theory suggest that since 20% of our people produce 80% of
our results we should focus our limited time on managing only that 20%, the socalled “superstars”. In my opinion the theory is seriously flawed, because it
overlooks the fact that 80% of our time should be spent doing what is really
important and that includes developing all of our people. Helping the good to
become better is much more important than helping the great become
terrific.
When we work to develop our subordinates, we should be concentrating on
converting what I term, the “reactive mindset” because we can certainly
apply Pareto’s Principle to reactive versus pro-active. Or, to describe these
two mindsets in a different way: The “running towards” mindset and the
“running away” mindset: Let me provide you with an example:
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The “Running Away” Personality:
The “running away” person is awoken by his alarm clock and he immediately
hits the “snooze” button. Ten minutes later, the buzzer goes off again. “Just ten
more minutes” he says to himself, “I won’t go for a run today” and he again
activates his friend, Mr Snooze. This happens three more times and each time
he determines that he will skip a vital activity in order to enjoy a few more
minutes slumber – he has already decided to skip breakfast and he will shave
in the car on the way to the office. Finally, a full hour after his first alarm call, he
leaps out of bed, the image of his boss standing outside his office door, purple
with rage at his continual poor time keeping is just too horrible to contemplate
and it acts as his spur.
So what actually happened here? Well, if we apply Pareto’s Principle, we
identify that approximately 80% of the world’s population fall into the “running
away” category. That is to say that they do things not because they planned
to do them or that they want to do them, but rather that they fear the
consequences of not doing them. They drift through life, as I have said often
enough before, like “rudderless boats” completely at the mercy of the
currents. They never go beyond the first few stages of Maslow’s “Hierarchy of
Needs” and certainly “self-fulfilment” is completely out of reach for them
because they either lack the courage, or the commitment required, or quite
simply they lack the energy. After all, it is nice and cosy in the comfort zone
isn’t it?
As someone famously once said: “Some people make things happen whilst
others just stand and watch what happens”
My take on that is: “A few people make things happen, others just watch what
happens, but the vast majority wonder what the heck happened!” (But
“heck” is not the word I usually use!”) The “running away” mindset falls into the
last category.
Let’s look at the other side of the coin, let’s see how a “running towards”
personality handles their relationship with their alarm clock.
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The “Running Towards” Personality:
To begin with, our “running towards” person has invested some of their time the
previous evening preparing for the next day: The suit has been pressed, shoes
cleaned, notes prepared for those important meetings, in fact all of the next
day’s objectives have been thoroughly rehearsed mentally and planned for.
When the alarm clock goes off, our “running towards” typically awakes
refreshed and completes their final preparations for the day. They have plenty
of time for exercising, for bathing, and to eat a proper breakfast with their
family – they are in control. They arrive at the office before most of their
colleagues,(80% of whom arrive at 8.55 am – just in time, because they fear
the consequences of being late!) so that they can respond to e-mails and
attend to essential administrative tasks which would otherwise take up
valuable “business time”. Life for these people appears effortless, relatively
stress free, because they have made it that way, they are busy working at selffulfilment as they have no need to worry about shelter, security and the like.
These people are”Winners”.
The “Winners in Life”
“Winners in life constantly think in terms of I can, I will and I am. Losers on the
other hand concentrate their waking thoughts on what they should have
done or what they don’t do” - Dennis Waitley
Can we all become “Winners”? Yes, of course we can. We cannot have
everything we want in life but we can have anything that we really want,
because if we want it badly enough, we will find the means to bring about its
happening – this is called “fulfilled expectation”
Unfortunately, most people when asked don’t really know what they want
from life. Some talk vaguely about success without being able to articulate
precisely what success means for them. I have heard many interpretations of
the word, but the one I still like the best comes from Earl Nightingale:
“Success is the achievement of a worthwhile goal or set of goals”
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Therein lays the secret – in order to be successful, to become a “Winner in life”,
we must have goals.
This extract from “Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland” accurately illustrates my
point.
“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cheshire
Cat
“I don’t much care where” said Alice
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat
“– So long as I get somewhere,” Alice added as an explanation
“Oh, you’re sure to do that” said the Cat “If you only walk long enough.”
– Lewis Carroll (1832 – 98)
Each of us has the choice, we can choose to be successful – however we
measure success - or we can choose not to be. But if we really do want a more
fulfilling and satisfying life – more happiness, greater security, improved health,
the means to help others - then we have to accept full responsibility for
ensuring we have a rudder on our boat and work to the maxim: “If it’s to be, it’s
up to me”.
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The Power of a Symbol
By Kevin Eikenberry
We all have symbols in our lives. As nations our flags and landmarks are two
examples; as organizations logos or specific stories or situations may be
symbols; and as individuals perhaps a picture, award or collectable fits this
description. These symbols can remind us of our beliefs, of our loyalties, of our
accomplishments and much more. Whether physical like a flag, symbolic like
a story, or memory-anchored like a picture these can serve us in powerful
ways.
None of this is new or revolutionary to you.
What may be revolutionary to you though is how we can use these symbols to
our advantage as individuals and leaders.
Let me start with some examples.
The Rock. The picture at the top of this article is of a rock I received recently.
The Rainmakers organization in Indianapolis recently began a tradition at their
events where the leader brings a rock, and writes on it “Be More, Serve More”
(a part of their mission and purpose). Then during the meeting all participants
sign the rock. At some point in the meeting that rock is presented to someone
in the group who has made a difference, lived the Rainmaker's ideals or is in
some other way deserving of the recognition. Started as a way to reward and
recognize without breaking their budget, it now is a powerful part of the
organization's culture. It also is a highly valued award, meaningful in many
ways to each recipient.
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The Bands. In anticipation of my new book Remarkable Leadership we had
green rubber wristbands (ala the Lance Armstrong Livestrong bands) made
that say “I am Remarkable!” We purchased these and gave them to people
because we believe in the message that people are remarkable and that
they need to be reminded. I can tell you that, having worn one of these bands
daily for nearly two months so far, it is a powerful reminder. While it isn't a
conscious reminder each time I look at it, I consciously notice multiple times a
day and it reminds of that fact for myself and, perhaps for the point of this
article, it reminds me in a tangible way of our mission at the Kevin Eikenberry
Group - to help people reach their remarkable goals.
The Red Herring. Have you ever been to a meeting where the group got off
topic? (Sorry for asking a silly question.) I had a client once who called those
side topics red herrings - things that weren't the real issue at hand. That phrase
caught on within the team and soon someone showed up with a plastic red
fish at a meeting - and dubbed it the red herring! The team decided to use the
fish as a reminder of red herring topics - anyone could playfully toss the fish in
the direction of someone if they thought a conversation was off topic. This
gentle reminder has helped this team run more effective meetings for a long
time - in large part because of a symbol.
The Stone. I carry a small stone in my pocket everyday to remind me of the
importance and value my wife and family play in my life. Do I “know” that I
love and value them? Of course I do. But this stone, this symbol, grounds me
on a regular basis. I find myself holding the stone often when making a
decision or thinking things through. This touchstone to the most important
things in my life helps me make better decisions and think more clearly. It isn't
the stone itself that is helping; it is the meaning and message it signifies to me
that makes all the difference.
We can draw much from these examples. First, notice how symbols can serve
as a recognition or a reminder or both. As an individual if there is something
that you want to be reminded of a symbol can be a powerful way to remind
yourself.
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The symbol need not be elaborate or fancy (notice the stone example
above), as long as the meaning and message attached to it is valuable.
The same is true in organizations - the physical representation doesn't have to
be glossy, shiny or valuable - a rubber fish or a retaining pond rock is certainly
none of these. Again, the power comes from the meaning and message.
Does this mean that we no longer need to buy watches, plaques or awards?
Not necessarily, but remember that the $100 or $500 plaque may mean
nothing (or even be counterproductive to the intended goal). Have you ever
or do you know anyone who received a plaque or recognition that didn't
value it for some reason? If so, the disconnect comes from a lack of meaning
and/or sincerity and has little or nothing to do with the physical manifestation.
Symbols are powerful and can aid us personally and organizationally as we
attempt to improve or move toward valuable goals. Use them wisely and
sincerely and this underutilized tool could become instrumental in your future
success.
Kevin Eikenberry is a world expert on learning, leadership and the development
of leaders. He has written 4 books, including the best selling Remarkable
Leadership – Unleashing Your Leadership Potential One Skill at a Time, has
spoken about leadership to clients around the world and is the creator of the
Remarkable Leadership Learning System.
www.KevinEikenberry.com
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Ready To Absorb A Higher Level
Of Thinking?
So here we are, the end of the first commercial week of 2010, and we have
discussed so much…. the need to consolidate your existing client base; the
need to regularly examine your ego/empathy balance; asked the question:
“has professional selling undergone a personality bypass”; and yesterday,
encouraged you to have the courage to leave your comfort-zone.
Ready to absorb a higher level of thinking, when it comes to your own
development? Yes we are, Mr. Farrington/JF/Jono/British bloke/My Captain, I
hear you shout, almost in unison. OK, here you go…..
When a colleague loaned me Stephen Covey’s “The Seven Habits Of Highly
Successful People” many years ago, it took me about three months to get
round to reading it – I now realize that I wasted those three months! In fact, I
read it three times in order to ensure that I had fully digested the wisdom.
Whilst I cannot claim to have experienced an epiphany of “Damascus
Highway” proportions, it did cause me to make fundamental changes to the
way I conducted business. In reality, I was practicing much of what Covey
suggests, but I was doing so in a fairly unstructured and ill-disciplined way.
However, in what I now term my “Post Covey” period, I do ensure that I audit
myself regularly and I would urge you to do the same.
Covey is also responsible for the book “Principle Centered Leadership” and
many of his ideas and approaches relate to the management of people.
You are encouraged to consider, as you read through my summary of his
ideas, (a FREE EBook for you) how any of it might relate to your own particular
situation as an individual, as well as a manager.
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Covey’s view focuses on interdependence, on what he calls “mature
interaction”. When we are truly interdependent, then we have achieved and
are practicing all seven habits. The habits are in fact steps, leading us from
dependent through independence to interdependence and making use of
our innate human characteristics – moving us in effect from what Covey terms
“private victories to public victories.”
In any situation, our natural human response is to look for similarities to
situations we have previously encountered. In doing this, we fail to recognize
the situation we are actually in and we fail to recognize opportunities and
challenges presented to us. In effect “the way we see the problem is the
problem” … which accounts for why we find ourselves repeating patterns of
frustration and feeling unable to respond appropriately to situations facing us.
Einstein observed “The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the
same level of thinking we were at when we created them.”
Covey develops this theme into what he calls an “inside-out” approach. This
means to start first with self; even more fundamentally, to start with the most
inside part of self – with your principles, your values, your motives and your
character.
We each have, and can develop further, various assets. Covey’s view
encourages wider recognition of these assets and the maintenance of them.
Once we take for granted say effective working relationships, then we cease
to actively maintain them. The result could well be a reduction in the
effectiveness of the relationship and therefore of a very important asset. The
key is balance between the use of any asset and maintenance of it.
So, my last tip this week, is read, digest and action this – it has had a profound
influence on my life, and it will have a profound influence on yours.
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Sales Tips: Make a List,
Delete Excuses
By Linda Richardson
Selling is as much mind-set as skill set — especially today. Sure the economy
has made it harder to conduct business and find and close opportunities. It
has also made it harder to decipher what obstacles are due to the economy
and what are due to our own performance. A 2009 DI study with 1600
corporate customers showed that customers attributed 33% of lost deals to
things they feel were in the salesperson’s control.
With data like that it may be time to step back and take inventory of what we
are and are not doing. One of my clients said he has banned the sentence,
“Sales are down because of the economy,” out of his sales team’s
vocabulary. He’s not living in la-la land but rather he is asking the team to take
charge of what they can control.
I think we all benefit from focusing extra hard on what’s in our control. Start by
making a list of everything you can control:
● number of customer calls
● number of prospect calls
● use of social networking to learn about prospects
● pipeline to quota ratio
● more specific ROI tied to solutions,
● calling former clients
● calling clients who have changed companies
● improved follow-up
● planning calls for the month down to each day
● sprucing up one’s appearance
● making relationship phone calls
● doing more research
● higher sense of urgency …
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One salesperson who has implemented this approach says it has helped her
stay in the game, and she has already exceeded her first quarter goal. An
effort like this revs up competitive juices and improves results. You can also
help your customers tweak their thinking toward what they can control.
For example, once a customer’s problem is on the table, use questions to get
at what the short-term goals are, what the obstacles are, how in light of that
their purchasing strategies have changed. With that information, brainstorm
with customers how you can help them meet their short-term and long-term
goals.
We can all benefit from making a list to help raise the bar on our own
performance. I, for one, will work on building stronger bonds with customers
and colleagues. What about you?
Linda Richardson is the Founder and Chairman of Richardson, a global sales
training business. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the
coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence for 2006
and in 2007 she was identified by Training Industry Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most
Influential Training Professionals.”
www.richardson.com/
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Some Good News For Anyone
Suffering From The “Fear of Calling”
Recent studies have confirmed the obvious, that is to say that “fear of calling”
in sales, can contribute to a significant proportion of lost sales revenues. One
study that I read recently found that as many as 40 per cent of established
salespeople experienced periods of “fear of calling” severe enough to
threaten their future in sales.
Stemming the ever-increasing costs of the “fear of calling” syndrome cannot
be addressed by training alone. It requires an experienced coach or mentor
to work with each salesperson’s particular set of beliefs, so that they feel truly
empowered to breakthrough their self-created mental barriers. One particular
statistic in the following survey should give any salesperson suffering from “fear
of calling”, renewed confidence.
How Customers Regard Salespeople Survey:
● Salespeople who do not bother to make appointments.
● Salespeople who know nothing about the customer’s business.
● Salespeople who know little about their products and services.
● Salespeople who call too often.
● Salespeople who don’t call often enough.
● Salespeople who do not have the authority to negotiate prices.
● Salespeople who do not ask for the order.
● Salespeople who are not properly or sufficiently organised.
45%
60%
60%
39%
49%
45%
40%
55%
Most desirable quality customers want to see in salespeople? –Competence!
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Customers Can Sense Fear:
We must remember that a salesperson’s state of mind is instantly transferred to
their prospect or customer, which means that the challenge for organisations
is to constantly create a highly resourceful state in their salespeople. This is
extremely important, because when salespeople lack belief in themselves,
their product or their service, they unconsciously transmit their attitude to
prospects in a variety of subtle and sometimes overt ways.
Fear of calling is that serious!
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In Building Business, It’s Nearly
Never Too Late for Four Things
By Lori Richardson
Small business owners, entrepreneurs and those who “sell” for a living typically
lead busy lives. We are often overworked, somewhat isolated, and often multitasking on dozens of projects at one time. Sometimes we feel exceptionally
organized and other times at the opposite extreme: buried. Most often we are
somewhere in-between.
Regardless of how busy one can be as a seller, a common characteristic of
everyone is in leaving money on the table in one form or another. It stems from
poor or disorganized follow up and follow-through.
Example: A strategic partner who can send you multiple “more qualified”
prospects your way indicates to you that you two should get together. You
mean well, but you do not set a next action on the calendar nor do you
immediately write this person to ensure that some follow up will take place.
Ultimately you’ll do nothing – and no telling what could have been (that will
not materialize).
I have a theory that it is (nearly) NEVER too late to turn the following four
situations around, and have seen many business relationships blossom
because of them. Notice that I am focusing on people, not on a business in
general, because businesses are made up of people.
Thank someone:
It is never too late to thank someone. The first instinct often when someone in
business does something generous or helpful is to thank them. If for whatever
reason you don’t do it right away, do not think that you are too late to do it. It
does not have to be awkward – rather it is all in the delivery.
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Example: A cookie bouquet-type of company in a particular city found out
more than a year later that I was the one who had referred them a corporate
customer who purchased thousands of dollars worth of their products. Upon
learning about me, the referrer, they proceeded to send me a free bouquet
and asked to participate in an upcoming event I am doing in their town.
Tip: Do set yourself up to be able to jot a handwritten note and drop in the mail
the same day after you meet someone or have a particularly helpful or
important conversation. Most people won’t do this, so you will set yourself
ahead of the pack.
Refer someone:
You know of a person who heads a company or is a seller for an organization
and you never have referred them to your customers or to those who you think
really could use their services. It is not too late- get organized and make a list
of who you could refer to whom. Then execute. You have no idea how
grateful and helpful others may become in exchange for your help and
support. The world opens up to you when you generously endorse those you
know and trust. Instead of deciding it is too late, make the referral and you
can joke about how long it took you to actually make it happen if you’d like –
or just do it and don’t think twice about it.
Endorse someone:
It takes minutes to create great endorsements for others with today’s
technology. If your contact is on LinkedIn, create an endorsement for them –
and make it a good one. Do not use fluff terminology (example, “Oh, his
company is so fantastic……”) but instead create a constructive endorsement
stating what specifically about the company or service that was particularly
helpful for your business was.
If you have not talked to this person for some time, it can be a very pleasant
surprise to receive a note in your Inbox that you have received an
endorsement through LinkedIn. There are also ways to endorse right on
someone’s website. Do this generously, every week.
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Reconnect with someone:
For some reason, people often feel uncomfortable calling or e-mailing
someone in business they have not talked with in a while. So, what do they
do? Nothing. Missed opportunity.
Do not hesitate to pick up the telephone and call someone you have not
spoken with for months or years. Make a list of those strategic partners and
former customers or near customers whom you hit it off with, but for some
reason, the opportunity got derailed. It is not too late to reconnect.
Example: I had a client that I did some work with a couple years prior, and
didn’t feel that I had done my best work with them. For an upcoming event, I
invited the CEO and he did attend. After the event was over, I mentioned to
the CEO how I felt about the work that we did, and he assured me I had
provided them great value, and urged me to call him the next week. I did,
and we continued to do more projects for another 18 months.
My own mind limited my possibilities – does yours?
To summarize, are you leaving money and opportunities on the table simply
because you think you missed your turn to contact someone? Know that it’s
(nearly) never too late – yes, once or twice it can be – but most often the
person on the other end of the phone or the computer will smile and thank
you for thinking of them – and the trust you have previously built will help take
your offer to the next level. If nothing else, do a good deed with an online
endorsement – and see where that leads you.
Lori Richardson is a Seattle-based sales strategist who is on the Fabulous 50 Tour
this year talking to entrepreneurs about innovation and collaboration. Follow
the tour at http://www.smallbizinnovators.com or reach her @scoremoresales
on Twitter.
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Some Home Truths About
Sales Training
As I have said often enough, in my opinion, hundreds of millions of dollars
world-wide are wasted every year on irrelevant, unnecessary or inappropriate
sales skills development and there are four obvious reasons.
To begin with, the one-off program may supply a short term motivational buzz
and provide the delegate with a number of thought provoking ideas.
However, in reality, once they are back at the “front-line” the day to day
pressures of hitting quota etc take over again and the reactive mindset
returns.
Secondly, most, not all, but a very high percentage of courses on offer today,
deliver what I term “generalized” skills development.
For example, a guy operating within the aerospace sector, negotiating multimillion pound contracts can find himself sitting next to a young saleswoman
who markets insurance policies and is based in a call centre. On her right is
another guy who is developing a successful career in manufacturing, selling
hydraulic components and next to him…..I think you will appreciate my point.
To achieve sustained success in all of these disparate industries requires
specific skills sets and the “generalized” workshops simply cannot deliver
them.
Thirdly, most and again I would estimate it is at least 80% of training
organizations today, make the assumption that all delegates are at the same
level in terms of experience, expertise and have the same “commercial
bandwidth”. This is of course, totally unrealistic.
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Whilst it is not possible to equate age and experience with success, the reality
is that although some professional salespeople do have ten years experience,
most have one year’s experience ten times!
The very best salespeople – the ones that consistently exceed expectation,
have usually received ongoing skills development from the “emerging” stage
all the way through “advanced” right up to “consultative” level, if appropriate
but the keyword is “ongoing”
Finally, and this is the most significant and blatant error of judgment most Sales
Directors make, is that every member of the team receives the same training,
i.e. they are all dispatched off to the same course regardless of whether or not
they already have those skills or if indeed they need to have them in their
current role.
The point here is that there is far too little planning, assessing, and objective
setting; it is much easier to abdicate responsibility to the training company.
The downside to this approach is of course, so much money is wasted. So what
is the answer?
The first step for any company deciding to make a change in their sales
approach is always an assessment of the situation. What processes and
methods are currently being employed by the company? What has their
sales performance been? What percentage of sales people are delivering
against plan? What are the biggest obstacles to success? How dynamic or
stable is the company’s environment? What are the practices and
expectations of the buyers? These are only a few considerations.
Training must be based on what the salespeople need and should be tailored
to address diagnosed performance gaps. Using a diagnostic approach – a
formal sales team skills audit, saves an organisation money and time because
there is nothing to be gained from teaching people something that they are
already doing well or, conversely, that they don’t need to do in the first place.
A well-targeted programme is far more likely to engage participants’ full
interest because they’ll see its immediate relevance to their daily results.
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Any training program will be more effective when the skills that participants
learn are reinforced on a regular and continual basis. For maximum impact,
every level of management must reinforce training. Such reinforcement can
come in many forms, but the best way is for the sales manager to serve as a
“model of excellence” who provides an ongoing demonstration of required
skills so salespeople begin to live and breathe them.
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Should Social Media Replace
Cold-Calling?
By Mark Hunter
People continue to say how cold-calling is dead and how in today’s
environment, it no longer can be cost justified. The answer in my book is both
“yes” and “no.” Let me deal with the “no” first.
In the past few months, I’ve watched numerous salespeople shift all of their
prospecting efforts to developing social media with such vehicles as Linkedin,
Twitter and Facebook. The problem with this is it becomes a giant time sucker.
The payout of social media in terms of developing sales short-term is very poor.
To develop a social media strategy requires time, and I’m a firm believer it
must be incremental time. You can’t allow it to take away from your current
sales development strategy. Now, I’m astute enough to know that this may
change, but we’re not there yet. Salespeople who spend their time dealing in
the social media world at the expense of time spent on normal sales
development do so at great expense.
Now let me give you a “yes” response to the use of social media and coldcalling. First, keep in mind that cold-calling is rarely as cold as the term implies.
Unless you’re still living in the world of selling via a phone bank sweatshop, then
you understand that cold-calling is really more about warm-calling. More
often than not, you are contacting people who already have some sort of
knowledge of you or relationship with you. In this context, social media is a
great supplemental vehicle – one that must be handled in the context of a
marketing strategy. To spend time tweeting away hour after hour or visiting
everyone’s Facebook page is not going to get you anywhere but broke.
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The solution exists in having a sound sales development strategy that is
focused on your core prospects. As an incremental process (on your own
time), develop a social media awareness with Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter.
A key part of your sales development strategy needs to include keeping your
web presence tight and focused. Don’t be easily swayed into believing that
your best approach is to be part of every social media website available. If
you can’t be a strong presence, don’t go there. What I mean by a “strong
presence” is that you are an active player who can contribute or monitor the
site at least four times per week. For me, this means the only social media sites
I use are Twitter, Linkedin, and Facebook.
One very strict rule to keep in mind is that social media should occupy no
more than 15 minutes per day. Only in rare exceptions should you ever access
Facebook or Linkedin during your normal workday. Twitter is an exception, but
only to the degree that you can have a timely review and distribution of
messages. Fortunately, there are plenty of apps you can use to automatically
send out pre-loaded tweets during the workday.
Social media has a role in your sales strategy, but not to the abandonment of
time-tested elements such as cold-calling and meeting face-to-face with
customers. Begin today to grasp this so that you do not jeopardize your sales
success.
"The Sales Hunter," helps individuals and companies identify better prospects,
close more sales, and profitably build more long-term customer relationships. As
a keynote speaker, he is best known for his ability to motivate and move an
organization through his high-energy presentations. His free, weekly Sales
Hunting Tip email is received by thousands of salespeople across the globe. Additionally,
many of his articles on Sales have been reprinted in some of the industry’s leading
magazines and business websites. To find out more about Mark’s selling philosophy, you
can visit his blog at www.TheSalesHunter.com/blog. In addition, his numerous articles on
Sales can be found on the website (http://www.thesaleshunter.com/) in the “Resources”
section
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The Three “I”s of Open
Ended Questions
By Nancy Bleeke
Every effective sales training course teaches sales professionals to ask openended questions. These are the questions that start with who, what, why,
when, how, etc. Why are open ended questions so universally taught?
Because:
●
They solicit great information
Get the person talking
● Allow you and them to find out if there is an opportunity
● Can show your expertise, IF you ask the right questions
●
All that sounds great, doesn't it? Open ended questions really ARE effective.
But not 100% of the time. When not used correctly, they can make a needs
analysis seem like an interrogation. They can be leading, forced, narrow,
product focused and irrelevant. Sales pros can come off like a militant drilling
questions to just get to the information they want that allows them to pitch
their product!
Instead, we can demonstrate our professionalism when we use the 3 'I'
approach so that our open-ended questions include:
1. Intent
2. Intelligence
3. Interest
Intent. I've seen sales pros launch right into a list of questions that might seem
irrelevant to the prospect. The prospect thinks 'What's this have to do with
anything?" Instead, we need to explain the intent of the line of questions so
the prospect can put it in perspective and answer thoughtfully.
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An example: Yesterday I received a call for someone who had something to
offer. They immediately asked me "So, what are you working on?" My
response? "Wow, that's broad, in what context?" They responded, "Whatever
context you choose." Well, I was confused. I knew what this person was selling
and thought, should I answer my question based on that narrow interest or is
he really trying to find out more?
So, I turned it back to him and said, 'What are you working on?" And then he
responded. After 15 minutes I knew the flavor of his focus and we continued.
But why should I have had to work that hard? If I knew where the discussion
was going we could have both saved time.
To share intent can sound like this. "We are going to talk about your human
resource needs. What we have learned is that understanding how this fits into
the overall company's goals and objectives helps us narrow down the
approach and we will be able to give you a more accurate picture of how we
might help. The first questions are focused on that broader picture. Then we'll
get more specific." Then we go into our list of questions.
Intelligence. Your questions reveal a LOT about you. Here's how to raise your
'perceived' intelligence level:
●
Explain the intent of your line of questions and ask questions that broaden
the dialogue to a bigger more strategic discussion.
● Focus on the solution or value desired versus just the product.
● Wait to LISTEN once you have asked a question. When you ask more
intelligent questions, the person may need to think before responding (this
is usually a good thing). How long? According to research, they might
need 15-25 seconds to think and respond. That's a long time to wait, but it
can payoff.
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Interest. The questions should be interesting to the person. How? Make the
questions relevant to the situation and person. When it's about THEM, it's
interesting TO them. Every aspect of the sales process should be wiift focused What's in it for THEM? - and this includes your questions!
There you have the 3 necessary "I"s for making your needs analysis productive.
Nancy Bleeke, The SalesProInsider helps organizations achieve higher sales
them while boosting profitability by hiring, training and retaining the best
employees.
Companies can increase sales 5-25% in six weeks using Nancy’s tools and skill training for
sales and coaching. Ready-to-go sales training kits for 30 minute sales boosts are available
through Nancy's Sharpenz.com. Visit to download a free sales booster.
She shares her expertise with the Timely Tips ezine and her blog. For information on sales
training, contact Nancy at 414.235.3064 or Nancy@salesproinsider.com
www.salesproinsider.com/index.htm
www.salesproinsider.com/sales_tools.htm
www.sharpenz.com/
www.salesproductivityinsider.com/
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Some Interesting Facts About
Referral Based Selling….
Which may surprise you ….
● 40% of sales people are failing in their sales careers.
● More than 50% of sales people will not hit quota this year
● 45% of all sales people earn the average income for their industry.
● A typical sales person devotes only 10-20% of their time to actual selling
because a large proportion of their available time is devoted to cold
calling.
● 85% of all sales people do not generate enough quality referrals.
● Salespeople who actively seek and exploit referrals earn 4 to 5 times more
than sales people who don’t.
● Referral business closes and converts more than 70% of the time.
Why is referral based selling so powerful?
A referred customer is already pre-sold on the credibility of the sales person,
their company and the relevance of the products/services sold. These types
of opportunities are much warmer than a cold-call based opportunity
because it maximises the goodwill, inherent in the relationship between the
referred customer and the referring person. By association, sales people are
consequently perceived in a different light compared to those that have
made contact ‘out of the blue’.
The costs of selling to a referred customer are reduced because they are
easier to see and are likely to be reasonably well qualified so that the
probability for converting the business is much higher. Generally speaking,
referred prospects will accelerate through the sales pipeline at a much faster
rate than other types of opportunities and they will also be more receptive
towards providing future referrals.
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What are the biggest barriers to obtaining referrals?
If asking for referrals has not been included and communicated in the sales
process then this will deter sales people’s focus as they will see asking for
referrals as a ‘nice to do’ rather than a ‘must do’. This in turn usually means
that there is no rigorous method for measuring and monitoring how many
referrals are generated and what the conversion ratios are for closing referred
customer business. Energy goes where attention flows, so without specific
attention to this sales people are unlikely to invest their energy in this direction.
(Even if they are firm believers in the positive impact that referrals can
create!).
For many sales people asking for referrals is uncomfortable because they feel
unsure about how to do this effectively and they aren’t confident they will get
their desired response. If people don’t know how to do something and they
believe that what they are doing will damage their existing relationships, then
it’s better to avoid it all together. Additionally, if sales people make the
common mistake of asking for referrals too early on in the relationship this can
result in more refusals that further erode sales people’s confidence.
Therefore, to optimise the use of referral-based selling the following
components are vital:
1. Asking for referrals and acting on them needs to be incorporated in the
overall sales process.
2. Metrics around referrals should be sought and evaluated on a regular basis
because this contributes towards furthering the rationale for generating
them.
3. Development and training needs to be delivered to the sales team so they
can maximise the impact of referrals and feel confident with this skill.
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What is the best time to ask for referrals?
People will freely give referrals when they have benefited from your
product/service and have an established relationship with you. This rarely
occurs during the initial meeting because whilst they may like you, they
haven’t yet validated what you can do for them. That’s why asking for
referrals should be when the relationship you have established is strong
enough to ensure their trust and belief in you. Assessing the strength of your
existing customer relationships can be very subjective unless there is a
meaningful set of relationship criteria in place. Although these will vary from
organisation to organisation, they may include factors like:
● Communication frequency with key influencers
● Satisfaction with product/service
● Speed of response to queries/problems
● Length of relationship
The customers with the highest scores (based on the relationship criteria) are
those that should be approached for referrals.
What is the best way of generating referrals?
1. Prepare a description in the form of a criteria list that specifies the type of
person or organisation that you are looking to approach. This should be
based on the profile of your Ideal Customer.
2. Evaluate all your customers using a relationship criteria and identify a list of
those with the highest scores. For every customer your aim is to generate a
minimum of 5 referrals. Therefore, if you have 25 customers on your list your
target number of referrals will be 125.
3. Contact each customer on your list and take the pressure of them by
explaining that you don’t want to sell to them, you would like their help.
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For example:
“Do you know anyone who is (specify your criteria) that would be interested in
learning about how our products/services can benefit them?” Preface your
question with a softener such as: “I wonder if you can help me” or “I would
really appreciate some advice”
4. When customers give you referrals, ask their permission to use their name
when making contact. Alternatively, where your relationship is ‘rock solid’
ask customers to make the initial introduction by letter or email. Often
customers will give a glowing testimonial and create a relevant context
when introducing people.
5. Finally, thank customers for referrals and keep them appraised of your
progress. This creates a positive association towards the giving of more
referrals in the future.
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99% of Businesses are Being Stiffed!
And You’re Probably One of Them
By Nancy Nardin
Being picked last in gym class; standing by the punch-bowl while everyone
else is dancing; or sitting alone at lunch time in the school cafeteria; small
business owners are being made to feel unworthy and unimportant.
It’s a darn-right shame! While hundreds – make that thousands – of vendors
offer envy worthy products, alas, only the good looking have a shot at getting
a date with them. Who are these popular kids? Large Businesses.
Since scouting out sales tools is my full-time job, I see first-hand the favoritism
being shown to large businesses at the expense of small businesses. Would it
be so hard to offer products that are affordable to 99% of companies? Selling
to big companies is fiercely competitive. So why don’t sales software vendors
take the easier route? They continue to angle for the big catch while ignoring
the millions of smaller fish which are just as hungry. And I do mean millions.
Consider this; according to the 2004 U.S. Census Bureau statistics, there are just
shy of 5.9million employer firms. A whopping 5.78 million of those firms have
fewer than 100 employees.
I’m tired of vendors telling me that (although their primary market is large
businesses); they are also applicable to smaller companies. No you’re not!
For small business owners, shopping for sales tools is like going to a flea market.
They have to pick through stinky clothes and musty furnishings to find the one
item that has true value.
There’s no Googling for tools either. I’ve yet to see any sales tool that’s priced
right for a company under 100 turn up on the results pages of a Google
Search.
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I’m not talking about CRM. Yes, since the first salesforce automation software
for personal computers was introduced – (around 25 years ago!) – CRM is now
affordable and easy enough to use for almost anyone.
Let’s take a look at some other product categories. I’ll start with marketing
automation. Lead nurturing, lead scoring, lead routing, are all accomplished
with marketing automation. Yet the least expensive marketing automation
program is $299/month. And I commend Active Conversion for offering a
product with such great functionality at such a low price. But after them
marketing automation is unobtainable for many companies because it’s
complicated and prohibitively expensive.
Now take sales enablement. Sales portals that offer shared-knowledge,
collateral management, collaboration tools, and sales content are all
elements of sales enablement. How much does that cost? Way more than any
small company could afford.
Vendors seem to think that they can strip out functionality and limit the
number of users or amount of usage, and viola, they now have a product for
smaller companies. Wrong! You now have a product suitable for enticing
larger companies to give it a try. But you are not offering value for small
companies.
Why can’t there be a “Quicken” of sales and marketing tools? Or even a
McDonalds? Small business owners are hungry for tools to help fuel their sales
growth. They’ve been stiffed for too long.
Nancy Nardin founded Smart Selling Tools in early 2009. Smart Selling Tools is a
place where sales professionals can find and recommend tools to help them sell
more. As a 25-year top sales veteran, Nancy has set out to help individual sales
performers and managers find the best tools based on three key premises 1)
there is life beyond CRM 2) the very best sales professionals are on a constant quest to
improve their performance and 3) Salespeople benefit when they interact and engage
with each other.
www.smartsellingtools.com/
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Business Blogging, The lessons
of 100+ Posts
By Niall Devitt
I recently passed the 100 post mark on my blog. To say that I have learnt a lot
in between would be an understatement. To say that I have lots more to learn,
would require an even bigger understatement.
It has been an enjoyable, frustrating and fascinating experience. I have
gained readers; I have gained new customers and best of all I have gained
many great new friends.
My posts have resulted in praise, in controversy, and in scorn. Readers have
agreed with me strongly and readers have disagreed, with equal amounts of
passion.
Perhaps, now is a good time to step back, and evaluate what has a 100+
posts taught me, about blogging and blogging for business.
Lesson Number 1 - Quality always Beats Quantity
With the amount of available information that is out there, you need to stand
out from the crowd. To this end, it is always better to focus your efforts on the
quality of your posts, rather than the quantity.
People now have a much shorter attention span, so to get them to actually
read what you have written - requires that you offer something of real value.
Spend enough time constructing each post, giving extra special attention to
your headline (eye-catching) and your first paragraph.
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Lesson Number 2 – Never Ever Sell
So many business blogs are merely a series or reworded advertisements for the
particular business. It’s awful, awful, and awful and gives nothing of real value
to the reader. Instead think Give! - give advice, give insight and give resource.
Make your blog valuable, in the eyes of your readers.
So instead pose questions, stimulate debate, provide commentary, and invite
other experts to write interesting posts. Remember, the more value your blog
brings to your readers - the more lightly that these same readers will become
your customers.
Lesson Number 3 – Popular won’t always mean Popular.
There can sometimes be a tendency to jump on a particular bandwagon,
and post about what everyone else is posting about. While this can be sound
strategy for more established bloggers - it is rarely sensible for new bloggers to
follow suit. Where possible, try instead to come up with new ideas and new
topics - or at least differing angles for your posts.
It’s perfectly OK to be controversial, so long as your opinions are considered,
and that you truly believe in what you are saying. Be careful, because once
you have committed a point of view to the public domain - you will need to
be able to back it up.
Lesson Number 4 – Engage with Your Readers
The very best thing about blogs is that, they allow for you to engage and
debate with your readers. If someone takes the time to comment and give
their point of view, make sure to respond and thank them.
Don’t just engage with people through your own blog, instead follow them
home to their blog and leave a comment. Reading and engaging with others
bloggers, not only increases readership of your blog – but is a super super way
of generating ideas for new posts. Be sure to credit the other person and invite
them to continue to partake in the ongoing discussion.
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Lesson Number 5 – Don’t Be Afraid to be Yourself
A big mistake many new business bloggers make is to try and write in a so
called “professional manner” It’s much more important to try to be yourself
and to let your uniqueness out itself in your writing. If you like a joke, well then have a joke.
Don’t burden yourself with having to sound, or come across - all professional
like. The most important thing is your message, and that you communicate it
with language your readers will understand.
So it’s 100+ posts down, and hopefully many more to go. I could say more, but
I will save for it 200+.
Can I take this opportunity to say a BIG thank you, to the readers, to those of
you who left such great comments, to those that republished my posts and to
anyone from anywhere who ever stopped by.
Warning: By the way, Blogging is Bloody Addictive
Niall Devitt is the founder of Beyond the Boardroom, a leading Irish business
development consultancy specialising in providing highly tailored solutions in
the areas of sales training and recruitment. Having previously recruited and
managed high performance sales teams in the IT and Financial Services
industries, Niall understood that there was a need for a results driven sales training solution in
Ireland.
www.btbtraining.com
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The Pleasure Of Negotiating
Many of my colleagues and friends do not enjoy negotiating – in fact they
absolutely hate it. Me, I love the cut and thrust, and look forward to that stage
of the buying cycle. Here are some thoughts.
A skilled negotiator will create high levels of rapport and be sensitive and
empathetic to the people they are negotiating with, yet can still be hard on
the issues.
The ability to separate the people from the issues, and recognise that
negotiations are often fraught with emotional intensity, can help sharpen the
focus on the interests of the other party to better balance perceptions. If the
negotiation doesn’t appear to be going anywhere and your prospect is
behaving like a bully you might feel angry and frustrated. You may already
have considered simply agreeing to their demands.
In difficult negotiations, there are four vital behaviours that can increase your
resourcefulness and consequently your opportunities for getting to “Win-Win”.
1. Manage your emotional state
Build rapport by matching the other person’s style, pace and approach
until you have achieved a ‘connection’ Personalise the negotiation by
using “I” rather than your organisation’s name. This demonstrates your belief
in your proposal and highlights your credibility. In the face of feelings like
anger, disappointment, frustration, confusion, and resentment, we often
react without thinking. In such a situation mentally detach yourself and
think about it before you respond. It helps to reframe attacks and tactical
manoeuvres as feedback that the other person’s interests have not been
fully acknowledged. Stay focused on your goal of reaching an agreement.
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2. Look for quick mutual wins to build the belief “we can agree”
The more abstract your communication the more likely you are to reach
agreement. Therefore, seek to gain agreement at an abstract level first and
then get into the detail. For example, if two people wanted what appears
to be very different things, such as a) nuclear disarmament and b) more
resources spent on defence, if you looked at finding out both sides highest
intention, you may discover that ‘peace’ was the desired outcome for both
people. Therefore, at this abstract level they have found agreement so the
negotiation can continue by gradually getting more detailed. Questions
that chunk up your prospect into the bigger picture include:
● For what purpose?
● What’s your intention behind (negotiating point)?
Seek to address the easy/quickest areas of agreement first to reinforce the
process of agreement is simple and straightforward. If you discover an area
where agreement may not be reached quickly then agree to leave it until
later. If some points become contentious it can help discussions if you both
move your body, because the mind and body are connected, physical
movement helps to create mental movement. That’s why a walk can work
wonders during tough negotiations. Provide regular summaries of what you
have both accomplished to install the belief that the negotiation is making
progress.
Some sales people write out all the points to be negotiated on separate
sheets of paper, then ask each point is agreed they move the paper to a
different place, so that the buyer can physically see the progress being
made which serves to motivate the entire process.
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3. Use active listening skills and ask questions to give you a greater
understanding of the other person’s viewpoint
Giving good attention to people makes them more intelligent. Poor
attention makes them stumble over their words and appear stupid. You are
best positioned to change someone’s mind after you have listened to that
person. People tend to close down and stick to their position until they feel
heard. The goal of active listening is for you to hear and understand other
people – their words, thoughts, and feelings, and to let them know you’ve
heard and understood them.
Acknowledge their motivations, feelings, and point of view, even when you
don’t agree with what they are saying. Your goal is to understand the
message, not judge the validity of what they say.
4. Build trust by negotiating fairly
Demonstrations of power erode trust. If you are on the receiving end of this
type of behaviour, describe your observations, and the consequences of
continuing the current process. For example: “You know you’ve named
what seems to me a low price, and so now I’ll name a higher price, and
then we’ll each insist on our position until one of us gives in. I don’t find my
best negotiations work like this.”
Then propose a different way to proceed, for example: “It would help me
to understand the criteria of a fair offer if we could take a look at some of
the relevant standards in this industry.” Before beginning the negotiation it
can help to agree the ground rules and stick to them. Act with integrity and
hold a healthy respect for the intentions of the individual you are
negotiating with. There is always a reason why a point of negotiation is
important to the buyer and if we can appreciate more about their
underlying reasons, this knowledge can be used and acted upon.
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Have You Earned
the Right to Get In?
By Nigel Edelshain
Do you really want to get that meeting?
For most companies the biggest bottleneck in the sales process these days is
getting into that executive meeting. But how often do we really earn the right
to get that meeting?
As a sales person in a "Sales 2.0 world" there are many, many tools and
techniques available to us to increase our chances of getting a meeting. From
my observation most sales people and sales organizations do not use 10% of
these. And some sales people just cold-call with no research and no
customization of their pitch - dumb (and largely unforgivable if you know what
resources are out there). Here are some tools available to us that can be used
to increase the likelihood of getting a meeting:
● Hoovers, OneSource etc: get the basic information on the company:
company description, senior executives, revenue, profit and annual report.
You know the drill (I hope!)
● Jigsaw, Spoke: dive a little deeper on contacts. Find middle managers
responsible for the area(s) you sell to
● LinkedIn: invest some time building your network in LinkedIn and you can
get referrals to executives in the area you want or close enough to help you
with coaching on the account. Even if you aren't closely linked to your
prospects you can find some great bio information here
● InsideView, Google News: use something -- whether it's a sophisticated
Sales 2.0 tool like InsideView or a free service liked Google News to watch
for "trigger events". Don't you want to be there when a new CMO starts at
your target account? How about when your prospect launches a new
product?
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These are just some of the tools out there that you can use now. Use the
information from these tools to customize your pitch to executives. Show them
you have done your homework.
Earn the right to get in!
Nigel Edelshain is CEO of Sales 2.0 Companies use Sales 2.0’s telesales and
consulting services to take their sales to the next level, typically boosting results 3
- 10 times. The company applies the latest Sales 2.0 tools and techniques in its
telesales operation and shares resulting breakthroughs in sales methodology
with clients through its consulting practice.
www.sales2.com
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The Many Misunderstandings
of Cold Calling
By Paul Castain
There are certain topics that we all know to stay away from because history
has shown us that people go from zero to nasty right quick. It’s the fun topics
like religion or politics and now amongst the sales brethren its cold calling.
I thought it might be interesting to “go there” today and present what I feel
are misunderstandings regarding the beloved cold call.
1) How We Define “Cold Call”: There are lots of people out there who define
any form of phone call to a prospect as a cold call. It’s used in a generic
context like if you were to “Xerox” something or “Google” someone. There
are others who feel that a cold call is calling any business “cold” as in
working straight off a list, no pre call planning etc. And there are still more
who believe that all calls are cold calls because whether you pre call plan
or not, you are calling someone who isn’t expecting your call using an
interruption strategy. All I can say is that you know its going to be a fun
discussion when no one can even agree on what the heck a cold call is in
the first place.
2) The Anti Cold Calling Theory of Working Smarter Not Harder: One way this is
misunderstood is by the people who embrace the theory in too much of a
literal sense. I’m all about working smarter. In fact, I’m one of those idiots
who believed that all you had to do was make a bazillion calls and
statistically speaking you had to win. My issue with this statement is that too
many times “working smarter” becomes an excuse for not getting our
uniforms dirty. In many cases we are preparing to prepare instead of
working. For example: I’ve interviewed sales professionals who do more
along the lines of 15 targeted calls per week and that’s it. I’m here to tell
you that if that’s all you do, you aren’t working smarter. You simply don’t
have enough activity to make it.
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My feeling is that I can research the heck out of 15 companies but if
between caller id, assistants, voice mails etc I only connect with 3, even
with a perfect score, I only have 3 appointments.
3) The Researching A Prospect Is an Excuse Crowd: These are the ones who
feel that all you should do is “smile and dial” More specifically, they are the
ones who believe that you are slacking if you are researching clients and
it’s basically an avoidance strategy. Depending on the rep, they could be
right or wrong. Here’s an easy solution; when its “game time” we play the
game, not research the game. Therefore, it makes better sense to do the
research during off hours instead of money hours. Problem solved. I’m here
to tell you that if you don’t take the time to research there are tons of
prospects who are going to call you out on it. I’m also here to tell you that
you gamble when you don’t take the time to research. You gamble in
thinking that your competitor hasn’t prepared better than you. That my
friends is a suckers bet every time!
4) You Suck If You Don’t Cold Call: These are the people who believe that
there is no other way and if you don’t want to cold call, you have a poor
work ethic. To that I would respond with a simple question “Why would you
care how I get my sale as long as it’s between ethical and legal?” If I’m
making my numbers or I have a solid plan on how I will generate the
revenue, why is that not valid? Furthermore, when I bring home the bacon
(and I will) does it count less because it didn’t originate from cold calling?
Also, what if I truly suck on the phone but I’m a brilliant public speaker or
master blogger or social networker? Why would you discourage me from
using those venues if I get the results? Note to Sales Managers: Sometimes
we are so busy trying to convert a rep into something they aren’t that we fail
to help them shine in the areas where they are in fact, quite strong. I want to
make sure that I’m crystal clear on something. As a trainer, I wholeheartedly
believe that we have to face our fears and step outside our comfort zone. I
also believe that we have to really look at ourselves in the mirror (the
unforgiving full length one) assess ourselves and work on the areas that
need some fixing up. The challenge with that is when we spend so much
time on weaknesses that we don’t enhance or work with our strengths.
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5) It’s a Numbers Game: Let’s say this is 100% true and in this context the
phone is a stand alone new account acquisition strategy. Utilizing a well
thought out “sales mix” will improve those numbers. When I say “sales mix”
I’m talking about email, snail mail, creative things, networking, social
networking, blogging, E-Books, lunch and learns, speaking engagements,
referrals, webinars etc. Saying that the phone is a numbers game, a
“contact sport” if you will, can also force us to be so focused on the
number of calls that we fail to communicate a compelling message.
6) Here’s A Huge Area We Are Misunderstanding: The fact that everyone has
a preferred communication venue. For some it’s the phone, for many it’s
email, others it’s through social networking etc. The plot thickens folks
because we need to really look at the Gen Y’s that are moving into
influencing/decision making positions. What do you think their preferred
communication venue is? They love to email, text, communicate through
social media and the phone is usually ranked last. When we embrace the
phone as a stand alone strategy, we limit ourselves to say the least.
7) Cold Calling vs. Social Media: I have a simple answer to this. Why? As in
why does it have to be one vs. the other? Why can’t they both exist
together as part of that well balanced “sales mix” we discussed earlier?
8) “When I started Out, All I Had Was The Yellow Pages & A Phone” From now
on, if anyone says that to you, I want you to pat them on the head and
give them a “bless your heart” for good measure. That used and abused
line is nothing more than a justification for being too cheap and/or lazy to
invest in Sales 2.0 Technology or in training you to be more lethal in your
craft.
9) The Sales 2.0 Enthusiast: This is the person who relies so much on the shiny
new object or is so busy talking about Sales 2.0 that they fail to realize that
sooner or later, this will most probably come down to a phone call, in real
time (as in not virtual or more specifically one where you aren’t
communicating on a computer screen).
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For some, they have a bad habit of clinging to the virtual world where they
feel safer, for others they understand that all of these virtual relationships
have to transition. When we do transition or to that end of transitioning,
we’re going to need those tried and true skills that some feel are now
antiquated.
10)The Cold Call Is Dead: We could debate this one all week. Some of the
misunderstanding goes back to how we define a cold call to just calling it
like we see it because we know what works for us.
And maybe that’s what sales is all about. You and I having lots of cool choices,
the willingness to try different approaches and the wisdom to know what
works best with our particular style.
Paul Castain is the Vice President of Sales Development for Consolidated
Graphics (CGX) one of North America’s leading general commercial printing
companies. Paul has over 25 years of sales and sales leadership experience. He
has trained, mentored and coached over 3,000 sales and sales leadership
professionals.
An accomplished public speaker, Paul has delivered numerous key note addresses. He has
authored numerous training manuals, articles, blog posts and is currently working on his first
book for release in 2011.
You can contact Paul at: http://yoursalesplaybook.com/contact-paul/
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When Leaders Are Inspiring,
Followers Enjoy Following
An inspired and motivated workforce is essential for any business that hopes to
stay ahead of the competition. But just how do you motivate people? What
kind of leadership do people respond to? And how can you improve the
quality of leadership in your business?
The Inspiration Gap:
In a survey of more than one and a half thousand managers, people were
asked what they would most like to see in their leaders. The most popular
answer, mentioned by 55% of people, was ‘inspiration’.
When asked if they would describe their current leader as ‘inspiring’, only 11%
said yes. The two attributes that people actually mentioned most often when
describing their leaders were ‘knowledgeable’ and ‘ambitious’. As well as this
thirst for inspiring leadership, there’s also evidence to support the idea that
companies with inspiring leaders perform better.
The London Sunday Times publishes an annual survey of the ‘Best Companies
to Work For’ which is compiled from the opinions of the companies’ own
employees. One interesting fact is that those ‘Best Companies’ that are
publicly quoted consistently outperform the FTSE All-Share Index. Five-year
compound returns show a 5.7% negative return for FTSE All-Share companies
against a 13.6% gain for the Best Companies. Over three years, the returns
were -11.3% and 6.7% respectively while, in the last twelve months, they were
23.1% and 44%.
The ‘Best Companies to Work For’ have also performed impressively on staff
turnover, sickness rates, absenteeism, and the ability to recruit good quality
people.
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The stereotype of the inspirational leader as someone extrovert and
charismatic is the exception rather than the rule.
Looking at best practice across business, though some inspirational leaders
certainly do fit this mould, a large number do not.
Many are quiet, almost introverted. The following are some of the most
commonly observed characteristics of inspiring leaders.
Strong Strategic Focus:
They are very good at ensuring that the business only does those things where
it has the resources to do a good job and where it can add real value.
Lateral Thinkers:
They are particularly adept at drawing on experiences outside their own
sectors and taking a much broader view than the norm. They look at things
very laterally and encourage their people to do the same.
Vision and Communication:
An inspirational leader has a very strong, customer-focused vision of where
the business should be going.
Importantly they are also able to communicate their vision so that their people
feel they own it and know where they fit into it. The best leaders are great
communicators who prefer plain speaking to jargon.
Principled:
They are deeply committed, courageous, demanding of themselves and their
people and confident, albeit often in a quiet and under-stated way. What
singles them out is an exceptionally strong set of values built on honesty,
openness and true respect for their people.
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What makes an inspiring leader?
Reflective:
What distinguishes them is genuine humility and not being afraid to show
vulnerability on occasions. This comes from regular periods of reflection and
an unquenchable thirst for learning.
Risk Takers:
They have a marked tendency to ‘bend the rules’, take calculated risks, and,
on occasions, be guided by their gut-feelings. They also tolerate this in other
people, recognising that a certain amount of flexibility is essential to adapt to
circumstances and make real strides forward.
Accessible:
They make time to get out and speak to people. This informal and personal
contact is a very powerful motivator. Equally, when they are at their own desk,
they aren’t cosseted behind a wall of PAs.
Value Attitude:
They value skills and training very highly, but they also focus heavily on
attitude, believing that, without the right attitude and motivation, nothing will
be achieved.
The question is, why do these traits produce results?
Pay is only one component of job satisfaction. Other factors like respect and
prestige can be tremendously important in making staff feel good about their
jobs. The reason that inspiring leadership produces results is that it contributes
directly to fulfilling many of people’s emotional needs.
The following are some of the ways that best practice in leadership
contributes to improved job satisfaction, motivation and productivity.
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Why people respond to leaders
Being Listened To:
A business where only senior managers are allowed to ‘have ideas’, rarely
achieves great staff satisfaction. Inspirational leaders ask for, and respect,
what their people tell them about how to do things better, and they provide
the resources to ensure that the solutions are delivered.
Being Involved:
Inspirational leaders involve their people in changes for them to be a success.
They give their people the freedom and support to get on with the job. When
you walk around these companies, there is electricity in the air – you can feel
the energy and buzz.
Having Fun:
In successful companies, people work hard but enjoy themselves in the
process. Fun is a great indicator that an organisation is innovative and is also a
key innovation driver. At the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ you see a lot of
fun at work.
Being Trusted:
It’s no coincidence that, when you ask people what it is like to work in an
organisation run by an inspirational leader, they talk about openness, honesty,
respect and trust. These firms can boast highly committed staff that has a
great sense of responsibility to their work.
Being Appreciated:
Recognition is an absolutely crucial element of inspiration, and few things are
more powerful, or simple, than a genuine ‘thank you’. Inspirational leaders
know that it’s vital that people feel appreciated and valued, so they show
their appreciation through extensive celebration of success – both formally
and informally.
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Summary:
The best leaders promote a culture where their people value themselves,
each other, the company and the customers. Everyone understands how their
work makes a difference. This helps to build a commitment to higher standards
where everybody is always looking to do things better.
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Snakes, Scorpions, Gila Monsters and Objections:
Handled correctly none of these are Deadly
By Paul McCord
Living in the desert means living with some pretty nasty neighbors such as
rattlesnakes and scorpions, and although they aren’t in my desert, not that far
away is another desert resident, the Gila Monster. All of these are venomous,
and although rare for the scorpion and Gila Monster, under the right
circumstances they can kill a human. Fortunately, for us who live with these
creatures there are specific actions we can take to prevent them from
harming us and our families.
Also present in my desert—and in your area, no matter what area you work
in—are objections to our efforts to sell. Like snakes, scorpions and Gila
Monsters, objections are also venomous; but unlike the scorpion and Gila
Monster whose bite is seldom lethal, objections are mass murders, killing tens of
thousands–probably millions–of sales every single day.
Despite the fact that objections are deadly for such a massive number of
sales, like the poisonous creatures above, objections need not be deadly if we
simply learn how to prevent them from harming our sales.
A few lessons from how we handle poisonous creatures can be easily and
successfully applied to handling objections:
1. Keep the objections away. Our primary defense against our venomous
neighbors is to anticipate the environment that would attract them and to
then create an environment that would discourage their presence. We
keep our lawns mown and gardens weeded not just so our home looks
good, but to prevent unwanted creatures from having a place to hide.
They hate being out in the open where they can be easily spotted and
attacked by their enemies.
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We do the same with objections by creating an environment that
discourages them. We anticipate the typical objections we get and weave
into our presentation the answer to the objection before it is asked. Just as
we whack down weeds before they become problem areas where a
snake or Gila Monster can hide, we whack down objections before they
have a chance to grow into an issue of real consequence.
2. Don’t let the objection linger. Once we notice there is a problem—we spot
a rattlesnake or a scorpion nest—we take immediate action. We don’t let it
stick around. Our question is never “do we address it” but “how do we
address it.” Do we need to call in a professional or can we handle it
ourselves? Do we need to kill it or find a way to move it somewhere where
it—and we—can live safely?
An objection demands we do the same—acknowledge its presence and
take immediate action. And just as we must decide how best to deal with
our unwanted neighbor, we must decide how most effectively to handle
the objection. Do we answer it fully now or explain that we will address it
later at a more appropriate time? Whether we address it now or move it to
a later time, we must let the prospect know we understand the objection
and that we will in fact address it fully. If we let it linger without
acknowledging it, we may as well take its poison and inject it directly into
our veins.
3. Address the objection and probe for others. When we find an unwanted
visitor around our home, we not only have to eradicate it but we have to
do a thorough search to make sure there aren’t any more around. At times
we may be tempted to reassure ourselves that the one scorpion was all
there were and we don’t have to bother with a detailed search. If we don’t
make sure we got them all, we’re only setting ourselves up for a whole
boatload of trouble a little later.
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It’s the same with objections. To bastardize Woody Allen in Everything You
Wanted to Know About Sex But Were Afraid to Ask, “these things usually
travel in groups.” (ASIDE FOR MY YOUTH READERS (those under 50): the
scene is a giant boob running amuck, squirting milk at everyone in its path.
When Allen finally manages to trap it in a giant bra, he warns his
companion to be careful because “these things usually travel in pairs.”) Like
the giant boob, objections seldom travel alone. Probe to uncover and
address objections because if you don’t, they’ll likely drown you when you
least expect it.
4. Recognize objections for what they are. Not all lizards or snakes are
poisonous. Just because it slithers or is cold blooded doesn’t mean it is
lethal. Some of the creatures that have some resemblance to a rattlesnake
or Gila Monster are beneficial and welcome in our yards. We have to be
able to differentiate between those creatures that are harmful and those
that are beneficial.
The same goes for objections because not all objections are the same.
There are certainly legitimate objections, but there are also some
objections that are designed to stall or just wrangle a lower price. We must
be able to determine which objections are real and which are designed to
obstruct or stall. Asking questions so that you really understand both the
objection and the reason for the objection will guide you determining
whether the objection is real or designed to stall or obstruct.
5. Address objections honestly. OK, OK, the analogy breaks down at this point.
We really don’t come clean with the rattlesnake that we’re about to kill it,
nor do we have a heart to heart conversation with the scorpions, warning
them that if they don’t move we’re going to spray their nest with poison; not
because we’re heartless, but simply because we find them too similar to our
children—lousy listeners, so what’s the use?
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When it comes to objections, however, we must deal with them openly,
honestly, and fully. For many of us the temptation is to try to hide or even
deny the truth—whatever it takes to make a sale. But doing so ultimately
only creates an unhappy, unsatisfied client likely to tell a great many about
our dishonest and unethical practices.
As with all things in sales, honesty is the only real policy. Yes, on occasion it may
mean not losing a sale. But the lost sales will pale in comparison to loyalty and
word of mouth gained by giving your clients what they seldom get—
straightforward, honest guidance from a seller.
Objections don’t have to kill your sales, you just need to handle them way
you’d handle any deadly critter—find ‘em and eradicate ‘em. Better yet,
make your presentation a place where objections can’t hide and grow.
Paul McCord is the president of McCord and Associates, a Texas based
international sales training, coaching, and consulting company. He is the author
of the Amazon and Barnes and Noble best-selling book on referral generation,
Creating a Million Dollar a Year Sales Income: Sales Success through Client
Referrals (John Wiley and Sons, 2008), and SuperStar Selling: 12 Keys to Becoming a Sales
SuperStar.
www.powerreferralselling.com
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Sales Management Case Studies
Five Ways for Sales Leaders to Stay Inspired
By Steven Rosen
Paul Smith is the Sales Director of a leading pharmaceutical company. He has
been in the industry for the last 10 years and has been a star in his various sales
and marketing roles. His recent promotion, finds him managing managers. His
leadership style has always been one of pace setting and leading by
example. Having just gone through a sales force downsizing Paul has adopted
an inspirational leadership style.
Many people say they lead by inspiration or that they strive to inspire
excellence in sales. But what exactly does it mean to “inspire?” The word
inspiration comes from the Latin word “spiarae” which means to breathe, to
live. It is defined as
a. To stimulate to action; motivate
b. To affect or touch
To this effect, Paul has worked very hard over the last 6 months to win the
hearts of his sales management team and sales force. He has tried to
personally connect with all members of the teams. He has met face to face
with every rep in the sales force and has also met with many of the key opinion
leaders. Positive comments like “this is the first time a sales director has met
with me” coupled with endless requests to meet with customers has been an
encouraging sign for Paul that this approach has merit.
As he has evolved from a manager to a leader, Paul recognizes that the best
way to achieve extraordinary results is to inspire his team. Paul has always
been a dynamo and a self starter. He has continually pushed himself to
achieve. As a result of his drive and enthusiasm he has quickly been promoted
into roles of greater responsibility.
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He has developed innovative sales programs and conducted exciting sales
meetings that leave reps feeling highly motivated. He takes the time to
recognise his people by sending encouraging notes and making inspirational
speeches at sales meetings.
Paul is the type of leader that that can motivate the people around him to
achieve extraordinary results.
Let’s see how Paul’s organizations inspires him
Sales leaders are responsible for meeting company revenue targets,
motivating their teams and ensuring customer satisfaction. Interestingly, most
large organizations make it difficult for these people to make a difference.
They burden sales leaders with support people who complicate decision
making, put up road blocks and prevent innovation. In fact, the decision
making power shifts from these leaders to support positions that have little
contact with the customers.
In Paul’s case, there are several non performing sales reps on the team, whom
Paul would love to fire. HR and legal mandate that these reps are put on a
performance improvement program for at least 6 months. Which Paul knows
will only continue to have a negative impact on sales performance. Despite
Paul's development of some innovative programs, Paul and his team routinely
come up against bureaucracy and road blocks.
Paul has found that even the smallest initiatives require discussions and
approvals which continually drain his energy.
As a result, organizations inadvertently sap the enthusiasm and energy of their
top leaders, them leaving them frustrated, burnt out and ready to leave.
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Who does Paul share his frustrations with? Where does he go for
inspiration?
The Boss
His boss is far too busy and only reaches out when sales
are down or there is an issue. In his present position, his
boss is no longer an option. Paul’s boss has his own
issues to deal with. He expects Paul to identify the
problems and solve them. The last thing Paul wants is to
appear that he is not on top of his business.
His Peers
Early in his career Paul had many peers with whom he
could discuss his frustrations with. Now they are
distrustful and battle with him for resources and
recognition.
His Direct Reports
Paul wants to shield them from bigger issues.
His Spouse
Paul’s spouse will listen to his problems, but even
though she is sympathetic, she is not in any position to
assist him.
His Executive Coach
This is the best place to start. Paul’s coach is able to
provide him with a non-judgemental sounding board.
All discussions are held in confidence. His coach is a friend, motivator and
mentor. Paul reaps the benefits of having a coach. He leaves sessions
energized, inspired and more confident to tackle his most critical issues.
There are 5 Ways to stay inspired in a non supportive high stress
environment:
1. Hire an executive coach - Coaching provides executives with ongoing
learning, focus, and personal accountability for development and
inspiration. It is by far the best way for executives to stay focused and
inspired. Executives who experience the power of coaching swear by it!
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2. Read inspirational books - There are many leadership books and self-help
books out on the market. Find the one that speaks to you. Sharpening your
skills by continuous reading helps stimulate new ideas and reinforce the
wonderful things you are doing.
3. Take mental breaks - Take a day off to extend your weekend. Take one day
for yourself and reflect on your priorities and personal goals. Getting
perspective helps you stay focused and inspired.
4. Exercise and eat well - A dose of healthy living, including regular exercise
and diet help recharge your batteries and are proven stress busters.
Personal health is usually is one of the first things that go by the waiste side in
a hectic life style. Make sure you are getting enough sleep.
5. Take a leadership course – On-going development is a good source of
inspiration and learning. External courses provide leaders with an
opportunity to interact with likeminded executives and gain different
perspectives.
Regardless which options you choose, it is essential that you stay motivated
because your people need your energy as a source of inspiration. Good Luck!
Steven Rosen, MBA is a sales management expert who helps companies
transform sales managers into great sales coaches. Steven’s works with sales
executives to; hire top performing sales reps and managers, develop their team
into top sales managers and achieve greater personal and professional
success.
He is the CEO of STAR Results, author of many articles in the areas of sales management
coaching and sales management training. He is a member of Top Sales Experts. Steven’s
mission is to inspire sales leaders, managers and sales people to achieve their full potential.
He can be reached at steven@starresults.com or 905-737-4548.
www.starresults.com/
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When You Come To That Place
Where The Two Paths Divide…….
“Prince Rabadash’s army lay close behind them, Anvard ahead. If they did
not reach Anvard before Rabadash and his horde, their journey, their entire
lives, would have been wasted. The horses, Bree and Hwin (both of whom
could, of course, talk) galloped. Certainly both horses were doing, if not all
they could, all they thought they could do; which is not quite the same thing.
But a lion appeared out of nowhere and with the spur of terror; Bree now
discovered that he had not really been going as fast, not quite as fast, as he
could”.
This extract is of course taken from "The Chronicles of Narnia", that fount of a
million, simple and usually overlooked truths and it illustrates perfectly what it
takes for some of us to be steered out of our comfort zone.
Perhaps of all the temptations we meet in life, money, power, sex, alcohol,
drugs and fame,(but not necessarily in that order), the subtlest of all is the
comfort zone, that invitation to settle for less, to go for content when the
stresses of over achievement beckon. The way that takes you out of the
comfort zone is the route less travelled by. Most of us when we come to that
place where the two paths divide prefer the one that leads to safety, to
warmth and to comfort.
Both in sport and in business, I have witnessed countless companies, friends,
colleagues and team-mates that underachieved, despite having far superior
skills and talents when compared to others who have made it to the top. The
reason has always been the same; fear of leaving the comfort zone and
entering into the unknown, the land potentially of failure and rejection.
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All successful people have at least two things in common: The first is their
attitude and the second is that they all expect to be successful and because
they want it badly enough, they bring about its happening, i.e. fulfilled
expectation.
The drive has to come from within because no one else is going to make us
successful, they are too busy minding their own stores: From Einstein, an
overused but highly significant quote: “ The definition of insanity is to continue
to do the same things in the hope that those things will miraculously achieve a
different result.” In other words, “Keep doing what you are doing and you will
keep getting what you have been getting” If you don’t like it, you have the
power to change it.
My experience is that you cannot have everything you want but you can
have anything you really want – you just have to work out what it is.
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Director of First Impressions
By Tibor Shanto
One of the key things companies and sales people continuously strive for is to
differentiate themselves and their products. No better place to start than at
the very beginning. First impressions go a long way, and in many ways a sales
executed properly allows for a number of “first impressions”. You may well ask
this is possible, after all there can only be one “first”, but in sales there are
numerous opportunities for first impressions.
An often overlooked chance to create a great first impression is in the initial
cold call. When you consider that most white collar workers receive dozens of
unsolicited sales calls a week, most sounding very much the same, very much
unimpressive, the way you approach and handle that call gives you your first
impression. For some reason many sales people tend to be unprepared for
this process, usually rushing through if, which explains why they often fail. This
drives them to rush through the call, causing a worse impression than
necessary. Many sales people I talk to see the initial appointment call as a
necessary evil, and believe that the “first impression” will be made when they
first meet with the prospect.
On the one hand they are right, assuming the y get the appointment, and
they prepare properly for that first meeting, they do indeed have an
opportunity to create an immersion at the start of that meeting, and hence a
first (live or face to face) impression, one that usually displaces the fogy
impression made on the phone. After all how bad could it have been if you
got the appointment. But that first impression on the phone becomes even
more important if you don’t get the appointment. If you are like me, you have
an active lead management process that allows you to stay with the lead,
touching your leads, regularly connecting with them till you are able to meet.
This past two months I closed deals with two prospects that I first called in 2004,
and just presented to a third I also expected to close.
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One thing they all told me is that they remembered the way I approached
them back in ’04, and the process employed to “nurture” and convert them
to prospects. I would argue I was able to leverage three first impressions: the
initial call, the impression made after that first call failed, and first face to face
impression when we finally met. Each instance allowing me to differentiate
my self and company from a very crowded pack.
As stated above, that initial meeting is an opportunity to reset impressions;
appearances, documentation, business cards, the way you initiate and
conduct the interview, and secure your next step. The same can be
accomplished in the way you present your proposal, overcome objections,
and close the deal. Of course the other side of the coin is that each of these
present the chance for changing positive impressions and set back the
process or derail it completely. This is why it is so important to always be
professional, treat each encounter with a prospect and client as though it was
your first and continuously differentiate yourself from the also ran type sales
people who all to quickly take their prospects and process for granted.
This is one reason I encourage sales people to see themselves as Directors of
First Impressions for themselves and their companies.
Tibor Shanto has over 20 years of sales, executive, leadership and sales
operations experience in financial, information, content management and
professional service industries. As Principal of Renbor Sales Solutions Inc., Tibor
works with leading corporations in Canada, USA and the UK, helping these
organizations realize sustained revenue attainment through improvement in sales strategy
and execution.
Tibor Shanto tibor.shanto@sellbetter.ca
Principal, Renbor Sales Solutions Inc. www.sellbetter.ca/
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What Is Selling?
By Wendy Weiss
I looked up the word "sell" in the dictionary. This is what it said:
"To persuade (another) to recognize the worth or desirability of something."
This definition assumes value. It assumes that you recognize the value of
whatever it is that you are selling. Inherent in the definition is the concept of
worth or desirability.
I also looked up "salesperson," "saleswoman," "salesman," "sales clerk," and my
favorite, "sales talk." The definition for "sales talk" was, "a line of reasoning or
argument intended to persuade someone to buy something."
Whenever I do a workshop or teleconference, I frequently ask participants,
"What are the words that come to mind when you hear the word,
'salesperson'?" Invariably, I hear back words like, "manipulative," "dishonest,"
"unethical," and "sleazy."
In the dictionary, however, when I looked up all of the above sales words,
none of the definitions referenced "manipulative," "dishonest," "unethical,"
"sleazy," or anything particularly negative. The language in these definitions
was actually quite neutral and several of them spoke of value.
Unfortunately, in our culture, the words "sales" or "sell" are viewed with
disrespect. The words no longer simply mean to persuade someone of the
value of what you are offering. Instead they carry the baggage of images of
untrustworthiness and deviousness. This is a misconception that does an
enormous disservice.
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Far too often, entrepreneurs and sales professionals buy into this stereotypical
image of sales and see the activity of selling as negative and untrustworthy.
They feel that if they are selling (or being perceived to be selling), they are
doing something that is not quite right or that has the potential to be not quite
right. It's as if there is a line drawn someplace, but they don't know where that
line is or when they've stepped over it. It causes them to be cautious and
careful and worry about how they are perceived. This anxiety puts them, in their
own minds, at a disadvantage and on a lower level than their prospects and
customers. This is a difficult place to be. And it stops many from taking action.
Since the definition of the word "sell" used the word "persuade," I looked up
that word in the dictionary. It said:
1. To prevail on a person to do something, 2. to induce to believe; convince"
Again, nowhere in that definition do we find the words, "manipulative,"
"dishonest," "unethical," "sleazy," or anything particularly negative. As with the
word, "sell," the language is quite neutral.
The bottom line: Selling is persuading and convincing people to buy your
products and/or services. That persuasion is based on value. If you cannot
persuade and convince people to buy your products and/or services, then
you do not have a business.
If you believe that selling is "manipulative," "dishonest," "unethical," and
"sleazy," this belief will not support your ability to build a business. It is very
difficult to sell (persuade and convince) while believing that selling
(persuading and convincing) is wrong. It is time for many business owners and
sales professionals to change their beliefs about the words "selling" and "sales."
The truth is that most entrepreneurs, business owners and sales professionals
are honest, ethical and believe in the value they have to offer. And that is
where the focus should be.
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Here are some questions to ask yourself:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Do you believe in the value of your products/services?
Do your products/services provide a benefit to your customers?
Do you believe in the value of what you are selling?
Are you doing the best you know how to ensure that your customers get
what they need?
If you have answered "yes" to the above questions, then you are proceeding
with integrity. If you are proceeding with integrity, then obviously you are not
being "manipulative," "dishonest," "unethical," and "sleazy." You can persuade,
convince and sell with your head held high.
If you answered "no" to the questions above, then get out of the business. It's
not a fit for you. Find something else to do in which you can believe.
Let's reclaim the words "sell" and "sales." Let's redefine the words to mean, "to
persuade and convince with integrity." Let's remember that value is inherent in
the definition. Then everyone would understand that as long as they proceed
with integrity and as long as they believe in the value of what they are selling,
selling is an ethical and moral act.
Wendy Weiss, The Queen of Cold Calling, is a speaker, sales trainer, sales coach
and the author of the books Cold Calling for Women and the recently released
Sales Winner’s Handbook. She is recognized as one of the leading authorities on
lead generation, cold calling and new business development and she helps
clients speed up their sales cycle, reach more prospects directly and generate more sales
revenue. Wendy specializes in working with companies that want to increase sales revenue
by generating new business and/or companies with under-performing sales teams.
www.wendyweiss.com
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When & Where Emotional Intelligence
Needs To Enter an Organization
These continue to be troubled times for workers – it seems that no one is
guaranteed a job anywhere any more. The creeping sense that no one’s job is
safe, even as the companies they work for are thriving, means the spread of
fear, apprehension, and confusion.
An attitude of self-interest is, understandably, growing more common for
employees confronting downsizing and other changes that make them feel
their organization is no longer loyal to them. This sense of betrayal or distrust
erodes allegiance and encourages cynicism. And once lost, trust – and the
commitment that stems from it – is hard to rebuild. If employees are not
treated fairly and respectfully, no organization will gain their emotional
allegiance. Sensing others’ development needs and bolstering their abilities is
emerging as second only to team leadership among superior managers.
For managers, developing others’ abilities is even more important – indeed, it’s
the emotional competence most frequently found among those at the top of
the field. This is a person-to-person art, and the effectiveness of counselling
hinges on empathy and the ability to focus on our own feelings and share
them.
Research suggests the best ‘coaches’ show a genuine personal interest in
those they guide, and have empathy for and an understanding of their
employees. Trust is crucial – when there is little trust in the coach, advice goes
unheeded. This also happens when the coach is impersonal and cold, or the
relationship seems too one-sided or self-serving. Coaches who show respect,
trustworthiness, and empathy are the best.
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One way to encourage people to perform better is to let others take the lead
in setting their own goals rather than dictating the terms and manner of their
development. This communicates the belief that employees have the
capacity to be the pilot of their own destiny.
Another technique is to point to the problems without offering a solution: this
implies the employees can find the solution themselves. And people hunger
for feedback, yet too many managers, supervisors and executives are inept at
giving it or are simply disinclined to provide any. Virtually everyone who has a
superior is part of at least one vertical ‘couple’ in the workplace; every boss
forms such a bond with each subordinate. Such vertical couples are a basic
unit of organisational life.
Therein lays the blessing or the curse: This interdependence ties a subordinate
and superior together in a way that can become highly charged. If both do
well emotionally – if they form a relationship of trust and rapport,
understanding and inspired effort – their performance will shine. But if things
go emotionally awry, the relationship can become a nightmare and their
performance a series of minor and major disasters. While vertical couples
have the entire emotional overlay that power and compliance bring to a
relationship, peer couples – our relationships with co-workers – have a parallel
emotional component, something akin to the pleasures, jealousies and
rivalries of siblings.
If there is anywhere emotional intelligence needs to enter an organization, it is
at this most basic level. Building collaborative and fruitful relationships begins
with the couples we are a part of at work. Bringing emotional intelligence to a
working relationship can pitch it towards the evolving, creative, mutually
engaging end of the continuum; failing to do so heightens the risk of a
downward drift towards rigidity, stalemate, and failure.
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Jonathan Farrington
Biography
Jonathan Farrington is a globally recognized business
coach, mentor, author, consultant, and sales strategist,
who has guided hundreds of companies and thousands of
individuals around the world towards optimum
performance levels.
Formerly, Jonathan was the Managing Partner of The jfa Group which he
established in 1994.
Prior to that, he earned his spurs in some of the most demanding and
competitive market sectors i.e. IT, Telecommunications and Finance:
Outstanding achievement at an early stage in his career provided a 'fasttrack' passage to several board level appointments working with a number of
the largest and most successful international corporations including IBM,
Wang, Legal and General, Andersen Consulting, Litton Industries, and The
Bank of Tokyo.
Early in 2007, Jonathan formed Top Sales Associates (TSA) to promote the very
best sales-related solutions and products. TSA is now a subsidiary of The JF
Corporation, based in London and Paris where Jonathan is the Chairman.
The JF Consultancy launched early in 2008 and Jonathan’s highly popular
daily blog for dedicated business professionals, which attracts thousand of
visitors every day, can be found at www.thejfblogit.co.uk.
Jonathan is also the creator and CEO of Top Sales World – the first online “Sales
Hypermarket” and Chairman of the Global Sales Council.
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In 2011, Jonathan will be launching TougherAtTheTop.com a site dedicated to
sales managers and sales leaders, which will precede the publication of his
first book with the same title, and also his “Tougher at the Top” sixty venue UK
tour, which kicks-off in April 2011.
Finally, Jonathan enjoys strong links with AllBusiness.com, where he writes The
Sales Leadership Coach Blog and in addition, he has a weekly Ask The Expert
podcast
And of course, he is Chairman of the AllBusiness Sales Star panel
©Jonathan Farrington 2010
Designed and produced by Bill Jeckells - bill.jeckells@topgraphicsguy.com
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Communications House 26 York Street London W1U 6PZ
Tel: +00 44 (0) 845 026 4752
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The moral right of the author has been asserted.
All rights reserved.
This publication or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means
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without the prior written permission of Jonathan Farrington.

here - Jonathan Farrington

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