“Want to Sell More, Start with your Clients”

Maybe it is the Holiday Season, but it’s also a time to reflect. As we make time to go see clients, share Holiday wishes and hope for a New Year a question becomes apparent, are we spending enough time with our clients?

In an effort to SELL MORE shouldn't we be more focused on our current clients? When we are in front of clients good things happen: referrals, new business opportunities, improved customer retention and maybe, best of all, the ability to maintain reasonable margins. Stale client relationships become commodity transactions, we all need to try and maintain healthy, growing relationships with our customer base. As better vendors we can help anticipate problems and changes in market conditions, we might even find some new problems we can help solve.

As you reflect on the year that has been, make every effort to “Start with your Clients” to grow your business, or call Sales Concepts at 440-575-7000 for help.

“No More Million Dollar Presentations”

Have you ever finished what felt like a great meeting, only to end up in the same old chase mode? Why does this happen?

Many salespeople comment how excited the prospect was when they were presenting their product or service, “they loved it, now I can’t get them to answer the phone”. Amateur salespeople think the sale is closed in the Presentation, great salespeople have learned it is all about solid questioning and listening techniques. Prospects close themselves when we learn their true buying motives, budgets, and decision making process.

Million Dollar Presentations lead to unqualified prospects, too many proposals and wasted time following up with people who will never buy. The result of these problems is prospects controlling your sales success. Antiquated presentations should now be replaced with Fulfillment, or helping the prospect understand how we will fix their pain.

Always focus on your customer and avoid the pitfalls of the Million Dollar Presentation.
Think about this before your next sales call or ask for help from Sales Concepts at 440-575-7000.

“What is True Customer Service”

In today’s competitive market place it is more important than ever to provide your clients exceptional service. I pose a question though, what truly is “premium customer service”?

The harsh truth…. many organizations approach customer service from the wrong perspective, internally. Far too many organizations put forth policies regarding customer service without the understanding that each and every client’s expectation is different.

As sales people we have to take control of our accounts, we need to understand what is appropriate from our client’s perspective and either meet the clients expectations or exceed them.

If you need help with your sales results or understanding your clients expectations call Sales Concepts for help at (440)575-7000.

“What Is A Real Referral”

Have you ever received what you thought was a referral? Often times the prospect does not know why you are calling or who you even are…is that really a referral?

A referral is not a recommendation to call someone, it is also not, “these people could really use someone like you”. Real referrals are people who have problems, want to fix them, and are expecting your call.

Professionally trained salespeople develop techniques on how to ask for referrals and more importantly have the referrer set up the referral properly. Referrals are the single best source of new business, yet too many salespeople are spending time either not asking for referrals, or accepting imitations.

Help your clients discover, “What Is A Real Referral” and close more sales.

Think about this before your next client meeting, or ask for help from Sales Concepts at 440-575-7000.

“If Your Competition Does It, Stop Doing It Right Away”

We all have competitors, so what is the best way to deal with them? If Your Competition Does It, Stop Doing It Right Away.

What will this accomplish? Differentiation. One of the keys of closing and keeping business is being different. Competitive advantage greatly increases the probability you or your salespeople will sell. Understanding your market will help you create different products or services that will make you stand out.

Are you tired of Price Pressure? You cannot be a commodity if you are different than your competition. Do you grow weary of Comparison Shoppers? If you are different you will easily separate yourself from the pack.

How about cold calling and looking for appointments? If you look and sound like all your competitors, all salespeople for that matter, your prospects are justified in blowing you off. Try to differentiate yourself and your company in everything you do.

Remember, “If Your Competition Does It, Stop Doing It Right Away”, separate yourself from your competition. Think about this before your next sales call, or ask for help from Sales Concepts at 440-575-7000.

"Why Mailing Literature Fails"

Literature informs, but people sell. How many times have you forgotten that in your sales career?

Traditionally, sales people bombard prospects with literature and information that most people never read and are usually thrown away. People will buy a $50,000 automobile and never read the owner's manual -- yet we think our prospects are going to read 5 page color brochures cover to cover?

Prospects who ask for literature are typically trying to get rid of you. Learning how to get past the "Send Me Literature" objection is one of many skills that separate the exceptional salespeople from the rest. Stand your ground and help your prospect discover "Why Mailing Literature Fails".

Think about this before your next sales call, or ask for help from Sales Concepts at 440-575-7000.

“Fantastic Salesperson or Just a Really Good Interviewer”

One of the toughest and most frustrating parts of growing a business can occur in the hiring of a “Salesperson”. Whether it is your first hire or it is your twentieth hire the task can be both daunting and aggravating.

How many times have you hired an individual that interviewed with you and they had all the right answers. They were polished and professional, they carried themselves with confidence, and they were able to handle people effectively (or so it seemed).

Fast forward, two, four, even six months down the road, meeting after meeting they have excuses of why they aren’t meeting their numbers. You the owner or the manager are working with them aimlessly to help them. After a few months of struggling, they either leave your organization or you are forced to let them go.

Why? They interviewed so well, they seemed to have all the skills of a successful salesperson. I wonder what the issue was that resulted in their failure. The answer is simple, it was yours. The individual, was a “Good Interviewer” but a “Fantastic Salesperson” they were not.

There is a solution to this hiring issue. Systematize your hiring process. Don’t simply interview the person, but figure out the individuals beliefs. Do they like to prospect, are they a true hunter? What skills does the individual have in regards to Sales?

If you are struggling to find the perfect salesperson for your organization, give Sales Concepts a call at 440-575-7000.

"Are You on Track with Your Goals?"

As we move into the halfway point of the second quarter are you on track with the goals that you have set for yourself for 2009? The plan that you have created to obtain these goals, is it working?

One of the issues we have as business owners and salespeople, we are not holding ourselves or our salespeople accountable to the goals that have been set. The first question you have to ask yourself, where am I now in terms of revenue, opportunities with prospects, and my forecast of future sales?

The second question you need to be asking yourself, is my plan working? The time that you spend either with groups and associations, is it yielding any business for yourself and your company? The behaviors that you have implemented, are they effective in getting your message out to the market place?

In reviewing all of your goals what you should start to see is a trend. Some groups and associations will yield you more results than others. Behaviors such as cold calling, networking events, and referrals will produce other outcomes. The key here is to be sure that you are spending your time wisely and if you aren’t getting results from a certain activity or behavior change it NOW!

If you need help with your goals or the implementation of your plan give Sales Concepts a call 440-575-7000

Where to Spend $, On Sales Training or Marketing?

One potential flaw in the entrepreneur mindset is the belief that to close more sales we need to invest in more marketing to have the phone ring more frequently. As a result our people will have the opportunity to set more appointments with potential prospects.

For example:
X Company Currently:
Monthly Marketing Budget: $10,000
Results: 20 Appointments per Month
Closes: 8 Closes Per Month (40% Close Ratio)

X Company Doubling the Marketing Budget:
Monthly Marketing Budget: $20,000
Results: 40 Appointments per Month
Closes: 16 Closes Per Month (40% Close Ratio)

What if the same company invested in training to better the skill set of the team? What if a direct result of that training yielded a close ratio that was dramatically increased by 30%?

For example:
X Company with Sales Training:
Monthly Marketing Budget: $10,000
Sales Training Budget: $10,000
Results: 20 Appointments per month
Closes: 14 Closes per month (70% Close Ratio)

Now, what happens to the sales results when the Entrepreneur shifts the focus back into marketing?

For Example:
X Company after training investing back into marketing:
Monthly Marketing Budget: $20,000
Results: 40 Appointments
Closes: 28 Closes per month (70% Close Ratio)

If you or your team is struggling with your results call Sales Concepts Inc. 440-575-7000!

"Have Prospects Close Themselves"

Great Salespeople have discovered…people buy for their own reasons. Prospects will always resist salespeople because people do not want to be sold. Canned “closes”, do not work either, "If I can get it for you at that price are you ready to buy" or “If I can show you a way” are examples of closing lines that prospects can see through.
The relationship between the salesperson and the prospect does not have to be adversarial. If you can get the prospect to tell you why they are talking to you, reflect back the prospect's statements as questions.
The prospect will often give you the opening you need to move toward closure. If we can keep quiet long enough, we just then need to reflect back the prospect’s statements. For example, if you asked a simple question like, “Why did you think of coming in today?”
Prospect: "I came in because I know you sell this brand."Salesperson: "That's interesting, why that brand?"Prospect: "Because my sister has one and it never breaks."Salesperson: Never breaks...why is that important to you?"Soon your prospect will be telling you all about the emotional buying reasons they have for spending the money.Ask better questions, listen, and “Have Prospects Close Themselves”. Think about this before your next sales call or ask for help from Sales Concepts at 440-575-7000

“Always Get A Decision”

We were recently reminded, by a client, of something we have known for years, “the longer it takes to get a decision, the less likely I am to make the sale”. Despite the fact we have said it over and over, it is amazing how easily we all forget this valuable lesson.

What is our job as a salesperson? Help prospects make a decision. That is it…not close, convince, persuade, or even go to the bank…just help them make a decision. How many more prospects and customers could you have if you no longer wasted time with those prospects who cannot ever decide? How often have you spent weeks or months working on an account, only to get passed over for a cheaper often inferior competitor?

Successful salespeople help prospects make decision by accepting either a yes or a no, and eliminating think-it-overs. Great salespeople have mastered the art of pushing prospects in the direction of no, to create more comfort, and reduce the pressure on a sales call. Help your prospects discover how much less pressure there is when we “Always Get A Decision”. Think about this before your next sales call, or ask for help from Sales Concepts at 440-575-7000.

"No Budget, No Sale

Most sales people wait to the end of their presentation to bring up money, if they talk about it at all. Unfortunately, your prospect is thinking, “I wonder how much all this is going to cost”, from the moment you walk in the door.

Why is that? For many people, money is one of the most important pieces when making a decision. Despite that fact most salespeople never talk about it, until it’s too late.

How much time would you save on unqualified prospects if you learned how to talk about money? Not just how much they would spend but where it was coming from and how you were going to get paid? Professionally trained sales people do it. They know how much money there is, what budget it is coming from, and who can sign the check…all before giving a presentation.

There is a system at work here. Remember, “No Budget, No Sale”, think about this before your next sales call, or ask for help from Sales Concepts at 440-575-7000.

Are You Chasing Ghost's?

How many times in your sales career have you heard these dreaded words, “I am going to need to think this over?” In my career have heard those words and I would rather have had the prospect simply tell me “NO”. It’s not that I don’t want the sale but what does “THINK IT OVER” really mean? Most of the time, it really is just a nice way of telling the salesperson “NO,” but then are we chasing a ghost?

So why don’t they simply just tell the salesperson NO? It is actually a simple explanation; it’s easier. Inherently human beings don’t want to disappoint one another, so rather than telling you NO they tell you they need to “think it over”. Now you, the salesperson spend time following up with a potential sale that was never going to buy from you in the first place. They held hope over your head and you being the professional that you are spend countless time and energy following up when you really should have moved them into your NO file.

It is not that prospects are bad people but they don’t want to disappoint us. More than likely you have built rapport with your prospect and it is easier for them to avoid your calls and let you talk to their voicemail than give you the decision that they promised to give you.
If you are struggling with prospects giving you a decision call Sales Concepts 440-575-7000.

"Do you Sell, Or Do You Tell?"

Salespeople love to talk, especially about the features and benefits they are in love with. Have you ever talked too much and actually talked the customer out of the sale?

Did you ever stop to think that all this talking may be doing more harm than good?

As the prospect, do you wish the salesperson would just shut up? How did you feel when the salesperson talked too much? Comfortable? Probably not. Remember, people buy from people that they are comfortable with. Selling is asking the right questions, not telling your prospects about features and benefits. You will gain greater trust with your prospect if You Sell, Not Tell!

Think about this before your next sales call, or ask for help from Sales Concepts at 440-575-7000.

"Accountability, Without It, There Will Be No Growth"

Typically, human beings are not self starters. We all need help, support and motivation in order to change, grow and accomplish our goals. This is why support groups are so successful in overcoming grief and fighting addictions; we are inherently in need of others. So, how can we help ourselves change? How can we assist our subordinates in achieving higher standards? What is the best way to assist our children in growing and maturing? The answer to all these questions is the same, accountability.

Too many aspects of our lives are missing the key ingredient of accountability. Diet, exercise and quitting smoking…when they fail it is often due to a lack of accountability. So, when we think of our careers and selling specifically, we need to have some degree of accountability to create change.

Where do I find accountability? A large part of a successful manager’s role is helping their staff with accountability. Many people can create accountability with co-workers who are also attempting to grow. Others have had success relying on a spouse or good friend to give them accountability. Remember “Accountability, without it, there will be no growth”, if you need help call Sales Concepts at 440-575-7000 to hear about our new accountability tool.

Networking Groups, How to Choose

Networking is a must for all small business owners as well as sales people, but with so many groups how does one decide? Let’s face it with IRN, B to B connect, and hundreds of thousands of other groups how do you really know which one to join? Many will tell you to watch and listen to how many leads are passed at the meetings. One question though, is it the amount of leads that counts, or is it the quality of the leads being passed? For example, group one has 20 members that consistently passes 25 leads a week and out of those leads the members are closing 30%. Now, group 2 has 10 members and they consistently pass ten leads a week and close 65% of the leads generated from the group, which group would you join? The issue with networking groups isn’t the fact that leads don’t get generated it is how qualified the leads actually are. It all comes down to time, time is the one thing in life that we can’t create more of, we have 24 hours in a day and we need to use that time to the best of our ability. So when considering a group to join ask about lead conversions, look for synergy partners that you can pair up with and be skeptical of the groups who are passing a bunch of leads, ask questions that will help qualify the group so you can rest assured that you are spending your time wisely.