The Sales Hunter

We've Moved!

2007-09-20T11:05:00.000-07:00

It's official! We have moved to a new website. You may now read insight from "The Sales Hunter" on our "Sales Motivation Blog". Click on the link below or visit www.thesaleshunter.com/blog. It's the same great stuff, just a new location!

Sales Motivation Blog

Sales Dog Blog

2007-09-10T16:08:00.000-07:00

www.SalesDog.com is an outstanding website for information on the selling profession. Sure, I’m prejudice since they frequently release my material. Their blog currently features one of my many Sellling Tips. To read it, visit: http://www.salesdog.com/digit.asp

Contact Mark Hunter, The Sales Hunter for your next Conference or Sales Meeting. To see and hear Mark Hunter now visit www.TheSalesHunter.com

Professional Selling Skills: Apple, iPod, and Pricing Integrity

2007-09-08T12:58:00.000-07:00

Pricing integrity is essential. This week, we saw a classic example of a signficant mistake by a company that, until now, had built up a huge group of core / passionate customers. Apple and Steve Jobs have always been arrogant. It’s in their DNA and it’s what has helped them create the following they have in the world of personal computers.

We all know what happened: a few months ago Apple released the iPod phone for $599. The price was high, but they were confident and their good story of saying it was both a phone and iPod all-in-one supposedly made the price a smart move. Fast forward to now: they cut the price by $200 and, in so doing, they make everyone who bought an iPhone out to be a fool for paying $200 more. Apple responded in its wonderful, arrrogant way only after an outpouring of complaints by granting their customers a $100 in-store credit.

In this simple action, Apple and Steve Jobs demonstrated a complete lack of pricing integrity. This is a great example as to why it is essential to establish a price and stick to it. The action by Apple tells their customer base that the next time they come out with anything new, wait and buy it after they do a price reduction. This action also undermines the confidence of their employeess. Finally, the action harms the price / value relationship that the company has worked so hard to establish.

I can’t think of a better example of why it’s so important to have pricing integrity. I’m also very confident that with this action, Steve Jobs has created a great business school case study that will be used for many years to come.

Sales Training Tip #199: Network with Linkedin.com

2007-09-06T11:54:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of the website, Linkedin.com? If you're not already using it as a networking tool, do it today. A simple tip in using it is to set aside 30 minutes each week to add contacts, etc. Keep in mind that Linkedin is a long-term networking tool. Do not expect it to have an immediate payout in terms of new customers.

Professional Selling Skills Training: "29 Sales Territory Questions"

2007-09-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

Are you trying to create or further establish a sales territory? The information found in Mark’s article, “29 Sales Territory Questions”, is designed to help you implement an effective sales development program. These powerful questions are based on consultative selling principles. Follow the link below to access this important information as found on our website.

"29 Sales Territory Questions"

Sales Training Tip #200: 3-Step Sales Process

2007-09-02T15:39:00.000-07:00

I'm always amazed at how people want to complicate the sales process. This past week I was asked by a new sales person what it takes and I replied:

1. Uncover pain
2. Evoke confidence
3. Close the sale

It's that simple. Ask questions that get the customer to reveal their pain. At the same time, ensure that the customer gains confidence that you can help alleviate that pain. Once you have done these two things, it becomes very simple to close the sale.

Nothing complex here at all. The challenge is in taking the time to develop the right questions that will help the customer see and feel their pain.

Sales Training Tip #198: Know Your MLB

2007-08-30T12:18:00.000-07:00

You may not follow Major League Baseball, but many of your customers and prospects do. At this time of year, make sure to stay up on who's in the playoff hunt. You don't want to get cut short by not knowing that your customer's favorite team is close to winning their division.

Sales Training Tip #197: Referrals Go Both Ways

2007-08-30T12:17:00.000-07:00

Go out of your way to refer some of your best customers to people you know. Better yet, get in the habit of making at least one referral each week. Your customers will appreciate the support!

Sales Training Tip #196: Using Time To Your Advantage

2007-08-30T12:15:00.000-07:00

Time is the greatest negotiating tool. When giving a proposal, state half of the time you had planned to offer. For example, by offering one week instead of two, it increases the sense of urgency.

Contact Mark Hunter, The Sales Hunter for your next Conference or Sales Meeting. To see and hear Mark Hunter now visit www.TheSalesHunter.com

A Question Recently Posed to "The Sales Hunter"

2007-08-30T11:35:00.000-07:00

"How can I create a sense of urgency and need for my product?”

Your best way to create a sense of need is by tying the element of time to it. You can do this in a couple of ways. First, offer an incentive to buy now. Don't lower your price, but offer an additional something if they chose to buy now. Second, create a sense of lost benefit if the person does not buy now from you. Ask them what they expect to get from buying from you so they will begin to acknowledge the pain they have. When they do, you can then begin to draw it out more by asking them more questions about it. The whole idea is to allow them to see how their pain will go away and they will be much better off if they buy from you now. Build on this further by helping them realize that if they don't buy from you now, their own personal cost will be higher since they'll have to live with the pain for even longer.

Contact Mark Hunter, The Sales Hunter for your next Conference or Sales Meeting. To see and hear Mark Hunter now visit www.TheSalesHunter.com

Professional Selling Skills Training: The Power of Your Network

2007-08-30T04:43:00.000-07:00

Long-term success does not come from one-time, single-shot sales. Long-term success in sales comes from what you do day in and day out and is impacted in a huge way by who you associate with. I've recently spent time with several different sales people and I've been amazed at how each of them view success and how they determine their goals. In each case, their frame of reference had a direct correlation on who they network with and the frame of reference the other people had. I hate to say it, but narrow-minded people have narrow-minded goals. Big thinkers have big goals.

I'm fortunate enough to have two kids (or I should say young adults as they are both in college). When they were little kids, we always monitored their friendships. As parents, this is natural because we wanted our kids to not be hanging out with others who were bent on causing trouble. In the same way, adults have to monitor who we allow ourselves to be influenced by. Is their any wonder why successful people associate with successful people?

A challenge I push myself to do is to ensure my network, my friends, and the people I come in contact with are big thinkers with big goals. The last thing I want to do is to be bogged down by people who could negatively impact my goals, the quality of my thinking, and, ultimately, what I accomplish.

A final comment: I was just in a sales office where the entire sales team was having a blow-out month. It seemed as if everything they were touching was turning into a sale. In talking with them, they had a level of energy and drive that permeated every corner of their office and every corner of their brains. Great sales people were hanging out with great sales people.

Contact Mark Hunter, "The Sales Hunter" for your next Conference or Sales Meeting. To see and hear Mark Hunter now, visit www.TheSalesHunter.com.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Don't Leave Your Personality at Home

2007-08-29T04:45:00.000-07:00

Selling is, without a doubt, the greatest profession there is. For people who are pumped, engaged, and intelligent, the potential is unlimited. What I find amazing is the number of people in sales who do not have personality, or, if they do, they leave it at home.

Unless you're harboring some strange tendencies or bizarre thinkings, there's no reason to not let your personality come through on the job. Let your personality come out and get to know people! It's amazing how much more business can be had when we allow our personal side to be exposed. However, I do have one word of caution. This is not a license to become egotistical, but to become full of others you come in contact with.

Contact Mark Hunter, The Sales Hunter for your next Conference or Sales Meeting. To see and hear Mark Hunter now visit www.TheSalesHunter.com

Professional Selling Skills Training: Networking with Linkedin

2007-08-25T19:32:00.000-07:00

Networking is a fundamental part of building sales. I've been blitzing my networking lately with Linkedin.com and I've been blown away with it. If you're not already part of it, go to www.Linkedin.com and get registered right now! Although some may say that it isn't worth their time, I'm here to refute that statement. If you're willing to use Linkedin as a tool to help locate people who have fallen off of your radar screen, then this is the tool for you. This is exactly what Linkedin is best at: helping you connect with people you've lost touch with. The power comes from hooking back up with people from your past and using them to help introduce you to new contacts. For me, with just a few hours of work, I've developed several new strong business leads and a large number of leads with long-term potential.
By the way, be sure to reach out to me on Linkedin and together we'll both expand our networks!

Contact Mark Hunter, The Sales Hunter for your next Conference or Sales Meeting. To see and hear Mark Hunter now visit www.TheSalesHunter.com

Sales Training Tip #195: A Great USP

2007-08-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

Before your next sales call, consider the following three points that make a great Unique Selling Proposition (USP):

1. Does it matter to the customer?
2. Is it different from the competition?
3. Is it explicitly defined with a sense of urgency and need?

A Question Recently Posed to “The Sales Hunter”

2007-08-08T09:52:00.000-07:00

“I recently got a job offer as a sales manager at a car dealership and tour/travel agency company. My sales team is small, but experienced. I would like to know whether you have any sales tips in how we may try to reach our segment of the market.”

First off, I’d identify who your target customer is. It’s very easy to start trying to reach out to what you believe are potential customers only to find out there is no chance they’ll ever buy from you. Secondly, I’d find out what it is you do best and what your current customers say they like about doing business with you. Third, match up what your current customers say they like about you with the profile of your perfect customer. Your objective is to find the key benefit new customers would be most drawn to.

After you’ve done the above, develop 3 - 5 “pain questions”. These are questions that are designed to help the targeted prospect begin to see the pain they have and how you are the solution. Example: “What are some of the changes you’ve had to make to compensate for the current price of gas?” or “What’s the best experience you’ve ever had on a tour?” Both of these questions will help get the person talking, which then gives you the opportunity to ask more questions. By doing so, you get the prospect to do all the talking and you learn as much information as possible to work with.

Let me shift gears a bit and talk about finding prospects. Begin by using the second step above as a gate opener to get your customers to give you referrals you can contact. There’s nothing better than a referral, especially one where the person doing the referring makes the initial contact on your behalf. Secondly, target your message very, very, very tight. We’re all inundated with too much information, so we tend to only pay attention to information that hits our personal bull’s-eye. This means you need to do as much profiling as possible of your perfect customer profile and only do those marketing / awareness activities that will hit them. Don’t kid yourself: the vast majority of advertising is wasted and the best is probably very expensive on a per contact basis. But, if you’re hitting the right contact, then the high cost perception suddenly goes away.

Contact Mark Hunter, The Sales Hunter for your next Conference or Sales Meeting. To see and hear Mark Hunter now visit www.TheSalesHunter.com

Sales Training Tip #194: Avoid the Light

2007-08-08T09:13:00.000-07:00

When making a sales call, avoid sitting with your back to a window. The bright, outdoor light can often make it hard for the customer / prospect to focus on you.

Contact Mark Hunter, The Sales Hunter, for your next Conference or Sales Meeting. To see and hear Mark Hunter now visit www.TheSalesHunter.com

Consultative Selling Tip: Know your Customer's Customer

2007-08-06T18:15:00.000-07:00

Consultative selling is all about knowing how your customer is going to use your product or service and, more importantly, helping them identify previously unknown areas of need they may have. Now, it seems simple, but something get lost in the translation in many companies. This week, I saw that the global giant Unilever is getting out of the household cleaning category in the US (All, Wisk, etc.) by selling off their brands. What I found amazing was an article in Advertising Age talking about how their CEO and other top people had not been in a laundry room in years. It's unbelievable how the top people of a major company could not find the time to know how their customer's really use their product.

With this fact in mind, I guess it shouldn't be surprising that they're selling this business. The key lesson: Make sure you take the time to really know how your customer and your customer's customers use your product or service.

Sales Tip: Phone Sales Tips

2007-08-04T13:00:00.001-07:00

This past week, I was working with a salesperson who was trying to break into a major account without much luck. All he had was a single phone number of the "point" person for his company. After trying to reach the person on numerous occasions, he shared with me his frustration. My solution? Instead of calling the same number, try changing the last digit by one, either higher or lower. Doing so would give him a pretty good shot at reaching the person who might be in the office next door or an administrative assistant. In either case, it would increase his chance of getting to talk to someone and could help him determine if the person he had been trying to call was in fact the correct person. Although this is a simple selling skills technique, it's very effective when used properly.

Sales Training Tip #193: Getting Back to the Basics

2007-07-26T15:41:00.001-07:00

Don't forget to sell to the outcome / result. It sounds basic, yet we often sell based on the product's features and not on what it will do for the customer. Think about your last sales call. What were you selling to? Do you need to get back to the basics?

Sales Training Tip #192: PMOC

2007-07-26T15:40:00.000-07:00

Do you know your customer's PMOC - Preferred Method of Communication? Every client and prospect has one. By using their PMOC (email, voice, voice- mail, telephone, in-person, etc.), you will undoubtedly become more valuable to them.

A Testimony About the Importance of Passion

2007-07-26T08:12:00.000-07:00

Recently, I received an email from a young salesperson who can attest to my theory that passion is a lost art. Only 22 years old, he has already assumed the responsibilities of someone twice his age. He wrote, "I have been in sales since I graduated high school . . . and have been the top sales person in both sales jobs I have had and currently have." He has been a corporate account executive for a large cellular telephone company and now has an entire state as his territory for a company in the fuel industry.

How did he achieve so much in such a short time? He attributes his success to his passion: "I seized the opportunity. . .I am so passionate about my product and I have been told by my customers in testimonials and meetings. . .Because I think that having these responsibilties is important, that shows me that self improvement is very possible. I am 22 with the responsibilties of a 40 year old man."

Passion, at any age, can take you places. It's never too late to show it.

A Quote to Ponder

2007-07-23T13:39:00.000-07:00

A friend in Lincoln, Nebraska, shared an interesting quote with me recently:

"I am not who I am think I am, I am not who you think I am, I am who I think you think I am".

Sales Training Lessons from Michael Moore and His Movie, Sicko

2007-07-23T13:34:00.001-07:00

It's amazing where we can find a sales training lesson. I have yet to see the movie, Sicko, but I have seen a number of reviews, rebuttals, etc. regarding the wide use of facts and figures presented by Michael Moore. Every review uses their own set of facts and figures to knock down the credibility of the movie. After it's all said and done, the only thing to really believe is the realization that you have to question every number or fact presented in the movie or in the media.

The corresponding sales lesson is simple: anytime you're on a sales call, you have to make sure the facts and figures you're using are believable and credible to the customer / prospect. The best way to validate your information is by having a question prepared that you can ask regarding each number or fact you present. In this way, you're getting the customer involved and you're securing their validation before you move on. I've watched too many sales go up in flames because some facts and figures presented early on did not jive with what the customer / prospect was expecting.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Sales Tips and Salesopedia.com

2007-07-16T05:06:00.000-07:00

Sales tips and new ideas are essential to keep any salesperson running at full speed. We constantly have to be keep our "tool box" full of new ideas. A great place to find sales tips is at www.Salesopedia.com. This website contains a number of practical ideas you can use, including some of my own! (You didn't think I'd send you to a site that didn't have my stuff now, did you?) Thanks to Clayton Shold and his team for creating a super website for the industry!

Professional Selling Skills Training: Consultative Selling to Morons

2007-07-14T14:40:00.001-07:00

Consultative Selling is nothing new, but it's still a challenge when the person you're selling to is a moron. I know that's rough, but you have to admit there are times when the person you're talking to is not the brightest bulb in the pack.

If you're faced with this, do two things:

Ask more questions, even if they have nothing to do with what you're selling. Because you want to make sure your questions have a logical flow to allow the customer to stay focused, engage them by asking the questions that have nothing to do with what you're selling early on in the conversation.
Ditch the presentation and focus on your visuals / pictures to do the communicating. The worst thing you can do is try to accelerate the close or attempt to manipulate the customer. DON'T, under any circumstance, do either of them.

The great thing about dealing with people who are painfully slow to catch on is that once they buy from you, they will more than likely become customers for life and they won't hesitate to recommend you to others.

Sales Training Tip #191: Keep Your Hands Visible

2007-07-13T07:21:00.001-07:00

When you're making a sales call in person, be sure to keep your hands visible at all times. Placing them below the table or desk can come across as being very threatening to an unconfident customer.

Sales Training Tip #190: Google Alerts

2007-07-02T08:31:00.000-07:00

Do you have a customer you want to keep track of when they are in the news? Go to www.Google.com/alerts and enter the name of the company. Google will send you an email anytime their search engine picks up the name. This useful information will help keep you "in the know" with your newsworthy clients!

Sales Training Tip #189: PBJ Selling

2007-07-02T08:30:00.002-07:00

Have you ever considered that your customer is like a PB & J sandwich. The difference is, in sales, that the PB & J stand for Perception, Belief, and Justification. The perception your customer has of you and your company becomes their belief and justification for why they do or do not buy from you. Ponder how you can correctly communicate who you are the next time you're eating lunch!

Sales Training Tip #188: Vacation Reading

2007-07-02T08:30:00.001-07:00

Use your vacation time to do some reading about your industry. Then, when you return, be sure to update your key customers with some of the insights you picked up.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Consultative Selling is More Than Networking

2007-07-01T06:40:00.000-07:00

Consultative Selling is all about dealing with customers. Sales Development is having an on-going process to build your sales volume. Neither of these definitions say anything about networking with your friends in the business. Recently, I've seen several situations where very competent, experienced sales people have had trouble closing sales. The reason for their slump is because of who they're calling on. Veteran sales people often wind up in trouble because of the amount of time they spend talking to their friends in the industry, believing that if they just stay in contact with these people, their numbers will take off. This big mistake is one of the primary reasons why seasoned veterans often finish their careers on a sour note. My advice: stay in touch with the people you know, but, at the end of each week, ask yourself how many new people you've talked with and have been able to add to your prospect list.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Sales Calls and the Myth of Preparation

2007-06-30T12:32:00.000-07:00

We all know that sales calls are the lifeblood of anyone in the Sales industry. Sales training programs will tell you that preparation is a key part of any successful sales call. I don't necessarily believe that. I've recently been working with a number of sales people who spend all of their time preparing to make calls, but in the end, wind up making very few. They simply run out of time because they take too long to prepare. One of the things I firmly believe is that there's no better time than right now to make a sales call. In other words, don't put off making one just because you don't have all of your stuff together. If you do, you'll never make the numbers you need. (The only exception I find to this rule is if you're selling to an incredibly narrow customer base. But, don't kid yourself, you're probably not in this situation!)

If you're a supervisor, challenge your sales team to make sales calls even though they may not be fully prepared. Keep in mind that what I am advocating is the need to push ourselves to continuously find ways to eliminate unnecessary time in our sales process.

If you're a salesperson, ask yourself the following questions:

What is the % of phone calls I make where I actually talk to someone? The vast majority of our phone calls wind up in voice mail anyway, so really all we need to make the call is a compelling point of interest to leave on the message.
Do I have enough questions I can ask the customer in person to get them to reveal some great information that will guide me through the sales process? Your answer must be "yes".

In the end, I believe many people spend a lot of time preparing to make sales calls only to wind up not making them because they're afraid of rejection. If this is the case (and I believe it is 90% of the time), then you need to take a step back to consider the following:

Do you truly believe in what you're selling?
More importantly, do you have the passion to sell?

If you can't answer "yes" to both, then you will never be successful and you might as well start looking for another job.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Questions and Consultative Selling

2007-06-21T12:26:00.000-07:00

There are so many varied definitions of "consultative selling" that have surfaced over the past several years that it makes me sick.

My definition? Consultative selling is asking questions that allow the customer to reveal their true needs, thus allowing you to work with them to help develop a solution that goes beyond solving their basic needs / pain to, ultimately, achieving a higher level of success or satisfaction. It begins with the questions you ask and the quality of the listening you do. It concludes with you delivering what will exceed the expectations of the consumer, regardless of what you initially expected.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Consultative Selling is Like a PBJ

2007-06-21T06:50:00.000-07:00

I'd like to elaborate on my belief that Consultative selling is like a PB & J sandwich. Keep in mind that the PB & J stand for Perception, Belief, and Justification. The customer you're selling to will always develop a perception of you based on what you're saying and how you're saying it. This perception if often formed from things you would never expect. From their perception, they then determine their belief. This is where the customer takes great leaps of faith for reasons beyond anything you might have said or implied. It is not only very difficult to modify, but nearly impossible to correct. Their belief is then used to justify their decision whether or not to buy from you. It is scary to consider that the customer not only bases their decision, but also your livelihood on their shallow perceptions. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happens each and every time you're out making a sales call. Remember, think PB & J: Perception becomes Belief which becomes Justifciation.

Sales Training Tip #187: Sound Like a "Solution-Provider"

2007-06-18T08:05:00.001-07:00

When you are calling on a new large client, remember you will always be referred to the person who you sound the most like. If you're selling high-tech products, you'll get referred to the IT department if you sound like a "techie." However, if you sound like a solution-provider, you'll be far more likely to find yourself speaking with the end user.

Sales Training Tip #186: What Not to Ask the CEO

2007-06-07T13:58:00.000-07:00

When selling to a CEO, never ask them how their business is doing. The CEO expects you to already know! By asking a general question of this type, it communicates that you haven't done your homework.

Sales Training Tip #185: What Have You Learned?

2007-06-04T06:45:00.000-07:00

What have you learned this week about the industry you're a part of? If you aren't continually educating yourself, you will soon find that you are no longer being viewed as an industry expert.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Consultative Selling and Negotiating

2007-06-03T09:20:00.000-07:00

Consultative selling often involves negotiating and one of the common skills that both consultative selling and negotiating require is ensuring that you're providing a level of self-confidence to the person you're speaking with. This may sound a little counter-intuitive, but your ability to allow the other person to feel confident in their position will allow you to more quickly reach a successful outcome. To help them feel more self-assured, use their first name when you speak to them. Additionally, compliment them on their comments and use their remarks to shape your responses.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Prospecting and Cold-Call Selling

2007-06-02T12:57:00.000-07:00

Every company needs to have some type of sales development program. It is essential for small businesses, but the idea of having one is often something they can't imagine. Therefore, the end result is that the business remains small because it can't attract enough new customers to grow.

I've seen a number of studies which all say that the number one reason small businesses fail is lack of money. In my opinion, it's a lack of customers. This past week, I had a chance to talk to a networking group comprised of small business owners. My conversation with them confirmed this opinion even more.

Every small business must be committed to spending a percentage of their time and revenue looking for new customers, all while continuing to serve their existing ones. The easiest way for a small business owner to do this is to dedicate the first 45 minutes of every day to doing nothing but prospecting. I believe that if you don't prospect first thing in the morning, you're far less likely to do it any other time of the day. By not designating this to the first part of the work day, you will find yourself challenged for time and making compromises. When this happens, the most likely thing to get cut is prospecting / cold-calling because it's probably the least enjoyable task.

If you are interested in some tips to ensure success in your prospecting, I recently posted a new article on my website and I encourage you to read it. Visit www.TheSalesHunter.com, click "articles", and you'll see it listed towards the bottom.

Sales Training Tip #184: The 3 Letters of Cold Calling

2007-05-29T06:43:00.000-07:00

The 3 letters of cold calling are "C I C". They stand for Client, Industry, Competitors. Make sure you know who the client is, the industry they compete in, and who their competitors are before you call on them.

Video Sales Training Tips

2007-05-28T19:52:00.000-07:00

Sales Training Tips from The Sales Hunter are now available on YouTube. If you're looking for a quick way to gain new sales presentation tips and fresh ideas to help sell more, check them out. More importantly, encourage others to view them! Also, we'd appreciate your comments on YouTube. You can access them by following the link:
http://youtube.com/results?search_query=The+sales+hunter+mark+hunter

Professional Selling Skills Training: What is Consultative Selling?

2007-05-28T19:45:00.000-07:00

Consultative selling is all about developing a solution for the customer that is beyond what they normally would have been thinking about doing. It is not just listening to the customer to find out what they need, nor is it recanting to the customer what they say they need. Consultative selling is all about asking questions and getting the customer to open up in a manner that allows you to put the pieces together and find a solution that not only benefits the customer, but brings value to them.
The best way to determine if you're practicing consultative selling is to ask yourself this simple question: Is the solution I'm providing my customers beyond the scope of what they would have determined as the best one if I was not working with them?

Sales Training Tip #183: Listen With Your Eyes

2007-05-21T08:14:00.000-07:00

Listening begins by giving the customer eye contact. Looking them in the eye communicates that you are attentive to what they are saying.

Sales Training Tip #182: Listen For A Change

2007-05-21T08:13:00.000-07:00

Listen for changes in your customer's voice. A change in their vocal pitch or tone will often come just prior to them either throwing out an objection or agreeing to an offer.

Sales Training Tip #181: Sell the Benefits

2007-05-07T07:12:00.000-07:00

Price is only a factor when you haven't done a good enough of a job selling the benefits. And, if you haven't sold the benefits, you haven't done a good enough of a job listening. There is a direct correlation between the price you get and the listening you do.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Sales Compensation and Sales Commissions

2007-05-01T19:23:00.000-07:00

How do you think a salesperson should be compensated? How important is commission for a salaried employee? Our staff of 4 sells small-ticket food items and we used to have trouble with them competing against our outside sales reps. Our Sales Manager moved them to straight hourly, but I am looking for an incentive.

This is a great question recently submitted by a reader of "Selling Tips From The Sales Hunter." Here's my perspective:

Salespeople who are not compensated based on their level of productivity are not salespeople...they're "order-takers". I'm a firm believer that every person in an organization should have a portion of their pay based on their performance and / or the performance of the entire team or company.

If what the salesperson is compensated is determined by their individual performance, then their commissions / bonus should be approximately 75% of their individual performance plus the remaining based on the overall performance of the team or company. No matter how much a person may believe their sales are their own, it still is important to keep a sense of "team" across the entire company.

If a person is part of a sales team or if what they do is dependent on the activities of a number of other people, then they should be paid approximately 25% based on their performance and 75% based on what the team does.

The total commission should be at least 25% of their total compensation if you expect any kind of behavior impact from the commission. I encourage bonus / commission structures to be in excess of 25% of the total compensation only if management can control sales swings and the base pay will cover basic needs.

Now, a final comment: I am not a big proponent of short-term incentive games unless they are done very, very rarely. Too often, I see sales teams achieve a significant goal based on the ability to earn an incentive trip or some other prize. It's important to ensure you don't have so many incentive programs that people wind up only responding if there is one. When this occurs, all you will have done is increase the cost of doing business without guaranteeing an incremental increase in business.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Selling Tips Being Put to Use

2007-05-01T19:01:00.000-07:00

Each week, I send out a sales tip to help people develop their selling skills and, in turn, I regularly receive emails back from people with their comments on how they're using them. Below is the response I received from a reader in the DFW area. He's done a great job of not just reading the tips, but putting them to use. Special thanks to Bob Lazenby of the Legacy Realty Group for these. Here's just some of what Bob sent me:

"QUESTION or THOUGHT IN A PROSPECT'S MIND: What Makes You Different? In two sentences, can you explicitly define what makes you different from your competition? Great salespeople can!

RESPONSE (TWO SENTENCES): We show clients how to reduce facilities costs by as much as 20% - 30% or more! Would you like to know how we do that?

IF PROSPECT SAYS YES… “Give me a couple of times THIS WEEK or NEXT that we can MEET and I’LL SHOW YOU

AT the MEETING: Theme is… Proactive vs Reactive

OPENING STATEMENT:
Those that have TIME on their side get the BEST DEALS
· PROACTIVE approach;
· In almost all cases they meet or exceed their financial EXPECTATIONS.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of companies address their facility needs on a REACTIVE basis;
· They seldom meet their financial EXPECTATIONS
· Often ends up as a financial disaster. "

Bob has sent me even more examples and I want to thank him for doing so.

A giant plug for Bob and the Legacy Realty Group in the DFW area: If you're looking for commercial property, give Bob a call....www.LegacyRealtyGroup.com.

Thanks, Bob, and all the best to you and your entire team!!

Sales Training Tip #180: Your Response to an RFP

2007-04-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

Never respond to an RFP (Request For Proposal) with a proposal. Rather, show your confidence in your ability to service them by providing a document titled a "plan" or "working agreement". This does not mean you are giving away your "secret sauce recipe." Keep the content the same as you would for an RFP, but merely change the name.

Sales Training Tip #179: What's Changed?

2007-04-23T12:34:00.001-07:00

What's changed about the customer you're currently calling on? If you are unable to determine any of their differences since you last met, then you really haven't taken the time to understand your customer.

Sales Training Tip #178: Stall Tactic

2007-04-23T12:33:00.000-07:00

Next time you stall out in a presentation, try asking, "How can I help you achieve your goals?" Not only will it help you refocus your thoughts, but it will also communicate your desire to see the customer succeed.

Sales Training Tip #177: What Makes You Different?

2007-04-23T12:31:00.000-07:00

In two sentences, can you explicitly define what makes you different from your competition? Great salespeople can.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Selling to Big Companies

2007-04-21T15:22:00.000-07:00

Closing a big sale has never been easy, and when you're trying to close one with a large company, it can be even more difficult. This past week, I shared the stage with a fellow sales professional and I highly recommend her best-selling book to you. Jill Konrath and myself had the opportunity to be part of the Ball State University Sales Symposium. Jill has authored the best-seller, Selling to Big Companies (Kaplan Press). Jump over to Amazon.com and pick up a copy! She does a great job of dispelling a number of myths held by many salespeople about dealing with large companies. Her entire book is based off of her many years of experience being part of a big company and selling to them.

Jill's book is a great compliment to many of the same approaches I've been talking about for years regarding how to increase your closing ratio and, at the same time, increase the size of your average sale. Thanks to Jill for writing such a great book on a key subject!

Sales Training Tip #176: Great Probing Questions

2007-04-02T14:12:00.000-07:00

When you are seeking additional information from a customer, consider asking, "What goals are you trying to achieve?" Once they answer, immediately follow it with, “How are you going to achieve them?” Not only does it help you find out the information you need, but it also communicates your desire to help them be successful.

Professional Selling Skills Training: 15 Tips to Voicemail Survival

2007-03-30T08:23:00.000-07:00

1. If your goal is to get the phone call returned, don’t leave information that would allow the person to make up their mind. Add a call-to-action to your message by providing a key date or something of interest that will encourage the person to return the call. You have to create a reason for them to call you back.

2. Repeat your phone number twice. If the person can’t quickly write your number down, you’ve given them a perfect reason to not call back.

3. Avoid asking ask the person to call you back at a certain time. This provides them with an excuse not to call you.

4. Never state in the message that you will plan to call them back. Again, this only gives the person an excuse to ignore your message.

5. Messages left on a Friday afternoon are the least likely to be returned. For most people, Monday mornings are very busy and, as a result, only high–priority activities will get their immediate attention.

6. Do not leave voicemail messages at odd hours of the night. Most voicemail systems offer a time stamp and the person hearing the message will immediately suspect you really did not want to talk to them.

7. The best hours to leave voicemail messages are from 6:45 AM to 8:00 AM and from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Aggressive people are usually working during these time periods, and the person receiving your message could potentially view you as one.

8. Wisely use time zone changes to make as many calls as possible during the optimal voicemail periods listed in the previous tip.

9. Voicemail messages are an excellent way to introduce yourself to a person. Be personable, yet professional, and link your message to something of interest to the person you are calling (such as another person or event). The recipient may view your message as a waste of time if you have no purpose other than getting your name in front of them.

10. When leaving a message with multiple points, be sure to immediately disclose how many you will be making. This will prevent the recipient from accidentally fast-forwarding or deleting it before it is completely heard.

11. If you can’t say it briefly, don’t say it at all. Voicemail is not “story time”. Leaving a long message is an invitation to have the entire message skipped. The optimal voicemail message is between 8 and 14 seconds.

12. When leaving your phone number, do not leave your website address as well. This will give the person an opportunity to make a decision about you without calling you back.

13. Leave a “PS” at the end of your message. A “PS” is a very quick, additional piece of information that will connect with the person.

14. Mention the person’s first name at least twice in the message, but don’t use their last name. Doing so comes across as very impersonal.

15. Refer to a mutual acquaintance in your message as a way of connecting with the recipient. (Caution: Make sure they think positively of that person!).

Professional Selling Skills Training: "Learn / Teach / Sell” Yourself to More Sales

2007-03-30T08:20:00.000-07:00

Every sales call you make needs to include the “Learn, Teach, Sell” concept. Today’s customer has many options available to them. Rarely are we in a position to sell to a customer something that is so unique and compelling that they have no other choice but to buy from us. To help create a competitive edge in the marketplace, we must find ways to distinguish our selling process from our rival’s.

One of the most effective ways to do this is to use each call to “learn” something about the customer and to “teach” them something about the business. When we take the time to both “learn” from and “teach” the customer something, then we have earned the right to “sell” them. This is a consultative selling approach.

“Learning” something about the customer is absolutely essential if we are going to be in a position to help identify their true needs. Therefore, the questions you ask must allow you to gain information that can be used either in the current call or at a later time with the customer. An example might be finding out from a customer what their financial limits are.

“Teaching” is the way we can help the customer become more qualified in their position and, in turn, make better decisions. Teaching them something should not be centered on the products or services we offer, but on the industry and business practices. The key is to provide them with practical information. By doing so, you will demonstrate that you are interested in helping them be more successful, rather than just selling them something.”

Selling” is the final step. Naturally, we want to sell our products on every call. However, reality reminds us that many times there are objections and other issues that must be overcome before the customer will buy from us. Still, it is essential for us to do on every sales call, whether it is simply selling our integrity, our listening skills, or our personal style.

In the end, we have been successful if we have earned the right, privilege, honor, and respect to call on the customer again. This is best achieved when we’ve taken the time to learn from them and teach them information of benefit.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Selling a Higher Price in a B-B Environment

2007-03-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

Even the most sales savvy among us have had to fight back the nerves that materialize whenever we are faced with telling a customer about a price increase. Talking about it never makes for an easy conversation. When discussing a price increase in a business-to-business environment, it is important to remember that our customers have probably had to have the same discussion with their own customers. A company exists only as long as it earns a profit and it can only do that if it delivers a quality product or service at the right price. This means that the key to any conversation about raising the price is to emphasize that such an increase will ensure product quality.

As you begin to prepare your strategy for communicating a price increase, ask yourself the following questions:
1. Does the customer take your product/service and add a standard percentage increase in price when selling to their customers? If this is the case, you can point out that your customer will make more money by taking a standard percentage of a higher amount.
2. What percentage of the customer’s business is your product/service? If the percentage is small, tell them that the amount of increase is only a small percentage of their total business. If the percentage is great, then you can emphasize that the price increase is necessary to maintain the level of product quality necessary for them to serve their customers.
3. Has the customer faced any other price increases from other vendors? If so, try to identify what some percentages of the other increases have been. If yours falls into the low end, then you can point out how your increase is comparatively smaller than that of many others. If your increase is at the high end, you can either explain how yours is the only one you expect to take or that you wouldn’t be surprised to see others coming back to take another round of price increases.
4. How does the customer view you and the products/services you sell? If you have a quality reputation and record, then you can emphasize that the increase has been carefully thought through and it is only being taken to ensure continued quality. If you have a spotty record with the customer, then you should stress how the price increase will allow you to begin addressing some of the issues in question by allowing you to improve the overall quality of service they have been receiving. Naturally, it is important to make sure all comments are backed with a commitment to follow-through.
5. Will the customer raise an issue with the price increase? Be prepared to show documentation of how your costs have escalated and how other companies are experiencing the same increases. (An example is the increasing cost of oil, which has forced any company that uses petroleum in the manufacturing or transportation of goods to most likely increase prices.) When having this discussion, be sure to show empathy for the customer, but remain firm in what you’re saying. If the customer senses any hesitation on your part, they will likely try to exploit it in the form of a price concession from you. Also, be prepared to share steps that your company has taken in an attempt to avoid a price increase. This can include ways you’ve already cut costs or how the price increase is the only way to maintain the quality and service the customer expects. A final point to emphasize is the time lag between this price increase and the previous increase. Having information available concerning the rate of inflation during that specific time period may also help diffuse the issue.
6. Why does the customer buy from you anyway? Knowing this will allow you to reinforce these points when talking about the price increase. You should also have ready at least two key needs of the customer that your product or service satisfies. Be sure all of your strategic information about the customer is up-to-date before a price increase is announced.
7. How much business is at risk from the customer? We can sometimes get carried away thinking that if we raise prices, we’ll lose the customer, even though this is rarely the case. Think through what steps the customer would have to take to move to another vendor. Many times the work involved in moving is not worth the effort, and thus the business is less at risk than thought.

The following Sales Presentation tips are the best practices to employ when executing a price increase:
1. Give the customer lead-time. Provide the customer with enough notice to allow them to make adjustments in their information systems and to exercise at least one more order at the existing price.
2. Avoid showing favorites. Pricing integrity is always essential, but especially so during a price change. Do not treat particular customers more favorably than others in pricing during an increase. Different pricing levels are fine as long as they can be logically defended so that a customer who is not receiving the price break can understand and accept the price change.
3. Do not allow your customer to find out about a price increase from your invoice. Any changes in pricing must come from the account executive or a person of high position within the company. Information regarding a price change should only appear on an invoice after every person involved has been personally notified. (Sufficient time should occur in the price increase timeline to allow at least one invoice to contain a note of the pending increase in price.)
4. Make sure each customer service representative and anyone else who comes in contact with the customer is fully aware of when the price increase is going to be communicated. One of the most significant possibilities for confusion is when the customer hears conflicting information from different departments. Everyone in customer service needs to be fully aware of the price increase, the reasoning behind it, and the logistics for implementation. They should also be provided with a FAQ guide to ensure that when customers do ask them about elements of the pricing increase, they are able to share accurate information.
5. Believe in the price increase. In order to be paid what you are worth, you must charge what you are worth. Although this is not something that can be explicitly communicated to the customer, this general sense is what sets apart the best practice companies and high-performing sales professionals.
6. Instill an open-phone/open-door policy. Any time a price increase takes place, it is important for all senior executives to be willing to answer a phone call from a customer or to make phone calls to key customers. For successful consultative selling, nothing sends a stronger signal to a sales organization than seeing their senior executives on the front-line when dealing with a price increase.
7. Before and after the price increase, monitor the sales patterns of your individual customers. It is important to quickly catch any changes that occur as a result of the price increase.

During the 1970’s and 1980’s, price increases were common and expected. In the past 10 years, however, we’ve all grown used to lower inflation and the overwhelming impact of Wal-Mart’s philosophy on pricing. Today, price increases are again growing more common and acceptable as long as they are well thought through and not seen as a way to merely increase profits. Because they are an inevitable part of business today, we can’t let ourselves avoid dealing with price increases. Instead, we should seek to use them strategically to increase our selling potential.

Professional Selling Skills Training: The First 30 Minutes of the Day

2007-03-26T13:28:00.000-07:00

The first 30 minutes of the workday will set the tone for the entire day. For most people, the first half hour of the day consists of settling into the office routine by grabbing a cup of coffee, checking the internet, and, of course, chatting with others. Now, I will never be one to say we have to avoid coffee and/or socializing, but I will be the first to say it is advantageous to put these activities aside until later.

One of the ways that top-performing salespeople separate themselves from others is by effectively using the first 30 minutes of the day. It is highly beneficial to your productivity to know exactly what you are going to accomplish during this period. Therefore, you must determine the day before what you intend to do when you first arrive in the morning. For anyone in sales, this means one thing: start the day by making a minimum of three sales calls before you do anything else.

To begin using this strategy, your objective today (and everyday in the future) should be to identify three people you want to call first thing tomorrow morning. There is no better way to start the day than by calling customers. If you are the type of person who arrives in the office early, your phone calls will wind up going straight to voicemail. Great! In fact, using voicemail is an effective way to demonstrate to others that you are a hard working individual and you take your relationships seriously. For those of you who have a large number of clients, this is also a perfect way to personally reach out to them, while not having to wind up in a long, drawn-out telephone conversation.

In addition to beginning the workday more productively, you will also find yourself warmed up to make additional phone calls throughout the day. This will help you overcome a very common problem among anyone in sales: the initial reluctance to make the first call of the day. Many studies have shown that people waste on average 15 minutes each day just getting ready to make that first call. It is ironic to think that you will have made three phone calls in the time it takes the average salesperson to even start making theirs.

An additional benefit of this plan will come when you begin applying this same principle to the first 15 minutes after returning from lunch. Use that time to make three prospecting calls. Again, you will find yourself becoming productive faster and you will be less likely to find yourself at the end of the day looking back to realize that you did not make the phone calls you needed to.

By establishing these habits, you will increase the number of phone calls you make every day from utilizing time that, in the past, was unproductive. Make it part of your routine at the end of each day to identify both the three people you intend to contact the next morning and the three you’ll contact after lunch. Do not fall into the trap of thinking you’ll come up with the names the next day because the chances of you actually contacting those people will fall dramatically.

Sales Training Tip #175: Ask the Right Type of Questions

2007-03-26T13:19:00.001-07:00

You may be good at asking questions, but are you efficient in asking the right type? Open-ended questions should make up 85% of the questions you ask on a sales call. Closed questions should never exceed 15%. These percentages are important in helping you gain the necessary information from your customers and prospects.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Informal Networking

2007-03-25T19:29:00.000-07:00

Networking and being successful in sales go hand in hand. One of the best ways I’ve found to network is by spending time each week in very public places. For me, this means Starbucks and Panera, and not just the ones where I live. I also do this when I’m on the road in major cities. My reasoning stems from my amazement at the number of people I run into and the subsequent business it leads to. I can count numerous deals which I’ve put together for myself and for others based off of chance encounters in public places. However, don’t go expecting to meet people. Rather, go as a way to get some solid thinking time and while you’re out, be prepared to run into your next big opportunity.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Sales Strategies for Tomorrow

2007-03-25T19:25:00.000-07:00

"Who in their right mind would ever need more than 640k of RAM!?" - (Bill Gates, 1981)

With Vista now being rolled out, I couldn’t help but laugh over this comment made by Bill in 1981. Microsoft is now telling everybody that to run Vista, a PC should have 1 gig or RAM. It sure appears Bill Gates was a little off base with his comment in 1981.

We need to keep this in mind when we are developing our sales strategies. The vast majority of people are thinking way too small when they’re creating theirs. Remember, your sales strategies are to reflect the vision of what you expect your business to look like at a future point in time. Our problem lies in our perspective. When you’re developing your sales strategies, take a step back and envision your business far beyond where you’re at today and what you believe to be possible in the next few years. One year ago at this time, I was toying with putting audio on the web. I thought there might be a way for me to market myself to new people using audio or video. In less than a year, this strategy (that I believed would take 5 years to develop) has been achieved. I don’t share this to "toot my own horn", but to encourage you to develop sales strategies that will push you to being far bigger than you ever thought possible.

(Now, I will "toot my own horn". If you haven’t already, check out “The Sales Hunter” on iTunes in the podcast section. You can download in either audio or video formats.)

Professional Selling Skills Training: Selling to Large Companies

2007-03-25T19:22:00.000-07:00

Selling to larger companies will always allow you to sell at a higher price. Small companies make their buying decisions on a far more personal level. The trade-off is that the small company customer will be less likely to stop using you because they are more personally involved. Large companies have a higher cost of entry because it takes longer to penetrate into the customer's buying decision level. Therefore, it's important to make sure you allocate the proper amount of time to be able to close a large customer.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Negotiating and Donald Trump

2007-03-19T19:10:00.000-07:00

I'm watching a television interview (The Big Idea with Donnie Deutsch) where Donald Trump is talking about why he's such a great negotiator. I have to laugh at how he likes to mock those who tell him that they are great negotiators. What's ironic is that he is really mocking himself while making fun of others.

The first rule of negotiating is to never brag about your skills when you do you're telling everyone to be careful when negotiating with you. This is one of the things that made Sam Walton so effective in the early days of setting up Wal-Mart. Sam came across as a soft-spoken person and was able to get the people he was dealing with to lower their guard. Donald Trump, on the other hand, does everything he can to inform others of his excellence in negotiating. Now, I'm not going to knock Donald Trump. He's built a personal franchise that, in a business sense, is successful. However, for me, I will always choose the anti-Donald Trump approach and behave more like Sam Walton.

Sales Training Tip #174: The Perfect Time

2007-03-19T09:08:00.000-07:00

If you’re waiting for the perfect time to make a sales call, you’ll be waiting forever! Right now will always be the perfect time. So - don't delay any longer!

Professional Selling Skills Training: The Sales Call and Sincerity

2007-03-17T19:49:00.000-07:00

I talk a lot about having passion in what you do and in serving your customers. After speaking to a group about having passion in sales earlier this week, a person in the audience mentioned how important it is to also be sincere. Without a doubt, sincerity is essential! I run into a lot of sales people who come across as if they really care when, in reality, they could care less. This is where I believe it can become very difficult for a sales person. You can overcome this by taking the time to determine what are the key drivers for the customer and what their short and long-term objectives are.

It's rather ironic that if a sales person takes the time the time to truly understand the customer, then they not only will be able to be viewed as sincere, but, in the end, they will achieve a higher level of profit with the customer. The more a sales person is able to fulfill the needs and objectives of the customer, the more likely they will be to sell their goods or services at a price that yields a higher margin.

In my book, the sales person who is truly sincere with their customers will achieve a higher level of profit over a longer period of time than one who shows no concern for the real interests of the customer.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Selling With Voicemail

2007-03-13T15:57:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick sales tip regarding voicemail:

If you're going to leave a voicemail message, avoid using a bluetooth device or any other type of headset. I'm amazed at the number of voicemail messages that are extremely hard to hear and/or understand. The vast majority of time, this is due to the use of portable headsets, etc. If you're doing any kind of prospecting through voicemail messages, you're already at a disadvantage because the majority of them will not be returned. So, why make it any harder on yourself? Use a headset when initially making the call, but when you get sent to voicemail, reach for the handset to ensure the message is as clear as possible. (By the way, to the the three of you who left me voicemail messages today, sorry but there's no way I could decipher who you are or what you were trying to sell me.)

Sales Training Tip #173: Be Intriguing

2007-03-12T12:23:00.000-07:00

Does what you say when you introduce yourself to someone beg them to want to know more about you? Consider how you can make them more intrigued when they are formulating their first impression of you.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Trade Show Leads, Closing the Sale

2007-03-09T16:32:00.000-08:00

This past week, I was in Las Vegas for a major trade show called Global Shop (You can read more about it in my Emerging Trends blog). In talking with companies who were displaying there, I ran across a wide range of comments when I asked how they were doing. In the end, the ones who captured my attention were those who said that they would have no idea how good the show was until they turn some of the leads into business. How true! The real work of a trade show is not the show itself, but what takes place after it's over. If you do not follow up with your trade show leads within 72 hours, you've lost the vast majority of opportunities. It's a shame that so many companies spend significant sums of money participating in trade shows only to have their investment fail them because of their lack of follow-up.

Learn how to avoid this pitfall by listeneing to an interview I recently recorded with author Susan Friedman for NARMS Radio. Susan has written the book on how to get the most out of trade shows. You can download the interview from iTunes (keyword: NARMS), by following the link on my homepage (www.thesaleshunter.com), or from www.NARMS.com.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Sales Office Politics

2007-03-03T11:42:00.000-08:00

Selling Tips and Sales Advice Reader Feedback:

Readers of Selling Tips From The Sales Hunter are always sending in questions about sales. I'm not able to reprint most of the questions. However, here is one that I'm sure is of interest to a number of readers:

"I am a top-performing sales person who recently changed companies and in the new organization, I'm having to deal with a lot of office politics arising from lower-level sales people shooting arrows at me. How should I respond?"

Answer:
(Before you read the ideas below, never forget your skill set that got you to where you are or allow yourself to do anything to diminish your selling skills as a way of trying to get other sales people to like you.)

1. First, don't expect to be able to quickly change people's attitudes. Rather, your best approach is to befriend one of the sales people and, as your relationship with them grows, they will convey to others the fact that you're a great person and a team player.

2. Spend as much time as possible away from the office. It's hard for people to shoot arrows at somebody if they don't see them. Don't take this to an extreme and never show up, but pace yourself to be in the office less time than the others.

3. Food / drink: It's amazing how a little food or drink can change another person's opinion. Bring in some doughnuts on occasion or have some candy at your desk. It will often soften things up.

4. Offer to be a sales coach to the newest person in the office. But when you do this, don't allow your ego to get in the way. Rather, convey your skills with an incredible sense of humility. A key thing to keep in mind when coaching somebody is if you have to tell somebody how good you are, you're really not very good. People should know your skills simply through the results you obtain. (Donald Trump never has to tell anyone how rich he is...his problem is he has an ego.)

5. In sales meetings, avoid dominating any discussions. Take a more quiet approach and when asked your opinion, answer humbly by stating something like, "Well, an idea that may work might be something like....."

6. Become a cheerleader to the office. Anytime somebody else in the office does something, be sure to compliment them and ask them how they did it. If they're looking at you as a super sales person and you take the time to ask them how they did something, it will elevate their thinking about themselves. (The key is to bring the others up to you, rather than you dropping down to them.)

Sales Training Tip #172: The Key To It All!

2007-03-02T12:58:00.000-08:00

Remember: people buy solutions, not products! Frame your questions around how the customer will either use your product or how they can see your product or service helping them achieve their goals.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Voice Mail Messages

2007-02-24T10:26:00.000-08:00

Selling yourself via voice mail is difficult in any circumstance. In response to several requests from readers, here is my perspective:

First, accept the fact that very few voice mail calls will be returned if you don't have a relationship with them. This means that the voice mail message you leave will wind up being only the first part of your sales process.

Secondly, never leave any more information than you need to. The more information you leave, the less likely the person will call you back. People use voice mail messages as a screening tool, so if you leave too much they will use it to validate in their mind why they don't need you. Keep your message concise by providing only your name, phone number, and a very short statement. You are opening the door for you to contact them again under the premise that the first voice mail call is probably not going to be returned.

The exception: If you're dealing with an opportunity that has a very low chance of ever coming to pass, then go ahead and leave them a lot of information (enough to disqualify you). With this strategy, they'll only return your call if they truly do have a reason for doing business with you. Keep in mind that this should only be undertaken if you have the ability to leave thousands of voice mail messages and you don't care how poorly people view your name and company. In other words: keep your messages short and be sure to repeat your phone number slowly, saying it at least twice.

Sales Training Tip #171: Help Them Describe Their Problem

2007-02-23T08:08:00.000-08:00

The key to understanding how much you can be of benefit to a customer is to ask questions that allow them to quantifiably describe their problem to you. When they are able to explain the size of their problem in dollars, you've hit a home run.

Sales Training Tip #170: Analyzing Fear

2007-02-22T14:42:00.000-08:00

The level of a customer's fear drives more sales and loses more sales than any other single factor. What are you doing in your sales process to decrease your customer's fear? What are you subconsciously doing that may increase a customer’s fear?

Professional Selling Skills Training: Better Questions to Close More Sales

2007-02-17T16:45:00.001-08:00

You will close more sales when you ask better questions. To help with this on-going problem, I've created a spreadsheet designed to help you develop better questions. You can download it from my website: www.TheSalesHunter.com. Scroll to the bottom of the home page to find the links. By following the instructions to complete the spreadsheet and using the process for two weeks, I guarantee you will improve your closing ratio. Please use this blog to let me know your results. Also, if you have any questions about how to use it, feel free to email me or pose your question on this blog. For additional ideas on how to use it, I encourage you to download the free audio from iTunes (keyword: The Sales Hunter).

Professional Selling Skills Training: Lessons From NASCAR

2007-02-16T19:03:00.000-08:00

The start of the NASCAR season is just days away with the biggest event of them all: the Daytona 500. This past week, we've watched several teams be penalized for trying to cheat. Then today, some of the drivers explained how you have to cheat if you expect to win. Too many times in sales, I hear the same thing about how you have to hedge the numbers or not tell the full story to win the sale. Why is it so difficult for us to realize that sales is a long-term event and we'll never create long-term customers if we make false statements to win a short-term sale?

Far more long-term profit will be made from customers who continually buy from us and, even better, refer us to others based on our integrity.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Phone Calls "vs" Advertising

2007-02-14T09:42:00.000-08:00

Never allow yourself to be fooled into thinking your marketing efforts are so good that you don't need to make phone calls. Marketing or advertising might be very good at reaching a broad market, but 9 times out of 10 it still takes the phone call to get the person to move. If you're not following up on your advertising or marketing efforts with phone calls, then you're wasting your money on advertising. In fact, I'm a strong proponent of ensuring that you're making the right number of phone calls before you start looking at spending time and money developing an advertising program.

Sales Training Tip # 169: 4 Keys To Understanding Your Sales Process

2007-02-08T11:55:00.000-08:00

How much does it cost to get a lead?
How many leads become customers?
How much do you make on the first sale?
How much long-term profit do you make from a customer?

Sales Training Tip #168: Are You Curious?

2007-02-05T13:38:00.001-08:00

Great sales people have a sense of curiosity about their customers, their prospects, and their industry. How curious are you?

Professional Selling Skills Training: Have You Heard the Latest Podcasts?

2007-01-29T11:53:00.000-08:00

The following audios were recently posted on iTunes. You can access them through our website (www.TheSalesHunter.com) or by doing a search of "The Sales Hunter" in the iTunes podcast category. Check them out for more information!

Sell the Future: Don't sell what your product is. Rather, sell what your product can be.
Prospecting for Big and Small: Close more sales by focusing your efforts on a cross-section of prospects.
Weekly Improvement: Improve your selling skills every week throughout the year.

Sales Training Tip #167: Respect the Gatekeeper

2007-01-27T15:03:00.000-08:00

Always treat the gatekeeper in the same manner and with the same level of respect you will use with the person you are desiring to meet. The gatekeeper is analyzing your demeanor and approach with them to determine if you’re worthy of meeting with the person they’re working to keep people away from.

Sales Training Tip #166: Great Probing Questions

2007-01-23T18:38:00.000-08:00

Some examples of great probing questions are:

What goals are you trying to achieve?
How are you going to achieve them?

Professional Selling Skills Training: What is the Best Way to Begin a Cold Call Sales Pitch Over the Phone?

2007-01-20T21:17:00.000-08:00

Why spend time making a cold call when you can make warm calls instead? Avoid cold calls altogether by using the following strategy. When making the call, you need to first identify why the customer would be interested in you. In addition, your second goal should not be to close the sale, but to be able to earn the right, privilege, and opportunity to continue the discussion with the prospect.

It’s important to keep in mind that you're talking to a prospect. When you’re making a cold call, don’t view the other person as a customer. Customers are those who have provided you with information that is not normally known by others. Prospects are those with whom you have not been able to develop a detailed dialogue with and, as such, they have not provided you with some key information.

When making the call, keep in mind that you have only 10 seconds to convey your passion and interest in desiring to serve the person on the other end. Begin by addressing them by their first name only. Using the person’s last name makes the call more formal. Second, state your name clearly. Don’t waste time by giving the person your title or company name, unless it is compelling enough to generate their interest. Next, you should make a single statement that both serves as a compliment to the person and peaks their interest. An example of this might be: “You’re fortunate to be employed by one of top 100 companies to work for in America and the reason I'm calling is that I assist companies in making sure they stay ranked there.” You would then follow it by saying, "May I ask you a question?" If the prospect doesn’t allow you to do so, ask if there might be another time when they would have 3-5 minutes. This communicates that you're not looking for a lot of time. Often, the person will ask you to continue right then. If they don’t and won’t give you another time, finish the call and move on. Always avoid getting sucked into the trap of allowing the prospect to drive the outcome with a response like: “I don’t have time right now, but go ahead and send me some information.” This of course is the kiss of death!

When the customer allows you to ask your first question, keep in mind that it must be short and open, while, at the same time, beginning to convey your expertise. An example might be: “We often work with companies like yours that know the value of being a great place to be employed because they understand what it takes to be great. What are you currently doing to help your sales people be more productive?" A follow up comment might be: “Lately, I’ve been talking to a number of buyers who have shared with me some concerning information and I’m struggling in know if it’s accurate. May I share with you a couple of their comments?” Keep in mind, I’ve only made two comments / questions and, as a result, I will most likely be able to either keep the conversation going or will have earned the right and privilege to contact the person again. Either way, the cold call has been successful since I’ve achieved my goal of being able to continue the dialogue.

Voicemail, of course, is where the vast majority of phone calls wind up. When making the first call to a prospect, if you are connected to voicemail, do not leave a message. The chances of getting it returned is extremely low unless you’re a doctor, attorney, or banker. You should only leave a message on the third attempt, assuming you’ve varied the time of day and day of the week when you’ve made the other two calls. (The best time to prospect call is from 7:30 – 8:30 AM and the best month is late in December.) When you leave a message, don't give enough information to allow the prospect to rule out why they don’t need you. Your message should be upbeat and enthusiastic. In no more than 12 seconds, you need to leave your name, phone number (slowly), and one interesting comment to get them to remember you. An example I might use would be: “Hi, I’m Mark Hunter, The Sales Hunter, and I’m calling you to compliment you on being named as one of the best companies to work for in America. You can reach me at 402-445-2110.” Notice I didn’t try and sell anything. All I did was let them know who I am and compliment them. I have also accepted the fact that the customer will probably not return the call, but the compliment I left will serve to make them more receptive to me the next time I contact them.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Why Buy Now?

2007-01-18T19:36:00.000-08:00

Each day we're faced with far more demands for our time, and all of us have to make decisions as to how to allocate it. With this in mind, do we know how to leverage time to our advantage when making a sales call? More importantly, do we know how to use time to our advantage when closing the deal? In both instances, we have to make sure the customer understands why it is important to buy right now.

Every sales call must create a need for the customer to realize how much time they will lose if they don't buy today. This does not mean every close comes with a discount if they buy by a certain date. Rather, it means that we must seek to help them understand how they will be making better use of their time if they buy now. When the customer understands the value of time and how much their own time is worth, then they will be far more likely to make a decision right away.

Many salespeople spend too much time with people who are not driven to make a decision. In the end, they wind up making a lot of sales calls with not a lot to show for it.

Sales Training Tip #165: You’re The Expert

2007-01-13T13:38:00.001-08:00

Never forget that you are an expert, not because of what you sell but because of how you sell. You play a very important role to your customers and that includes listening to what they have to say. Be an expert of your industry in general and your customers in particular.

Sales Training Tip #164: Defining Failure

2007-01-09T14:24:00.001-08:00

Is failure a set level, or is it a level we set on ourselves? Failure is not a word. It’s a state of mind. Are you setting yourself up for failure in 2007?

Sales Training Tip #163: Defining Success

2007-01-02T12:30:00.000-08:00

Success is not measured by what you do. It is measured by what you do with what you are given. Never allow the appearance of having a bad territory, bad marketing materials, etc., ever stand in your way. Consider where you might need an attitude adjustment so that you can be more successful in 2007.

Sales Training Tip #162: Goal Setting

2006-12-27T08:52:00.000-08:00

Congratulations on reading this during a week when many people are on vacation. Take some time to reflect on the goals you’ve set for next year and determine now how and what you’ll need to do to make your goals a reality in 2007.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Holday Selling

2006-12-25T13:41:00.000-08:00

I'm amazed at the number of sales people who fail to take advantage of the Christmas season (or any holiday period) to jump ahead. I run into people all the time who tell me that they take it easy around any holiday period because, in their minds, people don't want to be bugged. That is the farthest thing from the truth! The best example I know is something I experienced as a new sales person. Being a novice and not having been brain-washed by veterans, I believed every workday was a great day to sell. The day after Christmas promptly at 8 AM I walked into a new account I was trying to land. Needless to say, the customer was shocked and stunned I was there. Over time, the account wound up being a great one for me. On numerous occasions, the buyer said it was a result of me walking in promptly on December 26 because it showed him I could be counted on.

Sales Training Tip #161: Listen For Facts Twice

2006-12-18T06:55:00.000-08:00

When you hear a customer say something, don’t immediately jump to conclusions. Many times, they’re making comments that are nothing more than distractions. Only when a customer says something twice should you begin to accept it as a valid fact.

Sales Training Tip #160: Cell Phone Numbers

2006-12-11T06:18:00.000-08:00

Make sure your business cards have your cell phone number on them. Giving out that number communicates that you’re ready to do business anytime.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Selling With No Excuses Attached

2006-12-07T23:46:00.000-08:00

Sales is all about customer service and customer service is all about helping the customer. Some companies don't get it when they think they're giving quality customer service. In reality, all they're doing is giving long drawn-out excuses. Instead of providing your customer with excuses as to why you can't do something, think outside the box and provide them with solutions. Remember, Abraham Lincoln's most famous speech was probably his shortest...The Gettysburg Address. Rambling on about why you can't do something will be perceived by the customer as you won't. Find a way to make it happen!

Sales Training Tip #159: What’s On Your Screen Saver?

2006-12-05T14:01:00.000-08:00

Have you ever encountered a salesperson using their PC to make a presentation when it suddenly goes sour because an inappropriate screen saver pops up? If you have, then you know why you must be very careful with what you have on your PC, especially when a customer may see it.

Professional Selling Skills Training: The Importance of Passion

2006-12-04T19:08:00.000-08:00

Passion is the missing ingredient for a whole lot of failed sales calls. It's amazing how many times I receive phone calls or e-mails from sales people complaining about how they can't close enough sales. The single biggest reason continues to be a complete lack of passion, not for the company the sales person works for, but for helping the customer succeed. In the long run, the best sales person will always be the one who passionately cares about the success of their customer.

Sales Training Tip #158: Passion Sells

2006-11-27T12:32:00.000-08:00

It’s amazing how a person’s passion comes through in a sales call. Consider how a person’s “blah personality” can minimize even the best presentation. If you don’t have passion to serve the customer, you shouldn’t be selling.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Attitude Makes the Sale

2006-11-25T09:35:00.000-08:00

Based on your attitude, do you close sales or lose? Every week, I encounter sales people who are clearly losing sales because they fail to have an attitude that is both positive and timely. A positive attitude is self-explanatory. A timely attitude is one that encourages people to get things done now, not later. There are way too many people who have positive attitudes, but lack the drive to win. Take a moment to evaluate your attitude. Is it both positive and timely?

Sales Training Tip #157: Keep Prospect Names Handy

2006-11-21T07:32:00.000-08:00

Always have the names and phone numbers of prospects handy for when you have a few extra minutes during the day. By doing so, you can use the "unexpected" time more effectively.

Sales Training Tip #156: Email and Your Phone Number

2006-11-18T10:29:00.000-08:00

Make it easy for people to contact you. Be sure to conclude all emails with your name, phone number, and cell number.

Professional Selling Skills Training: The Curse of Distractions

2006-11-14T05:09:00.000-08:00

This past week, I encountered a sales person with a great track record of being able to get the job done. However, because of their willingness to get sucked into the mire of issues they can't control, they are now struggling. They are allowing their energy to be consumed by discussing and thinking about things that are occurring within their company and it’s taking away the energy they previously used to sell. Top performing sales people stay top performing sales people because they don’t allow distractions to get in their way. Take a look at what you’re worrying about and what you’re working on. Determine if it’s really something you can change or if it’s something that really impacts your ability to sell. Chances are there is at least another 15% of potential time and effort available to you by not allowing yourself to be distracted by the things you can’t control. How much more would you be able to sell if you had 3 more selling days each month?

Professional Selling Skills Training: Holiday Gifts

2006-11-08T07:19:00.000-08:00

It’s the time of year for me to rant and rave about excessive holiday gifts! There’s nothing wrong with giving somebody a gift of appreciation for their business. However, what upsets me is when a sales person gives a gift that is excessive in value or taste to what the customer is used to receiving or may expect. There’s no need to feed the frenzy of trying to "out-do" everyone else in terms of the monetary value. Remember, the real value of your gift is in the meaning behind it - a true appreciation for their business.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Customer Service is Sales Service

2006-11-08T07:17:00.000-08:00

Providing great customer service is something we all talk about, yet I am shocked at the number of times I encounter sales people who fail to demonstrate it during the sales process. I often see them only giving great service as long as the sales process is moving along. Then, as soon as they encounter a roadblock from the customer, they shut down. Many sales are made, and more importantly, many great long-term relationships emerge when the customer has the chance to really see what the sales person is made out of. There’s no better way to demonstrate this than by continuing to exhibit a high-level of service, even when the sales call has stalled. Yes, it takes time, but nobody ever said sales would be easy or quick.

Sales Training Tip #155: Allocate Your Time By Size

2006-11-07T05:02:00.000-08:00

Make sure you’re allocating your day based on the size of the sales opportunity, not on the individual demands of a customer or prospect. It’s too easy to get caught up doing activities that might be very important but, ultimately, bring you little, if any, sales.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Respecting the Current Customer

2006-11-02T07:31:00.000-08:00

What is the right balance between giving the customer what they want and what you believe they will want? This is a question that has hit the ever-popular website “Facebook” (a MySpace website geared towards college students). Facebook added a new feature called “news feed” which tracks the movements of users. Needless to say, their user base was not broadly consulted on this before it was implemented and now they’re upset. So, here’s the question: what is the right way to implement a product improvement to your existing customer base?