The Selling Quote for the Month
“I will play Stockhausen only on two conditions. One, there will be no rehearsal and two, the performance is conducted at gunpoint.”
–Flautist James Galway on his contempt for avant-garde composers
For Salespeople…
Galway is pretty clear on what he doesn’t want to do. I see a lot of salespeople who lack that same clarity for what they shouldn’t do. They are unclear about which prospects are worth their time–and most important which ones are not. That knowing what not to do frees your time. You’re not wasting it on low probability prospects. Take the time now to identify who your best customers are. Find more prospects like your best prospects. After all, they’re the ones most likely to buy from you.
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The Selling Ideas for this Month
Help a Customer to Buy
You may have worked with customers who needed some help if they were going to buy from you. They were overwhelmed and didn’t have the confidence to make a buying decision. Even if your customer is strong enough to decide, part of your selling strategy should include helping your customers to buy.
Create the opportunity. One of the most important questions to ask a prospect is how they’re going to make a buying decision. Whether you hear “I’m going to get three bids,” or a specific list of options they’re looking for, you have an opportunity to influence how they buy. Unless you ask the question, you will be unable to introduce your buying criteria to your prospect. You have a great sales opportunity if your customer is unable to articulate how they’re going to make their buying decision or even start the buying process with going out for bids. Why? If they have no ideas on what to do, you get to suggest them. No matter what you hear, be ready to offer your suggestions on what should be their buying criteria.
Tell them what to look for. When you offer buying criteria, you have to be careful that you don’t appear to be attacking your competition. You don’t want to say, “Competitor X uses inferior materials. Stay away from him.” That may be true. Instead, start the conversation with a comment, “Well, I don’t know who you’re contacting. So, you might want to know about some of the things that I’ve come across in the market.” Let’s say you sell a system that is more expensive than your competition. It’s made from superior components and outperforms the competition. Getting the business on price is going to be a problem if that’s all your customer is going to be looking for.
Start educating your customer about the effects on performance of a system composed of different materials. You might say, “Well, I do know that some competitors use plastic components. While they do cost less, the pipes often crack. So if you’re looking for a system with a longer life without higher maintenance costs, you should be looking for a system with nylon 12 tubing. That will cost you a lot less over the long term.” Offer as many suggestions as you can which distinguish you from your competition. You don’t have to mention a competitor’s name. You certainly can point out your strengths and a competitor’s deficiencies. Just make sure the customer understands how the differences impact his operation, his job or total cost of ownership.
Don’t offer so many choices. When you do submit your bid, if that’s what you’re forced to do, offer no more than three options. Too many options can immobilize a customer. Customers can compare a low, medium and high offer. They can select which one appeals to them. If you only offer one option, it’s difficult to compare. That paralyzes some people as they can’t get context for what the offering is worth.
My definition of selling is helping a customer make a great buying decision. Sometimes that’s exactly what you’re doing in sales.
Best wishes for your selling success!
Action Items
1. What decisionmaking criteria can you offer that make your offering the preferred one?
2. What 3 offers can you make as you sell?
Did You Know?
Here’s a tip this week for your sales success.
So I never assume, here’s a brief list of services I offer.
A. Consulting/Coaching/Mentoring
By hour or by project.
- Plan sales call strategies
- Develop effective proposals that prevent “low price” shoppers from picking your competiton
- Reduce the stress of working for a difficult manager
- Shorten the time for a new hire to be productive
- Design customized selling tablet app
- New ideas to sell more
- Develop questioning strategy to shorten your sales cycle and increase sales
- 90 Day Performance Plan for new sales hires to be productive faster and increase retentionFor info, please see Consulting/Coaching.Call 972 380 0200 for a free initial consultation.
B. Speaking at Sales Meetings to Improve Sales Performance
Present Sales Performance improvement programs at sales meetings and conferences
RECOMMENDED IF:
- Your salespeople lose proposals based on price.
- You have underperforming salespeople.
- Your salespeople have too many deals that they say are closing and they don’t close.
Upcoming Programs
Visit Best@Selling to see upcoming programs.
Sell More Now Programs: Selling Strategies to Sell More Now!Your successful selling is more than talking and listening. It’s developing the strategy to get in front of the right customers the easiest and most effective ways. This thoughtful, strategic approach to your selling will shorten your sales cycle and increase the profitability of your business. You will learn to develop your successful selling strategies in this one-hour (approximate) program.
You will learn to make strategic decisions that help your customers make a buying decision and see you as the preferred supplier. Your strategy work continues as you demonstrate why they should continue to buy from you. This program will guide you to formulate your sales strategies so you get in front of the right customers, help them make buying decisions faster, and create long-term business relationships.
You will learn:
1. How to get customers to quickly understand that you are the preferred supplier.
2. How to identify the customers you can best serve.
3. How to get customers to come to you.
4. How to avoid wasting time on the wrong prospects.
5. How to be perceived as an expert so customers quickly trust you.
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You Can Still Learn!
Did you miss the webinars to help you sell more. View them now!
| On-Line Webinar: Would Have Liked to Know That!: A Salesman’s Guide To Sales Success If you’re new to sales or thinking about a career in sales, you will want to avoid the setbacks and obstacles that might be part of your career. Selling is a fulfilling yet challenging job. You can learn to maintain the selling attitude you need to thrive. You will learn to focus on the skill that’s most important to sales success (and it’s probably not the one you think.) You will identify the strategies to implement that will lead to your sales success. |
On-Line Webinar: Secrets of Persuasion to Sell More Now
Sales professionals who use persuasion and influence get better results in business. This seminar will teach you to identify the behavioral clues you need to effectively
persuade others. You will learn what the clues mean and how to use them with customers to shorten your sales cycle. You will increase your sales when you have the tools to persuade.
Do you need to increase your sales? Why not consider sales coaching? Are you looking for proven strategies to sell more?
Contact Maura@Bestatselling.com or 972 380 0200. Free 15 minute consultation to determine if this program is for you.
“You have also taught me a great questioning strategy for every account. I can now get past price and get deeper into a business than before. This has not only given me more confidence when I walk into a prospect, but it has shortened my sales cycle. This has been my biggest goal throughout our working together.”
Jordan Dale
Account Manager
Western Marketing, Inc
“Maura has proivided the expertise to retool our entire sales process. She has single handedly created the sales side of the cutting edge technological sales tools we are implementing at this moment. She has been invaluable.”
Charles Read
President
Custom Payroll Associates Inc.