The Selling Newsletter
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SALES QUOTE
"That wasn’t as bad as I thought."
– US Airways Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger after landing in the Hudson River after both engines of his Airbus A320 lost power
Are you procrastinating? Do you have a million reasons why you are unable to prospect, make telephone calls, make sales calls, write reports, and other sales related functions? I find that too many salespeople spend so much energy making excuses when they should be putting that same effort into simply doing some part of the tasks they should be doing. Take prospecting for example. Instead of facing your fear that someone might not want to talk with you, you can prospect in other easier ways. Your existing clients know you and like you. (You are demonstrating your value to them, aren’t you? They like salespeople who do that and they continue to buy when they understand the value.) When your customers like you they are more likely to recommend you. They might not think of recommending you spontaneously. You have to ask. When you ask specifically for the types of referrals you want (size of company, job title of person, years in business or other specific criteria) you make it easier for a client to refer you to new business. That’s a great way to prospect. So instead of dreading prospecting, make the process easier. After you do, you may find what Sully did. It wasn’t as bad as you thought.
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THE BLOG S AND OTHER COLUMNS
I’m now writing The Real Deal, a column on women in business for Allbusiness.com
Here’s a recent column:
Do You Need A Gender Translation?
Have you ever been conflicted trying to make a business decision? No matter how many times you look at the issue, it is unclear to you what to do. I recently went through some protracted negotiations with a male client for work on a new project. We went back and forth with proposal and counter proposal. I was going to walk away from the deal because I couldn’t decide what to do. I finally got my answer. I needed a gender translation.
I’m also a Sales Coach for Allbusiness.com
Here’s a recent column:
Less than 100
As I left for school each morning, my mother would say goodbye to me. If I were having an exam that day she would add, “And don’t come home with less than 100.” Does that sound kind of harsh in today’s environment of warm and fuzzy self-esteem and self-expression? It didn’t to me. It was the beginning of my sales training.
I’m now a guest columnist for the Dallas Business Journal. My column is called “Customer Connections.” I’ll be answering readers’ questions about selling. Do you have any selling questions? Send them to info@bestatselling.com
What’s sales tip has helped you be even more successful in sales?
Send your helpful tip to tip@bestatselling.com
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The Selling Ideas for this Month
Lessons Learned
Anderson, Enron, Tyco.What comes to your mind when you hear these company names? It’s probably something negative, which is different than what you would have thought just a few years ago. It’s almost incredible that the actions of just a few people can cause such a huge impact on so many people in so little time. What we see today from the dishonesty of some people is that huge companies no longer exist and so many people’s lives and careers are forever changed.As you think about the tragedy of these once great companies, you can think about what it means for your selling.
It’s there. If you think dishonesty is limited to the executive boardroom, you had better think again. I worked with a junior salesman who told me about a joint call he had made with a senior salesman. During the sales call they were talking about a proposal for a project for the customer.The customer was compiling a file containing the competitive information he was using to make a decision. The file was on his desk. The customer left the office leaving the two salespeople alone.The senior salesperson quickly got up, opened the file and scanned the contents to learn the competitive pricing.The other salesperson sat stunned, frozen in his chair.
What’s your litmus test? It’s clear to most people that looking through the confidential materials of another person without their permission is unethical and beyond the boundaries of acceptable behavior. Have you thought about the boundaries of your acceptable behavior? Have you thought about how you accurately represent the products and services you sell?Some salespeople think it’s acceptable to sell something they don’t really have and can’t produce. Of course, this is not acceptable. Define your boundaries now when you are not facing the situations. The junior salesman was stunned and so he didn’t react. Had he thought about what was or was not acceptable to him, he could have responded with the demand to stop the other salesman. He also could have left the office. If the customer had returned to his office unexpectedly, both salesmen would have been removed from the office and both would have lost the opportunity to do business with that customer.
What do you need from others?Salespeople tend to be competitive people. They want to win. Some want to win at all costs. Winning ethically is completely different from winning through the ethical lapses of greed and laziness. Selling can be a fast moving process requiring the skills of good project management. Salespeople must correctly anticipate the time needed to obtain approval signatures and other necessary information to bring credibility to customers and move deals forward. If you do, you can avoid being faced with the dilemma of a missed deadline and a lost deal because of missing approvals or data. I’ve heard of salespeople negotiating deals and misrepresenting their approval authorities because they didn’t want to take the time to get the approvals they needed. They also expected to get the approvals later. Gambling like that is dangerous for your career and relationship with your manager.
What were they thinking? Selling is a thoughtful process. Salespeople develop strategies to get new business and keep their existing business. Part of strategic thinking is understanding best and worst case scenarios. The Andersen, Enron and Tyco managers clearly weren’t thinking of the down side of their efforts Salespeople who forget about the down side of their actions will have the opportunity to think about it if their ethics lapses come to light.
Yes, selling is hard.It’s also much harder to recover from the disasters you create when you sell dishonestly. I’d say it’s almost impossible to recover. Look at Enron and Anderson. They’re both gone. Is this what you want for your business? There always will be opportunities for dishonesty. When there is, just remember what you think of Anderson, Enron and Tyco.Then remember two of them are gone.
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Action Items
1. What part of your sales process challenges your ability to maintain honesty and integrity with customers?
2. What can you do now to minimize or reduce those challenges so you are more likely to avoid the problems they create?
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Programs
When: July 1, July 2
9AM-11AM
Where: Small Business Development Center
4800 West Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
What: Master Selling Series
For more information: 972-985-3749 or
972-985-3758
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When: July 17
11.30 AM- 1:30 PM
Where: Small Business Development Center
4800 West Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
What: 7 Habits for Success In Business
For more information: 972-985-3749 or
972-985-3758
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When: July 24
11.30 AM- 1:30 PM
Where: Small Business Development Center
4800 West Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
What: Power Persuasion
For more information: 972-985-3749 or
972-985-3758
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When: September 4, 11, 18, 25
11.30 AM- 1:30 PM
Where: Small Business Development Center
4800 West Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
What: Master Selling Series
For more information: 972-985-3749 or
972-985-3758
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Here are some selling tools to help you sell more now. Click on the photo to find out more!
Sales Quotes: A book that has quick ideas for you to be more successful in sales.
Real-World Selling: A book with selling skills and strategies that work in the real world of sales.
Secrets of Persuasion: Audio CD for the clues to use to speed-read people and close more business.