SALES QUOTE
"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."
-Ken Olson , Chairman DEC, 1977
For Salespeople…
Selling requires making many decisions. We all make decisions differently. Some people decide based on facts and others decide based on opinions. There are going to be times in sales when you have to go with your gut. In all cases, if you’re making a business decision, when your gut is telling you something— listen. The experts are sometimes wrong.
Sales Tip: Keep a journal of your gut reactions to see how often you’re right. You will build confidence in trusting yourself.
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I’m now writing The Real Deal, a column on women in business for Allbusiness.com Hope you’ll read more ideas so you can achieve your success in business.
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THE SELLING IDEAS FOR THE MONTH
Ernest Hemingway once said, “I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.” It seems that some salespeople are like most people.
What do you want to know? Ray Carlin is the Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Retalix USA. Retalix is a global provider of enterprise software for retailers and distributors. Carlin got his start in sales and rose to senior management at NCR, the company where modern selling began.
He has worked with thousands of sales professionals over the years. Carlin has seen what works—and what doesn’t. What’s a big sales blunder? Poor listening. He’s seen customers ask questions and salespeople won’t even make sure they are answering the right question. Even simple requests like “Tell me about yourself” get misunderstood.
Carlin listened as a customer wanted to know a salesperson’s experience in his industry. Instead of telling his industry experience, the salesperson gave a long winded dissertation of his entire career. The customer rolled his eyes. A simple response, “What would you like to know?” would have uncovered what the customer wanted to hear.
Similarly, another customer had concerns that Carlin’s product would not work with changes in the customer’s system. The salesman gave a detailed explanation of how computer chips work. The customer replied, “I don’t care about Intel or Motorola. I want to know how to get customers through my checkout lines.” He was simply asking for confirmation, not a detailed explanation.
Listen for the future. Carlin says listening can help salespeople to sell for today and for tomorrow. Carlin goes to customer meetings prepared to address current concerns and listen for future concerns. That’s how he learned of a new customer requirement. Two different customers in different parts of the country talked about their interest in being able to process gift cards. By listening to these customers, he was able to uncover an unmet need which his company could then address with a new product.
Listening to customers helps create relationships as well as sales opportunities. One of Carlin’s managers called it selling when customers are not buying. Here’s what he did. He would maintain contact with his customers after they were sold. The customer would hold wrap up meetings with the manager’s implementation team. The manager made sure to attend these meetings. That’s where he would learn what the customer’s next project would be. The next project would become the customer’s concern. Carlin’s manager got advance knowledge of their future challenges and needs—and his future sales opportunities.
What do you need to ask? Other times, talking gets salespeople in trouble. Salespeople are not asking questions. Carlin watched a salesperson offer extended payment terms to a customer before he asked what the customer’s needs were. As a result the salesman offered terms that were far better than the customer needed and it cost his company money.
Other times salespeople are not asking the right questions. Asking if someone is the decision maker is the wrong question. Carlin says, “Many decision makers will consult with other people even though they have the authority to make the decision.” If salespeople miss locating the influencers through questioning, they’ve missed an opportunity to influence the buying decision. Carlin has seen salespeople think they know the decision making process only to find out that they don’t.
Hemingway was a talented, prolific writer. He won a Pulitzer and a Nobel Prize. His listening served him well as a source for his work. When you listen well, you may not write award winning novels, but you will write more sales contracts.
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Action Items
1. Focus on your listening at your next sales call. Listen for opportunities to ask clarification questions.
2. Look for opportunities to “sell when your customer isn’t buying.” Are there internal meetings you could attend and lend your expertise?
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What: Secrets of Persuasion
When: June 24 2010
8:30 AM- 11.30 AM
Where: TEXO, 11111Stemmons Freeway, Dallas
For more information: 972-647-0697
What: Master Selling:
Persuasion Strategies, Strategic Questions, Laser Listening, Optional: Strategy/ Territory Management
Build your sales skills foundation to sell more now.
When: Thursday July 29, 2010, August 5, 2010. August 12, 2010, August 19, 2010
11.30 AM- 1:30 PM
Where: Small Business Development Center
4800 West Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
For more information: 972-985-3749 or 972-985-3758
What: Effective Meetings
Run a meeting where people show up on time and participate to produce results.
When: Friday July 30, 2010
11.30 AM- 1:30 PM
Where: Small Business Development Center
4800 West Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
For more information: 972-985-3749 or 972-985-3758
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DID YOU KNOW?
A study published in the July/August 2008 issue of the Journal of Business Strategy suggests that mergers and acquisitions destroy leadership continuity in target companies’ top management teams for at least a decade following a deal. The study found that target companies lose 21 percent of their executives each year for at least 10 years following an acquisition – more than double the turnover experienced in non-merged firms.
For Salespeople: People who leave companies open the door for new ones to come on board. New managers come with their own contacts, business experience and supplier loyalty. They have the ability to make changes. Be ready!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 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.