The Selling Newsletter
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The Selling Quote for the Month
“Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.”
Aldous Huxley, writer
I can think of no better advice for sales professionals. I recently spoke with a client to develop a sales strategy for a prospect. This was a prospect who had agreed to buy, promised a check and then didn’t send it. He then promised it again and did nothing. You’re probably thinking that this customer is a deadbeat. I sure was. My client wasn’t.His numbers were down and he needed the sale. I told my client that with two broken promises, I would give the sale a 20% chance of survival. That’s dealing with the facts.
Do you ignore the facts of your selling? If you do then you are kidding yourself. Here are some painful facts: Customers who don’t return phone calls are not interested in your products—or at least not now. Customers who want to buy a Cadillac and pay for it with Yugo dollars cannot be good customers. It’s time to face the facts of your sales especially if you want to realistically make your goals.Good selling!
P.S. I did advise my client to talk to his customer and find out why the check wasn’t sent. He had to find out what’s going on. He did and it actually turned out all right. The customer was waiting on critical bank funding. Without it, the company would cease to exist. My 20% would have been optimistic! With the funding, the company sent the check.
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THE BLOG S AND OTHER COLUMNS
I’m now writing a blog for Allbusiness.com . Here’s the home page for The Real Deal, Success for Women in Business
This is a recent column:
Keep the Gas Tank Full at Work
Do you work hard? Are you the type that never takes vacation? Please don’t do that. Is your Blackberry always on even by your bedside? It’s not too late to get a life. I know many people like that. They work hard and often produce great results. I certainly hope their management appreciates them. I was talking with a friend recently who is this type. As I thought about all the people who work so hard for companies, I wondered about how you could get people who don’t work as hard to work harder and to keep those hard workers working. I’ve got some ideas. Read more…
I’m also a Sales Coach for Allbusiness.com
Here’s a recent column:
“To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first. And, whatever you hit, call it the target.”
-Ashleigh Brilliant
If only this would work for selling! What usually happens when you go to a sales call without doing much planning?
Read more
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Leave your comments and I would love to respond to you.
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
Straight to the Top
Have you ever thought about where it’s best in an organization to begin customer contact? Most salespeople will agree that starting at the top is a promising strategy. It may be more challenging, but the benefits outweigh the risks. Here’s how you can be successful when you’re trying to reach a top executive.
A unique strategy to get attention. Jim Glose is a manager whose work includes appointment setting for a high level sales force. These sales professionals are involved in multiyear, multimillion dollar sales. Glose’s appointment targets are C level officers or senior executives of fairly large companies. Clients include Fortune 100 companies as well as mid-sized city and county governments.Glose begins contact by writing a letter to the CEO. He says cold calls won’t be successful at that level. Glose’s letter is one page written on quality bond without his company logo. Why? He wants his letter to get read. Glose says, “If it’s on letterhead with a logo, the CEO will see it as a sales letter and throw it away. Without the logo, he’ll figure it’s a complaint letter and read it.”
His letter is only 3 or 4 paragraphs with each paragraph being able to stand on its own. He begins with the value proposition that will concern a CEO. The issue he presents must be of an enterprise nature. These types of issues contain costs, enhance shareholder value or increase revenue for the company. If your issue is not broad, it won’t get the CEO’s attention.In the first few sentences of the letter he’ll mention his correspondence to other high level executives in the company like the CFO or COO. This mention forces the CEO to talk with the other executives and find out about the subject. Glose says, “It creates buzz.CEOs can’t have a fellow executive knowing something that they don’t know.” He concludes by stating when he will call the CEO’s assistant whose name he also mentions. He sends the one page letter by Fed Ex.
Know what to expect when you call. Some people are intimidated by speaking with a CEO. If you’re prepared that’s less likely to happen. The assistant has most probably briefed the CEO about the call. Glose finds that CEOs typically answer the phone simply by stating their full name without a greeting. You must be prepared to engage the CEO quickly.Glose immediately thanks the CEO for taking his call. Glose says, “It’s important to be conversational. Slow down when you speak.” You’ll sound more confident and less intimidated.
He follows with, “(CEO first name), the reason I’m calling you this morning is (the specific results he’s achieved) with (names of other prestigious companies). He wants the CEO to listen and specific results pique their curiosity.Glose says to speak about results without buzz words. He adds, “The more specific and concrete, the better. Even if you stumble, maintain your relaxed conversational tone.” Glose says, “Some CEOs will stay on the phone and talk and others make a quick judgment about next steps. When Glose gets appointments he expects them to be scheduled for weeks if not months out. The CEO might want to have his senior executives in the room with him. Coordinating the schedules of that many high level executives takes some time.
He cautions about trying to contact CEOs via email. You can use the email only if the assistant gave it to you. Glose says, “Email is an intrusion. Unless you know them or have a relationship, while it’s not spam, it is a personal intrusion.” He also notes generational and industry differences on the perception of email. Glose adds, “A 65 year old CEO of a utility doesn’t read email. They do respond to a one page letter. A 30 year old might be on a Blackberry.” Glose says that they both respond to his one page letter.
Getting to speak with a CEO or other high level executive is an important accomplishment. Consider it your first sales appointment. Then when you give them a compelling reason to meet and proof of your performance you’ll get the next appointment, too.
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Action Items
1. Whether or not you sell at the C level, write your value proposition. What does your product or service do for a customer? Do you reduce costs, avoid costs or help them make money. That’s your value proposition.
2. Create your phone script. What is your reason for calling? Now practice so you sound conversational.
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Follow Me on Twitter
My id is BestatSelling
See you there!
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Upcoming Programs
When: November 13
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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What: Secrets of Persuasion for Project Management Success
When: November 10
8.30 AM- 11:30 AM
Where: TEXO-The Construction Association
11111 Stemmons Freeway, Dallas
For More Information: $249 non TEXO members
972-647-0697
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What: Power Persuasion: Unleash Your Influence Skills
When: November 19
8.30 AM- 11:30 AM
Where: TEXO-The Construction Association
11111 Stemmons Freeway, Dallas
For More Information: $249 non TEXO members
972-647-0697
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What: Master Selling Series
When: February 12, 19, 26 and March 5
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
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Need an Article for Your Newsletter?
Articles from this newsletter may be used in your free publications or posted on your web when given the following credit:
Written by Maura Schreier-Fleming, [email protected] (https://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=19023096
&msgid=348675&act=2WU6&c=260909&admin=0&destination
=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestatselling.com%2F). Maura
Works with business and sales professionals who want to sell
more and be more productive at work. She is the author
of Real-World Selling for Out-of-this-World Results.
For free articles, selling ideas and morale boosters visit https://www.BestatSelling.commore »
Privacy: At [email protected] we take privacy issues very seriously.
Your information remains with us and will never be sold, shared,
or distributed in any manner, for any reason.
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Selling Tips
Get more selling tips from Maura’s ebook:
97 Ways to Sell More Now E-Book
https://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=19023096
&msgid=348675&act=2WU6&c=260909&admin=0
&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestatselling.com%
2Fe-books.html%2520>
Here are some selling tools to help you sell more now. Click on the photo to find out more!
Monday Morning Sales Tips:Do you need ideas for sales meeting? Are you looking for weekly motivation to sell more?
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.
About Maura Schreier-Fleming
Invite Maura to speak at your next conference or sales meeting! Contact: info@bestatselling.com
Maura Schreier-Fleming works with business and sales professionals to make it easier to sell more and be more productive at work. Her clients include Fujitsu, Fannie Mae and Dr Pepper/7UP.
With over 20 years of sales experience, she teaches the art and science of selling with a unique hands-on perspective and a great deal of real-life insight. She is the author of Real-World Selling for Out-of-this-World Results (a book filled with ideas to make selling easier and more productive.)
Her business column ‘Selling Strategies’ appears in the Insurance Record magazine. Her column Customer Connections appears in the Dallas, Houston and Austin Business Journals. Maura has an M.S. in Textile Engineering from Georgia Tech and was Mobil Oil’s first female lubrication engineer in the U.S.
You can contact her for seminars at company or trade association meetings at 972 380 0200 or info@BestatSelling.com
Privacy:
At [email protected] we take privacy issues very seriously. Your information remains with us and will never be sold, shared, or distributed in any manner, for any reason.