Experience and Passion 

Watch and Listen Here:   Sales and Soft Skills

Yes, your technical skills and the deep knowledge of how your product works are important. However, they are a given in this highly competitive market where you work. Don't lament the effort you took to get there. Simply be aware that you need to differentiate your company, your products and yourself.

It is also critically important to practice emotional intelligence. Be aware of the DISC personality profiles and work diligently to apply them in every selling situation. Research your prospects and be aware of the constraints they are operating under. 

Discover the prospect's capital budgeting process and the calendar time frame where the funding takes place.

Be aware of your competition's strengths and weaknesses. Do they have signed supply agreements in hand with your prospect? When does it end? (Be aware it is very difficult to unseat an incumbent supplier) 

Have they established trust bonds with the primary decision makers that will require you to place more effort in that area?

Are there company approved brand names which lock them into a strong relationship with your prospect?

Gather your sales and marketing team together and brainstorm your competitive advantages versus your competitors.

Remember this is a process, not a Hollywood movie plot where final decisions are made in two hours or less.

Gary D. Seale - Author

www.truconbd.com

  

 

Persuasiveness

In this buying and selling world that we all exist in, it is better to communicate clearly and persuasively than to create animosity with our choice of words.  

 

You may ask; how can persuasiveness be considered a business principle to be followed?  It must be considered a principle because the choice of words and proper delivery of these words can build a relationship, seal an agreement and open doors for further discussion.  Therefore, persuasiveness becomes an absolute necessity for those untold millions in the field of selling products.

 

There are ways to present your position without offending someone’s intelligence.  In fact you can make your proposal quite appealing to those who may require your products.

 

There are a couple of basic requirements to good quality communication.  The first one is to know the other individual’s level of knowledge in the area you are talking about.  The second is to understand their level of need.  Then, you must take your product or proposal knowledge and present it in such a manner that it is appealing and clearly communicates how it will fill their needs.

 

Be aware that the first response will often be rejection or indifference if you have not established credibility with your prospect.  Some level of trust must be established before a meaningful conversation can proceed.  That trust can be created with your company’s capability documentation, well written product literature, annual reports, third party references and the communicator’s verbal presentation skills and appearance.

 

Presentation skills can be demonstrated by using the proper technical terms to precisely communicate the benefits of your product.  The use of powerful words is necessary.  Terms like confidence, reliable, long-term, return on investment, leading technology, rock solid, sought after and quality just to name a few terms that promote confidence in your offering.

 

Avoid weak words like: I hope, I guess, maybe, probably, iffy, unproven and experimental.  I am not recommending untruthful statements, just declarations emphasizing the benefits to the customer.  

 

It is common to have your marketing department write feature and benefit statements for your products.  Then determine what the exact needs of your clients are and present these statements to answer their concerns. This is an element of solution selling.

 

Avoid the hype and exaggeration that turns off many prospects.  Then confidently proceed to describe why your product should be chosen over your competitors. And avoid using your competitor's name. Avoid the emotional involvement that leads to anger and rash statements judging your prospects intelligence and wisdom.  Keep in mind that emotional outbursts frequently lead to lost business.

 

Be aware that people make decisions based on both emotional and logical evaluation criteria.  If you can determine how to help your prospect avoid personal embarrassment, loss, or a hurt to someone or something they care deeply about, then part of the emotional persuasion process is solved.   Or if you can help them promote the cause of a deeply emotional issue, then a large part of the emotional selling is also completed.

 

Remember that business people are judged on the quality of the vendors they select.  A poor choice reflects poorly on them, just as an outstanding choice makes them look like a savvy professional.

 

I personally take great encouragement and satisfaction when I sense a bond of trust developing due to the ability to describe a product with accurate, honest and persuasive language.  The ability to differentiate your position with a clear description provides a winning ability that pays off personally and professionally for many years.

 

Application:

 

Take an inventory of the responses you are receiving from your prospects.  Are they negative and confrontational?  Make a sincere effort to put in place a win-win mentality in your attitude and choice of words.

Gary D. Seale - Author

Trucon Communications

GDS@truconbd.com   512-529-7045

www.truconbd.com

 

 

 

 

A, B, C, D, E, F:  The Foundations for Success 

Attitude:

Throughout decades of reading business success books and listening to many business talks, I have discovered a common thread among most of them. And that commonality is having a positive attitude no matter the ups and downs of your personal experience. Picture attitude as an expansive website with multiple pull down menus. The headings would include words such as Smile, Optimistic, Resilient, Positive, People Oriented, Vision, Faith, Values, Energetic, Humility, Responsibility and Thankfulness.  

I'm positive that you can think of other attributes to add to this list.

Belief: 

Belief could also be considered as being very similar to faith. Belief and faith can also have multiple definitions and applications. Your personal faith in a creator God is central to many of the values written in US Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. 

From a business perspective it is imperative that we have faith (or confidence) in ourselves, your employer, the products and services you provide, your industry as a whole and ultimately your customers as viable business partners.

Let's face it, faith creates trust. Without trust our economy collapses.

Capacity:   

Congratulations! You are in personal possession of the most powerful brain of any living creature on earth. There are billions of neurons in your brain and they are all capable of creating thousands of connections. Each night while you are asleep these brain cells are flushing out waste and creating new capacity for you to function at a high level. In addition, your brain creates new neurons every night.

Consequently, if you imbibed too much beer back in college,..there's hope for you!

Think back in history to some of the most creative thinkers and inventors. People like Ben Franklin, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Tesla, Jack Kilby, The Wright Brothers, Henry Ford, and Leonardo Da Vinci. Companies (Composed of people of course) like Google, Apple, Microsoft, Xerox, HP, Dell, Honda and General Motors.

Your brain is no different than theirs! The key is to vigorously follow your talent set, make wise choices and focus. You will be amazed at what you can accomplish.

Determination:    

Determination can be considered to be a firm and final decision to follow a course of action and be unwavering in your dedication to carry out that resolve.

It is related to its first cousin persistence, but it is an entirely different concept. Persistence is at its very core; the determination to repeatedly approach the issue until it is solved in some form, manner or fashion.   

Determination allows you to resist the temptation to lower your standards or quit when the inevitable temptation to bail out comes when a difficult task is tackled.

Enthusiasm:  

In a classical sense and a most common perception is that of a person with a high "I" personality when considering the DISC personality profile. A person with high energy, a big smile, they never met a stranger, creative and engaging. People want them at their event and their vigorous nature lightens up the room.

However, I believe you can show your enthusiasm by focusing on the strengths discovered by taking the DISC personality test. (See TonyRobbins.com/DISC for a quality version) 

I am a D/C style, which in a nutshell means that I'm a driven individual with an eye for details. My I score is far below these two types, however when I realize it's to the advantage of everyone concerned, then the engaging I can be summoned up for a finite period of time. Even the S (Supportive, low key) individual's personality can be used because their zest for supporting a cause they believe in will be recognized by many others. 

If this aspect of your personality does come naturally, work on exhibiting your strengths. Do not try to fake the natural high I you were never meant to be.

Focus:  

The Latin word focus meant “hearth, fireplace.” In the scientific Latin of the 17th century, the word is used to refer to the point at which rays of light refracted by a lens converge. Because rays of sunlight when directed by a magnifying glass can produce enough heat to ignite paper, a word meaning “fireplace” is quite appropriate as a metaphor to describe their convergence point. From this sense of focus have arisen extended senses such as “center of activity.”

 Typically, when we hear and read about personal success stories, there is very little mention about the preparation work, the failure and rejection they received before they became well known and were acknowledged for their achievements.

 

·         Albert Einstein: High School dropout and failed child tutor. But later a Phd, prize winning physicist and Nobel Prize Winner

*  Theodore Roosevelt: A financially broke and failed rancher. Later to become Governor of New York, War hero and President of the United States.

*  Henry Ford’s first Automobile company was a partnership that went bankrupt in 18 months. The year was 1900. By 1919 his immediate family bought total control of the new Ford Motor company for $105 million dollars. The company is now valued at $82 Billion dollars.

*  J.K. Rowling was a single mother, and one worked in Portugal as an ESL teacher and for Amnesty International.    She has written 7 immensely popular Harry Potter books and now has a net worth of 1 Billion dollars. Born 1965 in England.

 

All people who focused on a natural, innate skill they discovered, persevered, and focused to master their craft.

One of the companies I have been associated with operates under a strong 80/20 business directive from the senior management group. They use the Pareto Principle as a concept that assumes 80% of the business volume or opportunities come from 20% of the overall client list or product list. This is a corporate way of directing the managers to focus on the primary business that contributes to the majority of the profit.

 

The reward for this focus is two-fold. The business agents of the company do not pursue low volume, small potential business and the manufacturing group is not distracted buying components and building small volume, low margin products. The risk is some aspect of alienation from accounts that may feel neglected because their product demands were not met.

 

On a personal basis the same premise can be used to allow for the focus necessary for any true achievement to take place. Even if an individual is considered naturally gifted in a particular area, some level of focus is necessary for expertise and success to be obtained.

 

The first step must be a personal analysis of what will be of value to the individual. There may be a combination of tangible and intangible benefits. The goals established may be short term in nature or perhaps a lifelong goal. Some short-term examples might be a professional certification, college degree, a physical fitness goal or long-term items such as spiritual maturity or mastering a foreign language. The “return on investment” may be considered as part of the analysis.

 

Once a worthwhile goal is settled on, the proper amount of time must be allocated to master the skill or achieve the goal. This is perhaps one of the easiest things to plan, but more difficult to execute. Some aspect of trial and error will normally take place before one is able to decide what time commitment is necessary to accomplish your goals. Remember your freshman orientation for college? They told us to study two hours outside for every hour spent in class. If only we had heeded that advice!

Once the time and effort level is clear, it is important to put aside the incidentals that tend to distract all of us. You simply cannot allow time wasters to creep into your time allotted for the discipline required for success.

 

Then a personal 80/20 analysis of the goal must be conducted. Ask yourself what foundation of knowledge or skill must be learned first before you progress on to higher levels of expertise. It always helps me to get a grasp of the big picture before I can start to adequately assemble all the component parts that complete the whole goal. Once these fundamental issues are grasped, it helps you to focus on the task at hand because you can see the outcome.

Given the enormous amount of information readily available on so many topics, it is now possible to seek out multiple experts to assist in your skill building process. You may catch yourself being out of focus this way or you may need to set a more realistic timeframe for the accomplishment of your goal.

 

Be sure to establish the right physical atmosphere for maximum productivity. For the majority of people, the maximum retention of material and work productivity take place in a quiet, comfortable, well-lit atmosphere with no distractions. The repetition and self-testing build the skill level necessary to achieve your goals.

 

Avoid tangible distractions (TV. Magazines, Newspapers, etc) and police your thoughts to stay on track. Visualize the achievement, presentation, skill set or product in its perfect, finished form to spur you on to greater energy output and focus. Visualize the rewards of satisfaction, a job well done and future opportunities when a hard sought, worthy goal is achieved.

 

 A recap of these steps is listed below:

 

• Analysis of important goals

• Set aside necessary time

• Set aside time wasters

• 80/20 analysis of the specific goal

• Seek out expertise

• Set deadlines and benchmarks

• Establish the right physical atmosphere

• Visualize the finished product

This premise can be used to allow for the focus necessary for any true achievement to take place. Even if an individual is considered naturally gifted in a particular area, some level of focus is necessary for expertise and success to be obtained.

 

 

 

Five Ways to Defeat 10 Sentences That Can Kill a Sale

BY DAN DUFFY, DIRECTOR OF SALES TRAINING, MICROWAREHOUSE, INC.

Whether you are an experienced sales professional, a newcomer to sales, or work in a support function, there is always something you can do to sharpen your skills. Salespeople often get derailed from attaining the level of performance they desire. They become blindsided to common pitfalls that true sales pros know how to avoid.

Knowing what not to do becomes as important as knowing what to do.

Successful sales pros know how to identify 10 sentences that kill a sale – and to apply strategies to eliminate each one.

THE FIVE-PHASE CYCLICAL SALES APPROACH
The sales process can be summarized into five essential elements, each of which must be present during a sales executive’s interactions with a customer for the contact to be considered a sales contact and not a social contact. These elements are: Planning, Listening, Presenting, Handling, and Closing.

Each phase contains danger from at least one of the 10 sentences sales executives must always avoid:

Phase 1 – Planning:
Sentence #1: Not Reaching the Right Person

Phase 2 – Listening:
Sentence #2: Talking Too Much
Sentence #3: Announcing instead of Selling
Sentence #4: Winning Arguments

Phase 3 – Presenting:
Sentence #5: Taking a “One Size Fits All” Approach
Sentence #6: Hard Selling instead of Need Selling
Sentence #7: Talking about Features instead of Benefits

Phase 4 – Handling
Questions and Objections:
Sentence #8: Dropping the Price

Phase 5 – Closing
Techniques:
Sentence #9: Not Asking for the Sale
Sentence #10: Failure to Follow Through

1: NOT REACHING THE RIGHT PERSON
All too often, a salesperson will call a company and talk to the first person who answers the phone. Even if that individual wants to help, however, he may not have the authority to make any commitments.

Unfortunately, salespeople generally discover this only when they try to close, and hear, “I need to take this to…” or, “You’ll have to talk to…”

Strategy: Be sure to qualify the person you’re talking to. It saves a lot of your prospecting time to find out up front in your contacts with prospects.

Questions to Ask Yourself:

• Do you have enough information about the prospect and organization?
• Does the prospect have a probable need you can fill?
• Does the prospect have the ability to buy?
• Does the prospect have enough awareness of you and your company to understand and appreciate what you have to offer?

2: TALKING TOO MUCH
We’ve all been around a person who talked constantly and never listened. Generally, we “close down” and can’t wait to get away from them. Some salespeople launch into their “pitch” and make the mistake of assuming the prospect’s silence means acceptance. As long as the prospect is quiet, the salespeople keep talking.

Instead, the prospect may be waiting for his chance to signal the salesperson to close. As the salesperson talks on, that “window of opportunity” begins to close, and the prospect begins to cool off. Remember: The more you talk, the less you listen – and the greater the chance that you’re losing the opportunity for a prospect to communicate their needs.

Strategy: The most important solution to this issue is to not have a “pitch” in the first place. By “pitch” we mean a salesperson’s one-sided attempt at communication that is equivalent to simply repeating the phrase, “Do you wanna buy? Do you wanna buy?” This approach assumes the salesperson knows exactly what the prospect’s needs are in advance without having to engage them in an interactive fact-finding discussion. Sales pros know they have to focus on two-way communication designed to create rapport with a prospect that concentrates on highlighting the “value-added benefits” they and their company can provide.

3: ANNOUNCING INSTEAD OF SELLING
If you are very knowledgeable about your product and service (and you should be), you can be guilty of making the deadly assumption: that your prospect can translate new features of your product into new benefits for him or his business. When you make that assumption, you just announce the new product/features.

Strategy: Instead of looking at your role as announcing features, think of yourself as serving as an interpreter – someone who decodes the information and communicates it in language the prospect understands. Make sure your prospect knows how those new features will benefit him.

4: WINNING ARGUMENTS
At some time, all of us have regretted something we’ve said. It may have been in anger or it may have just been a mistake. Nowhere is it more costly than in sales. Even if your prospect is difficult to deal with or upsets you with some careless or thoughtless remark, don’t jeopardize the sale for a few minutes’ satisfaction by starting an argument or making an emotional point.

Strategy: Your goal is to win the sale, not the argument. The single most important thing to remember is a term used by the British: “Stay calm and carry on.” Learn to control your emotions. Do not interpret a prospect’s behavior as a personal attack. Be professional and maintain a positive attitude at all times. This approach will serve to support a good working relationship.

5: TAKING A “ONE-SIZE FITS ALL” APPROACH
A “one-size fits all” approach to sales assumes every one of our prospects has the same needs – but nothing could be further from the truth. Experienced, high-performing sales pros know that, before they can present a solution to a prospect, they have to engage in actively listening to ensure the solution they offer meets or exceeds customer requirements.

Strategy: The “one-size fits all” approach to sales is dead. It embraced the idea that – by talking fast and being direct, forceful, and task oriented – a salesperson would get the sale. Today’s successful sales pros know that prospects have unique needs that have to be surfaced by using effective communication skills. These skills include: open-ended questioning techniques, active listening, rephrasing, identifying buying signals, and asking trial closes, or questioning techniques that elicit prospect opinions.

6: HARD SELLING INSTEAD OF NEED SELLING
We all have an image in our minds of the fast-talking, hard-selling salesperson that nobody wants to talk to. Today’s customers are more educated, more sophisticated, and not likely to be intimidated or convinced by that style. They are looking for salespeople who respect their wishes, are a reputable source of information that can help them with their problems and needs, and have their business success as top priority. In return, customers will place their orders where they feel most secure.

Strategy: When I think of a “hard sell” approach, I think of some telemarketers who call with the idea of convincing you that what they have to offer is exactly what you need. They may get several short-term sales, but they very seldom develop long-term relationships. A need, relationship, and consultative selling approach focuses on building long-term business relationships by showing the benefits of making a purchase while putting the prospect at ease. Salespeople build their reputations by earning each prospect’s trust. Learn from high-performing sales pros who serve as consultants and become a “valuable appreciating resource” to your prospects. Provide solutions that address and solve your prospect’s challenges and you will make the sale every time.

7: TALKING ABOUT FEATURES INSTEAD OF BENEFITS
This sentence occurs for either excessive enthusiasm or ignorance of your prospect and his needs. Features enable a prospect to enjoy a product’s benefit, but a feature by itself doesn’t mean anything.

Strategy: You have to translate product and service features (characteristics or facts of a product/service) into benefits (the value received or “What is the advantage to me”) for your prospects. In your excitement to make the sale, you might assume your prospects know the benefit to them. Don’t assume they know. Confirm it! Spell it out in their language, which is a way to show it is meaningful to them, not you.

8: DROPPING THE PRICE
Some salespeople think that lower prices automatically mean higher demand and more sales. This is not the case. More often than not, price is associated with the quality of a product and its perceived value. By automatically dropping your price at the slightest hint of a price objection, you send a signal back that says: My product/service isn’t as good as I said it was. Since I was wrong on this item, I may be wrong on other items I have told you. Now your prospect has two credibility problems – one with your product and one with yourself.

Strategy: Here are some questions to ask yourself in dealing with a price objection:

• Is price really your prospect’s main objection?
• How badly does your prospect need your product?
• How serious is his resistance to price?
• Is your prospect trying to get a low-ball price to bargain with your competition?
• If your prospect is comparing your price against a competitive price, is your prospect comparing exact products/services and their features/benefits, including whether items are in stock and deliverable within ___ hours or ___ days?
• Will your prospect buy if the price is right?

9: NOT ASKING FOR THE SALE
More sales are lost to this fact alone than to any other in the sales process. People rarely tell each other how they want to be treated – but they demonstrate it. Your prospect may have listened to your whole presentation, objected a few times, and is now satisfied that your product/service will satisfy his need. Will she ask you if she can buy it? Hardly!

The majority of our communication involves signs and signals – and that is probably how you will be informed. Your prospect lets you know it is OK to ask for the sale. If you don’t ask, though, your customer won’t volunteer to buy. What’s more, she starts to lose interest or confidence in you as you continue to avoid the close. All too soon, you’ve talked yourself out of a sale without ever asking.

Strategy: Use the direct close and ask for the sale. You must ask in order to get the sale – and asking three times during your conversation with a prospect enhances your ability to close. Several examples are:

• Which of these do you like best?
• Is this what you had in mind?
• Does this make sense to you?
• Shall we go ahead with this order?
• Would you like me to place this order for you?

10: FAILURE TO FOLLOW THROUGH
Hopefully, these sentences reinforce that every prospect should be treated as an individual with specific preferences, needs, issues, and challenges. One of the significant ways salespeople can distinguish themselves is through effective follow-through actions. Demonstrating follow-through abilities helps you send an important message to your prospect – that you are a professional who meets all business commitments. You also reinforce the fact that you genuinely care about your customer, and that caring goes beyond the quick sale.

Strategy: When you fulfill the role of sales consultant, you provide information and service to your customer, thereby “adding value.” This approach demonstrates that:

1. You understand the needs of your customer.
2. Your customer understands the value and benefits of your products and services – and of doing business with you.
3. Your customer knows how you will continue to service his or her account.

Above all, the most important way to defeat these 10 sentences that kill a sale is: Don’t let them occur in the first place. Sales pros understand that sales is a process. It begins with Planning and continues through the phases of Listening, Presenting, Handling, and Closing.

Don’t look for the magic sales success bullet or search for a shortcut to achieve your sales success. Follow the five-phase cyclical sales approach and your B2B sales performance will be hyper charged to higher levels of achievement.

 

Speaking Essentials for the Sales Professional

As a sales professional you may be presented with opportunities to make a presentation to a group about your area of expertise. It's a great compliment to be asked and an opportunity to get some PR for yourself, your company and products without delivering a "Sales Presentation."

Here are a few tips about your presentation that will help you to create a more lasting memory for your audience.

Number one, deliver your material with a personal passion. That does not mean a ranting, raving style. However it does mean a positive, intense feeling that you experience that is profoundly meaningful to you.

Number two, work hard to create an emotional connection with your audience. What do you have in common that can be used to relate with your audience? What story can you tell that will help the audience understand that you have the same emotional reactions to their concerns as they do? Be sure to expand your vocabulary to convey the depth of your understanding.

Number three, you were invited to speak because you are perceived as the subject matter expert. Be sure to deliver new, interesting material that challenges both the newcomer or the experienced professional in your audience. Work to deliver your new insight in a series of three descriptive words or phrases. The human mind responds to groups of three. A long multi-word explanation tends to get lost in the mind. Be aware, your brain can process in excess of a thousand words a minute, however the typical pace of speech is between 150 and 180 words a minute.

Number four, make your delivery memorable. A flat monotone voice, with no eye contact, facial expressions, body movement or arms and hand motions is highly likely to flop. Use your passion to summon up the courage to give full vent to the message you want to deliver. Face your audience, move purposefully and use a large vocal variety range. Do not rely on a slide presentation to "carry the day" for you.

A personal demonstration, colorful slide deck or prop in conjunction with a great story can make your presentation stand out in the mind of your audience.

For a more in depth review of how to make an outstanding speech, I highly recommend the book: 

Talk Like Ted, The 9 Public Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds        

By: Carmine Gallo 

 

 

 Knowledge Yields Selling Power

 

Even though the phrase “knowledge is power” has become a shop-worn cliché, it is still so valid that its use to illustrate a point cannot be replaced with a more appropriate term.  

 

Even common illustrations such as passing tests to be accepted into school or convincing an employer to hire you provide proof that knowledge lends an advantage to the individual who processes it.

 

In the corporate world the advantages are monumental when it comes to product development and competing for business.  The power gained when applying the right education and experience to product development yields a competitive advantage resulting in sales earned over your competition.  Likewise, the ability of the sales staff to use product features and present them in a convincing manner promote confidence in the product and company which result in more business earned.  Operations efficiencies also are closely associated with the knowledge of logistics and improved ways of handling production, shipments and customer service.

 

The demand for knowledge requires a systematic approach.  One plan for a systematic approach might look like this:

 

1.     Awareness of a problem or deficiency.

2 .     Develop a complete description of the need.

3 .     A thorough investigation and research process.

4 .     Data analysis 

5.     Draw research conclusions

6.     Strategy and action plans implemented

 

 

In a different vein of thought, we can probably all recall individuals who brought difficult situations on themselves by poor judgment and improper speech.

 

I can recall one individual from my past that assumed himself to be a stronghold of wisdom and verbal elegance.  But, in reality he was considered a braggart by his peer group.  He presented an impressive front to the management team and his customers, but his reliability was always suspect.  Eventually his lack of substance caught up with him and he bounced from job to job. Always impressing at first and then disappointing all those associated with him. 

 

Time after time, I have seen the mouth betray a lack of knowledge that caused mistrust and cost that individual opportunities that they never knew existed.  Assuming that you can bluff yourself through almost any situation is a fool’s position.  Experienced, thoroughly trained people can normally spot a bluffer a mile away.

 

The antidote to being considered a verbose fool is threefold.  First, one must practice the discipline and effort to study the topic matter you are speaking about.  Secondly, gain as much personal experience dealing with the subject material as reasonably possible.  Third, practice the art of humility and service to your audience when deciding when to speak, what to say, and how much to say.

 

Application:  

 

Are you and your team “storing up knowledge” that will allow you to serve your organization with more closed business?