Let’s start with a definition adapted from Wikipedia:

A temptation is something that looks appealing. It’s usually used to describe acts with negative connotations and, as such, tends to lead a person to regret such actions for various reasons – legal, social, psychological (including feeling guilty), health, economic, etc.

Temptation goes back to the Garden of Eden – the tree of knowledge, the apple, the serpent, Adam and Eve and the fall of man. It is rooted in our DNA.

So how does this relate to sales?

The temptation to overpromise always leads to underdelivering, and so we must fight it at every level.

• Sales representatives are tempted to overpromise to secure the sale.
• Sales managers are tempted to overpromise to motivate their sales team to greater performance.
• CEOs are tempted to overpromise to provide confidence to boards and shareholders.

No good can come from overpromising and underdelivering.

Bear in mind that intentions are irrelevant; “results” are the only thing you are measured by. In other words, it doesn’t matter what you intended to deliver, only what you delivered.

So, how do you avoid the temptation of overpromising and underdelivering? By doing exactly the opposite – underpromise and overdeliver!

Avoid emotion at all costs!

This is a toughie because we are emotionally driven creatures and emotion sells. Generally though, those decisions / sales pitches / forecasts / projections are more a reflection of our desires, wants and needs then they are a reflection of the truth. Sometimes truth isn’t all that exciting, whereas emotion is.

When someone in business says, “I feel this” or “I feel that” instead of “I think this” or “I think that” – based on “x” fact, “y” fact and “z” fact – run as fast as you can the other way. Don’t be this person!

Emotions cloud judgment and generally always operate in that gray area between fact and fiction. Gray is the devil’s playground, and the playground of those who can pretty much rationalize any deviant behavior or philosophy.

Stick to the facts!

Just as Sgt. Friday used to say in Dragnet, “Just the facts, ma’am.” Stick to the facts and emotions will play a lesser role.

• What exactly are the terms of your agreement? Specifically?
• What exactly are the agreed-upon timeframes? Specifically?
• What exactly is the promised (and demonstrated) feature / functionality? Specifically?

Everything you state in terms of promises and delivery should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-sensitive!

Prove it!

Generally speaking, you should never promise something you have not accomplished consistently in the past. Using this rule, you should have proof of delivering on your promises. This proof can take many forms:

• Case studies
• Testimonials
• References
• White papers

A good question to ask yourself to make sure you can deliver on what you are promising is, “Do I have proof of having done this consistently in the past?” If so, then you are probably safe. If not, you are being driven by emotion rather than fact and you should reconsider your approach.

If you do these three things you will not fall victim to overpromising and underdelivering!

• Stay away from emotion
• Use facts
• Prove it

We are proud of the fact that in more than 10 years as a consulting firm we’ve achieved 100% success with every client that has fully implemented our recommendations.

We are more proud of the fact that we’ve always delivered what we said we would. Or more!

Be that person! Be that company! All the other pieces will fall into place.

Brian

This is the time of year when fans of professional football go crazy with the frenzy of the playoffs and the anticipation of the Super Bowl. It’s not unlike those television commercial in which the characters can’t get the image of a roast beef sandwich out of their brains, only in this case, the image is a football.
Which is why, in a blog devoted to sales and sales management, it makes perfect sense to draw an analogy with the gridiron. So indulge me, if you will, as I consider the similarities of successful sales efforts to successful football teams.

Proper personnel

It all starts here. Your sales cycles will go nowhere if you don’t have the right personnel on the field. That includes the proper sales reps, who understand how to establish relationships, probe for needs, present solutions and address objections. It includes the proper pre-sales and/or support team members, who know how to address the technical requirements of the customer and provide backup to the sales rep. And it includes the right coaches/managers, who know how to execute the…

Proper game planning and and play calling

Even if you’ve got the most talented team on the field – or, in our case, in the field – they’ll be able to go nowhere without effective game plans and strategy. The right product or service solution may totally miss the mark if it’s improperly positioned. Or presented to the wrong individuals. Or if it doesn’t take into account the traps and blitzes set up by the competition. Good managers help make sales reps even more effective by providing the right solutions at the right price points with the right strategies at the right time in the sales cycle. And by helping direct things from the sidelines, which is how they also influence …

Proper pacing and signal calling

If you’ve got the right people at the line of scrimmage, with the right strategy and the right tactical approach, it’s also important to make the right moves at the right time. This means knowing how to “push back” effectively and appropriately, how to identify and address objections, and how to use trial closes and closing techniques effectively. All of which first requires …

Getting to the Red Zone

Except in the rare occasion of a “Hail Mary” sale, it’s much more common for most sales to be made after a well-planned, methodical drive, or sales cycle. That means moving through the process and down the field by identifying and addressing the impacts of the right decision makers, meeting their needs and helping them understand why your solution is best. Being in position, though, is simply the prerequisite for…

Scoring and Winning

It all ends here, of course. Even if you do everything else right, there are still the intangibles that can prevent you from winning when the final gun goes off. That’s why effective sales teams take nothing for granted and continue to think, analyze and strategize – enabling them to score – even when lesser competitors may take their eye off the ball.

Admittedly, I’m not the first person to compare sales and football, and I won’t be the last. Still, putting our day-to-day work in this type of context can help provide discipline and direction when we otherwise may be included to drift offsides.

So, are you ready for your “championship?”

Mike

Does foot prospecting really work?

Well, any efforts that enable sales professionals to meet prospective customers and key decision makers are worthwhile. So, yes, of course foot prospecting works, especially if you wish to or must bring in new business.

How do you currently obtain new customers? Some salespeople wait for prospects to come to them through company marketing efforts or reactive referrals. But true sales “hunters” use methods such as phone prospecting, strategic emails, gathering referrals and, yes, foot prospecting.

Some companies/industries, such as pharmaceuticals and landscaping, use foot prospecting as the primary way they sell their offerings. Others, such as office equipment and payroll services, use foot prospecting as a method to gather future appointments. Some industries, like manufacturing equipment and construction supplies, even use foot prospecting to qualify and analyze prospects for future sales. My point is that regardless of your purpose in foot prospecting, it helps you move forward in the sales process.

As a sales consulting professional, I have had the privilege to go in the field with hundreds of sales professionals. I observe sales calls for everything from $10 parts to $1 million projects, in dozens of different industries. I am always shocked at how many sales people will spend their down-time grabbing a cup of coffee, checking email, or going home, rather than foot prospecting and perhaps gathering some additional sales opportunities. Ask yourself, how many sales people, if their first appointment is at 10 a.m., will be in the field or on the phone at 8 a.m. prospecting. In order for this to be effective, it does require some preparation to ensure you have qualified prospect lists so you know where to go when the foot prospecting time / opportunity presents itself. But, then again, true sales professionals have this list on them at all times anyway.

I am not saying that foot prospecting is the best form of prospecting, and certainly it is not the easiest. However, foot prospecting works – it did, it does, and it probably always will.

If you’re a sales professional not using foot prospecting as part of your approach, look at your weekly schedule and the time available outside of commitments, and try some foot prospecting. You may find you like it. Even better, you may find some additional sales opportunities!

Dan

“Danger, Will Robinson!”

Anyone of a certain age will clearly remember this urgent warning message from the beloved Robot to the adventurous young man on the classic TV series Lost in Space.

I use this reference not to reflect upon my youth, but to communicate an obvious message: If you do not have a robot to warn you of upcoming sales dangers, you need a solid sales strategy to eliminate them.

What might those dangers be? Ask yourself these three simple questions:

• Is your time being used effectively in order to maximize your sales results?
• Do you have a set of targeted accounts (by industry and market) that can increase success?
• When calling on accounts, do you have sales process that takes you from qualification to close?

If you answered “no” to any of these, you are susceptible to lower or less-than-possible close rates, revenues, margin and customer satisfaction; and fewer referrals, qualified appointments and product presentations.

Here are some short recommendations that will help:

If you answered no to #1, develop a strategy that considers where you should be spending your time (selling versus non-selling activities), and develop a calendar, plan or program that enables you to engage in the proper activities, with the proper contacts, as frequently as needed, in your to realize your desired results. For example, articulate and work toward a goal that says, “From 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. on the first Tuesday and Thursday of each month, I will set four appointments for the last week of the month.”

If you answered no to #2, look at who amongst your customers benefits most from what you offer, and why. Then create a successful customer profile including decision makers, size of company, market, industry, needs, situations they experience, etc., so you can make decisions on who should now be on your targeted list of accounts. For example, determine that “I will call on facility managers in the food industry on the East Coast.”

If you answered no to #3, look at and document the typical steps of your sales process (what occurs first, second…), then determine what gets in the way (obstacles, objections) of you closing business. This analysis will help you determine the adjustments you need to make while conducting your sales activities. For example, you have lost sales due to your prospects feeling more comfortable with a competitor. Therefore, you must deliver better company image presentations.

Using your time properly, calling those you should be calling, and calling upon them with a sales process that works is a solid strategy. Be sure to document what is needed to accomplish this. The documentation helps ensure execution and provides a baseline from which to adjust.

Consider yourself warned!

Dan

Within the business community, there is a renewed focus on prospecting and driving new business. And business owners as well as sales professionals are realizing this can no longer solely be done within an existing customer base. The conclusion – companies and their sales staffs must prospect (yes, old-fashioned prospecting) in order to find and sell new customers – has been reached by leaders of most industries across the U.S.

For many, it has been far too long since “true prospecting” has taken place. So, where are the best fishing holes to find qualified leads for your products and services?

Here is an idea: all over the place! (I know…I know…)

Here are some more specific ideas:

• Look at associations and their memberships based on your targeted verticals. If you target project engineers at automotive manufacturers, go to the Society of Automotive Engineers.
• Use LinkedIn to uncover contacts at targeted prospects. If you are targeting Farmers Insurance, look up relative contacts at Farmers Insurance on LinkedIn / People / Search.
• Ask your customer base who they may know. Orthopedic surgeons know other orthopedic surgeons, so ask your existing customers who are physicians about other doctors they know.
• Review your targeted industries’ trade magazines, publications and journals. For the boat and yacht industries, for example, look for mechanical or body shops you can sell to.
• Review your targeted markets’ newspapers and other publications to identify new businesses that have opened to which you can sell your services.
• Buy prospect leads. Try a Google search of “buy sales leads,” but know these are not going to be 100% accurate. Typically we will realize a 70% accuracy rate. These can usually be purchased based on the size of the company, location, and industry code, and you can usually purchase only specific contacts within the prospect leads.
• Network with other sales professionals who may have the same or similar targeted prospects. These folks may know of projects or needs that perhaps you can help with. Someone who sells meat to a grocery store may know of a new grocery store opening that will need all new refrigeration equipment, for example.

The best prospectors (hunters) are always on the lookout for leads or ways to generate leads. This is a commitment, a way of thinking and a habit that you must have, develop and maintain.

Good luck and let us build America’s economy!

Dan

Several years ago we were conducting a sales training session for a client at a large conference center. Right next to us another training taking place, for purchasing agents. The terrific irony!

I didn’t realize this until one of our breaks when I heard the speaker and the questions coming from the attendees, and then subsequently read their signage. This particular group was talking about how to handle sales people. I heard things like:

• “Don’t fall for their charming demeanor.”
• “They are going to try to convince you that they are different, but they’re not.”
• “They are going to say they can add value, but they can’t.”
• “They are going to want to go above you, but don’t allow them to, as you will lose all control.”
• “It’s about price, and price alone. That is how you are measured, justified and compensated.”

Wow! And I thought they all just made this stuff up on their own? I didn’t realize it was a conspiracy! Now, this is one group, many years ago, and I’m sure not all purchasing agents are trained this way, right?

So, what’s the point in this story and how does it tie into whether or not you want an educated customer or uneducated customer? I think it has to do with further defining the question. Most people would answer – and most advertising campaigns are built around the concept of – an educated buyer being better. The real answer is… it depends!

It depends on what you sell, to whom and how.

What You Sell

• If you sell commoditized products/services, to purchasing agents, and are cheaper than your competition, then uneducated customers are better.
• If you sell products/services (even commoditized) to financial decision makers and can provide value in the sales process, then educated customers are better.

This is so because if you are the low-cost provider and deal with lower level decision makers who have no application knowledge, they will always buy on price. If you have the lowest price, you will always win.

If, however, you are dealing with financial decision makers (those that truly understand the difference between price and cost and the relative ROI) AND you are not the low-cost provider, then you want an educated customer. But this is true ONLY if you have superior products or knowledge of how to apply the products/services based on individual customer need.

Assuming you have superior products, knowledge and a higher price, you want them educated (with you being the educator) on how your products and services, when used correctly for the correct application, benefit the company. This justifies your value as a sales professional and the higher prices of your products and services.

To Whom You Sell

• If you are selling to purchasing agents, assume uneducated and evaluate your ability to sell only on price.
• If you are selling to the end user of your particular products/services, you want them to want to be educated so you can educate them.
• If you are selling to the financial decision maker, you definitely want them to be educated.

How You Sell

If you are a route-type sales person selling to purchasing agents and your products/services are largely commoditized, it’s fine to have an uneducated buyer because it will have no impact on you positively or negatively.

If you are a consultative sales person selling to purchasing agents then you need to get past them to end users or financial decision makers and educate them in the areas of interest to them.

End users focus on ease of use and flexibility. Financial decision makers focus on ROI. Show them the numbers!

In summary, if you have superior products and knowledge to transfer to those that wish to have it, then you do wish to have an educated buyer who is higher in the food chain than purchasing agents. If you don’t have superior products and are locked in with purchasing agents, education is irrelevant, as is your pitch, unless your pitch is lowest price.

What say you?

Brian

Professional trust and rapport is not about the fish on the wall or the pictures of the family on the desk. I know that’s what everyone has learned, but it’s wrong.

Now, having said that, it’s not wrong to take note of your surroundings, information and data that you can use in your conversations with prospects. It’s just wrong to rely on this as a way to build rapport. Real rapport. A real connection. Alignment. You can undoubtedly gain an understanding of a person based on his surroundings (and you should) but that is kindergarten sales stuff; we should all do that. What I’m talking about is the type of rapport that allows you to establish a connection with your prospect, an understanding of him, his company, his needs, his world, so that you can properly navigate the sales process.

So, what does this mean and how do you accomplish it?

In order to understand this we need to understand the underpinnings of why people buy. People buy for two reasons: to increase pleasure or decrease pain.

We also need to understand how people buy. Everyone has some type of buying process. This is true whether we’re talking about an individual or a corporation. It’s our responsibility as sales professionals to adapt our sales process to their buying process. Not the other way around.

Ok, so what the heck does this have to do with the art of building rapport? Everything!

I suggest that the art of building rapport consists of doing the following:

• Uncovering all the decision makers involved in the buying process. There is rarely ever one decision maker. Generally (even in a B2C sales environment) there are multiple people involved, whether you know it or not. Not knowing is the biggest reason for stalls and no’s.
• Uncovering and navigating the decision making process. As stated earlier, everyone has a process for buying. It’s crucial for the sales professional to understand and successfully navigate the buying process. This allows for alignment and ensures you and the prospect are progressing down the same buying continuum and will end up in the same place!
• Uncovering, understanding and selling to the buying criteria. Individuals and companies have criteria that must be met to buy. Yes, even impulse buyers. The larger the corporation, the more decision makers are involved, and hence more criteria. All decision maker criteria must be uncovered and understood. Some buyers are strictly numbers-oriented so you need to present the data, especially ROI. Some buyers are functional so you need to present how your product or service works and improves their lives. Some are technical so you need to present how the product or service works and integrates into their other systems and workflow. Bottom line – there are many buyers and their criteria vary, typically by role. You need to uncover and understand it all.

Therefore, the fish is fine, as are the awards and pictures, but in order to build substantive rapport you need to know the buyers, their processes and their individual, and collective, criteria for buying.

For more information on how to build professional trust and rapport visit our sister company and take the module on building trust and rapport.

So, what did I leave out? What are other critical components to the art (and science) of building rapport?

Brian

If you find yourself asking, “Why Isn’t Anyone Buying,” perhaps the real question is, “Why Should they?” And no, you cannot answer, “Because I need to sell them.”

People buy in a specific order; they buy “you” first, your company second and your product or service third. There are a few exceptions to this, but not many. Are you likeable? Do you sell your company in a way that increases their confidence, comfort and desire to work with your company? You must be able to sell these two (self and company) before you can proceed to sell your product or service. If you attempt to sell product or service first, you may have the right solution, but if they’re not comfortable working with you or your company, they will not buy.

Someone buys a product or service because there are one or more needs it satisfies. These needs may be identified by the prospect with or without your help. In other words, the ability of your product or service to satisfy these needs may be determined before or during your sales presentations.

Regardless, you will have a very difficult time getting anyone to buy your product or service unless your prospect has an identified need and sees your product or service as satisfying that need.

So Now What?

Having said all of that, if you have identified a need, and your prospect admits that your product or service satisfies it, and still they do not buy, perhaps you are meeting with the wrong contact or have not met with all the necessary contacts/decision makers. I have seen hundreds upon hundreds of situations in which the sales representative feels the prospect should buy because the need is identified and there is agreement on a solution, but the sale stalls or dies because the rep did not meet and sell to the key contact/decision maker. The main lesson here is that each contact/decision maker may have different needs.

Be sure you sell you first, your company second and your product or service third, and that you do so based on all decision makers’ needs. If you miss any of these, you will most likely find yourself losing sales and wondering why no one is buying.

Dan

Perhaps more than any other profession, sales is about producing results. So determining whether it may be necessary to change your sales process is mostly a matter of assessing those results.

Ask yourself: “Do I find myself losing sales due to any or all of the following?”

• I do not meet with all the decision makers.
• I miss steps in the decision-making process.
• I do not uncover all of a prospect’s buying criteria.
• I present product without ever uncovering needs.
• I encounter objections that I don’t uncover and overcome.
• I get off track during sales calls.

If the answer is yes, you should consider changing your sales process.

Here’s How to Make the Change

It would be impossible here to provide a one-size-fits-all sales process that will work with all industries, products, services, markets, etc. However, some basic principles always hold true and should be included within your sales process.

These would include, but would not be limited to:

• Ensuring the steps of your sales process align with the steps in their decision process;
• Ensuring your sales process is acceptable to the account;
• Understanding their buying criteria before trying to uncover their need and wants;
• Presenting your company overview before presenting any products or services;
• Uncovering needs and wants before trying to present products or services;
• Securing commitment on your products or services before presenting price.

Remember Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity: “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

These basic principles should help you begin to change your sales process if you experience unacceptable results.

Dan

“What’s the big secret and what are they trying to pull over on me?”

Isn’t that how you feel sometimes about the sales process?

Is it just me, or do the really bad sales people (you know who they are) always act as if they’re trying to pull something over on you? One can hardly walk into a major furniture retailer without being accosted. And heaven forbid you actually walk into a car dealership and close a deal without getting the “sales manager” to approve the transaction. What’s with all these shenanigans? Really, this is mostly about someone’s really bad idea of how they think sales works. They view sales as a win/lose scenario rather than a win/win scenario.

Simply put, sales is about asking someone what they want and giving it to them. That’s it! Sorry if you were expecting some terrific tome replete with fancy techniques and strategies. You see, people buy things (products or services) out of emotion. A good salesperson can cut through (note I DID NOT SAY “use” or “leverage”) the emotion, analyze the need and provide a solution.

Typically, people buy things to either increase pleasure or decrease pain.

So, as a salesperson you need to understand what is causing your customer pain (or understand their need for pleasure) and what will solve it. If you can do that, you will sell something, the prospect will buy something, and you both will be happy!

Simple isn’t it?

So, why do we make the sales process so complex?

Because we’re complex and we view everything through the prism of WIIFM (what’s in it for me). To the extent we cannot step outside of this prism and really see what is in it for our prospect, we resort to tricks and manipulation.

Don’t be this salesperson. Rise above it! Ask – and really listen for and care – what the person needs to increase pleasure or decrease pain, and then give it to them.

So, am I making this too easy?

Brian