Subordinates

• The more accessible you are, the more they’ll use/abuse you

Fellow workers

• Interrupt for many reasons from social to work-related

Clients and customers

• These you can’t ignore

Phone

• Sounds familiar?

Dealing With Interruptions:

When you’re interrupted, ask yourself what’s more important: the interruption or what you’re working on? You can keep a ‘To Do’ list to re-focus on what you should be doing after the interruption has gone away.

What you can do, is try to keep interruptions short – ‘What do you want, why, when, etc?’ You can also keep a log of who/what interrupts you.

You should also consider the following:

• Be assertive; learn to deal with ‘Have you got a minute?’

• Invent deadlines

• Continue to look busy

• Stand up to interruptions

• Remove the chair in front of your desk

• Reduce eye contact

• Collect your papers, check your watch

• Go to them – this way you can leave any time

• Learn to say ‘no’

• Plan a quiet hour

And Finally – Beware Of Monkeys:

Despite being a busy person, it is easy to get sucked into doing things for others. Often these tasks have nothing to do with your job (perhaps they interest you or you are flattered to be asked!).

Each time we say ‘yes’ to these requests we collect another ‘monkey’, namely a problem that started with someone else (who is working for whom?).

Furthermore, ‘monkeys’ eat into our discretionary time; the amount of time left after meeting the demands of boss and job.

‘Taking the monkey’ often means that you are taking on a problem. Also, you are preventing others from taking the initiative and dealing with it themselves.

So, to handle monkeys:

• Deal with them as they happen (say ‘yes’, you can help or ‘no’, you cannot).

• Do not allow them to become too many to handle.

• Feed them face-to-face only or by phone (avoid memos or email).

• Feed them by appointment only; ‘Come and see me at …’

• Assign a next feeding time; ‘Try, and if you get a problem come back and see me’

Or, are your salespeople pretty much on their own to meet the company’s sales and gross margin objectives?

In too many companies I observe, salespeople are hired, thrown to the wolves and pretty much left to their own devices to “make it or break it.” When you think about it, this is a pretty nonchalant sales management philosophy, especially in relatively slow periods when your company really needs more business.

Sales is no different than inventory and accounts receivable in that someone must manage sales; that is, if you expect to achieve optimal results. Otherwise, the odds are really high that --- as a group --- the company’s salespeople are not going to achieve their full potential. Salespeople are no different than any other employees, you probably have some salespeople who really don’t need a lot of hands-on management, but then there are several others that will most certainly not make the cut in the absence of the guiding and nurturing influence of a committed manager.

Wouldn’t it be nice if all salespeople did their homework before a prospect call, followed up on all of their customer commitments, planned their week’s work, made effective use of their time, sold all product categories and were skilled at deflecting price objections from hard-bargaining customers? Only in our dreams are all salespeople this mature and disciplined, but most likely not in the real world.

So let’s agree that salespeople stand a better chance of realizing their full potential when they are lucky enough to have a manager who systematically works with them on a scheduled basis. But how does a busy manager pull this off?

The secret is to schedule Monthly One on One Meetings with each salesperson. These monthly meetings are without a doubt the most effective sales management tools I have ever discovered. The following are a few of the items that are included on the agenda in these one on one monthly meetings:

• Managers follow up on commitments the salesperson made in the last monthly meeting.
• Coaching.
• Setting goals for the upcoming month.
• Corrective feedback.
• Positive feedback.
• Training.
• Developing strategies to accomplish specific goals.
• Prospective customer review and discussion of the next step.

Group sales meetings certainly have their place in every organization for information sharing, education, getting feedback from the sales force, discussing market conditions, etc., but group meetings severely limit the manager’s ability to address individual issues that must be addressed with individual salespeople.

Here are some of the questions I find to be useful in one on one meetings:

• What do you believe is preventing you from covering your draw?
• What are the top three obstacles you are having the most difficulty overcoming?
• If these three obstacles that you have identified were to go away, expressed in dollars, how much do you believe your sales would improve?
• What are the key strengths you believe our company has to offer your customer base?
• In what areas do you believe our competitors have the upper hand?
• What are your income goals for 2007?
• What sales and gross profit will you need to produce in 2007 to achieve your income goals?

The answers your salespeople give you in response to each of these questions will open your eyes and give you the insight you’re looking for to determine what is standing between each member of the sales force and a higher level of success.

Document Each Meeting: I recommend keeping good notes from each one on one meeting in a spiral binder that you keep in each salesperson’s file. THE MOST CRITICAL KEY to success in management is following up, and perhaps just as important: that each salesperson knows that you will follow up.

When you and your salespeople agree on a particular course of action, jot down enough notes to remind you of each commitment so you are in a position to follow up at the next one on one meeting. Some managers call this holding their salespeople’s feet to the fire, but I call it a Basic Management Principle: Effective Managers Inspect What They Expect.

I listen to talk radio, particularly sports talk. One of the hottest topics, if not the hottest is whether the San Francisco Giants should bring back Barry Bonds. For the two people on the planet that don’t know, he will be a free agent once the World Series is over. One morning last week, the host was emphasizing the impact that Bonds has on revenue by his presence in a Giants uniform.

This particular discussion wasn’t the usual swirl of banter over making the best decision to produce a winner, his diminishing skills, the negativity that surrounds the alleged steroid issue, or the importance of him breaking the home run record in a Giants uniform. More specifically the discussion was about his influence on the numbers. Keep him or lose him, how does it affect company revenue? I think one of the quotes was something like, “At the end of the day, how many rear ends will he put in the seats of AT&T Park and what does that mean to revenue? I guarantee you that’s what upper management is thinking about.”

I found the hosts opinion to be honest, refreshing, and cuttingly truthful. It got me thinking about industries outside of the standard “sales driven” ones that use armies of salespeople (big or small) to proactively bring revenue through the door.

Smart companies (excluding non-profits) in nearly any industry make their key decisions based on their impact on revenue.

If they aren’t, I believe you’ll find that the company is either struggling or existing well below their potential.

There are a tremendous amount of organizations living well below their potential because they are not focused on being revenue driven. Trust me, I’ve seen it throughout my 25+ years of experience in selling, managing, building and leading sales organizations regionally and internationally.

Most people, when they think of the words sales, customer, revenue, they tend to think of those companies that have prototype salespeople whose sole purpose is to proactively bring revenue in the door.

But what about those industries that don’t get their revenue through a sales force model. Aren’t Legal, Accounting, Dentistry, Medical, Architectural firms also an example of revenue driven companies? I mean, call their customers clients or patients, but aren’t they really customers? And, don’t they want to attract more of them so that revenue will grow? Won’t that make for a healthier company?

I must admit, that in my work, industries like Real Estate, Mortgage, Broadcasting, Telecom, and Technology where the practice of proactively marketing their respective products and services is the primary strategy is my sweet spot.

Many of my articles can be found on dozens of websites under various topics of executive management, sales management, and leadership. They are usually on sales and marketing sites or those specific to the obvious revenue driven industries that use salespeople to bring the dollars through the door.

Many business owners and sales managers ask me if I have a proven system or a way to identify and hire top sales reps. They have tried everything, they tell me. They check references, review similar work experiences, talk to ex co-workers, hold multiple job interviews, and sometimes they even spring for some high priced fancy sales aptitude matrix tests.

Even with all that, however, many sales managers still haven't found a way to identify who will actually perform well and work hard, versus who will merely show up, take up space and drive up costs by sending out brochures, running up phone bills, squandering leads etc. “How can you tell?” They ask me.

Well I've got good news for you. There is one technique that I've used successfully for years that will immediately separate who is for real and who's not. It doesn't require any special tests, it can be done on the first interview, and it will always tell you what kind of sales rep you’ve got in front of you. Here's what you do:

During the course of the interview simply describe the service or product you're selling, and ask them if they think they would do well selling it. Almost all that will say, “Oh, of course!" (Those who don't dismiss immediately!)

After that, tell them you want to get an idea of how they would handle some of the common objections you get this sale, and then give them three or four objections (one at a time, of course) and let them respond to them. That's it!

Several things happen here -- all of which accurately reveal what kind of sales rep you're dealing with. They usually fallen into three categories:

The “A” Players -- The top reps or sales reps who are well-trained and confident, will handle each objection with a recognizable rebuttal, and the really good ones will even ask for the sale at the end. You will instantly know who they are. You hire these reps right away.

The “B” Players -- This group of sales reps will also answer the objections, but their responses will be less polished. With this group the lack of any formal training will show through, and you will be faced with the decision of whom you think can or can’t be trained. Part of this group will be uncomfortable with the objections and you will be able to tell that they probably never will be comfortable with them. Your choice of who to hire from this group should be pretty clear.

The “C: Players -- A common response from this group will be something like this: “Well, I really don't know your product so I really wouldn't be able to answer these objections." What they're really saying, of course, is that they have no idea how to respond to an objection, they have no confidence, and the reason they are here looking for a job will be glaringly clear to both of you. You pass on this group altogether.

Try this powerful technique during your next interview. You will be amazed by how well it works. Simply give them an objection, then sit back, listen and observe.

Sales meetings. What kind of feeling does that term bring up in you? If you're a manager, do you struggle to find meaningful, fresh content each week? Or are you prepared and look forward to the chance to lead and inspire your sales team?

If you're a sales rep, do you dread taking time away from the phone and think your company's meetings are just a big waste of time and energy?

Here's the good news -- a good sales meeting can be a powerful sales tool and can provide valuable training and information that helps everyone perform better. If you're a manager use this outline to instantly improve the effectiveness of your sales meetings, and if you are a sales rep, forward this to your manager!

The Successful Sales Meeting Agenda:

1 Start and end your meetings on time. If any sales reps are consistently late, sit with them after the meeting and enlist their support and express your expectations of them. But lead by example -- start and end your meetings on time

2 Print out your meeting agenda and pass it out at the beginning of the meeting

3 Start with a sales quote of the day

4 Discuss office production (not individual)

5 Marketing updates.

6 Upcoming training schedule (give brief details and stress the importance of attendance)

7 Sales training portion (15 to 20 minutes)

8 Office administrator announcements

9 A quick have and wants session

10 Recognition of top performance -- give out a weekly trophy to the producer or sales rep of the week. (Reusable trophy gets transferred from rep to rep based on production, lead generation, attendance, best effort, etc.)

11 End meeting (on time!) Follow this structure and begin having powerful, value packed meetings starting with your very next one.

First, I want to make sure you have the necessary training materials to conduct this meeting.

* You will have to have a one dollar bill
* You will have to have a one hundred dollar bill
* You have to be able to ask two questions

Ok, now that you have made the necessary preparations, you can conduct the meeting.

Hold up the one dollar bill.
Ask the following question and hand the one dollar bill to the person with the first correct answer. "Who is the president of the United States of America?" Hand the bill to the winner.
Hold up the one hundred dollar bill.
Tell the group you will give the one hundred dollar bill to the person who can answer the following question. "What is the name of Albert Einstein's third grade arithmetic teacher?"

After the deafening silence all you have to say is, "When you know the things everyone knows you will make dollars. When you know things your competition does not, you will make hundreds of dollars."

Congratulations, you have just conducted the shortest sales meeting in the world.

For your salespeople who did not get the point you may have to extend the meeting. The point, quite simply, is 'Am I willing to do what it takes to be successful?'

* By learning more than my competition
* By working smarter than my competition
* By striving for excellence every day
* By setting priorities
* By being organized
* By coming to work to work
* By being part of the solution, not the problem
* By perfecting my selling skills

Your meeting may be a bit longer than the one presented above as you highlight areas where you can help improve the performance of your team.

Imagine for a moment that it is your first day in a new sales organization and your sales manager tells you to forget about Quota – block it out of your mind. You may think they’re out of their mind. How can anyone possibly lead a sales organization or manage their individual sales effectively without focusing on Quota?

After all, in the world of outside sales, you either meet your Quota or eventually you’ll be outside the door looking to meet some other sales force’s quota.

But what if I told you that’s the first step toward exponential revenue growth. Sales success is not about running after quota each month or year. Success comes from a Process; proven steps to meet benchmarked competency levels and a focus on the essential elements and powerful routines that maximize your sales effectiveness week in and week out.

Let’s first define what we mean by a “core competency.” We will then introduce the 3 Core Competencies, and spend our time understanding how they can dramatically increase your success.

The term Core Competencies refers to those essential elements in the sales process that most directly impact your success. These elements are controllable and measurable, and sales professionals can be trained to be proficient in these areas. Unfortunately, many sales organizations and individuals lose focus – distracted by peripheral activities or sophisticated systems that track dozens of different activities when only a handful really matters.

Without a foundation built upon these essential elements or Core Competencies, and because of all the distractions and roadblocks an organization is susceptible to today, results can be mediocre or less.

Take a look at the following list of actions that are common in a sales process, and select the items that you believe are absolutely essential to your success.

- Closing Sales
- Developing Prospect Lists
- Setting new Business Appointments
- Running 1st Appointments
- Working Sales Prospects through the Sales Pipeline
- Post-Sale Marketing
- Developing Referrals
- Reporting and Paperwork
- Documenting Testimonials

Now many of these tasks are important, but they are not all Core Competencies. Yes, it is important and useful to ask for referrals and develop testimonials from satisfied customers, but your success hinges mostly on the mastery of – and attention to – the (3) Core Competencies.

One simple way to determine whether a routine or task is truly a core competency is to ask what activities are directly related to sales revenue. After all, sales revenue is how we sales people measure success. That’s our scorecard at the end of the month.

We can do that through a series of questions around each element listed above.

Question #1:
Is it an essential component to the sales mission or is it just an ingredient in the recipe?

Consider a golfer’s essential competencies from tee-off to last putt. Is the core competency the ball – or the club? Or is it the golf swing and putting stroke?

Question #2:
Can it be measured routinely and accurately with a napkin, pencil, and calculator?

Can you set a realistic performance benchmark tied to revenue goals? You know you have achieved this when you can tell a new hire in the sales organization the (3) simple numbers that will guarantee monthly sales success.

I just finished reading an article by Jack Trout at Forbes.com.

He is the pioneer of the concept of “positioning,” and author of at least a few books.

Recently, he discovered a book dating back to around 1916 that offers certain business secrets, and one of them boils down to seeking simplicity in your sales and marketing program.

If your approach is too clever, as Peter F. Drucker once characterized many modern contrivances, it is bound to fail.

One of the points Trout gets from the old tome, “Obvious Adams,” is that an idea upon being heard should “explode” in the listener’s mind. He should ask, “Why didn’t we think of that, before?”

Last week, I conducted a new seminar in Sao Paulo, Brazil. My audience consisted of about one hundred sales managers, directors, and business owners, and we covered in depth the topic of motivating and compensating sellers.

I reviewed five different psychologies and then tied them into typical compensation formulas. This is good stuff.

But then, I unveiled a pay plan that in my experience is the very best one of all. It keeps top sellers’s noses happily to the grindstone and it produces overall equity.

Someone who sells three times more will earn triple what his peer earns. But this isn’t a harsh commission-only plan.

Anyway, it is very simple.

I asked everyone in the room if THEY would like to be paid this way. Nearly all would, and would their salespeople like it and perform well under it?

Yes, again, was the answer.

But how many of them felt they could recommend it and have it be adopted?

Very few hands went up.

Why?

The plan seems “too rich” one of them pointed out. It’s “too good” another one said. I think what they were really saying is it’s too obvious and too simple!

Of course, I took these remarks and concerns as an opportunity to pitch my on site consulting. My life is all about introducing change into organizations, and whenever I can generate an idea that “explodes” in the mind, I know it’s going to do very well in boosting sales.

Everyone hiring a salesperson wants a superstar. If you are hiring a salesperson for 2007, you should have a list of superstar qualities your candidate must match. If we were talking, I might ask you; do you really need to hire a salesperson to get the results you want? In some cases a superstar employee could already be working for you. The employee might have the qualities you are looking for; you just need to make him or her a superstar.

If you insisted on hiring a salesperson, I would want to know what sales attributes are on your list. Frankly, I would advise you to look at this investment like purchasing a new car or vehicle for the business. The questions are very similar since whatever you invest in; you will be riding and driving for awhile.

Buying a vehicle and hiring a salesperson can become emotional decisions. You will make better decisions when you take the emotion out of it. I recommend you create a salesperson check list to help you make the right decision. Ben Franklin used the comparison check list to make his decisions, he was a smart man. If you don't have a list of preferred characteristics and quality features, you might be making the wrong choice.

My Vehicle/Salesperson Checklist This short checklist will take some of the emotion out of your important salesperson decision. These are factors that will impact your decision.

* Automatic or manual - are you looking for someone who will do the job automatically or someone who will need a lot of direction and attention from you? If you don't have the time or a selling system in place, it will eat up valuable time you might not enjoy spending.
* On board navigation system - If your business doesn't have a great selling system with a built in navigational system, you better hire a strong salesperson who can find his or her way around the sales process. Unfortunately, 80% of salespeople don't come with this feature.
* Off road or city - will the salesperson you hire be following your route for business or will they be going off road to find new clients for you? When you build a business with a salesperson, you must hire them to match the business development area you have in mind.
* Long haul or short routes - are the prospects and customers you want long sales cycle with high volume sales or short sales cycle with low volumes? Salary and gas is expensive, make the right choice. It is better for everyone when you are on the same page.
* Maintenance - did the previous employer take good care of the salesperson and does the record history equate to a well maintained employee? It is important to know if you can match the expectations your candidates have and vice versa.
* Previous ownership - how many previous employers are there? If there are more jobs than expected, what are the reasons for leaving? You don't want a lemon, they cost more.
* Condition of exterior and interior - does the sales person's appearance match the expectations of your operation? Does the salesperson's personality match well with the values of your organization? Building a good team is important and sales are just one facet of business.
* Test Drive - role playing with a prospective salesperson reveals a lot about their skills. If they don't ask good questions or follow sales processes don't hire them. The best attribute of a salesperson is good listening skills and the ability to uncover opportunities for business.

Get Expert Advice When you are buying a car, a good mechanics evaluation will reveal valuable insight on the suitability of your investment. The same is true when hiring a salesperson. Unless you are a strong sales manager, you should consult with a trusted sales management expert to evaluate your final candidates. Additionally, there are many sales and personality tests which can provide you with good information.

Sales Management: Do you have a sales management interview process that defines which sales candidate has the best ‘Right to Win’ for the sales position that’s being interviewed for?

In sales organizations located in competitive industries, the sales employee turnover water runs deep; averaging 30-70% per year. That results in a measurable hard-dollar cost, something you can actually put your finger on. But with the proper strategies, process and support tools that cost can be minimized with great returns. And it all starts with the interview process.

Sales Representatives: Do you have an interview strategy to diagnose if the company you are interviewing with is the right ‘Career Vehicle’ for you to make the money you want and get the recognition you deserve? Because it you don’t, you may find yourself in that sales employee turnover pool of 30-70%. And that’s not what you want on your next resume.

So let’s take a look at a way for ‘Both sides of the Table’ to discern if the sales position available is a mutual marriage for long term success.

It’s done through identifying Key Performance Indicators (KPI); individual gateways that directly effect the outcome of a particular process. Then they measure the competency ratios in line with them.

A good Key sales performance indicator example in the sales process might be how many times you advance the first sales appointment to the next phase, whether that’s a demonstration, a site visit, a survey or a proposal. Another KPI is how many times you gain a new customer once the first gateway is passed. And when you do gain a new customer, what’s the average revenue you achieve? That’s certainly an important KPI. Because if your average revenue per sale is 40% less than the average peer KPI, you might want to find out why and take focused action to improve it, as you’re leaving money on the table.

And what about the length of a sales cycle in days? Is that conditional or do you have a degree of control over it? If you have a team member that has an average sales cycle 30% shorter than the peer group, uncover and assimilate those best practices out to the rest of the sales team. Less time, more results. That makes ‘Sales Cycle’ a valuable KPI.

“I could be in front of buyers right now, earning a commission. Instead, I’m stuck here, listening to a sales guru who probably earns half of what I earn!”

“Who does this guy think he is? I don’t care how many degrees or phony speaking certifications he has after his name. He’s never sold MY PRODUCT to MY CUSTOMERS, so all of these clever formulas are just a lot of theoretical garbage.”

“I’ll tell you this. Nobody ever bought anything from anybody he hated. If they like you, they’ll follow you to the ends of the earth. If they don’t, I don’t care how sharp your selling skills are.”

“If we didn’t get a chance to play golf and to throw back a few, these yearly sales meetings would be a total waste!”

Salespeople aren’t fools. But most articles you read that are aimed at them treat them as if they are, and miss the mark by a mile. They presume that sellers are left-brain nerds who would rather pick apart the numbers on a spreadsheet than take a client to a ballgame.

They presume this because most people who are writing, who hope to line-up some training or consulting business, are this way, themselves. Fundamentally, those who want to train salespeople for a living aren’t genuine salespeople, themselves.

They’ve never been in the trenches for an extended time, where they sell or starve.

Lots of them are the victims of downsizing, outsourcing, and their own poor achievement in whatever vocation. Or they’re academics who are tired of plying their trade before college sophomores, and getting measly pay for it.

Let me give you an example. One guru wrote a book on selling where he offered over a hundred “closes that really work!” While a salesman might enjoy leafing through this tome, in all practicality, he’ll use the two or three that he has always used that he can adapt to any situation.

More than that, and he’ll fumble around and waste time, and he knows it.

From the guru’s view he’s offering a lot of great information, but from the salesman’s, the book is no more than entertainment. It’s something he can pass around to his pals and joke about.

In fact, more than challenging the guru to tell them something new, the seller who is forced to listen to a lecture or a speech might really be saying:

“Don’t try to teach me anything—Just make me laugh, or tell me a joke I can use with my next prospect.”

And then, go away!

Sales Managers: Before you hire your next speaker, coach, or consultant, make sure he knows what your people are really thinking!

There has been a lot of ink spilt over the topic of customer relationships.

CRM, customer relationship management, has become a mini-field.

And countless salespeople start their cold calls by telling prospects they’d like to develop a relationship with them.

But people don’t agree to developing relationships, as a general rule.

Mark thinks Megan is delicious and he asks her out for a cup of coffee. She agrees, they hit it off, and the next thing you know, they’re a steady item, they’re in what you could call a real relationship.

Mark didn’t ask Megan out for “a relationship,” but for a latte or an expresso. Relationships evolve, but usually after we have agreed to do something minor that involves a relatively low amount of risk.

Today, one of my international seminar partners suggested we invite a prestigious third party to co-distribute our courses and electronic training programs. In his note he spoke in broad terms about medium and long-term possibilities.

I came back and said we need to pin down very specifically what we want to do, FIRST.

Spell out a proposal they can understand and approve of immediately. Delineate it in time and space and dollars. Make it specific, complete, and easy to endorse.

Then, you have something.

If they agree to a cup of coffee, and they like your company, they’ll be delighted to take in a movie or more with you, as well.

What about that relationship?

Don’t worry. It will take care of itself

Goal setting is powerful way of keeping sales psychology on the up-and-up. We all know that goals dictate future performance by giving team members a sense of purpose and direction. I can think of nothing less motivating than not knowing why I’ve been asked to do something. Instill in your team members what the end objective is and explain to them the necessary steps to get there. It is much easier to put forth the effort when we can answer who, what, where, when, why and how. Make sure your goals are realistic and attainable, but lofty enough that they are inspiring.

It is a general rule of thumb that greater or more difficult goals actually increase performance. The reason for this tendency is that loftier goals or objectives set higher expectations, and expectations in turn strongly influence behavior. The power of effective goal setting or setting a target can be seen in the following example: In a particular production plant, workers with little experience were divided into two groups. One group was told to simply observe the experienced workers and try to be able to perform at a skilled level themselves within twelve weeks.

The second group received specific weekly goals that were progressively more and more demanding. Needless to say, the second group fared much better. Similarly, Yale University once conducted a striking twenty-year study that found that the 3 percent of students who put their goals in writing had significantly higher incomes than those who did not—in fact, higher incomes than the other 97 percent of students combined. From these examples, it is obvious that proper goal setting goes a long way toward promoting sound sales psychology amongst your team members.

Have you identified the key sales performance indicators that are dragging you down? I conduct Sales Performance Evaluator™ web-cast meetings across the country to help sales management diagnose were they are weak and were they are strong, all pointing to unique systematic training processes to gain more sales revenue in less time. The evaluation is based on real sales performance numbers in line with revenue objectives, so it’s ultimately an objective review versus a subjective approach.

My findings show that 90% of the time the sales force under the 'sales performance microscope' is not achieving enough new sales appointments to have a ‘right to win’ in line with their sales objectives. Simply put, they are not putting enough logs on the fire to keep it burning.

Simply put, they are not putting enough logs on the fire to keep it burning.

Does your sales force ‘put enough logs on the fire’ in line with your current key sales performance indicators and your sales objective? If they are not, you should be looking closely at what I term the #1 sales competency in sales; the conversation-to-appointment ratio.

Let’s take a close look at the Conversation-to-Appointment ratio. This is the number of conversations it takes to generate a single sales appointment. Most sales organizations do not measure, let alone emphasize or train around the “Conversation-to-Appointment Ratio.” Most do not know what it means.

Consider your own Conversation-to-Appointment Ratio. I’ve asked hundreds of sales professionals, “What is your conversation-to-appointment ratio? The typical answer (after a bunch of back and forth) is about 10-25 prospecting conversations will yield 1-2 sales appointments. That’s a 4-20% success ratio.

And that equates to a lot of prospecting conversations and a lot of time to achieve enough new business sales appointments each week to be successful. In fact, the sales management leaders that have gone through my sales performance Evaluator™ sessions spend 40%-60% of their time on sales prospecting activities and are still coming up short on their sales appointment generation barometer.

Below I have detailed how I use consultative techniques to build relationships, sales and discover new products that lead to industry trends. My experience has proven this to be the best way to develop trust, credibility and results.

PREMISE & STRATEGY

It is imperative in these competitive times to be able to set yourself above the pack as not just a vendor, but as a trusted partner and business consultant. People buy (long term) from those that they trust, respect and like. To build that kind of relationship you must do everything in your power to prove that you are there to ensure your customer's success.

Consultative selling is something most have heard of. It is simply a "softer sell" approach that centers on identifying needs and getting the buyer to agree to that need and your solution. Any buyer can sense a pitch and is going to be wary of it, no matter how "soft" it is. This system differs in that you are functioning as a pure consultant to the client, partnering with them to develop trust and create success on their terms. It fosters a rock solid relationship between you and the customer. If the solution to their need does not exist with your company, go to corporate to create it. Show the customer that you are there to serve their needs, not yours. Trust me, if you do this the payoffs are well worth it.

You must take a true consultative approach and concentrate on uncovering needs, providing solutions and adding value to your customer's business through your relationship with them. This means taking a seat on their side of the desk, seeing things through their eyes and partnering with them to develop a long-term growth plan. Treat their business as if it were your own. If you say you will follow up on something, do so promptly. Email thank you notes after appointments. Earn their trust and respect.

Ask probing questions and listen proactively because needs are often implied rather than expressed. Your customer will be very pleased and surprised when you identify an unspoken need because you listened with an intuitive ear. They will wonder why other vendors aren't as insightful. As you begin to work on solutions together, they will see the value you bring to them and their business. Then the magic happens, you break into their "trust zone".

They may even try to buy from you at this point. If the product really suits their needs, fine. If not, discourage that action and explain why. This is your opportunity to earn everlasting trust and respect. Think of their perception of that action. A salesman discouraging a sale? There could only be one reason for that, the guy is the real deal. He is truly here to help me. You have just earned TRUST. Never betray it. Don't be in a hurry to sell things. Instead, sell yourself and the value you bring to the relationship. Become the VALUE PROPOSITION to the customer.

Now you have real credibility. You have earned their trust and they are comfortable with your counsel. You did not start off by trying to sell product, you sold yourself. You partnered with them, identifying needs and providing solutions to help their business grow. Closing now becomes welcomed advice from a trusted consultant and friend. They are anxious for your recommendations. What a difference! By putting the relationship before the sale, you have guaranteed the sale. In all probability, you have also created a customer for life.

The beauty of this approach is that it is win/win. It is low key, consultative, provides solutions and adds value (you) to the customer. It enables a solid foundation of trust, credibility and creates a long-term relationship that pays big dividends. You are now much more than a vendor. You are a trusted and valued business partner.

While the system is relatively simple to apply to any account, as with many things, one cannot judge a book by its cover. It requires a subtle psychology that only experience can teach. For instance, you must know when to listen and when to talk, when to be aggressive and when to be laid back. These are the nuances that can make or break the "connection" with the buyer. However, once mastered, it provides you with many advantages over the competition.

Some of the important benefits of the system are that you now can stop by most accounts unannounced and be welcomed. You have access to free focus group studies. You have an inside track to competitive and important marketing information. It also creates a hedge against competition.

The basic strategy planning concepts are enduring and will always be at the heart of marketing. Manager who can quickly adjust the details of his efforts to better solve customer problems or respond to changes in the market can do better job for his firm – because he can make certain that his plans are really performing as expected.

Whether implementation decisions and activities are internal or external, they all must be consistent with the objectives of the overall strategy with the other details of the plan. There are three general objectives that apply to all implementation efforts. Other things equal, the manager wants to get each implementation job done: Better. Faster. At lower cost.

So, it’s important to be creative in looking for better solutions to implementation problems. That may require finding ways to better coordinate the efforts of the different people involved, setting up standard operating procedures to deal with recurring problems, or juggling priorities to deal with the unexpected.

Sales Analysis – a detailed breakdown of a company’s sales records – can be very informative. Detailed data can keep marketing executives in touch with what’s happening in the market. In addition, routine sales analyses prepared each week, month, or year may show trends – and allow managers to check their hypotheses and assumptions.

There is no one best way to analyze sales data. Typical breakdowns include:
1. Geographic region – country, state, city, sales rep’s territory.
2. Product, package size, grade, or color.
3. Customer size.
4. Customer type or class of trade.
5. Price or discount class.
6. Method of sale. – mail, telephone, or direct sales.
7. Financial arrangement – cash or charge.
8. Size of order.
9. Commission class.

The marketing audit is a systematic, critical, and unbiased review and appraisal of the basic objectives and policies of the marketing function – and of the organization, methods, procedures, and people employed to implement the policies. A marketing audit requires a detailed look at the company’s current marketing plans to see if they are still the best plans the firm can offer. A marketing audit takes a big review of the business – and it evaluates the whole marketing program. It might be done by a separate department within the company – perhaps by a marketing controller. But to get both expert and objective evaluation, it’s probably better to use an outside organization such as a marketing consulting firm.

The basic strategy planning concepts are enduring and will always be at the heart of marketing. Manager who can quickly adjust the details of his efforts to better solve customer problems or respond to changes in the market can do better job for his firm – because he can make certain that his plans are really performing as expected.

Whether implementation decisions and activities are internal or external, they all must be consistent with the objectives of the overall strategy with the other details of the plan. There are three general objectives that apply to all implementation efforts. Other things equal, the manager wants to get each implementation job done: Better. Faster. At lower cost.

So, it’s important to be creative in looking for better solutions to implementation problems. That may require finding ways to better coordinate the efforts of the different people involved, setting up standard operating procedures to deal with recurring problems, or juggling priorities to deal with the unexpected.

Sales Analysis – a detailed breakdown of a company’s sales records – can be very informative. Detailed data can keep marketing executives in touch with what’s happening in the market. In addition, routine sales analyses prepared each week, month, or year may show trends – and allow managers to check their hypotheses and assumptions.

There is no one best way to analyze sales data. Typical breakdowns include:
1. Geographic region – country, state, city, sales rep’s territory.
2. Product, package size, grade, or color.
3. Customer size.
4. Customer type or class of trade.
5. Price or discount class.
6. Method of sale. – mail, telephone, or direct sales.
7. Financial arrangement – cash or charge.
8. Size of order.
9. Commission class.

The marketing audit is a systematic, critical, and unbiased review and appraisal of the basic objectives and policies of the marketing function – and of the organization, methods, procedures, and people employed to implement the policies. A marketing audit requires a detailed look at the company’s current marketing plans to see if they are still the best plans the firm can offer. A marketing audit takes a big review of the business – and it evaluates the whole marketing program. It might be done by a separate department within the company – perhaps by a marketing controller. But to get both expert and objective evaluation, it’s probably better to use an outside organization such as a marketing consulting firm.