Sunday, January 21, 2007

Five Crucial Things You Forgot About Selling

I remember signing up for a seminar at USC taught by the incomparable Donald C. Bryant, a Professor Emeritus from the University of Iowa.

It was one of the smartest moves I ever made as a graduate student, because, arguably I did my best scholarly writing under his guidance.

More than simply edifying, this experience was nearly transcendental. There were only a handful of us in this doctoral seminar, and it was rare company, indeed.

In a telling comment, one of my peers looked at me as the first session was about to get underway, and he whispered with reverence: “This guy has forgotten more than most scholars will ever know!”

Of course, it was a compliment.

The best salespeople have also forgotten more than mere amateurs will ever know.

But even the best need to prepare their “lectures” or sales performances, too, and this means going over what has become hazy, or has been pushed out of our routines.

Here are five crucial things most salespeople have forgotten:

(1) With new clients, you always have to establish your credibility, right away.

Just this week, after having communicated by phone and email with a prospect, I sat down with her and her associates, and after making some small talk, she said: “So, Gary, why don’t you tell us about your background in this field, and how long you’ve been doing it.”

For just the slightest second, I thought, “Didn’t you read the materials I sent you?”

She was doing me a favor, though. We all need to explain why and how we’ve earned the sales opportunity that is before us. What makes us uniquely qualified to win their business? Prospects want to know and need to know, and it’s all too easy to assume our reputations precede us. If you’re leaving a Credibility Step out of your selling, and many of the most experienced sellers do, then put it back in!

(2) When possible, listen more than you speak.

Ask questions, not only because you’ll get prospects to disclose needs. Ask because you really don’t know this person’s specific situation. Minimally, new prospects don’t think you know them, and they expect you to make an investment to get better acquainted. Also, by listening more, especially at the beginning of the encounter, you send a signal of respect that suggests that after the order is taken, you’ll still be respectful when servicing the client. You may think you’ve heard it all, but you haven’t. Even if you have, give yourself a chance to be surprised and to learn something new.

(3) Don’t wing-it!

You must sound organized to come across as expert in your field. Allowing happenstance or the client to take complete control of the situation is foolish and it usually backfires. They can’t sell what you’re offering better than you can, and most prospects will not close themselves. If you have a basic presentation that you follow, stick to it as much as you can, while still providing enough give-and-take to LISTEN, as mentioned, above.

(4) Never get too chummy with the prospect.

Some prospects are more charming and disarming than we are! They can beguile you into disclosing your manufacturing costs, competitors’ names, and miscellaneous weaknesses and disadvantages that you wouldn’t bring up in a confessional. Recall that World War I poster that said: “Loose lips sink ships!”

Reveal enough to be personable, but take care of the business at hand, first and always.

(5) Remember the ABC’s: Always Be CLOSING!

You can lead a client to water, and you CAN make him drink!

The way to do this is by closing, by asking for the sale in a stylized, effective way.

“I think we’ve covered everything, so let’s get you started with this program and I know you’ll be pleased, Okay?”

If you hear an objection after closing once, address it as well as you can, and then, CLOSE AGAIN!

Because you’ve been using closes for so long you might become unduly cynical about them, believing that clients will be aware of your techniques or resistant to them, or that they’ll lose effectiveness over time.

Not true.

In my hometown, they used to joke, “Vote early and vote often!”

In selling, close early and close often!

Refresh yourself on these five practices before each and every presentation, and you’ll return to and stay at the top of your game.
I remember signing up for a seminar at USC taught by the incomparable Donald C. Bryant, a Professor Emeritus from the University of Iowa.

It was one of the smartest moves I ever made as a graduate student, because, arguably I did my best scholarly writing under his guidance.

More than simply edifying, this experience was nearly transcendental. There were only a handful of us in this doctoral seminar, and it was rare company, indeed.

In a telling comment, one of my peers looked at me as the first session was about to get underway, and he whispered with reverence: “This guy has forgotten more than most scholars will ever know!”

Of course, it was a compliment.

The best salespeople have also forgotten more than mere amateurs will ever know.

But even the best need to prepare their “lectures” or sales performances, too, and this means going over what has become hazy, or has been pushed out of our routines.

Here are five crucial things most salespeople have forgotten:

(1) With new clients, you always have to establish your credibility, right away.

Just this week, after having communicated by phone and email with a prospect, I sat down with her and her associates, and after making some small talk, she said: “So, Gary, why don’t you tell us about your background in this field, and how long you’ve been doing it.”

For just the slightest second, I thought, “Didn’t you read the materials I sent you?”

She was doing me a favor, though. We all need to explain why and how we’ve earned the sales opportunity that is before us. What makes us uniquely qualified to win their business? Prospects want to know and need to know, and it’s all too easy to assume our reputations precede us. If you’re leaving a Credibility Step out of your selling, and many of the most experienced sellers do, then put it back in!

(2) When possible, listen more than you speak.

Ask questions, not only because you’ll get prospects to disclose needs. Ask because you really don’t know this person’s specific situation. Minimally, new prospects don’t think you know them, and they expect you to make an investment to get better acquainted. Also, by listening more, especially at the beginning of the encounter, you send a signal of respect that suggests that after the order is taken, you’ll still be respectful when servicing the client. You may think you’ve heard it all, but you haven’t. Even if you have, give yourself a chance to be surprised and to learn something new.

(3) Don’t wing-it!

You must sound organized to come across as expert in your field. Allowing happenstance or the client to take complete control of the situation is foolish and it usually backfires. They can’t sell what you’re offering better than you can, and most prospects will not close themselves. If you have a basic presentation that you follow, stick to it as much as you can, while still providing enough give-and-take to LISTEN, as mentioned, above.

(4) Never get too chummy with the prospect.

Some prospects are more charming and disarming than we are! They can beguile you into disclosing your manufacturing costs, competitors’ names, and miscellaneous weaknesses and disadvantages that you wouldn’t bring up in a confessional. Recall that World War I poster that said: “Loose lips sink ships!”

Reveal enough to be personable, but take care of the business at hand, first and always.

(5) Remember the ABC’s: Always Be CLOSING!

You can lead a client to water, and you CAN make him drink!

The way to do this is by closing, by asking for the sale in a stylized, effective way.

“I think we’ve covered everything, so let’s get you started with this program and I know you’ll be pleased, Okay?”

If you hear an objection after closing once, address it as well as you can, and then, CLOSE AGAIN!

Because you’ve been using closes for so long you might become unduly cynical about them, believing that clients will be aware of your techniques or resistant to them, or that they’ll lose effectiveness over time.

Not true.

In my hometown, they used to joke, “Vote early and vote often!”

In selling, close early and close often!

Refresh yourself on these five practices before each and every presentation, and you’ll return to and stay at the top of your game.

How Can You Know The Prospect's Real Intent?

Intent and intention seems to be a hot topic these days. Wayne Dyer has a book on the power of intention, Brian Klemmer has a book on intent and I am sure there are more out there that I haven’t read yet. Why is this such an important topic today? Is it more important than it was twenty years ago? Let’s take a brief look at this critical area with a focus on the intentions of your customers.

What is intent? Is it goals, plans, dreams or hopes or is it something more, something deeper? Webster defines it as: firm, steadfast, fixed or directed. Having the attention sharply focused. I’d like to give you my definition: Intent is doing what you say you are going to do. You plan to lose twenty pounds and you do it. You plan to save 10% of your income and you do it.

What causes people to not do what they say they are going to do? Could be hundreds of reasons but here is one. They really don’t mean what they say. Why? Are they fooling themselves? Are they not in touch with their own strengths and weaknesses? Here is the key. Whenever someone says they are going to do something and they don’t, there is always an opposing intent involved that is stronger than the stated intent. It’s that simple.

Let’s look at the disconnect between what prospects and clients say vs. what they actually do.

-I’ll call you on Tuesday afternoon. They don’t call. Did they really not plan to call you when they said they would? Or, did some unforeseen project, activity, emergency or anything more important get in the way?

Often people who make promises or commitments can’t always control the circumstances that may prevent their doing what they said they would. I’ll send you the Purchase Order on Friday. The following Friday and still no PO. Maybe the person who made the commitment really didn’t have the authority to make the commitment to you. Ah Ha! Here is the crux of dealing with intent in sales.

It is critical that you know whether the person making the promise to you has both the authority and the willingness to follow-through on their commitment. If not, don’t act surprised when it doesn’t happen.

Too often salespeople are willing to accept any promise or commitment a prospect or customer makes without probing further to ensure that there is both the authority and willingness behind the stated intention.

If a prospect doesn’t follow through on a promise and you act surprised – shame on you.

Why not look carefully at your reaction to commitments your prospects or customers make and your typical responses to these.

Do you just accept them at face value?

Do you challenge them?

Do you ask further probing questions to peel away the layers of the onion that may be protecting or hiding the truth?

Some people actually know that when they are making a commitment to you they have NO intentions of honoring it. Why? Maybe they are just subtly telling you that they are not really a prospect for you. Maybe they have an inflated view of their authority or power within their own organization. And maybe, they just lie a lot. Who knows. My point is, that every minute or hour that you spend wondering whether they are really going to call or you spend hoping they will is time spent in La La land.

Here are a couple of examples of follow-up questions you can ask when someone makes a promise of action to you.

- What could prevent you from calling me back? Getting the PO out on Friday? Whatever.

- On a scale of 1-10 where would you place your commitment to (either of the above). Why did you

choose that number?

-If I don’t hear from you or get the PO what action would you like me to take on your

behalf?

This is just a start. Develop some questions or strategies of your own that you are comfortable with and will work at getting to the real intent.

If you don’t have the skill, courage or willingness to take follow-up action on a stated intention from a prospect or customer then I suggest you may as well just get comfortable with wasting time and energy.

Intent and intention seems to be a hot topic these days. Wayne Dyer has a book on the power of intention, Brian Klemmer has a book on intent and I am sure there are more out there that I haven’t read yet. Why is this such an important topic today? Is it more important than it was twenty years ago? Let’s take a brief look at this critical area with a focus on the intentions of your customers.

What is intent? Is it goals, plans, dreams or hopes or is it something more, something deeper? Webster defines it as: firm, steadfast, fixed or directed. Having the attention sharply focused. I’d like to give you my definition: Intent is doing what you say you are going to do. You plan to lose twenty pounds and you do it. You plan to save 10% of your income and you do it.

What causes people to not do what they say they are going to do? Could be hundreds of reasons but here is one. They really don’t mean what they say. Why? Are they fooling themselves? Are they not in touch with their own strengths and weaknesses? Here is the key. Whenever someone says they are going to do something and they don’t, there is always an opposing intent involved that is stronger than the stated intent. It’s that simple.

Let’s look at the disconnect between what prospects and clients say vs. what they actually do.

-I’ll call you on Tuesday afternoon. They don’t call. Did they really not plan to call you when they said they would? Or, did some unforeseen project, activity, emergency or anything more important get in the way?

Often people who make promises or commitments can’t always control the circumstances that may prevent their doing what they said they would. I’ll send you the Purchase Order on Friday. The following Friday and still no PO. Maybe the person who made the commitment really didn’t have the authority to make the commitment to you. Ah Ha! Here is the crux of dealing with intent in sales.

It is critical that you know whether the person making the promise to you has both the authority and the willingness to follow-through on their commitment. If not, don’t act surprised when it doesn’t happen.

Too often salespeople are willing to accept any promise or commitment a prospect or customer makes without probing further to ensure that there is both the authority and willingness behind the stated intention.

If a prospect doesn’t follow through on a promise and you act surprised – shame on you.

Why not look carefully at your reaction to commitments your prospects or customers make and your typical responses to these.

Do you just accept them at face value?

Do you challenge them?

Do you ask further probing questions to peel away the layers of the onion that may be protecting or hiding the truth?

Some people actually know that when they are making a commitment to you they have NO intentions of honoring it. Why? Maybe they are just subtly telling you that they are not really a prospect for you. Maybe they have an inflated view of their authority or power within their own organization. And maybe, they just lie a lot. Who knows. My point is, that every minute or hour that you spend wondering whether they are really going to call or you spend hoping they will is time spent in La La land.

Here are a couple of examples of follow-up questions you can ask when someone makes a promise of action to you.

- What could prevent you from calling me back? Getting the PO out on Friday? Whatever.

- On a scale of 1-10 where would you place your commitment to (either of the above). Why did you

choose that number?

-If I don’t hear from you or get the PO what action would you like me to take on your

behalf?

This is just a start. Develop some questions or strategies of your own that you are comfortable with and will work at getting to the real intent.

If you don’t have the skill, courage or willingness to take follow-up action on a stated intention from a prospect or customer then I suggest you may as well just get comfortable with wasting time and energy.

How to Keep Your Prospects On Track

Following are some simple guidelines to keep your speech and verbal packaging on the right track.

* Don’t use jargon or technical language unless you are sure every member of your audience understands the meaning.

* Don’t use profanity or slang. In general, using profanity damages your credibility.8 Be sensitive to whatever language your audience might find offensive, profanity or otherwise. Avoid name-calling and other forms of abusive language.

* Speak in everyday language. You want your audience to relate to you and to feel as comfortable with you as possible. Use language that will make you seem familiar and easy to follow.

* Keep your language simple and clear.

* Keep your sentences short. Use as few words as possible unless you are painting the picture--just one idea at a time.

* Use words that will engage the audience. Use "you," "we," "us," and even "I" if you are relating a personal experience.

* Don’t use vague and abstract words. They muddle your meaning and confuse your listener.

* Don’t talk down to your listener by using pompous and pretentious words. Be direct; don’t bluff or beat around the bush.

* Use verb-driven language. By using verb-driven language, you will arouse a greater sense of action and motivation. Using these kinds of verbs will make your statement more convincing because your audience will engage their emotions, consciously and subconsciously. Verbs that are abstract or overused do not communicate excitement.

Following are some simple guidelines to keep your speech and verbal packaging on the right track.

* Don’t use jargon or technical language unless you are sure every member of your audience understands the meaning.

* Don’t use profanity or slang. In general, using profanity damages your credibility.8 Be sensitive to whatever language your audience might find offensive, profanity or otherwise. Avoid name-calling and other forms of abusive language.

* Speak in everyday language. You want your audience to relate to you and to feel as comfortable with you as possible. Use language that will make you seem familiar and easy to follow.

* Keep your language simple and clear.

* Keep your sentences short. Use as few words as possible unless you are painting the picture--just one idea at a time.

* Use words that will engage the audience. Use "you," "we," "us," and even "I" if you are relating a personal experience.

* Don’t use vague and abstract words. They muddle your meaning and confuse your listener.

* Don’t talk down to your listener by using pompous and pretentious words. Be direct; don’t bluff or beat around the bush.

* Use verb-driven language. By using verb-driven language, you will arouse a greater sense of action and motivation. Using these kinds of verbs will make your statement more convincing because your audience will engage their emotions, consciously and subconsciously. Verbs that are abstract or overused do not communicate excitement.

The "Let’s" Technique

You can create unity and alliance and lessen defensiveness when you use "let’s" in place of "you," even when that individual, not you, is really going to be the one carrying the duty out.

Often in day-to-day living we find ourselves in circumstances where we need to direct, delegate, or even order. Usually our assignments are just short sentences, such as "Can you please do this or that?" You can create unity and alliance and lessen defensiveness when you use "let’s" in place of "you," even when that individual, not you, is really going to be the one carrying the duty out. For example, "Let’s be sure and get this out in the mail today, okay?" It’s such a simple thing, yet you will find it works wonders. Make a habit of using the word "let’s," and you will find more cooperation.

No one wants to feel as though they are being used or unappreciated. By using a "we" approach, your employees, partners and co-workers will feel involved and appreciated. Be sure that you don't say "we" and then abandon the person from whom you made the request. You must do your part in the project and carry some weight. Further, by involving those with whom you work, you will notice an increase in the quality of work and the attitude with which it is done.

Kurt Mortensen’s trademark is Magnetic Persuasion; rather than convincing others, he teaches that you should attract them, just like a magnet attracts metal filings. He teaches that sales have changed and the consumer has become exponentially more skeptical and cynical within the last five years. Most persuaders are using only 2 or 3 persuasion techniques when there are actually 120 available! His message and program has helped thousands and will help you achieve unprecedented success in both your business and personal life.
You can create unity and alliance and lessen defensiveness when you use "let’s" in place of "you," even when that individual, not you, is really going to be the one carrying the duty out.

Often in day-to-day living we find ourselves in circumstances where we need to direct, delegate, or even order. Usually our assignments are just short sentences, such as "Can you please do this or that?" You can create unity and alliance and lessen defensiveness when you use "let’s" in place of "you," even when that individual, not you, is really going to be the one carrying the duty out. For example, "Let’s be sure and get this out in the mail today, okay?" It’s such a simple thing, yet you will find it works wonders. Make a habit of using the word "let’s," and you will find more cooperation.

No one wants to feel as though they are being used or unappreciated. By using a "we" approach, your employees, partners and co-workers will feel involved and appreciated. Be sure that you don't say "we" and then abandon the person from whom you made the request. You must do your part in the project and carry some weight. Further, by involving those with whom you work, you will notice an increase in the quality of work and the attitude with which it is done.

Kurt Mortensen’s trademark is Magnetic Persuasion; rather than convincing others, he teaches that you should attract them, just like a magnet attracts metal filings. He teaches that sales have changed and the consumer has become exponentially more skeptical and cynical within the last five years. Most persuaders are using only 2 or 3 persuasion techniques when there are actually 120 available! His message and program has helped thousands and will help you achieve unprecedented success in both your business and personal life.