Success Takes Daily Effort But Excuses Last Forever.

Set Mutually Agreed Upon Agendas – 4

The prospect now knows that you are not like the other sales reps with whom they have spoken in the past, and that is a GREAT thing! You’ve just appeared to give them an “out” by saying they could end the meeting at any time for any reason, which puts them at ease. Now you turn around and say,

“When I show up it won’t be to give you a fancy presentation or dog & pony show because I don’t know if I can help you, yet. I’m going to have more questions for you about you and your business that you thought humanely possible. You may want to write down a few for me.”

Far too many (98.674%) sales reps show up with brochures, catalogs and/or demo equipment and immediately hand over the samples, the literature, the demo unit and/or boot up their laptops and start telling the poor prospect about their wonderful company and their wonderful founding, and their wonderful patents and their wonderful trademarks and their wonderful support and their wonderful testimonials and their wonderful…(is your mind drifting now? So is your prospects!)

I learned from a good friend of mine years ago in technical sales that “Demo units are a crutch!”

Show up and take control of the meeting with good questions and tell the prospect that questions are a normal part of any good meeting conducted by any salesman worth his salt.

Everyone gives lip service to the whole “consultative selling approach,” which is pure happy horse $h*t spewed by mind-numb idiotic sales people that have read more books than made quota because they can’t ask one, let alone string together 30 minutes worth, of strong, insightful questions that elicit (that means to “draw forth,” vs. “illicit” as in “the Obama administration made an illicit job offer to Joe Sestak AND Andrew Romanoff.”) a head-tilting, brow-furrowing moment of contemplative silence followed by some variation of, “Hmph. That’s a great question. I’m going to have to think about that.”

By putting the prospect on notice that you will show up to ask great questions it will force you to come up with some great questions! That means you’ll have to do your homework.

If you’d like help getting your sales homework done, this is what we cover in the Inner Circle Silver in detail. You can enroll in the Inner Circle Silver for just $37 for the first month if you take action now. Or you can continue showing up with nice demo units and let the prospect get all of his needs met while he sends you off with a nice pat on the head.

Set Mutually Agreed Upon Agendas – 3

The second step to setting mutually agreed upon agendas was setting ground rules in two parts. Part 1 was agreeing to open and honest dialogue.

Part B of Step 2 is agreeing to end the meeting at any time for any reason.

It may sound odd (most things I teach are odd because it flies in the face of conventional, “traditional,” “old school” sales training) but you want to tell the prospect, “It is OK for either of us to end the meeting at any time should an insurmountable obstacle or issue pop up.”

All of us have sat through sales presentations that felt more like endurance marathons and we NEVER want to sit through anything like that again. So when you tell them, in essence, “Hey, I’m not here to wear you out. I’m also not here to be your punching bag,” it really opens up the dialogue.

I have had “techies” visibly relax by unfolding their arms, dropping their shoulders and lean forward on the table when I’ve said this when I was in technology sales.

Try it the next time you meet with a prospect and see how it works.

This is what we cover in the Inner Circle Silver in detail. You can enroll in the Inner Circle Silver for just $37 for the first month if you take action now.

Set Mutually Agreed Upon Agendas – 2

The first step to setting mutually agreed upon agendas was the Objective.

Moving on, Step 2 is comprised of two parts. Today we’ll look at the importance of setting the Ground Rules for your time together.

Put simply, I inform the prospect that I have two ground rules for all of my meetings. The first is that we are open and honest with one another.

It’s unfortunate to have to say this but our prospects have been conditioned by years of interacting, debating and butting heads with lazy, sleazy, cheesy and desperate salesmen that many actually feel that lying to salesmen is not only acceptable but necessary to get their needs served.

By stipulating up front that honesty is the name of the game it puts them on notice that you don’t play games. (This will also serve as “ammunition” to be used later should the prospect renege on his promise.)

You’ll be amazed at how much more relaxed both you and the prospect will be when you know you’re both in the presence of an honorable person that won’t play games. Professional sales people don’t want to make a sale to someone that doesn’t want or need what they offer. Once the prospect knows she’s dealing with a professional you can move on to the second part of Step 2, which we’ll address in the next post.

Honesty is the name of the game in the Inner Circle Silver. You can enroll in the Inner Circle Silver for just $37 for the first month if you take action now.

Set Mutually Agreed Upon Agendas – 1

Once your prospect agrees to invite you to his place of work the real work begins. At that point you say to the prospect, “In the interest of time and to make sure we cover the key points would you mind if we set a quick agenda for our time together?”

At that point the prospect will say something elegant such as, “Ahhh, well, yeah. Ok.”

You immediately set the tone by replying with Step 1 of The Agenda, which goes something like this:

“Mr. Prospect, the main objective for us getting together is not to discuss speeds and feeds and specs and details of my widget but to see if there is a fit between our two companies to work together.”

Far too often, especially in technical sales, sales people let the prospect take control of the meeting and turn it into a one-way free education for the prospect consisting solely of the sales person explaining every feature and function, every bell and whistle, every option and add-on only to be told

“Thank you very much. You’ve been very helpful. We’ll take your information and give it serious consideration. Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. NEXT!”

We’ll cover how to prevent that from happening in more detail with the next several posts but the following steps all depend on your setting the tone by setting the agenda.

This little nugget and more are covered in great detail in the Inner Circle Silver. You can enroll in the Inner Circle Silver for just $37 for the first month if you take action now.

Only Go On Appointments When Invited

Yesterday was the last day you are EVER allowed to say,

“I’ll be in the area next week. How about I stop by?”

Beggars “are in the area.”

Sales amateurs that don’t have a plan, have nothing better to do “are in the area.”

Sales rookies that are under quota “are in the area.”

Think about it: how often is your attorney “in the area?” How often is your dentist “in the area?” How often is Donald Trump slumming around some big city hoping someone will take an appointment with him?

Stop begging for appointments.

Stop “popping in” in people.

Develop a sales and marketing plan that will automate your entire process and work it.

At the same time you need to understand with moonshine-clear clarity why your prospects MUST do business with you and ONLY you and internalize those reasons until they permeate every cell in your body. You will then walk tall, hold your head high and convey with confidence (not arrogance) that you are the best option for your client (and they are clients, not customers, which I address in another post.)

When you have that confidence it will come through on the phone, in person and/or in your written correspondence with your prospects and they will be drawn to you.

(Those that are not drawn to you will remain in your marketing sequences and will eventually be drawn to you! So create and work your marketing plan!)

Later on we’ll discuss more specifics on the verbiage used for opening and controlling a prospecting call as well as generating quality leads online but once you have a good prospect on the line and you have established they do have a need and can make a decision you simply say,

“Mr. Prospect, it sounds like (____) is a real concern of yours. Is that an accurate statement? If you would like to invite me over we can spend a few minutes exploring your needs, examining the causes of your most pressing dilemmas and if I can help you I’ll explain the various alternatives my firm offers and you then decide which, if any, make sense for you. Does that sound like a meeting you would like to have?”

THAT’S IT!

If you can master this short exchange you will initially go on fewer appointments, which has the added benefit of giving you more time to prospect, but the appointments you do go on will go smoother, with less stress, will close more often, at higher margin and more fun.

If you’d like to accelerate your mastery of this process you can enroll in my Inner Circle Silver for just $37 for the first month. Your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Good Selling,

Listening to Eminem at the gym reminds me to get fired up and focus only on success.

He has a potty mouth but his message is right on. You only get one shot. Do not miss your chance.

On another note, this is what Gen Y is listening to and so are The Millenials and Gen X. They are all now influencing the Boomers.

So pay attention to the Alpha Voices. Times they are a’changin.

Lose yourself and seize the opportunity.

A member of a faith-based LinkedIn group I founded (and now has 1,403 members as of this post) posted the fact that he was praying for a sales job. Here is my response:

“B,
Make a list of the top 10 companies for which you’d like to work and go see them in order. Go sit in the lobby and tell the receptionist you’d like to see the VP of Sales (find his/her name before you arrive.) When they ask if you have an appointment tell them “no” but that you are here to work for free.

After the receptionist tilts her head she’ll eventually contact the VP of Sales. If she says they are not hiring or they VP doesn’t meet with candidates or the VP doesn’t meet with people without appointments or that all job applicants must go through HR just say, “I’m not a candidate. I’m offering your company a $100,000 a year service that will add $1,000,000 to your top line but since this will impact sales and this is a limited offer your VP of Sales will want to see me first. What will it take to fit me in his/her schedule even here in the lobby or in the kitchen for 5 minutes?”

One of three things will happen:

1. You’ll meet the VP.
2. You’ll get turned away.
3. You’ll get an appointment for later that day/week.

If you get turned away contact that VP over the phone and say, “Mr. VP, Today I came to your office and offered your company a $100,000 gift that would add $1,000,000 to your top line revenue in the next 12 months but I was turned away. I will call you tomorrow at 1:15 PM to discuss this offer with you. If that is not a good time or if you would like to speak before then you can reach me at 714-369-8004 (that’s my number…put yours in here!). My name is “B.” Have a great day.”

Then go see their top competitor in the area an be sure you call the next day at 1:15.

Call these top companies up to 7 times until one of them takes you up on your offer.

Your offer is to work for them for free for 30 days. At the end of 30 days they will either hire you and pay you for your 30 days or they will let you go.

When you get picked up contact me and I’ll tell you EXACTLY how to set the proper, clear, mutually-agreed-upon expectations for your first 30 days to ensure you are successful.

If you do this today and every day this week I guarantee you’ll have someone take you up on your offer by the end of the week.

There are many benefits to this:

1. It’s exciting and different and will make you stretch.
2. It will keep you busy and stir your imagination.
3. You’ll keep your skills sharp because you’re making cold calls / prospecting calls.
4. You’ll sharpen your negotiation skills.
5. When you get picked up you’ll get to see the company from the inside, which will help you make up your mind as to whether or not this is a good company.
6. You will sell like a MADMAN those 30 days because your back is up against the wall, which will make you extremely focused, efficient and productive.

2 Cor 9: 6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

In sales and marketing terms Paul is saying “take massive action!”

Prayer can do all things. So can prayer and smart, hard, focused work. God provides even for the little sparrows but he makes them get out of the nest to get the worm.

God Bless,
Wes

Because they have a poor self-image and low self-esteem.

I won’t get into why I think celebrities have such poor self-images (but I do have my opinions I’d be glad to share over an adult beverage if you’re ever in SoCal) but I will share my ideas on why sales people in general, and new sales people in particular, have such low self-esteem.

One word: Confusion.

In 100% of the companies that bring me in to work with them their sales management skills are 180˚ out of whack! The typical yo-yo sales environment suffering from low morale, high turnover, eroding margins, excessive cancellations and change orders and customer complaints are managing RESULTS instead of PERFORMANCE!

What does that mean?

Without a gun you and I cannot control what our prospects do. We cannot MAKE THEM reach for the checkbook and open it up to us. But we can control whether or not we called them and set an appointment with them and asked pertinent, relevant, thought-provoking questions of them that showed our expertise and competence.

But every company I’ve ever worked at as an employee or consulted with manages based on results instead of performance. (In a way I’m glad because this means they need me. If they were doing it right I’d be out of a job!) This leads to “hockey stick” sales that all come at the end of the month or quarter at lower margins and higher stress.

What companies should do is manage performance and pay on results. When that new sales person shows up they should be told something along the lines of:

• Your monthly sales target is $12,000 or $3,000 per week.
• The average sale is $1,000 so you need to get three new clients a week.
• The average closing ratio is 33%, which means you need 3 appointments to make a sale, which means you need to go on 9 appointments a week.
• One out of every 4 appointments you make will cancel so you need to make 4 appointments to get 3, which means you need to set 12 appointments a week.
• To get one appointment you must speak to 5 decision makers and follow this exact script, which means you must speak to 60 decision makers a week.
• To reach 5 decision makers you must speak to 15 gatekeepers and follow this exact script.
• To reach 15 gatekeepers you must make 35 calls a day and follow this exact script, and/or…
• Go to three networking events a week and introduce yourself in this exact manner, and/or…
• Give two talks a week on this topic to this audience with this exact call to action, and/or…
• Mail 50 pieces of mail a week to these exact businesses with this exact call to action, and/or…

You get the point and you know it doesn’t happen this way.

Most of the time the hiring manager will say something like, “You’re a big boy. You’ve been in this game long enough. You know what to do. Heck, when I started we didn’t even have cell phones or computers. Now go sell something!” and they go back into their office with their “open door policy” because your all “family.”

This is the beginning of the end for that sales rep and they just started! They are thoroughly confused and dejected because they see others making sales at the company but nothing has been codified so they’re not sure how to start, what to say and more importantly, what questions to ask.
Instead, they are given some nice brochures, they are briefed on all of the patents they have and the number of employees and how the founder started the company in her garage and they are told to go make sales. W. Edwards Deming is rolling over in his grave.

How well do you know your own numbers?

What kind of example are you setting for your sales staff?

Are you the bottleneck to your own success?

Can your 5-figure strategies get you to 6 or 7+ figure results?

Would you like a new perspective from someone that has made all of the mistakes and also won all of the awards in retail sales, business to business sales, business to government sales, business to consumer sales and the all important human being to human being sales?

The first call is free and I guarantee you will learn something during our 30 minutes together that can put an extra $1,000 in your pocket within 60 days. But you have to call first.

Good selling.

Remember, Life is good. It’s “gooder” when you’re selling.

P.S. July 30th the f.r.e.e report “The 7 Deadly Sins of Selling” 32-page report with the f.r.e.e. CD, f.r.e.e. consultation and other bonuses will be removed from my website forever. To get your copy please visit my homepage now and simply enter your first name and email. Starting Friday I’m beginning an in-depth, live review of “The 7 Deadly Sins of Selling” with Q&A during each session. You can participate all 7 hours – July 10th, 14th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd, 28th and 30th for just $7 total. You can register here.