You work to build relationship’s with you customers, solving their problems, listening and understanding their business pains. As a professional sales executive this is your job. Until your customers trust and believe in you, you will not succeed, bring the value. Your company will rank you on revenue attainment as a primary measure of performance, in most cases, but you need to understand the reality. Provide your customer with the facts, enable them to make an educated purchase, remember how you make purchases, and the research you do. Whether you selling point products or enterprise wide solutions time is of the essence. It’s a delicate balance between your sales forecast and your customer’s best interest. Ultimately the customer comes first.
Category Archives: Value
Sales Around the World
I recently participated in a week long international training program. As part of the group there was a mix of people from several countries and job roles. Thankfully the language of the day defaulted to English. I often reflect on how the sales process is just about bringing value and building trust. As the week progressed colleagues (but still strangers) worked on projects for the class. We traded stories and learned about each other as ventured to solve the project challenge of the day. We slowly found commonality and friendship. I hope to think that the sales process follows a similar course, no matter what language you speak.
Filed under Best Practices, Business, Ethics, Persistence, Quality, Sales, Uncategorized, Value
What’s so different in sales now?
If you’ve been in sales for a while you’ve noticed the change, or maybe you haven’t. Attention spans are in the milliseconds. You need to be able to interupt the constant noise and velocity of each days events with a reason for your client to consider a new idea. It may be the best idea or solution in years. Unless your client is listening and receptive to your opportunity may be put off or lost. The barrage of information that is being directed at everyone is astounding and is a test of patience and time management. Don’t give up yet they probably weren’t ready to receive the gift of your solution. Maybe a timely email or personal note may make the difference. It’s interesting how a marketing flyer that you threw away 4 times prior will sometimes spark interest the 5th time. It goes back to the some of the sales essentials: persistence, creativity and professionalism.
Filed under Best Practices, Business, Marketing, Persistence, Sales, Value
Promises Kept – Creating Good Surveys
How do you know your product, your program or your service is delivering on the promises you made to your customers? Your sales people say the offering is great, your literature enforces that message and your customer buys, however, what about buyer’s remorse, or the following days, weeks, months and years; are your customer’s still happy about the promise made?
One way to find the answer to these questions is to create a “good” survey; by the way, the other is to pick up the phone or to visit in person and ask.
This short article provides 10 good keys guaranteed to deliver a really good survey.
- Develop a set of objectives – “what do you want to know”. So, many organizations and people skip this step. They immediately jump in and begin to consider the questions they want to ask.
- Clearly state the intentions of the survey. It is important to communicate the intentions of the survey to both those taking the survey and to those asking to have the survey created.
- Present surveys in an organized layout, include instructions and keep it short. Layout, layout, layout, we, the human race, think visually first! So, be sure the layout is inviting. (Right-side of the brain thing)
- Structure survey based on the information you are looking to capture. Order and/or group the questions. If you took care of the layout, then this addresses the left side of the brain.
- Use different question types (“fixed responses” and “open”). Mix it up. You know, as a consumer of digital information we have a very short intention span.
- Ask one question at a time (no “double” questions). Be precise with your questions.
- Don’t ask for personal information. This is off limits on many levels.
- Do not bias your questions. Do you really want to know what your customers are thinking; then be sure to objectively present your questions.
- Ask questions that can be answered. Remember K.I.S.S.?
- Before using survey review against your objectives and test. Now, before you hit the publish or print button – review!
Follow these steps and you WILL have a good survey. Good luck on finding out if your customers think you kept your promises.
Filed under Best Practices, Business, Ethics, Marketing, Persistence, Quality, ROI, Sales, Uncategorized, Value
Inside and Outside
Sometimes much of your sales effort can take place internally. Understanding your customers environment, needs and budget is only half of the process.
Once you have arms around the right solution you may need to gain support for your recommendation internally. Although you know the specific challenges and limitations of your customer. You may still need to convince your organization of the value of your potential client’s business and long term relationship possibilities. You also need to remember the value your product and or service. All the late nights and effort to bring an equitable solution to bare should bring reward to you. Ultimately you are in the business of solving problems.
Filed under Best Practices, Business, Persistence, Sales, Value
Selling on Assumptions
If you’ve been selling for a while you’ve probably had just about every scenario happen in a sales cycle.
At least you think you have until you see the latest one. The key is to remember and to learn from them.
Most of these aren’t premeditated by corporate ninjas to throw you off or to make you crazy. It’s the 21st Century. There are more complexities and distractions than ever. Everyone is busy. Don’t assume and think the worst. If your positive, professional and proactive you can prevent a lot of anxious waiting and unfortunate outcomes. Check and double check. Anticipation is part of the fun of sales. Right?
Don’t forget some of the best stories come from the adventures of sales people.
Filed under Best Practices, Business, Persistence, Sales, Value
Being Connected. Do UC?
How available are you to your customers? How available should you be?
The answer has evolved over time as you can imagine. We have an abundance of technology that allows us the opportunity to be connected
24×7. Even so what is the best method? There are certainly times when a call to the office or email will work. What if you’re on the road, in a meeting on a call or web conference. You may still want to get that crucial call or be accessible. Maybe a Text, Tweet or Nudge would do.
How about bringing all the options together UC (Unified Communications) appears to have the answer. UC brings voice, data, content and even social media together anywhere, anytime on one device. Does anyone enjoy playing phone tag?
Filed under Best Practices, Business, ROI, Sales, Value
Rapport and Commonality
Salespeople sometimes forget the value of thoughtful conversation. We have so many other methods of communication with our customers. There’s text messages, email, LinkedIn mail and voice mail exchanges. The true value is almost always in conversation especially face to face.
When’s the last time you spent some sincere effort understanding your customer and building rapport? Sometimes finding that one connection, hobby or interest can take your relationship to a more trusting level, just by finding commonality. You’ll be surprised how much we all share.
Filed under Best Practices, Business, Quality, Sales, Value
Working on the right sales opportunities.
Are you working on the right sales opportunities? Do they fit your customer profile? You can waste a good deal of time if you haven’t properly targeted your audience. If you have control over what customers to call on, don’t just call the well known ones. Everyone calls them. Call the ones that come in under the radar. Many companies have the same issues and pains. It makes it a lot easier if they are all in the same vertical space, but many times you’ll find the only difference in verticals is the acronyms being used. There’s plenty of information out there on the challenges that face certain industries become an expert on those and how your solution resolves them. If they are hiring a lot of people there could be expansion plans and may need your help. Check press releases, acquisitions, and events that they attend. Believe in your solution and its value, engage and never give up.
Filed under Best Practices, Business, Persistence, Sales, Value
Fail to Plan. Plan to Fail.
As a professional sales person you know that if you don’t plan your strategy and allow for setbacks and mishaps you’ll be caught wondering what happened. You need to have contingency scenarios ready. Solution Selling, Miller Heiman, Sadler teach you to the good habits similar to project management milestones and checkpoints. If you don’t know where you are in the sales cycle or your customers buying process who does? Check in, early and often with your customer, so you’re both on the same page and sharing the same goals.
Filed under Best Practices, Business, Sales, Uncategorized, Value
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