Sales and Sales Management Performance

Like, umm, uhhh, kinda, sorta....

2009-09-16T22:57:00.000-04:00

You may be thinking that I have lost it given the title of this posting. I have not.

I wanted to spend a little time to write about "the details". We all know that there are some very common facets to sales and sales management - some common principles on how to either sell or how to manage those that are selling. What I am interested in at this moment are those little things that can make a very big difference in your client or employee interactions. I wanted to discuss communication. In this instance, verbal communication.

I should hope that, if you are reading this, you have determined that your ability to effectively communicate with others is a critical aspect to your success. I will state though that I have seen incredible swings in overall sophistication in speech. From extremely articulate to the "less-than-stellar" 'nuff said.

What I would like to examine are some "sloppy" speech habits and discuss what we can do to avoid them, raise our level of communication and differentiate ourselves from the competition.

Let's start with the easy stuff. Those thought interrupters "Um" and "Ah". While I am not a cognitive expert, my belief is that the reason we utter these is to provide time for our brain to catch up with our mouths. Sometimes I am sure it is simply a matter of habit. Either way - STOP IT! It is distracting and those of us that have received any form of formal speakers' training will notice it. The bottom line is that people (clients, employees, family) will judge you on your ability to communicate.

Ums and Ahs denote a lack of confidence and even competency in the subject matter at hand. Clients believe you are not able to think clearly, employees will think the same. Here is something simple to stop doing it:

1. The first step is self-awareness. Now that I have mentioned it you will notice it.

2. The next is to understand when it happens. Think about what is happening cognitively just before the Ums and Ahs are released - how are you feeling and what's going on in the head of yours?

3. Now that you know when it can happen - when you feel that it is starting to occur - take a decided and deliberate pause in your speech.

It is amazing how well this works. In fact, I will admit that I was once guilty of succumbing to thought interrupters. But now, I simply pause when I feel one coming on.

Added benefit by the way: it adds a little drama to the discussion. It allows the individual with whom you are conversing to absorb more information, to catch up with you and, finally, it allows you to structure your thoughts. I believe this is probably one of the most effective means of immediately impacting your ability to communicate.

The next area I would like to cover are informal speech elements. This includes use of "words" - and the term is used loosely - such as "like" "kinda" "sorta" or, my personal fave "you guys". I, and most of your clients (depending on their level of sophistication) consider this common-language. And, what I want to stress here is KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE. Perhaps using slang and common-language is appropriate when speaking with teens or perhaps in industries where this is common-practice or widely accepted. What I would suggest is that raising the bar in communication can rarely go wrong. The same process applies as related to thought interrupters. Only in this case, what I would suggest is to be cognisant of when it is happening and what you might say differently in order to communicate more clearly. Example:

BAD: "So he was like "we have to reduce shrink", I kinda think he wants to reduce it by 20%"

GOOD: "The client said "we have to reduce shrink" - I believe he wants to reduce it by 20%"

BAD: "I think we can really help you guys take your sales team to the next level"

GOOD: "I believe we can help your organization improve sales performance and enhance sales management effectiveness"

Again - it is sometimes the small stuff that makes a big difference.

Cheerio

Are You Sure it's Real?

2009-09-15T17:27:00.000-04:00

Qualification....

I am guessing that next to closing - this is one of the most discussed topics in sales. And equally, likely one of the most inconsistently and likely poorly executed.

Of the sales interactions I have observed, the pipeline discussions I have led and the incredibly shrinking (then disappearing) deals I have witnessed - I have some thoughts. As usual, I will share these with the masses.

For all of the sales managers (VPs, EVPs, Directors of Sales, etc.) I would like you to think back or thumb through your respective pipelines for the past 6 months or so. How many of these deals would you now consider to be "real". My guess is that this is some fraction of the original number (for some it will be a higher percentage, for many it will be much lower).

For all the salespeople out there - and you know who you are - I am confident that you have loaded the pipeline on occasion in order to satisfy one of the managers above. This is not necessarily done out of malice but it is a self-preservation measure. My fear is that so much effort goes into maintaining a charade where this time could be spent on pipeline building activities or, even better, on qualifying those opportunities already in the funnel.

Let's do a quick back-to-basics here:

Qualification means asking all of the questions the will lead to answers to the following "is this deal real?", "can we win?", "do I know what it will take to win?", "what are the steps we need to go through", "so, we're going to win, right?" - you know where I am going with this.

Now - the question that I am typically asked is - when do I qualify the deal? My answer is simple: When would you like to "qualify out" an opportunity? Early, when you haven't spent a lot of effort and potential money on the opportunity or later, when you may have spent a lot of time and money? The answer is self-evident. And, conversely, when would you like to "qualify in" an opportunity? Right. Equally early so you can amass the resources required to win.

SO what is stopping most of us. Well, I think this is a complex answer so let's examine a few of the potential root causes:

1. Pressure: Now I know this is a cop-out of sorts - but let's face it - in the world of sales, pressure is a reality and salespeople deal with it in certain ways. One way of relieving some of the immediate pressure is by maintaining a robust funnel. This usually translates into a funnel of poorly or even unqualified opportunities - creating the illusion of activity. Typically this leads to very little deal conversion and hence, a short shelf-life for our deal salesperson. My sincere belief is the honesty pays dividend. Apart from the philosophical "you're only kidding yourself" mantra, you are doing a lot more than that - you are discrediting yourself: In the eyes of your manager, that individual's manager and so on. If the pipeline is weak, best to come to grips with this and seek the assistance of your manager (this is his/her job). Who knows, with this help you may discover areas of growth and opportunity.

2. Fear: Fear of asking the tough questions of clients. Fear of the answers we may hear, fear that the client may perceive us poorly, whatever. Note the questions earlier in this post. Are these questions where we may receive an answer we don't want to hear: namely "NO", "MAYBE" or some variation thereof? Well OF COURSE. Again, back to core principles. When do we want to hear these answers - early or late? If we hear these early this gives us an opportunity to identify and address a client concern - early enough in the cycle that we can then focus back on value. And as far as client perception of us. Come on, I do not think I know many clients that don't appreciate being given the opportunity to express how they feel - this makes it very easy for the client and allows for a higher level of engagement, dialogue and collaboration. Last I checked - these are all good things.

3. Lack of skill. This one is easy to resolve but difficult to identify. Salespeople are a funny bunch. We don't want to admit we aren't perfect (no truly, we don't). There is a great deal of cognitive dissonance that goes along with this one. Coming to grips with our shortcomings is a tough one (and, fortunately something that typically develops with maturity). If you are a salesperson all I might suggest is to get into a room by yourself and seriously reflect on your sales calls. Ask the question of yourself "what skills and capabilities might I require to do just that much better with my clients"? If you are a sales manager that believes your salespeople might lack certain critical qualification (or any) skills. My humble suggestion is to "ride-along". PLEASE READ THE COACHING POSTING FOR ADDITIONAL INFO ON WORKING WITH SALESPEOPLE IN THE FIELD

OK, I am through with this one. Simple rule - qualify early, qualify always!!!

Until next post!

Steve

Mmmmm. Money.....

2008-09-22T22:33:00.000-04:00

So let's think about money for a moment. I personally love this topic. We all love money right? In fact, it is one of those "things" that we all have experience with - from a very young age at that. So you would think we should all be comfortable talking about IT?

So why do so many good and presumably smart salespeople fall apart during the money discussion with clients. These are people that will fight tooth and nail for their commission cheque but not for their company's invoice. So let's think about this for a moment.

If we have done our jobs right, then we have established some needs, we have drilled into the detail of these needs, established some metrics around their resolution, defined a solution that speaks to the resolution of these needs and agreed to the value of the solution. We've also set timelines, identified the resources (internal and client) and maybe even a budget. If we haven't done these things then we need to reset - and quickly - or else the pricing discussion becomes premature - not based on value and only viewed as a COST and not an INVESTMENT. There is a subtle but very big difference. We all know that costs are always viewed as something to be minimized. Investments are viewed more by the returns they generate.

Now we get to a pricing discussion. If we have established value then pricing should be moot - so long as it is reasonable compared to the benefits associated with it. Now I am not naive here - of course there are competitive pressures, we know clients are becoming more and more sophisticated in their buying behaviours and your management has been "trained", mostly by you, to accept leaner and leaner margins.

Let's run through a few possibilities in the pricing discussion:

"The price to too high" - I figured I would start with the most common objection. Rather than simply discount, discount, discount - here is how we may want to handle it. First let's figure out the answer to this question; "Too high compared to what?". This is what we really want to find out isn't it? Is our price too high compared to their budget, is it too high compared to what they perceive the benefits to be, is it too high compared to what they were simply hoping to pay? You get the point.

Let's also think critically about this. What are the drivers of cost? Generally they are:

1. People - theirs and ours - in many consulting engagements - we use a number of our people as well as a number of our client's. The allocation and distribution of these resources will drive direct and indirect project/solution costs.

2. Timing - what period of time are we delivering, are they paying, etc? Would a compressed delivery schedule reduce cost/increase cost, would shorter payment terms allow for better financial terms?

3. Scope - obviously applicable to more complex scenarios - the scope of what we are trying to solve or capitalize on will drive the cost of our solution - more scope = more cost, less scope = less cost

When we start pulling these levers we must understand one more important aspect: RISK. Pulling each of these can have either a increase or a decrease in risk for the client and for ourselves. The client must be aware of these risks before we start pulling on the levers.

There is another level - TERMS. This one is a little trickier as now we are approaching corporate territory and some of these are not movable depending on the organization you might be with. If you are an entrepreneur - it's simple - adjust your terms to the point where you KNOW you will get the business. And the best way to know this? ASK!!!

So where does this leave us?

Assuming we have everything together then we can confidently and, with conviction, present the pricing for our services or product. If we have completed all the right steps then we should be ready to put contract to paper (contract negotiation will be for another posting).

Let's now be sure we understand the steps the customer/client will take at this point in order to transform a pricing proposal into a purchase order or agreement. Again, let's do something revolutionary here and ask the client what the process is and how the decisions will be made. WE can then trial close through each of these responses (i.e. so once you have approved this and it has passed through the chain of command what else do we need to do? IF we were to do "that" then are we in a position to move forward?).

This stuff isn't difficult folks - it is just executed inconsistently. It is easier to simply give in on price but where is the fun in that!

Until next time...

Steve

Open Your Ears Laddy...

2008-08-29T15:00:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone. Time for me to clear the summer cobwebs out of my skull and drop a few more tidbits...

Sales is a funny thing. We are ALL told that we must listen to our clients. But how many of us really, truly do this?

Think back to some of your recent sales calls. Do you think there might have been an occurrence or two where you might have glossed over something the client said? Were there instances where you left the call thinking to yourself "If I had only asked..." or "I should have found out more about..." These are all symptoms of not actively listening to your clients. Let's face it, we have all done it.

Here is the problem. Everyone goes into a meeting with an objective or set of objectives. As a seller, we go in with a lot of internal dialogue. It is not uncommon for a lot of salespeople to constantly think about the "list of questions" that they need to get through in the call. Or, worse yet, what they NEED to say... Clients want to talk, we all know that. But think back to your personal lives. How do you feel when you get the sense that the person you are speaking with is ignoring you or not really paying attention. Those of you with teen aged children will know of what I write. Now put yourself in the place of a client who has just told you that "something", let's say a business strategy, is really important.... and you blow right past it, continuing with your list of questions (or with the interrogation as it were). What do you think the client feels your level of interest is in his/her needs?

The principle I am floating is ACTIVE LISTENING. The term itself seems simple enough. Listening - we know what that is. But what do we mean by ACTIVE. Quite simply, this is the act (or art) of being involved in the conversation - turning off the internal dialogue and intently listening to the information that is being provided - assimilating it - and then utilizing this information to guide future questioning, discussion, positioning... whatever...

Let's get pragmatic for a moment. How can you do this? It is easy enough to say one needs to actively listen, it is quite another to actually DO IT and execute on the principle!

As with many of the principles I am fond of articulating - mastery starts with practice. The great thing about this skill is that it can be developed in absolutely every aspect of your life. So let's take it one step at a time.

In order to listen you need to hear. So clean the wax out of your ears, perk them up and pay attention. This means making direct eye contact with the other person. I am still amazed at the number of professionals that I work with that can not maintain eye contact, have a tendency to allow their eyes to wander and then require reiteration of points and information. Practice this with a friend, a partner and even your children if you have them. The next time you speak with them - look them directly in the eyes (remember to blink else they think you "weird"). Try and compare the amount of information you understood versus those times where you weren't really paying attention. Incidentally, my wife calls me on this one all the time!

Next step - "clear your mind Daniel-san". Face it, when we are on sales calls we are thinking about stuff: "what are those questions I need to have answered, how much is this deal going to be, can I afford that fancy new tie with my commission, what was that next question again, I wonder what's for dinner tonight...." You get the point. The key to active listening is to move those mental distractions away. I assume most of you are quite conversant in your products and services, your sales process and what you really need to know - so don't worry about them at this point! The more involved you are in the conversation at hand, the more possibilities for exploration will open to you.

Final step - assimilation and information utilization. Assimilation (not not the Borg-type - sorry - geek moment) is critical. When we are receiving information we need to file this in terms of our current understanding of the client. This means that as the client is speaking, we are intently listening and the information is being processed against our current understanding - sometimes changing it. Now is the time to analyse what we have heard and use this as the basis for further exploration. This requires some relatively rapid analysis and some quick thinking. An easy way to get into this habit is to simply think of some HOW or WHAT questions as follow-up. It will be easier than you might think.

That's it for now. Try this out - again in all areas of your lives - and I am sure you will find the quality of your discussions will improve and you probability of understanding those with whom you are speaking will certainly be enhanced.

Until next time.

Cheers,

Steve

WHY, WHY, WHY

2008-05-27T10:04:00.003-04:00

As some of you may already know, I am not a huge fan of subscribing to every new whiz-bang sales method that is out there. I have covered this before and, if you don't know where I stand, I do believe most sales methods are pretty much the same. They cover similar principles generally using different, albeit very colourful, nomenclature.

I am sure, buried within most of these tomes, is something about asking questions. I have covered this as well but wanted to focus on one word today: WHY

Why is an interesting word. It is the question that we believe we want answered:

"Why are you considering implementing a new ERP application?"
"Why would you contemplate switching service providers?"
"Why are you looking out the window when I am saying something very important?"
"Why do I feel the uncontrollable urge to sing at the moment?"

Interestingly, the use of the word WHY generates an interesting response in some people. I have actually observed clients cringe when the word is use. I have also seen clients "shut-down" when WHY-questions are used. Again, let's be pragmatic here, there may be some instances when WHY could be appropriate (I'll need to think of a few). But let's think about WHY this reaction occurs:

Theory I: The 3-year old syndrome
This theory of negative reaction to the word WHY generally applies only to those people who have had considerable exposure to young children. For those that do, you will relate. For those that do not, think hard to when you were a very young child.

What are children notorious for asking? WHY? And they ask this of everything. Personally, I think it is fantastic. This is how children make sense of the world and their place in it. It is how they figure things out. It is how they seek guidance. I honestly wish most salespeople would adopt this mentality. And those that I see that do actually do ask the WHY questions. It is OK to adopt the inquisitive mentality but it is not OK to adopt the behavior! The reality is clients that fall into this bucket-theory will be the "cringers" - reflecting on a young child who incessantly asked WHY of everything. Let's adopt the inquisitive nature but raise the level of discussion.

Theory II: Implied Insult Theory
Let's work through a scenario. The client has agreed to meet with you. You are having a discussion on some of their business issues, some of the challenges, etc. You determine that they have decided to make a purchasing decision for an MPLS solution (inside joke). You are puzzled because this doesn't seem to make sense. You ask the questions "Why would you consider implementing an MPLS at this time?". The client, who is already somewhat nervous about this decision hears the following "Why would you consider implementing an MPLS at this time - DUMMY?". Prefacing your question with WHY can have the opposite desired effect. Again, we need to get to a higher-order of thinking on these things. What do we really want to know?

We may want to know "WHY" but let's think this through with some higher-order thinking. When asking why we are seeking to understand underlying motivations: "Why are you doing that?" - becomes "What is your motivation for dong that?". Now, I am not suggesting that you simply transform every why question to a motivation-based question - doing so will smell of prescribed dialogue and borders on method-acting. All I am suggesting is that you seek to understand more than just WHY. There could be a lot more you could discover. Asking WHY is a lazy way to get at information. Asking WHAT, HOW, WHEN and WHO-type questions are much more effective and a lot less personally invasive. But they do require forethought.

So these are some of my thoughts on this simple three letter word. What I am suggesting is that the thought is fine, the mentality is fine but let's think through and PRACTICE using some different language that leads us to a higher-level of understanding about the client.

Until next time.

Cheers,

Steve

"I object!" If only it were that obvious...

2008-05-14T23:00:00.002-04:00

Sorry I have not been around lately. My bad.

I thought I would throw out a rehash of a very common and probably over-discussed issue. What is most amazing is how poorly this issue is understood and how poorly it is executed.

I am referring to objection handling.

So, traditional thoughts on client objections are when the client says something negative. Typical examples have been "The price is too high", "I don't think we need that", or better yet "NO!!!". While these are objections, let's first take our definition to a higher level.

Let's first define an objection is anything that a client does or says in the course of an interaction (or even outside of an interaction as it may be).

We can argue this point but go with me on this one please.

If we define an objection as anything a client says or does that seems pretty broad - and it is. Some examples:

The client asks a question: "Is your company big?"

Our immediate temptation is to assume we understand the motivation behind this question as being "they know we are big so they need someone big" and we eagerly reply "Yes, in fact we are the biggest damn company in the space". We should be very proud of ourselves right? WRONG!!! The client then says "That's too bad because we wanted to work with a small organization that would be more responsive to our needs"....

The client is consistently viewing his/her Blackberry or other mobile device (I guess iPhone's are way cooler)

We have been trained and our ego tells us to ignore this as saying something may be perceived as rude (especially if we are Canadian where we are so damn nice we would apologize for someone stepping on our toes).

The client makes a comment "I am concerned about the recent offer made to acquire your company".

Again, the temptation is to simply go into defensive mode and describe all aspects of the transaction in every manner of detail. HOW MUCH DO YOU UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE UNDERLYING MOTIVATION BEHIND THAT COMMENT?

Let's go through each of these with some high-level thinking.

Question: Is your company big?
Potential Responses: How does your company define big? What aspects of organizational size are you interested in? In selecting an organization with whom to work, what aspects of size are important to you?

Client Action: Not paying attention to you but Blackberry or other
Potential Responses: Mr/Ms. Client, I have noticed you have been looking at your Blackberry quite a bit during our meeting - my concern is that we might not have caught your interest, is this the case?

Client Comment: I am concerned about these recent reports.
Potential Responses: What is it in these reports that is a concern for you? What aspects of the transaction are a concern for you?

The real key here is to gain a deeper level of understand, to understand the underlying motivations and needs of your clients - in everything they may say or do. This will allow you to respond to their specific needs and not the surface-level questioning or objections we typically receive.

I often suggest to sales professionals to adopt the 3 year old mentality of constantly staying in questioning mode - not just when in discovery with the client but in EVERY interaction.

I am not suggesting you do this on every occasion. Let's use a little common sense and courtesy but what I am suggesting is that if you are able to get at the real issues, put them on the table, address them then and there, you stand a much better chance of removing objections, clarifying ambiguity and moving a sales forward than if you were to do nothing or simply respond based on what you THINK the client MAY want to hear. I suggest trying it the next time anyone asks you any type of question - it'll be fun.

Cheers,

Steve

Higher Order Questioning - A Practical Guide

2008-04-14T21:36:00.005-04:00

I am feeling a little impatient. I want to get some information to everyone on an area that drives me crazy.

This is when a sales professional enters into a discussion with the best of intentions - to discover some of the business issues the client is facing - in order to understand the fit with his/her organization's products or services. But during the course of the discussion, when the client is providing MANY opportunities for meaty discussion, the intrepid salesperson simply glosses over the issues with a "that's great" or "very interesting"...

Let's go through a simple process here: We will assume all of the niceties and pageantry have occurred with the client and we are into some level of discussion on wants & needs.

1. Let's get to some semblance of a list of issues, objectives, problems, priorities - whatever you want to call them. Please make sure this list is accurate and complete - validate this with the client. A great question: "Is there anything else?" or "what others do you believe would need to be addressed?".
2. Let's prioritize this list. Which of these areas would the client wish to address first. Use whatever manner of questioning to get the client to select but keep in mind that you will only be able to discus a few of these (if your lucky). Best to discuss the one that is most relevant to the client. Sample questions: "This is a great list. If we were to select only a couple of these to discuss today, which would you suggest we discuss?" or "If we were only able to address one or two of these issues which would be the priority?".
3. Time to understand all we can about the issue. How is it defined? How does the client know it is an issue? what is or isn't happening in the organization that should or shouldn't be? How do they measure "stuff" around this issue?, etc. Bottom line folks - get as much GOOD information as you can surrounding the issue. Sample questions: "Perhaps you can tell me a little about issue X?" or "You mentioned issue X as a priority, what is letting you know that this is an issue?".
4. Now you have to determine what success in addressing the issue might look like. Let's paint a picture here people. How would the business change? What results would be derived? What would have to happen and what changes would need to be made in order to address this issue NOTE: I am not a big fan of the following question but it may be useful in some instances; "What would it mean if you did nothing?". I am still trying to figure out when this is not insulting to the audience.
5. Now determine what addressing the issue will mean from a financial perspective or how other metrics may be affected. If clients are reluctant to provide details get them to guess - best estimate, gut-feel, whatever it takes. Let's just determine whether addressing the issue is significant enough that our solution even makes sense (i.e. be sure the potential benefits are much larger than the potential investment in your products or services).

That's all I wanted to cover today. The key to this is to slow down during the conversation and ask yourself this question: "Do I know enough about or fully understand what the client just said?" - and since you are asking this of yourself your ego shouldn't be in the way!

Have fun folks.

Cheers

Steve

Does the Player/Coach Model Really Work?

2008-04-04T10:12:00.003-04:00

Time to get really real here folks.

I don't know how many times I have either come across organizations (or even worked for a few) that have tried to operationalize the Player/Coach model.

For those of you that are not familiar, the Player/Coach model is one where the employer attempts to gain benefit from a senior sales executive in building a sales pipeline while also managing a team (large or small - though usually small).

This is generally a means for attracting top talent in sales strategy and execution. But, most often it is a role filled with platitudes and empty promises.

Here is the issue:

Good salespeople are hard to find.
Good sales managers are even harder to find
Lots of people want to be sales managers (usually fatigued salespeople - of which there are many - for a number of reasons)

The hiring organization needs to be VERY crisp in its role definition. If this is a Player/Coach role - it is vitally important that you truly understand your expectations of the individual. How much time do you expect to be spent on individual sales contribution (i.e. carrying a bag) and how much on managing a team. If these expectations are not understood and clearly communicated, the candidate will only hear what he/she wants to hear. So if the person is management-inclined that candidate will only hear and retain the management aspects of the role. If the candidate is sales-oriented then the focus will be on the quota and individual contribution aspects.

And please don't kid yourself. If you really want a salesperson then call it out. Don't call the person a Senior Vice President of Sales and promise management responsibilities "down the road". You know and I know that this will likely NEVER happen. By the same token, really reflect on your needs as a business. Do you have an existing sales team, does it require focused leadership and have you thought about the costs and returns of adding this layer of leadership.

I have seen, all too often, organizations entering into this Player/Coach arrangement with best (and sometimes nefarious) of intentions only to be surprised when someone whom they perceived as a high-performer not delivering on individual business development targets. Well, I can tell you the culprit is usually an overzealous recruiting process with mixed-messages coupled with an eager wanna-be sales management executive hoping to secure a focused management role.
,
Bottom line folks - get very REAL about what you need in your organization, communicate it clearly and ensure candidates clearly understand and match your requirements.

Candidates - PLEASE DON'T KID YOURSELVES. If you are in the Player/Coach role - you WILL be having two jobs with high expectations. Look deeply in yourselves and honestly ask yourselves whether you have what it takes to do the job at hand. Failure to do so will have you searching for your next opportunity sooner than you may think.

For those that can make it work - this can be a rewarding role - both financially and form a career development perspective.

Good luck.

Cheers,

Steve

Please feel free to review FREE (no catch, no information collected) sales development videos and material at http://www.professionalsellingnetwork.com

NEW PUBLIC PROGRAMS FOR SELLING IN ACTION ANNOUNCED

2008-04-01T08:52:00.005-04:00

Hi everyone,

As you may notice as you read through my posts, I am not a shameless advertiser. Other than Third Core's Professional Selling Network , which is free anyhow (and I make no money from it - at least not directly), I do want to let my Toronto/GTA/Ontario-based readers know about an exciting program we are running. These programs are generally reserved for Third Core's enterprise clients. We are now offering access to Third Core's process on a limited public basis.

Here are the details:

Public Selling In Action Program

Program Overview

Selling in Action is an intensive, rewarding and immersive experience that will fundamentally and permanently change sales professionals’ approach to executive selling.

The program immerses sales professionals in a sales campaign with a real prospect company. Participants compete against one another to win business from the company, whilst receiving support, coaching and guidance to enable them to hone their capabilities.

Specifically, the program:

Provides an environment in which sales skills required for access to, consultation with and commitment from executive decision makers may be applied.
Provides sales professionals with continual feedback on their performance.
Provides sales professionals with learning regarding the principles of selling strategically at executive levels.
Provides sales professionals with a clear understanding of what is required to consistently apply their sales skills at this level.
Provides sales professionals with clearly identified skill and competency gap profiles for self development.
Provides all participants with access to feedback directly from real prospects and customers, allowing them to take direct responsibility for their development based on unfiltered opinions.

Benefits of the Program

Third Core’s acclaimed Selling In Action program has been used by some of the world’s most successful organizations to rapidly enhance the capability and productivity of their sales forces. When sales methodology alone has been exhausted as a route to enhance performance, Selling In Action provides a stretching, transformational experience that changes the game completely for strategic sales professionals.

To quote one of our clients:

“I have been in IT Sales now for over 20 years and worked for some of the largest IT companies in the world, including Compaq, HP, and EDS. During the last 20 years I have participated in many different sales training programs including Target Account Selling, Holden Power Base, Value Added Selling and IBM Large Account Marketing.

The Third Core program is by far the best program I have participated in. This is not a classroom setting. It is the most realistic sales exercise I have ever seen. The feedback from the executives, the time spent observing and coaching your team and the personal coaching you receive is invaluable.”

The focus of the program is on creating replicable and sustainable sales performance improvement. To quote another client:

“There was a 104% increase in the revenue per deal closed, and a 170% increase in total new revenues, versus the same period last year”.

Offering

Third Core will be offering two initial dates for the public version of Selling In Action – 21st/22nd May and 15th/16th July 2008. Location will be at Third Core's Toronto offices.

The price per participant is $1,000 per day

The minimum number of participants for each session is 8. The maximum program size is 12 participants.

Pricing details

The price of $2,000 per participant includes the following:

Full access to program pre-work;
Attendance at the two-day Selling In Action program at Third Core’s premises;
Facilitation of the program;
Engagement with real Canadian senior business executives;
Coaching throughout the program;
Fully documented competency-based feedback, delivered to participants’ managers;
90 days of access to videos of participants’ engagement with the customer for the program – for coaching purposes

Points of negotiation/variability

Any company that books 4 salespeople onto one of the public programs may send a sales manager, free of charge, to take part in the program. The manager will be personally involved in leading and guiding their sales people through the program, offering them a unique opportunity to be involved in accelerating results from the program. A full competency-based assessment will be produced to help the manager focus on their areas of strength and development.

Those companies wishing to discuss volumes of more than 4 sales people may benefit from a custom program. We will discuss this on an as-needed basis.

If you are interested and would like to register or require more information please contact us at sia.admin@thirdcore.com

So there is the sales pitch. Bottom line folks, if you are interested in this that's great. I have seen the value that is derived from participation in these programs - not only on the part of the participants but their managers and organizations. If you are not interested, that's OK too. Keep reading these posts, go to PSN and get what you can from all sources.

As always, have fun.

Cheers,

Steve

Have the courtesy to tell it like it is...

2008-03-18T20:10:00.002-04:00

Salespeople - of all levels - have an Achilles' heel. For the most part, they want to be liked. They want to develop a relationship with their respective clients. They want to succeed/win/close business/etc. So, other than wanting to be liked, how are these others a weakness?

Simple - they force behavior we consider suboptimal. Namely, most of the salespeople we see will avoid discussions that could be perceived as either confrontational, controversial or where the dialogue tells them something they don't want to know (e.g. like there is still a lot of work to do before the client will buy - or that there isn't a hope that the client will buy). This is manifested by glossing over or pushing through discussions - even in the presence of glaring evidence that the process should halt and the issue addressed.

Let's try an example. I once worked with a salesperson in the software consulting industry. I joined the salesperson on a client call. During this meeting, I had a very real sense that the meeting was going nowhere - fast. It was evident that the client was becoming irritated. Yet the intrepid salesperson sojourned on, pitching, assuming and otherwise annoying all those in the room (yours truly included). Following the meeting, I asked the salesperson how he thought he had performed. Amazingly he said that he felt the client was annoyed. He had picked up on the client's cues yet did nothing about it during the meeting itself. I asked what he thought he should have done. Again, surprisingly, the salesperson indicated that he should have found a way to identify and address the concern. The simple question - "What prevented you from stopping the meeting and doing just that?!?!?".

So here is the deal. If you are getting the overwhelming sensation that the meeting is going nowhere - then find a way to validate this with the client. (i.e. Gee, Mr. Client, I have to stop here for a moment. We have been talking for a while about X but I have the sense at this point that what I am saying may not be resonating with you? Is this accurate?" - If the client says "No" then validate/confirm this - as they may just be polite. If it is just a bad read on your part - proceed cautiously. If the answer is "Yes" then you need to stop. You may want to pull away a little "So, should we stop here?, what isn't working for you at this point?, what do you think we should do?".

I believe this is showing the client a hell of a lot more courtesy and consideration than simply muscling through a meeting. I would suggest trying this in some safe situations. You will need to get used to saying what you are thinking (with consideration of course). For example - if you are thinking "this guy is an a**hole" it may not be wise to say "I get the sense that you are an a**hole, how do you feel about that?". Instead, if you get the feeling that something isn't right - identify what it is that isn't right, find a way to articulate this in a considerate and courteous manner and then seek - from the client - how this issue should be addressed.

The interesting thing is that clients will respect you more for your honesty, your perceptiveness and the collaborative nature to resolving an issue - a lot more than pushing forward with your agenda.

That's all I have for now. And by the way, this works great in all facets of interpersonal interactions.

Go out there any have some fun.

Cheers,

Steve

P.S. Free sales training videos can be found at http://www.professionalsellingnetwork.com

How to kill your credibility in just 6 words...

2008-03-16T22:32:00.004-04:00

Just a quick one today folks. I have had the opportunity to meet with, assess, recruit, hire, train, observe and coach many (many) sales people. I have heard a lot of "interesting" comments during these interactions. What I would like to share are just a few of my least favorite statements commonly uttered by poorly-trained and falsely confident salespeople. These lovely phrases, to me as well as most executives/buyers, simply turn us off so don't use them. Under any circumstances.

1. Could you please tell me about your needs? (this is a great and rapid way to be shown the door). Please be a little more specific and display a lot more insight into the business.

2. If I could do (enter the obvious match to the need - e.g. make this issue go away) then would you be interested? (of course the client will be interested but does he/she believe that you can do it for him/her). Instead validate how your products and services may help to resolve the issues. Validate the client's belief in your ability to do so and the next steps to prove it.

MY FAVORITE (not really - in fact if I could wipe this statement from the collective psyche then I would be avery happy man.

3. SO, WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT? Do I really need to express how wrong this question is? How buyers have been inundated with this ridiculous question and how quietly enraged they become when they hear it. Actually they just laugh at you or may come out with a response like: My spouse!, or a more risque version. Instead, please just ask the executive what the key issues are around a goal, objective, or articulate some common issues and whether these resonate. They are a number of much better options than the dopey WKYUAN line.

That's all for now. The real advice is to stay away from the coloquial and just ask simple questions that are easy for the client to answer.

Cheers,

Steve

P.S. You can find truly free sales training videos at http://www.professionalsellingnetwork.com

Stopping Jumping to Conclusions

2008-03-11T23:04:00.003-04:00

The other day I was in the field with a very strong salesperson. This individual knew his stuff. He established rapport with the client, had a relatively crisp agenda and sought validation from the client as to the purpose of the meeting. All was going well. In fact, the client was opening up quite a bit - revealing several critical business issues as well as some apparent direct areas of opportunity. But then something funny happened. The salesperson decided THIS was the appropriate time to regale the client with his brilliance and provided a (or is it an) hypothesis as to what was really going on in the organization. I was amazed at this incredible insight - particularly given the salesperson's extensive analysis (all 20 minutes or so) of the organization. The client was not impressed but was polite enough to indulge the salesperson (or at least allowed him to indulge himself). The client did shut down somewhat and did retreat into more of a defensive position. The meeting ended without much fanfare. It is my assertion that this salesperson now faces an uphill battle to establish credibility with the client. The salesperson sadly felt the same.

So what is the purpose of this story? I think we have all been in a position where we think we know what to sell, what the solution should be, what is really going in with the client, or some other ego-building display. Let's get serious here. Clients are interested in knowing what we have to sell and how it will benefit them personally but not until you understand their business, their issues, their objectives and goals - not before. So where is this magical line and how will we know when we have crossed it? The answer is simple. When the client says so!

This means, we do inform the client on who we are and what we do - granted - but only once we have exhausted a discussion on the client's issues and opportunities - that we have validated this with the client and that the client is now specifically asking us (or sometimes demanding) for it - will we engage in a solution-based discussion. This discussion must always be framed relative to the client's specific needs and requirements and speak to the results that the client wishes to achieve - how the application of the solution will assist in achieving this and then confirmation on how (not whether) this will apply to the client's business.

As always, please try to find a way to apply this to you day-to-day interactions with clients. I know you will see an improvement in your dialogue and the opening of broader opportunities.

Oh yes, and have fun.

Cheers,

Steve

P.S. for free sales and sales management training video downloads please visit http://www.professionalsellingnetwork.com

Sales and Sales Management "Training" for ALL! TRULY FREE!

2008-03-06T19:34:00.005-05:00

OK. I am about to get controversial on everyone. Sales training, for the most part, is pretty generic. It is necessary to get people to a level of knowledge and understanding but training in and of itself is not a predictor of success. I have seen - and had the pleasure of personally experiencing - many of the larger sales methods out there - and even a few obscure ones (no names of course). What I can tell you is that most of them contain curriculum that looks something like this:

1. Establish rapport
2. Build an agenda and gain agreement
3. Introduce your organization
4. Gather information by asking relevant questions
5. Listen to the responses for cues to issues and opportunities
6. Understand how these are currently impacting the client or may in the future
7. Determine how to resolve the issue or help the client capitalize on an opportunity
8. Figure out how much that is worth to them
9. Position your "solution" to meet the needs and generate the benefits
10. CLOSE

Or some variation thereof.

I believe this is common-sense stuff - at least from a knowledge perspective. That is why the Firm I am associated with, Third Core, has decided to provide training on these principles at NO COST - no strings attached. Go to http://www.professionalsellingnetwork.com and take a look. You will find video content on the principles of selling and sales management, you will also find executive role plays and interviews with real industry executives. Professional Selling Network is the mechanism Third Core utilizes for the delivery of content to its clients. We are providing unlimites access to the material for anyone and any organization to use.

I encourage you to visit the site, browse the content and check back regularly as we will frequently update content.

I hope you get something out of it.

Cheers,

Steve

Coaching Challenges - 1-2-3

2008-03-03T18:33:00.004-05:00

I have had a few people asking me lately about coaching. I am a fan, yes, though I think the word has become colloquial and certainly overused. A common theme is around the challenges related to coaching. I will articulate just a few. This is by no means exhaustive:

The first challenge is related to the competence of the coach. You need to ensure the coach has the capabilities, capacity and common sense to understand the needs of the individuals and then having the courage and consideration to provide meaningful "coaching". This is a skill but the accumulated experience and knowledge of the individual is what is required to be effective. This is tough. Everyone wants to be a good coach - but if they do not have the experience, track record and especially the credibility - they will find it tough to be an effective coach. That's just the way it is.

The second challenge relates to the individual being coached. In the vast array of personalities on this planet, there are some people who simply do not respond well to feedback or coaching. Best to identify these folks before they enter the organization - that is if you take coaching seriously as a facilitator of growth. If these folks are already on board then the coaching interaction needs to be positioned as part of the management process.

These previous challenges are generally hard wired or accumulated over time and not easily moveable.

There is one common challenge - and this is execution. This is simply the act of actually taking the time to coach, doing it consistently and with conviction. Fortunately, this aspect is moveable. This behaviour can be modified, encouraged, expected and rewarded - for both managers who can be expected to coach staff and staff that will be expected to integrate and implement the concepts or direction provided by the coach. (I won't get into the definition of coaching or effective coaching techniques - there is a lot of literature on this).

Really, what are we talking about here? This is all about observation and communication. Some people will do it well, others will not (on both sides). The key will be just to actually commit to the time to do it.

Cheers,

Steve

RFPs? RIP!

2008-02-25T14:05:00.004-05:00

OK, let's discuss Requests for Proposals (RFPs). Interesting because, by the very nature of this blog, discuss really means read what I have to say - though you may yell and scream at your computer screen if you are so inclined.

Every one of us has received them - and if you haven't, you will! And most of us know how absolutely time consuming and pointless these can be.

As sales managers we hear a lot of "reasons" from the sales team as to why we should respond to the RFP:

1. It's strategic! (my personal favorite and definitely the catch-all for poor decisions)
2. We can really do what they are asking for!
3. We have a relationship with the client!
4. We can win!
etc. - I am sure you can think of a few

And here is what the salespeople are thinking:
1. OH S*%$ I HAVE TO HIT MY NUMBERS AND THIS MIGHT PUT ME OVER THE TOP!
2. See number 1

A little extreme I know - and I am sure I will hear from a lot of people claiming that they have won RFPs and these have been "strategic", etc., etc. But let's get real here and apply some common sense to the process:

1. An RFP is never written in the dark - the clients always have assistance - either from the vendor community or from consultants specializing in the subject of the RFP. Unless you are one of those vendors or consultants - you are at a distinct disadvantage
2. RFPs only capture one view of requirements - I am sure when you have examined RFPs there are lingering questions that can help you better understand the client and its requirements - but you are prevented from doing so by the RFP Criteria/Rules around client communication during the process.
3. RFPs remove the most critical element from the equation - trust.

So let's just accept that unless we have written the RFP, we will NOT win it. What can we do? We do not want to seem unappreciative of the opportunity but we also need to preserve our resources (people, time and money). Here are some thoughts:

1. Neven respond to an RFP out of the blue (unless you have written it and have the contract signed already - but then you should be advising the client not to even bother!)

2. Always ask to meet with the issuer - even if this means meeting with Mr. or Ms. Procurement - and here is how you position "We would appreciate the opportunity to respond. In fact, on the surface it appears there could be a strong match between what you are looking to accomplish and how we might assist you in doing so. In order to truly determine this, we feel it is important to understand your needs in order to develop a response that meets the needs of the organization. All we are interested in is understanding those needs." You will face some opposition when you try to take this line of reasoning outside of procurement - be persistent as you can not put forward any solution without a real understanding of the underlying business issues as well as the anticipated benefits associated with it - and these are typically not articulated in an RFP. Remember - the RFP issuers responsibility is to their company. What is very interesting is how that responsibility is disregarded by submitting to a flawed buying process!

3. Try to change the game! If you are stonewalled in your ability to drive toward a real solution - back out of the process and communicate your reasons for doing so with the client. They may be interested in hearing why their process is preventing them from getting a solution that actually meets their needs.

Lots here I know - and there are no right or wrong answers. I also know that people will keep responding to RFPs but if I have helped one organization be more effective then I have done my job.

Cheers,

Steve

Vanilla interviews just don't cut it when assessing talent!

2008-02-16T22:29:00.005-05:00

Continuing our discussion on effective sales management, let's examine the front end of the "sales management ecosystem" - recruiting. Actually, we will assume that candidates have been identified and find themselves sitting in front of you. So what do you do?

This all comes down to planning. You first must think about the role, the accountabilities and, most importantly, the critical behaviors that will, if nothing else, facilitate success. Assessing these traits and characteristics can not be achieved through traditional "Sit-down" style interviews. Granted these are important and necessary - for no other reason than determining whether you will be able to stomach repeated interactions with the candidate - or not (if it matters).

Let's think about what a truly effective method could be to understand behaviors? Why don't we consider seeing them in the action. I know what some of you are thinking - "he's about to ask the candidate to sell him a pen". Not quite - but not too far off - just a little more sophisticated and effective. Instead, let's create situations that allow us to observe some real-life behaviors the candidate will face in the field - if an account manager - let's contrive a relationship management scenario and play it out with the candidate. If the candidate is a senior-level candidate - let's see how he/she fares with an executive discussion or meeting.

Let's pair this with the interview - but rather than a dandy discussion where we ask the candidate to tell us about him/herself, let's seek to uncover evidence of behaviors - ask the candidate to provide examples of how he/she achieved specific results. It sounds easy doesn't it. And once you get into the habit and develop the process, it is.

Develop a quantitative scoring system that eliminates subjective analysis and apply it rigorously.

Resist the urge to bypass the process - particularly when under pressure to make hiring decisions.

Constantly review your case studies, metrics and selection criteria.

Have fun!

Cheers,

Steve

The New Sales Manager's Survival Guide......sort of

2008-02-13T09:27:00.006-05:00

So congratulations you are now a sales manager/director of sales/VP of sales/insert really important sounding title here. You have inherited a sales team (or need to build one - fast). So what do you do and where do you start?

As in sales, sales management is all about performance. In fact, in many instances, the sales manager is under the mircoscope more so than any individual sales person. Take the Miami Dolphins this past NFL season. It was not any of the players that were released from their contracts for non-performance - it was the coach.

How effective you are as a coach is going to be absolutely critical to your success. I am not going to discuss having to deal with those that were peers who are now subordinates in this post (maybe some other time). I will discuss a few key principles you will need to adopt to drive personal performance and help you achieve success. This is by no means a complete list but should give you a start.

First, you must develop a written plan for your induction into your new role (or new company). Call it a 30/60/90 day plan - it doesn't matter. But you should keep a few things in mind:
1. Be time sensitive but also realistic - set specific ojectives with timelines and outcomes
2. Remember the people you will need to meet - your sales team, other managers, support staff and - oh yes - CUSTOMERS. So often neglected as many managers become myopic with the day-to-day management of the team.
3. Research the company: its products/services, processes, competitors, systems, etc.
4. If a larger company - seek out other sales teams considered to be "Best Practice", set out to meet with your peers in these groups - understand what has made them successful, key actions they would take if they were just starting - and just build a relationship - you will need them in the future and they will invariably need you at some point.
UPDATE THIS DOCUMENT - REVIEW IT REGULARLY AND ADJUST IT AS APPROPRIATE

Next, think about your objectives for the team. What are the targets (margin, revenue, new client growth, product introduction)? How will you achieve these with the team?

You will need to evaluate your team. The most effective way to do this is to see them in action. Get out into the field, role play, do whatever it takes to understand the BEHAVIORS of the team members. It is not enough to have one-on-one meetings. One-on-ones should be reserved for planning and review. All the rest should be in the field. This will provide you a lens on performance and an understanding of their areas of strength and development. See the post below for details on field work.

Manage Up - ensure you understand the expectations of those to whom you report! This is frequently either disregarded, forgotten or otherwise overlooked. Set time aside with your manager - early on - to have a discussion on specific objectives, actions and expectations. Confirm that these are the expectations and agree on next steps and follow-up. Check in frequently and set up a method for tracking YOUR performance against these criteria.

Start there - this is a lot to take in. At times you will feel overwhelmed, you will doubt yourself and have moments of frustration.

WELCOME TO MANAGEMENT!

Until next time.

Cheers,

Steve

Managers - the field is not just a place to kick a ball around!

2008-02-10T12:59:00.000-05:00

I have spent the last few posts speaking to some principles salespeople can adopt in their daily interactions with clients.

I would like to spend the next few posts on some sales management fundamentals.

Today it is going to be all about field action.

Sales managers have the best of intentions. Those I work with have either had successful sales careers or have grown through management ranks. Either way, they are interested in the success of the salespeople who report to them. Of course there are always a few self-absorbed bad apples but I have been impressed by most.

What I have constantly been disappointed in is the lack of field coaching most managers engage in. I would like to pose a question: How do you know WHAT your salespeople are doing in the field if you are not observing their behavior in the field? And I have heard all the excuses - I don't have time, I am always travelling, I am attending funnel meetings with management, etc. etc. ENOUGH. You are doing your team, yourself and your company a disservice by not actively observing your people in the field.

Now - if we are to agree that getting into the field is important - and I would be happy to engage in discussion with anyone who thinks otherwise - then let's look at some principles.

1. Book time to get into the field with your people. Put this on them by indicating this as a Key Performance Indicator. Ensure that this time is secured in your calendar - do not cancel these meetings (think of the message this sends)
2. When in client meetings with your salespeople, observe their behavior more so than the client's behavior. DO NOT LEAD THE CALL and resist the urge to jump in unless prompted.
3. Keep notes on both the positive and the negative aspects of their behavior
4. Following the meeting, spend some time discussing the meeting. Take a coaching approach,asking questions that allow the salespeople to gain insight into their behaviors and look to elicit analysis on what might change the next time.
5. Agree on some changes for the next sales call and look for evidence of this on your next joint call.

I know there is a lot more we can cover on field work but let's start with the basics.

Have fun folks.

Cheers,

Steve

Are You Still Talking?

2008-02-08T14:23:00.001-05:00

In Third Core's work with sales teams, we have the priveledge of reviewing many different styles and approaches to conducting sales meetings. Through one of our services, we create extremely realistic simulations of sales environments and run salespeople through multiple role-playing scenarios with the opportunity to view Selling in Action.

I had the opportunity to observe a salesperson conducting an executive-level sales call with the CEO of a multi-billion dollar global retailer.

We have spoken on agendas already. I will not repeat myself here needless to say, the salesperson did not articulate an agenda.

What I found most incredible about this interaction was how the opportunity was utterly wasted. The salesperson spent 90% of the meeting pitching how his firm would be a "strategic partner" (I HATE that phrase), how HE would be the client's advocate - as though he has evenearned ANY shred of credibility and then proceeds to launch on a seemingly endless diatribe on the services and products HE BELIEVES the client needs! I was gobsmacked.

Not once did this salesperson attempt to understand the priorities of the CEO, no questions were asked that would drive to a deeper level of understanding on the CEO's issues, desires, wants or even his criteria for evaluating success or failure in a services provider. I was utterly amazed that the salesperson believed the interchange was 50/50.... Amazing how when we are thrust in a situation our perception may be different than reality.

The post-mortum with the CEO (and it literally was) indicated that there was no confidence in the salesperson or his company, that the CEO felt offended that the issues HE wanted to discuss were not even addressed and he felt he was being pitched.

So what can we do to avoid this? When we are calling on senior executives, please know your audience. Do not make assumptions as to their role, what they would be interested in or what their level of involvement would be in decision making and discovery.

Keep the discussion at a business level. An open dialogue about the client's priorities will win the day over 30 minute discertation on "Who we are and why we are great". As I like to tell folks, the CEO is interested in what the CEO is interested in. You had better understand what this is before you position any type of prduct, service or relationship.

Multiple choice question:

Your client is likely to be excited and feel positively about you and your company if:
a. You spend 1 hour describing you products and services in detail also articulating how you think you can work together
b. You spend 45 minutes understanding the client's priorities, painting a vision and then 15 minutes mapping your products and services to this vision with the client
c. You spend all of your time understanding your client's priorities, helping him/her paint a vision, understand the impacts of addressing the priorities and how this would happen.

I think we can write off A - at least for high-value high-impact solutions. B sounds good but remember the level we are working at - solutions will be meaningless without context. C allows us to understand much more about priorities and then allows us to map the right products and services to meet the need (and the benefit).

Bottom line folks - keep quiet as often as you can, allow the client to speak and give thought to how the questions you ask might generate new thoughts and excitement with our client.

As always - enjoy yourselves.

Cheers,

Steve

Go with your gut

2008-02-07T07:57:00.000-05:00

Have you ever been in a meeting, conversation or virtually any type of interaction where your gut is telling you that either;

a. Something just isn't right
b. I am confused
c. I don't understand

First - let's not get hung up on semantics. Gut feel is simply your body's way of telling you what your mind already knows or interprets. It is really a base reaction to stimuli against your collective experience. Now let's move on.

Let's relate this to our sales domain. And managers, this applies equally to you. You are sitting down with the client, having a very meaningful discussion on business issues and you have established some significant results that can be achieved by resolving or addressing these business issues. You eventually get to a budget discussion for the "solution" that will address these issues and it seems extremely small. Or, even better, we talk about the issues and the potential benefits are a fraction of the cost of our potential "solution"! What do we do?

I have seen much variability in how people respond to these types of situations. Here is what I would suggest is an effective way to manage this: GO WITH YOUR GUT!

So, practically, what does this mean? It means that if you are feeling something or if you are seeing something that has you concerned, questioning logic, or otherwise breaking into a sweat - find a way to communicate this to the client. Do it with a level of conviction and also courtesy. Let's use the latter example. Something you may want to say at that point: "Thank you very much for that information Ms. Client. I am a little concerned however. I think we can help you achieve the results we are contemplating but it seems the anticipated benefits may be smaller than the required investment. What do you think we should do?"

A simple formula at work: State the facts, express your concern (tactfully) then ask the client how to proceed.

Put responsibility on the client to determine how to remove this roadblock. For all you know, there may be areas that you did not discuss - ancilliary benefits - that may be equally important or even more so - that could more than justify the solution. OR - these are the benefits and this may be the point to qualify the deal out. Better to know now than go down a path of detailed investigation, proposals and - wait for it - forecasting.

And by the way - this principle of expressing what you feel "in your gut" applies to all facets of your life.

All I can say is to try it in a safe environment. I am sure you will be surprised with the result.

That's all for now.

Cheers,

Steve

Agendas Rock

2008-02-05T12:46:00.000-05:00

I am constantly amazed in my work observing sales teams in the field, how infrequently and ineffectively a common and simple agenda is used in discussions with clients.

Come on folks, this is Sales 101. And I know what some will say; "We know this client", "We've met with him/her many times", "We have a great relationship", "The should know the agenda", "Insert your favorite excuse here".

Let's think this through briefly. As a client, I would like to know what you are going to discuss. I personally like surprises but most clients do not. Let's not have them guessing as to our intent in our interactions. An agenda provides a point of reference in our discussions - almost like ground rules. And when we get the client to agree to the agenda - that it makes sense and that this covers areas of interested to him/her then we have a purpose and goal to cover the agenda.

An interesting story. I was working with a large communications firm. We had a discussion regarding agendas. I had asked the sales rep to do the following in their next client interaction (and keep in mind that that this was with a client the firm had been working with for generations). "Mr Client, we have a great relationship and I enjoy our discussions. I would like to do something a little different today. I would like to present our agenda for today (present agenda) - how does this sound to you?" - or something to that effect. This sales rep came back after this meeting very excited. He noted that the client commented: "This is new, I am impressed" and "this is the type of professionalism we have come to expect".

There are some key topics that are usually covered in a meeting agenda:
1. Introductions - who are you, what's new in your organization
2. Purpose - why are you there - what are you looking to get out of the meeting/relationship
3. Content - supports the purpose/objectives of the meeting
4. Potential next steps - how do you see it
5. Close it down

Always confirm during each step that these make sense to the client and that this is where the client wants to take the discussion.

Sometimes the simple things make all the difference

Until next time.

Cheers,

Steve

Welcome Introduction

2008-02-03T23:40:00.000-05:00

Hello. In the coming weeks and months, I will be discussing topics of interest to those involved in professional sales and sales management.

The intent will be to provide pragmatic, principles-based commentary that will allow you to achieve results in your career and for your respective organizations.

See you soon.

Cheers,

Steve