The Sales Coaching Institute

SEO: Search Engine Optimization - Pathyway to Profits

doug@dougdvorak.com (doug dvorak) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:17:00 +0000

Why SEO and Who Needs It
In this age of information when searching for something on the Internet people normally look it up in popular search engines like: Google, Alexa, Gigablast, or Yahoo. They do not go beyond the first or second page of the searched results i.e. the first 20-40 of the hundreds of thousands results popped up by the search engines. If the information is available on the Internet, it is found, more often than not, in these first few search results. Browsing through the top websites thrown up by the search engines related to the information suffices. Studies on internet search behavior and eye tracking have confirmed this.

As obtaining information and doing business online has become a popular practice, individuals and organizations that are conducting business on the Internet fully or partially should be more visible on the Internet. Websites of such organizations need to come up among the top ten/twenty of the search results to be noticed by people. Small businesses as well as large organizations that depend on online business need to rank high up on the search engines. The higher the rank of a website more is its number of visitors, and possibly more business for the website.

The websites that come at the top of the search engine results are not there by accident. Careful planning, designing, and programming are the factors behind pushing the ranking of a website higher up. The process of elevating a website to a better ranking and higher visibility is known as search engine optimization (SEO).

How SEO Works
Imagine the World Wide Web to be a huge library stacked up with innumerable websites. When somebody tries to search for specific information using a search form, a robot (much like a library assistant) scans the relevant section of the library of websites. Similar to libraries that have categorized sections for books, the search engines have indexes for the crawlers to search through. The robot (also known as spider or crawler) searches through HTML data bases and selects the most relevant websites first. Search engines use different algorithms to judge relevance of websites to the information searched for.

SEO consultants help in designing websites by using keywords and other methodologies. They attempt to make the meta tags, contents, and links of the websites become more tractable for search engine algorithm. Search engines outline their own policies of search engine optimization and it’s the responsibility of the SEO consultant to adhere to those. Failing which search engines can ban websites. Therefore SEO consultants have to strike a balance between ‘keyword stuffing or spamdexing’ and ‘paucity of keywords’.

Search engine optimization has gained importance with the growth of online business. A website foraying in to the World Wide Web without using SEO techniques is akin to a soldier rushing in to battle without a gun. Obviously, SEO is being hailed as a valuable marketing tool."No wonder, SEO is being hailed as a valuable marketing tool.

Why Sales Training is Essential

doug@dougdvorak.com (doug dvorak) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:45:00 +0000

Selling is a unique profession that can be regarded both as a science and an art. Principles of sales are based on scientific rules of cause and effect. But excelling in sales or achieving super success in sales is an art form, an art form that is no less exact and precise than a master painter’s brush strokes. Producing good music is an art form too. All most all musicians know about the basic science of musical notes but only a maestro knows how to intermingle the notes to produce great music. So is selling.

Not every trained sales person will become a super seller, but every single successful seller is trained somewhere by someone about the nuances of sales. All sales persons need to be trained to achieve their business targets. How well a sales man succeeds depends on his aptitude, the trainer’s skills, and the training methods used. But sales training in some form or other is essential for every sales person.

Sales training can be imparted in various forms: class room training, one-on-one training, or on field training. The training method can be adjusted to the varying need of organizations and their sales team. Sales training can focus on only one aspect of sales or the entire gamut of activities related to sales. For instance, a sales team may have difficulties only in closing deals. They can benefit on sales training concentrating only on closing deals and improving that aspect of sales. A sales team hiring new sales staff would benefit from giving comprehensive sales training starting from cold calls to closing.

Senior managers and executives require as much sales training as the fresh recruits. It’s a myth that senior managers have all the experience and hence all the knowledge and do not need any training in sales. They may be overlooking simple things, over doing certain things, ignoring certain basics of sales process, or may be completely unaware of certain latest developments in sales. Sales training for them would help them over come these problems.

Four billion dollars – that’s how much goes in to sales training every year as reported by ES Research group in 2006. The group also found in studies that more than 90% of all sales programs lead to increased sales. An interesting finding of the research group was that nearly half of the funds spent on training go to third party sales training organizations. Surely, business owners, senior managers, and decision makers know exactly what they are doing and why they are spending money on sales training. The study also has shown that the revenues coming from sales increase by 20 percent after training. But the difference in revenues earned fizzles out after a period of six months or so.

Regular sales training helps in sustaining the gains secured from the first sales training program. This emphasizes the point that sales training is not a one off event or an annual event. It’s an ongoing process that helps in honing the skills of the sales professionals constantly.

Winning the Sales Race through Sales Coaching

doug@dougdvorak.com (doug dvorak) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:41:00 +0000

At the outset the difference between sales training and sales coaching should be made clear. Sales training prepares sales professionals and sales coaching attempts at preparing sales champions. Sales coaching is a process in which an experienced sales trainer or coach gets involved in the sales process of an organization not only within the four walls of the training hall but also on the field. A sales coach goes on to work with the sales team of an organization on the remedies he has suggested. He gets on to the war zone leading from the front. By demonstrating that what he preached in the training room can be practical the sales coach inspires sales professionals of an organization.

The aim of a sales coach is to find out how far a sales person or a group of sales persons is removed from where they should be and then bridge that gap. A fresh recruit may need coaching on implementing perfectly the things that he learnt during the sales training sessions. An executive may find that the going is getting tough after a few months of working. The initial months may have gone fine but she may find that her skills are not working as they did when she started out. And an experienced sales person may find that he was very good at notching up the numbers through referrals and repeat sales. But when the organization underwent some structural changes and he was supposed to make cold calls again to build a new prospect base, his cold calling skills that were excellent a couple of years ago are ineffective now. Getting used to easy sales through referrals and repeat sales he finds the objections and rejection indigestible. These types of sales problems can be handled by the sales coach on one-on-one basis.

From making cold calls to closing deals a sales coach may get involved in the sales process providing vital insights and suggesting changes. He will be present when you make cold calls, observing you, listening to your conversation, and making notes of various points. He will approve if your call quality was good and suggest you to continue in the same manner or he may suggest improvement wherever necessary. Whatever his suggestions, the end result should be generating more appointments and opportunities for sales presentations.

A sales coach is unobtrusive. The sales coach remains on the side line much like Phil Jackson, the famous NBA coach, and feeds the players with crucial hints and suggestion only during the time outs and breaks. If you are going in the wrong direction during a cold call the sales coach will not stop you, but let you proceed. Once the call is over he will show you where you went wrong and how best you can avoid the same mistake. A sales manager may try and interrupt to salvage the situation, but not a sales coach. And a sales coach will persist till you get it right.

Mentoring plays a vital role in sales. Outside sales coaches do a fantastic job as inside sales managers may face resistance and resentment from the sales staff.
What a sales manager cannot do a sales coach can achieve that for his easy approach and acceptability by the coached.

Sales Training and Coaching - The Why behind the How!

doug@dougdvorak.com (doug dvorak) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:40:00 +0000

Realize that selling is a numbers game. Get more no’s and you’ll get more yes’s.
Sidney Friedman

When you miss the sale, it is even more important to make a cheerful, friendly, optimistic, and courteous exit than it is when you make the sale.
Zig Ziglar
· Don’t pity yourself
· Start each day with a target
· Be friendly always
· Always set an additional step then necessary
· Be alert for each opportunity
· Each problem has a positive side
· Laugh in moment of hatred and anger
· Concentrate on one thing
· Be proud and satisfied
· Examine the acts of the day at night
Og Mandino
The Value of Training
A kung Fu master trains his disciples about the rigors involved in learning the intricacies of movements of the martial art form. Every Samurai warrior has a master. A tiger cub learns the skill of hunting from his mother. A mamma bear teaches her cubs where to stand in the stream to catch fish without being swept off by the strong currents. Music students are trained by virtuosos in perfecting notes, professional athletes train under expert coaches constantly pushing the limits of endurance and strength, experienced mechanics guide trainee mechanics, and parents acquaint their children about the ways of the world and train them in social skills. Every skill that has to be learned requires training. Ever imagined a pilot or a ballet dancer without training?
Sales – a formidable part of daily life and that is practiced by everybody is no exception to this rule. Though the debate is still on – whether a good sales man is a natural seller or a trained one, there is no denying the fact that training can improve sales skills and effectiveness. Of course, there are natural super sales men, artists, actors, wealth makers, and other geniuses that are not formally trained by anybody. But their numbers are very limited and even they have received some form of guidance at the initial stages of their career by unsung coaches, trainers, or parents. Tiger Woods may not have been trained as Andre Agassi was coached by the celebrity coach Nick Bolletierri, but he learnt the nuances of golf from his father in his initial years before ascending the rungs.
Sales skill is a part science and part art form that can be honed to perfection with practice under the guidance of a guru. Sales involves product knowledge, good communication and presentation skills, understanding buyer psychology, terrific people skills, and a positive attitude. On the surface it may sound simple but sales involves complex techniques and requires a mastery over them. Neither everyone is endowed with these qualities since birth, nor do they join sales fully loaded with the requisite qualities. Sales skills training target these aspects of sales and empower sales personnel with the necessary skills to win over customers.
Business sales training prepares rookies in sales to learn the tricks of the trade. Those with experience in sales also may sometimes get disheartened and will be at a loss to explain their low performance. They benefit from the expertise of a sales guru’s motivational sales training. Every organization that has a sales department invests in sales and marketing training to enhance the skill levels of its sales force. Some do it frequently and others periodically. Sales management training imparted by sales management consultants may target the sales process adopted by a business or its entire sales force for performance enhancement.
About the Author
Doug Dvorak helps companies and professionals achieve results through customized, creative and non-traditional sales training systems that are “one size fits one” and developed to the unique business needs and “sales pain points” of each client.
He is available to speak on these topics.

For more information visit http://www.salescoach.us or call 847-359-6969

Permission is granted to reprint this article in print or on your web site as long as the paragraph above is included and contact information is provided

Copyright 2008 The Sales Coaching Institute, Inc.Sales Skills Training l Strategic Sales Coaching Chicago, IL l 847-359-6969 l doug@dougdvorak.comhttp://www.salescoach.us

How to Define A Sales Process for Sales Success!

doug@dougdvorak.com (doug dvorak) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:39:00 +0000

Defining a Sales Process
In simple terms, a sales process is a systematic approach involving a series of steps that enables a sales force to close more deals, increase margins and make more sales through referrals.
The 'series of steps' are customer-centric and help the sales force of a company to retain customers and increase sales volume as well as revenues. The 'series of steps' are systematic and not haphazard. Random acts produce random and uncertain results. In sales, random acts can be used occasionally, but a systematic and well-defined best practices approach can assure predictable results.
The establishment and implementation of a sales process with definable steps in a company could result in:
• Predictable Outcomes - desired and predictable outcomes through a series of actions that could lead to more sales and higher margins.
• Repeatable Activities - activities that should be repeated to obtain the desired outcomes again and again by any salesperson within the organization.
• Tangible Results - the outcomes that can be measured and compared.
• Relevancy for Others - A good sales process may be cloned to suit other organizations and they may emulate a successful sales process model. A group of companies may apply a particularly productive sales process to all or some of its divisions.
Simply having a sales process in place doesn't guarantee anything, just like simply buying and installing exercising equipment doesn't lead to a chiseled body. Proper use makes the difference. Actively using and a desire to become willing to implement a sales process could lead to more sales.
Normally a sales process involves the following key steps:
1. Prospecting
2. Qualifying
3. Proposal/presentation
4. Handling Objections
5. Closing
6. Follow-up for repeat business - referrals
Characteristics of an Effective Sales Process
Any ordinary sales process may produce the desired results in normal times. But an effective sales process has elasticity to accommodate extra ordinary situations. Is your company prepared to meet a sudden spike in demand for your products or services?
Does your sales process have the elasticity to deal with fluctuations in customer buying trends? Is your customer database current and up-to-date? Does your sales process take in to account the change in buyer tastes and preferences?
Effective sales processes stand the rigors of changing times and market conditions and produce the best possible results in most circumstances. An effective sales process produces sales results with unerring precision as a manufacturing unit produces finished products. An effective sales process manufactures customers. It's a 'customer manufacturing system'. Isn't that an awesome productivity tool for any company to own?
Just as a manufacturing unit uses raw materials, strategy, technology, and manpower to produce finished goods, a sales process can be viewed as an integrated method where manpower refers to the sales force, the product or service is the raw material, strategy refers to sales plans and methods, and technology refers to the latest communication and sales technologies.
A results oriented sales process accomplishes the following tasks:
• Identifying and qualifying leads so as to take in to account only those prospects that truly have the potential to buy according to their importance to assign the right resources to each of them. Successful salespeople spend more time with their top revenue producing accounts.
• Impress the customer with the uniqueness of the product/service and your company.
• Talk about the 'need' of the customer and develop customized value propositions to solve their business issue.
• Convince the customer that your company is the one that can take care of the 'need' and none can do it better than you.
• Assess the purchasing power of each potential customer.
• Larger percentage of profitable sales.
• Forge stronger bonds between the company and the customers through the sales staff.
• Exploring the possibility of up selling and repeat business. Ensure repeat business through adequate customer satisfaction and proper follow up. It costs five to eight times more to acquire a new customer than selling to an existing customer. (Source: Personal Selling Power Magazine)

About the Author
Doug Dvorak helps companies and professionals achieve results through customized, creative and non-traditional sales training systems that are “one size fits one” and developed to the unique business needs and “sales pain points” of each client.
He is available to speak on these topics.

For more information visit http://www.salescoach.us or call 847-359-6969

Permission is granted to reprint this article in print or on your web site as long as the paragraph above is included and contact information is provided

Copyright 2008 The Sales Coaching Institute, Inc.Sales Skills Training l Strategic Sales Coaching Chicago, IL l 847-359-6969 l doug@dougdvorak.comhttp://www.salescoach.us

How Sales Training Consultants Empower Sales Forces

doug@dougdvorak.com (doug dvorak) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:39:00 +0000

Sales coaches and sales training speakers are veterans in the field of sales. Equipped with years of hard on-field experience these pundits know how and what works in sales. They enrich their knowledge derived from higher education in business or sales and marketing administration with a liberal dose of practical wisdom. Staying up-to-date with the evolving technologies that relate to sales, they provide the best sales skills training. From macro to micro level, these astute sales coaches are adept at dealing with all sorts of problems dogging the sales department of an organization. Their deep insight and practical suggestions help businesses improve their overall sales performance. Sales management consultants are great psychologists too and can easily read the body language and attitude of sales people and suggest remedies if need be. They come loaded with tons of motivational and positive energy to charge up a sluggish and lackluster sales force.
Sales training speakers lift up the sagging morale of the sales force of an organization. Sales management consultants zero in on the problems bothering the sales team. Out of the box thinking and uncritical way of suggesting solutions endear them to the sales team and their ideas are accepted without much resistance. Sales training consultants also lay down flawless sales processes for businesses. Sales management consultants check each and every step of the sales process of a business and track down flaws. Their latest ideas and methods help in overhauling faulty sales processes completely. They identify the strengths and weaknesses of the sales force and suggest ways to overcome the weaknesses and capitalize on the strengths.
Sales training speakers empower sales teams with their insightful advices. Their sales tips change the attitude of the sales people of an organization. They teach the sales staff to take control and be in charge. Ideally, sales can happen in a situation where the prospect has a problem or a need and the sales person provides a solution to the problem or addresses the need. That means the solution provider, the sales person should be in control, and not the solution seeker. Productive sales training consulting is based on this and trains sales persons to operate from a point of strength and not weakness. Sales training speakers from good sales training institutes motivate and prepare winners. And most importantly they do it in the most pleasant and inoffensive way.
Business and Motivational Sales Training - Target Areas
A professional sales trainer identifies what ails the sales department and then he sets about his job of fixing things. The aim of the sales management consultant is to identify weak areas and suggest remedies to fortify them. It could be the lack of proper co-ordination between the sales and the customer service department that’s resulting in a lot of communication gaps and giving rise to confusion in the minds of the customers. Or it could be the poor after sales service that is fetching less repeat business.
A reputable sales training institute and its trainer will pin down the causes of low performance with thorough analysis of every aspect of sales and related issues of the company. A simple thing as an unclear product description brochure could confuse the sales staff. The sales staff may be following an ineffective or a sales process that they view as “too theoretical” or “management’s fantasy”. A professional sales training consultant would detect the flaws and suggest remedial measures.
About the Author
Doug Dvorak helps companies and professionals achieve results through customized, creative and non-traditional sales training systems that are “one size fits one” and developed to the unique business needs and “sales pain points” of each client.
He is available to speak on these topics.

For more information visit http://www.salescoach.us or call 847-359-6969

Permission is granted to reprint this article in print or on your web site as long as the paragraph above is included and contact information is provided

Copyright 2008 The Sales Coaching Institute, Inc.Sales Skills Training l Strategic Sales Coaching Chicago, IL l 847-359-6969 l doug@dougdvorak.comhttp://www.salescoach.us

How Quality in a Sales Process Improves Sales

doug@dougdvorak.com (doug dvorak) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:38:00 +0000

There were days when companies thought about improving the product alone to enhance sales. In today's hyper-competitive global market, growing sales is typically based on improving the sales process first. Understanding the sales process and how best the sales force is adapting to it will enable companies to focus on the sales resources better.
A commitment to quality in the sales process is central to the growth dynamics of any enterprise. Each step in a sales process should be well defined and the action to be performed clearly set. Beginning from researching leads to closing a sale, everything should move in clockwork precision. Apparently trivial things can make a huge difference to the final outcome. So care must be taken to strengthen every action involved in each step of the sales process. And often it's mistakenly assumed that sales
process improvement means sales training. Sales training may be a part of the sales process improvement training, but it is a broader subject.
Following are some examples of how improving the sales process can make a difference.
Fresh and Creative Prospecting - The list of leads should be current and include as many qualified leads as possible. Trying to qualify prospects from a partially redundant list of leads is going to waste your time and prospecting efforts. A firm with a stale source of leads has got it all wrong from the beginning. Working on the leads and checking for their revenue potential will mean that you start your prospecting activities from a position of sales strength. This will require good lead generating and customer relationship management (CRM) practices.
A Chilean company, Andrueza Patrimonios, rode the wave of economic boom and made impressive growth. But soon the sales force found that they were making duplicate calls and that the information gathered during sales calls with clients were lost. This is the example of a terrible loss because of the absence of a good customer relationship management - CRM - program to keep track of all the information.
All possible channels of generating leads should be considered. Have you tried social networking websites apart from trade shows, seminars, and lists of companies as potential customers? Do you know how and when each of your prospects prefers to be contacted? A good sales process makes provisions for all of these sales actions.
Response Time and Quality
Sales depend on external customers that have identifiable expectations from your company. They wish that their questions and concerns be responded to within a reasonable time limit. They expect a certain level of clarity and objectivity in the answers they receive from salespeople. A simple issue, such as response time to a new client inquiry can make a huge difference to actual sales outcomes. When a customer wants a proposal from a company she/he expects to get an initial response within a few hours and an actual proposal within a reasonable time frame depending the size and nature of the project. If a sales rep fails to send a proposal in a reasonable time-frame he is out of the race even before it has begun.
Technology can play a vital role in responding quickly. An email from the customer can be accessed when out of the office and responded to instantly through a Blackberry, Palm, and Windows Mobile. There are many customer relationship management- CRM- tools out there that are inexpensive and yet very useful. It is a sin not to be using these devices to get back to customers immediately.
A set of winning proposals of past sales can be stored in your company data bank and every salesperson should be allowed free access to them.
The stored proposals should cater to all permutations and combinations of customer requirements within all budget ranges. So the moment there is a proposal request from a customer, a sales rep will just have to search for a few proposals broadly fitting the customer's requirements from the archive. From those the best one suiting the customer and the sales opportunity should be selected. This should only take a few minutes. Changing the content of the proposal to tailor it to the exact need of the customer is what the rep in question has to work on before sending it to the customer. Remember customers appreciate a quick response. A delayed response may reach a customer when the deal is already closed.
Streamlining Product Information
A Fortune 50 telecom company had 300 product descriptions on its web site that were being referred to by its sales force of 5000 people spread all over the world. The product description was done by several authors and lacked coherence as well as uniformity in voice. That caused confusion among the sales reps and they found it difficult to provide consistent information. They couldn't find quick answers and when they found answers those didn't match the sales process. They didn't trust the web site. A consulting firm was roped in to set the problem right. The consulting firm streamlined the product information and created a logical and intuitive navigation framework for the web site to support the sales process.
The consulting firm rewrote the product descriptions in a uniform style. Salespersons could now access information at every step of the sales process and there was consistency in the information they obtained. They could digest the information easily and share it with the clients.
The revamping resulted in the elimination of 66% of unnecessary information and a 70% increase in web site use and traffic. The division manager of product marketing for the telecom company admitted that the bottom line was - a huge boost to sales productivity and revenue.
(Source: www.weberassoc.com/data/files/TelecommunicationsPortal3.pdf).
A good sales process should be revamped to include uniform product information and the best resources available for salespeople. There should also be effective product samples at the disposal of sales force for demonstrations.
Customer Focused not Vendor Focused
Sales process guru Michael Bosworth firmly believes that sales processes should be customer focused. They should address the need of the customer. Vendor focused processes cause confusion and delays. The customer is always interested in and tuned into radio station WIIFM, "what's in it for me"? A sales process should be modified to communicate that.
Spending Time with the Prospects - Does a prospect qualify for your time and attention? If yes, how much? Genuine prospects should be paid attention to and it is wise not to waste too much time on prospects that won't buy. Distinguishing between the two categories is a fine balancing act that every salesperson in the organization must know. Research has shown that the best salespersons spend considerably more quality time with their top prospects.
They also spend less time on paper work. A survey conducted by Watson Wyatt of 841 salespeople from 500 companies with large sales forces has established that the best sales professionals from financially high performing companies working for high incentives and stock options invest 40% more time on their best prospects and spend an additional 3-4 hours on high-value sales activities than their counterparts do in financially low performing companies. These achievers also analyze the needs of the prospects in detail and allot more time to prospects that they know.
If a good sales rep is producing satisfying results but taking an inordinately long time to do so he could be the victim of this - getting hypnotized by posh offices of potential customers and spending more time than necessary there. Some of the high-profile potential customers may actually be looking for very competitive prices for low volume of purchase. They may be valuable as customers but are the long hours and special attention lavished on them worth it? An effective sales process should weed out such time consuming practices. It can lay out a broad time range to be allotted to different categories of customers.
Too Close to a Good Closing Yet Missing Out - Do you have sales reps that get very close to a fruitful closing but don't succeed in clinching the deal? They do everything right to get there, but miss the target by a whisker. There are uncountable numbers of sales efforts that have come very close to a successful deal and failed at the last minute. The reason - lack of knowledge of proper closing techniques. A solid sales process lays down the best closing practices to be followed. Be aware if your salespeople are asking the right questions or offering the right incentives to close a deal? Are they practicing active listening techniques and allowing the customer to talk? Are they allowing the customer to say "yes" to a deal? Are they keeping some offers until the end as final incentives to strike a deal?
An effective sales process makes it clear to all sales reps to use the best closing techniques.
Repeat Business - Referrals - Signing a deal is not the end of the sales plan, it's just the beginning. There are more deals in the offing and a good sales process recognizes that. Repeat business is easier and cheaper than prospecting for new business and every sales process should include steps to procure repeat business via a referral process. After a sale has been made the sales rep should follow up with the customer about the performance of the product and the degree of satisfaction of the customer. If the customer is happy with the product than it can lead to repeat sales or sales through his network of contacts. A sales process gives this fact due consideration and mandates that sales reps don't wash their hands of a customer after the sale is made.
Practical Sales Process - Take an honest opinion poll of your sales reps and find out what they feel about the company's sales process. If the majority of them feel that it's - "Too theoretical", "It worked back in 2001", "Management's fantasy", or "Cast in computerized concrete" - it's time for you to consider overhauling or changing the entire sales process.
Sometimes a problem may lie with a single step and may need slight modification. Evaluate periodically how your sales process is performing. Watch out for weak areas and fortify them. A sales audit can help in identifying problem areas that require attention.
It is less of an art and more a scientific formula that the combination of a smart sales process and efficient salespeople almost always produce astounding results. Companies therefore should have a vibrant and workable sales process in place to aid their sales force in achieving their sales targets smoothly.
About the Author
Doug Dvorak helps companies and professionals achieve results through customized, creative and non-traditional sales training systems that are “one size fits one” and developed to the unique business needs and “sales pain points” of each client.
He is available to speak on these topics.

For more information visit http://www.salescoach.us or call 847-359-6969

Permission is granted to reprint this article in print or on your web site as long as the paragraph above is included and contact information is provided

Copyright 2008 The Sales Coaching Institute, Inc.Sales Skills Training l Strategic Sales Coaching Chicago, IL l 847-359-6969 l doug@dougdvorak.comhttp://www.salescoach.us

Don’t have a Sales Manager – Hire a Sales Training Consultant to Help Increase Sales!

doug@dougdvorak.com (doug dvorak) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:37:00 +0000

Omnipresent Sales Forces
In the increasingly competitive business landscape, sales teams of business establishments have become indispensable features. From start ups to established big multi-national companies – every organization that sells products or services has a sales team. The size of the sales teams may vary from a one man army to battalions of sales people, but a sales department is a must for most companies and firms.

Role of Sales Managers
Usually a sales manager leads the team of sales people. This need not be true in all cases. With sales persons reporting directly to the vice-president or to the owner (in case of small firms) there are no sales managers in many organizations.

However, a sales manager is expected to lead the sales team. He is supposed to be the friend, philosopher, and guide of the sales persons. Typically a sales manager monitors the progress of the individual sales persons and the team as well. Due to various reasons, ranging from personal to professional, performance of the sales team gets affected from time to time. The sales manager sorts out the professional issues and advises as a friend on personal ones. He also acts as a link between the sales staff and senior management.

Sales Training Consultants are not Mere Substitutes, They are Better
In the absence of a sales manager this vital role can be entrusted to sales training consultants. Sales training consultants are seasoned and skilled sales professionals that have sound market knowledge and profound insight in to human behavior as well. Their sales wisdom and information about the latest market trends come with diligent study and years of in field experience.

Sales training consultants are adept at detecting flaws in the sales methodology of a business organization. They are equally skilled in zeroing in on causes of under- performance of the sales staff. They are part marketing experts and part psychologists that are respected for their capability to suggest remedies to increase sales.

From motivating the sales staff to weeding out unproductive sales practices, these gurus of marketing are good at the entire gamut of sales related activities. These pros not only perform what sales managers can but they also do some more such as:

Sales training consultants can present the much emphasized out-of-the-box thinking.

· They can develop better rapport with the sales staff by their friendly and easy manners. It has been observed that sales personnel trust sales training consultants and open up about their problems.

· They can call a spade a spade when it comes to honest analysis as they are not on the pay roll of the hiring firm.

So, hire a sales training consultant to boost your sales with the use of tested and proven methods.

How Hiring a Sales Training Specialist can Jump Start Your Bottom line Profits

doug@dougdvorak.com (doug dvorak) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:35:00 +0000

The Natural Salesmen
Selling is an art and there are people naturally gifted with this art. Right from birth these natural salesmen get busy marketing the only product they have – themselves. They clutch a tuft of their mother’s hair or dad’s ears and pull their faces towards themselves. They wave their hands, paddle their legs, clap, laugh, giggle, and cry to get attention as well as care.

These smart babies grow up to be successful salesmen in school too. They make neat profits by selling lemonade, old comics, used video games, and other knick knacks thus laying the foundation for a remarkable sales career ahead.

But that doesn’t mean that those that haven’t sold old video games for a profit in school cannot become successful sales professionals when they grow up. They can – through training.

What Sales Training Specialists Do
Sales involve techniques that require constant honing. Personal appearance, body language, timing of making calls, words chosen while making a presentation, knowledge about the market and competition, the requirement of the client etc. – there are a host of things a sales person should be well versed in. Even the handshake has to be right for a potential sale.

Sales training specialists can teach the sales team of an organization about the basics of sales to complicated things like improving sales metrics.

Sales training specialists know how the latest effective sales models function. Combining the latest sales methods with the traditional sales wisdom, they educate your sales team about the successful ways of selling. In a conference room, class room type set up, or even in the field they coach the sales team about the rudiments of progressive sales training tips, tricks and techniques.

Just hand over to the sales training professional a group of people who are eager to learn and change. He will do the rest.

Sales trainers will also identify any existing problem with your sales people. Is someone in your sales team having problems in closing? Or is somebody finding it difficult in converting cold calls into appointments? Sales trainers will help correct the flaws and improve the bottom line – profits.

Hard Facts
The USA places increased emphasis on training of the workforce. The American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) estimates that US corporations spent $109.25 billion on employee learning and training in 2006. A study of 11 global high tech companies carried out in April 2007 by ASTD and sponsored by Hewlett Packard, points out that organizations spend nearly 75-80% of their training budget on sales training. The study also confirms that sales training does help in developing robust competency models to help accelerating sales and push profits up.

It makes a lot of business sense to hire a sales training specialist.

How Hiring a Sales Training Specialist can Jump Start Your Bottom line Profits

doug@dougdvorak.com (doug dvorak) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:48:00 +0000

Is your Sales Force a Sales Farce: The 5 Steps to Sales Success

doug@dougdvorak.com (doug dvorak) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 04:08:00 +0000

When was the last time you purchased a product based on the charm, professionalism, sincerity, and effectiveness of the sales person? These types of sales people are rare, comprising nearly 2% of the “best of the best”, in the selling profession. They are the real force of their sales organizations. The rest are average sales people – mostly “order takers”, who do not know how to articulate value and solve their client’s business problem. And of course, there are sales people that are actually a disgrace to the profession of professional selling, doing precious little.

It is somewhat ironic that organizations spend a considerable portion of their earnings in developing a sales force for their businesses but many do not get proportionate returns. Habituated to working on auto-pilot sales systems, non performing sales people find the going gets tough when the system doesn’t work in the normal way. Despite having an apparently well qualified and experienced sales team as well as having good sales practices and processes in place, organizations struggle. Their so called sales force actually present a picture that’s close to a farce. You can avoid this and set your sales team on a path of success.

Here is how to go about it.

1-The importance of sales leadership in an organization

You need to have sales heroes in your organization, at least one. There should be one sales hero, a leader that can lead from the front. Sales leaders are master salesmen, experts in timing their sales calls, flawless in their presentations, careful in their choice of words, and sensitive to the need of the customers. They do not buckle under pressure. They also have the capacity to inspire others with their hard and intelligent work. Such leadership talents are vital for an sales organization thrive and prosper.

They are ever vigilant and tread on new paths believing in the saying of Abraham Lincoln, “Things may come to those who wait, but only things left by those who hustle”.

2-Let go of the sales people that should not be in sales

Some people are really not cut out for the sales profession. They don’t believe in hard work, don’t like going out of their way to meet clients and discuss their requirements, and are constantly worrying about their monthly sales numbers. They participate in sales training workshops but learn little. They don’t like meeting clients and understanding their problems. How can they sell?
Remember that sales is the highest paying hard work and the lowest paying easy work.

The sales profession demands that sales persons should be extroverts and out going people interested in meeting people, solving client’s problems with one-size-fits-one solutions. They should have healthy sense of self and self-esteem. Sales people should exude warmth, friendliness, and an eagerness to offer solutions to the client’s problems. They also should like their job and the products and services they are selling. If not they should not be in sales and can utilize their talents in other professions.

3-Motiovation as a key to sales direction and success

The profession of sales is not a normal 9-5 job with a desk, a personal computer, a phone, and a cubicle. In fact, the most productive and highest paid professional sales reps do ALL non-sales related activities, reports, power point presentations, etc, between 6-8AM and 6-8PM. The sales day, prime selling time of 8AM-5PM is devoted to getting “belly to belly” with decision makers. A decision maker is defined as a prospect, not a suspect that has need, desire, financial capacity and authority. If the sales person doesn’t create prospects there is no work for him. Unless there are the required numbers of sales he will not keep his job for long.

To keep doing this 5 days a week all through the year a sales person needs motivation. When the market conditions are tough and the internal conditions are far from perfect a sales person will require more motivation than normal to keep going. Some have the knack of motivating themselves. Others rely on their sales managers or professional motivational sales trainers.

4-The sales rep who solves the clients problems and adds value succeeds

Each sales person brings his own unique personality traits in to sales. Some are sincere, some are thorough with technical details, others are helpful with after sales service.

There are sales people that are good listeners. They listen to the client thoroughly and understand the client’s problems and offer solutions. By bringing a little effort they add value to the service offered to the client as well as the organization.

5-Successful sales people like to make money

The profession of sales is a wonderful one where at the one end of the spectrum there lies the possibility of job loss for non performance. At the other end of the spectrum lies the possibility of making a good living, earning respect you’re your clients and peers, and gaining a good reputation among colleagues. Successful sales people are driven by the zeal to solve client’s business problems, articulate value and a by-product of that hard work is a healthy income stream and job security. That’s quite healthy if ethical practices are followed to achieve the aims.

Check out if your sales team has the above mentioned characteristics. If the answer is no, find out what is stopping you from incorporating them? Save your sales organization from becoming a sales farce and turn them in to a potent sales force.

Is your Sales Force a Sales Farce: The 5 Steps to Sales Success

doug@dougdvorak.com (doug dvorak) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 04:02:00 +0000

How to Leverage Linkedin for Sales Success

doug@dougdvorak.com (doug dvorak) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 18:38:00 +0000

One of the boons of the Internet is its power to boost sales. Linkedin is a formidable tool to help boost sales. Let’s examine – how Linkedin can leverage your business success. To understand how it is possible, you must first know a bit about Linkedin. Linkedin is a business networking website that’s designed for networking among professionals. Over 50 million professionals from around 200 countries use Linkedin to stay connected with others in the business world. Executives from all the Fortune 500 companies are members of Linkedin. Professionals that are members of Linkedin represent 170 industries. The numbers are quite convincing, aren’t they? Now-a-days it seems almost everyone is a member of Linkedin.

The Basics

The basic idea behind Linkedin was to create a platform to connect professionals across industries to help each other in finding business solutions and reaching career goals. Like with most networking websites you need to create a profile with Linkedin. Your profile should summarize your professional expertise and accomplishments succinctly. Then you can search for names and industries and invite people to read your profile and get connected with you. You can also trace your college friends, past colleagues, and current business associates to connect with them. You can also get connected with your contacts’ contacts.

It helps when you know where your target clients worked, where they went to school, and their hobbies. Also, you can know “who knows who”, which is a powerful tool. By going through the profiles of your clients and their contacts you can know about their educational background, career route, and hobbies; all these should help you in developing a good rapport with the target client.

Create an Impressive Profile

Remember that you are letting others to view your profile, so it better be good. Always use images that can convey strong professional messages about your brand. Use your Powerpoint business presentations in your profile. You can make your profile impressive by connecting your website and blogs to the Linkedin account. While creating the profile you should use keywords that are relevant to your industry and business. This makes you more visible in Linkedin searches.

The Smart Way to Get Connected on Linkedin

Though you can introduce yourself and your company directly to a target client its better that you take the help of someone that is close to your client. That way your chances of getting a warm response increase. Sometimes 3rd, 4th, or 5th level contacts also may work, but it’s better to get introduced to a target client with one of your direct contacts.

Recommend and Get Recommended

Recommend people that you trust. This is a pro active approach to helping others in meeting their business goals. You become a vital link to their business. You then stand the chance of getting recommended by others as a reciprocal gesture. Ask to get recommended. Especially after doing business with a client satisfactorily ask them to recommend you on Linkedin.

Replacing Cold Calls

There are many people that do not like to receive cold calls and sales professionals have to endure the pain of facing rejections from such people. Instead of pestering people in organizations you can send Emails using your Linkedin account to people that even remotely matter to you. The success rate with this method is encouraging. Three out of ten Emails elicit responses and one out of those three responses lead to a meeting. That is usually not the case with cold calls.

Trace Your Contacts

When you are able to sell someone invite him to join your Linkedin network. If your clients leave the organizations that they worked when you sold to them you can trace where they have gone and keep selling to them.

Make Linkedin Your Homepage

The moment you open the browser you will know what others in your Linkedin network doing. You will also know who has been checking your profile. Stay in touch with your contacts. Try sending emails every week to some of your contacts. Linkedin users testify that some of these emails do turn into live opportunities.

Use Other Tools with Linkedin

Google reader very often has questions from Linkedin users. At the time of writing this article I went to Google reader with my Google account and typed “sales” in the search box. The search led to a list of queries from the Linkedin Answers page. Some of the queries are posed by buyers that are looking to really buy. If it relates to your product, you have almost found a buyer. Others are just seeking information. By answering their queries if you have the answer or simply recommending someone you know, you can at least create an opening.

These tips are based on the testimonials of Linkedin users. So the next time you get a client’s name or business card you know what to do.

About the Author:
Doug Dvorak helps companies and professionals achieve results through customized, creative and non-traditional sales training systems that are “one size fits one” and developed to the unique business needs and “sales pain points” of each client. He is available to speak on these topics

For more information visit www.salescoach.us or call 847-359-6969

Permission is granted to reprint this article in print or place on your web site as long as the paragraph above is included and contact information is provided.

Copyright 2009 The Sales Coaching Institute and Doug Dvorak

7-Don't Eat Alone - How to Leverage Down Time into Productive Selling Time

doug@dougdvorak.com (doug dvorak) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 18:37:00 +0000

Here is a profound sales tip that is so easy to follow - don’t eat alone, eat with your clients and best customers. This can dramatically change your sales turn- over, provided that you have the necessary basic etiquette and table manners. If you don’t agree with the preceding sentences you are not disagreeing with me but showing disregard to Joe Girard – the undisputed best salesman in the world as recognized by the Guinness book of World Records.

It was one of the rules set by Joe Girard, the salesman who was rated as the number 1 salesman for 12 consecutive years in the world. Combined with other simple principles Girard sold 13,001 cars in 15 years, a record that still stands unbroken. This means he sold more than four cars a day on an average. And he sold one car at a time, not in bulk. That’s a huge achievement.

Have Lunch/Dinner with Customers

A surprising number of deals are sealed during lunch and dinner meetings. Invest a little and invite your customer over lunch or dinner. Depending on your nature of business and the stature of the client treat him/her to a meal. Having meals together allows both you and the client to talk in a relaxed manner. The client would definitely appreciate the gesture and if he has already purchased from you, he would be glad to come back for more or give referrals. In addition to the pleasant experience, remember it’s an investment and intended for increasing business. You should choose clients that have the potential to give you business.

Having dinner with family members is something that cannot be ignored. In fact, it is a priority. But eating out with clients can be chipped into your weekly schedule without taking away much of your valuable time together with your family. Ideally, having lunch with the customer is a good idea as it will not interfere with family togetherness considering the fact that most families find it convenient to have dinner together in comparison to lunch or breakfast in the day.

Instead of having lunch alone or with colleagues at the office everyday, a lunch with clients can help bring in better perspective and improve the way you do business. Also, such opportunities offer chances to know the client better, the food he/she likes or dislikes, and the place he/she loves to eat. This type of knowledge would pave way for a better relationship with the customer and help improve direct selling as well as selling through referrals.

Utilize Down Times Productively

Some sales people do not want to do anything related to their job when they are not working. That is their choice and if it works for them, well and good. But there are many sales professionals who are passionate about business and like to mix it with other pursuits. If you are a member of a tennis or golf club what is wrong in inviting your customer for a friendly game, given that he also has the same hobby. If you both follow the hobby with reasonable interest certainly there will be rapport when you play a friendly game or two. Chances are very good that this would translate into a single or more sales. You may end up selling to the client or persons that he refers. Even if you don’t sell anything every time you do this, still you end up a winner as you get the opportunity to play with a new person and not with your usual tennis partner.

Using down time in sales is all about smart management of the available time. Even when you are waiting for your client to show up for lunch or a game of tennis you can call up his friends/spouse/secretary and find out what he would like or dislike. If you are very good at tennis or golf, be a little tactful and graceful. The goal of playing with the client is to win him over not win over him. Try to play a doubles match so that the client doesn’t take a defeat too directly as it can happen in a singles match. On the contrary if the client is good, praise lavishly about his booming serve or accurate down the line returns.

There are interesting ways how you can get closer to the customer and win his confidence. Selling is an exciting job and it is always not about sales. A good sales person should pounce on such opportunities and make the most of them.

About the Author:
Doug Dvorak helps companies and professionals achieve results through customized, creative and non-traditional sales training systems that are “one size fits one” and developed to the unique business needs and “sales pain points” of each client. He is available to speak on these topics

For more information visit www.salescoach.us or call 847-359-6969

Permission is granted to reprint this article in print or place on your web site as long as the paragraph above is included and contact information is provided.

Copyright 2009 The Sales Coaching Institute and Doug Dvorak

Selling in a Recession - 5 Steps for Sales Survival

doug@dougdvorak.com (doug dvorak) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 18:36:00 +0000

The good news is that recession has bottomed out and the economy is on an upward trajectory of revival. But tough times are not yet over and it won’t be in a short time. The storm might have gone, but we have to work through the wreckage it has left on its trail. That would take some time.

This is a time when people are spending very cautiously. Businesses are picking up, but very slowly. What does this mean to sales people? Does it hold only pictures of bleakness? Not at all, at least not for people those are ready to brace the hard times with a steely determination. It will be hopeless for sales persons that give up easily.

There are quite a few organizations and sales professional that really did well during 2008, right at the peak of the recession. Some businesses made good profits and hired more people. SaskTel, a leading wireless, phone services, Internet service provider in Canada made $121 million profit in 2008, an increase of 44% over the profits for the year 2007. LG Electronics registered an increase of 1.1% in profits in comparison to the year 2007. In the first quarter of 2009 LG Electronics registered 62.1% profit. The net annual profit figures of LG are yet to touch the pre recession figures, but signs of recovery are clearly visible.

Back at home there are some encouraging facts. US Newspapers made 12% profit in 2008. Newspapers with less than 15,000 copies circulation made 15% profit. These figures are healthy considering the fact that large US Newspapers have been making 12% profit for the past five years. Recession didn’t make much difference. How did they do that and you can incorporate their strategies into your sales methods?

Have a Positive Attitude

This is crucial in difficult times and crisis situations. A positive attitude will make one energetic and increase productivity. It requires discipline in thought to have a positive attitude when the entire media is blaring gloomy news and forecasts 24x7. It requires vision and clarity of thought to see beyond. Recession worse than the current one, have come and gone. This one will also pass. The best thing is to concentrate on the task at hand – keep on trying to sell.

Work Harder

Hard working sales people know that this is the time to work even harder. This is a testing time where the hard workers are rewarded. This is not the time for the journeyman salesman, the 9-5 order taker, or the mediocre wannabe. This is the time for the hard worker, the ones that eat, sleep, and drink SELLING. This is the time when the salesmen with can-do-it attitude have to make 50 calls instead of the usual 20 calls to get one order.

Sales people passionate about selling will have to put in more sincere efforts, make more calls, qualify more prospects, give demos with all their hearts, and serve with earnestness. Network harder and try to sell as if your life depends on it.

Work Longer

There are no short cuts to success. And when the times are tough the route gets longer. You have to work harder and work longer. It’s a bit like playing long rallies with patience. You will have to spend more time working. Lunch breaks have to be short and free times have to be utilized productively. Leads that you would have ignored previously to save time should be explored more to qualify as prospects. That requires additional time than the usual.

Pay More Attention to Customers’ Needs

You have to be really caring and attentive towards customers’ product needs to get business in tough times. When customers have cut down on spending drastically and trying to manage with the bare minimum you have to really pay attention to their requirement. You have to be really grateful to the customer for doing business with you.

Give Your Best Shot

Ace tennis players know this. When the situation gets really tough they produce their best game. Champions like Pete Sampras and Roger Federer fire away aces, hit tearing down the line forehands, and ripping cross court backhands to pull themselves out of difficult situations. They have produced some of the best tennis actions when they are trailing 0-2 or 1-2 in five setter matches. They may make many unforced errors when leading but not when they are trailing.

As a sales person you need to sharpen all your skills to perfection. Your physical and mental fitness, listening skills, speaking powers, persuasive abilities, tact in handling objections, product knowledge, and preparedness with facts and figures should all be perfect or near perfection. Like a champion you can do no wrong when it comes to your job. Victory will definitely be yours.

About the Author:
Doug Dvorak helps companies and professionals achieve results through customized, creative and non-traditional sales training systems that are “one size fits one” and developed to the unique business needs and “sales pain points” of each client. He is available to speak on these topics

For more information visit www.salescoach.us or call 847-359-6969

Permission is granted to reprint this article in print or place on your web site as long as the paragraph above is included and contact information is provided.

Copyright 2009 The Sales Coaching Institute and Doug Dvorak

8- Sales is the Highest Paying Hard Work and the Lowest Paying Easy Work - 5 Steps to Creating a Six Figure Income

doug@dougdvorak.com (doug dvorak) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 18:35:00 +0000

Only five percent of American working population earns six figure salaries or more. Entertainment and sports are the areas where celebrities make astronomical sums of money. But these are highly uncertain career options and the percentage of super successful people in these lines is very low.

The norm in our country is to earn a college degree and chase six figure salaries. Aviation, finance, law, medicine, and sales are the areas that can earn you six figure salaries. In fact, sales is one field where you can take the salary you want. The salary you earn will be directly proportional to your work ethic and culture. It depends on you how much you will make as a sales person. Taking it easy and working lackadaisically will yield a low income.

In sales it is very much possible to work hard and earn six figure incomes or more. Consider the stats: the average annual income of sales representatives were $64,440, for wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products, in May 2006. These figures include commissions. There are other factors like employee stock options, health and life insurance, pension plans, vacation and sick leave, personal use of a company car, frequent flyer mileage, free vacation trips, and gift packages which can add up to much more. With a little effort and gathering a few years experience it is not difficult to touch the six figure mark.

Get a College Degree in Sales

In normal times getting a sales job with high pay is more possible if you have a college degree in sales and marketing. Students from top business schools easily make it to the six figure bracket. MBA alumni of Stanford Business School earn a median salary of $225, 000 after five years of their graduating (source: Forbes). MBAs from some top business schools do start with six figure salaries. MBAs from Harvard Business School, University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, and University of Michigan Ross School of Business, some of the top universities in the USA, earn six figure incomes of in the starting year. Here is a comprehensive list of top 45 MBA programs with their median earning potentials in America. (Source: Business Week)

Not everybody can manage a degree from these top universities. MBA degrees from even ordinary colleges help in getting better sales jobs and the chance to earn more. There is good competition in getting a job of sales representative and a college degree gives an edge. A college degree helps better than a high school diploma in getting a sales job. In 2006 nearly 44% of the sales force in the US had graduate or bachelor’s degree in comparison to 27% high school diploma holders or less qualified people. For technical and scientific product selling college degrees are a must. Of course, even school drop outs can make their mark in sales. But they are the exceptions. Sales experience and online business degree also can serve the purpose of earning more in sales and rising up the corporate ladder. (Source: BLS).

Find Your Niche

As a sales person you may be comfortable selling a particular type of product. Your aptitude, personality type, family background, and upbringing will make you more suitable for selling a particular product. Some are good in the automotive sector, some in the finance, and some in the housing sector. Each sector has sub sectors. Even in auto sector there are people that may be good at selling second hand cars, while you may excel at selling new cars. A sales person that loves driving couples and families around to take a tour of homes put up for sale is more likely to succeed in that field. Visualize what type of product you will be enthusiastic about selling and what type of customers would you be interested in dealing with. You must choose a field that you love.

Know Your Sector

Understand your sector thoroughly to sell well. Simply loving a sector will not do to become a top salesman. If you are not money savvy and do not understand how the financial market works how can you excel in selling financial products? Also, be well informed about the latest happenings and developments in you area of operation.

Sell with Enthusiasm

Be passionate about selling your product. Don’t be just another salesman. Be a driven salesman with a remarkable product. Sell energetically. Master your sales process and go about selling your product with enthusiasm. Keep the customer’s need in the forefront, the sales numbers will be taken care of automatically.

Hone Your Sales Skills

Sales skills ultimately boil down to some basic skills, but you need to keep perfecting them constantly to get the maximum results. For instance, good listening is a basic skill requirement of succeeding in sales. To be a super salesman you must try to get into the mind of the customers and read what they would require. Listening intently to what they are saying; the words and the body language they are using can provide windows to their intentions and interest in buying the product.

No other career offers an opportunity to earn a six figure annual income. How soon would you reach there - it all depends on your attitude and enthusiasm.

About the Author:
Doug Dvorak helps companies and professionals achieve results through customized, creative and non-traditional sales training systems that are “one size fits one” and developed to the unique business needs and “sales pain points” of each client. He is available to speak on these topics

For more information visit www.salescoach.us or call 847-359-6969

Permission is granted to reprint this article in print or place on your web site as long as the paragraph above is included and contact information is provided.

Copyright 2009 The Sales Coaching Institute and Doug Dvorak

How To Use Creative Prospecting Techniques For Sales Success

doug@dougdvorak.com (doug dvorak) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:08:00 +0000

Prospects are important in sales – without them it’s like a salesman without a job. Thoughtful prospecting translates in to actual sales. The ratio of actual sales to prospects goes up when leads are worked on creatively and in fresh ways.
Those who like sales accept prospecting as a fun way to get to know new people. The idea should be to build a professional relation and not just start a sales pitch. When the focus is on building a professional relation, the clients show interest because there is something in there for them. Also, a sales person should be ready to face many rejections and not get disheartened by them. With a winning attitude sales personnel should go about prospecting in these following creative ways.
Old Wine in a New Bottle
Many age old prospecting techniques may have become redundant in today’s fast paced world. But some techniques, like wine, get better with age. Modifying a few of them a bit and adding a fresh approach these sales techniques can produce wonderful results.
The old technique was to make phone calls to existing customers, past clients, referrals, contacts obtained through networking, colleagues, and new companies. The new technique is to use the same method slightly differently. Find out how your leads prefer to be sold to. Do they prefer being emailed or phoned or both? Publishing is a big business and there are publishers that do not accept any manuscript sent to them electronically. Does the concerned person want being contacted through his juniors or prefer direct approach? Does he get impressed when you refer his elite social network friends through whom you got his contacts? Use of social networking sties such as Linkin and Meetup will help you to find new leads and more information about your leads resulting in more sales.
Meeting at Unusual Places
Golf courses, bowling alleys, tennis clubs, reading clubs, vacation resorts etc. are unusual places where prospects should be met and the foundation for a professional relationship built in a relaxed atmosphere.

Win the Security People
Now security people are an indispensable part of every organization. In fact, to meet or contact a manager, a sales person has to cross them first. So it pays to be friendly and charming to the security people. They may give invaluable hints about the way an organization or a contact person operates, including how the VP prefers to be contacted. If a sales person is warm and friendly at the entrance of a building he is more likely to stay that way when he is inside it.

Newer Tools
Use newer tools to communicate. When contacting on phone if there is the possibility of using video phone that’s better. Many top executives prefer to flaunt their techno savvy ways. They should be lauded for their enthusiasm to keep updated with fast evolving monstrous communication technology. They will be glad when communicated through latest communicating tools such as: Skype, video conferencing, social networking websites etc.
Creative ways of prospecting are endless. It just requires a slight imagination and commonsense to turn the ordinary prospecting method in to an inspiring and lively one.

How to Leverage Linkedin for Sales Success

doug@dougdvorak.com (doug dvorak) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:08:00 +0000

How To Anticipate And Handle Objections With Confidence

doug@dougdvorak.com (doug dvorak) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:07:00 +0000

Objections are the hurdles that keep sales people a step away from closing. The swift removal of objections invariably leads to the closing of the sale. Only the well prepared sales person succeeds in removing the objections in a convincing manner.

Anticipating Objections
No prospect is just waiting there with check books in hand and grinning from ear to ear to buy products or services. Prospects enjoy the freedom to choose among products and the power to ask various questions, raise objections, and express doubts about the products they are attempted to be sold to. The lesser the urgency to buy the product more pronounced would be the objections, irrespective of the quality of the product. Even sales people selling the best quality products and services face objections. Prospects want ensure that the products and services they are purchasing are worth it. These are but natural parts of a sales process. A sales person should take these as fixed features of the sales process and be prepared to overcome these convincingly.

Anticipating objections require a good deal of home work. A sales person should list out a possible set of objections. Many companies train their sales staff about possible objections and their convincing answers. However, every sales person should devise additional anticipated objections and prepare their answers. Find out from your colleagues what objections they encounter. Prepare a comprehensive list and their answers. A friend could help in this exercise and ascertain whether the answers are satisfying or not.

Handling Objections
The attitude towards objections should be positive. To an optimistic and positive sales person objections are opportunities disguised. When a prospect raises valid objections it means he has paid attention to the briefings or the demonstrations of the sales person. The objections signify that he is interested or may get interested if his objections are removed and doubts are clarified. Viewed from this perspective, objections should enthuse sales persons.

Prior preparation makes the task of handling objections easier. More than the knowledge of the solutions to objections, it’s the attitude in handling objections that matters. Sales professionals should not get agitated while trying to remove objections that could range from the most valid to the most stupid ones. Each of the objections raised by the prospect should be noted down in detail. Starting with the toughest one, all objections must be removed one-by-one in a calm and pleasant manner. Tackling the toughest objection makes the job easier to convince about the smaller ones as the prospect is almost won over.

Show respect and allow the prospect to voice the objections completely. Make sure that you have heard the objections clearly and reflect the objection back to the prospect for clarity. If he/she states “the price is too high”, you can reflect it back to them by saying, ‘the price is too high.” And then set about answering the objections in a convincing and positive manner. Move from one objection to the next one only when you have removed the objection completely. Let your attitude be positive and genuinely pleasant throughout the process as those are the over riding factors to remove objections to close a deal.

How Hiring a Sales Training Specialist can Jump Start Your Bottom line Profits

doug@dougdvorak.com (doug dvorak) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:06:00 +0000

Five Steps for Sales Success in a Slow Economy

doug@dougdvorak.com (doug dvorak) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:04:00 +0000

A slow economy is a difficult time for business and no salesperson welcomes it. As total business volume slumps triggering apprehension of deeper recession and pessimisms and uncertainty can prevail. However, it is an inevitable part of the economic cycle and businesses should learn to cope with it and salespeople should develop a strategy to survive and thrive. They should pursue only the best possible sales opportunities despite the hardships. Weak and inefficient salespeople get affected very badly in a slow economy and some even get wiped out, because all the negative news affects their attitude. Interestingly, many salespeople and businesses not only survive when the economy is slow, they also thrive. In addition to having quality products and services they follow some basic sales strategies to succeed in a difficult market which you too can follow:

1- Shift and Readjust Focus: The market composition changes when the economy is slow. Consumer demand and preferences change. Astuteness lies in studying and understanding the changes in the market and in consumer’s behavior. For example a shoe manufacturer will notice that during the slump consumers forego purchasing expensive designer shoes. But the sales of moderately priced shoes meant for the average consumer will purchase these brands unabated. The shoe manufacturer will be better off shifting focus to low end and moderately priced shoes rather than concentrating on high end – designer shoes. Similarly, financial and investment companies will find that the shares of certain industries still remain high despite an economic slow down. Industries related to food and other products that are basic to the needs of people will remain upbeat in a slump. Campbell’s Soup’s stock price has not depreciated significantly during this recession. The gaming industry has actually experienced growth during the current ongoing recession. Some computing companies haven’t yet been introduced to the current recession. IBM for example, has registered growth for the second successive quarter. It seems to have missed the memo on the ongoing recession. Investors can shift their focus to these industries. Even some companies that have experienced a decline in the value of their stocks will be worth investing in if they show enough promise of bouncing back soon.

2- More Thrust on Sales: When the economy is running smoothly or booming many salespeople become mere order takers and are not delivering value to their clients. There is hardly any skill required to push sales as the brand name of the product and huge consumer demand automatically result in sales. But when the economy slows down, consumer demand dips for a large range of products. That’s when sharp sales skills should be used to keep sales figure up. The smart ones succeed in selling reasonably well despite the hard times. Organizations should reassess their sales strategies as well as the efficiency of their sales teams. There may be a need for weeding out non-performers from the sales team and rewarding the performers. Companies should have a well defined and effective sales process in place. All salespeople should adhere to the sales process and apply every ethical sales method that is known to them to get a sale. The possibility of online sales should be fully explored as Forrester Research points out that online consumers will spend $3000-4000 per year and their desire to spend is unlikely to be affected by recession.

3- Emphasis on Customer Service: In good economic times you may get away with poor customer service. But during tough economic times a single slighted customer could prove to be very costly. Customers expect prompt service and due attention, especially when they have come forward and chosen to buy your product. Organizations should remember that the transaction doesn’t end there when they deliver the product and receive payments. It is just the beginning of a process that may require further rendering of service to the customer. A happy customer invariably becomes a repeat customer. A company can save money and effort by concentrating more on existing customers through impeccable customer service.

4- Slashing Prices: One of the weapons of fighting a recession is slashing prices of products and services as much as possible to stay competitive attract new buyers and gain market share, while still making profits. Microsoft has slashed its prices of the Xbox consoles to stay ahead in the booming gaming market. To compete with Nintendo and Sony and capture a sizeable chunk of the gaming market during the holiday season the decision to cut prices seemed very logical for Microsoft.

5- Advertising: It is an accepted practice for organizations to cut costs when faced with a slow economy. The biggest mistake many organizations commit is that they cut expenses on advertising and PR drastically. So much so that the marketing efforts almost choke without the supply of advertising oxygen. While cutting wasteful expenses is necessary expenses on advertising and PR may be reduced cautiously.

Ultimately it boils down to the diligence, marketing savvy, business ethics, and optimism of the organizations that determine their success in a slow economy.

A slow economy is a difficult time for business and no salesperson welcomes it. As total business volume slumps triggering apprehension of deeper recession and pessimisms and uncertainty can prevail. However, it is an inevitable part of the economic cycle and businesses should learn to cope with it and salespeople should develop a strategy to survive and thrive. They should pursue only the best possible sales opportunities despite the hardships. Weak and inefficient salespeople get affected very badly in a slow economy and some even get wiped out, because all the negative news affects their attitude. Interestingly, many salespeople and businesses not only survive when the economy is slow, they also thrive. In addition to having quality products and services they follow some basic sales strategies to succeed in a difficult market which you too can follow:

1- Shift and Readjust Focus: The market composition changes when the economy is slow. Consumer demand and preferences change. Astuteness lies in studying and understanding the changes in the market and in consumer’s behavior. For example a shoe manufacturer will notice that during the slump consumers forego purchasing expensive designer shoes. But the sales of moderately priced shoes meant for the average consumer will purchase these brands unabated. The shoe manufacturer will be better off shifting focus to low end and moderately priced shoes rather than concentrating on high end – designer shoes. Similarly, financial and investment companies will find that the shares of certain industries still remain high despite an economic slow down. Industries related to food and other products that are basic to the needs of people will remain upbeat in a slump. Campbell’s Soup’s stock price has not depreciated significantly during this recession. The gaming industry has actually experienced growth during the current ongoing recession. Some computing companies haven’t yet been introduced to the current recession. IBM for example, has registered growth for the second successive quarter. It seems to have missed the memo on the ongoing recession. Investors can shift their focus to these industries. Even some companies that have experienced a decline in the value of their stocks will be worth investing in if they show enough promise of bouncing back soon.

2- More Thrust on Sales: When the economy is running smoothly or booming many salespeople become mere order takers and are not delivering value to their clients. There is hardly any skill required to push sales as the brand name of the product and huge consumer demand automatically result in sales. But when the economy slows down, consumer demand dips for a large range of products. That’s when sharp sales skills should be used to keep sales figure up. The smart ones succeed in selling reasonably well despite the hard times. Organizations should reassess their sales strategies as well as the efficiency of their sales teams. There may be a need for weeding out non-performers from the sales team and rewarding the performers. Companies should have a well defined and effective sales process in place. All salespeople should adhere to the sales process and apply every ethical sales method that is known to them to get a sale. The possibility of online sales should be fully explored as Forrester Research points out that online consumers will spend $3000-4000 per year and their desire to spend is unlikely to be affected by recession.

3- Emphasis on Customer Service: In good economic times you may get away with poor customer service. But during tough economic times a single slighted customer could prove to be very costly. Customers expect prompt service and due attention, especially when they have come forward and chosen to buy your product. Organizations should remember that the transaction doesn’t end there when they deliver the product and receive payments. It is just the beginning of a process that may require further rendering of service to the customer. A happy customer invariably becomes a repeat customer. A company can save money and effort by concentrating more on existing customers through impeccable customer service.

4- Slashing Prices: One of the weapons of fighting a recession is slashing prices of products and services as much as possible to stay competitive attract new buyers and gain market share, while still making profits. Microsoft has slashed its prices of the Xbox consoles to stay ahead in the booming gaming market. To compete with Nintendo and Sony and capture a sizeable chunk of the gaming market during the holiday season the decision to cut prices seemed very logical for Microsoft.

5- Advertising: It is an accepted practice for organizations to cut costs when faced with a slow economy. The biggest mistake many organizations commit is that they cut expenses on advertising and PR drastically. So much so that the marketing efforts almost choke without the supply of advertising oxygen. While cutting wasteful expenses is necessary expenses on advertising and PR may be reduced cautiously.

Ultimately it boils down to the diligence, marketing savvy, business ethics, and optimism of the organizations that determine their success in a slow economy.

Don’t have a Sales Manager – Hire a Sales Training Consultant to Help Increase Sales!

doug@dougdvorak.com (doug dvorak) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:03:00 +0000

Dinosaur Selling - Are Your Sales Skills Extinct or Evolving?

doug@dougdvorak.com (doug dvorak) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:17:00 +0000

We are living in a fast paced world. Technology is changing the way we lead our lives and do business. Who had thought of Twitter or You Tube five years back? Yahoo chat is almost passé. Face book and Twitter are in. Prior to the 1990s pagers were used to send quick messages. Now SMS on the mobile phones is the way to go. If talking on the mobile phone is not enough you can have video conversations on a smart phone. There is no need to fly thousands of miles to attend a conference with business associates. Cisco’s video conferencing has facilitated real time conferencing right from your office with associates or clients in far flung places in the country and abroad.

The basics still remain the same. We still want to talk about a new car or a movie with a friend and business with associates. But the way we do it has been transformed.

The question is how much have you changed in these changing times as a person and as a sales professional? Do you use the latest sales techniques to leverage your business? Just check out how current is your sales skills? Don’t despair if you are lagging behind. With a little effort you can catch up.

Are Your Cold Calls Hot Enough?

Do you check out a company’s website before making cold calls? Do you check out a senior executive’s profile on the Internet and social networking sites, if possible, before making the call? Do you try to access the direct mobile phones of key persons in addition to the company landline phones? Do you send information about your product and company to the key persons via email before or after making calls? How do you make sure that your emails do not end up in their spam boxes? Do you wait hours for the office receptionist or telephone operator to put your call through to the senior executive or do you call the concerned executive after trying once with the office operator? You can do so and save time. You can offer an apology for calling directly making their “extremely” busy office telephone your excuse for doing so.

How Do You Qualify Prospects?

Ok, so you use Excel sheets to store your list of prospects. Smart enough! But, is your data of prospects stored on your laptop and can you access them via your mobile phone just in case the need arises? Or may be your sales assistant has emailed a hot list of prospects, can you check that email with your mobile phone?

The Use of the Internet and Social Networking

As a sales professional of the 21st century you should be actively involved in networking with clients, customers, prospects, suppliers, and anybody that can improve your sales. The best place to network in today’s world is the Internet – the social net working sites such as Face book, My Space, and Twitter. There are hundreds of networking websites related to specific activities or hobbies of its members. You should be in some of them depending on the nature of your business and the likelihood of finding your customers there.

Briefing the Customer

While meeting the customer and briefing about the product a sales person has to be specific and short. This is an age of information glut. Newspapers, magazines, books, TV channels, the Internet, mobile phones, office communications, and advertisement hoardings they are all keen on keeping us well informed. Your customer is being bombarded with information from all corners. An excess of information about the product will not register in the client’s mind. Be selective and pass on the most pertinent info about the product. If the person you are talking to is not technically very savvy do not over present technological details.

It is better to repeat selected info many times in the meeting or demo.

Stress on Customer Service

A few decades ago all salesman had to do was sell the product and calculate his commission amount. There was no or very little thought about customer service. This is an era where purchase decisions hang on the quality of customer service that a vendor offers. When other factors such as quality of the competing products, looks, and designs remain at the same level, customer service becomes the deciding factor. Talk about your customer service to new clients and follow up with your customer service department in case an existing customer has any complaints. Make sure that the customer gets impeccable customer service.

Our sales skills must change along with the changing times and focus on the latest trends. Dinosaurs became extinct for a reason – for not evolving. If you are not following these latest sales techniques your sales skills run the risk of getting extinct. To avoid that, your sales skills need to evolve now and stay in tune with the times.

About the Author:
Doug Dvorak helps companies and professionals achieve results through customized, creative and non-traditional sales training systems that are “one size fits one” and developed to the unique business needs and “sales pain points” of each client. He is available to speak on these topics

For more information visit www.salescoach.us or call 847-359-6969

Permission is granted to reprint this article in print or place on your web site as long as the paragraph above is included and contact information is provided.

Copyright 2009 The Sales Coaching Institute and Doug Dvorak

Dinosaur Selling - Are Your Sales Skills Extinct or Evolving?

doug@dougdvorak.com (doug dvorak) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 16:28:00 +0000

Dinosaur Selling - Are Your Sales Skills Extinct or Evolving?

doug@dougdvorak.com (doug dvorak) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:17:00 +0000