November 1st, 2017

4 Sales Shortcuts And Bad Habits To Avoid

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Good habits tend to come from resisting temptation. However, there comes a time when the lure of shortcuts becomes too enticing and we lose ourselves to bad habits and the comfort of convenience over persistence. We all have our reasons for taking shortcuts, but in the grand scheme of things, shortcuts in selling tend to not be sustainable. Bad practices such as lying about aspects of a product, or being rude and bullying a lead into buying will turn into a bad habit that will eventually harm your abilities to make a legitimate sale.

 

Of course, not all shortcuts hold the same weight. Some shortcuts streamline your day and could help set you up for success. Ultimately, it all comes down to whether you want to save time at the expense of producing quality work, or taking the time and effort to “measure twice, cut once.” Beware of these 4 shortcuts to ensure you don’t dig yourself into a hole of bad habits.

 

1) Doing research on your prospect during the sales call

It would behoove you to avoid multitasking and researching your prospects while making a sales call. Sure you can try scrolling through their company’s social media page and website but the chances that you’re actually focused and listening to your prospect is slim to none. You’ll miss key details that could help you close the sale and more importantly, you risk sounding insincere and distracted.
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Give yourself enough time between sales calls to gather important key points, figures, and talking points to help you better prepare for the conversation. You’ll sound more organized and persuasive if the conversation flows well.

 

Related Article: The Seven Deadly Sins of Selling

2) Connecting with prospects at the same time of the day, every day, all the time

Everyone loves routines and schedules. They help keep our priorities and tasksclock organized right? Salespeople tend to live-and-die by the plan-of-the-day. They tend to fall into comfortable habits of calling this person at a specific time in the morning or emailing prospects at the same time in the afternoon right after lunch.

The problem with this, of course, is that we don’t all run on the same schedule. How do you know if you’re reaching a prospect if you they’re on a different schedule? Perhaps the reason why you’re always leaving voice messages is that they don’t even get into the office until an hour after you make the call every day? Try switching up and varying your call and email times!

 

3) Leaving things to memory and not writing a to-do list

If you think leaving important details to memory works better than taking the time to grab a pen and writing it down on a piece of paper, than by all means have fun forgetting all the things you should have written down. It might seem more convenient to put our confidence in our ability to remember things, but memories can be vile and more often than not, betray us when we least expect it.

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The cold hard truth is, you will forget things. So commit to the ten seconds it takes to jot down important details and label them appropriately. Maintaining a to-do list helps you identify all of your tasks and allows you to keep track of your progress throughout your daily routine. You’ll thank yourself later when you turn the page to find what you were looking for.

 

4) Avoiding The Gatekeeper During The Sales Call

gatekeeperSome salespeople tend to take the Gatekeeper for granted and attempt to duck them at all costs. However, one should be wary when burning that bridge. There is a good reason the Gatekeeper is there to screen calls. Don’t be vague with your intentions around the Gatekeeper. Give them a great reason to put in a good word for you. Treating the gatekeeper with respect can sometimes make it easier for you to connect with the decision-maker.

Related Article: Why Creating Great Memories & Experiences During the Sales Process Will Engender Greater Client Engagement

 

 

Keys To Success

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There are never any easy shortcuts to success. As with most things worth doing, it never comes easy and often involves getting back up after getting knocked down. Stay passionate about connecting with others and build a solid work ethic by taking the time to do things right the first time around. You’ll save yourself a lot of backpedaling and heartache in the long run. You can avoid developing bad habits and shortcuts by giving it your best every day!

Do you like what you just read? Visit our resource center and download any or all of our 17 Executive Sales White Papers to help improve your sales skills training and build a successful sales career.

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October 10th, 2017

The 5 Step Process For Effective Sales Coaching

In today’s hyper-competitive sales market, forward-thinking sales professionals are always looking to get an edge over competitors by constantly finding new ways to stay relevant and updated on the latest trends and strategies. A great sales team is the driving force behind a successful and profitable company. An effective sales coach can help the team get there. It’s comprised of a cohesive, tried and true combination of sales leaders and sales reps that are battle-hardened to understand their sales market like the back of their hands.

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With that in mind, we all have to start somewhere. How do you fine-tune your sales team? While there are a variety of ways to sharpen your arsenal of skills and strategies, by far the most tried-and-true method is professional sales coaching. You won’t always have perfect sales reps, but effective sales coaching can certainly improve the performance of sales reps and help them be more effective, sell more successfully, and with less stress and greater client engagement and satisfaction. If you’re looking to mold a sales dream team, these 5 steps will help guide you on how to effectively coach your sales team.

 

Step 1: Observe The Team

Conducting reconnaissance in any project or scenario is vital to effective sales coaching. One of the most important steps in the sales coaching process comes from the observations the sales coach makes on the individual who need sales coaching. Gather, analyze, and interpret the performance of the individual and have a discussion on any unique gaps in their sales techniques. Highlight the most important changes the individual can make in order to improve and use the appropriate metrics within the organization.

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Step 2: Measure Strengths and Weaknesses

Your sales coach will then observe the operations of your sales team and provide you with an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the individual sales rep’s performance in relation to the operations of your team. A crucial aspect of the sales coaching process is observing what is working and what isn’t between the team and your market. This step is crucial for your sales coach because it will allow them to develop a customized plan that will improve individual operations which benefits everyone in the organization. Here a few things to keep in mind when making observations:

 

  • Point out what you saw. Try and make objective statements on things you noticed.
  • Try to explain your observations as a cause and effect (because you did this, that happened).

 

Watch Video: The 7 Deadly Habits of Ineffective Sales People

Step 3: Develop and Implement The Appropriate Skills

Productive sales coaching requires a vigilant and attentive eye towards a sales rep’s best and worst attributes. Sales coaches should communicate their observations and suggest new tactics to help the sales rep improve. Sales coaches can also try role-playing exercises to help simulate the interaction between buyer and sales rep. After the scenario, sales coaches should observe how well their sales reps reflect on their own weaknesses and if there are any improvements they can make. Observe how the sales rep implements these changes.

Step 4: Observe How Well the Candidate Absorbs and Applies Feedback

After carefully watching the candidate during sales calls or role-playing exercises, sales coaches can provide one area of positive feedback that highlights what the sales representative did well and one area of improvement. Sales coaches should also make note of how responsive sales reps are to their feedback and highlight common mistakes that they are making. Make note of the amount of effort sales reps are making to correct problems and if there any significant improvements.

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Step 5: Ongoing Mentoring

Sales coaches should not only help sales representatives succeed within the organization but also support and mentor them with their career goals and objectives. The sales coach can ask a few questions to help facilitate a healthy ongoing relationship with the sales rep and to also get a better idea of their motivations and what they are striving towards. As a sales manager, understand that the success of the individuals in your team is directly connected to how well your organization runs and is well-managed for peak sales performance.

Read a Related Article: The 7 Secrets of a Happy Sales Team

A sale involves a deep understanding of the product and customer, excellent communication and presentation skills, and a positive mental attitude. Developing the right sales skills to take your team to the next level can be honed to perfection with practice and effective sales coaching. Effective sales coaching requires hard work, discipline, and training from the sales coach and the sales representative. Sales coaches should take a close look at each of the individual’s strengths and weaknesses and be on the lookout for specific things to coach. Great talent can be forged with the right amount of focus and the determination to learn.

Do you like what you just read? Visit our resource center and download any or all of our 17 Executive Sales White Papers to help improve your sales skills training and build a successful sales career.

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September 27th, 2017

5 Smart Ways To Succeed In Sales

There are many people who have managed to find success in sales without ever reaching their true potential because they become content with their success. Many sales professionals often lose sight of the fact that there is always room to improve and do more to advance their careers and gain even more success. Those who take this extra step in sales and push themselves to the limit are known as the top 1% of sales professionals. They have found smart ways to succeed in sales by creatively thinking outside of the box and working hard.

These top performers in the sales industry aren’t just the people bringing in the most revenue for their companies. They are the ones setting the standards for everybody else by setting the trends in their industry. These top sales professionals are always hungry for more opportunities to succeed. How do these top 1% of sales professionals reach the top of their industry and continue to ride a wave of success?

In order to reach the top 1% of sales professionals, you must embrace the idea of being a trendsetter. Success is a lifestyle, not a destination and if you follow the footsteps of others you can reach a certain level of success. However, in this competitive business world, it takes more than that to reach the highest level. With this in mind, following the safe path will not always take you to the top of your game. The safest choice is not always the best choice if you want to be in the top 1% of sales professionals. Trends in business are always changing and the ones who are willing to innovate and adapt to the ever-changing landscape of business will separate themselves from the pack. How can your business set trends instead of following them? Here are some smart ways to succeed in sales in today’s complex and competitive world.

 

1. Make Time For Creativitycreative-brain-two-sided

It’s hard to be creative when you don’t make enough time for yourself to let the good ideas flow. Be patient with the process and learn to play around with new ways of doing things. Don’t judge yourself too hard when you are brainstorming. Trendsetters in business are willing to think outside of the box and patient enough to let new ideas grow. The right work ethic and the willingness to explore new ways to tackle a problem will set you apart from the rest.

Related Article: Sell More Creatively and Unlock Your “Inner Edison”

Related Article: Tapping The Right Brain: 5 Steps To Improving Creativity In Sales

 

2. Study the Current Trends

You need to know the rules in order to break them. Learn what trends dominate your market so you can think of new ideas to change the way things are done. Read about the latest industry tactics. Learn from the success and failures of your competitors. Attend webinars and conventions of leaders in your industry and learn as much as you can from them. Trendsetters are always 2 steps ahead of the competition because they stay informed and can anticipate moves in the game.

Related Article: Inside The Mind of a Top Sales Performer

 

3. Learn How Your Customers Think

Listen to your customer base and understand what works and what doesn’t. Knowing these simple things will help you generate new ideas. Figure out what they need and capitalize on it. Understand what customers are saying and have an honest dialogue with what they have to say about your business. Learning from your customers will help you to innovate and think clearly about what really needs to get done to improve your business.

Related Article: How To Brainstorm With A Group

 

4. Establish Your Brand

Separate yourself from your competitors by learning how to brand your business effectively and often. Incorporate your brand into every facet of your business so that customers learn to recognize you. Learn your strengths and emphasize them. Establish a good reputation with your customers by developing valuable content. Valuable content is not an advertisement. Valuable content helps to solve a problem, answer a question or address an issue for the reader.

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5. Build A Great Team

Strive to build a strong foundation for your business by hiring innovative people who will go to bat when you need them to. Treat your team with respect and motivate them to keep up with new ideas in your industry. Inspire your team by holding brainstorming sessions. Let your team bounce ideas off each other and think of ways to help foster creativity by communicating clearly with them. You’re only as strong as your weakest link so it’s important that everyone is on the same page and running like clockwork.

 

Related Article: 7 Secrets of a Happy & Successful Sales Team

 

Succeeding in sales today requires that you think outside of the box, work like hell and call on a large pool of ideas to draw inspiration from. You need to be creative and you need to suit up and show up every day. The top 1% of professionals forge their own path by exploring new ways to innovate and expand. Learn to stay motivated and hungry by executing your goals in a timely and professional manner.

 

If you want to learn more about how to forge your own path to success in sales and sell like the top 1% then visit The Sales Coaching Institute website. We practice smart selling and teach you the latest trends and concepts to open your mind to a new world of possibilities.

September 5th, 2017

Clearly Defining Concessions in Sales

Concessions planning is a part of advanced planning for the sales meeting, and it is a critical element of any preparation. Concessions are the changes you are willing to make in the sales meeting to the sales proposal. Reaching a successful deal often involves altering the proposal to better suit the needs and wants of your prospect. It is a negotiation process that must be studied based on what you are selling and your companies profit margins.

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Think of concessions as developing a bottom line, when you clearly define your bottom line you are giving yourself a great anchor point for your negotiation. Before you enter into this discussion you should know how low you can go in price or how you can alter the proposal and remain within your companies desired profit margin. You need to determine much of a discount can be granted in different situations. Prepare your mind by thinking of the different ideal outcomes. These situations differ vastly depending on the service or product you sell. Products may involve different volumes that create price breaks and services might entail how many additional hours can be put into a project.

Offering an avid fisherman or sportsman a weekend at the corporate luxury cabin may be a way to generate a sale if you can’t go lower on price or there are no additional discounts to be offered.

If you haven’t thought these types of scenarios out in advance, the simple concession that could have solidified the deal is never offered.

One of the worst things to do in a concession is to simply throw out a number. Most salespeople have been in a meeting where the buyer asks for a 20% deduction on the cost of the other order, and the sales rep replied that he or she could offer 10%. By automatically complying and, “meeting in the middle”, the sales rep has set the price lower, perhaps lower than where the buyer was aiming to take the deal.

A better option would be to suggest a smaller amount of a discount than half of what was requested. Perhaps offer a discount of an additional 2% over the next five orders or some other creative and compelling alternative. Another method would be to offer additional services/products that you would benefit the customer and your company can produce for a low-cost. This gives the customer something else to consider and also builds in the opportunity for additional sales at a small percentage that is well above your bottom line.

Related Article: General Negotiation Tactics to Help You in Life & Sales

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Without having clearly defined concessions in place, any sales rep can get caught up in the excitement of making a big sale and make a serious error in judgment. This can cause serious financial problems for your company that you will be held accountable for. You are the sales rep and this is your opportunity to responsibly develop profitable business for your organization. Your sales team leader will think of you as a go to when big deals come across the board if you can responsibly handle concessions.

Remember, this is a negotiation, and to negotiate both parties at the table must have the authority to make a decision that creates a desired win-win outcome.

If the sales rep doesn’t have a bottom line or doesn’t know what can be offered, the common solution is to call the sales manager. However, having to meet several times or make phone calls during a meeting distract from the flow of your sales process. This is a waste of time and can make you look dull to a point that could cause you to lose the sale. The buyer may think that if you don’t know enough about your product or service to negotiate than you aren’t taking your job or business seriously.

In the case that you don’t have the authority and can’t give an accurate and honest answer, it is best, to be honest. Tell your prospect that you cannot give him an accurate answer and you need to discuss the offer with one of your colleagues. Make it a point at this moment to take out your notepad or tablet and write the exact offer down and discuss it to the best of your ability to avoid going back and forth another time.

When you know your bottom line or the concessions you create opportunities the buyer may have not otherwise considered. This is another way to create a win-win based on your knowledge of the person across the table.

The ability to define and negotiate concessions is critical to successful sales negotiation. Without it, your ability to meet your quota will falter and you will miss out on sales opportunities that otherwise would have closed. Clearly defining concessions on the spot requires authority and superior knowledge of your products/services and cost/pricing structure. Sometimes it is necessary to go back and forth to ensure both parties are winning and your client feels fully serviced. Clearly defined concessions will help you negotiate with more power and will ultimately align the goals of your customers and your company.

 

Related Article: Learning How To Overcome Sales Objections

August 28th, 2017

How To Clarify and Align Sales Goals

While you may see your goal in any meeting as to sell a product, in reality, what you are trying to do is to solve a gap in the buyers existing abilities and what the possibilities exist for the company. Sales and marketing align together to reach a sales goal. A sale only happens if there is value in the product for the buyer, but that doesn’t mean that the only goal the sales rep has is to make the sale. Learning how to clarify and align sales goals is a key part to your sales teams success. Here is some detailed information on how to clarify and align sales goals during your next sales meeting.target-goal

In fact, the seller needs to go into the meeting also looking for a way to resolve the challenges of the buyer. In this way, both the seller and the buyer are in alignment, looking for ways to create a solution that satisfies a recognized need within a system. Learn How to Run A Productive Sales Meeting and your ability to clarify and align goals will improve dramatically.

This type of alignment of goals brings the buyer and the seller into a mutually collaborative experience during the meeting. However, this won’t happen by accident. Creating a message in advance that is tailored to clarifying the focus of the meeting (to solve the problem/gap/want/challenge of the company) needs to be an important part of your preparation. It should also be a clear intent in your opening message and outlined in your agenda; clarifying for the buyer what your true objectives are for the meeting.

 

Related Article: 5 Step Process to Cultivating & Capitalizing on The Relationship

 

solve-client-problems-sales-idea-imageThis will prevent that defensive, disinterested and often dismissive attitude that can be difficult to break through when talking to decision makers in any business. Being well prepared and offering a valuable solution diminishes this natural dynamic in the room. So, make sure that you stop pitching & start solving client business problems.

Additionally, by structuring the sales presentation to be interactive, informative and not a hard-core sales pitch further aligns the goals, allowing you to test possibilities along the way and then move into the close at the opportune time.

Have a structured process for getting your prospects to take the next steps towards closing the sale. Here is an article that outlines 3 Steps to Help Prospects Commit. Don’t leave such an important meeting and process to your memory alone, always have an agenda and structured process. This agenda should even include a process to overcoming sales objections.