Your Ego Or Your Wallet
One of the biggest weaknesses ineffective salespeople have is their desire to “look good” in front of their customer. If only this desire to feed the ego was as great as the desire to feed their wallet, life would be very different for these “happy losers.”
A Happy Loser?
I use this term because it perfectly describes the salesperson who is happy to look good even if it means no sale. The need to look smart and sharp to a prospect is more important than getting the result they want. Their success and their income suffer greatly because of it.
So make your choice right here and now. Do you want to feed your ego or your wallet?
A. I want to feed my ego.
B. I want to feed my wallet.
You Can’t Do Both
Are the two mutually exclusive? You bet they are. A job where you must sell your services is no place to get your emotional needs met. It is just a place you go to get paid. Selling requires far too much focus and concentration to worry about anything else other than getting a buyer to say yes.
What if you did the opposite of trying to look smart to your customer and instead used a technique I call the “dummy up?” This technique amounts to you acting like you missed something the customer said, which gets them to expand on their thoughts and essentially makes the customer sell you on what they want.
Here are some examples of effective “dummy up” situations:
AT THE DOOR
THEM: I don’t even really like air conditioning.
YOU: I’m sorry, Fred. I had no idea. The office told me you wanted it fixed. Well, let’s not waste anyone’s time, Fred. Should I cancel the call?
THEM: No, wait a minute. We can’t cancel. My wife would kill me if I didn’t get this fixed today before she comes home.
ABOUT THE COMPETITION
THEM: We had XYZ Company out here working on this before.
YOU: I didn’t know that, John. Hey, I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes. Would you feel more comfortable just calling them back?
THEM: God no! We had nothing but trouble with XYZ and I would never use them again.
AT THE CLOSE
THEM: I think we want to go with option number 3.
YOU: Really! I didn’t think you would ever like that one. Why do you like it so much?
THEM: Well, it has a better warranty and it comes with better service. I like that.
YOU: Okay. What should we do?
THEM: Let’s get the work done now.
Make your customer think you need to be educated on why they are buying from you and it will work wonders. As for my question above, I will tell you that I have already made my decision and my wallet is a lot fatter because of it.
Don’t let your ego get the best of you. Just dummy up and sell more!
convert this post to pdf.
The Problem of Turnover
One of the first questions I always ask new clients who are struggling to get control of their salespeople and increase their results is a very easy one to answer. Here is the question…
“Of the last 10 salespeople to leave, how many of them quit and how many were dismissed or as I like to say “de-hired?”
When I listen to sales managers answer that question, I don’t only listen for the words they tell me but also watch how hard it is for them to access this information. If a sales manager takes a long time to answer because they can’t remember the last time a sales person left the company, I know they have a turn-over problem. Not enough, turn-over that is.
Accountability For Results
That problem in this case is that when there is not enough turn-over, a company struggles to maintain a successful selling culture or mindset. This means that accountability is poor and that employees feel as if the job they have is theirs for as long as they want to stay. On a championship caliber team, rosters spots have to earned and are not a given.
Here is a matrix of possible answers to the above question and what the hidden meaning is for struggling sales teams…
1. No one ever leaves
a. Means that salespeople are “milking it.”
b. Job is a birthright – tail wagging the dog.
2. Most sales people quit
a. Coaching and feedback is poor or non-existent
b. Sales system is poor or not being followed
3. Most sales people are fired
a. Hiring and recruiting system is poor
b. Too involved with statistical analysis and not improvement
4. Can’t remember
a. Sales manager is living in their own world
b. Not in touch with his people, doesn’t care, self-centered
I think you get the picture. The successful sales manager is acutely aware of all of these responses and if they start to feel themselves get drawn toward one of the above responses, they immediately correct the problem.
Take a Hard Look At Your Team
Of course that problem is with them and the way they think. In healthy sales organizations it is well defined as to the amount of top performers, mid range performers and poor performers. As a rule, the bottom 20% is cut from the team every year and replaced with new hopefuls that bring a new chance for improvement.
One of the biggest problems of sales managers today is their loss of perspective when evaluating their salespeople. They immediately start to make excuses as to why results are poor instead of holding their team accountable.
In essence, the sales manager is sold on the excuses instead of trying to train or coach the sales person on different techniques, styles and methods than the ones that are failing. Start taking a hard look at your patterns and never be afraid of the truth. If you do, you are the way to reaching the goals you have.
Your Sales “Boss”
I remember the not so distant “good old days” when I made sure that I was home every Sunday night to watch one of my favorite shows.
You would have to be from Mars to not know of or remember the HBO hit show The Sopranos which featured an inside look at some of the “alleged” New Jersey mob figures.
I know it seems like this is a product of the twisted mind of a sales consultant who has been on the road for a few weeks too long. But one evening while watching a re-run of the show, I began to think while I watched the plot unfold.
What if Tony Soprano was your sales manager ?
Let’s think about what would happen if “T” was guiding you on your path to sales success.
Let’s see how he would address these interesting challenges…
1. Sales Person tells Tony that he lost a sale and that he is depressed. – ” Business is business. ” He would say, ” Feh-get about it ! ” I think he would also add, ” What’s wit you ? Work is no place to get your needs met, so stop your whining and get back to being the earner ( Person who brings the boss the money each week ) you’ve always been for me capisce ? ” ( Do you understand ? )
2. Sales Person Wants Tony To Lower The Price To Get The Job – I think “T” wouldn’t put up with that one for sure. He would probably say something like, ” Whoa, ( The reaction that any guy from New Jersey has when he is surprised by what he hears ) what do you think I am Fort Knox ? Grow some stugots (testicles) and learn how to handle objections before I have some friends of ours ( Other people in the mob ) visit you (Harm you in some way) and take you for a swim. ” ( Throw you in the ocean off the back of my boat “Stugots” with cinder blocks chained around your ankles. )
3. Sales Person Asks For Loan To get Them By Until Next Paycheck – Ouch, I can barely stand to watch this one. ” Hey what are you oobatz ? ( Are you crazy ? ) What am I a shylock ? (Loan shark) Maybe if you wasn’t such a mortadella, (derived from an Italian sausage, meaning a loser. As in ” Guy’s a mortadella. ” ) you could provide for your family by getting some referrals from your customers and stop acting like such a cafone. ” (a peasant or lower-class person)
4. Sales Person Blames Lack of Sales On the Weather – ” This thing of ours ( The business of the mob ) only works if you work it. I don’t care if it’s caldo (cold) or boliente (hot) outside. Stop acting like your mezzo morta (Half dead) and just bring your tribute (The money) in like we agreed or I’m gonna have to lower your points (change your commission percentage) and do some spring cleaning (Get rid of evidence that you ever existed) around here.
Would Tony Soprano Succeed?
Actually, I think Tony would have some good attributes along with his obvious dysfunctions as a manager. His organization values revolve around ” taking care of our own ” which indicates his loyalty to giving people a chance as long as they are loyal and give their best effort.
I think that he understand that even though you may be a ” made man ” that your crew can still make or break you.
I think Tony also would do a great job of delegating responsibility, distancing himself from the action and not meddle in how the sausage gets made just so long as it gets made.
Even though this article was written tongue in cheek, you as an underboss (Sales Manager) can still learn a few lessons.
Remember, col tempo la foglia di gelso diventa seta. ( An old Italian saying meaning, ” Time and patience will change the mulberry leaf into satin. “)
Ciao, ciao for now !
Is Your Eye On The Ball?
I can tell spring is about to arrive when I listen to my favorite sports radio show and I hear the ‘Hot Stove” league heating up. The show hosts go on seemingly forever about the same players and how they fit in to this years team. This week they started to play the pre-season games in earnest as all the players try to play themselves into mid-season shape by the first week in April.
In the selling world try to think about how you can use this time of year to do the same thing. What i mean is that we have all endured a challenging economy over the recent past. Just remember that when a person who is good at selling their services goes to work that the economy is always a lot better. At least it is for those who are in great mid-season selling “shape.”
What do top sales professionals do to stay in top selling shape? The answer is probably easier to explain by telling you what they do NOT do. For one thing, they do not make any assumptions. They are always thinking of news ways to approach buyers that they have had challenges with in the past. They acknowledge selling as a competitive sport and they feel that if they are not growing that their competitor probably is. So the one thing for sure is that they do NOT stand pat and rest on their laurels.
Get Yourself In Shape To Close
Here are some of the things that the best people in sales do to round themselves into top shape before they go on their next round of calls.
Focus - Exercise your ability to focus only on the things you have control of. Worrying about the past or the future is just not a productive use of your time. Think about what you can change right now and not on the economy, your prices and other things that won’t change under your direct control. All of the things you worry about would improve if you were just focused on your selling behaviors and how they effect the outcome of each interaction with buyers.
Practice - Think about the areas of your calls that need the most practice. Is it listening? Or how about creating interest and desire? How about the timing of your presentation? Are you always sure that you are finding solutions for the right people or is their someone else who should be involved? Of course there is always closing and handling objections. Do you have ways to eliminate objections before they happen? Are you good at responding th them after your presentation? These are things that will always need practice to get into top shape.
Are You In The Minors?
If you watch enough sports you can tell the difference between a minor league player and a seasoned professional at the highest level. It is the details and polish that shows from years of practice. So many sales people who are in the “minors” actually practice their skills for the first time in front of a customer. Why not use the rest of this month to get prepared for the regular season and eventually you might wind up in the “World Series” of selling and finally reach your goals. You and your family will be glad you did.
Do You Make This Olympic Sized Mistake?
As the 2010 Winter Olympic games came to a close I am haunted by a certain story which involves snowboarder Lindsay Jacobellis and her failed attempt at redemption. Jacobellis suffered a disastrous crash four years ago at the Turin, Italy winter Olympic games when she celebrated too soon just moments from the finish line. She basically had the race won but could not resist the temptation at showing a little flash at the wrong moment and instead lost the race.
The reason this failure stuck with me far more than all the Olympic victories i witnessed is probably because as a sales coach I see this phenomena far more than I would like when trying to help sales people attain better results. The pain of losing is vivid to me whenever I hear the sales person tell me that they have a sale that is “pretty much already sold” and then they start talking about it like they actually have closed it. But here is the twist. After I question further I find that they aren’t even close to getting the sale.
Do You Over-Celebrate?
So many sales people are guilty of the same Olympic sized mistake that Lindsay Jacobellis made four year ago that it boggles the mind. Here are a few statements from the lips of sales people who celebrate before actually getting the job.
- “This one is basically sold, I’m just waiting for them to transfer the money.”
- “It’s pretty much done, I just have to provide them some more literature.”
- “He really liked the proposal, now the board has to approve it.”
- “I’m gonna be selling this one on Tuesday after they have a chance to talk.”
In all of those statements, the sales person is mistaking making the assumption that the sale is theirs. All they have to do is one more thing. The question is begging to be asked, “Why did you not stay there and do that one more thing?” I really don’t know why sales people delude themselves like this. To me they are setting up the situation to unravel at the end and not only lose the sale but also a great measure of their self-esteem as well.
You Work Too Hard To Not Finish
Just like Olympic athletes, we as sales people have traveled a long way to get close to the finish line. It is an utter disgrace to do all the work, spend all the resources and sacrifice your time only to not finish what you have started. Remember that the sale is not won until you have a signed contract and all financial considerations have been executed.
As a sales manager simply ask your sales person a few questions the next time you hear them celebrate before the cross the finish line. Here are a few questions to ask:
- “Do you have the signed agreement.”
- “Did we get a down payment?”
- “Can I see your presentation of the solutions?”
Most of the early celebrations will be doused with a healthy dose of realism once you ask them one of these question. Remember that it is your job as a sales manager to keep your team grounded, focused and on-track to succeed. You are NOT doing anyone any favors by sharing in their enthusiasm of this very dysfunctional moment.
Winning Is Guaranteed To No One
The final lesson that is learned from the Olympic nightmare that Jacobellis suffered is that even if you do get a second chance at success, winning is promised to no one. It is you that must keep your poise as you are just about to win and make sure that all of you work is finished before you start to tell people that you have won.
In the end, the rewards are clear. Real champions “cross the finish line” before they start to even think about celebrating their success. In fact, I would say that the best people in sales never really celebrate at all. Why? Because after they win a sale they are already thinking about the next one. In sales, the celebration of success and failure must be done evenly. That means that when you lose, you should not be devastated and when you win you must not be too elated as well. Remember that in the sales world, there is always another race to run tomorrow.
Super Bowl Sales Lessons
If you watched the Super Bowl a couple of weeks ago you saw a play that will probably go down in history as one of the boldest and gutsiest plays ever called. The play I’m taking about happened at the very start of the second half. It’s called the “onside kick.”
Most teams, especially in such a big game would decide to do the “normal” thing and kick off to their opponent. This gives the opponent a chance to possibly score first before they get the ball back. The play is usually reserved for moments of desperation at the end of a game.
There was no sign of despair when New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton did the opposite of the routine way, not this time, not this day. He boldly made the decision to not wait to get the ball back to start the half. Essentially he sent a message, “We will not wait for our success to happen. We are going to make it happen.”
Big Games Are Won On Big Plays
Ironically right at the end of the first half, the Saints opponent the Indianapolis Colts decided to play it safe. They had the ball, near their own goal line with over a minute remaining in the half and decided to go into a conservative mode and opted to run three times and then punt.
Indeed, it was strange seeing a team that generally made its’ name and reputation on making the big play, go into a shell and play it the safe and conservative way. Essentially they decided to wait until the second half. Unfortunately for them, the Saints not willing to wait, drove the ball and kicked a field goal to end the half to score three more points as they inched closer to the obviously “tight” Colts squad.
Are You Playing It Too Safe?
Why not take some lessons from both of these teams as you go about your “normal” sales day-to-day activities.
Playing It Conservative – Every sales person is faced with a choice to go into a shell and follow the customer and the way they want to buy things. How many times have you resisted and told them that you will not proceed their way? Remember that if you go into any negotiation always having to say “yes” to every request a customer makes, you will almost always lose the negotiation. Be willing to say when you will NOT do things in an unproductive way.
Going For The Big Play – Are you turning the routine sales calls you go on into an event? What I mean is that we can all be lulled into a dysfunctional “sameness” in our work in the sales world. Pretty soon, we hear ourselves repeating the same words over and over again which leads us to the same mediocre results. Take the routine sale and make it something to remember. Don’t just solve the problems your buyers face for now. Solve them permanently with bigger solutions that last longer. Add more service and warranty to your top options. Do something different and you will stand out from the crowd.
Waiting For An Answer – At the end of your sales presentation many sales people hear the words, “We want to think it over.” Instead of saying “okay” and offering to wait until they call you back. Why not bring the call to a definite conclusion at that moment? Remember that there are only four outcomes to every call:
1. You could hear the word “yes”
2. You could hear the word “no”
3. You could tell them “no”
4. You could schedule a date and time to get one of the above.
Default To Taking Action
The Saints recovered that onside kick and went on to win the Super Bowl Championship. The secret that coach Sean Payton knew about winning was that you are more likely to do so by taking action instead of waiting for something good to happen. Are you waiting for good things to happen? Comedian Jonathan Winters had a great quote that I try to live by. He said, “If you are still waiting for your ship to come in, why not go swim out to it instead.”
If you are failing or not reaching your goals, at least stay in motion and try your version of the onside kick, take the ball and cross your version of the goal line and you will also become a “Super Bowl of Sales” champion.
Feel Like Groundhog’s Day Is Everyday?
The one holiday that seems to always catch me by surprise is Groundhog’s Day. Each year I am reminded by warmly dressed television reporters in early February about this whimsical, annual event. As I was watching the news this past week, I saw that once again, somewhere in Pennsylvania, a small furry mammal will decide whether we have an early spring or a late winter just by his ability to see his shadow or not. This always reminds me of the movie “Groundhog’s Day,” starring Bill Murray.
In case you forgot, the film is about a television reporter that is assigned to this event in rural Pennsylvania. Essentially he keeps repeating the same day over and over again until he finally “gets” what life and love is all about. Unfortunately, many people and companies who sell their services are living this Groundhog’s Day scenario as well.
Failing The Same Way Over-and-Over
What I mean is that poor performers tend to get themselves into a rut and continue to normalize poor performance. Each day is essentially the same. Trotting out the same sales routine, or “dog and pony” show that never seems to resonate with their customers. Even the excuses sound the same. Day-in, day-out they blame the economy, or whatever political party is in office or even the weather for the lackluster performance.
Groundhog’s Day Is Not Good In Sales
If you sell your services and products for a profession, you cannot afford to be lulled into a trance. High performance sales professionals find new opportunity each and every day. The reason that new opportunities are found where others cannot see them is simple. Top performers are students of their customer. Therefore, I think we can all agree that if each and every customer is unique and different that we will learn something that others have not if we would only take the time to listen to them and learn.
If you find yourself or your sales team failing then do you and them a favor and break the monotony of your Groundhog’s Day trance and do something different. Doesn’t if figure that if you get poor results with the methods you use now that creating change instead of waiting for it may be just what it takes to succeed?
Is Your Time Is Up?
You may have heard that most sales people who struggle just lack commitment. You may have wondered what that statement really means. Specifically, for me it means to be committed to bringing the transaction to a conclusion after you have made a presentation of your solutions.
This final step sounds easy but do sales people really commit to this?
Commit To a Conclusion To Close More Sales
By being the one who acts to conclude the interaction, you have the advantage. As does anyone who takes action as opposed to those who are in the habit of waiting to do anything.
For the top flight sales person, here are only 4 outcomes to any sales situation:
1. You got the job.
2. You did NOT get the job.
3. You disqualified yourself.
4. You set a deadline for a conclusion.
Getting the job or losing the job is easy to understand. However, disqualifying yourself and setting a deadline are much more difficult. This is what defines greatness from mediocrity.
The Disqualification
A great sales person uses this technique as a “truth serum” on their customers when faced with a “think-it-over” or stall. They simply make their presentation and if the customer starts to delay the sales person does a trial disqualification.
“If you still need more time at this point, obviously I made a poor presentation. Why don’t we just admit you are going to buy elsewhere and not from me.’ They might say.”
If the buyer is not interested they will allow the sales person to leave. But, if they have any interest at all they will start to sell the sales person on why they are still alive thereby keeping the close active.
Setting a Deadline
In certain situations the buyer really does need more time. In this case a heavy hitter will be sure set a firm date and time to return and bring the sale to a conclusion. For the mediocre performer it appears to them anyway, that things are coming to close as they wait for a return phone call but alas, it is a mirage.
Your sale is on life support. Learn when it is time to “pull the plug” on this patient. This can be very difficult for you or your people to understand. Taking action to control when you will conclude the process gives you a much higher credibility than those who choose to wait for their answer.
How do you know you are deluding yourself into thinking you might get the job?
1. When you left after making your presentation and did not set a time and date to return.
2. When you have given the buyer exactly what they wanted but still did not close.
Luck can sometimes prevail and you can be fooled by occasionally getting a job after being stalled. But if you learn how to do a “trilal disqualification” with those buyers who are just not interested in your product or service you will sell more. “Clarify” the sales process you will immediately start to improve your results.
Do You Have a Policy Too?
How many times have you heard your prospect tell you that they have a “rule” or “policy” when they purchase? You know something like, “We have a rule, we never make a purchase on the first visit from a sales person.” Sometimes the rules that buyers have are dysfunctional and make little sense for you or them.
Also, the rules are often broken when they meet the right sales person with the right solution. So then the rules are only often enforced when they either don’t like the sales person or their solution.
As a professional sales person, you must have rules and policies as well. This is particularly true when you sell face-to-face and have to travel to your buyer’s location or home. The amount of time spent with buyers and the time needed to travel to and from where they are makes having policies even more important.
Here are a few of my personal rules and policies that I hold myself to when engaging potential customers in my sales process:
My Personal Sale Constitution
- I refuse to sell my services to people who don’t want them or need them.
- I find out how others failed because I won’t make the same mistake they did.
- I never stand in the way of the best solutions or the worst solutions.
- I don’t sell products; I sell service. All products are free with my service.
- I never expect buyers to pay more for the same solution at a higher price.
- I always present solutions that are different and better than competitors.
- I present my solutions only once – to the right people at the right time.
- I will not allow third parties to present my solutions. Only I will do this.
- I provide choices to my buyer, not ultimatums.
- I will never fax or email my proprietary solutions to a customer.
- I am committed to only four possible outcomes of my presentation.
- Yes
- No
- Disqualify Myself – If my solutions are the same as others.
- Set a future date to get my final answer with a return visit.
- I always find out what I did to get or lose the sale.
- I return in person to get the final answer, not make follow up phone calls.
- I always let customers know that I need their help getting more customers.
Can anyone add to this list? Please share some of your own personal “rules” or “policies” that you use in selling your solutions. Email your personal selling rules to jcrisara@gmail.com
The Speed Of Business
Are you ready to adopt the philosophy of “Do It Now?” You may already be performing a “Do It Now’ service in your company but just not charging for it. This program can make the difference between being profitable of not if you use the correct strategy in terms of communication, pricing and bonuses.
A “Do It Now” program is not just a money grab by the company that is supported by the efforts of workers who go un-rewarded.
“Do It Now” is a premium service option that is a higher investment for the customer.
Are You Ready To “Do It Now?”
An investment they are willing to make because of their desire for immediate gratification. They want the job done now for a variety of reasons. Nonetheless, this immediate “heroic” response must have its’ rewards for sales people, techs and internal people for it to be a success.
Do sales people price time frame options into their presentation?
Creating a “Do It Now” program simply cost more money for the company. However, you should know that customers are more then willing to pay the price to cover your hard costs and also the cost of disruption to your schedule. In short, if you are doing heroic service for a customer, it MUST cost more. How much more?
The Answer Is… A Lot More.
Think about the extra costs of doing it now for a customer and putting them in “front of the line.” First there is the overtime burden; secondly there is the cost of additional bonuses you must give to workers who are responding to heroic service situations. Thirdly there is the cost of possibly losing a customer that is being rescheduled to put this customer on the schedule right now.
“Make time frame a premium option.”
Make time frame a premium option. Let the customer know that the top options you are showing them include doing the job right now. The options toward the bottom are cheaper if they want to wait until you can fir them into the schedule. The actual amount you should charge extra is entirely up to you. You should typically charge at least 30% more to do it now. You can also use a fixed amount as well.
A typical “Do It Now” job should generate a higher gross profit than your standard service. Look at airlines that book last minute flights. They are typical two to three times more than if the same flight was booked weeks in advance. Just one or two “Do It Now” jobs per week could make your entire year a success.
Where Do You Begin?
The first step in developing a “Do It Now” program is to remove the word “can’t” form your vocabulary. Something “can” always be done with more speed as long as the profit and revenue justify it. Also, you must not let the inconvenience of one person stop the program. Just pay that person enough to make doing it now worth it. The bottom line is that the customer ALWAYS pays for everything and the cost of this program is passed on to them for delivering exceptional service.
The Rewards Are Worth It
Ultimately creating a “Do It Now” culture will help you differentiate your company, Increase your level of service for your customer, Increase profits, retain good employees and help reach the dream that you had when you first went into this business. Is it worth it? It is not easy to change your mindset to create urgency but when you do the rewards are worth it.