It's important to monetize your time and travel when you are out selling. This means you need to know how much it costs to travel to a customer and to spend your time selling to him. If the cost of the sales call exceeds the value of the sale you need to either find a less expensive way to make the call or to cancel the trip.
I learned this lesson the hard way when, in the interest of customer service I traveled to the edge of my territory for small sales that ended up costing me more than I made.
This is especially vital now that gas prices are going up so high. Sell smart and make money, don't throw it away.
Steve Chambers
www.stevechambers.com
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Selling Fundamentals - Extraordinary Service
Back to basics. In my last post I mentioned how important it is to"walk your fence". You need to get out into your territory on a regular basis in order to keep apprised of changes in your customers, prospects and the business climate.
My fence walk was unfortunately delayed due to illness, which I still haven't completely shaken, and will actually take place this week. That is also the reason I've fallen behind in my posts to this blog. I will blog more from the road beginning Tuesday.
I want to take some time to go over some sales fundamentals. Just like a professional athlete or a professional musician, a professional salesperson needs to constantly revisit the fundamentals of his profession in order to stay on top of their game.
Sales Fundamental #1 - Deliver Extraordinary Service - You must always strive to deliver extraordinary service to your clients and customers. This means listening to their needs, learning what they want to accomplish and then selling them whichever product or service you have that best meets their needs. You need to be an advocate for your customers within your organization.
Make it easy to buy from you. Purchasing your product or service should be easy and hassle free. Also, you should always be the friendly and helpful face of your company. Take the time to go the extra mile. When your customers are happy they will continue to buy from you and to refer you to others.
So how are you doing? Are you delivering extraordinary service to your clients? Are there ways you can provide better service or assist your customers to more effectively meet their goals and objectives? This is the first fundamental of professional selling.
My fence walk was unfortunately delayed due to illness, which I still haven't completely shaken, and will actually take place this week. That is also the reason I've fallen behind in my posts to this blog. I will blog more from the road beginning Tuesday.
I want to take some time to go over some sales fundamentals. Just like a professional athlete or a professional musician, a professional salesperson needs to constantly revisit the fundamentals of his profession in order to stay on top of their game.
Sales Fundamental #1 - Deliver Extraordinary Service - You must always strive to deliver extraordinary service to your clients and customers. This means listening to their needs, learning what they want to accomplish and then selling them whichever product or service you have that best meets their needs. You need to be an advocate for your customers within your organization.
Make it easy to buy from you. Purchasing your product or service should be easy and hassle free. Also, you should always be the friendly and helpful face of your company. Take the time to go the extra mile. When your customers are happy they will continue to buy from you and to refer you to others.
So how are you doing? Are you delivering extraordinary service to your clients? Are there ways you can provide better service or assist your customers to more effectively meet their goals and objectives? This is the first fundamental of professional selling.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Walking your fence
It's Monday, the start of a new week and I am preparing to go through an exercise I call "walking the fence". The term comes from a habit I read that rancher's and large landowners used to do. Every now and then they will walk their fence, which basically means checking out the current state of their property.
You need to do the same thing in sales.
Over the next three to four weeks I will be traveling throughout my entire territory to evaluate the current state of my business. Some of my objectives are as follows:
You need to do the same thing in sales.
Over the next three to four weeks I will be traveling throughout my entire territory to evaluate the current state of my business. Some of my objectives are as follows:
- Visit with my current customers and dealers
- Identify potential new customers and dealers
- Discover who is up and who is down in the current market
- Head off any potential problems
- Identify new opportunities
Friday, May 16, 2008
The Art of the Question
Selling is all about asking questions. You've probably heard the old adage, "God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason. Listen twice as much as you talk." There is a lot of truth in this.
So what questions do you ask on a regular basis? What questions do your customers ask regularly?
You will find that the 80/20 rule applies here. There will only be 8-12 questions in either category.
So what are they?
If you don't have them written down, take a few moments over the weekend to write down the most common questions you are asked about your product or service and the questions you most often ask.
Once this is done review them. Are your questions in alignment with what your customer wants to know? They need to be.
Next we will develop more effective questions for you.
So what questions do you ask on a regular basis? What questions do your customers ask regularly?
You will find that the 80/20 rule applies here. There will only be 8-12 questions in either category.
So what are they?
If you don't have them written down, take a few moments over the weekend to write down the most common questions you are asked about your product or service and the questions you most often ask.
Once this is done review them. Are your questions in alignment with what your customer wants to know? They need to be.
Next we will develop more effective questions for you.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Attitude is everything
"Selling is the best paying hard work and the worst paying easy work" - Tom Hopkins
When you want to make a lot of money, selling is hard work. I don't know if I would call that a law, but it is an unavoidable part of the selling profession. When selling is easy work it won't often last and there usually isn't much money in it.
Selling requires the right attitude.
Think about it. If you are out there getting in front of people, making your pitch and trying to get things moving you are going to face situations and emotions most people try to avoid. You are going to face rejection, disappointment and frustration on a daily basis.
You are also going to experience excitement, joy and elation...the "thrill of the kill", on a daily basis as well.
Because the salesperson needs to manage this emotional roller coaster it is important to establish and maintain a positive mental attitude. How to do this? Here are a few tips:
Because seling is hard work it is important to maintain the right attitude
When you want to make a lot of money, selling is hard work. I don't know if I would call that a law, but it is an unavoidable part of the selling profession. When selling is easy work it won't often last and there usually isn't much money in it.
Selling requires the right attitude.
Think about it. If you are out there getting in front of people, making your pitch and trying to get things moving you are going to face situations and emotions most people try to avoid. You are going to face rejection, disappointment and frustration on a daily basis.
You are also going to experience excitement, joy and elation...the "thrill of the kill", on a daily basis as well.
Because the salesperson needs to manage this emotional roller coaster it is important to establish and maintain a positive mental attitude. How to do this? Here are a few tips:
- Focus on the positive. We have a choice on how to view every situation and event. Look for the good in every situation
- Exercise and improve your level of fitness. You'll feel better and manage stress better.
- Feed your mind with positive material. Listen to educational CD's in your car. Listen to uplifting music.
- Take the long term view of things. Success is an investment in time. Shake off the need for instant gratification and make a plan to develop yourself over the long term. This will help you to look past short term setbacks and focus on the big picture.
Because seling is hard work it is important to maintain the right attitude
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Emotional selling
One of the wonderful things about being in sales is that, for the ost part, everyday is diferent. This is becuase we deal with people. If we are doing everything right we will be meeting with different people everyday. We will get along with some people more then others and this can cause a lot of variety in termsof our day.
Sales is an emotional occupation. People buy on emotion. Every sales is a interaction with the emotions of others. Naturally the emotional impact will vary depending on your product. If you are selling dating services people will be more emotionally involved than if they were buying plastic beads, but there will be an emotional component.
Because sales is so wrapped up in emotions we need to, as sales professionals, manage our emotions. We need to observe our customers, clients and prospects for signs of emotional involvement. When we can read the emotional signs others are giving off and managing our own emotions we can better manage the sales process.
Sales is an emotional occupation. People buy on emotion. Every sales is a interaction with the emotions of others. Naturally the emotional impact will vary depending on your product. If you are selling dating services people will be more emotionally involved than if they were buying plastic beads, but there will be an emotional component.
Because sales is so wrapped up in emotions we need to, as sales professionals, manage our emotions. We need to observe our customers, clients and prospects for signs of emotional involvement. When we can read the emotional signs others are giving off and managing our own emotions we can better manage the sales process.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Cold Calling Part 3
A cold calling technique I love is to send out your salespeople in teams of two. Two are more effective then one for a variety of reasons. They can encourage and challenge one another, they can hold each other accountable to getting the job done and they can assist one another in overcoming objections.
During WWII the German Army was in the habit of placing two men in a foxhole while US Army
doctrine called for only one. In studies after the war it was consistently found that a higher percentage of German soldiers participated in combat and fired their weapons than American soldiers did. The presence of another individual helped keep each soldier accountable and prevented them from doing what comes natural in a combat situation...hunkering down low in the foxhole and staying safe.
From the bible,
"Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor.
For if they fall, one will lift up his companion,
but woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.
Again, if two lie down together they will keep warm;
But how can one be warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered by another,
two can withstand him." - Eccl 4:9 - 12
The experienced salesperson in not as dependent on another as is someone new, just as the experienced soldier can be relied upon more than the raw recruit. But in a new market or with a new product sending out more than one salesperson on calls is a more effective method to get out there fast.
During WWII the German Army was in the habit of placing two men in a foxhole while US Army
doctrine called for only one. In studies after the war it was consistently found that a higher percentage of German soldiers participated in combat and fired their weapons than American soldiers did. The presence of another individual helped keep each soldier accountable and prevented them from doing what comes natural in a combat situation...hunkering down low in the foxhole and staying safe.
From the bible,
"Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor.
For if they fall, one will lift up his companion,
but woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.
Again, if two lie down together they will keep warm;
But how can one be warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered by another,
two can withstand him." - Eccl 4:9 - 12
The experienced salesperson in not as dependent on another as is someone new, just as the experienced soldier can be relied upon more than the raw recruit. But in a new market or with a new product sending out more than one salesperson on calls is a more effective method to get out there fast.
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