SLH SALES SYSTEM SALES TRAINING MORSEL #20

IT AIN’T THE REACH,

IT’S THE TOUCH

DAVID RUBINSTEIN

EDITED BY

JIM OLSON

How many of us have been asked by Sales Managers, “how many calls did you make today?” That would probably be all of us. What do our Managers really want to know? Perhaps, how we are spending our time. Or, are we working at all?!

Let’s look at that question and its intent in the most positive light possible. Our Managers want us to do well and succeed. They want us to take care of our Buyers, families and our company.

But, Managers might be looking at the tail and not the dog. This question deals with the number of “reaches” Sellers make every day. The important question is really “how many ‘touches’ did you make today?”

A “reach” is an attempt to get hold of someone. There are three (3) ways to do this:

·        Face-to-face.

·        Telephone.

·        The written word.

Sales is really about the “touch” – being able to communicate with the Buyer. What good is it to make 75 telephone calls if we can’t talk to anyone? Revenue can only be generated through the results of that “touch.” Let’s start tracking our “touches,” because that’s where the money is.

What do you think?

Good Selling!

BLOG – http://selllikehellsales.blogspot.com

SLH℠ Sales System “Morsels” are meant exclusively for non-commercial use by the recipient. No modifications of any kind may be made without the written permission of SLH℠ Sales System. To be removed from distribution list, simply reply accordingly.

SLH SALES SYSTEM SALES TRAINING MORSEL #19

CREATE MORE TIME

TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONE

DAVID RUBINSTEIN

EDITED BY

JIM OLSON

It’s amazing how many of us just don’t have enough time to get done what needs to get done during the selling day. Well, here’s a quick tip on how to create more time – simply turn off your cell phone!

We are so tied to our cell phones that it becomes the tail wagging the dog (us!). But, there was a time before cell phones; a time when we weren’t totally dependent on a piece of technology that took precedence over everything else; a time when we didn’t wear a silly blue-tooth “thingy” in our ears. What could be that important that we wear those things while walking around, while eating dinner or in a meeting? Give me a break!

So, turn off your cell – right now. And, leave it off at least one (1) hour every  day. It can be split into a pair of thirty (30) minute blocks if that’s easier. This is your “DO NOT DISTURB” message to the whole world. Now, you have created the time necessary to get the important things accomplished today. Right now!
Changing your out-going voice-mail message (see Morsel #18) to reflect your “time-out,” allows you to complete those projects that demand “quiet time.” And, all will be well in your selling world.
You can do it this way:

• Hello. This is David Rubinstein and today is ... I will be available after 2:00 PM today but I’m checking in regularly. If you need immediate assistance, call 555.1212 and ask for Joe. Otherwise, please leave a message and I will be back to you as soon as possible.
• And, remember to change your out-going message again at 2:00 PM.

Go ahead, try it. After a brief period of withdrawal, you will be the dog wagging the tail!

HTS?

Good Selling! BLOG – http://selllikehellsales.blogspot.com SLH℠ Sales System “Morsels” are meant exclusively for non-commercial use by the recipient. No modifications of any kind may be made without the written permission of SLH℠ Sales System. To be removed from distribution list, simply reply accordingly

SLH SALES SYSTEM SALES TRAINING MORSEL #18

CHANGE YOUR VOICE-MAIL

MESSAGE DAILY

 DAVID RUBINSTEIN

EDITED BY

JIM OLSON

There are big things in Sales and there are little things. This is an example of the latter. Sellers strive to differentiate themselves from their competition. One way to accomplish this is to change your voice-mail message every day:

         *   Announce the day.

         *   Tell ‘em what you’re doing today.

         *  How you can be reached – if you want that to happen.
         *  Who they can reach at your office in case immediate   response is required.
          *  When you’ll get back to them.
You can do it this way:

           * Hello. This is David Rubinstein and today is Thursday,  October 31. I am traveling today and will be back in the
office bright and early tomorrow. If you need immediate assistance, call 555.1212 and ask for Joe. Otherwise,
please leave a message and I will be back to you as soon as possible.
If you can’t change the message every day, at least make the change on a weekly basis. It takes less than thirty (30) seconds and can make a real difference in how you are perceived by your customers. No one else does it and you’ll certainly be different.

What do you think?

Good Selling!

SLH℠ Sales System "Morsels" are meant exclusively for non-commercial use by the recipient. No modifications of any kind may be made without the written permission of SLH℠ Sales System. To be removed from distribution list, simply reply accordingly.

SLH SALES SYSTEM SALES TRAINING MORSEL #17

“THE IGNITER PROTOCOL”

How hard is it to make a cold-call? Imagine this. You enter an office where you’re not known. The person you’re seeing has a ton of other, more important, things to do and the odds are overwhelming they are getting what you’re selling from another source. Not a pretty picture.

At this point it is essential to “open” the call in the most powerful way possible. Too often, Sellers react by talking a lot – and usually about themselves, their company and the product line. Instead of doing this we would be better off asking our way through the sales process than telling our way through it.

You may recall that a Protocol is a set of prepared questions. An “Igniter Protocol,” is a set of questions used to “open” a cold-call.  These are questions that pertain specifically to the product you sell and for the industry in which you sell.

Try building your own Igniter Protocol with these parameters:

                      

                       * You are meeting with the decision-maker.

                      

                       * Neither the decision-maker nor the company has ever done business with your company or you.

                      

                       * You have the opportunity to ask ten (10) questions – the meeting is over after the 10^th question.

                      

                       * All questions must be open-ended, using “WHAT,” “WHY” or “HOW.”

                      

                       * Generic questions like “how are you?,” although important, don’t count.

                      

                       * Don’t worry about the answers, just the questions.

                       * After you create the questions, put them into the sequence in which they will be asked.

                      

                       * A Protocol should be “fluid,” always changing for the better. Keep working it.

                      

                       * Memorize the Protocol and you’re ready to go.

If you wish, forward your Igniter Protocol for posting on the SLH Blog. Or, send it directly to me and I’ll be happy to take a look.

HTS?

Good Selling!

BLOG – http://selllikehellsales.blogspot.com

SLH℠ Sales System “Morsels” are meant exclusively for non-commercial use by the recipient. No modifications of any kind may be made without the written permission of SLH℠ Sales System. To be removed from distribution list, simply reply accordingly.

SLH SALES SYSTEM SALES TRAINING MORSEL #16

EFFECTIVE LISTENING

THROUGH

EFFECTIVE QUESTIONING

DAVID RUBINSTEIN

EDITED BY

JIM OLSON

Good listening skills are essential for successful selling. No doubt about it.

How do we become a better listener? How well do we listen while under pressure? How accurately are we understanding what’s being said while cold-calling the “Big Cheese?’ How are we affected knowing that there is a Sales Manager waiting apprehensively and expectantly back at the office? Sounds scary just thinking about it!

What we’re talking about is being able to “mentally multi-task.” It’s one thing to have a colorful power-point presentation, quite another to be able to perform on-the-fly.

Although it might seem counter-intuitive, we can actually listen more effectively by asking better questions. Knowing what questions we’re going to ask – before we get there – will liberate us to focus fully on listening. Having “Protocols” enables us to do just that.

A Protocol is a set of prepared questions – not a script, but a guideline – used to fully understand a Buyer’s needs, concerns and objections. Sellers need to practice and memorize their Protocols.

Depending upon how the Buyer responds we either continue with our Protocol or choose to “Follow the Buyer.” With Protocols we “ask and then listen.” When we “Follow the Buyer, we “listen and then ask.”

Remember, we can always talk our way out of a deal, but never listen our way out of one!

HTS?

Good Selling!

BLOG – http://selllikehellsales.blogspot.com

SLH℠ Sales System “Morsels” are meant exclusively for non-commercial use by the recipient. No modifications of any kind may be made without the written permission of SLH℠ Sales System. To be removed from distribution list, simply reply accordingly.

SLH SALES TRAINING MORSEL #3

‘TIS BETTER TO ASK THAN GUESS

I find it interesting that so much of traditional sales training – what I call “Urban Sales Legend” – focuses on the Buyer. And, a lot of that topic focuses on “reading” the Buyer’s “body-language.” That, then leads into what a Seller should do as a result of that interpretation, conclusion or guess.

So, what does it mean when a Buyer sits forward? It could mean that they’re interested. Or, that it is a “buying signal” and that they’re really interested. Or, it could mean a myriad of other things, none of which you’ve considered.

So, what can a move forward mean? That their back hurts, that they can’t hear well. Maybe they’re just in disbelief at what the Seller said or didn’t say.

What if our assumption about that Buyer’s action takes us farther from the truth? What if what we think gets in the way of reality? How many of would prefer to think we’re right than know we’re wrong? The answer to that question will determine what kind of a Seller we are and can be.

The simplest – and most logical and rational – way to determine what someone is thinking or feeling , is to simply ask them. Ask them “what’s going on?” or “what do you think?”  Or “how much sense does that make?” They will tell you.

Get out of the guessing business and into the asking business.

Good Selling.

SLH℠ Sales System “Morsels” are meant exclusively for non-commercial use by the recipient. No modifications of any kind may be made without the written permission of SLH℠ Sales System.

SLH SALES SYSTEM SALES TRAINING MORSEL #15

FUHGEDDABOUDIT!

GET EMPTY-HEADED

DAVID RUBINSTEIN

EDITED BY

JIM OLSON

They say it’s tough to teach old dogs new tricks. And, this is especially true for veteran Sellers. How often do we let what we know – or think we know – get in the way of what we need to know? Too often we think we know it all. We may think we’re smarter than our Buyer. Or, that “we’ve seen it all” or “experienced this before.” Unfortunately, this mind-set can negatively impact what we do and how we do it.

Often Sellers go into calls with assumptions and presumptions about the Buyer and what may happen. It doesn’t make sense but it happens all the time. This position is magnified by Sellers spending time doing intensive research (usually on the Internet).

What if we took the opposite approach? What if we checked all of our assumptions at the door? What if we strove to be “Empty-Headed” on all of our sales calls? No research, no assumptions.

I frequently encounter push-back when I suggest that we minimize, if not eliminate, doing research before a call. What’s more valuable – primary information from the Buyer, or secondary information from another source? The most accurate information we can receive is directly from the Buyer. Save a lot of time, prepare to ask the right questions and listen well. Buyers will tell us what we need to know about their business and them if we simply ask.

Being “Empty-Headed” means:

                       Be prepared to be surprised.

                       Even though I know the answer, I still ask the question.

An example. I have been involved in the sales and marketing of sports tickets for a very long time. And, a long time ago, this question emerged:

                       “If you had tickets, how would you use them?”

Through experience I am very familiar with how tickets are used. But, that’s not the point. The usage of the tickets by this Buyer is what’s most important. I continue to use and teach this question because, being Empty-Headed, I’m anxious to hear their plan for the tickets.

So, don’t let what you think – and think you know – get in the way of reality.

HTS?

Good Selling!

SLH℠ Sales System “Morsels” are meant exclusively for non-commercial use by the recipient. No modifications of any kind may be made without the written permission of SLH℠ Sales System