by Art Waskey | Nov 23, 2020 | Art of Sales Weekly
One question I am frequently asked by young professionals is how to make their hours of hard work count toward career advancement? Many feel they are treading water — working long hours and spending whatever time is needed to get the job done but not getting to the next level. To understand the actions that best enable you to move up the career ladder, let’s look at what separates the top 10 percent performers from the rest of the field?
The Character of Success
In his book The Talent Code, Daniel Coyle identifies The Three Rules of Deep Practice. Whether it’s music, sports, writing, or any other discipline, Coyle writes that it is through deep practice that you develop the specific characteristics that differentiate you from the crowd.
Here are Coyle’s Three Rules:
- Chunk It Up – First, look at the task you face as one big chunk and find an example of someone who has succeeded at a similar challenge. Analyze how that person divided the project into small component pieces, and then acted on them. Memorize those actions.
- Repeat It – Second, sharpen your skills though repetition. Repetitio mater studiorum est –repetition is the mother of study, and Coyle sees it as invaluable to career advancement. Each time you practice an action you improve on it and on its timing.
- Learn To Feel It – Third, get to know and recognize your full potential, what UCLA psychologist Robert Bjork calls the sweet spot. This is the productive, uncomfortable terrain located just beyond our current abilities, where our reach exceeds our grasp. Here is how Bjork suggests you identify your potential: (1) pick a target, (2) reach for it, (3) evaluate the gap between the target and the reach, and (4) return to step one. It can be an uncomfortable exercise at first, but is one that will help you get to that next level quickly.
Achievement Gained
Reaching and achieving the next level in a career, or in a specific skill set, requires a lot of deep practice. To the sales professionals I mentor, I advise that while the effort may be uncomfortable, career advancement is best gained through following these three rules.
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by Art Waskey | Nov 16, 2020 | Art of Sales Weekly
A rep came to me with the news that he was finally making headway with a prospect, but had trouble with them making the commitment. His new contact had told him that he would “think about” his proposal. As his manager, that phrase did not trigger enthusiasm. Experience has taught me that “thinking it over” generally is a polite way of saying “no”.
Gaining commitment
I advise our sales reps to seek an unequivocal “yes” or “no” from prospects, but realize they may be faced with a “maybe”. When this happens, ask the client why he is hesitating. You may be surprised by the response. Here are some common reasons a potential customer may choose to “think about it”:
- Lack of trust – If you haven’t spent sufficient time getting to know the customer, you haven’t earned the right to ask for an order. Spend more time bonding by asking more questions.
- Too polite – Some people simply can’t say “no”; it’s against their nature. You need to make them feel comfortable with a negative response. Try saying, “It’s okay for you to tell me “yes” or “no”, but please don’t tell me, “let me think it over.”
- Not the decision-maker – The person you are dealing with may not be authorized to approve the sale. Ask, “In addition to you and me, who else might be part of a decision like this?”
- Needs proof – While your sales target may agree with the value of your product as proposed, he may need to see it perform before making a final decision. Offer this — “Would you be willing to give me a purchase order pending an agreed upon trial period of satisfactory performance?”
- Not in the market – If your client says he is not in the market for your products, you have failed to establish what he needed in the first place. Pursue every sale on the basis of where your customer has a problem or an opportunity to grow their business.
Discovery time
As you can see from the points above, equivocal responses can be avoided if you spend more time discovering and establishing customer needs before making a pitch. “I’ll think it over” is really just a nice way of saying “no”. Invest some time in finding out why.
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by Art Waskey | Nov 9, 2020 | Art of Sales Weekly
Stalled conversations
One of my reps was finding it difficult to engage his prospects and build the relationship. Seeking my counsel he explained, “I’m having a hard time getting the conversation started and when I do, the dialogue seems to end too abruptly. I try to get the ball rolling by talking about our latest new products but often find this leads to a bored and disengaged potential customer. How can I sell anything when I can’t even get to know the customer and his needs?”
Let them know you care
The solution to this dilemma is to get to know your client before you pitch the product. As the influential American author, salesman, and motivational speaker Zig Ziglar (ziglar.com) said, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
Build a business relationship
To demonstrate care, you need to build a lasting relationship. I advise people to work from a framework that enables them to understand their client before they propose any solutions. Following a conversational system, one based on a series of images that help you remember the sequence to use when developing a relationship, helps. Here is system I have found to be effective.
- Name plate – When you meet someone think of a name plate. Start with asking, what is your name? Everyone likes to be remembered personally.
- House –The name plate is attached to a house. Next ask, where do you live?
- Group of people – Within the house there is a group of people. Ask about your prospect’s family or coworkers.
- Man with a glove – Within the group is a man with a work glove on his right hand. This image leads to questions like, where do you work, or where do you go to school, or how do you spend your time?
- Airplane – In the grip of the work glove is an airplane. This reminds you to ask, where do they like to vacation?
- Tennis racket – On the nose cone of the airplane is a propeller fashioned out of a tennis racket. This picture triggers questions about favorite sports, hobbies, and leisure time activities.
Know the decision maker
Working your way through this series of questions yields insight on your potential client’s world and enables you to relate to them on a more meaningful level. My rule of thumb is that before closing a new account, you should know at least 5 things about the decision maker. If you fall short of that number, you have more relationship building to do.
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by Art Waskey | Nov 3, 2020 | Art of Sales Weekly, Featured
The seasoned salesperson knows where he/she is going and how to get there. It’s typical, however, to those new to the profession to feel insecure. In fact, it’s a good sign. Quoting Socrates, “The beginning of wisdom is recognizing the depth of your ignorance.” As a rookie, the young salesperson does not have a great deal of prior experience on which to develop his approach to a sale. Acknowledging this lack of insight is step one in overcoming the obstacle of inexperience.
Preparation and practice
Let’s look at what makes a great professional. An effective public speaker, for example, achieves success by beginning with a well-developed script. He will continually edit and revise his words to sharpen the message. Then, he will spend countless hours rehearsing his speech until he can say it in his sleep. By the time he is behind the podium he has complete confidence in his prepared remarks and no fear of misspeaking. The same pattern of intense preparation and practice is also true of the professional golfer who is able to make the winning putt, or the NBA star sinking his final shot. These professionals have overcome inexperience by developing the kind of confidence that comes from a practiced approach to their game. Their winning strategy is second nature to them and can be mentally played back at the right time and in the right place, like a tape recording.
4 Elements to a Winning Strategy
What does a sales professional need to develop and practice to overcome the obstacle of inexperience? Here are 4 elements that I consider essential to a winning sales strategy.
- Identify the decision maker(s) carefully and early in the sales cycle
- Determine which results will constitute a win for each decision-maker
- Know and use your personal strengths to create a win
- Find people with prior knowledge of the account and enlist their help in obtaining pertinent information
My advice to the new sales rep is to develop a winning strategy and embed it in your psyche. In that way — like the public speaker, the golfer, or basketball player — when the pressure is on you are able to instantly play the right tape.
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by Art Waskey | Oct 27, 2020 | Art of Sales Weekly
Self-esteem can be a bit of a misnomer as it often does not come entirely from within. The process of building self-confidence requires the support and encouragement of others. I was fortunate to have a father who bolstered my ego early on. Our family owned a retail meat business in downtown Baltimore where I worked as a teenager. My father recognized my ability to relate to our customers and told me I would make a successful salesman. His steadfast belief in me led to a long and rewarding career in sales.
Overcoming challenges
The self-confidence that I possess today did not come easily. I had challenges to overcome. A reading disability, dyslexia, had a negative impact on my self-esteem. Fortunately, I was able to compensate for that deficit with a gift for mathematics, a subject in which I excelled in college. I graduated with honors in engineering and was hired by a national welding and gas company. The sales manager there also recognized that I had a salesman’s personality and for the next eight years constantly assured me of my talents.
That manager’s actions built my self-confidence and I moved up the company ranks, receiving six promotions in 12 years. I left the company in 1985 and went to work for a small family business with sales of $5.5 million. When I retired from that company in 2018, our sales were $65 million. Now that’s a self-confidence builder.
Find the good
Today I both write and speak on achieving success in sales. I also host sales and management seminars and recently published my third book ,“The Art of Sales: A Book of Sales Stories” (The Art of Sales books). On the topic of self-esteem, I always remind my audience of the importance of a having a supporter, someone who sees the good in you and will help you build self-confidence. When speaking to a more seasoned group, I stress the importance of helping others to build self-confidence by finding the good in them and supporting them on their path to success.
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by Art Waskey | Oct 13, 2020 | Art of Sales Weekly, Featured
Many of the sales managers and reps I advise have commented that working from home during this pandemic has made them more efficient. This has come as a pleasant surprise to companies that previously had only on-site employees. Many companies are now moving to make a higher percent of their work force home-based.
David McGuire of the Forbes Finance Council reported in a July 31, 2020 article, Big Changes Are Coming To Commercial Real Estate Industry In The Wake of The Pandemic, that “Retail space is expected to see a major loss in demand in the coming years, with some expecting negative demand for up to 13 quarters. A large percentage of workers are currently working from home, and many employers expect a great part of their workforce will continue to do so.”
Improved Productivity
What is contributing to the belief that working from home is more efficient than reporting to an office? Stephen Covey in his classic, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, offers some insight. In his Time Management Matrix, Covey suggests that we should focus on two quadrants for improved productivity. They are: Important and Urgent and Important not Urgent.
Of lesser significance to efficiency are the quadrants he labels: Not Important but Urgent, which includes interruptions, some calls, emails, reports, and meetings, pressing matters, and popular activities; and Not Important not urgent matters, like trivia, busy work, some emails and phone calls, time wasters, and pleasant activities.
Concentrated Work
In an office environment there are more opportunities to be distracted by unimportant work details. The longer we are away from the desk, the more time it takes to get back into what Cal Porter describes in his book Deep Work, as the un-distracted deep thought which is necessary for concentrated work. At the office, trips to the coffee pot, water cooler, or bathroom, where we encounter colleagues along the way, can quickly turn a 15-minute break into one that stretches into a half-hour. If we remain disciplined about avoiding the kitchen sink and laundry, there are far fewer distractions at the home office and more time for deep thought.
More Efficient Work Days
Technology has changed the rules and forms of business socialization and has been a game changer for the stay at home employee. Virtual meetings have become the norm, cutting way down on time spent traveling. The hours that would otherwise been eaten up by a long commute also add productive time to the at-home worker’s day. Increased time for deep thought and fewer distractions in the home office translate into greater productivity and more efficient work days. Welcome home!
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by Art Waskey | Oct 6, 2020 | Art of Sales Weekly
Stay Flexible with your Service Channels
I recently went to the hardware store to purchase some plumbing supplies for a home project. I was delayed in getting the job done and when finished, had extra parts to return. At the store, the clerk asked to see my receipt, and then informed me that I was outside of the 30-day return policy and could not be refunded for the unused parts.
With a recent Amazon purchase, I had an entirely different experience. I ordered a computer camera online, which worked perfectly for a couple of months then failed. I found the digital record of my Amazon purchase and requested a refund. Instructions on how to proceed were immediately sent to my iPhone and computer along with a credit. The email included a QR barcode and directed me to take the camera to the closest UPS store. The attendant there scanned the QR code on my iPhone, took the defective merchandise, boxed it, and returned it to the supplier at no charge to me.
These two transactions illustrate the paradigm shift we are seeing in sales and service. The manufacturers of products you represent now have many alternative channels for distribution. While an independent distributor may not be able to offer the extensive product selection or price of a large online supplier, there are services he can provide locally to remain competitive.
Best Distributor Service Functions
Consider the significance of these local “best in class” distributor functions as they relate to maintaining a preferred channel for your suppliers.
- Warranty and repair – When something doesn’t work and needs to be fixed quickly, I find there is nothing better than a qualified local service center.
- Hands-on training – I’d rather have someone show me then tell me.
- Stocking – When I decide to do a job, I generally want the tools and/or parts necessary right away.
- Showroom – Seeing is believing. I like to try it before I buy it.
- Productivity improvement – My ability to review customer’s operations and make suggestions to improve their efficiency is a great asset to sales.
- Relationship/follow up – There is no better way to maintain trust then through face-to-face relationships. Even on Zoom or with a mask, personal communication is a better way to resolve issues that via the phone or digitally.
Sales Channels are Constantly Improving
Stay focused on how alternative sales channels are constantly improving their service. Be sure your business remains competitive by learning new techniques and deploying the top sales methods and technology available to you.
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by Art Waskey | Sep 29, 2020 | Art of Sales Weekly
Now that I am no longer a Vice President at a well-established welding and gas distributor, I find it interesting to note how some people treat me differently.
After retiring from my position as VP, I began a sales and consulting business. The most successful people I knew from my previous job stayed in touch and tended to be associates who I supported in the past. Some became mentors while others led me to new clients who they believed would benefit from my experience in the distribution business. With this group, my job status did not change the way they interacted with me.
For some, however, “rank” clearly mattered. This group of individuals approached me as an independent businessman differently than when I was a VP. They were more dismissive and less attentive to the relationship we had previously developed.
I tried to determine the characteristics shared by the “treat them all the same” crowd. Here are some of the traits I identified:
- Sympathetic – When you are going through a transition or a hardship, your sympathetic colleagues stay in contact.
- Sensitive – People who live with the axiom, “The way you see them is the way you treat them and the way you treat them is the way they often become,” are generally sensitive and will stand by their friends and associates.
- Selfless – People who are selfless will change their agenda to accommodate someone who needs their assistance.
- Solicit help – Being comfortable asking for help should work both ways in a business relationship and is indicative of someone who will treat you the same regardless of your title.
- Sociable – A sociable person likes people and tends to cast a wide net. They build relationships built on trust, not rank.
- Successful – People who succeed generally have developed a great network of associates by treating others in a fair and honest manner.
Those in my business circle that acted differently once I retired did not have the characteristics outlined above. Can you identify the people in your group who value others for their integrity and not their rank? For help, ask someone like your building’s custodian, who deals with people at all levels all day, or ask your best customer who he knows that treats everyone the same. These are the people you can count on.
Pay attention to how you treat others. Focus on developing the characteristics of the “treat them all the same” group.
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by Art Waskey | Sep 22, 2020 | Art of Sales Weekly
A sales rep came to me excited but concerned about a potentially large sale. He relayed: “I have a new account that has a perfect application for a welding robot, but I don’t think my contact will be able to make the decision on a purchase of this size. I sold a robot for a similar application to another account and have pricing and savings information. If I share this with my prospective client, how can I be sure that I will get the order or that he can make the decision?”
The sales rep was right to be concerned about his single contact. Expensive products, like robotic equipment in the over $200,000 price range, generally require a more sophisticated sales strategy than smaller purchasing agreements and, in most cases, involve multiple decision-makers. In the book, The New Strategic Selling, Robert Miller and Stephen Heiman suggest the four buying influencers who are usually involved in a committee decision on a complex sale that involves high dollar amounts.
- The user – The user’s role is to make judgements about the impact of the product or service being considered for the job to be done. It is generally necessary to take this influencer on a tour of another client’s facility where he can see the equipment or service being used in a similar application.
- The technical support – This gatekeeper, often difficult to spot, makes judgements about the measurable and quantifiable aspects of your product or service based on how well it meets a variety of his company’s specifications or other technicalities.
- The economic analyst – The organization’s controller is looking for price performance. He needs to be convinced that the product or service the company is considering matches their priority needs and represents the best value for the money.
- The coach – This is a person, inside or outside the organization (including your own), with whom you have a trusted relationship. The coach has credibility and with it, guides you and the other buying influencers toward your sales objective. Be sure to ask your coach, “Based on what you know about the committee, what do you think their questions will focus on?”
In addition to these four key players, keep in mind that on sales that involve high dollar amounts, the top executive gives the final approval based on the knowledge he or she receives from the committee.
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by Art Waskey | Sep 15, 2020 | Art of Sales Weekly
Selling is about developing trust that evolves into long-term personal relationships. I find it most difficult to get past the initial connection with someone and enter the “trust phase,” as this process takes time and my life is often over booked. In addition, my products generally represent only a very small part of the overall cost of my customers’ operations, making me a fairly insignificant player. This makes building solid relationships that much harder.
Given these challenges, when you get an opportunity to develop trust you must take full advantage of it. Here are a couple of ideas on how to capitalize on your customers’ unique interests.
Interests as an opportunity
— I was on a sales call where our team was working on building a better relationship with a customer, in this case the company’s owner. In the course of our conversation, he mentioned that he enjoyed listening to business books. When I returned to the office, I went right to Amazon and sent him one of my favorite business titles.
That gesture was a big hit. The owner passed the book around to all his managers. Prior to this, he had told us that he would not intervene in his managers’ buying decisions. However, the distribution of the audiobook to his purchasing agent allowed us to open up a conversation with him about pricing. Subsequently, this enabled us to match some competitive bids.
Make occasions special
— Identifying and acting on unique opportunities is effective with customers both old and new. As an example, a regular customer once mentioned to me that they were having a company-wide luncheon. I noted the date and time, and then personally delivered a couple of cheesecakes. There wasn’t much competitive pressure in that account following my contribution (Cheesecake ROI)!
Remember to spend time asking questions and listening intently so that you can uncover your customers’ unique interests. This can save you hours of unproductive sales time. Questions should come naturally in your conversations, and not feel forced or appear to be an invasion of privacy. Look for what makes each of your customers unique, and then strategize ways to meet their particular needs.
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