by Art Waskey | Jun 23, 2020 | Art of Sales Weekly
Our company has a great motto:
“Do what you say you are going to do, how you say you are going to do it, when you say you are going to do it, no matter what!”
Implementing these ideals, however, can sometimes lead to over promising and under delivering. It’s only natural to be excited about a new order. For example, after checking stock, you might let the customer know that his equipment can be delivered within two days, reasoning, fast delivery always makes customers happy. However, what if the customer replies that he really does not need the equipment until next week and you adjust the delivery schedule accordingly. Then upon delivery he asks what took so long. Inadvertently, you have over promised and under delivered.
A better approach would be to check on stock and provide the outside delivery date but see that the customer receives his product sooner. In that scenario, the customer is impressed and sees the salesperson as someone who can be counted on to exceed expectations! Just do it!
Here are some reasons to, “Do what you say you are going to do, how you say you are going to do it, when you say you are going to do it, no manner what!”
Why does it matter?
Trust and reliability – The biggest differentiator in sales is having a relationship of trust with your customers. Would your customers pass this compliment on to prospective clients — “You can trust [your name] to be there when you need him”?
Accountability – Everyone has a list of people they can count on when project deadlines loom large, people who can deliver. You want to be on that list and you get on it by giving your customers the best of yourself.
Respect and self-worth – You only see in others what you see in yourself. If you fail to meet a deadline, don’t blame others. Take responsibility and personally fix the problem! When your self-worth is where it belongs your enthusiasm will be contagious.
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by Art Waskey | Jun 13, 2020 | Art of Sales Weekly
I was traveling with one of our sales representatives when he informed me that we needed to stop at an account and pick up their annual bid request. Unfortunately, we had lost our contract with this particular company 10 years earlier, after having served them for many years. We recognized that we needed to do more than just pick up a piece of paper to win back their business. We had to rebuild a relationship and decided on a strategy of trying to get at least a half hour of some one-on-one time with the shop supervisor.
To our pleasant surprise our contact invited us into the conference room and a friendly conversation ensued. We learned that he had been with the company for 18 years and was born and raised locally.
Connections are Key
As we talked, we noticed a woman off to the side doing computer work and listening. I decided to try to draw her into the discussion and slipped into the conversation that we now had on-line order service. Bingo! This caught her attention. She ordered products via the internet every day. In fact, she was a second-generation owner with two partners, and very proud of the company’s recent accomplishments. She began to share other information with our salesperson. It turned out that they went to the same high school and had mutual acquaintances.
Once we got down to business, we were honest about the fact that ours would probably not be the lowest bid they received as service was a big component of our product delivery. We were quickly assured by the owner that service was more important than pricing.
The Importance of Relationship
Remember, when you are selling a commodity product, building a relationship is your best sales tool. If you can find a common, personal interest with your customer and are able to express genuine concern regarding their needs, you are more than likely to get their business. People do not care how much you know, until they know how much you care.
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by Art Waskey | Jun 7, 2020 | Art of Sales Weekly
My wife had recently noted that our bed was beginning to have two distinct sags, and so on my lunch break I stopped in a mattress store. A friendly and knowledgeable salesman approached me. Over the years I have learned that you can usually pick up a tip or two from a seasoned sales veteran of any product. This gentleman was definitely seasoned in both age and skill!
I began our conversation with, “Why do people buy mattresses from you?” Without a moment’s hesitation, he responded, “There are three reasons people come into our stores to buy mattresses: they are new in town; they just got married; or they need a replacement.” He continued, “Anyone that comes through that door is a potential sale. Why else would you come into a mattress store unless you intended to buy?”
Lesson 1: Know your client’s probable buying motive.
Then I asked, “How do you qualify which type of need your customer has?” He said, “I only have a short time to build a relationship and get the customer to trust me, so I thank them for coming, give them a quick compliment, and start asking questions.”
Lesson 2: Get to know your customer by building confidence and trust.
As we completed my sale, another customer came through the door, and the sales pro added, “I am working in this store because it is in a newly developing neighborhood. We average 8-10 walk-ins per day and I have to close at least 5 to make my commission and pay the rent.” With confidence, and determination, I watched him close his third sale of the day.
Lesson 3: Know your market and recognize what motivates buyers.
Before I left, the salesman asked if I would stay for just a moment more and share with him the latest book I had read on sales skills.
Lesson 4: Constantly work on sharpening your sales skills. Doing so improves your close rate.
Remember, even when off duty there will be learning opportunities for you. For me, interacting with a fellow sales pro was invigorating and I found myself looking forward to closing my next deal.
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by Art Waskey | Jun 2, 2020 | Art of Sales Weekly
How important is perspective to your success in sales? Consider this. A shoe salesman finds himself on a remote island among a tribe of people who do not wear shoes. He sends a message, “Come get me. There is no market for shoes on this island.” Another shoe salesman lands on the same island. He sends a different message, “Please send a load of shoes as everyone on this island needs a pair.”
What is your perspective? How prepared are you to seize the moment? Here are four questions that check your readiness.
- Do you love your job? Do you look forward to getting up in the morning to start the new day? Enjoying your work enables success.
- Is your energy contagious? In his book, The Ideal Team Player, Patrick Lencioni, asks the question, “Are you hungry?” Hungry people are always looking for more things to do, more responsibilities to take on. They are self-motivated and can sense a new opportunity. Their enthusiasm is contagious.
- Are you surrounded by people who motivate you? Zig Ziglar’s most quoted axiom is, “You can get anything out of life if you just help enough other people get what they want out of life.” What motivates you each day? Is it centered on others or yourself?
- Do you find your work exciting? I have a motivational speech titled, “I can’t believe they pay me to do this job!” I have thoroughly enjoyed almost 50 years of rewarding work in sales and as a motivational speaker. You should be excited each time you take the next step in your career.
Life is short. Success is not a destination, it is a journey. It is the direction in which you are traveling that really matters. On your island, do you have the proper perspective to see the opportunities in front of you?
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by Art Waskey | May 25, 2020 | Art of Sales Weekly
An upset customer is every sales person’s worst scenario, but have you ever considered how placating that angry individual could become an opportunity? When you are able to find a satisfactory solution for a displeased client, you have the potential to build a better relationship, even a stronger one if you play your cards right.
As an example, I was recently in the field with one of our reps when he got a call from an enraged client. The customer claimed that the new product we sold him was defective. Operating on the truism, “You can get to the top by getting to the bottom of things,” our rep did not hesitate to make this a priority and agreed to head right over. We were at his place of business within a half hour.
Turning Rage into Reward
The first thing we did was to listen. The customer ranted and raved for a bit before he began to calm down. Eventually, he smiled and apologized for being so upset. It was then that my astute sales associate offered his solution. By listening, our rep had discerned the problem was not with the product but with how it was being used. He retrained the customer on the proper use of the equipment and in the process strengthened his relationship with him.
Consider this plan for dealing with an upset customer:
- Respond as quickly as you can. Frustration builds with time.
- Apologize and assume responsibility even if it is not really your fault.
- Listen intently. Ask questions. Empathize with the customer.
- Wait until the customer has fully vented his concerns before offering a solution.
The sales rep in this scenario turned what could have been a negative sales experience into a positive one. He did so by allowing the customer to voice his frustrations fully before suggesting a remedy. Remember, “We have two ears, but only one mouth, so we should listen twice as much as we talk.” This is good advice when trying to convert rage into reward.
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Want to read a little more about listening with purpose? Check out this Simon Sinek article, How to Listen.
by Art Waskey | May 19, 2020 | Art of Sales Weekly
Do you consider yourself a person with “too much to do, and not enough time to do it?” If so, here are some fundamentals of time management for you to consider.
- Create a daily journal. I prefer to use a basic, single subject, paper notebook to record anything that I have to get done each day. (Electronic notebooks are also available.) Each day I start a new section by drawing a horizontal line across the page, dating the new entry, and bringing forward yesterday’s unfinished business. I create columns and put the names of all personal requests on the left. When a task is completed, I check it off the list. You will be amazed at the great sense of accomplishment you get from reviewing your completed list.
- Build an automated phone number and address system. Enter all key contacts including the subject’s company, title, email, website, company phone, mobile phone, and physical address in Outlook Contacts or an equivalent tool. Be sure to include in the Note section the contact’s type of business or other identifying remarks for quick reference. You can also add an app like CamCard to your smart phone, which gives you the ability to copy business cards and upload information to your phone’s contact database. These types of systems enable you to see your contact’s name on incoming cell calls and provide addresses for you to use for electronic messages (email, text, etc.).
- Use an electronic calendar system. We have all seen the sign, “If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up somewhere else.” Outlook and other equivalent software provide you with the ability to manage your calendar on your mobile devices and on your computer, so you always know when and where you are headed. Make sure you use these tools when setting face-to-face appointments as well as video calls on social media platforms, like Zoom. With today’s technology it is possible to plan as much as 75% of your workday.
- Allocate 15 minutes per day for debriefing. Take time to recap, process the day’s activities, and plan for tomorrow. I recommend doing it mid- to late-afternoon, so it doesn’t extend your day.
- Develop clear guidelines for your communications. With your associates, establish mutually agreed upon procedures and protocols to use when calling, texting, emailing, leaving voicemail, and engaging in other social media communications with clients.
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by Art Waskey | May 12, 2020 | Art of Sales Weekly
You try and try to get a potential client you know needs you to call back, or email, or whatever. Check out this story and couple tips to convert that prospect into a client…or at least get a response.
The Silent Treatment
One of our new reps recently came to me with a common complaint— he could not get a prospect, one he had visited several times, to return his calls. In fact, he was unable to get past the receptionist, who continued to say that the purchasing agent was too busy to see him.
Try This Scheduling Tactic
I decided to try another tactic. I called the purchasing agent’s direct line and using the rep’s name, left this voicemail: “Hi Jack, this is Mark with [company]. I have tried several times to see you but with our busy schedules, we have not connected. I will be in your area next Thursday and would like to send you an appointment for a 10:00 AM meeting. I hope to see you then. Thanks.” Then I emailed him an appointment.
The purchasing agent called back within an hour. Why? When you specify a time and date with a calendar appointment the recipient needs to take some type of action. Sometimes the response is positive. In this case, the purchasing agent advised that he was happy with his current supplier and declined our company’s invitation. So while we were able to get a response, it remained a “brush-off” and a lost opportunity.
The purchasing agent had used a quick and familiar excuse, “I am happy with my current supplier.” Another popular sales blocker is, “Just send me your information and I’ll get back to you.” And we have all heard, “Can you send me a quote on the following items?” A successful salesperson knows that these comments are all defensive actions.
Memorize this Golden Response to Get the Call Back
So how do you get a face-to-face appointment (call back) with someone and avoid these brush- offs? One suggestion is to add a next step. Ignore the negative comments and respond with a more positive suggestion, such as, “I can understand that you are very busy, and I will only take a few minutes of your time to introduce myself and our products. Should your current supplier backorder an urgent product, please keep me in mind. I’d be glad to bring it to you right away.” Memorize this response. Seldom will it fail to get you an appointment.
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by Art Waskey | May 5, 2020 | Art of Sales Weekly
Is virtual sales the future? The most outgoing professionals in business, salespeople, are now required to stay home due to pandemic quarantines. As a result, I have been fielding lots of calls from sales managers asking for help with the shift to selling via social media. Companies are searching for methods that enable their sales reps to stay in touch with their customers remotely and need help training employees on these platforms.
Virtual Sales Calls Are More Efficient
Virtual sales calls actually save time and expense. The average person-to-person sales call can be from 2-4 hours when you include transportation, waiting in the lobby, etc. On the other hand, a salesperson in his home office is able to make at least one call per hour via online technology without leaving his desk. By using new types of video communication it is possible to build a level of trust and rapport with a client in thirty minutes, whereas using more traditional sales call techniques may require weeks or months of your time.
Over cups of coffee, one at his home and one at mine, I recently demonstrated to a company manager how to use ZOOM, a video platform currently enjoying wide popularity. We spoke via audio and video for over an hour on various business issues. After that call, he asked me to train his sales reps on how to make and use ZOOM appointments effectively with their top customers.
What choice will you make in this new normal?
In his book The Tipping Point, Malcom Gladwell suggests that times of rapid change, like the one we are experiencing, have a “stickiness factor” that is likely to create a new normal. We are being influenced radically by changes in our surroundings. If you view this pandemic as simply a period of random dissociated adversity, and don’t look for solutions, the consequences of not taking advantage of the changes that are occurring will leave you left behind in an altered world. You can either be part of a future that is better than the past, or you will be left in the past. The choice is yours. Start making face-to-face sales calls using social media today.
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by Art Waskey | Apr 27, 2020 | Art of Sales Weekly
Understanding your customer’s goals is critical to success in sales. If you don’t know what the customers goals or needs are, you may be left perplexed with how to land the deal. And you most certainly won’t help them know how your product is their solution.
Get Real with the Customer
In his best seller, Let’s Get Real, or Let’s Not Play, author Mahan Khalsa reminds us,
“If our intent is to help clients succeed, we have both the right and the obligation not to guess about the key elements of that success.”
Four Principles to Prevent Guessing
To prevent guessing situations Khalsa suggests using four principles.
- Ask the person what he or she means. When customers make a request, do you assume you clearly understand what they mean? The reality is both you and the customer may be unclear as to the true request. It is critical to listen carefully to key words or phrases used by the client and ask for clarification on what specific words mean.
- What assumptions went unchallenged? Assumptions are a form of guessing. Assumptions can be particularly insidious because they often happen unconsciously; you may not even realize your assumptions are “guesses”.
- Don’t hesitate to ask a question. If a question concerning a client forms in your mind … ask it!
- Do I really understand the criteria on which I am being judged? Never make a presentation or proposal to clients until you understand the criteria they will use to judge your presentation. Build a relationship based on mutual understanding before you agree to present your solution to the client’s problems.
Become a Discerning Leader
In his work, John Maxwell on Leadership, Maxwell states, “Discerning leaders [and sales professionals] are usually good listeners, flexible, intuitive, optimistic, well-networked, [and] perceptive.” These attributes are all indicative of someone who seeks to thoroughly understand the client’s needs before ever considering a solution. In other words, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
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by Art Waskey | Apr 20, 2020 | Art of Sales Weekly
Making prospective calls is always an important part of a sales reps’ agenda, but sometimes prospecting doesn’t take as high of a priority as it should.
Not making time for a cold call (prospecting)?
One day I noticed one of our most effective closers, someone who could build relationships rapidly, was not seeking out enough new prospects. He had been spending too much time serving existing accounts and this had diminished his new business closings.
One day, he asked me to assist him on an urgent service call with one of his best accounts. After we completed the meeting successfully, I suggested we make a couple quick cold calls on near-by accounts. He insisted he had several pressing issues with existing accounts to follow up on and didn’t have the time.
I was irritated but determined to make my point that he wasn’t closing enough prospective business. We were in separate cars, so I was able to stop at the closest competitive account I could find. I had seen this account named once on the rep’s target account call list. While I didn’t even know what this prospect manufactured, I was determined to prove to my rep that cold calling yielded new accounts. I noticed a couple people at the corner of the manufacturer’s building on a smoking break. I got out of my car and introduced myself to one of them.
15-20 minuets well spent
I asked, “How long have you been with this company?” We talked about his background for about 15 minutes, and then I gave him my company 30-second introductory speech. Upon asking if he thought they had any issues with their current supplier, he gave me some valuable information. He also agreed to allow me to get our rep on his cell phone. When he answered, I turned to the prospect and asked him what his job was, “Oh, I’m the purchasing agent!” He gave the sales rep an appointment.
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