The Lazy Salesman
(The Lazy Salesman in Jan 2002): The Worst Customers I Ever Had, Fill the Funnel,
Negotiation, Collecting NOs, Thinking Time, Number 76 of my Selling Manifesto,
Change Now!, Sales Job Interviews, Fail, Cluetrain, Action, The Perfect
Customer, Integrity, Closing, Objection Handling, Summarising, Objectives,
Rapport, Networking, Decisiveness, Qualifying.
Subjects so far
this month: Thinking
Aloud, Positioning, Honesty, Move On, Practising
what I Preach?, Doing the Business – Networking, Issues
and Personal Wins, Small Acorns, 4:2 Rule, Conscious
Competence, Question, Listen, and Summarise, Sales Teams,
Hunters
and Farmers, The Competition, The Truth about Selling!, What’s
in it for Me? (WIIFM), The Best Salespeople I know, Presenting, Calling High,
Networking
Again, Birthday – Ghost Story, Little Things make a Big Difference, Difficult
Customers, Prospecting, Hot (Cheesy) Tips, What
Irritates me as a Client.
One of the great
endearing characteristics about good salespeople and comedians for that matter
(but not politicians!) is when they think aloud and are honest about what
they’re saying.
One of the
examples of this is positioning statements.
Instead of just
asking a question like,
“How many staff
do you employ?”
You use a
positioning statement which explains why you’re asking the question, like,
“In order to find
out if what I’m offering is appropriate, I was wondering how many staff you
employ?”
Do you get
it? It’s very endearing, more honest,
makes for a more interesting conversation.
Ultimately it’s
about honesty, explaining why you’re asking the question and what’s going on in
your mind, including worries and problems.
“I was wondering
given that I’m a Sales Trainer if you’re observing my technique?”
“I’m here to sell
you something, make a profit and provide you with something of value to you!”
Some of the great
comedians at their best are when they think aloud.
Billy Connolly
Eddie Izzard
Frankie Howard
(but his was totally rehearsed)
Just made some
calls that have lead to dead ends.
One person I
called wasn’t interested but did give the HR person’s name.
Another wants me
to send them an email with information.
A few who I’ve
spoken to haven’t called me back.
Not exactly a
disaster. Sometimes I’m so successful
from so few prospects, I forget that things don’t go perfectly.
Move on. That’s the key. Don’t dwell on it.
It’s difficult to
know when to let go and when to wonder if I should have pushed to meet them or
in some way convince them that they need what I have to offer. That’s not my style.
If there’s no
desire, no need, no spark, no direct referral then move on.
Don’t dwell.
I was always good
at knowing how many deals I need to make my target.
Right now I need
one more good piece of business, and a few prospects to cover the ones I have
and that’s it. So I’m looking for one
piece of business and several slow burn prospects and I achieve this by
building a few suspects.
Time to construct
a funnel and use up some calling time!!
Being a Sales
Trainer I’m supposed to practise what I preach!
It’s very
interesting in meetings with potential clients, how much I feel I’m on show, as
being a direct example of what the training is likely to be like.
One of the ways I
get round this pressure is to name it in the meeting and ask if they’re looking
for my techniques.
So of all the
things I preach, what do I use and practise, and what don’t I use?
Overall, when I
think about I do practise what I preach.
I don’t always train what I preach because attendees want the whole
picture from which to chose, but I wholeheartedly believe that
are the keys to
sales success, and those are my greatest strengths. They could be improved but they are my
strengths.
I realise that
Track Record and using Referrals both as references back and business forward
is the key.
Last week I ran a
Sales Training course. I have to
practise what I preach so here are few tips of what I’ve done as a result of
the course last week.
There’s no slick
selling going on here. It’s just
networking, enthusiasm and a desire to help.
Money doesn’t really come into it.
I genuinely want to make a difference and I enjoy what I do. 13 people
on the course plus the manager is an opportunity to find more people by
referrals.
I also have a
very clear path. Get the other States to
run the training, rotate the 3 States over the next few months, including
follow up days if they want, seek out more business with the client but don’t
get greedy. Get as many referrals and
references from those who are trained and liked it, and use the training as a
reference to other companies including the parent company.
Easy Really!
I Hope!!
And finally it’s
important spread the risk and make sure I have some more suspects and
prospects. Also, be honest and open with
the client about what I’m doing in looking for more business.
All people and
clients have issues and hence needs.
What they present
are issues; if you ask them.
But what is
behind these issues are personal wins.
People will rarely declare their personal wins, so you have to deal with
their issues and get to know them better to understand their personal wins.
For example my
personal wins are an easy life, lots of money to give me the quality of time
and life, time with Annie my wife, and Georgia my daughter. So anyone selling me something that appeals
to these personal issues are going to hit a winner.
Some things which
appeal to others like recognition and ambition don’t appeal to me, so be
careful that what’s a personal win for some people is noticed, even though it
may not be a personal win for you.
A few examples of
personal wins, from courses I’ve run;
Personal Wins
Money,
Confidence, Increase Skills Profile, Ambition, Feel Good, Exposure, Happiness,
Interesting, Quality of Time, Marketable, Exposure, Freedom of Choice, Revenge!
Fun, Development, Easy Life, Time to pursue Interests, Power, Recognition,
Retire Early, Learning Opportunity, Career Growth Potential, Cultural Fit,
Improve Conditions of Employment, Improve Job Content.
Find the personal
wins, appeal to them, and you have the sale!
Qualifying I
believe is the most important asset of selling.
Networking and Rapport are the other two most important skills.
Many selling
organisations believe that “Out of small acorns big oak trees grow”
In other words
they go for small acorn business, in the blind hope that it will grow into an
oak tree. Many companies go for small
and difficult business (as opposed to Big and Easy) in the misconception that
it will grow into something big.
Crap! I went for
a walk this morning and I noticed the shear number of acorns on the ground and
no oak trees other than the one which dropped the acorn. How many acorns does it take to grow an oak
tree, and how long does it take to grow a sizeable oak tree?
It set me
thinking about the Oak Tree
analogy. If the objective it to have an
Oak Tree then how else could you achieve the objective of a big oak tree in
your garden?
Carefully plant
lots of acorns in the ground and nurture them.
Buy in a Big Oak tree.
Take a cutting
from an Oak Tree and grow it from there.
Steal an Oak
Tree.
Buy a house that
already has an Oak Tree.
Stay out of Oak
Trees and move to another more rapidly growing plant like Bamboo!
Growing business
from small acorns is not the best way to have a large Oak Tree.
What’s the 4:2
Rule?
Most Salespeople
give up after 2 questions when really they should hang in and ask 4 times.
In other words,
clients and customers don’t always reveal immediately what they want, even
though they often know.
It’s a bit like
when you go into a shop, and the assistant asks if they can help and you say,
“No, just
looking.” When in fact you know exactly what you want.
Now most of us
say we don’t want to be pestered by the salesperson asking us another 4 times
if they can help but in reality salespeople don’t ask often enough.
If you look back
at the things you’ve bought from people, it’s often the ones who hand in and
keep talking to you that you buy from.
No of course
means No, but there’s not harm in asking 4 times to make sure!
Think of learning
to drive a car.
When you first
start learning to drive you have to think of every movement, and you’re not
very good.
That Conscious
Incompetence.
You are aware
that you are Incompetent.
After a while and
lots of driving practise you become Competent at driving as a learner, but you
are aware of the moves you’re making.
That’s Conscious
Competence.
Once you’ve
learnt to drive, passed your test and been driving for while, you do most
things without even thinking about it.
In fact most of the time driving you can’t remember a damn thing. It’s like when you asked your Dad or Mum, or
someone learning to drive asks you what you do, you have to think about it
because it’s so automatic.
That’s
Unconscious Competence.
Finally you get
into bad driving habits, but you’re not even aware of the bad habits.
That’s
Unconscious Incompetence.
If someone makes
you aware of your bad driving habits, and you notice them, you’re right back to
Conscious Incompetence.
So you have in
order;
Conscious
Incompetence
Conscious
Competence
Unconscious
Competence
Unconscious
Incompetence
And then back to
Conscious Incompetence.
It’s the same
with selling. When you’re new to it you
are Consciously aware how crap you are.
But in time and with experience you become Competent.
The problem is
you stop noticing how boring you are and how you’re always doing the talking at
the client and not listening.
Time to take a
Check.
How well are you
doing with Clients?
Is there anything
you could do better, or should stop doing?
This is back to
the basics.
Ask lots of questions,
preferably open questions (Who, What, Where, Why, When, How).
A closed question
is when you can answer Yes of No. That’s
used to confirm information or close things down.
We talk too
much. Selling’s Not Telling.
Most salespeople
talk too much, including me. I have an
excuse; I get excited and carried away.
What’s your excuse?
It seems to me
the more senior the salesperson the more they talk too much.
For God’s sake
shut up and listen.
Mostly, what all
people want is to be listened to. So a
Salesperson that listens is on the way to big success.
Firstly you find
out what is going on, and more importantly the customer will like you because
the customer gets to talk.
And finally to
summarise, summarise!
Summarising is
one of the most important skills with people.
Why?
Firstly it shows
you’ve been listening, secondly it means you can check understanding, what
they’ve said is what you’ve heard.
And finally it
buys you time to think. You wouldn’t
believe how often you can summarise without saying much.
People don’t
summarise often enough. You should do it
every few minutes and not just at the end of a meeting or presentation.
I can’t stress
enough how powerful summarising often, is.
So to summarise
(ha ha).
Following on from
yesterday, I’ve been thinking, why not have true sales teams instead of a bunch
of sharks. Lone animals that come in
with a deal now and again.
Why not have
people teamed up with matching strengths.
Like a football team.
Attackers, Defenders, Cunning
Wingers, Dirty Full-Backs.
I’d like to see
equal Salespeople working together with a combined target.
And whilst I’m on
it; Sales Meetings.
Probably the
biggest waste of time of my entire life.
And believe me I’ve wasted some time in my life.
I hate them. As a result of this Sales Meeting………..
What? I can’t remember a single Sales
Meeting which has been of any benefit to me.
It may be of benefit to the Sales Manager but what about me?
Except if we go
Go-Karting.
Really, something
has to be done about Sales Meetings.
Firstly, why have
them?
Ok maybe to
gather the salespeople together. Well do
something with them if you have them together instead of telling them how bad
the figures are for this month.
Brainstorm an
account.
Tell them
something they don’t know.
Entertain them.
Ask them for
input.
And please not an
outside speaker who’s been badgering the Sales Manager for some business.
If your going to
have group of Sharks together for 3-10 hours at least feed them some fish.
There’s an
expectation that Salespeople are and should be Hunters and Farmers.
Hunters go find
the new prospects or business from current clients.
Farmers grow the
business from the contacts and opportunity.
It’s my
experience from training Salespeople for 4 years, that Hunters and Farmers are
two very different type of person and rarely good at both. And yet we expect it of each salesperson,
generally speaking.
Why?
Well firstly
there’s this macho thing that all salespeople are good at making contacts,
calling high, prospecting, staying in action, first impressions. “Are you a go getter, self starter!” etc etc
the recruiting adverts usually say.
But interviewing
Sales Managers want the perfect salesman, they advertise for a Forward and also
want a Defender, and someone who can do both.
How many footballers are both defenders and attackers? Don’t the best teams function with the best
of each.
Ahh you say but
Selling isn’t a team thing usually. Ok
let’s look at tennis players. The
perfect tennis player hasn’t come along yet.
Not even Sampras. His game is
serve and volley and he plays to those strengths with a good enough all court
game to hold his own.
So why aren’t
Salespeople allowed to play to their strengths?
Because companies
won’t pay for pure Hunters!
My observation is
that Hunters are mavericks. Loners.
Creatives. A bit weird. They don’t play by the rules and they
certainly don’t follow the processes that companies dictate. They’re great at finding the business and
generally crap at playing the internal politics and selling internally. They don’t always close well either, they’re
bored by then.
On the other hand
Farmers are good at doing the internal sell and playing the game, and
reasonable at getting out there to prospect.
But they’re not great at it. They
just do what is necessary.
Companies hate
Maverick Hunters and won’t pay until the business is in, even though they mouth
about needing a strong funnel, they really concentrate on the best few deals
which makes the Farmers look good.
Farmers can stay in the company for years without ever doing anything
big. They play the politics and don’t
upset anyone.
My
suggestion. Why not marry up a Great
Hunter with a Great Farmer double their target and pay them well. Let’s see what happens. It beats all the whinging I hear about
salespeople not prospecting enough, calling high, and widening their view.
Play people to
their strengths. Let the Hunters attack
and the Farmers defend and praise them for what they do well, and let them have
the occasional foray upfield or tracking back.
It’s good for my
business training Hunters to do more process and Framers to go prospect but is
this really the best way. What if we
said,
“Go do what you
like doing and are best at, and we’ll find someone to do the other bit!”
It sounds a bit
naff, but your greatest competition is of course yourself.
You limit what is
possible more than anything or anyone else.
You don’t use
your full potential.
After that, your
customer is your greatest competition.
More deals are
lost by delay and cancellation than with direct competition.
The next
competitor is of course the company you work for. Ever tried to sell a very large deal to a
customer? Selling internally to your own
company is 80% of the problem, politics, in fighting, fear, ignorance etc
etc. Customers are pussycats compared
with your own company.
And finally you
come on to the direct competition. Well
don’t worry about it too much because 95% of business has been lost by you, the
customer, and your company, even before you come onto your competitors.
Firstly, it’s a
big world out there and there’s plenty for all.
Fighting with someone for a piece of the action seems a bit time wasting
when you look back and realise how many other opportunities were out there. I’ve often wondered if it wasn’t better to
gather the whole office together of a sales division, combine their targets,
and go and get one big one. One deal
which is much bigger than everything combined.
Higher risk maybe but when a look at the energy wasted in companies with
everyone doing something different, I wonder.
Don’t knock the
competition. Rubbish. If they deserve knocking and are immoral then
they need driving out of business before they do any more damage.
It’s like saying
don’t knock the Nazis.
Mostly, The
Competition are not evil, they’re just like you with the same doubts and
problems, and they turn luck into a winning news story.
If your product
or service really is unique then whoopee, it will sell itself, all you need to
do is find a way of getting the information to people.
A unique product
is rare nowadays, and the common way to sell is to use the Marketing department
to muddy up the similarities.
If you have a
unique product then it won’t be for long.
At the end of the
day there are only 2 uniques which you have.
The fact they you
are in there talking to clients and customer gives you the best chance. If they like you and you persist you’ll get
some business.
The only other
unique thing is you or your company’s Track Record, its history is unique, no
one else can have the identical Track Record.
I’m amazed at how
many websites all look the same and don’t make themselves look different or
have references to their own customers.
Are they hiding
something?
Oh yes you get
the bullshit about what this company stands for, with a randomly generated
mission statement, but hell all I want to know is who else is using your
product, what do they think of it and have you got anything else interesting to
tell me.
So competition,
you can either fight it, or flight it.
Have you got the energy for the fight, or have you got enough other
prospects to say to hell with it, it’s not worth the energy or hassle, I could
put my energy to working with people who want to do business with me?
As I go out and
sell, whilst writing The Lazy Salesman, I realise that the skills written and
developed by trainers are really retrofits of what people think is good selling.
In other words,
over the last 80 years people have written about selling by looking at what
successful salespeople do.
But does that
really work?
Isn’t it a bit
like Quantum mechanics, you can’t know both the position and velocity, or
something like that?
If you over
identify a skill that a successful salesperson uses, doesn’t it somehow lose
its spirit?
Can you analyse
what one person or a group of people do successfully and then apply that to
more people?
Is it really a
learnt skill?
I’m not saying
that good salespeople are born that way.
I really believe
that all people can sell because everyone buys in a different way.
You just have to
find the people who buy in the way that you sell!!
Of course you can
adapt yourself, but how many things can you really adapt?
Sure change your
clothes, look a particular way, say a particular thing that you learnt or read
about, but doesn’t the real you come shining through no matter what?
Today I was in a
meeting, and with everything I know, I just let it happen.
All I wanted to
know was about their business.
I was genuinely
interested in them and their business.
The only thing I
could think about was,
“Am I talking too
much, am I asking enough questions, are they feeling listened to, do they
understand what I do and can offer.”
The only other
thing I had in mind was to find out who else they knew who might be interested
in Sales Training.
I kept thinking,
am I supposed to be summarising here, should I ask more about that issue,
should I tell them more or should I ask more, am I missing another amazing
skill that I train, should I have had a call plan, what should the follow up
be, are they bored, do they want to go, did I forget to say something, should I
be qualifying.
At any split
point in time the situation can go in a large number of different directions,
the possibilities in a meeting are therefore infinite in terms of skills.
Is there a right
way to go or is there just a way to go?
Is Sales Success
not retrofitted into some theory which satisfies?
I honestly can’t
tell you why I was successful in the sales I’ve made.
Just as I seem to
largely buy on function and not benefit when I’m the customer.
Either I like the
person I’m buying from and they were in the right place at the right time for
me buying, or I liked the product not because it saved me time or money, or
even an emotion that someone could spot.
I recently bought
a 10 year old Saab 9000 Turbo because 10 years ago I had a Saab 9000 Turbo.
That was an
emotional buy, but nothing to do with the person who sold me the car, who I
happen to Iike and bought his wife’s car off him as well.
I met him because
he was referred to us by a cousin. In
other words we the customer found him.
At the end of the
day isn’t it about confidence.
Confidence either
gained by experience or practise.
Sure there’s one
or two skills you can throw in at any given time but how many can you
consciously use in a meeting (and let’s not go down the unconscious competence
route here!)
As I’ve said
before when I roll-play customers, the one thing that stands out is does the
Salesperson have an objective and did they remember it in the meeting.
That’s it
simple.
After that there
are so many ways things can go in a meeting.
Customers don’t
always want to be driven in a particular direction anyway, so having an agenda
(hidden or not) may irritate them.
I recently “won”
a piece of business which could grow and grow, and also act as a referral to a
lot of other business.
I didn’t even get
it by “Selling”
I contacted the
CEO because an HR Director who’s name I was given my ex boss put me in touch
with the CEO.
I wanted to show
him some software I’d help develop.
He put me in
touch with two of his people.
I explained what
it was and they weren’t interested.
In the conversation
they asked me if I run Sales Training, and I said yes and they said they were
interested in Sales Training.
They asked me, I didn’t ask them!!.
I even checked
that they knew I was an independent trainer and they said that was fine.
I honestly can’t
tell you what I did that got them to recommend me back to their CEO.
We then had a
conference call with the CEO and his Sales Managers.
I was in
The outcome of
the conference call was that I’m working with the Melbourne Sales Manager on
developing a course.
I was fostered on
to him because we are both in
I was asked to
develop a training matrix for the staff which has led to pilot of the first
course next week.
Now ok, I’m not
totally naïve here and I have the experience to know what to prepare, when to
ask and when to shut up (even though I don’t always do it because I get
genuinely excited and talk too much!), but I really can’t tell why this grew
into something.
Was it some
amazing sales skill I’m not aware of that I showed to the two people who
recommended me to run some sales training when I wasn’t even looking for sales
training in the meeting?
Often you read a
Good News Sales story inside a company or if you’re lucky they’re interviewed
on tape to play in the car.
I’ve never heard
such retrofitted bullshit in my life. It always includes the words,
‘Teamwork’
‘Understanding
the Customers Needs’
‘Our Strategy’
‘Beat the
competition’
But you know if
you’ve ever been asked to write a good news story on a sales win, you write
what the company wants to hear, rather than,
“I was down the
pub with Chris and he said he needed an upgrade and I said yeh ok.” or the
other reality,
“I’ve been
working on this one for so long eventually the customer just had to say yes if
I hung around for long enough”
So that’s the
secret then!
Get Pissed and
Hang Around!
Or in Sales
Training talk Relationship and
Tenacity!
I prefer Get
Pissed and Hang Around.
Of course if
you’re actually going to talk to anyone, customer, client, you might like to
think why they’d want to talk to you.
What’s in if for
them in talking to you?
That’s usually
expressed as a benefit, which either saves Time, Money or it’s Emotional.
Features
Advantages Benefits.
Features are what
the product or service does.
Advantage is what
you get out of it by using the Features.
Benefits are the
Time or Money you save by using the Features.
Think of a
windscreen wiper.
The Feature is it
moves side to side and wipes water away when you’re driving.
The Advantage is
you can see and therefore reduce accidents.
The Benefit if
expressed in terms of money means, you reduce the cost of car damage and hence
time off the road, injury to yourself and others, and a reduction in insurance
premiums.
The way to move
from a feature to a benefit is to keep asking “So What?” about the feature,
until you arrive at the costed Benefit.
Many products are
now sold on the Emotional Benefit. “Sell the Sizzle”. It’s all about branding, image, sex appeal,
cool etc.
This is all
standard sales stuff. But I have to say
true.
In my early years
of selling, the most difficult thing I found was thinking in terms of benefits.
I always
concentrated on the Features. In fact I
used to get excited about the features.
But what of the
benefit? It takes time to think
automatically in terms of benefits with a client, and in reality comes with
experience.
The most
effective way to remember to use benefits is to think in terms of Track Record
and References.
“This customer
uses this and gets this amount of saving out of it, I thought you may want to
talk about how you could also get this amount of benefit.”
Get the drift?
Just reading SPIN Selling by Neil
Rackham and one of the points made in his book is to plan carefully all
the problems that your product/service solves.
Spend some time planning and brainstorming all the problems a client may
have. A great example given in the SPIN
Fieldbook is selling Fax machines in the early years and competing with telex
and teletype machines. It was only when
they looked at the problems that businesses had and realised that Fax machines
could send diagrams and pictures that they realised they’d hit a winner.
So remember,
WIIFM, What’s in it for Me.
And don’t assume
that what works for you will work for them.
Think in their
shoes.
Put yourself in
their situation.
The Best
Salespeople I know come in all shapes and sizes, there seems to be no common
thread about them.
Not surprising
since customers come in all shapes and sizes.
Thinking about
the Best Salespeople I know,
Some are
relationship people. They have limited
technical and product knowledge, but seem to get on with most people.
Some are masters
of the internal politics of the company they work for, managing to get the best
resources and discounts to then forward on to the client.
Some do it by
sheer activity of getting out there and staying in action.
Some have a nose
for which business to go for and always seem to come up smelling of roses.
Some are lucky!
Some are
thorough, well planned, professional, presentable.
Some are loveable
rogues.
Some are persistent
and almost nag the customer into business.
Some talk a lot.
Some listen a
lot.
Some are
charismatic.
Some are down to
earth.
Some lead the
client.
Some listen and
are told what to do by the client.
Some are creative
with lots of ideas that help the client.
Some have a good
network that can get them into the right places.
Some delegate
well and get everyone else to sell for them.
Some tell it how
it is with brutal honesty.
Some never ever
ever ever give in.
Take your pick!
I could write a
whole book on presenting, maybe one day I will.
A couple of thing
to start with.
Why are you
presenting? Could it be done in some
other way?
Standing up and
performing like a circus dog isn’t as effective as other ways.
PowerPoint slides
are very very boring, no matter how many pictures and cartoon effects you put
on them.
If you presented
every day, with the same presentation, you’d probably become good at it, by
practise and improvement.
That’s the
biggest issue with presenting, most people don’t often present.
It’s not that
they’re no good, or too nervous, they just don’t do it that often, so they get
out of practise.
Presentations
fall into two areas;
1. Structure
2. Skills
Structure is much
the easier to learn. Skills can sometimes
take a lot of practise and maybe you don’t have the time.
Tony’s Hot Tips
Structure
Skills
Sure, most people
have nerves and habits that can be analysed, but it can take a lot of practise
and consistent presenting to eradicate them.
Think about the
best presenters you’ve seen.
Think about the
best performers and comedians you’ve seen.
What is it about
them that you like and is good and memorable?
You don’t have to
present in a particular way to be good.
At the end of the
day, how many presentations have you been to that you remember? Not many.
It shows what a waste of time most presentations are.
Your challenge is
to do something so memorable the audience will never forget.
I ran two courses
last year, and set the challenge for a presenter from each course to do
something so memorable the audience will never forget it for the rest of their
lives.
One presenter
played his guitar!
The other
presenter presented in Spanish. Didn’t
have clue what she was saying but I’ll never forget her presentation for the
rest of my life!
Get to the
decision maker, present to the board, find out who signs the contract. Call High!
Great if you can
do it, but I think it’s a rod to beat salespeople with. The Utopia that’s often never reached.
Sure if you can
get high up an organisation and with the CEO, FD and Board Members fine.
Give them a
decision to make. That’s what they’re
there for.
See if they’re
serious by committing themselves to doing something with their precious time.
Look for a
Shotgun licence (Licence to Hunt).
That’s permission to talk to anyone in the organisation with their
backing.
Tell them
something they didn’t know, educate them.
But the reality
is you often don’t get to the decision maker, the CEO.
That’s ok.
Firstly, getting
to the CEO is a high risk strategy, you may upset people on the way, but more
importantly it becomes shit or bust, where either you get it right whoopee or
you may get it drastically wrong and then where do you go.
I think it’s
often best to find the key influencer, the person who has the ear of the senior
person.
Much easier to
get to, you often have more to say to them and they’re more likely to become
your friend and coach.
If they really
are a key influencer then they will carry it.
I’ve had a
contract signed by a Director of Finance, who I’d never met. I walked into his office, he didn’t even say
hello, just asked me where to sign, I pointed, he signed it, I walked out. Done.
So much for influencing the signer of the contract.
And just as an
aside. It was the worst deal I ever put together in terms of what it gave the
customer. It’s the one I’m ashamed of!
Actually they
liked what they got because it served their purposes at the time, but I never
felt comfortable with it.
Also, much rather
that you create a groundswell for your offering where people are beginning to
talk about it, than ruin things on one meeting with no fall back. I had this situation recently where I had
access to the Chief Executive of a large corporation. I could have walked in there and presented
but I think it was too high a risk.
Others had tried and failed.
Much better to
get the system working in one of the divisions of the corporation, get a few
other divisions interested and using it and then present, showing that it’s
already in and working successfully.
And I don’t mean
selling to the end-users either! That’s
even more difficult than the CEO!
I often hear of
asking CEOs and FDs about their business, talk their language, understand their
business.
But think about
it. If you as CEO/FD have a specialist
knowledge of something, the last thing you want is some irk trying to have a
hairdresser conversation with you about what is clearly your field of
expertise. Better that you talk to them
about your field of expertise and teach them something they don’t know.
I’ve been in this
situation socially with 2 FDs of very large corporations. The last thing they want me to do is talk
about their share price and which company they’re buying this week. They’re much rather me talk about what I know
about the Internet in mildly technical terms.
And how do you
get to see a CEO. What special tricks to
get past “The Gatekeeper”. I find all that a bit distasteful. I mean just labelling someone The Gatekeeper,
it sounds like Zoo Keeper.
The two things I
can think of is Networking as I keep saying.
Who do you know who knows whom?
Secondly, find a
CEO or FD that you know and can get to and then phone up another CEO/FD and
say,
“I was talking to
the first CEO and they were interested in what I have and I thought you might
be interested.”
It’s a kind of
referral and track record thing.
CEOs and FD in
say Local Government and Health Authorities often meet, so talking to one get
you access to the others just by saying you spoke to the first one. You don’t even need a referral.
CEOs and FDs in
large commercial companies often socialise and talk to each other.
The two FDs I
knew in big corporations were at different times in my life and 10 years apart,
but by coincidence often had a chat with each other about the role.
Meeting one could
get you to the other.
I’m often amazed
at how many CEOs and FDs the employees of the selling company will know and
have as friends, but the selling company rarely turns that into anything. They don’t use the network of their own
employees.
You know why?
Because the
employing company don’t treat their own staff that well, so why would employees
want to introduce you to their friends.
My suggestion is
that companies should become more family orientated and then they can
incorporate the family and friends into the company. But it’s a gradual process. You can’s just say to your employees,
“Right you lot,
tell me your senior contacts”
When training I
often ask a group of say 12 people how many CEOs and FDs of a large company
they know as a personal friends.
Usually, at least
half know someone directly and they always have a story to tell about how and
why they know the person.
Amazing.
I want to stress
and repeat again the power of networking.
Just looking for
two people from each person you meet.
“Who else do you
know who would be interested (even if you aren’t!)?”
I was thinking
today about how much I believe in Action, staying in Action more than any
process.
Nothing beats
building up an every growing prospect and suspect list. Nothing heavy, just go and talk to
people. It doesn’t have to be about
business.
Sure you have to
qualify and not act like a headless chicken, but just shear volume of contacts
and then focussing them down.
You can do all
the planning you like, but unless you’re prepared to get out there and have
some honest conversations with people it just ain’t going to happen.
Today, I went to
a meeting. There was a gas leak and the
building had been evacuated as I was parking my car.
I couldn’t find
the person I was meeting.
So I went to look
for him.
Met his
colleague.
Sat down for a
coffee, was introduced to another colleague, got chatting and I’m arranging to
have a separate meeting now.
Some of the names
we discussed I have in my notes from asking colleagues in the
So I turned up
for a meeting today, and things have gone on a completely different tangent.
All I’m doing
right now it thinking about 2 names from each person I meet.
I have to stress,
I’m not just meeting people to get two names out of them.
That’s manipulative.
But over the last
few days, just thinking about “two names”, has had people offering names
without me asking!!!!
Go and try it,
give it a go.
Of course Abe
Grauman (see 5th Feb below) called me to wish me Happy
Birthday.
Now for the Ghost
Story. Are you sitting comfortably,
lights turned down?
When I went back
to ICL in 1991 to sell as an Account Manger in Local Government for ICL, I
inherited the tools of the job from the previous guy.
I sat at his
desk, I sat on his chair which he’d written his initials PS on the back,
because it was the most comfortable chair.
I drove his car,
a red Vauxhall Cavalier with a fearsome pull to right on the steering.
And I mostly
inherited his customers. He’d moved
on. Did he jump or was he pushed. I never met him because I arrived a few weeks
after he’d left.
A few weeks later
I was sitting at my desk, when one of the people who’d been on holiday for the
first 2 weeks I’d been there,
came up to my
desk and said,
“It’s uncanny, I
was walking past your desk and you look from behind just like Peter Smaje who
you replaced. I thought it was him!”
The following
year I discovered that he had the same birthday as me.
Spooky. The guy I replace and look like from behind
has the same birthday as me!!!!!
The following
year I discovered that he was born on the same day as me!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is freaking
me out. The guy I replaced who I look
like from behind, whose desk I sit at, and car I drive, was born on the same
day. Aaaaaaaaaagh.
From then on I
took an interest in this person, my alter ego.
Three years ago,
my former boss called my up.
“Have you heard
what happened to Peter Smaje?” No.
“He committed
suicide!!! Work was going badly and his
marriage just broke up.”
“Robin,” I asked,
“where did you hear about this?”
“From Marie of
course.”
I called Marie.
“Marie, is there
anything you haven’t told me recently?”
“Oh no Tony you’ve
found out haven’t you, about Peter Smaje, I’ve been so worried, knowing that
you were both born on the same day and both been having marital difficulties at
the same time, I’m so worried for you!”
Blimey, I was
getting a bit worried now.
But I realised that
Peter Smaje, though I’d never met him, was my alter ego.
What he did, I
didn’t.
So like twins who
are cut from the same stone but can be very different, I was very different to
him.
Even though I
drove his Red Vauxhall Cavalier for 2 months which veered to the right heavily.
Two things are
strange about this story.
Firstly, I think
of Peter Smaje, and I talk about Peter Smaje, but I never met Peter Smaje.
And yet his name
lives on through me. Kind of ironic that
someone he never met, even in his darkest hour thinks of him still.
Secondly, Marie
who was so worried for me, died last year of an unexpected heart attack.
She was a great
friend and sorely missed by many of us.
A one off.
I think of you a
lot Marie and wish you were still here.
In this modern
technological age, I still believe deep down that if I send her an email she’ll
reply back.
Do you think
that’s possible?
Marie and Peter,
I think of you both a lot.
Happy Birthday.
I told you I was
going to tell you a Ghost Story.
Unfortunately the
whole thing is true
I was thinking
about what to write about today and I opened my mail.
There were two
separate envelopes from Abe Grauman
I’ve already
talked about Abe
Grauman before a few days ago as to why we bought insurance from him.
Well he’s up to
his tricks again.
He’s sent me a
letter wishing me Happy Birthday tomorrow!
So he’s noticed
that it’s my Birthday tomorrow.
Secondly, he’s
sent me a handwritten card thanking me for my business and asking me for
referrals.
The card says on
the front,
“My survival
depends on fresh air, clean water and…..”
Inside it says
“..Referrals from
clients and friends like you. Can you
assist?”
And also enclosed
is his business card and get this…
A $1 lottery
scratch card.
I love it. Cheeky and I love it.
Small
touches. Fantastic.
Personally I
would ask me personally for the referrals (which I’d be happy to give).
I’m more likely
to tell him verbally than write back or call him.
But what’s the
betting that he calls again to follow up on the card?
Small touches.
- Phoning back as
soon as possible even if you don’t have the answer.
- Staying in
touch.
- Sending small
things to show you’ve noticed and remembered the client.
- Christmas
Cards.
- Diaries.
- Networking with
them from something they’ve said by putting them in touch with someone.
- Follow up calls
and emails.
Nothing too corny
or false, but genuine things.
As I’ve said
before Brabantia have sent me a small clip
for the bin lid.
The sent it for
free with catalogue and a business card.
I’m probably a
customer for life now.
This is slightly
different from objection handling (see January)
Firstly, life is
too short for difficult customers, unless of course they have a valid point,
and they’re not just difficult for the sake of it.
Secondly. What’s
the worst that can happen? (When I ask this in training, this takes a bit
longer to get a group of people being Sales Trained to give the answer, so I’ll
give you the answers straight away.
Ok, it’s rare for
a customer to kill you, but granted, that’s one to avoid.
It’s rare but I
have heard of physical attack. Two
stories come to mind. One of a female
salesperson who was pinned to the wall by the customer crabbing her by the neck
with his hand, because a delivery was late.
This of course is outrageous, and of course physical safety is the
highest priority. The second story was
about a large meeting with several people in the room. An argument ensued and the supplier
Salesperson and the senior customer decided to sort it out outside with a
fight!
Of course the
first question I’m asked after telling the story is Who Won? I don’t know.
They shout very
loudly and use nasty words. You know
what, it’s just vibrations in the air.
It’s the meaning we attach to the words that makes us afraid.
Just think of it
as vibrations in the air, Sound. In other words “Sticks and Stones will break
my bones but words will never harm me.”
And I look back
at some of my customers over the years and I think why did I let it bother me
and stress me. For what? I laugh now.
I regret it bothering me.
If they tell your
boss, then your boss will normally support you and help you find a way out.
Sacked. It’s a big worry. But, most people who lose their job, bounce
back equal or higher than the job they were sacked from.
It’s the people
who stay in the same job for years and are miserable that have the worst of it.
And finally
removed from the account. Ask every
great salesperson if they’ve been removed from an account by a customer in
their selling lives, and I’ll bet you the majority of Top Sellers have.
Why is that?
Because they push
the boundaries. They don’t play
small. They push sometimes beyond what
is acceptable, get slapped back and then have a good idea of what the
boundaries are. They push to the edge of
the boundaries. They play big. They ask.
They push. They’re cheeky. They succeed.
Stop Playing
Small in Life.
Life’s too Short.
I’m prospecting
for myself with my Sales Training. So
I’m having to practise what I preach.
One of the first
things I’m thinking about is where to get my prospects from.
The most often
asked and feared thing for salespeople is Cold Calling and Calling High (Senior
Executives)
And my advice is,
forget it. It’s stressful, it’s a
numbers game (and the number is big), and why should someone see you, who
you’re calling on cold. Unless of course
you have a compelling product or reason or some fancy sales method you can read
about in Selling Power magazine. Not my style.
So I say Network. Go and talk to people you
know, family and friends, colleagues anyone you know, and get 2 names out of
them.
That’s what I’m
doing, and so far so good, and I’ve had to start from nothing, having moved to
When people ask
me how’s business, I say,
“Fine, but I’m
looking for some more Sales Training work.
I’m looking for some medium to large companies who have a salesforce,
who do you know that I could talk to?”
And I’ve said to
myself I’ll do it with everyone I meet.
Family, friends, colleagues. And
so far it’s working really well. No cold
calling and a growing list of Suspects (let’s not get hasty and call them
Prospects yet).
When I arrived in
So far not one
Cold Call. As long as I remember to ask
for 2 names out of each person I meet, I’ll be fine.
One of the people
I’m doing some work for, I asked on Friday if he could think of 2 people. He gave me 2 names to contact and now I can
phone them tomorrow and say “I’m doing some work for this guy and he thought
you might be interested as well, let’s meet.”
And I can always
ask them for 2 names!
And the same with
relatives and friends. I have one name
out of a friend we bumped into today, and another name from a cousin.
Of course, I
don’t have a specified account, the world is my oyster. But even with a specified account, take some
time to think how you could contact a specific person by networking to them. 6 Degrees of Separation they say from
anybody, I reckon it’s nearer 3.
Stop being so
hard on yourself with the Cold Calling thing and go network with people you
know and like.
Whilst I
remember, here are a few really Cheesy old tips on selling. Fun, but generally don’t use them.
You don’t ask
them to sign a contract you as them to “OK this” or one I heard today, ask them
to “gain their approval to proceed”, in other words sign the contract.
Your product
isn’t cheap it’s “Inexpensive”
Alternative
Close, Would you like it in Black or White, Delivered Today or Tomorrow, etc
etc.
Can we agree for
you to proceed with the Time Share Flat or do you need to seek your wife’s
permission! (Apparently this is the most successful closing technique for selling
Time Share Flats)
Having
role-played numerous clients as a Sales Trainer, I was thinking about what
irritates me when I’m the client, and to use it as a pointer for what to do and
what not to do.
Let me spot my problems, you show me how I can improve an already
good situation (especially with quantifiable examples of where you’ve done it
elsewhere.)
There’s so many
ways to sell and be good at selling.
There is no one way to do it.
Clients come in all shapes and sizes and so should salespeople.
I’ve noticed
that;
I don’t mind
nervous salespeople
I don’t mind
embarrassed salespeople
I don’t mind lack
of knowledge as long as they don’t bluff
I don’t mind
serious salespeople
I don’t mind
slightly badly dressed (in fact it’s better than slick)
I don’t mind them
thinking aloud (I love it),
I don’t mind cheek
I don’t mind
being closed
I don’t mind
being phoned a lot
There’s no one
reason why I buy. Sometimes it’s
convenience, recommendation, functionality, brand, design, relationship, trust
and reference, they were first to get to me, they got me when I was looking.
I just bought
some life and health insurance from Abe Grauman,
Why? I have no idea if it’s a good deal
or if I’ve got the best cover.
He was cheeky; he
sent us a congratulations on the birth of our daughter, with an enclosed
cut-out of the announcement in a plastic bound fridge magnet!
He caught me at
the right time. (When you think about it, having just had our first child I was
looking for more Life Insurance cover.
Talk of identifying a need!!!)
He kept phoning.
He made it easy
to do business
We have contacts
in common
He seems
trustworthy
He gives working
examples
He came to see us
He wants our
business
He didn’t sell me
something that was unaffordable
He may not be the
cheapest or the best in insurance terms, but I think I can go to him for
advice.