We’re excited to announce that we have joined forces with URBaCS. We’ve been struggling to keep content fresh and  the folks at URBaCS contacted us about taking ownership of this blog to grow the content and keep it new. This shouldn’t come as a shock to many people because we partnered with them back in February to provide sales training advice to new home salespeople using their system.

Rob, Jayson and their team will now be working with sales trainers across the country to continue to bring you the very best sales tips in daily bite-sized pieces. If you have any ideas to make this site better or if you would like to be a featured blogger/columnist please contact them at thesalescenter@urbacs.com.

Closing a sale doesn’t always happen as easy as we hope. It’s great when it does, but there are times
when the prospect wants to negotiate. Sometimes, they need to negotiate because they have a true requirement that still needs to be addressed. Other times the prospect just wants to feel like they won something and, hence, negotiate just for the sport because it feels good when they win. Whatever the reason, there are ways to handle a negotiation that lets everyone win.

First, let’s review the negative side of negotiating by discussing a typical scenario.

You’re trying to close the sale when the customer makes a demand that you cannot authorize. So you run to your manager for approval. With much prodding and begging, the manager approves the demand but only begrudgingly. Unfortunately, this often results in a dissatisfied customer because your company, or your manager, never really wanted to grant the demand to begin with, so the customer never really gets his demand.

One of the causes for these last minute demands is when the sales rep starts to make last minute concessions such as, “If you buy now we can be more flexible with your terms,” or some other act of desperation, like throwing in a last minute discount. When you do this, you are asking for last minute demands by the prospect because they see an opportunity to negotiate. They think, “Hmmm… If he’s willing to do that, then I can probably get him to do even more.”

This can also harm your credibility because the prospect thinks, “Why didn’t you offer your best terms to begin with?” Sales reps do this because they are either lacking confidence in the sale, which is symptomatic of not having a good sales process, or they are desperate to make a sale, which also yields negative results.

A negative side effect of discounting or making concessions or just caving in is that it quickly becomes common knowledge. Not only will your customer forever expect discounts and concessions from you because you set a precedence, but everyone your customer talks to and refers to you will know your weak points. As a result, they will ask you for the same discounts and concessions, and they’ll expect them or maybe even more. So, whatever you do for one, you can expect to do for everyone.

The best way to increase your revenue, and your commissions, is to stop discounting. When you sell Value instead of features or pricing, then you’ll be able to take the discount out of the equation. When negotiating, both parties must come out as winners – a win-win scenario. If either party loses, then that’s a bad negotiation. The way to achieve a win-win negotiation is to establish what’s called Negotiating Power. Now, the word “power” is not used here in the negative, manipulative sense. It means having the knowledge to control the process, and therefore the negotiations, so that both parties win. Negotiating Power is built up during your various meetings and discussions with the prospect that have led up to the close. It’s comprised of the knowledge, understanding and credibility that’s been accumulated and created during these discussions. You then apply this power to help meet the customer’s needs. But, you must be at the win-win level for this to work successfully. Otherwise, this power will be used to abuse or manipulate the prospect, which you should never do.

There are several aspects to developing your Negotiating Power that will help you become more successful.

First is Uniqueness. You establish your product and company as being different from your competitors’ offerings. Your prospect will then see you as a valued and unique resource, or partner, which will give you more power to negotiate.

Next is Strength. You will need to demonstrate your product or company’s strengths. Having strong product knowledge can even allow you to work around any weaknesses your product may have.

The Scope of what you do also helps build your Negotiating Power. By seeing beyond the obvious and coming up with creative solutions and even providing additional knowledge about your client’s needs, you will increase the scope of your role as a sales rep and enforce your position as a partner, thus increasing your Negotiating Power. So think outside of the box.

Understanding is another way to help increase your Negotiating Power. Help your customer to fully understand and visualize your solution.

Finally, the Relationship is a key component to increasing your Negotiating Power. This is more than just establishing rapport. It’s about building a lasting relationship. It includes having a mutual respect and understanding for each other.

Naturally, there are many mistakes that can be made during the negotiations that should be avoided, including:

· Losing site of the win-win goal
· Talking too much
· Being unprepared
· Being impatient
· Arguing with the prospect

You should always focus on developing your negotiating power in the positive ways mentioned here and avoid these mistakes at all costs.

Good Luck & Good Selling!

© 2008 Peak Sales Consulting, LLC
View Russ’ profile
www.PeakSalesConsulting.com

The Close doesn’t have to be a big event that’s intimidating or uncomfortable for the prospect and the sales person. It shouldn’t be treated as a major occasion that you approach after overcoming painful hurdles and then confront the prospect in an adversarial way. The Close is actually the opening of a new relationship and should be approached in a natural and positive style. If handled properly it is a pretty easy and simple step in your sales process.

Interestingly enough, statistics show that most sales people don’t attempt to close a sale. In fact, a whopping 62% of sales people never go for the close. That’s incredible since you spend all that time qualifying the prospect, talking, listening, explaining, demonstrating, and whatever else you need to do to get to this stage of the sales process. And then you don’t close the sale. If you weren’t going to close, why did you spend all that time to begin with? Well, there are several reasons why this occurs, and all of them can be overcome. It’s all a matter of having the proper sales process, and learning and executing the right skills at the right time to be most effective and successful.

Several reasons why sales people don’t close include:

• Too shy or timid to ask for the order.
• Unsure who to ask.
• Unsure when to close.
• Fear that the product won’t fit the prospect’s needs
• Forget to ask for the close
• Afraid of rejection

Obviously, none of these reasons are excusable when trying to succeed in sales. In order to learn the proper closing techniques you cannot let these reasons get in your way. You need to overcome these problems if, in fact, you suffer from any of them. You also need to approach the close in a very positive way. For instance, when you are closing you don’t want to manipulate or disrespect the prospect. You have to approach this in a win-win scenario so that the results for both you and your prospect are positive.

You should also be sure to use words that promote a more positive feeling, instead of those that are considered negative words. For instance, try changing the phrase, “If this purchase occurs…” to “When this purchase occurs…” This makes a positive assumption that is based on what previously lead to this point, which is the dialogue you’ve been sharing with the prospect and the solutions you presented that matched their requirements. You can even take this statement one step further by saying, “When you make this investment” instead of using the word “purchase”. Investment is a benefits-oriented word, where purchase, sale and cost are words that can be viewed as being negative.

If you are explaining that there is an impending price increase, don’t say, “You need to make this purchase before the price increases…” This has a threatening and negative sound. Instead try, “We need to get this investment made before the price increases” or, “Let’s get this investment made before there’s an increase”. Saying “We” or “Let’s” positions you as a partner in the sale. The word “investment” is better and more positive than “price.” Whenever possible leave off the word “price”, which is another negative word. Simply end the sentence by saying there is an increase. Price is assumed.

These are all subtle touches, but when you combine them in your approach to closing, they add up to make a big difference. Avoiding words that are negative or cause stress, such as price, cost, today, now, and other such threatening words, is a good habit to get into. Also avoid using “Me” and “I” whenever possible and replace them with “You”, “We” and “Us”.

You also have to consider buying signs. When you’re getting ready to close, paying close attention to the prospect’s buying signs will help you determine if the time is right or if more preparatory work needs to be done before attempting to close. There are two types of buying signs — Direct (or Verbal) and Indirect (or non-Verbal). Let’s first look at Direct signs.

When a prospect asks questions about the product, delivery choices, billing options, or any question that indicates they are envisioning the purchase, use or application of your product, then that’s a very positive buying sign. For instance, if they ask “How much is it if we buy in quantity?” or “What are your payment terms?” they are probably interested in purchasing.

Indirect buying signs are a little harder to recognize, but just as important as Direct signs. With Indirect signs you have to pay attention to the person’s behavior and mannerisms. For instance, if they do things such as make close inspection of your proposal or re-examine the product features you already demonstrated, then that shows an interest in purchasing your product.

Pay attention to non-verbal queues from your prospects to pick up on any indication that they are getting ready to purchase. With buying signs it’s all a matter of reading the signals.

Even Silence can be a positive buying sign. They could be thinking, considering the investment or the impact it will have on their business, or even discussing it amongst themselves. Whether the silence is in your face-to-face meeting or from them not returning your calls, it could mean they are seriously considering your offer and aren’t ready to respond or answer yet. Part of good listening is recognizing these subtle yet important buying signs, whether Direct or Indirect. Practice listening and looking for these signs, as they will help you with the close.

When you are ready to close and you’ve successfully performed the prior steps in the sales process, chosen the right words to use, and picked up on your prospect’s buying signs, then you simply need a good closing statement. Here’s one that might be useful:

“Mr. Customer, this home fulfills all the needs you have listed. It contains all the functions you requested. It meets your budgetary needs and it has the needed expansion you require as your family grows. It appears that it all adds up to satisfy every need that you have listed.”

…and then be Quiet! You see, you have to give the prospect time to process what you just said. You can’t keep talking or interrupt their thought process. This is a very challenging thing for many sales professionals to do – to be quite for what could be a full minute or more. You may feel compelled to speak and fill the silence. And when you do, you will usually say something inappropriate or wrong, such as, “I can even throw in a 10% discount!” You’ll end up negotiating against yourself and give away things you don’t need to because you are nervous about this gap of silence. But you don’t need to be nervous or uncomfortable. Just be quite and wait for the prospect to respond. If they disagree with anything in this closing statement, then get clarification, get agreement, and then close again. You can repeat this process several times.

When you get a positive response such as, “Yes, I agree!”, then say, “Good! I can have the paperwork ready in a moment so we can start the process. How does that sound?” See, very positive, up-beat and simple. Remember that if you learned everything you can about their needs and requirements from your earlier qualification phase by asking questions and listening, and you established your credibility, and you positioned yourself as a value-added partner to your prospect, then the close becomes a natural progression to this well executed process.

Always remember these points about closing:

• Don’t forget to ask for the close. But make sure it’s the right time.
• Don’t take no personally, since they aren’t rejecting you. They’re rejecting your product or company or offer.

Get rid of those rejections and you’ll get rid of the No’s.

• Don’t give up after the first several No’s. Keep trying. Clear up any misunderstandings or uncertainties, and keep asking for their business.
• Don’t forget that the first objection is usually NOT the REAL objection. So don’t treat it too seriously. Get to the root of their real objection or concern.
• Don’t use words like Now, Today, or Right Away because they apply pressure which turns people away.
• Avoid words like Sign, Cost and Price since they are considered negative words as well. Try saying “Autograph this” instead of “Sign this” and “Investment” instead of “Cost” or “Price”.
• Always make the close a win-win arrangement. If someone loses in the deal, then someone won’t be satisfied and there won’t be a long-term relationship.

These techniques may take you some time to get right, so you’ll have to practice them and refine the approach that you are most comfortable with. But don’t forget to use them and keep trying different versions that works best for you. You should never be reluctant to close as long as you’ve done the proper steps in the process that lead up to the close. After all, you’re helping your customer make a decision and assisting them in fulfilling a need or want that they told you they have when you qualified them.

The close should come naturally and result in a positive successful relationship between you and your client.

Good Luck & Good Selling!

© 2008 Peak Sales Consulting, LLC
View Russ’ profile
www.PeakSalesConsulting.com

You’re probably like every other sales person on this planet and get your fair share of objections about your product or company. Regardless of how many objections you receive, there are techniques you can use to handle them in a positive and an effective manner. Here are 6 tips on how to handle objections.

1. Find the Real Objection. One thing to always remember is that the 1st objection is usually not the REAL objection. The first objection is typically a delay tactic or smoke screen so the prospect doesn’t have to commit to a decision. If he says something like, “I have to think about it,” don’t say okay and leave. Ask him what it is he needs to think about and how you can help by answering any questions he may still have or clear up any outstanding issues. If he then says that what he needs to think about is the price, for instance, then you’ve just uncovered his true objection, which is the second one he mentioned. Sometimes, you may hear 3 or 4 objections before you get to the real one. Remember to keep asking exactly what it is he is objecting to so you can get to his true objection, and so you can resolve it in order to get his business.

2. Don’t Argue. By all means, never argue with the prospect. We’ve all heard the phrase about the customer always being right. Well, here’s a myth buster – the customer is NOT always right. But he is always right in his mind. And that’s what you have to remember. If he believes he is right, then perception is reality and you have to work with that. That means you don’t argue with him.

3. Don’t Get Defensive. If she says the price is too high, don’t say, “What do you mean it’s too high. Have you seen the prices of some of those other products out there?” We’ll talk about how to handle these sorts of objections shortly, but remember that you should not get defensive when the customer challenges you.

4. Don’t React. When hit with an objection, Act don’t React. You can’t get emotional. You want to acknowledge the objection with neutralizing statements, such as, “I understand” or “Yes, you’re right.”

5. It’s Not Personal. Remember that she is not necessarily objecting to you or your product. So don’t take it personally. She is saying that you haven’t convinced her to buy yet. She still has what’s called FUDs – Fears, Uncertainties, and Doubts. So you have to address those FUDs before proceeding with the close.

6. Don’t Hide. You have to confront the real objection. As I said earlier, ask him what it is he needs to think about or what it is he is concerned about. He may say something like, “The last time I dealt with your company, my paperwork was a mess!” You have to handle that objection in a positive and respectful way. You cannot avoid it. You can say something like, “I understand. Our old system was very antiquated. Our new system is state of the art and the problem no longer exists.”

If you try to proceed with the close without addressing the true objections, such as those just mentioned, you may fail. I recommend that you start building a list of all the objections you ever heard from your prospects and customers and develop a statement that can address each one. Keep this list with you, add to it every time you hear a new objection, and memorize the responses. You’ll find that your ability to handle objections will become easier, natural and successful for both you and your client.

Good Luck & Good Selling!

© 2008 Peak Sales Consulting, LLC
View Russ’ profile
www.PeakSalesConsulting.com

Arguably, the most important skill in selling is listening. Some of us are better listeners than others, but we all must work on our listening skills if we are going to maximize our success in the business world.

• If you are going to be effective in selling, serving customers or managing others, you will need to be able to listen effectively to what others are telling you. Listening is a key ingredient in proper communication.
• Errors and mistakes often arise out of poor listening and jumping to conclusions as a result.
• Listening carefully to others shows that you are interested in what they have to say and that you respect their input.
• Listening is a skill that all sales people need to master. Understanding what someone else is really saying can often minimize future problems and sometimes uncover opportunities.

Here are some simple tips for improving your listening skills:

• Try hard not to think about your response until the other person is done speaking. Trying to form your response while the other person is still talking means you probably won’t hear everything you need to hear.
• Don’t talk prematurely or interrupt. Allow the other person to complete their thoughts before jumping in. Interrupting a train of thought can often get the conversation off on a tangent and make it difficult to get back to what the other person wanted to say.
• Concentrate carefully on what the other person is saying. Look at the other person when they are speaking. Don’t thumb through papers or appear distracted. Carefully listen to every word.
• Listen without bias. Before forming an opinion, let the other person explain their position. If you allow past experiences or your opinions about the other person to bias your ability to listen effectively, what they are actually saying and what you interpret them to be saying could be entirely different things.
• Never assume you know what the other person meant if the wording is unclear. If someone says that they need something “as soon as possible” does that mean now, tomorrow, next week or some other time? If you assume that it means one thing and the person meant another, you have a problem. Ask what they specifically mean when they make a comment that is unclear.
• Listen actively by nodding your head to acknowledge, making good eye contact, saying things such as, “I understand” or “that’s interesting”. This tells the other person you are listening attentively. Be careful not to overdo it in terms of nodding or making acknowledging remarks, however.
• Clarify by repeating in your own words when necessary what you understood the other person to say.

Practice your listening skills every day. You will be amazed at how much more effective your communication will be, and hence your sales success, when you assume the responsibility of becoming an excellent listener. One of the biggest obstacles in business is ineffective listening. Don’t let it negatively impact your performance and sales results.

Good Luck & Good Selling!

© 2008 Peak Sales Consulting, LLC
View Russ’ profile
www.PeakSalesConsulting.com

Over the past few years the sales environment has changed in a number of ways. The reasons are vast but typically relate to the changes in our society, economy, business models, technology and more. When it comes right down to the actual selling environment, there are a few distinct attributes that stand out today that didn’t seem to be as noticeable, or even a factor, just five or six years ago. The key for all sales organizations and individual sales professionals alike is to understand and adapt to these changes. Few organizations today are still living through the experience of the ‘90s where prospects actually call them and buy something without having to work hard at finding and acquiring these leads. Back then, even poor sales performance was rewarded with revenue and quota achievement, in spite of a lack of skills and hard work.

Now that things have changed and the phone doesn’t seem to ring off the hook for many businesses, sales people have to work harder to find and sell to these illusive prospects. In order to be successful in sales today you, as a sales professional, need to understand what changes have occurred and then work harder and smarter to make sure your prospects believe that your offerings will solve their problems and that what they are purchasing is better than your competitors’ offerings. Let’s discuss a few major changes that have occurred to get a better understanding of what you might need to adjust in order to adapt and become even more successful in sales today.

First of all, customers are much more informed these days which makes them smarter buyers. They use the Internet to research your company, your product, your market, your competitors, and all the choices they have available. Often times the consumer knows more about you and your competitors than you do yourself. It’s not uncommon to walk into a prospect’s office or home and see piles of paper on his desk containing your competitors’ information. Gone are the days when you can tell the prospect what his choices are, and conveniently leave out some obvious choices offered by your competitor, and rely on the fact that the prospect is uninformed and unaware of his alternatives. Today, he may be more aware and savvy than you are about his options. Therefore, to succeed you must understand that your prospects are smart buyers and are well informed. You need to be more informed than your prospects not only about your own products and services, but also about your competitors’ offering, the market, your prospect’s profiles and needs, and other alternatives that might exist.

Another area that’s changed is the economy. People are not necessarily spending less today, but they are questioning their purchases more than before. They want to make sure they are making the best choice and will get a good return on their investment. There are more and more stories being published about people and businesses getting burned by poor product performance or bad service or some other form of disappointing results causing the consumer to become more cautious, even paranoid, about what they buy. Just look on the Internet at chat rooms, bulletin boards, blogs and other electronic social and professional networking environments to see how just one mistake or example of poor judgment can cause a company countless grief. Look at systems like YouTube and see examples of bad service and products. You can’t hide from the truth like you used to (Not that I am recommending that it was okay to hide in the past, it’s just that many businesses got away with abuse and poor performance in the past and it was easier for them to hide from it.)

With today’s technology increasing people’s awareness, it’s no wonder they are more careful with their purchases. Whether selling to consumers or businesses, you need to be sensitive to the fact that they will not part with their hard-earned money, or their company’s hard to access money, without first knowing that this will be a safe and wise investment. Your job as a sales professional is to demonstrate to them that they are making a good investment. Be a strategic partner by consulting with them as to what their needs are, what pains they are trying to remove, and what choices are available.

Another change in today’s sales environment is the actual approach to selling. The old way of selling often times involved long lunches, gifts, scotch and cigars, and the good-old-boy type of selling. This approach to selling is long gone in the majority of industries. Most prospects today are too busy for long lunches, are not allowed to accept gifts, and don’t trust sales people enough in general to be a good-old-boy. They are looking for someone they can trust, that they can rely on, and who can help them solve their problems in the quickest and most economical way. In other words, they want to work with someone they can rely on to be a trusted partner. This takes a very different approach to selling, as well as much more patience than before.

Today’s successful sales professional needs to research his prospect’s needs and requirements, ask his prospect intelligent questions, listen intently and carefully, propose creative and viable solutions (even if it doesn’t involve his own offerings), and follow up after the sale. He needs to be engaged in his customer’s interests not only during the sale, but long afterward by creating a life-time relationship. And let’s not forget that Customer Relationship Management (CRM) or contact management technology is also helpful here because it will track all the important information about your customers so you remember their key issues and can follow up when needed.

Keeping up with changes

To help keep up with these changes, you need to first consider training. You must stay abreast with the latest selling techniques and skills. You also need to keep up with your market and your competitors’ business and products so you know their strengths and weaknesses, as well as your own products. I have a client in the mortgage business and during a sales training session one of the brokers complained that they offer too many products to remember. I told him he had two choices; either force himself to remember them all (which isn’t necessarily feasible since there are hundreds and many don’t apply to most customers since they are specialty products) or become an expert on the core products that are the most competitive, unique and beneficial to his best clients. In other words, prioritize and focus. In either case, he could not afford to make learning an obstacle or an excuse, especially when it comes to learning his own products.

Second, become a partner for your customers. Customers are looking for someone they can trust who can advice them on what choices they may have, even if it means buying someone else’s solution. They don’t want to hear product feature dumps. They want a consultant who can educate them and offer solutions to their needs. They want to work with someone they can trust and rely on to give valuable advice.

Third, build relationships with your clients. It’s not about selling something and then disappearing. It’s about building long-term relationships where you continue to stay in touch with your customers and provide valuable information and education. Look for problems they aren’t aware they have and consult with them on solutions – That’s what a partnership is all about.

Finally, use CRM technology. It’s virtually impossible to keep track of everything you need to do in sales these days. Juggling new business opportunities while maintaining long-term relationships is a daunting task. Use technology to help. Track your activities, keep good notes, share this data with your sales team so they can help too, follow up when the system says you should, and maintain good communications with your customers and prospects. That’s what top sales professionals do to succeed.

Good luck and good selling!

—
© 2008 Peak Sales Consulting, LLC
View Russ’ profile
www.PeakSalesConsulting.com

Alan Alda, in his new autobiography Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself, said that some of our most important conversations are conducted in the doorway and follow the phrase, “Oh, by the way.”

Alda says that after spending the evening with the family there may have been something you’ve wanted to say for the last several hours but you don’t mention it until you have your coat on, you’re walking out the door, and then you turn and add, “Oh, by the way….”

Leaving your client’s office, as you’re shaking hands and saying your good-byes, you may throw out, “Oh, by the way there’s been a delay in the delivery schedule.” That’s why you really scheduled the appointment. All the conversation preceding it was just to soften the blow.

“Oh, by the way,” cuts to the chase. Maybe sometimes we should use this idea more often to get to the point sooner.

On your voicemail message, instead of leaving a lengthy message, play the words out in your mind first and then add, “Oh, by the way, the reason I’m calling is because….” Now when you call, lead off your real message.

For example, you’re calling a new friend you met at a recent chamber meeting with a referral. Your original message may have sounded like this.

“Hi Karen. This is Jim. Remember we met at the chamber breakfast last week? Man, wasn’t that speaker good? I like what he said about the ‘get out the vote campaign’. I remember once….”

By the time you get to the referral, her mind has wandered off to greener pastures.

Start with your OBTW statement first. Oh, by the way, “I’ve got a referral for you. This is Jim and we met at the chamber breakfast last week. Give me a call at 555-1212 and I’ll give you the name.”

Life is full of OBTW advice

What were some of your most important OBTW statements you’ve given or received throughout your life?

One I heard often during my teen years: Oh, by the way “…what were you thinking!”

One OBTW comment I’ll make to someone who asks why they should buy my book is oh, by the way “…you can learn over 300 lessons in a few hours that took me over 30 years and millions of dollars to learn.”

I’m constantly looking for OBTW nuggets hidden in the many books I read. Barbara and Allan Pease (Why Men Don’t Listen and Women Can’t Read Maps) said the most difficult OBTW statement for men to make is oh, by the way “I’m sorry.”

Malcolm Gladwell, in The Power of Simplicity, says, oh, by the way “…the information that most organizations need already exists. But finding that information is the hassle. Most people are either in a hurry, or they don’t know where to look.” Unfortunately, it looks like the founders of Google found this OBTW nugget before I did.

Willie Nelson’s OBTW advice for me in The Tao of Willie, is oh, by the way “In Nashville, we were taught that the shorter you can make a song and still get your point across, the better the chances of airplay.”

Oh, by the way. I appreciate you taking the time to read this article.

© 2008 Jerry Hocutt, Hocutt & Associates, Inc.
View Jerry’s profile
www.SalesWebinarsOnDemand.com

I’m confused. But not alone. As sales and marketing people we too often fail to clearly distinguish the difference between feature and benefit when presenting to customers.

An advertising headline in Sunday’s paper says, “ Maybelline – Foundation, Pressed Powder, Blush, Eye Shadow or Eye Liner”. Another, for a feature-heavy mobile phone reads, “Introducing Unlimited Navigation, Messaging, Video, Email”. Still another, “ Sony VAIO Intel Centrino Duo Mobile Technology Intel Core 2 Duo PROCESSOR T7300”. Wake me when it’s over.

They beg the question: SO WHAT?

Who wrote these ads? How many thousands of dollars are they soaking their clients for as they put buyers to sleep? Are they getting paid for the number of words they use and not the number of sales? Isn’t this illegal?

Compare those ads with these. “Tired of Lousy Service?”

Here’s one (found in the sports section of course): “Divorce for Men”.

One more. “I lost 130 lbs. with hypnosis.”

See the difference? The first three are features. The last three are benefits. In the last three, you know what you’re getting. We have reliable service. A divorce attorney sympathetic to men. Lose an entire body.

Can the first three ads be saved? What could the copywriters have done to show the benefit, keep the readers’ reading, and perhaps make the sale? What is one word they should have used to get the headline right?

Get

Get?

Get. If you’re going to state a feature, finish it off with get. Anything that follows that word has to be the benefit. And people buy…?

“Maybelline – gets every man to say ‘Wow!” when you enter the room!”

“The phone that gets you where you’re going no matter how lost you are.”

“Sony VAIO Intel Centrino Duo Mobile Technology Intel Core 2 Duo PROCESSOR T7300”. Sorry, can’t help you on this one. Well, maybe. How about, “Sony’s so fast you’ll never be late for your tee time.”

You get the idea. The next time you’re on the phone answering questions about your service or product, record your call and play it back. Write down every feature you state and see if you follow-up with a direct benefit. If not, rest assured that your customer is silently thinking, “So what?” as she dials your competitor.

Even the title of this article tells you what you’re getting. Get it?

© 2008 Jerry Hocutt, Hocutt & Associates, Inc.
View Jerry’s profile
www.SalesWebinarsOnDemand.com

I tell the recruits we don’t have any safe jobs.

This from the colonel in charge of recruiting for the National Guard. He was asked during a recent television interview why the Guard consistently surpasses its recruiting quotas during this time of war and multiple deployments to the Middle East.

“I’m brutally honest with our recruits,” the colonel said. Only the committed answer the call.

One of the biggest complaints I hear from business owners and sales managers is their inability to attract the few good salespeople they need. Maybe they shouldn’t beat around the bush with their recruiting efforts.

Quit appealing to the masses thinking you’ll make salespeople out of them. IBM, Xerox, GE and their ilk are the only ones who have deep pockets and superior training to take people off the street and mold them into their images. But your time, budgets, and training are scarce. Your job – your business – is on the line. You need sales now. Hand holding is for the big guys.

Sterile salespeople don’t produce
America has 25 million companies. 95% are classified as small business. Most are running on borrowed time and money. They need to find qualified salespeople who can deliver. They need salespeople who are low-maintenance and show the gumption to carve out their own piece of the pie.

Saw this want-ad in my business journal where the journal itself is recruiting for salespeople: “Advertising Sales Career. Are you an experienced sales professional who needs to be the best and work with the best? If you thrive in a fast-paced environment where you can truly deliver value, we invite you to consider our select sales team. Most important is talent, a strong work ethic, goal oriented, positive attitude, customer focus and ability to understand Business to Business clients.”

A sterile appeal for sterile salespeople. Can’t wait to interview those who answer the call. How many bloated resumes will be culled and how many pointless interviews will be conducted before they throw up their hands? “Why can’t we find any good salespeople?”

Why don’t you ask? Why don’t you have the courage to say what you want in the first place? Like the National Guard colonel, quit pussyfootin’ around and cut to the chase.

Wanted: Salespeople Who Can Handle Rejection
If you want to succeed with us – and make tons of money – you’re going to have to get off your “buts…” and cold call, network, have a referral program, cross-sell, and increase customer retention. Rejection is guaranteed because this is a sales job. You’ll be making hundreds of calls each week. Of course, you’re going to be rejected. You’ve got to be able to take a punch. That’s the nature of sales. But we expect even more. At our weekly sales meetings show me five things you learned that have improved your sales skills. Show me what you’ve done to grow your relationships with your customers. Tell me three things you learned about our competitors this week from talking with your prospects and customers. Give me one suggestion for how we can improve our services and products. Show me some curiosity. Show me some initiative. Show me your passion. If you do, the job, the money, and the benefits are yours. Lazy order takers need not apply.

Brutal?
Perhaps. Truthful? Yes. How many resumes will you get from the first ad? The second? If you were a sales manager which applicant is worthy of your time? Which applicant has her act together? Which is a pretender?

Sure, you’ll get fewer responses to the second ad. But look at the time you’re saving on courtesy interviews. The frustration. Imagine the training, motivation, and coercion it’s going to take to deal with the first applicant.

Even then, if you don’t fire the new recruit he’ll quit because the job didn’t live up to “his expectations”. Now you’ve wasted months of trying to get him to do what you really demanded of him in the second ad. How many thousands of dollars did that cost you in training and replacement and new interviews?

You got who you asked for in the first ad. The person you wanted was in the second. The truth is not always pretty. But it’s always honest. Say what you mean. Get what you want. Make the colonel proud.
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© 2008 Jerry Hocutt, Hocutt & Associates, Inc.
View Jerry’s profile
www.SalesWebinarsOnDemand.com

If setting your customer’s expectations is a part of selling, Steve says it all.

We took one of our granddaughters to her first state fair last week and I couldn’t help but laugh at Steve’s billing posted throughout the fairgrounds. In seven words he gets your attention, makes you laugh, explains exactly what his service is, and sets your expectations. Pretty powerful.

You know when you show up for Steve’s performance that you’re not going to see the magic of someone like Criss “MindFreak” Angel, David Copperfield, or David Blaine. But you are going to see some good sleight of hand. At least he got a gig at the largest Washington fair, so he must be pretty good.

Steve also takes the pressure off himself with his billing. Too many times we think our efforts or products and services have to be perfect. If we’re perfectionists, we end up stopping ourselves from ever taking action to get the job done.

If we think we have to say the perfect things during a cold call, we’ll never make the call. If we think we have to give the perfect speech before the chamber group, we freeze up. If we think we have to have the answer to every possible objection, we’ll never talk to customers.

I’m not saying that we need to lower our standards. We should always strive for perfection, but realize there is no such thing. Searching for excellence is realistic. But not always obtainable.

Git ’er done
Doing the best we can do is an easy reach. Even though we may mess up, if we do the best we can do (and don’t kid yourself, you know if you are or not), then we can learn from what we did right and wrong and do better the next time.

The people who get the most things done seem to be those who do “pretty good”. That’s an easier target. By doing pretty good on one thing, you have time to do pretty good on the next thing and the next thing and the…well, you get it.

When our parents were asked about their kids, they’d always reply that “they’re pretty good kids”. That never upset me. I could live with pretty good. They could have said awful kids. (I wonder if Steve’s first billings read “The Magic of Steve the Pretty Awful”?)

A lot of things in life are pretty good. McDonalds. Southwest Airlines. Some television programs. Not great. But pretty good. Pretty good things employ millions of people and contribute trillions of dollars to the world’s economy. It seems the things that are perfect affect fewer people and contribute less to the lives of others. Things like Krispy Kreme. Well, that’s the only thing I can think of that’s perfect. Maybe you can come up with more.

What’s the sales lesson here? Shoot for the pretty good so you can get more done, help more people, and have a richer life. Create your own billing.

Bill the Pretty Good Closer
Mindy the Pretty Good Networker
Jake the Pretty Good Salesman
Kathryn the Pretty Good Sales Manager

Heck, like Steve, you might get a standing ovation because you’re better than they expected. That’s pretty good.
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© 2008 Jerry Hocutt, Hocutt & Associates, Inc.
View Jerry’s profile
www.SalesWebinarsOnDemand.com