Browse >
Home / Archive: September 2008
(23902)
A two-year study of 1,700 executives, found that there are actually only five general types of decision making styles in use: Before you make an attempt to try and influence someone, first identify and categorize how they like to make decisions. If you can accurately decode their personal decision-making style and preference, you’ll have the inside running on how best to persuade them to move forward with your proposal. With this level of information, your presentations can then evolve from one-size-fits-all approach to a custom-tailored proposal executives will be predisposed to accept.
Differentiating the Five Decision Making Styles
There are five types of decision-making styles in general use:
Followers: 36 percent–people who base their decisions mainly on what’s worked in the past for themselves or for people they trust or admire.
Charismatics: 25 percent–executives with outgoing personalities who like to get involved with bold and innovative ideas and concepts.
Skeptics: 19 percent–people who have firm views of the world and distrust anything that doesn’t fit.
Thinkers: 11 percent–business executives who need to methodically evaluate every option before deciding.
Controllers: 9 percent–people who like to be in the driver’s seat every step of the way.
How to Identify
So how, exactly, can you figure out what kind of decision-making style the person you’re attempting to sell to has? There are a few keys that you can and should use:
Heed their past actions and decisions: look carefully at how they have handled complex decision in the past. Find out whether they need input from others, or prefer to make important decisions on the strength of their own analysis. Pay more attetion to what they actually do than to what they say.
Use the process of elimination: that is, narrow your choices by first eliminating any options they obviously are not.
Is he/she always looking for the next big thing? If not, they are probably not a charismatic.
Is he/she always weighing the pros and cons of a decision? If not, they are probably not a thinker.
Is he/she suspicious of every piece of new data presented? If not, they are probably not a skeptic.
Dose he/she need to be in control of the decision making? If not, they are probably not a controller.
Does he/she only move forward with well proven ideas? If not, they are probably not a follower.
Don’t confuse personality traits with decision-making style: because for many executives, the way they make decisions differs dramatically from their general personalities. Their personality may give some hints, but don’t automatically assume both will be aligned.
Never base your classification on one specific instance: but instead look for a recurring pattern that is found in a number of their past decisions.
Look at how people handle both risk and responsibility when making important decisions: because this will be a good indicator of their decision-making style.
Seek responsibility Charismatics Followers
Avoid responsibility Skeptics Controllers
Seek risk Avoid risk
Charismatics seek the authority to try new ideas and accept full responsibility for the results achieved.
Followers won’t try out anything that hasn’t been done in the past, and are happy to be accountable for their results. Followers can be difficult to identify definitively, so if you receive mixed signals, assume they are followers until proven otherwise.
Controllers fear anything that is outside their control and are quick to blame others when things go wrong. As controllers are driven by fear, they will need considerable time to make a decision.
Skeptics like to buck conventional wisdom, but will never be able to admit they were wrong. Skeptics will generally be fearless decision makers and will often be willing to make a decision on the spot.
Thinkers have a balanced and disciplined approach to decision-making, preferring to let the facts speak for themselves. They will cover all bases and evaluate evaluate every pro and con before making a decision.
Understand there is no silver bullet presentation that will appeal to all five decision-making styles with equal effectiveness: and therefore you need to prepare individually to meet the preferences of the specific decision maker you’re attempting to persuade.
If you’re giving a presentation to a large audience, cater to all five decision-making styles: by doing things like:
Starting with a road map of your ideas–appeals to thinkers
Establishing your credibility–appeals to skeptics and followers
Launching into ideas quickly–to get to charismatics
Being logical and methodical–appealing to thinkers
There’s not much you can do to get to controllers
Srtategies to the Five Decision Making Styles
How to Persuade Followers
Followers can be the most difficult to identify because very few executives will like this label. Fortunately, followers are the most straightforward to persuade. As long as you’ve laid the proper foundation and supplied enough proof that your proposal has worked in comparable situations, followers will often be willing to give you a favorable decision right on the spot. Followers are always looking for a bargain, so if your proposal shows that you’re offering one, you’ll be halfway there.
Three steps to persuade decision makers who are followers
Before the meeting
Prepare numerous case studies and testimonials that show your solution in action
Raise examples from other industries so the executive feels innovative
Omit instances where your solution failed, but be prepared to discuss them
Show that your proposal is cheaper than other alternatives because it has been proven to work
During the meeting
Structure your presentation logically, starting with the problem, examining the options and showing a preferred solution.
Have loads of embedded case studies to show how your solution has succeeded where other options have failed
Connect your suggestion to what the executive is familiar with
Compare the costs and benefits of al l options under consideration
After the meeting
Because followers have a preference for the status quo, stress that the problem is pressing and requires immediate action
Try to find innovative ways to lower the cost of your solution so as to lessen risk
Continue to stress that your solution is proven and has been successful in comparable situations in the past in other industries
How To Persuade Charismatics
Charismatics live for the next big idea. They are quick to embrace bold innovations with energy and enthusiasm. They are therefore easy to sell to, as long as you provide them with balanced, detailed information that the charismatic decision maker can pass along to his or her details person to go through. Charismatics make decisions quickly, but always require someone to be following through on the details for them later on.
Three steps to persuade decision makers who are charismatics
Before the meeting
Prepare a detailed report–but don’t expect to use it in your meeting
Prepare a summary of your key ideas and discussion points
Develop a few simple charts that highlight the key points of your proposal
Make certain you have a white board available in the meeting room
Meet with the charismatic’s details people beforehand and give them a heads up on your proposal
During the meeting
Start out talking problems and then go directly to your bold and creative recommended solutions
Be prepared for spontaneity to change your presentation
Temper your own enthusiasm by focusing on implementation challenges, cost issues, customer impact, etc.
Provide both your key points summary and your detailed information to the decision maker for their analysis
After the meeting
Understand that because your personal involvement with the charismatic decision maker is now finished, from here on out, you’ll be dealing with their inside people
Respond to all the highly detailed questions that these other executives will pose
Keep in mind that the faster you respond and the better prepared you are, the faster the final go-ahead will be given
How To Persuade Skeptics
About one in five decision makers will be skeptics–inherently suspicious of anything you say. These are the people who will doggedly march to the beat of their own drummer, even if the rest of the world is going in a different direction. Fortunately, this also makes them one of the easiest types of decision makers to persuade. All you have to do is present them with a good proposal and build their confidence in you as a source of good ideas. Do that, and skeptics will make decisions quickly.
Three steps to persuade decision makers who are skeptics
Before the meeting
Locate some other executives who the skeptic knows trusts
Discuss your ideas with these people, and if feasible, have them co-present your proposal
Fill your presentation with of facts, figures and detailed risk assessments
Emphasize the credibility of your sources
Use other information sources to back up what you’re saying
During the meeting
Be prepared for a barrage of questions
Dot’s take anything personally
Start with the problem, and detail all the alternatives considered before ending with a proposed plan of action and implementation schedule
Give details on your sources of information
Wherever possible, give some credit to the skeptic for some of your ideas
After the meeting
You’ll know immediately and unequivocally where you stand with the skeptic
If you and your other sources of information are deemed credible enough, be prepared to have your proposal approved on the spot–have everything available so you can move quickly should that happen
How To Persuade Thinkers
Decision makers who are thinkers pride themselves on their ability to outsmart and outmaneuver their competitors. Therefore, they read extensively and often become widely considered as experts in their field. To persuade them, be prepared to discuss the pros and cons of not only your proposal but also every conceivable alternative. Thinkers won’t be prepared to make a decision until they have analyzed all the options thoroughly.
Three steps to persuade decision makers who are thinkers.
Before the meeting
Prepare for two meetings, the first to talk about processes and the second to discuss the recommendations that emerge
Collect as much of the relevant data as possible beforehand
Perform detailed risk assessments of each option
Make sure a white board is available in the meeting
During the meeting
Stress problems with the status quo
Detail your process or methodology for deciding what to do
List all the options, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each
Assemble on the white board lists of do’s and don’ts
Lay the groundwork for a follow-up meeting to more thoroughly discuss your recommendations and plan of action
After the meeting
Revise the methodology you’re using to make a decision as per the suggestions and corrections the Thinker has put forward
During your follow-up meeting, point out the changes you’ve made in your recommendations as a result of their input
Highlight the risk levels, cost projections and anticipated revenue benefits of teh proposal you are suggesting
How To Persuade Controllers
Controllers are actually a rare breed (less than one in ten decision makers), which is just as well, because working with them is frustrating. Controllers have to feel like they are in charge every step of the way. They can’t really be persuaded to do anything. The main allies on your side are sufficient time for them to come around and the opportunity for external events or the actions of competitors to underline what you’re proposing.
Three steps to persuade decision makers who are controllers
Before the meeting
Brace yourself: trying to persuade a controller is difficult
Try to find a way to make the decision makers think your idea is his
Keep sending the controller articles, reports, fact sheets and other information to gently warm the decision maker to your ideas
Watch out for trigger events beyond anyone’s control and take advantage of them
During the meeting
Resist meeting with controller in person unless he or she counts you as a trusted adviser
Wherever possible, let other people do your persuading for you–work on the basis that the best meeting will be no meeting at all
If you do meet with a controller, present linear and highly structured information–your aim should be to project your proposal as being unbeatable and unstoppablel.
After the meeting
Shrug off any initial disparaging comments
Be prepared for the controller to point out minute inconsistencies in your proposal
Continually watch out for trigger events that will require you to reposition your proposal
Don’t push your proposal aggressively–be patient and bide your time untiol just the right trigger event comes along
(23901)
Why is it that some salespeople excel regardless of whether the economy is robust or in recession? And more specifically, what do sales income millionaires–those who generate more than $1 million per year in personal remuneration–do better than the rest?
Simply put, the highest paid salespeople apply the key principles, strategies and techniques of selling better than the average salesperson. They also cultivate a mindset of success that underpins everything they do. And, importantly, sales millionaires understand how to maintain that optimum attitude, even in the face of some extraordinary problems.
What the World’s Most Successful Salespeople Do Differently From Average Salespeople
1. Develop the mindset of sales success
2. Deal with objections productively
3. Prepare good scripts which build momentum
4. Put in place systems which consistently generate leads
5. Develop and project a strong USP (unique sales proposition)
6. Make good use of pre-sale warm-up opportunities
7. Let the media help sell your products and services
8. Harness the power of seminar selling opportunities
9. Learn how deal effectively with challenging people
10. Capitalize on CRM (customer relationship marketing)
11. Take advantage of the right sales coach
Sales Millionaires Should Master 11 Basics Well
1 Develop the mindset of sales success
The high achievers or superstars of the sales profession– who commonly generate more than $1 million in sales commissions year in and year our–have a unique mindset. They literally see the world differently, especially the benefits their products or services have to offer. They motivate others to take action on the strength of their own personal convictions.
To develop a similar mindset:
Be proud of being a salesperson: and let people know you are.
Study the techniques of persuasion systematically: so you know how to use them to add value by genuinely solving people’s problems.
Have a healthy attitude: and keep learning more so you can sell with energy, commitment and real enthusiasm.
Have integrity: by first convincing yourself that what you have to offer is available at a fair price. If you cannot convince yourself of that, get a job with a company where you will have that conviction. That way, you can give 100-percent effort.
Believe in the value you bring to the negotiating table: and acknowledge that everyone needs help with finding the right finance options, delivery scheduling and quality guarantees. This is where you add value to the transaction.
Always keep refining and improving your presentation skills: since this will be a career-long process rather than a one-time event. Write down what you’ll say to prospective customers. Look for ways to improve it. Focus on enhancing the impact of everything you say. Find more persuasive ways to illustrate the benefits your products or services offer. Keep on the lookout for new tweaks and ideas.
2 Deal with objections productively
All prospective customers have concerns and objections. That’s unremarkable. Great salespeople prepare intelligently to handle those objections in two ways:
Try to deal with objections before they are raised
Develop persuasive scripts that handle objections smoothly
The words you use when face to face with a prospective customer are important. If you use the right words, you’ll persuade them to move forward with the purchase. With this in mind, highly productive salespeople leave nothing to chance. They develop written scripts so they can practice people’s objections persuasively.
To start building your own sales scripts:
Identify and write down all the objections you commonly encounter: and keep adding to your list until you cover everything that gets raised in your meetings.
Organize your list: by writing each objection at the top of a blank page in your notebook.
Start by writing down your best response to each objection: then go through and write out your second best response to each, your third best response and so on.
Whenever you get another idea, keep adding to your list of responses for each objection.
Start organizing your responses by personality type: so you can adjust what you say to meet the precise needs of each individual person you come into contact with.
Work with your friends and associates to brainstorm new responses: and keep progressively adding to your lists over time. Remember to write down these new ideas as they come to you rather than trying to rely on your memory.
Interview successful salespeople in your industry: and get their ideas and input into your sales scripts. Ask them how they address the most difficult objections you come across. Take what they do and adapt it to your own requirements, circumstances and personality.
Keep editing and polishing your scripts: gradually getting rid of all the deadwood and embedding more powerful words. The more unnecessary material you can cut out and the more persuasive the material you work in, the better your scripts will work.
3 Prepare good scripts that build momentum
Once you start developing a script book for handling objections, you should next start gathering a collection of words, metaphors, examples and explanations that can be used in your presentations. This is your sales script book, and it can literally earn you millions of dollars in extra income. The catch is that nobody else can develop one for your. Every sales superstar has to develop their own sales script book.
To refine and enhance your basic sales scripts:
Whenever someone becomes one of your customers, ask them why: and document their answer. Look for common themes that come up again and again. Your challenge then becomes to embed more of whatever works into your presentations in the future rather than taking a stab in the dark.
If you hear a new objection, start a new page in your sales script book.
Look forward to having someone raise an objection with you: because you’ve taken the time and effort to prepare comprehensively. Since you’ll have in mind more than a few ways to handle each objection, you have nothing to fear.
Collaborate with other salespeople: especially your own sales manager and company salespeople. Ask them how they handle the common questions and write down what they say. Take their best ideas adapt them to your personality traits.
Start bringing up objections before the prospect thinks of them: which positions you more effectively to deal with these objections. By preempting these objections, you can turn them into reasons to move forward rather than roadblocks. There are many ways to bring out the more predictable objections:
1. “I can take a guess at what you are probably thinking about now. You are probably concerned that…”
2. “I can take a guess at what you are probably thinking about now. You are probably concerned that…”
3. “Right a about now, you’re most likely thinking you’ll need more time to consider your options. That’s natural. However, there are some things you should know…”
By raising these questions before the prospect brings them up themselves, you show empathy for them and trustworthiness. It also demonstrates your self-confidence in your product or service. Doing this also establishes your professionalism and thoroughness. Bringing out common objections yourself allows you to lay the groundwork for answering those objections in an advantageous manner, meaning the prospect will have less reason to need more time to make a decision.
Prepare for each interview by reviewing the material in your script book: as five or ten minutes in preparation can have a dramatic impact on how effective you are. Consider what the three or four most likely objections will be. Rehearse how to respond to these objections. That way, when you get face to face in your sales interview, you can deliver these responses naturally and persuasively.
Aim to get to the stage where you have at least 20 responses for every major objection: Assembling 20 great responses for every major objection may sound difficult, but keep working at it. You will need vastly different responses for people with markedly different backgrounds, experience levels, needs and interests.
Tape-record yourself making a sales presentation: and listen to how you can across. Note your strengths and your weaknesses. That way, you can correct any irritating habits you may be introducing without realizing it.
4 Put in place systems that will consistently generate leads
Highly successful salespeople work from leads and referrals. These are the lifeblood of sales success. In practice, salespeople who achieve great success generate more leads than the average salesperson does. Plus, they have good systems in place for using those leads.
With that in mind, some places to look for leads and referrals are:
Your present customer
Your network of friends and associates
Industry gatherings or trade shows
Conventions and workshops
Internet websites which are industry-specific to your field
Most highly successful salespeople are looking for referrals in everything they do. They turn this into an art form and their main area of specialization, rather than a random activity that is carried out whenever they think of it. They also have a system for capturing and recording information about each prospect that will enhance their chances of success.
While generating leads and referrals is important, what you do with the leads once you have them is of equal significance. Unless you have a good system in follow through on leads in a timely manner, it won’t really matter how effective you are at generating them in the first place. A thorough follow-up system is essential.
Some ideas on following up on leads are:
Whenever you meet someone and get their business card, rank them as a potential client: with “1″ meaning they are long shots and “10″ meaning they are ready to go. Write this ranking on the back of the card, along with any additional information. Then start with the 10s and work through the list.
Spend as much of your time as possible concentrating on the people who re most likely to want to do business with you: Don’t waste your time socializing with people you know will never do business with you.
5 Develop a strong USP (Unique Sales Proposition)
You USP should answer the question of why anyone would want to buy anything from you. It should specify the one way in which you distinguish yourself from everyone else in your field of business. It is the foundation for why people should do more business with you in the future.
A Good USP:
Is short and concise: For example, “The Sales Speaker” or a “Sales and Marketing Psychologist.
Specifies what makes you stand out from everyone else: For example, “The Organizational Behavior Consultant” is fairly descriptive and memorable.
Is not static: but changes and evolves over time to reflect the new skills you acquire.
Describes what you do in a unique and memorable way: even if the products and services you offer are not that unique. Perhaps your USP can incorporate an appealing business name or some elements of your educational or experience background that are distinctive or unusual.
Sums up all your personal accomplishments and areas of specialization: For example, a “Financial Solutions Specialist” will be better equipped to help you handle your personal finances than an accountant.Suggests all the benefits you can deliver to clients: For example, an estate planner developed his USP as an “Immortality Planner.”
Must be used everywhere consistently: in all your sales literature, on your business card, in the domain name of your website, in your screen name and so forth.
Has a minimum of fluff and irrelevant material: Instead, a good USP should articulate why people can and should buy from you.
Focuses in on a specific area of specialization like a laser: For example, Charles Givens built his multimillion dollar business selling financial advice around the USP of “Wealth Without Risk.”
Avoids cliches and worn out expressions: like “strength,” “trustworthiness,” “integrity,” “loyal” or “You’ve tried the rest, now try the best.” All of these concepts are so overused that it is difficult to see anyone rushing to do business with you on the strength of a USP such as that.
Once you develop your USP, you can then use it to come up with an effective “elevator speech”–a brief talk you can share with anyone, which is about the length of the average elevator ride.
6 Make good use of pre-sale warm-up opportunities
Sales millionaires never leave things to chance. They plan their sales presentations before they get to the client’s office. That way, they avoid inadvertently doing anything that will affect the likelihood of a sale.
What can and should be done before the sales presentation?
You can get yourself in the right frame of mind: by going over your material and thinking positively. That way, you’ll have positive expectations of a favorable outcome, which will increase your enthusiasm and optimism when you meet with the prospect.
You can do some research about the company: and try to anticipate what their needs will be. For example, you can check out their website or read their annual report. Things like mission statements may provide many good clues in this area. In this step, you try to anticipate what the challenges they are currently facing are and look for indicators of potential problems.
Find out more about the people you’ll be meeting with: what their areas of responsibility are, their work history and education.
Try to develop a good one-liner: something which will epitomize the benefits of your product or service in a catchy, memorable way.
Think of some hard questions the prospect is likely to ask: and consider the best way to respond.
Develop a ritual of success: where you take mental and physical steps to ensure you’re at your best when face-to-face with the prospect.
7 Let the media help sell your products and services
Sales millionaires work smart, using PR to generate a profile for themselves. The real key in harnessing the power of the media is to position yourself as the expert in your field. Do that successfully and prospective customers will be anxious to meet with you rather than having to be begged to give you some time. A media profile also has a cascade effect. Once you get some articles published in trade magazines, it becomes easier to get published in the major daily newspapers or get invited to appear on national television shows.
To get started on using the power of the media:
Start by selecting the right media vehicle: which will be somewhere in the thousands of newspapers, industry magazines, journals and newsletters.
Pick a topic for your article: something you feel confident they will be interested in. Remember, this can’t be a blatant advertisement for your product or service, but must contain useful information and ideas.
Try to pre-sell your article: by sending the editor a query letter that outlines your idea for an article and asks whether they would be interested. Solicit his or her suggestions.
Put together your article: Make sure that whatever you do is of a professional standard. Keep it crisp, clear, and to the point. Ensure there are no spelling errors or other obvious problems.
Leverage whatever is published: If you are fortunate enough to get an article published, send copies to your existing customers and prospects. Also, send copies to other media outlets–the national newspapers, radio and television. With any luck, your article may get picked up by them and repackaged for their markets.
Put together your own publicity kit: This will include some information about yourself and your business, copies of previous artikit or interviews, product samples, etc. By preparing a publicity kit beforehand, when some newsworthy event comes along, you can contact newspapers or electronic medias with an approach that will combine your area of expertise with the topics already being discussed in the media. This can be an exceptionally powerful way to generate huge awareness of what you have to offer.
Turn your articles into an e-book: Websites are always looking for good content. You may be able to tap into this by taking the articles you have previously had published and turning them into an e-book. You can also advertise this e-book on your own website. You can then give this away to gather the names of prospects for the products and services you have to offer.
8 Harness the power of seminar selling opportunities
With just as much time and effort as it taker you to sell one person, you could actually be selling a large number of people in a seminar. The key is not just to focus on getting in front of as many people as possible but to make a first-rate presentation. Seminars are booming at present, but this isn’t an area where you are likely to be met with instant success if you don’t do it right. To succeed at generating sales this way, you need to put some good basics in place first.
Don’t define “seminars” too narrowly: You should realize that seminars come in many shapes and formats. You may find small workshops or presentations at conventions to be just as effective as bigger and more expensive seminars.
Learn from the best: by attending the seminars others put on. Look at what they do right and figure out ways to do the same. Look for mistakes to avoid. Some of the very highest paid salespeople in the world use seminars as their only marketing tool, so use them as good role models.
Keep your expenses low: by avoiding speakers who demand high fees, full-color brochures and purchase of exclusive mailing lists. If you have the right subject, people will come along irrespective of whether or not you have a nice brochure.
Concentrate on the educational value of your seminars: and don’t just run seminars as a blatant attempt to sell your own product or service. Instead, teach people the things they need to know and then offer educational programs, books, tapes and more advanced follow-up seminars.
Find others to share the costs with: other people or organizations who target the same audience you do. By working together, you’ll also be able to offer a seminar that has broader appeal.
As usual, your own mind-set will have a significant impact on how effective seminar selling ends up becoming for you. If you convince yourself that seminar selling can be highly cost effective, you’ll find ways to put everything together. And conversely, if you assign seminar selling to the “too hard” or “too expensive” categories, its highly unlikely that you’ll be able to find ways of making it work.
Many salespeople have convinced themselves that seminars don’t work for their specific industry. This is great, because it enhances the effectiveness of your seminars by reducing the competition. People like attending seminars where they can learn new things. The opportunity to associate with others, combined with the chance to hear someone interesting, can produce an incredible sales opportunity for you. A number of salespeople have built multi-million-dollar businesses offering public seminars on topics like stock picking, investment strategies and tax reduction.
9 Learn how to deal effectively with challenging people
Sales millionaires are very good at dealing with customers who are different or even difficult. They respect the individual preferences people have and find a way to make the deal come together in spite of those differences.
Specifically, sales millionaires deal well with:
Procrastinating prospects: by matching the client and slowing down the train of events. Usually, the most effective approach here is to get the prospect making some small decisions (like ordering a sample or agreeing to a free trial period) and then keep the momentum building. Good salespeople also use guidelines and deadlines to try and move things along at a better pace.
Silent or introverted prospects: by being a little more quiet in their presentation. Usually, quiet prospects will need time to reflect before making a decision. An experienced salesperson will anticipate that and compliment the prospect for being judicious. They will also point out that the benefits will be so overwhelming that the more time the person thinks, the greater the likelihood they will come to a decision to purchase.
Fast-talking prospects: by upping the pace and giving them the information quickly and directly. Fast talkers respond well to passion and like to be acknowledged. Therefore, experienced sales professionals cut to the chase and get down to the details quickly with these people.
Dominant prospects: by showing respect. A good salesperson will also demonstrate deep prosduct knowledge. Once the prospect realizes the salesperson is an expert in their field, there is often a mutual bond of respect established.
Inaccessible prospects: by combining some creativity with polite persistence. For example, sales millionaires might send a quick note to someone they cannot reach by phone offering a compelling bonus if they contact them. Or they may even go where there is the chance they will meet them in person. They do whatever it takes.
Complaining prospects: by listening with empathy, re-framing their objection as an observation or concern, and then doing everything possible to address the real issues. In so doing, sales professionals show respect for the customer’s needs without losing focus on actually achieving something useful to keep moving forward in the sales process.
10 Capitalize on CRM (Customer Relationship Marketing)
In essence, CRM uses information technology to better manage sales force management, marketing automation and customer service. With a CRM system in place, whoever deals with a customer will have accurate and up-to-data information available about that customer’s actual needs and prior purchase history. That way, each time the customer comes into contact with your firm, they are treated appropriately rather than always having to start from scratch.
The benefits of an integrated CRM system that includes information about sales, products, service, order status and more are overwhelming:
The sales force can be automated: allowing them to spend more time creating personalized proposals that will appeal to specific customers and less time doing paperwork.
The customer service people can do their jobs better: because they will have all the information that’s available about each person while speaking to them.
Marketing can be better managed: allowing compelling offers to be developed based on the actual needs, interests and requests each customer has indicated in the past.
Customer feedback can be stored and evaluated: allowing the company to become progressively better at making offers the customer is more likely to accept in the future.
By storing and making available details of all prior contacts: you demonstrate rewpect for the customer and your intention to serve them better than anyone else can.
CRM enhances your general efficiency: you spend less time trying to track down information and more time developing better customer insights. That results in coming up with better proposals that are more likely to be successful in the future.
Due to the fact that you incorporate feedback with other information to focus on the customer’s needs, the likelihood you’ll meet their needs better than someone without that information increase.
11 Take advantage of the right sales coach
In the minds of most salespeople, sales coaching is little more than a grizzled veteran sharing his or her wisdom with the new kid on the block. However, sales millionaires take a different approach:
They use sales coaches to improve whatever is holding them back.
They use coaches to reduce any random factors which dilute their effectiveness as salespeople.
They use sales coaches to become better at what they do.
The advantage of using a sales coach is coaching helps change behavior. Coaches can hear and see what you’re doing and provide immediate corrective feedback. In addition, many sales trainers don’t publish their most effective sales techniques in their articles or books. By personally working with the coach, you may have access to the highly specialized or proprietary techniques and sales strategies they have.
To decide whether or not working with a sales coach is for you, find the answers to a few simple questions:
Is there a sales coach available who knows my line of business?
Will there be a good personality fit?
Is this the right time for me to do some coaching?
>Have I already made full use of all the advice and guidance my company has available?
Am I truly motivated enough to put my career on fast-forward?
Many sales millionaires have made good use of sales coaches. Paradoxically, the more successful the salesperson, the more likely they are to seek out the services of an even better sales coach. To achieve comparable success, it makes good sense to emulate this behavior and find a good sales coach who will boost your career.
(23900)
As sales is the final stage of all forms of business, and is where profits are realized, it represents a major challenge for both businesses and individuals. If this stage isn’t handled properly, all the effort spent on product development and marketing planning will have been in vain. How does one guarantee success in this vital area? The key lies in the 11 basic principles of sales of sales success, as well as the ability to make judgments and respond to customers in real time.
What separates sales superstars from average salespeople is not merely high sales figures and commissions, but also the development of a successful sales attitude, which includes pride in one’s profession and a sense of mission. By starting with right attitude and then undergoing professional training and preparation, becoming a sales superstar is an attainable goal.
After developing the right attitude, the sales superstar must make choices about professional training and preparation. Fundamental skills include assessing what decision-making category customers belong to, as well as what strategies to use in handling each category. Only when armed with these skills can deals be closed and sales targets achieved.
After learning how to assess a prospect, next on the agenda is honing one’s presentation skills. Whether in meetings or seminars, sales personnel must rely on their speaking skills to convince customers to buy. Presentation isn’t necessarily a laborious task—with the right approach, mutual trust can be established with a minimum of time and effort. And becoming a good storyteller will make you a better presenter. When face to face with a customer, what better way to attract their interest than by telling a good story. Stories are the best bridge between salespeople and customers.
With the right attitude, well-honed skills and quality products, even mediocre sales personnel can greatly improve their ability.
(24405)
Most companies have an “official” set of values that correspond to their mission statement and an “unofficial” set of values that actually dictate who gets paid the most. Be aware of these differences and position yourself advantageously. Develop career management strategies that enable you to stay in the ranks of the top earners rather than gradually falling off the pace.
Align Your Skills with What Is Valued Most in the Marketplace
Which Executive Skills Does Your Organization Value?
You probably know of companies that claim to promote good work life balance for their employees, but then routinely promote and reward those who work 60- to 70-hour work weeks. That should tell you unequivocally that the company values productivity more than anything else despite its public pronouncements to the contrary. Similarly, in your own organization, what is truly valued will be clear from the budget allocations and the attitude of senior managers toward the different departments.
If you know what is truly valued by your own organization, then you know which executive skills will come to the fore. To take some specific examples:
Value Key Executive Skills Job Functions
A company that values creativity and new ideas
1. Flexibility
2. Observation
Research and development activities as well as new business development activities are at the forefront
A company that values production and delivery
1. Task Initiation
2. Achieving Goals
3. Time Management
Everyone focuses on executing well and getting finished products out the door on time
A company that values customer relations
1. Flexibility
2. Emotion Control People who have face-to-face contact with customers hold the greatest influence
A company that is bottom-line oriented
1. Achieving Goals
2. Focus
3. Plan & Prioritize
These companies place a premium on meeting or exceeding your quotas above all else
A company that prides itself on secure and orderly management practices
1. Organization
2. Time Management
These companies love to establish and maintain routines. Banks are like this. They are highly predictable
A company that is marketing oriented
1. Flexibility
2. Plan & Prioritize
3. Observation
The marketing department will be willing and eager to try new and creative approaches
A company that values sales highly
1. Flexibility
2. Emotion Control
3. Achieving Goals The sales department is a very high profile area to work in. The CEO calls when significant sales are made
A company that is customer service focused
1. Self-restraint
2. Flexibility
3. Emotion Control
4. Task Initiation
The customer service people will be highly proactive and empowered
A company that is customer service focused
1. Task Initiation
2. Achieving Goals
The departments that serve customers after a sale is made will be the best places to be
A company that values communication highly
1. Plan & Prioritize
2. Achieving Goals
3. Emotion Control
Being able to share ideas and inform others about what is happening is where all the action will be
A company that is project management oriented
1. Plan & Prioritize
2. Achieving Goals
3. Emotion control
Most of the main activities will revolve around project managers and their track record in completing projects
Offset Insufficient Skills with Creativity
If you can determine which executive skills are most valued by your organization and these match where you are strong, then you’re in good shape to stand out and make an impact. If the skills most valued by your organization are different from those you possess, then you have to be a little more creative. You have to look at how you skills can be used to help those who are at the front line of delivering value. If you can do that, a kind of “halo effect” will kick in where you will receive credit for assisting a project team or someone meet their goals.
Long-term, however, you want to align your executive skill strengths with organizations that will value highly what you bring to the table. That will make your work easier to do day to day and more pleasant, which cannot be a bad thing.
(24404)
In just the same way that you can develop an executive skill profile for people, you can also develop a profile for a specific project or assignment. Once you do that, you then know what kind of people are most likely to excel at that assignment—people who have comparable personal executive skill profiles themselves.
Match Specific Tasks with Appropriate Profiles
Matching People to Jobs Is Vital
Once you understand anybody’s weakest and strongest executive skills, you can then begin to figure out in advance where that person is most likely to succeed. Obviously, people will generally do best in situations that require high use of their strongest executive skills and where their weakest skills are unlikely to interfere.
Devise project-specific skills profiles: If you’re in a position where you decide who gets to work on which specific projects, it’s helpful to sit down and develop a skill profile of the assignment itself as a first stop. For example, you might decide that the project at hand will be carried out in a very fast paced competitive environment, and therefore it is likely the key skills required will be observation, emotion control and stress to tolerance.
Skills Required
Self-restraint
Working Memory
Emotion Control
Focus
Task Initiation
Plan & Prioritize
Organization
Time Management
Achieving Goals
Flexibility
Observation
Stress Tolerance
Candidate A
Self-restraint
Working Memory
Emotion Control
Focus
Task Initiation
Plan & Prioritize
Organization
Time Management
Achieving Goals
Flexibility
Observation
Stress Tolerance
Assign work based on needs: When Candidate A approaches you to join the project, you can look at his or her executive skill profile for an indication of whether Candidate A would be a success on this project, do enough to get by or be a total failure. With Candidate A would be a success on this project, do enough to get by or be a total failure. With Candidate A’s skill profile, he or she needs to be in a situation that has variety and does not require a long-term view. Candidate a would make an ideal emergency room worker, because he or she would be able to think quickly, set immediate goals and make rapid decisions. The lack of time management skills and self-restraint may not be a disadvantage in some situations, but it may have major potential problems for the project. By looking for a good fit between the skills of the people applying and the needs of the project, you can make some reasonable predictions about future performance.
Avoid mismatches: By taking a rigorous and systematic approach to project assignments in this way, you will hopefully avoid situations where people “just don’t work out.” This is what happens when a great salesperson gets promoted to sales management and fails dismally. Selling typically requires strong skills in flexibility, achieving goals and emotion control. Managing a sales team, on the other hand, most often requires strengths in planning and prioritization, organization, time management and observation. For a person to successfully make this transition, they must already possess some of these other executive skills. If they have weaknesses in any of the management skills, there will be problems.
Small companies make better matches: Generally speaking, the smaller the company, the better the matches, because matching the needs of the job with the strengths of the people is much more obvious. If improvements are made to better match the people involved with the needs of the job or project at hand, productivity generally increases. Workers will be spending more time in areas they are naturally good at and less on tasks they find to be a real effort. This also leads to happier employees who will usually be more productive. They will also stay with you longer, because they like their jobs and feel good about what they’re doing.
The Key to Matching People to Jobs
So what are the keys to finding the right match between projects and people? The most obvious ones would be:
If you need to hire or promote, pause and clearly articulate the requirements of the job: before you start looking at specific people. Establish clearly in your mind what two or three skills will be needed to excel. At least that way that you can avoid obvious mismatches right from the outset.
Decide whether you need to bring in someone from outside: or whether you would be better off moving in someone who has already shown their skills in a different situation or position.
Interview people to find their strongest executive skills: all the time bearing in mind that it will usually be easier to identify their weaknesses. Get a balanced perspective that takes into account both weaknesses and strengths. This should give you an indicator of whether or not they will be a good fit.
Keep in mind that job requirements change over time: and just because someone is a very good fit at first, don’t assume they will remain that way indefinitely. Not only do job requirements change, but so too will the executive skills of the people involved. Sooner or later, either the person will need to be moved to another position or the growing misalignment will need to be handled some other way. Be aware of this and be prepared to deal with it proactively rather than holding off and hoping things improve on their own.
Next Page »
