Selling to the Busy Executive: Q4 Quick Tips

It’s not too late! You still have the opportunity to land valuable face-time – or perhaps call-time – with targeted C-level execs by the end of the year.

Let’s take a look at some keys for effectively selling to the busy executive.

Grab their attention with something of value.

You have to earn the right to ask all the wonderful questions you have prepared to determine their needs—why should this busy executive take precious time to feed you with information? Your opening statement needs to have something of such compelling value that they cannot ignore it.

You need to stand out from the rest. Busy executives are used to salespeople vying for their attention and preaching about “value” so you need to have something that is uniquely and specifically of value for this particular executive. That means…

Prepare.

Before you even think about approaching your busy decision maker, read up on their business, their industry, and their products. Know what issues they face daily, monthly, annually. Know who their competitors are. Find out as much as you can through careful research. Once you have something of substantial value, then you can ask for the first meeting or sales call.

Build a powerful first sales meeting or sales call.

You want them to take your follow-up calls and meet with you again, so the first meeting must impress. Build rapport quickly by coming across as confident, knowledgeable, prepared, and attentive. Make good eye contact, use your body language, and listen carefully. Treat the busy executive as a real person not a stereotype.

Be clear and concise, not wordy and esoteric. Before you meet, practice talking about your executive’s particular business, industry, products, and issues so that you get the language into your head, and so that you learn to get to the point.

Script intelligent questions customized to your particular client’s business, industry, and products. Don’t rely on your stock questions—they will sound too general. Don’t bore them or make them work either—your questions should be compelling enough that they want to answer and clear enough that they understand connections you’re trying to make for them. Show interest in their business goals and objectives. Use your intelligent questions to probe.

Show them the results first.

When it comes time to presenting your solution remember the busy executive cares about the results that your product/solution/plan will produce, not a description of features or competitive advantages (save that for later when your client brings up the competition.) Show them what your solution will do for their business in as specific terms as possible—use numbers to quantify the results when you can.

Become a trusted advisor.

You have spent a lot of time and energy preparing for this business executive. Foster a long-term business relationship where you become a valuable resource the executive can rely on for information and perspectives relating to your product/service.

Expand your role beyond that of a salesperson. Follow up with your new executive customer after the sale and refresh the contact regularly and intelligently (see all of the above). Your busy executive may provide opportunities for cross-selling and up-selling and he or she probably knows other busy executives for referrals.

That’s it – the clock is ticking and it starts…now! Once you get these tactics down you’ll be able to hit the ground running in 2014.

Q4 Quick Tips – Review Your Sales Rapport Skills

If you had to rate your own personal effort at building sales rapport or creating connections with customers over the past year, how would you fare?

The ability to build rapport is one of those skills that we as sales professionals tend to take for granted. You might think, I’m likeable or I’m a funny guy – and consider it a given that your customers pick up on these traits – and further – that they appreciate them and figure them into their purchasing decisions.

However, the key to building rapport is two-sided. Spoiler alert: it’s not all about YOU. We all hate to hear that, but perhaps no one quite as much as your customer. They want it to be about THEM.

Here are some refresher tips on creating connections (that you can focus on developing now and take into the new year).

Know your stuff – it exudes intelligence.

Research shows that people value intelligence over other factors like beauty, age, and wealth when choosing friends and partners. Demonstrate intelligence by knowing your company, your products, your competition, your industry, and the business world in general. Read a lot, about everything. And not so you can rattle off facts or statistics, but because you’ll feel more comfortable and confident.

Use empathy – it shows kindness.

When you hear an objection, always begin your response with an empathetic statement such as “I understand…” or “I certainly see how…” And sound genuine, like you mean it.

Don’t lie – it’ll only come back to bite you later.

Don’t say your product or service will do something it can’t. Focus on what your product or service does do. Don’t tell the gatekeeper that your cold call isn’t a sales call when asked “Is this a sales call?” instead say, “Yes it is” and insist upon the importance of speaking to the decision maker. Because what you do is important.

Use body language – yes, even over the phone.

While the majority of information communicated is gathered through visual cues, it doesn’t mean people can’t sense the passion and belief in your voice. Your body language is so ingrained into how well you speak, that you must continue to use it even when it can’t be seen. So stand up to sound confident. Use your hands when you talk. Smile. All of the same things you would do if the person on the phone were sitting in front of you.

Pay attention – be a good listener.

Good listening skills communicate that you care about what the other person is saying. The best way to make people interested in you is to show interest in them. (Hence, the aforementioned spoiler alert.) This is crucial to maintaining rapport as the sales interaction evolves. If you ask a question, listen to the response rather than plan your next statement. Paraphrase your customer’s message to communicate that you hear and understand them. Use their keywords.

Refine your sound – especially when selling over the phone.

The actual sound of your voice can be a big turn-on or a big turn-off. You can communicate a good deal of confidence, intelligence, kindness and warmth through the tone of your voice. When you do, it can be magnetic. Practice your presentation aloud. And when you’re a consumer yourself, experiment with how the sound of your voice makes people respond differently.

Be positive – believe in what you do.

Do not allow negativity from anywhere to sneak in and steal your thunder. Yes, be realistic, especially when evaluating your performance with solid data, but view good criticism and feedback as just another opportunity for you to improve. And pass it along by being a resource of positive thinking for others.

To see rapport-building in action…if you appreciated this article, let us know! It can be the start of a beautiful friendship.

Q4 Quick Tips – Sales Coaching Wrap Up

Like we pointed out in last week’s blog on helping the sales team finish the year strong, Q4 is not the time to sit back and rest on your laurels. In fact, from a sales manager’s point of view, this is a prime time to dive deep into those sales coaching initiatives – especially if you’ve been putting them off all year.

For example:

  • Was there one-on-one time you promised your sales associates but never actually delivered?
  • What about individual and team goal setting, and creating actionable points to achieve those goals…did you ever dedicate the time?
  • If you did set individual or team goals, did you forget to schedule a follow-up meeting to hold individuals accountable? (Hint: If you don’t follow through, it tends to have a trickle down effect and your team could take you and your initiatives less seriously.)

Regardless of how well you have or haven’t done on the coaching front all year until this point, take this opportunity to hit the reset button and start fresh. Take actionable steps now to prepare your team for next year, so that everyone can hit the ground running in 2014.

Step 1

Spend some time studying metrics for the first three quarters – what did your team do well, and in what areas could they stand to improve? Make notes of desired team improvement goals.

Once you’ve made those observations, drill deeper to determine which individuals made the most impact on those results – good, bad or indifferent. Make a list of the “indifferent” ones. Focus on those first.

Step 2

Schedule one-on-one time with the indifferent, or middle performers. These associates typically make up about 60 percent of your sales team and it is with this group that your coaching efforts will have the most impact. Even a small improvement within this group could net big bottom line results.

This is not to say you should neglect the top or lower level performers; they should be included in your year-end assessment as well. Just start in the middle and work your way through meeting with the rest of the team. And when we say schedule meetings, we mean put a specific time on the calendar – an informal “Hey, let’s meet next week” is a surefire way to guarantee that it doesn’t happen.

Step 3

Thoroughly prepare yourself for each one-on-one meeting. You should be armed with proof points including key metrics and measurable data to validate your coaching. The better prepared you are, the higher quality your session will be – and the more your sales rep will glean.

But don’t leave it there. End the meeting with clearly defined action steps. Provide strategies and tactics they can practice now and confidently implement in the new year. Jointly agree on and confirm your expectations. Schedule a follow-up meeting.

Step 4

Follow through and make the follow-up meeting happen! Improvement and change don’t happen without reinforcement. This will help you measure the effectiveness of your efforts.

Step 5

Plan a team meeting and outline the overall team goals you noted in Step 1. Also, make everyone aware of the fact that each individual now has things to work on and improve before the new year starts. This levels the playing field and spreads the accountability over the team.

Most of all, this will help you set the tone for a successful 2014. Now is the time to turn over that new leaf, putting yourself in position to carry those coaching initiatives into the new year.

Suggestive Selling Debate: Where Do You Stand?

Suggestive selling is one of those touchy terms that tends to evoke an immediate reaction, and, depending on where you stand, that reaction is positive or negative…not often in-between. Suggestive selling is essentially the more softly spoken side of its sisters, upselling and cross selling, but the connotation is often different.

Why?

Let’s start with those organizations that encourage suggestive selling. Since suggestive selling most often happens at the point of sale, the train of thought, essentially, is why not? You’ve already got the main sale locked down so why not increase revenue further by suggesting something else – perhaps an add-on of some sort.

Then there are those organizations that view suggestive selling in a negative light. The train of thought here is why risk turning off a customer at this point? You’ve made the sale; you’re happy, they’re happy – don’t mess that up by bombarding them with another suggestion of something they may not want or need.

And that last point is where we would disagree, therefore falling somewhere in the middle of the debate.

Enter Need-Based Selling

Like many discussions we have, this one leads right back to Need-Based Selling. When the practice of suggestive selling is based on, or validated by, a legitimate customer need it can not only be effective but also enhance the customer’s experience.

We’ve all been on a call with our bank or credit card company where once our initial problem has been solved or question answered, the salesperson persists and offers another arbitrary service or two before they’ll end the call. This is annoying and off-putting to many people.

But think about the times where they have asked questions to discover your actual needs or pain points, and then made suggestions congruent with that knowledge. How much more likely are you to accept their offer or at the very least continue listening?

The Art of Identifying the Need

Suggestive selling requires a certain degree of tact and skill on the part of the sales professional. Part of the reason the practice has a bad rap is due to those who do it incorrectly. The practice is much simpler than most organizations think. It comes down to the following: customer observation, asking questions to create dialogue, and listening.

If a suggestion is not made in a tactful manner, it can turn a customer off in an instant. But if a suggestion comes after careful observation and is based on a need revealed through thoughtful questions and active listening, it can be a welcomed gesture for the customer and slam dunk for the sales professional.

Shifting Away from Transactional Sales: 3 Ways

As a sales professional you’ve likely observed that today’s customer is more informed and educated than ever before. However, in spite of this trend, we disagree with those who speculate that consultative selling is dying – or perhaps dead already.

In other words, just because your customer may have more insight into your product or company before an interaction occurs, it doesn’t mean the role of your sales team should be reduced to a talking credit card machine.

At Janek, we believe Need-Based Selling™ or, consultative selling, and the ability to create not just one-time sales but ongoing relationships is as relevant now as it ever was. In our opinion, sales forces should be continually working to make the shift away from transactional sales. And there is a reason we say continually, as making a true shift in selling mentality takes time – you have to walk before you can run.

We suggest starting your shift by making baby steps, like the three below.

1. Consider your current sales process.

Take a look at your current sales process and determine whether or not it supports a Need-Based Selling approach. Read: You do have a formalized sales process, don’t you?

Back to your process. Are there tweaks that can be made to allow sales people more freedom? The freedom to have real conversations and not just make sales pitches? The ability to gauge whether the customer is a good fit instead of forcing the close? What about instead of quickly countering objections, actually taking the time to discover the root cause behind them?

Identify areas and opportunities where your sales team can begin to be viewed and valued as trusted advisors instead of pressure-inducing quota makers.

2. Rethink your selling methodology.

Once you determine areas where Need-Based Selling can be injected into your sales process, determine how it will be integrated, and retrain your sales team accordingly. A proper selling methodology, meaning the uniform way that your sales force operates – from the necessary mentality to the proper language to the end goal – it is imperative for everyone to be on the same page.

Making changes to your sales process is just half the battle. If you don’t change the methodology to match, you won’t achieve the desired shift or the desired result.

3. Honestly assess your people.

This is an important piece; and we consider it a baby step only because this has to be done before you go any further. Think about the fact that your sales force has likely been trained one way for quite some time. Transactional sales tactics may be all that they know – or worse – all that they are willing to know.

And this is where it’s important to assess who can or is willing to accept the shift toward Need-Based Selling. Not being happy about it and not being capable of doing it are two different things. It’s up to you and your sales managers to perform accurate assessments for each individual. Those who want to, will find a way to adjust and adapt. Besides, aren’t those the type of people you want on your team anyway?

The shift away from transactional sales can be slow going, but it could mean deeper, more productive customer relationships, which could eventually translate to more profits. Better late than never, right?

Sales Consulting: 4 Ways to Choose Wisely

So you’ve decided to look for – and potentially hire – outside sales consulting. This is a decision we would applaud (and not just for obvious reasons). In fact, we feel that it’s critical to get an impartial assessment of your overall sales strategy, sales process, and all of the areas and factors that fall beneath each one.

But once you’ve determined that your company needs sales consulting, then the real decision making begins. Decisions such as: Will you hire an individual or a consultancy? What’s your timeframe? Do you have a set budget? And perhaps most importantly, what do you hope to accomplish?

Here are four things to keep in mind to ensure you enlist a sales consultant that best fits your needs.

1. Determine where your opportunities lie.

Start by considering your current end-to-end sales strategy. It helps to break it down into separate, defined categories, similar to the following:

  • Business development
  • Lead allocation
  • Lead management
  • Sales hierarchy
  • Commission/compensation
  • Skillset of sales reps and sales managers
  • CRM tools

In which of these areas are you noticing a breakdown? What can be done more efficiently or effectively? Even if your entire process needs improvement, you’re bound to be weaker in certain areas. Once you’ve determined what you’d like to focus on, start your consultant search by looking for those who specialize in your area of need. Many sales consultants have a specific expertise.

2. Don’t put too much emphasis on industry expertise.

Unlike with skills expertise, it doesn’t always pay to stick to consultants who specialize in your specific industry e.g., automotive sales. You likely already have a strategy or process that relates directly to your vertical and, well, it’s not producing the results you want.

To really shake things up and see significant change (and improvement), you need to think outside the box. This is not to say you should avoid consultants with experience in your industry; just look to see that they have other experience as well. This is one clear advantage to using a consultancy rather than an individual, as consultancies often possess experience across a broad range of industries thus giving them a unique perspective to bring to the table.

3. Consider how well you connect with a consultant.

Assuming that you’ll talk with a handful of sales consultants before making a decision, take the opportunity to test your chemistry with each of them. Remember, a consultant is likely someone that you’ll be having multiple conversations with, often times face to face.

The relationship should be a collaborative one – one that’s comfortable yet provides enough tension for both sides to express honest opinions and jointly push for optimal results.

4. Do your best to nail down a project scope.

And do it at the forefront of the engagement. Consultants of all kinds are stuck with the stigma that their services can turn into a black hole of expense. However, we can tell you from experience, those who are worth their weight should be able to accurately assess the scope (and the cost) of their services up front. Watch out for any type of “ongoing fee” scenario.

Another advantage to having this information up front is that it lets you evaluate your possible sales consultants and accurately compare them against one another.

Need-Based Selling: 3 Ways to Put Customers First

If you’ve read any number of our past blog entries, you’ve likely noticed the emphasis placed on Need-Based Selling™ or, consultative selling as it’s also known in the marketplace. This intended approach is not something that will change any time soon. We feel that the ability to implement Need-Based Selling by putting the customer first lies at the core of every successful sales interaction.

That said, here are three tactics you can implement in keeping the customer’s needs top of mind.

1. Don’t waste your customer’s time!

Today’s consumer is more informed than ever before. Do them a favor and don’t bore them with information they’ve just read on the homepage of your company website. Instead, spend time telling them things they don’t know, which begins to position you as a trusted advisor and a valued source of information.

Dealing with an uninformed customer? Some people will choose not to do their homework and rely on you to explain the nuts and bolts of your product or service. The only way to gauge their level of understanding is by asking questions e.g., Have you visited our website? Have you heard about our new automation feature? From there, you can tailor your approach accordingly, being sure not to talk over their head or risk being repetitive.

2. Address their priorities, not yours.

It doesn’t matter that you have an unfilled quota and two days left in the month. It also doesn’t matter that you have 15 minutes before your weekly lunch date with friends. Those things are your priorities, not your customer’s. Your main priority should be making the sale and that means keeping a laser focus on your customer’s needs.

Ask questions about their situation and find out what may be influencing (perhaps hindering) their decision-making process. How can you help? Maybe timing is a concern of theirs. What can you do to better facilitate from your end?

Take cues from the way they talk to you as well as their non-verbals (if over the phone) such as sighs and long pauses. Don’t create urgency where there isn’t a need; and at the same time don’t belabor your points or benefits if the customer appears to be in a hurry. Remember, it’s about them, not you.

3. Get really good at confirming.

Some sales professionals feel that gaining confirmation can get repetitive. (Again, not about you.) In actuality, the act of confirmation can do wonders to increase a customer’s comfort level with your product or service. It can be a simple, “So if I heard you correctly, your goal is to consolidate your debt and have just one monthly payment. Is that right?” Sure, you may have heard them correctly the first time, but perhaps the customer hears something they’d like to alter before moving forward. If not, they will appreciate the clarification and show of concern from your end.

Confirmation doesn’t need to happen after each and every bit of information you receive, but it should certainly happen multiple times throughout the conversation and most definitely before any decisions are made, or deals closed.

So while it may seem like an unnecessary step from your end, it will go a long way in building trust with your customer. Did you get that last point? Good, we just wanted to confirm.

Strategic Selling Process – Need One?

For many companies, structuring a strategic selling process for conducting sales is an afterthought…when, really, it should be at the forefront of all that you do! A proper selling process enables your company to define, prepare for, quantify, track, and increase sales success.

Otherwise, when left to their own devices, salespeople tend to “wing it,” be mavericks, or sell in their own “unique” ways, which is not only unreliable, it makes it nearly impossible to predict sales, identify areas for improvement, or to make sales behaviors better align with customers’ buying behaviors.

So, what is a process-less company left to do? Below are a few tips on developing your own strategic selling process.

Developing a Strategic Selling Process

1. Start by clarifying your sales philosophy. Different than your company’s mission statement, a sales philosophy is how you see sales or selling in relation to your buyers or customers. A short example would be, “Selling is about identifying the buyer’s needs and customizing a solution to fit those needs with our products/services.” Your sales philosophy will be your constant guide in developing, implementing, and revising your sales process.

2. Identify customer profiles. Who is your ideal customer? Who is the typical customer in your existing customer base? What kinds of customers in your existing customer base tend to have the most problems or complaints? What kind of customer needs your products/services? Your CRM system, if you have one in place, is a good source for this information.

3. Describe your most effective sales behaviors. Based upon your customer profile, you need to determine:

  • What your customers need to know, understand, and feel to interact with your salespeople and ultimately purchase
  • What your salespeople need to know, understand, and feel to interact with your potential customers and ask for the business

Do your sales require lots of technical explanation or is interaction minimal? What can stall sales? What keeps the sales process moving forward? What turns customers on and off? If you’re finding that many potential buyers are putting on the brakes when they feel they don’t understand, then perhaps you should structure a sales process that incorporates user-friendly tutorials. If on the other hand, you find buyers back away from sales when they have too much time or information, then try structuring a sales process that remains simple and swift.

4. Develop a model of your sales process. Include a visual aid to map out the behaviors of your sales interactions – a Client Interaction Model. This model should identify milestones to help your salespeople know where they are in the sales process. It should also show how and where the different parts of your sales process fit together. When should your salespeople be asking questions? Where do your salespeople need preparation time? Where do price discussions fit in?

5. Implement the strategic selling process.

Proper implementation is key to the success of your selling process. Here’s a general checklist:

  • Communicate your goals to your salespeople and their support team
  • Define the concepts
  • Explain the steps and timeline of your sales process (using your model)
  • Describe the actions required
  • Create documentation (either hard copy or software system) to track steps and actions
  • Take measurements and evaluate meaningful data
  • Provide opportunities to evaluate and give feedback on performance
  • Solicit feedback from your salespeople

Empower your sales team to succeed in implementing your structured sales process by making the process as clear to perform as possible, by expecting your sales team to follow the process as outlined, and by improving the process with their feedback and hands-on experience.