Not Being Pushy Shouldn't Equal Not Selling

Once again, misconceptions about selling rear their ugly heads.

It's so fixed in the minds of many that selling equals "pushy" that many people who must sell aren't selling at all. They present their product. They'll tell you what's great about it. Maybe even ask you a question or two but leave it up to you, the prospective customer to take the lead. If the customer has no questions, makes no move to buy, then it's over. Sure, some of them will decide to buy later on, but all this technique does is leave money on the table.


Now I'm not going to advocate "pushy". It really doesn't work effectively as a long term strategy. Perhaps if you are working with a product that people will only need once, you could pull it off. However, if you're hoping for them to buy again - or give you referrals - pushy isn't your best choice.


Going in the opposite direction, isn't effective either. The goal should be to discover needs and concerns through careful questions and listening - discussing the pros and cons. If there are more pros than cons suggest the product/service as the solution.


But here's the kicker. To do this right and to be effective, you've got to practice. You need to know how to do this right. Not just a few meetings with your manager or (and this is really bad) being handed a binder or a pdf file and told to learn it.


You need to practice, you need to DO.


Only that will bring you the confidence, the results and the happy, satisfied customers who do not think you are pushy!




KRG Communications Group: we help you bridge the gap between knowing and doing. (www.krgcommunications.com) How can we help you?

Characteristics of Great Closed Ended Questions

Closed-ended questions serve a unique purpose in conversations. Done correctly, they require narrow answers to a specific inquiry.  The answers to these questions are typically "yes"-"no" or some other very brief answer.  Questions (or probes) of this nature perform the following functions:  

• They allow specific facts to be obtained.
• They are simple to answer. The buyers only need answer one question.     
• They are useful in a feedback process when the salesperson desires to check the communication accuracy.
• They can be used to reinforce positive statements.
• They can be used to direct the conversation to a desired topic or concern.
• They usually start with the following words: is, are, can, do,  would, could, should, may.

So, close-ended questions narrow your focus and open-ended questions broaden it.  Although sales and service training and coaching often spends much time focusing on open-ended questions, we should remember that close-ended questions also serve an important function in our efforts.

Characteristics of Great Open Ended Questions

Questioning take on two basic forms: OPEN-ENDED and CLOSED-ENDED. Let's start our discussion with open-ended questions. 

Open-ended questions are phrased in such a way as to draw out a wide range of responses on a broad topic. They attempt to involve the buyer in conversation by asking for opinions about a topic. They allow the sales or service personal to generate information that will help close the sale or suggestion the appropriate solution.

Open ended questions usually have the following characteristics:

• They cannot be answered by a simple "yes" or "no". 
• They usually begin with the following words: who, how, why, when, which, where.
• They do not lead the buyer in a specific direction.
• They increase dialogue by drawing out the buyer's needs and feelings.
• They encourage the buyer to elaborate on objectives, needs, wants and problems.
• They can be used to stimulate the buyer into thinking about your ideas and products.

Overcoming False Objections (part 1)

Overcoming objections is a way of life for a sales person. Many companies will provide their people with scripted responses to common objections... and that can be a good thing. When starting at a new firm, it's neither in yours or the company's best interests for you to re-invent the wheel. If someone else has already come up with a great way to handle objections, you should use it.


Recently I found myself being recruited for an MLM opportunity and listening to the manager try to sell me on the opportunity reminded me of selling skills theory. Remember, we must take all objections seriously but keep in mind that not all of them have any real value. Here are some examples:

My assistant is set in her ways. It would be just too much of a fight to get her to ______ (fill in your product/solution).

My husband won't let me do it.

I need to talk to my boss about it.


In all of these we need to make sure that these are 1) real objections and 2) we don't belittle a decision making process (1st two examples). Often people come up what with handy all-purpose responses designed to get the sales person to back off. The response may have nothing to do with why they are really objecting.

Faulting People for Behaving Like Humans

Have you ever sat down and thought about how often you judge others? You judge them for their behaviors…their ideas, their lifestyles, their choices. Sometimes you judge lightly. Other times- if you are honest with yourself – it may be downright nasty. Often you are making judgments about people you don’t even know personally. Or if you do, you assume that everyone else in the same situation has the same motivations or will make the same choices.

In 2014, let’s stop assuming. Let’s stop assuming that when someone thinks differently than ourselves they are dead wrong or worse. Let’s stop assuming – let’s stop assigning guilt. Instead, let’s take the time to learn. Learn about their motivations, their needs, their thoughts. Approach each person as the individual they are. Don’t lump people into a group. Take the time to accept each other for the good, bad and everything else that goes along with being human.

Accept people. Understand them – that doesn't mean you agree – but understand where they are coming from. Perhaps, if we can stop talking (and in some cases yelling) AT each other and start talking TO and WITH each other, you might find that you have more in common with others than you think. You may also find yourselves counting your blessings and thinking “There but for the grace of God, go I”.

Stop judging. Start listening. Use your ability to empathize with others to gain new insights. Ask questions and don’t shut your mind as soon as you hear something you don’t like. Give it your full attention.

The ability to see other’s points of view, to create bridges of understanding will only bring good things to you.

In 2014, my intention is to facilitate this where ever possible and to remember to practice what I preach.

Happy New Year!

Dealing with Difficult People - a Few Notes

Here are some quick thoughts about dealing with people who we don't always see eye to eye with. Many of the instances where we deal with difficult people come about due to a combination of the situation and the behavior styles of the individuals involved.

Here's a few points to keep in mind:
- Many difficult situations between people are exacerbated due to a mis-match of communication
- You can't change others - only yourself
- Take your cue from others - learn to react to get what you want
In order to achieve our goals we need a mechanism to work through our differences. A technique I call Diffuse/Disarm is a great way to begin.

You can Diffuse/Disarm in 4 steps:

Diffuse

Listen

• Be objective
• Actively listen

Acknowledge

• The act of making sure what they said is what your heard
• Confirm that you understand the situation

Question

• Find out additional information or roadblocks
• Use open ended questions

Disarm
Respond

• A practical solution that satisfies the needs of both parties

Using these steps will make your communication process smoother, help people feel comfortable and cared for, and help you achieve your service objectives.

Common Sales Objections: Real or False?

No matter what you sell, there are certain objections that will always follow you. Being prepared to handle them will help you to increase your success in sales.

• No Time
• No Money
• No Interest
• No Budget
• No Need

Each of these objections look like deal breakers. However, if they are properly handled, they give you the opportunity to not only get the sale but to gain valuable insight regarding your customer.


Often these “universal” objections are simply your prospect’s way of getting you off the phone or out of their office. By giving you what seems to be an insurmountable reason for not doing business, they figure that they’ve found an easy way out of the conversation.

So, how to tell whether you’ve been given a real or false objection? Ask questions. You want to get people speaking to you in order to learn more about their situation. For example, budget may indeed be an issue. Find out why. Is your product or service in an area that would normally be budgeted for? Would there be money for it in the next budget? How important is your solution to the customer in relation to other items needing to be budgeted for? Remember, your competition isn’t necessarily another firm offering what you do. Competition can simply be for the dollars available to be spent.


You can use the same technique for no money and no interest. Learn enough to determine the real barriers. They may be the original objection, but maybe not. A false objection evaporates with a good questioning sequence. No interest may be due to time constraints, lack of funds or even a misunderstanding of your product or service. No time can be resolved rather easily: determine if it is a lack of interest in the product or a true lack of time.


Once you have a greater understanding of their situation, you can tailor your responses to that. Targeted responses have a better chance of positive responses. If you are attempting to overcome a “false” objection, you won’t get the sale because you aren’t responding to the real needs and concerns.


Always be prepared to answer both the false and real objections. Respond to the false by helping to determine the real objection. Respond to the real objection with the responses – the advantages and benefits – you have previously prepared.

No matter what you sell, you’ll always hear these common objections. Understand that, prepare for them, and watch your results take off.

Prepare for that Call: Success Tips for Telesales and Service

Why do some people always seem poised, confident and ready for everything? Preparation.


Whenever you need to speak with someone, whether in person or through a telephone conversation, it's always a good idea to plan and rehearse beforehand. This is particularly true for sales people and customer service personnel, but is equally important to anyone who needs to achieve an objective or goal.


Many people are uncomfortable with the level of preparation needed to be successful in sales and service positions. For example, it's a good idea to think through all the opposition or even simple concerns that the other party may have. This allows you think up potential responses in advance and rehearse them. Done properly, you won't seem canned. You will however, appear (and are!) prepared. This shows the other party that you care enough about the result to put the effort into planning your conversation. Very few people wing it. Don't feel you need to be one of them.


Few things are decided in one call. Certain actions may require more thought than others. Achieving goals can take several conversations. In sales, it's been said that the fortune is in the follow up. Often the difference between success and failure is the ability to follow up appropriately. Inappropriate follow up falls into two camps: those that don't follow up at all and those that go overboard and follow up too much. You don't want to disappear into the woodwork but neither do you want to find yourself on a list of potential stalkers.


How do you find balance between these two extremes? Take your cues from your customer or prospect. Don't end the call without getting a follow up commitment. Let them know when you'd like to follow up. Listen to their response carefully. If you hear hesitation, ask them about it. "John, I'm sensing some hesitation, is that a bad time to call back or is there something we haven't covered that you're concerned about". Listen again but not just to the words. Listen to the voice, the phrasing and the hesitations. Listen to what he's not saying as well as to what he is.


You should also know the answers to these questions: How important is product/service this to them? What do you know about their situations? If you don't know the answers, ask. And, if you're playing phone tag, continue to call, if your calls are being returned. It's when they're not returned that you want to re-examine the situation.


In sales or service environments, avoid the use of email as a communications short cut unless necessary. As a communication device, it falls short. Email is great for exchanging information but if you want to resolve an issue or discuss a concern, nothing is more effective than a "real time" conversation.


Preparation is an ongoing activity during a call or conversation. Everything you are hearing from the other party helps you to prepare for the next step in your communication transaction. Re-connect with the reasons you do things in the first place. If they are no longer valid, re-evaluate. It may be time for some changes.

Open the Call

Have you taken the time to think about your telephone presentations lately? Many people tell me that possibly the hardest thing to do these days is reach the decision maker. But what happens when you do reach them? Have you created an opening that makes people want to listen to you and become active participants in the conversation? All too often when I look at prepared scripts, I notice sentences that might look well in a direct mail piece but will either get you shot down quickly or simply won't engage your prospective customer.

Here's two examples: openings that tout money savings or a saving of time and effort. It may very well be the case, but everyone says their product either 1) saves you money, 2) saves you time or 3) makes your efforts more efficient thereby also giving you savings from 1 and 2 as well. Seriously, everyone says it. Doing this actually makes it easier for a decision maker to tune you out - because you're not different from anyone else who calls - and they'll try to get off the phone as quickly as possible.

Let's think about a better way. Why not simply introduce yourself and your company name, make a quick one sentence statement about what your product is, and then ask some questions. Take the opportunity to learn more about your potential customers. In fact, one of the things you might find is that this decision maker is not a potential customer. Isn't better to find that out up front? Isn't it better to learn who you should be talking to or know that currently your products/services are not a good match for a particular organization?

Sit down and review your opening. Make it natural sounding. Avoid tired and hackneyed phrases. Take the time, instead, to become genuinely interested in your prospect. You'll be far happier with the results.

Quick Tips for Effective Telephone Communications

Here's a few quick tips for effective telephone communications.

Voice Mail

A voice mail message should follow this format:

Name, Company name, interest statement, close say number, repeat number

Remember:

Always use your first and last names

Use area codes

Message should be brief

Message should give reason to call back

Make message an opportunity for a 30 second commercial

Effectively Reach a Decision Maker

Getting Voice Mail

Give people a reason to call back

Screener

Develop a relationship with screener

Use screener to qualify prospect

Remember: Screener many have decision power

Time of Day

Always easiest to reach either early in morning or late in the day

Avoid Phone Spam

Don't leave constant voice mail messages that aren't returned

Don't call more than once a week (unless otherwise requested)

Do be respectful and polite, regardless of reception by decision makers or screeners

Listening

Learn to Listen

Be aware of listening patterns

Listen actively

Listen objectively

Don't be afraid of silence

Rely less on non-verbal cues

Over 1/2 of all communication skills are non-verbal

Asks Questions to Generate Information and Shift the Conversation

Generates Information

Open ended Questions 

Can be used for general information or specifics

Open ended Questions start with these words: Who, what, where, why, when, which, how

Close-ended Questions

Can be used to verify

Closed-ended Questions may start with: Is, Are, May, Can, Do, Would, Could, Should

Controls the conversation

Begin with the end in mind

Create a prepared sequence of questions

Have alternate questions ready

Conversations can go in many directions

Asking Questions Will:

Allow people to talk to you

Create engaged individuals

Give them the opportunity to "buy into" your conversation

Assumptions

When you assume something, you make an *** out of you and me.

It’s quite the popular saying. I think it’s safe to say that many of our miscues and miscommunication with both customers and colleagues come about due to assumptions we’ve made. 

Customer service personnel often make assumptions based on what they’ve heard before not what you need. Sales people make assumptions based on who they think you are and how you fit into their profile. When I was in my early 20’s, I took my father along when I went to purchase a new car. After doing my research, I had narrowed my options down to two.  The salesman, seeing a young girl with her Dad, assumed I’d be interested in the more sporty features of the car. Well, he assumed wrong and didn’t make the sale.

It can be too easy to assume that we know what the customer wants. We use responses based on what has worked for us before. However, have you ever found that some responses work sometimes and not others? It's usually because we assumed the customer's thought process or even situation. We've provided answers based on faulty information.

We can save ourselves much time and anxiety by not falling into the trap of making assumptions. Although many people will react certain ways and certain situations, it’s always best to verify.

Learning more about the motivations of the people we deal with help us to become more in tune with them. Our suggestions are on target, our solutions meet their needs. Why? Because we didn’t assume.

Don’t be afraid to learn more. People are often flattered that you are interested. Using open ended questions you can generate additional information. Use a phrase such as "Tell me more..." to gently prod people into giving you more details and insights. Asking questions to clarify never puts you at a disadvantage.

(…. Well, OK, if you’ve asked the same question over and over, people will start avoiding you. J)

Knowing the motivations of others allows us to formulate plans and responses based on what is as opposed to what we want them to be. It makes a big difference.

Stop communication miscues. Ask questions to verify and to learn more. Ask questions to show you are actually interested in their needs. This works well in sales or service situations but is also quite handy in dealing with co-workers, bosses, friends and family.

Avoid making assumptions. Don’t let them make, well you know….

Get Prosects Talking to You

To be successful in sales, your prospects must find a need, a want or a benefit to doing business with you.  When we communicate by telephone we must grab their attention quickly in order for us to discover their wants and needs.  Creating a statement that helps hold their attenition is the first step.

In order to create interest, we must step out of who we are and take on the mind-set of our prospects. Based on past interactions with prospects, what have you found to be major hot spots for them? This is what you lead with.

Make a list of the three most important wants or needs your customers have. Base this on what they've told you - not what you think it is or should be. A mistake many people in business make is falling in love with their products. They feel they know what the marketplace wants. However, often the marketplace buys our products for different reasons than we think. Discovering these reasons makes it easier for you to sell to more prospects.

Once you've made your list of wants or needs, rank them. When speaking on the phone or even writing an email, you need to grab people's interest quickly - and quickly means about 10 seconds or so. 

Next write 3 statements based on your list. You'll want 3 because you may find you need to follow up your initial statement. Your statements should be worded positively. Try to write them as conversationally as possible. Now, I know your middle school Language Arts teacher may not approve, but we need to remember that spoken and written speech is differenct. Think about how you speak and write that down.

Finally once you have written your statements, create a cooresponding open ended question to be asked. This question should follow your statement immediately. It's purpose is to get the prospect involved in your conversation. For example:  "We've found that many inside sales reps are often reclutant to prospect because they are not sure how to close. What's your experience with that?"Notice I've used a "need" statement followed by a question starting with "what". Open ended questions always start with who,what, where, when, why, which, how. Using these words will help you get information and get the prospect talking. I've also stayed away from a question that's judgemental. We're trying to get their attention and get them involved in the conversation.

What do you think?  How do you get attention and get your prospects talking to you?

Questions Make an Easier Sale

It goes by many names: exploring, probing, questioning. The ability to ask questions in an appropriate manner is an important interpersonal skill. It can help speed up both a sales process as well as help resolve conflict in a customer service situation. However, although it is a much-taught skill, it remains a least-used skill.

Used correctly, questioning techniques yield additional facts that can be utilized to move the conversation forward. It can allow the conversation to be controlled and a well thought out questioning sequence, can allow the questioner to lead the other party in a specific direction.

Comfort questioning: Making it easy
Questioning sequences are an invaluable part of any sales process. So why are so many people reluctant to question? Why after training and role playing sessions to people continue to omit questions or ask poor ones?

For many people asking questions is full of risks: risks that they won’t like the answers given, risks that people will answer evasively or not at all. What we must remember however, is that not asking a question can result in poor or incomplete information. So, how can we make it easier for ourselves?

Types of Questions
Qualifying
-The Decision Maker
-The Prospect's/Customer's Readiness to buy
-Ability to purchase
Researching
-What is important to decision maker
-What else is decision maker considering
-How will the organization’s goals will factor into the decision making process
Rapport Building
-Creates conversation
-Promotes understanding

Generating Information
Open-ended questions
-Can be used for general information or specifics
-Who, what, where, why, when, which, how
Closed-ended questions
-Can be used to verify
-Is, can, may, do, have

Controls the conversation
Begin with the end in mind (Stephen Covey)
-Create a prepared sequence of questions
-Have alternate questions ready

Conversations can go in many directions
Create a “decision tree”

Asking Questions
-Allows people to talk to you (60/40)
-Creates engaged individuals
-Gives them the opportunity to “buy into” your conversation


Asking the right questions at the right time will get you the information you need in order to close more sales, more quickly!