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 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.

Vital to Your Success: The Roles of the Inside Sales Manager

The role of the Inside Sales Manager is a critical function. Unlike many other jobs with the term "manager", an inside sales manager is dependent on others to achieve their goals. They accomplish their goals through others. They are several roles an Inside Sales Manager must play. Among them are:

Developer
A great Inside Sales Manager knows the value of developing their staff. Keeping people at the same level of performance and responsibility is boring for many and ultimately dissatisfying for most. Developers make a point to cultivate the skills and potential of their staff. They take the time to help their staff both individually and collectively obtain the skills they will need to be successful at their jobs. 

Inside Sales Manager knows the value of developing their staff. Keeping people at the same level of performance and responsibility is boring for many and ultimately dissatisfying for most. Develops make a point to develop the skills and potential of their staff. They take the time to help their staff both individually and collectively develop the skills they will need to be successful at their jobs.  A great developer provides formal and informal opportunities for learning and development. They give greater responsibilities were appropriate ty & possibilities for growth

 A great developer provides formal and informal opportunities for learning and development. They give greater responsibilities where appropriate and activity look for possibilities for growth.

Coach
A coach makes sure that each person on their team is working to their potential. Coaching is generally done on a one on one basis. Spends time helping to hone skills then reaps rewards of increased sales just as an athletic coach wins more games.

Coaches take the time to discover what works and doesn't for each individual reporting to him. This is an individualized approach. It requires paying attention to what the rep says on the phone and  what they do not. Observing work habits and not being afraid to say something.

Yes, I've used the work "afraid" Many managers fail at coaching because they are afraid. Perhaps they've not been trained for it. Perhaps they dislike confrontation. There are many reasons manager fall down on the job when it comes to coaching.  Think of it as a sales situation. Map out your goal and the best way to achieve it. Just like each of your prospects and customers are different, so are your sales reps.

Get the best out of them by spending time with each and modifying - individualizing - your approach. 

Don't Close the Sale

You heard me.

Don't close the sale. Instead you should only need to ask for agreement.

When you design your presentation, you want to create a flow of information. Make sure you invite comments and concerns from your potential buyer. The more you know about their needs and concerns, the easier it becomes to match your product to their needs. As you go through your conversation, allow your buyer to see how your product or service matches up with the concerns stated.

I like to do small response checks throughout the conversation. "Does this makes sense?" "Are we on the right track?" These questions are asked after I resolve an objection.. This is not a close, rather an opportunity to check your to keep your conversation on track.

Thinking in terms of asking for agreement, makes it easier for buyers to say “yes” to us. We've learned about their needs and concerns. We've asked questions to find out more. We've responded in ways to show how our product or service matches their needs and concerns. After that, asking question such as “What’s our next step?” gives you the yes or no you need. If you've created the presentation properly, you’ll already know the answer. Don’t close the sale, ask for agreement.

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.

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

Sales Basics Never Go Out of Style

Think you've learned everything there is to know? You've been in sales a while now. You make your quota - or at least, you mostly make it. Your bookshelves are full of books and workbooks from the various workshops and seminars you've attended.  You've figured out what works and what doesn't - or have you?

Sometimes when we do an activity over and over again, it becomes rote. We do it without thinking. We fall into a pattern. We tend to forget that perhaps there are other parts to the processes we've been using. As time passes and techniques we are using become less and less effective, we forget that there was a lot more stuff in those workshops than the 2 or 3 points we started using.

When this happens, it's time to go back to the basics. Time to review the materials we had sworn we were going to look at everyday for inspiration. The most basic concept is the flow of the presentation itself.

There are 4 parts to every sales conversation: the opening, the offer, objections and the close. These parts are like a tight wire that you can hang your other skills on. It all starts here.

The opening gives you an opportunity to introduce yourself and make small talk. You should also include an interest gathering statement.  Try to sound fresh and not hackneyed. If you are conducting business over the telephone, you will need to capture your prospect's/ customer's attention within the first 15 seconds or less. Avoid telling people you can save them time and money. Everyone tells people that. If that's what you do, find a better way to express it. Look for specifics and use them.

Regarding small talk, make sure that you don't try to sound too familiar if you have never met them before. Nothing sets off a prospect's "anti-sales rep radar" faster than a stranger who is being overly friendly. Be nice, be friendly, but remember that you are not their friend.

After the opening, you should move on to the reason for your call. This is the offer - the why of your call. Let the other party know what you can do for them. Let them know why your offer is a good idea. Be able to back up what you say. Although people tend to purchase emotionally, most people do not throw away caution. People need to make sure that the purchase is worthwhile and can be justified.

Do your homework before your call to find out the particulars of your prospect. During your call, do not forget to ask questions to find out more about their situation. Ask low key open ended questions to get people to open up to you. In any sales situation you should find the prospect doing most of the talking. The most important thing for you to do is to listen and follow up where appropriate. Make notes while you are doing so. This will help you begin to formulate solutions for the next part of your conversation: objections.

After the offer is made, expect objections. People who don't have objections or concerns or need additional information haven't been listening to you. Welcome objections but be ready to handle them. Use your earlier notes and the insights you have gained from your questioning to be able to help the prospect make a decision.

Many sales people think of the presentation process as opening, offer, close and objections. I like to think of objections as the concerns that come up during the offer portion of the process. If you have covered the concerns properly, the close will fall into place seamlessly and easily.  It becomes a natural outgrowth of the presentation.

It's easy to continue along doing what we've been doing until something shakes us up.  Whether a it's a poor economy or new competition, we must remember the basics. 

Overcoming the False Objection

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.

For many sales people, the abilty to discern between a real and a false objection will make the difference between making your sales quota easily or working much harder than you have to in order to make your numbers. The best way to do this is to recognize that you must take all objections seriously but remember 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.   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.

 In order to effectively handle these objections, break down your response into parts. First, treat the objection as if it were real. This means that you will listen, paraphrase and clarify the objection. For example, the woman who needs her husband's approval can be casually asked why he doesn't want you to do this.  "I respect that. Tell me, Sarah why would James prefer you not get involved with/ purchase this product/service?" This gives you the opportunity to learn more. Follow up as necessary.

Your gentle questioning should yield you enough information to make your case more effective if this isn't a "real" objection. Never be flip or cast aspersions on the decision making process. "Oh come on, you mean you can't make up your own mind about these things? Sometimes you just have to override him." In the case of the boss not wanting to upset his assistant, you wouldn't want to say "You're the boss. Who's in charge here?" (and yes, I've heard these responses). You would say "I understand. It can be uncomfortable changing our routines. What could make her more comfortable about this process?" 

When someone needs to talk to the boss about it, find out if you can present to the boss. Don't be surprised if the answer is no. This can be a sign of a false objection. Regardless, treat the objection at face value. Find out what is important to the "boss". Make your contact as comfortable as possible. "Knowing your boss as well as you do, where do you think his concerns will be?"

Generally speaking a false objection falls under its own weight. Do not call them on it.  Always let a person save face. If you back them into a corner, if you make them feel uncomfortable - if they feel you have disparaged their situation in any way, your buyer will simply stonewall you. Don't let that happen.  People's responses should always be treated with respect and dignity.  Clarify concerns and explore their situations.  Regardless of the objection, make your buyer feel at ease with you. Overcoming objections can be challenging at times but it's always instructional and it always an opportunity to learn more about an individual's needs and motivations.  In the end, it's simply understanding human behavior.

Resistance Training

What was the quickest rejection you ever got? 2 minutes into your call? 1 minute? 15 seconds?

Resistance comes in many forms in sales. Buyers may resist from the beginning of the presentation to the very end. And yet by using some simple steps we can reduce this resistance to increase our sales performance.

Many people make sure their gym workouts and exercise regimes include using resistance training. It's good for you. Encountering resistance during the sales process can also be good for you. It lets you work your sales muscles, enabling you to become a stronger sales person.  Too much resistance may not help you achieve your goals, though. Plan for resistance in advance and you can help eliminate or reduce it.  Create a planned presentation that takes into account, step by step, all concerns and objectives your prospects may have. Look at every point in the sales process. Examine them and look for ways to make it easy for a prospect to say "yes" to you. Here, then, are 12 steps to decrease resistance and increase sales:

Sound confident

Your voice gives you away.

Rehearse names beforehand

Nothing says I don't know you faster than a fumbled name.

Do your homework

The number one complaint buyers have about sales people is that they don't know enough about the targeted buyer or even their own products

  

Phase your words positively.

There's a big difference between saying "If you order an additional 25 I can drop the price to ___" and "You don't need another 25, do you?"

   

Listen

People will tell you everything and more if you let them.

Ask questions to discern needs

 Use open ended questions to generate information. Open ended questions start with words like who, what, where, when, which, why, and how.  Use closed ended questions when you need to get "yes" or "no". Closed ended questions start with word such as: is, are, can, may, have, and do.

  

Listen

Go back and re-read it what I wrote two steps back. It's that important

Propose solutions based on buyer needs

If you've listened, this should be easy. If it's not easy, there may not be a good fit between your product and your prospect. If you're looking for a long term relationship, sell only to needs. You'll make more sales in the long run.

 Listen some more

I see a pattern here. Remember, the seller should always talk less than 50% of the conversation.

Ask for agreement

Don't forget to ask for the order. When you ask for agreement, the "yes" from the buyer closes your sale. A "no" says you've more work to do.

  

Follow up

You'll close as many sales on the 8th try as on the 1st.

A positive attitude

If you think you can, you will. It's a simple tool but it works.

If you think in terms of decreasing resistance, if you build it right into your presentation, you'll find it easier to get "yes's". You increase your sales when you decrease resistance.