The Science of Success

Here's a quote that would serve us well to remember:
Success is a science; if you have the conditions, you get the result. Oscar Wilde


I have recently discovered the reality show "Bar Rescue". I've been known to binge watch it on a Sunday evening. Here's something that seems to crop up over and over as reasons for these business being on the verge of failing: the owners had a vision for their business based on their own likes and tastes. Now, if that is in sync with what the marketplace wants, all is well and good. Unfortunately, if that is not what the market wants, it dooms you to failure. 

When we make a business decision regarding product development or service policy, we need to step back and examine what the marketplace - your potential customers want. 

 

Much of being successful is about taking the steps necessary to success. In sales, there are certain actions we can take to help increase our odds of achieving our goals. Even during uncertain times, there are people who succeed when others don't. Usually, those are the people who've taken the time to really examine about qualities and conditions are needed for success. They've taken the time to study the market place, they've looked at the competition. More importantly they've interacted with potential customers and know that those people want. Ask yourself: what are you doing to create the conditions to be successful? 

After all, the phrase shouldn't be Do What You Love and The Money Will Follow. A better phrase to follow would be: Do What The Market Will Pay You For and The Money Will Follow.

Create a Culture for Sales and Service Success

You have within your power the ability to foster positive changes.

In order to succeed in business, you need to create a culture in your organization that reflects this. This is important even if you have a staff of three: me, myself and I. Here are some steps that add up to winning bid!

Communicate optimism
Convey a positive demeanor with everyone you come in contact with. Be friendly and upbeat. Don't dwell on the negatives. You'll only come across as an "energy suck".

Don't blame the competition
No one can steal business from you - you lose it yourself. Find out why.

Identify simple improvements
They're usually the inexpensive ones, the easiest to implement and the ones that can make the biggest difference. Think of the household that saves money on its budget, not by eliminating the big things, but by saving pennies here and there. They add up and are usually small enough to feel painless. Take the same approach with your business.

Grow or Die
Just like a plant, a business that isn't growing is dying. Even in a down economy, brainstorm and strategize to increase your market share. Recessions don't last forever. Be prepared to take advantage of any and all opportunities that come your way.

Communicate, communicate
Communication within your organization is important; so are the communication skills of the front line employee who works directly with the clients/potential clients. There are many things in business we can't control but we can control how we act and react to others. Make sure everyone has the interpersonal tools necessary to effectively sell and service customers as well as the skills to effectively work well with others within the organization.

Never say can't
Remember: Yes, you can!

You become what you think.... Napoleon Hill

Customer Care

It's very easy to become jaded when dealing with your customers day in and day out. Sometimes, we begin to think that everyone is trying to put something over on us or get something for nothing. Sometimes we're so rushed off our feet (or our voices) that we don't care about the disembodied voice on the other end of the phone, or in front of our counter - after all, they're not real, are they? Not like the co-worker sitting next to you each day.


Even though we may only see each customer for a fraction of our time each day, never forget that how we treat the customers will create an image of your organization for them. Will it be a positive or negative one?


Not giving our full attention to our customers, treating them as though they are afterthoughts, will make a customer less likely to do business with you again. Even if a transaction is only a small one, it can impact your business far beyond this single customer. Perhaps they know others who might have need of your services or products? Perhaps they were thinking about doing a lot more business with you and only placed a small order to try you out.


Avoid making assumptions about your customers. Unless you directly ask them about something, you really don't know the answer.


Each customer deserves the very best from us, whether it's first thing in the morning or 2 minutes to closing. Be patient, be caring, be there.

The Telephone Interview to Hire Right - Part 2

Last week we examined some of the issues we need to be aware of during a telephone interview for an inside sales rep. Today, we'll finish the discussion.


If you have offered a telephone number in your job posting for a candidate to call you cold ( and I highly recommend this if you're interviewing for a prospecting position), make sure you get both their first and last names as well as their telephone number including area code. Be sure to ask how they heard of you so you can keep track of where your responses came from for future use. Ask them about their background before you volunteer any more than basic information about your company. Otherwise you risk people telling you what they think you want to hear, as opposed to you finding out what you need to know.

You'll want to get a feel as to the length of a candidate's previous employment. Unless it's a short term assignment you are filling, you probably want to hire people with a track record of staying in one place. People do move from job to job more frequently than in the past. Particularly in the ecomony of the past few years. But watch out for applicants whose history consists of 3 months here, 6 months there, 2 weeks at their current job. Look to see if there is any record of a position lasting a year or more. Question your candidates carefully about the demise of their previous jobs. Yes, sometimes someone just has a run of bad luck with shaky companies. However, these are sales positions we are talking about. No one lets go of a star salesperson, particularly is the business is in trouble.


If you don't have a resume in front of you, next ask for the name of the companies they've worked for. If they don't know (and - honest - this happens!), ask yourself: is this person in a fog or withholding information? If you call them in for an in-person interview, they'll have to fill out a job application asking for this.

Get a feel as to previous income. For example, if you are told $30,000 ask how that was paid: straight salary, straight commission, salary plus commission, etc. This is extremely important information. It will give you clues as to what the applicant is looking for.

If you require special skills of any kind, now is the time to ask.


When you think you may have a viable candidate, you can begin to talk briefly about your company and the position available. Keep it general and positive, focusing on the areas where you think you match best. You may realize at this point that you don't have a match. You can do one of two things: If there is a clear skill deficiency, let the candidate know what you must have, thank them for calling and wish them luck in their job search. It is VERY IMPORTANT to finish this conversation on a positive note. They might know others who are looking and DO have your qualifications.


If the issue is not as clear-cut i.e. vocal quality or inability to present themselves professionally, I generally tell them that "I'm doing this short interview over the telephone. Later this week I'll be calling back those candidates whose backgrounds most closely match the needs of the position." It's a graceful way out. You've let them know that if they don't hear from you in a week, they've been eliminated from consideration.

If you think you've got a potential match, have them come in for an in-person interview.

Your Inside Sales Supervisor is your best Retention Weapon

Some Random Thoughts on the Subject....

People don’t leave jobs. They don’t leave companies. They leave their bosses. This is particularly true for inside sales or telemarketing positions that are closely supervised. Inside Sales is a difficult job and generally requires much closer supervision than a field sales position. This means that reps will spend that much more time with their bosses. A boss’s influence on the success of the telephone sales effort can be tremendous; not just in terms of putting together lists, making sure calls are made and sales are closed, but in how the sales reps regard the experience of working for your organization.

An inside sales department, on paper, can appear to be a big, strong oak tree. Until the storm knocks it down and everyone sees the rot on the inside.

All too often, we spend our time focusing on the interpersonal skills of our sales reps but spend far too little time on the skill sets of the people supervising the sales group. Do your supervisors have excellent interpersonal skills? Do they know how to motivate, to make the workplace not just productive but a pleasant environment? Do they know how to help their subordinates defuse the stress and tension that comes with all those telephone calls?

Ask yourself these questions:

Do you hear raised voices coming from the unit on a regular basis?
Do people come in late regularly?
Is absenteeism a problem?
Does the “drama” level in the unit seem high?
Do you seem to have difficulty keeping your best sales reps?


If you can answer “yes” to these questions, your problems probably start with your supervisory staff. Often, when filling a supervisory position, particularly in a small company, the supervisor is promoted from within. It’s not unusual for a company to reward a high performer with a supervisor’s job. It’s also not unusual for management not to give this person the appropriate training to supervise.


A great supervisor is able to bring out the best in their subordinates. They are able to discover what motivates the people working for them and use that information to create a job environment that people want to succeed in. They understand at all people need to be treated with respect and dignity in the workplace. They don’t create onerous policies and procedures that make people feel as though they can’t be trusted. Remember, with a few exceptions, people want to work hard and be successful in their jobs.

Being a great sales person and being a great supervisor require different skill sets. A supervisor must be able to empathize with their staff yet still be able to hold people accountable for results. They need to be able to help their staff succeed and not just play "gotcha" when people fail.

Ask yourselves these questions:
Are people surprised by the information on their performance reviews?
Do terminations for “cause” surprise the people being terminated?
Can employees accurately tell where they stand with management in regards to their skills and worth to the organization?

It's important to avoid being that supervisor who may clock in but check out when it comes to being actively involved in motivating your staff, training for improved performance or outwardly caring about the success of the individual inside reps.

Want to see the cause of high turnover? Make sure you look in the mirror first.