Are Your Prospects Scratching Their Heads?

I received a "robo" call from Verizon offering me discounts, etc to change my phone plan. The call instructed me to press any key to be connected with an operator. I did so and got a recording that "due to high call volume all our operators are busy now" I was then informed that there was a 5 minute wait for an operator. (OK, this is where we scratch our heads.)


So, let me get this straight. An organization is prospecting yet expects people to wait to speak to someone? Needless to say, I hung up.


BTW, I was actually trying to get my phone number off their list. As I'm sure other callers were trying to do as well. But what about the people that actually did want to learn about Verizon services? How many of them hung up instead of waiting?

Let's use this as an opportunity. Consider it an "Aha" moment, if you will. Ask yourself, have you created procedures to make it easy to buy from you? Did you instead create situations where you are alienating potential customers from doing business with you?

Sometimes you need to be able to step back and look at your procedures from the perspectives of the people with whom you want to do business. Have you made it easy for them? You'll get more sales and have more satisfied customers when you make it easy to do business with you.

Sweat the Small Stuff

What's the secret to success? Sweat the small stuff. That means paying attention to the details.


In order to provide excellent customer service, our employees must be able to communicate effectively, politely and they should genuinely care for the customers. This doesn't happen by itself. How we interact with friends and family is not necessarily a model for how we should interact with customers and prospective customers. This will require training and a development of skills necessary to carry out activities. Just because we care, that doesn't mean we are showing it in a manner that others would recognize. Do you know how your voice sounds? What does your face look like when you show empathy? How does your body language connect with the message your voice is giving?


It requires sweating the small stuff to ensure that an encounter with a customer or prospective customer ends on a positive note.


We need to ensure that our employees can actually solve problems for our customers. Have we given them the tools to do so? Clear cut guidelines help your staff know the boundaries as well as what's expected of them. Give people the ability to solve problems. Put procedures into place so people clearly know where they stand. Reward people for going above and beyond.


Then take it a step further. What needs to be done to avoid the service issues in the first place? Is it product based? Is it the result of unclear policies and procedures? Keep a log of service issues and incidents. Actively work to cut down on the factors creating them in the first place.


We need to create companies that create cultures where providing the best products and the best service is not just words on a poster. "Good enough" should never be tolerated...and, yes, you must sweat the small stuff. I hate that phrase by the way, "Don't sweat the small stuff - and it's all small stuff". It gives permission not to care. Just because it's small to you, doesn't mean it's not big to your customers.


Respect your customers. Do you value them as the reasons for your continued success or are they simply dollar bills to be pocketed? Your attitude is also felt by your employees. They'll take their cues from you.


Great success requires great effort. Sweating the small stuff - how you act, how you react, your attention to details - all combine to lift your efforts above others. Commit to it and reap the rewards.

Networking vs. Using the Phone

Anyone who knows me in a professional capacity knows that I am a big proponent of networking. It's important to make connections - they lead to opportunities.

However, it would be a mistake to think that all businesses can grow solely by networking.

Depending on your industry, you may find that the decision makers from the companies that you consider your "best customer" profile, do not attend networking events. (Seriously, I once went to an event for companies that fit my "best customer' profile and the only people there were others who wanted to make connections with these people. NONE of the people in attendance were in the "best customer" profile.)


If you think about it for a moment, you'll realize that's true.

If you've ever held a position that was not in sales, you'll know that most people do not attend networking events as part of their job. They come into work at 8 and leave by 6. Oh, on occasion they might attend a professional event, but that's pretty rare. They don't see or don't feel they have a need for the value of networking.

So what to do to reach them?

In the end, you've got to pick up the phone and call. And yes, that's frustrating.... and yes, it's not nearly as pleasant as talking to people with a canape in one hand and a glass of wine in the other... BUT it's probably more effective.

If you want to increase your business, use your phone for results.

Go ahead, go to the networking events for some human contact - particularly if you work solo - or to build alliances. Increasing your sales revenues? Pick up the phone.

(psst.... Need to know how to do that effectively and efficiently? Check out www.krgcommunications.com or send me a message at info@krgcommunications.com)

Sales or Service Success: Listening is Key

I spend a lot of time with inside sales and customer service personnel helping them improve their interpersonal skills in areas such as questioning techniques, reaching decision makers, dealing with difficult people, closing sales and so on. The key to all of it, however, is the ability to listen well.

Studies have shown that we spend about 9% of our time writing, 13% of our time reading, 23% of our time speaking and 55% of our time listening. What's staggering about that is not only do we spend most of our time listening but that we spend double the time listening as we do speaking.


Here are some things to keep in mind:
You cannot not communicate. Even when you are not verbally saying anything, you transmit messages through your non-verbal's. How you dress, your body language, we count on so many visuals to communicate.

Up to 80% of our communication skills are non-verbal. So, when you speak to someone on the telephone, in effect, you're only using about 20% of your skills.


In my work in inside sales and customer service training, I've used the phrase "Communicating Blindfolded". It's a good analogy. Think of phone work as being given a blindfold. You can hear - but you can't see. You don't have a choice, you must listen.

I consider listening to be one of the three legs of the communication stool we sit on when we communicate over the telephone. The other two are words and voice. When I began in inside sales, I only considered these last two - but the more time I spent in these activities the more I came to realize that I can never truly be effective - never really reach my potential - unless I acknowledge the need for, improved and used my listening skills.


One of the greatest obstacles to good listening, particularly over the phone is that meanings cannot be transferred from one mind to another - only words can be transferred. The challenge here is that you, as the receiver of the message, attach your own meaning to the words I sent you. This is why I'm a huge fan of using clarifying questions when I speak with someone. Just because I attach a particular meaning to certain words or phrases, doesn't mean that someone else does. Regardless of the stage I'm in the sales or service process, I need to make sure that I understand what you mean and that you understand what I mean. 

I do this by focusing only on the task at hand: listening.

Listening is affected by what's called "selective attention". This is almost as a survival technique because I can't' possibly listen to and process every sound I hear. have to use selective attention in order to listen actively - and that means I have to stay in the moment. I can't let my attention wander. If I'm on the telephone, I don't yield to the temptation of reading email, trolling the news sites online or reading that report on my desk, all while "listening" to you. Can't be done.

Remember my mantra: Multi-tasking is the enemy of good listening. 

Listen well and all will be well. 

Can I tell you a Secret about Sales and Service Coaching?

Yes, I know I look tired - but here's a short message worth listening to!

Click here for the video:

I've Got a Secret

Sales Experience is NOT all the Same

I've been reading a discussion on one of the Inside Sales boards I follow, the gist of which is that most sales managers would rather hire for sales experience than industry experience. I'm not going to disagree but I am going to posit that the issue is actually more complicated.


There are many different types of sales and most of them boil down to transactional vs. consultative. I've had the opportunity to work with both types and I've seen people go from being very successful in one and then failing when they take on a job in the other. They are usually dumbfounded and can't understand why. "I was a crack closer" they'll say. "I always exceeded my quota", they'll claim. They're right - they did. But that's not the whole story.

Let's face it, closing a sale for a car or a home improvement can be done in one call. Closing on a high dollar sale in a large business can not. Now, it's not that the skill set is different per se, but that the skills are used differently. I'll need to hand hold more people. I need to build consensus - on teams, across departments and divisions in some cases. It's a slower process. I'll ask the great questions, I'll be prepared to take my opening. However, if I don't understand how the sales process works, I'm not going to get anywhere. It works in reverse, too. If I've worked in high dollar b to b sales and now I find myself selling lower dollar, high volume consumer goods, it's going to take a while to find my footing. Unfortunately, some people never will.


So, my bottom line isn't just going to be sales experience, it's how that sales experience has been acquired and how willing the sales professional will be to learn and make changes as necessary. Everyone can learn, everyone can grow. We must be willing to take those steps and most importantly we must understand that those steps must be taken. Sales hotshot in Company A doesn't automatically translate to sales hotshot in Company B. 

As managers and trainers it's our responsibility to make sure this transition goes smoothly. On boarding and on going training and coaching are essential to the success of every salesperson who joins your team. 

Need some help making this happen in your organization? For more information, contact me at info@krgcommunications.com  

www.krgcommunications.com 

A Key Ingredient for Sales and Service Success

Can you feel the love? The like? The Dislike? The Frustration?

Do you have the ability to figuratively step into another's shoes and feel what they do?

Can you look up from your smartphone and connect with someone else? Can you stand not being the center of your universe?

Why do I ask these questions? Simple. Being able to communicate effectively requires the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes. Only when we can empathize and sympathize with others can we truly find the common ground necessary for any kind of relationship - either business or personal.

We need to connect with people. At it's very heart, sales and service is about forging connections - with suppliers, with co-workers, with customers and prospects. Companies who take a "this is what we sell, this is how we service" attitude without taking into consideration the needs of others will not find themselves successful in business for very long. Sales and service personnel will not find themselves employed for long either. 

Walk a mile in someone's shoes. 

Vital to Your Success 3: Yet One More Role for the Inside Sales Manager

Enforcer


Sadly, this is what most people think about first when they think about the role of the Inside Sales Manager. It is actually the least important role. If a manager does a great job of developing, coaching and motivating, enforcing becomes the least of the duties - because most of the time you won't have to. 

That’s not to say that enforcing is not important. Each inside sales unit has rules and expectations that must be complied with. Chaos and a lack of results is not acceptable. By using positive reinforcement and taking the time to develop, coach and motivate a sales staff, enforcement of the rules will simply make sense as opposed to being rules imposed by “them” and resented (and therefore made to be broken) by “us”.


However, it is a manager’s responsibility to make sure that the unit is run effectively and efficiently. The manager should not be afraid to make the tough calls. For example, if a sales rep repeatedly does not achieve their goals, even after being coached and given all the necessary tools for success – including learning and development opportunities – the manager must make the difficult decision to terminate the sales rep. If the sales rep repeatedly comes in late or leaves early, the manager must make sure the sales rep knows the rules and if the rules continue to be violated, the sales rep must be terminated.


Being a manager who’s focused on positives does not mean being a poor manager. It does mean being able to make the difficult decisions. Being overly tough doesn't work but neither does being weak. An Inside Sales Manager who who manages their unit fairly and openly, doesn't play favorites and actively works with all members of the team to ensure their success is respected not feared. Respect will get you much better results. 

Vital to Your Success 2: More Roles for the Inside Sales Manager

Motivator

It can be unnerving - sitting in a client meeting - when a top manager turns to me and begins to talk about how poor motivated the sales or service staff is.(My brain begins to signal UH OH!) Not a bad thing unto itself, but this is what usually follows: This  upper level management member says they need their managers to "Fire them up!” “Get them going!” “Motivate them!” Almost as though there is a magic wand that can be waved and “BAM!” people are motivated and productive, sales forecasts are being made and all is right with the world. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. There are no silver bullets, no magic pill that helps you motivate others.(sorry!) There are however, things that you can do in order to help people motivate themselves.


Experts in motivation theories will generally point out that motivation comes from within and not from without. A manager should not expect to give a “motivating” speech or incentive and expect it to work. With out understanding what is important to the employee, it is nearly impossible to be effective in motivating
them. 

A manager needs to discover what motivates each of their subordinates and create their motivational plans accordingly. It is difficult to motivate others but it is possible to create an environment conducive to motivating each rep. This is effective motivation. 

Positive reinforcement should always be chosen over negative. Most importantly, this requires managers and supervisors to get to know the people who are selling for them. Finding out what motivates people can be as simple as asking questions during a goal setting session. Some people will respond well to a lot of positive attention, some people will not. It’s important to observe how people react to each incentive. Some people respond well to certain things, others have different expectations. Don't use programs/incentives/etc because you like them - use them because your staff will.

In looking for motivators, a manager must observe their employees. Plus, keep in mind that motivations change. What motivates people can change based on what is happening in their lives. For example, a sales person who usually isn't motivated by money may become so, if something changes in their personal life which demands more cash. Conversely, some people will reach a level of earning and by satisfied by it. These sales people will not be satisfied by monetary rewards.

I Can't Buy if I Can't Understand You

MAJOR PET PEEVE AHEAD!

As many of you know, I specialize in consulting for and training inside sales and customer service personnel . Can anyone tell me why we keep hiring people who do not have clear speaking voices or whose voices are so heavily accented they cannot be understood? That's a rhetorical question, BTW - I do know the answer. Sometimes we are tasked with "filling seats" or our employment offer is so weak, we can't find qualified help.

Phone work requires a clear speaking voice. An accent is fine - it can actually set you apart and make you more memorable - but the average person you are calling must be able to understand you. A clear voice is a requirement for phone work. I'm not just talking accents, either. A soft voice or one that mumbles or even talks too fast is also inappropriate. 

Please, make sure you hear a person's phone voice before you hire them. Sometimes it can be different on the phone than face to face. That's often because the communication dynamics change when you are on the phone and don't have body language or facial expressions to accompany your voice. 

When we haven't hired the correct help, it doesn't save us any money. We lose money through lost sales. Plus it costs us with a poor or even negative brand image.

Hiring managers need to make sure that they've hired appropriate voices. They will have more sales in less time. After all, if I can't easily understand you, how can I make a purchasing decision?

Converse, convey, connect...

What makes you passionate about what you do? 

What keeps you involved and motivated day after day?


For me, it's the knowledge that I've helped someone on the road to success. Whether that success is being better at their roles in a call center, helping an independent sales rep refine their technique, working with front line employees in a office to be more effective communicators or mentoring small business owners in their ability to manage, coach and motivate their sales and service staff, it's important to me that I make a difference. For me it's always been about how I can help people succeed.


Because when we work to help others - no matter how big or small an effort- good things happen all around.


In a nutshell, that's what sales and service are all about. Working to help others. Sometimes in the middle of a rough sales month or a day of really tough calls - inbound or outbound, it's easy to forget that. What makes it easier to stay on track is to have the tools and techniques that enable you to succeed.


Enable you to find passion.


I can help. If you'd like to be more effective, if you'd like your staff to be more effective in their sales or service mission and goals, I can help. This blog is called "Converse, convey, connect" because that's what we need to do in order to be successful in our sales and service relationship. If you'd like to learn more about how I can help you, here's some additional contact info:

website: www.krgcommunications.com
email: info@krgcommunications.com
phone: 973.709.1252

Avoid These Phrases

Often, when doing research for an upcoming training event in an organization or as part of a consulting assignment, I have the opportunity to listen to both side of customer service or sales calls. Here's what I find really cool - I can always tell when the wheels come off the wagon during a call. And it's usually not the customer. I would venture that 8 out of 10 calls that go awry, happen due to something the customer service or sales professional has said. Always well meaning, but often the one thing that sets off the caller.


Whether we sell or service, there are certain phrases that we should avoid using. There are certain phrases that all but guarantee a negative reaction from our customer or prospect. Let's take a look at words and phrases we should avoid in our telephone work.


I don't know. Is that what some one really wants to hear when they speak with a company representative? After all, isn't it your job to be able to answer customer requests? If you don't know, find out who does and get the answer. An alternative phrase might be "I'm not sure of the answer and I want to make sure I give you the correct information. Let me check that out for you. Are you able to hold?"


I (or we) can't. Don't you just hate being told no? So do most people. Find out what you can do and offer alternatives.


Hang on a second, I'll be right back... can sound rude and abrupt. Use "Are you able to hold instead?" It's much more polite and empathetic.

and really, really get back to them quickly. When you're on hold, I can still hear your caller. The longer you are away, the more time they have to stew. If you can avoid "hold", do so.


You have to... A prospective buyer doesn't or shouldn't HAVE to do anything. We're the ones trying to make the sale. If an action is required on their part, let them know what they'll "need to" do in order to accomplish the objective"


No... No one likes to be told no. Offer alternatives. If you can not come to agreement, be gracious. You never know when they might change their mind.

It's often difficult enough handling sales or services calls all day long. Why make your job any harder? The right words go a long way towards a quick and effective solution. 

5 Key Selling Tips Every Small Business Owner Should Know

Does this sound like you?

Many small business owners thrive on the challenge of selling their services, products and ideas. Many of them come from sales backgrounds themselves. However, it is not unusual for a business owner to be a technical or subject matter expert and not a sales person. This creates interesting situations when trying to get a company off the ground.

Just because we're convinced that our products and services are great doesn't mean that others will feel the same way, too. We need to be able to sell not only our product line but ourselves as well.

Stand up straight! Think about your selling posture. A selling posture is not physical. It is, however, the stance you take in order to be closing from the beginning of your sales call. Are you ready to sell? Are you "standing" tall and alert - ready to begin the closing process from the beginning of the process? 

Have you done your research? You know you whether you are speaking with prospects and not suspects. A prospect is a potential customer whom you've identified as having a need or want for your product. A suspect.... well, that's just a warm body. Although we'll always have our share of suspects, the more you do to qualify and sell directly to people who want and/need your product or service, the more sales you'll make (and with less hassle and in less time).

Distance yourself from your products. It is true that part of selling is the ability to sell yourself. For example, being able to make people trust you, rely on you; knowing that your solutions are best suited for their needs all require that you sell yourself. However, you must be able to distance your personal self from your professional persona. Often people will seem to reject you when it's really your product... and sometimes it's not even about a rejection, it may be a bad fit or the timing is wrong. When selling you need to think as though you are selling someone else's products. Give yourself the necessary distance so that you can see clearly.

Fake it 'til you make it. Not sure you know what you're doing? That's OK, most other people don't either. If you're uncomfortable in your role as a salesperson, learn everything you can. Practice often. It gets easier.

Learn, learn, learn. Any work/job/career activity requires ongoing learning. Being able to sell your products and services is no different. Seek out opportunities to learn new selling skills and effective interpersonal behaviors.

You are the person with the most vested in your company. Being able to sell your products and services helps convince others that you believe in what you are doing. Acquire the correct skill sets and you will find that increasing your business becomes easier every day.

Have Your Created Your Best PES?

Today I'm thinking about PES. Not PEZ (Sorry no candy dispensers, here! Dispensing thoughts only.)

PES sums up the buying experience.

P- Price Is your price competitive for your market? For your product? For your customers? Does it send out the right message regarding how you want your product or service perceived?

E- Experience What do your customers experience during the buying process? Is it easy to make a purchase? Is this the experience they are looking for?

S - Service Do you provide the customer service levels that your customers expect?


By themselves, each of these areas are important but won't necessarily force a potential customer to do business with you. It's the right combination of all three that makes a business succeed. 

Think of the downtown areas of towns that are dying. Store fronts abandoned, businesses barely holding on - while on the outskirts of town, the big box stores are flourishing. Then there are the downtowns that are flourishing. Sure, the big boxes came and created a place for themselves in the community but the savvy businesses downtown adapted. They created a new place for themselves in the community. They created a PES that made people want to continue to do business with them.

This holds true for any product or service. Sure, there are the low-ballers. They give bare bones service but the price is right and the product is OK. That will always attract some portion of buyers. Then there is the higher priced, high quality product with the great service that creates a fabulous buying experience for their customers. A portion of buyers will pay a premium to feel catered to.

Finding the right combination of PES helps you survive in an ever changing market place. Will you be able to sell to everyone? Of course not. There will always be those for whom your product or service is not the best fit. However, by using PES as a strategy to attract customers, you are sure to find your best position to succeed.

What is the Best Sales Technique?

I have a kayak! Brand new, can’t wait to take it out on the water. Now, owning a kayak means you also own other things, like paddles or a life jacket. If you've have the opportunity to read any of the literature that the Coast Guard puts out about being in any kind of watercraft of this type, you’d also know that that they consider a life jacket, also known as a personal flotation device (or PFD) a must. In all of their pamphlets, booklets, handouts, they have the same Q and A: What is the best PFD? Answer: the one that you will wear.

I thought about this in conjunction with selling (and yes, my brain does make connections that like). What is the best sales technique? The one that you will use.

There’s a lot to be said for that approach. If you are so uncomfortable with certain sales techniques that it negatively impacts on your ability to make phone calls or go out on sales calls or even ask for an agreement, than you want to re-think your approach to sales.

If you can’t use a sales technique, then don’t. There are a lot of different ideas in the world about how to sell. Some of them you will agree with, some you won’t. I've been selling and training people to sell for a long time - and I often find myself disagreeing with others about the best way to sell. There’s lots of room for different types of techniques. Because here’s the kicker: there is no one best way. There’s only the best way for you.

What will work best for you will take into account your own comfort zones and your personality preferences as well as your customers’ needs and preferences. Certain closes that will make one prospect run into the next time zone to get away from you will be expected by another. Certain techniques work better with certain types of sales. There’s a huge difference between a product sale that’s transactional vs. one that will be the start of a longer or even an ongoing relationship.

So just as I spent time trying on various types of life jackets for fit and comfort, you may want to try on different sales techniques for fit and comfort as well. After all, if you won’t use your sales “life jacket” it can’t help keep your selling efforts afloat.

Motivation Done Right

The first thing management usually wants a manager to do with a sales staff is “Fire them up!” “Get them going!” “Motivate them!” It's almost as though there is a magic wand that can be waved and “BAM!” people are motivated and productive, sales forecasts are being made and all is right with the world. 

Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. There are no silver bullets, no magic pill that helps you motivate others. There are however, things that you can do in order to help people motivate themselves.

Experts in motivation theories will generally point out that motivation comes from within and not from without. A manager should not expect to give a “motivating” speech or incentive and expect it to work. It may make some people feel uplifted - but it's a temporary effect. Without understanding what is important to the employee, it is nearly impossible to be effective in motivating them.


Managers need to discover what motivates each of their subordinates and create their motivational strategies accordingly. Although it is difficult to motivate others, it is possible to create an environment conducive to motivating each employee.


Positive reinforcement should always be chosen over negative. This requires managers and supervisors to get to know the people who are selling for them. Finding out what motivates people can be as simple as asking questions during a goal setting session. Some people will respond well to a lot of positive attention, some people will not. Observe how people react to each incentive. Actions will speak louder than words...and motivations change.


For example, a salesperson who usually isn't motivated by money may actually become so, if something changes in their personal life which demands more cash. Conversely, some people will reach a level of earning and by satisfied by it. These salespeople will not be satisfied by monetary rewards.


Spending the time to learn what motivates your staff will pay off handsomely for your and them. You can't motivate them but you can help them dig deep into their own motivations to help them succeed.

Make Time to Review: Opening Your Inside Sales Call

Time for a Review:

Have you taken the time to think about your telephone presentations lately?

Sometimes it seems as though the hardest thing to do  is reach the decision maker. But what happens when you do reach them? Are you prepared? We can get so used to being shot down or listening to voice mail box instructions that when we actually do get a decision maker on the line, we get all tongue-tied. 

The best way to avoid that is to plan your opening in advance. Write it down. Create an opening that makes people want to listen to you. Avoid writing a prepared script that sounds like a direct mail piece. 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. You've gone through so much to get to a decision maker, make sure that you are making the most of the opportunity.

Here's two examples of less than stellar openings: openings that tout (1) money savings or (2) a saving of time and effort. Either of these 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.

A #1 Rule for Salespeople

Here it is: your number one rule. It doesn't involve objections, closing techniques or even reaching the decision maker. It's not about overcoming a fear of rejection. It does, however involve your attitude and approach to sales.

Understand that you will not sell everybody. However you must sell as though you will because you never know who will say "yes".

We can't read people's minds. When we sell, we do our best to uncover needs and concerns. Learn what the customer's hot buttons are - find solutions. But we never really know - we can never really know what another person is thinking. They may have hidden agendas so outside of what we usually encounter that we haven't been able to strategize for them. 

So, keeping that in mind, we need to accept that we will never have a 100% close rate. And that's OK. But here's where many people who sell fail. They don't go far enough in their thought processes. You see, if you can't read people's minds to accurately determine that a "no" may come despite your efforts, it stands to reason that you may not always be able to tell that a "yes" is coming either.

Too many people who sell stop at "Well, you can't sell everybody." The problem becomes when that statement becomes an excuse for not using your best selling skills in all selling situations. 

Recognizing that you won't sell everyone, you still need to approach each sales situation using all your available skills. This has two advantages for you. One, sometimes you never can tell who will say "yes". Two, by using your best skills all the time, you will naturally increase your sales results. When you use all your skills frequently, you become more adept at using them (really you do have to use them or you will lose them).  More Adept = More Sales.

Pay attention to rule #1. Use it to not beat yourself up over a lost opportunity but more importantly use it to ensure that you are always selling at your peak readiness.

Will You Show Up Today?

"You Have to Show Up" This is a favorite phrase of anyone who's success is performance based. It's also a favorite phrase of managers and trainers everywhere.

 You want to succeed, you've got to show up - and if you show up often enough you'll get the jobs/results you want. It's an apt analogy for people who sell for a living.

You have to show up - be there not just physically but your brain as well. Are you fully engaged every time you're with a customer or prospect? Being fully focused on your customer and your objectives requires giving the proverbial 150% of yourself. 

That's how you succeed.

The Difference Between Knowing and Doing

Selling is very different from many types of jobs. One very important reason is that selling is a behavior. It's not a task like keyboarding or knowing how to use Excel. Selling requires us to use our interpersonal communications skills in order to achieve our goals.

In order to use our skills to the best effect, we need to be completely comfortable using them. Being completely comfortable requires more than just writing out your presentations. You need to actually practice it. This means role playing. Now many people are not comfortable with this. However, the best way to become comfortable with any skill is to practice it until you master it. Offer to partner with co-worker - use the buddy system to help improve both your skills sets. Role play several times other a period of several days or weeks. Don't do it once. It's the repetition that helps you feel comfortable. 

This is the difference between knowing and doing.

Don't be afraid to ask for a critique. Feedback is crucial to the process. Often we are too close to be able to accurately judge how we are doing. Don't assume feedback is negative. Ask your partner: What did you like? What was good but could be better? What needs improvement? You'll notice that we took 3 steps in this feedback process. First, it's important to know what you are doing right. It gives you something to build on. Second, you want to make sure you are mastering the skill - not just going through the motions. Third, you need people to be honest enough with you to be able to tell you what areas you really need to improve. Create a plan of action for yourself based on this feedback. Think about it, practice it on your own. Use it in your sales presentations. After a few days, ask your buddy to role play with you again. See where you've improved. Repeat this process over time to see real improvement. 

See the difference between knowing and doing.

When we master a skill, the comfort level comes with it. It becomes easy to use because we've taken the time to master it. Simply attending a teleclass or a seminar won't increase your comfort level for questioning sequences by themselves. Leaving the class with a resolution to practice and use the skills - put yourself on a course of self-improvement until you master them - that will make it easy for you.

It's the difference between knowing and doing.