Social Media mirrors Key Selling Skills

Posted on July 25, 2011 by Jeff Seeley

A recent article in BtoB brought to mind some interesting similarities between the world of social media and Carew’s teaching principles on the ideal sales process.  Our sales training programs have always emphasized the importance of dialogue – really listening to customers and identifying their specific gaps, so you can present them with valuable solutions from the start. This multi-directional communication is also at work in social media, through which complete strangers share insights and information to achieve some common goal.

On Facebook or Twitter, everything is interactive. People expect to be fully informed – not to have a decision forced upon them, but to be prepared so they can decide in their own time and in their own way. To improve sales, the key is to help customers get to that point.

In this article—“Social drives Visa’s new approach to marketing”—BtoB interviews Antonio Lucio, CMO of Visa, Inc. Visa recently increased its budget for social media advertising from 11% to 36+%, which led to a huge jump in sales performance. One comment that struck me in particular was Lucio’s response to a question about his new approach to marketing. He said,

“Also equally important was the realization that the purchase was no longer an action but rather a social experience that transcended the transaction itself.”

This notion of the purchase as a social experience (not simply an action) is crucial. Potential clients today are used to and enjoy a lot of interaction surrounding their decisions to buy. They want and expect a glut of information and a myriad of choices as they make their way along what Lucio refers to as the consumer decision journey.

Furthermore, within this glut of information, the voices of both fans and critics are unavoidable. Buyers listen to their friends, peruse reviews (either positive or negative) and search for recommendations. The importance of heeding your critics, painful as it may be, is another tenet of Carew sales training. Take the doubters’ concerns into consideration, for the betterment of your product and your own sales performance.

Think about how you can translate the principles of social media (sharing, participation, and recommendations) into useful sales skills. Understand that meeting your customers’ desire for information and counsel will be all the more powerful when you do so in person and as part of the strong and trusting relationship you have earned with each client.

 

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Sales Myth #2 – Happy Customers are Good; Unhappy Customers are Bad

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Jeff Seeley

We all love positive feedback.  No wonder we prefer to spend more time with clients who make us feel good about ourselves and our business relationship.  Our happiest customers affirm the way we do business, the product or service we provide, our sales skills, and our value as human beings.  We are drawn to them like moths to the flame.

In contrast, unhappy (read: demanding) customers make us uncomfortable.   Every reward happy customers provide is withheld by clients whose expectations have somehow not been met.  But if we can look beyond our own discomfort in dealing with dissatisfied customers, we can see their insights as valuable sales training resources.  These customers tell it like it is.  They keep us honest.  They keep us on our toes.  They point out where we are falling short in comparison to the competition, and what we and our company need to do to improve.

We all have at least one “squeaky wheel” customer – the individual who habitually complains, pointing out our flaws and our mistakes at every opportunity. These customers seem to command a disproportionate amount of our time and energy. This stress in the relationship even translates into organizational stress within our own company.

It is tempting to dismiss this feedback because we are afraid, or because we just dislike negativity. But this is a poor strategy, because by the time our fear subsides, we may have lost opportunities or accounts. In fact, it is when customers don’t care enough to complain that we are in real trouble.

Clients complain because they need a change.  Isn’t that exactly the signal we should be looking for to improve sales performance? Those squeaks can become our compass and set us on the right path, providing early warning for issues that could become catastrophic down the road – not only for this account, but for the accounts of our comfortable customers who may not want to rock the relationship boat… yet.

In both our personal and professional lives, adversity can bring growth and positive change.  It’s difficult to see, much less appreciate, while you are experiencing it.  But in hindsight, the hurdle-turned-springboard is so obvious! Instead of avoiding unhappy clients or rationalizing why their insights are wrong, we should embrace their criticism and use it to its full potential.

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High Road Always Best Route in Business Communications

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Mary Ann Lynn

Does your day-to-day communication with customers support the competent, professional image you desire, and the image necessary to improve sales?  From dress, to protocol, to meeting etiquette, the business environment has become much less formal in recent years – with many corresponding benefits.  However, one unfortunate casualty has been the quality and class of our verbal communication.  Relaxed is one thing.  Crude vulgarity is quite another.

Do a quick communications self-audit.  Have profanity (even “mild” profanity) and pop/slang terminology crept into your day-to-day business dialog?  It saddens me to see a number of words and phrases – extremely vulgar in their origins – migrate to the mainstream vocabulary.  Don’t succumb.  Although these terms may be widely regarded as the norm, they are at best unprofessional; at worst, they can be downright offensive.

Was traffic on the way to your appointment a nightmare?  Then say, “traffic was a nightmare,” not “traffic was really s&!!?# this morning,” or “traffic was a real b@!#& today…”  Better yet, don’t complain about the traffic at all.  Stay positive.  For better sales performance, emphasize your enthusiasm for the privilege of spending time with your customer and sharing the benefits your organization has to offer.

Words don’t have to be profane to undermine your customer relationships. Language that is simply too familiar or too comfortable contradicts your professional image.  Whether a prospect you are meeting for the first time or a customer you’ve worked with for 20 years, make sure your words reflect the sales professional–client relationship, and convey the respect due to any customer.  In person or in writing, “Hey” isn’t an appropriate salutation.  Nicknames are not a good idea.  Jokes are a disaster waiting to happen.

Here’s the good news: this epidemic of coarse communication in business presents an immediate opportunity. Use professional and articulate language to differentiate yourself and the company you represent.  Every word that comes out of your mouth should support the reputation you are working toward.  In many ways, your personal conduct serves as the foundation upon which effective selling skills or customer service skills are built.

For more information on the complete suite of products offered by Carew International and upcoming sales training programs, visit our website at www.carew.com.

 

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Consultative Selling the Common Goal at Recent Sales Training Event

Posted on July 6, 2011 by Chuck Terry

Carew International’s recent Dimensions of Professional Selling (DPS) open enrollment sales training program took place in beautiful Keystone, Colorado.  The location set the tone for the whole session – you just can’t beat the Rockies in June!

As many readers know, Carew specializes in customized sales training programs to support company-wide development initiatives.  Open enrollment programs like the recent event in Keystone allow individuals from a variety of industries and organizations to experience Carew’s sales training first hand.  Despite the diversity of individuals and their backgrounds at open enrollment programs, a common, predominant focus almost always emerges among attendees.  At this most recent session, the common goal was clear: to master a better, more consultative way to sell.  I believe the interests and concerns that participants bring to the program can serve as a barometer for current trends in the sales field.

This goal, in itself, guaranteed an outstanding session.  Participants came to the program already understanding and appreciating the changing role of today’s sales professional – always a great starting point.  More importantly, the DPS curriculum and methods were strategically designed to cultivate the sales skills needed for consultative selling.  Nothing is more rewarding for the Carew team than helping sales professionals become more successful by showing them a better way to sell.  This particular group was fully engaged, VERY participative, and clearly serious about learning new selling skills for higher performance sales.  Feedback from DPS participants and Carew training team members alike indicated the outcome was “Mission Accomplished!”

Highlights of the DPS program were captured by Carew team member Andy Sheeks, and posted to our Facebook page.  If you haven’t already visited our Facebook site, you can view comments from the program participants, as well as other exciting Carew news.

All in all, it was an exceptional three days that concluded with several participants staying on after the DPS class to become certified trainers for their companies.  If you are even CONSIDERING “sharpening your selling saw” in 2011 (and why wouldn’t you be?) be sure to visit our website for details on upcoming 2011 DPS Open Enrollment sales training programs.  We will return to beautiful Keystone in October.

 

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A Rockin’ Lesson in Sales Success

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Jeff Seeley

This is the first in a series on our favorite sales and business books.

Despite the piles of quality business books that have been written, I find I learn as much or more about successful sales performance from non-business books. Perhaps the least likely source of insight on sales skills I’ve run across recently is Keith Richards’ celebrity memoir, Life. Although probably not what he intended, Keith’s book provides worthwhile insights on sales and business.

As Keith Richards and Mick Jagger labored in the bowels of 1960s London trying to bring their blues heroes to the UK faithful, I wonder if they were ever jealous of Lennon and McCartney? The Rolling Stones recorded numerous hits, but not like The Beatles who, surrounded by screaming groupies, often occupied multiple spots in the Top 10 and managed to be iconic from the beginning.

From what Richards says in his book, I think not. The Stones were the “Bad Boys of Rock and Roll”—kicked out of their own country, and for 50 years often fought like enemies while remaining loyal as brothers. It was as if the Beatles and Stones were in different businesses, performing for different audiences, generating revenue in different ways and ultimately creating different sorts of art. Each became a brand unto itself.

In today’s business world filled with charts, graphs, research and other metrics, it has never been easier to get distracted by data.  We need to remember that none of this information matters if it undermines how we understand, diagnose and advise our customers.  Worrying about your competitors’ sales will just get in the way of your art.

With today’s information overload, it’s easy to lose our direction. Just remember, The Rolling Stones are still The Rolling Stones!!! They did not turn into The Beatles, Wham or Eminem. True to their roots, they remain incredible musicians who play the blues. Their unwavering fidelity to their own vision has placed them among the most successful and authentic bands in rock and roll history.

So the next time you have a choice between chasing the charts and metrics, or doing the work your customers crave, choose your customer’s needs.

Think of Keith and Mick—a worldwide brand still selling out stadiums 50 years later—not because of what the competition says or does, but because doing things that change the game for your customers wins every time.

“It’s only Sales (Rock and Roll), but I like it.”

 

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Sales Training Myth #1: Effective Selling is as Easy as A-B-C

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Ed Albertson

In the 1992 movie, Glengarry Glen Ross, Alex Baldwin plays a character named “Blake” who is a motivational sales person sent by Headquarters to fire up a four-person team selling real estate. In a memorable scene, Blake explains sales success as, “A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Closing. Always be closing, always be closing.”

Ironically, this notion is not that uncommon in sales training programs. Sales seminars mistakenly reinforce the idea that pushing a customer toward a decision leads to better sales performance.

The truth is, few customers like being maneuvered toward a sale and most can spot manipulation a mile away. In today’s technology-enabled and connected environment, information is plentiful and customers know far more about the purchases they make and the strategies salespeople employ to try to improve sales. When suspicion replaces trust, customer resistance rises and compromises the buyer-seller relationship.

Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com, famously said, “I am not selling books; I am helping my customers make wiser buying decisions.” The success of Amazon certainly attests, at least in part, to the validity of his business model. Customers interested in a purchase want to engage in a dialogue with a sales professional, an interaction in which they take an active role. This interaction allows the customer to not only assess the proposed solution but also the trustworthiness of the sales professional.

Sales skill development programs should train salespeople to invite each customer into a dialogue, providing multiple opportunities for the customer to provide feedback. By listening to this feedback, the salesperson can hone in on the customer’s level of understanding and willingness to close the deal. A continual process of inviting customer response shifts the burden of “selling” from the salesperson (pushing a solution) to the customer (pulling the solution inward). Since people tend to more strongly support what they help create, making the customer part of the solution gets them on board, reduces resistance and moves them toward a positive decision.

Perhaps Baldwin/Blake’s sales training session would have been more successful had the “A, B, C’s” he was referring to stood for “A-B-C: Always Be Communicating!”

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Five Tips to Hone Your Listening Skills

Posted on June 13, 2011 by Chuck Terry

Recently I addressed one of the most common mistakes in sales:  sales professionals who talk too much and listen too little and symptoms that indicate whether you suffer from this bad habit.  This topic seemed to resonate with many readers, so I am following up that piece with these Five Tips to Hone Your Listening Skills:

  1. Record your call and note how much time you spend talking versus the customer.  If it isn’t a 2-to-1 ratio of listening-to-talking, keep working until it is at least that proportion.
  2. Count “one thousand one, one thousand two” after the customer stops speaking before you begin to speak.
  3. When there is silence between you and your customer, let it linger for at least several seconds. The customer may be gathering his/her thoughts before telling you the most important thing he or she has to say.  If you speak to fill every second of silence, you might interrupt or completely derail their thought.
  4. The rate at which the human brain is able to process information is considerably faster than the average human speaks.  It is very easy (and tempting) to use that excess “listening capacity” thinking about what we want to say next.   Listening exercises, like repeating back what is being said in your mind or trying to anticipate what will be said next, will help you stay engaged in the listening process.
  5. Have only five minutes to spend with a customer?  Try to spend most of it listening.  Remember what Einstein said when asked how he would spend his time if he had one hour to save the world…  “I would spend 55 minutes understanding the problem and five minutes solving it.”

The sales professional who talks too much and listens too little is undermining their own sales success and that of the organization they represent.  Conversely, individuals with stellar listening skills will always be better positioned to uncover their customer’s gap and effectively meet their needs. Periodically assessing and addressing our listening habits is prudent for maintaining optimal selling skills, and just makes good business sense.

 

 

 

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Skill-based Sales Training the Key for Sales Excellence

Posted on June 6, 2011 by Jeff Seeley

During a recent interview with Selling Power magazine, I was asked how companies can maximize their ROI on development.  It’s a question I am asked often, and understandably so.  Training can be a significant investment.  It is only natural that decision makers would look for assurances for ROI.  First and foremost, organizations should make sure they are pursuing the right type of training; i.e., skill-based training rather than product-focused training.

It is really frustrating to see the number of sales professionals and companies that are led to believe that product or “solution” training is all that is needed in today’s hyper-competitive business world.  In reality, product knowledge is nothing more than admission to the game.  Thorough solutions knowledge is akin to dressing professionally; failure to do so will effectively remove you from consideration, but that aspect alone will not give you a competitive advantage.

Here’s the problem with a product-focused sales approach:  First and foremost, it places the sales representative’s focus on the products/services they offer, rather than the need or “gap” of the customer.  The sales representative rooted in the operating reality of the company they represent will never succeed in becoming a “business advisor” to their customers.  Instead, they resemble a walking, talking brochure – a perpetual broadcast of features and advantages searching for a home.  And in all likelihood, most of that product information could be found via Google or YouTube.  Not much authentic value added in this scenario.

The sales profession is evolving with increased emphasis on skill, not product knowledge.  It takes specific selling skills to engage customers, explore to understand their experience, diagnose their needs and provide valuable solutions.

It was once said that John Wooden could beat the opposing team with his players and then take that same (opposing) team and beat his own players, coached by the opposing coach.   That assertion was a testament to the power of Wooden’s skill development versus the raw talent of the players he recruited.

How many times have you lost business where you clearly had the superior product?  It has happened to all of us.  The reason wasn’t the product presentation; it was failure to tie your solution to the customer’s needs.  The truth is that great sales people with outstanding selling skills can sell with half the product knowledge of their competitors because they operate from the customer’s reality, not from their own.

Without a doubt, our job as sales professionals includes in-depth product knowledge.  But without fully developed selling skills, we would be destined for an endless cycle of showing up and throwing up at every customer encounter, with the predictable result of leaving disappointed and without the sale.

Look at your sales game.  What are your strengths and areas of opportunity?  Do you have the diagnostic skills to understand needs from your customers’ perspective?  Do you have the skills to understand their processes, their competition, customers and end users?  Have you watched your own product in action with the customer?

Ultimately you will either be just another solution provider on the lookout for an application, or the skilled sales professional who achieves status as a VALUED ASSET to your customers.  Despite your best intentions, your role may be pre-determined by the type of sales training your organization selects.

 

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Listen for the Sound of Successful Selling

Posted on May 31, 2011 by Chuck Terry

I am often asked to identify the biggest/most common mistake made by sales professionals.  My reply is consistent: sales professionals who talk too much and listen too little. I even catch myself doing it from time to time and I TEACH this stuff!  Here’s a simple test to help you determine if you might be guilty of this common violation:

  1. In a sales situation, do you typically end up talking more than the prospect?
  2. Do you ever find yourself beginning to speak before the other person has completely finished speaking?
  3. Are moments of silence a rarity on your sales calls?  Do you fill any lulls with words?
  4. With a limited amount of time with a busy prospect, do you typically use that time talking about your products or services?
  5. Do you catch yourself thinking about what you are going to say next, while the other person is still speaking?

You probably answered “yes” to at least one question, and possibly several questions.  Listening is a discipline that is difficult to master, and at times even seems at odds with the very nature of sales.  It is also a skill that is critical for successful selling.

“You were given two ears and one mouth for a reason; use them in proportion.”

This is one of my favorite sayings and I use it often.  And while listening twice as much as you talk is certainly a good start, there will be times you need to listen even more.  When Einstein was asked how he would spend his time if he had an hour to save the world, he replied, “I would spend 55 minutes understanding the problem and five minutes solving it.”

To meet the customer’s needs, you must first understand their problem.  Understanding comes by asking questions and listening, not by talking!

 

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“Odds Are” … there is more than one way to improve sales performance

Posted on May 23, 2011 by Ed Albertson

While at the rental car counter on a recent business trip, I listened to the salesperson rattle off the upgrades and insurance available, etc.  Then she concluded with the “up-selling” question, “Would you like to buy a pre-paid tank of gas?”  I replied, “No,” even as I noted the price per gallon was very competitive.  I didn’t expect to drive very far that particular day and would probably require less than a tank’s worth of gas.

As I often do, I reflected on the sales transaction after the fact (an occupational hazard of one who leads sales training) and the way the salesperson approached the pre-paid gas offering.  Her focus had been on her sale of the gas, failing to identify my needs or the benefits this purchase could provide me.  The salesperson had been operating in her own “Odds Are.”  “Odds Are” refers to the research-supported premise that, at any given point in time, Odds Are 2 to 1 that an individual’s behavior is inwardly focused, and the information he or she experiences will be in terms of how that information impacts him/her and his/her own needs.

This very human and normal preoccupation with one’s own goals and needs limits a salesperson’s ability to experience the customer’s needs, concerns, or problems from the customer’s point-of-view.  I suspect I declined the purchase of the pre-paid tank of gas rather automatically, since I was given no compelling reason to give it further consideration.  If re-worded, the rental car agent’s original question might have resulted in a different outcome with me, and would certainly improve sales performance overall:

What if she had asked, “How familiar are you with this local area, especially around the airport?” followed by, “Have you driven in this traffic before, during rush hour?”  My focus would have shifted from the cost and potential waste of the pre-paid gas to the benefits of the purchase (saving my time, increased convenience of gas replacement, reduced stress in trying to catch my return flight, etc.) and might just have tipped the balance toward me buying that pre-paid tank of gas.

Such exploration may have spawned any number of effective selling statements, maybe suggesting that I could “benefit from having a full tank of gas already purchased should traffic get problematic or I couldn’t find a gas station for a refill on my way back to the airport to return the rental car.”  I might have realized the benefits of saving time, trouble AND money by investing in that tank at that moment, versus later when I’d be pressed for time, driving in unfamiliar territory.

The effective salesperson brings the customer’s needs and solutions into alignment.  By first recognizing the existence and consequences of the “Odds Are” factor, a sales professional can consciously improve his or her own sales skills by altering his or her thinking to consider the customer’s concern from the customer’s perspective.  When the sales professional chooses to think in the customer’s “Odds Are,” the focus of the interaction moves from being salesperson-focused, increasing the satisfaction for both.

 

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