Posts Tagged sales

ROI Sells

Posted by Dan in Promotional Ideas on September 3, 2009

The Sixth Sense

Are you incorporating The Sixth Sense into your selling strategies? If you’re not selling with heart and passion, my guess is you’re not delivering the value end buyers, promotional consultants and distributors not only expect but demand in today’s market. Joe Scott, MAS, provides a telling observation. He views the shifting sands of media in a weak economy as a distinct advantage for our industry. As Scott states, “A lot of organizations are decreasing their marketing presence during this economy. If they switch to an engaging medium like ours they’re going to get noticed, and they will be able to track ROI. We have a phenomenal opportunity in front of us. We just need to realize we have the best promotional solution there is—end of story.”

If that doesn’t get you fired up about your chosen profession I don’t know what will. Hall of Famer Bill Bywater, my mentor and rabbi, has always told me to follow the dollar. His clear, simple advice is more applicable today than ever. No matter the overall economic conditions, there are always industries that are prospering. Whether you agree with the recent stimulus package adopted by our congressional leaders or not, the legislation offers insights to selling opportunities. Firms focusing on engineering, environmental concerns and energy to name just a few will benefit from well-conceived strategies that include our products as they communicate their capabilities. A call to your state economist may be one of the best calls you make this year. Find out about conditions in your state and capitalize on the opportunities they represent.

The present times may be the most difficult you have ever experienced in this business or any other. And because it’s not business as usual, it’s more important than ever to get back to FUNdamentals. If you’re not having fun it shows. Enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm, and there is no doubt in my mind that enthusiasm breeds sales. And besides, which of your clients would not benefit from a messenger delivering a positive, results-oriented solution. Former Board Chair Paul Kiewiet, MAS, CIP, once told me a story about Kellogg’s and its advertising strategy during the Great Depression when its chairman astutely decided to double its spend on marketing and advertising. In the 1930s there were more than 60 cereal companies in the U.S. Today you can count the players on one hand.

Former PPAI board member Joel Schaffer, MAS, has been delivering webinars to distributors telling them “where to go.” He has carefully assessed top buyers in our industry as researched by PPAI and determined new opportunities in healthcare, professional services and fund raising. Joel has diligently studied the markets and shares his findings with passion. No doubt other suppliers are doing the same. This is yet another illustration of the importance of the distributor-supplier relationship and why heart connections make such a difference. As Benjamin Franklin so wisely stated, “If we do not hang together, we shall surely hang separately.”

Tell your stories in ways that create attention. I believe ROI is best understood when we define it with our real life experiences. The result is real value, and the picture you paint becomes one every buyer not only understands but relates to in a personal, sensory way. Like Chip and Dan Heath, authors of Made to Stick, I believe we make heart connections when our selling strategies employ simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional stories.

For me it’s the canvas backpack from Two Fingers Tequila I received while walking down the pedestrian mall at Arizona State University more than 30 years ago, the 1940s hand fan from the Lennarson Swanson Funeral/Furniture/Hardware Store that serves as my personal air conditioner, the 1970s bottle opener advertising my father’s Chevrolet Oldsmobile dealership or the satin jewelry roll I received just last year when I purchased shoes for The PPAI Expo Awards Dinner. There’s no doubt where I’ll shop for my next pair. The services we provide and the products we sell result in tangible, effective connections. Even though some of the businesses they advertise are long gone, the products employed to create customer loyalty remain to be seen and are used lovingly yet today. Think about your stories and share them with passion. Your ability to deliver results is another important component of the FUNdamentals.

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Sales Training – Personality Types

Posted by Gallant in Business Tips on September 24, 2008

Yin & Yang of Selling

Yin & Yang of Selling

Simply Selling

Advanced Communication Skills

Let’s face it.
We all have those difficult customers to whom we are required to sell. From the demanding, abrasive buyer to the individual who never seems to make a buying decision, we encounter challenging people on a regular basis.
Part of the reason this happens is due to the disconnect we have because of conflicting personalities. This article will look at the four key types of people and how to improve your results with each.
Driver – Direct Dana (FACTS-TELL)
Net Things Out – Don’t Be Wishy-Washy – Be Bottom Line and All Business
Dana is very direct in her approach.
She tends to be forceful and always wants to dominate or control the sales call.
Her behavior is aggressive, she points at you while she talks, interrupts your sales pitch to challenge you, and she seldom cares about hearing the details of your new product or service. Instead, she demands that you “cut to chase” and “tell her the bottom line.” Danais very results-focused and goal-oriented, and she hates wasting time.
To achieve the best sales results with this type of individual, you need to be direct and assertive. Tell her at the beginning of the sales call or meeting that you know how busy she is and how valuable her time is. Tell her that you will “get right to the point” and focus your conversation on the results she will achieve by using you product or service. Resist the temptation to back down if she confronts you because you will lose her respect. To Donna, it is not personal, it’s just business. Lastly, be direct in asking for her business—you don’t have to dance around this issue.
Expressive – Talkative Tom ( FEEL – TELL).
Become their Buddy and Earn their Trust to Earn their Business
Tom is a gregarious and outgoing person but very ego-centric. He is often late for your meetings and his constant interruptions and long stories cause your sales calls to go beyond the scheduled time. He appears to be more concerned with listening to himself talk — which is frustrating because you don’t always get enough time to discuss your solution. Relationships are very important to Talkative Tom, so invest more time in social conversation. Even if you don’t see the point in this, he will appreciate the gesture and will like you more.
This person often makes buying decisions on intuition and how he feels about the sales person. Be careful not to challenge Tom because he will feel rejected and when this happens he will “shut down” and become unresponsive. During your sales presentation, tell him how good your solution will make him look to others in the company or how his status or image will improve. In other words, appeal to his ego.
Amiable – Steady Freddy ( ASK – FEEL-REASSURE)
Re-Assure and Give Plenty of References
Soft-spoken Freddy is a “nice” fellow who seems more focused on his team and coworkers than on his personal results. He is very quiet compared to some of your other prospects and can be difficult to read. But most frustrating is his reluctance to make a buying decision.
Freddy’s mantra seems to be “I’m still thinking, but thanks for following up.”
Structure and security is important to Freddy, which means it is difficult for him to make changes. He often contemplates how the decision will affect other people within the organization. Counterbalance this by slowing down the sales process — demonstrate how your solution will benefit the team and remove as much risk from the decision-making process as possible. Soften your voice and make sure your sales presentation flows in a logical manner. Use words like “fair” “logical” and “your team” in your presentation.
Analytical – Lot’s-o-Info Amy (ASK – FACT-)
GIVE FACTUALY REASON WHY TO BUY NOW.
She reads every point and specification about your product or service and, regardless of how much information you give her, Amy always wants more, including written guarantees and back-up documentation. She is very difficult to read and it is extremely difficult to get her engaged in an open conversation because personal feelings and emotions do not enter the picture when Amy makes a decision.
Whenever possible, give Amy a written, bullet-point agenda of your meeting — beforehand. Ideally, e-mail it to her a few days in advance so she can prepare herself. Make sure it is completely free of typos, spelling mistakes and punctuation errors. When you meet, follow the agenda in perfect order and if you make any type of claim, have supporting documentation available for her to read.
While the approach to use with each of these people may not make sense to you or seem completely rational, it is critical to recognize that how you naturally and instinctively sell may not be the best way to get results with someone else. Modifying your approach and style, even briefly, will help you better connect with your customers and prospects, which means you will generate better sales.
For Great Sales Training visit
http://www.simplyselling.org/

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