Podcast: Sales Trends in 2012
Sales Manager and Business Development Expert Drew Stevens shares his vision for the sales trends for the 2012 year.
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How to Create a Year End Sales Blitz
Just yesterday Kathy called me crying that revenues were down that she would not meet her quota. I answer calls like this frequently. Early this week Ron mentioned that he does not understand how he will meet expenses this month!
If this sounds like you then advice is on the way!
One of the largest issues that many sales professionals and entrepreneurs deal with is that when you are busy working, you are too busy not marketing and creating visibility; and when you are not busy, you are busy with everything else but marketing. Procrastination is the order of the day. What you need to realize is that busy or not, client or not, revenue or not, priorities or not, every day is a marketing day! You must be active everyday soliciting business.
Okay you gave me the riot act for the future but what about now?
So by now you are in panic mode and thinking what if anything can I do to salvage the year. Yes there is still time. Here are five things you need to do right now to closer business before year-end.
- Get out of the stands and into the field of play. If you ever want to know the difference between the successful individual and those that aren’t simply look at the workload. Successful people are always busy, constantly adhering to their mission and vision. This requires that you get busy being busy. I am not speaking of the inappropriate things that waste time – only those that point to revenue. This requires that you begin to network aggressively meeting new individuals and passing out your business card. There should be a goal in mind such as meeting 4 new people per day or writing out one new proposal this week. The busier you are the more successful you will become. And, when you are busy there is less time to think about issues, ponder depression and waste the day! When you are busy you are working on a better future. As an action step sign up for two new networking events where you know no one and meet four new people!
- The Art of the Referral – The sweetest sound anyone can hear about their business is the endorsement from a happy customer. Happy clients are your greatest assets because they tell others. This helps value, brand and future client attraction. Think here about Apple, Facebook and many other organizations that never, and I mean never use advertising. The reason- they have happy clients tell the story. The problem here is twofold 1) you never ask enough and 2) you ask too late. It is important that you remain in constant contact with clients and always seek out useful referrals. As an action item today, solicit four referrals from everyone in your database. You will be surprised by the results.
- A Complimentary Offer – Clients today are very persnickety because they have access to a wealth of free information. Clients and consumer behavior have come to expect some complimentary offering. What do you have that have some value that you might provide to clients? Might you provide a free webinar, a one day credit something that creates enough action that makes movement. Remember it is all about value and sometimes this requires a bit more of a push. Giving something away might help prompt the sale.
- Third Party Endorsement – While watching the news recently there was a story on the six degrees theory. You know the notion of it’s a small world! However, in recent analysis of 721 million active Facebook users and their over 69 billion friendships found that any two individuals in the world are connected, on average, by just 4.74 acquaintances. With the proliferation of social media we are more connected then ever. Well if that is the case all you need to do is seek within your electronic Rolodex of individuals of who knows who at the account you are attempting to close and ask for help. You do not ask then you do not receive! Therefore it is important that you do not even complete this article and seek immediately within your circles to gain access to people that know of others that can help you close business.
- Cut the cord and get with the right person – This hellacious environment altered the individuals you believed to be decision makers and those that think they are. If you really want to close business- and I mean now, then stop conversing with those that are not economic buyers. Only concern yourself with a person that can right a check, sign a contract or letter agreement and has the approval. Stop pondering with budgets, organizational politics and senseless bureaucratic refuse. Ask the right questions, meet the right people and you will notice less time wasted and more responsiveness to your value.
Those that get busy today adopting these principles will notice an increase in activity. The requirement today in this crazy busy world is to be consistently and relentless involved with client activity. Action makes you visible and memorable. Action creates motion, and motion creates revenue.
©Drew Stevens PhD. All rights reserved.
Memories: Are you Making Them With Clients?
Did you ever wonder why the phone does not ring? Do you ever panic when prospective individuals ask you what you do and your struggle with your delivery? There are reasons why many struggle with what to say to prospective clients:
- They are uncertain what to say
- They have not practiced the proper approach
- They try to say something different each time
- There is no consistency with the brand
There is a solution to this issue and it is called the MEME (sounds like team). So what is this incredible tool?
A meme is an idea, behavior, style or message else that enters into your community and creates additional community and interest. Different from the way it is spelled a MEME does not create anything about you, however it does create output based messages that illustrate the value and benefits clients get from doing business with you.
If you follow a template I will share with you, you can use it to generate eye opening and memorable methods for clients to become attracted to you.
- A meme can be used for:
- Introduction to verbal conversations
- Developed into a value proposition for your website
- Developed into a tagline for marketing collateral
- Used to introduce products and services
- Incorporated into presentations and articles/tip sheets
Because your MEME illustrates the value you will need to use it to help communicate your brand and create the allure you desire for your business. Yet the best part of this is once it is developed you can use it throughout your integrated marketing communications.
So what does a MEME sound like?
Here is a MEME from one of my clients. “Hi nice to meet you. I am Dr. Ron and I work with men and women aged 37 to 55 who suffer from the ill effects of stress. I provide a unique process that reduces stress and provides increased mobility and flexibility!” Naturally the next statement you will hear is, “My Gosh how do you do that?”
Now how does that sound versus the rote, “Hi I’m Ron, I’m A Doctor.” Or , “Hi I’m Ron, I’m in Insurance.” Or , “Hi I’m Ron. I’m and Electrician.” Not to say there is anything wrong with these professions but there is something wrong in the delivery. One they’re boring. Two you sound like everyone else. Three it is stereotyped so that people instantly dismiss you and four, it is inward focused and says nothing of what you provide to the client.
Here are 7 things you can to do help develop a MEME:
- Focus on the clients you want to provide and most importantly your perfect client. Who is the demographic and what do they value and benefit from? What are the solutions that you provide congruent with those desires.
- Write down a list of benefits that you provide clients. Think about how you help them. Review your testimonials to help you here. When you come up with the list prioritize it so that you develop the best one.
- Think of the three to four issues your clients have to say before you helped them. What do you typically hear before you develop solutions.
- When you work with clients what are you processes, methods, steps etc that can be used to explain how you help. For example do you have a 7 step strategy or a 4 step proprietary choke hold, you get the picture.
- Now look at your notes and write out your statement using the following, Target Demographic + Issue + Solution. Develop a few drafts so that eventually it rolls of your tongue. And to assist you make it two to three short sentences.
- Practice this on friends and family as well as some other clients to see what they have to say.
- Once you have this developed then I want you to think about two things 1) what you will say after they say tell me more and 2) develop a call to action.
I like to teach by example, so let me my MEME and others I have created. Contact me for a FREE NO OBLIGATION MEME session and in 30 minutes we will create a message that drops most jaws.
Creating a compelling a MEME is a vital part of the Business Acceleration System. How is yours coming along?
© 2011. Drew Stevens PhD. All rights reserved.
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Sales Difficulty – Return to Fundamentals
During my high school and collegiate days I ran track. I recall the numerous times I attempted new goals and failed to reach them. Or there were times when competing that required some changes. In both instances I returned to fundamentals,
Similar issues happen to those selling, Sales professionals compete each day with some days going great and others not so much. Sometimes no matter how hard you attempt to meet new prospects or close new deals it is similar to running up a mountain on a hot day with a 30 pound sack.
Rather than continuing on the path with no results it is best to review some fundamentals to center your efforts and reclaim your confidence.
To assist you here are seven of 25 aspects:
- Preparation – Never say hello without conducting complete research on your prospective buyer. Review annual reports, proxy statements, current news, and the company website so that you can engage in healthy conversations.
- Questions – Many keynote speakers use notes to guide their presentations. Therefore prepare a series of provocative questions based on objectives, measurements and returns clients desire. Do not think on your feet when you can prepare questions that lead clients on a path.
- Stop Prescribing – Clients desire value therefore your conversations must be value based. Stop sounding like other sales agents. Base discussions on results and outcomes. Stop telling information and listen to what they need.
- Value – Engage clients with a value proposition. End the features and facts discussion. If you desire a template on a value proposition contact me.
- Start Listening – A former mentor Norm Strauss had a wonderful ability to ask questions with a question. Sales representatives do not get information when they speak they do so when they ask questions. Be in control of every call by forming the discussion with purposeful questions.
- Evaluate – Every athlete always reviews strengths and limitations of competition, why not selling professionals? Conduct a quick SWOT and make your next client call better.
- Seek Council – Unfortunately when sales people reach out for aid they believe it is a sign of weakness; not true. Mentorship is a sign of power as individuals seek supremacy of their craft. Never be afraid to ask for help.
(c) 2011 Drew J Stevens PhD All Rights Reserved
What fundamental practices do you use that aid you during difficult times? Place your best practices in the comment area below.
Marketing & Sales Alignment Best Practices
In How Sales Executives Can Improve Marketing and Sales Alignment in 2011, ExecSense examines easy-to-implement strategies and best practices used by leading sales executives to build alignment between their sales and marketing teams. Take the 60 minutes to view this webinar (on your computer, mobile phone, iPad, Kindle or printed out) and learn valuable tips and techniques to improve marketing and sales alignment in order to build a single, integrated revenue pipeline and generate and close more leads this year.
If you cannot call-in to attend the webinar and view the presentation at 4:30 EST, Friday, March 18th, ExecSense will email you the PowerPoint, audio and supplementary files by the next day for viewing at your convenience during your next commute, business trip, flight, lunch, or free hour in your schedule (you simply need to register before the webinar occurs). If you would like to ask an anonymous question or request a specific topic to be covered during the webinar, please email the moderator at lauraj@execsense.com after you have registered to attend and we guarantee your question/topic will be covered.
Find out how to order at:
http://execsense.com/details.asp?id=3364
Sales Management Blog Voted in the Top 50
SalesCrunch releaes its Top 50 Sales Blogs.
The list is generated according to the “Grade” in Blog Grader and is updated daily so the list is always accurate and up to date. Stevens Consulting is ranked number 17 of the top 50 sales blogs. Thanks go to Kevin Vecchione and Tom O’Leary for their infinite wisdom and to Samantha Hartley for her power of repositioning and branding.
Please return often to read our valuable content on sales manager training and development.
Effective Sales Management | The Importance of Sales Intelligence
It is not uncommon today to hear from any sales manager about the instant need for productivity gains. Every sales manager today is being forced to achieve more audacious goals than ever before. This stems from two factors 1) an overarching desire to overcome recent economic volatility and 2) ensuring that sales forces are highly productive.
As America comes out of the financial doldrums many sales forces are being asked to produce large results. Sales forces have had to do much more with much less after terminating many sale professionals. To some this was a good time to purge those individuals that were simply unproductive. To others it was an opportunity to separate the good from the bad. Moreover, it allowed organizations focus on sales intelligence.
Many today believe that sales intelligence is those computer applications that allow for the acquisition of customer information. However, sales intelligence is really about two things: 1) sales talent and 2) sales aggressiveness. It’s about the intelligent selling representative.
Selling requires an established set of unique skills. It does not require the people are gregarious or typically outgoing. But it does require that individuals have a unique set of skills that allow them to build customer centric relationships. In fact, selling is just that the ability to create relationships with the organization’s most valuable asset-customers. The reason why many organizations were unproductive in the past was because they hired behavior not talent. Talent is an innate set of skills that people acquire from their values and beliefs. These are the skills that truly separate a professional seller from those that want to be. More importantly, these are gifts that people are born with and are not easily transferable.
Many years ago Jim Collins wrote in his book “Good to Great” about the importance of having the right people on the bus. It is true that the right people do not need to be managed, do not require much focus and are motivated enough to be highly productive. Hiring based on talent provides the organization with the intelligence it needs to acquire new clients.
Sales talent actually aids sales intelligence. Smart salespeople know not only where to get valid information but whom to get it from. They understand the need for customer information so that they can become a trusted peer. Useful information allows good selling professionals to ask questions based upon objectives and measurements of success so that clients can understand the value they bring to the table. Sales intelligence enables the selling professional to see issues from the outside in. Sellers actually stop thinking in a transactional mode and more consultative.
Further, those with the proper sales talent are also very aggressive. That is not to say they will do anything for the sale but rather they will do anything to establish customer-centered relationships with the right economic buyer. The notion here is that good selling professionals will go to all corners of the earth to find the information they need to establish those relationships. In fact ask anyone with good sales talents and they will provide you with the numerous portions of useful content they use daily.
There are a number of organizations today investing heavily in sales intelligence. This includes investments in computers, databases and even Internet search technology. The concern here is not necessarily what information is being dredged but who and how it is being used. Before investing in a wealth of databases and technology the better choice would be people. Good people will know how to take information and convert it into useful data and knowledge. It is this knowledge that will make organizations highly productive, more profitable, while also creating more customer centered relationships. This cannot be done with just anyone. To borrow a line from Jim Collins it must be done with the right people on the bus!
© 2011. Drew J Stevens PhD. All rights reserved.
What intelligence is your organization using? Share some of your thoughts in the comment area.
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Selling Techniques – The Seven Qualities of Successful Selling Professionals
Sales Expert and Thought Leader shares his 28 years sales experience to help you understand the seven important qualities and behaviors of highly successful selling professionals. This is a must listen for any professional and sales manager.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.0MB)
Crucial Conversations for Sales Managers
A large part of sales management requires crucial conversations with staff. Many avoid conflict for many reasons but engaging employees and ensuring accountability with these conversations is vital to the success of the group and to ensure all are meeting their goals. Let Master Sales Management Expert Drew Stevens show you three easy steps for the best communication.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.0MB)
Effective Selling Tools – Being a Buyer Peer
Sales Consultant and Business Development Expert Drew Stevens illustrates why it is necessary to create customer centered relationships by helping you reduce labor and create partnerships with decision makers.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (3.1MB)
