Improving Sales Performance

Sales managers and senior officers are stressed because their sales teams spend too much time in the office and are not meeting sales goals. With shareholders and the board getting more agitated over results officers are in the danger zone.

Look around most sales offices and you will find cliques of sales teams speaking with each other and not their most vital asset- their customer. Sales professions complain over accounts. And, sales managers spend too much time on discipline rather than more important strategic issues.

There is the realization that something needs to change and drastically. When the activity shifts from tactics to strategy the following occurs:

1. Morale. Any sales manager in the business long enough will tell you that when individuals sell they succeed. As sales improve so does morale. That said it is vital that selling professionals focus on their most important activity- meeting existing clients to sell them something.

2. Productivity. When the focus of sales professionals creates a bevy of activity there is more productivity. Simply put busy individuals are more productive.

3. Stress. As the intensity of activity increases managers are left with less discipline and more results. Sales directors gain more freedom and more time since professionals are involved in issues that keeps them motivated and results focused.

The problem today is that there are so many people issuing such poor advice that sales directors and senior managers are uncertain what to do. Cold calling, training, et. al. are not the answers to creating a collaborative, action based sales team. There are several issues that require attention to help reduce the stress and increase the workflow.

Here are five concepts that require focus:

1. Lack of Accountability – Because of busyness sales managers are not providing the proper key performance metrics that hold individuals responsible for leads and pipeline management.

2. Lack of Relationships – Business professionals conduct business with whom they know and trust. Have sales professionals focus on relationships not units.

3. Lack of Good Advice – There are so much bad advice out there from training to coaching etc. One problem is your firm tries training because someone told you to do so. However training is an event. Nothing alters in a seven-hour day. Behavior must change from proper knowledge transfer. In addition, the training will fail because implementation fails when events sit in a binder!

4. Lack of Personnel – No intervention will work unless you have the proper talent. Lack of proper hiring leads to attrition, morale and overall productivity issues.

5. Lack of Customer Centrism – The purpose of business to acquire and retain clients. This is done with proper relationships. Research illustrates that almost fifty percent of every transaction involves customer service.

Sales managers and their teams are in a battle for survival. Stress is high and productivity is low. It is necessary to begin investments that alleviate the issues and increase the results that you seek from each individual and the sales team. Ask any sales manager when results are prevalent there is more freedom, more contentment and simply more of everything.

How does your organization deal with sales productivity issues? Do you have succinct stories or best practices you can share? Provide a quick comment below.

Drew Stevens teaches sales managers and their direct reports to create more customer centric relationships that dramatically drive new revenues and new clients, which this means to you is less focus on sales problems and more freedom for you. Drew is one of those very rare sales and business development experts with not only 28 years of true sales experience but advanced degrees in sales productivity. Not many can make such as claim. He is a frequently requested speaker and author with seven books. Download his free White Paper on Lead Generation Strategies or call him today at 877-391-6821 to end your sales pain!

Lead Generation Slump

Steven understands that this is a difficult economy. However he is doing what all others do, complain. He has attempted numerous things but runs into issues such as:

Unreturned phone calls
Unreturned emails
A clearly whittled down pipeline
Lack of management support

The concern that Steven has is similar to many other sales representatives. Steven like many is in pain and does not understand how to navigate through it. Similar to a ship in the ocean during a storm, Steven has lost his heading and sight of port.

What has happened to Steven? He has lost his confidence. He has lost his swagger. More importantly he has lost how to play through the pain.

I remember when I was competing in track and got hurt prior to a very important and visible track meet. I had two options, 1) I can sit and complain or 2) I can practice while using methods that enabled me to do so without too much discomfort. This happens to athletes all the time.

Athletes find alternatives to slumps. A quick review of any athlete or team struggling illustrates ways in which they play through the “pain” so that they quickly find the winning formula. Sales professionals are no different.

The number one reason why sales professionals are in pain is that they do not conduct enough marketing, networking and customer communication.

Any sales manager today will tell you that their sales professionals spend too much time in the office, too much time on the internet, too much time completing reports and not enough time generating leads.

The purpose of any sales professional is to generate relationships. Nothing else in business is more important or should get in the way.

So what is a selling professional to do? What advice can be given to sales managers?

1. Seek out referrals. The bullion for any selling organization is acceptance of customer value. Request referrals from those that understand and appreciate the value you provide.

2. Network frequently. The life of a selling professional is best spent either with other prospects or with strategic alliances that can introduce you to prospects. Get out of the office!

3. Read voraciously. Look at the trade press and current events and determine methods to sell new and existing products to existing clients based on need. Determine need based on recent issues in the news that help improve the customer’s competitive position.

4. Create Client Communication. Discover ways to get close to clients. Send cards, newsletters and articles to clients and prospective clients.

5. What does the past suggest? A quick review of previous success might help uncover resources. Review what worked and repeat it.

6. Speaking. Increase visibility with speaking opportunities at regional and national events.

7. Create Performance Metrics. The only method to ensure sales professionals focus on leads and pipeline management is implementing and enforcing goals.

Athletes do not have the time or expense to decide how they got where they are. They take action to create new opportunities and re-establish their presence. Selling professionals must do the same. Sellers must create a series of actions that produce enough activity to fill the pipeline.

Have any best practices you like to share. Provide your tip here to share with the remainder of the sales community.

Drew Stevens PhD is a very rare sales and business development expert since he has over 28 years of real world experience. Drew’s uniqueness is his history of working in the trenches as well as leading sales efforts to the world’s largest commercial and investment banks, creating customer centered relationships with senior offices and sales directors. Drew Stevens teaches sales teams to create customer centric relationships that dramatically accelerate revenues and profits! His methodology is based on his widely acclaimed book Split Second Selling where he presents over 25 years of tested data that provides individuals with the use of the PRACTICE ™ method. Drew Stevens is a passionate, professional, and personable keynote speaker and workshop facilitator; and conducts over 50 presentations per year in over 20 countries. Contact him today to get your sales team on the track to success at 877-391-6821.

Why Training Investment is a Failure to Most Organizations

Reading a recent Wall Street Journal article I was flabbergasted to learn of organizations that are recently increasing the amount of leadership development training. Ironically, organizations are dropping organizational development in light of budget limitations. With tighter budgets and concerns over the recession, many organizations are attempting work on both leadership and team building skills.

With careful analysis of both value and outcome organizational development is heading in the wrong direction. Developing staff during an economic quagmire sends both the improper message and focus.

Here is the rationale why training fails in organization:
1.    The first area of focus during economic turmoil is sales. Nothing happens without something in the organization getting sold. There must be a solid focus on selling methodology, value orientation and relationship building. Energies must be applied to building sales adjuncts and not leadership.
2.    Every organization exists for one purpose- the customer. Attempting to build narcissistic programs without focus on client retention is wasteful.
3.    Leadership Development is a waste. If the organizational culture does not exemplify empowerment, strategy and client focus I good or bad times, the training is wasteful.
4.    There is a current fear that training aids employee retention. This is farthest from the truth; people leave bad managers not bad companies. Seek to retain talent by ending the infighting, the silos and the bad management.
5.    For years I have watched organizations attempt team building. I enjoy seeking an organization try to mend conversation between Bob and Ted. They take the two on a whitewater rafting trip with a case of beer hoping for cajoling. Believe me if Ted and Bob do not like each other, one is not returning. All of our clients believe that greater teamwork is essential to their efficiency and effectiveness. However clients actually have groups rather than teams. There are those in the group that win while others lose. In addition, there is too much focus on the individual accountable versus what the team can provide.
6.    The training and development industry is self-serving. Over $60 billion is spent on training every year with very little focus on return on investment. It is wasteful to conduct training without any sustainable result. Training is an event that does not change behavior in a six-hour period. In addition, training is a reaction to something gone awry.
7.    Training attempts to throw independent consultants and money at an issue to be resolved. What is required are metrics of accountability both before and after. Managers must hold themselves and employees accountable after an event.
8.    Training must be part of an ongoing process, such as coaching, mentoring and counseling. These techniques not only think through what is before but what goes after. Using these techniques, managers can review the obstacles seeking application on the job.
©2009 Drew J. Stevens Ph.D. All rights reserved.

Food Fight

I had the opportunity to meet a dear friend for dinner at a local steakhouse near my home. As we were seated, Danny Devito’s twin greeted us. Oscar aka Danny took almost 25 minutes to return to our table taking drinks and our meal order. Mind you this was not a very busy evening, but you could tell from the moment we were seated Oscar did not want to be working.

During our order I desired one of two choices: fish or steak. Naturally I asked Oscar which he believed best. His glib reply, “Well this is a steakhouse”. My friend and I were aghast but continued our meal.

No one needs to be treated disrespectfully whether eating a meal or simply sitting in the waiting room of a physician’s office. The fact is that customer service is a vital aspect for each business; product or service.

Here are some thoughts for sales professionals, managers, and business owners.

1.    Smile – The first thing consumers see when they are getting serviced. Ensure there is a smile on every agents face. When was the last purchase you made from David the Depressed?
2.    Enthusiasm – Smart people like, smart-ass people can live without. If your people do not like what they do, ask them to leave.
3.    Engaging – Service does not have to look similar to Thanksgiving Dinner with the family but it does require being genuinely interested in others. Ensure conversations occur.
4.    People Make a Difference – Hire the right people for the right job. Clearly Oscar had no business waiting tables on a busy Saturday evening.
5.    Check your Baggage – Like you there are good days and bad days, everyone has them, however consumers do not care. Leave the misery and angst at the door; service everyone equally and respectfully.

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How Selling Professionals Avoid Failure

A common travesty that underpins sales success is fear. Selling professionals fear picking up the phone, they fear asking for referrals, they fear asking for the agreement. Sellers fear because they do not know what to do if something does not go their way. They have failed. Not true, failure is the best teacher in the world. Stop looking at failure as a negative. A terrific mentor, author and king of the consulting world Alan Weiss states, “If you are not failing you are not trying”.

First, selling professionals are constantly immersed in rejection. Yet it all begins with confidence. Sellers must believe in the products and services they represent. If you do not believe it you will not sell it! How do you expect buyers to believe you if you cannot believe it? Avoid failure with passion and conviction for the company you represent.

Second, regular readers of this column know my thoughts on cold calling- I abhor it. There are times when it is necessary. More importantly, there are times when friends, peers and colleagues might provide sellers with a referral. Research in this area illustrates that over 78% of individuals procrastinate making these calls because of rejection. Refrain from preconceptions and pick up the phone! What you are really saying is that you do not know what to say after hello! Rejections diminish with proper preparation, provocative questions and action steps.

It is important to remember that buyers do not reject you personally, they reject the offer simply because there is a lack of trust and value. Therefore, sellers must find methods that counteract these issues.

“Failure is not an option” originated from the issues of Apollo 13. Unfortunately many selling professionals use the cliché for all their efforts. With so many organizations lacking investment in their sales teams and with less individuals investing in themselves, failure is the best educational tool. Keep trying, continue failing, stop looking for short term results but long term strategies of self-mastery. Failure is the key to your economic selling future!

Additional Quote for the Day

“Why don’t you want to do what you know you should do? The reason you don’t is that you’re in conflict with yourself.” – Tom Hopkins (The Art of Selling)

Limited beliefs also withhold your success, Click Here for a Free Report on Overcoming Limited Beliefs

Drew Stevens PhD is one of the world’s leading authorities on business development and practice management success. Dr. Drew is the author of the successful sales process book Split Second Selling and the upcoming book Ultimate Business Bible – 10 Strategies for Achieving Ultimate Business Success. Click to receive a free chapter of Ultimate Business Bible. Dr. Drew is one of the founders of the Sales Leadership Program at St. Louis University and operates Sales Fitness and Business Expert Radio one of the Internet’s highly successful podcasts and radio programs. To discover how Drew Stevens can dramatically accelerate your revenue contact him through his website.

Secrets to Selling to the C Suite

The current recession has selling professionals and their management seeking alternatives to increase sales. One issue that continually arises is selling to the C Suite. There is a belief that if selling professionals increase their abilities to corporate executives both closure and sales revenues will increase. That may or may not be true.

The first item to consider with attempting selling products and services to corporate executives is whether the individual occupying the office is truly the buyer. Many selling professionals get fooled into believing that title encourages the sale. While CEO’s are responsible for a myriad of activities their main priority is a focus on customer acquisition and retention as well as a return to stakeholders. It is simply impossible to be involved in every vendor decision, and it is considered micromanagement. Take some time to understand your true buyer before wasting time.

Selling professionals by nature are tactical and invariably spend time with those that might influence but do not make decisions. However the approach for selling to decision makers in the C Suite must be more strategic. Before embarking on cold calling and using rote sales principles, take the time to prepare. Selling professionals must adequately prepare before calling an executive. I suggest reading current versions of The Wall Street Journal to comprehend environmental (i.e. economic, political, technological, etc) issues as well as competitive pressures. In addition, reading the organizations annual report is essential for understanding the firm’s strategy and industry acceptance. Finally a quick review of corporate, industry and other competitive issues enables a representative to have articulate conversations with senior executives.

Upon completion of preliminary reading, selling professionals must establish a strategic corporate profile in order to better comprehend the corporate structure and align products and services you offer with the prospective organization. The strategic profile removes the tactical issues of product sales and creates a better ability to create long-term relationships. Executives will trust the ability to be more consultative. Formulating a corporate strategy creates provocative questions related to objectives and measurements for success, which are the conversations that senior executives desire. Dialogue focuses on organizational results and benefits to the customer, not product/service facts. Executives desire to hear about output and results.

Finally strategic selling professionals do not visit the C Suite with rote tactics of cold calling etc. While a myriad of books, audios and other materials exist suggesting such, executives are met through referral and networking. Individuals invest in those they know and trust. This requires selling professionals to shift direction and gain better momentum with strategic ideology. It simply requires change.

We are currently in a sea of rapid change and momentum. Recessions also enable organizations to develop innovative techniques. Now is the time to be a market leader and create techniques that allow innovation and renewal. Shifting to a new sales direction will take some time but as comfort returns, the organization will gain speed and velocity. The results will be worth it!

There are 7 techniques you can use daily to assist you preparation efforts. Get the 7 Secrets to Sales Preparation by emailing me today. Ask about our Free 30 Minutes “Sales Acceleration Coaching Clinic”!

Drew Stevens PhD is one of the worlds leading experts in sales and sales skills. Dr. Drew is the author of six books including Split Second Selling and the soon to be released Ultimate Business Bible. With over 25 years of sales experience and business leader, Dr. Drew has extensive experience in assisting both entrepreneurs and selling professionals to experience higher efficiency and effectiveness. He is also the creator of the Sales Leadership Certificate one of only 14 programs in the United States offering an accredited degree in the profession of selling and has a top ranked podcast called Sales Fitness offering tips and techniques that immediately improve selling performance.

Monday Momentum with Dr. Drew

“Everything you want is out there waiting for you to ask. Everything you want also wants you. But you have to take action to get it.”

Jules Renard quotes (French Writer, 1864-1910)

As an avid reader of the conquest of American History I am often reminded of the stories of the Gold Rush. Those that sought gold traveled far to stake their claim to fortune. They traveled far and through rough terrain to capture their dream. American history is rampant with stories of those taking action and subsequent risk to seek out new futures and fortunes.

The contrast today is the laziness of many. Rather than diet and maintain nutrition individuals use a remote in search of the 6-second workout. So many are in a rush they do not signal on highways while others text and drive. Rather than make their own luck they lament by victimization therefore seeking alternatives to work.

If you want a new future stop the folly of laziness and do something. I am amazed when selling professionals and their owners blame customers, the economy and political issues for lack of business. 92% of selling falters because of a lack of a process and more importantly the lack to establish a relationship. Stop whining; stop making excuses and start creating a new future. If you want to reap you must sow. Seek out an education and invest in resources to help you. Gold miners worked for their fortune why shouldn’t you.

Motivational Monday Moment by Dr. Drew

Quote of the Day

When you’re really trying to make serious change, you don’t want people to get caught up in emotion because change isn’t emotion. Because change isn’t emotion. Its real work and organization and strategy.. that’s just the truth of it. I mean, you pull people in with inspiration, but then you have to roll up your sleeves and you’ve got to make sacrifices and you have got to have structure.

Michelle Obama

Thought of the Day

One of the issues that constantly weights on those that sell is a lack of process. Simply put selling professionals are too tactical. 92% of most professionals do not have a process, do not prepare their calls, do not understand the value of rapport and consequently screw up their closing ratios. There is value in education and learning to be better at your craft. I am floored by the immense amount of free advice available yet individuals do not take advantage. There is not shortcut to selling.

Best Practice of the Day

Take some time this holiday season to renew, to review and to improve. Stop the feeling of victimization of not making sales and learn about something that can assist you. If you use this one thing everyday for a month you will be 50% better.

There are 12 techniques you can use daily to assist you sales efforts. If you seek a quick 12 step tip sheet for selling efficiency email me today. And ask about our Free 30 Minutes “Sales Acceleration Coaching Clinic”.

Drew Stevens PhD works with organizations to dramatically accelerate revenue. Dr. Drew is the author of six books including Split Second Selling and the soon to be released Ultimate Business Bible. He is also the creator of the Sales Leadership Certificate one of only 14 programs in the United States offering an accredited degree in the profession of selling and has a top ranked podcast called Sales Fitness with Dr. Drew. To gain a free 30 Minute Coaching Session or to request Secrets of Ultimate Business Success contact Dr. Drew today get the proper prescription for your success.

Dr. Drew's Cold Calling Rant

Quote of the Day

“By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin

Thought of the Day

I was in the middle of a meeting yesterday when my cell phone rang. I do not typically answer any calls during a meeting but I informed my client I was expecting a call. That said, it was not my call but a cold caller! The typical mundane salutation immediately perturbed me, “Hey are you”? I retorted with the issue my number was private she should not have access. She replied, “I got it from a list.

This is the reason why cold calling gets its knocks. It is the reason why selling professionals gain the stereotype. It is also the reason why many individuals are having issues opening doors. Einstein once stated, “Insanity is doing the same things repeatedly and expecting a new result.” Why follow the rules of the foolish when you can no results. Cold calling when done incorrectly only leads to a fools method of rejection.

Best Practice

Cold calling is still a method of obtaining new business if done appropriately, strategically and professionally. Here are some tips:

Prepare for every call before you pick up the telephone. Research the company, the person and identify the possible objectives the client might desire.
Prepare a list of questions for each call. Know what you are prepared to say before you say it.
Do less talking and more questioning. More information is gained when the prospect does the speaking.
Make notes and paraphrase when issues arise so they are understood.
Listen for objections to address additional questions.
Open the call with potential issues for the client not tiresome lines.
Realize you are not selling product, merely building a relationship.

There are 12 techniques you can use daily to assist you sales efforts. If you seek a quick 12 step tip sheet for cold calling email me today. And ask about our Free 30 Minutes “Sales Acceleration Coaching Clinic”.

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