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.

How to Use The Front Desk To Help Sales and Service

Sales Expert and Sales Consultant Drew Stevens illustrates how to use the power of the front desk to transform your sales and marketing efforts.

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Overcoming Sales Hurdles

Through trial and error we understand that the more issues remain the same the more they must change. Research in a myriad of periodicals mentions numerous challenges for organizations especially in the selling process. New issues abound daily impacting how selling professionals meet buyer’s needs.

What we know are the following:

➢ Decision Makers are hard to find. There are so many responsibilities for people that trying to find the time for discussion is difficult. Additionally, since organizations tend to focus on lean, more people are making decisions rather than management. A recent Wall Street Journal Report states that personnel without authority to purchase a laptop can plan a regional meeting with a budget of $500,000!
➢ Competitive Neutrality. The proliferation of the Internet and information is challenging. Buyers comprehend more of your organization than your own sales force!
➢ Organizational labyrinthine. Globalization, rightsizing, mergers and multitudes of organizational transformation are as perplexing as discovering the DaVinci Code. Reporting lines and decision processes are difficult.
➢ Financial Planning. The one constant is decreasing divisional funds. Agreement is reached only to discover the unavailability of funds.
➢ The best defense is unclear. 15 years ago, training your sales force was mandatory. With tightening budgets and productivity issues, selling professionals are sent into battle without armaments.
➢ CRM. The sales tool offered to assist selling professionals is underutilized and mis-understood.
➢ No Teamwork. Sales require more collaboration with the marketing department.

With over 27 years of research and analysis with numerous organizations we constantly hear about sales excuses- no return calls to numerous voice mails. I have made return calls to interested parties only to never hear from them again. The world has become more complex and navigationally difficult.

Read any present newspaper or periodical and you will begin to acquire the phraseology of the “knowledge economy”. This is defined as an economy based on creating, evaluating, and trading knowledge. In a knowledge economy, labor costs become progressively less important as opposed to the amount of knowledge acquired by individuals and organizations to become more effective. Simply put, the more information one has the more knowledge one gains. Content is king! This is the key differentiator.

Selling professionals similar to your clients must be content experts. Clients desire trust and respect and they desire intellectual conversation. Drop the features and benefit discussion- these left when public seminars did. Your clients crave illustrious council. Selling professionals must be advisors, consultants and experts. This is vital to your business success.

There are some rules about sales:

1. There are simply four techniques of selling that are vital. One does not need numerous methods and training. Learn the four simple steps and you will sell more than you realize.
2. There is no basic selling rule or principle that has been discovered in the last hundred years.
3. One needs to take these principles and use them daily. Practicing these rules and making them a habit in your daily life will make you better.
4. Do not rush learning. Rome was not built in a day. You must learn daily and practice daily but without haste and impatience.
5. Evaluate yourself. Be critical and learn by what you are doing and not doing to become better. Be honest in your assessment.

The one issue of selling never expressed in training or research is that it is not event based or linear. Selling is a process, it takes time, it takes effort and it takes patience!

Original sales article published here.

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.

What You Learn From Selling

Today is Election Day in many parts of the United States. This is a perfect time to express our democratic freedom and vote for desired change. I plan on doing that in addition to observing the folly of politicians. Some could use a few best practices to aid in their poll results.

One of the silly items I notice in my local community is the increased use of lawn banners and other support media to denote a person’s candidacy. A parishioner in my church is running for Alderman yet I did not know he was running! Selling professionals realize the rules of the game have altered. It is vital to reach the economic buyer with value. Individuals buy from those they know and trust. Rather than waste senseless money on signs, political candidates need to know network and greet their constituents. Name alone does not win elections – even in a local community. Know your buyers!

Most selling professionals I instruct know my attitude on cold calling- do not do it! Cold calling wastes time is intrusive and unsuccessful. Yet many politicians record voice messages and send them to constituents. If you want to engage the buyer, send a warm letter of introduction, the value you provide with testimonials and then call. Sending arbitrary voice messages wastes politician’s time and money. Selling professionals know to invest time in call preparation so they know what to say before during and after hello.

Finally, eradicate the door hangers. Similar to rote tactics used by real estate agents, painters, lawn maintenance contractors et. al. they do not work. While sellers do not to invest money that creates marketing buzz, these miniscule tactics only create trash. Create proper marketing that generates a buzz and attracts individuals to you! Sellers realize that in today’s competitive landscape it is about differentiation. Generate investments in needful things.

There are seven secrets for selling effectiveness. Click here For a Free Report 7 Secrets to Selling Success

Drew Stevens is one of the world’s leading authorities on business development and marketing. Drew is the author of the successful sales process book Split Second Selling. 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. To discover how Dr. Drew dramatically accelerate your business development and sales skills visit his sales and marketing website.

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.

Effective Selling Skills

Are you a good selling or business development professional? What distinguishes you from the remainder of the pack?

With over 27 years of experience working with those that develop business and sell for a living I find the following characteristics:

1- Those that seek relationships not a commission check

2- Do not procrastinate, using the hours in the day wisely to be with prospective and current clients

3- Do not waste “windshield time” on wasteful things or nothing

4- Reads voraciously to understand competitive intelligence that aids the client

5- Establishes a strategic account profile to understand prospective client opportunities and limitations

6- Knows the economic buyer in their accounts and does not waste time with gatekeepers

7- Think strategically not tactically to engage buyers

8- Learning the client’s business and discovering methods to assist them now and in the future

9- Prepare provocative questions that engage and enlighten

10- Knows when to listen and when to speak

11- Networks constantly to meet new buyers

12- Engages a sales process

13- Creates emotion and has a passion for the sales process

14- Believes in what they are selling

15- Nurtures relationships with proper customer service, returning all calls and emails in a timely manner

16- Uses and respects the relevance of CRM reporting useful data to upper management

17- Understands the importance of customer to customer influences on account management

18- Thinks in terms of client outcomes, not units sold

19- Dresses professionally and is ready to engage with every client

20- Has poise and flexibility to engage gatekeeper and buyer ethically

Use the following as a checklist for your selling professionals if you are a manager or for you personally if you sell for a living. Check back periodically to determine methods to make you a more effective seller to alleviate time and develop more business.

There are seven secrets for selling effectiveness. Click here For a Free Report 7 Secrets to Selling Success

Drew Stevens is one of the world’s leading authorities on business development and customer satisfaction. Drew is the author of the successful sales process book Split Second Selling. 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. To discover how Dr. Drew can assist your organization to increase their business development skills visit him at www.stevensconsultinggroup.com

Mystery Shopping Helps Selling Skills

During a recent analysis of a selling organization, I conducted a mystery-shopping excursion to determine the best practices and limitations of the sales group. What I found is common in most organizations.

How often do you listen to your voice mail? How often do you change it? How often do you obtain specificity in the message?

Voice mail services two purposes: 1) to enable your caller to leave a specific message for you and 2) for you to leave specificity on your return call. However individuals will not leave specifics if you do not disclaim how. For example during my mystery excursion the following message was left [name changed to protect the guilty] “Hello this is Rhonda please leave a message at the tone.” The last time I heard this was 15 years ago when voice mail was introduced.

Proper business voice mail should stipulate your name, the firm name, what you want your caller to do and the actions you will take upon receipt of the message. I tell callers to leave a brief message, the best telephone number and time to ring them and that I return their call in 90 minutes. Action is required otherwise your message becomes driftwood in a sea of eternity.

Your voice message must depict your professionalism, your ethics and your responsibility.

The second common selling issue is the identity of the firm when calling a main switchboard. During recent client analysis I ring up the reception area only to have been immediately placed on hold or immediately transferred to another party. Emergency responders take more time to diagnose my issue!

Reception is the first line of organizational identity. Rushing parties off the line, placing them on hold, using mechanistic approaches are methods that destroy prospective client interactions. 45% of every customer interaction involves some level of customer service. Do not allow prospective customers to judge a book by its cover, make a good first impression and treat ‘em right!

There are seven secrets for selling effectiveness. Click here For a Free Report 7 Secrets to Selling Success

Sales Managers Require Accountability

As a sales manager or a director did you ever wonder why your selling professionals are not meeting quota? Is the ability to create outstanding client value withholding your team from reaching its audacious goals?

There might be a simple answer to this question and it just might shock you! The issue might be you – the manager.

In the last several weeks I am seeing a recurring issue that all sales managers must be aware, accountability is crucial to meeting quota. Managers must know what the leads in the pipeline are. Managers must know whether selling professionals critically understand the difference in a suspect, a prospect and a customer. Not many I recently surveyed clearly do. And, most importantly sales professionals must be held to a specific number of calls, appointments, proposals, conversations etc.

Sales professionals fail when accountability lacks. Selling professionals must have quantifiable goals clearly outlined by management with timeframes. Managers that meet regularly with staff and convey strengths and limitations are exemplars to others. Key Performance Indicators allow representatives to understand where they are and where they need to be. Similar to the GPS that is fully charged, accountability provides a roadmap to the final destination.

Albeit there are some obstacles in the path, accountability allows representatives to circumnavigate around environmental issues that affect the accounts and revenues. Without proper accountability, sales representatives are no different than a sailboat caught in a violent storm with no port in sight.

Create the ray of light that guides selling professionals so that they achieve higher levels of success.

There are seven secrets for selling effectiveness. Click here For a Free Report for the 7 Secrets to Selling Success Drew Stevens is one of the world’s leading authorities on sales and customer service. Drew is the author or the successful sales techniques book Split Second Selling. 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. To book Dr. Drew for a workshop or keynote or to obtain his Secrets of Ultimate Business Success visit his website www.stevensconsultinggroup.com

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