| People often ask me what the difference is between | | | | have enough understanding of how they can truly |
| sales superstars and sales "wannabes". There are | | | | help their clients.The information you need will change |
| many possible answers to this question however | | | | from market to market but could well include... size, |
| there are several core characteristics that sales | | | | markets, customers, projects, turnover, values, |
| superstars display in bucket loads which are often | | | | mission, individuals, individual drivers, future growth |
| missing or less obvious in more mediocre | | | | plans, exit strategies etc etc. When you start to truly |
| performers.Not surprisingly, few of these are rocket | | | | understand your clients you can really start to tailor |
| science and none of them are new. It would be really | | | | your solutions to meet their needs... Sell |
| easy to read through them and think, "I know that!" | | | | solutions not products.Sell solutions not products. Sell |
| but the question has to be "Do I really implement | | | | solutions not products. Sell solutions not |
| that and if I did implement that consistently, what | | | | products.Clients do not get up one morning and |
| difference would it make for me?" So I challenge you | | | | decide to invest in a new PC system. They buy |
| to read this twice, rate yourself (honestly) on a scale | | | | solutions to challenges which are effecting their |
| of 1-10 in each are and then create an action plan to | | | | business growth, profitability, efficiency etc. Most |
| increase your effectiveness and consistency in every | | | | salespeople are too tied up in the nitty-gritty of their |
| area. Have a plan and work it every | | | | products and have little or no understanding of what |
| day.Sales superstars know what they want and they | | | | the real business benefits are to their clients. This is |
| are focused on getting it. Period. When I run sessions | | | | partly due to lots of product training and partly due |
| I ask individuals to review WHY they are in sales and | | | | to not asking the right questions.If you've ever had |
| WHAT they want to get out of it. Most people do | | | | problems with trying to get clients to commit; had |
| the exercise with the state of mind... "I know this" or | | | | deals that seemed "on" then went sour; thought a |
| "Why are we doing this? Can't we just get on with | | | | client needed a far bigger solution than the one they |
| it??!". The problem is that although it seems obvious, | | | | were prepared to pay for; had clients who bought |
| it's this desire that focuses us on doing what we | | | | something else instead... then you were probably |
| need to do on a day to day basis.Top sales | | | | selling products not solutions.As a benchmark rule... |
| performers plan their day the night before or at the | | | | we shouldn't discuss specific products or solutions |
| very latest in the morning over their coffee. Rather | | | | until we know what the explicit need(s) of our client |
| than chatting about Eastenders (they probably don't | | | | is. (Explicit: stated by client not you!) Know |
| watch that rubbish anyway!) they are getting down | | | | your market.Know who your core clients are, their |
| to planning their day. They ask themselves questions | | | | demography, their industry sector, their personal |
| like, "How can I achieve my goals today?", "What | | | | demographics etc. Outline your perfect customer on |
| activities do I need to undertake today?" and "How | | | | a piece of paper... in detail. Check that there are |
| can I add value for my clients today?". Then they | | | | enough of them to build your business to the size |
| plan their campaign and work through it | | | | that you want to build it to. Work out how to reach |
| meticulously. Prospect new clients every | | | | them, create your offering for them and get to |
| day.Metaphorically speaking, sales is a bucket with a | | | | work!I have worked with many clients who will not |
| hole in the bottom. Get over it! If you stop filling the | | | | turn away business. They say things like, "You can't |
| bucket, it will soon be empty. Empty bucket means | | | | very well turn stuff away can you?" I can see the |
| an empty sales pipeline and an empty bank account. | | | | argument for this in the short term but in the |
| You can sometimes patch up the hole short-term by | | | | medium to long term it can become professional |
| improving your client relationships, increasing your | | | | suicide. The reason for this is that you end up tied up |
| sales skills and by creating more from existing | | | | working for the clients that you don't want anymore |
| accounts but long term the bucket is still | | | | and you never find the time to target and approach |
| leaky!Whether you fill your bucket by cold calling, | | | | those who you do want.Let's say for example you're |
| networking, referrals, events, PR, marketing, direct | | | | a consultant and you charge £750 per day but |
| mail, white papers... you need to be doing this every | | | | you want to be in the £2,500 per day market. |
| day. We all know this but only sales superstars do it! | | | | If you're delivering 27 days a month at £750 |
| Most salespeople only prospect when they have little | | | | you're too busy to target the £2,500 a day |
| or no choice. Not only is this the wrong way to go | | | | clients. What's more, if you're good, the £750 a |
| about it, you also guarantee that you're feeling | | | | day clients will always keep you busy. Clearly this |
| pretty desperate when you do get around to it! And | | | | segmentation will not always be about money... you |
| what client likes a desperate salesperson?? | | | | may choose to be at the bulk-business, low end of |
| Be genuinely interested in your clients.Clients are | | | | the market place.. even so, you need to know your |
| bored of salespeople going through the motions. | | | | market. Be proactive, confident and |
| Salespeople are bored of going through the motions. | | | | professional.The outside world will always judge you |
| So why do it?I understand that it's hard to get | | | | by what you do and how you appear. It may seem |
| motivated on the 47th call of the day or the 15th | | | | unfair but it's the way that it is! What's more, you will |
| meeting of the week but if you can't get motivated | | | | normally be judged on your lowest point of your |
| then you can be sure that your client won't be! I'm | | | | lowest day! If you have a bad day and you do |
| guessing that your market is pretty competitive right | | | | something that's not particularly professional then you |
| now. In many markets clients get hundreds of | | | | can bet your last Rollo that you will be remembered |
| marketing approaches for every meeting they take | | | | for that and not your numerous great days!!Sales |
| or for every salesperson that they speak to. Make | | | | superstars constantly raise the bar and ensure that |
| sure it's you by getting motivated and interested in | | | | they are seen as proactive, confident and |
| your clients now.People often ask me, "How do I | | | | professional by their clients, their peers, their |
| differentiate myself from the competition?" The | | | | managers, their friends and their families. If this is a |
| answer's simple... be genuinely interested! | | | | case of "fake it until you make it" then so be it. |
| Ask great questions.Most salespeople think they are | | | | Ultimately, if you keep on behaving a certain way it |
| great at questioning. Most salespeople are wrong. | | | | will become natural for you and before you know |
| When I run sessions I often ask people to write | | | | where you are, you'll wake up one morning and just |
| down some questions they can ask of their clients. I | | | | be that way without having to think about |
| give them between 5 and 15 minutes. Few people | | | | it!!! Learn from the best.I once read that we |
| come up with more than 3 or 4 bland questions and | | | | become most like the 6 people that we spend the |
| many come up with less that that!!!When I ask about | | | | most time with. Now, that's a bit of a scary thought. |
| it, delegates say things like, "Oh! It's difficult like this. I | | | | Factor in the moaning, whining, mood-hoovers that |
| have loads of questions when I'm in flow!!". | | | | often surround us on a day to day basis and it's |
| Poppycock! Most salespeople ask few or no | | | | hardly surprising that we end up struggling to stay |
| questions and those they do ask are all about them | | | | "up for it"!Everyone should have their own "success |
| not the client e.g. "Have you got budget?", "Are you | | | | team". This can be real or virtual. Who do you want |
| the decision maker?" and "Are you happy with your | | | | to model your life on? Whose actions impress you? I |
| current supplier?".Great questions come from two | | | | try to surround myself with positive people who are |
| things:- The first is being genuinely interested in your | | | | goal-oriented and who take responsibility for their |
| client. The second is planning and preparation. | | | | own success. I listen to motivational speakers and |
| Questions need to be planned, rehearsed and written | | | | experts in the car. I seek out top performers and |
| out. Questions need to be captured, learnt and | | | | ask them what they believe, how they behave and |
| practised. Focusing on this one area of your business | | | | what they did to achieve their success. Then I ask |
| over the next few weeks could well cause a sales | | | | myself, "How can I use this to increase my |
| explosion for you. Listen to understand.If | | | | success?"So there we are... 10 characteristics of sales |
| we're bad at questioning we're even worse at | | | | superstars. On your 1-10 scale - how effectively do |
| listening. If you think about it, this is hardly surprising | | | | you display them on a day to day basis? Where are |
| because we're never actually trained to listen. Most | | | | your areas for improvement? How are you going to |
| salespeople "listen to talk". This means that they are | | | | raise the bar and get more of what you want in your |
| filtering their clients' words listening for what they | | | | career and your life?Good luck!For the last 10 years, |
| want to hear. For this reason, many salespeople | | | | Gavin Ingham has been helping sales people to |
| totally miss crucial pieces of information because it | | | | explode their sales performance by turning |
| wasn't what they were wanting to hear at that time. | | | | self-doubt, fear and lack of motivation into self-belief, |
| This can kill a sale.To be able to listen to understand | | | | confidence and action. With his inspirational approach |
| we need to be genuinely interested in our clients, | | | | to sales performance and motivation Gavin combines |
| focused on what they are saying and devoid of | | | | commercial experience, personal excellence and |
| agenda. This doesn't mean that we don't have | | | | communications technologies in delivering personal and |
| objectives for meetings just that the best way of | | | | business sales success.Visit now to join Gavin |
| getting there is to understand our clients, their | | | | Ingham's free newsletter Real World Sales Tools ~ |
| challenges and their needs more fully. When we truly | | | | real world sales tools & strategies that you can utilise |
| listen to clients with the intent of understanding we | | | | to outsell, out-manoeuvre, out-position & out-live |
| will reap the benefits because clients so rarely get | | | | your competition! Refer us to your friends & |
| listened to in this way. Know your clients.In | | | | colleagues but never to your competition!Join now |
| today's fast moving market places few people know | | | | and get Gavin's ground-breaking 9-part objection |
| their clients fully. This means that they miss | | | | handling course absolutely free. |
| opportunities and lose business because they don't | | | | |