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