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How to Get Better at Cold Calling
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September 1, 2012 · by admin · Cold Calling, Cold Calling Tactics, Prospecting Tactics, Sales, Sales Tips, Selling, Success
By Ron LaVine, MBA and President of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc.
Cold Calling System for Sales Success – Live Cold Call Training Workshops®
What are the secrets to successful cold calling? Here are eight tactics you can take to become a better cold caller and improve the success of your cold calling and prospecting.
1. Don’t sell right away. Instead, stay in information mode and stay out of sales mode. If you’re in a position to “sell” at your company, then you know it’s not always easy to get the ear of the prospect. The worst thing you can do is to make a cold call to someone you don’t know and without knowing their problems, challenges, needs or pains and then start selling. It’s a turnoff to the person you’re speaking with and ultimately wastes both your time.
2. Find the right person(s). Find the person(s) who is/are responsible for evaluating and/or making decisions about your solution. This is a critical step. How many times do you call someone and they are not the person you need to reach. You have wasted your time and theirs.
3. Do Your Homework. Once you know the correct person to speak with, study their website and LinkedIn (Jigsaw, Hoovers, OneSource, etc.) individual, company and industry profiles. What do they have in common with your customers? Find out and use this information to build a compelling story which will cause them to want to take action.
4. Ask for Permission to Speak. This is a critical step often missed by sales reps. Professional salespeople always ask for permission to speak. If they are on a call or in a meeting they won’t be paying attention to what you have to say. Try “Is this a good time to speak?” or “Do you have a moment? There are three possible answers. Yes, No or Maybe.
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They may say Yes, then you can deliver the opening reason for your call which in the case of a cold or prospecting call is to find out how they do business in your area of expertise, find out what is important to them or what is causing them pain and then setting up a time and date specific action step such as a face-to-face meeting, phone appointment or a web demo.
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Or, they may say No, in which case, either get off the phone, set an appointment to call them back or confirm they are the right person to speak with (We speak with people not talk to them).
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If they say Maybe, what is this about, then you can you can deliver the opening reason for your call.
5. Use open and close ended questions. This may seem old fashioned; however these types of questions still work. Open ended questions are used to gain information. Close ended questions are used to confirm what was said and gain agreement for action. Examples: So open ended questions are used to gain information, right, correct or okay? If I email you an Agreement on Thursday, you’ll have it signed off and emailed back to me on Monday, correct, right or okay?
6. Ask business impact questions. Tailor what you say to what your prospect’s needs, challenges, pains or problems. Seek to find out where are they now, where do they want to be and how do they plan to get there. This is known as the planning process. See if you can bring to their attention through the use of industry related stories about potential needs, challenges problems or pains they maybe currently experiencing now or in the future.
7. Really Listen to What They are Saying. Your focus should be on them and not on the next question you are planning to ask. If you get in the door and speak to someone who cares about what you sell, shut up. Listen to their problems, needs, pains or challenges are. Feedback what you believe they said and then ask your next question based upon their answer.
8. Set up a Time and Date Specific Action Step. This important step is often missed and is the key to ending a good cold call. For example, When would be a good day and time for us to set up a brief 20 to 30 minute meeting to come out and introduce myself and my company to determine if we can be of service to you? It is a “being of service” approach rather than a cheesy, or salesy approach.
In conclusion, the next time you’re faced with a “selling” situation, try to stay in information mode and to stay out of sales mode. Remember “Understanding Comes Before Selling” or how can I sell someone something unless I know there is a need to sell something. Put these three tactics to work and watch the results lead you to your next successful cold call.
You can use this content in your own publications.
Please include the following reprint permission…
This article is reprinted with permission from Ron LaVine’s “Sales Tips for Success” complementary e-Zine. Ron LaVine, MBA is President and Founder of Accelerated Cold Calling Training, Inc., an Oak Park, CA cold call training company. Get two FREE Reports, plus the FREE e-Zine, Sales Tips for Success by clicking here. Learn more about Cold Calling for Sales Success On-site, Virtual, Individual or Group, Live Cold Call Training Workshops® by calling me, Ron LaVine at +1-818-991-6487 by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
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August 17, 2012 · by admin · Increasing Sales, Inside Sales, New Business Development, Sales Tips, Selling, Training
Make these easy tweaks to your sales process to create a huge increase in sales revenue.
By Geoffrey James | @Sales_Source |
Want to sell more? Here are 12 simple actions that you can take today that will increase both revenue and profit.
1. Reduce the number of opportunities you pursue. The more opportunities you’ve got, the more likely you are to make a sale, right? Wrong! If you can’t give each prospect the attention they deserve, you’ll lose sales you otherwise might make.
2. Increase the percentage of time you spend selling. Get somebody else to handle your paperwork, expense reports, or whatever busywork is involved with making a sale. Use the extra time to get in front of customers.
3. Stop buying technology because it’s cool. Smartphones, tablets, and PCs can be important tools–but learning and supporting them can drain your productivity. Only purchase devices and programs that actually help you sell.
4. Think about your solution as a verb. Suppose your company makes glue. If you’re selling “glue” (a noun), you’ll talk about product features. If you’re selling “gluing” (a verb), you’ll talk what your offering does for your customer’s business.
5. Treat selling as a service to the customer. Stop thinking that selling means “convincing” the customer, “overcoming” objections, and “winning” the business. Instead, view yourself as the customer’s ally in solving a problem.
6. Terminate weak engagements–politely but immediately. The moment you find out that a customer really doesn’t need what you’re offering, point them in the right direction, then politely withdraw from the opportunity.
7. Don’t confuse telling with selling. Rather than talking to the customer about what your product can do, ask intelligent questions so that the two of you can discover whether the customer really needs you to help solve a problem or achieve a goal.
8. Hone your lead generation effort. Based upon your own experience, observe who’s just interested and who’s actually buying. Hone your lead generation efforts to find more of the ones who are actually spending money on your offering.
9. Don’t focus on the gatekeepers. Make sure that you’re talking to the real decision-makers, and not just the influencers and sideliners. When you meet a decision-maker, stay in regular communication throughout the sales cycle.
10. Stay on top of your opportunities. Don’t lose track of what’s changing inside the account. Build a short sales plan that documents the process and the players, so you don’t spin your wheels trying to remember who needs what and when.
11. Outflank your competition. Find out who the other guys are calling on, and how they’re approaching the account. Figure out who they’re talking to, what they’re saying, and defensively position your offering to counter their approach.
12. Increase your average dollar value. It takes just about as much effort to cut a $1,000 deal as it does to cut a $10,000 deal. The more revenue you book on each opportunity, the more money you’ll make overall.
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Geoffrey James is an award-winning journalist and author of Inc.com’s Sales Source column. Previously, he wrote Sales Machine, the world’s most-visited sales-oriented blog. James has written hundreds of articles on sales and marketing for publications like Technology Marketing and SellingPower, and has helped thousands of sales professionals communicate more effectively with customers. To get column updates, sign up for his weekly “insider” newsletter or his @Sales_Source Twitter feed. James’ newly published book is How to Say It: Business to Business Selling.
You can use this content in your own publications.
Please include the following reprint permission…
This article is reprinted with permission from Ron LaVine’s “Sales Tips for Success” complementary e-Zine. Ron LaVine, MBA is President and Founder of Accelerated Cold Calling Training, Inc., an Oak Park, CA cold call training company. Get two FREE Reports, plus the FREE e-Zine, Sales Tips for Success by clicking here. Learn more about Cold Calling for Sales Success On-site, Virtual, Individual or Group, Live Cold Call Training Workshops® by calling me, Ron LaVine at +1-818-991-6487 by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
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December 29, 2011 · by admin · Customer Service, Customers, Increasing Sales, Inside Sales Strategies, Inside Sales Tactics, New Business Development, Prospect Qualification, Prospecting, Prospecting Tactics, Sales, Sales Strategies, Sales Tactics, Selling
By Ron LaVine, MBA and President of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc.
Cold Calling System for Sales Success – Live Cold Calling Training Workshops®
I came across an article in the Investor’s Business Daily about “Selling in a Down Market” and I think it applies to selling in any type of market. It is an adaptation of an article by Cord Cooper where he states sales management has a choice in how to handle selling in a down market. He then goes on to give strategies for properly preparing your sales force.
Make your salespeople your first market.
They must be sold on what they are selling if clients are to be sold too.
Think benefits.
A few of the questions in this section were:
“What is the minimum return our clients need from our products or services?”
“How can we out do that by 50% to 100%?”
“What has been the client’s experience with the competition?”
“What sets us apart?” or “What is our unique selling proposition or specialization?”
Suggestion:
Take some time during a sales meeting to discuss these questions, take notes of the answers, put them in an email and distribute them electronically via email so they can be modified and expanded by people throughout your company. You could be surprised at who comes up with unique ways to help a customer or make it easier for them to do business with your company.
Set service standards.
Define what the best type of customer service is and then measure and deliver it.
Sell your track record.
Get permission to use specific client’s names and documented numerical results to increase your credibility.
Nail it down.
Don’t assume the customer has a clear understanding of the detail
Be sure to go over information and especially contracts in detail.
Work back-to-front.
If your start with a prospect’s budget and vision it is easier to work backward and demonstrate how your product or service will fit their requirements.
Bridge the gap.
Specify the results you want from your sales force, compare them to the current situation, and then center your strategy to bridge the gaps.
Don’t promise more than your organization can deliver.
Promising and not delivering is as bad as hearing complaints and ignoring them.
Use prospects’ names as marketing tools.
Create a seating chart in front of you and take note of their name
Use their names during a presentation to gain attention, control conversations and underscore points.
Realize that past successes don’t cut future deal.
Track client’s post sales shifting priorities and work them into renewal contracts.
Put the customer in charge.
Adapt your company policies to meet the customer’s needs.
The bottom line.
Let your customers be in charge by letting their needs drive your strategy. It worked for Sam Walton the founder of Wal-Mart and it will work for you too.
You can use this content in your own publications.
Please include the following reprint permission…
This article is reprinted with permission from Ron LaVine’s “Sales Tips for Success” complementary e-Zine. Ron LaVine, MBA is President and Founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., an Oak Park, CA cold calling training company. Get two FREE Reports, plus the FREE e-Zine, Sales Tips for Success by clicking here. Learn more about Cold Calling for Sales Success On-site, Virtual, Individual or Group, Live Cold Call Training Workshops® by calling me, Ron LaVine at +1-818-991-6487 by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
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December 29, 2011 · by admin · Cold Calling, Listening Skills, Prospecting Tactics, Sales, Sales Strategies, Sales Tips, Selling, TIPs
By Ron LaVine, MBA and President of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc.
Cold Calling System for Sales Success – Live Cold Calling Training Workshops®
Where to Begin?
Clear your desk and prepare yourself for each call by having everything you need within reach or eyesight. To maximize each call, use a headset, lean slightly forward while sitting in your chair and minimize or remove all distractions around you.
Think of yourself as a sponge. Give your full attention to what is being said by the contact. Listen closely to not only what is being said, and how it is being said.
A helpful tip is to record your conversations to be sure you do not miss any important details. Then play the recording after the call confirming the notes you took based upon what you heard are correct.
When entering a new industry, most people know little, if anything, about the terminology (nomenclature) being used. People in the software industry use acronyms like MVS (multiple virtual storage), VM (virtual machine), VSE (virtual storage extended) or CICS (customer information control system) and it can get confusing fast.
A good strategy to overcome this challenge is to ask the people you speak with, if they have a moment to explain what different terms mean and how the terms relate. Never be afraid to admit you do not know or understand something. Remember to be interested, not interesting, by becoming a good listener.
You can receive a free education worth thousands of dollars just by asking questions and letting people have the opportunity to teach you what they have learned after years of experience in their industry. Is everyone helpful? No. Many people are too busy to take the time to speak with you. Yet there are plenty of people who will spend the time to educate you if you ask politely and show a genuine interest in what they have to say.
What makes your call different from any other type of call is you are truly trying to benefit the account. You do this by using seeing (“I see what you mean”), hearing (“I hear what you are saying”) or feeling (“I understand how you feel”) terms.1 These terms enable your contact to understand the results they can attain using your solution.
You can demonstrate to a contact how to alleviate dissatisfaction with current suppliers; get rid potential problems or challenges while taking advantage of proven solutions. You do this by relaying the benefits your products or services provide along with the corresponding results in terms they can relate to.
During a qualification call, accounts tend to be naturally wary of unexpected calls therefore it is imperative you differentiate yourself from other account executives by respecting your account’s time. Is your calendar handy and are you ready to schedule a phone appointment if the contact you are calling is busy?
Remember to be exceptionally friendly and polite to everyone you speak with in the account’s company. People with influence can come from any area of a company.
How does the person sound when they answer the phone? Are they harried, angry, busy or distracted? It’s a good idea to ask “Am I catching you at a busy point?” If they say yes, then ask when would be a good time to call back and schedule an appointment to call them on a specific day and time. Make a note in your schedule and be sure to place the call. If handled correctly they will feel obligated to spend at least a minute speaking with you since they agreed to the appointment or if they don’t want to make an appointment they may give you 30 seconds to a minute to briefly explain the reason why you’re calling.
If you practice these TIPs (techniques, ideas and processes), while making your calls, your can increase your success. People like to speak with people who can establish credibility by speaking on the same level as they do rather than above or below them. My experience shows, people, when asked politely for their time, and have granted permission to speak with them, enjoy speaking with someone who has a genuine interest in listening to what they have to say.
You can use this content in your own publications.
Please include the following reprint permission…
This article is reprinted with permission from Ron LaVine’s “Sales Tips for Success” complementary e-Zine. Ron LaVine, MBA is President and Founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., an Oak Park, CA live cold calling training company. Get two FREE Reports, plus the FREE e-Zine, Sales Tips for Success by clicking here. Learn more about Cold Calling for Sales Success On-site, Virtual, Individual or Group, Live Cold Calling Training Workshops® by calling me, Ron LaVine at +1-818-991-6487 by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
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By Ron LaVine, MBA and President of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc.
Cold Calling System for Sales Success – Live Cold Calling Training Workshops®
Where to Find New Business
Finding new business can be a snap, if you know where to look and what to do with the information you find. Using the telephone along with publicly available information, you can turn data into dollar
Understanding the importance of the “fact finding step” in the sales cycle, is key to making more sales. We need information resources to enable us to determine who is responsible for decision making, where an account is now, where they want to be and how they plan to get there.
It is easy to mishandle this part of the sales cycle in an eagerness to sell. Finding data about a shift in the way an account does business is not enough. Understanding the potential effects of the change is key to finding revenue producing events.
Show Me the Money
Look for accounts in your territory who:
* Acquire, merge or joint venture with another company,
* Have been acquired by another company,
* Add additional equipment or hardware or facilities,
* Announce a change in staffing requirements or business, practices due to expansion, restructuring or relocation,
* Receive contract awards,
* Mention cost cutting initiatives,
* Outsource certain services to concentrate on core businesses,
* Are embarking on new projects,
* Issue an IPO to raise operating capital for buying more assets,
* Spin off a division into a new company with new ownership,
* Maybe affected by pending legislation or regulations.
Turning Data into Dollars
Once a change occurs, ask yourself these questions. “How can my products fulfill a need or challenge as a result of the change?” “What additional services can my company provide to lessen the impact of the shift?” When the change effects a company who is your customer, ask yourself “How can I expand the use of or prevent the replacement of my services?”
For instance, you read an account plans to expand their operations. When companies expand or restructure, typically the management re-evaluates human resources and capital assets to decide what stays, what goes and what’s needed. When preparing your sales strategy, keep in mind the big picture. An enterprise wide sale is far more valuable than an individual business unit sale.
Different Ways to Create More Sales
1. Assembling a plan showing how the effects of the change relate to the benefits your products and services provide can position you for a sale.
2. Taking note of changes or trends that may affect both you and your account’s industries will make you sound intelligent and increase the odds of a sale.
3. Looking for stories about accounts using your competitor’s products and applying that application to your offerings is another way to make more sale
4. Keeping your account records up to date allows you to invest your time locating who is responsible for and capable of making a buying decision.
5. Finding and calling up users of your competitor’s products is a way to replace or augment existing products. Be sure to explain up front, you are looking for ways to improve your product
* What do you like about their products or services?
* Is there anything you dislike or have found unsatisfactory?
* If you had a wish list, what features would you like to see their product have?
Assuming your service provides missing features and benefits your competitors do not offer, you have yourself a potential sale.
6. Calling your customers pro-actively and assuring them of continuous service provides an opening to
* Find out more about an account’s future strategic direction.
* Expand and cement contact relationships,
* Uncover potential evaluations, projects or initiatives,
* Locate the main or new users of your products,
* Gauge customer satisfaction and nip potential problems in the bud before they become unmanageable,
* Offer consulting services, education or documentation,
* Inquire about other business units that may need your products,
* Provide greater customer service, making difficult for competitors to replace your product
Understanding the effects of change can present an opportunity to persuade management to invest in new products, services or technologies.
Free Sources of Business Sales Intelligence
An account’s sales literature,
Employee telephone interviews,
Competitor user telephone interviews,
Online and hard copy business and finance publications,
State and federal government agencies such as the Office of Management and Budget or the General Services Administration (GSA) (Using the Freedom of Information Act to obtain your competitor’s GSA schedules),
Classified advertisements,
Visit the SEC website,
Other suppliers who service your prospect’s account.
Finding information is easy. Systematically connecting the shift effects to the benefits your products provide, is the challenge. Correlating specific benefits to specific contact wins will place you in a position to watch your sales climb.
However, you must act upon the change, before your competitors do. Change is constant and change creates sales opportunities.
You can use this content in your own publications.
Please include the following reprint permission…
This article is reprinted with permission from Ron LaVine’s “Sales Tips for Success” complementary e-Zine. Ron LaVine, MBA is President and Founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., an Oak Park, CA live cold calling training company. Get two FREE Reports, plus the FREE e-Zine, Sales Tips for Success by clicking here. Learn more about Cold Calling for Sales Success On-site, Virtual, Individual or Group, Live Cold Calling Training Workshops® by calling me, Ron LaVine at +1-818-991-6487 by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE COLD CALLING TRAINING NEEDS ANALYSIS
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By Ron LaVine, MBA and President of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc.
Cold Calling System for Sales Success – Live Cold Calling Training Workshops®
Top Sales Executives Work Smart
Top sales executives recognize their time is precious and finite. These sales representatives know their primary job is to identify and call on the most profitable accounts first. Examining their current customer base and finding the common characteristics or demographics (gross sales, number of employees, industries, etc.) top salespeople know in advance what types of accounts where they make the most money. They separate their accounts by time zone enabling them to make the best use of their phone time throughout the day.
Once prioritized and sorted, top sales executives use their sharp questioning and listening skills to reach the decision maker and determine, with reasonable certainty, whether or not a business opportunity exists within an account. When a business opportunity is found within a department, business unit, location, joint venture, affiliate, reseller or partner, these successful sales reps always remember to set up specific action steps or a SALES M.A.P. (Mutually Agreed upon Process™) with the individual or individuals who influence the buying decision. Then they politely yet persistently follow up on these action steps through completion. Knowing how valuable their time is, the most successful salespeople do only those things they cannot delegate to someone else.
Top Sales Executives Think like Business Owners
Top sales executives adopt an attitude that they are in business for themselves not in business by themselves. These top salespeople make decisions upon seeing themselves as the business owner.
Organization and Prioritization of Goals
Top sales executives recognize the importance of organizing and prioritizing their goals. These people get ahead by planning ahead. They have clearly defined lofty goals and self discipline to see them through. Top sales executives are goal getters not just goal setter
Top Sales Executives are Persuasive Communicators
The top successful salespeople are listening for reasons to buy and for ways to sell. Sensitive to an account’s time available to speak with them and enthusiastic in their presentations and these top sales reps have mastered the technique of carefully selecting words for their positive connotations.
Top Sales Executives Are Always Striving for Self-improvement
Always growing, studying, reading, attending seminars, learning all the time, their goal is movement in a positive direction. These salespeople seek out opportunities to perfect their presentations and volunteer for leadership positions so they can stretch themselves as people and professionals.
Top Sales Executives have Positive Self-esteem
Strong, balanced sense of self worth combined with confidence in themselves and a belief in what they are doing are the hallmark of a great sales rep. Enthusiasm, excitement and zeal are elements of their character.
These people do a better job and become more productive by learning, practicing, changing and developing these new habits so they are incorporated and internalized qualities in both their personal and professional life.
Conclusion
First and foremost is the right attitude. You will hear this throughout most sales workshops because the right attitude is the difference between those that give up and those who never quit. There is no silver or magic bullet. Only hard work and persistence pays off.
To become a great sales executive, one must enjoy working with people and have a strong sense of curiosity, great listening skills and the ability to see the big picture. The best sales executives are able to produce results. Pay for performance is the way they prefer to work.
A great sales executive is someone who has a working knowledge of their company’s operations, products and services, and possesses the ability to collect useful business sales intelligence(tm) about their accounts and translate the information into additional sales. They are persistent and tenacious to find the answers to their questions and they keep going until they do.
David R. Bender of the Special Libraries Association sums it up well: “…how many people have the expertise to evaluate, analyze, organize and package raw data-transforming it into meaningful information that can be put to work?”
He goes on to say “…not many, and the explanation is quite simple.” As management expert Peter Drucker wrote in a column for the Wall Street Journal, “There is a big difference between being computer literate and information literate.”
Bender writes, “Drucker explained that for data to become useful information, it must be organized for a task or applied to a decision.” He contended, however, “Few people are adept at determining exactly what information they need to do their jobs, when they need the information, and where they can get it.”
A great sales executive knows what data is needed, where it can be found and how to get it and provide it in a manner enabling them to increase their sales. In striving to become the best, top sales executives focus on creating value for their clients and a sense of pride and accomplishment for themselves.
You can use this content in your own publications.
Please include the following reprint permission…
This article is reprinted with permission from Ron LaVine’s “Sales Tips for Success” complementary e-Zine. Ron LaVine, MBA is President and Founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., an Oak Park, CA live cold calling training company. Get two FREE Reports, plus the FREE e-Zine, Sales Tips for Success by clicking here. Learn more about Cold Calling for Sales Success On-site, Virtual, Individual or Group, Live Cold Calling Training Workshops® by calling me, Ron LaVine at +1-818-991-6487 by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE COLD CALLING TRAINING NEEDS ANALYSIS
HOME PAGE // SITE MAP // STORE // WORKSHOPS // REINFORCEMENT // CLIENTS
TESTIMONIAL LETTERS // MORE TESTIMONIAL LETTERS // QUOTES FROM CLIENTS
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By Ron LaVine, MBA and President of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc.
Cold Calling System for Sales Success – Live Cold Calling Training Workshops®
1. If a business or an idea does not exist, create it. Create your own future by being open to change. As one door closes another one open I’ve created two businesses that did not exist since I was laid off in December of 1994.
2. Be willing to take risks, however, make them calculated risks by taking the time to develop and write a business plan.
3. Place a heavy emphasis on marketing by answering these questions:
Who We Are
What is the purpose of your page?
Why are you in business?
What We Do
What are the products or services you are offering?
What Makes Us Unique
How are you different from others? What is your (USP) Unique Selling Proposition?
Why Use Our Products or Services
Why would people want to do business with you?
How You Benefit
How does your potential customer benefit?
For example: A feature is a car door lock.
The benefit is the door cannot open when locked and therefore you cannot fall out.
Benefits are usually stated in terms of faster, better or less expensive (cheaper).
Who We Work With
Client lists establish credibility as do testimonials or comments from satisfied customers.
The Next Step
What action is the visitor directed to take?
For example: buy a product, request information on a service, subscribe to a newsletter, etc.
4. Develop an email newsletter to keep your name in front of your clients on a regular basis. My e-Zine comes out over 23 weeks per year. Find content that helps prospects and customers with their business.
5. Establishing a presence on the World Wide Web is critical especially, if you do business nationwide or internationally.
6. Keep your eyes open for new opportunities. See if you can find a faster, better or less expensive way to perform a service or make a product.
7. Keep the overhead down. Expenses and lack of marketing will put anyone out of business.
8. Set up a Board of Advisers (not directors) composed of people you respect (professors, business people, friends, etc.). Seek their advice when necessary.
9. Enroll in classes and read books. Learn, how to do, what you do, better. Classes on selling, marketing and business skills are especially valuable.
10. Believe in yourself. You can if you think you can. Actions follow thought. So think good thoughts and focus on the positive.
11. Exude passion, excitement and enthusiasm when speaking about what you do.
12. People want to do business with people they know like and trust. Building credibility is crucial.
13. Right after completing a successful assignment, be sure to ask your client for a testimonial letter. These letters make very powerful marketing tools and enhance your credibility.
14. Persistence is key. Don’ give up. It took 9 months to land my first client.
15. Take time to enjoy your success.
You can use this content in your own publications.
Please include the following reprint permission…
This article is reprinted with permission from Ron LaVine’s “Sales Tips for Success” complementary e-Zine. Ron LaVine, MBA is President and Founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., an Oak Park, CA live cold calling training company. Get two FREE Reports, plus the FREE e-Zine, Sales Tips for Success by clicking here. Learn more about Cold Calling for Sales Success On-site, Virtual, Individual or Group, Live Cold Calling Training Workshops® by calling me, Ron LaVine at +1-818-991-6487 by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
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How Much Pre-Cold Call Research is Too Much?
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By Ron LaVine, MBA and President of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc.
Cold Calling System for Sales Success – Live Cold Calling Training Workshops®
There have been a great deal of questions in my workshops lately about how to use email in conjunction with leads coming off the Internet. How do you know if you have enough research before following up? How can you use email as an effective tool to create specific follow-up action steps? With that in mind, here is an example of an email I received from a company we’ll call “WeKnowItAll Company”.
Our story begins with WeKnowItAll sending me an email inviting me to access their online company research subscription service free for two days. One of the things I love to do, is to use the WWW for doing research on my competitors, my clients, my client’s clients, their industry and competitors, my prospects, my prospect’s clients and my prospect’s industry and competitors.
The biggest danger of using the Web for research is you can find yourself in “analysis paralysis” and can often end up spending more time on the Internet then you do on the phone selling and generating revenue. My suggestion is to set up a specific set of questions to answer, which once answered should provide enough basic pre-call research. Ron, stop stalling, where’s the list of questions? Hey, relax and don’t worry, the list is towards the bottom.
Now I’m saying to myself, hmmm, free trial for two days. Oh boy, I’m going to have some fun and put this baby through its paces. Let’s see what types of information I can find that is really useful for my specific needs. I set a specific goal for this test. My goal was to identify certain personnel within target prospect companies I’m looking to do business with. I was evaluating based upon two criteria at this point. One was what was the quality of the information provided? Secondly, how easy was it to access that information?
I start using WeKnowItAll online database by myself without any guidance and off the bat I’ve got a log-on problem. Rule number one; if you want someone to try something, without any assistance, providing clear and simple instructions is an excellent way to make a good impression. Finally I’m able to log-in, and the amounts of choices are mind boggling. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a big fan of simplicity and ease of use. This site, although very comprehensive it was also very cluttered and confusing.
I found myself going back and forth from one screen to another trying to find where the profiles of company personnel were located. Apparently, depending on the type of company (public or private), there may or may not be personnel information and it may or may not be always located on the same page. In other words you often had to spend a lot of time digging for it.
After about fifteen minutes I started to get frustrated with my free two-day trial and moved on to other tasks. Below is the email I received the day after my two-day trial (or in my case fifteen minute) was over.
In between the person’s statements, you’ll find my comments in [brackets]. Finally you’ll read my email response back to this person with a list of 12 pre-call research questions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the email I received after my trial ended…
Hi Ron:
[Do I know you? I've never met you. Wouldn't it be wiser to err on the side of good manners? Change the salutation to "Hello Mr. LaVine"]
I just left you a voice mail message also.
[About what?]
Please let me know when you would be interested in scheduling a demo of the site.
[Why would I want to take my valuable time and schedule a demo of your site since it is not clear to me what value you bring to the table?]
As you may know, WeKnowItAll provides unbiased editorial coverage on over 18,500 large and medium-sized companies. We also show accurate details on each company such as contact names, products, competitive landscapes and financials.
[How would I know this? What's a competitive landscape? Is it a cross-matrix comparing one company's products to another's? Is it a simple listing of competitors, which I can get off of Yahoo's company profiles? Come to think of it, what information does your service provide that I can't get either for free or from one of your competitors?]
We also offer Advanced Search functions that would allow you to search for specific companies or contacts by title, industry, location, private companies, Fiscal Year End, or other means.
[And this means I'll be able to do what? What are the benefits of knowing this information? What will knowing this information enable me to do?]
There are two levels of business subscriptions:
[What are the specific benefits of subscribing? How will it enable me to do my job faster, better, less expensively (cheaper) or easier? What types of increases or decreases, more or less results can I expect based upon testimonials from other of your clients?]
WeKnowItAll Power Plus (all access + unlimited free lead downloads into Excel) WeKnowItAll Total Power (all access)
[If for some reason I don't have Excel, can it be downloaded into Comma Delimited Text Fields (name, title, phone number, etc.) What I really need is a CD-Version. I wonder if they have one.]
Sample WeKnowItAll Profiles: http://www.WeKnowItAll.com
Please give me a call if you have any questions or would like a demo of the site.
[You already let me have a free two-day demo without any kind of commitment. I might give you call, however first I've got to figure out (in this case by myself) how to get the service to work, so don't expect a call. Besides, I don't know your office hours or if there are alternative means to reach you such a responding to this email or calling your cell phone.]
Kind regards,
Ann Smartster 1.888.123.4567 ext. 1234 asmartster@ WeKnowItAll.com http://www.WeKnowItAll.com
[Where is your tag line explaining what you do? For example: WeKnowItAll enables you to easily turn raw online data into real revenue.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is my response to her prior email.
Hi Ann,
I have a few questions for you.
1. Did you stop by http://www.coldcalltraining.com and see what my company does?
2. Do you know who my clients are?
3. Have you determined the industry in which I specialize?
4. What size is my company in terms of gross sales and number of employees?
5. Based upon the size of my company and the type of information I may need, how profitable of a prospect is my company for you? Should you be investing your limited sales time with me? On what types of companies in which industries do you make the most money?
6. Is my company hiring and if so, what types of people for which types of projects?
7. Have you signed up for my company’s newsletter or requested my company’s literature to learn more about what my company does and what is considered important?
8. Did you read in my bio? If you did you would see that I was a past member of the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals and the Association of Independent Information Professionals. Does knowing that information, help you create some rapport questions to ask me?
9. Are you prepared to show me examples of data gathered from WeKnowItAll on two or three of my clients as examples of the type of data I would have access to on my prospects using different versions of WeKnowItAll?
10. Based upon what I do and the types of companies I target, can you deduce what type of information I’ll be looking for?
11. What are two areas where I could possibly use WeKnowItAll?
12. Since my target market has a demand for your type of service, is there a possibility you can help me to help you sell more of your service to my target market?
I’ll wait for your answers and then we’ll discuss it. You can reach me in my office on Thursday morning when we can set up a time and date to see if there is a fit between our companies.
All the best to you,
Ron
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Continued from above…
Set up a specific list of basic questions for pre-call research. Then think outside the box and look at all the possibilities including reseller and affiliate relationships. Maybe you do business with one of your prospect’s clients. Maybe you are affiliated with one of your prospect’s other suppliers.
After you do make contact, remember, at the end of every call or email, there needs to be specific a request that action be taken. For example, here is a request I use quite often in my emails. It works quite well since people enjoy giving advice:
Example:
“Please advise.”
Thanks, Ron
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Another Example:
“I found an article on one of your competitors; I think maybe of value to you. Your assistant gave me permission to fax it to you.
“I’ll call this afternoon to be sure you received it and to discuss if there maybe a good fit between our two companies. At that time, I’ll also be able to provide you with some specific ideas where we maybe able to give you a competitive advantage”
All the best to you,
Ron
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Another Example:
Hi Mr. Smith,
As we discussed, you are looking to hire more reps in the Business Intelligence /Information Management space. We also agreed that our selling philosophies a rather identical.
Your main goal is to teach your reps how to hunt effectively and ferret out opportunities in short order. Your reps are dealing with customers and resellers. I have an article from Software Magazine that I will fax to you. You may it of value to you when you go to cost justify the sales training to your management.
Since you need to have another two people on board before we can finalize the training dates, I sent you a list of web sites where you can find sales reps, sent the job criterion you e-mailed to me out to my job seekers list. I also sent you two possible candidates.
You have people in both Reston and Denver and all will be in Denver the week of September 9th before two weeks of ABC University. We spoke of setting up a two-day class during the week of September 9th.
You mentioned you need to run this by Tim, Dan and then Andy for budget approval. Attached is a sample Agreement with a fee schedule for your review and signature.
I will follow this email with more specific details about the live sales call-training workshop, which you can read at your convenience. This will include comments from people who mentioned they wished they had this type of training prior to their product training.
I look forward to speaking with you on Wednesday, September 28 at 8am PST when I will call you at: 303-555-1234 to discuss the next steps needed to put a live sales call training workshop in place for ABC.
Please call me at 818-991-6487 if you have questions before then.
All the best to you,
Ron
The Lesson…
Don’t send emails asking me to call you or to do something, unless you have provided information or topics of value specifically related to my company. This type of information may include insights you want to share about my clients, prospects, industry or competitors that would be worth me taking my time to discuss.
Separate yourself from the rest of the reps who do no homework and then expect that their products and services alone will generate sales.
You can use this content in your own publications.
Please include the following reprint permission…
This article is reprinted with permission from Ron LaVine’s “Sales Tips for Success” complementary e-Zine. Ron LaVine, MBA is President and Founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., an Oak Park, CA live cold calling training company. Get two FREE Reports, plus the FREE e-Zine, Sales Tips for Success by clicking here. Learn more about Cold Calling for Sales Success On-site, Virtual, Individual or Group, Live Cold Calling Training Workshops® by calling me, Ron LaVine at +1-818-991-6487 by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
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By Ron LaVine, MBA and President of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc.
Cold Calling System for Sales Success – Live Cold Calling Training Workshops®
When speaking with someone over the phone for the first time, we do not have the luxury of visual cues therefore it becomes even more important to make a good impression using our voice.
Yes, your voice is a sales tool and how it is used over the phone can often make the difference between getting the sale or losing it to a competitor. In their book “Put Your Best Foot Forward, Make a Great Impression By Taking Control of How Others see You” Jo-Ellan Dimitirus, Ph.D. and Mark Mazzarella devote a whole chapter to voice alone.
The key point of the chapter is this. People dislike irritating, harsh, loud, quiet or boring voices and are attracted to deeper, more vibrant, energetic, clear and moderately paced speech. Similar to a car radio if the signal is static-filled or unclear, we change the station. If the signal’s crisp and clear, we listen.
To build a voice that sells requires learning how to send out crisp and clear signals and that takes practice. Here’s an exercise for you to do just that practice.
Pickup a digital recorder and then once a day for a week set aside 15 minutes to pick-up the daily newspaper and read aloud and record the stories on the front page in your normal voice. Next, read the same material only this time, read it with confidence, authority, and credibility just as an anchor on the evening news. How do you sound?
Remember you can control the emotion (up and down), volume (loud or soft), pace (fast or slow), tone and pitch (high or low) and accent of your voice. Your goal is a voice that shows controlled emotion, a lower pitch, has a moderate pace and has a standard accent for your country. It requires conscious effort however in the long run you will have developed a voice that sells.
You can use this content in your own publications.
Please include the following reprint permission…
This article is reprinted with permission from Ron LaVine’s “Sales Tips for Success” complementary e-Zine. Ron LaVine, MBA is President and Founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., an Oak Park, CA live cold calling training company. Get two FREE Reports, plus the FREE e-Zine, Sales Tips for Success by clicking here. Learn more about Cold Calling for Sales Success On-site, Virtual, Individual or Group, Live Cold Calling Training Workshops® by calling me, Ron LaVine at +1-818-991-6487 by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE COLD CALLING TRAINING NEEDS ANALYSIS
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December 29, 2011 · by admin · Cold Calling, Cold Calling Tactics, Inside Sales Strategies, Inside Sales Tactics, Pre-Call Planning, pre-cold call planning research, Prospecting, Prospecting Tactics, Sales Research, Sales Strategies, Sales Tactics
By Ron LaVine, MBA and President of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc.
Cold Calling System for Sales Success – Live Cold Calling Training Workshops®
Recently I was researching a prospect before I planned to cold call them. I had been given a referral however before cold calling them; I want to do my homework first. First, I realized that at least five or more of my current clients were direct or indirect competitors. This meant this prospect fit perfectly in my target market and therefore was worth the time spent doing an in depth analysis of their operations.
When conducting my pre-call planning, I always start out in the career section. This tells often me what types skills sets are required of people they are looking for and the type of sales training in use. In this case, they were looking for salespeople with cold calling and prospecting skills.
A good start so far. This description also told me what type of sales training they were currently using. Knowing this information, I planned an augmentation strategy rather than a replacement one. Often it is easier to augment a current solution than to try to replace it initially.
Next I went and read the annual report. Since they are publicly traded, I used the link http://finance.yahoo.com/ combined with their ticker symbol in the Yahoo Finance section which led to a detailed financial overview of the company, their industry and their competitors.
I learned when was the end of their fiscal year which would help me by knowing when they would start planning and budgeting for next year. In this case it was June 30 so beginning my process in March turned out to be good timing.
I read exactly what their strategy was for gaining new business. I learned that in addition to going after their existing customer base, they had set aggressive goals for penetrating Global 3000 enterprises. The report also told me that the quarterly revenue growth was in the low single digits differential in sales from last year to this year was in the single digits and the quarterly earnings were negative.
This meant there was plenty of room for improvement and that their current sales training might not be working as effectively as planned. I also looked at the amount they were spending on Selling, General and Administrative which is where typically the sales training budget comes from. I noticed that it was increasing which meant they were adding salespeople or at least spending more money in the area of sales.
Finally I looked at their competition and noticed that two out of the five major direct competitors were already clients of mine. This fact would make it much easier for me to establish credibility and interest since I was fairly sure they were interested in how their competition was being trained.
Next I went over to the Security and Exchange Commission’s site called Edgar http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml to read their annual report or 10K. After studying the annual report’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations which laid out:
* Business Overview,
* Industry Background,
* Business Imperatives,
* Strategy (plus the key elements of the strategy),
* Product Descriptions,
* Sales and Marketing (including the number of quota carrying salespeople),
* Description of the Competition
Since I teach live cold calling sales training which involves getting your foot in the door into new organizations, the strategy of increased focus and penetration of key markets was of particular interest to me.
After reading the Annual Report, I went over to their web site and began to read the About the Company section. Not only was a clear and concise two sentence description of what the company did, I also learned that their core differentiators or values were innovation and customer focus.
Although I target VP of Sales, it was in the Executive Management section of their site that I learned that the Chief Marketing Officer was actually responsible for direct response and telemarketing around the world. I also learned that this person worked for one of my clients.
This meant I could leverage one of my client relationships as a means to build credibility with the person who was responsible for sales training or who would know who the person was I needed to speak with.
Leaving no stone un-turned, I also read the Senior VP of Worldwide Field Operations (which in this case also stood for VP of Sales). He was responsible for field marketing, direct sales, channel management, strategic alliances and consulting services. This meant he too, maybe a prospect for sales training. I also noticed he worked for a client of mine so I planned to leverage that relationship in the same way as with the CMO.
A search on “@companyname.com” led me to some people who were producing the Users Conference for the company. A quick phone call to one of them led to permission to send her an email which she would forward to the person who was in charge of field marketing and also in charge of sales training. She spelled out the person’s name, provided the title, ext and email. When this was all done, I sent off my first email which was followed by a call to be sure it was received.
The whole point of this pre-call planning is to show how important it is to know your prospects BEFORE you begin your approach. I’d say this whole process took no more than 10 to 15 minutes and if this deals closes which I believe it will (although the sales cycle maybe a long one) that time invested may mean thousands and thousands of dollars in revenue.
Your assignment is to choose 10 key target accounts and conduct this type of research before you make your initial call. I think you’ll find this approach will help you not only sound intelligent when speaking with your prospects; it will also help you sell more in less time than before.
You can use this content in your own publications.
Please include the following reprint permission…
This article is reprinted with permission from Ron LaVine’s “Sales Tips for Success” complementary e-Zine. Ron LaVine, MBA is President and Founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., an Oak Park, CA live cold calling training company. Get two FREE Reports, plus the FREE e-Zine, Sales Tips for Success by clicking here. Learn more about Cold Calling for Sales Success On-site, Virtual, Individual or Group, Live Cold Calling Training Workshops® by calling me, Ron LaVine at +1-818-991-6487 by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
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December 29, 2011 · by admin · Cold Calling, Cold Calling Tactics, Inside Sales Tactics, Prospecting Tactics, Sales Tactics, Sales Tips
By Ron LaVine, MBA and President of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc.
Cold Calling System for Sales Success – Live Cold Calling Training Workshops®
Don’t try to sell the Operator: be polite yet respectfully persistent while finding who the right person to speak with is.
Get an internal transfer: the number will come through as an internal transfer and the person will pick up.
Offer to call back: ask when is convenient for them.
Random names: type in a couple of letters, wait for the system to come back; the system will supply other names and their extensions.
Department directories: listen for all menu choices as other departments provide additional points of entry — perhaps they might need a solution from your company.
Best times to call: before or after their ‘gatekeeper’ arrives/leaves – execs will pick up their own phone after hours. Or try them on the hour in between meetings.
Make note of the time you were able to reach the person: typically you can reach them again at the same time.
Change the digits: people in the same department have similar extensions; change 1 or 2 of the digits and ask to be referred or for the correct extension.
Get the main number: use the Internet to find other numbers of points of entry.
Make an error in the extension: ‘I was trying to reach x, maybe you can help me, is Tina within eyesight?’ People like to help each other.
Listen to complete message for additional choices, names and numbers.
Build rapport more quickly by teaching yourself to regulate your voice to gently match theirs.
Practice: call yourself and leave a message. How do you sound? Practice until your voice sounds smooth and melodic. Remember people cannot see you they can only hear your voice.
Use your headset: open your mouth wide and carefully pronounce every word. Do not hold the phone on your shoulder as this tenses your throat and makes you talk from one side of your mouth.
Tip: buy a digital ‘logger’ for example at http://www.coldcalltraining.com/home-page/store/ (last item on the list). Record your conversation, replay for yourself and/or your manager. It can eliminate the need to take notes at the time of the call; you can focus on what is being said.
You can use this content in your own publications.
Please include the following reprint permission…
This article is reprinted with permission from Ron LaVine’s “Sales Tips for Success” complementary e-Zine. Ron LaVine, MBA is President and Founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., an Oak Park, CA live cold calling training company. Get two FREE Reports, plus the FREE e-Zine, Sales Tips for Success by clicking here. Learn more about Cold Calling for Sales Success On-site, Virtual, Individual or Group, Live Cold Calling Training Workshops® by calling me, Ron LaVine at +1-818-991-6487 by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE COLD CALLING TRAINING NEEDS ANALYSIS
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A Telephone Is A Two-Edged Blade For Sales Negotiators
By Dr. Jim Anderson
What’s your mental picture of a typical sales negotiation? When you close your eyes do you see a lushly carpeted board room with a large oval table in the center and padded leather chairs all around it? If so, then in most cases you are sadly mistaken.
An amazing number of sales negotiations occur over the telephone. Everyone has one and in fact in this day and age of mobile phones we all seem to have more than one phone. Given that by using the phone you can reach someone directly at almost any time, phones have become an important tool in negotiating sales.
However, as with any tool, a phone can be a danger to any negotiator’s hope of success. Using a phone to negotiate can be quick and easy, but that’s actually part of the problem. I’m not telling you to not use the phone, I’m just saying that you need to watch out when you do. Here are some of the things that can go wrong when you use the phone to negotiate a sale:
1. Deal / No Deal: Because you can’t look the other side in the eye when you are negotiating with them on the phone, it’s entirely possible that you may conclude the call thinking that you have a deal when you really don’t.
2. Can You Hear Me Now?: What you think that you are saying is not necessarily what the other side is hearing. However, since you are on a phone, there is no way for you to realize that they have gotten the wrong message.
3. What Did You Say?: Often when we are negotiating on the phone, we are out and about. Although we may reach agreement, it won’t count until such time as we write it down. That may be hours later and what we write down may be different from what we agreed to.
Once again, the phone is a powerful sales negotiation tool; however, you have to be careful how you use it in order to make sure that you don’t get burned.
Have you ever used the phone as part of a sales negotiation? Did you have any communications problems? Were the problems on your side or on the other side? When did you first realize that there was a problem? How did you finally resolve this problem? Leave me a comment and let me know what you are thinking.
Dr. Jim Anderson has spent over 20 years negotiating everything from small sales with individual owners of companies to large scale military project contracts with teams of sales negotiators. He realizes that unless you are a lawyer or a Mergers & Acquisitions banker, you probably don’t think of yourself as an everyday negotiator.
In today’s work environment you can find yourself in negotiations with a vendor, another department, or even a state or local government official very quickly.
Unless you know what to do (and what not to do!), you can quickly feel overwhelmed.
In this blog, “The Accidental Negotiator“, Dr. Anderson offers his insights on how to develop your negotiating skills so that you can close more deals, make more money, and have more satisfaction.
Get more information on both Dr. Anderson and sales negotiating at: www.BlueElephantConsulting.com. Oh, and if you want to follow Dr. Anderson on Twitter, he can be found at: http://twitter.com/drjimanderson
You can use this content in your own publications.
Please include the following reprint permission…
This article is reprinted with permission from Ron LaVine’s “Sales Tips for Success” complementary e-Zine. Ron LaVine, MBA is President and Founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., an Oak Park, CA live cold calling training company. Get two FREE Reports, plus the FREE e-Zine, Sales Tips for Success by clicking here. Learn more about Cold Calling for Sales Success On-site, Virtual, Individual or Group, Live Cold Calling Training Workshops® by calling me, Ron LaVine at +1-818-991-6487 by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
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December 29, 2011 · by admin · Cold Calling, Cold Calling Tactics, Inside Sales Strategies, Inside Sales Tactics, Prospecting, Prospecting Tactics, Sales Strategies, Sales Tactics, Sales Tips, Successful Sales Traits
By Ron LaVine, MBA and President of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc.
Cold Calling System for Sales Success – Live Cold Calling Training Workshops®
I once called on a large Telecom seeking to find out if there was a need for a certain type of software. As I sought this information, one of the first individuals I encountered immediately asked, “What are you selling?”
I replied, very simply. I’m not selling anything since I don’t even know if there is a need to sell something. Now maybe you can help me. We went round and round a few times until she finally understood what I was saying and transferred me to the individual I was seeking to speak with.
If you want to avoid sounding like another company trying to sell something, DON’T SELL. You’re thinking right now, “Ron you’re off your rocker.” What do you mean, don’t sell? That’s what I’m hired to do. To which I replied I understand that making a sale is the overall goal of your position. However, before any sale (i.e. not a retail sale over the counter) of significance can take place, many questions need to be asked and answered and their answers agreed upon.
First, with how can you sell anyone anything unless you understand if there is a need to sell something? Therefore the solution is to STAY OUT of sales mode and STAY IN information mode. One of the many benefits of this approach is people let their defenses down when they feel they aren’t being “sold”. I find that people are more likely to assist you if you explain that you are not selling (and at this point of the sales cycle, in my opinion, you are not) but simply trying to determine if there is in fact, a need to sell something.
If you come off like a typical sales rep you’ll be putting the cart before the horse. Instead, try playing the role of a newspaper reporter or “Columbo”. Make it your first objective to seek “Just the facts and nothing but the facts” before trying to “sell something”. You will quickly avoid “sounding like another company trying to sell something.”
So when someone asks me what I’m selling, this how I reply. “How can I sell you anything unless I understand if there is a need for what I have to offer? I’m calling to determine if there is a need for my product or service.” Remember “Understanding comes before Selling.”™
By using information mode and seeking to understand how a company does business before trying to sell something, you will find the answers you need to indeed make a sale. There was wise person who said, “Seek first to understand and then be understood.”
You can use this content in your own publications.
Please include the following reprint permission…
This article is reprinted with permission from Ron LaVine’s “Sales Tips for Success” complementary e-Zine. Ron LaVine, MBA is President and Founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., an Oak Park, CA live cold calling training company. Get two FREE Reports, plus the FREE e-Zine, Sales Tips for Success by clicking here. Learn more about Cold Calling for Sales Success On-site, Virtual, Individual or Group, Live Cold Calling Training Workshops® by calling me, Ron LaVine at +1-818-991-6487 by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE COLD CALLING TRAINING NEEDS ANALYSIS
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December 29, 2011 · by admin · Business Lessons, Cold Calling, Cold Calling Tactics, Increasing Sales, Inside Sales, Inside Sales Tactics, New Business Development, Prospect Qualification, Prospecting Tactics, Questioning skills, Questions, Sales Strategies, Sales Tactics, Sales Tips
By Ron LaVine, MBA and President of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc.
Cold Calling System for Sales Success – Live Cold Calling Training Workshops®
It is a common trap. A solution trap that many sales reps fall victim too. Let’s look at how the trap works by examining two situations.
In the first scenario, Typical Sales Rep has done some homework on the Internet by stopping by the prospect’s web page, visiting LinkedIn, Jigsaw, etc. and reading about the prospect’s solution and industry. Maybe the sales rep has gone so far as to read the prospect’s Management Analysis and Review in the annual report and study the career section to find out who is being hired and for what types of project.
By the way, these are key activities you should do before cold calling on a large organization. Based on these observations, Typical Sales Rep begins to put together a selling plan based on what they think is best for the prospect.
Next, Typical Sales Rep walks in or calls in and makes a quick introduction. Typical Sales Rep hopes they are presenting to the right person who has the authority to buy. Typical Sales Rep may ask a few questions but soon feels the need to present the features and benefits of their complete solution.
Usually this is a strategic overview of how other companies have used their solution rather than a specific situational view of how this prospect can use the solution to meet their specific and unique requirements. Never mind that the sales rep has not done enough questioning to understand what is needed, the sales rep feels it is vitally important for them to rely the importance of what they have to offer.
“If our solution has worked for other companies then it will definitely work for you.”
Typical Sales Rep has just triggered the solution trap. Once caught in the solution trap it becomes difficult to move in any other direction but forward. Now that the Typical Sales Rep has started to present, it becomes a challenge to go backwards and ask questions about what the prospect would like to see or hear presented about their specific situation.
The Typical Sales Rep can only hope their presentation has hit a hot button and even so, the sales rep may still not have created or crafted a compelling reason to buy.
Now let’s look at our second rep only let’s entitle them as an Info Sales Rep. One of the advantages of staying in what I call “information mode” is that it makes people less defensive and more willing to provide information.
People don’t like to be sold, they like to buy. Prospects don’t want to be talked to by a sales rep; they would rather speak with a salesperson who understands their specific needs.
Let’s get back to the Info Sales Rep. They too also have visited the prospect’s web site to gain an understanding of how the prospect does business and look for clues of what types of situations are affecting the way the prospect conducts their business.
The Info Sales Rep then tailors a list of specific situational questions designed to uncover the prospect’s current and future needs, challenges, problems and pains. Then the Info Sales Rep, once in front of the person they know has the authority to buy invests their time asking questions and listening closely to the meanings in the answer.
What the prospect says is then feedback to them to insure a clear understanding between the Info Sales Rep and the prospect. Like the sales rep, the temptation to present a solution builds.
However, the Info Sales Rep has trained themselves to be more disciplined and ask even more questions to help the prospect agree to isolate what the challenges are and what is of importance to them, the prospect, in a solution.
The Info Sales Rep wants to know what the prospect values most in a solution BEFORE presenting their solution so they consciously avoid presenting solutions before knowing the facts. By having asked specific situational questions and having gained agreement on what is of importance to the prospect, the Info Sales Rep now has it much easier when it comes time for the presentation of a situation specific solution.
When excellent information collecting skills are combined with a good, highly focused, “what’s best for the customer presentation”, then the close of a sale a.k.a. the opening of a new partnership becomes a natural conclusion.
The Info Sales Rep has mastered the art of helping the prospect to buy using direct questions based on the prospect’s answer. After all, which makes more sense? Delivering a presentation, which focuses upon the prospect’s unique situation or trying to sell to the prospect on a “one size fits all” solution?
The Lessons
Take your Typical Sales Rep hat off and put your Info Sales Rep hat on as you seek to gain understanding of how an organization does business before trying to sell anything. You may even save your precious selling time by learning there is not even a need to sell because the prospect is not qualified for your solution. Train yourself to resist talking about your solution too soon by being interested rather than interesting.
This informational, question based approach, will help keep the prospect’s defenses down and will encourage them to really open up about what is bothering them or what they would like to do better and why.
Avoid implying what you have to offer is more important than what the prospect needs. There is a time to learn and a time to sell. They are separate and when used in the proper order you will find your presentations more effective. Closing will happen more often and much easier than before. Finally, you’ll enjoy greater selling success than ever before.
You can use this content in your own publications.
Please include the following reprint permission…
This article is reprinted with permission from Ron LaVine’s “Sales Tips for Success” complementary e-Zine. Ron LaVine, MBA is President and Founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., an Oak Park, CA live cold calling training company. Get two FREE Reports, plus the FREE e-Zine, Sales Tips for Success by clicking here. Learn more about Cold Calling for Sales Success On-site, Virtual, Individual or Group, Live Cold Calling Training Workshops® by calling me, Ron LaVine at +1-818-991-6487 by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
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December 29, 2011 · by admin · Cold Calling, Cold Calling Tactics, Inside Sales, Inside Sales Strategies, Inside Sales Tactics, New Business Development, Pre-Call Planning, pre-cold call planning research, Prospecting, Prospecting Tactics
By Ron LaVine, MBA and President of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc.
Cold Calling System for Sales Success – Live Cold Calling Training Workshops®
Just collecting information is not enough. It is important to consider the impact or implications of that data. With each piece of information, ask yourself “What does this mean? What would happen if this action took place?” For example, you heard that Organization A is going to expand. You sell computer monitors.
Consider what the expansion would entail. Perhaps they would be hiring more staff – which would probably need monitors. Your next step would be to discover when and where the expansion would take place. Then how many people they plan to hire and who is responsible for evaluating and acquiring the monitors.
Alternatively, consider the organization who is acquiring another organization. Where will the funding come from? What systems will need to be integrated for the newly formed entity? Which positions will be eliminated? How will your “champion” or the person, who wants your solution to win any competitive battle, be affected?
Think about the importance of each piece of information you have uncovered. Then think about how you can use that information in service of your prospect. Listen carefully to what people share with you. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to determine what possibilities there are for you to make a sale or even multiple sales.
Who is responsible for making the final decision? Will it be a committee or an individual?
Has budget been set aside for your type of solution or does the prospect have access to budget?
Who, if anyone, will evaluate the proposed solution?
Who will implement the solution chosen?
Who will be the end user(s) of the solution?
How does this information benefit the person who told it to me?
Has the information been verified by a second source?
How can this data enable me to sell more of my solutions?
Why does the prospect operate this way?
What is the prospect’s future strategic direction?
What would happen if the prospect went in a specific direction? What might happen?
What are the implications of this decision?
What is going on in their industry?
What are their competitors doing?
What are the top, decision-making drivers? (For example, Client Loyalty, Market Share, Profitability, Risk, Regulations, Expenses, etc.)
What challenges, problems or pains would this decision create for the prospect?
What business opportunities would these problems create for you?
If applicable, what is their framework for avoiding a tactical focus?
Where and how should they start to connect your solution to corporate strategies and objectives?
How do they balance people, processes and technology?
What is the role of management?
What are their buying processes?
What are their top priorities?
What are the different time-frames? Timing for decisions, testing and evaluation, implementation and roll out, and feedback need to be established.
What types of time and date specific action or next steps do you think you should propose? What has worked successfully in the past?
What type(s) of training, if any, will be necessary to implement and encourage the use of the solution?
What types of documentation are needed and by whom?
How will you measure the results? Return on Investment, Net Payback Period, Total Cost of Ownership or another method.
These are but a sample of questions you should be able to answer while starting and driving a sale to its conclusion. Analyzing the information you collect from different sources will allow you to turn raw data into actionable business sales intelligence.
This intelligence you collect over the phone during a cold call can be used to understand who buys, how they buy, what they are interested in buying and why they buy. The answers to these questions plus answers to the questions above should speed up the process of converting prospects into clients.
You can use this content in your own publications.
Please include the following reprint permission…
This article is reprinted with permission from Ron LaVine’s “Sales Tips for Success” complementary e-Zine. Ron LaVine, MBA is President and Founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., an Oak Park, CA live cold calling training company. Get two FREE Reports, plus the FREE e-Zine, Sales Tips for Success by clicking here. Learn more about Cold Calling for Sales Success On-site, Virtual, Individual or Group, Live Cold Calling Training Workshops® by calling me, Ron LaVine at +1-818-991-6487 by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
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By Ron LaVine, MBA and President of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc.
Cold Calling System for Sales Success – Live Cold Calling Training Workshops®
This is a list of 18 common mistakes sales reps make:
01. Talk too much.
02. Listen too little.
03. Ask the wrong types of questions at the wrong time.
04. Use close-ended questions instead of open-ended and vice versa.
05. Forget to ask permission to speak.
06. Talk over other people’s answers.
07. Call on the wrong people who have no authority to buy or influence the decision.
08. Speak to fast due to fear or because they feel uncomfortable.
09. Focus on their products rather than solutions.
10. Speak in a monotone or without enthusiasm or conviction.
11. Use a lot of wishy-washy words in a row like, could you possibly please, denoting a lack of confidence.
12. Don’t identify themselves, their company or what they do properly.
13. Leave their phone number only once and speak too fast.
14. Forget to spell and grammar check their writing.
15. Speak too slow sounding monotonous and boring.
16. Forget to ask for contact details (Name, Title, Email, Ext. Reports to, Boss’s boss and Assistant.
17. Forget to set up a time and date specific action step.
18. Forget to be polite to everyone including assistants.
You can eliminate these mistakes by seeking first to understand and then be understood.
You can use this content in your own publications.
Please include the following reprint permission…
This article is reprinted with permission from Ron LaVine’s “Sales Tips for Success” complementary e-Zine. Ron LaVine, MBA is President and Founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., an Oak Park, CA live cold calling training company. Get two FREE Reports, plus the FREE e-Zine, Sales Tips for Success by clicking here. Learn more about Cold Calling for Sales Success On-site, Virtual, Individual or Group, Live Cold Calling Training Workshops® by calling me, Ron LaVine at +1-818-991-6487 by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
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December 29, 2011 · by admin · Cold Call Training, Cold Calling Tactics, Inside Sales Tactics, Prospecting Tactics, Sales Tactics
By Ron LaVine, MBA and President of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc.
Cold Calling System for Sales Success – Live Cold Calling Training Workshops®
From a business perspective, there may be nothing more valuable than our time. Let people know you respect their time by asking, “Is this a good time to speak?” or “Do you have a moment?” before using your opening statement. Not only is this a more professional approach, you’ll find people will offer their full attention since you’ve been given their permission to speak. Professional salespeople understand and respect the importance of another person’s time.
The next time you receive a call from a telemarketer or telesales rep, notice if the person asks for your permission to speak with you. My experience has been that the majority of callers launch right into what they have to say without giving any thought to what I might be doing. It angers me that the caller hasn’t considered that I might be doing something more important and I respond
with “Take me off your list.”
You can be seen as an interruption or a blessing depending on how you handle yourself. I called a senior buyer of a microchip manufacturer who granted permission for me to speak. I asked how they went about buying a certain type of solution. He took thirty minutes explaining their buying process to me. The information was extremely valuable to the strategy of the sale.
If it is not a convenient time for your prospect to talk, QUICKLY CONFIRM THEY are the RIGHT PERSON, SCHEDULE A FOLLOW-UP CALL and then HANG UP THE PHONE. Why waste their time or yours? If they are busy, you certainly will not have their attention. Make a good impression right off the bat by being polite and respectful of the other person s time. They will be more receptive to your next call because you showed a simple courtesy.
During one of my training sessions, we placed a call to an executive of a Fortune 500 organization. After a brief enthusiastic introduction (my name and organization only), I asked the executive if he had a minute to speak with me. The man replied that he was busy. I offered to call him at another time when it was convenient to speak. He asked about the nature of my call. I reminded the executive that he said he was busy and I did not want to interrupt his current activities and would prefer to call back at a more convenient time.
Guess what happened next. The executive said he would take the time to speak with me briefly and he asked a second time regarding the nature of the call. The executive became curious because of my courteous concern for his valuable time. The conversation lasted over twenty minutes. The executive explained valuable details regarding the evaluation and decision-making processes within the organization. He also provided additional information for me to develop an
enterprise-wide proposal.
The training attendees in the room were flabbergasted. Who ever heard of a telesales rep refusing to speak with an account? The concept is simple. If you speak with a busy prospect without their permission, you will not have their full attention, defeating the purpose of your call. Asking permission to speak before going on to explain the purpose of your call, will distinguish you from
typical telesales reps. Your call success ratio will begin to climb.
You can use this content in your own publications.
Please include the following reprint permission…
This article is reprinted with permission from Ron LaVine’s “Sales Tips for Success” complementary e-Zine. Ron LaVine, MBA is President and Founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., an Oak Park, CA live cold calling training company. Get two FREE Reports, plus the FREE e-Zine, Sales Tips for Success by clicking here. Learn more about Cold Calling for Sales Success On-site, Virtual, Individual or Group, Live Cold Calling Training Workshops® by calling me, Ron LaVine at +1-818-991-6487 by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
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December 28, 2011 · by admin · Cold Call Training, Cold Calling, Cold Calling Tactics, Increasing Sales, Inside Sales Strategies, Inside Sales Tactics, New Business Development, Prospect Qualification, Prospecting, Prospecting Tactics, Sales, Sales Strategies, Sales Tactics
By Ron LaVine, MBA and President of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc.
Cold Calling System for Sales Success – Live Cold Calling Training Workshops®
Using the phone successfully to market your products and services to potential new clients often requires you to navigate through a labyrinth of people to find the correct individual(s) who can provide the information you seek. Whether for pre-sales research or to determine who has the ability to acquire your products and services, here is a quick summary of proven techniques for achieving these objectives.
Know the purpose of your call in advance. Before placing a call, have a clear and specific objective or purpose of what you are trying to achieve. Prepare a list of questions that need answers prior to your call. This will help you stay on track and meet your objective.
Purchasing, Investor Relations or the CEO’s office are all good places to begin when you don’t have a contact within a company. Calling into multiple departments in a company or organization can not only provide the information or person sought, but also give a unique overview of how a company’s internal processes work. This can be useful information if further calls are required to
the same or similar companies. As these individuals are usually very busy, have a short direct question prepared, such as “Who is responsible for evaluating [insert your product/service]?” This makes possible for either a quick or detailed answer.
Take advantage of the corporate hierarchy. When being referred from a higher level person (such as the President or their office) to a lower level person, use the higher person’s name or office to lend credibility and importance to your request. For example: “Mr. Smith’s office referred me to you.”
Always ask for permission to speak. After briefly introducing yourself and your company, ask for permission to speak, before explaining the reason for the call. Do not speak with people who do not want to speak with you. You will not have their full attention. Getting permission first is the polite thing to do.
Set up a telephone appointment. If the person sounds busy, make an appointment by asking a directional question “Do you have a pen handy? Follow with “When would be a good time to schedule a two minute call to see if my company can be of service to you?” Nail down a specific time and date and follow-up with an e-mail reminder.
Listen to what is going on in the background. When a phone or distraction occurs in the background, politely inquire whether that situation needs to be dealt with and offer to be placed on hold. This shows respect for the other person and is greatly appreciated.
Use open ended questions such as Who, What Where, When, Why or How to gain information and closed ended questions such as Do, Are, Correct, Right or Okay to confirm what was said and gain agreement for action.
Practice the Q/A/F/Q technique. Ask a Question. Wait for an Answer. Feedback what you heard to be sure you have a clear understanding of what was said. Then ask another Question to direct the conversation into the area where you want it to go. The person asking the questions controls the direction of the call.
Keep track of your phone menu choices. If you get stuck in one department, these choices will enable you to go in a different direction and reach a person (any live body) who can transfer you to the department you need.
Finally, and most importantly, is to remain polite yet persistent in your quest. By remaining polite and persistent, you will find the person who has the information you seek.
You can use this content in your own publications.
Please include the following reprint permission…
This article is reprinted with permission from Ron LaVine’s “Sales Tips for Success” complementary e-Zine. Ron LaVine, MBA is President and Founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., an Oak Park, CA live cold calling training company. Get two FREE Reports, plus the FREE e-Zine, Sales Tips for Success by clicking here. Learn more about Cold Calling for Sales Success On-site, Virtual, Individual or Group, Live Cold Calling Training Workshops® by calling me, Ron LaVine at +1-818-991-6487 by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
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By Ron LaVine, MBA and President of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc.
Cold Calling System for Sales Success – Live Cold Calling Training Workshops®
The challenge is to reduce the gap between your actual performance (inside the comfort area) vs. your potential performance (outside the comfort area).
____________________________________________
Outside the “Comfort Area” – Potential Performance
____________________________________________
(Gap)
Inside the “Comfort Area” – Actual Performance
(Gap)
____________________________________________
Outside the “Comfort Area” – Potential Performance
____________________________________________
The Japanese have a term for this called “Kaizen” or the implementation of continuous incremental improvement. Simply put, this is doing what you are currently doing but learning new ways to expand your ability to do it better.
Applying this to yourself, you might look at the two of the basic skills for successfully conducting business over the phone. They are the Planning Arena and the Account Qualification Process. These skills have a number of components with room for incremental improvement once you decide to move out of your “Comfort Area.”
Areas for improvement in the Planning Arena might include looking at how you:
Set your call objectives,
Prepare yourself before beginning a call,
Maximize your energy during the day,
Determine the intervals between your calls,
See yourself achieving your goals,
Examine your current pattern of making calls,
Handle your weaknesses once they’ve been identified.
Account Qualification area improvements may include:
Examining what are the common characteristics of your most profitable or and “ideal prospect”,
Preparing questions to find these characteristics,
Planning how you can create a good first impression, build trust and credibility,
Expressing your confidence in a relaxed manner,
Matching and modeling the speed, volume and tone of what how your contact speaks,
Following the 80/20 rule of listening (this rule says we need to invest 80% of your time listening and only 20% speaking).
IMPROVING YOUR “COMFORT AREA” FUNDAMENTALS
“Comfort Area Fundamentals” include improving your:
Abilities,
Education & Knowledge,
Achievement Orientation.
An incremental increase in the “Comfort Area Fundamentals” allows you to expand the way you operate and will, if constantly put into practice, lead to greater performance. This is why it is important for you to consistently focus on and practice improving the “fundamentals” so it becomes easier when you find yourself outside your “Comfort Area.”
Abilities
Ability is defined as the power to do. Will your future be a series of goals you’ve set or a series of accidents? You are a problem solver not a peddler or a pusher. What I hear, I forget; What I see, I remember; What I do, Becomes a Part of Me. Being the best is not as important as doing your best.
Education and Knowledge
Napoleon Hill in his book Laws of Success (published by Success Unlimited in Chicago, IL. And available through ), defines Education as “the development from within, of the human mind, through unfoldment and use”. What are some specific ways to increase your Education & Knowledge? Setting aside time to read about your industry and your account’s industry has always been a wise investment. Paying attention to the news (the Sales Intelligence Report Email Newsletter is an excellent source of concise news ) and pointing out items that may have an impact on your client’s business shows you care about them and the challenges they are facing in their businesses.
Listening to audio cassettes and reading books by successful sales executives is a “sure-fire” way to strengthen your knowledge on how to use the “Comfort Area Fundamentals” to their greatest advantage. Attending user conferences, industry specific events and going through sales training classes on a regular basis also adds to your reservoir of knowledge.
Maintaining an Achievement Orientation
Maintaining an Achievement Orientation requires you remember that action follows thoughts so think great thoughts and focus on the positive. Think of yourself as successful and well thought of and doing more than you are asked to do. Help others as you have been helped and you will be rewarded with the success you deserve. You are what you think. Your attitude determines your altitude.
You can use this content in your own publications.
Please include the following reprint permission…
This article is reprinted with permission from Ron LaVine’s “Sales Tips for Success” complementary e-Zine. Ron LaVine, MBA is President and Founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., an Oak Park, CA live cold calling training company. Get two FREE Reports, plus the FREE e-Zine, Sales Tips for Success by clicking here. Learn more about Cold Calling for Sales Success On-site, Virtual, Individual or Group, Live Cold Calling Training Workshops® by calling me, Ron LaVine at +1-818-991-6487 by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE COLD CALLING TRAINING NEEDS ANALYSIS
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December 15, 2011 · by admin · Business Lessons, Cold Call Training, Listening Skills, Sales, Selling
By Ron LaVine, MBA and President of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc.
Cold Calling System for Sales Success – Live Cold Calling Training Workshops®
As Dennis Miller would say, “Now, I don’t want to get off on a rant” but why have corporations and businesses made it so hard to do business with them? Are they trying to drive business away? In an age where customer loyalty is a prized plum, it never ceases to amaze me to what lengths corporations will go through to aggravate and alienate their customer base.
As I say in class over and over, it is not always the big things that make the difference. In fact, quite often, it is the little things you do or say or how your company operates that sets you apart from the competition and wins you the big deals. It maybe better service, friendlier people, attention to detail, greater accessibility or a better attitude.
Ease of use ranks high on my list when doing business with someone. When companies make it hard or un-enjoyable for me to do business with them, my first thought is “Where else can I take my business?”Where else will my hard-earned dollars will be appreciated and I won’t have to go through a war zone to get simple things done?”
For example, the bank I currently use allows you to bank online. I enjoy using the electronic bill pay feature. I can pay my bills from anywhere in the world. Here’s the catch. I have a business account and a personal account however they cannot access each other (this bank actually has a separate web site for each). This means for me to pay bills using each account, I would need to pay for two bill-paying services. Does this make sense? Of course not and yet it occurs.
Example number two. There is a next-day shipping company whose service I really enjoy. What happened? I closed one credit card account and opened another. The billing department automatically charged me $10 Declined Credit Card charge without notifying me rather than contacting me and asking why my credit card was not working; I called up customer service (at least three times) and explained the situation. I gave the person a new credit card number and requested that they make notes in their customer service system. They did and they told everything was fine and taken care of. Wait a minute, I just opened my mail and there’s another
REPRINT OF ORIGINAL statement showing the same charges and that the bill is now overdue. To cut to the chase, I ended up calling the headquarters and explaining that because the people in billing could not access the notes from the people in customer service, his company nearly lost my account over $10.
Ron you’re saying, $10 is no big deal. You’re right however if you calculate the lifetime value of a client and then multiply by the number of clients you maybe losing due to what I call disconnects within a company’s product and service delivery system, the potential dollars lost rises dramatically. The person at corporate was smart (probably why he was working in the executive offices). He simply asked, “What do we need to do to fix the problem?”
I replied, “Reverse the charge, take down my new credit card number and say I’m sorry. That’s it. That’s all. Nothing fancy.” I also mentioned that if this is happening to me, I wonder how many other clients are being affected by the same situation. He said he’d make a point to check on their notification and CRM systems.
Do you know why I went to all this trouble to bring my business back to a company whom by all rights and means did not deserve it? It is because of the guy who picks up and drops off my packages. He always has a friendly smile and a happy hello. I like people like that and enjoy doing business with companies who employ people like that. He doesn’t know it but it is his behavior that saved his company at least one client and possibly many more.
In closing, as a sales rep or any member of a company large or small, ask yourself every once in while, “How easy is it to do business with your company?” “Are there disconnects in your company’s product and service delivery system (this includes a review of all departments, not one or two)?” “How easy is it to return something?” “When’s the last time Sales asked Marketing for some data and it fell through the cracks or vice versa?” “How well do your departments share information internally?”
Sharing internal information is a very important issue in corporations and maybe why Customer Relationship Management has become such a hot topic that is being looked at very seriously. Studies show over and over again, it can cost 7 to 8 times more to get a new client as it does to keep an existing one. So keep your existing clients happy by making their experiences or points of contact with your company as enjoyable as possible.
You can use this content in your own publications.
Please include the following reprint permission…
This article is reprinted with permission from Ron LaVine’s “Sales Tips for Success” complementary e-Zine. Ron LaVine, MBA is President and Founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., an Oak Park, CA live cold calling training company. Get two FREE Reports, plus the FREE e-Zine, Sales Tips for Success by clicking here. Learn more about Cold Calling for Sales Success On-site, Virtual, Individual or Group, Live Cold Calling Training Workshops® by calling me, Ron LaVine at +1-818-991-6487 by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE COLD CALLING TRAINING NEEDS ANALYSIS
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By Ron LaVine, MBA and President of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc.
Cold Calling System for Sales Success – Live Cold Calling Training Workshops®
Every December it is good to take some time to reflect on what went right during the past year and what areas of your life you can improve during the upcoming year. Put aside thirty minutes to and hour of quiet time for this very important exercise. First, picture in your mind what you want. See yourself having it and imagine what you will feel like when you do.
Now you are ready to set S.M.A.R.T. goals. S.M.A.R.T. goals are:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time and date specific
Type out your S.M.A.R.T. goals onto a sheet or two of paper and post it where you can see it (the bathroom or bedroom mirror works great).
Next, get yourself in the habit of reading your goals at least once (if not three times) a day.
You will be amazed at how many of your goals are achieved once you commit them to writing. You may not make all your goals each year but you will still find a number of them are reached and often exceeded.
If you have achieved certain goals during the past year, increase those goals by at least 10% if not more.
Actions follow thoughts. Feel it, think it and then do it.
Put your thoughts on paper and watch the universe go into action to help make your goals a reality.
Start here:
I will accomplish the following goals during the year _____.
I will earn over $___________ during the year_____.
I will average earnings over $_________________ per quarter during the year _____.
I will average earnings over $_________________ per month during the year _____.
I will improve my industry knowledge by taking the following actions __________________ during the year _____.
I will improve my product knowledge by taking the following actions __________________ during the year _____.
For example, you can attend your own company’s Webinars or study your company’s annual report.
I will improve my selling knowledge by __________________ during the year _____.
Napoleon Hill’s Law of Success is a great choice. You can buy it at Amazon buy clicking here http://tinyurl.com/bcbn4.
I will take the following actions to increase the value I can add into my customer relationships during the year _____.
1.
2.
3.
I will make ___________ number of cold calls per ____________ during the year _____.
I will open ________________ number of new accounts during the year _____ by taking the following actions.
1.
2.
3.
I will take the following actions to maintain a positive mental attitude every day during the year _____.
1.
2.
3.
I will take the following actions to improve my physical health during the year _____.
1.
2.
3.
I will take the following steps to better my personal life during the year _____.
1.
2.
3.
I will take the following steps to better my family life during the year _____.
1.
2.
3.
I will take the following steps to better my spiritual life during the year _____.
1.
2.
3.
I will use the following strategies to maximize my time during the year _____.
I AGREE TO post this list on my mirror, read it at least once a day during the year _____, and watch these goals come true in my life.
I highly recommend, if you have not yet taken the time to sit down and write out your specific plans and goals, try the above this exercise. You may or may not reach or exceed every goal however you will be a lot further along then if you made no plan at all. Always shoot for the stars and if you fall short, you will still have reached the sky.
People don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan. Don’t wait. Write down your goals and plans now.
I wish everyone one of you peace, harmony and prosperity during the holiday season and throughout the upcoming year.
May this year be your best year ever!
Ron
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This article is reprinted with permission from Ron LaVine’s “Sales Tips for Success” complementary e-Zine. Ron LaVine, MBA is President and Founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., an Oak Park, CA live cold calling training company. Get two FREE Reports, plus the FREE e-Zine, Sales Tips for Success by clicking here. Learn more about Cold Calling for Sales Success On-site, Virtual, Individual or Group, Live Cold Calling Training Workshops® by calling me, Ron LaVine at +1-818-991-6487 by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
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By Ron LaVine, MBA and President of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc.
Cold Calling System for Sales Success – Live Cold Calling Training Workshops®
The ideal prospect will have the following four characteristics.
Confidence
People buy from people they know like and trust. Like means similar to them.
Does the prospect trust you?
Have you established both you and your organization’s credibility?
Does the prospect know the organization you represent?
Does the prospect believe you sincerely have their best interests at heart?
Do they have confidence in your organization s ability to provide them with and support your solution that works?
Authority
Authority is the ability to sign the check. Your time is valuable so why spend it in front of someone who lacks the authority or the funds to purchase what you are offering. The exception to this statement is if the contact can provide the information you require before speaking with the final authority.
Does the individual you are speaking with have the authority to buy?
Do you know how much authority your prospect has before further approvals are required?
Resources
It is important to define the resources or budget required to purchase your solution. This requires a commitment from the prospect to allocate enough time and staff to conduct an evaluation and make a recommendation to management.
Does the prospect have the time and staff necessary to conduct an evaluation?
Does the prospect have the time and staff necessary to prepare a cost justification?
Does the prospect have a budget available or access to discretionary funds?
Does the prospect have the right technical environment (hardware or technology)?
Serious Intention to Buy
When the prospect perceives an attainable solution to a current or future need, they have a serious intention to buy.
Is the prospect willing to act towards a solution?
Have evaluation criteria been defined? Is the prospect starting to look at competitors?
Has a specific person been assigned to find a solution to a specific need?
Does your prospect have a serious intention to buy?
How to Determine When it is Time to Move On
If someone says, no or we’re not interested , that may mean, We re not interested at this time. Before you move on, inquire as to when they may be looking for your type of solution in the future. Then place a note in your schedule to call back at least one month before that time.
If you cannot find all four items mentioned above in any department then it is time to move on. If you leave at least eight voice mails, emails, or faxes for the person who is responsible for acquiring your solution and you receive no response, then it is time to schedule long-term follow up (i.e. 3 months, 6 months or 1 year) or just plain move on.
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Please include the following reprint permission…
This article is reprinted with permission from Ron LaVine’s “Sales Tips for Success” complementary e-Zine. Ron LaVine, MBA is President and Founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., an Oak Park, CA live cold calling training company. Get two FREE Reports, plus the FREE e-Zine, Sales Tips for Success by clicking here. Learn more about Cold Calling for Sales Success On-site, Virtual, Individual or Group, Live Cold Calling Training Workshops® by calling me, Ron LaVine at +1-818-991-6487 by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
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By Kirko Papajanis
Cold calling has different meanings in different businesses, but for B2B Lead Generation, cold calling is the art and the science of using the telephone to introduce a helpful, relevant, new idea to a company or contact with whom you have not worked in the past.
The degree of pre-call preparation will vary and how much to prepare for a call is a tough question, especially for new reps. You need to have a reason to believe you can offer value to the lucky person on the other end of the phone. On the other hand many of the reps I have worked with over the years will over-prepare for a call, given the low probability of making the connection on any one attempt.
Over preparation is often ego based. If you connect, use the opportunity to set a meeting – nothing more. The first call opens the door. It doesn’t close the sale- that won’t happen until a lot of questions on both sides have been asked and answered – the magic of a dialogue.
There is a middle ground that recognizes the need to offer value, the advantage of covering as much ground as possible and respect for everyone’s time. Work with lists of similar companies who are likely facing similar issues. Craft an umbrella value proposition and create a 30-45 second summary to communicate that message and leave the door open for a follow up from you.
Accept that the chance of making a live contact is pretty low. Use voice mail for the opportunity it presents as a tool to introduce you to your lists. Be honest, direct, personable and client focused. Leave your call back information. Follow up with an email that includes slightly more content. Wait a week and repeat with a different message that follows the same format.
Be respectful. Be patient. Stay client focused. Measure your results. Modify your messages. Be persistent. Expand you contacts in any organization when you don’t get a response after 8-10 attempts. Don’t be afraid to aim high! In years (and years) of selling, I’ve consistently found that it’s no more difficult to reach a VP than a Manager — and generally a lot more helpful.
Source: http://www.eyesonsales.com/content/article/evolving_the_cold_call/. About the author: http://www.eyesonsales.com/author/kirko_papajanis/.
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Please include the following reprint permission…
This article is reprinted with permission from Ron LaVine’s “Sales Tips for Success” complementary e-Zine. Ron LaVine, MBA is President and Founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., an Oak Park, CA live cold calling training company. Get two FREE Reports, plus the FREE e-Zine, Sales Tips for Success by clicking here. Learn more about Cold Calling for Sales Success On-site, Virtual, Individual or Group, Live Cold Calling Training Workshops® by calling me, Ron LaVine at +1-818-991-6487 by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
* Copyright Law of the United States of America and Related Laws Contained in Title 17 of the United States Code, Circular 92, Chapter 11 – Subject Matter and Scope of Copyright, Fair Use
Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.
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By Ron LaVine, MBA and President of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc.
Cold Calling System for Sales Success – Live Cold Calling Training Workshops®
DO match and mirror the speed, tone and volume of the other person’s voice.
DON’T speak in a monotone.
DO call for a specific reason such as to provide some information of value.
DON’T call just to check in.
DO go the prospect’s web site first to see if they fit your ideal prospect profile.
DON’T randomly send out expensive (your time, material costs and postage) literature.
DO tell the truth even if you do not have the answer to a question at that moment.
DON’T try to fake like you know the answer to a question you don’t.
DO ask for the business.
DON’T assume you have it until the paperwork is signed.
DO use good manners.
DON’T assume an air of familiarity.
DO speak clearly and slowly when leaving a message.
DON’T mumble your message.
DO leave your name, company name, area code and phone number twice in a row.
DON’T leave your name and phone number only once.
DO get the person’s name right before speaking with them or leaving a voice mail.
DON’T mispronounce their name.
DO use direct questions or statements such as “Maybe you can help me.”
DON’T use wishy-washy phrases such as Might you possibly please tell me some information?”
DO write down an assistant’s name if they provide it to you.
DON’T ask for their name and put them on the defensive since they might think you are going to get them in trouble.
DO develop different forms of marketing materials such as a one page Key Benefits fax cover sheet.
DON’T rely solely upon printed literature.
DO leave a voice mail for of “What’s In It for Them” compelling benefits.
DON’T leave a voice mail to see “if they might be interested in what you have.”
DO listen to and concentrate on what’s being said.
DON’T let your mind wander.
DO identify all the buyers and influencers.
DON’T rely solely upon one person who may leave for another job.
DO be polite yet respectfully persistent.
DON’T give up after one or two calls. Studies show it takes 5 to 8 contacts to get on a prospect’s radar.
You can use this content in your own publications.
Please include the following reprint permission…
This article is reprinted with permission from Ron LaVine’s “Sales Tips for Success” complementary e-Zine. Ron LaVine, MBA is President and Founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., an Oak Park, CA live cold calling training company. Get two FREE Reports, plus the FREE e-Zine, Sales Tips for Success by clicking here. Learn more about Cold Calling for Sales Success On-site, Virtual, Individual or Group, Live Cold Calling Training Workshops® by calling me, Ron LaVine at +1-818-991-6487 by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
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By Edrie Greer, Ph.D., Global Knowledge Instructor
Introduction
To get what you want in life, in work, and in play, requires constant negotiation with a variety of people. This involves basic communication skills, such as active listening and attention to non-verbal cues, and a clear understanding of your goals, as well as the objectives of your negotiating partner(s). To be truly effective, however, you need to know more. You should be able to communicate persuasively during the process of negotiation. Many situations you’ll face as IT managers and employees will require you to effectively negotiate to a mutually beneficial (win-win) solution, including:
1. Responding to staff members’ requests for promotions, salary increases, and other employment perks (as well as negotiating your own)
2. Negotiating with vendors for their best possible products, services, and prices
3. Convincing your team to do what you would like them to do
4. Working with external and internal clients on contracts (such as Service Level Agreements) that provide the quality services and equipment they need but in a manner that allows you to use your resources optimally
5. Persuading supervisors to buy additional equipment, accept your budget proposals, try a new idea, etc. In order to be successful in these instances, you must master the persuasion process, which will enable you to deliberately create the attitude change and subsequent actions necessary for persuading others to your way of thinking. In other words, you have to be able to “sell” your ideas in order to make changes in your favor and, in a win-win situation, provide the other side with a fair deal. This entails a process that can appeal to the intellect using logical and objective criteria, as well as a methodology that positively engages the emotions of the negotiators. The result of a successful negotiation is that all parties should believe they got a good deal.
The Six Laws of Persuasion: an Overview
Persuasion is the ability to influence people’s thoughts and actions through specific strategies. To become adept at this skill, you must first understand some basic principles, called the Laws of Persuasion. These six laws by themselves are neither good nor bad, but describe how most people respond to certain circumstances.
Psychologist Robert Cialdini wrote the seminal book on the Laws of Persuasion, titled Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, in which he discusses the prevalent methods of marketing. Even though you may not wish to believe it, a great deal of psychological research indicates that human beings are quite predictable in terms of behavior in response to certain stimuli, such as ads. This is why marketing and advertising are highly successful enterprises—by and large, consumers respond to most ads and commercials by buying the products and services they promote. By understanding persuasion laws, you can control how much others unduly influence you, as well as how to use them to your benefit during negotiations.
How To Use the Six Laws of Persuasion during a Negotiation
The laws work because they provide shortcuts to making the countless decisions people face every day as they look for information to reduce the complexity of life. If you can apply these laws in specific situations to your benefit, then your influence over others increases significantly. Some of the best masters of the art of persuasion in negotiation are highly successful salespeople who do their best not only to make the sale, but also to meet the needs of their buyers.
Here are Cialdini’s Six Laws of Persuasion:
Law of Reciprocity
Human beings, in general, try to repay in kind what another person has provided to them. If someone gives you something you want (or perhaps didn’t “realize” you wanted), then you will wish to reciprocate because you now feel obligated. Examples of this Law include the address labels you receive in the mail from various non-profits requesting charitable contributions. Even though they are a minor, unsolicited gift, sending them has increased contributions for non-profits many-fold, because people feel compelled to return the favor. Giving free samples to potential customers is another way in which this Law is used by successful salespeople.
Law of Commitment and Consistency
People like to be (or at least appear to be) consistent in their thoughts, feelings, and actions. Once they have made a stand, they tend to stick to it and behave in ways that justify their earlier decisions, even if they are erroneous. If you make a commitment to a cause or product, however small, it then becomes easier to be convinced to increase it. This is especially true if the commitment changes your view of yourself in a favorable way. This is why salespersons attempt to get customers to agree with them multiple times. After saying yes so often, it is almost impossible to say no when it comes time for the close or direct request for the sale.
Law of Liking
When you like someone, or believe that they are “just like you,” you are more inclined to want to please them and, therefore, purchase whatever they are selling. This is how successful salespeople operate; they establish rapport by demonstrating how similar they are to their potential buyers. For example, they note that they are from a comparable background as you, or even better, they are people you know—your friends. As for those in-home sales parties, the kicker comes when your neighbors provide the testimonials for the product. You don’t want to disappoint them by not purchasing, do you?
Law of Scarcity
If you are not sure you want to buy something, the minute it becomes “the last one available” you tend to have second thoughts. After all, this must indicate that others are purchasing it, and you might not be able to get another one quickly, or at all, if you decide you want it later. So you take the bait to buy a popular item that others won’t be able to get. At least that’s what you think.
Law of Authority
This is the law that uses celebrity endorsements or “expert” testimonials. When people you admire promote a product or service, if it’s good enough for them, then it’s good enough for you. And if you use it, then you might even develop similar characteristics to your heroes, such as good looks, wealth, or fame. That’s what the advertisers are counting on.
Law of Social Proof
Why have TV sitcoms used canned laugh tracks for years? Producers wouldn’t employ them unless they actually are successful in eliciting audience laughter and, subsequently, higher ratings. Part of the reason you laugh along anyway in spite of your annoyance lies in how you decide what is socially “correct” behavior. If you don’t know exactly what to do, you rely on others around you (or the virtual TV audience) to help you find the way to properly react. You think if others are engaging in a specific behavior, it must be the proper thing to do. Hence, you laugh in spite of yourself, or if you’re told that “everyone is buying this product or service,” even without evidence, you may think you’re missing out if you don’t comply or conform and get it for yourself.
Using the Laws of Persuasion
As mentioned, in any negotiation, all parties should arrive at a conclusion that makes them feel like they got a good deal, especially if an on-going relationship is involved. (Note: a “good deal” is not always the same for everyone; negotiators often have different criteria by which they judge the success of their bargaining outcomes.)
Often when dealing with “tough” or “hard” negotiators, you encounter manipulative tactics that use the preceding Laws of Persuasion. So how do you successfully negotiate around these ploys? First, you can discuss the rules of the game. When you recognize that the other side is using one or more of the Laws of Persuasion, you can either directly note it, or simply steer the conversation to a more objective solution. And for the ultimate in law prevention, you can set preconditions ahead of time that will preclude such strategies by using only logical principles as a standard process in the negotiation.
Negotiation strategies using the Six Laws of Persuasion include the following:
Law of Reciprocity
Limited disclosure/confession of the real reason for a negotiation stance, such as “this is all the money we have,” can provoke a concession from the other party. (This is often seen in salary/promotion negotiations.) Concessions in general follow this “tit-for-tat” rule (the lower the “value” of the concession on your part, of course, the better). You can also use this law to appeal to fairness. For example, if the other party manipulates the physical environment by requiring that your team sits facing the sun, at the next meeting they should reciprocate.
Law of Commitment and Consistency
An example of this tactic would be using a series of questions to conduct the step-by-step close. Dale Carnegie, in How to Win Friends and Influence People, called this, “Get the other person saying ‘yes, yes’ immediately.” This occurs when one party asks the other side to2 make a number of “small” decisions that lead to only one obvious conclusion: to accept the general concession. You could employ this principle by asking a potential client if she values quality in your product or service. Of course the only answer would be “yes.” Then you could follow with a question that begs the obvious: “We’d love to provide you with this product/service, but if we don’t get the resources we need from you (i. e. sufficient money) and quality suffers as a result, would you still want it?” How can the prospect say “yes” to poor quality? This tactic makes it easier for you to ask for additional funds.
You might also see an example of this ploy when lowballing (intentional last-minute additions to what was originally a low price) occurs. Unscrupulous vendors might attempt to make you psychologically “invest” in a product that you initially believe costs less.
Law of Liking
This law is often seen in the strategy of “good cop, bad cop,” where one person in the other negotiating party is clearly opposed to your objectives, but it appears that another of their team members is “on your side.” This causes you to identify with and trust the “good” team member, so you may find yourself agreeing to the other team’s concessions and goals instead of your own. You can see this in situations where a salesperson “battles” their supervisor to get you a “better” deal (of course this was the result they wanted in the first place). You might also apply this law to establish rapport up front when you are negotiating with your own superiors or teams.
Law of Scarcity
The more time you spend with a salesperson, the more commitment he or she has to make the deal. If you are under no time pressure and the other side is, you have the upper hand.
Law of Authority
Vendors often quote vague authorities to sell their wares, “Experts say our product is the best.“ But who are these experts? What are their qualifications to make these claims? Do they have a vested interest in selling the company’s products or services? In addition, use this Law to establish your own credentials/credibility early in the negotiation.
Law of Social Proof
This law works when you draw on testimonials from satisfied customers or clients (unscripted ones are best) to encourage new prospects to buy your services and products. The law also can be used to convince your supervisors or staff that their counterparts in other divisions or companies are following similar suggestions to yours. People want to feel like they are part of an established community that already knows where it is going.
Ethical Issues
Persuasion can be used for good or ill. In an environment that seeks to follow ethical rules, it should only be used to make lives better. Manipulation occurs when you exploit or deceive others solely for your own gain. This does not result in a win-win situation.
Summary
Being adept at persuasion is often the missing key to success in the workplace and your personal life. If you give people what they want via the Six Laws of Persuasion, they’ll most likely return the favor. And when you recognize that you are being manipulated, you can call the other side on their tactics and counter with an appropriate strategy. This will lead to a more effective way of achieving the goals of all negotiating parties.
Learn More
Learn more about how you can improve productivity, enhance efficiency, and sharpen your competitive edge. Check out the following Global Knowledge course: Communication and Negotiation Skills. For more information or to register, visit www.globalknowledge.com or call 1-866-925-7765.
About the Author
Dr. Edrie Greer is President of Learning, ETC, Inc., which provides Educational, Training, and Communications services to organizations. She brings more than 20 years of experience in adult education, instructional design, educational technology, instructor development, and media production to her work. Dr. Greer holds a Ph. D. in the Sociology of Religion from the New Thought Theological Seminary, a Master of Science in Continuing and Vocational Education and a Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences Communication from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Sources
Carnegie, Dale. How to Win Friends and Influence People. New York: Pocket Books, 1936.
Cialdini, Robert B. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. New York: William Morrow, 1993.
Fisher, Roger and William Ury. Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In. New York: Penguin, 2003.
Hogan, Kevin. The Psychology of Persuasion: How to Persuade Others to Your Way of Thinking. Gretna, LA: Pelican, 1996.
You can use this content in your own publications.
Please include the following reprint permission…
This article is reprinted with permission from Ron LaVine’s “Sales Tips for Success” complementary e-Zine. Ron LaVine, MBA is President and Founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., an Oak Park, CA live cold calling training company. Get two FREE Reports, plus the FREE e-Zine, Sales Tips for Success by clicking here. Learn more about Cold Calling for Sales Success On-site, Virtual, Individual or Group, Live Cold Calling Training Workshops® by calling me, Ron LaVine at +1-818-991-6487 by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
* Copyright Law of the United States of America and Related Laws Contained in Title 17 of the United States Code, Circular 92, Chapter 11 – Subject Matter and Scope of Copyright, Fair Use
Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.
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By Jeff McRitchie
Creating a great sales proposals can be the difference between your company’s success or failure. Here are a few tips to get you started.
Starting Out.
For the most part, sales presentations are intended to accomplish three things:
1. To Educate.
For all intents and purposes, what you are doing is telling your prospect why he needs you and your services. Here you need to not only look at the past or the present, but let your potential client know why your products or services will be vital to them achieving future goals.
You want to appear to have the ability to see the whole picture, to demonstrate need on their part, and solutions on yours.
2. To Sell.
And not just your product or service. You want to ensure that you convince your audience that your company is the only one that is going to be able to properly provide solutions. You don’t want to lead your prospects to anyone’s door but yours.
3. To Justify.
Make it clear how your proposal is going to make their investment worthwhile, and when they should start to see results. Charts and graphs are very useful ways to help convey this, and the more colorful and easily understood, the better.
Sections.
Your sales proposal should contain the following sections:
1. Theme and Introduction.
In order to ensure that your proposal get read, make sure that your theme is clear and your headline is not too “salesy.” You can simply state the reason for your proposal, and how your company is going to help your prospect achieve his or her goals.
2. Current Situation.
This is where you demonstrate a clear understanding of your client’s need, or in other words, you identify the problem your services intend to solve. You must convey authority in this section without appearing to be pushy or looking like an arrogant know-it-all.
3. Objectives.
In this section, you want to allow your client to see how you will be helping his or her business. Don’t make a lot or promises, just keep it simple, use examples, and make sure it’s clear that your business is the only solution.
4. Approach.
Here is where you lay out the details of how you are going to deliver your services. This can be a little tricky, as you want to be clear enough to be understood, but you want to make sure that you aren’t give away any proprietary secrets or give them any recommendations on how they would be able to get the job done themselves or elsewhere. This is a good place to include timelines and deliverables.
5. Benefits.
Present an exhaustive list of all the improvements your client will see as a result of listing your services. Use plain, clear, non-hyperbolic language, but be sure not to leave any possible benefits out (increased sales, improve productivity, etc.)
6. Costs.
A clear and honest estimate of what your project will cost your client. Make sure that you put this section after the Approach and Benefits, so it makes sense to your client. You may not always be able to exactly determine costs, but you can detail the stages of the process so there will be no surprises.
7. Closing Statement.
Hit the high points again and remind your client exactly why your company is the best one for the job.
Appearance.
You want to make sure that your sales proposal stands out, so bind it as attractively as you can. There are many options available, such as plastic comb, spiral coil, or even thermal hardcover binding if you really want to impress.
About the Author: Jeff McRitchie – If you are interested in more information about how the right Binding Machine, can help you create a great sales proposal you might want to visit MyBinding.com. They offer a great price and Free Shipping on orders over $75.00. Plus, they carry a full line of Binding Accessories, of all styles, types and capabilities.
You can use this content in your own publications.
Please include the following reprint permission…
This article is reprinted with permission from Ron LaVine’s “Sales Tips for Success” complementary e-Zine. Ron LaVine, MBA is President and Founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., an Oak Park, CA live cold calling training company. Get two FREE Reports, plus the FREE e-Zine, Sales Tips for Success by clicking here. Learn more about Cold Calling for Sales Success On-site, Virtual, Individual or Group, Live Cold Calling Training Workshops® by calling me, Ron LaVine at +1-818-991-6487 by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
* Copyright Law of the United States of America and Related Laws Contained in Title 17 of the United States Code, Circular 92, Chapter 11 – Subject Matter and Scope of Copyright, Fair Use
Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.
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By Ron LaVine, MBA and President of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc.
Cold Calling System for Sales Success – Live Cold Calling Training Workshops®
Have you ever asked yourself, what are the specific characteristics of a qualified prospect? What are the minimum pieces of information you need to know to determine if the potential for a sale exists? What pieces of information are required before you consider a prospect qualified? Am I using a consistent cold calling system to successfully obtain the information needed?
These are 17 areas with questions you want to ask yourself so you can create a qualified prospect profile also known as a Prospect Sales Profile™.
1. Basic Demographics of Your Target Market or Where to Focus Your Selling Efforts
In order to narrow down your target market, ask yourself which types of organizations do I make the most money when I make a sale? For example: is it a company with 10 employees or 100 employees? Does the company have over $10 million in gross sales or over $100 million in gross sales? Are most of my customers in the Retail Industry or the Financial Industry? What types of organizations will provide the highest payoff in return for my limited amount of selling time?
In summary, what are the demographics of your most profitable prospects in terms of…
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Total Number of Employees
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Total Gross Annual Sales
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Industry Verticals (such as Software, Printing, Frozen Foods, etc.)
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Most profitable organizations to invest my limited amount of selling time
2. Business Practices orQuestions to ask Yourself about a Prospect’s Business
How does the prospect currently conduct business?
How did the prospect conduct business in the past?
What is their planning process?
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Where are they now?
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Where do they want to be?
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How does they plan to get there?
What is the prospect’s future strategic direction?
3. Business Needs, Problems, Challenges, Pains or Drivers of Change
What are the prospect’s critical business issues which may require your solutions?
Is there a perceived or unperceived need for your solution?
What is keeping them up at night or what is constantly on their mind?
What is required to solve their problem and does your solution fit the bill?
Is the prospect actively searching for a solution you can provide?
Does the prospect have any current or future business initiatives or plans?
Has the prospect expressed an interest in what you have to offer?
Does the prospect have a compelling business issue needing to be resolved?
Is the prospect using outdated products and services needing possible replacement?
Is there a need for a specific product or service but the prospect can’t afford the time or money or man hours to build their own solution?
Is the prospect using some type of solution and not yet seeing business results?
Is the prospect starting to look at competitors of yours?
Has a specific person been assigned to find a solution to a specific need such as a project leader? Who are they, what is their title, how do you reach them and who do they report to?
Does the prospect have a serious intention to buy or are they just being time wasters or tire kickers or asking you to just send them something?
4. Time-frames
What are the time-frames for…
The RFI or RFP or RFQ (Request for Information, Proposal or Quote)
Evaluation period
Decision date
Roll-out of a pilot solution
Implementation of a departmental or enterprise wide solution
5. Budget
What amount, if any, is budgeted for a solution?
Does the prospect have a budget already set aside?
Can the prospect get it from someone else’s budget or next year’s budget?
At what level are further sign-offs required? (Is it $10,000, $50,000? 100,000? or some other amount)
Is there a deadline where the prospect will lose the budget or funding (usually in schools or government organizations)?
6. Good Fit
Does your solution make good business sense?
Can we establish an ongoing relationship?
Have you calculated the ROI (Return on Investment)?
What is the NPP (Net Payback Period) or how fast will your solution pay for itself?
Have you created a cost justification (Cost over time versus savings over time)?
What would make them happy or smile?
Is the prospect’s business growing or is it headed for trouble?
Has the prospect bought into your vision of your proposed solution?
Can your solution help the prospect produce tangible or measurable results?
Is there a fit with the current solutions in use or will additional products and services be required to make your solution work?
Is the prospect willing take specific action towards a solution, in particular yours?
7. Evaluation Criteria
Have evaluation criterion been defined?
What are the evaluation criteria, if any and will they email or fax it to you?
Do you have an evaluation criterion you can provide them to help make their decision-making process easier?
Is it slanted towards your solution?
What factors will the final decision will be based upon?
Is there an agreement on what is important or what is of value to the prospect?
8. Business Impact
What is the cost of inaction or taking the wrong action and have you calculated the cost of these business impacts?
What are the consequences or penalties if the prospect does not take action by a certain date?
What is the cost to the prospect of losing a customer?
What is the lifetime value of a prospect’s customer or what is the prospect’s cost of acquiring a customer?
How much would an additional solution add to the prospect’s head count and what will it cost?
Will the prospect need to add consultants to implement and use your solution?
What is the cost of shopping cart abandonment in their web store?
What is the cost of additional training of the prospect’s employees and what will be the cost of the time spent away from the job while learning?
What does the prospect personally stand to gain or lose if a solution is or is not implemented?
9. Processes
What are the exact evaluation, budgeting and decision-making processes?
Who does the negotiating? Where are they located, what is their title and who do they report to?
What creates a personal or business win for them?
What is negotiable and what is non-negotiable?
Who signs the final agreement? Where are they located, what is their title and who do they report to?
What are the payment terms (Net 15, Net 30, 2/10/Net 30, etc.)?
Is a purchase order required? If so, from who and what is the process of having it issued?
10. People
Who will be involved or influence the final decision? Is it one person or different individuals?
Is there an individual (or committee) that understands the value of your product or service, but has not found a good fit yet?
Who are the decision-makers, evaluators, influencers, and end users of your potential solution and have they been identified and contacted?
Are you speaking with the correct contact or contacts which, assuming you have the solution, has the authority to evaluate and/or buy?
Do you know how much authority the prospect has before further approvals are required?
Types of Buyers
Final Decision Maker(s) signs the check.
Motivation: What is the effect on our bottom line?
Evaluator(s) screens out and says no.
Motivation: What is the best solution that meets our needs?
Guide(s), Coach(s), Advocate(s) want to help guide you through the evaluation and buying processes.
Motivation: I like your solution. How can I help you get your solution as the one chosen to be acquired?
End User(s) are concerned about the effect on them and their job.
Motivation: Will it make my job easier or harder? Will it put me out of work? How will I be perceived by management?
Initiator(s) want to look good.
Motivation: How can I show that I did a good job of gathering information?
Purchasing/Legal/Contracts are responsible for negotiating the terms and conditions.
Motivation: How can we get the most favorable terms and conditions for our company (i.e. additional discounts, extra technical support or consulting services, lower pricing, more training or extra sets of documentation, better payment terms, guarantees, etc.)?
11. Organizational Chart
What is the formal and informal organizational structure?
Who reports to whom?
Who influences whom?
Who are the counterparts, back-ups, peers and subordinates of the evaluator(s) or decision-maker(s)?
Who are the assistants?
Do you have all names and titles spelled correctly?
Do you have the correct street address (room, floor, suite, mail code, etc.),
Do you know all the email addresses, fax numbers and extensions?
What are the responsibilities of each of your contacts?
How is their success measured?
12. Solutions
What types of solutions are currently in use?
Does the prospect have the necessary people, time, money and equipment in place or available to implement your solution?
What would be the cost(s), if any, to implement your solution?
Does the prospect have, or could the correct environment to support your solution be put in place?
13. Competition
What other companies (your direct and/or indirect competition) are also being considered and why?
Who is favoring the other company’s solution and why?
What are the prospect’s likes or dislikes about their current supplier?
If the prospect had a wish list and could have or change anything they wanted with their current or a potential supplier, what would be on the list?
14. Locations
Are decisions centralized (one location makes the decision for all locations) or decentralized (each location decides for themselves)?
How many locations, subsidiaries, partners, alliances and/or joint ventures are there?
Do any other locations have an existing relationship with your company, partners or affiliates?
Is it possible to sell your solution on an enterprise wide basis rather than a departmental or business unit basis?
15. Confidence
Does the prospect trust and have confidence in you?
Have you established your personal and your company’s credibility?
Does the prospect know the company you represent?
Does the prospect believe you sincerely have their best interests at heart?
Does the prospect have confidence in your company’s ability to provide them with and support your solution?
16. Resources
Does the prospect have the time, money and staff necessary to conduct an evaluation?
Does the prospect have the time, money and staff necessary to prepare a cost justification?
Does the prospect have a budget available or access to discretionary funds?
Does the prospect have the right environment for your solution?
What are the bare minimum requirements for your product or service to work?
17. Next Steps
After summarizing your conversation, have you set up a follow up with specific time and date action steps using questions such as:
“When would be a good day and time to continue our discussion of the next steps, potential pilot or trial of our solution?
“What are the next steps?”
Is there an interest in our solution? If yes, what’s the next step? If no, please let me know if and when I should follow up.
“Where do we go from here?”
“If we had a solution that would help you do a better job than your current solution what is the process you go through to look at this type of solution?”
“What do we need to do to move forward on this?”
What actions need to be taken by you and the prospect to get them to evaluate your solution?
Have you set up a Sales M.A.P. (Mutually Agreed upon Process™) as to who will do what by when?
What are the specific days and times these actions need to be completed by?
What is the time-line or what are the milestones for moving the sale to its completion?
Next steps need to be time and date specific. “I’ll call you back next month” is not the same as “We’ll speak next Tuesday at 3 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss the merits of the proposal after you have had the opportunity to review it with your peers, correct?”
Examples of Next Steps
Have you gained permission to send literature, an email or a fax while also setting a specific date and time to call to be sure the information is received and to answer questions or discuss the materials?
Is the prospect willing to accept your proposal or do they want a demonstration, presentation or to attend a webinar?
Is a call required to answer or clarify any complex issues and if so, when?
Are you following up your communications with a phone call, fax or an email?
Is faxing still part of your sales toolbox? What gets faxed? Usually documents that are perceived as important such as contracts or purchase orders. If you are not using fax as part of your communications strategy, you may want to consider adding it back in.
Conclusion
If you have not defined the characteristics of a most profitable and qualified prospect, it is time to do so. Consistency of definitions and the use of a well-defined cold calling system result in prospects well qualified and ready to buy what you are selling.
You can use this content in your own publications.
Please include the following reprint permission…
This article is reprinted with permission from Ron LaVine’s “Sales Tips for Success” complementary e-Zine. Ron LaVine, MBA is President and Founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., an Oak Park, CA live cold calling training company. Get two FREE Reports, plus the FREE e-Zine, Sales Tips for Success by clicking here. Learn more about Cold Calling for Sales Success On-site, Virtual, Individual or Group, Live Cold Calling Training Workshops® by calling me, Ron LaVine at +1-818-991-6487 by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
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