I have great relationships with my customers

Beliefs that limit a sales person’s performance

By Dave Kahle

“I have great relationships with my customers.”  That is one of the most debilitating myths around — one that cripples the performance of the average corporate sales person.  Yet, it is endemic within the population of sales people.  I am not sure that there is a sales person anywhere who doesn’t, to some extent, believe it.

I have often heard senior sales executives, when discussing their sales force with me, allude to someone whom they hired from a competitor because “they had such great relationships with their customers that they were going to bring their business with them.”  And, almost universally, it didn’t quite happen that way.  The sales people, and their prospective employers, thought, erroneously, that the sales person had great relationships with their customers.  They subscribed to the myth.

In recent years, I have come to see the belief that a sales person has “great relationships” as something of a smoke-screen.  It’s used by the sales person to obscure a deeper issue – their lack of sales expertise.  As long as they believe that they have great relationships, then they don’t need to be competent sales people, because after all, their customers like them and will buy from them no matter how poorly executed are their sales competencies.

Here’s another problem.  Sales people who profess to have great relationships with their customers all too often limit the preponderance of their sales calls to those with whom they have these relationships.  In other words, the existence of the perceived relationship dictates their strategic decisions – they go where it is easiest, and spend time with those whom they perceive like them.

Read this article in an expanded version.  Click here.

That, by itself, is OK, as far as it goes.  The performance-hindering aspect comes in when they do that instead of going where it is smart, where there is greater potential.  Thus, they allow their perception of the relationship to influence their strategic decisions.  It ought to work the other way around.  The potential of the customer should dictate where the sales person builds relationships.

The myth that they have great relationships with their customers, then, produces two major obstacles to sales success:  it covers up the sales person’s lack of sales competencies, and it prevents them from working smart.

The best sales people make sound strategic decisions, prioritizing and targeting their accounts based on the potential, and then work at building positive business relationships with those important people.  The best sales people understand that just as important as the quality of the relationship is their ability to uncover the customer’s needs and wants at deeper levels, to position their products and services as perfect matches to the customer’s needs, to manage the project by gaining agreement at every step of the way, and to leverage those positive transactions to identify further opportunities.  In other words, the best sales people are good at selling, whereas the relationship-reliant sales people are only good at getting along with those people who get along with them.

There is a huge qualitative disparity here.  The best sales people also understand that a positive business relationship is, particularly in today’s world of unrelenting change, a necessary piece of the entire sales puzzle.  However, it is only a piece, necessary but not sufficient.   It provides access to the key people, and perhaps the preference of the customer.  It oils the gears of the transaction, and makes every step in the sales process work smoother.  But only rarely does a customer buy solely because of the relationship with the sales person.

A positive business relationship, then, is a necessary but not sufficient means to an end.  When complimented with effective sales competencies and implemented strategically, it can be a powerful asset to the sales person.

However, when sales people use the belief that they have great relationships with their customers to excuse their lack of sales competencies and to derail them from strategically focusing on the highest potential customers, it becomes one of the most debilitating beliefs.

About the Author

Dave Kahle is one of the world’s leading sales authorities. He’s written ten books, presented in 47 states and ten countries, and has helped enrich tens of thousands of sales people and transform hundreds of sales organizations. Sign up for his free weekly Ezine. Check out our Sales Resource Center for 455 sales training programs for every sales person at every level.

You may contact Dave at The DaCo Corporation, PO Box 523, Comstock Park, MI 49321, or dave@davekahle.com

source http://www.commence.com/blog/2017/06/30/i-have-great-relationships-with-my-customers/

CRM Company Leads the Way with Automated Customer Service

Let’s face it, in today’s fast past world no one wants to wait on the telephone for service.  People want answers to their questions quickly and efficiently without having to speak to a service representative. This closely follows the booming trend in internet purchases where consumers prefer to simply order products over the internet rather than get engaged with a live sales representative.   This growth is led by companies like Amazon.com, eBay and others that have made the purchase of products quick and efficient for the consumer.

Commence Corporation, a provider of Customer Relationship Management software (CRM), is leading the way in automating how businesses can deliver high quality automated service to their customers. “People are tired of calling companies and waiting on hold forever to get answers to what are typically common questions” says Larry Caretsky, president of Commence Corporation. “The experience is awful and we have developed an efficient and affordable way to address it.”

Commence CRM is traditionally used to automate and streamline internal business processes for managing customer information, sales, marketing, and projects.  This solution has now been expanded to enable Commence customers to deliver automated service to their customers.  The application offers an integrated ticketing system that captures, tracks and manages the service history of every customer. This is complemented with a web-based customer portal that provides the following services to customers;

• Access to a Frequently Asked Questions section where customer can get answers to common questions.
• A Knowledgebase that provides access to a wealth of information such as product specifications, installation documents, troubleshooting guides, product videos, and more…
• A Web-Based Customer Portal – which enables customers to check on the status of an inquiry or submit a service ticket if they were unable to obtain an answer to their question.

Because Commence CRM is web based, customer access to the above is available 24/7 from anywhere and from any device via a WiFi or internet connection.  The benefits of Commence CRM to customers is substantial, offering them a quick and efficient vehicle for attaining high quality customer service without waiting on hold, leaving a voice message or calling back later.  Commence customers have also benefited in that they have realized a reduction in service calls to their support staff.

“The Customer Service module with its fully integrated FAQ, Knowledgebase, and Web Portal is a clear differentiation between Commence and competitive products” says Caretsky.  “The next step will involve adding artificial intelligence to the product.”

To learn more about Commence CRM and its Customer Portal visit commence.com/customer-portal/

source http://www.commence.com/blog/2017/06/27/crm-company-leads-the-way-with-automated-customer-service/

Midnight Oil Doesn’t Exist

This is a Sandler Weekly Sales Tip from guest poster Shulman & Associates.

The STORY:

Steve got back to the office at 3:00pm on Wednesday with every intention of putting together the preliminary proposal for what could be one of the biggest clients he’d have to date.  A two-hour job at most.  He had promised to have a preliminary proposal first thing in the morning.

There, actually covering his desk, were row after row of “While You Were Out” messages.  Running down the first row of 10, Steve decided that they could all be called and dealt with within a half-hour.  Ditto for the second row of 10.  The third row of 10 had two that could be pushed off until the next day.

No problem, he thought, I’ll run right through these.  Take maybe an hour.  Tops.  That will leave me at least two hours to do the preliminary quote.  I’ve got all the time in the world.

As he dialed the first return call, Steve felt good.   If I land this account, it will mean we have a really profitable client who will spend a lot.

“Ah, yes, this is Steve; I’m returning a phone call from…”

And in a very methodical fashion, the “While You Were Out” messages disappeared.

Returning the last phone message, Steve wondered why no one was answering.  Guess he’s not in, he thought.  Never going to succeed by keeping banker’s hours.

Putting down the phone, he finally looked at his wristwatch.  6:10PM. No, thought Steve, this must be wrong.  The clock on the wall only confirmed the time.  With a loud sigh, Steve spent about 10 seconds wondering if he’d ever get home before 9 or 10 o’clock at night.  He realized he could not remember when he had had dinner at home.

“That’s the price you pay to succeed,” he said aloud to an empty office, “that’s the price.”

The RESULT:

Steve spent another night working at the office.  Perhaps the preliminary quotation would be accurate.  Perhaps, with lack of proper rest, he’d still be able to make a good presentation the following morning, but none of this had to happen.

DISCUSSION:

One of the great, and usually destructive, tales of business handed down from one business owner to another, and from older salespeople to younger salespeople, is the burning of the midnight oil.  “The only way to succeed is to burn the midnight oil.”  “The sooner you start burning the midnight oil, the sooner you will have success.”

This tale, this myth, is so powerful that many burners of the oil truly believe that long hours are really a sign of success.

So it is obvious Steve has pledged allegiance to the miraculous effects of burning that oil.  He will arrange his day to make sure that the oil will be burned.

Which of the following do you think Steve would see as a sign of hard work leading to greater success:

1.  Leave the office at 6:00 pm.

2.  Leave the office at 10:00 pm.

Time’s up.  Make your choice.

If you picked number two, you are a true believer in the curative effects of midnight oil.

APPROACH:

How could Steve have dealt with his phone calls and need to produce a preliminary quotation by 6:00 pm?  It’s as simple as a three-minute egg timer.  Here’s how it works.  Steve had 28 phone calls to return.  Of those, at least half would result in voice mail, an answering machine, or the person would not be in.  That left, at most, 14 contacts.

At the beginning of the conversation, all he had to do was state, “I’ve got three minutes to talk.  Can we take care of your concerns in that time or should we schedule a phone call for tomorrow when I’m not limited?”  Flip the egg timer over.

Steve would have spent, at most an hour on the phone.  That would have brought him to four o’clock instead of six o’clock.

The egg timer solution is not high tech; it’s not fancy; it’s not even expensive.  But it works.  And Steve could have been out of the office by six.

THOUGHT:

Burning the midnight oil produces no light and ho heat.  Why do it?

About the author:

Shulman & Associates is a professional development firm specializing in sales and management training and sales force evaluation. Visit their website and sign up to receive the free sales tip of the week. Learn how to increase sales, improve margins, and accelerate new business development.

source http://www.commence.com/blog/2017/06/23/midnight-oil-doesnt-exist/

Commence CRM Addressing the Needs of Mid-Size Businesses

Mid-size companies are struggling to find the right CRM solution for their business and here’s why.  The myriad of low cost offerings available simply do not provide the functionality and flexibility that they need for their business. Key features are often missing, there is no integration to third party programs and customization is limited to adding a few custom fields. The products that seem to have all the check marks are too expensive, too hard to use and require more onboarding and other services than anticipated.  Now what?

Well don’t give up your search just yet, because there is a company that has done an excellent job of straddling the fence. That company is Commence Corporation, manufacturers of Commence CRM.  Commence seems to get lost among the 500 plus CRM offerings, but is making headway by impressing customers with the products functionality, ease of use and affordability.  Customer testimonials praise the products capabilities and the customer service provided by Commence Corporations professional services staff. In fact, Capterra, a well known CRM analyst firm recently listed Commence CRM as one of the Top 20 Most Popular products for 2017.  This has bolstered the company’s popularity and visibility.

Commence is an all in one CRM solution that offers account and contact management, sales opportunity management, group calendaring, activity management, marketing, help desk ticketing, and analytical reporting.  In addition, the company just released a new fully integrated project management application. Mobile and e-mail integration is also a standard component of the product.  Commence CRM is targeted at businesses of 10 to 100 users who require more functionality and flexibility then basic out of the box CRM systems offer, but without the cost and complexity of higher end solutions.   With prices ranging from just $29 to $65 dollars per user per month, Commence CRM is affordable for both small and mid-size firms.  

To learn more visit www.commence.com  or call Commence Sales at 1-877- COMMENCE.

source http://www.commence.com/blog/2017/06/21/commence-crm-addressing-the-needs-of-mid-size-businesses/

Best Practice – Be prepared to handle most common objections

Best Practice #20: Is always well prepared to handle most common objections.

This is one of those practices that truly distinguish the committed, professional sales people from those who aren’t that interested.

That’s because it takes time and effort to become well prepared at anything, much less objections. Those who are serious and committed put in the time to prepare themselves, while those who aren’t, don’t.

To keep it simple, let’s define an objection this way: You make an offer to a customer or prospect which calls for him to commit to some action, and the customer replies with something other than “yes.”

So, for example, you say something like this to the customer: “Want to get together next Tuesday?” and the customer says, “That’s not going to work.” Or, maybe you say, “Shall we go ahead with the project?” and the customer says, “No.”

Both of these are examples of “something other than yes” – or, in other words, objections.

Being well prepared to handle them means two things: One, you are prepared, behaviorally, to finesse the person, and, two, you are prepared, intellectually, to handle the idea expressed. In my seminars, I like to simplify this to: Finesse the person, and then handle the idea.

Being prepared behaviorally means that you, through your behavior, regularly take the tension out of the situation, empathize with the customer, and probe for a deeper layer of meaning. Our natural response, when we hear an objection is either to become flustered, or to become aggressive and argumentative. Neither one is effective.

Instead, we need to make the customer feel comfortable, and then understand the reason behind the objection. This is a simple to understand, three-step process. I don’t have time to go into it here, but the process is amply described in a number of my other works.

Once we’ve made the customer feel comfortable (finessing the person), then we move on to preparing intellectually or, handling the idea. Some time ago, I came across some research that indicated that if you were prepared to handle the five most common objections you hear, that you will be prepared to handle about 90 percent of your customer’s negative comments. In other words, 90 percent of the objections you hear will invariably sort themselves into five classifications. Prepare for those five, and you’ll be equipped to respond to almost anything.

Preparing for those five objections takes several steps:

1. Identify the objections. Give a title and an example of each of the five, so that you’ll know it when you hear it.

2. Think about, and outline, how you would respond to that idea. What would you say? How would you say it? I recommend a one-page, five or six-line outline. You don’t need to memorize a response, although in some cases that is an effective tactic. You should, however, think specifically about how you would respond, and you should do that thinking when you are not in the heat of the situation.

3. Collect proof. Proof is any example of someone other than yourself or your company saying something which in some way supports your point of view, i.e. articles about your company or product, independent studies, letters of recommendation, etc.

Preparation means that you have collected this proof, and that you have it with you in anticipation of the objection.

When you have created a one-page document with each of these pieces on it for the five most common objections you’ll hear, and you’ve reviewed this work and have it in the top of your mind, ready to refer to when necessary, you are prepared to handle objections.

Copyright MMX by Dave Kahle

All rights reserved

About the Author:

Dave Kahle is one of the world’s leading sales authorities. He’s written ten books, presented in 47 states and ten countries, and has helped enrich tens of thousands of sales people and transform hundreds of sales organizations. Sign up for his free weekly Ezine. Check out our Sales Resource Center for 455 sales training programs for every sales person at every level. You may contact Dave at The DaCo Corporation, PO Box 523, Comstock Park, MI 49321, or dave@davekahle.com

source http://www.commence.com/blog/2017/06/20/best-practice-be-prepared-to-handle-most-common-objections/

How do we get the margins up to increase the bottom line?

This is a Sales Question and Answer article from guest poster Dave Kahle author and leading sales educator. Follow Dave’s latest Tweets at @davekahle.

Question: It seems like the price is even more an issue today than ever before. In this environment, how do we get the margins up to increase the bottom line?

A. Thanks for the question. Believe me, I understand the constant pressure on your price. I wish there were a simple, 25-words or less formula for increasing your margins. There isn’t. What there is, though, is a set of tactics that have been proven effective in increasing your margins, even in the most difficult of markets. Pick and choose from this list of specific, proven tactics and then apply them methodically, with discipline, over time, and watch your margins slowly grow.

1. Add a point to routine quotes and bids.

Most people get into ruts when it comes to quoting a certain product or range of products. We fall into habits and just naturally put a standard mark-up on the final price. Break out of the rut by trying one point higher. For example, if you routinely quote some product category at 20 percent gross profit, try it two or three times at 21 percent, or 20 ¾ percent. Chances are you are leaving some money on the table by using the same mark-ups you’ve used for years.

I know one point doesn’t seem like a lot, but it typically falls right to the bottom line. Multiply that times every product and quote that you make for a year, and you would have added substantial additional margin to your business.

2. Add a point on price and product changes.

Let’s say several of your customers are routinely buying a product line from you. You have it in at 18 percent gross margin. The manufacturer raises his price to your 3 percent. You refigure the customer’s new price at 19 percent margin. You’ve just gained a point.

Every price, packaging, and product change is an opportunity to add a point or so.

3. Promote higher margin items.

In every industry with which I’ve been involved, there are high volume items that almost every sales person focuses on, and then there are very low volume items that most people ignore. That’s too bad, because the high-volume items are usually the lowest margin, while the odd ball requisition items carry margins that are often multiple times higher.

A low volume item that is too small in actual dollar volume to interest your competitors is a golden opportunity to increase your margins. So, make it a point to present and demonstrate those low volume items that are not nearly as price sensitive. When most of your business is going through at 18 percent, it’s amazing what a few items at 45% can do for your average.

4. Obtain the competitions’ pricing.

We all try to do this before the deal is done. It is, however, much easier to gain this information after a deal is done and then use it for the next round. After the deal is done, and the customer has made up his mind, just ask about the competitive pricing. Whether you won the deal or not you can still use the opportunity to collect useful information. Ask the customer to share with you the prices from everyone else, after the business has been awarded. At this point, there’s little pressure on the customer to keep that information confidential. After all, it’s a done deal. No harm in divulging that now.

As you gather the information after the fact, analyze it to see what patterns your competition is using in their price quoting.

Use the patterns and insights you gained to predict their next quote. Instead of fearfully using very low margins because you are afraid of losing the business to a competitor, you’ll have much better information on what your competitor will probably do, and you’ll find yourself not deeply discounting so often.

5. Give the customer a reason to pay more to buy it from you.

Why should the customer pay more to buy it from you? So many B2B sales people look on every sales call as purely a discussion of product and price that they fail to consider the totality of the factors that influence the customer to buy. Now, if there is absolutely no difference between buying it from you and buying it from the other guy, the n the customer should go with the lowest price. However, I very rarely have seen there to be absolutely no difference.

Your job is to identify all the things that are different when the customer buys it from you. Put those things into a list, turn them into statements of benefit for the customer and memorize the presentation.

Then when the customer says, “You’re a point or two too high,” instead of discounting, share with the customer what he /she receives in exchange for that point or two. If there is some valid economic impact, then you’ve just added a couple points to your margin by giving the customer a reason to buy it from you.

There is no one simple strategy. Increasing your margins is a matter of a methodical, disciplined approach applied over time. Consistently use the tactics discussed above, and you’ll see your margins gradually grow.

Copyright MMXIII by Dave Kahle

All rights reserved

About the Author:

Dave Kahle is one of the world’s leading sales authorities. He’s written ten books, presented in 47 states and ten countries, and has helped enrich tens of thousands of sales people and transform hundreds of sales organizations. Sign up for his free weekly Ezine. Check out our Sales Resource Center for 455 sales training programs for every sales person at every level. You may contact Dave at The DaCo Corporation, PO Box 523, Comstock Park, MI 49321, or dave@davekahle.com

source http://www.commence.com/blog/2017/06/16/how-do-we-get-the-margins-up-to-increase-the-bottom-line/

The Devils in the Details when Selecting CRM Software

Advice for Small to Mid-Size Businesses

The CRM software market is booming and is expected to increase 12% year over year according to Gartner. Despite this growth user adoption is extraordinarily low, customer satisfaction is poor and a large number of companies have indicated that within the first year they had switched CRM vendors because the product they selected did not provide the features they required. I can confirm this because the majority of the inquiries my firm gets every day is from companies that already have a CRM solution, but indicate that it does not meet their needs or is too hard to use.  The question is, why is this happening at such an alarming rate and what can you do to ensure this doesn’t happen in your business?

Let’s first look at the cause of this which I believe is two-fold.  Let’s start with companies that are new to CRM or first time buyers.

#1 Poorly Defined Business Requirements

I cannot begin to tell you how many companies my firm deals with that not only have poorly defined business requirements, but in some cases, no requirements at all.  My team will ask why they are looking for a CRM solution and what specifically it needs to do.  The answers are always generic; we need a good CRM system that’s easy to use.  This is a clear indication that management has not taken the time to define and document what they require from a CRM solution, what problem(s) they are trying to resolve, and how they will measure success.  In addition, chances are the people evaluating the products are not professional software purchasers.  In fact, very few people are.  They have no guidance from management and are not experienced enough to know what questions to ask. As a result, their decision is often based on perceived value, cosmetic appeal and price.  This is not the proper approach to selecting the right CRM solution for the business and I believe is the main culprit of the problem.

#2 False Expectations

Consumers love free or low-cost products and for some reason many small businesses believe they can get everything they need in a free or low-cost CRM solution. Of course, if you have not taken the time to document your specific business requirements and you are looking for a “good system that’s easy to use” as stated above, a free solution looks enticing. In fact, if you are just looking to manage contacts, notes and activities some of these are pretty good.  By this I mean they work and will not blow up on you. But these products are cheap or free for a reason.  They typically are chock full of limitations: data entry and storage limitations, functional limitations, no workflow capabilities, limited or no customization, no reporting, no filtering of data, no security permissions, and no integration with third party products. Telephone support is non-existent, and don’t expect to see new features or product enhancements.

Of course, this is by design and you cannot fault the vendor.  If I am offering you my product for free, I don’t want to hear from you.

Perhaps most important is the hosting, management, and security of your data.  I can tell you that my firm uses one of the best data hosting services in the industry and it’s not cheap. How someone can offer a quality data hosting service for free is absolutely amazing and guess what, they can’t.  While the majority of companies that contact my firm never ask where their data is, if it’s properly backed-up or how can they access it in an emergency, I would suggest that if you are considering a free or low cost solution, you pay close attention to what they are offering. Regardless of the above if you are a very small business, with a few basic requirements and a limited budget you may find some value in these offerings. Just don’t have false expectations of what you are going to get.

Searching for the Right CRM

Narrowing your search for a CRM solution does not have to be that difficult because the solution providers have done a pretty good job of positioning themselves by market sector.  In the small business sector, there are several hundred solutions available and most of the firms are struggling to differentiate themselves. These companies typically offer a basic out of the box, one size fits all solution for managing contacts, notes, activities and sales.  They target companies of 2 to 10 users who have limited requirements and limited budgets.  This sector has to some degree become a bit of a race to the bottom with more and more companies either reducing their price or offering a number of free users if you select them.  It’s hard to differentiate these products or find a compelling reason to select one over the other and with pricing so low I am not sure there is a sustainable business here.    If you are considering one of these solutions I recommend you check the company’s data hosting service, what level of customer support can you expect and how often product enhancements are made and offered to customers. This will tell you more about the company and its sustainability which may be more important than the product itself.

The middle market is the most challenging of all and has the least amount of product offerings.  CRM solution providers that cater to this sector typically offer what is referred to as “All in One CRM”.  This means you can automate all front office services such as Sales, Marketing and Customer Service. Some vendors now offer integrated Project Management as well.  These products offer comprehensive functionality, advanced reporting and analytics, customer portals and integration with third party software programs. Data hosting services are typically best in class and the software is supported by a highly trained staff of professionals that can ensure that the product is tailored to meet your specific requirement and that your staff is properly trained so that they realize the maximum value from the solution.

The most interesting thing about these mid-market offerings is that in many cases based on the functionality you select, they are not that much more expensive than the low-cost ones that offer half the features, limited support and second or third tier data hosting services.  If you really want to get the most from a CRM solution and believe your business will be growing in the future I believe these offerings are the true value play.

Lastly are the products designed for enterprise level companies.   These products target Fortune 500 firms that require use of the product for several hundred and in some cases, several thousand users.  They have very detailed functional requirements and often require extensive customization, integration with several disparate systems like e-commerce, ERP or accounting systems and multi-language, multi-currency support. Installation and on-boarding of these products can take several months.

So, there you have it. A quick analysis of the industry and some tips on where to focus based on the size of your business and the level functionality and customer support you will require.  Remember however, “The Devil’s in the Details”.

About the author:

Larry Caretsky is President of Commence Corporation, a leading provider of CRM solutions for growing businesses and a top 20 selection by Capterra and other software review sites.

Caretsky is considered an expert on CRM and has written numerous white papers on the subject and an e-book, Practices That Pay.  These are all available on the company’s website at commence.com/blog.  You can contact him directly at sales@commence.com.

source http://www.commence.com/blog/2017/06/13/the-devils-in-the-details-when-selecting-crm-software/

How to separate yourself from the competition

This is Sales Question and Answer #60 from guest poster Dave Kahle, author and leading sales educator.

Q. A customer (a contractor) has given me and one of my competitors five minutes to present our respective products to him. I know all the features and benefits of the product, but I don’t want to be like everyone else and give him what he’s heard before. At the same time, I want to impress him and get the order. Do you have any ideas that will help make my presentation different, while still highlighting the product’s benefits?

A. Yep, I do. I am reminded of one of the presentations I witnessed in our one-on-one training program. This is a program where myself and one other trainer take six sales people and work with them extensively and intensely from 8 AM till 5 PM every day for a week. They basically role play different aspects of the sales process, we video tape them, and then we critique them. They then do it again, but better.

On Thursday afternoon, we were practicing “making a presentation” — a 20 minute role-play. One of the sales people felt he had to mention every feature of the product, and droned on and on for over 45 minutes. The person playing the role of the customer actually fell asleep, and the sales person never even noticed!

DON’T DO THAT!

Trust me, your customer doesn’t care about every possible feature. What he does care about is which of those might be important to him.

So, I hope that you have already spent some time with him finding out what is important to this particular customer. If not, see if you can do so. Over and over again, your competitive advantage comes from your knowledge of the customer – not from your knowledge of the product.

If you can gain some insight into this customer’s needs, interests and hot buttons, you can build your presentation around them. So, once again, scheduling this time with him and gaining that inside information is the highest priority, most important step you can take.

Now, it may be that you already have that information. If so, good. If not, and you cannot get that time with the customer, then you are going to have to work on assumptions you make about these kinds of customers. That is never the ideal situation, but sometimes it is unavoidable.

Stop and think, then, about what would be important in this product for your customer’s customer. The people for whom your contractor is building – what do they want in a product like this?

Make a list, and then rank them from highest priority to lowest priority. Since you only have five minutes, eliminate all but the top three or four items.

Now do the same thing for your customer. What do contractors like him want in a product like this? Go through the same exercise – make a list, rank them in priority, and then eliminate the lowest priority items.

Don’t worry about not mentioning every thing this product has to offer. If the customer was interested in the entire list, he would have provided you 60 minutes instead of five.

In the presentation, begin by first talking about your customer’s customer. Talk about what he/she wants to see in a product like this. Then mention the few benefits that you have selected for them. Then, move on to talk about the customer. What customers like him typically want in a product like this. Show how your product provides those benefits.

Your strategy is to present the most important features and benefits of the product, and to do so through the perspective of the customer’s needs and wants.

If you can do that, you’ll separate yourself and your product from the competition and clearly and powerfully communicate to the customer. And that’s the best you can do under the circumstances.

Good luck!

Copyright MMX by Dave Kahle.
All Rights Reserved.

About the author:

Dave Kahle is a successful entrepreneur who, for over 25 years, has served as an internationally-recognized authority in sales and sales systems. His twelve books have been translated into eight languages and are available in at least 20 countries. His focus now is to share the wisdom and insights he has gained with people who want to grow their businesses, enrich their careers, and live a more fulfilled life. He has presented in 47 states and 10 countries. In addition, he is a chapter president for Truth@Work Christian Business Roundtables, and facilitates both local and virtual executive meetings. He and Coleen split their time between Sarasota, Florida and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Visit his blog here.

source http://www.commence.com/blog/2017/06/09/how-to-separate-yourself-from-the-competition/

Chase the “Big” Ones?

This is a Sandler Weekly Sales Tip from guest poster Shulman & Associates.

The STORY:

Nick had finally started selling his company’s product on a steady basis. For the past nine months, it had been rough finding enough clients who wanted to buy. Now he was comfortable knowing that his commissions were going to be enough to cover his basic expenses. But something was nagging him in the back off his mind.

I’m going, he thought to himself, flat-out every day, six, sometimes seven days a week, and I’m just making enough to cover expenses. How do I find more time to sell more so that I can actually save some money?

Well, he thought, there is only one solution. I need clients who buy more often than the ones I currently have. And the new clients will buy in bigger dollar amounts.

So Nick sat down on Sunday afternoon, his first day in nine months, and calculated the dollar amount of business he needed to generate to really prosper. He then divided that total by the number of clients he thought he could handle.

Wow, he thought, that’s one big pile of clients. I could save time by dropping some of the clients I have now to one of the new guys. A couple of the nickel-and-dime accounts. And that would free me up to go after the really big ones. Boost their buying. Yeah.

Nick knew that this decision was going to throw him back into the 24-hours-a-day, eight-days-a-week work schedule. But that’s OK, he thought to himself with a grin. I can do it because I’m ready to go all the way. I can handle it. No problem.

Some four hours later, Nick had determined that just over half of his current clients could be turned over to one of the new salespeople. The time he would save by not servicing the nickels and dimes would be spent on pocketing the silver dollars.

The RESULT:

Nick is going to be working 48 hours a day, twelve days a week! Perhaps he will find and sell those big clients. In the meantime, he will have thrown away all of the good work he has done for the past nine months without any realization of just how good it was.

DISCUSSION:

Nick has been seduced by a common salesperson’s myth-that sitting out there, wherever “there” is, are the “big” clients just waiting to be approached. Once the lucky salesperson finds these big clients, obviously overlooked by every other salesperson in the world, the “just getting by” days are banished forever.

Along with this myth is the belief, held by many in sales, that small clients take a great deal of time for very little compensation. In other words, small clients hold the “real” salesperson back from the big time. The sooner you can “dump” the moms and pops, the better.

So, goes the reasoning, you can save time and make more money by going after those clients who can spend more money than the ones you currently have.

This all makes sense if you accept the faulty premise that the “big” ones, with more money to spend, are just sitting out there waiting for you to call on them. Do you really believe this?

APPROACH:

The first step in evaluating your client base is to know that the client is buying from you and why. The second step is to learn from the client what else you might provide for him either now or in the future. In many instances the client’s response will be, “We don’t need anything else from you at this time.” Weak salespeople accept this response. A sales professional would respond much differently.

“Excellent. Since this in not a sales call, we can talk off the record. Would you have any objection to telling me where you see your business in three years? I need to evaluate our future business relationship.”

This statement will quickly tell your client that you are a sales professional, not someone who is just looking for the quick buck. Second, you will learn what your potential sales will be to this client for the next year or two. Third, you are in the position of being in on the client’s planning. If you can provide some service or product at some point in the future that will enable the client to reach his goal, and you show him that now, you have just cemented a long-term business relationship.

THOUGHT:

Every million-dollar account started as a nickel-and-dime account. Every last one.

About the author:

Shulman & Associates is a professional development firm specializing in sales and management training and sales force evaluation. Visit their website and sign up to receive the free sales tip of the week. Learn how to increase sales, improve margins, and accelerate new business development.

source http://www.commence.com/blog/2017/06/05/chase-the-big-ones/