The Selling Sherpa

Sales Tip of the Day: THE DOCTOR

Let's go to the phones and take a request:

How do I break through to a prospect (a physician) who has not responded to mail, has gatekeepers to block me, and works in a clinic environment (so I can’t plow into his office)? - C.J.

Actually, I heard about a salesperson who specializes in helping highly paid professionals invest in tax shelters and other financial instruments.  His high-value, high priced opportunities are perfect for people with high net worth and personal income.  He tried marketing to doctors but found his calls, letters, and invitations to seminars weren’t just rejected, they were flat-out ignored.

So, he scheduled himself for a physical at the largest medical center in his market.  During the course of his very thorough examination, which required him to see several different specialists, he was able to book sales calls with every doctor he met that day.

Every time they asked, “so what do you do?”, he would explain briefly how he specialized in increasing the personal wealth of his physician clients.  By sharing a compelling story, he got the doctors so interested that they were the ones asking for the appointment!

This strategy worked so well that he now schedules physicals in every hospital in his market.  He also happily pays for them out of his own pocket without relying on health insurance because he is making so much in commissions every time he gets poked and prodded.

Well, how long has it been since you’ve had a complete physical?  Or do you have a condition that you would like a second opinion on?  Or a third, fourth, fifth, and sixth opinion as well?

If you can’t get in to see the doctor, maybe you just need to get the doctor to see you instead.

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

THE REQUEST LINE IS OPEN! - IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT A SALES OR  MARKETING TOPIC, OR HAVE A SPECIFIC PROBLEM YOU WANT HELP WITH, SEND ME AN E-MAIL WITH FULL DETAILS AND I MAY GIVE YOU SOME ANSWERS IN AN UPCOMING SALES TIP.

Sales Tip of the Day: LIES

Most of the time, I’d rather concentrate on the positives in selling.  But the reality is, you need to know about some of the negative aspects.

For example, and I know some of you veteran salespeople will find this hard to believe, some prospects might not be very forthcoming with you about their intentions to buy or interest in your product.  And, while I genuinely believe most people don’t want to be false, circumstances will sometimes compel them to tell lies.

Not big lies, mind you.  Just small little “white lies” to save themselves from embarrassment or awkwardness.

But if you know what to look for, you can at least be aware of when a prospect might not be completely honest with you.

Mostly, there are seven signs to look out for that could mean someone is lying to you:

    1)  No eye contact.  Generally, people wont look you in the eye with they lie.

    2)  Vocal changes.  Someone may suddenly have a higher or lower pitch, or they might stammer or clear their throat.

    3)  Strange movement.  Foot tapping, fidgeting, shrugging, touching the chin or nose, increased blinking or blushing.

    4)  Contradictory statements.  Anything that just doesn’t sound right usually isn't.

    5)  Sudden defensiveness.  When someone has something to hide, they may turn the tables on you and attack.

    6)  Quick subject change.  If you change the subject and a prospect follows right along, chances are they were lying.

    7)  Out of place humor.  Someone who feels guilty will try to lighten things up with jokes, or maybe even sarcasm.

If you notice just one of these, it may mean nothing and you certainly cant accuse a prospect of lying to you.  What would be the point?

But if you see several of these occur, you may want to end your conversation sooner and ask the person straight-forward if they intend to buy from you today.

If they say “yes”, start filling out the paperwork.  If they say “no”, thank them for their honesty, remind them to call you when they are ready, and move on to the next prospect.

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

THE REQUEST LINE IS OPEN! - IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT A SALES OR  MARKETING TOPIC, OR HAVE A SPECIFIC PROBLEM YOU WANT HELP WITH, SEND ME AN E-MAIL WITH FULL DETAILS AND I MAY GIVE YOU SOME ANSWERS IN AN UPCOMING SALES TIP.

Sales Tip of the Day: LISTEN TO WHAT THE MAN SAID

Whenever people are talking, they feel a sense of control.  They are actively making decisions and controlling their own future.

If you listen to the what the man (or woman) said, it will strengthen those feelings and make it easier for your prospect to give you all the information you need to make a sale.

To really listen effectively, be sure you  

    1.  Provide good eye contact with the person talking.  Eye contact is a powerful demonstration of attention.

    2.  Repeat what you have heard at strategic moments to confirm you are comprehending their message.

    3.  Frame what you believe the person is feeling right now.  "It sounds like this is an important element of your decision.”

When your prospect begins to feel that you are really hearing them, they will feel more and more confident about sharing information with you, and they will really feel good about you as well.

So, listen up!

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

THE REQUEST LINE IS OPEN! - IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT A SALES OR  MARKETING TOPIC, OR HAVE A SPECIFIC PROBLEM YOU WANT HELP WITH, SEND ME AN E-MAIL WITH FULL DETAILS AND I MAY GIVE YOU SOME ANSWERS IN AN UPCOMING SALES TIP.

Sales Tip of the Day: LOVIN’ EVERY MINUTE OF IT

My honey has been itching to learn to play an instrument.  She’s talked about piano, or guitar, or maybe ukulele.

Of course, I am supportive of anyone who wants to make music so, during our stroll through Fremont over the weekend, I made sure we visited the legendary acoustic music store, Dusty Strings.

Inside the shop was virtually every kind of acoustic instrument you could think of, including a room full of harps.  That’s where we met Molly.

As it turns out, Molly had been a fan of the store forever and a loyal customer.  Back in 2002, she heard there was going to be an opening on the sales team and she rushed in with her resume and talked to the manager.  Of course, she got the job and she has been lovin’ every minute of it.

Molly showed us what to look for, options for construction and features and the impact each made on a harp’s sound.  She made sure we knew that rentals are available so a person could “try it out” without making the big investment, and that up to 4 months of rental charges could be applied to a purchase.  She talked about the workshops they conduct, private lessons that are available, and the once-a-year 15% off sale going on right now.

While we didn’t make a purchase that day, Molly’s sheer enthusiasm and genuine interest in helping us make the right choice will ensure that we;ll only buy from her when the time is right.

What about you?  Are you lovin’ every minute of what you do?  If not, do you think you might be more successful selling a product, service, or treatment that you personally love to use?  Or with a company that you really enjoy being a customer of?

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

THE REQUEST LINE IS OPEN! - IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT A SALES OR  MARKETING TOPIC, OR HAVE A SPECIFIC PROBLEM YOU WANT HELP WITH, SEND ME AN E-MAIL WITH FULL DETAILS AND I MAY GIVE YOU SOME ANSWERS IN AN UPCOMING SALES TIP.

Sales Tip of the Day: EVERY 1’S A WINNER

Let’s go to the phones and take a request:

We are marketing a product that is used in coffee shops to make specialty drinks.  Our product costs a few cents more per drink than the most common alternative being used at the better coffee houses.  We are giving them samples and almost everyone agrees that we have a great product.  However, the two problems that we run into are that they just don’t want to change and we cost more.
 
I can understand both of these objections and we have offered to sample in their stores or give them enough free product to try it on their customers. We are still getting an amazing amount of resistance. Any ideas? - L.T.

Let’s take these objections one at a time.

The “don’t want to change” objection is simply because you have not yet shown them a good reason to change.  And in a business-to-business scenario, only one reason will make the difference: improved profit due to either increased sales or decreased costs.

Which actually leads us to the “costs too much” objection.  It only costs too much because they cannot understand how using a higher price product will actually lead to more profit for them.  This is typically true for buyers who don’t yet see the difference between price and cost.

So, the question is: does your product lead to more sales?  If it does, simply help them see the math of more profit and you should be able to sell as much product as you want.

This is where customer testimonials can be very helpful.  If you already have customers who have increased profits using your product, politely ask them to provide a quote you can use when marketing your product to new clients.

When your customer makes more money, you will too.  So it’s up to you to prove that every 1’s a winner when they buy your product.

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

THE REQUEST LINE IS OPEN! - IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT A SALES OR  MARKETING TOPIC, OR HAVE A SPECIFIC PROBLEM YOU WANT HELP WITH, SEND ME AN E-MAIL WITH FULL DETAILS AND I MAY GIVE YOU SOME ANSWERS IN AN UPCOMING SALES TIP.

Sales Tip of the Day: PUT IT THERE

A good handshake is almost as essential as a business card in the world of selling, yet so few salespeople actually know what constitutes a good handshake.

When you think about it, the handshake is the first element of a first impression, so shouldn’t you know how to do it well?

Here are some good rules of thumb for how to “put it there”:

    Your handshake should be firm, but don’t try to crush the other person’s hand.

    A good handshake lasts no more than 3 seconds; anything past that becomes awkward in a hurry.

    One or two pumps is enough; don’t crank someone’s hand as if it were a old-fashioned water pump.

    A good business handshake involved only the right hand; there’s no need to double grip their hand or grasp their arm.

    Look the other person in the eye as you shake their hand.

    At social events, hold your drink in the left hand to prevent giving anyone a cold, wet handshake.

If you are not sure how your shake measures up, ask your closest friends or co-workers to give you an honest assessment, and be prepared to practice it a little if you find out your handshake is less than professional.

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

THE REQUEST LINE IS OPEN! - IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT A SALES OR  MARKETING TOPIC, OR HAVE A SPECIFIC PROBLEM YOU WANT HELP WITH, SEND ME AN E-MAIL WITH FULL DETAILS AND I MAY GIVE YOU SOME ANSWERS IN AN UPCOMING SALES TIP.

Sales Tip of the Day: SHOP AROUND

Until you become a friend, a partner, or at least a preferred vendor, you will have prospects that are going to compare what you offer with what your competition does.

You can minimize, or maybe even eliminate this, but you will have to shop around yourself.

As a professional salesperson, it is your responsibility to already know what the competition offers.  I encourage you to find out everything you can about them so you can intelligently discuss the pro’s and con’s of the other options in marketplace.

So the next time a prospect is clearly not ready to make a purchasing decision yet, politely ask them to share whom else they are considering so you can compare and contrast your product/service with those of your esteemed competition.

Giving them comparisons while they are still with you will, in most cases, remove the need for them to go anywhere else and, if you truly sell the best, you are likely to close a sale right then and there.

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

THE REQUEST LINE IS OPEN! - IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT A SALES OR  MARKETING TOPIC, OR HAVE A SPECIFIC PROBLEM YOU WANT HELP WITH, SEND ME AN E-MAIL WITH FULL DETAILS AND I MAY GIVE YOU SOME ANSWERS IN AN UPCOMING SALES TIP.

Sales Tip of the Day: PERSONALLY

Have you ever received correspondence that was obviously machine-generated?  Like email with “Dear <first name>”, or letters to “Occupant”, or anything directed to the person who used to have your job....three years ago.

Were you impressed?  Were you engaged?  Or did it get tossed without you even reading it?

So what makes you think your customers are any different?

If you really want to make a great impression on a client or prospect, you can’t rely on automated systems, preprinted mailers, or template proposals.

Your best bet is to customize everything and, wherever possible, deliver it personally.  If you consistently do this, you will constantly impress your customers and easily outshine the competition.

Using a CRM system to help you keep track of important details, dates, and developments is fine.  But make certain that your communication is always personal, relevant and unique, and you will make a lot more friends, and a lot more sales!

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

THE REQUEST LINE IS OPEN! - IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT A SALES OR  MARKETING TOPIC, OR HAVE A SPECIFIC PROBLEM YOU WANT HELP WITH, SEND ME AN E-MAIL WITH FULL DETAILS AND I MAY GIVE YOU SOME ANSWERS IN AN UPCOMING SALES TIP.

Sales Tip of the Day: YOU KNOW MY NAME

Every time I speak before a conference or association event about effective advertising, one of the most common questions asked is, “what about yellow pages?”

In response, I do an impromptu poll of the attendees and ask how many of those in the room have looked in one during the past week, month, or year.  Think about what your response would be, and you will probably have a good idea about the future of the medium.

Don’t get me wrong.  The days of ‘you know my name, look up the number’ haven’t gone away....they’re just moving online!

Does that mean you can cease advertising in the phone book?  Probably not yet.  But it does suggest that you may need to think of new ways to help make any phone book ad investments pay off. 

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

THE REQUEST LINE IS OPEN! - IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT A SALES OR  MARKETING TOPIC, OR HAVE A SPECIFIC PROBLEM YOU WANT HELP WITH, SEND ME AN E-MAIL WITH FULL DETAILS AND I MAY GIVE YOU SOME ANSWERS IN AN UPCOMING SALES TIP.

Sales Tip of the Day: NOW IS THE TIME

Let’s go to the phones and take a request:

I run into prospects that say it is not in our budget for this year, contact us at (they state when) and we will put it in our budget at that time.

What is the appropriate comment to make when they mention this?  Should I just say, “I will contact you at this time?” - R.E.

Sounds like now is the time to close a sale!

When a prospect indicates they will definitely buy at a later date, ask them to sign the agreement now.

That would sound something like, “since you know you are going to make a commitment in (month), let’s fill out the paperwork now so we can guarantee you wont be affected by any rate increases.”

If they aren’t willing to sign, then you know you still have real objections to uncover.

If they do sign, you have a head start on reaching your future sales goals.

Either way, you’ll know where you really stand if you try a close now rather than calling back later in the year.

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

THE REQUEST LINE IS OPEN! - IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT A SALES OR  MARKETING TOPIC, OR HAVE A SPECIFIC PROBLEM YOU WANT HELP WITH, SEND ME AN E-MAIL WITH FULL DETAILS AND I MAY GIVE YOU SOME ANSWERS IN AN UPCOMING SALES TIP.