header
Articles
line1

Click on the article you want to read

4 Ways to Out-Communicate your Competition

As a corporate sales trainer and published author on the subject, I’m often asked, “What is the most important part of the sales process?” There is no easy one-word answer. Sales success is about maximizing every interaction through every step of the sales process. If you think of each interaction as an opportunity to build trust and earn the right to advance to the next step, you can see how vital it is to effectively plan, rehearse and execute each interaction.

Thanks to interviews with over two hundred buyers at companies like DaimlerChrysler, Hyatt Hotels and Verizon, the word is in; most sales people don’t apply the following approaches, even though they’re rooted in common sense and easy to apply. So why are they used so infrequently? Simply put, there’s a vast difference between knowing what to do and actually doing it. As Will Rogers said, “common sense ain’t that common!”

Since differentiation is a key to success, executives should make the following approaches required policy for their company. By positioning themselves as proactive, dependable, and trustworthy, a company will earn more business. In addition, for companies selling anything resembling a commodity, these trust-building approaches will help command a better price because they add value to the buy-sell equation.

Advance Meeting Agendas

The funny thing about meeting agendas is that everybody knows they should be used to keep meetings focused and on track, yet they are rarely employed. I remember my first sales course back in 1983. We were taught that every sales meeting requires an agenda, yet many years later, I still hadn’t used one. Why not? Because the buyers I called on and the sales managers I worked for never demanded them. So being a typical sales person, I continued to ‘wing it’.

Advance meeting agendas help in several ways. By mapping out the meeting in advance, you let the decision-maker know you value their time. You also assure a better outcome by identifying the main meeting objectives ahead of time, reducing the chance you will miss any key points.

Christopher Locke, a Global Lead Buyer with DaimlerChrysler Corporation said: “Only about 10% of my suppliers send a meeting agenda ahead of time. If I could receive an agenda prior to the meeting and add or modify any items, it would certainly help the supplier, who could then spend more time on issues of interest to me.”

A proper meeting agenda should identify the start and stop time, the main objective of the meeting, a bullet point list of items to discuss, a listing of any items for the buyer to bring to the meeting, and an invitation for the recipient to make any changes. The best time to e-mail an agenda is the day before the meeting. This keeps the meeting fresh in the prospective client’s mind while reducing the likelihood of a last-minute cancellation..

Written Summaries of Key Points after Phone Calls and Meetings

Written summaries help crystallize the outcome of meetings, which can help business people prepare for more effective meetings in the future. In addition, it gives the buyer a written summary to forward to others involved in the decision, reducing the buyer's workload. The savvy business owner who commits to sending e-mail summaries after all key meetings, (on the phone or in person) will benefit from the increased trust and clarity they bring to the buy-sell equation.

To quote Kristen Mitchell, Senior Buyer, Boston Financial Data Services Inc.: "An email summary would be very helpful; it's always good to have written clarification of key points. It shows they're paying attention and that they're on top of things. In five years, perhaps 2% of the reps I've met with have ever emailed a written summary of key points after a meeting."

Confirming completion of promises

It's easy to make commitments with the best of intentions, but if they aren't honored, it can be the kiss of death. On the flip side, business people who do what they say 100% of the time are perceived as trustworthy and dependable, and they win more business.

Every promise made needs to be entered in a day planner or daily to-do list with a due date for completion. Assuming it makes sense, fellow up by confirming completion with a simple e-mail or voicemail. It's also a good idea to seek opportunities to make and honor promises in order to demonstrate dependability and integrity.

To quote David Frieder, Planet Automotive Group, Inc.: "Only about 20% of the reps I've dealt with are true pros who always follow up to ensure the whole job is done and done right."

Leaving clear, concise voicemail messages

In today's time deprived world, long-winded unintelligible voicemails can be a real annoyance. A voicemail shouldn't have to be replayed in order to decipher the phone number or the name of the caller yet it happens all the time.

A properly structured, effective voicemail could flow as follows:A message that clearly and briefly states the purpose of the call should be prepared in advance. If required, a callback number should be left twice at the end of the message. The second time, it should be said slowly enough so the number can be written down without having to rewind Any hard to spell names should be spelled out

To quote Errol Van Edema, a Manager of Purchasing & Manufacturing/Distribution: "I don't return messages that are not decipherable, use poor grammar, or make no real point. You have only one opportunity to get it right so rehearse the call, and make sure that what you say has substance."

Bonus tip: Clear, concise e-mail messages

With so many people ignoring basic professionalism with e-mail, this provides another opportunity for differentiation.

Long winded e-mails don't work, so always edit for brevity. In addition, consider less common ways to sign off, such as warmly till next time the best to you," etc.

When a prospect requests information via email, it's a good idea to ask them what subject line they would suggest. By having the prospect provide the subject line, it increases the odds they will connect the incoming e-mail to the sender.

When a prospect asks for information via email, restrict attachments to one-page whenever possible. To increase the odds of information being read and shared, mail a hardcopy of the same information that same day (busy decision-makers don't always open all their attachments!) Last but not least, it provides a valuable opportunity for another touch-point.

Summary

The strategies covered will help sales people differentiate their approach and position themselves as proactive, trusted and consultative.

Attention Small Business Owners - 5 Deadly Mistakes You Must Avoid at All Cost!

1. Not providing genuine appreciation for employees

The number one psychological need of people is the need to feel appreciated. Yet too many business owners ignore this because they think the pay check does the trick. But the more you show your employees you value and appreciate them, the longer they are likely to stay with you...and the more valuable they become.

You can show your appreciation with little touches like a thank you note, or by simply acknowledging when things are done right. You can recognize birthdays with a card; reward achievements with a paid day off or by offering flexible schedules; or you could have a staff meeting at the park on a sunny day where everybody gets to contribute ideas on how to make the company more successful.

People need a clear sense of purpose to feel good about their contributions. This can be accomplished by creating clear job descriptions and always keeping your employees informed about important news that concerns the company. You don't want your employees to hear important company news through the grapevine.

2. Diving in the deep end before testing the waters...

Always start new projects or campaigns by beta testing them on a smaller scale before going all out. Don't be like many people who send expensive direct mail pieces to thousands of businesses without generating any sales. Instead, beta test a mailing with 1000 pieces. It's an effective indicator, yet offers a 90% savings!

3. Not being able to explain the purpose of your business in a single sentence

You should be able to convey the essence of your business in a single sentence. This is vital when you are trying to acquire new customers, or when you meet somebody at a business networking event. For example, at our company we could introduce ourselves by saying:
"At Thought Leader Publications & Training, we help business people succeed by interviewing decision-makers and sharing their expert advice in our books and workshops."
If you can create a compelling sentence that shows the benefits of doing business with you, you will increase sales!

4. Not asking the right questions when making business decisions

The quality of your business decisions can be the difference between success and failure. When you're faced with a key decision, ask yourself two questions:
What is the cost of doing it?
What is the cost of not doing it?
These questions are vital when weighing the pros and cons of key decisions. Many people look only at the cost of doing something. If you don't ask yourself the second question, the cost of not doing it, it may end up costing more. When you ask the second question, examine "soft" costs such as time, effect on business relationships, lost opportunities and impact on corporate culture and employee morale.

5. Not delivering consistent service

Imagine if a national restaurant chain allowed the staff at each location to greet customers however they wanted, let them cook differently on each shift or decide when to open and close. Chaos!

An Operations Manual outlines the one best way to handle repeatable tasks and processes; it reduces the chances that your customers will have unpredictable experiences with your company. An Operations Manual helps ensure your customers receive better quality products, services, and experiences every time they deal with your company.

Are Most B2B Salespeople Allergic to Paperwork?

After interviewing hundreds of corporate decision-makers for my books, Buyer Approved Selling and Winning Sales Advice, I would have to say the answer is a resounding yes!

Why?

Because the decision makers interviewed made it clear: Most sales people don't use basic sales practices that involve writing! A good example would be the Meeting Agenda. Do you ever meet with salespeople? If so, when's the last time a salesperson provided you with a written agenda before a meeting?

The research revealed that meeting agendas are rarely used by salespeople. In fact, decision-makers from companies like DaimlerChrysler and U.S. Bank reported that less than 10% of salespeople who met with them took the time to prepare a written agenda. Consider the following comment by Ted Biggs as published in the book, Winning Sales Advice: Sales Secrets from the Decision-Maker's Side of the Desk:

"I wish salespeople would use an agenda when they meet with me, but I can't recall it ever happening!"Ted W. Biggs, Senior VP & Western Region Sales Manager, U.S. Bank (Rates this approach 10 out of 10; NEVER sees it used by salespeople.)

Just for fun, let's examine some key benefits that accrue to the salespeople who actually prepare meeting agendas:

  • Since hardly any salespeople use written agendas, it differentiates their approach
  • It positions them as proactive, professional and organized
  • It allows the meeting to focus on predefined objectives
  • It identifies any information or items the prospect needs to prepare ahead of time
  • It allows the salesperson to prioritize agenda items in order of importance
  • And of course the list goes on...
So why don't most sales people prepare agendas before sales meetings even though it will help them be more successful?
Because they're allergic to paperwork... what else could it be?

Communicating For Sales Success

It's amazing how we can be so unaware of repetitive and filler words we sprinkle through our conversations. People judge us by the way we communicate, and all things being equal, it's likely a decision maker would prefer to deal with a well-spoken, articulate salesperson versus somebody who injects "ums" and "ahs" between most sentences and frequently says things like "do you know what I mean?

To discover how you're doing, try recording your side of a phone call with a hand-held digital recorder while speaking with prospects and customers. You can then listen to yourself while driving to sales calls. I've done this many times, and it has been extremely helpful.

To illustrate, let me share a story with you. A few years ago, I was interviewed on the radio about a book I had written. The segment required I respond to live calls from listeners. I taped the session and listened to it later. Imagine my embarrassment when it was pointed out that I said the word "absolutely" 37 times in a 35-minute session! The point I'm making is, if you don't record yourself, it's unlikely you'll ever be aware of what you need to correct. By the way, I hardly ever use the word absolutely anymore. Absolutely not!

When listening to your recordings, check for the following:

  • Are you speaking too quickly or too slowly?
  • Are you interrupting the other person?
  • Are you using vocal variety to convey energy and impact where required?
  • Do you sound conversational and natural?

Here are some examples of filler words you should identify and eliminate:

  • "Do you know what I mean?"
  • "To tell you the truth..."
  • "Basically"

The Bottom Line: Until you record yourself and objectively listen to your recordings, you will never be 100 percent sure you're coming across as confidently and articulately as possible. Is it worth your time to do this exercise every now and again? Absolutely!

Hiring Experts Reveal the 6 Biggest Mistakes Job Seekers Make

A study with human resource professionals at corporations across North America has uncovered 6 common mistakes that can destroy your chances of winning your dream job.

1. Writing long winded cover letters

HR professionals prefer resumes and cover letters that are short and to the point. The fact is, a concise letter is more difficult to write, and that reflects well on your communication skills. When you consider that many HR professionals take just 8-12 seconds to scan your cover letter, you can understand they would appreciate letters that respect their time. So forget about the mini book...

The experts suggest your cover letter should:
  • Contain bullet points
  • Match the needs of the position with your qualifications
  • Highlight items of value that are NOT in your resume
  • Engage the reader's curiosity
  • Have a sentence explaining why you want to work at their company

2. Grammar and spelling mistakes

It's hard to believe so many applicants make mistakes in their cover letter and resume, yet HR professionals say it happens all the time, and it's one of the top reasons they don't call an applicant for an interview. The experts feel anyone who submits an imperfect resume or cover letter is unlikely to pay attention to detail. As the human resource experts said again and again, "The best indicator of future behavior is current behavior." So be detail-oriented, and don't count on your spell-check for mistakes as it doesn't always catch em...oops!

3. Not preparing answers to potential interview questions

Hiring experts can ask tough questions, and they look for applicants who respond briefly and clearly. Without taking time to anticipate and prepare responses, you risk sabotaging your interview with long-winded, rambling replies. It's a good idea to rehearse your answers with someone before your interview. You should try to video tape your role-play and review it to make sure your inflection and body language are working in your favor.

4. Not asking the right questions in the interview

When the interviewer asks, "Do you have any questions for me?" don't say "No, nothing I can think of." Doug Hilton, Senior Director of HR at ADP Inc. suggests you ask questions that show you've researched the company and the position. He also recommends questions about the culture of the organization to determine if you are a good fit. Just make sure you don't ask about salary and benefits before you've been offered the position!

5. Criticizing former employers

They say people don't necessarily quit bad companies, they quit bad bosses. Even so, it's important to avoid negative talk in your interview, so take some time to prepare a positive response to the question, "Why did you leave your last job?"

6. Not presenting themselves professionally at the interview

They say you don't get a second chance to make a good first impression. With that in mind, let's look at four areas that affect the way we present ourselves in an interview from the perspective of HR professionals.

i) Don't wear an excessive amount of perfume or cologne

The reason this is a problem is because many people have allergies, and that's an issue in the workplace. If you've ever entered an elevator where someone who just got off was wearing an excessive amount of cologne or perfume, you realize it can linger quite strongly even when they're not present. And that's not working...

ii) Control nervous habits or fidgeting

Consider the following observation by Jill Gaskins, Office Manager at Centex Homes Northern CA Division: I understand people get nervous in an interview, but it's hard to pay attention to what they're saying if they keep making nervous gestures."

iii) Eye contact is essential

When you speak to people in a business setting, it's important to maintain eye contact. If your eyes are wondering around the room, it can make the other person wonder if you are paying attention, and it can give them the impression that you are not being straightforward and honest. On the flip side, being constantly stared at makes most people feel uncomfortable, like they are under a microscope. So don't overdo it; just find a comfortable middle ground, and be aware of how eye contact influences your communication. It's hugely important.

iv) The handshake is your first point of contact and makes an instant impression

Leda M. Quiros-Weed, Senior HR Representative at International Education Corporation makes a valid point: When I shake someone's hand and get a wimpy, unconfident grip, in my mind that usually means an insecure person."

Personal Branding For Salespeople

Many companies spend millions of dollars to position and develop their brand. A brand is all about meeting expectations. But when it comes to making a sale, all the money, time, and effort a company spends to position their brand is meaningless if the salesperson doesn't represent the company professionally. And let's face it; B2B salespeople have a lot of latitude when it comes to self-management. So here's a key question for you:

What specific things can you do to develop your personal brand?

Your personal brand is your reputation. By positioning yourself as an expert who can be trusted to act professionally and predictably, you'll earn more sales and referrals.

Here are a few things you can do to maximize the power of your personal brand:

  • Understand that the best way to broaden your appeal is to narrow your area of expertise; so become an expert in a niche area relevant to the industry you serve
  • Write articles for trade publications, online publications, e-mail newsletters and business journals
  • Contact radio station producers who put on business shows. They are always looking for material that is helpful to their listeners
  • If you're not already a competent public speaker, join Toastmasters and develop this required skill. Offer to conduct seminars at your local Chamber of Commerce and other associations
  • Provide your prospects and customers with copies of your articles. It's a great way to maintain "top-of-mind" awareness

The ultimate compliment in business is when people refer you to their friends and colleagues. But remember, when people recommend you, they put their reputation on the line. So if you want to be "referable," you need to be "predictable" in terms of your sales behavior. Only then will people feel completely confident in recommending you.

The Bottom Line? To be positively predictable, find customer friendly ways to handle each step of the sales process, and be consistent in their application. Many sales behaviors that prospects and customers appreciate involve extra work for the salesperson... so as long as you're not allergic to research, preparation and rehearsal, you should do fine!

But if you tend to wing it like so many sales people, don't expect to earn too many referrals. See... it really is simple.

The Secret to Your Best Public Speaking Presentation Ever

Have you ever seen a public speaker who was so stilted and boring you found yourself thinking other thoughts rather than listen to their message? Or have you ever seen somebody who looks like they're trying to recite a speech they have memorized? Don't let this be you. It's boring.

The secret to engaging your audience is to tell a personal story within your presentation.

Bring your presentation to life by telling a real-life story about something that happened to you. No matter what the message of your speech, you can usually come up with an analogy about an event in your life that relates to your message.

For example, if I were talking about what we need to do to keep our heads above water financially, I could relate it to a story about overcoming adversity when I was in grade 4. What matters here is that you provide an analogy that is emotionally stimulating to your audience. Tell a story that you lived through and you will be engaging and authentic. This is how to hold your audience's attention and be more natural when you speak.

Here are 3 tips to telling your story:

1. Open your speech with a startling statement or engaging question that relates more to your story rather than the topic of your speech. If your presentation is about the recent downturn in the economy (and you're going to tell a story about the challenges of running a lemonade stand when you were eight years old), you could open your speech by saying "It was a hot summer's day in 1973 and I had not sold a single glass of lemonade. That's because the neighborhood bullies had dumped the lemonade jug all over my head. But do you think I gave up?"

2. After you finish your story, you can relate it to practical content and advice that ties directly into the theme of your presentation. As you do so, try to interject a short story here and there.

3. Make sure to wrap up your speech by articulating a very clear call to action. Try to connect the call to action to the story that opened your speech.

Do you think you need practice to make this effective before you dive in the deep end? Then join Toastmasters. Located in just about every major city on the planet, this organization provides a safe place for people to practice the art of public speaking. Because when you think about it, most of us have very little opportunity to exercise our public speaking muscle.

The Small Business Owners Guide to Effective Marketing on a Limited Budget

Beta Test

It's been said many times: "Half of all marketing dollars are wasted... the key is to understanding which half!" So before you send out 10,000 brochures or free audio CD's to promote your business, make sure you do a beta test first. Simply test your marketing campaign at the smallest scale possible before you dive in the deep end.

I used to work for a company who had me go to five separate postal outlets to mail 15,000 brochures in my sales territory. When you factor in the cost of printing, postage and time, this was a fairly expensive endeavor.

It was not my money however, and I was really looking forward to getting all those leads! Unfortunately, the only leads I got were three people who were tire kicking... they weren't properly qualified. Now what if the business owner had suggested a beta test of 1000 brochures first? If we generated zero results with the first thousand mailings, we probably would have tweaked the marketing copy and tried another 1000 until we got some results.

Stand Out From the Clutter

Make your marketing piece unique, engaging and if possible, fun. Think how many "beige" pieces of marketing correspondence you receive either at home or at the office. Sales letters, postcards, brochures etc. I began collecting such pieces about two years ago and have two stacks: stack one consists of the pieces that are typical and beige, and stack two features the ones that really stand out. By the way, stack two has about five pieces in it...

In order to stand out, you need to be engaging and interesting. For example, we all enjoy comic strips. What about a postcard marketing program that utilized a cartoon character? The point is, you need to be creative to have somebody look at your marketing piece and go "that's kind of cool." If you can create something that people pass around the office, then you're on the right track.

Be real!

Don't write your marketing correspondence (and this includes your web site) in a way that is typical "business speak."

I'm talking about such trite lines as "I'm writing you with regard to our new restaurant which is situated in your area. We would like to invite you to participate in our grand opening in order to..."

Why not write the same way you might speak with your friends at a backyard barbecue? How about, "We would love you to come out to our grand opening. We're right in your neighborhood and..."

Keep your language simple and down to earth and you will connect with people in a way that resonates with them... kind of like a real person!

Tips from the Experts on Conducting Effective Job Interviews

Hiring is a challenging task, but a properly conducted interview can minimize the risk of a bad hire. To help you maximize your interview success, consider the following advice based on interviews with 65 experienced human-resource professionals.

Prepare 'Behavioral' Interview Questions

Behavioral based interviewing helps you uncover how an applicant handled specific situations in the past. The idea is to ask questions that deal with the responsibilities of the position you're looking to fill.
As an example, if you're hiring for a customer service position, you could ask "At your last job, describe a situation where you effectively dealt with an upset customer."

Or a more general question could be "Identify a difficult situation you faced in a previous job, and tell me how you dealt with it." (Courtesy of Mike Phinney, Human Resources Director, HRDC)

The Best Predictor of Future Behavior is Past Behavior

If you're looking for somebody who is efficient and organized, you could ask them to describe how (and when) they create daily task lists for use on the job. You could then ask them to go into detail about how they manage their list. Of course, it would be important for you to understand how an effective task list is created and managed (which would include prioritizing the list, estimating time for tasks etc.) If the applicant's response suggests they have an unorganized approach to task management, you can pretty much bet they're not going to change overnight...

Linda Jeffers, Human Resource Officer, Bank of Agriculture & Commerce suggests the following question to get a sense of somebody's work style: "Tell me about a typical day in your current position."

Tip: unless you're okay with having employees who are overly critical, be on your guard if they start to criticize former employers during the interview. It really can't be stressed enough: The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior!

Corporate Culture: Is the Applicant a Fit?

It's important to share details about your company's culture so the applicant can get a clear picture as to what the environment is really like. And make sure you ask them if they have any questions about your culture, and try to get a sense as to whether or not it's a fit for them. This can be very important when it comes to employee retention...

A Great First Interview Question

Over the years, a number of human resource experts told me one of their favorite interview questions was, Tell me how you prepared for this interview. I took it to heart, and began using it when I started my own company. In fact, it was the very first question I would ask when conducting an interview!

To say this question really separates the prepared individual from the unprepared individual would be an understatement. If an applicant responds with a "deer in the headlights" look followed by an unprepared rambling statement, it's a good idea to end the interview soon. On the other hand, if their reply indicates they've researched my company and feel their specific skill sets are in line with the responsibilities posted, I know I have a potentially viable candidate.