Focus on the WIIFT for a Powerful Presentation

A while back I had the opportunity to work for nearly two days with the best-of-the-best sales pros in a client company. We spent our time together focused on taking their game up another notch with a workshop titled "Powerful Presentations." One thing I noted is that really successful people generally are very open to new ideas and skills that will allow them to be even more successful!A key idea I shared in this workshop was that our sales presentations are more powerful when we focus on WIIFT - What's in it for Them - from the open of the presentation through the close.To engage your audience, it's incredibly important to tie the message about YOU into what it means to THEM. Who wantso listen to 10 or 15 minutes of background on the speaker and their company? Do you really care if they have been in business for over 75 years? About three minutes into the "background" about you, they have disengaged - you can see it in their body language. Instead, focus on WHY it is beneficial to them that your company has been in business so long. Will it mean a better product? Or more expertise that will solve a problem for them?Initially there were some skeptics in the group who weren't sure the WIIFT was THAT important. Until the first practice presentations began and each professional had to sit through all the other presentations. Being on the other side allowed them to feel what its' like to have a lot of information shared AT them and not tied specifically TO them.As we ended the workshop, these successful sales professionals commented that it IS powerful to make our message not about us - but that it is hard to do! The more successful and experienced we are, the harder it may be to do something different. To send a message adapted to our audience, with only enough detail that is important to them and then to link WHAT we do into WIIFT statements is not easy. But it is worth the effort for an engaged audience!How much effort does it take to link the WHAT of your message to the WIIFT? Post your comments and let the rest us know we are not alone!

Original :: Focus on the WIIFT for a Powerful Presentation

Interview With Suzanne Paling Author of The Accidental Sales Manager

Suzanne Paling is the principal and founder of Sales Management Services. She has over twenty years of experience in sales consulting, sales management, and sales for both field and inside sales organizations. Ms. Paling founded Sales Management Services in 1998 to provide practical advice to business executives, owners, and entrepreneurs seeking to increase their revenue and improve their sales organization's performance.About your book:1) Let's begin by talking about your book, The Accidental Sales Manager. What's the idea behind the book? Why did you write it?In my consulting practice I work with presidents of small companies. Most manage the sales force. None have any formal sales exprience. Not one of them wants the responsibility of overseeing sales. When I first started my consulting practice in 1998 and had worked with 3 or 4 presidents, I began to notice the common frustrations they all experienced as they attempted to hire and train new salespeople as well as run the sales effort. The book addresses the 15 or so mistakes that these otherwise intelligent, hardworking executives make with the sales force.2) In a short sentence, who should read your book? What kind of advice should they be looking for?Any executive who finds themselves "accidentally" managing the sales department and doesn't have the training or experience to do so. Most commonly, this would be the president of the company, though sometimes other executives take on the job. They should be looking for budget-friendly advice about what salespeople (especially newly hired salespeople) need to do their job effectively. As well, the book offers tips, forms, templates and checklists to guide them as they make the changes I suggest.3) On the other hand, who shouldn't? What will readers NOT find in your book?This book is not for a sales manager working for a large corporation. Bigger companies have a training program, protocol, systems and processes in place that they will need to follow.Readers will not find a long-winded philosophical treatise on sales management. I don't analyze and question every aspect of the subject. The advice I give in the book is straightforward, practical and actionable.4) What's the first thing someone should do after reading your book?If they're hiring a new salesperson, they should put together a schedule for the rep's first 2-3 weeks. Have them work with an employee in every department in the company - at least for a brief period of time. During these 2 weeks, make sure the rep learns how to use the sales software, give a product demonstration and can answer most customer questions before they start calling on customers.As far as the current sales staff goes, they should create a sales reporting system including a productivity report, pipeline report and sales forecast at the very least. Manage the effort. Make sure that the reps are turning in good quality reports on a regular basis.About your preferences:5) Besides your own website, what other sales websites would you recommend?- www.businessbyphone.com - www.salestrainingcamp.com6) How about your preferred sales/business books?Stop Telling Start Selling by Linda Richardson Ask Questions Get Sales by Stephan Schiffman Selling to VITO by Anthony Parinello Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions by Keith RosenAbout you:7) How did you get started in sales?I started my sales career in HBA. I covered the New England states (Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire) for a perfume company.8) Most memorable sale?The perfume company I was working for designed a display piece containing perfume, lotion, and body powder. I thought it would be ideal for a large customer of mine in Maine. I presented it to them and they turned the idea down flat. I couldn't believe it. Several hours after the sales meeting, I gave the buyer a call. I told him I thought the display piece was tailor made for their stores and that I was stunned when he said no to the proposal. He agreed and ended up buying display pieces for almost every store. It was a good lesson in never giving up.9) Most disastrous sale (or funny situation)?For years, I called on an independent department store. The buyer loved my product and placed large orders. It just so happened that I really liked the clothes they sold. One day I arrived a little bit early to do some shopping before meeting with the buyer. I purchased several outfits. During our meeting the buyer placed an uncharacteristically low order. I was surprised and disappointed. When I got home and looked at my receipt, I realized I'd spent more in clothes at their store than they purchased from me. It was unbelievable.About your work as a sales expert:10) What is the biggest mistake you see as a sales expert?Salespeople talk too much and don't ask enough questions.11) What is the best sales advice you have ever received?Keep your questions open ended (can't be answered with a yes or no). Ex: Do you like our product? (closed) versus What are your impressions of our product so far? (open).12) What are you working on right now that makes you feel energized? What's your next big project?Several of my clients are ready to hire again and that's very motivating to me. Right now I'm helping one client hire their first dedicated sales rep and another hire their first sales manager. Both of these clients have realized the revenue growth to justify these newly created positions. I'm honored that they asked me to help them.13) What is the best testimonial/comment you have ever received?Whenever a client tells me that I've made their professional lives less stressful by helping them to create a more organized and structured sales environment it really makes my day. That's why I do what I do.To know more about Suzanne Paling, author of The Accidental Sales Manager, please visit http://www.salesmanagementservices.com

Original :: Interview With Suzanne Paling Author of The Accidental Sales Manager

Training New Pharmaceutical Sales Rep 2 Main Focus Areas

I am going to skip the hype and myth about training new pharmaceutical sales rep, and go straight to two main focus areas. This is not to say these two areas are all trainers need to focus at but focusing on them will create significant difference in their mindset and performance eventually. I am not recommending this based on assumption but there is a strong research to back it up.The first focus area is creativity.Creativity is defined as going as far as you can with all that you have got. In the current marketing environment where budget is scarce and getting thinner every day, making the most out of available resource is the best course of action. But it is not enough to tell salesperon that they have to make do with what available.They need to be shown the way.There are many creative thinking courses available. One important consideration when choosing them is to consider its practicality. Yes, creativity sounds a tad too idealistic but there is a practical part for it. Company can sit down and wait for an inspiration to come or they can utilize a creative method to generate hundreds of ideas at will.The second focus area is emphasizing on process.There are strong researches to back-up the facts that focusing on results, like focus on closing a sale creates more pressure than any other factors in selling process. Such focus causes a detrimental effect to salesperson, for example, reduction in call rates, low moral and weak performance. This has not changed for the past six decades and unlikely to change if the current pattern persists.The fact that 80 percent of company sales are contributed by 20 percent or less salesperson goes to prove that the traditional strategy for selling is ineffective. Many companies still continue with this model because it is easy to do; not because it is the right thing to do.They think that change is expensive but it seems like not changing is more expensive. My former trainer likes to say, "Change pays but status quo cost!" The 'cost' might not be apparent in the short-term but it will in the long run. Many can change in a blink of an eye but the decision to make that change can take forever.Right now, if you have been through the traditional sales training, I have a quick question: "Has your result been any different today compared to a year ago?" If you look at the answer closely and find there is no significant different, you must know that it is about time for you to change. But of course; deciding to change might take forever.

Original :: Training New Pharmaceutical Sales Rep 2 Main Focus Areas

Ensuring You Select a Professional Speaker for Your Event

If you check out Google you will find page after page of motivational speakers - so how can you guarantee the quality of your selection?The Certified Speaking Professional designation is an international measure of the standard of professional presentation skills of a speaker. It is granted by the National Speakers Association USA or Australia to those who have met their strict criteria. CSP following a speaker's name is an indication of a speaking professional with proven experience who knows how to deliver customer satisfaction.The worldwide association for speakers is the International Federation for Professional Speakers (IFFPS) and it is made up of professional speaking associationsorldwide. Less than 7% of the speakers who belong to IFFPS are CSPs. It is the international standard that these associations agree represents competence in the speaking profession.Every CSP must:ย� Maintain membership and subscribe to the Code of Professional Ethics ย� Serve a minimum of 15 different clients and present a minimum of 50 professional speaking engagements within 5 years ย� Submit and be assessed on testimonial letters from clients served ย� Submit and be assessed by a Peer review board on their Eloquence, Expertise and Enterprise. ย� Commit to ongoing education in the professional speaking field.A CSP will bring a proven background of continuing speaking experience and expertise and offer a variety of approaches, topics and styles. Only you can determine which speaker will best fit your needs but choosing a CSP will give you peace of mind.Choosing a CSP should ensure a speaker with a message that will enhance the theme of your event, which will remain in the memories of your attendees and inspire them to take action.

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Sales Training And Goal Setting What Do You Want Out Of This

What Do You Want Out Of This?The old adage, "any road will take you there if you don't know where you are going" rings totally true if you start out in sales without knowing where you want to go. High-end sales can be extremely rewarding both in money and in lifestyle but you won't make it there without a set of defined goals and dreams. If you know where you want to go, or what you want to achieve, it's very easy then to work back from there in defining what's required.You need to be able to answer "What do you want out of this?" to be able to take the next step. The most successful salespeople (and nearly everyone earning above $200k per year) write down their goals. As you may know orre about to find out, the hardest thing in sales is staying motivated and driven to succeed. If you don't know what you are doing sales for, you won't last very long out there as it really is a tough job.This is where having goals comes in. So WHAT DO YOU WANT out of this?* Time with your family thanks to a flexible work schedule? * A bigger salary so you can get a bigger house or more expensive car? * Maybe it's having a higher disposable income so you don't have to worry about spending money whenever you feel like it?Or is it just that you'd like to be the highest earner in your extended family / street / suburb? I know that thanks to selling data communications I achieved all three on that particular list and probably still do despite moving to a much more affluent suburb than where were living three years ago! When you do work out what your 'why' is, you need to write it down. Writing down your goals is the most powerful thing you can do to help achieve them. They will quickly be forgotten otherwise.While you are writing them down, make sure you put a 'by when' date on them too. They must be measurable like "I want to earn $220k this year, ending June 30, 2011" or I want to be earning $17k per month by the end of October this year". These are measurable, saying "I want to be rich this year" is not. Once you've got these written down, and checked that they are measurable, it's time to break them down into 'steps' so that you know what to do next. I know this might seem like basic stuff but it's what will help guarantee you'll earn over $200k per year. Like I said in the sales letter that you read before buying this eBook, I can guarantee you success, as long as you follow what's in this eBook to the letter. Otherwise you're kidding yourself and you'll lose out on what 'could have been'.Breaking down your goals into simple steps is easy and will give you a guide to work from each day to keep you on track. It all comes down to what sort of goal you have and what that goal will require from you to achieve it. If your goal for instance is monetary as well as physical like "by March 2012 I want to be able to run 10km without stopping and will have made $80,000 spare cash in my sales job so that I am fit enough and can cover the costs of climbing Mount Everest in May 2012". Do you see how that's a big goal but it's still measurable? To break that goal down into steps to take each day would require firstly breaking it into three monthly goals such as "each three months I will have made and saved $12,000 commission as well as achieved my monthly fitness goals".Breaking this into monthly goals would be "I will have made an extra $4,000 commission and run a total of 100km". Breaking this down further means earning an extra $200 per day and running 5km every morning. To make an extra $200 per day might mean making an extra 10 sales calls or 2 appointments or sending out an extra 50 sales letters... It all becomes measurable and achievable when you break it down into daily tasks. This is what successful sales and business people do. And this is what I do too.When you have a measurable task to do each day, you can stay on track. And it's easier to go home at night knowing if you've done what you need to do that day or not.Did I get up early and run 5km this morning? Did I make 30 sales calls (the 20 for my target and 10 extra for my goal)? Done!See how easy it is to stay on track now? And you can adapt this to suit any measurable goal. This doesn't just apply to sales either. Use it in your day-to-day life for other goals too and soon enough, you'll be writing new goals because you've achieved the current ones!(C) Rob Alexander 2009

Original :: Sales Training And Goal Setting What Do You Want Out Of This

Warm Up Cold Calls As If You Were Dialing From the Bahamas

The world of sales is not for everyone. While someone may choose a career path in sales because they consider themselves a "people person," appreciate that every day is challenging and different and value the income potential - which is usually determined by the amount of hard work and effort put into the job - working in sales is sometimes difficult.In today's demanding world, one of the more challenging aspects of the job pertains to cold calling. Due to the icy response most cold callers receive; this practice may be the bane of most sales people's existence. However, cold calling is an essential aspect of the job. Not only does it bring prospects into the funnel, but it also plays a citical role in determining a salesperson's income and keeps co-workers employed.There are numerous ways a salesperson can improve their cold calling skills - beginning with what and how something is stated. A salesperson's voice is an essential and powerful tool, but learning to use it properly is critical to success. The goal with making cold calls is to build competence and confidence when calling because those who are confident do not procrastinate and can shrug off a "no," knowing they will hear "yes" if they keep calling. By smiling, dialing and selling, salespeople increase the chance for success and potential customers are more receptive to the person on the other end of the line.Are you a salesperson looking for additional ways to improve your cold calling techniques? Then, pick up a copy of Linda Bishop's "101 Cold Call Tips" today at http://www.ttbooks.biz.

Original :: Warm Up Cold Calls As If You Were Dialing From the Bahamas

Sales Appointment Training How to Make Your Cold Call Introduction Effective

Use this sales appointment training to make your opening lines effective and easy for the prospect to connect with.I recently received a sales call where the caller wanted to make an appointment for a home improvement specialist (a sales person) to come to my home. After a hurried introduction the caller asked me a question about the age of my windows and other fittings. In her introduction she gave me the name of the company she worked for but I had never heard of them. She also said that they did building work on behalf of the local authority, but this told me nothing about their line of business or what it meant for me. At this point I had nothing to connect with, no point of referencethat linked with my experience. Instead of answering her questions I asked her to explain who her company was and why she was calling me. She had not connected with me or captured my interest and I'm sure all the other prospects she cold called had the same reaction. I was asking questions and that meant she had lost control of the call.A good introduction should include: Who you are, and a reference point that the prospect can quickly relate with. The reference point could be your company's name, your products, or a very brief description of what you do. The key here is that it must be information that connects with something that the prospect already knows so that they quickly understand who you are and what your call relates to. If you are calling from a well known company, or you have a high profile product, the prospect instantly has a point of reference and can relate what they know to your call. If you have a small business, or a unique product or service, the prospect may never have heard of you. You then have to give them something that will register with them.For example: Say you were selling vacuum cleaners, and on your telephone call to make a sales appointment you introduced yourself and said you were from the Spangler company. The prospect may never have heard of Spangler and cannot connect it with anything from their experience. So you have to add a point of reference that connects with them. You could add that you manufacture vacuum cleaners, or tell them how much better than Hoover you are. Both vacuum cleaners and Hoover are common terms that the prospect will quickly make a connection with. They now know what you are talking about.This may sound like common sense and a very basic sales appointment technique. But I have heard many appointment setting calls where 2 minutes into the call the prospect has still not fully grasped who it is that is calling them, or the reason for the call. Make your sales appointment calls effective by adding words, names, and phrases that will connect with your prospects.

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Discover the Clouds of Mysteries Surrounding Sales

Discover things which confuse salespeople.Can they draw a distinction between a Sales Process and a Sales System? A Sales Process is the method of processing the sales order. The Sale has already been successfully completed and now the customer's order must be processed. It is paperwork. It's mechanical.A Sales System is quite different. This is the method of getting from the first encounter with a customer to helping that customer make a final decision about purchasing your product or service. Without a clearly defined Sales System there is little need for Sales Processing. This is a science and can be learned.What about turning up late for an appointment?Don't do it! NEVER turn up lateor an appointment, even if you have phoned the client to apologise for running late. You will look and sound unprofessional. The client/s may say they don't mind but they do. You will turn up late and have a reduced length of time to make your presentation. In otherwords you will end up cutting corners. The golden rule is: If you are going to be late then by all means apologise....... but re-appoint.How important is it to talk to the Full Buying Committee?If you are in front of the full buying committee then you are in front of the DECISION MAKERS. If you are not in front of the full buying committee then you are headed for a customer response which will result in procrastination. Always insist on being in front of the full buying committee and be prepared to re-appoint or even walk away. You cannot let someone else do the selling for you, particularly if that person is neither trained nor in sales.Are you an Order-Taker or a Salesperson?An Order Taker is required to make numerous sales because profit margins on the product or service on offer is usually very small. They have little to no sales training and typically approach potential customers with a smile and a phrase such as, "Can I help you?" or "Are you O.K.?" Customers usually run away from salespeople like that. Order takers play the numbers game. They feel that if they talk to enough people they will make the required number of sales. Not much of a Sales System there!A Sales Person on the other-hand makes fewer sales, has a product or service with a higher profit margin and is thus involved in negotiations with customers. The salesperson is therefore involved in the science of Persuasive Communication. Such a person requires a clearly defined and structured Sales System which is under continuous refinement. Without such a system that salesperson is doomed to failure or at best, reduced efficiency.Meet and GreetOnce again the initial contact with the customer is very important. The very first words from your lips will announce to the customer whether you feel you are a salesperson or an order taker. The golden rule here is Right Time, Right Place and be in front of the full buying committee. Remember, many a sale is lost in the first thirty seconds. Always be conscious of looking and sounding the part. You are representing yourself as much as you are representing your company and its products or services.Have you got a U.S.P.?If you don't know what a U.S.P. is then you really do have a problem. U.S.P. stands for Unique Selling Point and ideally you should have one about yourself, your company and your product or service.Is your company the BEST in its industry?The correct answer should be a resounding YES! If you cannot say with confidence that your company is the very best in its industry then you have to ask yourself why you represent them and why you put your reputation on the line in order to sell their products or services. What kind of a person sells and inferior product from a second class company? Not you I hope.Handling ObjectionsDon't be discouraged by procrastination or objections. They are part of selling and they should crop up every single time. NICHE will show you how to respond to these negatives.

Original :: Discover the Clouds of Mysteries Surrounding Sales

As A Sales Manager How Do You Know When Youve Made A Hiring Error

All this time I've been talking about the techniques and the right ways to manage your sales team. But here is the thing: when is enough enough? When do you get to throw in the towel and say, "Sales isn't your true calling. I'm afraid I'm going to have to let you go"?You are a very busy person. While your sales people are out working towards their quota, you're stuck in the office, behind a desk, figuring out how to work your own quota. So I'm going to tell you the truth right here.As soon as you figure that you need to micromanage a sales person, that's when you know you've made a hiring error.A top-performing sales manager knows this very well. Average ones are aware of it, too. But thetend to miss the point completely. As a top-performer in charge of an elite group of sales men and women, never allow yourself to think that you're responsible for micro-managing your sales people. I repeat, you are a sales manager. You are NOT a baby sitter. You've got more important things to worry about in your day than to spoon-feed an underperformer just so he, or she, could barely meet quota and save his or her job.I understand that some people need more help than others. Sure, we all get that. I can even sympathize. But a line has to be drawn somewhere, and it's you, who's responsible for setting that line. Is the sales person capable of working independently of the help you offer him? Or do you need to check every once in a while to see that he remembers everything he should already know?If it's the latter, do yourself a favor and tell the sales person that he needs to find somebody else to work for. It's harsh, I know, but it's the truth. The best sales people don't need to be managed.Encourage, praise, lead, coach - but never micro-manage.This is one way to determine the presence of a bad apple in your basket.

Original :: As A Sales Manager How Do You Know When Youve Made A Hiring Error

How to Overcome the Fear of Making Sales Calls

Sales call reluctance is the hesitation to initiate contact with potential buyers, and it is a serious mindset that affects a lot of people. Very few of us are even aware that it is happening. In fact, the majority of entrepreneurs and salespeople suffer from sales call reluctance at some point in their career.We've all heard dozens of times a once celebrated salesperson has "lost their drive" or someone else "wasn't cut out for bringing in new business." As many as 80% of first-year salespeople will fail and over 40% of successful, tendered salespeople will hit a serious decline at some point in their career due to sales call reluctance.This mindset affects more than just sales professioals, it can impact anyone who has to ask for the sale, build a client base, close a quote, follow up with a customer or sell retail products or services. You might be wondering - what is holding these people back from such a straightforward task? They simply have to ask for the business, make the calls and give the quote.The explanation generally falls into two categories - repeated fear and rejection.We know that people who consistently try to hit their goals will experience more success from the pure volume of their efforts. Plus, when you factor in skill and qualified leads their success ratio grows exponentially.It's pretty simple, but there are times when repeated rejection, fear of a brush-off or a lack of belief in what you're offering develops into a fear of or inability to take action.Here's what it sounds like: ย� "I'd love to see new customers but I'm too busy putting out fires." ย� "I'm too established to be chasing customers." ย� "I think calling people to promote my product or services is demeaning - I'm not a telephone solicitor."Don't let this happen to you! Let's look at ways to overcome sales call reluctance.Here are some great ways to gain control: 1. When selling you have two customers to win over - first yourself and second your customer. You need to be 100% sold on the quality of what you offer. 2. If over-preparation is a problem, force yourself to get out of the office after a certain hour of the morning. This forces you to stop preparing and kick-starts your sales activity. 3. Get over stage fright by taking a presentation course or joining a group like Toastmasters that focuses on improving presentation skills and provides opportunities for practice so that you can become a better presenter. 4. If you are afraid to ask for the sale, this fear is best overcome by role playing. I hear you groaning - I know most people hate it, but it is the most effective way to expand your comfort zone.When I'm conducting training, I often share this unique and effective approach that an insurance company employed to help new hires overcome sales call reluctance.Insurance people have one of the hardest sales jobs around and the highest dropout rate of new hires. One company combats this by giving new hires a sheet of paper with 250 little boxes on it. The new recruit's job is to check a box every time someone says no in response to being asked if they are interested in buying insurance.When all 250 boxes have been checked off, the insurance company pays the new recruit $1,000. How can they afford this? Now they have 250 people who have clearly indicated that they don't want to work with them!They can afford to do this because the insurance company knows that in the time it takes for a new recruit to accumulate 250 rejections, there will be a high percentage of positive responses and new clients brought on board!

Original :: How to Overcome the Fear of Making Sales Calls