Archive for category SALES BEST PRACTICES
You can’t sell if you don’t know how they buy
Posted by Rick Pranitis in SALES BEST PRACTICES on September 17, 2013
It is one of the most fundamental and important propositions in major account selling – you can’t sell if you don’t know how people buy. Ask any top performing salesperson and they will paint a comprehensive picture of the customer’s buying process. Ask an average performer and they will provide only a sketch.
Because of the foundational nature of this idea, it is always a good idea to pay attention when someone adds new insight about how customers buy. In a McKinsey article they asked a fundamental question – Is the buying cycle linear? Their short answer was – No!
According to a McKinsey & Co study, the traditional linear sales process – customers take in information; narrow down their choices; kick the tires, and submit the purchase order – is not really how customers buy. Rather, they talk about the Customer Decision Journey that is anything but linear.
The study found that more than 50% of marketing spend is misaligned because of a misunderstanding how customers make buying decisions – as they say that is a problem worth correcting. So let’s take a look at three steps a salesperson could take to start getting it right.
Stop assuming the buying process is a mirror image of your selling process.
Most companies have a five or six stage selling process beginning with stages like need recognition and ending with stages such as resolution of concerns and proposal submission. The processes are almost always linear in depiction.
The first problem, as the McKinsey authors pointed out, is the buying process is often not linear. Second, the customer may not start at the beginning of your sales process. For example, they may expect that you have a good understanding of their needs hence not want to go through an extended series of discovery conversations. Third, they may have placed additional emphasis on a stage like evaluation of options so they can engage more people and committees in the buying process. So you are stalled at Stage 3 and don’t even know why.
Don’t get there too late with too little.
In an HBR article Steve Martin reported on a win-loss analysis study. He found – “Approximately 30% of the time, the winner of the sales cycle was determined before the official selection process started. Another 45% of the time, customers had already made up their minds about whom they were going to buy from about halfway through the process.”
This means that 75% of the time customers make their final decision halfway through the selection process. Consequently you have to determine early on whether you are chasing a bad business opportunity. On the other hand, if it is the case where the race can still be won, you need to have a strong first half.
Stop assuming the present can be predicted from the past.
Today we are living and selling in a time of “compressed history.” Changes driven by the global market and advances in manufacturing technologies make the past a bad predictor of the future. Companies in many industries are going through transformational changes which are impacting their buying process and, in some cases, their basic business model.
As a result, competitive advantages that once lasted a long time now disappear quickly. What you need to do and how you do it during the sales process has to be adjusted and fine-tuned to the new reality. If you want to prosper – assuming what worked in the past will work in the present is a risky assumption.
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This article was originally posted to the Sales Training Connection by Richard Ruff on September 9, 2013.
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Does Your Sales Dashboard Have The Right Indicators? (reprise)
Posted by Rick Pranitis in SALES BEST PRACTICES, SALES LEADERSHIP on September 9, 2013
I posted this article about a year ago and, after a recent discussion with a client, I thought it would be worthwhile to bring it back from the archives to help remind others.
The idea of a sales dashboard is appealing. What business manager wouldn’t like to run their company like a well-oiled machine, with the help of a few select indicators? But in practice, it is ironically the choice of these indicators which can stall the effectiveness of the sales dashboard…
Every company is certainly different, and it goes without saying an industrial equipment maker cannot manage its sales process (for example) like a travel agency, or a service provider. However, here’s some tips on zeroing in on the right indicator can be helpful in the majority of situations.
Choose indicators which are useful throughout the sales process – As the saying goes, you shouldn’t count your chickens until they hatch. Nevertheless, you want to manage your sales process continuously, not just once a quarter. It’s important to avoid indicators which only become meaningful at the end. For example, “Actual/Projected sales” is more useful when compared to its historical average at that stage of the quarter.
Be selective – you start with the laudable intention to stick to the essentials, but find yourself a few months later with a computer screen that looks more like a spacecraft cockpit than the clear-cut dashboard of your dreams. To be more selective, ask yourself this question before adding another indicator to your sales dashboard: is it directly related to what your company is trying to achieve (i.e. prospects progressing along your pipeline), or is it merely informative?
Choose actionable indicators – avoid indicators which look sexy but don’t bring anything tangible to the table. A traditional indicator that clearly points you in the right direction is better than a “sophisticated” one which needs to be explained to everyone and even leaves you scratching your head.
Favor dynamic indicators – one which measures a sales team’s progress. A static indicator only measures an activity. For example, “Number of leads qualified/Week” is a dynamic indicator, while on the same subject “Number of qualification calls/Week” is a static indicator. From this example we can infer that a dynamic indicator is naturally outward-looking (i.e. focused on prospect dynamics) while a static indicator is often inward-looking (i.e. concerned with your team’s processes).
Beware of environmental indicators – those which are focused on your company’s environment (e.g. “Number of RFPs in my sector”) are most certainly outward-looking. Yet, do they belong on your sales dashboard? Not especially. You’re interested in your company’s performance, which only indirectly depends on its environment. Environmental indicators are rarely actionable, unless you are matching them to a triggering threshold. For example, you could decide to re-contact your existing client base systematically when the number of RFPs in your sector falls below a threshold of ten per month.
Certainly there are others, more specific to your particular situation. The objective here is to give you a starting point. Get you thinking about what’s key to steer your sales process to success. As always I’m interested in what you think and what you’ve found to be effective in your sales dashboard. I invite your comments, ideas and suggestions.
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Three Biggest Networking Mistakes Salespeople Make
Posted by Rick Pranitis in SALES BEST PRACTICES on August 26, 2013
Sales people often are natural networkers – after all, we tend to be “people persons” who love to meet new people, build relationships, and create conversations, both in “real life” and on social media. But many sales people, without realizing it, are making some big mistakes with their business networking.
Business networking is one of the sales person’s oldest tools. We use our network of relationships and contacts to get in touch with decision makers, get advice, and get connected with new opportunities. But if you’re making some of these networking mistakes, you might not be reaching your full potential as a sales professional.
Here are a few of the most common networking mistakes – and how to avoid them:
Mistake #1: Networking without a strategy. Building relationships is a long-term activity. You can’t just expect to run out and immediately find the contacts or opportunities you’re looking for without investing some time and effort. Just as you would develop a marketing plan or a sales strategy to land a big client, spend some time mapping out some short-term and long-term goals for your sales networking.
How to avoid: Spend some time asking (and answering) some “big questions” that can guide your networking activity. For example, who are you trying to meet? Which types of companies would you love to get connected with? Who do you already know who works at these companies or knows some of these higher-level people, and how can you strengthen your relationships with your existing circle of influence?
Mistake #2: Networking only to “get,” never to “give.” Too many sales people only look at networking as a way to get what they want. Too many sales people only network in order to get closer to a decision maker, or get their foot in the door at a company where they’re trying to make a sale, or to get in front of someone who might offer them a new job. This is the biggest networking mistake of all. If people feel that you are in it only for yourself, they will be reluctant to trust you or help you. Networking is a two-way street – and some of the most successful sales people are also the most generous with their time and with their contacts.
How to avoid: When networking, always look for opportunities to “give” more than you “get.” Examples of “giving” might be as simple as sharing a timely article about a prospect’s business or industry, or connecting a contact with an opportunity that is valuable to them (even if it is unrelated to your business). Your generosity might not always be rewarded immediately, but in the long run you will build a reputation as someone who can be trusted, and someone who is willing to help others and connect others with opportunities.
Mistake #3: Networking only with the “usual suspects.” Especially if you sell a complex B2B solution, it can be understandably tempting to spend most of your time focused on networking with people in your niche market. But if you spend all of your time connecting only with a small circle of people, you might miss out on opportunities that could come from connecting with people from other facets of your life.
How to avoid: Remember that everyone you know, and everyone they know, can potentially be a valuable contact for you. Take a look at all of your social circles – work, family, community activities, social organizations – and see how you can become more of a connector. Someone you know from church or from your kids’ school might have a friend or relative who works in a business that needs your help.
Networking is the constant, never-ending work of the sales professional. Sometimes networking feels like trying to navigate a maze – lots of blind corners and uncertainty and wrong turns. But at its best, networking is not a maze, it’s a safety net. One of the comforting truths about networking is that we are all supported by our own “safety nets” of contacts and all of their combined expertise, experience and relationships. If sales people can learn to network with planning and purpose (instead of just impulsively grasping around with no sense of direction), if sales people can learn to broaden their networks and connect other people within their networks (instead of only talking to the “usual suspects”), and if sales people can use networking as a way to deepen their relationships and build trust (rather than only trying to get what they need), networking will become a more purposeful and helpful tool – and a better way to operate as a sales professional.
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For an Effective Voicemail Message – Ditch the Pitch!
Posted by Rick Pranitis in SALES BEST PRACTICES on August 5, 2013
In an age where phone ringers are set to silent and text messaging is a primary form of communication, finding a successful voicemail strategy can be daunting and discouraging. It can be tempting to just rely on emails for leads, or set up an automated system to leave messages for you, but the ability to leave an effective voicemail is still a valuable skill to learn. Here are some pointers I’ve learned from my time on the phones.
The Basics – Sounding calm and confident on the phone is the first step in leaving a good voicemail. Relax while you’re speaking, and talk a little slower than you’re used to in ordinary conversation. And as cheesy as it sounds, smiling while you talk actually affects your tone on the phone, and makes you sound more pleasant.
Talk Like a Human – It’s fair to assume that your prospects are human, and that you are one too. Surprisingly, you can use this fact to your advantage. There are so many automated messages, menus, and reminders that talking to a real, flesh-and-blood person has become somewhat of a novelty. Leave a voicemail the way you’d want someone to leave one for you. Keep your tone conversational.
Toss the Script – I remember story hour in elementary school. All the kids would sit and listen as the teacher read aloud to us from a book. It was lovely and relaxing, and a lot of kids would fall asleep. Don’t be a teacher reading from a book. People talk differently from how they write, and it’s painfully obvious to your listener if you’re reading from something pre-written. Know your content well enough to avoid stammering through with “um”s and “like”s, but don’t put your prospects to sleep.
Ditch the Sales Lingo – I hear a lot of new hires leaving messages the way they think “salespeople” do. The fact of the matter is if you sound like a sales pitch or an infomercial, your prospects aren’t going to be inclined to return your message. Fast-talking sleazy salespeople in the movies are hilarious, but having one on the other end of your phone isn’t nearly as fun. Explain your product to your prospects as though you’re talking to them about it over lunch. Statistics and case studies have their place, but your voicemail isn’t it.
Keep it Short – Attention spans are getting shorter and shorter, and no one wants to be held hostage by a two-and-a-half minute long voicemail. There are three things people are listening for in a message: Who are you? What do you want? How do they get back to you? If you go too much longer than that, you’re going to lose your audience. Remember that you’re following up with an email, so you don’t need to say every last thing about your product in your voicemail.
Prospects are bombarded with salespeople every day asking “for just a few minutes of their time.” Make yourself stand out by not acting like the rest of them. Recognize that your prospects are busy, and don’t want to listen to you blather on about how great your product is. Keep your message short and sweet. Try not to sound like someone from a late-night infomercial, and you’ll be well on your way towards messaging that actually generates responses.
Getting Back to the Basics – Top Sales Advice
Posted by Rick Pranitis in SALES BEST PRACTICES on July 29, 2013
There are many schools of thought when it comes to sales. You need to wade through all
this information and find out what works for you and your personality. Everyone is different; so you have to be open to finding out new things about yourself as well as the people you are selling to.
Only Sell What you Believe In – This is a good sales advice. You need to believe in the product you are selling. This allows you to be honest about what you are selling. It helps you speak knowledgeably about the product and convince others that it is right for them.
Be Direct – Consumers have become savvier than ever before. Because of this fact, it is important that you are direct. When you try to skirt around issues or concerns it seems as though you are hiding something and that does not bode well for the sale.
Know the Art of Pressure – There is a particular art to putting pressure on people. Mentioning things once in order to cause uncertainty or doubt with current products is good, but don’t bang it over the head. If you keep bringing it up, the client will dislike you rather than trust you.
Learn About Your Client – Do your research. You should learn about your client before you call if possible. You can sell to them better if you know what they want or need.
It’s All About Presentation – Taking the time to build up a presentation is important. The more prepared you are, the better you will come off as well as your products. You want to have all the facts well organized so people can easily follow you and your thought process.
Follow Up! – It can be discouraging sometimes and hard to make a second call but you should always follow up. Taking the time to call back or visit again can mean the difference between making a sale and not making a sale.
Know the Answer or Find Out – Don’t try to flub your way through something, if you don’t know the answer to a question don’t make one up. It is much better to say something along the lines of, “what an interesting question, I will have to look into that for you.” This gives you further reason to follow up.
Work with Humor – Humor is the ultimate ice breaker. It is a good idea to work in some comedy to your presentation as it helps the client identify with you. This connection goes a long way towards making a sale.
Learn from Every Failed Sale – Don’t beat yourself up over a failed sale but rather learn from it. Even a truly great salesperson is not going to be able to make every sale and you should try to figure out where it went off track and learn from that. You can then tackle the problem differently in the future.
Don’t Avoid Questions, Answer – Finally, make sure to answer questions, even if you feel like the answer is not entirely positive. Avoiding questions makes you look untrustworthy and that will not build the relationship necessary to make a sale.
Are You Selling at Every Level?
Posted by Rick Pranitis in SALES BEST PRACTICES on July 13, 2013
While many companies promise to build their organization around the needs of their customers, few companies can claim that they organize themselves around the needs of their salespeople. Yet the two are inevitably linked: in a sales-focused culture in which the entire company (not just the sales department) is involved in selling, salespeople are more successful and customers are more satisfied. Highly successful companies not only create customer-focused organizations but also back up their commitment with sales-focused cultures.
What are the elements of a sales-focused culture? Ideally, a company sells at three distinct levels. At the C-level, top executives set the tone for the organization by clearly articulating the company’s mission, vision, and values. While the company’s mission describes the noble purpose of the organization (selling meaning), the vision statement induces people to aim their effort toward greater future achievements (selling inspiration). The description of the company’s values provides a sensible guide for creating relationships (selling trust). For a true sales culture to exist, C-level executives need to continuously sell meaning, inspiration, and trust to the company’s employees, customers, suppliers, and shareholders. Research shows that companies whose employees understand the mission, vision, and values enjoy a greater return than other firms.
At the middle level, sales and marketing departments create messages that are in sync with the company’s mission, vision, and values. While marketing creates the brand promise, sales delivers by elevating the customer relationship to a branded sales experience. The key to a true sales-focused culture is to align sales and marketing.
At the street level, salespeople act as company ambassadors who are fluent in two languages: the customer’s language and the company’s language. They are able to diagnose the right problems and deliver the right solution. Ideally, the sales team’s internal and external relationship skills will build a competition-proof connection between the company and clients that will ultimately extend from the mail room to the boardroom.
To borrow an analogy from the world of music, C-level selling is like an overture that offers a preview of imminent excitement and drama. Mid-level selling engages people with a catchy tune that resonates pleasantly in the customer’s mind. Person-to-person selling is more like jazz, which is the art of the moment. Good salespeople can instantly improvise and hit the right note at the right time to turn the right prospect into a happy customer.
Very few companies are able to act in concert from top to bottom. It takes an enlightened CEO and highly talented sales and marketing teams to create a sales-focused culture with all members of the organization playing their part in a symphony that inspires the customer’s delight. It’s easier said than done, but the results can be magic for top-line and bottom-line growth.
This article was originally posted on the Selling Power Blog by Gerhard Gschwandtner on April 9, 2013.
How to Handle Sales Rejection
Posted by Rick Pranitis in SALES BEST PRACTICES on June 28, 2013
Conventional sales wisdom has it that a sales person must drive through many “no’s” to get to a “yes,” but when considering how to handle sales rejection the better point of view to take might be how to turn those “no’s” into “yes”. By taking a more positive line on sales rejection, you can help yourself overcome the anxiety that can stall your sales numbers. Try the following exercises to support your positive attitude so that you can get to a mindset where you can overcome sales rejection through viewing it as an opportunity to sell better.
Look at Your Accomplishments When Sales Rejection Threatens Your Outlook
People tend to give the most recent events in their lives the greatest influence over their short-term perceptions. If sales rejection has been a recent trial, you may be at risk of losing sight of your past accomplishments and your future goals. You are in control of how sales rejection impacts you, and if you do not want the specter of rejection anxiety to cast a shadow on your sales numbers you should take steps to remember your positive accomplishments.
- Think about recent contracts you were able to leverage, and what you did right to get to that point.
- Keep a file of accolades from prospects, clients, peers, managers, and anyone else who sends you positive feedback so that you have something to refer to to get you over sales rejection.
- Turn your focus to what needs to change as you move forward to keep yourself on track for your long term career aspirations.
Freeze Out Sales Rejection by Arranging Your Day around Preventing It
The times that you choose to undertake your sales activities can have a measurable impact on your ability to handle and overcome sales rejection. Just consider how positive you feel when you are able to end the day with a scheduled contract signing, as opposed to the feelings you might have when you end the day with a series of unanswered or negative answer sales calls. Put yourself in the driver’s seat over sales rejection by looking at how you schedule your time.
- Schedule activities that traditionally have higher rates of sales rejection between more positive experiences such as follow-ups with strong relationships.
- After a successful presentation or close, make the positive boost in energy work for you by making a few cold calls.
- Use the last minutes of your day to wrap up positive tasks, so that a sales rejection just before you close the day does not set the tone for the next morning.
Know that Short Term Setbacks from Sales Rejection Are Just Part of the Picture
It may feel as though sales rejection is somehow filtering through the air when you encounter a series of negative responses, especially when a temporary negative trend impacts your goals for the day or even for the whole week. Do not set yourself back by projecting that negative trend any further than the last call. If you tried your best and are working to improve your tactics for handling sales rejection, your next call can be the one that says yes. Remember:
- A large part of sales is in attitude, and if you make a call expecting to be rejected, you may be encouraging a negative response without realizing it.
- Your short term goals support your long term goals, but are not the whole picture; one less-than-outstanding day does not need to devastate your month.
- Sometimes external events really do lead to a series of rejections when a whole industry is impacted; consider what is happening so that you can adjust to overcome sales rejection.
Your career in sales is what you make it, and your ability to handle sales rejection in a positive light is one of the foundation stones of your career. Never let sales rejection slow you down; stay affirmative and in control by viewing it as another opportunity for improvement.
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This article was originally posted to the Sales Force Search blog by Doug O’Grady on June 27, 2013
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Seven Ways to Become a Better Salesperson
Posted by Rick Pranitis in SALES BEST PRACTICES on May 31, 2013
Being in sales is a constant battle for improvement. Whether it’s getting better at overcoming objections, improving your appointment setting success ratios, or increasing the number and size of deals you close, every salesperson is trying to get better every day.
By making incremental improvements in the way we operate, salespeople have a unique opportunity to see big results. Here are seven things, which if you focus your attention upon, will assure you success.
Become a problem solver – the best sales people do more than just dial the phone and meet with customers – they are creative, innovative, energized professional problem solvers and relationship builders. Your job is not just to sell a company your particular service offering, but rather to solve their problems. Once you change your mind set to think of your role as a problem solver, you will learn to be more tuned in to your prospects pain issues and what motivates them. Start looking at your position as a problem solver and will see a difference in your client interaction.
Offer information – sales people need to constantly work to build trust with customers as part of the process of nurturing sales leads over time. One of the best ways to build trust with customers is to share the latest news, industry trends and business intelligence. If you find an article about their industry that you think would benefit the customer, share it with them – even if you didn’t write it.
Overcome your fear of rejection – sales is a tough job because prospects are constantly rejecting you, hanging up, saying “no,” sometimes even acting abrupt or rude. The best sales people know how to rise above the daily rejections and keep pressing forward. Remind yourself that you are a talented professional with a great solution to offer the right customers. Remember that there are a lot of customers who need what you have to offer, and that you’re going to find them and connect with them. Face the rejection head-on. After all, who cares if someone rejects you? It’s not personal. They’re just busy and don’t have time to talk, or they’ve been discouraged by too many time-wasting phone calls from other less scrupulous sales people. Customer rejection is not about you, it’s about them. The best sales people have thick skin and maintain control of their emotional state even in the face of adversity – but this unflappable nature is usually not something people are born with; it’s a way of being that is earned over time. Let the rejections go, and keep moving forward to talk to the people who will be happy to hear from you – they are waiting for someone like you to help them.
Ask for contact information – sales people often find themselves on the phone with the wrong person – i.e. an administrative assistant in the wrong department, reporting up the wrong chain of command to get to your ultimate decision maker. But don’t give up just because your calling list had the wrong information. Instead, be direct and ask the person on the phone to help you out. Instead of hanging up, ask the person you’re speaking to, “Could you give me the phone number for (NAME OF DECISION MAKER)?”
Ask for the next appointment – every salesperson needs to constantly guide the prospect through the sales cycle. Every conversation needs to end with the sales person asking the prospect to commit to a future conversation – whether it’s on the phone, in person or via web conference. Before you can “make the ask” and close the deal, you need to make the “ask” for your next appointment.
Take great notes – many sales people make the mistake of taking sparse or incomplete notes about their sales calls. Taking better notes can give you a trove of useful information for your next conversation with the customer. Write down specific details about which objections, questions and issues came up during the conversation. Not only are these details important for closing a deal with the customer in the future, but they might also be helpful for conversations with other customers. Make a list of questions, objections and challenges that you weren’t able to answer – then compare notes with other colleagues on the sales team, do some research, and follow up with the customer on a future call. Showing that you’re committed to finding the right answers will help you build trust with the prospect.
Learn from your colleagues – the best sales people don’t feel threatened by the successes of their peers, they celebrate team success and find a way to learn from the successes of others on the sales team. If one of your peers recently landed a big account, find out how they did it. Take your successful peers out for lunch or coffee and ask for advice on which sales techniques have been working for them. Good sales people know that success is not a zero-sum game. They will want to help other people on the sales team improve their results so that the whole team can benefit.
Being a better salesperson is often not a matter of making drastic improvements, but instead is about making smaller improvements in multiple areas over time. No matter how successful you are as a salesperson, you can achieve better results by adjusting your performance in at least one of these areas. Successful selling is a combination of art and science. It’s about passion, motivation, drive, and interpersonal performance, but it’s also about managing details, monitoring a process, and striving with rigor for excellence.
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12 Key Steps to Improve Your Sales Team
Posted by Rick Pranitis in SALES BEST PRACTICES on April 25, 2013
“Grow your sales force in quantity and quality. And if you grow your sales force in quantity and quality, they in turn will grow your sales,” says sales training and coaching expert Jack Daly in his Fridays with Vistage webinar. His presentation, “Getting the Most of Your Sales Force: 12 Activities For the Winning Sales Leader” addresses the most important factors that management can practice in order to build a successful sales force. He explains these 12 key factors as follows:
1. Ranking of the Sales Staff and Minimum Standards of Performance: “All sales people should not be treated equally,” he states. As sales personnel have different capabilities, experiences and territories, the plan and minimum performance standards negotiated should be customized for each individual. The sales force should be ranked at least monthly, and consider replacing your bottom tier for better prospects and to improve company culture. He suggests, “low turnover is NOT a good thing. Low turnover of GOOD Performers IS a good thing.”
2. One-on-One sessions: Managers should meet with each member of the sales team for one-on-one sessions to discuss pipeline, goals and activities, touch system and for coaching at least once a month. If possible, meet weekly to examine what is making them successful or unsuccessful.
3. Inspect the Baskets – Proactive Pipeline Management: Each team member’s pipeline should be divided into two categories: prospects and clients. Prospects should be ranked in order of importance, and records should be kept on how and how often they’ve been contacted and, most importantly, why a prospect hasn’t become a customer yet. When prospecting, identify which businesses have the most opportunity, and spend time targeting them more frequently rather than prospecting to more companies. He suggests that more touches can create more trust, and people buy from companies they trust.
4. Inspection of Prospecting Touch System: Studies show; most organizations don’t begin to remember a company, until at least nine contacts have been made. Most organizations quit contact after five or less unsuccessful tries. Use different media to contact clients and prospects including phone calls, emails, direct mail and social media. Also, customize your contact agenda with industry-specific info and ideas or messages that appeal to the personal interests of the contact.
5. Goals and Key Activities Inspection Process: Each salesperson should create their goals in writing and have a written plan on how to reach goals as wells as a system of measurement and a system of accountability. Break long-term financial goals into weekly amounts, and identify the key activities that need to be done in order to reach those goals. Keeping accurate measurements of the process will help make them accountable.
6. Training is a Process, not an Event: “If you’re NOT training, you’re NOT Gaining,” says Jack. Each team member’s performance should be analyzed, and they should be continuously trained by doing field calls, role practice, one-on-ones, progress reviews and other techniques.
7. Field Calls: Managers should incorporate field calls into their training programs. The three scenarios for field call training include joint, training and coaching calls. Joint calls are when both manager and salesperson participate equally, training calls are conducted by the manager, and coaching calls are conducted by the salesperson. Debrief after calls to discuss what worked well and what could be improved.
8. Role Practice: “If your sales people are not practicing inside their company, where are they practicing?” asks Jack. Doing 3-person group practice calls where members alternate in the roles of salesperson, prospect and observer will hone their skills in a constructive environment without having the potential of losing prospective business.
9. Building the Success Guide: There are only so many variables in a sales call, and sales staff can prepare themselves beforehand by composing a case-specific guide to study these variables thoroughly. They should ready themselves for each call by knowing company products well, which questions to ask and which unique objections that prospects are likely to encounter. Top sales people can anticipate these variables so well that their actions and reactions can almost become “canned.”
10. Effective Sales Meetings: Hold sales meetings regularly that communicate a clear purpose, have assigned actions, and include follow-up steps.
11. Progress Reviews: Managers should meet with individuals to set future goals and give feedback on their progress. Consider doing pre-emptive reviews that outline objectives for the upcoming quarter and areas needed for improvement. That way there’s written documentation if goals are accomplished or haven’t been met.
12. Recruiting and Upgrading the Sales Team: Companies should always be recruiting for better sales personnel. Recruit staff from other companies; don’t promote poorer sales people within just to fill positions. Spend the time to get to know the inner person you are hiring, and hire those with the best attitudes. Jack encourages employers to “hire smart verses managing hard,” and to know the position profile to help define what would be the perfect candidate.
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This article was originally posted to the Visage.com blog by John Bogdon on April 5, 2012.
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How to Take Over a New Sales Territory
Posted by Rick Pranitis in SALES BEST PRACTICES on April 10, 2013
The protocol for taking over a new sales territory depends largely on the type of territory into which you’re moving. Is this a territory where you will, for the most part, be pursuing new sales opportunities? Or, is it a sales territory where you will primarily generate new business through existing accounts with established relationships? In other words, will you utilize the Hunter or Farmer approach? The two role definitions below offer some tips on how to attack each of these new sales territories.
“Farmer” Sales Territory Protocol
“Farmer” sales reps usually work primarily with existing accounts, and take on a quasi-consultative role. They are very customer-centric, and nurture relationships and opportunities from within those secured accounts. They cultivate new sales opportunities through these relationships.
Two things to remember about the “Farmer” Sales Territory:
- You most likely have outgoing sales people who should be consulted prior to taking over the territory. Since the outgoing sales person is a farmer, he or she should be able to offer valuable insight and customer information. It’s crucial you obtain the proper customer knowledge so you’re able to continue cultivating the relationship to the point new sales opportunities can be uncovered and capitalized on.
- The outgoing sales person should accompany the new sales person on a minimum of one meeting per client. It’s essential the transition from one representative to another be handled seamlessly and professionally so the customer is convinced they’re still in the hands of a strong player who will always satisfy their needs and behave in their best interests. This will be to the overall benefit of both the clients’ and sales person’s organizations.
“Hunter” Sales Territory Protocol
“Hunter” Sales People are generally those who continually look to secure new accounts and new relationships. These types of sales people draw their energy from winning new opportunities, and securing new business for the sales organization. They are charismatic, independent, and generate lots of excitement. They continually hunt for the next new sales opportunity.
In the case of “Hunter” sales people, the territory transition can be a bit trickier, and as a result there are more steps you may need to take in order to assure it remains a successful territory in the long run.
- The incoming sales person must spend time with his or her sales manager. It is paramount these “Hunters” know the lay of the land before they go in guns blazing. It’s very possible that the sales manager has some inside knowledge about the territory which is critical to properly managing the territory. Or perhaps the sales person’s predecessor didn’t do something well – good information to have when trying to convert new business.
- If at all possible, the new sales individual should meet with the outgoing sales representative. Granted, this may not always be possible, but valuable information can be obtained during these meetings. Don’t miss this opportunity.
- Finally, the new person stepping into the territory should also meet with the sales operations leader. The sales ops leader will have access to background on details within the CRM system (for example: Salesforce.com) which will further educate the incoming sales person on all of the existing accounts and opportunities in the territory. Additionally, they’ll be able to pull information on the current stage of the sales process for existing opportunities. The client opportunity stage in the sales process is incredibly important intelligence the incoming sales representative should acquire as they start the selling process to the clients in the territory.
Make no mistake about it – the #1 key to success when taking over a new territory is information. Whether you are utilizing hunters or farmers, all sales people must know the customer and know the territory before trying to lock down any new opportunities.
Answer these questions: Who is the customer? What do they buy? How do they buy? When do they buy? What are their most compelling business challenges? All of this information will aid in orchestrating the proper sales strategy, as well as leading the clients through the sales process in the perfect manner that fits their needs (and yours!).
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This article was originally posted by Bryce Record to the Sales & Marketing Effectiveness Blog on April 8, 2012.
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