The traditional customer call once seemed indispensable to the selling process; the time and expense involved were just a basic cost of doing business. In recent years, however, the business community has come to regard the sales call as an expenditure for which there are substitutes.

For many companies telemarketing and direct email have made the sales call a choice not an inevitability. This is not surprising when various studies suggest that getting one sales person in front of one customer now costs $1500 – this cost has trebled since 1983. As a consequence professional salespeople have to be more effective than ever to justify the investment in a face to face effort.

To help companies meet this challenge, we need to examine how outstanding achievers have adapted to the rigorous demands of current markets.

In essence, we can draw seven primary conclusions and taken together, these findings paint a picture of the current state of the sales environment and you can discover what they are by downloading this week’s FREE eBook - simply click on the banner below.

Today’s News: So, now you can listen in to the “TSE Dailies”

“As you put the key in the ignition of your day, tune in to a power-packed interview with one of our experts – specifically designed for our subscriber community.
 
We know you have a variety of challenges and opportunities. In Sales of course, but also in Management, Teaming, Economic Conditions, and more. We’ll stay on top of issues critical to you.
 
We designed this tool to be an easy add-on to your morning office routine. And, all interviews will be archived, if you miss one or you want to share with your team.”

Yesterday, my Irish friend, Niall Devitt was in the hot seat and you will not want to miss his words of wisdom – it’s a pleasure just listening to the accent! Just click on the banner below to listen in.

Tomorrow: My guest is one of the real “big-hitters” when it comes to sales team development – my good friend from Texas, and best selling author, Paul McCord

The JF Guest Author Spot

Tim Wackel

Imagine for a minute that you feel yourself starting to become ill. As usual, your calendar is swamped with appointments so you try to tough it out hoping you’ll get better. After a few days, you feel so miserable it’s almost impossible to function. You finally decide to pick up the phone and make an appointment with your family physician.

You arrive at the doctor’s office anxiously looking for relief. The physician walks briskly into the exam room and exchanges some quick pleasantries. He rambles something about seeing these symptoms before and tells you to take two pills and call him in the morning.

Do you feel the doctor really took the time to understand your situation? Are you motivated to follow his advice? I’m guessing there’s a good chance you’ll start looking for a new physician and probably won’t be referring anyone else to this practice.

Question: What does this lousy doctor have to do with selling more in today’s economy?

Answer: Almost everything.

Rule #1: Prescription before diagnosis is malpractice!

Ever watch a sales rep jump to conclusions and start offering ideas prematurely? It happens almost every day and you know it’s not pretty. Even the best qualified prospect will start to disengage and begin formulating their escape plan.

Many reps rationalize this behavior by believing there isn’t enough time to truly engage with potential clients. Their focus is on activity, not accomplishment. These reps are convinced that they can survive this economy by making more appointments, increasing their number of demos, giving more presentations and ramping up their number of proposals. A classic case of confusing wing flapping for flight!

Recently I wrote an article that outlined specific ideas on how to create more sales success in these turbulent times. I used the introduction of the article to put a “tongue in cheek” spin on how the soft economy had convinced me to just give up and quit. The entire article was less than two pages (this is about a 3 minute investment if you’re a slow reader). One simple paragraph (four sentences to be exact) of doom and gloom I used to set the stage for the rest of the commentary.

Within hours I received unsolicited advice from sales professionals all across the country. Each one weighed in with specific ideas that were obviously formed after reading the first four sentences or maybe just the headline. Although I appreciated the advice, it was completely off the mark. It felt like my doctor has just told me to take two pills and call him in the morning.

So what’s the prescription for driving more sales in today’s market?

Knowledge – it’s the common ingredient found in results, relationships and referrals. The more you demonstrate knowledge, the more prospects will take time to listen. And the best way to establish expertise is not by pitching features; it’s by asking questions. Questions that can differentiate the value you bring to every call.

Many selling professionals fall into the common trap of asking questions that are self serving. “What does your purchasing process look like?” is a mind numbing, self serving question that doesn’t create new insights. Your customer hears these types of questions every day and they bring zero value to the dialogue.

Instead ask questions that get customers to stop and think. Ask questions they haven’t been asked before. Ask questions that get the customer to pause and say, “That’s a really good question.”  Here are some simple examples to help jump start your thinking:

-”There’s a lot of information that I could share with you, but I’d like to know what your specific goals for this conversation are. What are the most important things you feel we should focus on to make this meeting a valuable use of your time?”

-”At the end of the day, what’s going to be the biggest differences between the one representative that will win your business and the 9 others that don’t?”

-”What, if anything, is going to prevent you from taking the next step with me?”

Creating high impact questions takes extra time. But it’s worth every minute. Start investing more time doing research and preparation, less time running from sales call to sales call. I know this contradicts traditional wisdom, but this isn’t a traditional selling environment.

Don’t pick up the phone or walk into the lobby until you’re absolutely ready to engage in a meaningful dialogue. You’re not going to get a second chance in a slowing economy, so make sure every one counts!

Speaking of Sales is about finding, winning and keeping customers for life. If that’s part of your job, then you won’t want to miss the next issue.

Tim Wackel is founder and president of a training and consulting firm based in University Park, Texas and is an active member of the American Society for Training and Development. He holds a professional membership in the National Speakers Association. More about Tim Wackel

Tim is also a and you can check out his profile here

Today’s News:

Big changes over at Top Sales Experts today: You will find that we are moving more of the excellent resources into the public domain: Here is the latest position.

TSE Resource Center

Here, everyone has access to tips, tools, and techniques, perfected by 60 Top Sales Experts;

TSE “Article Vault” … where the best thoughts of each expert are catalogued by subject…so you have access to valuable information and solutions having to do with specific topics, at the click of a mouse …a sales library at your finger tips, saving you oodles of time and money!

TSE “Library of How to Guides” … important online guides that address every conceivable aspect of selling, including (but not limited to!) … nuances of negotiation … subtleties of sales presentations … powerful closing tips and much more than I have room to list here.

TSE Daily Audio… every day, Monday through Friday, check your Inbox daily for your special link to 10-15 minutes of expert sales instruction provided in MP3 format … use it for repeated listening throughout the day … turn your drive time, train time, workouts at the gym, into your private mini-sales-university!

TSE Podcasts Within this section, we will be offering you a wide selection of Podcasts that have been recorded by the Top Sales Experts team.

TSE Blogs … Simply the “Best Sales Blogs In The World” – in one location for you.
We also have a TSE Shop, stacked full of superb sales related products and of course our very own Jobs Board.

Pretty amazing? Certainly, but you can have even more if you become a TSE Member.

Here’s what you’ll receive:

TSE “Ask the Experts” … a safe place to submit sales-related questions that plague you…and to receive real, practical, easy-to-implement solutions from 60 of the world’s Top Experts.

Keep in mind it costs companies upwards of $15,000 + to get us on an airplane, to travel and consult/speak for a half day on site…on the other hand you have unrestricted access to us, because you will be an honored member of TSE Sales Membership Site! (A value of at least $300/hr yours FREE with your membership)

TSE Forums with sales professionals and sales leaders around the world from a multitude of industries … there aren’t enough hours in a day for you to meet and build relationships with this many colleagues … now as close as one click of a mouse. (You’d spend $100 in cell phone expenses alone IF you could find these people yours FREE with your membership)

TSE “Quarterly TSE Ebook” … a remarkable, well-organized, rich-in-content ebook where we experts each contribute one new article – fresh material that you see before anyone else. ($19.95 to non-members)

TSE “Interactive Assessments” … online interactive tools that you can take online. These are set up to score your results behind the scenes and to provide your results instantly … allowing you to quickly identify your strengths and capitalize on them immediately!

Plus you will receive 25% discount on:

TSE Webinars -  hundreds of topics addressed by dozens of top sales experts, delivered to you via downloadable Webinars. $59.50 per session – but with your membership you get 25% off EVERY webinar you attend)

TSE Roundtables During March, we are going to do something completely different.  Four of the world’s top sales gurus will gather together to present timely, relevant, and specific advice, all in one 90-minute online-show.
 
Each TSE Roundtable addresses issues being faced by sales professionals everywhere. As we face up to the severest economic downturn ever, we plan to run one Roundtable every month. (Your colleagues may join us for a cost of $69.50 per roundtable, yet as a member, you will receive that 25% discount on every single session.

When you enroll you also get … a big, big bundle of free gifts … that’s more than $2,000 of free gifts from the TSE experts for you!

You can have access to all of this within seconds of subscribing to TSE Sales Membership site for just $49.50 per year!! Join us today – sign up here

Tomorrow:”A New Type Of Salesperson For A New Type Of Customer”

One of the questions I am most frequently asked, is what are the key differences between a leader and a manager, and this is the best quote I have ever read, that succinctly describes those differences.

“There is a difference between leadership and management. Leadership is of the spirit management is of the mind. Managers are necessary, but leaders are essential. We must find managers who are not only skilled organisers, but inspired and inspiring leaders.” – Field Marshall Slim

I believe that you can buy someone’s physical presence, but you cannot buy loyalty, enthusiasm, or devotion. These you must earn. Successful organisations have leaders who focus on the future rather than cling to the past. Leaders bring out the best in people. They spend time developing people into leaders.

In my view, these are the qualities of a true leader:

• Leaders have a clear vision of what they are working towards. They don’t keep their vision a secret – they communicate it to their people.
• Leaders are consistent. They keep their principles and values at all times.
• Leaders can and will do what they expect of others. They are prepared to walk the talk.
• Leaders are not threatened by competence. They enjoy promoting people and are quick to give credit to those who have earned it.
• Leaders enjoy developing their people into leaders, not followers. They train people to take on more challenging tasks and responsibilities. They develop people’s confidence.
• Leaders don’t betray trust. They can treat confidential information professionally.
• Leaders are concerned about getting things done. They don’t get embroiled in political infighting, gossip and backstabbing. They encourage those around them to do likewise.
• Leaders confront issues as they arise. They do not procrastinate. If something needs fixing, they do it right away, even if it is uncomfortable. The longer things are left, the more difficult they become.
• Leaders let people know how they are doing. They reward and recognise performance that is above expectations and they help people identify ways of improving poor performance.
• Leaders are flexible. They welcome change. They do not stick to an old position simply because it is more comfortable.
• Leaders are adaptable. They see change as an opportunity rather than a threat.
• Leaders are human. They make mistakes. When they do so, they readily admit it.
• Leaders reflect on and learn from their mistakes. They see errors as a chance to improve their skills.
• Leaders enjoy challenge. They are prepared to take risks and encourage others to do likewise. If they fail, they treat the exercise as a learning experience.
• Leaders focus on the future, not the past. They anticipate trends and prepare for them. They develop a vision for their team and communicate it to them.
• Leaders are open to new ideas. They demonstrate their receptiveness by supporting change.
• Leaders treat staff as individuals. They give closer attention to those that need it and lots of space to those that deserve it.
• Leaders encourage and reward co-operation within and between teams.

Summary:
Without managers the visions of leaders remain dreams. Leaders need managers to convert visions into realities. For continuous success, organisations need both managers and leaders; however, as most seem to be over-managed and under-led, they need to find ways of having both at the same time. Perhaps the best way to handle this paradox is for managers to aim to be managers when viewed from above, leaders when viewed from below and to remember that the need for leadership grows as we move up the organisation. This is only one of the challenges that can make working life fun.

Today’s News: Whenever age came up in conversation, my mother had a delightful expression, she said: “Ah, but many a good tune can be played on an old fiddle” It was always said with a discreet smile and a glint in her eye, which, for obvious reasons, I always failed to pursue. That is certainly the case with this week’s winner over at Top 10 Sales Articles - someone whose tapes I was listening to twenty years ago – you can read his article here

Tomorrow:My guest is the irrepressible Tim Wakel, who always comes up with something extremely interesting and quirky, so be sure to join us.

Also tomorrow, some exciting news regarding Top Sales Experts, that you will want to hear.