When two people have established high levels of rapport, they unconsciously pick-up on the feelings of each other. The quickest way to build a deep connection with the other person is to match their breathing. At this point, the sales person may get an instinct about something the customer ‘feels’, which is important feedback that is driven from their unconscious mind.

Trusting these instincts can sometimes prove to be a challenge for people who work in a corporate, logical environment, yet the ability to ‘listen’ and act upon these instincts can make the difference between a good listener and a great listener. If, for example, you have created rapport and start to feel nervous, then chances are, so is your customer. Imagine the impact of asking, “I’m getting a sense that you’re feeling nervous about this, what specific concerns do you have?” will have on your customer.

Demonstrate that you are paying attention

This really encourages the customer to continue talking and helps put them at ease, because they can see that you’re interested in what they are saying. Using noncommittal words with a positive voice tone that neither agree nor disagree with what is being said, will ensure that the customer remains motivated to want to continue talking. For example, “I see”/ “Uh-huh”/ “That’s interesting” are great ways to achieve this. Nodding your head and taking written notes are also effective when demonstrating your interest.

Clarifying your understanding

Adopting a consultative approach means that it’s vital to fully appreciate your prospect’s requirements. Even if you think that your prospect has made them very clear, it’s good practice to summarise your understanding of them. For example: “So what you’re saying is (requirement).” “You obviously value (requirement) as being very important to you.” These summaries will strengthen your relationship and demonstrate a genuine desire to really understand what they want. Rephrase their main points at regular intervals and ‘play them back’ to them. This helps them see if they have said exactly what they wanted to say and to make sure you understand. Put their feelings into words. This will help them evaluate and perhaps modify their statement and it gives further evidence of your understanding.

Never be afraid to test your understanding – ignorance is not bliss!

News: There is some massive voting taking pace over at Top Sales Awards - almost 5000 visitors yesterday – have you voted today?

Well, I can tell you that the competition is warming up nicely – despite the extended Thanksgiving holidays in the USA.

The public polls opened last Wednesday, and voting has been very strong in most categories already:

Top Sales Personality: Jeffrey G surged out of the blocks and already has a commanding lead, but with polls open until December 13th, this is a marathon and definitely not a sprint. Expect a reaction from Mrs Konrath, who also has a huge following, and don’t discount Gerhard, he may well force it into extra time and win it in a penalty shoot-out – it’s what the Germans do every time, so why not the Austrians! 

Top Sales Book: Similiarly, that really nice guy whose name I always struggle to pronounce – Art Sobczak – has taken a flier, closely followed by Mrs Konrath, and they are being chased by that deadly duo, Elias and Shanto, or is it Shanto and Elias? Still a lot more business to be done in that category, for certain.

Top Sales Article: Feels kind of strange not to see this final over at Top 10 Sales Articles any more. This will of course be the fourth year that we have held this particular competition, and every year Salesopedia have provided the winner, but I think this is year is much more open. There are so many really good finalists that it is going to be impossible to predict. See for yourselves

Top Sales Star: Nobody was surprised that the irrepressible young Moyes has surged into the public poll lead – anyone with 7 million recommendations on LinkedIn clearly has a very big fan base. But as Ian knows only too well, the expert judges are contributing 50% of the overall marks, and there are some immensely talented contenders in that group. (I was kidding about the 7 million recommendations – I think he only has 6.9 million!)

Top Sales Blog: I hear there was an audible sigh of relief which could be picked up on both sides of the “Pond” when I announced my ineligibility – now I really am kidding! On metrics alone, Brian Carroll would win this, and deservedly so, but that is not all this contest is about. There are some really “big hitters” in this, and provided that none of them are too proud to canvass support, it should be a real ding-dong of a battle. Latest poll results here

Top Sales Resource Site: CanDoGo have managed to get the voters out early, tearing them away from the last turkey remnants, closely followed by Changing Minds. But again, this is going to be such a tight finish (JF prediction – but what do I know?) Look out for a “Monster” finish from SalesHQ – and never discount the “Power”

Top Sales 2.0 Solution: iSell and xobni are neck and neck right now, but I am not sure if it will stay that way – so much quality in this category, that’s for sure.

Top Sales Tool: And in fact, we have a very similiar position in this category, where GoldMail and Echosign are building up a big lead over the others. But I have spotted a number of challengers who though currently languishing down the table, will inevitably make very strong challenges later.

Top Social Media Site: All a bit quiet over there at the moment. LinkedIn making the early pace, but the Customer Collective is hot on their heels. Will some of the other big boys awake from their slumbers? Time will tell.

Top CRM Solution: You know, I really do think that we got the nominees right in most of the categories – you will never please all the people all of the time. Ever met a mum who did not think her baby was the most beautiful in the world? But in this category in particular, I really do think this ten are the best, and I am going to be most interested to see who finally triumphs. Latest positions

Right, I’ll endevour to provide you with regular updates, but you can vote for your favourites every day – HERE

This Week: Look out for a post on the failing marriage between sales and marketing, and what I think needs to be done to resolve their differences.

On Tuesday:

Rev Up Revenue with Selling Tool FuelTuesday November 30th 2010 1PM Eastern

Today’s inside salesperson is no longer tied to phone as their only sales tool. Instead, the smart salesperson knows that their success depends on how well they understand and use many specific sales tools throughout the sales process. In order to survive and navigate the sales 2.0 landscape, they need tool fuel.

Join us in this engaging, interactive, thought-provoking, and fun discussion with two smart-selling women and Sales 2.0 pioneers, Josiane Feigon and Nancy Nardin, as they guide everyone through a targeted “shopping spree” for essential tools.

Participants will receive the Smart Selling Tools for Inside Sales 2010 eBook – the first e-book to recommend top tools for inside sales wrapped around 10 essential sales skills.

In this session, you will learn:
• The “must-have” tools for inside sales
• Why working efficiently is the  fastest path to sales productivity gains
• Which tools to use throughout the sales cycle
• How to pair tools with skills for the strongest combination

Register for FREE

I have a very long commercial memory, and I remember with considerable clarity that in days long ago, the “marketing function” was a sideshow, almost an after-thought, or an add-on to the real engine room within most companies – the sales force.

Typically, the inhabitants of the marketing department – yes, that was way before they became divisions, or even functions – were either failed salesmen or women who had lost the appetite for full-on daily competitive skirmishes, or they were returning mothers, looking for some part-time income.

Their days usually began at 8.55 am on the dot, and ended at 5.01pm. They closed down typewriters/word processors (yes, I am really talking about that long ago) at 1.00 pm, to unpack their lunches, and then religiously packed all the Tupperware and flasks away again at 1.59 pm.

They did not so much enter rooms, but rather shuffle in, nervously – almost apologetically – as if in fear of being asked if they could possibly justify their existence.

They may have thought that they were responsible for promoting – and occasionally defending – the company’s image, but in reality, they were at the beckoning of anyone in the boardroom/C-Suite. Come to think about it, they were also at the beckoning of anyone in sales too.

When I myself arrived at board level – and in fact at every company I operated at that level – I quickly learned that marketing budgets were there to be spent. It was almost as if not spending the entire budget would be perceived as failure! So what did I do? I refused to allocate a budget, but rather, laid out sensible guidelines, which forced discussion and justification for any major spend. Radical? Hardly, but it ensured that I always had my finger on the pulse.

My goodness, how times have changed. Marketing personnel now stride across the sales floor; they look the sales team in the eye; they have become an important and integral part of the “offense unit” …. In fact, marketing teams who know what they are doing are as valuable as high-achieving sales professionals.

Why? The advancement in very high quality and efficient sales/marketing alignment tools, and social media have propelled the marketing unit into a formidable front-line function, producing a constant stream of high quality leads and opportunities. In many organizations, they have replaced cold calling and established themselves as the “new business creation stars”

Sadly there is a plethora of so called “marketing gurus” but many, in my experience, are self-styled. Note that I say “many” If you know where to look, you will find them. (But still fairly rare – a bit like rocking-horse poo) I have my own list of personal favourites, which I might share!

So back to that rhetorical question: “Who needs marketing anyway?” We all do – now, more than ever!

Why still the stand-off with sales? Why still no legal wedding? Why an uneasy truce – a kind of “marriage of convenience?”

I’ll explain that in a follow-up post this week. It isn’t “rocket science” – well not to someone who has a long memory, and can remember typewriters!

News: Please do you remember that voting opens over at Top Sales Awards tomorrow. And to prove my point, next year this event will be called ”Top Sales & Marketing Awards”

Failing to focus salespeople’s activity reduces efficiency and consequently reduces results, because there isn’t a salesperson alive that believes they have enough time in their working week to complete all the activities they want to achieve! Time is a huge constraint on salespeople’s activities so that when their manager asks them for more, it’s no wonder that they are overwhelmed.

Here are twenty essential questions you should get used to asking yourself about your daily time planning:

• Did I accomplish all of my high-priority goals?

• Did I reach or surpass all of my other goals?

• Did I invest as much time as I planned in persuading others?

• Did I contact every prospect that was on my list today? If not, why not? What prevented me?

• How much time did I spend prospecting for new clients?

• How much time did I waste procrastinating today?

• What is the most productive thing I did today?

• What is the least productive thing I did today?

• Of the things I consider a waste of time, could I have avoided them or eliminated them?

• How much did I spend doing something that will profit me? Can I devote more time here?

• Was today a productive day for me? For my company?

• Did I take care of all the paperwork I needed to care of?

• How many of today’s activities have helped me achieve my goals?

• How much time did I allocate to my family, friends, etc.?

• What can I do to improve the quality time I need to spend with my family/friends, etc?

• How much time did I allocate to me?

• If I could live today again, what would I change?

• What did I do today that I feel really good about?

• Did I send ‘thank you’ notes to the people who gave me business and to those who helped me secure that business?

• What or who wasted the greatest amount of any time? 

Remember:

The most important word in time and self-management is………NO!

Tomorrow: “Who Needs Marketing Anyway?” Something a little controversial for a Tuesday? I think it might be.

PS:  Please accept my free invitation to listen in on one of the most significant leadership gurus in the world ……

MASTERCLASS: FROM SALES PROFESSIONAL TO SALES LEADER

Tuesday November 23rd 2010 1PM EASTERN

Are you dealing with the transition to leadership?
Do you now lead people who used to be your co-workers?
Have you already made this transition, but think you could improve your confidence and competence in working with your team?

If this is true for you or for someone you know, join leadership and learning expert Kevin Eikenberry for a masterclass designed to help you with this transition.

During this engaging, interactive and fast-paced masterclass, you’ll learn:
Five things you need to do to smooth your transition
Five people you need to speak with during your transition
Key mistakes you will want to avoid
And much more…

These 60-minutes will give you the tools and insights you need to make this transition go smoothly.

You’ll also have the chance to ask Kevin your own questions!

Plus, you’ll be gaining valuable skills without ever leaving the office – no security lines at the airport, no transportation costs, no days worth of email to attend to afterward! Just you and Kevin having a conversation on your phone or through your computer.

REGISTRATION on Top Sales World is FREE. Already registered?  LOG IN to book your seat. I will be there as the host … not going to miss this one!

The JF Guest Author Spot

Kendra Lee

When you need to take a couple of days off from posting, it is essential to have some back-up that you can rely on and Kendra is a good chum who never lets me down……JF

There aren’t many certainties in selling. What works well for one person can be a dead end for another, and what looks like a sure sale can easily deteriorate into a missed opportunity. One thing you can count on, however, is that a lack of strong, qualified leads will always be a stumbling block on the way to new business.

In that way, prospecting and lead generation are somewhat unique activities. While you can be a strong presenter, closer, or negotiator, none of that will ever matter if you don’t have enough leads to work with. And yet, coming up with a full sales pipeline is a constant challenge for sellers in every field and industry.

Here are a few of the common reasons why and the keys to getting past them.

 Prospecting and selling are different skills. Great salespeople aren’t always great lead generators. They may be fantastic account managers, or perfect when it comes to closing warm leads, but struggle to find new opportunities from scratch.

 Nobody likes awkward conversations. There are entire books and seminars devoted to “cold call reluctance,” and they all come down to the same thing: nobody likes calling strangers and asking for business. Most of us don’t enjoy receiving those calls, and so you certainly don’t relish making them!
 
 A full pipeline can lead to an empty cupboard. When do sellers concentrate most on prospecting? When they don’t have enough sales opportunities in the works. The moment they do, they cast prospecting aside for activities that are more enjoyable.  Then it’s only a matter of time before they’re back at square one – with no new leads to pursue.

Looking at this short list, it’s easy to see why sellers have so much trouble finding enough leads. Prospecting and lead generation just don’t fit in with most of our skill sets and motivations.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t overcome these prospecting challenges!

The real secret to beating them – and ensuring a steady flow of new business in your pipeline – is in understanding that the keys to prospecting are discipline and the right message.

The need for discipline, as often as it comes up in sales, is relatively straightforward: you just have to commit yourself to prospecting on a fixed, regular schedule and be accountable to it.

There’s no secret.

You simply have to understand that it works over the long term, start doing it, and keep going even when your pipeline seems full. Don’t stop!

Because this is so important, a key component of any successful selling strategy has to be monitoring and accountability. It’s up to you, either as the seller or person in charge of overseeing sales, to be sure that daily, weekly, and quarterly targets are hit. Otherwise, it’s only a matter of time before you run out of leads.

Having the right message is just as critical.

One reason so many of us hate receiving prospecting calls is that we don’t really trust the sellers on the other end. In other words, we get the distinct feeling that they’re more interested in our money than our needs.

But there’s no rule that says that’s how you have to make your calls and introductions.

Instead of being “just another seller,” distinguish yourself by finding out exactly why your customers do business with you. What do they love about you? How have your solutions changed their business?

Use that information to create a genuine message. Doing so not only makes you more comfortable with the process of finding and approaching new potential clients. It also allows you to start better conversations, ones that are focused on prospects’ needs, and the value you can bring them, rather than your offerings.

Prospecting has been a challenge for sellers since the invention of commerce. By focusing on discipline and the right message you can keep a steady flow of new business coming in like clockwork.

Kendra Lee is a top IT Seller, Prospect Attraction Expert and author of the award winning book “Selling Against the Goal” and president of KLA Group. Specializing in the IT industry, KLA Group works with companies to break in and exceed revenue objectives in the Small and Midmarket Business (SMB) segment. Ms. Lee is a frequent speaker at national sales meetings and association events. To find out more about the author, read her latest articles, or to subscribe to her newsletter visit www.klagroup.com or call +1 303.741.6636.

So here we go. These then are the real Top 5 Sales Blogs, based not on any personal preferences, friendships, or subjective viewpoints. Totally transparent. Arrived at using the following criteria – anyone doubting the transparency, can spend a week-end reducing more than one hundred blogs down to just twenty-five, as I did – last Saturday I researched them, and Sunday, I applied the criteria. To those who would say, “Hey JF, show us your metrics” I respond, ”Calculate yourself!” - using these:

• Unique Monthly Visitors (Last month according to Compete)
• Compete Rank (As at the end of last month)
• Alexa Rank (As at November 14th)
• Google PR
• Yahoo Links

Is it a “perfect” list? A “final” and “all-defining” list? Of course it isn’t, it cannot be. I am bound to have missed someone, somewhere. I do that every year when I send out my Christmas cards.

It is a very good start, which we can now refine regularly, and will do every month on TopSalesEverything.com, which launches in January. 

Enough I hear you plead, in eager anticipation  .. so from 1 to 5:

1. B2B Lead Generation Blog – Brian Carroll -  http://blog.startwithalead.com/weblog/

2. The JF Blogit – Jonathan Farrington – http://thejfblogit.co.uk

=3. The Sales Blog – S. Anthony Iannarino – http://thesalesblog.com/    

=3. Trust Matters Blog – Charles Green – http://trustedadvisor.com/trustmatters

5. Jill Konrath’s Blog – Jill Konrath – http://sellingtobigcompanies.blogs.com/selling/

That is a pretty “heavyweight” list to be sure. Am I embarrassed to be on it? Yes, a little, but it is the type of embarrassment I can live with, and allow pride to become the dominating emotion right now. I was genuinely surprised.

This exercise was never designed for my own personal benefit, but rather to discover the top 10 sales blogs who would make up the ten finalists for the 2010 Top Sales Blog over at 2010 Top Sales Awards 

It was something I had to do, because no-one else was going to do it, and there was no alternative data that I could rely on … none whatsoever!

We now have our ten finalists right?

1. B2B Lead Generation Blog – Brian Carroll -  http://blog.startwithalead.com/weblog/

2. The JF Blogit – Jonathan Farrington – http://thejfblogit.co.uk

=3. The Sales Blog – S. Anthony Iannarino – http://thesalesblog.com/    

=3. Trust Matters Blog – Charles Green – http://trustedadvisor.com/trustmatters

5. Jill Konrath’s Blog – Jill Konrath – http://sellingtobigcompanies.blogs.com/selling/

=6 Ian Brodie’s Blog – Ian Brodie – http://www.ianbrodie.com/

=6. Understanding the Sales Force – Dave Kurlan – http://www.omghub.com/

= 8. Sales & Management Blog – Paul McCord – http://salesandmanagementblog.com/

=8. Sales Excellence Blog – Dave Brock – http://partnersinexcellenceblog.com/

10. Wendy Weiss’s Blog – Wendy Weiss -http://wendyweiss.com/blog

Well, under normal circumstances yes, but these are not normal circumstances are they? As the creator and joint host of Top Sales Awards it would be totally inappropriate for me to accept a nomination. This is not my show, and that sort of thing has never been my way. I gain far more pleasure from promoting good chums, colleagues and more deserving individuals.

So the tenth finalist in this category will be the person who filled the eleventh place, and so narrowly missed out on a top ten position. It is fitting that he is a highly valued friend and confidant:

11. Profit Builders Blog – Keith Rosen – http://blog.profitbuilders.com/

Ok, now please do not forget that we are announcing all ten category finalists today over at Top Sales Awards (at 12 noon Eastern) and there are some very interesting nominations.

Voting opens on the 24th – so be ready!

Tomorrow, I’ll share some of the feedback I have received on this and the Top Sales Awards initiative already – I think you will be amused!  As an example, someone suggested that this was a “Self-promotional exercise”  Well, if highlighting twenty-four other excellent sales blogs and bloggers can be called “self-promotional” then I am guilty as charged.

Just ten more blogs to mention, and today we reveal 6 to 10…excited? Me too!

=6 Ian Brodie’s Blog – Ian Brodie – http://www.ianbrodie.com/

=6. Understanding the Sales Force – Dave Kurlan – http://www.omghub.com/

= 8. Sales & Management Blog – Paul McCord – http://salesandmanagementblog.com/

=8. Sales Excellence Blog – Dave Brock – http://partnersinexcellenceblog.com/

10. Wendy Weiss’s Blog – Wendy Weiss -http://wendyweiss.com/blog

And of course, these are the first five of the ten superb finalists in the 2010 Top Sales Blog contest, which is itself part of the 2010 Top Sales Awards initiative ..details here

Tomorrow: The five Top Sales Blogs will be unveiled

Day three already, and it’s time to reveal who is filling slots 11 to 15, here we go ….

11. Profit Builders Blog – Keith Rosen – http://blog.profitbuilders.com/

12. Dave Stein’s Blog – Dave Stein – http://davesteinsblog.esresearch.com/

13.Closing Bigger – Shane Gibson -http://www.closingbigger.net/

14.  Engage Selling Blog – Colleen Francis – http://www.engageselling.com/blog

15. Sharon-Drew Morgen’s Blog – http://sharondrewmorgen.com/

To recap, 11 to 25 looks like this:

11. Profit Builders Blog – Keith Rosen – http://blog.profitbuilders.com/

12. Dave Stein’s Blog – Dave Stein – http://davesteinsblog.esresearch.com/

13.Closing Bigger – Shane Gibson -http://www.closingbigger.net/

14.  Engage Selling Blog – Colleen Francis – http://www.engageselling.com/blog

15. Sharon-Drew Morgen’s Blog – http://sharondrewmorgen.com/

16. The Pipeline – Tibor Shanto -http://www.sellbetter.ca/blog/

17. Telesales Blog – Art Sobczak -   http://www.telesalesblog.com/

18. New Sales Economy – Chad Levitt – http://newsaleseconomy.com/

=19. Selling to Consumers – Skip Anderson – http://blog.sellingtoconsumers.com/

=19. Fill the Funnel – Miles Austin – http://www.fillthefunnel.com/

21. Heavy Hitter Blog – Steve Martin – http://heavyhittersales.typepad.com

22. The Brooks Group Blog – Brooks Group – http://www.brooksgroup.com/blog

23. Fearless Selling – Kelley Robertson – http://www.fearlesssellingblog.com/

24. Sales Hunter’s Blog – Mark Hunter – http://thesaleshunter.com/category/blog/

25. Sales Playbook – Paul Castain – http://yoursalesplaybook.com/

Tomorrow, we get into the Top 10 – these will be the ten blogs who will make up the ten finalists for the 2010 Top Sales Blog award over at Top Sales Awards

PS: Just going off-message for a moment, good chum Nigel Edelshain has a new White Paper out, which features the immensely wise Anne Miller …

He says:

“Just finished a new white paper. It’s a quick read (13 pages). Grab one here (free, no reg): http://www.sales2.com/index.php/landing-pages/743

The white paper gives 7 tips on how to use metaphors in your prospecting. I put this white paper together with sales expert Anne Miller. Anne is the guru of metaphors.

OK mini promo over. Hope you enjoy the white paper and that it brings some value.

Nigel 2.0″

So, here we are, the real Top 25 Sales Blogs – numbers 16 to 20.

If you missed 21 to 25, please just scroll down to yesterday’s post.

16. The Pipeline – Tibor Shanto -http://www.sellbetter.ca/blog/

17. Telesales Blog – Art Sobczak -  http://www.telesalesblog.com/ 

18. New Sales Economy – Chad Levitt - http://newsaleseconomy.com/

=19. Selling to Consumers – Skip Anderson – http://blog.sellingtoconsumers.com/

=19. Fill the Funnel – Miles Austin – http://www.fillthefunnel.com/

It’s all warming up nicely!

Tomorrow: 11 to 15, and some more really significant commentators.

By the way, something else to look forward to …next week, I fully intend to address the hot topic of the day, namely the issues surrounding the stand-off between sales and marketing, but I am keeping my powder dry until then on that one. It appears that the marketing folks have a lot to say for themselves,(when didn’t they?) and it is time they got a very rude wake-up call – there are of course always two sides to every “perception” and in business, there is only one “forward-line” or “offense”

It’s a task I have been meaning to tackle for some time, but I knew in advance that it would be pretty time-consuming, so I put it off as long as I could.

However, knowing that we have to announce all of the finalists in each category over at Top Sales Awards this week, I couldn’t duck it any longer.

Deciding on the criteria was challenging to begin with, but eventually I settled on:

• Unique Monthly Visitors (Last month according to Compete)
• Compete Rank (As at the end of last month)
• Alexa Rank (As at November 14th)
• Google PR
• Yahoo Links

Where did I look for sales blogs? In short, everywhere I could think of:

Top Sales World Best Blogs
The Customer Collective
Sales Edge 1
Ewan Carmichael
AllTop
Invesp 
AllBusiness.com

Plus numerous other locations.

So, here are 21-25. Tomorrow, I’ll share 16-20…and so on through the week, culminating in the Top 10 Sales Blogs on Thursday and Friday, which will represent the finalists for the 2010 Top Sales Blog competition.

21. Heavy Hitter Blog – Steve Martin – http://heavyhittersales.typepad.com

22. The Brooks Group Blog – Brooks Group – http://www.brooksgroup.com/blog

23. Fearless Selling – Kelley Robertson – http://www.fearlesssellingblog.com/

24. Sales Hunter’s Blog – Mark Hunter – http://thesaleshunter.com/category/blog/

25. Sales Playbook – Paul Castain – http://yoursalesplaybook.com/

And finally, an event you really should not miss – I’ll be there …