Jonathan Farrington’s Blog

The JF Guest Author Spot

Leslie Buterin

Being mentally prepared for successful cold calling is like being prepared for a verbal game of table tennis.

The truth about whether or not you are ready to win the game becomes evident immediately with the first whack of the paddle. Either you keep that little white ball in play for a nice volley or the ball repeatedly slams toward you, by passes your paddle, and leaves you chasing the bouncing ball as the other player takes a snooze.

Same goes for cold calling.

Your state of mental readiness (or lack there of) becomes evident with the first word you speak. Either you are prepared for the verbal exchange with your prospect, keep the conversation progressing during your 90-seconds of phone time and “score” with an appointment or you hear “thanks but no thanks” and a click on the other end of the phone more often than you care to admit.

The most successful cold callers focus on cultivating thoughts that get them game-ready. These sales professionals fine-tune their abilities to keep prospecting conversations on track.

By way of brief example, one game-ready thought is the sales pro’s mental habit of following each of their prospect’s questions with a question of his own; another is in the sales pro’s ability to relentlessly redirect each of prospecting call toward scheduling an appointment.

For successful cold calls be sure to:

1. Mentally position yourself as equal to the decision makers you are calling.

2. Deliver the precise words that compel each prospect (and each executive assistant) to schedule a meeting with you.

3. Keep your 90-seconds of phone time with gatekeepers focused upon scheduling an appointment.

Like the game of Table Tennis, the cold call conversation has many, many volleys for which you, the successful sales pro, must be mentally prepared.

For your FREE mini-course “Jealously Guarded Secrets to Cold Calling Company Presidents” visit www.ColdCallingExecutives.com  Or call the office of Your Sales Coach for Extreme Profitability, author, speaker, Leslie Buterin (like butterin’ bread) at  (816)554-3674 9-3 CST (that’s Kansas City/Chicago Time).

Today’s News: Over at Salesopedia, two good friends are in conversation:

Keith Rosen addresses when it makes sense to provide marketing collateral to a prospect and when (and why) it can kill your sales opportunity.  He suggests timing is everything and provides three situations where the use of marketing material can hurt the sale. He also tells you when it is ok, in fact desirable to pass along a brochure or additional material. Keith includes a segment on using email to prospect.

Just click on the banner as usual.

Tomorrow: To finish an incredibly hectic week, a timely tip to prompt you to stay focused in these difficult times - “Whatever got you where you are today will not be sufficient to keep you there. A rapidly changing environment is the regular background against which organisations must develop……….”

PS: have you downloaded your copy of the “JF’s Blogging Good Year - Volume 2″ yet? Just click on this banner:

If you are involved in prospecting then you will already know the challenges of persuading a prospect to give you the business. Ultimately there is a four-step process involved in buying that all of us follow;

1. We have to feel motivated to make a purchase, irrespective of its type or size.

2. At some point after we’ve become motivated to want to buy, we make a decision to buy.

3. Then, after we have made a decision, we want to feel convinced that our decision is the right one, and at this stage we may seek approval and input from other people.

Then we’ll make our purchase.

4. Finally, after making our purchase we seek reassurance.

Interestingly, if sales people haven’t nurtured newly acquired customers, this can result in ‘Buyers Remorse’ and the customer may get ‘cold feet’ and cancel their order.

Every step of this process requires careful handling, yet if the salesperson lacks the ability to motivate their prospect to talk to them, let alone buy from them, the other steps become redundant.

People are fundamentally motivated in two main ways:

1. What problem or pain they can avoid and move away from
2. What pleasure or benefit they can move towards

Imagine your alarm going off in the morning and you realise that you have to get out of bed. It’s just too warm and comfortable where you are, so you give yourself another five minutes. Then, after this time, you decide to lie in for another few minutes until you suddenly get a picture in your mind of your angry boss! The consequences of being late for your meeting with him, scares you into jumping out of bed.

Alternatively, imagine your alarm going off on the morning of your holiday. The prospect of sun, sea, and Sangria fills you with excitement as you jump out of bed to start your two week vacation.

If a prospect feels content with their current supplier or their current situation, then it will be a huge challenge to motivate them to want to buy your product or service. That’s why every pain your prospect feels is an opportunity for you. Your task, during the initial fact-finding stage, is to uncover their ‘pain’ and help them to dwell on their problems.

The stronger the pain or the bigger their problem, the greater their motivation will be to move away from it. If you can convince prospects that your organisation can reduce one or more of their ‘pains’, then you will have suddenly discovered a powerful way to unleash their motivation to buy from you.

Here are some examples of questions that probe for pain:

“What areas of your current situation don’t you like?”
“What is this costing your organisation each year?”
“How do you feel about (problem)?”
“Who else is aware of these issues?”
“How do they feel about it?”
“Why haven’t you tackled this before?”
“How do your issues compare to those in similar organisations?”
“Which of these problems is causing you the most concern?”
“What have you done in the past that’s not worked?”
“When did you begin noticing this issue?”
“Why is this such an issue for you?”
“When will you decide to resolve this?”

When probing for pain, it’s more effective to start with general questions to build rapport, encourage discussion and plenty of input from the prospect.

As you begin using questions that probe for pain you’ll notice shifts in their body language that can provide you with important feedback that your questions are hitting the mark. Ideally, encourage the prospect to define the consequences of their problem, this magnifies the problem in their minds eye and consequently builds their motivation to want to get it solved.

Finally, you need to gain their commitment to resolving their problem by asking, “How committed are you to resolving this issue?”

Today’s News: I have spent most of this week editing the latest Top Sales Experts ebook, and it has certainly been a labour of love! All being well, it should be launched next week, but I’ll let you know. Understanding my frustration, the genius that is our graphics guy, Bill Jeckells, produced this: 

Tomorrow: We launch: JF Uncut, a new initiative every Saturday and Sunday - it’s my take on what’s going wrong in the world. Be sure to join me - if you dare!

A recent global survey of more than two thousand organisations that I recently read, identified that one of the biggest issues facing Sales Leaders today is that salespeople’s self-limiting beliefs constrain their performance, which obviously in turn, limits their sales results.

I do subscribe to the theory that whatever you believe you can do, you will; and whatever you believe you can’t do, you won’t.

Like everyone, salespeople hold stubbornly to private beliefs about themselves, customers, the market, competitors and the economy – beliefs that can have an enormous impact, either positive or negative, on their sales performance. If salespeople don’t see themselves as providers of value, they’ll be blinkered to the customer’s genuine business needs.

This manifests itself in a number of undesirable behaviours that range from being too pushy, to being far too accommodating. This can also lead salespeople trying to sell customers something the customer may not need or want, and that certainly will not build long-term customer relationships.

Typically, salespeople who believe that if they had more competitive prices they would win more deals, tend to attract more price objections. This in turn leaves them feeling fearful or reluctant to discuss price and their downward spiral becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

A salesperson’s state of mind is instantly transferred to their prospect or customer because they unconsciously transmit their attitude in a variety of subtle and even overt ways. Whilst the prospect or customer may not be consciously aware of the salesperson’s underlying attitude, they will just have a feeling that something isn’t right and will put a distance between themselves and the sales person.

This problem is further compounded and validated by research from Objective Management Group Inc who found that the typical sales person possesses a minimum of ten limiting beliefs that are having a detrimental impact on their performance. Once these beliefs are eliminated the average sales person will increase their sales by approximately 25%.

Many Sales Leaders understand the vital importance of the right mindset and those who are able to tackle and resolve the issue of their team’s negative beliefs will see a dramatic upswing in their team’s sales results.

You may also enjoy:”Are Self-Limiting Beliefs Constraining Your Sales Team?”

Today’s News:

Here’s a special message from a very special lady:

Strategic Marketing Ideas in a Shrinking Economy: Referral Expo 2008 (now through October 10th!)

The Referral Expo is a virtual event, conducted over the phone. It’s free to attend, but registration is limited:

* Breathe new life into your business
* Generate more referrals
* Find better quality referrals

Get new, innovative ideas! Bolster yourself against the economy. The Referral Expo 2008: Register now.

In times like these, building relationships and creating referrals are the keys to success. By attending this virtual expo, you’ll get loads of innovative ideas and strategies for generating referrals - all from the comfort of your home or office.

The Referral Expo 2008:

Tap into 15 world-class marketing experts as they share their best referral strategies. I’m honored to be included in the team presenting at this year’s Referral Expo.

What: Referral Expo 2008
When: Now through October 10th

Each 1-hour presentation will be conducted over the phone on successive weekday evenings.
Monday - Friday at 5:00pm Pacific / 6:00pm Mountain / 7:00pm Central / 8:00pm Eastern

Cost: FREE - Register now!

See you there

Joanne Black

Tomorrow: I am doing my bit for the next Top Sales Experts ebook, which should launch in about two weeks. I am also going to be thinking about the JF Consultancy 2009 strategy - yes, it is that time of the year already - this is me with my thinking cap on

Our graphics designer, Bill Jeckells, has a great sense of humour!

OK, that’s a wrap for this week, so as ever, have a great w/e and be sure to make it back on Monday - JF

The JF Guest Author Spot

Joan Paul  

This morning when I opened my calendar, everything looked different. Surely someone’s been playing with my computer. I could swear I had appointments booked and paying clients taking every available spot for the next two months. I must be having a bad dream. Pinch myself. Nope. It’s true – I’ve hit the dreaded dry spell!

Entrepreneurs talk about it all the time as part of the game, but being in it is an entirely different thing. If you are like most business owners, you haven’t yet managed to balance the feast and famine phenomenon. The question is, “What do you do when the famine hits?”

First of all, BREATH!!! Preferably without hyperventilating. Don’t panic. Don’t throw in the towel. Don’t check the employment ads. Do remind yourself why you started your business. Do remind yourself of all the successes you’ve enjoyed and will once again enjoy. Do remind yourself if you are just starting up, that it takes time to build an active business. Do park your negative self-talk and replace it with positive affirmations, like “Today I am one step closer to experiencing the wild success that I’ve dreamed about!”

When things are looking a bit slow, do the following:

-Go to your database and call all the people you’ve been meaning to stay in touch with. Arrange to meet and exchange ideas or just have a coffee and find out how you can help them with their objectives.

-Apply a referral selling process. In No More Cold Calling™, The Breakthrough System That Will Leave Your Competition in the Dust, Joanne Black puts forward a practical approach to building your business through referrals. This simple system can propel your business through the roof without wasting business development time.

-Attend to the business planning that you may have been procrastinating about. Revisit your business and marketing plans. It will likely re-energize you.

-Find a coach. Whether hired or a business buddy, it’s very helpful to have a thinking partner, someone to share with and encourage you to keep your eye on preparing for the next delectable feast.

-Learn something new. Take the opportunity to read the last business book you bought and put on your nightstand or attend a training program that’s been on your to do list.

Most of all, remember dry spells are temporary and keeping perspective is critical to your success. The objective is clearly to have fewer dry spells and more feasts. However, dry spells are inevitable for most entrepreneurs. If you find you are stuck in dry spell, do get some guidance from someone who can provide insight for you and be prepared to explore difficult possibilities. As Jim Collins says in “Good to Great,” Confront the brutal facts, yet never lose faith.”

 Joan Paul is a Certified Executive Coach and Sales Strategist. Her company, J. Paul Training Inc., provides customized training, strategy development and is the distributor of No More Cold Calling, TM, The Breakthrough System That Will Leave Your Competition in the Dust, and The Sales Activator®, an international sales management system. Joan can be reached at (403) 607-1979 or through her website http://www.jpaultraining.com

Today’s News: Over at Salesopedia, Clayton Shold is in conversation with “Mr Inside Sales” the very genial, Mike Brooks - “Throw Away Your Funnel” - “Suppose someone told you to throw away your sales funnel. Would you think they are contrarian or just crazy? Mike Brooks suggests the top 20% of sales producers don’t use a funnel, they use a sales cylinder. He explains how to dramatically improve your closing ratio by using a cylinder and disqualifying prospects early. Mike has a special message for the sales leaders in the audience who have grown up with, and continue to promote sales funnels.”  As usual, just click on the banner below.

In “Wall Street And Broken Social Trust” Charles Green articulates very well what most of us are thinking right now - you might enjoy the read.

My own view is that there is only one thing uglier than a fat cat, and that’s a dead fat cat. Once upon a time in the UK, if someone introduced themselves as an estate agent, you would count your fingers after shaking hands - the banking industry has now been passed that baton and is viewed with considerable disdain by anyone with an I.Q. of more than 30.

Tomorrow: In response to the question: “What is THE most important leadership trait?” I provide the answer - for me, it is a “no-brainer” 

Nobody seems to remember who first coined the term elevator pitch, or elevator speech, but I know it’s been around a long time, and I am often asked to help design such speeches for clients.

An elevator pitch is a short presentation that you could deliver to someone in an elevator as it travels from top to bottom, or vice versa. It must be compelling as well as descriptive. It should contain such punch that the other person would love to buy from you. Of course, you can present such a speech in places other than an elevator!

When cold calling in person, it is a good idea to have your pitch ready. When the buyer meets you in the reception area, deliver the elevator pitch with enthusiasm, and he or she is much more likely to agree to allocate time to you. On the phone, you can use this method to obtain an appointment. You may even want to use it in a sales letter where you introduce your company to the prospect.

For those who work trade shows, have your elevator speech ready for people as they approach your booth.

I use my elevator pitch as a networking tool, and I deliver it by way of an introduction of myself and my companies.

The Main Components of the Pitch

An elevator speech should meet the following criteria:

• Keep it brief - long enough to convince, but short enough to hold the other person’s attention.

• Be articulate - use the right tone and speed so that you don’t rush the message.

• Make it sincere - the buyer must feel that you’re a credible source (which of course you are).

• Be enthusiastic. Use appropriate excitement when telling your story. Buyers take their leads from salespeople. Enthusiasm is infectious, and if you are not enthusiastic about your products/services or your company, change jobs!

Your elevator speech should answer these questions: Who are we? What do we do? To whom do we sell? What makes us unique? How do we bring value to our customers?

Do remember that knowing what you want to say and rehearsing it will make this sound natural. This may be the first time the buyer has heard it - but you don’t want it to be the first time you deliver it.

Used effectively, the elevator pitch can be a good salesperson’s foot in the door. Once you get your break, it’s up to you to finish the deal.

Today’s News: I recently completed a couple of interviews with one of my favourite article community sites, Eyes On Sales, and you can listen to the first one by simply clicking on the banner below:

I am often asked if the Top Sales Experts team collaborate much on joint projects - the answer is a resounding YES WE DO. Obviously, if you are going to expose your clients to another consultant, there has to be a very high level of trust, but this week was a typical situation: One of my favourite clients has a small team who needed some specific coaching on how to reach the decision maker via cold calling, so I immediately turned to Leslie Buterin, who is after all, one of the world’s leading gurus in this area.

Leslie delivered a two hour online coaching session. Result? They were bowled over by her and are already reaping the results of her pearls of wisdom. This is where relevant, specific mentoring comes into it’s own and proves the point that I evangelise about so often - “One size fits all” sales team development no longer works, it really has been consigned to the annals of history.

Would you hire the local handyman if you had serious structural problems with your house? I hope you would not! You can catch up with Leslie here

Finally, I tried to find you another good blogpost today, but in vain - I’ll keep searching over the w/e.

I need to thank you for your patience with delayed posts this week and also with the technical issues we experienced with The JF Journal - I have to hope that patience was rewarded.

Tomorrow: My last few days in the UK, so I am getting together with two of my children for some “bonding” - so wherever you are, have a great w/e and be sure to make it back next week - JF

The JF Guest Author Spot

Kendra Lee

Sooner or later it happens to the best of salespeople - a sudden slump that starts slowly and then snowballs.

Conventional wisdom says the best way to break out of a slump is to keep doing the things you’ve always done.

Avoiding the deep slump.

To get back on track and avoid a deeper slump, try these six tactics:

1. Retrace your steps.

Are you leaving anything out of your presentation that’s worked in the past? Maybe it’s a word or phrase, a transition you skipped, or a step you omitted.

Ask yourself if you’re stressing the same things. Or, are you including something that may be turning prospects off?

Compare a call you made before the slump started to one you’re making now. Can you see or hear a difference between the two?

2. Be persistent

Selling, like football, is a contact sport. If you don’t stay in contact with your customers, your competitors will.

Can you trace your slump to a period when you didn’t stay in touch with customers as much as you should?

Maintaining regular contact so you’re there when the customer is ready to buy is a great way to avoid slumps.

3. Try to keep your confidence up

Confidence and morale are usually high when sales are good. When sales are harder to come by, it’s difficult for salespeople to stay up.

You’ve proven that you can sell in the past. Now it’s a matter of finding out what’s missing and getting back on track. Once your confidence is back up, your sales will probably follow.

4. Set specific goals

Yogi Berra once said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’re sure to end up nowhere.” The same can be said of a salesperson who tries to break out of a slump without setting specific goals. Maybe you should make more calls or do more prospecting than you did before the slump hit.

5. Plan each step

Salespeople who spell out the steps they’re taking to break the slump are more likely to get results than those who simply go back to the plan they used when things were good. The slump may have nothing to do with you or your sales techniques. Maybe the market has changed, and unless you adjust your plan accordingly, you’ll have difficulty ending the slump.

A plan is not just a means of breaking out of a slump. It’s a process for learning from and building on the past, a confident way of knowing that the steps you’re taking at the moment are actually in a forward direction.

6. Never relax the tension

Some salespeople blame “burn-out” and “stress” as the major cause of slumps. Salespeople who keep up the pressure usually stay ahead of the pack. To never let up may be the smartest way to avoid “burn out,” “stress” and “slumps.”

Kendra Lee is author of “Selling Against the Goal” and president of KLA Group. Specializing in the IT industry, KLA Group helps companies rapidly penetrate new markets, break into new accounts and shorten time to revenue with new products in the Small & Medium Business (SMB) segment. Ms. Lee is a frequent speaker at national sales meetings and association events. For more information, contact the company at +1 303.741.6636 or info@klagroup.com or visit www.klagroup.com.

KLA publishes an industry-leading online newsletter. To subscribe and get a free Quota Gap Calculator ($18.95 value) visit www.klagroup.com. For information on sales training, call 303-741-6636.

You can read more about Kendra here

Today’s News: Over at Salesopedia, Clayton Shold is in conversation with Shannon Smith, the image guru - interesting stuff!! Just click on the banner below:

Thanks to everyone for the fantastic feedback on The JF Journal, it really does make it worthwhile.

Finally, a great blogpost for you:”Is This Describing Your Product Or Service?”

Tomorrow: “How’s Your Elevator Pitch? Mine’s OK!”

The JF Guest Author Spot

Leslie Buterin

The best cold callers on the planet are topnotch sales professionals. Oddly enough we are also the worst.

When we sales pros first start the process of cold calling prospects, it’s not unusual for us to establish new records for scheduling meetings with decision makers—magically transforming scheduling as many as 8 appointments out of cold calls to 10 prospects. 

Then, one day, seemingly overnight, the novelty wears off. The thrill is gone. The smile and dial routine, becomes, well, routine.

Although cold call prospecting is lucrative …

You quickly tire of the repetition.

You want the meetings and deals that energize you. But the process of  ten to twenty calls per day, five days a week, leaves you bored right out of your gourd!

Did you know many people thrive on repetition and routine? More than half the population falls into that category. As you may well imagine, those folks aren’t drawn to the sales profession.

Our natural behavioral style gives us:

The confidence to do the difficult assignments

The ability to think on our feet; and to support (or oppose) strongly

The talent to bring fresh ideas for solving problems

By our very nature we:

Are optimistic, enthusiastic, and build confidence in others

Have the “gift of gab” and an ability to verbalize our feelings

Are excellent troubleshooters

With the right incentives we sales professionals are willing to take risks that can give our companies unbelievable success.

Routine. Our nemesis.

So, how do you reconcile the fact that the most successful cold calling system has to do with using the same script over and over again?

You have to be aware of your strengths and weaknesses so you can develop strategies to meet the demands or routine cold calling. You must claim victory over “the boredom-factor”.

I know that’s tough to do, nonetheless, your ability to fight the boredom is critically important to your success.

Folks like accountants and clerks who gravitate toward routine flip out as they read these suggestions. But successful sales professionals, you’ll laugh … and value these simple yet effective tips. Blast past the dreaded “boredom barrier” as you follow through with these techniques, and keep laughing all the way to the bank.

OK. Let’s shake things up a bit

Your prospect never needs to know you are doing these kooky things on the other end of the line to break the monotony of cold calling decision makers.
 

These are the tips that’ll blast you past the boredom barrier.

Get rid of your chair.

Conduct calls from squatting position—position yourself as though you are sitting on air. The physical tension of this “squat” will distract your brain from the boredom as you are challenged to sound natural to the executive assistant on the other end of the phone!

Stand with pen in hand over a calendar or stylus over your PDA—ready to schedule a meeting. The changes in your voice as you assume this position and your sense of expectation will convey to your prospect. Much like when you extend your hand in person and expect the other person to extend their hand to shake yours; your sense of readiness will convey to your prospect. 

Keep the chair. Lean back in it and put your feet up on the desk, like the big wigs in the movies.

Oxygenate - project your voice with clarity and strength.

First time I did this I got dizzy and called the doctor. He said, “No worries. Your brain isn’t used to that much oxygen! This is good for you. Keep it up.” To get as much air in as you can, put your hands on your bent knees. Lean forward into this slight squat lean, take 5 deep breaths in through your nostrils–so deep that your abdomen fills first then your lungs, and finally your chest. Then, exhale through your         mouth. This will pump you up for your calls and add strength to your voice.

Immediately follow one successful call with another.

Your sense of exhilaration and success will carry to the listener. And you’ll feel the sweet sensation of riding the crest of the wave of success!

Is boredom keeping your from your personal best with cold calls? You will blast through that barricade as you master these tips! 

Forward this article to friends—they’ll thank you for it!

For your FREE mini-course “Jealously Guarded Secrets to Cold Calling Company Presidents” visit www.ColdCallingExecutives.com ! Or call the office of Your Sales Coach for Extreme Profitability, author, speaker, Leslie Buterin (like butterin’ bread) at  (816)554-3674 9-3 CST (that’s Kansas City/Chicago Time).

Today’s News: First up, my apologies for such a late post - we had some technical issues, and I am also with clients, so news today is brief. I can tell you that The JF Journal is definitely launching today, and it really does look great, so grab a copy!! 

Tomorrow: “How’s Your Elevator Pitch? Mine’s Pretty Good”

The JF Guest Author Spot

Wendy Weiss

If you are not speaking with a decision-maker your sales cycle will lengthen and you may run the risk of losing the opportunity altogether. “Influencers” influence. They do not decide.

Bottom line: If you are not speaking with a decision-maker, you are not speaking with a qualified prospect. Far too many sales representatives spend far too much time courting prospects who can never and will never make a decision.

One way to ensure that you are always speaking with the decision-maker is to always call the highest-level person that you believe would make the decision. That person will either be your correct prospect, or they will know who is and they can point you in the right direction.

Once you’ve got that prospect on the phone, make sure to ask the following questions. This way you will be certain that you are speaking with the decision-maker.

1.  What is your decision-making process?

2.  How have you made this decision before?

3.  What are the steps in your decision-making process?

4.  How long does it take?

5.  Who is involved in the decision-making process?

6.  Who makes the final decision?

7.  Who else will you be speaking with about this decision?

8.  After we submit our proposal/bid/quote, what happens next?

9.  How long will that take?

10. When do you expect to make a decision?

11. When would you like to begin?

Wendy Weiss, “The Queen of Cold Calling,” is a sales trainer, author and sales coach.

You can subscribe to her latest program Cold Calling College Live, which kicks-off on September 30th, by visiting www.wendyweiss.com. Contact her at wendy@wendyweiss.com. and read more about her here

Today’s News: Well, we have completed minor cosmetic makeovers to all our sites including: Top 10 Sales Articles, The JF Consultancy, Top Sales Experts and of course this blog. But by far the most exciting re-launch will be the Top Sales Experts initiative at the end of the month, when we add a whole host of new features and resources.

However, tomorrow I will be announcing a superb new addition to the resource area of The JF Consultancy.

This weekend, I completed the revision of a series of new E-books, and you can receive one FREE every single month just for subscribing to my complimentary JF Journal, which launches next week - please see the banner below.

Finally, a very good blog post for you: From Dave Brock “Why Manager’s Don’t Do People Management”

Tomorrow: Some updated thoughts about sales leadership and, as I mentioned earlier, news of a great new resource!