Jonathan Farrington’s Blog

Using the funnel questioning technique will uncover needs, if they are there to be uncovered. However, it is one thing to uncover the need, it is another thing to prove that there is adequate pay back and value in fulfilling the needs.

Having uncovered the needs we must probe and find out as much as we can about those needs and the implications to the customer if they are not met or fulfilled. We do this by asking past, present and future questions i.e. “How did you use to do this?” (Past), “How do you do this now?” (Present) and “How do you plan to do it?” (Future).

What we are trying to establish is the difference between what the customer used to do and how he does it now. If we can establish this then the comparison between what they are presently doing and what they may be able to do based on our solution, will be easier to grasp. This is important, because the difference between them doing something and not doing it is the “value gap”. We need to find value gaps that we can attach a price to, so that we can justify the benefit in terms of added value.

Let’s take an example:-

Your support customer used to have a manual stock and inventory system. Using your database for an automated system has enabled them to increase shipments by 20% per day. With the shipments of goods totalling £10,000 per day, the value gap i.e. system or no system, is £2000 per day. If the system is down it would cost £200 to £400 in lost or delayed shipments per hour. Staying as they are or going for a support agreement that would reduce down time is the value gap opportunity. That gap is worth £200 to £400 per hour.

Value Added Arguments:

You should always be looking for opportunities to offer more features that will be of benefit by asking the customer to tell you areas in which they would like to see greater support or additional services. If you say “Mr Smith we would like you to upgrade to our gold support agreement, you will receive earlier notification of software upgrades” the usual response will be, we don’t need them. Far better, using reasoning and questions to manoeuvre the customer into a position where they ask or enquire about additional services, explain to you what the possible outcome would be if they did not have those additional services and then you present a value added argument, to fill the gap.

Summary:

The best product, at the best price does not always win the order; we have all been outsold by a competitive salesperson probably offering less of a solution and sometimes even at a higher price. By selling benefits, not telling about features, the prospect will understand the pay off that your solution will deliver. Do not leave them to work it out for themselves, they might not bother!

If you can identify the need for more services and explain, using benefits, how you can meet those needs, it will be a lot easier to up sell and cross sell.

Today’s News: My good friend Keith Rosen has an excellent event coming up this week:

Permission Based Prospecting (TM) Attract More Qualified Prospects - Close More Sales.

Learn from best selling author and renowned executive sales coach Keith Rosen how to maximize your cold calling potential and boost your income by learning how to get in front of the right prospects in less time and create greater selling opportunities without the fear, pressure or anxiety associated with cold calling.

February 21, 2008
1:00 pm ET (12:00 pm CT, 11:00 am MT, 10:00 am PT) Book online here

Tomorrow: In fact Keith is my guest tomorrow on the JF Guest Author Spot and he identifies “The Only Real Competition Is………..”

The JF Guest Author Spot

I teach a lot of different revenue generation strategies in my global travels, and I can tell you when done right referrals are the most powerful tool in the sales arsenal.  My challenge to you is to wake-up and recognize that if you don’t have a systematic referral program in place you are missing out on one of the simplest, lowest cost, ways to generate a massive in-flow of high quality customers for your business.

Why are Referrals so Powerful?

Referrals are the lifeblood of sales; they are more powerful than any advertisement you might run because referrals are founded in trust.

Referrals are powerful is because they create unequaled credibility from a trusted third party, a friend that’s experienced the benefits of doing business with you.  Referrals are even more powerful when they come from someone they know has successfully done business with you.  Why? Because when a referral comes from someone they trust there is no higher way to position the benefits you bring than to help a friend.

You can believe what your friend says about the person being referred as opposed to hearing a “corporate commercial” from a salesperson whose sole purpose is to make money from you.  Do you see the difference?

Referrals have an innate value as they are given freely as a reward for the high quality of service rendered.  A referral is the most compelling sales advertisement on earth. 

Best of all, because you served your customer with integrity you’re able to get referrals for absolutely nothing.

Research shows the how valuable referrals are - Paul and Sarah Edwards, authors of “Getting Business to Come to You” suggest that up to 45% of most service businesses are chosen by customers based on the recommendations of others.  A Dun and Bradstreet survey uncovered that referrals are one of the two most popular marketing methods for any business to make sales, the other one is advertising.  However, referrals consistently out-pulled advertising as to the quality and value of a new customer relationship.

One important note to consider is that referrals increase the life-time value of your customer who has referred someone to you; the referrer becomes more loyal to you and your business because once they have endorsed you, psychologically they become more loyal to you and your business. 

Many sales people and small business owners assume that referrals will happen by themselves if you give good service.  This belief if false and has no grounding in reality.  If you are not deliberate and proactive in developing referrals, the chances of you receiving as many referrals as you want are very unlikely.

Remember your best customers are ready and willing to give you referrals - You just need to show them how. Give them a blueprint on how they can help you.

Let me take a moment to discuss the difference between Word of Mouth Advertising and Referrals.  Word of Mouth advertising happens casually when one of your customers or friends mentions you or your business in a conversation. It’s not intentional or planned and is not something you can depend on to generate a predicable revenue stream.

A referral system is a systematic process that captures qualified prospects through your trusted relationships with clients, associates and friends.

A ’system’ by its definition is a process that produces predictable, measurable results.  A system like the ones I design can be controlled and ramped up to provide all the referrals you can handle very quickly. Every business benefits from word of mouth advertising… but don’t mistake the random nature of word-of-mouth advertising with developing a systematic, predicable system for referral prospecting.

So what’s the secret to getting all the referrals you can handle?  My answer is simple, ‘You just ask for them.’  Logic dictates that you have to ask for a referral in order to get a referral but it’s the fear of asking that impedes many of you from moving forward. 
One reason for the fear is that you are unsure about the perception of value you consistently bring to your clients.  There are a number of reasons for this, and too many to go into here.  Just know that you must become comfortable with asking and overcome the battle you are having with fear because the person you’re asking for the referral can sense the fear, and will be less likely to give you a referral when you are unsure yourself.

Here’s The Good News - People Want to Give Your Referrals! 

Shift your belief from one of receiving to one of giving.  If you truly believe that it will be helping them when you ask them to give you a referral your fear will quickly fade.  Most people want to give back to those who have helped them, and your customers are no different and want to give you referrals.  It makes them feel good that they found someone they had a good experience with and human nature dictates that they will want to share you with their friends.

This positions the referrer as a hero when they give their friends the gift of great service from you, and the person who referred you will feel as though he was able to do his friends a great favor.

When you ask for a referral, after treating the person honorably, you are actually doing them a special favor by letting them refer you.

The Blueprint for How to Ask for a Referral

Has someone ever asked you for a referral?  Did it go something like this: ‘Hi Joe, do you know anyone who could benefit from my services?‘  Joe starts to ponder your question and eventually says, ‘Well, not off the top of my head, but I’ll keep thinking about it…’

This is how 97% of all referral questions are asked and in reality fail.  You might as well not have ever asked the question.
Rarely, if ever will you get a positive response.  Why? Because you didn’t ask the right question in the right way. The phrase ‘know anyone who…‘ is too broad for people to think about and isolate a good referral for you.

People need a specific frame of reference to help them narrow down the playing field of potential referral candidates.  Imagine that you are talking to one of your customers who’s pleased the service you are delivering.

You ask them, ‘You’re a member of the Association for Corporate Growth in Dallas right? They respond, ‘Yes, I am.’ You ask, ‘Do you go to their meetings on a regular basis?‘  ‘Yes, most of the time.’ they reply. ‘Is there anyone in your ACG Chapter that you believe could benefit from my ______ (fill in the blank) services?  Maybe one or two people you’ve known in the group who are Vice Presidents of _______ (fill in the blank)?‘

Did you see the difference?  You gave a narrow frame of reference from which to draw from.  It allowed the person you’re asking to SEE the potential referral candidate in their mind.  This may limit the number of potential people that they might know, but it is far more effective than opening up the ocean of people that they can never identify for you without a reference point.

By being specific with your request, it will also stay in their mind long after you’ve asked it because they visualized your services with much greater intensity.  This will ‘lock-in’ you in the top-of-mind with the individual.

I know one very successful insurance sales person who loves to hunt and knows all the top hunting lodges in America. All of his referral questions are centered on Hunting Lodges because he knows that anyone who can afford to be a member of certain lodges needs his Estate Planning services.

Referrals come from two primary sources - your current customers (people who have done business with you) and non-customers (prominent people) within your target customer group.  You should have an active referral system to secure business from both types of people.

Your customers could be the most enthusiastic about giving you referrals because they have experienced you, your product and your service.  But, when done right you can get more referrals from non-customers than existing customers who have never used your service.

Start developing a system today for obtaining referrals first from your customers and second from non-customers who are Centers of Influence in your market.

In order to quickly ramp-up a Customer Referral Program, recognize that receiving referrals from customers starts giving the kind of great service that creates loyal customers for life.

Perhaps the simplest way to harvest referrals from your customers is to send them a simple well-written letter asking them for their help.  I have an example of this type of letter as a resource in my Trust Cycle Selling Marketing System.

Your best referrers are your customers.  These are the people who have had a positive experience with you and can vouch first hand for your service and products. However, there are many other people and organizations that you must include in your referral prospecting system –

The second set of people are individuals who know and network with many other important and influential people.  These people are often known as, ‘Centers of Influence.’  Centers of Influence can multiply your marketing efforts ten-fold if you approach and position your request properly. They can easily turn your marketing efforts from one-to-one to one-to-many.  Centers of Influence are the heavy hitters that can have a profound multiplying effect on your business.

A person savvy in generating new business will spend the majority of his referral prospecting time with the 20% within their Centers of Influence that produce 80% of their results.

Centers of Influence should be ranked by their ability to help you.  Your Top Tier Centers of Influence are people that are directly related in some way to decision makers within your industry or profession.  Top Tier Centers of Influence have a connection to your industry because they are aligned with others you wish to reach either in business or socially.  Referrals coming from your Top Tier Centers of Influence can be very powerful to your business in many ways.

Your goal with Top Tier referral givers is to be the first person “Top of Mind” when someone asks them about purchasing a _______ (fill in the blank).  With this in mind, you should sit down with the people inside of your company and come up with ideas about how to be the first person that a Top Tier referrer thinks about. Next, develop a list of who those Top Tier Centers of Influence are.

You could consider sponsoring networking events or social gatherings for your Centers of Influence. [Note: Do not allow your competitors to attend.]  Have a good cross section of attendees. You might hold several of these events / parties throughout the year so that you can invite several different potential referrers from the same industry.

Add each Top Tier referrer to your newsletter list so you can continue to “touch” them and maintain your Top of Mind Advantage.  Be sure to give them helpful information that they can use to make their _______ (fill in the blank) go up or ______ (fill in the blank) costs go down.  Give them _______ (fill in the blank) advice and information on new developments in your industry in which they should be aware.

Invite them to an all-expense paid _________ (fill in the blank) association luncheon that has a great speaker.  Rent a limo to pick them up, serve them wine or fine drinks, and treat them like stars.

Purchase a book on _______ (fill in the blank) about their business and give it to them as a free gift.  They will thank you for your interest in wanting to help them grow their business.

If they are a potentially a big referrer, you should send them a year round gift that they will receive every month from Harry and David (www.HarryandDavid.com). This will keep you in their minds all year long.

Place them on an automated schedule to send a birthday card to them, their wife and their kids, send them an anniversary card, and cards for the holidays.  I use “www.RevenueWarriorCards.com” to help me stay in touch with my Centers of Influence.

Arm your Top Tier Centers of Influence with the _______ tools (fill in the blank) to help them to help their customers (and your prospects). You may consider giving your Top Tier Centers of Influence a supply of Special Reports that you have developed that are specifically designed to help them with the challenges they are facing.

Another idea is to purchase a best-selling book-on-tape that you think they might be interested in and give it to them as a gift to let them know you were thinking about them.  Information products about that teach your Center of Influence how to grow their business are always welcome and will let them know that you are interested in helping them grow their business.

Tier 2 Centers of Influence are people whom you come in contact with on a regular basis in your personal life but aren’t connected to your industry. These are trusted influential people who come in contact with a large number of other people and could easily act as a business conduit for you.

They too can multiply your marketing efforts - Your Tier 2 Centers of Influence include but are not limited to the following:  Neighbors, Friends, Clergy, Business owners, Corporate business executives, Accountants, Financial planners, Lawyers, Etc.
Your Tier 2 Centers of Influence are people that may have no idea what it is that you do.  So you need to take the time to clearly explain to them not only what it is you do but the importance of referrals for your business.

Go one step farther by inviting them to after-hours socials. Tell them stories about some results that your customer’s have experienced as a result of your product or service.  Get them excited about what you do.  Get to know what they do by asking them questions.  Now each of you can get excited when you give valuable referrals, which in turn will be transferred to the new prospect.

The Power of Cross-Promotions is perhaps the single most powerful referral program. Let me explain. A cross-promotion uses endorsements from other well-respected people. It’s a simple idea where an associate sends an endorsement letter about you and your product or service to their customer list and you, in turn, do the same to your customer list. It’s a win-win.

The reason endorsement letters are so powerful is because people will buy from people they know and respect. How many times have you asked a personal friend, ‘Do you know a good place to buy __________?‘  Or ‘Do you know a good ____________ that I can go to see about getting _____________?‘

It is important to understand that we listen to people we trust, that’s the power of referrals.  People in authority positions can easily use their influence to help you win business just by recommending you within their inner circle.

In closing I’d like to remind you of something Zig Ziglar, the famous sales trainer once said, ‘You can get everything in life you want if you just help enough other people get what they want.’  This is so true!  Thanks Zig.

Establishing a referral program with your customers and other influential people is absolutely critical. Start today, and don’t make the mistake so many sales and business people make by not having a systematic program in place to capture referrals. They confuse word of mouth advertising with a referral system and, and tragically lose millions of dollars each year by overlooking the single most effective marketing available for a sales people and business.

Don’t make the same mistake!  Create a Referral System for your Top Tier and Tier 2 Centers of Influence.   Take the time necessary to develop your networking skills and hone your referral program today and start receiving an endless stream of high quality customers to your business. It’s money in the bank!

   To learn more about how to create your own successful Referral-based marketing system; you’re invited to visit http://www.joeheller.com and learn more about “Trust Cycle selling”.

Editor’s note: Joe Heller can be reached at (713) 927-4494 or Info [AT] JoeHeller.com.

(c) 2002-2007 Heller Research International, All rights reserved Worldwide.

Today’s News: Today is officially “Link To Me Day” and I have set aside time to develop more links with appropriate, like-minded people on all the sites that I have been persuaded to join over the past twelve months. In fact, I am going to set time aside every month, because networking is one of my favourite activities and I so enjoy making  contact with interesting people. To give you some idea of my diligence, I have a spreadsheet, which details all the facts about my personal network of friends and acquaintances. I try to make contact with them at least once every month to see how I can help them.

So, here’s your opportunity to link with me: If you are a member of Linkedin, My Space, YouTube, Facebook, Pownce or any other well known networking site, do please look me up and invite me to link.

Oh, and don’t forget my two favourite “sales specific” networking locations - Sales Gravy and Accountmaven - the latter is by invitation only, but if you follow this link you can sign up as my guest.

If you would simply like to link to this blog, all you have to do is leave me a comment on any post.

Tomorrow: “Old Ways Of Doing Business No Longer Works” - so what does?

The first thing to remember is that anxiety or nerves means you are alive and without them your resulting presentation would be like you - dead!

What you need to do is learn to control your anxiety and use it to fuel your enthusiasm.

Identifying Fears:

To control your anxiety you must identify what it is that you are afraid of -

  Is it forgetting your lines?

  Is it the audience size?

Once you have established what exactly you are afraid of then establish whether or not you can control it.

Imagine you are the captain of an airliner; do you fear flying? (But you probably fear crashing )Of course not, because you are in complete control of not only the aircraft but also, the crew and the passengers.

You have a flight plan and before you take off, you know the payload, weather conditions for the flight, arrival time, departure time etc. However, what is most significant, you are familiar with flying, you are comfortable with all of that responsibility, because you have flown so many times before and you know virtually everything there is to know about that aircraft.

Therein lies the secret; the more presentations we deliver, the more accomplished we become but equally, we must know what we are talking about, we must know our subject matter inside out, otherwise our audience will find us out

Let’s consider the areas that you can control:

  Your audience - After all you invited them.

  Your material - You designed it.

  Your resources - You chose to utilise them.

  Yourself - You’re no puppet.

If there are any areas you’ve identified that you can’t control, forget them - it’ll probably never happen.
  
Controlling nerves and reducing anxiety:

Organise - Give yourself plenty of time to prepare, know what is going to happen and when. Take the time to rehearse your presentation, preferably with someone you know well. Get them to pride you with objective and constructive criticism.

Visualise - Get into the habit of visualising how the presentation will go, that way the environment will feel familiar even if it’s your first time. Imagine the end of your presentation and your audience smiling with appreciation

Drying Up - Make bullet point notes on individual postcards to prompt you (not lengthy scripts) - you may not need them but they will give you that “comfort zone”. Do remember to number them though, just in case you accidentally shuffle them

Relaxation - Before your presentation take some time for yourself to relax, breathe deeply, go out into the fresh air and clear your head. Do not allow your mind to mentally rehearse the entire presentation, because you need simply to concentrate on your opening lines. Once you have successfully navigated your way through the first couple of minutes, you will begin to relax – a strong opening is crucial

Warming Up - Clear your throat, practise your smile, drink some water to ensure you are hydrated etc.

Dress appropriately and check your posture -If you look the part everyone will assume you know what you are talking about anyway!

Become mobile - It will keep your audience awake.

Use eye contact and smile - They can’t fail to pay attention.

And finally -  practice, practice, practice!

Today’s News: This is an early heads up for an event I think you will not want to miss. My good friend Jill Konrath is hosting a teleseminar featuring another good friend, Jeb Blount - “The Power Principles:How to leverage your talents to achieve your goals” It’s on February 7th and you can find full details plus registration form here 

A really good selection of articles received nominations over at Top 10 Sales Articles this week - tough call for the panel methinks

Tomorrow:On the JF Guest Author Spot - Diane Helbig, fellow Top Sales Expert and runner-up in last year’s Top Sales Article Of The Year contest.

All meaningful actions are performed for some reason or purpose. This is commonly called “motivation”. Success in selling requires understanding these basics of motivation:

• Your motivation both as a person and as a salesperson

• The other person’s motivation both as a person and as a buyer

The most important fact to remember in influencing the behaviour and decisions of others is that – people do things for their reasons, not ours.

Every successful sale, then, is made not so much because of the excellence of your product or of your sales pitch, but because, consciously or unconsciously, you have found the human reason why your prospect should buy. You have found the door to their motivation and have opened it. The more you understand the function of human motivation, the more successfully you will sell.

In its simplest form, motivation emerges as a cycle. It starts with a want or need, expressed or hidden. Inherent in this is a problem, a problem that must be overcome in order to satisfy the want that must be solved. Once solved, the want can be satisfied and the cycle is completed.

In terms of personal development there are several levels of needs. You will no doubt  be familiar with Maslow’s pyramid of need:

These needs are basic to everyone you sell to, live with, or encounter.

At the bottom of the pyramid are The Physiological Needs.  These include food, shelter, warmth, sex and sleep. They are instinctive needs common to all living creatures. Until these needs are satisfied, the higher needs are purely academic.

Then comes Safety which is almost as basic. Security is another word for this need: security in one’s job, in one’s place in society…safety from unknown dangers…freedom from pain.

Love is a more sophisticated but no less essential need. Every human being wants others to care about them, to receive affection. They want to have the approval of others…to be understood…accepted…respected…to belong. And equally important, they have a need to be involved…to care about and give affection to others. The two are inseparable.

Self-esteem is equally essential. Every human being needs to feel that they are important in some sphere of life…that their presence on earth has meaning and significance. The mature person knows that this begins with self-respect. This need provides a tremendous motivational force.

Self-actualization is the highest need: for personal growth and achievement, for self-fulfilment, the best use of one’s capabilities, the fullest possible realisation of potential, within an honest understanding both of the limitations and scope of that potential.

People of course, are different. Their needs will vary in degree, in shape, and in the nature of their answers. But they are common to all. As you are alert to them, as you understand them, so will your success with others be measured.

How do people seek to satisfy their needs? Thorndike’s Law of Effect supplies the answer:

“People tend to behave in a way to gain rewards and avoid punishment”

Again, this varies with different people. Generally, people can be classified into three dominant types:

• The Achiever

• The Seeker of Social Recognition

• The Security-Minded

(But no one is likely to be a “pure” type)

The Achiever is most likely to be oriented toward gaining rewards.

The Security-Minded is likely to be dominated by the desire to avoid punishment.

The Social Type stands somewhere between the two.

These are the dominating factors. But in varying degrees, each has a little of the other two in them.

In terms of selling, whatever the dominant drive of your prospect, they are above all, buying benefits. Benefits are best defined, in this context, as the results of the product, which enable them to gain rewards and/or avoid punishment.

In making their decision, the buyer uses the “Minimax” principle: To minimise their losses; to maximise their gains. This is true whatever the personality orientation. The emphasis depends again on their individual motivational drive.

The Law of Effect then – depending on specific motivation – relates directly to the Pyramid of Human Needs, and expands in this manner:

The benefits you have to offer are both negative and positive. The right emphasis, directed in the right way, offering both to determine preference is your shortest way to your objective.

In summary, according to Russell: “The essence of motivation is finding meaning in what we are doing. Motivation is an inner control of the individual” Only you can motivate yourself.

All these concepts apply to you in all phases of your life, and your work, as well as they apply to others. Finding the right meaning in what you do will be the great motivator for a more effective you.

Understanding the nature of what motivates each person you deal with will enable you to help them make a decision favourable to both of you.

Today’s News:  I received a very excited e-mail from my good buddy, Jeb Blount of Sales Gravy on Saturday morning announcing a new sales articles section - you can check it out here Bound to be a great success, everything he launches usually is.

Last week, I stayed a few days at one of my favourite UK hotels, nestling in the Derby Dales and as ever, received superb service from Pat Mellor and her team: One amusing incident - I lost my WIFI connection and the box was located outside my room, so whilst Sarah Callaghan stood on a chair playing with the switches, Carrie Gordon held my door open, at the same time receiving instructions from Pat via a mobile and I tried and re-tried to connect - which I did eventually. Way to go girls, excellent stuff. The name of the hotel? Horsley Lodge - if you are ever in the UK, do check them out, you will not be disappointed, particularly if you enjoy a round of golf.

Tomorrow:On the JF Guest Author Spot a return for fellow Top Sales Expert, good friend and one of the leading sales trainers in the world, Colleen Francis.

The one term that sets top performers apart is customer focus and truly outstanding sales results depend on:

- The ability to think from the customer’s point of view

- Understanding the customer’s agenda, buying cycle and best interests

Beyond a superficial reading of immediate customer needs, salespeople must gain a deeper understanding of both the buyer’s long-term goals and the overall business climate because at the heart of customer focus is the art of listening constructively - the best salespeople are masters at capturing information

Customer focus means taking the customer seriously - to-day the salesperson who clings to the product orientation of a decade ago is losing ground. As client companies branch into new markets and unfamiliar territories, they are demanding unique, flexible solutions from their vendors - customised to support specific goals

Another myth which can be exploded is that whilst customers value flexibility, being too flexible can undermine the sales relationship. On the whole salespeople imagine that customers value a vendor’s responsiveness above all. However recent research shows that their primary concern is reliability.
 
In order to maintain customer focus the best salespeople become facilitators, creating a partnership that extends the selling relationship within the customer’s company. The motivation to achieve this should be strong - it costs five times as much to attract and sell to a new customer as it does to an existing one! 
 
The right to do business has to be earned and never assumed:

Rather than doggedly asking for the business, the very best sales people work to keep the relationship moving towards a sale. They realise the need to identify how to turn their company’s products into real solutions, which must meet specific needs.
Unfortunately, our surveys confirm that the average salesperson drags the customer over old ground as much as 52% of the time - they are unable to provide continuous stimulation and never know when to treat an existing customer like a new one.

Conversely, exceptional salespeople only make such ‘return’ calls for 10% of the time. Above all, earning the right to proceed requires gaining the customer’s trust and top salespeople work diligently to establish a climate in which the customer is willing to share information and feels comfortable doing so. The key here is integrity. 

Today’s News: Last week’s winner over at Top 10 Sales Articles was an excellent piece by Paul Cherry and published on the Sideroad - if you haven’t visited their site, I urge you to do so without further delay, it is one of my favourites, which is why it recieved a nomination in The JF Article Community Awards recently. You can read Paul’s article, “Sales Techniques For The New Year: Asking Your Customers Tough Questions” here 

Tomorrow: On the JF Guest Author Spot - Tamster, aka Tammy Stanley, good friend and original author, so expect something zany but wholly relevant.

Sales success to-day demands a radical shift from the ‘peddler’ mentality of merely demonstrating products and expanding on their features. It requires treating the customer as a participant. More often than not, a ‘flashy’ sales presentation alone alienates rather than persuades.

The best salespeople regard the sales call as a two-way conversation - not a one sided pitch. They have developed active listening skills and although average salespeople score fairly well in their ability to provide customers with facts and figures, top performers dramatically outscore the rest when it comes to gathering information. In addition, how a salesperson collects information still distinguishes exceptional achievers from the rest of the pack. Top performers ask better questions and as a result gain much better information. Essentially, they aim to engage customers in the buying process with questions that require thoughtful answers, that stimulate curiosity and that reveal the customers underlying needs.

Businesses need to re-define selling and what constitutes basic selling skills:

In to-day’s world of selling, there is less and less room for apprenticeship. Selling has become an exclusive club of highly skilled professionals where product knowledge and time management skills, for instance, are the cost of membership not leadership.
Ongoing research demonstrates that to-day’s ‘average’ salesperson is just as effective as the high performer in explaining features and benefits effectively, relating a service or product to customer needs and closing a sale. But, above this Level 1 plateau of competence, the exceptional salesperson is busy defining the “basic skills of tomorrow”

Building an up-to-date foundation in sales competence does mean sacrificing some old notions of what it takes to succeed in a competitive marketplace. For example, a salesperson can no longer just “win by knowing”. Every company needs to test their assumptions about what skills really contribute to sales success. Too often operating on old sales theories means training and rewarding people to do the wrong things.

When The Buyer And Seller Act As Partners, They Are Building A Bridge To Profitability:

Successful selling is definitely not about the “hit and run” sale. Sales achievers regard their relationships with key customers as a partnership and cultivate it as such. When customers face tough business challenges and complex technological choice, they rely on sales people who can assist them in making the right decisions.

The primary objective of a sales partnership has to be, to create and sustain a mutually productive relationship, which serves the needs of both parties, now and in the future. The key word here is symbiotic. Partnership does not mean eliminating the tension between buyer and seller; it means that top-performing salespeople know how to strike a balance between achieving immediate results and developing the relationship fully.

In Summary: Why Do We Need A Fresh Approach To Selling?

Many organisations have developed without objective analysis of their purpose and structure. The buying power in many industries is no longer evenly distributed - in a large number of markets a few big firms control the majority of purchases.

The development of new marketing techniques has meant that some tasks traditionally performed by the sales team can be more effectively handled by other methods. The prime objective of all sales staff is to gain business. From an organisational point of view, however, how they all achieve their goals must be defined in order to identify what kind and the quality of skills that are required.

Today’s News:  Free Online Sales Webinar!
Mark your calendars to join Razi Imam, CEO, Landslide Technologies Inc. and his guest Paul McCord of McCord and Associates at 1PM EST on January 16, 2008, as they discuss why mega-sales producers don’t spend a fortune on direct mail or advertising and countless hours cold calling or networking at the Chamber of Commerce. View the Full Webinar Description and Register Now!

I am often complimented on the quality of graphics on our sites, which is all down to the pure artistic genius of Bill Jeckells who has just launched his new website - now you can share our genius here www.topgraphicsguy.com

Tomorrow: On the JF Guest Author Spot - a welcome return for my good buddy, best-selling author and leadership guru, Kevin Eikenberry.

Around this time last year, I received an e-mail from an ex-client asking if I had to suggest just twelve essential principles to someone embarking on a sales career, what would I come up with.

I kicked some ideas around for a couple of days and then reproduced my response here, but that was so long ago that I decided it would be worth another airing.

Obviously all of this should be a matter of fact to a “seasoned” sales professional, however, it does no harm whatsoever to go back to basics once in a while. Here is what I came up with for my “Twelve Golden Principles Of Selling”

Principle 1: – Always Sell To People

• People are different

• No two sales are the same

• Aim at becoming a people expert

• Professional sales people actually like people

People buy from people - they always will – despite what the exponents of Sales 2.0 will try to tell you.

Principle 2: – You Have To Sell Yourself

• Be interesting

• Develop ‘intellect’

• Never be arrogant - never talk ‘up’ or ‘down’

• Respect the buyer and they will respect you

• Develop your empathy levels

• Learn to develop rapport

• Control your ego levels

Principle 3: – You Must Ask Questions

• Develop your questioning techniques to uncover needs painlessly

• Remember What? Where? When? Which? Why? Who? And How?

• Continually ‘test your understanding’

Principle 4: – Listen To Understand

• God has given us two ears and one mouth, we should use them in that order

• Successful sales professionals talk for 20% of the time and listen for 80% of the time

• Develop your active listening skills

Principle 5: – Features Must Be Linked To Benefits To Pass The “So What?” Test

Remember:

• Features are common - benefits are personal and specific

• Use the ‘link phrases’ - ‘which means that……’

• Be specific

Principle 6: – Sell The Results – ‘Paint A Picture’

• Discover ‘prime desires’

• Personalise benefits

• Describe end results

Principle 7: – You Cannot Rely On Logic

• 84% of all buying decisions are based upon emotion - not logic

• What are the chief buying emotions? - Ego - Security - Pride of ownership - Greed - Health - Prestige – Status - Ambition - Fear of loss

Principle 8: –Selective Product Knowledge Is The Key

• Buyers buy solutions and results they do not buy products or services

Principle 9: – Aim To Be Unique – ‘Me First’ Rather Than ‘Me Too’

• Every business, every company, every product has something that is unique

• Look outside the square

• Identify the uniqueness of: - your product - your service - your company - yourself

Principle 10: – Don’t Sell On Price

• It is a ‘cop out’

• Value your expertise - your products - your service and price accordingly

• Always keep the ‘bottom line’ firmly in your mind

• Anyone can give business away - selling on price means we do not need salespeople

Principle 11: – Present Your Solutions – Don’t Tell

• When we present our proposals rather than post/fax/e-mail them we increase the likelihood of a sale by…..a factor of ten

Principle 12: – And Finally: Be Professional At all Times

• The greatest compliment a customer can pay you is to describe you as “professional”

• Don’t worry about being liked –be respected.

• Being professional is not one thing it is three: It is what you do, what you say and how you present yourself,

“When I see a bird that swims like a duck, sounds like a duck and looks like a duck; then I call that bird, a duck” Rudyard Kipling

Today’s News: Over on Top 10 Sales Articles the votes are coming in and as I write Diane Helbig has a commanding lead but Keith Rosen is beginning to flex his muscles and Mr Remarkable, Kevin Eikenberry, is sure to be amongst the front runners very shortly If you haven’t voted yet, please consider doing so.

If you were here yesterday and enjoyed some of the Article Community CEOs making an exhibition of themselves, you will also be amused at this, from four of the “girls” on the Top Sales Experts team - who said they can’t boogie? You will instantly recognise: Jill Konrath, Wendy Weiss, Leslie Buterin and of course the little diva herself, Kim Duke here but be patient, as it sometimes takes a while to load.

Tomorrow:With 2008 fast approaching, are you ready for a fresh set of challenges - I share some tips.

The ability to build rapport with customers and prospects is vitally important. Why? Because, if you have rapport with your customers, they are more likely to trust you, listen to you and communicate openly with you. This in turn enables you to interact more comfortably and work more effectively together. Rapport dramatically increases your chances of winning a sale. Having rapport means that when there are tough issues to discuss, for example price increases, you can more easily find agreement and solutions, and move on.

Classic research by Robert Birdwhistle looked at how face-to-face communication was received and responded to. His figures suggest that your impact depends on three factors - how you look, how you sound, and what you say. His research broke it down: 55% body language, 38% quality of the voice and 7% actual words spoken. Rapport involves being able to see eye-to-eye with other people, connecting on their wavelength. So much (93%) of the perception of your sincerity comes not from what you say but how you say it, and how you show an appreciation for the other person’s thoughts and feelings.

When you are in rapport with someone you can disagree with what they say and still relate respectfully with him or her.

The important point to remember is to acknowledge other people for the unique individuals that they are. Rapport can be described as ‘when two people are like each other, they like each other!’ Rapport builds trust and without basic trust communication can become stilted.

When communication between two or more individuals reaches its optimum it’s said that a perfect rapport has been established. On the other hand, when communicating with a customer or prospect is hard the situation becomes rapport-less. Some people we meet may inspire an instant connection and immediate trust, while another person can be very polite and charming, yet we don’t feel any connection with them and our communication feels unnatural.

When two or more people meet they immediately start an automatic process of comparison with the other. If the outcome of this process is judged that the other person is similar in some way then rapport is established. When people are in a state of rapport they tend to respond easier to our instructions, suggestions and influence. Rapport is often seen as the foundation of all good communication.

We have an inbuilt tendency to conform to the other person’s behaviours and if we instinctively feel that conforming is possible, then we will start the process of building rapport. As people, this process happens instinctively and can be evidenced by sharing the same mannerisms, voice qualities and gestures. This means that when two people are in rapport they show a tendency towards a behavioral compromise.

It’s easy to spot two close friends who share similar gestures, facial expressions, verbal expressions and postures, to such a degree that they could be mistaken as being closely related. This is due to the fact that the long-term mutual rapport creates a strong behavioral bond. Even when these two friends disagree on something, they manage to keep rapport alive.

The process we use unconsciously to build rapport can be replicated with conscious awareness, a useful skill for a Sales person to learn. This process can be likened to matching and mirroring a person’s behavior to create a perceived likeness. When we match a person’s mood, their gestures, facial expressions, we are better equipped to start experiencing how they feel at any given moment. Doing so, we obtain that the person observing us will find mirrored in us their emotional state, their way of living at that moment, and all this will increase the chances that they will see in us someone that they can trust.

If we have built sufficient rapport it then becomes possible to lead a person towards where we would like them to go, or what we would like them to do. At an unconscious level they will know that by refusing it (shown by not matching or mirroring you) they will be refusing to build rapport with themselves. Through unconscious identification they are already convinced that you are experiencing what they are experiencing, therefore anything you will manage to do they will feel that it’s something they can do as well.

There are a number of suggestions that can help your rapport-building skills:

- The quickest way to build rapport is to match the other person’s rate of breathing
- By matching a person’s breathing, you’ll find it easier to match their voice qualities
- If you use peripheral vision (expanded awareness, similar to the one used when driving a car) you become more sensory aware of the smallest details about the other person
- You don’t necessarily need to match each gesture exactly, you can match a pen tapping movement with a foot tapping movement at the same pace
- Never match regional accents and if you are female, some male postures may not look appropriate to match
- Paying attention to the other person really helps build rapport because the more you notice, the more you can match
- Take a genuine interest in getting to know what’s important to the other person. Start to understand them rather than expecting them to understand you first
- Pick up on their key words, favourite phrases and way of speaking and build these subtly into your own conversation
- Finally, notice how someone likes to handle information. Do they like lots of detail or just the big picture? As you speak, feed back information in this same portion size.

Today’s News: Nominees for the JF 2008 Article Community Awards, will be announced here on Monday and the winners posted on Christmas Eve. In addition, over at Top 10 Sales Articles we will be launching a poll for the Top Sales Article Of The Year on Sunday.

Finally, the Top Sales Experts Christmas e-book will be available from Monday, packed with original work from the world’s leading sales gurus.

Tomorrow:I have an extremely busy run up to Christmas - nothing changes! But I will be back here for you next week, so have a great w/e - JF

The JF Guest Author Spot

9 Ways To Authentically Sell by Rochelle Togo-Figa

When we think about what we know about selling from the past, for some of us the image of the stereotype pushy salesperson comes to mind. The first thought many of us have is someone is trying to get me to buy something.

None of us likes the experience of “being sold.” We become distrustful and will quickly say, “I’m not interested.” Do you have to be like all those images we have of pushy salespeople? No. We all have different selling styles.

Have you ever watched individuals speak and you found yourself listening to every word they said? You didn’t know the individuals, but there was something about them that drew you to them. It happened because they were being genuine and real. They were being themselves.

Being successful in sales doesn’t come from being slick or pushy, or copying someone else’s selling style. That never works because people can sense you’re not yourself. The key is to understand who you are and be yourself.

Sales success begins with being who you are. It’s really is as simple as that. The prospect will come to you because they’re attracted to your authenticity. When you’re being real, your honesty and trust shines through, and people are drawn to you.

Let’s start to define what selling really is. Once you begin to uncover your own authentic selling style, you’ll start closing more business faster and with ease. Here are 9 ways to get you started:

• Selling is no longer being the slick, aggressive, and pushy salesperson.
• Selling is being more interested in the prospect than in what you have to say.
• Selling is creating a trusting and honest relationship with the prospect.
• Selling is being a keen listener and listening for what’s most important to the prospect.
• Selling is thinking of ways of helping the prospect.
• Selling is going the extra mile and doing the unexpected for the prospect.
• Selling is showing you genuinely want to help them get to where they want to go.
• Selling is making yourself easily accessible to your clients either by phone or email.
• Selling is being yourself. Remember, you are unique and special so let that shine through!

ASSIGNMENT:

On a piece of paper, continue to add to the list and write other ways to show your authentic selling style. Let your thoughts run free. Remember the key to successful selling is being yourself.

Each week take on (1) new way of authentically selling and begin practicing it with a client or prospect.

Rochelle Togo-Figa, The Sales Breakthrough Expert, is the creator of the Sales Breakthrough System(TM), a proven step-by-step sales process that will help you close more sales, sign on more clients and make more money with ease and velocity. To sign up for her free sales articles and teleclasses on closing more sales, visit www.SalesBreakthroughs.com .

Today’s News: Rochelle is also a very recent addition to the Top Sales Experts team and you can read more about her here

Tomorrow: Some hard-hitting thoughts about sales training.

I want to kick-off the week by looking at buyer motivation because all meaningful actions are performed for some reason or purpose. This is commonly called “motivation”. Success in selling requires an understanding of these basics of motivation:

• Your motivation both as a person and as a salesperson

• The other person’s motivation both as a person and as a buyer

The most important fact to remember in influencing the behaviour and decisions of others is that – “People do things for their reasons, not ours.”

Every successful sale then is made not so much because of the excellence of your product or of your sales pitch, but because consciously or unconsciously, you have found the human reason why your prospect should buy. You have found the door to their motivation and have opened it. The more you understand the function of human motivation, the more successfully you will sell.

In its simplest form, motivation emerges as a cycle. It starts with a want or need, expressed or hidden. Inherent in this is a problem, a problem that must be overcome in order to satisfy the want, that must be solved. Once solved, the want can be satisfied and the cycle is completed.

In terms of personal development there are several levels of needs. You will no doubt be familiar with Maslow’s pyramid of need:

These needs are basic to everyone you sell to, live with, or encounter.

At the bottom of the pyramid are The Physiological Needs. These include food, shelter, warmth, sex and sleep. They are instinctive needs common to all living creatures. Until these needs are satisfied, the higher needs are purely academic.

Then comes Safety which is almost as basic. Security is another word for this need; security in one’s job, in one’s place in society…safety from unknown dangers…freedom from pain.

Love is a more sophisticated but no less essential need. Every human being wants others to care about them, to receive affection. They want to have the approval of others…to be understood…accepted…respected…to belong. And equally important, they have a need to be involved…to care about and give affection to others. The two are inseparable.

Self-esteem is equally essential. Every human being needs to feel that they are important in some sphere of life…that their presence on earth has meaning and significance. The mature person knows that this begins with self-respect. This need provides a tremendous motivational force.

Self-actualization is the highest need; for personal growth and achievement, for self-fulfilment, the best use of one’s capabilities, the fullest possible realisation of potential, within an honest understanding both of the limitations and scope of that potential.

People of course, are different. Their needs will vary in degree, in shape and in the nature of their answers. But they are common to all. As you are alert to them, as you understand them, so will your success with others be measured.

How do people seek to satisfy their needs? Thorndike’s Law Of Effect supplies the answer:

“People tend to behave in a way to gain rewards and avoid punishment.”

Again, this varies with different people. Generally, people can be classified into three dominant types:

• The Achiever

• The Seeker of Social Recognition

• The Security-Minded

(But no one is likely to be a “pure” type)

The Achiever is most likely to be oriented toward gaining rewards.

The Security-Minded is likely to be dominated by the desire to avoid punishment.

The Social Type stands somewhere between the two.

These are the dominating factors. But in varying degrees, each has a little of the other two in them.

In terms of selling, whatever the dominant drive of your prospect, they are above all, buying benefits. Benefits are best defined in this context as the results of the product, which enable them to gain rewards and/or avoid punishment.

In making their decision, the buyer uses the “Minimax” principle: To minimise their losses; to maximise their gains. This is true whatever the personality orientation. The emphasis depends again on their individual motivational drive.

The Law of Effect then – depending on specific motivation – relates directly to the Pyramid of Human Needs, and expands in this manner:

The benefits you have to offer are both negative and positive. The right emphasis, directed in the right way, offering both to determine preference is your shortest way to your objective.

In summary, according to Russell: “The essence of motivation is finding meaning in what we are doing. Motivation is an inner control of the individual.” Only you can motivate yourself.

All these concepts apply to you in all phases of your life and your work, as well as they apply to others. Finding the right meaning in what you do will be the great motivator for a more effective you.

Understanding the nature of what motivates each person you deal with will enable you to help them make a decision favourable to both of you.

Today’s News: As you know, I am always keen to promote Top 10 Sales Articles and with just five more weeks before we close the doors and prepare for the Top Sales Article Of 2007, the quality just gets better and better - do check out this week’s nominations for yourself.

I am continuing to introduce you to The Top Sales Experts and today it is the turn of Joanne Black. Joanne has been described as America’s leading authority on referral selling and she is the author of the best selling “No More Cold Calling” You can read more about Joanne here

Tomorrow: Appropriately, my guest tomorrow on The JF Guest Author Spot is none other than Joanne Black.