Sales and Sales Management Blog

June 15, 2009

Boost Your Sales series: “Laying the Foundation for Referrals,” by Ian Brodie

Filed under: marketing,Personal Marketing,prospecting,Referral Selling,sales,selling,Word of Mouth Marketing — Paul McCord @ 6:28 am
Tags: , , , , , , ,

It’s Referrals and Word of Mouth week at the Boost Your Sales blog series. 

We start off with Ian Brodie’s advice on how to prepare your clients to give quality referrals

Tuesday it’s Bill Cates with “Make Sure You Get One Great Referral”

Wednesday Joanne Black is here with “There’s No Such Thing as a Warm Sales Call”

Thursday Dr. Martin Russell discusses “Marketing Is What You Do When Your Product Is No Good”

and finally, on Friday I up with “Your Connections are Your Key to Your Success”

 

Stay tuned in next week as a great list of experts—Jeb Blount, Nigel Edelshain, Cindy King and Ardath Albee give great guidance on “Prospecting and Social Media”

____________________________________________________________________

Laying the Foundations for Referrals
by Ian Brodie

A lot of what’s been written on Referrals over the years has been on the practical strategies and methods for getting them. And there’s no better source for the best thinking on these topics than Paul’s book: Creating a Million Dollar a Year Sales Income: Sales Success through Client Referrals (Wiley: 2007).

But I want to take a slightly different slant in this post. Assuming you know how to prepare and ask your clients and business partners for referrals in an effective way – how can you increase your chances of a strong referral occuring?

I’m going to cover three topics: 1) What motivates people to give referrals in the first place? 2) How you can help your referrers get better at giving referrals and 3) How to attract referrals without having to ask for them.

Motivating Referrers
What motivates someone to actually give a referral? What’s in it for them?

In my experience across multiple professions, I’ve found that clients and business partners are actually very generous when it comes to giving referrals. Their main concern is less one of self interest, and more one of helping their own clients, colleagues and friends.

But what they are concerned about is risk. They will want to be absolutely sure you will do a good job before they refer you to people whose relationship they value. They simply can’t afford to take the risk of you doing a bad job and their reputation and relationship suffering.

Your current and recent clients should have the confidence in you to know this won’t happen. But for business partners (and also perhaps for ex-clients from a while back) you will need to invest time to make sure they are fully confident in your capabilities and your intent to do a great job for whoever they refer you to. And you must be able to demonstrate this – not just claim it. Far better to invite a referral partner to a seminar you are running where you showcase your expertise than to simply tell them you have it.

The other risk for business partners is that you may attempt to “steal” the relationship from them (perhaps unintentionally in some cases). It’s advisable to set out clearly how you would proceed should they refer you – and emphasize that you would ensure they retained the primary relationship.

After these risks have been dealt with, you can increase the urgency and dedication with which your referral partners go about referring you. The prospect of reciprocation (if genuine) can obviously help. But sometimes referral relationships are by nature one-sided.  Accountants, in particular, are often able to give more referrals to lawyers than they get – simply by nature of the number of long-term business relationships they have. So making sure you are “going the extra mile” and visibly doing whatever you can to get high quality referrals back to them helps. In addition, you may be able to help them in other ways: introducing them to wider circles of contacts, giving them specialist advice on their own affairs, allowing them to showcase their expertise as guest presenters at your events.

Helping Your Referrers Get Better at Giving Referrals
In some cases your contacts would like to give referrals to you – but are simply not good at spotting referral situations and making the initial contact. Sometimes they just need a little help.

This is particularly important when the need for your services is not immediately apparent from outside. Companies contemplating layoffs and in need of employment advice don’t often advertise the fact in advance, for example. A close confidante may be privy to discussions that would alert them to these sorts of needs – but often most people don’t see the signs until it’s too late to act.

One method to help referrers identify situations where your services would be of value is to educate them about the externally visible “trigger events” which cause a need for your services. An obvious example would be the hiring of a new general counsel – often presaging a change in retained law firm. News of a potential new product may break well in advance of hiring a marketing consultant to help with the launch.

By thinking through (preferably with the aid of some of your clients themselves) the events that triggered the need for your services you can compile a simple list of “things to look for” which can help you and your referrers steal a march on your competitors.

In other situations, it may be that the referrer can spot the need – but struggles to find the words to discuss it with the potential client. In the case of divorce law for example, it may be very clear to your referral partner that someone needs professional advice – but they may be too embarrassed or uncomfortable to broach the subject with the person they are trying to help.

In this case, you need to help them by firstly educating them about the right time to intervene in the person’s best interest – and giving them some examples of words they can use to gently introduce the subject without the risk of damaging their relationship.

Becoming a “Referral Magnet” – How to Attract Referrals Without needing to Ask for Them.
Most of our discussion so far has focused on how to get more and better “outbound referrals”. In other words, referrals where the referrer reaches out to the prospect to recommend you.

However, the same lessons apply to “inbound referrals” – where the prospect themselves contact your referrer and ask for a recommendation. These types of referral can be incredibly valuable – as they are to highly qualified prospects – ones who are essentially saying “I have a need and I need help now”. Being able to attract these sorts of referrals will pay huge dividends.

The challenge here is that since needs for many products and services arise fairly infrequently, by the time your referrer is contacted by the prospect you won’t necessarily be “front of mind”. So they may not give you a particularly strong referral. After all, how many other lawyers does that accountant you count as a partner know and refer to? How many other printers does that consultant you met at the chamber of commerce pass referrals to already? Usually quite a few.

In order to get these referrals – often the most valuable ones – you must be front of mind with your referral partners when they receive the call.

Now, if they are a current or recent client you have done great work for then the chances are that you will be the only one referred. Or if you are part of a “leads group” then members of that group will automatically refer to you. But these situations are in the minority for most referral situations for most people. In order to maximize the number of referrals you get, you need a wide network of high potential referral partners, and you must be front of mind with them despite them not being recent clients or part of a “club” with you.

How do you do this? In the same way you stay front of mind with high potential clients. You invest in and nurture the relationship. You may not be able to work with them daily or meet them every week – but you can keep in touch and you can add value to them with every interaction.

It’s exactly the approach you would take with a high potential client: you would log them on your contact management system. You would invest in the relationship to secure future business. You would schedule regular events with them, send them clippings or news items of interest, proactively offer advice and guidance for free. Doing the same thing with high potential referral partners can have just as high a payoff. If they are regularly being contacted to give recommendations in your field then you must make sure you have a plan to stay front of mind with them.

You can’t do this with all your potential referrers – but you should be able to identify who are the ones with the most potential to refer business to you and to focus on them.

At minimum, you should be reviewing the list of your top referral sources weekly and your next tier monthly, in order to keep them front of mind for you and ensure that during the week you are awake to possible ideas and resources that might help them. Connect with them on Linkedin and monitor their status updates. Track them and their company via Google Alerts or other tracking methods.  Make sure you keep in touch and maintain your relationship by phone and face to face, not just by email.

Above all, if you are genuinely interested and concerned for them as human beings, then the right sort of nurturing behavior will follow.

Ian Brodie works with professional service firms – consultants, lawyers, accountants, surveyors, architects and coaches – to help them attract more clients and win more new business.  Ian has just launched the Rainmaker Network which is a worldwide free to join network focused on helping partners, marketers and business developers in Professional Service Firms to attract new clients and win new business.

————————————————————————————————————————————-

Do You Like the Sales and Sales Management Blog?

Then you’ll love my POWER SELLING newsletter.  Twice each month you’ll get my newsletter that focuses on real solutions to real sales and sales leadership issues with ACTIONABLE guidance, not grand but worthless theory.

Simply shoot an email to me at pmccord@mccordandassociates.com with “Subscribe” in the subject line and your name and email address and I’ll get you subscribed.

And by the way, we hate SPAM also, so we’ll never sell, lease, rent or give your information to anyone—EVER!

Or, if you prefer, just save the Sales and Sales Managemenet Blog to you RSS Reader here.

June 14, 2009

It’s Here! The Summer 2009 Edition of Articles by the Top Sales Experts

Filed under: Sales Resources — Paul McCord @ 7:57 am
Tags: ,

Top Sales Experts E-Book Summer 2009AND IT’S FREE RIGHT HERE!!!

That’s right.  Because I’m one of the Top Sales Experts and you read my blog or subscribe to my newsletter, you can get your copy of the Summer 2009 e-book which lists for $19.95 for the incredible price of $0, nada, zippo, zilch, nothing.

And don’t even begin to think that free is the book’s value.  This edition is packed with great actionable tips, guidance, and advice from over 40 of the world’s top sales experts such as Dr. Tony Alessandra, Keith Rosen,  Colleen Francis,  Barry Siskind, Kevin Eikenberry, myself, and dozens more.

From prospecting to the sales process to negotiaiton to leadership, you’ll find timely, results oriented articles that seek to give you an edge in today’s tough economic climate.

You can’t afford not to get your hands on this gem and start putting into action the great advice you’ll discover HERE.

June 12, 2009

Boost Your Sales series: “The Most Effective Networking Process There Is,” by Paul McCord

Filed under: Networking,Personal Marketing,prospecting,sales,selling,small business — Paul McCord @ 7:45 am
Tags: , , , , , ,

Yesterday Will Kintish told you how to approach the various combinations of people you’ll find at a networking event, today we’ll finish the Successful Networking week with my discussion of how to turn networking at an event into a disciplined process that will allow you to indenify real prospects and begin building long-term relationships with them.

NEXT WEEK we’ll bring in Ian Brodie, Bill Cates, Joanne Black,and Dr. Martin Russell to help you gain more referrals and Word of Mouth exposure.

__________________________________________________________________________

The Most Effective Networking Process There Is
by Paul McCord

Are you one of the millions of small business owners, salespeople, and professionals who have attended networking events held by the chamber of commerce or a business organization and found the experience to be far less than what you had hoped?  Attending networking events requires more than simply showing up—it requires a disciplined approach.   

Typically, the frustrations and wasted time arise from two fundamental issues:

  • overblown expectations
  • not having a plan of attack

Networking events, especially those of a general nature organized by the chamber or a general business organization, will not provide you with a plate full of potential prospects.  If you can walk out of a networking event with three or four good potential contacts, you have done well.

Unfortunately, many, especially those who are not networking junkies, attend these functions with the hope of leaving the event with a whole stack of business cards of great prospects.  When their expectations are not met, they conclude that networking isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and decide their time is better spent elsewhere.

Besides unrealistic expectations about the number of prospects they’ll meet, a great many attend networking events without thinking through wha their real goal is.  Unless you are selling a relatively common consumer or business commodity, you’re not going to sell at these events.  And since you can’t sell, what should be your primary goal?  Mine, when I attend these events, is not to talk about myself and what I do but to listen and ask questions, to learn as much as I can about the other person in order to qualify them, to begin building a relationship with them, and to have them tell me what issues and problems of theirs I’m going to address when we do get around to discussing who I am and what I do (which, by the way, won’t be at the event).

In addition, most attendees waste the majority of their networking time.  Rather than an organized plan to maximize their benefit from the event, they simply attend hoping to “run into” prospects.

Yet, if you attend regularly and with realistic expectations, networking can eventually pay great dividends.  There are three “secrets” to making networking pay:

1,  Know Where You’re Going

Knowing who is likely to attend the event you are considering is as important as attending the event.  If you are considering going to an event you have never attended before, try to get a copy of the host organization’s member roster.  By examining the membership directory, you can get a fairly good idea of the type of people you can expect to meet.  If it appears there are a reasonable number of people and businesses of interest, plan on attending.  If you can’t get a copy of their member directory, call the organization and ask—most won’t mind the inquiry and will be happy to give you as much information as they can.

2,  Know Why You’re Going

Go with a definite number of contacts you want to make.  Determine how many good contacts you will need in order to make the investment of time worthwhile.  Depending on your particular product or service, that number may be only one or two—or may be much higher at five or six.  By establishing realistic, objective criteria, you can easily determine whether or not your time was well spent and whether or not you want to attend the event again in the future.

3.  Have a System for Working the Event

For most business owners and salespeople, the real networking event killer isn’t so much who is in attendance or even their own unrealistic expectations, but rather the time they waste during the event. 

Working a networking room requires planning and a clear vision of how you will spend your time.  I and many of my clients that I’ve taught the following networking method have found it to be easy and very effective.  The goal of this process is to spend the time identifying quality prospects, learning as much about them as possible in a short amount of time, and once you believe you have a viable prospect, setting a phone or lunch meeting with them.

Arrive about 15 minutes before the official event start time.  Wear a large, easy to read, high quality, permanent nametag that features your first and last name, not just your first name.  Of course, have lots of business cards.  Business cards should be blank on the back.  Wear clothing with two easy to reach pockets.

Station yourself close to the entry door—close enough that people might mistake you for one of the hosts.  Greet each person as he or she enters.  Nothing more than a greeting—and, hopefully, noticing their company name.  All you want is to hear a name, put a name to a face and to make a quick judgment as to whether they might be a prospect.

When arrivals begin to slow, begin your progression around the room.  Move in one direction—left or right.  Greet the first person or group of people you meet.  This round of conversations should be short—two to three minutes at most.  Your goal is to introduce yourself and learn as much as you can in a very short span of time about the person or persons you’ve just met.  Don’t clutter the conversation with information about yourself—keep everything focused on the person or the persons you are speaking with.  Your goal at this event isn’t to sell, it’s to qualify prospects.  This will be your second meeting with many of these people, although you will not remember their names.  Two meetings, two opportunities to put a name with a face. 

Since many, if not most, will offer you a business card, you will begin to segregate cards into an interest stack and a non-interest stack.  When you meet someone you believe you’d like to get to know better—a potential prospect, put their business card in your right-hand pocket.  Those you don’t believe are prospects, put in your left-hand pocket.  This system allows you to immediately find the cards of those you want to reconnect with during the event without having to try to remember their name.  Simple: Right pocket card=reconnect; left pocket=don’t reconnect with today.

If you meet someone you would like to get to know better, before moving on to another group let them know of your interest in learning more about their business and ask their permission to contact them via phone at a later date.  Once they agree, take one of your business cards and on the blank reverse side, write the day and an hour span of time during which you will call:  “Thursday, March 12 between 10:30-11:30.”  This day and time will be the same for everyone you meet that you want to call.  It keeps you from having to remember when you will call, but because it is an hour span, you’ll have time to make several calls without concern that you won’t keep your appointment.

Now, move to the next group and continue in this manner for the majority of the event.  About 30 to 45 minutes prior to the end of the event, go into your last phase.  The last phase is taking the few cards in your right-hand pocket and seeking to reconnect with those people.  This will be your third chance to meet them and to put a name and face together.  In addition, since it will be your third meeting, they’ll begin to feel like they know you and they will probably greet you as a friend rather than as new acquaintance.  Just as you are implanting their name and face in your mind through multiple meetings with them during the event, you’re planting your name and face in their mind.

This conversation will be a little more in-depth, but, again, keep the focus on the other person.  During this conversation move the conversation to the point that instead of a phone call on Thursday, you can invite them to lunch.  If you can’t, prior to moving to the next person, again reiterate the phone call on Thursday and give them another business card with the same information written on the back.

On Thursday, make your phone calls and close for a get to know one another meeting.

This structure allows you to “meet” a prospect three times during the course of the event, set up a definite telephone conversation—and very possibly a lunch meeting–and help both you and the prospect quickly move from the “just met” stage to acquaintance stage very quickly.  All without having to remember any details during the course of the event.

The goal of the conversations is to learn as much as you can about the person you are meeting, not to talk about yourself.  You’re there to learn and to qualify.  You can’t sell at a short networking event unless you’re selling a commodity, but you can sure learn a great deal and identify new prospects.  But to do that you have to listen a great deal more than talk. 

Since people love to talk about themselves and if you get them talking about themselves and their company you can learn how to lazer focus the conversation when it does get around to what you do, give them the freedom to open up as much as possible. In addition, never finish a conversation with a real prospect.  Intentionally leave the conversation hanging—and then invite a further phone or lunch conversation.  I never really talk about what I do until the lunch meeting.  By that time I’ve learned a great deal about the other person and I can tailor my discussion of what I do to the exact issues they’ve disclosed.  Instead of some weak, general elevator speech, I give a pointed response to their needs.

If you keep your expectations reasonable and focus you time during the event on the few true prospects you meet, you’ll find your time at networking events to be both more enjoyable and profitable.

Paul McCord, a leading Business Development Strategist and president of McCord Training, works with companies and sales leaders to help them increase sales and profits by finding and connecting with high quality prospects in ways prospects respect and respond to.  An internationally recognized author, speaker, trainer and consultant, Paul’s clients range from giants such as Chase, New York Life, Siemens, and GE, to small and mid-size firms, as well as individual sales leaders.  He is the author of the popular Sales and Sales Management Blog (http://salesandmanagementblog.com). 

—————————————————————————————————————–

Do You Like What’s Here?

If you like what you see on the Sales and Sales Management Blog, why not subscribe to my twice monthly newsletter POWER SELLING?  Each issue features a full lenght article that addresses a real sales or management issue with actionable content. 

Discussing sales and management theory as so many trainers and consultants do is great fun but doesn’t pay the bills in the real world of sales or sales management.  Instead of dealing with the psudo intellecutal theory pursuit, I deal with the real world of generating more sales through the implementation of effective, efficient strategies and techniques. 

Shoot me an email at pmccord@mccordandassociates.com with “Subscribe” in the subject line and with your name and email address in the body and I’ll get you registered to begin receiving POWER SELLING. 

Or just save the Sales and Sales Management Blog to your RSS Reader by clicking here

A NOTE ABOUT PRIVACY:  we hate SPAM slso so we never lease, sell, rent, or give your information to anyone—EVER.

June 11, 2009

Boost Your Sales series: “Be in command and control when working the room,” by Will Kintish

Filed under: Networking,Personal Marketing,prospecting,sales,selling,small business — Paul McCord @ 6:26 am
Tags: , , , ,

We continue with Successful Networking week.  Today Will Kintish deals with working a room at a networking event, and tomorrow I will discuss how to turn networking an event into a disciplined process that will allow you to indenify real prospects and begin building long-term relationships with them.

NEXT WEEK we’ll bring in Ian Brodie, Bill Cates, Joanne Black, and Dr. Martin Russell to help you gain more referrals and Word of Mouth exposure.

__________________________________________________________________________

Be in command and control when working the room
by Will Kintish

When we attend business events or ,using the scarier word ‘networking’ we walk into that room and start to come up with all sorts of negative self-talk leading to a long list of fears and concerns. One concern we have is the fear of the unknown. This article is to help you delete this particular item off that list. Every room you’ve ever been in and every room you will ever go into will always be formatted in exactly the same way.

There will never be more than 6 groups in a room

1.The single person

This person stands by the wall because they know no-one and don’t know how to break the ice. Approach them slowly as they’re literally praying for someone to talk to. Below is your ice-breaker. Smile, shake hands firmly but not too firmly and have good eye contact. Exchange names and listen carefully for their name that way you’ll hear it! What next ? Think what you have in common and start asking questions.

2. & 3.Couples

As you are surveying the room, you will see couples.  They will either be standing side by side.

Unless you know one or both of them, do not go up to a couple standing face-to-face. This should apply if you’re approaching solo or with a mate.  The body language is telling you that they are having a private and confidential, even intimate, conversation.  It might be business or social – who knows? What they have done is put an invisible barrier around themselves and asked everyone else to keep out.  Don’t go there, it’s enemy territory.  I assure you, if you spend a little time before going up to a couple, your natural senses will tell you whether it’s safe or not.  Even if they are having a contretemps, it’s unlikely they are going to be rude to you, but why take the chance? 

There are only three types of situations with couples:

  • You know both of them
  • You know one of them
  • You know neither of them

Knowing both of them is the easy one, but even then, you’ve got to be polite and ask permission to join them. 

When you know one of them, you are obviously going to approach that person and again, ask: “Please may I join you?”  I reiterate, if you only know one, then watch the body language before moving forward.  When you’ve approached them, the chances are the person you know will introduce you to the person you don’t know.  If they don’t, there is only one reason for it. They’ve forgotten the person’s name.  Friends help friends and when you pick up on the fact that an introduction isn’t forthcoming, simply introduce yourself.  What a big favour you’ve done for your friend; extricating them from this highly embarrassing situation.

I can’t tell how many times people come up whilst I’m talking and rudely interrupt. They don’t know me but know the person I’m talking to and completely ignore me. I always think ‘Hello, am I invisible…don’t I deserve at least a nod?’ At every moment take into account we are all being judged. Long after we forget what others said or did to us, we will still remember how other people made us feel.

When you know neither of them, approach slowly catch someone’s eye and ask if can join them. Read a little further on about how to overcome your fear. They generally introduce themselves, best to let them take the lead as you have moved into their space. At the appropriate moment, consider asking: “How do you know each other?” They have just met, been in business for 25 years or are friends who play sport together. That will move the conversation to a new area and you’re showing interest in both people simultaneously.

As an observer, you will now know when it’s safe to approach two people.  When you are in the position of being one of them, you can control the situation by deciding whether or not to “close the circle.”   As I said earlier, it’s not good to go up to people standing face-to-face, so, if you want to spend a little time with your new-found contact, then create the scenario to ensure you are not interrupted.  Don’t underestimate the power of body language.  A lot of what is being said  will be natural to everyone, whether or not they have heard me present, or have read my book, “I Hate Networking!”  On the other hand, don’t forget, if you want people to come and interrupt you, or catch someone’s eye, then stand shoulder to shoulder in a ‘v’ shape.

4. & 5.Threesomes

When you see groups of three, they stand in an open or closed format.

The former will be standing in a square formation, with one side of the square missing.  In other words, one person will have the other two people standing at right angles and there will be a space opposite the central figure.  Don’t take my word for it, the next time you go to an event, have a look.  See that space as yours; your opportunity to break in.  You will be aiming for the person who is in the middle of a conversation as it is that person you will be interrupting. Using eye contact with all three in the group, gently and quietly ask if you may join them.  999 times out of 1000 their body language becomes open and they’ll welcome you in.You will get a responding smile, “Of course, come in,” and one or all of them will immediately introduce themselves.  What often happens is that you will get chatting with one of the three, the other two will probably carry on their conversation and two new groups have been formed.

So, which groups don’t you go into?  The ones, where there is no gap.  Instead of there being a square, there’s a triangle, where each member of the group is standing shoulder-to-shoulder.  Like the discussion on couples, they’ve closed the circle, or in this case, turned the unfinished square into a triangle.  They are having an intimate conversation and don’t want you in there.  Don’t feel bad about this, it’s not just you they don’t want in there, it’s everyone else at that point; unless you know someone.

6. Groups

Groups of 4+ are the big challenge for most people; whether it’s the approaching, the entering or the leaving.  Let me say here and now, until you’ve got your ‘L’ plates off, don’t start approaching groups, particularly when you don’t know anyone.  Needless to say, it’s not so bad when there is at least one member of the group whom you know, but, even then, it can be a bit daunting.

The group to approach is the one you feel most comfortable with.  Firstly, I’d like to suggest that you aim for groups of three; groups of four or more, even for me, are a big challenge.  Sticking with this group of three, decide whether you are more comfortable with males, females or a mix. At the same time, decide whether you feel at ease with small, medium or tall people. 

Personally, at 5’ 6”, I would never approach three dark-suited men who are 6’ tall; talk about being out of my comfort zone! 

As a general rule, the easiest, and what I mean by that, the friendliest type of group is one with a mix of men and women.

The author of this article is Will Kintish, leading UK authority on effective and confident networking both offline and online. If you’d like Will to speak at your conference or training workshops, call him on 0161 773 3727. Visit www.linkedintraining.co.uk and www.kintish.co.uk for further free and valuable information on all aspects of networking.

—————————————————————————————————————–

Do You Like What’s Here?

If you like what you see on the Sales and Sales Management Blog, why not subscribe to my twice monthly newsletter POWER SELLING?  Each issue features a full lenght article that addresses a real sales or management issue with actionable content. 

Discussing sales and management theory as so many trainers and consultants do is great fun but doesn’t pay the bills in the real world of sales or sales management.  Instead of dealing with the psudo intellecutal theory pursuit, I deal with the real world of generating more sales through the implementation of effective, efficient strategies and techniques. 

Shoot me an email at pmccord@mccordandassociates.com with “Subscribe” in the subject line and with your name and email address in the body and I’ll get you registered to begin receiving POWER SELLING. 

Or save the Sales and Sales Management Blog to your RSS Reader here

A NOTE ABOUT PRIVACY:  we hate SPAM slso so we never lease, sell, rent, or give your information to anyone—EVER.

June 10, 2009

Boost Your Sale series: “What Type Of Networker Are You–Really?” by Jonathan Farrington

Filed under: Networking,Personal Marketing,prospecting,sales,selling,small business — Paul McCord @ 6:58 am
Tags: , , , ,

We continue with Successful Networking week.  Today find out what kind of networker you are.  Tomorrow Will Kintish deals with working a room at a networking event, and Friday I will discuss how to turn networking an event into a disciplined process that will allow you to indenify real prospects and begin building long-term relationships with them.

NEXT WEEK we’ll bring in Ian Brodie, Bill Cates, Joanne Black, and Dr. Martin Russell to help you gain more referrals and Word of Mouth exposure.

__________________________________________________________________________

What Type Of Networker Are You – Really?
By Jonathan Farrington

Before you even begin to look at engaging seriously in lots of networking effort, it is useful to look at your own temperament or disposition. This is the individual’s internal desire to network and to find value and enjoyment from the whole process of building relationships.

For some people, this will be an almost irrelevant issue to debate. Their motivation to want to talk to people regularly and to network is naturally high. Talking to strangers in supermarket lines, at bus/train stops, or even in the elevators is characteristic of such people.

However, even if you really enjoy talking to people, it is a proven fact that most of us are not highly confident and highly motivated networkers. In fact, statistics reveal that only one in ten people are actually comfortable in striking up a relationship with a complete stranger.

Unfortunately, this means that their own misgivings, fears and doubts potentially hinder the vast majority of people. And for successful sales professionals, networking is not a choice; it is a necessary part of the job.

Four Networking Types

In practice, you can divide people who attempt to build networking relationships into four distinct types: the Loner (little or no networking), the Socializer, the User, and the Relationship Builder.

Although a salesperson’s aim is to become the fourth option, the “Relationship Builder,” let’s briefly look at each of these types in turn.

Loners like to do most things by themselves. They may feel that they can do it faster or better, or perhaps they don’t want to bother or worry other people. They feel that their knowledge and skills are often superior to most people, and they ask for help only as a last resort (and when it may be too late).

The Loner is an easily recognizable type, because there are times when we all believe that we will do better ourselves than if we ask others for help. The Loner will not usually want to bother anyone else, or necessarily see much point in doing so, believing that others will be slower and will set lower standards.

Unfortunately, the Loner attitude is a major obstacle to effective networking. We need to shift our thinking greatly in this area. We should be more willing to let others assist, and we should even ask for help more often.

Socializers try to make a friend of everyone they meet. They tend to know people’s names and faces, but not what they do. Socializers are not usually systematic or ordered about following up on a sales lead -– contact is random. Such a person may not listen too deeply and is quick to move on.

Although the Socializer may have a wide circle of friends and contacts, he or she knows little of substance about personal skills and resources. As a result, Socializers do not often share their skills.

The Socializer is also a random networker, following little or no formal contact system.

Users are likely to collect business cards without really connecting with people. They try to make “sales” or “pitches” on the first encounter. They talk about and focus on their own agenda rather than information about mutual needs. They often have superficial interactions, and keep score when giving favors.

Unfortunately, people of this type do network widely, but in a way that creates little benefit for themselves or others. Even worse, this kind of networker tends to create a bad impression, and therefore can give networking an image of being about selling, taking, bargaining and keeping score.

Relationship Builders have a “giving” disposition or abundance mentality. They are generally happy to ask others for help or guidance, and listen and learn about people carefully. Builders are regularly on the lookout for useful information for which others can also benefit. They have a well-ordered and organized networking system.

This type of networker is what this article is all about -– an individual who takes a long-term perspective on relationships with others and thinks more about what he or she can give or offer than about the return.

This type is out there for others, or on call to offer help whenever it is needed. If they cannot help in person, they usually know someone else who can.

Maintaining High Self-Esteem

A topic as big and potentially complicated as a person’s relative self-esteem cannot be covered at any level of detail in a short article. However, it is important to appreciate how low self-esteem can have a major impact on your networking efforts if it is not at least basically understood and addressed.

An individual with high self-esteem is likely to build his own confidence to want to network by having a positive, open and “can-do” attitude.

Conversely, an individual with low self-esteem is likely to lack confidence to start with. They will convince themselves (and others) that they have little that would be of interest to others in any network.

And in a successful sales career, this is too high a price to pay.

Apart from the Builder, one factor connects the other three types in preventing them from networking more effectively. This is the issue of self-esteem.

The Loner believes in himself or herself, but not necessarily in others (especially relative strangers). The Socializer likes people, but also very much wants to be liked by others (and therefore does not want to ask for favors). Finally, the User takes a relatively selfish view of, “If I benefit or gain, I might reciprocate; otherwise I won’t.”

Of course, all of these types fear rejection, obligation, being too pushy or even looking weak. All of these fears or concerns about networking need to be lessened or overcome.

So………..just what type of networker are you really?

 

Jonathan Farrington is a globally recognised business coach, mentor, author and consultant. He is the CEO of Top Sales Associates, Chairman of The Sales Corporation and Managing Partner of The JF Consultancy, all based in London & Paris. You can read his hugely popular daily blog here

———————————————————————————————————————————————

Do You Like What’s Here?

If you like what you see on the Sales and Sales Management Blog, why not subscribe to my twice monthly newsletter POWER SELLING?  Each issue features a full lenght article that addresses a real sales or management issue with actionable content. 

Discussing sales and management theory as so many trainers and consultants do is great fun but doesn’t pay the bills in the real world of sales or sales management.  Instead of dealing with the psudo intellecutal theory pursuit, I deal with the real world of generating more sales through the implementation of effective, efficient strategies and techniques. 

Shoot me an email at pmccord@mccordandassociates.com with “Subscribe” in the subject line and with your name and email address in the body and I’ll get you registered to begin receiving POWER SELLING. 

A NOTE ABOUT PRIVACY:  we hate SPAM slso so we never lease, sell, rent, or give your information to anyone—EVER.

June 9, 2009

Boost Your Sales Series: “What is Social Currency?” by Andrea Sittig-Rolf

Filed under: Networking,prospecting,sales,selling,small business — Paul McCord @ 6:48 am
Week 2 of the Boost Your Sales series focuses on Successful Networking.  Today’s expert is Andrea Sittig-RolfTomorrow we’ll hear from Jonathan Farrington

Thursday it’s time for Will Kintish

Friday is my take on networking

And stay tuned for next week when we’ll have Ian Brodie, Joanne Black, Bill Cates, Drl Martin Russell and I tackle using referrals and Word of Mouth to generate business.

——————————————————————————————————————–

What is Social Currency?
By Andrea Sittig-Rolf

Excerpt from Power Referrals: The Ambassador Method for Empowering Others to Promote Your Business and Do the Selling for You (McGraw-Hill, 2008).

Social Currency is the value we bring to the social networks in which we are involved. Think of all of the networks you are involved in; social networks, professional networks, family networks. In every network, you bring value to others in that network based on the people you know and the relationships you have. Social currency is what you have to “spend” by way of introductions you make to help the people in your networks get what they want.

So how do you determine your social currency? Think of all of your spheres of influence: the people you know and the networks you’re involved in. Your spheres of influence can include colleagues, associates, referral partners, prospects, customers, friends, family, and Ambassadors. The Social Currency Assessment will help you map and understand your individual strengths and how they can benefit those in your spheres of influence, your potential Ambassadors, and your actual Ambassadors. 

Everyone has skills, abilities and gifts, and this assessment will help to hone yours for a clear understanding of what strengths you have and what assets you bring to the table in your Ambassador relationships. For those skills and strengths you don’t feel you have, it’s best to simply manage your weaknesses, and to build on your strengths.

Your spheres of influence and your strengths are just part of your overall social currency…

Social Currency Spheres of Influence Diagram[1]

Social Currency Assessment Template[1]

Andrea Sittig-Rolf  is a sales trainer, public speaker, author, and president of Sittig Incorporated, a sales training and consulting firm. Her books are available wherever books are sold.  She can be reached at info@sittiginc.com or 206-769-4886.  Visit her website at www.sittiginc.com

—————————————————————————————————————————-

Do You Like What You See Here?

I strive to bring you quality with every post, whether it is my writing or a guest author.  If you like what you get here I suggest you

     Save the Sales and Sales Management Blog to your RSS Reader

     Shoot me an email at pmccord@mccordandassociates.com with the word ‘Subscribe’ in the
     subject line with your name and email address and I’ll get you subscribed to my twice
     monthly newsletter

    Follow me on Twitter

    Become a Fan of McCord Training on Facebook

June 8, 2009

Boost Your Sales Series: “21 Tips to Use at a Networking Event,” by Mark Hunter

Filed under: business,Networking,prospecting,sales,selling,small business — Paul McCord @ 6:04 am
Tags: , , , ,

Week 2 of the Boost Your Sales series focuses on Successful Networking.  Our first expert is Mark Hunter with “Networking is a ‘Con’ Game.”

Tomorrow we’ll hear from Andrea Sittig-Rolf

Wednesday brings in Jonathan Farrington

Thursday it’s time for Will Kintish

Friday is my take on networking

And stay tuned for next week when we’ll have Ian Brodie, Joanne Black, Bill Cates, Dr Martin Russell and I tackle using referrals and Word of Mouth to generate business.

——————————————————————————————————————–

21 Tips to Use at a Networking Event
by Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter”

When you arrive at a networking event, avoid gravitating to people you know.  You should initially thank the host and then immediately find someone new to introduce yourself to.  This will help keep you in the right frame of mind as to why you came.

Stop selling and start listening!  When you meet someone for the first time, use it as an opportunity to get to know them.  Don’t try to sell them anything.  Rather, begin to establish a relationship.

Keep your business cards in the breast pocket of your coat, a shirt pocket, or in an outside pocket of your purse so they are easy to access and in good condition.

When giving a person your card, personalize it by hand writing your cell number on it.  This will cause the recipient to feel that they are receiving something special. 

When giving or receiving a business card, be especially careful when dealing with people from outside the US as many cultures treat them with very high regard.

When receiving a card from someone, take a moment to write yourself a note on it such as where you met.  If you do this while you’re still talking to the person, it will help convey your sense of personal connection. 

During the course of a conversation, use the other person’s first name two or three times.  People always like to hear their own name and it will help you to remember it when the discussion is over.

Rather than telling a new contact all about yourself, spend your time asking them questions.  It’s amazing how much you’ll learn!

After you meet someone for the first time, use the back of their business card to jot a note about something you learned from the conversation and the date and place you met them.  Recording the information will give you something to talk to them about the next time you see them.

Connect with the person you’re talking to by tilting your head as you listen to them. It is an effective body language technique which communicates that you’re paying attention to what they’re saying.

When a person is talking to you, be sure to look directly at them.  Giving a person full attention with your eyes will encourage them to share more. 

Remember, however, that it’s not a “stare-down” contest.  Give the person 3 – 5 seconds of eye contact and then look away briefly before returning your focus to them again.

The best location to network is by a high-traffic area such as a main door, the bar, or near the food.

Never approach people if they’re walking towards the restroom.  Wait until they have returned to the networking area.

After the person has shared something with you, ask them another question about what they just said.  This shows that you’re paying attention and that you care about what they’re telling you.

 Always keep one hand free to allow yourself to shake hands with people.  This means that you shouldn’t eat and drink at the same time.  Remember, this is a networking event, not a full-course meal.

 As a way of demonstrating your networking skills, introduce each new person you meet to at least one other person.

 Never try to barge into a group of 4 or more people.  Come along side of the group, but do not attempt to enter into the discussion until you’ve made eye contact with everyone.

 Do not approach two people who are talking, as you may be interrupting an important discussion.

 It is best to initiate conversation with someone who is standing by themselves.  They’ll be happy to have someone to talk to them and, as a result, will many times open up with valuable information.

When you meet someone for the first time, you have 48 hours to follow up with them before they will completely forget about meeting you.

A networking event is not a time to see how many business cards you can acquire.  Rather, it is a time to develop a few relationships that have potential.

Mark Hunter, “The Sales Hunter”, is a sales expert who speaks to thousands each year on how to increase their sales profitability.  For more information, to receive a free weekly email sales tip, or to read his Sales Motivation Blog, visit www.TheSalesHunter.com.

—————————————————————————————————————————-

Do You Like What You See Here?

I strive to bring you quality with every post, whether it is my writing or a guest author.  If you like what you get here I suggest you

     Save the Sales and Sales Management Blog to your RSS Reader

Shoot me an email at pmccord@mccordandassociates.com with the word ‘Subscribe’ in the subject line with your name and email address and I’ll get you subscribed to my twice monthly newsletter

    Follow me on Twitter

    Become a Fan of McCord Training on Facebook

June 5, 2009

Boost Your Sales Series: “Turn Your Cold Calls into Welcome Introductions,” by Paul McCord

Filed under: cold calling,marketing,Personal Marketing,prospecting,Referral Selling,sales,selling,small business — Paul McCord @ 7:33 am
Tags: , , , , , , ,

Here’s the last article for the “Using the Phone to Generate Business” week.  It’s my contribution about the process I use to connect with prospects via the phone.  I never make cold calls, but I speak with a lot of decision makers I’ve never interacted with before.  This is how I turn what would be a cold call into a referred introduction.

Next week we’ll deal with Successful Networking.  First up will be The Sales Hunter–Mark Hunter; Tuesday bring in Andrea Sittig-Rolf; on Wednesday it will be Jonathan Farrington’s turn; Thursday I’ll introduce you to Will Kintish; and then Friday, as always, it will be my turn to tackle networking.

Come back everyday to get your daily dose of great, actionable sales and management guidance and discussions.

——————————————————————————————————————————————–Never a Cold Call, Always an Introduction
By Paul McCord

Are you a business-to-buisness seller who must use the phone to generate buisness and who is frustrated with amount of time you must spend, the number of calls you must place just to get a single appointment?  I feel your pain.

Are you tired of trying to find ways around the gate keeper, create voice mail messages that will be returned, and find a way to capture and keep your prospect’s attention?  Again, I feel your pain.

I’m a salesman, too.  I sell sales training, management consulting, coaching and speaking presentations.  My clients are companies, individual salespeople, business owners, and business and industry associations.

I prospect.  I have to if I want to stay in business.  I, like every other seller, am constantly looking for potential new business.

I also market my services and myself.  I have to invest a significant amount of my time and effort in getting my message out to potential clients.  The marketing I engage in takes many forms–from writing articles to giving interviews to writing newsletters to attending events and functions to networking and seeking referrals.

In other words, my business is exactly like yours.  I engage in the same activities you do.  I face the same obstacles, the same setbacks, the same disappointments, and enjoy the same victories. 

Whether you sell insurance, parking lot maintenance, copiers, communication systems, or the most sophisticated computer networks, business-to-business selling is in its essence the same for all of us.  The details are different.  The process may be vastly different.  The sales cycle may be months or even years apart.  But the basic essence is the same, and the most basic is you have to have a prospect that will accept your efforts to connect with them.

Like almost every other seller, I must use the phone to connect with some of those prospects.  Nevertheless, I refuse to make cold calls.  In my opinion, there is hardly a more worthless use of my time and energy than cold calling.  Cold calling is time consuming for the sellerCo and it immediately signifies to the recipient of the call that the person making the call isn’t an expert in their field because most prospects assume that true experts aren’t sitting at a desk pounding the phone.

Yet, that creates a dilemma for me—there are prospects I can’t find a way to reach without picking up the phone and calling them.  Despite being a strong advocate of referral selling, networking, developing referral partnerships, and using PR to create interest and get prospects to pick up the phone, those methods, no matter how expertly I implement them, just can’t get me to every possible prospect that I’m interested in reaching.

Not having a way to connect through other means and refusing to cold call presents a serious problem.

Fortunately, there is a solution that allows me to NEVER make a cold call and still call prospects that I’ve never interacted with before.  In fact, it always allows me to begin establishing a relationship with almost every prospect I connect with that I can expand and nurture over time.  In addition, this simple method allows me to gather a wealth of information about the company, their needs, their plans, and in many cases, key information about the person I’m about to speak to before I ever make the call.  Before I call, I know whom I’m calling, why I’m calling, and I have a very good idea of where the conversation will be going. 

And if my prospect doesn’t answer the phone, I almost always get a return call from the voice mail I leave.

What is the incredible system I use?

Actually, it is so simple and so obvious I almost hate to admit it.  But it works.  It takes the pressure off me, as well as off the prospect.  When I call, I’m simply doing follow-up work, fulfilling my obligation to one or more of the prospect’s employees.

Once I’ve identified a company to approach about any of my services, I do my homework.  I call three or four of the company’s salespeople (remember my prodict– I’m selling sales training and consulting).  My hope is to speak to a salesperson that has been with the company for only a short time, to another who is an old hand with the company, and one who is a top producer. 

When I speak to these individuals, I am upfront with the purpose of my call.  I let them know who I am, why I’m calling them, what my intentions are regarding calling the company about my services, and request their permission to ask them some questions about the company and their experience with the company.  Seldom does anyone refuse speaking with me.  If they do, I’ll just call another salesperson within the company.

I ask a number of information gathering questions such as:

  • what type of sales training the company provides
  • their personal evaluation of the quality of the training
  • whether training is provided by outside vendors on in-house trainers
  • if they use outside trainers, what companies do they use
  • what training needs do they see the company has that aren’t being met
  • who in their opinion I should speak to about training
  • if there is anything else I should know prior to calling the person they suggested I call
  • prior to ending the call, I ask for permission to use their name when I make the call.

Three or four short calls—each will only last a very few minutes—gives me a tremendous amount of information about the company and potential opportunities for me.  Often I learn a little bit of personal information about the person I’m about to call that helps me connect with them.  Typically, at least one and often two or three of the individuals will not only give me permission to mention their name, but will encourage me to call, giving me a referral into the company.  Now, I’ve not only upgraded the call from a cold call to a warm call, but I’ve upgraded the warm call to a referral. 

When I do call the company, I use the introductions provided by the salespeople to break the ice and gain credibility.  Those introductions turn the call into a conversation about their needs and observations rather than a sales pitch.   In fact, most prospects actually appreciate my call.  In many cases I’m informing them of issues and concerns their sales team has that they aren’t aware of, and in virtually all cases I’m not calling them wasting their time fishing for  a reason to meet with them, I’m discussing a real specific issue that their team has that needs to be addressed.

If I am directed to voice mail, I don’t panic.  I don’t hang up without leaving a message.  I don’t leave some misleading message hoping to trick someone into returning my call.  I leave a very brief factual message that introduces myself and mentions that salesperson X and salesperson Y asked me to call about some issues that concern them.  I almost always get a return call.

Naturally, the person I’m calling wants to know how and why his or her salespeople encouraged me to make the call.  Again, I don’t beat around the bush.  I tell them that I was doing my homework prior to making my introductory call.  The fact that I was willing to spend time learning something about the company, their needs, their salespeople, and their processes tends to impress the person with whom I’m speaking. 

Seldom do sellers take the time to be prepared before making a call.  Seldom do they find a way to turn a cold call into a referral.  So unusual is it that when someone calls who is fully prepared, the impression is not only positive but also deep and lasting.  Furthermore, by demonstrating my ability to find a positive, honest and effective way to connect with them that pricks their interest and almost demands they pay attention to me, they make the connection that I just might have something of value to teach their sales team. 

Naturally, I don’t turn every call into a sale.  I do, however, begin the process of developing a positive and trusting relationship that will, hopefully, turn into a sale in the future.

My method of reaching the prospects that I otherwise cannot find another way of reaching doesn’t allow me to make tons of calls.  I give up quantity for quality.  And to tell you the truth, I’d much rather have an introduction to a quality prospect than sit and pound the phone hoping that sooner or later I’ll fall into an appointment.

No matter your product, you too can find individuals within your target companies who can give you the information you need—and their endorsement when you do make the call.  Getting past gatekeepers and gaining the prospect’s interest doesn’t have to be a game of deception or manipulation.  Investing a little time before calling your prospect opens doors, eliminates resistance, pricks interest, and helps begin the relationship building process. 

You virtually never have to make another business-to-business cold call.  With a little bit of research and effort you can turn almost every cold call into a referred call.  Give it a try, it makes life much easier and making those calls much more enjoyable—and productive.

Paul McCord, a leading Business Development Strategist and president of McCord Training, works with companies and sales leaders to help them increase sales and profits by finding and connecting with high quality prospects in ways prospects respect and respond to.  An internationally recognized author, speaker, trainer and consultant, Paul’s clients range from giants such as Chase, New York Life, Siemens, and GE, to small and mid-size firms, as well as individual sales leaders.  He is the author of the popular Sales and Sales Management Blog (http://salesandmanagementblog.com). 

————————————————————————————————————————————————

Do you like the content of the Sales and Sales Management Blog?

If you do I encourage you to do two things:

1.  Tell your friends, associates, and colleguges and suggest they come visit the blog for themselves

2.  Send me a quick email with your name and address and get signed up for my POWER SELLING newsletter that twice a month will give you additional great content right in your email box.  Just shoot me an email at pmccord@mccordandassociates.com with you name and email address an put “subscribe” in the subject line.  I’ll know what to do with it.  And by the way, we never sell, lease, rent, or give you information to anyone–ever.

June 4, 2009

Boost Your Sales Series: “Why Your Voice Mails Are Ignored, and What to Do Instead,” by Art Sobczak

Filed under: cold calling,prospecting,sales,selling — Paul McCord @ 6:01 am
Tags: , , , ,

Art Sobczak is up with guidance on what to do to get your voice mails answered.

Tomorrow ‘s my turn as I talk about how to turn a business to business cold call into an introduction and conversation about a real problem the prospect has that needs to be dealt with.

Upcoming topics:

Next week:  Successful Networking

The week after:  Referrals and Word of Mouth Marketing

The week after that:  Prospecting and Using Social Media

Come back every weekday for a summer’s worth of great guidance from the world’s top experts.

—————————————————————————————————————————————–

Why Your Voice Mails Are Ignored, and What to Do Instead           
By Art Sobczak

“I leave voice mail messages all day long for prospects,” the salesperson complained to me. “Why don’t people call me back?”

I didn’t need to listen to his calls to give an answer. The same reasons apply to all salespeople leaving voice mails. Pick any three (or more) of the following reasons.

The message is too long. Grab their attention within 10 seconds or you’re “sixed” (or whatever their delete key is.) Picture someone picking up their voice mails in a busy, noisy airport; they don’t have time to listen to your life story.

It’s not about them. They don’t care about you, your products, or that you’re their new “account manager.” And really, why should they?  They’re just like Toby Keith in his song, “I Want to Talk About ME.”

You sound salesy. Mention that you have a new product, a service, that you want them to do business with you, or that you want to meet with them, and you evoke the same resistance as when the retail store sales rep says, “May I help you?”  Face it: most people run the other way when a salesperson approaches them.

Most people don’t return voice mails from sales reps. News alert: They’re swimming upstream as fast as they can just to stay up with their daily piles of work and emails. Very few say, “Oh, good. Another call from a sales rep. Move that to the top of the to-do list.”

You only called once. Even if someone returns the occasional voice mail, who do they call? Probably not the one-time caller. A buyer I interviewed told me that he never returns calls, and the only sales reps who have the remotest chance of even getting through his screener next time are those he recognizes as having left several interesting voice mails.

So is voice mail a lost cause for sales reps?

On the contrary, it’s a great tool to separate you from the majority of reps making mistakes. Here’s what to do.

Learn about them first. Be a detective. Glean info wherever possible. Go to their website. Enter the company name and prospect’s name into search engines. Read trade publications, your local Business Journal, and the ones in your territory. Then use that information in your message as it relates to how you might be able to help them get or avoid something.

Talk to others in the company. Anyone and everyone. Continue your info-gathering. Identify yourself and company and say, “I hope you can help me. I’m going to speak with Ms. Byer, and I want to be sure that what I have would be appropriate.” Then ask questions.

Be prepared. Voice mail is not new technology. It shouldn’t be a surprise that you will be asked to speak after the tone. So why not be prepared for what you’ll say, without hesitation?  (Just notice how many messages you get that begin with, “Uhhh.”) There’s no excuse to not be smooth and confident.

Use a “possible results” statement. This is the grabber. Mention what you might be able to do for them. Personalization increases their interest level: “I understand you’re now looking at ways to increase the number of long-term leases at your Highland Park property. We specialize in some unique marketing methods that help property managers minimize vacancies…”

Use a multi-media approach. Don’t rely on voice mail to carry the entire load. Back up your message with an email, a fax, a letter, or a message that you ask the screener to write on the pink message pad and give to the boss. And don’t overlook the lowest tech, but highest touch approach: handwritten letters.

Say YOU’LL call back. You need to control the communication. It’s your responsibility to reach them. Tell them you’ll call back Thursday morning. Then DO it. But do give them options to reach you, leaving your phone number and email just in case they want to contact you.

Use a “last resort.” At some point of repeated futility, depending upon their future potential and the size of your prospect pool, you need to punt and leave a final, firmer message. What is that point?  If you sell office supplies, everyone could be a prospect, so the magic number at which you let go would be smaller than for someone selling train locomotives to railroads. What to say?

“… I’ve tried several times to contact you about how we might be able to help cut your cost of customer acquisition by 20% like we have for B.O. Industries. If I don’t hear back from you I’m going to assume this is not something you’d like to discuss at this time …”

This often elicits a response (I’ve even heard apologies) from people who are interested and simply were too busy to reply.

While most sales reps are ensuring they never get through because of their voice mails, you can set yourself apart and pave the way for a productive conversation. Avoid these mistakes, use these ideas, and the sound of the tone will be like the music of a cash register!

(For over 26 years Art Sobczak has helped sales pros say and do the right things to minimize resistance and rejection, and get “yes” answers by phone in their sales and prospecting. Get his free weekly emailed tips, see more examples of articles like this one, and hear recordings of actual calls at his Telesales Blog, http://www.TelesalesBlog.com)

———————————————————————————————————————————————

Want More Great Content?

Subscribe to POWER SElLING my twice monthly newsletter.  Great material to help you sell and manage better.  Named as one of the top sales and sales management newsletters two years running.

Just drop me an email at pmccord@mccordandassociates.com with your name and email address and I’ll get you signed up.

June 3, 2009

Boost Your Sales Series: “Why Prospecting is Like Baseball,” by Trish Bertuzzi

Filed under: cold calling,sales,selling,small business — Paul McCord @ 7:11 am
Tags: , , , , ,

Staying with Trish Bertuzzi’s analogy of baseball, I guess as the third contributor of the week, that makes Trish the power hitter and tommorow Art Sobczak will the week’s clean up hitter with “Why Your Voice Mails Are Ignored.”  I’ll bat fifthy on Friday when I talk about how to convert your business to business cold calls into welcome introductions to the decision maker.

Next week we tackle the issue of Successful Networking and the line up is:

Monday June 8:    Mark Hunter   

Tuesday June 9:   Andrea Sittig-Rolf   

Wednesday  June 10:   Jonathan Farrington

Thursday June 11: Will Kintish

Friday:  Me again, as is the case every Friday

——————————————————————————————————————————————-
Why Prospecting is Like Baseball
by Trish Bertuzzi

I am not a fanatical baseball fan like some of my friends.  My friend Linda can quote stats and facts about the Red Sox till your head spins.  She lives for the game.

Anyway, the reason I want to talk about why prospecting is like baseball is because I recently saw a quote by Mickey Mantle that struck home. 

“During my 18 years in baseball, I came to bat almost 9,000 times.  I struck out over 1,700 times and walked over 1,800 times.  That means I played seven years in the major leagues without even hitting a baseball.”

Wow – 7 years without hitting the ball! What dedication, what a positive mental attitude, what a viewpoint that you have to put in the time to get the results you need to be an all star. 

Don’t you wish your sales organization understood that successful prospecting needs to be based on the same positive attributes?

How many times have you heard Reps say: “I called those leads and they are terrible”? Then you go into the database and see that they lobbed out a few calls to a few of the leads and, big surprise, they got out of that effort what they put in – nothing. 

Or, how many of them lament that cold calling yields no results yet they never do it? Or, and this one gets my blood boiling, how many times have you heard them call a prospect and say “Bob, I was just calling to follow-up on a whitepaper you recently downloaded”?  Yeah, that’s a compelling message!

So, how do you provide them with the dedication, positive mental attitude and the understanding that every prospecting exercise may not result in a home run?  You coach them – every great athlete has a great coach behind them.

  • Coaching Step 1:
    Give them the metrics against which to measure themselves.
    Baseball is all about stats and so is prospecting.  Set their expectations that they will connect with 20 – 25% of their dials and that 10 – 17% of those connections will result in a qualified opportunity.
  • Coaching Step 2:
    Provide them with the equipment they need to be successful.
    Give them great leads, give them accurate lists and give them great tools.  Have you created elevator pitches that are about your buyer persona and not about you?  Have you crafted voicemail messages and emails templates that deliver value and resonate with your prospect’s issues? 
  • Coaching Step 3:
    Act like a coach.
    When was the last time you swung a bat?  If you lead a team, you should spend at least 4 hours a month doing their job.  Get in there and prospect.  There is a double benefit to this – you will walk a mile in their shoes and just as importantly, you will get to hear how the market responds to your messaging.  Then take all that great knowledge and coach your team.
  • Coaching Step 4:
    Let them compete.
    Sales Reps like to compete and allowing them to compete at the level of prospecting levels the playing field.  Not everyone is a superstar when it comes to revenue but everyone can be a superstar when it comes to prospecting.

Well, I am out of baseball analogies so I guess I will wrap up now, but what I hope you take away from this is that just like Mickey Mantle, your team has to invest time on the playing field if they are going win the game!

Trish Bertuzzi is CEO of The Bridge Group Inc.—Inside Sales Consulting.  With over 120 distinguished technology clients, Trish and The Bridge Group have built their business by delivering unparalleled service. Prior to founding the Bridge Group, Trish designed and built best practice inside sales organizations for companies including Legent Corporation, Cadre Technologies, Bachman Information Systems, and Telesales, Inc.

———————————————————————————————————————————————

Want More Great Content?

Subscribe to POWER SElLING my twice monthly newsletter.  Great material to help you sell and manage better.  Named as one of the top sales and sales management newsletters two years running.

Just drop me an email at pmccord@mccordandassociates.com with your name and email address and I’ll get you signed up.

« Previous Page — Next Page »

Theme: Rubric. Blog at WordPress.com. Fonts on this blog.

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 3,814 other followers