Sales and Sales Management Blog

November 29, 2010

Guest Article: “Building Your Personal Philosophy for Success,” by Colleen Francis

Filed under: success — Paul McCord @ 4:31 pm
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Building Your Personal Philosophy for Success
By Colleen Francis

Throughout my career as a sales person and as a sales trainer, I’ve noticed that the top 10% of professionals in this field all share a passion for what they do. It’s not just that they have a knack for connecting with people and getting them to buy more goods or services more often. They also put a lot of thought into how they sell, how they work with people, and about why their personal approach works well for them. In essence, top performers have a personal philosophy for success—daily habits and disciplined beliefs that are at the root of how they do business with people on both a professional and personal level.

It’s especially important to take action on this in today’s economy, because frankly most of your less-successful competitors out there today are too busy repeating old mistakes, blaming the recession or even their customers (hard to believe, but true) for their disappointing sales results.

You know better than that, which is why you’re here with us at Engage Selling Solutions! The fact of the matter is that success—real lasting success—in sales in any industry hinges on how you look at your work and on the choices you make in getting things done.

Become what you think about yourself

“People tend to become what they think about themselves.” That’s a quote from pioneer psychologist William James; one that I’m particularly fond of, because it applies so well to the selling profession. It underlines just how important it is for each of us to take time and ask ourselves “what kind of a sales person do I want to be?”

By deciding for yourself that you want to become part of the top-10% of sales performers in your organization, you’re making a commitment to yourself to do more than just sell more in less time—you’re also adopting a mindset for success.

You’re shaped by who you associate with

Approaching sales from the right mindset also involves giving some thought to who you choose to surround yourself with. In my experience, I find that a lot of people are held back by the people they associate with. Tony Robbins said it most eloquently where he said your income is a direct reflection of the expectations of the five people who are closest to you.

In other words, it matters who you hang out with. It’s crucial that you find people in your life who want to see you succeed, and who want to come along for the ride with you. I have some very specific advice to share about how you can leverage your personal and professional networks to work for you in this regard, and I’ll be covering that in an upcoming article.

Equally important, open your mind to new ideas. Nurture your own personal success philosophy by making a habit of reviewing some of those great sales-related books that are out there, including those by Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie and Norman Vincent Peale (just to name a few).

However, don’t just mine for sales ideas from within your own industry. There’s a lot of insight to be found in what’s going on outside of your market, and by being among the first to bring those good ideas into your business, you stand to capitalize. So be daring! Browse areas of the bookstore other than the business section. For instance, read up on the latest insight by urbanist Richard Florida about how our economy is influencing where people live and the choices they make (see “Who’s Your City?”). Or consider what essayist Nassim Nicholas Taleb says in his best-selling book “The Black Swan” about the role that unexpected events can play in how we make decisions (and mistakes) in our daily lives. Good ideas have endless applications to how you work and how you think as a sales professional.

Unthink the box

In today’s new economy, no one can afford to keep adhering to that well-used euphemism of “thinking inside the box.” Instead we need to follow the advice of my good friend and motivational speaker, Nido Qubein: now is the time to “throw the box out the window!” Begin with a clear slate and challenge assumptions you might have been making about why customers buy from you—and just as importantly, why they might not be buying right now.

Don’t succumb to temptation of using tough economic times as a crutch. I’m sure you’ve heard this kind of talk from friends and colleagues: “my industry is suffering… my competition is going out of business… everyone is cutting back…” and so on. Each of these observations about the economy might be supported by facts, but complaining about them isn’t going to help you one bit to become a better sales person. At best, mulling about it will be dead weight that will hold you down.

The challenge, therefore, is to take these kinds of facts and then ask yourself “how can I capitalize on this to help me reach my personal goals and my sales goals?” Indeed there are many ways to answer the door when opportunity knocks (and I’ll be covering this topic in more detail in an upcoming article).

You are your own brand

The outcome of having a personal philosophy for success is that it helps others with whom your do business to form a positive opinion about you. In turn, this influences the kinds of decisions that your customers make every day. As Seth Godin wisely observed in a recent blog post: “Consumers don’t make choices as much as they react and respond to the inputs and assumptions they have about the marketplace, their life and your brand.”

Always remember: no matter what you are selling, you are your own brand. Your personal approach, your habits and the people you choose to surround yourself—all the elements that comprise your personal philosophy—are what can make you stand out in your work and be memorable among your customers. 

Colleen Francis, Sales Expert, is Founder and President of Engage Selling Solutions (www.EngageSelling.com). Armed with skills developed from years of experience, Colleen helps clients realize immediate results, achieve lasting success and permanently raise their bottom line.

Start improving your results today with Engage’s online Newsletter Sales Flash and a FREE 7 day intensive sales eCourse: www.EngagingIdeasOnline.com.

May 14, 2010

Guest Article: “Build a Sales Team Your Customers Love to Buy From,” by Colleen Francis

Filed under: management,sales,Sales Management,selling,team development,Uncategorized — Paul McCord @ 11:14 am
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Build a Sales Team Your Customers Love to Buy From
by Colleen Francis

When customers enjoy working with you, you improve your chances of making a sale. Here are seven skills CEOs and business owners should insist on developing in their sales teams to create a more positive customer experience:

1. Show empathy and compassion

You have to care about your customer (no matter how good an actor you are, faking it won’t work). Ask questions, take notes and lean in to show that you’re engaged.

2. Make eye contact

Eye contact lets people know you’re interested in their well being. Make eye contact when you walk into a room full of strangers, and especially after you get to know people – it helps cement existing relationships. So few salespeople ever look their prospects directly in the eye. By simply smiling and making eye contact, you can set yourself apart.

3. Give first

Don’t expect prospects to give you their business without you giving them something first. This doesn’t mean that you should give away free product in the hopes they will buy more. Rather, look to give away things that increase your value. Perhaps they need a referral to a partner; perhaps you can solve their business problem by sharing an idea you heard from someone else.

4. Express your true intent

Tell customers upfront: “I don’t know if there’s a fit between what you need and what I have right now, but I’m hoping we can explore that in more detail during this meeting. Then we can mutually decide if there is a reason to move forward.” This advice runs counter to 90% of the approaches used in the field today, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the response you get.

5. Don’t rush the client

All too often, salespeople jump way ahead of their prospect’s buying curve. When the sales person is trying to close while the prospect is still evaluating options or determining risk, trust is broken, the prospect feels pushed and the sale can disappear. Get approval from the customer to move ahead in increasing increments. The first approval might be just to agree to speak openly with each other, as outlined above. The second could be an agreement on a follow-up call or meeting date. The third might be gaining agreement on the decision-making criteria, then a commitment to have the “big boss” present at the demo, followed by an agreement to a purchase decision date.

6. Be colloquial

When you use simple language, people respond better and trust you more. Never try to impress prospects with your extensive vocabulary – you may end up just sounding fake.

7. Use people’s names – in good measure

There are just two rules to follow. First, be aware of whether your client is most comfortable with first name only or title plus last name. Second, never overuse their name – this only sounds corny and false. Although Dale Carnegie said, “nothing is so beautiful to a person as the sound of their own name,” you have to use your discretion.

Selling is about results! As the President and founder of Engage Selling Solutions, Colleen Francis has succeed in building Engage from an idea to company that delivers focused, customized programs to 100′s of sales teams internationally. Companies such as Semiconductor Insights, General Dynamics, Future Electronics and the Government of Canada have improved their sales processes by implementing Engage’s Selling System.

April 8, 2008

Guest Article: “Stop Blaming the Economy,” by Colleen Francis

Filed under: Economy,sales,selling — Paul McCord @ 6:09 am
Tags: , , ,

Stop Blaming the Economy
by Colleen Francis

A client asked me recently whether sales results can be improved – and sales targets met – even in what some call a “soft economy.” The answer is an unqualified yes. But first, we have to stop blaming the economy.

Sure, the economy plays a role in sales success. But it’s only one element, and definitely not the most important one at that. At its most fundamental level, sales performance is about one thing and one thing only: performance. Today’s top sales performers understand that fact, just as they understand that their performance is a direct result of how they demonstrate Attitude, Integrity and Caring towards their customers, each and every day.

Yes, some clients have a poor perception of sales people. But that, too, can be changed. Don’t believe me? Then read on – and please enjoy the last of our three-part series on how you can re-align your sales tactics, to fuel your success in any economy.

Successful sales people come from a wide variety of backgrounds, sales styles and techniques. But almost without exception, there’s one thing they all share: successful sales professionals understand that honest communication is the secret to increasing sales effectiveness.

These sales people focus their efforts on creating a positive customer experience, based on openness and trust. As a result, 98% of their customers never even think of looking elsewhere when they need to reorder.

As the old saying goes, there are two kinds of lies: those of commission, and those of omission. If you want to establish a reputation for honesty, never lie to your prospects or clients either by what you say, or what you choose NOT to say. And no matter how tempting it may be, never rationalize a lie by telling yourself that it’s “no big deal” or that it “won’t affect the outcome of the deal.”

Take my word for it – it will! Sooner or later, the customer will realize that they’ve “been sold,” and once they do, they’ll turn the tables and start playing games with you. Once that happens, your relationship will become based on distrust, and reestablishing trust can be a nearly impossible task.

As Steven Gaffney (www.justbehonest.com) and I discuss in our upcoming book on Honesty In Sales, the easiest way to have a more honest and open working relationship with your customers is to first learn how to separate the facts, from what you simply imagine or assume to be true.

For example, say a prospect hasn’t returned your phone call in two weeks (FACT). You imagine it’s because they’ve decided to buy a competitor’s product instead of your own (ASSUMPTION). But there could be an almost endless number of equally plausible reasons why they haven’t returned your call, including:

* They bought from someone else;
* They’ve been too busy;
* The contract or funding was cancelled;
* They’re sick or on vacation;
* They haven’t made a decision yet; or
* They’re ignoring you.

These are just the first six possibilities that came to mind. Spend a few minutes, and you could easily come up with a dozen more. The point is, we sales people are particularly vulnerable to the mistake of making decisions and taking action based on what we assume, rather than what we really know. Sometimes we’re right. But all too often, our assumptions are wrong, and the consequences of acting on an incorrect assumption can be severe.

So how can you avoid making this mistake? By changing your mindset to allow for the possibility that you may be wrong. Try entering your next sales call by saying to yourself: “you know, I might be right that Colleen is not interested in my product, or I might be wrong. Either way, I’m going to find out.”

Simply allowing yourself to admit that your assumptions might be wrong will ensure that you get to the truth before you make a firm decision, or take action. Has a customer ever been less than open with you? If so, step back and look at your own behavior. If you’ve ever lied to them, then your communication style may be to blame for their dishonesty.

Distinguished by the Canadian Professional Sales Association as a Certified Sales Professional (C.S.P.), Colleen Francis thrives on challenging conventional assumptions about the winning edge needed to stimulate profits, grow new markets and sustain a loyal customer base. Her savvy, no-nonsense approach to sales is rooted in the belief that there really isn’t a single magic formula to success. Rather, her researched, field-tested approach is about emulating the winning ways of those top-20% achievers. Colleen helps find ways to consistently apply a commonﾖsense process for working with, listening to, and tending to the needs of customers. Her website is www.engageselling.com

January 31, 2008

Guest Article: Top 3 Fatal Sales Mistakes, by Colleen Francis

Filed under: marketing,Personal Marketing,prospecting,sales,selling — Paul McCord @ 7:38 am
Tags: , , , , , ,

Top 3 Fatal Sales Mistakes: What Not To Do To Succeed In Sales!
By Colleen Francis

Over the past few weeks, I’ve found myself on the receiving end of a series of particularly heinous sales techniques – all of which were aimed at getting through a gatekeeper to a decision maker, and all of which ended disastrously for the sales reps involved.

I firmly believe that, to improve our skills and the relationships we have with our prospects and clients, it’s just as important to know what not to do as it is to know what to do. In that spirit, I decided to recount and dissect these painful experiences, in the hope of sharing with you where these sales people went so wrong – and what they could’ve done instead!

One word of warning: while I’ve chosen not to use any names in order to protect the potentially innocent companies who may be employing these sales reps (and may not be aware of the “techniques” they are using), the stories you’re about to read are, unfortunately, all true. Viewer discretion is definitely advised…

#1: The case of the anonymous acquaintance
First, a couple of weeks ago, I received a magazine article in the mail that detailed the benefits to sales people of taking a public speaking course. On second look, I saw that the article was actually an advertorial, complete with a registration form for the course at the end.

Attached to the piece was a post-it with a handwritten note which read: “Colleen, I thought you would find this interesting.” It was signed with an illegible initial – maybe a J? Maybe an I? – I couldn’t be sure. I had no idea who had sent me this “highly informative article,” but because of the handwritten note, I assumed I must know them. I looked at the envelope it had come in, and, sure enough, found no return address and an automated bulk mail stamp – sure signs of unsolicited mail.

I’d never heard of the company offering the seminar, nor anyone they were associated with. Clearly, they were trying to hide behind their anonymity because they knew, that I knew, that they did not know me.

Why is this crossing the line?
Because by trying to pretend that they know and have a relationship with me even though they don’t, they are lying. To me, an approach that is based on a lie is the worst kind of mistake – and the absolute worst first impression – that any sales professional can make.

This lie is being used in the hope that I’ll feel guilty enough about not remembering who they are that I will call the company to find out, at which point they can try to sell me on their seminar. Will I be in the mood to be sold anything once I figure out their game? Will I ever buy anything from this company, or recommend them to my colleagues and associates? Am I likely to respond warmly to any follow-up call that might happen to come along?

The answer is NO! So if you’ve ever been tempted to try to lure new customers with a lie, first ask yourself this: if the customer or prospect finds out what I’m really up to, will they be mad, or will I be embarrassed? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then find yourself a different tactic – fast!

How not to cross the line
The idea of staying in touch with your customers and prospects by sending them an occasional article or other information is a good one. But if you use this technique, make sure the following rules of thumb are applied consistently, and without exception:

  • The article is relevant to the prospect.
  • The prospect knows you and you clearly sign your name so they can see it is from you.
  • You identify who you are on the envelope.
  • You make a follow-up call after they’ve received it.

#2: The case of the schoolyard bully
While on vacation in March, I received a frantic call from my office.

My assistant was panicked because she’d gotten a call from a man who insisted that he had a meeting set up with me for that day, and that it was “critical” that he talk to me. He also told her that he “had talked to me directly,” that this was “a follow-up meeting,” that I had “promised to talk to him” – and even that he had “time sensitive information” he had to get to me.

When she finally got me on the phone, explained the situation and told me what company he was calling from, I realized it was all a ruse. I had never talked to that rep or his company before. I did know enough about what they did, however, to realize that what they sold was not relevant to my business and I was not, nor ever would be, interested in the service they offered.

In other words, this rep hadn’t even spoken to me before, let alone scheduled a “follow-up” meeting. He also didn’t offer anything that would be so “critical” to my business that I’d be glad to interrupt my vacation to talk to him.

Why is this crossing the line?
Once more: he lied. As far as I was concerned, that spelled the end of any business relationship he and I might ever have had.

To make matters worse, in order to get though to me (the “decision maker”), he tried to instigate panic in my assistant (the “gatekeeper”) by confusing her into thinking she and I had made a mistake, and I would have to be disturbed.

He knew we’d never spoken, and that we did not have a meeting scheduled. He was simply hoping that I would feel so guilty about the possibility that I’d made a mistake that I would be willing to cancel whatever else I was doing to take his call. He was probably also hoping that same unwarranted guilt would make me feel I “owed him” enough to listen to his pitch.

Whenever you use a tactic that requires making someone else feel bad simply to get what you want, you’re crossing the line not only between appropriate and inappropriate sales techniques, but also between being a smart or stupid sales person – and, to my mind, between being a decent human being and a schoolyard bully.

Just ask yourself: if your prospect found out what you were doing, would they want to have a relationship with you?

How not to cross the line
Assistants can be used effectively to secure appointments and get decision makers on your side. However, you should never attempt to manipulate them or their relationship with your prospect. If you do get a gatekeeper on the phone, try the following, and see how much farther it will take you:

  • Show them respect at all times.
  • Treat them like the decision maker, and try your opening lines or lead-in questions with them. They may be able to point you towards other decision makers in the company who could be important to your sale.
  • Ask them when is the best time to reach the decision maker.
  • Ask if they can schedule 15 minutes of time with the decision maker for you.
  • Always thank them for their help.

#3: The case of the “close, personal friend”
Finally, just a few days ago, a sales person called our office claiming to be a “close, personal friend” of mine. My assistant asked if I knew her, and while I didn’t think so, I decided to have her put her through to me anyway.

A couple of minutes into her pitch, I interrupted the rep and asked, “excuse me, do I know you?” She answered: “Not now, but if we do business together, I guarantee we will become good friends.”

Needless to say, we didn’t do business together, and we aren’t likely to at any point in the foreseeable future.

Why is this crossing the line?
Say it with me now: because she lied! Even worse, it was a really stupid lie!

Did the rep really not think that, as soon as she had me on the phone, I’d realize she wasn’t the “close, personal friend” she was claiming to be? Either she was hoping I would think her “idea” was clever, or that I was so stupid I can’t remember who my friends are. Any sales tactic that makes the prospect feel like you must think he or she is an idiot simply can’t end well.

Before you try any technique like this one, please ask yourself: if the prospect finds out what I’m doing, will they want to be my friend? Or will I be happy with the consequences of earning a bad reputation, and a lost opportunity?

How not to cross the line
Every time you call a decision maker, have a compelling reason to speak to them, and make sure your opening line or leading question is tuned to their needs, and offers them value. Then they will want to take your calls, without your having to lie to get them on the phone.

If you want to develop commonality with your prospects without resorting to trickery, try the following simple – and honest! – approach:

  • Use a REAL reference from someone you both know.
  • Tell them a third party story about a customer you’ve helped who is in their industry, and/or who is in their same position (Director, VP, etc).
  • Offer a piece of information that shows you know something about their business or industry that you can help them with. One of my clients who sells to the medical research industry, for example, leads with “your research into XYZ disease caught my attention…”

When it comes to being honest and being branded a liar, the line between what’s appropriate and what isn’t, isn’t so much a “fine line” as it is a gaping chasm. Fall in, and you may never be able to find your way out.

Consider yourself warned.

Colleen Francis is driven by a passion for people – motivating them to reach for the highest standards of success. For over 15 years, she has studied the business habits of the top 20% of sales performers in organizations of all sizes and shapes-from Fortune 500 companies, to small- and medium – sized businesses. Through her company, Engage Selling Solutions, Colleen has condensed that winning formula into an internationally acclaimed sales-training approach, helping sales and marketing professionals everywhere achieve their maximum potential.

Distinguished by the Canadian Professional Sales Association as a Certified Sales Professional (C.S.P.), Colleen thrives on challenging conventional assumptions about the winning edge needed to stimulate profits, grow new markets and sustain a loyal customer base. Her savvy, no-nonsense approach to sales is rooted in the belief that there really isn’t a single magic formula to success. Rather, her researched, field-tested approach is about emulating the winning ways of those top-20% achievers. Colleen helps find ways to consistently apply a commonﾖsense process for working with, listening to, and tending to the needs of customers. Her website is www.engageselling.com

January 1, 2008

Guest Article: “15 Questions for the New Year” by Colleen Francis

Filed under: career development — Paul McCord @ 8:36 am
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15 Questions for the New Year: How to Adopt Better Strategies and Have a Better Year
by Colleen Francis

As you start your planning for the New Year, below are a few questions you should be asking yourself to give you a clear focus of the areas and goals where you are committed to improving, and to help make sure that this year is your best year ever.

Be Nice

* How passionate are you about what you do? Loving what you do will ensure that you maintain the positive attitude you need to get to the top. Ask yourself Brian Tracy’s question, “if I knew then what I know now about this job, would I have taken it?” If the answer is yes, find a way to communicate that passion to your team mates and your clients. Passion and a positive attitude are the glue that hold all your sales skills together.

* Are your company, colleagues, family and friends life givers who support you in your endeavors, or life suckers who impede your progress? Only life givers can create an environment that fosters success.

* Do you want to become who you hang out with? Tony Robins says that our success is directly linked to the expectations of the people we associate with. Do you have the right associations? If not, you might have to go to different places, try something new or join new groups to meet new or different people.

* Are you the “it” person in your industry? Do people see you as a person with valuable information, and come to you first? This year, develop a plan to become the “go to person” for your clients. Studies show it can be worth between $63,000 and $117,000 in extra income for you per year.

* Do you take responsibility for your actions? You can complain all you want that it was shipping’s fault for getting the order out late, marketing’s fault for not giving you good leads or your manager’s fault for not funding or training you sufficiently. The fact is, in sales, the buck stops with you. Your clients don’t want people who make excuses or whine about being victims. They want agents of success. They don’t care whose “fault it was,” only that you take responsibility for it. What are you going to do this year to take more responsibility?

As a side note, when I interview sales people I always ask them to tell me about an opportunity they lost, and why they lost it. If they blame others for the loss, they do not get the job. I know that sales people who can’t take responsibility, are never going to be in the top 10%

Stay Focused

* Do you believe you have the skills, knowledge and strength to be successful? If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will, either. Develop a strong belief system that reminds you every day that you can be successful, and that you are the best.

* When was the last time you tried anything for the first time? This is a pivotal question in lifelong learning and development. If you aren’t learning something new about sales every day, you are falling behind. What’s something new you learned last year? How can you learn more new things this year?

* What goals have you set for this year? Are they written down? If I showed up at your office right now, would I see them posted where you can look at them every day?

* Are you focused on the customer first? Do you have all the information your customers want, in the way they want it? Notice that I said, “all the information your customers want,” NOT “everything you want to tell them.” Customers want answers to their questions, not yours. This means you must first be an expert at what you do or sell, and then document all the relevant information in a way that answers the questions your clients ask, and solves their specific problems. How good are your answers?

* How focused is your plan for success, and how focused are on achieving it? Top performers focus most of their time working on those activities that help them achieve their goals – such as prospecting, meetings and closing – and little time doing those tasks that earn them little or nothing. What are you focused on for the majority of your day?

Get to Work

* How aware are you of the opportunities that you encounter? Do you see opportunity on every street corner as you drive home at night, or are you only focused on the latest re run of CSI that’s waiting for you? Mediocre sales people complain that top performers are simply in the right place at the right time. Top performers know the harder they work the luckier they get. In other words, they create their own luck. You have to be good to be lucky – how good are you?

* Are you making any mistakes? Are you failing? If you aren’t failing, you aren’t growing. My karate master is always pushing us to strike one more opponent, block one more kick, hold our stance just one more minute, until our bodies physically fail. Why? Because until you’ve pushed past your limits and failed, until you’ve stretched past your comfort zone into your uncomfort zone, you can never achieve more than you thought possible. What are you doing every day to reach your uncomfort zone?

* What risks are you taking? Like high performance athletes, high performance sales people are constantly challenging themselves to do better. Every time you play it safe, you lose. Every time you take a risk, you win – either you win the business, or you win the knowledge of what not to do the next time. What risks are you willing to take in 2008 in order to beat the competition?

* Did you give up on any goals last year? Thomas Edison failed 1,000 times before he invented the light bulb, and changed the world. Stanford University shows that 85% of clients buy after the 5th meeting and 95% of sales people give up after the 4th.Most sales people I meet give up after hearing their first “no” on a cold call. Persistence pays off. Do you want to be remembered as a quitter, or as the Thomas Edison of your industry?

* Are you putting your great ideas into action, or just putting them on the shelf? Thomas Edison also said: “Strategy without execution is hallucination.” Knowing the strategies of top performers is great. Executing them is what will make you a star. Take some time now to think about what you will do this year to execute on these strategies of the Top 10%. Then go out, and as Nike says: just do it!

Challenge yourself by going through these questions with candor and honesty. You already know many of the strategies you need to execute in the New Year. Make them happen and reap the rewards!

Colleen Francis is a respected speaker and trainer, working internationally with companies and individuals. In 2001, after 15 years of direct selling and sales management within the technology and financial sectors, Colleen founded Engage Selling Solutions, a firm dedicated to sales success.  Her website is www.engageselling.com

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