Sales & Marketing

What Separates Top Sales Performers from the Rest of the Pack?

Many people wonder what separates a top performing sales person from the rest of the pack. In most cases, it's because they apply a number of best practices in their daily routine. Here are 17 best practices of top performing sales people:

They set HIGH TARGETS and goals. Top performers don't wait for their manager to issue an annual or quarterly quota. They set their own goals which is usually more ambitious than the corporate targets.
They carefully PLAN their quarter, month and week, as well as their daily schedule. Too many sales people fly by the seat of their pants and only look at the day or week ahead instead of planning their month and quarter. Look at the big picture.
They set OBJECTIVES for every sales call. It is essential to know exactly what you want to accomplish before you make your call (face-to-face or telephone).
They ASK high-value questions that probe to the heart of the issue. Sounds simple but most sales people fail at this and ask weak, feeble questions. Top performers are comfortable asking tough questions that make their prospect think.
They LISTEN carefully to what their prospects & customers say. You can ask all the questions in the world but if you don't hear what people tell you won't be able to present the proper solution. Instead of waiting for your turn to speak listen to your customer.
They CLARIFY the issue when they are unclear what their prospect means. People often say things that are unclear and most sales people assume they know what their prospect means. Top performers take the time to fully understand by asking "What do you mean by that?" of "Can you clarify that for me?"
They WAIT TO PRESENT their product, service, solution or idea until they know exactly what their prospect's situation is. The majority of sales people jump too quickly into their 'sales pitch' but top performers are patient and wait for the right moment.
They begin every sales presentation with a brief RECAP of their understanding of the prospect's situation. Again, a simple concept but one that is greatly ignored by many sales people. A quick summary of your customers' situation give you the opportunity to ensure that your presentation addresses their key issues.
They know how to ADAPT their sales presentation if their prospect's situation has changed. Making changes on-the-fly is challenging but it is one way to stand out from your competition. Learn how to modify your presentation when customer's situation has changed from the time you initially met to the time you are delivering your presentation.
They know how to properly and effectively POSITION their product, service or solution. The vast majority of sales people fail miserably at this. They talk, talk, talk but usually end up talking about aspects of their product or solution that have little or no relevance to their customer's situation.
Their sales presentations FOCUS on the prospect. Most sales presentations focus on the seller's company, their product, or other trivial information that is of no interest to the customer.
They are PREPARED for potential objections. Top performers anticipate objections and plan their response before their sales call.
They always establish the NEXT STEPS. Decision makers are busier than ever which means they are more difficult to connect with. Avoid losing contact with a prospect by agreeing on the next steps after every sales call. Do this in face-to-face meetings and telephone calls.
They FOLLOW-UP after the initial call or meeting. Many a sale has been lost because the sales rep failed to follow up after the initial call. You cannot rely on your prospect or customer to call you; you need to take this initiative. Set this up during your call or meeting.
They PROSPECT continually to keep their pipeline full. It's not uncommon for sales reps to experience peaks and valleys in their sales. This is usually a result of failing to prospect for new business on a regular basis. Avoid the highs and lows and schedule time to prospect for new business every week.
They deal with the DECISION-MAKER whenever possible. Dealing with people who have little or no buying authority is a waste of time. However, many sales people fall into this trap because it is easier to connect with people other than the decision maker. And that may be true. However, in the long run, they end wasting their time because they don't close the deal.
They look for ways to KEEP IN TOUCH with their customers. A sale is not a one-time deal. However, you need to find ways to keep your name in your customer's mind to prevent a competitor from squeezing in. Top performers incorporate this into their schedule and make it a priority.

Incorporate these strategies into your routine and you will quickly become a top performing sales rep too.

Written by Kelley Robertson, a frequent contributor to magazines and his articles have appeared in dozens of publications and hundreds of websites around the world.

Sales & Marketing

Why Social Networking Your Way Won't Build Your Business

Believe it or not, social networking isn't the next best thing…You are! It's the personal connection that still seals the deal.

The Internet, social networking, and other breakthroughs in technology have fundamentally changed the way we do business. New technology drives communications, messaging, and information access at warp speed, and our clients expect immediate access. This pattern of ever-increasing speed and sophistication not only creates an intensely competitive marketplace, but places further demands on us to act and react quickly.

The rise of social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, and LinkedIn have lured many sales pros into scaling back their personal interactions and relying on social media to get more "qualified leads."

It's time to get real!

Social Media Is a Powerful Tool for Three Things and Three Things Only

Search engine optimization: Use your key words and raise your presence on the web.
Find out who people are: Learn about a person's background and your connections.
Find out who people know: Look for close connections that you can leverage

Some salespeople tell me they actually get clients through social media. Well, maybe if you have a commodity business.

Could it happen?
Yes.

Do I rely on it?
Absolutely not! I only count on what I bring about—through a proactive, intentional, referral strategy with personal introductions.

Why Social Networking Your Way Won't Bring You More Leads and Sales

The most important business decisions are still based on personal relationships. There is significant research about why customers make buying decisions. Bottom line: It's because they like and trust the salesperson and his organization. Think about it. We're selling services, investments, systems, products… we're asking for people's time and money! Why would they work with someone who hasn't been referred?

There's a saying in sales: Clients buy with emotion and justify with fact. If our clients don't like us or don't feel comfortable with us, they won't buy from us. You can wow your clients with technology know-how now and try to win them over later, once they find out you're honest and reliable. But the reality is you need people to start liking you within the first few seconds of your relationship. You need to start off on the right foot. Fancy gizmos won't make that happen. But a trusted referral and a personal connection will.

That's why Eric Schmidt, Chairman and CEO of Google, in his commencement address to the graduating class of the University of Pennsylvania in May 2009, urged college graduates to step away from the virtual world and make human connections. "Turn off your computer. You're actually going to have to turn off your phone and discover all that is human around us."

That said, a social media presence is a must-have in today's world—but you need to change the way you're social networking.

3 Ways to Get More Leads and Sales with Social Networking and Referral Marketing

Develop a social media strategy: Like a sales plan or a marketing plan, write your social media plan. What is your goal? Who is your audience? What do you want to communicate? Leverage social media as part of your go-to-market strategy. How does your strategy link to your customer's needs and your business priorities?
Establish relationships: Take the time to build your personal connections, pick up the phone and talk to people. Just because you have a name in hand, doesn't mean you have a relationship.
Communicate useful information: Social sites are not for selling. They are for establishing connections, identifying ways to collaborate, and providing value. What tips can you provide? Link to other sites you strongly recommend. Get recognized as the expert and build your web presence. Be a resource.

To Trust You Paves the Way

The most energizing and exciting part of our work is the relationships with our clients-the interaction. We enjoy learning about our client's business and matching our solutions to their needs. In an era dominated by ever-expanding technology and social media pressures, always remember that personal connections, referrals, and earning trust count most.

Joanne Black believes that no one should ever have to make a cold call. Some may see this as heretical thinking, but for Joanne Black and her clients, referral selling is a proven way to success. She is the author of No More Cold Calling™:For more information, visit www.NoMoreColdCalling.com

Sales & Marketing

The Ten Traits of High Sales Performers

A big benefits-management company recently conducted a survey where they asked 365 CEOs and sales-management executives, "What are the three key factors that separate high-performing sales professionals from moderate- to low-performing sales professionals?"

Both CEOs and C-level sales executives (all people who don't sell, but rely on their salespeople so they get paid) ranked self-discipline/motivation as the most important factor.

Next in line were customer knowledge, innate talent/personality and product knowledge. Further down the list were experience and teamwork skills. Totally bogus.

These are qualities of corporate greed, not value, service or help—the three things that customers require to give you their business and maintain loyalty.

If you're interested in the most important qualities of a high-performing salesperson, let me give you a realistic list of success characteristics.

Perpetual, consistent, positive attitude and enthusiasm. This is the first rule of facing the customer, facing the obstacles, facing the competition, facing the economy and facing yourself.
Quadruple self-belief. Unwavering belief in your company, in your product and in yourself are the first three parts. But most critical: You must believe that the customer is better-off having purchased from you.
Use of creativity. Use creativity to present ideas in the customer's favor and to differentiate yourself from the competition.
Ability to give and prove value. Prove the value of your product or service, as well as your ability to give value to the prospect beyond the sale so you earn the order, the reorder and the loyalty.
Ability to promote and position. Your use of the Internet to blog, create e-zines, utilize social media and achieve Google top ranking leads customers to perceive you as a value provider and a leader in your field.
Exciting, compelling presentation skills. You must develop not just solid communication skills, but superior questioning skills, listening skills and a sense of humor, as well as the innate ability to capture the imagination (and the wallet) of customers.
Ability to prove your value and claims through the testimony of others. Testimonials sell where salespeople can't. The best salespeople use video testimonials to support their claims. But you don't get testimonials; you earn them. Same with referrals.
Ability to create an atmosphere where people want to buy (because they hate being sold). This is done by engaging and asking, not presenting and telling.
Ability to build a relationship, not hunt or farm. I wonder if the executives talking about the factors of great salespeople are the same morons dividing their salespeople into hunters and farmers. Great salespeople are relationship builders who provide value and help their customers win.
Unyielding personal values and ethics. Great people have great values and great ethics. It's interesting that 365 executives don't deem them in the top 10.
The personal desire to excel and be their best.This is a desired quality of every salesperson, but the best salespeople have mastered the other 10 elements. And the key is that all 10 must be mastered in order for this quality to manifest itself.

There is no prize in sales for second place. It's win or nothing. The masters know this and strive for—they fight for—that winning edge.

Lessons on sales strategies from the author of The Sales Bible, Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible and The Little Red Book of Selling. President of Charlotte-based Buy Gitomer, he gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings, and conducts Internet training programs on selling and customer service. www.gitomer.com