With a number of years responding to Requests for Proposals (RFP’s), I have learned a few things about these dastardly thorns in the side of a Sales Pro. It is an interesting buying process for the customer. In the government, it is mostly mandated. In the corporate sector, it might be mostly desired, but rarely followed, depending on your industry or product. One fact for sure, RFP’s are highly resource-intensive on both sides of the table, for both buyer and seller. In these days of “do more with less”, that very aspect of the RFP stays at the forefront of my mind while deciding how to handle the newly-arrived RFP. Here is what I have learned, or come to question, about RFP’s: (Forewarned, this is not the Letterman format, 10 is best!)
1. There are three types of RFP processes: (1) The process where contact and communication are allowed freely through-out (2) The process where contact and communication are closely guarded or totally prohibited through-out (3) The process where you are the incumbent. In response to each situation, I say respectively, “Play, Run, Must Play”! The words of my second-grade teacher at recess are ringing in my ears!
2. RFP processes that do not allow a free exchange of ideas and questions between participants and customer do not educate the customer and will most likely end up in a poor decision for the customer, unless there are experts on your product and industry on the side for the customer. So why do buyers, without experts, sometimes put up so many barriers? They don’t want to be bothered by account teams? It shows the respect they have for our profession. I say let them go away in this case, if unsolicited. Even if you win it, it will likely be a relationship-poor and margin-poor relationship between the two companies. Bad divorce coming!
3. The RFP you helped to write is likely the one you will win. The RFP that arrives unsolicited is likely the one you will lose. This one’s been around since Ben Franklin sold his first time-piece! I wonder if Ben ever put his kite up into a cloud of incoming RFP’s and hit lightening??!!
4. Every study that I have conducted suggests that my team will win 10-15% of unsolicited RFP’s. Miller Heiman and other reputable sales training firms will likely back that up. What’s the opportunity cost of NOT pursuing other non-RFP opportunities to spend the time winning that 10-15% of the business? I say mostly it is not worth the trade-off. It’s like playing the slot machines. When do you quit throwing quarters at the machine and decide it’s time to go home and earn an honest wage?
5. Over a third of delivered RFP’s never result in a decision. More than 50% of RFP’s, when awarded, result in a major change of scope, almost always downward, significantly. My opinion and experience anyway. It’s the princess before midnight, and then it turns into an ugly pumpkin. And you spent all that money on the prom dress!!
6. Beware the RFI (Request for Information) that is supposed to result in an RFP. As the vendor, if you can make your presence “felt” by the prospect in the RFI stage, keep chasing it. Otherwise, run! How many RFI’s do you think even really turn into RFP’s? An extremely small percentage. We’re back at the Black Jack table! And your partner is up in the hotel room ordering expensive room service!
7. No single RFP is ever the same. Why can’t we make a rule in our business that “all RFP’s must have the same format for our product?” The fact that no RFP and RFP response will ever be the same, suggests that if your organization decides to spend much time here, that a dedicated group, or an RFP Response Team is put in place, so that traditional selling resources are freed up to do what they do best. This is a significant investment but required if RFP responses are significant to the company’s sales plan. Do you really want your OUTSIDE Sales Pro’s INSIDE in the company library pulling volumes of material and editing content? That’s like asking the landscaper to paint your living room!
8. In any RFP response, follow the customer’s format, question progression and instructions to the absolute letter-of-the-law. Put many sets of eyes on the final response. This cannot be overstated. The easier it is for the client to read your response (with a quality response, of course), the faster you pile on points for your team.
9. If you are the incumbent, take nothing for granted, but know that you have the biggest advantage in your favor: change is extremely hard for a customer toward a new provider. If you have provided good service and quality at a fair price over the preceding time, the odds are overwhelmingly in your favor. Got to bed tonight, get a good night’s sleep and attack it with fresh eyes tomorrow! The princess will still be a princess!
10. Here’s the RFP I like most. Our Sales Pro creates the opportunity through great discovery and relationship-building with a number of decision-makers. The solution begins to become scoped and the prospect suggests, “yes, but we must go to bid.” This Sales Pro does not quiver. S/he is extremely confident that she has everything in his/her own favor, and plays willingly and enthusiastically. Because s/he has the deal “under control”. There are no pressure tactics to force the prospect’s hands at not going to bid and there is no remorse on the part of the Sales Pro. In the end, it is a win-win for the prospect and the provider.
Is Number Ten nirvana for you? Maybe it is, but it should be your goal to create situations like this. If you’re in control, it makes perfect sense to let the deal take its course in accordance with the prospect’s buying process.
So maybe you can tell, I don’t like RFP’s. Truth be told, I don’t. They make capitalism inefficient (government business excluded from this remark). But I understand its role in our marketplace. And I have won my fair share of them. As a provider, just be sure that you have a well-planned and well-supported process for handling them. I hope the “Top Ten” help you and your organization to find that kind of governance if it is not already present. Good selling!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
Top Ten Half Truth's, From a Sales Leader's Perspective
From time to time, we all say things that we don’t really mean, don’t we? Not that any of us lie intentionally, but our conviction behind what we say can sometimes be tested. As a sales leader, I get to converse with customers, prospects, employees, peers, superiors and competitors. That’s kind of neat I think. I’ve heard it all. Not really, every time that is said, something new always comes along!
Just listen:
10. “Your prices are 30% higher than your competitors.” (Really?)
9. “I make the decisions here. You can communicate through me.” (The buck only stopped at Harry Truman from my experience.)
8. “I’m waiting for signatures on the contract.” (I hate that word “wait” – see earlier post. While it’s true the sales exec might be waiting, it’s not true that the contracts will come back signed!)
7. “These changes will be good for you!” (I’ve been on both sides of this one. Sometimes but not always true – it depends on the changes and it depends on you!)
6. “Trust me!” (If you have to ask for it, it means you haven’t earned it.)
5. “There are no right or wrong answers to these questions.” (Then why are you asking them?)
4. “We’ll get back to you by the end of the week.” (This is less than a half truth and more than a half lie, more than 50% of the time it never happens!)
3. “These leads are no good.” (Ok, you know what comes next….)
2. “Sales can’t convert on our leads.” (Ugh.)
And finally, “half-truth” number one…..drum roll please!
1. “We’re from headquarters and we are here to help.” (Oh-oh, run!)
Tell us what “half-truth’s” are your favorites!
Just listen:
10. “Your prices are 30% higher than your competitors.” (Really?)
9. “I make the decisions here. You can communicate through me.” (The buck only stopped at Harry Truman from my experience.)
8. “I’m waiting for signatures on the contract.” (I hate that word “wait” – see earlier post. While it’s true the sales exec might be waiting, it’s not true that the contracts will come back signed!)
7. “These changes will be good for you!” (I’ve been on both sides of this one. Sometimes but not always true – it depends on the changes and it depends on you!)
6. “Trust me!” (If you have to ask for it, it means you haven’t earned it.)
5. “There are no right or wrong answers to these questions.” (Then why are you asking them?)
4. “We’ll get back to you by the end of the week.” (This is less than a half truth and more than a half lie, more than 50% of the time it never happens!)
3. “These leads are no good.” (Ok, you know what comes next….)
2. “Sales can’t convert on our leads.” (Ugh.)
And finally, “half-truth” number one…..drum roll please!
1. “We’re from headquarters and we are here to help.” (Oh-oh, run!)
Tell us what “half-truth’s” are your favorites!
Monday, March 22, 2010
The “Give’th and Take’th” Approach for Sales Pro’s
As a sales pro, you have undoubtedly had more than a couple of opportunities stay stagnant in your pipeline. You can’t get that opportunity up the sales ladder and it’s causing you sleepless nights. We’ve all been there. I especially appreciate one technique that gets a sales opportunity up the ladder, or off of your ladder, and sales forecast, right away. Use this technique, and you’ll impress management and your pocketbook!
Let’s set the surroundings first. You have met several times with your prospect. Sincere interest has been shown on both sides. You have conducted great discovery sessions with your prospect and you both agree that there is a need for your product/service. You have presented the proposal, a strong cost-benefit analysis and/or return-on-investment analysis, and the deal sits. And sits. And sits. Your primary point of contact goes silent on you. “What the heck went wrong?” you ask. Absolutely frustrating, isn’t it?!
As a sales leader, I might have the following questions for you:
• How well do you have the decision-making landscape covered, i.e. who has influence and/or need and where? Where are your relationships?
• How well do you have the competitive landscape covered, i.e. against your prospect’s needs, who is strongest?
• How formidable is your “compelling reason to buy” from the prospect’s perspective?
As a sales pro, you might try the following:
As buyers of goods and services, whether we are consumer or business buyers, we possess a certain psychology and buying process. Our buying process shapes up this way:
• I/we have no problem and no need (BLISSFUL)
• I/we might have a problem and maybe a need (AWARE)
• I/we do have a problem and a definite need (ACTIVE)
• I/we determine best solutions to my problem and need (SEARCHING)
• I/ we select my best provider(s) (FINDER)
• I/we negotiate my best financial arrangement (NEGOTIATE)
If your opportunity is languishing in your 30/60/90 day pipeline, have you asked yourself a true and tried question, “Where is my prospect in their buying process?” Are they AWARE, are they a FINDER? Where are they? If the deal is slipping, you have likely misaligned your sales process to their buying process.
Try this to understand if you have or have not misaligned customer-buying and sales process. I call it the “Give’th and Take’th” approach. It goes something like this:
“Mr/Ms Buying Prospect, I have worked hard to put the best proposal in front of you that I possibly could assemble for you. I am concerned that I have had no feedback from you for XX weeks/days. I am concerned that either I have not presented enough information to you or that there may be no real apparent need for my product/service. If I do not receive a response from you in the next XX days, I will put our opportunity to work together in the “do not call file”. Please call me if you’d like to resume discussion.” You have “Given”, now you are about to “Take”.
This technique can be a great barometer of where you are with the prospect’s buying process. And it works with the enterprise client, SMB and the consumer. If the decision-making team is ACTIVE or further in their search process, you will get a response. No one wants a potential provider to “go away!” If there is no response, your sales process likely developed a bit ahead of the prospect’s buying process. You will need to re-align your sales strategy.
So when your next opportunity starts to slip in your pipeline, try the “Give’th and Take’th Approach”! I know, you’re thinking, “I would never tell a prospect that I am taking them off my list.” But remember that people often want what they do not have. If they are in the ACTIVE stage or further, they don’t want potential partners leaving the stage. Sometimes our buyers get so busy with other priorities that you opportunity loses visibility. They won’t leave you if there is a true need. If they do, it means you have a heckuva lot more selling to do, and you don’t need them hanging around in your sales forecast!!
Let’s set the surroundings first. You have met several times with your prospect. Sincere interest has been shown on both sides. You have conducted great discovery sessions with your prospect and you both agree that there is a need for your product/service. You have presented the proposal, a strong cost-benefit analysis and/or return-on-investment analysis, and the deal sits. And sits. And sits. Your primary point of contact goes silent on you. “What the heck went wrong?” you ask. Absolutely frustrating, isn’t it?!
As a sales leader, I might have the following questions for you:
• How well do you have the decision-making landscape covered, i.e. who has influence and/or need and where? Where are your relationships?
• How well do you have the competitive landscape covered, i.e. against your prospect’s needs, who is strongest?
• How formidable is your “compelling reason to buy” from the prospect’s perspective?
As a sales pro, you might try the following:
As buyers of goods and services, whether we are consumer or business buyers, we possess a certain psychology and buying process. Our buying process shapes up this way:
• I/we have no problem and no need (BLISSFUL)
• I/we might have a problem and maybe a need (AWARE)
• I/we do have a problem and a definite need (ACTIVE)
• I/we determine best solutions to my problem and need (SEARCHING)
• I/ we select my best provider(s) (FINDER)
• I/we negotiate my best financial arrangement (NEGOTIATE)
If your opportunity is languishing in your 30/60/90 day pipeline, have you asked yourself a true and tried question, “Where is my prospect in their buying process?” Are they AWARE, are they a FINDER? Where are they? If the deal is slipping, you have likely misaligned your sales process to their buying process.
Try this to understand if you have or have not misaligned customer-buying and sales process. I call it the “Give’th and Take’th” approach. It goes something like this:
“Mr/Ms Buying Prospect, I have worked hard to put the best proposal in front of you that I possibly could assemble for you. I am concerned that I have had no feedback from you for XX weeks/days. I am concerned that either I have not presented enough information to you or that there may be no real apparent need for my product/service. If I do not receive a response from you in the next XX days, I will put our opportunity to work together in the “do not call file”. Please call me if you’d like to resume discussion.” You have “Given”, now you are about to “Take”.
This technique can be a great barometer of where you are with the prospect’s buying process. And it works with the enterprise client, SMB and the consumer. If the decision-making team is ACTIVE or further in their search process, you will get a response. No one wants a potential provider to “go away!” If there is no response, your sales process likely developed a bit ahead of the prospect’s buying process. You will need to re-align your sales strategy.
So when your next opportunity starts to slip in your pipeline, try the “Give’th and Take’th Approach”! I know, you’re thinking, “I would never tell a prospect that I am taking them off my list.” But remember that people often want what they do not have. If they are in the ACTIVE stage or further, they don’t want potential partners leaving the stage. Sometimes our buyers get so busy with other priorities that you opportunity loses visibility. They won’t leave you if there is a true need. If they do, it means you have a heckuva lot more selling to do, and you don’t need them hanging around in your sales forecast!!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
The Customer is Always Right?
We have all grown up with this mantra placed on our sales and service mantels, haven’t we? This is rightfully so, because a customer is a customer, not always a prospect for your offering. A customer might be defined as an entity that has bought from you previously that you now continue to serve. Period. A prospect might be defined as an entity (either customer, former customer or not) who is a candidate for a new product or service from which they may benefit. But many of us in sales sometimes confuse a customer with a prospect. I like to proclaim that while the customer is always right, THE PROSPECT IS ALWAYS WRONG! But in the heat of the sales chase, I often hear the sales person say, “Well the customer said show me xyz and I showed them xyz……”. Ugh. They forget they are selling to a prospect, not a customer.
While your prospect may be a current or former customer and deserves the appropriate care with regard to the product and/or services they have already purchased from you, they must be seen as a prospect for the new product or service you think may benefit the client. And THE PROSPECT IS ALWAYS WRONG!
I like the slogan of one famous merchant who promotes, “An educated consumer is our best consumer.” As a sales pro, that proclamation scares me. It means they see no need for our profession. They have just replaced toll-takers with FastPass! (I’m sorry, bad analogy for sales pros, but you get the picture!) What do sales pro’s do anyway? We teach, educate, evangelize, question, question and question even more to understand the reasons behind pain, challenge and/or opportunity. Then we match our products/services to those needs, show a benefit and close. This is the work of a sales pro.
If the prospect knew what they wanted and what would serve them best from my shop (my definition of a commodity), I would eliminate my sales force and set up a 1-800 order-taking line. I would probably even forget about the 800 number and set up ecommerce on my web site. It is much less expensive. Why do I need a highly paid sales force if my prospects understand their needs and my products enough to make a successful match? I don’t, all I need is a web site.
I know, I get it. Sometimes the prospect is demanding and wants answers based on the research they have done. We feel compelled to respond instantly with answers, not with sales techniques that will provide the prospect with the best product/service at the best cost. In this day and time, the prospect can gain an upper-hand on the research they have at hand, i.e. thank you internet. (This is a good thing!) But they can never truly understand your products or services and how they can solve problems and challenges unless your company provides such detail on their web site, that they no longer need you. Check your company web site now and then!!
The sales pro is an expert at uncovering the prospect’s needs, understanding his/her own product offerings and making matches to create benefits. The sales pro then closes on these benefits. The prospect is not an expert in this field. Never! And don’t let them think they are! The next time a prospect says, “I want to talk about xyz…..”, what’s your next response?
While your prospect may be a current or former customer and deserves the appropriate care with regard to the product and/or services they have already purchased from you, they must be seen as a prospect for the new product or service you think may benefit the client. And THE PROSPECT IS ALWAYS WRONG!
I like the slogan of one famous merchant who promotes, “An educated consumer is our best consumer.” As a sales pro, that proclamation scares me. It means they see no need for our profession. They have just replaced toll-takers with FastPass! (I’m sorry, bad analogy for sales pros, but you get the picture!) What do sales pro’s do anyway? We teach, educate, evangelize, question, question and question even more to understand the reasons behind pain, challenge and/or opportunity. Then we match our products/services to those needs, show a benefit and close. This is the work of a sales pro.
If the prospect knew what they wanted and what would serve them best from my shop (my definition of a commodity), I would eliminate my sales force and set up a 1-800 order-taking line. I would probably even forget about the 800 number and set up ecommerce on my web site. It is much less expensive. Why do I need a highly paid sales force if my prospects understand their needs and my products enough to make a successful match? I don’t, all I need is a web site.
I know, I get it. Sometimes the prospect is demanding and wants answers based on the research they have done. We feel compelled to respond instantly with answers, not with sales techniques that will provide the prospect with the best product/service at the best cost. In this day and time, the prospect can gain an upper-hand on the research they have at hand, i.e. thank you internet. (This is a good thing!) But they can never truly understand your products or services and how they can solve problems and challenges unless your company provides such detail on their web site, that they no longer need you. Check your company web site now and then!!
The sales pro is an expert at uncovering the prospect’s needs, understanding his/her own product offerings and making matches to create benefits. The sales pro then closes on these benefits. The prospect is not an expert in this field. Never! And don’t let them think they are! The next time a prospect says, “I want to talk about xyz…..”, what’s your next response?
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Why Is It That Hardly Anyone Grew Up Wanting To Be A Salesperson?
Isn’t it the truth? When you were eight years old and your friends were playing “cops and robbers”, were you on the sideline saying, “No thanks, I want to be in sales management one day – let’s do role plays instead!” We’ve all played “doctor/nurse”, “fireman”, “postman”, “scientist” etc. but who ever played “sales guy/gal”? Well, maybe in the school store, but that’s order-taking!
In school, there are few courses to support and extend our discipline. Most I have seen have a title like “Sales and Marketing 101”. Sales is not marketing and marketing is not sales. I have a son who is a sophomore in college. When I asked him to read this blog he told me, “I have no idea what you’re talking about in your posts, but I like the layout!” No one teaches the art and science of selling, not in K-12, undergraduate, post-graduate, or god forbid doctorate. Why? Should they?
Here are some of my thoughts why few of us grew up wanting to be sales people:
Sales people build poor perception in others. I am not so sure. Lawyers have been accused of building poor perception in others, but how many of your friends wanted law school badly out of college?
Nobody likes a quota hanging over their head. Maybe, but doesn’t every profession have a productivity quota over their heads? Scientists must accomplish so much research. Consultants must have a certain number of billable hours.
Let’s try some more potential reasons:
Hollywood and TV don’t glamorize the profession. Right on. Doctors, lawyers, cops, soldiers and even dogs (Lassie etc. etc.) get all the glory when you are a kid growing up watching TV, movies and/or reading books and magazines. Heck, I remember only one exposure to the sales profession in a book required for 7th Grade Literature, Death of a Salesman. It scared the heck out of me! And I’m sure it did the same for you! My next exposure to the sales profession from the entertainment media was not until 1992’s “Glen Gary Glen Ross”. I was two years into my sales career at the time. It didn’t scare me, it depressed me. Not until my third viewing did I come to find it absolutely hysterical. It almost drove me from the profession. I put that movie on top of a Willy Loman sandwich and I went looking for a new career. I’m glad I did not find one!
Schools don’t teach the profession. Right on. Where else can a child or teen or young adult learn about, wonder about and explore our profession? I am not sure why it is not taught, but I have some ideas. Any professors/faculty out there care to weigh in? Is it because the profession is not deemed worthy (that perception thing again)? Is it because few appreciate the “science” of selling? Is it because very few sales pro’s go back into the academic community to build content and teach it? Is it because of a perceived lack of demand? Since when does student demand dictate a class schedule anyway? My sophomore son can’t register for half of his desired classes because they are full!
My vote is to teach the profession starting in high school and then into college. What is missed here is that one of the problems in this world is that not enough people of the world know how to sell. And I don’t mean it’s important to be able to sell a widget. I mean that it’s important for people from all walks of life to do the things good sales pro’s do all the time. It’s important to listen, to effectively build relationships, to persuade rather than force a view point. It’s important to be able to find solutions to problems, to evangelize a new concept, to win a new friend. It’s just too darned important to be left from our school’s curriculum. Forget about Hollywood, that’s a story for another day! What are your thoughts?
In school, there are few courses to support and extend our discipline. Most I have seen have a title like “Sales and Marketing 101”. Sales is not marketing and marketing is not sales. I have a son who is a sophomore in college. When I asked him to read this blog he told me, “I have no idea what you’re talking about in your posts, but I like the layout!” No one teaches the art and science of selling, not in K-12, undergraduate, post-graduate, or god forbid doctorate. Why? Should they?
Here are some of my thoughts why few of us grew up wanting to be sales people:
Sales people build poor perception in others. I am not so sure. Lawyers have been accused of building poor perception in others, but how many of your friends wanted law school badly out of college?
Nobody likes a quota hanging over their head. Maybe, but doesn’t every profession have a productivity quota over their heads? Scientists must accomplish so much research. Consultants must have a certain number of billable hours.
Let’s try some more potential reasons:
Hollywood and TV don’t glamorize the profession. Right on. Doctors, lawyers, cops, soldiers and even dogs (Lassie etc. etc.) get all the glory when you are a kid growing up watching TV, movies and/or reading books and magazines. Heck, I remember only one exposure to the sales profession in a book required for 7th Grade Literature, Death of a Salesman. It scared the heck out of me! And I’m sure it did the same for you! My next exposure to the sales profession from the entertainment media was not until 1992’s “Glen Gary Glen Ross”. I was two years into my sales career at the time. It didn’t scare me, it depressed me. Not until my third viewing did I come to find it absolutely hysterical. It almost drove me from the profession. I put that movie on top of a Willy Loman sandwich and I went looking for a new career. I’m glad I did not find one!
Schools don’t teach the profession. Right on. Where else can a child or teen or young adult learn about, wonder about and explore our profession? I am not sure why it is not taught, but I have some ideas. Any professors/faculty out there care to weigh in? Is it because the profession is not deemed worthy (that perception thing again)? Is it because few appreciate the “science” of selling? Is it because very few sales pro’s go back into the academic community to build content and teach it? Is it because of a perceived lack of demand? Since when does student demand dictate a class schedule anyway? My sophomore son can’t register for half of his desired classes because they are full!
My vote is to teach the profession starting in high school and then into college. What is missed here is that one of the problems in this world is that not enough people of the world know how to sell. And I don’t mean it’s important to be able to sell a widget. I mean that it’s important for people from all walks of life to do the things good sales pro’s do all the time. It’s important to listen, to effectively build relationships, to persuade rather than force a view point. It’s important to be able to find solutions to problems, to evangelize a new concept, to win a new friend. It’s just too darned important to be left from our school’s curriculum. Forget about Hollywood, that’s a story for another day! What are your thoughts?
Monday, March 1, 2010
It’s the Oscars – Should Successful Sales Pro’s Own an Academy Award??
Is the successful Sales Pro also an actor or actress? Hmmm.
I have never acted. I would be horrible at it. I wouldn’t like it. But I can sell and I appreciate the acting profession. I don’t know it, but I appreciate its place in society.
So, don’t we, as successful Sales Pro’s, need to be able to play actor or actress from time to time? I say yes, absolutely!
The world is full of different personalities. If you have a pipeline of 30 opportunities, I guarantee you that you have at least 100 different personalities on the decision-making end of those opportunities. Should you maintain your presence, style, process and charm with each one of these personalities? You better not!
Good sales pro’s alter their approach, delivery and even personality based on the prospect before them. It is why there are so many good programs out there like Myers Briggs and the DISC profile. These great programs help you to sort out the different personality types and how to interact with them.
I call it “dancing” with the prospect. I have also heard “pace-setting” and “rapport-building”. If you are dancing with one who likes to “take charge”, you better follow. If you are dancing with one who is “calculating”, you better know your steps. The roles you must play on the dance floor are numerous. You need to adapt as a successful sales pro. If you maintain your persona and style at every opportunity, your win rate will diminish. Guaranteed!
When it comes to inside sales vs. outside sales, the opportunities here are vastly different. How do you show your persona and style in these different settings? Most research will suggest that your prospect reacts to three different attributes in your presence:
• The spoken word
• Voice inflection
• Body language
Guess what gets hardly any attention? The spoken word. Guess what gets most attention? Your body language! Two of the most successful sales pro’s I know had this shared characteristic: when the prospect was talking, they leaned forward in their chairs, put a hand up to the chin, squinted the eyes a bit and looked as if they were “The Thinker”. Really cool to watch. And their intent was genuine.
For outside sales pro’s, and it is why you are “outside” sales people, you have this skill to master, body language.
An aside: as an outside sales professional, I sometimes look at these web-based collaborative selling tools as a threat to our profession. We do our best work in the face of a prospect, not across a computer. Having been on both ends of a web-meeting, I think they suck to be blunt. Is the world changing and should we? Sure, but there is no substitute, ever, ever, ever, for face to face contact with another human being no matter your intent, desire, objective, need etc. Body language is first and foremost in the mind of the prospect. Always will be.
For inside sales pro’s, you must rely on voice inflection. Your prospect will read the positive and/or negative inflection in your voice before they ever register the spoken word. Remember that voice inflection does not necessarily mean a high at every spoken word. We all see right through that. But at the points where you think you’ve matched your product/service features to the prospect’s needs, pronounce the benefit with huge inflection. You’ll get the sale and an Academy Award!
So why do I love selling but cannot act? How can these skills live together? I can act in the sales situation because the desire is genuine, to build a new relationship, to make a new friend, to try to find a way to solve the business challenge. I do not suggest that acting is insincere but Academy Award acting as we know it is for a different purpose. Just ensure that your desires are sincere for your client, you and your company! You will be very successful if you can adapt your approach to the prospect!
I have never acted. I would be horrible at it. I wouldn’t like it. But I can sell and I appreciate the acting profession. I don’t know it, but I appreciate its place in society.
So, don’t we, as successful Sales Pro’s, need to be able to play actor or actress from time to time? I say yes, absolutely!
The world is full of different personalities. If you have a pipeline of 30 opportunities, I guarantee you that you have at least 100 different personalities on the decision-making end of those opportunities. Should you maintain your presence, style, process and charm with each one of these personalities? You better not!
Good sales pro’s alter their approach, delivery and even personality based on the prospect before them. It is why there are so many good programs out there like Myers Briggs and the DISC profile. These great programs help you to sort out the different personality types and how to interact with them.
I call it “dancing” with the prospect. I have also heard “pace-setting” and “rapport-building”. If you are dancing with one who likes to “take charge”, you better follow. If you are dancing with one who is “calculating”, you better know your steps. The roles you must play on the dance floor are numerous. You need to adapt as a successful sales pro. If you maintain your persona and style at every opportunity, your win rate will diminish. Guaranteed!
When it comes to inside sales vs. outside sales, the opportunities here are vastly different. How do you show your persona and style in these different settings? Most research will suggest that your prospect reacts to three different attributes in your presence:
• The spoken word
• Voice inflection
• Body language
Guess what gets hardly any attention? The spoken word. Guess what gets most attention? Your body language! Two of the most successful sales pro’s I know had this shared characteristic: when the prospect was talking, they leaned forward in their chairs, put a hand up to the chin, squinted the eyes a bit and looked as if they were “The Thinker”. Really cool to watch. And their intent was genuine.
For outside sales pro’s, and it is why you are “outside” sales people, you have this skill to master, body language.
An aside: as an outside sales professional, I sometimes look at these web-based collaborative selling tools as a threat to our profession. We do our best work in the face of a prospect, not across a computer. Having been on both ends of a web-meeting, I think they suck to be blunt. Is the world changing and should we? Sure, but there is no substitute, ever, ever, ever, for face to face contact with another human being no matter your intent, desire, objective, need etc. Body language is first and foremost in the mind of the prospect. Always will be.
For inside sales pro’s, you must rely on voice inflection. Your prospect will read the positive and/or negative inflection in your voice before they ever register the spoken word. Remember that voice inflection does not necessarily mean a high at every spoken word. We all see right through that. But at the points where you think you’ve matched your product/service features to the prospect’s needs, pronounce the benefit with huge inflection. You’ll get the sale and an Academy Award!
So why do I love selling but cannot act? How can these skills live together? I can act in the sales situation because the desire is genuine, to build a new relationship, to make a new friend, to try to find a way to solve the business challenge. I do not suggest that acting is insincere but Academy Award acting as we know it is for a different purpose. Just ensure that your desires are sincere for your client, you and your company! You will be very successful if you can adapt your approach to the prospect!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
