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12 Jun

5 Tips on how to prospect wisely

by Monika

Most organizations want to prospect Fortune 1000 companies. While tempting, it can be a bit like boiling the ocean. After all, there are 1000 companies on the list and the big question is always how to prioritize. While many companies listed on the Fortune list are desirable prospects, some may not be and it’s really important to understand that, otherwise your sales people will end up dialing for dollars, which is time consuming and costly.

Here are some insights that might help you and your team prospect more effectively.

1) Understand who you want to target

A consultative sales approach starts with understanding who your target audience is and it might turn out that your ideal client is not necessarily on the Fortune list. For example, if you develop a niche offering your prospect could be small business owners or mid-size companies in a specific region or industry.

2) Develop a message that resonates with your audience

Once you identified your ideal client profile, you need a message that resonates. Put yourself into your prospect’s shoes and try to find out why you would want to buy the service/product. Talk about industry trends, such as mobile technology if it’s relevant to your service offering so you help your prospect be relevant.

3) Identify the decision maker

You need to talk to the right people within the organization, otherwise your message will not be heard. If you have an offering that features cost savings, target the CFO. Develop a unique selling proposition that highlights the benefits of your service/product by telling a story to your prospects that is relevant to their daily responsibilities.

4) Don’t talk about your company background service features

People are not interested in how good your service offering is, they only care what it can do for them. Focus on the benefits and avoid the temptation to brag. Everybody thinks they have the best offering. What counts is whether it’s a fit or not.

5) Look for a fit

Not everybody will get excited about your story and that’s OK. If you do your research and you take the steps outlined above, you will find the individuals in the companies that fit your ideal prospect profile. Sometimes you will get a “no” or a “not now”, but more importantly while you are having those conversations you will be able to gather market research to strengthen and sharpen your message.

In a nutshell, don’t try to boil the ocean. Be targeted in your approach. Find the appropriate person within the organization and sharpen your message so it’s attractive to the buyer. Don’t embellish and don’t pitch. Tell a compelling story and look for a fit.

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30 May

Sales, Social Media & You

by Monika

More and more sales people are using social media to help them prospect and develop new business. It’s certainly an avenue that I use for my client development. Used wisely and effectively it’s a great tool to enhance your business development efforts. Below is an article that was featured in Forbes on how sales people outsell their peers by using social media channels.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/markfidelman/2013/05/19/study-78-of-salespeople-using-social-media-outsell-their-peers/

This is a quote from the article: “But as he’s(Jim Keenan) shown, those who have been using it(social media) are quickly gaining a competitive advantage.” The issue that I see in the long run is that once everybody adopts that technique (and everybody can and should), we are back to square one where sales people need to find ways to stand out from their peers.

Standing Out From the Crowd?

Last week we had a meeting with a logistics firm in Seattle and our prospect confirmed that sentiment. He mentioned that everybody now knows who your clients are, because it’s readily available information and while social media is a wonderful and easy way to find decision makers, it’s not something that is exclusive to any one person.

So, what’s a sales person to do? Think about these ideas. Once you have the decision maker identified you can try to connect with them on LinkedIn, add them as a friend on Facebook, follow that person on Twitter, use Google Alerts to follow their company, or perhaps advertise on any of the social media channels to reach the right audience. But once you do connect and start building a relationship you will need to understand consultative selling to effectively understand your client’s needs.

Social media should be used to create awareness, build thought leadership and inform your prospect but it shouldn’t be applied when actually selling to your prospects.  I would actually argue that sales people don’t outsell their peers using social media, but, on a level playing field, they out-prospect them, they out-perform them on their pre-call intelligence.

Selling Thru Social Media Our Main Focus?

We provide a good portion of our consulting and training in the logistics field, and for marketing and research agencies. And though you might say we have come to know these industries well, there are still vast differences in the way each company is structured, and in the way in which we serve them. The inner workings of an organization cannot be discovered through social media. Once interest is established, you need to ask the right questions to gain a deep understanding of your prospect’s needs and then develop a solution that brings real value to your prospect.

In another quote from the article it states that there is a direct correlation between social media and sales success. “Social media users have also exceeded quota (exceeded quota by 10% of more) at higher rate than non-social media users every year since 2010. That means more social media users are at Presidents Club than non-social media users.” Allow me to propose this: Are sales people who utilize social media more successful than others, OR is it that consistently successful sales people almost always use the smartest techniques and are ahead of the curve?

In essence, social media is the phone book, yellow pages, conference center and water cooler combined. The question is not whether to use it or not, but how. People who hang at the water cooler for hours and bore by-passers with their stories were as ineffective as sales people who invade your space on social media. I love LinkedIn and use it all the time, but am starting to get too many senseless business requests, which will result in me being even more careful who I allow into my network.

Where To Go From Here?

Facebook has been effective for B2C, but I have yet to see the value in a B2B environment. Blogging, Twitter and all the other micro-blogs are great for information sharing and thought leadership, but should we really put aside the basics of consultative business development in favor of social media centric selling?

I propose we be wise in the way we use social media as an indispensible aid in developing and maintaining business. Never forget that it’s human interaction, relationship building and truly understanding your prospect’s needs that are the foundation blocks of a healthy business relationship.

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Posted in: CONSULTATIVE SALES, Consultative Selling, Sales

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09 May

Story-Telling & Sales

by Monika

How story-telling can enhance the sales process

In a consultative B2B environment we are often faced with a formidable situation when we are selling the invisible. There is no physical product we can showcase when we are prospecting on the phone and we are challenged to connect with a prospect in a short period of time. Telling stories and sharing best practices gives us an opportunity to communicate a business objective in a fashion where people can relate.

Once upon a time… From a very early age on I was fascinated by fairy tales and stories. As a grown-up I’ve come to appreciate how Story-Telling can be an essential benefit in a consultative sales environment. My experience has shown how it helps you connect with your prospects. And it is a great way to add value rather than pushing a feature or a benefit.

Remember 1,001 Arabian Nights?

When I was a kid I loved the idea of people gathering in a tent or square and listening to stories. Still to this day I remember my family’s dinner parties best where people were telling stories, sharing, laughing, showing compassion or just simply cracking a joke. As children growing up, it’s fairy tales and stories that help shape our thinking. They trigger our imagination and fuel our creativity. As adults, it’s not that different. We are always drawn to stories that we can relate to.

When I started out in sales, I had come from a public relations/marketing background with no credentials in sales so I decided to do what I liked best – listening to stories. I researched case studies and told my prospects about the success that other companies had when using our service. It worked!

Why?

Because people like to listen to stories that they can relate to themselves. Product features or benefits are boring to many people unless they can directly establish a use for them to their advantage. Nobody wants to listen to you bragging about your company, your service, how good you are, etc. What people are interested in is what your service can do for them and how it will help their business.

If you don’t have something to show, share a story

In a B2B environment you often don’t have a product to show and you need to rely on a verbal presentation and anecdotes to get people interested. This is especially true when you first engage with a prospect unless they know your company and service. The key question is “What value does the service or solution you offer provide to your clients?”

What better way to explain than sharing success stories?!

Why is it easier to sell a story than a product or service?

Rather than selling a service, focus on the value it brings to the client and the human experience. Instead of selling a service that is “better”, offer a solution that, for example, helps increase efficiencies, saves money or helps your client make money. Especially in a consultative sales environment, once we are able to tap into somebody’s emotion, and understand what triggers their interest and what their needs are, it’s a lot easier to connect. Never forget that it is human beings you are targeting. Although you are trying to sell them something, you are also an advisor, a consultant in the true sense, a resource to help them make the right decision. The right decision for your prospect or client will be the right decision for you as well.

When telling stories, it is important that you own those stories and make them yours. Be personal, just like at a dinner conversation. But first, listen to your prospects, find out what their real needs and pain points are, and then choose a case study/story that you think will resonate with their needs. I can assure you that your prospects will listen.

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17 Apr

Women in Sales – Are We Equals?

by Monika

Last week, on the train back from a business meeting in New York City, I started reading Sheryl Sandberg’s book “Lean In”.  I honestly didn’t expect it to be a page turner but it turned out to be just that.  Sheryl has a writing style that I as a professional woman can easily relate to. Her stories are insightful and I was stunned how many light bulbs went off in my head when she was pointing out over and over that we “women in business” haven’t quite arrived.

Some examples that she featured were just simply eye opening and at some point I put the book down to reflect on my personal experience as a woman with many years in the business world.  While I could relate to most of the examples that she was pinpointing, I also felt that my personal journey, while tough at times, never left me feeling that I was inferior to my male colleagues or that I was treated differently.

After some soul searching I asked myself the question whether it had something to do with the fact that I was in sales.  Maybe, Sales is an equalizer, I thought.

Is the Business of Sales an Equalizer?

Most business practices cannot be measured in numbers only. In sales, that’s all that matters. If you put numbers on the book and you sell, nobody (sadly) cares how you do it and you are simply measured by your accomplishments.  It’s your performance that counts.

When I was employed as a sales professional, I was usually the only girl on the team. While my male colleagues were a bit suspicious and cautious at first, they had no choice than to accept me once I started producing.  They had to treat me with respect, because my managers were pleased with the results that I brought to the table and the ultimate judge is not your sales manager, but your prospects turned to clients.  If you cannot convert sales it doesn’t matter whether you sales manager likes you are not.  As a matter of fact, it doesn’t matter if anybody internally takes a liking to you personally or not as long as you keep closing business. It’s really all about performance!

It was at that point where my light bulb went off.  Sales is one of the few disciplines were women (when successful) are equal to their male counterparts.  In sales we are part of the group, we have a seat at the table, we don’t choose a chair in the back (just like Sheryl notes in her book).  Our voices are heard when we bring results.

Removed from the Politics?

I also remembered that it relieved me from having to play the political game.  Many years ago I was traveling to San Francisco to attend a sales meeting and the first night after dinner the team ended up at the hotel bar for a nightcap.  At first we were drinking wine and beer but then one of the junior sales people who wanted to impress our sales manager suggested to do shots.  One of my fellow team members, who happened to be a guy and I just looked at each other and we had a common understanding of what we will do next. Tim, a manly looking guy (Dwayne Johnson alias The Rock lookalike, anybody?) who is sensible, sensitive and also a good listener (which of course made him an excellent sales person) and I excused ourselves and went upstairs to our respective rooms. I myself decided to watch some mindless television show and Tim probably checked in with his wife who was at home with their small children. The looks we got indicated that people thought we might have had something going on because we left at the same time. But Tim and I didn’t care. We didn’t have to play the socializing corporate game. We didn’t need to impress our sales manager because we were both top performers.

The Equality Gap

Needless to say that women show results in every industry and every profession, albeit though, there are ways to put us down by questioning our style (women who are driven are often viewed as aggressive, but men aren’t?), or our approach (women who are competitive are often viewed as you know what, but for guys that’s what’s expected?).  Are our results measured with the same parameters as men’s results? In sales, my experience has been that none of that seems to matter as much as in other professions.

So, in closing, I am asking all my fellow sales women out there.  Do you also feel Sales is equalizer or has been an equalizer for you?

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Posted in: CONSULTATIVE SALES, Consultative Selling, Hiring Sales People, Sales

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28 Mar

Dare to Be Counter-Intuitive!

by Monika

Recently, I finished reading a book written by one of the “Housewives of New York”, Carole Razdiwill. Don’t judge me, I love watching these shows. It’s one of my guilty pleasures. Contrary to popular perception, this book is excellently written, riveting and it takes you on a journey that is both intriguing and sad. The author is the widow of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ nephew.

The book is entitled: “What Remains“, and it describes the story of four young people who were hoping to grow old together as close friends, just that “fate” wouldn’t have it that way.

One of the characters in the book is JFK, Jr. and it goes without saying that the crash of his airplane is part of the narrative. As most people know and perhaps remember, the aircraft he was piloting crashed into the ocean near Martha’s Vineyard.

It was determined that the crash was caused by “Spatial Disorientation”, which is a condition in which an airplane pilot’s perception of the plane’s direction, height, speed, etc. does not agree with reality.

Perception vs. Reality

It was at that tragic point of the story where I decided to write a blog about sales and how many practitioners suffer from Sales Disorientation, which is a condition in which the sales person’s perception of her/his sales approach does not agree with reality. OK, I just made that part up but trust me, it happens a lot.

In the situation where a pilot loses accurate perception of reality it would require her/him to act counter-intuitively and rely on objective, measurable criteria (instruments, radar, etc). Only in doing that, can the course be corrected and the plane landed safely.

In sales, the disconnect between perception and reality can also have very damaging effects, but to my knowledge nobody has died from it, although many sales practitioners might have crashed and burned.

The Expectation of Success

Those sales professionals who succumb to Sales Disorientation have plenty of time and resources to get themselves out of trouble, but they often continue on as if their determination to succeed at all costs blinds them to the multitude of options they could take advantage of. Why do sales professionals who become aware of their sales approach not working continue to plunge ahead? An unfounded “expectation of success” appears to play a significant role in such cases. All too often we see salespeople go into sales calls without a back-up plan, assuming they’ll be successful. Without really knowing their prospect’s/client’s real needs, without understanding what real value means, and without a Plan B, they have no other choice, truly, other than to continue on. In doing so, we find these salespeople developing a kind of tunnel vision that seems to lock up the brain as their sales process with their prospect/client goes awry. And should salespeople be occasionally successful in such situations, their habits are reinforced, and they can begin to write off the not successful encounters to reasons that have nothing to do with their approach or style.

A Counter-Intuitive Sales Approach?

Why is it that we need to be counter-intuitive? Because we need to stay connected to our prospects and their world, rather than living in our “sales” bubble humming along.

Very often in sales we are taught to work as fast and as hard as we can and say “yes” at any cost. We are encouraged to please and to accommodate although it’s really important to determine if the solution is a fit and if not, then to sometimes walk away from a prospective sale.

 

Let’s Look at Some Specific Examples

Perception Reality
1) Make as many calls as possible Only effective if you have all the resources in the world, and you are only calling the companies that could profit from your offering
2) Target as many companies as you can Don’t boil the ocean. Be specific on who you want to target otherwise you will get lost in the ocean
3) Tell your prospect what you’ve got Rather listen to your prospect and don’t push features
4) Focus on the benefits of your offering Ask the right questions and then develop a value proposition that your prospect can relate to
5) Brag & tell your prospects how great your service is Focus on the areas that can help your prospect make money, save money, improve their business or their reputation within their organization and they will get excited
6) Convince your prospect that you are the right choice Your prospect won’t need to be convinced if you are the right choice. But what if you are not? Not every organization is a good fit for your service offering
7) Try to get a “yes” from your prospects Rather go for honest responses, even if it’s a “no”. The sooner you find out, the better it is so that you can move forward or move on while leaving a good impression

 

In closing, I know that it probably takes a lot of courage to do things that seem counter-intuitive, but the results can be life saving or in the sales world, very rewarding and life-fulfilling!

Trust me. I know. I’ve gone down that path many times successfully. You can, too!

Posted in: CONSULTATIVE SALES, Consultative Selling, Sales, Sales Effectiveness, Uncategorized

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15 Mar

Listen! Even If You Can’t Understand?

by Monika

Here is an inspiring and touching story from one of our graduates, a regional sales manager who participated in one of our In-House Corporate CSC Training Programs and gained Consultative Sales Certification He sent us the e-mail below, sharing an extraordinary experience with a prospect.

Hi Tom & Monika,

I had a very interesting meeting last week that I wanted to share with you.

I spoke to a gentleman on the phone last week who wanted help with his tradeshow shipments. He put a call into our office and the call was directed to me. He started giving me some details over the phone and as we spoke more I was having a very difficult time understanding him. At first I honestly thought it was a prank call and didn’t know what to think since he was so difficult to understand. I also thought maybe he just has a pretty serious speech impediment. I figured it may be much easier to understand him in person so I suggested we meet. We scheduled a meeting for Friday morning.

The man told me he was the National Marketing Manager for his company. I looked at their website and still did not put all the pieces together. He liked to communicate with me via text message as well which I thought was a little different..

When I showed up for the meeting on Friday I immediately realized he had a hearing disability since he was wearing a hearing aid. Then the light bulb went on, the company he works for makes products for clients with hearing disabilities so it made perfect sense that their employees may also have hearing disabilities.

Understanding How To Communicate With Your Prospect

From the first second I saw him, my CSC training immediately went into action. It was like my instincts took over and I knew exactly what I had to do. We sat down in a conference room to go over the details. I knew right off the bat that he was going to be a visual learner just like myself. Everything we talked about I was giving him visual examples as well. He asked about our delivery and pickup process to trade shows, so I literally drew out examples of how we move the freight and how our agents get involved to make the deliveries and pickups etc…. He asked about transit times, so I took out my calendar and showed him dates on the calendar as examples so he could see what I meant by 3-5 day to various states. I figured he was probably also reading my lips to understand me so I consciously tried to speak clearly and not too quickly.

We went over everything… As the meeting went on he was on the edge of his seat and we were both huddled around his computer and a pad of paper.

He was definitely a “Director” (behavioral style= assertive, fast-paced) – he was quick to make decisions and was open to new ideas.

A Prospect’s High-Five!

As we were wrapping up the meeting I wanted to learn a little more about him, so I asked him some general questions about his career etc. and it turns out he grew up in Boston only 2 towns away from where I grew up. We talked about the traffic, high school, the city, and family. I believe that since we were able to communicate so well during our meeting he was more inclined to open up to me. He even said he knows a few companies in the area that specialize in products for people with hearing disabilities that he wants to get me in touch with!

As we stood up to leave the room after our 75 minute meeting, he put his hand up in the air for a “high five”. I have never ended a 1st meeting with a customer with a high five in my life. It was great! He then said to me, “Whenever you are near the office, feel free to stop in.”

He wants to start shipping with us this coming Wednesday to one of his 80+ tradeshows this year. Down the line he wants to discuss fulfillment and warehousing of company brochures and other marketing materials.

Just thought I would share this you. I am certain this would not have gone this way had I not participated in your CSC training.

And No One Else Listened!

**On a side note, he told me he has made phone calls to other companies to ask about their services etc, and has been hung up on after a few minutes. (being so difficult to understand over the phone people literally don’t realize who they are speaking with.) A guy with a $1.8 million marketing budget who needs things shipped!

So, What Are The Lessons To Learn Here?

  1. Sales can be learned. Of course, there will always be people who are more successful than others, but understanding your prospects, truly listening and quickly adapting to a situation are skills that participants who work through our program acquire for the long-term.
  2. People communicate in different ways. Some people prefer (and some need) visuals while others like to listen to information. Discovering your prospects’ “communication” preference is key to success.
  3. Last, but not least, be of service and don’t disregard people who are different. It’s not only our job, it should be our dedication to discover opportunities and then to meet our clients’ needs. We can only do that if we keep an open mind and if we truly hone in on our prospects’ needs.

 

5 SALES TIPS

Our Recent Consultative Sales Certified Training Program Graduates

Would Like To Share With Our Readers:

  • Know Your Customers! Adjust your approach to each of your contacts based on their behavioral styles and role.
  • Ask questions that help you understand each contact’s vision and pain points.
  • Stress VALUE based on business impact and the personal win for each individual customer.
  • Position solutions that help the customer save time and/or money, make more money, operate more efficiently or give them peace of mind. Anything else doesn’t matter!
  • Know Your Market! Prioritize your sales efforts according to potential for sales, not based on current sales.

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21 Feb

Trusted Consultant or Product Guru? Which Are You?

by Monika

When salespeople with traditional training (or none at all) start struggling, I have witnessed far too often that they tend to become overeager, focused even more so on the features and benefits of their service offering/product (or what I like to call the “bells and whistles”) rather than focusing on building relationships with their prospects and actually discovering what their prospects’ needs really are. This approach is encouraged and fostered by far too many sales leaders who often still believe that their customers need to be convinced and “sold to” by the “Product Guru”. Sound familiar?

Aside from the fact that nobody wants to be sold to, we also need to understand that in today’s business environment every piece of information can be googled or researched using all the technology available. We can use apps to find out what song is currently playing or to settle disagreements of any sort, and to look up almost endless amounts of information.
It’s no different in a business environment. Before salespeople step into a meeting, your prospect has the ability to research your company, your service offering, your competition and many other aspects they feel important in making a decision.

“Flirting with the Uninterested”?

My dear friend and former client, Maria Ferrante-Schepis (one of the most innovative and interesting women I have the pleasure to be acquainted with, and an expert in the financial services industry) recently launched her book “Flirting with the Uninterested”.

Here’s a link to the book: http://flirtingwiththeuninterested.com

A must read for people in the insurance field, but also really intriguing for business people in general. Maria was a heavyweight in the insurance industry, her experience includes positions as VP of Marketing at Prudential and CMO at The Guardian. Today, Maria works for a former client of mine, an Agency of Innovation based in Chicago. Maddock-Douglas helps their clients bring industry-changing products, services and business models from mind to market.

And here’s is a quote from her book that I personally like a lot:

  • Consumers have FAR less time for a pitch but plenty of time to surf the Web for what they are interested in.
  • Consumers must see/perceive some value in what you have to offer BEFORE they will even listen to you. They are way too busy to listen to a cold call.

Good news for Salespeople!
Ms. Ferrante-Schepis then goes on to point out that salespeople are used as a validation.

This should be really good news to salespeople who truly understand the science & art of selling, those of you who truly listen to your prospects, understand who your prospects are and build rapport, and, lastly be able to demonstrate value for your clients.

In essence, it’s the human connection is what weighs in the balance. Building relationships with your prospects, finding out who they are, what they really need and want, building trust and creating a solution that is of value to them. And if you really dig deep, you might be able to help your client in ways they did not even think possible. You can become a trusted adviser, your client’s consultant, a thought leader who will lend an ear to your prospect in truly trying to understand their needs, help them grow their business, secure their future and be of real value to their clients. That’s the World of Consultative Selling!

So, Life Insurance is Not Just Life Insurance!

Let’s take life insurance, for example. Is it solely an insurance to help the people you leave behind have a secure life? Everybody has a life and nobody would want their family to be without assets once they are gone. Of course, that’s a simplistic way of looking at it, but if it was that simplistic nobody with available funds would go without it, right?
Life insurance, just like many other product/service offerings will soon become a commodity if salespeople don’t learn to not only build rapport with their prospects but, most importantly, learn to create value in their prospects’ eyes. Why? Because today, you can purchase most anything, including life insurance on an ever-widening range of websites.

And if salespeople don’t provide more value than a computer screen than why would people choose to work with them? Because in the end, most people still prefer to buy from other people BUT only if they believe their needs are truly understood and they’re the best solution for them.

The Trusted Consultant

There really is no need to push features or point out competitive advantages unless it represents something of value to your prospect. In order to be competitive and ahead of the curve, salespeople will need to understand that selling doesn’t mean that you need to convince somebody of something that they don’t like or need.

As a sales professional, you have the unique opportunity to become a trusted adviser and to guide your prospect through a decision making process that makes sense for them.

Whether you sell or logistics solutions, life insurance, cars, heavy equipment or high-tech services this philosophy holds true. Becoming a thought leader, being an adviser, a consultant, building trust and creating value are key elements to a successful sales career in this new, information driven business environment.

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Posted in: CONSULTATIVE SALES, Consultative Selling, Sales

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14 Feb

Our Latest Super-Seller Graduates!!

by Monika

Today, on Valentine’s day we wanted to share a special present that we received from one of our participants. A wonderful testimonial from one of our recent CSC Graduates:

Tom, Monika, Marcia, … I want to thank you all for the great sales training program!! I learned so much about how to recognize the behavioral styles of my clients and prospects. This has helped me better adjust my approach throughout the sales process. During the course of our training program, I improved my sales and business development consistently. By the year’s end I was awarded “Most Improved Sales Performance” for 2012!

I want to thank Mach 1 Global for implementing the CSC program for sales and now our operations personnel to help them understand the process. And thank you CSC team for helping me improve and grow in sales! - Marianne W., VP Global Accounts,MACH 1 GLOBAL

So we thought that we give you a present today, sharing our success story that will provide insight on how one of our clients increased business revenues to pre-recession levels by implementing our CSC training program.

Cutting-edge Sales Training – A First Step to Top Performers

One of our clients decided to embark on a mission to provide a cutting-edge sales training program to a select group of their sales team who all work remotely from headquarters. This specialized logistics and transportation solutions provider wanted their sales and account management staff to become top performers, too.

Let’s face it, even successful sales and service professionals have some areas to improve. Yet top performers consistently outperform their average counterparts by large margins.

Know Your Clients and You’ll What They Need

In utilizing CSA’s Certified Training Program with a pilot group, our client quickly established that the training program was making a dynamic change in the way their business development professionals were planning and executing their business efforts. Revenues increased, for some in the pilot group by 40% and 50% within a few months. Additionally the members of the pilot group were motivated to go the extra mile for their clients as they acquired new, deeper skills and knowledge in understanding who their clients were, were able to more efficiently and more quickly to develop new business as well as expand business with existing clients. This mindset change began to spread to their operations management.

Everybody In – Let’s Congratulate the Graduates!

And today, seven months after the kick-off of their program, we can proudly congratulate the first group graduates from our Arizona client’s organization. The program is ongoing for three more groups, each with customized goals and training calendars. Their success of the pilot group is testament to their perseverance and hard work applying the core consultative sales and service concepts to their jobs on a daily basis. These seven certified top-performers can now proudly carry and use the nationally accredited and recognized CSC emblem as Consultative Sales Certified Professionals. And they have a few tips for you below their graduation photo!

 Stand up and take a bow!

 

Consultative Sales Certified Professionals – Accredited Super Sellers
These seven certified top-performers can now proudly carry and use the nationally accredited and recognized CSC emblem as Consultative Sales Certified Professionals.
From left to right: Tom D’Agostino, Chief Trainer at CSA, Kirk Stauff, Marianne Wilson – Most Improved Employee of 2012-, Yvette Cheesebrew, Ray Torres, Bob Heine, Vinnie Balsamo and Herb Reich.

A few things our Graduates would like to share with all our readers:

5 Tips from Our Super-Seller Grad

  • Know Your Market! Prioritize your sales efforts according to potential for sales, not based on current sales.
  • Know Your Customers! Adjust your approach to each of your contacts based on their behavioral styles and role.
  • Ask Questions that help you understand each contact’s vision and pain points.
  • Stress Value based on business impact and the personal win for each individual customer.
  • Position solutions that help the customer save time, make more money, operate more efficiently or give them peace of mind. Anything else doesn’t matter!

Here’s what the CEO is saying about our CSC Program

“Consultative Sales Academy’s Custom Training program has significantly helped our team improve their performance. We’re finally back to pre-recession sales results and momentum. Because of the success and positive feedback from both seasoned professionals as well as new sales team members, we are implementing this program company-wide for sales team members, sales managers and operational managers. Our team is geographically dispersed, which makes CSA’s blended approach of e-learning, web training and coaching very desirable. We especially appreciate the flexibility of the program and the personal attention that CSA’s coaches provide to each individual participant. This program is a long-term commitment that is definitely worth the time and investment if your goals are to truly impact sales performance and results. I highly recommend this program.” – Jamie Fletcher, CEO, MACH 1 GLOBAL

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

One of our clients decided to embark on a mission to provide a cutting-edge sales training program to a select group of their sales team who all work remotely from headquarters. This specialized logistics and transportation solutions provider wanted their sales and account management staff to become top performers, too.

 

Let’s face it, even successful sales and service professionals have some areas to improve. Yet top performers consistently outperform their average counterparts by large margins.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Know Your Clients and You’ll What They Need

 

 

 

 

In utilizing CSA’s Certified Training Program with a pilot group, our client quickly established that the training program was making a dynamic change in the way their business development professionals were planning and executing their business efforts. Revenues increased, for some in the pilot group by 40% and 50% within a few months. Additionally the members of the pilot group were motivated to go the extra mile for their clients as they acquired new, deeper skills and knowledge in understanding who their clients were, were able to more efficiently and more quickly to develop new business as well as expand business with existing clients. This mindset change began to spread to their operationsmanagement.

 

 

 

 

Everybody In – Let’s Congratulate the Graduates!

 

 

 

 

And today, seven months after the kick-off of their program, we can proudly congratulate the first group graduates from our Arizona client’s organization. The program is ongoing for three more groups, each with customized goals and training calendars. Their success of the pilot group is testament to their perseverance and hard work applying the core consultative sales and service concepts to their jobs on a daily basis. These seven certified top-performers can now proudly carry and use the nationally accredited and recognized CSC emblem as Consultative Sales Certified Professionals. And they have a few tips for you below their graduation photo!

 

Stand up and take a bow!

Consultative Sales Certified Professionals – Accredited Super Sellers
These seven certified top-performers can now proudly carry and use the nationally accredited and recognized CSC emblem as Consultative Sales Certified Professionals.
From left to right: Tom D’Agostino, Chief Trainer at CSA, Kirk Stauff, Marianne Wilson – Most Improved Employee of 2012-, Yvette Cheesebrew, Ray Torres, Bob Heine, Vinnie Balsamo and Herb Reich.
A few things our Graduates would like to share with all our readers:

5 Tips from Our Super-Seller Grad

  • Know Your Market! Prioritize your sales efforts according to potential for sales, not based on current sales.
  • Know Your Customers! Adjust your approach to each of your contacts based on their behavioral styles and role.
  • Ask Questions that help you understand each contact’s vision and pain points.
  • Stress Value based on business impact and the personal win for each individual customer.
  • Position solutions that help the customer save time, make more money, operate more efficiently or give them peace of mind. Anything else doesn’t matter!

Here’s what the CEO is saying about our CSC Program

 

 

“Consultative Sales Academy’s Custom Training program has significantly helped our team improve their performance. We’re finally back to pre-recession sales results and momentum. Because of the success and positive feedback from both seasoned professionals as well as new sales team members, we are implementing this program company-wide for sales team members, sales managers and operational managers. Our team is geographically dispersed, which makes CSA’s blended approach of e-learning, web training and coaching very desirable. We especially appreciate the flexibility of the program and the personal attention that CSA’s coaches provide to each individual participant. This program is a long-term commitment that is definitely worth the time and investment if your goals are to truly impact sales performance and results. I highly recommend this program.” – Jamie Fletcher, CEO, MACH 1 GLOBAL

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Posted in: CONSULTATIVE SALES, Consultative Sales Certification, Consultative Sales Certification, Consultative Selling, Prospecting, Sales, Sales Certification

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01 Feb

7 Reasons why CEOs should stay out of the sales process

by Monika

Sales is a process, especially in a consultative sales environment. CEOs often step in to control or manage the sales process, particularly when sales don’t happen.  I have seen it all.  CEOs doing the sales training, CEOs being on first sales calls, CEOs coming to the rescue. It usually causes panic and fear and utter confusion.

So here is the scenario. Sales don’t come in. The CEO panics and thinks he/she needs to take control. As a result, the sales people fear that they might lose their job and/or that they won’t make money.

The sales managers do both. They panic and fear, both for their team, for their compensation and for their reputation.

Here are 7 reasons why CEOs should not be involved in the sales process:

1) CEOs should lead the company, not the sales process

CEOs are charismatic leaders who have a vision for their company and the future of the developments, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they should run every single department and be in charge of every detail.

2) CEOs know how to sell to investors, but sales is a process

Clearly, most CEOs know how to sell, but their audiences are different. They know how to sell to investors or shareholders, but sales is a process and most CEOs don’t have a background in sales.

3) Your company will look small when the CEO sells

Imagine, you sit in on a presentation from a vendor and the CEO is sitting there next to the sales person. I have seen it happen. It doesn’t leave a good impression and it makes your company look small. There is nothing wrong with the CEO coming in at the end of the sales process to impress the prospect, but everything wrong with him/her leading the sale.

4) CEOs have a strong ego and sales is about the prospect

CEOs love their company, as they should. That often means that they come from a place of vanity rather than a place of meeting the prospect’s needs. They like to talk about their company, the history, the people because they are proud of their achievements, but in a consultative sales environment the prospect is king and everything should be about their needs.

5) Sales managers get intimidated when the CEO starts meddling

Once CEOs start getting involved in the sales process it usually means that the CEO doesn’t trust their sales managers any more. Why else would they do it. So there is two scenarios. You can fire the sales manager or give him room for improvement. Getting involved will just lead to the sales manager being nervous.

6) Sales people lose respect for their sales managers

Sales people get confused once they get different messages from the CEO and their sales manager. They don’t know who to please and the results are disappointing at best. Once a CEO steps in to control or manage the sales process it’s usually a desperate measure and it leads to confusion.

7) Shouldn’t the CEO be doing other things?

Last, but not least. Shouldn’t CEOs be doing other things than selling? CEOs are in charge of thought leadership, innovation, driving the company to success. Sales should be left to the professionals, whether it’s an in-house sales staff or an outsourced solution.

Here is a message to CEOs:

Hire a sales manager or somebody who will lead the sales process and step away. Let them work their magic. There is many experts out there who can lead a successful team and put revenue on the books. Another big advice. Leave your ego at the door! It’s not about you, it’s about the end result.

Here is a message to sales managers:

I have said it before and I will say it again. Sales is a process and a process needs to be documented and communicated. Invite your CEO to your sales planning sessions, explain your strategy (if you have one!) and manage expectations. If you do that, your CEO (if he/she is wise) will move out of the way and leave you do your thing. If he/she doesn’t, think about moving on because a CEO involved in the sales process hardly ever leads to success. So, you will have to move on either way, on your terms or the latest when layoffs happen due to the lack of sales.

Here is a message to sales people:

Be mindful who you work for. If you don’t, you will not be successful and end up changing jobs every 6 months (I have seen it). If you do however understand your craft, manage up, help your sales managers be successful, provide insight into your work and supply reports of your progress. With clear communication and market research results (e.g. we are targeting the wrong people for our service offering!) you will be able to get support from your managers and you will succeed.

But only, if everybody leaves their EGO at the door.

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10 Jan

Set intentions instead of New Year’s resolutions

by Monika

The other day I went to the gym and as usual, it was packed. It’s like this every year once the “New” year has started. Everybody wants to fulfill their resolutions and it’s all starting on January 1. In my humble opinion, it’s a recipe for failure, because it’s not about the end result but a starting date.

If we were to set intentions, rather than making resolutions we would probably be more successful in keeping promises to ourselves. If we want to lose weight, our goal shouldn’t be to start dieting on January 1st or 2nd but to set the intention to eat healthier and exercise more.

If we want to be more successful in our business and sales endeavors (especially in consultative selling), we should look at eliminating waste, setting meaningful objectives and then working toward that goal. Any of those intentions can start at any day of the year, that’s the beauty about it. A Tuesday in July is as good a day to set an intention than January 1st.

Know your goal, review the process and set an intention.

Make resolutions when it matters

Resolutions and goals shouldn’t be set based on a date, but on a need. If you feel that something is not working, sit down, review and reflect. Paint a visual picture of where you want to be next year and make adjustments accordingly. Most humans are not wired to make drastic changes, so essentially if we make drastic changes, very often we are setting ourselves up for failure.

Make a plan

In sales, it’s all about closed business. It’s about working smarter and not working harder. More sales calls could lead to more business, but only if we target the right people. The intention should be to increase sales by a certain percentage over a certain time period. As a first step we should review our sales/workflow process and see where we fell short the previous year.

For example, if we had 25 good prospects in the pipeline and we only closed 2 then we should look at what happened during the sales process that prospects didn’t become clients. Maybe there wasn’t enough qualification. Maybe we pushed too hard and in the course pushed the prospect away. There could be many reasons, but just blindly increasing activity without knowing where the pitfalls are only results in more activity and not in increased business.

Set yourself up for success

If we make resolutions that we don’t keep we feel like a failure and it will take a long time until we attempt another try. Usually, it’s another New Year’s resolution the following year. Having a goal and a plan, being reasonable and methodical helps us staying on track. If our goal is to increase business over the course of a year, it also allows us to make adjustments and we will not feel that bad if we make stray from the path once in a while.

Being realistic helps us reaching our goals

Nothing wrong with dreaming and reaching for the stars, but it’s important to be realistic and to break down the process into small steps. Once you set your goal, make sure that you allow for a path that will lead to success. Manage expectations with yourself. It’s always important to manage expectations whether it’s with our children, with our clients, with our prospects or our friends. We should never over-promise or under-deliver. The same holds true when we make a promise to ourselves. Being realistic and reasonable will help us succeed.

Celebrate your achievements

We are so easy to judge ourselves, to look at the things that we didn’t achieve rather than celebrating our success. Thomas Edison once said  “I have not failed 1,000 times. I have successfully discovered 1,000 ways to NOT make a light bulb.” In that spirit, we should view every setback as an opportunity to learn. It’s really important to celebrate the little things in life, especially in sales. There is so much rejection from the outside world with additional pressure from management that we need to find the time to pat ourselves on the shoulder.

Happy Selling!

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Posted in: CONSULTATIVE SALES, Consultative Selling, Prospecting, Sales

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