Individual Sales Objectives

“A salesman minus enthusiasm is just a clerk.” – Harry F. Banks

Sales and Marketing plans need to reflect both company-wide objectives as well as the individual salesperson’s goal numbers. Both corporate and personal goals should align with the company’s profit intentions. Last week’s blog spoke to the company objectives. This week we will look at how to craft a sales and marketing plan for the individual salesperson.

Here are some key elements of a personal sales plan:

Marketing Tasks – Marketing tasks are things like networking, sending e-newsletters, blogging, and doing internet research to find prospects who have a high likelihood of buying your product. Without this kind of legwork, salespeople are hard-pressed to find those ideal clients.

Sales Actions – Sales actions include setting appointments, meeting with clients, preparing proposals, presenting the product, closing deals and following up. Each of these actions must happen consistently, and they must be scheduled into the calendar. Sales people who present proposals, but don’t follow up or close the deal are not going to meet their objectives. Break your sales effort into specific actions like these, and determine where those are going to appear in your calendar.

Accountability System – Salespeople need accountability systems if they want to stay on track to meet their goals. Who holds the salesperson accountable in your company? Is there a sales manager? A production manager? Who is responsible for tracking the progress and offering support to the sales staff? Is that chain of command clear to the salesperson?

Existence System – This is something the salesperson needs in order to be disciplined about performing the sales and marketing actions that will result in sales. The most common and best existence system is a calendar. Scheduling sales and marketing actions into an Outlook calendar gives one a picture of future results. A weekly sales meeting is another kind of existence system, as is a visual chart or graph that plots the salesperson’s progress toward his goals. Existence systems require some discipline, and it’s best if they have visual components that are easy reminders of where you stand.

Proposals – What kind of proposals do you need to have to present to clients? Maybe yours is a simple pricing sheet that you discuss over the phone, or maybe it is a highly detailed and customized PowerPoint presentation that you will deliver to the board of directors. Either way, it’s essential to have your materials prepared and be able to articulate how your product or service will be able to answer the prospect’s concerns.

Ongoing Training and Support – A salesperson should never feel like an island, separate from the company and colleagues and left to sell without direction. Salespeople should continually receive training on product capabilities and new ways to reach out to the marketplace. Salespeople also need to understand where to go for support when customers have complaints, questions or special requests.

The salesperson is often the embodiment of the company’s brand and reputation in the marketplace. Salespeople need clear individual objectives and well established channels for support. Businesses need to manage for personal and corporate objectives so that salespeople can distinguish themselves in the marketplace and deliver on the company sales intentions. A winning plan will yield winning results and will keep your business on the leading edge of the game of sales.

Are you ready to win?

Sharpen the Saw

"There's only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self." Aldous Huxley

The most successful business people are those who are continuously learning to perfect their craft. Even if you're the best sales person in your organization, there is always room for improvement. That type of improvement comes from getting sales training in a professional setting that allows you to role play, brainstorm and explore new ways to uncover opportunities you may be missing. Even the seasoned sales professional can get set in his ways and while successful, could be leaving a lot of money on the table. As Stephen Covey says in his 7 habits of highly effective people, it is important to sharpen the saw (http://www.stephencovey.com/).

Whether you are an accountant, health care professional, legal professional, or are a member of a trade which requires a certification or license to practice, you are mandated to complete a certain number of continuing education classes to maintain that license or certificate.

Sales professionals should impose similar requirements on themselves as if their "certification in sales" were at stake. The canvas is changing all the time. People used to "cold canvas" i.e., knock door to door to sell their products. Now you don't even have to meet - all you need in some cases is connectedness over the internet. Through online/social networking sites, internet sites and blogs you can outsource some of the less productive functions to a third party - giving you more time for selling. The point is that you have to keep yourself fresh and on top of all the new trends, not just from your products and services and those of your clients and prospects, but also of new ways in which people want to buy. You need to stay fresh by participating in sales training on a regular basis. Change happens quickly and you need to stay on top of everything that is going on so that you can win in the game of business.

To help you sharpen your saw, Possibilities Unlimited offers a Sales2Win course. The program is 8 one-hour telesessions conducted over 16 weeks. Ralph White leads this course with the assistance of Bonnie Landau, our online marketing, search engine optimization, web development, and social networking expert; Lee Ann Farmer, our time management, productivity and sales efficiency expert; and me, Mary Mullenhoff, our prospecting, sales strategy, marketing strategy, getting in at the highest level of an organization expert! Our combined diverse experiences make us the perfect team to add to your mastermind alliance (http://www.naphill.org/points/). We team with you to help upgrade your sales pitch, acquire high quality, high revenue and highly profitable targets and develop winning strategies to turn them into satisfied customers. Email us or call to reserve your spot in the next Sales2Win class (for every friend you refer to us, we'll give you 10% off of your 8-session fee!)It's a win/win for all!

Are you ready to win?

How Do You Relate to Sales?

"The fact is, everyone is in sales. Whatever area you work in, you do have clients and you do need to sell." - Jay Abraham, Marketing Expert

Many of us have stumbling blocks when it comes to sales. All too often, sales carries with it a negative connotation. We have images in our heads that sales people are intrusive, pushy, and even dishonest. Who hasn’t been hassled in a department store by a lurking sales clerk, asking us every three minutes if she can help us find something? And we all know what happens when we want to buy a new car or a major appliance. We often dread making these purchases because we fear that the sales process itself will be unpleasant.

If these are the images you have of salespeople, how does that impact your own ability to sell? Sales is the lifeblood of any business. We have to have sales or we are not in business. So how do we transform the sales process from one of dread to one of satisfaction?

The key is to remember that when you are selling something, you are solving a problem for someone. If you need a new washing machine, you want the salesperson to answer your questions and help you make the right choice. You want the salesperson to satisfy all the concerns you have about buying a washing machine. The salesperson solves your problem by taking away your concerns. Which one is the right size, the right price, the best quality?

The same holds true for any kind of sale. Our job, as salespeople, is to solve the problem, to identify the customers concerns and work hard to answer the questions. Our job is not to sell people services they don’t need or to push people into decisions they are not ready to make. When a salesperson does his or her job well, closing the deal is the logical outcome of the interaction. Closing the deal is the clear indication that the salesperson has identified all the customer’s concerns and addressed them.

So what are the keys to making this work? Having good qualified prospects is important. Look for the people who want and need your product or service and are ready to buy. Knowing how to identify concerns, having a good sales pitch, understanding the steps of selling…all these things are skills that good salespeople work hard to master.

Are you ready to re-think your relationship to sales? Could you use some feedback on your sales pitch? Do you need some fresh ideas for finding new prospects in a changing marketplace? Do you just need some support in revitalizing your sales process?

At Possibilities Unlimited, we can help. We’ve put together an 8-session course called Sales2Win that’s designed to give you a new way of thinking about sales. Whether you’re new to the game or a seasoned veteran, Sales2Win will give you tools you can use that will increase your sales and set you apart from the competition.

To learn more about Sales2Win, just email us at info@consulting2win.com, or call our office at 310-374-5976. We’re here to support you, and to teach you how to win the game.

Are you ready to win?

Handling Objections - Clearing the Hurdle

“You can’t make a great play unless you do it first in practice.” - Chuck Noll, Hall of Fame NFL Football Coach

Every salesperson knows that handling objections is an important skill to master if we want to close the deal. It sure would be nice if customers bought from us without hesitation, but in fact, that would reduce us to being order-takers, and where’s the fun in that?

Price is the source of most customer objections. They say they can’t afford your product or service. What they are really saying is that they haven’t heard that the value of what you’re selling is worth the price. When they say “no, I can’t afford it,” that is a cry for help that you need to answer. Give them more benefits and reasons that there is value in working with you.

Always be open to objections; it’s there that you can distinguish yourself and show that you will provide good customer service. In fact, ask for the objections up front, because there will always be some. You don’t want to leave the sales call not knowing where the prospect’s hesitation lies. If you don’t know what’s standing in between your customer and the sale, you can’t address the problem.

It’s important to acknowledge the objection so the client knows he’s been heard. Then be clear about how you will solve the issue. Anticipate common objections and be ready with answers. If the client presents an objection you don’t know how to answer, don’t panic! Again, acknowledge the objection, make sure you’ve heard it correctly and tell the client what you will do to handle it. Follow up so the client knows you can be counted on to respond. Your attitude in handling these objections does a lot to show your prospect how you will handle the future relationship.

Learning how to effectively deal with objections takes practice. In our Sales2Win course, we will spend time talking about objections and practicing what to say when they arise in the sales conversation. You must be able to fly over the objection hurdle if you want to close the deal. Register today for Sales2Win and learn the skills that will get you to the finish line every time.

Remember, objections are your chance to shine. Instead of dreading the questions and doubts your prospects have about your product, shift your thinking into how you can beat the competition and be the best person to buy from every time.

Are you ready to win?

Why Do I Need Sales Training?

"The key is not the 'will to win' - everybody has that. It is the will to prepare to win that is important." Bob Knight - Former NCAA Basketball Coach

Our company works with a lot of experienced salespeople who sometimes don’t see the need for additional training. We understand the thinking – why should I do a sales training program if I am already a successful salesperson?

Here’s why – because the game is always changing. There are always new rules, new techniques and new resources. And if you are not willing to spend time every year refining your skills, I guarantee you, your competition is!

Sales is a game where each month you start over with a zero as a score. Therefore, you always need new motivation to generate a new game plan to keep you in the winner’s circle. Just like an athlete who must consistently train in order to compete, business people have to train to stay sharp to effectively play the game of sales.

How you perform in sales is very much related to how the situation occurs to you. Through sales training you have the ability to develop different views or perspectives on how the sales world occurs to you. Those perspectives generate different action plans and when you implement disciplined action plans you will have different results.

Possibilities Unlimited is offering a cutting-edge new sales course called Sales2Win. Beginning October 7th, Sales2Win is an eight-session program open to anyone interested in creating better results. The course is conducted via conference call and webinar, so you don’t have to take time away from your office to attend.

Sales2Win is designed to give you a new view of your sales world. From that view you will see many more possibilities for sales. And when winning business people take advantage of possibilities, they create incredible results.

Interested? Contact us today to learn more about Sales2Win and to register for the course.

Are you ready to win?