Today sales trainer Bill Caskey questions the norm, and suggests you take advantage of the low-hanging fruit available to you. Here's what he has to say on the subject:
Why does "low-hanging fruit" get a bad rap. Why shouldn't every business-to-business sales organization be totally focused on low-hanging fruit? Answer: They should. In my world (the world of sales training), low-hanging fruit is defined as the following:
* A business that has a problem that they are totally committed to admitting and fixing, and they don't need a salesperson convincing them that they should do something about it.
* A business organization that has the funds to devote to solving the problem. (In other words, they have the budget and/or will spend money to fix it.)
* A company that is open-minded and looking for outside help in solving of inside problems. (Some companies aren't, and if you're an outsider then ditch them and move on.)
* A client who doesn't see you as a vendor—but sees you as a provider of a valuable solution that will improve the wellbeing of the people at the company. (The instant you get into you vs. 10 other bidders, get out.)
* A company that gives you access to information and people. (They don't hide the CEO, the CFO or the COO because there's a policy that they don't see salespeople.)
Believe it or not, there are companies around that have these characteristics. And if you define these as low-hanging fruit, then have at it. I would suggest that if any one of these elements is not in place, then you have to reach too high, which will take more time, which will cost more money, which will rob someone else in the market of your value.
Bill Caskey is a sales development leader and experimenter. His ideas about selling are convictions about life, money, and meaning. He has coached sales professionals and executives for over 19 years. To learn more, visit his website www.CaskeyOne.com.
Showing posts with label Bill Caskey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bill Caskey. Show all posts
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
What is Getting in the Way of Better Performance?
Today sales trainer Bill Caskey asks you to take a look at yourself and think about what you do that's keeping you from more sales. Read on for his advice!
As sales trainers, it seems like we're always out there to "help improve skills." Yet, after my conversation with Ralph Reiff, who oversees the St. Vincent Sports Performance Center in Indianapolis, he reminded me of something we often forget about in sales training.
When Ralph looks at an athlete to decide what kind of training he/she needs, he looks at "what is getting in the way of better performance?"
He claims there's always something that if remedied/fixed/addressed would improve the athlete's performance considerably.
What is Your Sales Distraction?
I equate that to some of the work we do in our work on sales strategy with clients. The bottom line question is: "What do we do that gets in the way of the sale?" Here are some thoughts that you can chew on.
1. We talk too much. I've literally heard salespeople talk themselves out of a sale, because they don't know when to shut up.
2. We fail to uncover the hidden pain. It's easy when you walk in and ask the prospect what their problem is and it's on the table in front of you. But what if you have to dig a little bit? What if the problem they have is something they've lived with for so long that they don't even see it as a problem.
3. We forget to have the economics discussion (or more conveniently, we ignore it). The money discussion is hard to have, because it can be emotional. But you must have it up front to see what the prospect feels about paying a premium (if in fact your product sells for a premium), or at least how he feels about the financial commitment that he needs to make.
4. We never show up in "get ready position." Are you ready for anything when you show up at a sales call? Or, are you hoping that the prospect says and does the right thing based on your prompts? You have a long tedious future in sales if you're not ready for anything the prospect says. The best way to be ready is to be "detached from the outcome."
5. We think old thoughts. The most common place this shows up is in prospecting. Continue to think that billboard advertising and cold calls are what are going to help you generate more business. The fact is, social media and the entire method prospects use to consume information has changed, and you'd better be attuned to it.
In conclusion, these are some things that you can either start doing or stop doing, depending on whether they're getting in your way. Good luck!
Bill Caskey is the President of Caskey, a training firm that specializes in training and developing B2B sales teams through face to face training, teleconferencing, written materials, custom podcasts and one on one coaching. Learn more at http://caskeyone.com
As sales trainers, it seems like we're always out there to "help improve skills." Yet, after my conversation with Ralph Reiff, who oversees the St. Vincent Sports Performance Center in Indianapolis, he reminded me of something we often forget about in sales training.
When Ralph looks at an athlete to decide what kind of training he/she needs, he looks at "what is getting in the way of better performance?"
He claims there's always something that if remedied/fixed/addressed would improve the athlete's performance considerably.
What is Your Sales Distraction?
I equate that to some of the work we do in our work on sales strategy with clients. The bottom line question is: "What do we do that gets in the way of the sale?" Here are some thoughts that you can chew on.
1. We talk too much. I've literally heard salespeople talk themselves out of a sale, because they don't know when to shut up.
2. We fail to uncover the hidden pain. It's easy when you walk in and ask the prospect what their problem is and it's on the table in front of you. But what if you have to dig a little bit? What if the problem they have is something they've lived with for so long that they don't even see it as a problem.
3. We forget to have the economics discussion (or more conveniently, we ignore it). The money discussion is hard to have, because it can be emotional. But you must have it up front to see what the prospect feels about paying a premium (if in fact your product sells for a premium), or at least how he feels about the financial commitment that he needs to make.
4. We never show up in "get ready position." Are you ready for anything when you show up at a sales call? Or, are you hoping that the prospect says and does the right thing based on your prompts? You have a long tedious future in sales if you're not ready for anything the prospect says. The best way to be ready is to be "detached from the outcome."
5. We think old thoughts. The most common place this shows up is in prospecting. Continue to think that billboard advertising and cold calls are what are going to help you generate more business. The fact is, social media and the entire method prospects use to consume information has changed, and you'd better be attuned to it.
In conclusion, these are some things that you can either start doing or stop doing, depending on whether they're getting in your way. Good luck!
Bill Caskey is the President of Caskey, a training firm that specializes in training and developing B2B sales teams through face to face training, teleconferencing, written materials, custom podcasts and one on one coaching. Learn more at http://caskeyone.com
Friday, April 16, 2010
The Role Your Self-Image Plays in Your Results
It's a topic that no one wants to broach, but it is "the topic" when it comes to sales results and that is: What is the image you have of yourself? The most common way this comes out is: What is your image of the role you have in the buyer-seller process.
One of my clients is a middle-aged man who's been in his position for twenty years and is arguably the most knowledgeable person in the US when it comes to one specific niche. Yet, as we went through the exercise of finding your value, he could not come to the conclusion that he, personally, brought any extra value to the table, beyond his product/service.
It was preposterous yet at the same time common. Sometimes our humility gets the best of us, and we discount the value we bring to the process in favor of the value our product brings to the process.
In this case, the question I asked him was, "What would you do to help the customer maximize the use of the product they bought post sale?" He came up with a list of five things that he would do over the course of a year that would virtually guarantee that the customer maximize the investment in the product. In essence, the product itself was not the issue in this sale. It was how to get the product to work right after it was installed. (And I don't mean that it was a flawed product. I mean, that like a lot of technology products, most people underuse the potential.)
After he came up with that list, his eyes got brighter and he stood up straighter and discovered that he is the thing that his customer cannot get anywhere else on the planet, and when they decide not to do business with him, they give up his expertise and his ability to make that small investment into a large return.
Recommendation
I urge you to think about the value you bring personally to the table through your experiences, your insight, your perspective, your collective knowledge of others in your organization that have expertise. You'll be shocked at how valuable you really are. And if your self-image will allow you, you'll be able to talk about that in a nice, conversational, elegant, non-cocky way.
Bill Caskey is a sales development leader and experimenter. His ideas about selling are convictions about life, money, and meaning. He has coached sales professionals and executives for over 19 years. To learn more, visit his website www.CaskeyOne.com.
One of my clients is a middle-aged man who's been in his position for twenty years and is arguably the most knowledgeable person in the US when it comes to one specific niche. Yet, as we went through the exercise of finding your value, he could not come to the conclusion that he, personally, brought any extra value to the table, beyond his product/service.
It was preposterous yet at the same time common. Sometimes our humility gets the best of us, and we discount the value we bring to the process in favor of the value our product brings to the process.
In this case, the question I asked him was, "What would you do to help the customer maximize the use of the product they bought post sale?" He came up with a list of five things that he would do over the course of a year that would virtually guarantee that the customer maximize the investment in the product. In essence, the product itself was not the issue in this sale. It was how to get the product to work right after it was installed. (And I don't mean that it was a flawed product. I mean, that like a lot of technology products, most people underuse the potential.)
After he came up with that list, his eyes got brighter and he stood up straighter and discovered that he is the thing that his customer cannot get anywhere else on the planet, and when they decide not to do business with him, they give up his expertise and his ability to make that small investment into a large return.
Recommendation
I urge you to think about the value you bring personally to the table through your experiences, your insight, your perspective, your collective knowledge of others in your organization that have expertise. You'll be shocked at how valuable you really are. And if your self-image will allow you, you'll be able to talk about that in a nice, conversational, elegant, non-cocky way.
Bill Caskey is a sales development leader and experimenter. His ideas about selling are convictions about life, money, and meaning. He has coached sales professionals and executives for over 19 years. To learn more, visit his website www.CaskeyOne.com.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
The High Cost of Low Curiosity
Are you, by nature, a curious person? Sales trainer Bill Caskey posed that question in a recent blog post, going on to say that, "Having worked with thousands of sales people - and hundreds of managers - I honestly believe it is a pre-requisite to income success to be curious."
Answer these self-reflection questions from Caskey to determine your curiosity level, then read on to find out why curiosity is so important for a successful salesperson.
--When someone says to you that they have mastered something - or they are experiencing success in a field that you, too, would like to have success - do you sit them down and pepper them (nicely) with questions?
--When you've learned that someone has figured out a way to get to the CEO, do you stop them in their tracks and invite them to dinner?
--When you're at a sales meeting, and you learn one of your associates has figured out how to find the pain of the customer better, do you handcuff them until they tell you EXACTLY how they did it?
"You probably don't," says Caskey. "And I'm not sure why that is. Is it because we'll feel stupid? Is it because we wouldn't want to puff up the other person? Is it because we'd rather do it the hard way, learning it on our own, rather than the easy way - learning from someone who's done it? Is there some kind of guilt that kicks in when we get the shortcut?"
"So the next time you hear of someone who has been successful at something, call them up, congratulate them, and invite them to tell you EXACTLY how they did it. It will make you rich."
Bill Caskey is a sales development leader and experimenter. His ideas about selling are convictions about life, money, and meaning. He has coached sales professionals and executives for over 19 years. To learn more, visit his website www.CaskeyTraining.com.
Answer these self-reflection questions from Caskey to determine your curiosity level, then read on to find out why curiosity is so important for a successful salesperson.
--When someone says to you that they have mastered something - or they are experiencing success in a field that you, too, would like to have success - do you sit them down and pepper them (nicely) with questions?
--When you've learned that someone has figured out a way to get to the CEO, do you stop them in their tracks and invite them to dinner?
--When you're at a sales meeting, and you learn one of your associates has figured out how to find the pain of the customer better, do you handcuff them until they tell you EXACTLY how they did it?
"You probably don't," says Caskey. "And I'm not sure why that is. Is it because we'll feel stupid? Is it because we wouldn't want to puff up the other person? Is it because we'd rather do it the hard way, learning it on our own, rather than the easy way - learning from someone who's done it? Is there some kind of guilt that kicks in when we get the shortcut?"
"So the next time you hear of someone who has been successful at something, call them up, congratulate them, and invite them to tell you EXACTLY how they did it. It will make you rich."
Bill Caskey is a sales development leader and experimenter. His ideas about selling are convictions about life, money, and meaning. He has coached sales professionals and executives for over 19 years. To learn more, visit his website www.CaskeyTraining.com.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
When Should A Salesperson Become A Teacher?
ANSWER: "When he leaves home in the morning," says sales trainer Bill Caskey.
"Why?" you ask.
"Simple. In today's confusing, overwhelming economy, you might be the only one that comes along today to teach your prospect something. And learning is power."
What exactly, can you teach them?
--How to use your product/service better (how to make more money, save more time, conserve more energy). Isn't it amazing how most vendors disappear the minute you buy something? Think of how many referrals they'd get if they just showed up occasionally to teach you something.
--How to get more value out of the relationship they have with you. We sellers are naive. We just expect that a client of ours knows exactly how to best "use" the relationship to their advantage.
--How to understand their business better (That's right, you should know their business so well you can teach them a thing or two about it - that is, if you've done a good job in the sales process.
--How to recognize if they have pain that you can fix. (What??!! You aren't doing that right now? Shame on you. Your competitor probably is or will).
--How to understand the high cost of doing nothing. It's what we call the "phantom cost." Yes, inaction has a price. If it doesn't, then they weren't a prospect in the first place.
Don't think about lecturing them, though. That won't do. You must help them consume this knowledge the way they want to consume such knowledge.
Some of them will use the web. Some will use DVD's. Some will need you to show up physically. Some will consume through audio. Some are visual. Just because you learn a certain way doesn't mean your prospect will too.
Bill Caskey is a sales development leader and experimenter. His ideas about selling are convictions about life, money, and meaning. He has coached sales professionals and executives for over 19 years. To learn more, visit his website www.CaskeyTraining.com.
"Why?" you ask.
"Simple. In today's confusing, overwhelming economy, you might be the only one that comes along today to teach your prospect something. And learning is power."
What exactly, can you teach them?
--How to use your product/service better (how to make more money, save more time, conserve more energy). Isn't it amazing how most vendors disappear the minute you buy something? Think of how many referrals they'd get if they just showed up occasionally to teach you something.
--How to get more value out of the relationship they have with you. We sellers are naive. We just expect that a client of ours knows exactly how to best "use" the relationship to their advantage.
--How to understand their business better (That's right, you should know their business so well you can teach them a thing or two about it - that is, if you've done a good job in the sales process.
--How to recognize if they have pain that you can fix. (What??!! You aren't doing that right now? Shame on you. Your competitor probably is or will).
--How to understand the high cost of doing nothing. It's what we call the "phantom cost." Yes, inaction has a price. If it doesn't, then they weren't a prospect in the first place.
Don't think about lecturing them, though. That won't do. You must help them consume this knowledge the way they want to consume such knowledge.
Some of them will use the web. Some will use DVD's. Some will need you to show up physically. Some will consume through audio. Some are visual. Just because you learn a certain way doesn't mean your prospect will too.
Bill Caskey is a sales development leader and experimenter. His ideas about selling are convictions about life, money, and meaning. He has coached sales professionals and executives for over 19 years. To learn more, visit his website www.CaskeyTraining.com.
Friday, March 13, 2009
What Happened When the TV Turned Off
Sales trainer Bill Caskey recently attended a Brian Tracy learning expo and came away with a new outlook that he shared in a recent blog post. Read on and try it yourself!
I heard Brian Tracy speak the other night. Since we preach "action", here is the action I took after I heard him: I've turned off my TV.
Now, I'm not a big 4-hour-a-night-TV-guy, but I found myself watching too many news shows-how bad things are-how the world is going to explode-how we're in a deep, deep recession.
Tracy Said, "You Control What Gets In Your Mind"
Actually, he didn't say it quite like that - but he made a big point of "no one is more responsible for your future than you." And with that comes 'what goes into your mind'. So I said "no more" to the news/business crap on TV. You'll never guess what happened?
I actually felt happier this week.
I worked out more. I lost 3 pounds. I played basketball for the first time in months. I made calls that I should have made months ago. I blogged more. I spent more time with my great team. And I had a more optimistic outlook on the future of our business. All from turning off the TV.
I encourage you to do the same. The media loves the "fear-scape" around the whole economic mess. Don't blame 'em. Most of them are failing out of business. They're losing so many eyeballs, they have to create fear. And they do. And they're damn good at it. And what's worse is we get sucked into it.
Customers Rely On Your Clear Head
But a salesperson is involved in a head game every hour of the day. You and I don't need anything going into our head - without our permission. Our customers rely on us to comfort them when making a big decision. They depend on our clear-headed thinking and being unemotional when recommending solutions to them. We can't let them down by being dispirited from the news.
Take Those Hours and Spend Them Differently
So, what do you do in that open spot? Listen to podcasts on business. Read self-help books. Read books on internet marketing. Catch up with other business leaders and discuss ideas on ways to grow your business. Pick up old books on goal setting, time management, writing and marketing.
Watch what happens. Abundance reappears. Detachment gets stronger. Prospects show up. As do other opportunities. And you operate with more integrity and joy.
Bill Caskey is the President of Caskey, a training firm that specializes in training and developing B2B sales teams through face to face training, teleconferencing, written materials, custom podcasts and one on one coaching. Learn more at http://caskeyone.com
I heard Brian Tracy speak the other night. Since we preach "action", here is the action I took after I heard him: I've turned off my TV.
Now, I'm not a big 4-hour-a-night-TV-guy, but I found myself watching too many news shows-how bad things are-how the world is going to explode-how we're in a deep, deep recession.
Tracy Said, "You Control What Gets In Your Mind"
Actually, he didn't say it quite like that - but he made a big point of "no one is more responsible for your future than you." And with that comes 'what goes into your mind'. So I said "no more" to the news/business crap on TV. You'll never guess what happened?
I actually felt happier this week.
I worked out more. I lost 3 pounds. I played basketball for the first time in months. I made calls that I should have made months ago. I blogged more. I spent more time with my great team. And I had a more optimistic outlook on the future of our business. All from turning off the TV.
I encourage you to do the same. The media loves the "fear-scape" around the whole economic mess. Don't blame 'em. Most of them are failing out of business. They're losing so many eyeballs, they have to create fear. And they do. And they're damn good at it. And what's worse is we get sucked into it.
Customers Rely On Your Clear Head
But a salesperson is involved in a head game every hour of the day. You and I don't need anything going into our head - without our permission. Our customers rely on us to comfort them when making a big decision. They depend on our clear-headed thinking and being unemotional when recommending solutions to them. We can't let them down by being dispirited from the news.
Take Those Hours and Spend Them Differently
So, what do you do in that open spot? Listen to podcasts on business. Read self-help books. Read books on internet marketing. Catch up with other business leaders and discuss ideas on ways to grow your business. Pick up old books on goal setting, time management, writing and marketing.
Watch what happens. Abundance reappears. Detachment gets stronger. Prospects show up. As do other opportunities. And you operate with more integrity and joy.
Bill Caskey is the President of Caskey, a training firm that specializes in training and developing B2B sales teams through face to face training, teleconferencing, written materials, custom podcasts and one on one coaching. Learn more at http://caskeyone.com
Friday, January 9, 2009
Why Value Propositions (Usually) Don't Work
Bill Caskey recently posted an insightful blog about value propositions and why many people's value statements don't actually do anything for them. Check out his advice on what's keeping your value proposition from getting you more clients.
1. Rush Too Quickly To The Words
Teams get too hung up in the words too quickly and fail to understand the value prior to putting it into words. Value/Message is like a puzzle you put together. And we can't know how to assemble it until we get all the pieces on the table.
2. It's Based On The Wrong Intent
If we take a vendor mentality (bad) we will craft this with the wrong intent...we'll craft it with the intent of selling someone something. Instead of the intent of "helping our customers solve problems and realize opportunities." Your value story should "attract" some and "repel" others. It must take a stand.
3. Sterilized Message Speaks to No One
The message becomes too sterile and intellectual - and lacks the soul of the business. People make the difference so it needs to give voice to people (prospects) not just to statistics (although they are important too). Group mission statements usually end up like that. Salespeople won't use it.
4. Filter Through Old Thinking
Too many 'false filters.' This means that if we assume that a prospect only has 30 seconds to hear the story then we'll craft it for 30 seconds. I don't think Stephen King says, "I need to get this story told in 25 pages." It's more important that the story is compelling first - then work on how long or short it is. Prospects will carve out a lot of time to talk about themselves - not so much to talk about you.
5. No Platitudes, Claims or Opinions
Companies make this a bullet-pointed list of claims, platitudes and opinions. That doesn't compel a prospect to change. What compels a prospect to change from their current situation is if they feel they pay a penalty NOT to change. That's what we need to get to.
Apple has done a great job of this. Are their PCs faster? Not sure. But you don't find many people switching from Mac back to Dell. Once we tell this story, the prospect should either say, "How quickly can we get started with you?" Or, "This is not for us. You need to leave now." Either answer is OK. What's not OK is, "That's very nice. Thanks for coming in."
6. We Don't Change the Game
When you're crafting your message, that's the time we can change the game. Instead of thinking of ourselves as a traditional category (Accountants, Trainers - whatever your category is) is there another way to describe you? Are we OK if prospects lump us in that category? Is that what we want to be known as? Is that where we can grow and be profoundly successful? Change the game. Change the rules - and the results will change.
Bill Caskey is the President of Caskey, a training firm that specializes in training and developing B2B sales teams through face to face training, teleconferencing, written materials, custom podcasts and one on one coaching. Learn more at http://caskeyone.com
1. Rush Too Quickly To The Words
Teams get too hung up in the words too quickly and fail to understand the value prior to putting it into words. Value/Message is like a puzzle you put together. And we can't know how to assemble it until we get all the pieces on the table.
2. It's Based On The Wrong Intent
If we take a vendor mentality (bad) we will craft this with the wrong intent...we'll craft it with the intent of selling someone something. Instead of the intent of "helping our customers solve problems and realize opportunities." Your value story should "attract" some and "repel" others. It must take a stand.
3. Sterilized Message Speaks to No One
The message becomes too sterile and intellectual - and lacks the soul of the business. People make the difference so it needs to give voice to people (prospects) not just to statistics (although they are important too). Group mission statements usually end up like that. Salespeople won't use it.
4. Filter Through Old Thinking
Too many 'false filters.' This means that if we assume that a prospect only has 30 seconds to hear the story then we'll craft it for 30 seconds. I don't think Stephen King says, "I need to get this story told in 25 pages." It's more important that the story is compelling first - then work on how long or short it is. Prospects will carve out a lot of time to talk about themselves - not so much to talk about you.
5. No Platitudes, Claims or Opinions
Companies make this a bullet-pointed list of claims, platitudes and opinions. That doesn't compel a prospect to change. What compels a prospect to change from their current situation is if they feel they pay a penalty NOT to change. That's what we need to get to.
Apple has done a great job of this. Are their PCs faster? Not sure. But you don't find many people switching from Mac back to Dell. Once we tell this story, the prospect should either say, "How quickly can we get started with you?" Or, "This is not for us. You need to leave now." Either answer is OK. What's not OK is, "That's very nice. Thanks for coming in."
6. We Don't Change the Game
When you're crafting your message, that's the time we can change the game. Instead of thinking of ourselves as a traditional category (Accountants, Trainers - whatever your category is) is there another way to describe you? Are we OK if prospects lump us in that category? Is that what we want to be known as? Is that where we can grow and be profoundly successful? Change the game. Change the rules - and the results will change.
Bill Caskey is the President of Caskey, a training firm that specializes in training and developing B2B sales teams through face to face training, teleconferencing, written materials, custom podcasts and one on one coaching. Learn more at http://caskeyone.com
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
How do you handle a buyer turned non-buyer?
We've all experienced this situation - you have a prospect who says "Yes, I'm in!" and then they disappear. Phone calls and emails head straight into a black hole. The commission you thought was coming is slowly slipping away. What do you do?
In a recent blog post, sales trainer Bill Caskey addresses this subject. "I never expect anything," says Caskey. "Not because I want to cushion the fall, but because when you begin expecting something to happen in a certain way then you close yourself off from being flexible - or to having it happen in other ways."
"So, when someone who you thought 'was' a prospect, now tells you they're in 'think-it-over-land,' you have to handle it correctly. Don't beg. Just say, 'I kind of thought that was the case since I didn't hear from you. This is not unusual when considering a purchase like this. Sounds like you're having second thoughts. Let me ask you this. Are you having second thoughts about solving the problem we discussed or second thoughts about who you want to help you?'"
"Now this assumes there is a compelling reason for them to change (problem they're wanting fixed, or a solution they're urgently dying for)," says Caskey. "If you have neither of these, then you never did have a prospect."
Bill Caskey is the President of Caskey, a training firm that specializes in training and developing B2B sales teams through face to face training, teleconferencing, written materials, custom podcasts and one on one coaching. Learn more at http://caskeyone.com
In a recent blog post, sales trainer Bill Caskey addresses this subject. "I never expect anything," says Caskey. "Not because I want to cushion the fall, but because when you begin expecting something to happen in a certain way then you close yourself off from being flexible - or to having it happen in other ways."
"So, when someone who you thought 'was' a prospect, now tells you they're in 'think-it-over-land,' you have to handle it correctly. Don't beg. Just say, 'I kind of thought that was the case since I didn't hear from you. This is not unusual when considering a purchase like this. Sounds like you're having second thoughts. Let me ask you this. Are you having second thoughts about solving the problem we discussed or second thoughts about who you want to help you?'"
"Now this assumes there is a compelling reason for them to change (problem they're wanting fixed, or a solution they're urgently dying for)," says Caskey. "If you have neither of these, then you never did have a prospect."
Bill Caskey is the President of Caskey, a training firm that specializes in training and developing B2B sales teams through face to face training, teleconferencing, written materials, custom podcasts and one on one coaching. Learn more at http://caskeyone.com
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Man or Mouse? The Five Defining Moments in Your Sales Process
In a recent blog post, sales trainer Bill Caskey writes about defining moments. If you look up "defining moment" on Dictionary.com, you'll see it's described as "a point at which the essential nature of a character, person, group, etc., is revealed or identified," or "an occurrence that typifies or determines all related events that follow."
Caskey explains defining moments as the "places in life that we have a choice - follow one path that is resourceful and in everyone's best interest, or follow the path of least resistance - where we wimp on our goals." He continues, "If you're a sales person in any context - selling services, products, or selling ideas, there are 5 defining moments in the sales process. Check them out and see how you do in these moments."
1. The First Conversation. This is the time when "orientation" gets set. What that means is the prospect begins to get a feel for how you're oriented. Are you there to sell? Are you there to beg? Or, better, are you there to question and explore? Hopefully, the latter.
2. Finding the Problem. There is a moment in the sales process where the way is paved for you to ask questions to find customer problems. And yet few of us do. We're too buy talking about our company - value-people-etc., stuff that might be important to you, but isn't for your prospect. This moment defines what you're there to do (in the prospect's eyes).
3. Talking Money. Your solution costs money. There are logical times in the sales process to talk money. Your comfort in doing so makes the sales process sail. If you're afraid of bringing it up, you're sunk.
4. Involving Others. In business to business selling, there will be more than one person who makes/weighs in on the decision. There is a moment in the process where you must involve others. Maybe the first step is to ask the simple question: "Who else cares about solving this problem?"
5. Getting a Decision. There is a moment that you should lay the ground work for the decision. You aren't asking for a YES. But you should always be planning the moment where either you tell the prospect NO or they tell you NO. Either way is OK. But don't miss the moment.
Can you think of any other defining moments in the sales process? Have you had an experience changing your actions in one of these defining moments that made a difference in your sales? Let us know!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Too Much Certainty Kills Curiosity - and Costs You Money!
I was reading Bill Caskey's blog and came across this intriguing post. We often encourage you to research and educate yourself to become an expert in your field, and while this is very important, there is a point when too much confidence can become a deal-breaker. This story from Caskey will definitely make you think about how you position yourself:
Last month I was giving a sales training seminar, and one of the participants voiced his opinion on how he does something in the sales process. He was actually saying all the right things, but the "way" he said it turned other people in the room off a little.
I got to thinking about what he said and was curious about why that had such an effect on people; I determined that certainty kills curiosity. Whenever I hear someone say, "This is how I do it and it's always worked," they almost certainly have killed themselves off from being curious about other ways to do it better. You've heard the saying, "only fools are positive." To me, that is exactly what happens when you are so sure of yourself that you are not open to other ways to improve your results.
As you think about your sales approach to prospects and clients, be careful that you don't "have all the answers and don't need more input," because you may be cutting yourself off from one easy tactic that can monumentally affect your business.
Bill Caskey is a sales development leader and experimenter. His ideas about selling are convictions about life, money and meaning. He has coached sales professionals and executives for over 19 years, and his philosophies and strategies have fueled explosive growth in sales and profits for clients. Visit his website at www.caskeytraining.com
Last month I was giving a sales training seminar, and one of the participants voiced his opinion on how he does something in the sales process. He was actually saying all the right things, but the "way" he said it turned other people in the room off a little.
I got to thinking about what he said and was curious about why that had such an effect on people; I determined that certainty kills curiosity. Whenever I hear someone say, "This is how I do it and it's always worked," they almost certainly have killed themselves off from being curious about other ways to do it better. You've heard the saying, "only fools are positive." To me, that is exactly what happens when you are so sure of yourself that you are not open to other ways to improve your results.
As you think about your sales approach to prospects and clients, be careful that you don't "have all the answers and don't need more input," because you may be cutting yourself off from one easy tactic that can monumentally affect your business.
Bill Caskey is a sales development leader and experimenter. His ideas about selling are convictions about life, money and meaning. He has coached sales professionals and executives for over 19 years, and his philosophies and strategies have fueled explosive growth in sales and profits for clients. Visit his website at www.caskeytraining.com
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