How Salespeople Can Differentiate Themselves

I loved this quick, get-real blog post from Bryan Neale at Caskey, and think you will too! He discusses simple changes you can make to differentiate yourself and be a better salesperson.

We get asked this question almost daily in our sales training business: HOW CAN I DIFFERENTIATE MYSELF? Let's spend a little time looking at the bigger picture.

Step 1: Stop Behaving Like a Salesperson
Find 20 strangers and ask them to do word association. You say a word, and they say the first thing that comes to mind. The word: SALESPERSON.

95% of the responses you'll get will be negative: PUSHY, ANNOYING, SLIMY, SLICK, etc. So the first step in differentiating yourself is to STOP BEHAVING LIKE, SPEAKING LIKE AND THINKING LIKE any sort of salesperson.

Step 2: Develop 2 Stories
Express your value with STORIES. The "elevator pitch" is OUT. The 30-second commercial is as up to date as an 8-track tape player. Time to find your voice in the new century.

You need to develop 2 stories: 1) your personal story and 2) your company story. We're not talking about your biographical history. We're talking about why you do what you do—your philosophy with new customers. Stating your intent. Sharing what you've learned. The Story is in and a necessity when it comes to differentiating yourself in the sales process.

Step 3: Keep Features/Functions/Benefits Out of the Conversation
Here's the deal. NO ONE CARES ABOUT WHAT IT DOES. THEY ONLY CARE IF IT MAKES THEIR LIFE BETTER. Salespeople are still addicted to specs, attributes, features, functionality, etc. No one cares...how is my life better off with you and your product in it than out of it? That's it.

Step 4: Stop Trying
Stop trying to DIFFERENTIATE. Trying to differentiate from a competitor immediately puts you in a very bad place. It puts you on the defensive. When you're on the defensive, you turn your attention to the COMPETITOR and away from the CUSTOMER. If you really want to differentiate yourself, stop trying to. Just focus on helping the person across the table.

4 small ideas that will dramatically and positively impact your effectiveness in the sales process.

Bryan Neale is a member 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

How to be a Top Sales Performer

Sales trainer Bryan Neale recently posted a great piece on the Caskey blog about what makes a top sales performer. Do you have what it takes?

1. They think big
High performers think beyond the transaction - they think long term, big picture and any other overused corporate jumbo you can think of. You get it.

2. They work
While I don't believe effort = output, I do believe there is a positive correlation. The one basic element that we'll never be able to disprove: the more people you talk to, the more clients you'll have. Period.

3. They are terrified of failing
The highest performing salespeople (surprisingly to me) are often driven by fear - not a paralyzing fear, but a motivating fear. It could be a fear of failure, a fear of going backward or a fear of stagnation. Whatever, they do an amazing job channeling that fear into focused effort that produces results.

4. They maintain economic integrity
High performers know that THEY are a part of what their customers buy. They also tend to have very high self-worth. Because of that, elite performers rarely discount what they do. They may negotiate, but they have a true, strong, intrinsic belief that they and their service command a premium fee.

5. They expect to be a high performer
When the stack order ranking comes out, the best performers expect to see themselves on top. Average performers just hope they're not in the bottom third.

6. They work around factors out of their control
High performers look objectively at situations and work around conditions they have no control over. Average performers tend to see these factors as insurmountable roadblocks, excuses or paralyzing detriments.

What will you be? Average or elite?

Bryan Neale is a speaker and consultant with Caskey, a firm specializing in training and developing B2B sales teams through face to face training, teleconferencing, written material, custom podcasts and one on one coaching. Learn more at www.caskeyone.com

What to do When the Prospect Says YES and Then Does NOTHING

Getting a verbal commitment from a client is always exciting - things are moving forward! Well, not necessarily, says Bryan Neale, a consultant at Caskey Training in a recent blog post. "If you're a professional salesperson, you probably already know this," says Neale. "If you're new or struggling, here's the tip - It's nothing until it's something."

"Deals go bad," continues Neale. "Prospects lie. Things change. All of these events can change the verbal in a New York minute. So what should you do?"

1. Watch what they do, forget what they say: If someone gives you a verbal, take it at face value and keep your own emotions and expectations in check.

2. Drive the process: Once the verbal comes, it's your job to drive to an end. Share the crystal clear steps: i.e., Thanks, Joe. Here is a document that outlines specifically what happens next.

3. Stay mentally behind the deal: Everyone around you will want to "get excited." Not you. You stay even-keeled. You get excited when the money hits your checking account.

Bryan Neale is a speaker and consultant with Caskey, a firm specializing in training and developing B2B sales teams through face to face training, teleconferencing, written material, custom podcasts and one on one coaching. Learn more at www.caskeyone.com