Sounding Deliberate or Desperate?

Sales trainer Renee Walkup focuses on helping salespeople to sell more over the phone, and the tips she shares today will do just that!

Yep, it's crummy, but...how do you SOUND over the phone? I ran a seminar last week and the questions came from everyone in the room. "What do I do when I am feeling so desperate to make my numbers/close sales/keep my job?"

If there is one thing I know, after being in sales for over 20 years, is that this crappy economy will pass. We've been through this before and survived. Even thrived. The key to success is threefold:

1. Remain optimistic
2. Be persistent
3. Never let the customers "hear" (or see!) you sweat

No one wants to conduct business with a person who is begging for business. Think of it like dating. When you were dating (if you aren't still), did you REALLY want to go out with a person who was too available on Friday and Saturday nights?

The problem with telephone sales is that the more tense we are, the more it comes out in our voices. The reason is that when stressed, our vocal cords tighten up making us sound desperate. If you want to transform your "desperate" voice into your "deliberate" voice, read on. Once you begin sounding more confident and upbeat, your customers will feel encouraged that your company (and you) are in for the long haul. After all, companies ARE still buying, we just need to be there first in line to get the check, right? So here you go...

1. Use the Renee-method of "three" when leaving your message. It should have three parts: WHO you are, WHAT you are calling about, and the ACTION needed. WHO, WHAT, and ACTION. This message shouldn't last longer than 17 seconds. Here's an example: "Hi, Wayne. This is Renee Walkup of SalesPEAK. We fill a training gap by helping your salespeople book more appointments using the phone. Call me at: 678 587-9911."

2. Keep your feet off the desk, your head up, and your smile ON. When your posture is right, so is your powerful deliberate voice. If you sound distracted or discouraged, your customers will hear that even through thousands of miles of fiber optics and satellites.

3. Stop arguing with the customers. If you are getting push-back "no money, downsizing, blah blah", then resist the urge to create a combative conversation. I hear more and more salespeople doing this as their sales are down during these times. Just relax and handle the objections as you always have--professionally and with skill.

So these tips should get you jump-started into sounding more confident, more in control, and most importantly, help you close more sales!

Renee Walkup is president of SalesPEAK Inc. and author of "Selling to Anyone Over the Phone". You can contact her at 678-587-9911 or walkup@salespeak.com Her website is www.salespeak.com.

Getting Dressed Up? May as Well Take Your Business Cards

The holidays are full of parties just waiting to be turned into networking opportunities. Today sales trainer Renee Walkup shows you how!

Last evening I attended an incredibly fun networking event, disguised as a holiday party. The invitations went out early. There were no typos regarding the date, the time, or the address. Not only that, the event looked like loads of fun. The only sentence that made me ponder was this: This is not a business event. Please do not solicit new clients.

I paused and thought about that sentence. After all, wasn't half of the intent to network and make business contacts? The other half was to let our hair down and have some fun. Then I invited my networking and all-around-event-buddy.

I sent her the invitation with a note: "Amy, do you want to go to this with me?" She replied: "Renee, it looks great. But what do they mean by 'Do not solicit new clients?' Isn't this a networking thing?"

After arriving and grabbing a bite, I saw business cards being passed all over the place. It was like a feeding frenzy of fun, food and...you got it...networking!

Now, what about your parties this month? Do you want to do some double dipping fun and networking? Here are a few tips to get you started:

First, survey the room and approach someone who seems like you in terms of personality, age, attire, etc. Find the person you'll have something in common with to immediately put you at ease. If this takes a few minutes after arriving - so be it. You'll find this a valuable networking tool in all situations because people do business with people who are like them.

Next, open the conversation with a question such as: what brought you to the event, how do you know the hosts, and other connection topics that break the ice, and get your new contacts talking.

Also, avoid mundane or controversial topics such as the weather, politics, and religion. Think of creative topics to ask about before attending the event, so that when you meet someone new, there's interesting and stimulating conversation.

How about practicing active listening skills in the conversation? Make good eye contact, avoid distractions, and listen to the deeper meanings while your new contact talks. You will learn more than expected if you just pay closer attention and focus on the individual - not on who else is walking into the room.

Last, send a hand-written follow-up note telling the person how much you enjoyed meeting them, and if possible, include something slightly personal in the note to differentiate that this new contact made a positive impression on you. If this is a good networking prospect for you, invite him or her to lunch, coffee, breakfast, or even another event!

Renee Walkup is president of SalesPEAK, a national sales performance company, as well as a well-recognized keynote speaker, sales coach, and author, with a 25-year background in sales, sales team management and training. Learn more at www.salespeak.com

The SalesDog blog will be quiet tomorrow and Friday as we take time off to relax and celebrate the holidays with our families. Best wishes to you and yours!

Crossing the Cultural Divide

Selling often means dealing with people around the globe, which can mean cultural differences come into play. Isn't selling hard enough already? Luckily, sales trainer Renee Walkup is working on a new book, and did some excellent research about cultural differences to help you when selling to people in other countries. Of course, these are generalities - keep them in mind, but still be yourself.

"Selling is difficult enough sometimes, without having an additional layer of challenges to our bag of obstacles," says Walkup. "However, the good news is, people are people. Customers want to buy from you (we hope). Part of the key to success in dealing with Internationals is to understand how they communicate and how they want to conduct business with YOU."

According the US International Department of Trade Commission, the top ten countries the US trades with are:

Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, UK, Germany, Japan, China, Saudi Arabia, France, and Korea. Instead of going through each of these countries' business protocol, I'll just provide you with a few tips and hints you can use immediately to improve your closing ratio.

Canadian Customers:
Culturally diverse, community-oriented. Disagree with tact and have a pragmatic communication style. Avoid asking personal questions, being too aggressive and using exaggerated claims when selling to Canadians.

German Customers:
They plan, plan, and plan! They have a rigid protocol and once a decision is made, don't change their plan. They are impressed with academic credentials and protocol. Avoid too much emotion with them and remember to use lots of written documentation.

Chinese Customers:
They are all about making group decisions and not being singled out. Rank is important to them and bureaucracy is critical in their decision-making. Make sure you are extremely punctual in that if you are late, you have insulted your customer. Because seniority is important to them, you may want to have an executive or higher level manager involved in the deal. However, warn him/her not to be confrontational - it will backfire. A lower-key approach is best.

Korean Customers:
With Korean customers you might say that "less is more". They prefer a direct and concise communication style. However, if asked a closed-ended question, they will most certainly say "yes", even if the answer is "no". Instead, ask open-ended questions and wait for a more accurate answer.

Mexican Customers:
These customers enjoy using the hierarchy in their organizations, as well as in yours. This is important to them. Deadlines are fluid and they are often late to meetings, but you will make many friends through your Mexican connections. These customers love to network and connect!

Hope this helps you as you navigate through dealing on the phone and in person with those from other countries. Want to know more? There are thousands of resources on the web and many books out there which can help you. Happy Selling!

Renee Walkup is president of SalesPEAK, a national sales performance company, as well as a well-recognized keynote speaker, sales coach, and author, with a 25-year background in sales, sales team management and training. Learn more at www.salespeak.com

Closing Excitement and Etiquette

Sales trainer Renee Walkup recently wrote about something that isn't usually talked about - but should definitely be recognized - closing etiquette. Her bad example is Ed Helms' character, Andy Bernard, from the TV show The Office, but I'm sure you know a few people just like him. Read on for Walkup's great tips.

If you are a fan of the TV show, "The Office" you aren't alone. Those of us in sales have to laugh when watching Ed Helms' character. Ed does a brilliant rendition of the "typical" obnoxious salesperson with his character, Andy. Just the other day, Ed was on my other favorite humor radio program, "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me." I almost fell out of my seat, when I heard Ed describe his character, Andy, like this: "Andy is totally transparent, but actually is convinced that he's stealthy."

Isn't that so true? Andy can't help but either snicker inappropriately, roll his eyes when he's annoyed, and do a jig when he closes a sale while shouting "YEAAAHH!"

So my question to you is, how do you react when you close a sale? Are you transparent, stealthy, calm, bored, excited, or what? What does your customer see and hear from you when you hear the sweetest love words a salesperson dreams of... "yes!"

Why then, do I see salespeople sometimes act inappropriately when they close a deal? For example, I have seen salespeople who calmly reply "ok" and then pack up and leave the scene (in person or on the phone). On the other extreme, I have witnessed salespeople embarrass themselves by pulling an "Andy" and breathing a huge sigh and say something to the effect of, "Thank goodness I can make my goal this month, YIPPEE!"

Now, you have worked hard to get this deal. Haven't you? How SHOULD you react? If Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, or Stephen Spielberg were directing you, the advice would go something like this: "Make your customer feel as though he/she has just made a significant decision that's important to you, but avoid peeing in your pants with excitement."

How to do that? Here are my tips for communicating excitement and enthusiasm while maintaining your cool professionalism.

1. Acknowledge the close. When your customer says "yes" the first action you should take is to comment. Make the customer feel important by acknowledging the close, or sometimes he will take it back later. You might say something such as: "That's great, Jake. We are excited about the opportunity of helping you grow your business." Another idea is: "Thank you so much for selecting our firm, Jake. That's great!" Or: "I'm delighted that we're going to team up on this initiative. We have a perfect match!"

2. After acknowledging the sale, offer up an action. "Jake, the first step we'll need to take is to make sure we have all the stakeholders contact information. Let's go ahead and make a list..." Or "I have the contract right here. Let's go ahead and get the agreement signed off on so we can get started for you." An alternative is: "OK, before we get started on the project, let's review our timeline together..."

3. Make sure the customer feels "the love" too. He should be happy that you are going to work together, because after all, he had other choices. There most certainly was competition and he's going to have to tell the other companies why he chose yours. If you have a skilled competitor and your contract hasn't been signed off on yet, you may be at risk of still losing the sale. Get him to smile and repeat essentially how eager he is to get started as well. You can do this with a question, such as: "Jake, we've worked hard to get this partnership sealed. I hope you are as eager to get going on this as I am. What steps do you want to take first?" Make sure that your customer has the buy-in for action by using your skills to keep him involved in the close.

Renee Walkup is president of SalesPEAK, a national sales performance company, as well as a well-recognized keynote speaker, sales coach, and author, with a 25-year background in sales, sales team management and training. Learn more at www.salespeak.com

Heat Up Your Cold Calls

I don't know many people who would say cold calling is one of their favorite things to do, but plenty of people make a great living from it. Sales trainer and telesales expert Renee Walkup is one of those people, and today she shares a story that will get you going - no matter how much you like or dislike cold calling.

Renee's story:

There I was, having coffee with a successful, seasoned business partner today, when he said, "You know, I have bad days sometimes. These are the days when I just don't feel like making cold calls. So do you know what I do?" Eagerly leaning forward in my chair, I looked him in the eyeball and asked, "What?"

Lee responded. "Well, for the last 7 years, I've been collecting script ideas. Stuff I've listened to on tapes. Books I've read. Speakers I've heard. In fact, I even have some stuff from when we first met when you were speaking at a Sales and Marketing Executives luncheon. I have compiled all the best ideas and have my own little black book of stuff to use. When I'm too tired, unmotivated, or just bored, I take the notes out and use them. After about 10 calls or so, I'm back on track. You know, it works!"

At this point, I got excited. Here is this highly motivated, successful person at the top of his profession, willingly admitting that he gets stuck sometimes. He uses his crutch sometimes. Someone who is dedicated to his profession and to his company. In short, a TRUE professional!

I mentioned to Lee that most people hate making cold calls. My theory is that since we were about 2 years old, our parents started drilling into us that we shouldn't talk to strangers. Now, we're in sales. What are we supposed to do? We HAVE to talk to strangers - in fact, sometimes the stranger, the better!

So, what do you do when you are tired of making cold calls? You can take a tip from Lee and use your "little black book" of scripts. You can sit down and write out your own scripts. How about reading an article? Or listening to a download on sales techniques? You can picture your greatest sale. But no matter what, get back on the phone!

Renee Walkup is president of SalesPEAK, a national sales performance company, as well as a well-recognized keynote speaker, sales coach, and author, with a 25-year background in sales, sales team management and training. Learn more at www.salespeak.com

Avoid Business Card Blunders

Have you attended any networking events lately? Joined any new business groups? Met a new client for coffee? If you've done any of these things, then you've probably been passing out your business card. Does it make the grade?

Make sure your business card follows these guidelines set by sales trainer Renee Walkup and you'll be in good shape for your upcoming networking opportunities.

1. The name you like to be called. If your name is "Robert" and you prefer to go by "Bob", use your nickname. Otherwise, those who see your card will call you by the name you would rather not use.

2. Include your business title. People like to know what you do in a company. If your title is confusing, archaic, or just plain wrong, get a new title or order new cards. This is important.

3. Include your email address. If you want people to find you, especially customers, email is absolutely a necessity. Not just your website, but your specific email.

4. Phone numbers are critical, as well. If you have a toll free number, include that. A direct line with the extension is great, and of course, if you are extremely mobile, include your cell phone. Customers need to know how to get in touch with you.

5. Your address is important, too. Customers like to know what city and state you are in. They also want to know how far you are from their facility. If you work from home, include the corporate or branch office address. Avoid a PO Box number, unless it's essential to getting your mail there. Most people dislike working with those who don't have an address. By the same token, if you work from home, it's best not to include a home address. It doesn't look as professional "348 Homewood Court" as a business address and there may be safety reasons as to why you wouldn't want your home address on a card.

6. If there is room on the front, back or inside a fold-over card flap, include what your business does, any critical certification, or a special offer. These types of messages often are conversation-starters and help customers gain a better understanding of your business at a glance.

Renee Walkup is president of SalesPEAK Inc. and author of "Selling to Anyone Over the Phone."

Your Voice Matters

Have you ever gotten a voice mail from someone where they mumbled, you could barely hear them, or they sounded bored out of their mind? I don't know about you, but I usually delete those without even listening to the whole thing. If they don't care, why should I?

Telesales expert Renee Walkup has some excellent ideas you should keep in mind when selling over the phone.

1. Use humor in your tone and speech.
By smiling and using light-hearted humor, not only will you look friendlier in person, you'll sound more confident and friendly when on the telephone. The reason for this is that your vocal cords actually lift up, when smiling.

2. End your sentences with a confident tone.
If your sentences are well-thought out, you won't end up trailing off at the end of your thoughts. Also, avoid "up-speaking" at the end of your sentences. This is sometimes a regional habit and you'll have more credibility if you can train yourself not to speak up at the end of sentences.

3. Avoid over-explaining.
As business professionals, we know much more than we need to share. That's part of being a professional! However, no one wants to hear the entire chapter and verse of your knowledge. You'll have more strength and credibility if you consider what the listener really needs to know in order to buy-in to your idea or sales presentation.

4. Steer clear of disclaimers.
For example, if you pepper your communication with comments such as, "I may be way off base here, but..." You've lost credibility. Maintain a strong speaking demeanor so that you are positioned as an expert without sounding cocky. Confidence is good. Self-deprecating speech doesn't strengthen your persuasion power.

5. Be diplomatic.
Everyone wants to avoid offending people, so be confident about thoughts, and diplomatic with people. For example, saying: "You are completely wrong", doesn't work as well as: "I have a plan that should solve these challenges."

Renee Walkup is president of SalesPEAK Inc. and author of "Selling to Anyone Over the Phone."

Diligent or Desperate?

Diligent follow-up is an important part of being successful in sales, but have you ever worried that your follow-up comes off as desperate to your prospects? It's easy to cross the line without realizing you're doing it. These tips from sales trainer and author Renee Walkup are a great way to make sure you're coming off as professional and dedicated - and not desperate!

Avoid pinning the customer into your time frame.
For example, telling the customer that you will call him in two days doesn't empower him to take the lead. What's so special about two days? Ask your customer when is the best time for him. You may find it's sooner than two days. Once you negotiate the day and time, then be diligent by following up when you promised.

Avoid the "end of month special" approach.
Whenever a salesperson tells a customer that they have to purchase by the last date of the month/quarter/year, it spells "desperate" to a customer. Let the customer know about the deals and be more relaxed about the end of month. You can follow up, and in fact, I encourage you to do so...just don't push for the end of the month. Customers are able to recognize a good deal and they buy on their time frames. Just keep in mind that if the customer misses the 31st deadline, they will end up paying more and you increase your commissions.

The same is true for price increases for those of you in commodity markets.
When you call and tell your customer the price is going up by the 6th, another reminder call, email, or note is perfectly in order. The customer has a calendar--give them the options of when to buy when there's an impending price increase on the horizon.

Always do what you say.
If you tell the customer you will call on Thursday at noon, it doesn't matter what has occurred, call the customer at that time! Even if an emergency has arisen, call before that time and let him/her know.

Follow up, follow up, and don't forget to follow up!
Remember the "diligence" part?

Renee Walkup is president of SalesPEAK Inc. and author of "Selling to Anyone Over the Phone."

Selling on Their Time - Not Yours

Sales trainer Renee Walkup recently experienced an interesting sales scenario while trying to buy a new car. Instead of buying on her time, the salesperson tried to force his timeline. Read on for her story, and make sure you avoid this seller's mistakes.

So there I was, back at a car dealership looking for a new car. I usually have the luxury of taking my time when buying a new vehicle. However, the woman barreling down I85 into my Infiniti, didn't think about MY inconvenience as she was text-messaging her boyfriend instead of paying attention to the road. Oh well, fortunately, it was just a car.

At any rate, the urgent automobile purchase decision was to come quickly because of the insurance company. I didn't have much time to mull over the different choices. After looking over about a dozen cars, I finally decided on a cute little Volvo. The salesperson let me take it home. I was having a ball tooling around in it for free, while waiting for my insurance check.

Then, the salesman called me and left a message. "Renee, Hi. This is Ernie. Say, I called to see how you like the Volvo. Oh, yes, and what will it take to get your business since you KNOW it's the end of the month and I'd love to close this deal?"

My first reaction was, "So what?" Why should I, the almighty customer, CARE whether Ernie wants to close by the end of the month? Frankly, Ernie didn't think about that. He just wanted to make his number, or get closer to it, before close of business on the 31st.

I refer to Ernie's question as a "freeze question." A question that causes your customer to freeze is one which most likely will not lead to a close. Another freeze question is: "How much do you want to spend?"

So, instead of offering up more freeze questions, here are a few questions you can ask with confidence to avoid turning your customer into an iceberg:

"You mentioned that you need to make a decision soon. Tell me about your time frame in more detail."

"You've certainly been shopping around. Tell me your impressions of how our service compares to the others you have looked at."

"You mentioned in an earlier conversation that our product meets your X needs. Tell me, how would your business be different if you purchased our solution?"

"You said you are happy with your current supplier. Tell me, when was the last time your supplier ran out of product? Could you list us as a secondary vendor to fulfill your order when your primary supplier is unable to?"

"Note that all of the questions begin with "you," not "I" or "we", says Walkup. "In fact, that's one reason why the Volvo salesperson failed in his sales skills miserably with me. He had all the "pat" questions and techniques, none of which is particularly effective and more likely offensive."

"I bought from him despite his inexperience because I was in a huge hurry and liked his car. But if he wants a referral, he won't get one. If he wants repeat business from me, he won't get that either. In short, I bought, but on MY time frame - not his!"

Renee Walkup is president of SalesPEAK Inc. and author of "Selling to Anyone Over the Phone."

Pick Up the Phone and Beat the Heat!

Have you been feeling the heat lately? I don't know about your neck of the woods, but San Diego has been unusually hot lately. We're spoiled by moderate temperatures year-round, so any extreme change in temperature makes me feel absolutely miserable.

With the heat on everyone's minds, I felt this article from sales trainer Renee Walkup, where she asks "Can you be more efficient by using the phone?" was very timely. Use these tips to close more business over the phone, and avoid venturing into the sweltering heat wearing pantyhose or a jacket and tie.

Here are Walkup's 5 tips for being more effective over the phone:

1. Convince yourself that customers LIKE the phone. They don't always want to see you. Some of the best sales calls and negotiations are conducted using the telephone as the communications vehicle.

2. Have your notes in front of you to guide the call. If you are checking your email and attempting to organize and deliver a compelling presentation over the phone, you are about to be disappointed. Write out what you need to accomplish in advance and prepare before picking up the receiver.

3. Be quiet and listen. What wisdom or irritation is your customer going through? Are you focused on what he/she is saying that is between the lines?

4. Take notes during your call. You not only will have a record of what transpired, you may also discover what tactics you'll need to use in your next interaction with the customer.

5. Don't forget to ask for the sale! Your call should always end with a close that takes you to the next steps in your sales relationship.

So, shed your jacket, tie, pantyhose, and whatever else is making you sweat, plop down on your comfortable office chair, sit back, and pick up the phone. With these tips from Walkup, you may just close a deal!

Renee Walkup is president of SalesPEAK, a national sales performance company, as well as a well-recognized keynote speaker, sales coach, and author, with a 25-year background in sales, sales team management and training. Learn more at www.salespeak.com

Magic Sales Word #3

Sales trainer Renee Walkup has three favorite sales words: oh, tell, and today's word: when.

Walkup says that "when" is the perfect antidote to a serious disease afflicting most sales professionals, the "two-week" disease. You'll know you've got it if you find yourself saying things like, "So, Frank, I guess you now know what we have to offer. How about I call you in two weeks to follow up?"

First of all, Walkup explains, you have now set the criteria for following up. Why should that be YOUR decision? What if Frank is ready to buy? Think you'll get the sale? What if Frank can't get the approval until April, what good will two weeks do for you?

What's so magic about two weeks? It's a waste of time to impose this arbitrary timeframe on your customer when it really makes no sense whatsoever.

Walkup's cure to this selling disease is to "just ask when." It goes like this...

"So, Frank, I guess you now know what we have to offer. When is the best time to follow up with you?"

Now, Frank will tell you, and you're on his time frame--not yours. If he says "tomorrow," you'll close sooner than expected. If he says "April", at least you won't be wasting valuable time calling him every two weeks UNTIL April!

Put this advice to work for you today and watch your sales unfold like magic!

Renee Walkup is president of SalesPEAK Inc. and author of "Selling to Anyone Over the Phone".

Magic Sales Words

Last week we told you about the first of sales trainer Renee Walkup's three favorite sales words: "oh."

Here's the second word that Walkup says will help you make sales: "tell."

Here's how she suggests you use it in selling situations:

Let's say you need to find out about the decision-making process from your customer says Walkup. In the past, your qualifying may have sounded like this:

Who makes the decision?

When is the decision going to be made?

How much is your team planning on investing in this?

What usually occurs when you meet to discuss the purchase?

Why don't I show up here to make a more formal presentation when your group meets?

Now, replace these five questions with one excellent "tell" question:

Frank, tell me about the decision-making process.

Then be quiet. Frank is now going to have to tell you a story of how the process will take place, who is involved, when they'll meet and the rest. You get more value for your intelligent qualifying and in the meantime, your customer sees you as a bright, experienced, and confident sales professional he can trust.

Give "tell" a sales workout this week.

Renee Walkup is president of SalesPEAK Inc. and author of "Selling to Anyone Over the Phone."

Magic Sales Words

With a wave of his wand, a magician chants "abracadabra" to cast his spell. What special words do you use in selling to open doors and close deals?

Renee Walkup of SalesPEAK has three favorite words. Here's the first: "Oh."

This versatile word can be a catch-all to assist you when:

--You have a difficult question from your customer
--You're shocked by what you've just heard
--Your customer has just shared valuable information about your competitor
--You're stumped

As an example, you are in the middle of your product presentation when your customer interrupts saying, "No need to go any further--I've heard this before."

Now it's your turn to say, "Oh?"

The customer will elaborate where he's heard the presentation (from an ad, your competitor, a website,etc.) and you'll have information you can use to advance the sale.

Remember, you have not argued with your customer, nor agreed with him, explains Walkup. You are simply inquiring in a professional, non-threatening way that you simply want more information.

Oh, go ahead and try using "Oh?" And, let us know what sales magic you create.

Renee Walkup is president of SalesPEAK Inc. and author of "Selling to Anyone Over the Phone."