Quote of the Week

"Business is like riding a bicycle. Either you keep moving or you fall down." -- Frank Lloyd Wright

Do you remember learning to ride a bike?

I was an accident-prone child to begin with, so the process was full of scrapes, bruises, and the occasional dent in the family car. But like most kids, I was determined to try again and again until I finally got it right.

Similarly, building a successful sales career is all about determination. You'll fall down many times, and oftentimes encounters with prospects will leave your ego bruised, but reaching your goal makes it all worthwhile.

So after you've had a challenging day, reflect on what you could do differently, and get back on the bike - you'll be one step closer to reaching your goal.

At the Sound of the Beep...

There's a school of thought that says never leave a voicemail for someone you're cold calling. These candidates for Tim Wackel's voicemail hall of shame should have heeded that advice.

Hall of Shame Candidate #1
Hi, this is Ken with Hopeless Inc. We purchase used office telephone equipment and PC's. Our number is 214.555.1212. If you've recently switched systems or plan to in the near future please give us a call at 214.555.1212.

"Not much of a compelling reason to return this call," says Wackel. "What is the potential value in doing business with Hopeless Inc.? It looks like the classic numbers game - make enough calls and eventually you find someone who has just "switched systems" and wants to get rid of the junk sitting in the closet."

Hall of Shame Candidate #2
Good morning Kim, this is Barbie with Clueless. We produce the business to business database called Insight Online. I'm following up on your email inquiry to see if you have any questions about our product. Please give me a call at your convenience. My number is 888.555.1212 extension 1234.

"Well for starters my name isn't Kim," says Wackel. "Yes, I did make an inquiry, and I'm pretty confident that I didn't misspell my name on their form. Barbie says she wants to see if I have any questions on their product. Maybe it's just me, but if I had a question I'm thinking I would pick up the phone and call them. What if Barbie was calling because she had ideas on how Insight Online has helped other sales speakers improve their business? Think I would return that call? You better believe it!"

So what does it take to craft a better voice mail message? How can you improve your odds of getting a call back? Here are five questions from Wackel that will help you start creating better messages now:

1. Who is your target market?
Specifically, what is the title of the decision maker you want to do business with? And, if you are leaving a message for me, I want to hear that you work with professional sales trainers and speakers. I'm not interested in a one-size-fits-all approach. I'm interested in talking with someone who knows something about what I do (that's why it's called research!).

2. What are some of the specific challenges that you solve?
What are some opportunities that you help create? Be as specific as possible. This is the classic pains and gains stuff. Re-visit these ideas often.

3. What emotions (frustration, disappointment, concern, optimism, hope) does your target market experience with the challenges and opportunities you outlined above?
Remember that emotion plays a big part in buying decisions, yet most people sell using too much logic. Ever see someone driving a Lexus or wearing a Rolex? Help me understand the logic behind those buying decisions.

4. What are some of the competitive alternatives available to your target market?
Yeah, I hear you screaming "never bring up the competition!" Do you really believe your prospect is only going to consider you without checking out someone else? Think again! And remember, doing nothing is a competitive alternative.

5. Why, based on all of the alternatives available, should they do business with you?
What are your compelling differentiators? Be careful here, because most of you are thinking "great products, awesome service, solid reputation and a competitive price." If most of you are thinking this, then it really isn't a compelling differentiator is it?

Fill in the blanks, read, revise, get feedback from your peers and you will have crafted a message that is purposeful, powerful and on target.

"I specialize in helping (target market) who are (feelings/emotions) with (specific challenges) and want proven solutions for (your specific benefits). (Quantify number or use names) of clients have already discovered that unlike (competitive alternative), my solution is/does (compelling differentiator).

My goal is not to make a sales call on you, but if these issues sound familiar and the benefits are important to you, then it might be worth ten minutes for us to have a brief fact finding conversation."

Add this to your arsenal of scripts and you'll be getting callbacks in no time.

Tim Wackel is the founder of The Wackel Group, a training and consulting firm dedicated to helping anyone involved in the complex sale. His insightful programs are engaging and focused on providing real world success strategies that audiences can implement right away. Learn more at www.TimWackel.com

Enthusiasm Sells

Enthusiasm is often seen as a double-edged sword in sales. Go too far, and people may think you're playing with them, on a sugar high, or simply pushing too hard. Too little, and they'll be asleep in five minutes.

When it comes to enthusiasm, it's best to be genuine - people will see your pride in your service, and respect what you have to tell them. This story from Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, is a great reminder to show your prospect how much you believe in your product, which, in turn, shows them why they should believe in you.

"One day I was having my Volvo serviced and as I was waiting for it to be brought out, I wandered onto the new car showroom. There on the floor was a Special S60 R - their Rally version and it looked pretty sweet. As I sat in it, someone came up and asked me what I thought and I said, "It's OK."

I asked him if he was one of the sales reps, and he said he was new to sales having worked for the Volvo factory for the last 10 years. He then asked me how much I knew about the car. "Not much," was my answer.

And that's when he began. Jim seemed to change as he began to tell me what a phenomenal car the R series was. Did I know that the brakes alone were of racing pedigree and the best brakes Volvo ever made? And that they were only found on the Rally model?

Did I know about the torque of the engine and that the Rally had the only hand made engine Volvo ever produced?

On and on he went, covering each part of the car from the racing bucket seats, down to the hand stitched leather. And the price! My God! This was the best value, dollar for dollar, of any car on the market, period, he told me.

And the performance! Would I like to take a test drive? "Heck yeah!" I heard myself saying.

Well, as I drove the car - and boy was it fun - Jim talked even more about how great this car was. I soon found that I was completely caught up in his enthusiasm, and before I knew it, I was back on the dealership talking prices, payments, and delivery terms!

I ended up getting away with an "I need to think about it," but I've got to tell you, that car, and Jim's enthusiasm for it, sticks with me today. Had I actually been shopping for a new car, I would have bought it - and been happy I did!

"What this reminded me of is how important your belief in your product or service is," says Brooks. "Enthusiasm really IS contagious, and many times your customers buy your belief in your product as well as the product itself."

"So your assignment this week is to ask yourself, "How can you inject genuine enthusiasm into your presentation?" Ask yourself why you chose to work at your company and what part of your product or service you're particularly proud or excited about. Once you've identified these things, be enthusiastic about them, and let your prospects and customers know why you are there. And why they should be, too."

And before you go into your next presentation, ask yourself, "Would I buy from me today?"

Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, specializes in helping sales reps avoid rejection and make more money. Check out his free ezine at http://www.mrinsidesales.com/ezine.htm

The Nightmare of "Office-Speak"

"Going forward, we will pre-prepare and assess any challenges with intense granularity so as to leverage all of our resources and present you with the best scenario."

That line of mumbo jumbo was inspired by a BBC article in which readers submitted examples of office-speak "you love to hate." These mind-numbing examples have become so commonplace, they've even got Bingo playing cards you can use at your next meeting.

Here are a couple of our favorites:

"The business speak that I abhor is pre-prepare and forward planning. Is there any other kind of preparedness or planning?"

"The latest that's stuck in my head is we are still optimistic things will feed through the sales and delivery pipeline (ie: we actually haven't sold anything to anyone yet but maybe we will one day)."

It's not just the most self-important among us who suffer from this linguistic disease - it seems to have broken out in the sales force at large. If you don't believe me, take a meeting with yourself - tape record your side of your next phone call with a prospect. I suspect you'll find some "office speak" lurking. Or, try this: practice your next sales presentation with a friend or colleague and ask them to write down each offensive phrase. I think you'll be surprised by their tally.

Going forward we hope that you'll be able to pre-plan your sales conversations so as to consolidate your gains in this space and realize 110% of your goals. Just kidding!

C.O.W. Questioning Strategy

"There's no such thing as a stupid question."

How many times did your parents and teachers tell you that growing up?

I absolutely believe in the importance of questions - especially when you don't understand something - but there's a time and a place for everything. Peppering a busy CEO with questions while they're rushing out the door for a meeting? Not a good idea. Asking questions during a presentation to feel out what the CEO wants from your solution? Good idea.

"Insightful, well-researched, finely tuned questions can establish your credibility and earn the customer's trust," agrees sales trainer Daniel Adams. "The goal is to listen to the customer instead of launching into reasons why the customer should buy. Great questioning - which provides key information needed to qualify, set strategy, and gain credibility - requires research, preparation and great listening skills."

"Questions can also kill - if they're the wrong ones or at the wrong time," says Adams. "Asking too many questions, or asking questions that reveal you have not researched the company can decrease your credibility. Only ask questions that demonstrate you have done your homework and you know something about the customer's business."

For these reasons, Adams has put together the C.O.W. questioning strategy to help you remember the best way to use questions to further the sale:

C - questions about their current situation (e.g., "What do you like about your current situation? What do you dislike?)

O - questions about their optimal situation (e.g., "In a perfect world, if you could design your own solution for your needs and challenges with unlimited funds, what would that situation look like?")

W - questions about the win that the proposed solution would provide for the corporation (e.g., "How does your company or department win if the optimal state is realized?") or for the individual customer (e.g., "Assuming that these needs and challenges are solved, how would things change for you personally?")

"These personal impact questions are the most powerful;" says Adams, "they provide valuable insights about the customer that can be continually referenced and leveraged throughout the sales process."

"Simply by showing that you have done your homework and by asking powerful and insightful questions, you will begin to understand your customer's world and gain her confidence. You are well on your way to establishing the one crucial element - TRUST!"

Daniel Adams, author of Building Trust, Growing Sales, and creator of Trust Triangle Selling, helps corporations improve their profits by optimizing the performance of their sales teams. He is a frequent and popular speaker at national sales meetings, workshops and association events. To learn more, visit Daniel's website at www.trusttriangleselling.com

Quote of the Week

"All lasting business is built on friendship." -- Alfred A. Montapert

They had us at "Woof."

It was a little after lunch; that time of the day when our eyes start glazing over. Just as we were nodding off, a mysterious package arrived. Inside were four gourmet chocolate chunk brownies and a friendly note from Abby, the Follow-Up Dog who, we quickly learned, was pitching her services to us. We scarfed the brownies and, floating on a chocolate-induced high, checked out Abby's website, FollowUpDog.com. Abby's owners, we learned, will send your clients and prospects a personalized card from you - you can even include those mood altering brownies or other treats - and it takes you less than a minute. It's a very memorable way to stay in contact with clients or break the ice with hard-to-reach prospects. I know they certainly got out attention. Check 'em out here.

Four Ways to Avoid the Gas Station and Still Make the Sale

With gas prices in the U.S. hitting all-time highs and continuing to climb, it seems like each time you get in you get in your car you can actually feel you wallet getting lighter. I know I do!

The rising gas prices are a burden for all, particularly sales professionals who travel to meet with clients and close the deal. You can't exactly stop seeing customers, so what do you do to maintain your income without the cost of gas taking a huge chunk of your paycheck?

"There is good news," says Jeb Blount, author of PowerPriniciples. "The silver lining to the fuel crisis is the high cost of fuel is teaching us to use our resources wisely, to plan better, and to become more efficient and effective with out most precious resource, our time."

"Driving around for a weekend showing houses to a client only to find out that they can't qualify for a loan is too expensive," continues Blount. "Driving two hours to meet with a customer who is a no-show is no longer acceptable. Making a call on one side of your territory and then driving to the other side of your territory to close a "sure thing" isn't worth filling up for twice a day. Setting appointments with prospects who are not in the buying window costs too much. And jumping through hoops for low margin customers has become intolerable."

Four PowerPrinciples for using precious resources wisely:

Qualify the Ability to Buy: One of my mentors taught me to only spend time with prospects and customers who have "the ability to buy." He said you must be willing to ask the right questions up front to make sure that you are spending your time with the right people and the right companies at the right time. Ask the hard questions first, then spend your gas money.

Territory Planning: Few things are more inefficient and expensive than driving (or flying) from one side of your territory to another. One of the sure fire ways to maximize your income is to develop a territory plan and stick to it. First grid your territory by geography and day of the week. Next, only set appointments in each geographic grid on the days you will be there. Finally, schedule all other activities around those appointments in that area of your territory.

Technology: Use technology to reduce drive time. There are dozens of new services on the market that allow you to spend time with your customers without being face to face. From video conferencing to webinars, you can complete many of your sales process tasks without ever leaving your office.

Prioritize: You can only do so many things in a day. You can choose to spend your time (and gas money) on high value tasks that make you money or low value tasks that waste your resources. The most successful people and top sales professionals take 10-15 minutes every evening to make a list of the top three to five tasks that must be accomplished the next day. This process ensures that when they wake up the next morning they are focused, energized, and using all of their resources wisely.

Jeb Blount, author of PowerPrinciples and CEO of Sales Gravy, has over 20 years experience in sales and marketing. Jeb is a sought after seminar leader and keynote speaker known for his ability to inspire his audiences to action. Learn more by visiting his profile at www.salesgravy.com