Today sales trainer Rochelle Togo-Figa shares how you can overcome fear and start making sales. She shares a story that will inspire you to get going!
Whenever we step into something new or take on something we've never done before, it's not uncommon to experience fear. It could be the fear of failure, fear of rejection, or fear of success. The fear can manifest itself in different ways that we're not always aware of. Some signs of hidden fear are: Procrastination, distraction, excuses, feeling stuck, feeling overwhelm, negative beliefs, worried, and anxious.
Let me share a story of a client and how she dealt with her fear. Maybe you'll see yourself in this story.
Christina came to me because she had started a new business, and was not taking the steps to get it off the ground. She's extremely talented and had huge success in her corporate position. She had enough of the corporate world and was eager to start her own business. She had no problem creating new ideas for her boss and presenting to vendors, but when it came to promoting herself and her business to others, suddenly she was stuck.
Christina had made a list of people to contact. These were people she knew and could possibly help her. When I asked her why she wasn't following up with these people, her response was, "Well, they told me they would call me and since they never returned my calls, I assumed they're not interested." I asked her, "Did they tell you they're not interested?" She responded "No, I just assumed they weren't interested since they didn't call back."
In reality, she didn't know why they weren't calling her back. She had made up a story and was stopped because she believed her story was true. Christina was transferring her own thoughts, beliefs and perceptions onto these people. And, the more she listened to her own thoughts, the more she believed they were true.
I suggested to Christina there might be others reasons they're not calling her back. They could be either busy or away.
She realized these excuses and reasons for not calling these people were also covering up her fear of rejection. What if they don't want to help me? What if they're not interested? As long as she believed these thoughts to be true, nothing would change and her business would suffer.
Once she distinguished her fear of failing was a self-imposed negative belief and not the truth, she began to feel freed up. The fear no longer had to keep her stopped. She knew she had created these self-limiting thoughts and they were not true. We took the negative thoughts and reframed them into positive thoughts. And every time the fear would come up, Christina would shift her thinking to a powerful, positive thought. This took practice but over time it became a new habit and easy to do. We then created a step-by-step plan and she got into action. What followed was amazing!
Christine was re-energized and ready to go forward. She contacted all the people on her list, completed her website, and started sending out letters introducing her services. The positive responses she received from people she had reached out to helped her to feel more confident and gave her more clarity on the direction of her business. And, the best news is two companies she had contacted have expressed interest in hiring her. These results happened when Christina identified the fear that had been holding her back, realized she had created the negative thoughts and changed her thoughts, created an action plan, and then got into action.
Your Assignment:
•When you feel stopped, step away from your office and spend quiet time with yourself.
•Write down all the thoughts you're having at this time.
•Then ask yourself, "Did I make up these thoughts?"
•Write down the answer next to each thought. You'll see that many of these thoughts are made up by you.
•Write down the steps you can take NOW to get you into action.
•Visualize yourself being in action and how it feels.
•Write down the date you will take action and the outcome you want to achieve. (Example: I will call Jim on Monday and he will be happy to hear from me, or he'll have someone to refer me to.)
Rochelle Togo-Figa, The Sales Breakthrough Strategist, is the creator of the Inner Game of Sales, a proven step-by-step sales process that will help you close more sales, sign on more clients and make more money with ease and velocity. To sign up for her free sales articles and teleclasses on closing more sales, visit www.SalesBreakthroughs.com.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
In Sales Your Attitude Is Everything About Everything
What an inspirational article from sales trainer Jim meisenheimer - enjoy!
In sales attitude is everything about everything.
Even though a lot of salespeople know this, they pay little attention to keeping their attitude positive on a daily basis.
Selling is never easy. In fact someone once said, "Selling is easy if you work hard at it."
If you have the wrong attitude, achieving selling success is almost impossible.
Your attitude is of course an intangible. It's also the foundation of your selling success.
Too many salespeople don't spend enough time working on their attitudes. You should think about it every day. You should think about it before every sales call.
After every sales call reflect on the attitude you had throughout the sales call.
How's your attitude when someone cancels an appointment at the last minute?
How's your attitude when someone says you’ll have 45 minutes for a sales presentation and he ends the call just after 20 minutes?
How's your attitude when someone takes a shot at your company?
Sure attitude is everything about everything in sales. Never forget this!
How's your attitude when someone starts hammering you on your pricing before you've had a chance to give your presentation?
How's your attitude when someone tells you they only buy on price?
How's your attitude when someone procrastinates and can't make a decision to buy the solutions you're selling?
How's your attitude when you find out the person you've been talking to isn't the decision-maker?
How's your attitude when you get a flat tire during a snow storm as you're driving to a sales prospect's office – an appointment you've been working on for 2 months?
How's your attitude when you're dealing with problems at home?
How's your attitude when you don't feel well?
Your attitude is everything and here's a real life example to illustrate this point.
During the Vietnam War, Air Force Colonel George Hall was shot down and captured in North Vietnam. He was a prisoner of war for 7.5 years.
Even though he was barefoot and dressed in his black prison uniform, shut up in a small cell, he realized that through the power of his imagination he had an amazing freedom. He realized his attitude is everything about everything.
He was able to leave his prison cell everyday dressed in a Polo shirt and slacks. He wore clean golf shoes. He could feel the thick grass under his feet.
The Colonel played each hole of his favorite golf course, starting with the first and ending with the eighteenth. He studied each shot, measured each swing, felt each blade of grass between his fingers as he replaced every divot.
He played his golf everyday in the theatre of his mind.
He noted the sand in each bunker, hit each shot, sank each putt and strode on to the next hole - all in his imagination.
Every day for 7.5 years he played a perfect game of golf on his favorite golf course. The Colonel realized that only he had the power to make a choice between being resigned to his fate, of fear and hopelessness, or he could replay his happiest moments from the past, taking his mind off solitary confinement and setting it free upon a beautiful and famous golf course.
When he returned from his captivity, in his first golf game he shot a 76-not a bad score for a professional golfer, but even more amazing for an amateur. When he was asked how he had accomplished such a feat, he said he never had more than 2 putts on a green during the last 7.5 years.
All those years of playing perfect games in the theatre of his mind, had produced a near perfect performance on a very challenging golf course! It was his best round of golf ever.
Don't think about how tough you have it in life think about how tough Colonel Hall had it for 7 1/2 years as a prisoner of war.
If you believe your attitude is everything about everything in your sales career, work on the little things you can do to maintain a very positive attitude every selling day?
Jim Meisenheimer publishes The No-Brainer Selling Tips Newsletter, a fresh and high content newsletter dedicated to helping you grow your business and multiply your income. Use this link to sign-up for Jim's F-R-E-E The Start Selling More Newsletter and to get your copy of his Special Report.
In sales attitude is everything about everything.
Even though a lot of salespeople know this, they pay little attention to keeping their attitude positive on a daily basis.
Selling is never easy. In fact someone once said, "Selling is easy if you work hard at it."
If you have the wrong attitude, achieving selling success is almost impossible.
Your attitude is of course an intangible. It's also the foundation of your selling success.
Too many salespeople don't spend enough time working on their attitudes. You should think about it every day. You should think about it before every sales call.
After every sales call reflect on the attitude you had throughout the sales call.
How's your attitude when someone cancels an appointment at the last minute?
How's your attitude when someone says you’ll have 45 minutes for a sales presentation and he ends the call just after 20 minutes?
How's your attitude when someone takes a shot at your company?
Sure attitude is everything about everything in sales. Never forget this!
How's your attitude when someone starts hammering you on your pricing before you've had a chance to give your presentation?
How's your attitude when someone tells you they only buy on price?
How's your attitude when someone procrastinates and can't make a decision to buy the solutions you're selling?
How's your attitude when you find out the person you've been talking to isn't the decision-maker?
How's your attitude when you get a flat tire during a snow storm as you're driving to a sales prospect's office – an appointment you've been working on for 2 months?
How's your attitude when you're dealing with problems at home?
How's your attitude when you don't feel well?
Your attitude is everything and here's a real life example to illustrate this point.
During the Vietnam War, Air Force Colonel George Hall was shot down and captured in North Vietnam. He was a prisoner of war for 7.5 years.
Even though he was barefoot and dressed in his black prison uniform, shut up in a small cell, he realized that through the power of his imagination he had an amazing freedom. He realized his attitude is everything about everything.
He was able to leave his prison cell everyday dressed in a Polo shirt and slacks. He wore clean golf shoes. He could feel the thick grass under his feet.
The Colonel played each hole of his favorite golf course, starting with the first and ending with the eighteenth. He studied each shot, measured each swing, felt each blade of grass between his fingers as he replaced every divot.
He played his golf everyday in the theatre of his mind.
He noted the sand in each bunker, hit each shot, sank each putt and strode on to the next hole - all in his imagination.
Every day for 7.5 years he played a perfect game of golf on his favorite golf course. The Colonel realized that only he had the power to make a choice between being resigned to his fate, of fear and hopelessness, or he could replay his happiest moments from the past, taking his mind off solitary confinement and setting it free upon a beautiful and famous golf course.
When he returned from his captivity, in his first golf game he shot a 76-not a bad score for a professional golfer, but even more amazing for an amateur. When he was asked how he had accomplished such a feat, he said he never had more than 2 putts on a green during the last 7.5 years.
All those years of playing perfect games in the theatre of his mind, had produced a near perfect performance on a very challenging golf course! It was his best round of golf ever.
Don't think about how tough you have it in life think about how tough Colonel Hall had it for 7 1/2 years as a prisoner of war.
If you believe your attitude is everything about everything in your sales career, work on the little things you can do to maintain a very positive attitude every selling day?
Jim Meisenheimer publishes The No-Brainer Selling Tips Newsletter, a fresh and high content newsletter dedicated to helping you grow your business and multiply your income. Use this link to sign-up for Jim's F-R-E-E The Start Selling More Newsletter and to get your copy of his Special Report.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Relax and Recharge
I don't know about you, but I'm having one of those weeks. One of those weeks where I wake up in the morning and think to myself, "How is it only Wednesday?!" Reading this article helped to change my bleak mindset around this morning - thinking about and planning relaxation is relaxing in and of itself!
Regular relaxation is essential for a long life and personal effectiveness. Here are some techniques for relaxing physically that are used by the most successful and highest paid people in America.
Take Time Off Every Week
First of all, work only five or six days per week, and rest completely on the seventh day. Every single study in this area shows that you will be far more productive in the five or six days that you work if you take one or two days off completely than you ever would be if you worked straight through for seven days.
Get Your Mind Busy Elsewhere
During this time off, do not catch up on reports, organize your desk, prepare proposals, or do anything else that requires mental effort. Simply let your mind relax completely, and get busy doing things with your family and friends. Maybe work around the house, go for a walk, engage in physical exercise, watch television, go to a movie, or play with your children. Whatever you do, discipline yourself to shut your mental gears off completely for at least one 24-hour period every seven days.
Get Away on Mini-Vacations
Second, take one three-day vacation every three months, and during that time, refrain from doing any work. Do not attempt to catch up on even a few small things. If you do, you keep your mental gears in motion, and you end up neither resting nor properly doing work of any quality.
Take Big Chunks of Down Time
Third, take at least two full weeks off each year during which you do nothing that is work-related. You can either work or relax; you cannot do both. If you attempt to do a little work while you are on vacation, you never give your mental and emotional batteries a chance to recharge. You'll come back from your vacation just as tired as you were when you left.
Give Yourself a Break Today
If you are involved in a difficult relationship, or situation at work that is emotionally draining, discipline yourself to take a complete break from it at least one day per week. Put the concern out of your mind. Refuse to think about it. Don't continually discuss it, make telephone calls about it or mull it over in your mind. You cannot perform at your best mentally if you are emotionally preoccupied with a person or situation. You have to give yourself a break.
Go For a Walk in Nature
Since a change is as good as a rest, going for a nice long walk is a wonderful way to relax emotionally and mentally. As you put your physical body into motion, your thoughts and feelings seem to relax all by themselves.
Eat Lighter Foods
Also, remember that the process of digestion consumes an enormous amount of physical energy. Therefore, if you eat lighter foods, you will feel better and more refreshed afterward. If you eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain products, your digestive system will require far less energy to process them.
Be Good to Yourself
Since your diet has such an impact on your level of physical energy, and through it your levels of mental and emotional energy, the more fastidious you are about what you put into your mouth, the better you will feel and the more productive you will be. We know now that foods high in fat, sugar, or salt are not good for your body. The lighter the foods you eat, the more energy you have.
Action Exercises
Here are three things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action:
First, plan your weeks in advance and build in at least one day when you will relax from work completely. Discipline yourself to keep this date.
Second, reserve, book and pay for your three day vacations several months in advance. Once you've paid the money, you are much more likely to go rather than put it off.
Third, decide that you will not work at all during your vacations. When you work, work. And when you rest, rest 100% of the time. This is very important.
Brian Tracy is Chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International, a company specializing in the training and development of individuals and organizations. As a Keynote speaker and seminar leader, he addresses more than 250,000 people each year. Learn more at www.briantracy.com
Regular relaxation is essential for a long life and personal effectiveness. Here are some techniques for relaxing physically that are used by the most successful and highest paid people in America.
Take Time Off Every Week
First of all, work only five or six days per week, and rest completely on the seventh day. Every single study in this area shows that you will be far more productive in the five or six days that you work if you take one or two days off completely than you ever would be if you worked straight through for seven days.
Get Your Mind Busy Elsewhere
During this time off, do not catch up on reports, organize your desk, prepare proposals, or do anything else that requires mental effort. Simply let your mind relax completely, and get busy doing things with your family and friends. Maybe work around the house, go for a walk, engage in physical exercise, watch television, go to a movie, or play with your children. Whatever you do, discipline yourself to shut your mental gears off completely for at least one 24-hour period every seven days.
Get Away on Mini-Vacations
Second, take one three-day vacation every three months, and during that time, refrain from doing any work. Do not attempt to catch up on even a few small things. If you do, you keep your mental gears in motion, and you end up neither resting nor properly doing work of any quality.
Take Big Chunks of Down Time
Third, take at least two full weeks off each year during which you do nothing that is work-related. You can either work or relax; you cannot do both. If you attempt to do a little work while you are on vacation, you never give your mental and emotional batteries a chance to recharge. You'll come back from your vacation just as tired as you were when you left.
Give Yourself a Break Today
If you are involved in a difficult relationship, or situation at work that is emotionally draining, discipline yourself to take a complete break from it at least one day per week. Put the concern out of your mind. Refuse to think about it. Don't continually discuss it, make telephone calls about it or mull it over in your mind. You cannot perform at your best mentally if you are emotionally preoccupied with a person or situation. You have to give yourself a break.
Go For a Walk in Nature
Since a change is as good as a rest, going for a nice long walk is a wonderful way to relax emotionally and mentally. As you put your physical body into motion, your thoughts and feelings seem to relax all by themselves.
Eat Lighter Foods
Also, remember that the process of digestion consumes an enormous amount of physical energy. Therefore, if you eat lighter foods, you will feel better and more refreshed afterward. If you eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain products, your digestive system will require far less energy to process them.
Be Good to Yourself
Since your diet has such an impact on your level of physical energy, and through it your levels of mental and emotional energy, the more fastidious you are about what you put into your mouth, the better you will feel and the more productive you will be. We know now that foods high in fat, sugar, or salt are not good for your body. The lighter the foods you eat, the more energy you have.
Action Exercises
Here are three things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action:
First, plan your weeks in advance and build in at least one day when you will relax from work completely. Discipline yourself to keep this date.
Second, reserve, book and pay for your three day vacations several months in advance. Once you've paid the money, you are much more likely to go rather than put it off.
Third, decide that you will not work at all during your vacations. When you work, work. And when you rest, rest 100% of the time. This is very important.
Brian Tracy is Chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International, a company specializing in the training and development of individuals and organizations. As a Keynote speaker and seminar leader, he addresses more than 250,000 people each year. Learn more at www.briantracy.com
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Welcome Price Objections
Sales trainer Tom Reilly never fails to give me a unique view on selling - and today's article is no different. He says a seller should welcome price objections - find out why!
Your price is too high. I can buy this cheaper someplace else. That is more than I want to spend.
These objections frustrate and intimidate salespeople. Price objections remain the chief perceived obstacle that salespeople bring to our seminars. Yet, they need not be as threatening as most salespeople believe. Simply, heed the words of two great thinkers.
Shakespeare wrote: "Death, where is thy sting? Love, where is thy glory?" To set the record straight, St. Paul wrote the former long before Shakespeare picked up his pen. To extend the metaphor, "Price, where is your sting?"
When customers raise money objections—notice that I said money and not price—they are expressing a concern over profitability, whether it is company or personal prosperity. The fact that buyers raise money concerns should give you some hope for your response if your solution has a positive financial impact on the buyer's business. Money is a better conversation to have than price.
"Mr. Buyer, the fact that you raised money (not price) as a concern is the most compelling reason why you should consider our solution again. There are at least five ways that we have a positive financial impact on your business …" At this point, elaborate on the various ways that your solution affects "money" for the buyer. This could include: time savings, quicker availability of product, greater energy efficiency, higher productivity of workers, more up time, etc.
When you frame price objections as money objections, it changes the conversation. It is a conversation that gives you a fighting chance. You have removed the sting from the objection and paved the way for a real conversation about your total value. Then, you can say, "Price, where is your sting?"
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
Your price is too high. I can buy this cheaper someplace else. That is more than I want to spend.
These objections frustrate and intimidate salespeople. Price objections remain the chief perceived obstacle that salespeople bring to our seminars. Yet, they need not be as threatening as most salespeople believe. Simply, heed the words of two great thinkers.
Shakespeare wrote: "Death, where is thy sting? Love, where is thy glory?" To set the record straight, St. Paul wrote the former long before Shakespeare picked up his pen. To extend the metaphor, "Price, where is your sting?"
When customers raise money objections—notice that I said money and not price—they are expressing a concern over profitability, whether it is company or personal prosperity. The fact that buyers raise money concerns should give you some hope for your response if your solution has a positive financial impact on the buyer's business. Money is a better conversation to have than price.
"Mr. Buyer, the fact that you raised money (not price) as a concern is the most compelling reason why you should consider our solution again. There are at least five ways that we have a positive financial impact on your business …" At this point, elaborate on the various ways that your solution affects "money" for the buyer. This could include: time savings, quicker availability of product, greater energy efficiency, higher productivity of workers, more up time, etc.
When you frame price objections as money objections, it changes the conversation. It is a conversation that gives you a fighting chance. You have removed the sting from the objection and paved the way for a real conversation about your total value. Then, you can say, "Price, where is your sting?"
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Quote of the Week
"If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then you are an excellent leader." -- Dolly Parton, Singer
Don't we all want to inspire someone else to do more with their life, and show them how dreaming big pays off? I know I do! This great quote reminds me that to inspire others, I need to dream big and work hard to inspire my own life!
Don't we all want to inspire someone else to do more with their life, and show them how dreaming big pays off? I know I do! This great quote reminds me that to inspire others, I need to dream big and work hard to inspire my own life!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Selling to the Old Brain - Three Ways to Increase Sales Results
Science was my favorite subject in school - especially biology and physiology. I love learning about how the human body does what it does. The amount of reactions going on inside your body just to move your hand or foot is mind-boggling! Enough of my nerdiness though - today sales trainer Colleen Stanley shares a great article that shows how you can use information learned from studies of the brain to make more sales.
Many salespeople have heard the phrase that selling is an art and a science. This phrase is moving beyond a cliche with research results from the world of neuroscience. The profession of sales is changing and sales professionals that desire a true competitive advantage know and apply the neuroscience behind how and why prospects make buying decisions.
Astute salespeople sell to the old brain, the amygdala. It is a small almond shaped structure, located above the eyeballs. The amygdala is the oldest part of the brain and screens all stimuli coming into the brain. This processing happens without logical thought or reasoning. When the "old brain" senses danger, it produces a fight or flight response in a person. Many untrained salespeople unknowingly send prospects into fight or flight mode because of their outdated selling techniques. They end up in uptight sales meetings, chase mode or losing to the new competitor: doing nothing.
Here are three ways that salespeople can sell to the old brain and increase sales:
#1: Stop asking leading questions. For some reason, salespeople change their language during a sales call. They ask leading questions such as, "So if we could show you how our product can save you thousands of dollars, would you want to move forward?" The old brain hears a close coming, defenses go up and the prospect goes into fight or flight mode. Prospect responses vary from objections (fight) to a think it over (flight.) Another common place in the sales process where salespeople ask leading questions is after delivery of their value proposition. "We work with companies who are challenged with this, this and this. Are you having any of these issues?" This leading question makes a prospect feel cornered and she responds with a "not really" or holds the conversation card closer to her chest. The result is a superficial conversation versus a transparent, consultative conversation.
The old brain doesn't like leading questions because they are manipulative and inauthentic. A better question to ask after delivering your value proposition is, "Not sure if you are having any of these issues..." This response is not trying to lead the prospect. The fight or flight response is eliminated and the prospect is more willing to engage with the salesperson.
#2: Seek the truth, not the sale. When a salesperson shows up to a sales meeting with the intent of closing business, the energy in the room changes and the old brain knows it. The prospect's guard goes up and level of conversation goes down. If you want to close more business, change the intent of your sales meeting from closing a sale to seeking the truth and doing the right thing. Please note that this is not a tactical selling skill. This is a mindset that a salesperson must fully embrace in order to show up different to a sales meeting. When a salesperson seeks the truth versus a sale, he asks better questions, the right questions and the tough questions. He brings up objections versus overcoming them. (Everyone in the room knows the objections so why not bring them up?)
For example, the truth seeking salesperson will ask the prospect, "Don't you have the resources in-house to do this project?" The prospect will be surprised and respond with the truth. And the truth could be yes, they can do it in-house. When would you like to know? Before you write a proposal or after? Remember, the old brain is on the lookout for danger. Truth telling is not dangerous, it's refreshing. The result is a relaxed sales meeting where both parties have an open dialogue about problems, challenges and goals.
#3: Focus on the prospect. There is a very old saying. "People buy from people they like and who are like them." Guess what, this old phrase is linked to the neuroscience of the brain. The astute salesperson is highly attentive to the prospect's communication style. She matches and mirrors the prospect‟s body language and energy. She pays attention to the prospect's rate and volume of speech and matches the pace. If a salesperson isn't applying these basic rapport building skills, he can show up to a sales meeting talking too fast, too slow or coming across as too intense. The amygdala sounds the alert of discomfort and the salesperson loses the business due to chemistry and lack of likeability.
Stop asking leading questions, seek the truth and focus on your prospect. Sales is about biology and psychology. Make sure you are selling to the old brain.
Colleen Stanley is president of SalesLeadership Inc., a business development consulting firm specializing in sales and sales management training. The company provides programs in prospecting, referral strategies, consultative sales training, sales management training, and hiring/selection. She is also the author of "Growing Great Sales Teams: Lessons from the Cornfield." Reach Colleen at 303.708.1128 or visit www.salesleadershipdevelopment.com.
Many salespeople have heard the phrase that selling is an art and a science. This phrase is moving beyond a cliche with research results from the world of neuroscience. The profession of sales is changing and sales professionals that desire a true competitive advantage know and apply the neuroscience behind how and why prospects make buying decisions.
Astute salespeople sell to the old brain, the amygdala. It is a small almond shaped structure, located above the eyeballs. The amygdala is the oldest part of the brain and screens all stimuli coming into the brain. This processing happens without logical thought or reasoning. When the "old brain" senses danger, it produces a fight or flight response in a person. Many untrained salespeople unknowingly send prospects into fight or flight mode because of their outdated selling techniques. They end up in uptight sales meetings, chase mode or losing to the new competitor: doing nothing.
Here are three ways that salespeople can sell to the old brain and increase sales:
#1: Stop asking leading questions. For some reason, salespeople change their language during a sales call. They ask leading questions such as, "So if we could show you how our product can save you thousands of dollars, would you want to move forward?" The old brain hears a close coming, defenses go up and the prospect goes into fight or flight mode. Prospect responses vary from objections (fight) to a think it over (flight.) Another common place in the sales process where salespeople ask leading questions is after delivery of their value proposition. "We work with companies who are challenged with this, this and this. Are you having any of these issues?" This leading question makes a prospect feel cornered and she responds with a "not really" or holds the conversation card closer to her chest. The result is a superficial conversation versus a transparent, consultative conversation.
The old brain doesn't like leading questions because they are manipulative and inauthentic. A better question to ask after delivering your value proposition is, "Not sure if you are having any of these issues..." This response is not trying to lead the prospect. The fight or flight response is eliminated and the prospect is more willing to engage with the salesperson.
#2: Seek the truth, not the sale. When a salesperson shows up to a sales meeting with the intent of closing business, the energy in the room changes and the old brain knows it. The prospect's guard goes up and level of conversation goes down. If you want to close more business, change the intent of your sales meeting from closing a sale to seeking the truth and doing the right thing. Please note that this is not a tactical selling skill. This is a mindset that a salesperson must fully embrace in order to show up different to a sales meeting. When a salesperson seeks the truth versus a sale, he asks better questions, the right questions and the tough questions. He brings up objections versus overcoming them. (Everyone in the room knows the objections so why not bring them up?)
For example, the truth seeking salesperson will ask the prospect, "Don't you have the resources in-house to do this project?" The prospect will be surprised and respond with the truth. And the truth could be yes, they can do it in-house. When would you like to know? Before you write a proposal or after? Remember, the old brain is on the lookout for danger. Truth telling is not dangerous, it's refreshing. The result is a relaxed sales meeting where both parties have an open dialogue about problems, challenges and goals.
#3: Focus on the prospect. There is a very old saying. "People buy from people they like and who are like them." Guess what, this old phrase is linked to the neuroscience of the brain. The astute salesperson is highly attentive to the prospect's communication style. She matches and mirrors the prospect‟s body language and energy. She pays attention to the prospect's rate and volume of speech and matches the pace. If a salesperson isn't applying these basic rapport building skills, he can show up to a sales meeting talking too fast, too slow or coming across as too intense. The amygdala sounds the alert of discomfort and the salesperson loses the business due to chemistry and lack of likeability.
Stop asking leading questions, seek the truth and focus on your prospect. Sales is about biology and psychology. Make sure you are selling to the old brain.
Colleen Stanley is president of SalesLeadership Inc., a business development consulting firm specializing in sales and sales management training. The company provides programs in prospecting, referral strategies, consultative sales training, sales management training, and hiring/selection. She is also the author of "Growing Great Sales Teams: Lessons from the Cornfield." Reach Colleen at 303.708.1128 or visit www.salesleadershipdevelopment.com.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
SalesDog Quick Tip
Keep prospecting emails succinct.
The goal is to make your email look like something they can quickly read and address. Limit them to 175 words or less. Use 3-5 short paragraphs. Hold attachments back until you start the sales process.
Today's quick tip comes from Kendra Lee, a top IT Seller, Prospect Attraction Expert and author of the award winning book "Selling Against the Goal" and president of KLA Group. Ms. Lee is a frequent speaker at national sales meetings and association events. To find out more about the author, read her latest articles, or to subscribe to her newsletter visit www.klagroup.com or call +1 303.741.6636.
The goal is to make your email look like something they can quickly read and address. Limit them to 175 words or less. Use 3-5 short paragraphs. Hold attachments back until you start the sales process.
Today's quick tip comes from Kendra Lee, a top IT Seller, Prospect Attraction Expert and author of the award winning book "Selling Against the Goal" and president of KLA Group. Ms. Lee is a frequent speaker at national sales meetings and association events. To find out more about the author, read her latest articles, or to subscribe to her newsletter visit www.klagroup.com or call +1 303.741.6636.
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