If you are looking for a really intelligent & Interesting conversation about modern selling, you could do a lot worse than this post The World’s Greatest Salesperson! from David Brock (Make sure to read the comments, there great!). The post stems from OgilvyOne’s contest to find the world’s greatest salesperson As Dave points out “It’s an intriguing notion” but unfortunately Ogilvy misrepresent selling as the “craft of persuasion” to pitch, to pry, to persuade. (more…)

Btb Guest Author

Dave Brock

Dave will be speaking our next Sales Leadership Ireland meet up “From the Buyers Perspective” on the 28th of Sept.

The other day, I was speaking with my friend, Niall Devitt.  He had invited me to speak at a conference focused on the issue:  It All Starts With The Customer.  It seems so simple and obvious, but too many companies have an inside-out approach to working with customers.

We tend to focus on our organizations, our products, our processes, our needs, and our policies.  Our efforts are focus on how we attract and motivate customers to buy our products and services.  Our strategies are generally driven by this inside out approach.  We launch products based on an inside out approach—and we fail to meet our launch objectives.  We build our channels and routes to market based on an inside out approach, then find that we aren’t reaching the market or touching the customers the way we should.  We focus on our marketing and our selling processes, rather than focusing on the customer’s buying process.

Wouldn’t things be simpler and produce better results if everything we did started with a customer?

What if we went to our key accounts and asked them, “How would you like us to be selling to you?”  We did this with a client many years ago—based on customer input, with our client, we redesigned the approach to covering key accounts, reduced the headcount covering those accounts by 60%, improved sales, improved customer satisfaction, and developed profoundly deeper relationships with these key accounts.

What if we look at our key customer segments, asking them, “How do you buy these types of products and services?  Who do you buy them from?”  Based on the input, build your channels so that you are aligned with how these customers buy.   We not only have the partners they want to buy from, but we have the programs and processes that are most attractive to them.  Instead, we build the channel from the inside out, hopefully built on some sort of targeting, but somehow driven by internal priorities and not by customer priorities.

What if we started designing our selling processes by thinking like buyers?  We might then design our process around supporting and facilitating their buying processes?  With a large office products manufacturer, we went to their customers and started looking at how they bought copiers and faxes.  We learned about how they identified their requirements, how they researched and got information, how they started selecting vendors to consider, and so forth.  We focused the client’s selling process to align with the key activities their customers went through in buying these products — both improving the efficiency of the sales teams, and aligning them more effectively with the customer—they were doing the right things, at the right time, with the right people.

What if we started focusing developing our sales strategies around what biggest problems problems we can help customers solve or how we help them improve our business, rather than focusing on pitching the features, functions, feeds and speeds of our great products?  A large software client went to their customers to understand how they designed airplanes.  They focused on the two biggest problems these customers faced then started talking to those customers about how they could solve those problems.  they focused their sales efforts only on customers with those problems—because they had done their homework, it happened to be most of the industry.  Their competition continued to sell features and functions, letting the customer figure out how those features solved their problems.  Within three years, this client had share leadership in that market.

What if we started designing our products and solutions, by collaborating with our customers—from the very inception of the product idea?  What if we put customers on our design review teams?  Would we have better success with our product launches, would we have fewer misfires?  With a large software supplier of data analysis solutions, we engaged a few key financial services customers in defining a new relationship management solution.  They were involved in the definition, at major milestones, and in all the testing.  The resultant product became indispensible to these customers.  Time to revenue at launch was reduced by 30%–because of the customer driven innovation.

What if we change the way we talk about customers?  Too often, I’m involved in discussions, where we talk about the customer in the abstract.  There seems to be a great distance between the “real customer,” the people who buy, and the way we talk within our organizations.  We tend to talk about issues, strategies, problems and solutions with customers being spoken of in the abstract.  We lose sight of specific companies and people.  Too often, this gives way to an attitude, “everything would be great if it wasn’t for those damn customers!”  We complain about them complaining rather than reveling in it because it shows they care.  We become unresponsive and indifferent.  We find ourselves having to invest more resources and more money in getting customers to listen to us.

I’m not naive, these issues are all part of what organizations do everyday.  Everyone knows about customer segmentation and developing programs targeting these segments.  Everyone knows about customer input as part of the product design and development process.  As sales professionals are trained in consultative selling.  But some how the context and prioritization doesn’t seem the same.  Too often and perhaps unconsciously, the customer moves out of the forefront of our minds, and we begin to focus on our internal goals, deadlines, processes.  We do things the way we have always done them?  The inertia of the past inward-out focus overcomes the focus on the customer — then we kind of forget about them.

I’m also not an idealist, believing the customer is always right or that we need to support every customer and every need.  We need to run our businesses to be profitable and achieve our goals.  However, we need to root our decisions in the customer and how we most effectively and efficiently reach and support our customer, and this process starts with them.

To help accelerate this change, let’s surround ourselves with customers.  Imagine what might happen if every conversation started with “I was talking to Jill at XYZ Company and she ….”  or “We met with these customers at the conference and they are talking about this….” or “I was watching how the people at ABC are using are products and they suggested….”  Imagine how our decisions might change if we actually had pictures of our customers—not just their logo’s, but pictures of people scattered around our facilities–simple reminders to everyone about who pays the bills.

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Dave Brock works with organizations to help them achieve the highest levels of performance excellence. He helps them identify and execute new business, sales, marketing and customer service strategies. His goal is to have a profound difference on the lives and results produced by his clients. Dave is the founder and CEO of Partners in EXCELLENCE, a leading business consulting company. He has held executive roles in IBM, Tektronix, and other large technology companies. He is an investor, advisor, and director of several high technology start-up companies.

Internationalisation is the biggest single challenge facing the Irish Tech Sector today. Having ambition in Ireland, means you’re looking international quickly. Irish Tech companies almost immediately face great challenges to make their business successful.

On Tuesday the 29th of September 2009, between 10am to 2pm at the Hampton hotel in Donnybrook, Dublin 4, we invite CEO s of Irish Technology Companies to join us - Register Today, limited to 30 attendees.

The event will present talks from leading International and Irish experts, case studies from successful indigenous Irish Technology companies, and an opportunity to discuss the challenges and pitfalls of the International business landscape with your peers.

On the back of their recent partnership announcement Donagh Kiernan of Maidsfield Associates, Niall Devitt of Beyond the Boardroom and David Brock from Los Angeles based Partners In EXCELLENCE along with guest Kevin O’Leary CEO of Qumas, the internationally successful Irish software company, will present and discuss how Irish technology companies can to succeed in international markets.

The Partners In EXCELLENCE, Beyond the Boardroom and Maidsfield Associates Strategic Partnership’s focus is to help Irish Technology companies accelerate the results they achieve through their Internationalisation efforts. The partnership brings together experience and track record in helping companies successfully expand globally. Leveraging the capabilities to access new regions, markets, develop new channels and alliances; this partnership will help Irish Technologies improve the results they achieve in competing in a global market.

Whether your organisation is seeking to go international or already trading abroad the internationalisation partnership can assist you to ensure you achieve the highest levels of performance and the best results possible.

Together, Maidsfield Associates, Beyond the Boardroom and Partners In EXCELLENCE have helped Irish and other organizations achieve tremendous results in Internationalising. Organizations like Qumas, InnerWorkings, Decare Systems Ireland, Helix Health, Dolphin Software, Enterprise Ireland, IBM, HP, Canon, Motorola, Ericsson, Dassault Systemes, NCR, and others.

Timetable

10:00 Arrive, Coffee and Registration
10:30 Welcome and Introduction - Donagh Kiernan & Niall Devitt
10:40 Corporate Partnering into Markets - Donagh Kiernan
Guest: Kevin O’Leary, CEO Qumas
11:20 Hi Tech Globalisation Options - David Brock
11:50 Internationalisation Workshop - facilitated by Niall Devitt
Breaking into roundtables / groups and discussing internationalisation challenges and potential solutions
13:10 Lunch and Networking
14:00 Close

Attendees are limited to 30 - register today

Btb Guest Author

Dave Brock

If your partners are not adding value and improving the total value proposition to the customers, they are adding cost — detracting from your value proposition and competitiveness.

There are many ways partners might add value: relationships with customers is one area. Skills and capabilities that complement yours–for example implementation, installation of your products, local support, the ability to integrate complementary products for a richer solution, and others all represent potential value they might provide.

When building a channel that complements and enhances the total value of your offerings, make sure you understand one other element of value. What is the value that you provide your partners? If you are not providing them value, it is very unlikely the relationship will produce results. A way to think about this is illustrated below.

The decision to use partners should be driven primarily by filling gaps in your value proposition. If your partners add value in reaching your customers, and you add value to them, you will probably have an effective, efficient and high performing channel–creating great results for your mutual customers as well as for each other.

Partners In EXCELLENCE is the recognized leader in helping organizations develop and communicate differentiated value propositions. We are also recognized for our expertise in developing and implementing high impact partnering and channel strategies.

If you need to sharpen your tools, processes, thinking, and skills in value propositions, look at our Value Proposition Solutions, follow the link. For a copy of our free Value Proposition eBook, follow the link.

For our eBook, Partnering for Profitability, follow the link.

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Dave Brock works with organizations to help them achieve the highest levels of performance excellence. He helps them identify and execute new business, sales, marketing and customer service strategies. His goal is to have a profound difference on the lives and results produced by his clients. Dave is the founder and CEO of Partners in EXCELLENCE, a leading business consulting company. He has held executive roles in IBM, Tektronix, and other large technology companies. He is an investor, advisor, and director of several high technology start-up companies.

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Over at TSE

Upcoming Masterclasses Include:

Hot Tips to Create a Sales Team that Soars – Even in a Recession

Why Do Salespeople Make Little Use of Marketing Assets?

What’s in your Pipeline?

The Incredible Value Of Sales Team Audits

Turn It Up! Selling in a Tough Economy

The Internationalisation Partnership - Partners In EXCELLENCE, Beyond the Boardroom and Maidsfield Associates

August 7th 2009 – Beyond the Boardroom, an Ireland based Sales Leadership, Consulting and Training company has entered into a three-way partnership with Maidsfield Associates, a business development and sales-side partnering consulting company for the Irish technology sector and Partners In EXCELLENCE, a US based sales, partnering and globalisation consulting and service business.

The focus of the partnership is to help Irish Technology companies accelerate the results they achieve through their Internationalisation efforts.

The partnership brings together experience and track record in helping companies successfully expand globally. Leveraging the capabilities to access new regions, markets, develop new channels and alliances; this partnership will help Irish Technologies improve the results they achieve in competing in a global market.

Whether your organisation is seeking to go international or already trading abroad the internationalisation partnership can assist you to ensure you achieve the highest levels of performance and the best results possible.

Together, Maidsfield, Beyond the Boardroom and Partners In EXCELLENCE have helped Irish and other organizations achieve tremendous results in Internationalising. Organizations like Qumas, InnerWorkings, Decare Systems Ireland, Helix Health, Dolphin Software, IBM, HP, Canon, Motorola, Ericsson, Dassault Systemes, NCR, and others.

“I’m very excited about the impact this partnership can have on helping Irish Technology companies Internationalise. A key growth strategy for these companies, is globalisation. Together, we bring both a track record, experiences, and resources that can accelerate the results companies achieve, while significantly reducing risk in these programs.“

- David A Brock, President of Partners In EXCELLENCE

“The future of Irish business lies in our ability to deliver internationally. This unique initiative is about giving Irish Tech companies the tools to overcome the challenges and pitfalls of the International business landscape. Our aim will be to deliver results, quicker and more effectively than has previously been seen.”,

- Niall Devitt, Managing Partner of Beyond the Boardroom

“I’ve experienced first hand the challenges of internationalising Irish Technology companies. In expanding the capabilities and international reach of working with such good people as in David’s and Niall’s organisations, is about delivering faster and more effective results for the international success of Irish Technology Companies. ”,

- Donagh Kiernan, Managing Partner of Maidsfield Associates

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About Maidsfield Associates

Maidsfield Associates is a business development consulting company providing services to established internationally focussed technology companies. Maidsfield helps its clients meet its growth aspirations through delivering consulting services in Sales-side Corporate Partnerships and Strategic Business Development. Maidsfield clients include with internationally focused technology companies in Dublin, Limerick and Cork.

Maidsfield’s founder, Donagh Kiernan has 20 years experience in working in, owning, driving and delivering results with international focussed Irish technology companies. In 2007/2008 Donagh was selected by Enterprise Ireland as one of 32 Irish business leaders to participate in a year long “Leadership for Growth Programme” for globally focused business leaders delivered by the prestigious Stanford University in California. He is an active contributor to Irish Technology industry development organisations through it@cork, NSC Campus, Irish Software Association, CIT Alumni and on Enterprise Ireland initiatives.

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About Beyond the Boardroom

Beyond the Boardroom is a leading Irish business development consultancy, working in the areas of sales leadership, sales management consulting and sales excellence programs.

Niall Devitt is the founder. He is a member of Top Sales Experts International team and the founder of Sales Leadership Ireland. His blog on sales know how is one of the mostly widely read sales resources on the net.

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About Partners In EXCELLENCE

Partners In EXCELLENCE is a global consulting company, focused on helping its clients achieve the highest level of results and performance in Sales, Marketing, New Product Introduction, and Globalisation. The firm is known for its pragmatic approach to driving significant growth and profitability for its clients.

Next Tuesday, June 2, at 6 PM, Dave Brock and I are presenting a webinar sponsored by Top Sales Experts International: The Good News, Customers Want To Buy; The Bad News, They Can’t Find The Funding. We address the very issue raised in this video and provide a foundation to help you find solutions to this issue. Make sure you sign up and participate. Dave is someone I greatly admire, and he has acted as a mentor to me on many occasions - I am really looking forward to presenting with him.

Join TSE here

In case you haven’t been tuning in recently, the whole question of sales ineffectiveness was brilliantly raised by Dave Stein. It’s not just a great question for sales professionals; it’s frankly the ONLY question.

Dave rightly asks “The root causes of sales ineffectiveness are clear. There is plenty of sound advice about how to fix the problem. There is a proven path.  The answers are there for everyone to see. There are companies you can read about and observe that have achieved sales excellence.

So, recession aside, why is sales as a profession and function, losing ground?”

In three follow up posts, Sales Force Ineffectiveness, Conjecture of the Future of the Profession, parts one, two and three; Dave Brock does an excellent job in teasing out the issues.

In Part One, he talks about why “for too long, we have treated sales as a “black art”, that now “Customers can be more informed and less knowledgeable” and how “Consultative selling is difficult—it is disciplined, process based, and requires commitment and follow through on a sustained basis”.

In two, he observes that this is not just a sales problem” “Some of it is “business culture”—in general, some of it is “regional culture”—that is North American, European, Asian, and so forth. Some of it is “industry culture.”

Finally in part three, He resolves that these same difficulties also provide for “people who are or who are committed to becoming the highest levels of performance” - “opportunity for real progress and growth for sales professionals”.

He asks “how can we improve” “what can we do”. Dave believes that “each of us can take ownership in driving change”

“Whether you are a leader or individual contributor, becoming disciplined and process focused, committing to follow through on these, exploiting the tools produce results. Leverage these processes and tools, not because your management tells you to, but because they help you become more effective”

Collectively, these four posts are a MUST read, if you don’t have the time, MAKE the time – the reasons WHY are in the TEXT.

Now it’s not often, I take anything remotely resembled an issue with what Dave Brock says.

“To be honest—at least from an organizational point of view, I am tempted to point the finger at management—not just sales management, but corporate management”

Perhaps, it’s inexperience, or my youthful exuberance, but I am inclined to not just point my finger at senior management, but my entire hand, in fact right down to the tips of my toes. My entire being points in that general vicinity. Here why:

For too long, salespeople have been getting in the neck from management.

Yes, we may have a bad reputation and yes some of it may be deserved, buy ultimately the system is set up so that we always end up taking the heat. If the results don’t happen, who invariably gets the blame?

For years and years, salespeople get cast aside, replaced and cast aside again by companies. Rarely if ever, is it asked did this person get the right training? Did this person get the right support? And why did we hire this person again? Oh and by the way “who hired this person?

Dave says “I don’t believe change only comes from the top. I believe change comes from committed, passionate people at all levels of the organization” If a collective ownership of the result existed within organisations, I think Dave would be very right.

If some of the people entrusted with the sales leadership function in many organisations didn’t do their best to dodge and pass the buck, I think he would be right.

If salespeople weren’t forced to knock out huge numbers of calls and put in vast amounts of meaningless activities by ill-advised and badly trained sales mangers, I think he would be right.

If the wider business community and business leaders respected sales and salespeople, I think he would be right.

The point is this; the problem is in the way that the system is set up particularly with regards to responsibility. It makes it extremely difficult for salespeople to change the “science of selling” from within.

In my opinion, the buck stops and it STOPS squarely at the feet of some of our so called sales leaders.

In case, you missed my point - take a little inspiration from this recent article about HP

Carlsberg run a TV advertising campaign, based on always having more than 2 choices. The punch line, “there is always choice c”. Choice c, in this instance refers to some on the spot clever thinking - leaving the person in the ad with an out - from some kind of sticky situation.

When faced with the competitor question, a business or salesperson may believe they have 3 choices.

They can:

Join the Competition

Beat the Competition

Ignore the Competition

Why is it, that many continue to choose c?

Markets are smaller, competition is greater than ever, yet many companies and salespeople persist in choosing to operate “a head in the sand” approach - when dealing with competitors.

A Wake UP Call!!!. Competition is fierce and it’s not going to go away. There are only two real choices, because c is not a choice - It’s in-action and a non-decision.

Wait a minute, I hear you say “what about cutting prices”. Surely; this is an effective way to deal with competitors.

“NO, NO, NO, it’s not”. It’s taking choice C again. Here’s why, cutting prices may have a short-term impact. It will initially win you business. However, sooner rather than later, the competition will work out how to effectively deal with your price-cutting - or they will match it.

So around and around you will go, until you are right back where you started, only this time - you have created a whole new set of problems for yourself.

So here are the 2 real choices.

a. Join the competition through forming strategic alliances and partnerships.

or

b. Beat the competition through competitive positioning, developing a strategy for dealing with the competition question and using competitive selling skills effectively when selling.

When dealing with the competition.  Remember, there is only a and b…………there is no choice c.

In the News

Check out these four posts:

Dave Stein asks “How Do You Fix Sales Ineffectiveness?”in a brilliant post that’s generated lots and lots of debate. Dave says “There is a proven path.  The answers are there for everyone to see.   There are companies you can read about and observe that have achieved sales excellence. So, recession aside, why is sales as a profession and function, losing ground?”

Dave Brock investigates  and attempts to provide answers in his three posts ” Sales Force Ineffectiveness, Conjecture on the Future of the Profession Parts One Two & Three“

Over at TSE

On Tuesday, we will witness the launch of the new Top Sales Expert’s site - probably the most significant sales related site on the internet. To coincide with the re-launch, a new Executive Board has been formed to oversee the team, and a “working commitee” will also be appointed in the coming weeks.

Here is the new board.

Top row, left to right: Paul McCord, Jill Konrath, Jonathan Farrington, Colleen Francis, Keith Rosen and Joanne Black.

Bottom row: Wendy Weiss, Dr. Greg Stebbins, Nancy D. Solomon, Kevin Eikenberry, Linda Richardson and Kendra Lee.

Over at SLI (Sales Leadership Ireland)

Now 145 members and counting, To join click here.

Follow us on

Btb Guest Author

Jonathan Farrington

The responsibility for ensuring that every member of the sales team is successful and performing at optimum levels lies entirely with management and below are the eight reasons why sales people fail. In fact, I usually ask just three very straightforward questions, in order to identify why a salesperson is underachieving i.e.,

• Are they visiting/talking to enough clients/prospects? In other words are they pro-active and are their activity levels high?

• Are they talking to the right people within those client/prospect organizations? Are they able to penetrate the formal DMU (Decision Making Unit) and get to the MAN?

• Are they saying/doing the right things? This really means – how strong are their selling skills?

However this list, whilst not exhaustive, remains extremely accurate and as I said earlier, management has total control over each of these, including the last one!

1. Wrong or no selection process - The wrong person for the position

2. Wrong or no training - Insufficiently developed

3. Wrong or no planning - Expected to do all of their own planning

4. Wrong or no supervision – Left without competent supervision

5. Wrong or no motivation - Not properly motivated to meet objectives

6. Wrong or no stimulation – Not stimulated by appropriate incentives

7. Wrong or no evaluation – Not regularly appraised against a set of agreed objectives

8. Wrong or no executive action – Not adequately supported by a competent manager

If you are a sales manager, consider your part in this equation. According to these criteria, do you feel your current team poised for success? Hopefully you can say yes! If not, this list will hopefully draw attention to how you can help your team exercise their potential. Your wallet will also thank you!

Jonathan Farrington is a globally recognized business coach, mentor, author, and consultant, who has guided hundreds of companies and tens of thousands of individuals around the world towards optimum performance levels.  He has authored in excess of three hundred skills development programmes, designed a range of unique and innovative process tools and has been published extensively on a wide range of business topics including organizational and sales team development, leadership and the customer imperative.  Jonathan’s first book, “Tougher At The Top” will be published early in 2009.  Visit his website @ www.jonathanfarrington.com

In the News

It was my great pleasure to have dinner with Dave Stein, while he was over here as part of his work with DIT’s and Enterprise Ireland’s International Selling Programme. I am a big fan of Dave’s work and an avid reader of his blog. In a recent post “Ireland Knows How To Support Growing Companies“, Dave compliments Enterprise Ireland on the support they provide for start-ups and high-potential Irish companies - saying that the rest of the world can learn from Ireland in this regard.

I have spoken about Dave Brock on here before. Dave is the founder and CEO of Partners in EXCELLENCE, a leading international business consulting company. In my opinion, he is one of the most clued in consultants you will come across. He recently started a blog, and the quality of his posts has been exceptional. It came as no surprise, when he was named “Blogger of the Week” over at www.socialmediatoday.com

Over at TSE

I joined the other Top Sales Experts team for an conference call last Tuesday, there are some really great initiatives planned for 09 - WATCH THIS SPACE

Btb Guest Author

Dave Brock

This morning, I had an interesting discussion with a client. He was talking about a specific sales situation. Basically, he said that customers were saying there was no differentiation between the products and services his company offered, versus the competitors. He went on to say, they are seeing this response in more and more sales situations. He was at a loss to deal with it — or at least wanted to avoid the ultimate differentiator — at least in this situation — pricing.

I thought I’d throw this issue out there for your ideas and thoughts. I’ll provide a few of mine as a starting point (but by no means complete):

1. I fundamentally don’t believe, “everything is equal,” this is the ultimate point of commoditization. Even in commodity areas, there are differentiators, but they may not be based on product differentiators. I think the problem here is sales people tend to focus too much on the product, and not the total offering or capabilities of a company. When one considers the total offering, the product, the capabilities of the company, the services, etc, things are seldom equal.

2. Often, this view is the result of an inward-out orientation. That is, we present the product features, functions, feeds, speeds to the customer. The “sophisticated” sales person may add some company capabilities. But we dump these facts in the customer’s lap, and let them make the assessment. First, that’s not their job and if we force them into that, then we aren’t doing our job. We need to start with the customer, understanding their business needs, drivers, goals, priorities and challenges. We need to drill deeply into their business issues and prioritize each one — for each person involved in the decision making process. Only when we understand it is it possible to position our offerings in a context that has real meaning and impact to the customer. Done properly–customer by customer, in my experience, it is virtually impossible for everything to be equal.

3. The previous point addresses the customer business drivers. We cannot forget the personal drivers — things that concern each person involved in the decision process, but which we often overlook. People make don’t make rationale business decisions. Often they rationalize deeply personal decisions with a business argument. We need to understand their personal drivers. It may be getting a boss off their back, getting home on time, getting a promotion or bonus, keeping their job. Like the previous point, only when we have understood the personal drivers of each person involved in the decision process and position our offering in the context of “What’s in it for them — personally,” can we differentiate ourselves. Again, from this point of view, it is virtually impossible for everything to be equal.

4. Finally, at least for my comments, I think we under estimate the value we bring to customers in facilitating the customer’s buying process. A strong, consultative sales professional adds tremendous value to the customer as they execute their buying process. My personal experience is this is often the strongest differentiator. Many people have bought from me, simply because I cared about them and their companies. They wanted to invest in a partner who was committed to their success. Maybe it’s my ego, but I am never equal to anyone else!

Enough of my ramblings, what are your thoughts? Can everything else be equal — is our world becoming increasingly commoditized, where the only means of differentiation is price?

Dave Brock works with organizations to help them achieve the highest levels of performance excellence. He helps them identify and execute new business, sales, marketing and customer service strategies. His goal is to have a profound difference on the lives and results produced by his clients. Dave is the founder and CEO of Partners in EXCELLENCE, a leading business consulting company. He has held executive roles in IBM, Tektronix, and other large technology companies. He is an investor, advisor, and director of several high technology start-up companies.

Over at TSE

Shush!!…….keep it quite, but because I am a member of Top Sales Experts - my readers can join for a special discounted rate

In case you missed it, last night was TSE Kick-Off Roundtable “The Future of Professional Selling . The panel of Jonathan Farrington, Jill Konrath, Linda Richardson, Dave Stein and Nigel Edelshain answered questions on wide range of sales topics. It was an extremely rewarding and informative on-line experience, and I had a few people contact me directly to say thanks for making it available through our blog. A BIG well done to everyone involved.

TSE Webinar Series : FIFTY top sales gurus, who will be delivering top class presentations - simply click on the banner below to see the full schedule.

Our webinar series kicks off on the 16th of April with Wendy Weiss’s “Cold Calling in the 21st Century: The New Rules”

On April 21st, we launch “Sales Hardtalk” a daily dose of hard hitting advice, commentary and sales tips - easily downloadable and in bite size chunks, not to be missed.

Finally, at the end of April, the Top Sales Experts team will be launching their latest Ebook, packed with contributions from all of us - more details soon.

Btb Guest Author

Nigel Edelshain

The sky is falling.

Well, the stock market and many of the great behemoth financial firms that I have sold to over the last dozen years are. Let’s say many of us are not in the most upbeat mood right now.

And how does this “macro economic tension” tend to show up in sales organizations? Concern over making our numbers. And that concern over making numbers makes tense sales people. Tense sales people that tend to put too much pressure on their prospects to sign on the dotted line.

People love to buy but they hate to be sold. Sales cycles don’t really exist what really exists is a buying cycle. In our world of so many options for the buyer, we need to face facts that it’s the buyer who controls the “sales process” not the seller.

The sales person’s job (actually the whole company behind the sales person) is to be in-sync with buyer at whatever point the buyer is in the buying cycle. A typical buying cycle might look like this: (1)recognition of a need, (2) seek out options, (3) discuss/evaluate options and (4) buy.

A sales person who tries to close the buyer when they are not in phase 4 of the buying cycle will annoy the prospect/buyer and won’t get a deal. But that’s what “old school selling” tells us to do “always be closing”. Watch out because as the pressure mounts on us sales executives to close more the opposite is happening for the buyer. As the market fear grows buyers will be thinking “should I really pull the trigger on this spend or should I hold off”. The last thing that will help a cautious buyer commit is a pushy sales person!

What’s a sales person to do?

Calm down. Don’t try to close everything in sight. Stay in-sync with your prospects. Make sure you know where they are in the buying cycle. Act accordingly. If they are just starting to look at options, get them the information they need to understand and evaluate your offering.

And…prospect. Yes, whenever things get tougher in the economy sales people need to be able to put more leads into their sales funnel. You will need more prospects because either some deals will drop out due to budgets being cut etc. or some of the deals that survive will move more slowly to close than you originally thought.

You will need to “diversify” your sales pipeline as the market gets more volatile just as an investor diversifies their stock portfolio. You will want more prospects in your sales pipeline than when times were “easy”. Preferably prospects from lots of different companies and industries so your risks of being clobbered by any one company’s or any one industry’s budget cuts are reduced.

So as things get tougher don’t become a closer. Become an opener.

Nigel Edelshain - is CEO of Sales 2.0 Companies use Sales 2.0’s telesales and consulting services to take their sales to the next level, typically boosting results 3 - 10 times.

News

Fellow Top Sales Expert Diane Helbig is a contributing author to a brand new book “Chicken Soup For The Soul - Power Moms” it’s about women who sacrifice so much in order to balance their lives, whilst still pursuing their dreams. If you are looking for inspiration, this is a book you really must read - just click here to grab your copy.

Here’s is Diane’s recent interview on TSE Dailies. Listen by clicking on the banner below.

Social Media Wars?

I have recently been involved in some heated arguments over at The Customer Collective about the evolving role of social media in B2B sales.  Jonathan Farrington, Dave Stein, Dave Brock and I share a similar opinion as to how these tools will impact going forward. Last week, in a post by Jonathan, this dialogue took an unfortunate turn - with personal attacks by a few social media zealots.

Dave Stein writes about this is his post “The Social Media (Wars)” and in his blog, Dave Brock asks “Are the Right People Listening?”

The following is the rough transcript of a recent call I had with a Sales Director of a large Irish Company.

Mr X: Hi Niall, This is _________ __________, I am the Sales Director with ___________ ___________ What I’m looking for a two day sales training course to brush up on our selling skills. What would that cost?

Me: Hi __________, thanks for your call, let me briefly tell you about what we do. We specialise in providing bespoke in-house sales training solutions. We invest a lot of time in identifying how best we can help, come up with a plan to achieve sales results, and build a training programme around this. Can you first tell me a little about the company, what you sell, to who and what prompted you to call me at this time?

Mr X: We sell _____________ to _____________; we have a team of 20 field based salespeople. The salespeople feel that they would benefit from some sales training; times are tough and they believe that it would help them to make more sales.

Me: Great, Let’s hold that last thought “to make more sales” what I would like to do next with your permission, is for us to meet up, introduce myself and Btb training, how we work and investigate with you, if and how our sales training solutions can help to make more sales. How would sometime next week suit?

Mr X: Frankly, Niall, I don’t see that there is any need, what I am looking for is a two day sales training course, plain and simple. Can you send me a proposal including costs? All the other training companies were able to; they didn’t need to meet up.

Me: I understand but again our focus is ensuring actual results, so let me explain to you why I feel that it is necessary for us to meet up. If the overall objective of this process is to increase sales, I do not yet know how I can help, and even if I can help, the training solution I might recommend will likely be different to a two-day course on basic selling skills. This first meeting allows me an opportunity to investigate, to better get to know you, the company, the problems and the solutions. In short, if I can help and how I can help. I cannot commit to a project unless I have established this, in other words I will need to be sure that I can deliver ROI. This first meeting is very much for my benefit, and hence there is no fee, nor is it a commitment to do business. I will only seek that commitment after I have demonstrated that I can help to increase sales.

Mr X: I think what you are saying is that you want an opportunity to increase your price?

Me: LOL, __________ it is highly lightly that the overall solution that I will recommend will require more than two days training, so yes, this would mean more cost. We tend to work with clients on an ongoing basis. I would be taking a long-term view point, that being said, new clients generally will hire us to first, do a stand alone project. The reality is that unless you see results, you won’t rehire and we are happy to work with you on this basis. Can I ask, what has been your experience of other trainers?

Mr X: I think that sales training every now and then, is good to remind salespeople about the right ways of doing things and to motivate, but after a while it’s forgotten and you need to start again.

Me: You are absolutely right, traditional sales training focuses on imparting knowledge; so much of what is taught is quickly forgotten. That is why you find you have to retrain the same skills over and over. We would take a different approach, in that we would create long-behaviour led changes, with each course looking to build on and teach new skills. I also agree that sales training needs to be ongoing. As part of or meet, I would like to continue to discuss these training experiences, and identify how we can ensure a longer-term skills change.

Mr X: For now, I just need a proposal for two days training with costs and names of who you have worked with. If we are interested, I can come back to you about the meeting.

Me: I’m afraid I won’t be able to put together a proposal at this stage, for the reasons I have already mentioned. I can however give you names and numbers of some clients in your space. Perhaps, I could set up a call so that you can have a conversation with them about our approach, and how it compares to other training providers. How does that sound?

Mr X: I will only be interested in talking to references after we had made a decision to go ahead with whomever.

Me: OK, I’m sorry then, I don’t think that there is much more I can say at this stage, if you change your mind or if you would like to consider a different approach next time, please do let me know. I will send you an e-mail to recap on our conversation and include my contact details. Thanks for your call.

Mr X: We are in a recession, you are supposedly a top sales trainer and you refuse to quote for potential business. Think you are in the wrong business, Niall. Goodbye.

I have tried to be as truthful as I can about what was said. My initial thoughts were that the individual, because of previous bad sales training experiences, has no faith in sales training as a solution. He is possibly being requested by the sales-team to provide training and is looking for the cheapest available option.

I took the call on my mobile, walking to and from meetings, perhaps I could have taken a different approach, but I get the feeling that the net result would have been the same.

I have received a large number of these types of calls since I became a trainer. Some might say that “the customer is always right” but I will continue to refuse to quote for sales training until I have established that I can help. It’s just a pity that more training providers don’t have the courage to do the same.

Over at TSE 2.0 today.

One of the most clued-in business consultants on the planet, Dave Brock of Partners In EXCELLENCE. Listen as Dave talks Counter-intuitive:

Rather than driving harder and faster, do we really need to take a step back and evaluate how we can do things better.

Like what you hear, Well why not come and join us.

Published by Niall Devitt, Btb Business Training