The Common Sense Sales Blog

Words Matter

Please excuse the break from my normal attempts at humor or sales advice as the events in Arizona and Representative Giffords command my attention.

The word-smiths amongst us; and you know who you are, will argue that the spoken or written word can't be held accountable for the actions others take. And while there is a grain of truth in that comment reality tells us that words are what insight most into action and others into committing acts of violence. Words are the way in which we communicate and express ourselves. Whether it be for joyous reasons or others, to mitigate the value of the word is simply inexcusable.

Having spent the majority of my career in some form of direct marketing or another, the idea that the selection of actionable words is somehow not by design is simply naive.  Words and phrases like target, lock and load, attack accompanied by images that depict gun sites and other aggressive elements are bound to have a lasting impact on the recipients of those messages. Marketers and speech writers spend countless hours going through iterations of their message and what its intended goal is.  Those with leadership positions know all too well the awesome impact their words can have on the few or the many depending on how they are positioned.

As a parent would consider the use of bad language in front of their children tacit permission to speak in the same manner; how is it that those with bully pulpits don't want to assume the same accountability.  Happy to make their dollars based on the sales of coffee mugs, books and DVD's', those same masters of the spoken word (how ironic that they earn their way via words) are also so happy to distance themselves from any call to action that is negative; yet will take credit for any action they deem positive.

We the people are in the end responsible for who it is that we determine can occupy those towers of influence. We have to remain diligent in the use of that power and remand anyone who violates our individual sense of right and wrong. If not us then who?  If not you then who? Allowing ourselves to be manipulated into actions of any sort without our own thought processes driving those decisions is a failure of us.  

In the end; whether or not Sarah Palin's words were part of the violent acts against fellow members of our society matter little; but the debate it has started matters a lot.  I hope that in those moments when those that are given the precious and awesome ability to influence have to be with themselves they remember the idiom most of our parents taught us when we were little:  
"Think before you speak." 

 

I'll Take Em All

Ah.  The holiday's.  The time of year when those of us who travel for business can actually see an extended amount of time at home; on the ground, without the hassle of air travel.  Of course, traveling is key to our success and as I've discussed here before the stories we accumulate on the road are priceless.  The only thing better to me than air travel is inappropriate behavior that will be on display over the next several weeks at company holiday parties.  Woo, now there is an environment ripe with opportunity for awkward moments, huh?  

But back the business travel.  As I've been blogging for a year now, I've found that many of you have great experiences and stories to share about the glamorous life spent on the road. The people we've met and the scene's we've seen.  Frankly; as I look back, many of them are hilarious and have helped me see the world in a different light.  Since I've been flying before 9-11 I've seen the evolution of our security system and remain amazed at the ridiculousness of all of the processes.  Remember when we had to turn on our laptops to prove to the security teams that they were really laptops?  Actually, I don't think that anything was more annoying than that simple act.  Well, I do admit I hate removing my shoe's.  But at least I've adapted and bought my travel clothes to avoid hassles.  Under no circumstances do I fly with laces, metal belts or car keys in my pockets!  Ever.

One of my favorite stories comes from a trip I had to take to Orlando.  I was working years ago for a company that assigned me the Disney World account.  I was great. I had to go to Orlando quite a bit and spend time with their team.  I seemed to have propensity to schedule most of my travel between October and May, opting to work on their issues from New York in the spring and summer...hmmm.  

So one fine evening I found myself on a 6PM flight from PHL (Philadelphia for the uninformed) to Orlando. I read somewhere that no city travels to Disney more than Philly so it was no surprise to me that the flight was comprised of 150 children and their equally annoying parents and me.  I have kids, love them.  I've traveled with them (that's another blog), but on flights like this with the anticipation of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, there isn't a more annoying flight than the 2.5 hours to Orlando from Philadelphia.  This was also post 9-11 and they had just discontinued food service on the plane's.  Being that it was 6, I had devoured a hoagie on my way to the airport and was quite satiated for my evening.  But..

The flight attendant gets on the intercom and announces that they will be selling a boxed dinner that evening for $10.  She explains what's in the box, a nice chicken sandwich, chips, an apple and some oddly packaged candy bar.  As I'm listening in, she adds that they have only 20 boxes for the flight and they apologize for the lack of inventory.  My ears perked up.  I was in row 6, you know that first row outside of First Class where they forget you exist, but leave you with a view of the upper crust.  So I was the first person approached an offered a box.  Keep in mind this flight is packed.  She asks, "would you like a dinner box?"  I say, "I'll take them all."  She says, "what?"  I said, "I'll take all 20 boxes, what's that $200?"  She says, "and what will you do with all 20?"  And this is what ended my friendly service that night as I said, "I'm going to the back of the plane and I'm going to auction them off for a profit."  

Now those surrounding me thought it was funny.  She did not.  Not only did I not get the opportunity to make some money on the trip, but she denied my drink service for the remainder of the flight too; ignoring me as she made her rounds.

I was recalling this story the other day as I've watched the d-evolution of the airline industry and still can't believe how silly they were to under-stock the plane with food at the dinner hour.  I guess nothing is a shock huh?

Company parties...next week.

 

5 Tips on Negotiating Pricing

Yesterday my wife and I picked up a new 2011 vehicle from a dealership were we've now purchased 4 cars. The sales experience was professional, respectful and dignified with each of the parties getting the result they desired.  In our case as the buyer we were able to secure the car my wife wanted at fair market and a reasonable fee while the dealership was able to move inventory at a difficult time in the auto industry. Everyone was happy and walked away feeling equitable.

The same couldn't be said for the first dealership we began negotiating with two weeks ago.  My wife had taken her car back to this dealer for a new battery (separate story as to why a 2.5 year old battery died) and I wandered into the showroom to look at the new cars.  I sought out the salesperson who originally sold us her car and inquired into making a swap. I was very clear in my offer, "we want the same deal, if you can make that happen, done."  I was under no pressure to make a trade or get a new car, but was simply testing the market to see if something could be done under the current economic environment. That simple exchange set off weeks of back and forth that ultimately lead us to not only a our old dealership, but to an entirely different model of car.

As I was "haggling" with the sales person it was clear to me that the days of "negotiating" of old were antiquated.  They'd make an offer, I'd say no.  They'd call back and make a new offer, I'd say no.  They're offers spurred me to comparison shop, I found a better price.  They'd call back, I'd share new price, they'd seem agitated that a) I dared to compare and b) that a competitor was actually pricing more aggressively than they.  Ultimately, they arrived at the price we were seeking (see above about "if you can make this happen, same deal) which befuddled me because the only thing that the "negotiations" achieved was to create mistrust and animosity between us the buyers and they the sellers.  Then a funny thing happened, even though we were satisfied with the price, the buying experience left us weary and we decided to go with car B and the old dealership.  So draining and so exhausting was the "haggling" that we decided to punt.

The salesperson called me from the first dealership (the hagglers) and to her credit wanted feedback on her negative experience.  I was very honest.  She made the deal process seem tedious and that the dealership didn't really want the business.  I went to explain that while her managers were offering her the terms to present, that the fact that we ended up where I wanted to start made it seem as if the dealer was taking advantage of us seeking the highest profit while not listening to our needs.  In the end, the cars we were looking at were equal and buying experience drove the decision.

I was thinking about this in my business.  I have adopted a unique negotiating style.  I called it the "Let's Get the Deal Done," so you can get on with using my product.  Pretty straight forward and simple.  I have found that by listening to my buyers needs and then presenting our needs as the seller; that reasonable people can reach a deal that works for both sides.  In my car example, I wasn't insensitive to the fact that they wanted to turn a profit on the car, but was aware of the buying conditions and the fair market value. Once the dealer veered from that, it was difficult to recover.  

Here's some ideas on negotiating that I've learned over the years:

1. Listen to the prospects needs and why's.  Sometimes they have very legitimate reasons they want a contract structured a certain way.  
2. Do your best to accommodate them.  But it's OK to ask for something in return like length of agreement, case studies and press releases. I've also found that explaining in detail your position on pricing will help too.  Buyers understand that pricing is a legitimate part of our company's positioning.
3. Understand your margins.  If you understand your businesses needs and you see the bigger picture, there is always room to make something work for a prospect that has chosen you as a partner.
4. Bring in decision makers early in the pricing negotiations.  If you can get the folks who can say yes or no to financial decisions quickly, you can actually settle this quite easily.  In the car example, the salesperson never gave me access to her "manager."  Because of this, I didn't trust her and I felt I was being played.  In the dealership we ultimately bought from, the managers were sitting in on the pricing discussions.
5. If a prospect has made the emotional and intellectual decision to buy your product or service; make it work.  Extended and contentious negotiations can lead to bad partnerships.  Know that if you are handing off the deal to a professional services team, they may have to deal with a frustrated new client.  This can be managed by adhering to points 1-4.

The goal is to always close the deal.  There are times when you may have to walk because the needs are too great.  But those are rare.  Yes is a beautiful word to hear when asking for the business.  Make it happen.

Fair contracts are the result of equitable agreements and concessions from both the buyer and the seller. If as the buyer you ask for a discount, be prepared to give longer terms to the seller. If you are the seller and you give something; don't be afraid to ask for a counter offer somewhere else in the agreement.

Deals that are one-sided do not benefit either side. Buyers should be aware that the revenues collected by the sellers are also used to support R&D and company growth. It's essential that the partner you are selecting has financial viability. Likewise; sellers should be wary of trying to boil the ocean on every deal. Understand the sales funnel and price to compete, enjoy a fair profit and fight another day.

3 Tips on Selling with Confidence

The value of selling with confidence is something I blog about often.  Buyers; no matter if they are at the Apple Store buying an iPad or on a Go To Meeting with you investigating marketing technology really do want to be lead to the point of purchase. A well thought out professional sales person who is  knowledgeable about their product, their industry and how that purchase will make your life better. 

I often challenge my team to think about positive sales experiences they've had themselves.  To think back to when they bought a car, or a stereo or any other item that they valued.  In almost every case when they acknowledge they were engaged they had a truly valuable experience that provided them with insight and comfort that they were making the right or at the very least, best decision.

After my many years of doing this one thing I'm sure of is that the axiom, "they don't know what they don't know," holds true for most folks when buying something.  We all enter a sales process with some "idea" of what we think we want or need based on the experience and assessments we've done until the sales process started.  Sales people who struggle attempt to fit their product or service to fit that EXACT need to a tee without stopping to understand WHY that prospect has identified that want or need and what their business problem is that has lead them to the purchase path.  Obviously they are all trying to solve a problem that has lead them to reviewing the products or services they are, but helping them see the bigger picture is where the truly experienced and successful sales people live.

1.    Ask the open ended questions when a specific need is identified.  "How are you currently tracking this metric?"  "How does this help you measure campaign success in your business?"  "Who uses this information?"  Think of the myriad of answers you'll generate from these open and legitimate questions. 

2.    Listen carefully to the answers before you respond.  There is gold in the feedback you'll get from a prospect.  They will act as their own focus group.  They will prioritize needs.  They will self select relevancy and focus.  They will mitigate price.  Embrace the response, it's you're selling path being created for you.

3.    It's NEVER about what's in it for you.  The good one's understand they are solving a business problem for the prospect.  Positioning the answer in a way that helps them understand how to best utilize your offering to help them will be the difference maker between you and a feature set sales person.  You know your product better than they do, help them understand how to make it work.  How it will humm for them and what the value is. 

When you can confidently guide them through your benefits by showing value, you will become a trusted resource..  If you get there, get your closing process started because you will have won the deal.

The Glamorous Life - Business Travel

One of the commonalities we in sales share is business travel.  You know that glamorous element of our jobs your friends and extended family think is so great.  The idea of flying off to exotic locations and eating the finest foods while seeing the world; or the reality of early morning flights, lousy hotel rooms and a line up of food that ranges from McDonald's to room service.  

I was with a colleague the other day in Chicagoland; the unofficial center of the travel world.  We were talking about how the Marriott rooms in Palm Springs look exactly like the one's in Tempe, Detroit and New York.  I remember one 3-day trip to the aforementioned Palm Springs for a trade show in which I never left the complex, only walked outside to get to  the food trough known as the "tent" and the idea of golf was just that, an idea.

I remember the moment I realized that the books on the lovely appointed shelving in the Marriott were glued not only to each other, but to the shelf as well.  That spurred a testing of all of the items on the bookcase.  Vases, pottery and anything else that was represented, GLUED.  I came home that weekend and checked my own bookcases and thankfully they were real books and not fastened to the shelves.  Whew.

There are tons of things that are glamorous; right?  Like when the planes are delayed, broken, over sold, smelly, packed with children, circling, have no gate upon landing (they didn't know we were coming?), have a gate but no one to guide you to the gate, chatty pilots, nasty crew members and my favorite; inconsiderate passengers.  

Did you ever get to sit behind this guy? You know him.  The "I'm gonna lean back in my uncomfortable seat in front of you so that my chair back is now on your knees."  He's the guy who thinks that just because the seat can recline, that he should use it.  Or the other dude on the plane that will one day cause my breakdown.  This is the person who has to grab your headrest from behind to hoist themselves up to go the bathroom.  Never mind that I'm sitting in that chair you just grabbed, just go ahead and pull away.  They typically wait until I'm sleeping to get up; more effective that way.

From time to time I'll revisit this topic as I have a number of stories about my jet setting life on the road.  They are riveting examples of a life spent chasing business all over the world.  As I was flying home last night, there were 6 of us in row 14 and 15 seats A-C.  The flight attendant came by and noticed we were all wearing French Blue dress shirts, "oh," she says, "I see you're all in uniform."  We all looked at our own shirts then at each other and nodded in a sad acknowledgement that yes; we were in uniform, that of the glamorous business traveler.  We landed on time at 12:15 AM.  Home at last.

Business Speak in My House?

I want to make business speak the official language of my home.  I think it would be great to be able to converse with my children and wife using the words we take for granted in the office everyday; and see their reactions as I crush their dreams with nonsense.

Sorry kiddo, I'll not be able to attend your basketball game tonight because I don't have the "bandwidth" to handle both your game and your brothers hockey tryout.  You're asking me to "multitask" and I'm going to have move one of your events because someone "double-booked" my calendar and I'm "slammed."

I can't wait till my wife suggests we go out to dinner on a Friday night and I respond by saying, "that sounds fine; check my calendar, it's up to date, and send me an invite."  Or showing up to the family room while my kids are watching TV and standing there staring at them until one looks up and I say, "sorry to do this, but I have the family roomed booked at 9 but I saw that the kitchen TV is unused right now, do you mind moving?"

My daughter is now required to enter all of her homework assignments; now referred to as "tasks" into a home version of Salesforce.com.  I told her that if it's not on Salesforce, it did not happen.  Each day she sends me a "Daily Flash" report and on Friday's an APA report.  I no longer give her money for her discretionary spending, but rather she submits an expense report that requires receipts.  To be fair I issued the family an "employee manual" so there is no excuse for unauthorized expenses and we are on the same page regarding cell phone expenses and any entertainment costs that don't involve something that is positive for the family.

I understand this hard for my daughter and when she gets upset and wants to discuss it at our family dinners I firmly look her in the eye and say, "let's take this offline."  I explain to her that we want to "stay on point" during the family dinner and that we can certainly review this EOD/EOM/SOB whichever works best for her.  She sent me an IM on Skype suggesting we meet "offsite" and do this at the SOS (school).  

Not sure this new way of speaking at home will take off but I thought it would be worth the test.  In fact, my family and I are going to do a "POC" on this over the weekend and I'll let everyone know how it played out.  I've developed some KPI's for the program and I'm excited to see how the "metrics" fall into place.  If it fails miserably I'll hope that my wife doesn't have a RIF and downsize me out of the house.  

Be On Time and Hustle

Managing a sales team has always had very direct comparisons to me with what it must be like to manage a professional baseball team.  As an avid Philadelphia Phillies fan, I have had a front row seat to the teams most successful run in history over the last 6 years; all lead by Charlie Manuel, considered by most to be a players manager.  He never disparages a player in the press, has only 2 stated rules for the players; be on time and hustle, and has never been afraid to make unconventional decisions based largely on his hunches.  It's hard to argue with his success. 4 NL East titles in a row, a World Series Championship in 2008 and a repeat visit to the World Series in 2009.  He is the most accomplished manager in the teams storied and long history.  And I have learned from him.

Sales teams are comprised of the most interesting personalities in a company.  They are the "cowboys/girls," the rebels who aren't interested in sitting at a desk for 8 or 12 hours a day.  They like the action and understand their plight.  They are only as good as last months numbers and they have to continually perform to make this work.  It's a hard existence as they live and die with the yes or no they receive and they are often part of the most visible department in the company.  It's their metrics that are seen and most easily digested by the rest of the company.  Who closed what and when for how much are the most common questions at management meetings, company wide meetings, quarterly business reviews and board meetings.  It's much harder to assign KPI's to other areas.  But ask the top performers in sales if they'd want it any other way and you'll get a quick, "hell no."

So managing this group is quite a challenge. Personalities rule the day.  The star sellers expect special treatment, and they'll tell you to your face.  The less successful, less experienced and less aggressive folks can get themselves lost on a sales team.  Like a child from a large family, they have to fight to get attention and sometimes be heard.  Those that are generating the most activity; deals, demo's, meetings, will gain the attention of their managers and the management team because the company will always hunt where the revenue comes from.  But it's the managers responsibility to make sure that his team is being equally supported because an over zealous focus on the top performers will leave your backside exposed.

Charlie's team will finish the regular season with the best record in baseball.  He did it with 5 of his 8 everyday players having spent time on the disabled list.  The team relied on everyone of the 25 men on the roster and asked for contributions for everyone and he got it by demanding equal accountability from everyone in that uniform.  I've learned from Charlie and expect and demand that my team be outstanding all of the time and that the 2 things they owe me are being on time and that they hustle.

 

A Cup of Coffee with Furman Continues

My coffee chat with Steve Furman continues:

 

Jason:  Steve, so far the feedback on our conversation has been strong.  There is so much to explore as we try to understand the challenges both buyers and sellers face when they are working on big RFP level deals.  One of the interesting things I've seen in the past is poorly written RFPs that have the same question asked multiple times; a clear indication that various stakeholders have submitted their departmental needs but that they haven't been aligned with the entirety of the organization’s scope requirements.

 

With that in mind, how do you lead the needs assessment that takes place?  How do you identify the internal owners, and how is that process managed before you even consider engaging vendors?

 

Steve: Your needs assessment should be informed by your strategy and roadmap.  Well crafted plans should include identifying the capabilities a company will need to build or buy.  The roadmap will tell you when you will need to acquire that capability or skill.  If you have been forward thinking enough to conduct annual performance evaluations of your agency or vendor (“A/V”) then you already have a baseline from internal stakeholders.  If not, you should solicit input from the people in your organization who work directly with the A/V, as well as the people who are directly impacted by the products and services that they provide.

 

Jason: This is great insight, and actually very useful for existing vendors or agencies that should understand their clients’ needs.  Can you talk a little about some of the challenges you face internally on whether or not to pursue a project?  We often hear that inertia is a huge factor and can have a big impact on the opportunity.  If this is true, how do you navigate through this?

 

Steve: You have definitely hit on a big challenge.  Unless things are completely out of control with an A/V, there are always switching costs that must be carefully evaluated.  There is also the "grass is always greener" syndrome.  It's not always the case.  As far as projects go, each firm has a way that they scorecard value and prioritize projects.  One has to master that process in order to get their project considered and ultimately approved.

 

Personally, I have a love-hate relationship with inertia.  It's the force that keeps things moving while we sleep, but it is so difficult to overcome when you want to inject change or a fresh perspective. One of the things a sharp sales person can do is demonstrate how they have helped companies through transitions and proactively offer references, without waiting to be asked.  Another thing is to find out what the fear points are and offer solutions for them.  Oftentimes a company is just not ready to take something on.  Every firm is at a different place on the maturity curve.  Understanding where they are is critical for sales people.  Sometimes it means sitting on the sidelines until that time has come. If you play it right you will get the first call.

 

Jason:  Steve, this is phenomenal information.  Having run teams that sell to decision makers like you for quite some time, the importance of understanding an organization’s needs  cannot be overstated.  But you're right; it extends beyond the tactical solution and into the pain points, organizational challenges, and costs associated with change.  Essentially, it comes down to leveraging consultative selling and exhibiting patience.  I'm looking forward to our next cup of virtual coffee.  Just to get you ready, I'm going to ask some questions around the impact of user/buyers and performance pressure on existing A/V's.

 

As always, Steve blogs at http://www.expedientmeans.com/.  We are happy to take questions as we go through this series.  I can be reached on Twitter @jason_simon and Steve @stevefurman

SaaS Selling and Buying. A Cup of Coffee with Steve Furman

RFP's are daunting exercises for both the buyer and seller of SaaS marketing technologies.  Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work through many of these processes with a wide variety of Fortune 500 companies from every major vertical.  The most common thread I've found is that there isn't one.  Some organizations run RFP's as a matter of procurement driven process; while others are truly seeking a new or better solution.  I started thinking about the level of work that goes into the RFP process from both the buyers and sellers perspective.  Since I understand all too well the effort that sales teams and their company's put into participating in a RFP, I decided to learn more about the evaluation process on the buyers side.

I reached out to an old friend and a respected client of mine for insight.  Steve Furman of Discover Financial Services is currently the Director, Design, Customer Experience and Social Media (http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevefurman) for Discover.  In 2002, Steve was leading the email team at DFS as they were upgrading, enhancing and innovating email marketing for the financial services company.  It was here that we met and began a lasting relationship that was built on mutual respect and appreciation for one another's responsibility to making our business interaction work.  At the time I was leading the sales effort for Bigfoot Interactive as we were seeking to win the Discover RFP as email service provider.

Steve and I have decided to have a virtual cup of coffee and discuss the elements that help form a well run RFP from the clients point of view, and how good sales organizations can effectively communicate their value propositions during the sales process.

In part 1; we'll discuss how an organization should decide how it's going to RFP and what they need to look for in the open market.  A clearly defined need from the client will help drive a well run evaluation of platforms as so many SaaS and marketing technology have similarities and need to accentuate their differentiators to provide a viable solution.

Jason:  "Steve, focusing on marketing technology, what are the triggers that cause and organization like yours to consider either adding a new service to your processes or replace and existing vendor?"

Steve:   "Probably the biggest trigger is the need to increase the impact marketing technology can have on business results.  Over time firms have seen significant growth in the online users/customers/subscribers they serve as well as the amount of content/SKU's/ they offer.  Due to this growth, connecting a buyer with the appropriate product has become more difficult.  Firms need to add to their arsenal of interactive marketing tools to better identify the consumer and present an attractive offer quickly.  That need drives the request to add capability."

Jason:  "That makes sense, particularly as new needs are identified.  New add ons in terms of need and technology.  But what about when it's time to replace a vendor or upgrade?"

Steve:  "As far as replacing a current agency or vendor (A/V) I use the following guidelines.  

• Have your business results improved during the time you have been working with the your A/V?
• Do they help you innovate around YOUR core competencies?
• Do they bring you ideas that spark your desire and courage to innovate?
• Has their customer base grown?
• Do you get access to top thinkers at the A/V?
• Are their business results growing?
• Are they pushing you or are you pulling from them?
• Do they have a thoughtful and plausible strategic roadmap?
• Has their quality been improving?
• Has your account management been stable?

If you answer NO to 3 of these questions put them on a watch list and have a fireside chat with them.  If you answer No to 5 or more, it's time to start looking."

As you can see, the internal process a company goes through to arrive a decision on selecting a new technology or replacing a vendor boils down to assessing performance and business metrics that are focused on growth and forward thinking.  In the next installment of this "coffee" chat, we'll explore what the buyer goes through to determine which elements are important during the needs assessment.

Steve blogs at http://www.expedientmeans.com/.  We are happy to take questions as we go through this series.