The Common Sense Sales Blog

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.