Your Chance to Win!

Hey Everyone,

First right answer will receive a 1 hour free sales coaching session (value $300 dollars)! What incredibly rich inventor (in fact one of the riches men in Britain) said:

"I made 5127 prototypes of my vacuum before I got it right. There were 5126 failures but I learned from each one. That's how I came up with a solution. So I don't mind failure. I've always thought that school children should be marked by the number of failures they've had. The child who tries strange things and experiences a lot of failures to get there is probably more creative."

~ from Fast Company Magazine April 2007

Even if you don't know who it is....don't you think the advice is sound?

Think about how simple yet effective the message is. You would never have learned to walk if you gave up the first time you tried and you won't be successful today if you give up experimenting, trying and pushing yourself. Failure is only a message that you have not found the solution YET. Try again.

Dedicated to increasing your sales,

Colleen

Your Price is Too High!

Faced with the dreaded pricing objection? Here are some of my favorite and most effective responses. If you have other ideas that work please post a comment. It would be great to know what works for you.

Responses as questions:

• How much too high is it?
• I guess that means we are never going ahead?
• Is price your only consideration?
• Are you making the decision based only on price?
• Sounds like you have seen something in the market at a better price?
• I appreciate your honesty. What does too high mean?
• How much did you want to pay?
• Does knowing we are not the lowest mean there is never a chance we can do business together?

Responses as statements

• Sounds like you’re getting a better deal somewhere else.
• You are right, we are higher than______
• That’s exactly why you need me!
• It’s true, we will never be the lowest. You will always find someone who will charge less and you will always find someone who charges more. We will always be competitive
• Thanks for telling me that. We work hard to make sure we are not the cheapest
• Perfect! We don’t want to be the lowest price

Try one or all. I know they work!

Dedicated to increasing your sales,

Colleen

Another Sales Sin

Recently I have had a number of clients ask me about common mistakes sales people make and what to do instead. Here is another big one (although not as big as forgetting to find new clients everyday!)

Lack of preparation! This is a common reasons why sales reps fail. If you are doing a good job keeping the funnel full - please review the previous entry - failure to plan almost always results in a less than desirable result. Planning your meetings, demonstrations, and follow up is critical to ensuring that you understand your customer’s needs, and that you thoughtfully communicate solutions to address them.

Besides, if you are not prepared for a client meeting you clearly demonstrate a lack of respect for your prospect.

Most salespeople spend too much time thinking about how to sell a product to a customer as opposed to truly understanding a customer’s needs. Always keep in mind Steven Covey's rule #7, talk 30% of the time and listen 70% of the time. Your client's are hungry for a relationship with you. The only way to build that relationship is to spend time exploring issues and needs.

I suggest taking a list of questions into each sales meeting. Make sure you know what you want to ask before the meeting starts. Take some time to research the company and learn about their products and markets. Use that knowledge to develop questions about their requirements. As long as you don't come across as a know-it-all, a prospect is always impressed with a sales person who has done their homework.

Too much valuable time, energy, and resources are wasted by sales people offering solutions that the customer doesn't want or need. Spend quality time planning your calls and presentations and you will make a powerful impression on your customers and prospects.

The Biggest Mistake in Sales

The failure to find and cultivate new customers is a death sentence in sales yet I see 80% of sales people refusing to do the legwork, networking and personal marketing required to find new customers everyday. Customer attrition and losing business to the competition is a frustrating inevitability in sales. You can't close everyone. Businesses move, people move, economies shift, and people decide to do business with others. Sometimes, your prospects have friends that compete with you. You can count on losing prospects and customers even if you think you are doing everything right!

Most companies don't have a sales problem, they have a prospecting problem. If you are counting on your current prospects and customers to bring in your revenue forever, you will most assuredly be disappointed. Sadly, the most common trend I see with sales people is that a phenomenal sales month is followed by a disaster because, prospecting was neglected as sales were coming in.

The sad reality I see is that most sales reps do not feel the full force of customer attrition and lost new business until it is too late to save the month. Even worse, they suffer for a long time until they refill the pipeline. I want to see you make a consistently high revenue, month after month, year after year. You can do that b y committing to a specific time every day to prospect. Block it in your calendar and close your office door. Be sure to attend networking events, make your calls, solicit referrals, make good notes, use a customer database set reminders, and complete your followup!

Dedicated to increasing your sales,

Colleen

Getting Out of a Funk

My friend Lisa is a coach in Vancouver BC and this week her column featured sales advice that I thought was worth reprinting for you

Q: I’m in a sales funk. I’m not reaching my targets and feel pretty frustrated because I can’t seem to get motivated. Do you have any strategies to help me find my focus?

A: Being successful in sales requires self-motivation, high energy and an entrepreneurial spirit. Whether you’re a business-to-business sales person or self-employed, hitting “the wall” happens. Being sales-savvy requires frequent re-evaluation of your approach — what’s working, and what isn’t. I’m guessing you may not be feeling overly sure of yourself if you haven’t been meeting your targets. And if you’re not feeling it, you’re not projecting it.

Here are a few tips to help you move from funk to focus:

Sales-savvy people are confident people. What elements of your style work for you? Think about past achievements because seeing your success is a great motivator. How can you build on this to inspire more wins?

Boredom is another common challenge. What parts of your sales approach seem flat? What would it take to shake up your routine? Try a creative brainstorming session with a colleague or business associate. Thinking partnerships are great for sharing ideas and gaining a different perspective on a tired approach.

What keeps you in tune with your clients ever-changing needs and how does your product or service continue to meet those needs? Consumers today have low tolerance when it comes to needs not being met. If you aren’t feeling confident here, what steps can you take to reconnect with your clients so that you can better align your offer?

You can reach Lisa Caswell, CEC at Being a Better Leader

Dedicated to increeasing your sales,

Colleen

Top 10 Sales Articles

I am very pleased to announce the launch on April 15th of a brand new initiative that I am involved in: Top 10 Sales Articles

The primary objective is to provide a single location, where time strapped business captains, sales professionals and publishers can locate the very best business articles every week.
For authors, this site offers a unique opportunity to showcase their work and benchmark the quality of their writing, against that of their contempories, and have it reviewed by globally recognised sales experts.

How does it work? – Each week the site will research and evaluate sales articles submitted to all the main article communities including:

Best Management Articles, BuildYourOwnBusiness, Buzzle, Eyes On Sales, Ezine Articles, IdeaMarketers, Salesopedia, Sales Training Camp, TheSalesCommunity and The Sideroad

They will then effectively perform a cull until we arrive at the ten best pieces of work, which will be judged by members our panel.

The winner will be announced on site every Monday and a fresh set of reviews announced the previous evening on BlogTalkRadio. (Every Sunday at 12.00 pm EST).

From the four weekly winners we will choose a monthly winner and logically from the twelve monthly winners we will select the Article Of The Year.All overviews will remain on site in weekly and monthly archived sections, providing an ongoing reference point for visitors.

The Top Sales Experts Panel:

Wally Adamchik, Joanne Black, Kevin Dwyer, John Boe, Jonathan Farrington, Colleen Francis, Joe Heller, David Kahle, Jill Konrath, Steve Martinez, Andrea Nierenberg, Terri Roulette McCartney, Wendy Weiss and Jacques Werth

Top 10 Sales Articles Quite simply the best of the best.

~ dedicated to increasing your sales, Colleen

Improving Your Closing Ratios

On average it takes 75 cold calls to make one sale to a net new customer. Recently I was speaking at an event and a sales rep selling training services noted that in her industry the number is closer to 1 in 125. Either way the numbers are high!

On average Engage clients see a closing ratio of 1:2 for referred leads and 1:5 for call-ins. Knowing that, wouldn't it be better for everyone to change your sales strategy to focus on increasing referred leads and calls-ins?

How can you get more referrals? For specific tactics visit our previous posts at in March. As a quick tip - ask for them everyday. Most sales people I coach don't have a habit of asking for referrals regularly nor do they have a referral strategy that is consistently executed. Therefore most sales reps don't have a consistent flow of referred leads into their business.

How can you increase call-ins? Write. Take some time to write a few quick tip articles that are relevant to your client s base and can help them grow their business. If you convention space at a hotel write on the "Top 10 Things to Consider When Booking your Next Convention", if you sell lawn tractor equipment try "Best 5 ways to Ensure a Healthy Lawn this Summer". The options are endless and the trade magazines that serve your customer base are hungry for content.

I have found that writing and publishing articles is the best way to get customers to call you. Why? Because the articles you write define you as an expert in your field and position you as a valuable partner, not just a sales person. The more often your articles appear on-line or in print, the more relevant you become to your clients and prospects.... and the more they will want to do business with you.

Don't wait for your marketing department to write for you. Do it you yourself. Start with a 5 tip article that focuses in your area. Write out the 5 points first and then add a paragraph or two of detail below each. You will end up with a 250-500 word article that is perfect for publishing. Be sure to send to to all the relevant trade publications (on line and off) with your contact information and website!

Dedicated to increasing your sales,

Colleen

Sales Resources Worth Using:

Here are some of my favorite resources

www.salesopedia.com
The World of sales from A - Z

www.eyesonsales.com
People with a Passion for Selling

www.salescommunity.com
TheSalesCommunity.com is a global sales resource center

www.salesdog.com

www.colleenfrancisblog.com
Check it out for up to the minute sales ideas!

www.onconference.com
Teleconference and Web conference hosting

www.1shoppingcart.com
Automated Shopping cart Systems

www.salesforce.com
Enterprise online Sales Force management

www.maximiser.com
Enterprise client service or web Sales Force Management

www.thesecret.tv
Learn more about the power of reciprocity

www.amazon.com
You should be reading everyday!

www.toastmasters.com
Presentations skills

A Question from a Blogger!

Colleen - I’m scared to make cold calls. It's a Phobia, I'm sure of it. Can you help?

Ok….It’s true that Phobias disrupt the lives of 15 Million North Americans. These irrational fears can interfere with daily living. About one million North Americans are so disabled by their phobias they can’t work outside the home or manage their every day tasks. The most common phobias people have are Fear of Snakes, Fear of Public Speaking, Fear of Heights, Storms, Sickness, Injury and Death. Seek out a qualified professional if you suffer from a phobia, this may be the easiest an quickest solution to your problem.

Being scared to make cold calls is not a phobia…at least as far as I know. And even if it is, here is an easy way to get over it. Ask yourself. What are you more scared of, making cold calls, or not eating. For me, its not eating. I know that making calls leads to sales, and sales leads to money and food. Therefore, If I am hesitant to make calls on any day, I simply think about what the successful calls mean to me…..dinner! The next time you feel scared of a call close your eyes. Picture a perfect call, one where the customer makes the sale and you get a big fat juicy commission cheque. Next, picture yourself taking that cheque to the bank and cashing it. What does that money feel like in your hands. Now, imagine yourself walking into a fine restaurant and eating a great meal. What does the food taste like, what does the wine taste like? Now open your eyes.

How do you feel about making calls? Better. Good. Get on the phone!

Dedicated to increasing your sales,

- Colleen