Executing the basics

f f Tooov Alr-sN rs attributed Y Y with, "Ninety percent of success is just showing up." Much of what is considered "The Basics" in any field is the basics flawlessly executed. In fact, 9O7o of our competition miss some or all of the basics on most calls.

Pen: A salesperson without a pen is like a soldier without a gun. Have a pen. Have two pens-one for back up or for the customer. Bring them to the meeting with your customer.

When the customer speaks, especially about product specifications or their desired outcomes-/ake notes. l've had reps tell me they can remember everything. First, this is B.S. Second, we take notes to show the customer we care. Not taking notes shows the opposite.

Do not click or play with your pen.

Notepad: Have a note pad and be ready to use it. Use a spiral notepad instead of a flip notepad. We can mark the dite and diy of all conversations and refer to those notes in a spiral notebook. This is impossible or very sloppy with a flip notepad.

Cards: Have your cards with you. Also have a back-up box of cards in your glove box and some extras in your briefcase.

Have your card out of your pocket and in your hand before you enter the building or office. Hold your card in your left hand so you can hand it to the customer and shake their right hand. When you tell the receptionist your name, give her (or him) your card. Make it easy for her to tell your customer who you are and where you are from. If you don't, she will either give an incomplete message or a wrong message-give her your card.

Company Information: If you have company promotional material, bring it, but don't rely on it. Brochures don't sell. It is a conversation starter, not the presentation.

Proof: Potential customers need proof, the sooner the better. Four things we can bring to an initial meeting that will provide proof are:

Letters of recommendation. We want to stand out. Most salespeople do not take the time to get letters of recommendation, even from their most satisfied customers. Letters of recommendation are powerful in two ways: our customer gets immediate proof and we stand out from the throng of salespeople coming at them every day.

Examples of similar programs that we are running with customers similar to our target customer.

. Pro-forma program we can run with them based on some assumptions about their business. This is very powerful, especially if we have good research. It is assumptive without being arrogant. We have already provided value before the order.

A written "Why Should I Buy From You?" statement. Write out specifically why our potential customer should buy from us. It will sive both us and the customer confidence.

Credit Choreography: We should do our best to have the credit conversation as soon as possible. We should be prepared and choreograph that conversation:

Us: "Sarah, I appreciate your time today and look forward to doing business with you. Who handles your credit?"

Customer: "That's Susan."

Us: "Okay. I've got the form 90Vo filled out. I just need about three to five minutes with her and we can get you set up."

Most of the time we can fill out 90Vo of the form for the customer-again assumptive. They will appreciate it and be much more likely to give us the information.

Credit slows down territory growth more than most steps in our initial meetings with potential customerseven the ones that like usl-so we need to practice this part of our initial meetings until it is smooth.

Connect the Call: Once the call is finished, we connect it to the next call. There may be steps the customer has to complete. If so, confirm their marching orders and when you will circle back for the information. Be specific about their steps and yours and the reconnect time.

More likely. we will have to come back with a proposal. Set that i as a firm appointment. If they are a qualified customer, this is essential for rapid growth.

Prepare and win, or prepare to lose. Excellence in sales is flawless execution of the basics under fire.