NZ Sales Manager Issue 21

APR 1st 2009 / Issue 21

Barriers To Success 3 Key Challenges in Sales Leadership

Are You Selling Yourself Short?

Creating a CV that stands out

Feedback:

The Breakfast Of Champions PLUS:

MP3 Interview with web entrepreneur Danny Ing

Focus On Selling: The Insurance Industry

APRIL 1 ST / Issue 21

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THIS WEEKS MUST READ BARRIERS TO SUCCESS Three key challenges in sales leadership

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feedback: the breakfast of champions How you can train your mind to aim for the top.

10 NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER! MP3 Interview with web entrepreneur Danny Ing 11 NZSM CALENDAR 12 TWO MINUTE TOP-UP are you selling yourself short?

Ann Andrews tells us how to create a CV which stands out amongst hundreds.

15 FOCUS ON SELLING THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY The first article in a two-part series, on what it takes to succeed as an insurance sales professional.

16 SALES TRAINING DIRECTORY

14 17

17 BOOK REVIEW THE ONE MINUTE MANAGER MEETS THE MONKEY This book explains in simple-minded if abstract terms how to achieve a balance between supervision and delegation.

17 THE CLOSE NZSM / aPr 1ST 2009 / 2

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his week we celebrate our 21st issue, but rather than bring out the yard glass, we thought it was a good time to introduce a couple of new features to NZ Sales Manager.

ABOUT / Short and sharp, New Zealand Sales Manager is a free fortnightly e-magazine delivering thought

In our first “Focus On Selling” feature, Tom Somerville gives us an insight into what it’s like in the insurance sales industry, an industry Tom himself describes as both “brutal and beautiful”. In Part 1 of his feature entitled “Have You Got What It Takes?” he talks about the personal foundations for success, and in Part 2 in our next issue, describes the frustrations of selling a product that truly fits the description of “important but not urgent” and what to do about it.

We also introduce our first MP3 interview in which I was able to talk to web entrepreneur Danny Ing, whose business Datum Connect is a finalist in this years Vero Excellence In Business Awards. While the sound quality is a little off (my fault!) it’s well worth the download as Danny has some great advice for all of us, not just about building a best selling business but the personal qualities required for business success.

provoking and enlightening articles, and industry news and information to forward-thinking sales managers, business owners and sales professionals.

EDITOR / Richard Liew ART DIRECTOR / Jodi Olsson GROUP EDITOR / Trudi Caffell ADVERTISING/CONTENT ENQUIRIES / Phone Richard on 09 523 4112 or email richardl@nzsalesmanager. co.nz.

For most of us, today also marks the beginning of a new financial year.

Congratulations if you were able to achieve the targets you had set yourself both in terms of sales and personal income for the previous year. But do not let yourself fall victim to the “hero to zero” phenomenon! If your year wasn’t quite as you’d planned, now is the time to put the past behind you and step boldly into the next twelve months and turn things around. Regardless of whether you have much say in setting your sales targets for the upcoming year, only you know what you are truly capable of, and only you will know if you lived up to your own potential. And at the end of the day (or year!), mastery of yourself is surely the ultimate goal.

And speaking of new beginnings, a warm welcome to Trudi Caffell who joins us as Group Editor and whose experience in the magazine industry will help us ensure NZ Sales Manager just keeps getting better. Don’t worry Trudi, salespeople are an easily pleased bunch. Yeah right!”

ADDRESS / NZ Sales Manager C/- Espire Media, PO Box 137162, Parnell Auckland 1151, New Zealand WEBSITE / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

NZ Sales Manager is an Espire Media publication

Richard

NZSM / aPr 1ST 2009 / 3

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THIS WEEK’S MUST READ

Barriers To Success 3 Key Challenges In Sales Leadership

By Jeff Thull

W

hen was the last time you …

• Received an account update from a member of your sales team full of glaring generalities?

• Gave into a salesperson, lowered the price and still lost the business?

• Counted on the ‘superstar’ to hit a home run and found out he struck out?

Most of us have experienced these frustrating situations and have had to deal with the consequences.

In today’s marketplace of increased complexity, constant pressure is placed on the sales team to deliver the numbers, but too often sales managers are expected to select, shape and coach their team to excellence with few tools and they often fall short of giving the quality support that is required to develop a team of top performing professionals.

There are many challenges in leading a winning sales team.

Our research has identified 3 key challenges that sales managers most commonly face. How are you currently approaching these situations and are you getting the results you are looking for?

NZSM / aPr 1ST 2009 / 5

CHALLENGE NUMBER 1 Reversing the 80/20 Rule “The sales results of my top performers run significantly higher than those of my average producers. Our team pretty much reflects the ‘80/20’ rule.”

It may be a challenge to build a sales force of all ‘20 percenters’ but doubling this group is certainly within reason.

The good news is that the top 20% are not doing anything superhuman and their behavior patterns that impact their success can be defined and replicated. Accepting that 20% of your salespeople bring in 80% of your revenue is like accepting that 80% of your manufacturing machines are, on the average, producing one-fourth of your most productive machines. That output level would never be acceptable; it would be absurd.

Building a uniform selling system is required to define the quantity and quality of activities for individuals to produce at top performing levels. This system will enable managers to monitor and measure improvements in the team’s performance.

CHALLENGE NUMBER 3 Resistance to Changing Behavior “I realize I’m supposed to be the coach, but even after repeated coaching sessions, my salespeople keep bringing issues to my desk that should have been easily handled without me. They just don’t get it!”

CHALLENGE NUMBER 2 Severe Pricing Pressure ”Even though we provide a highly technical and complex solution, we find that our prospects, and even our most knowledgeable customers, are forcing us to compete as a commodity with severe pricing pressures.”

The more complex the situation becomes, the more customers and salespeople alike try to simplify things.

To the customer, the simplest differentiator is price, and in the absence of a quality decision process to help them understand the value of your products and services, they will tend to focus on it and use it as the criterion when making their decision.

Your customers should be looking at their situation in ways they have not thought through before and quantifying the consequences of not having your solution. Your role is to guide them through a collaborative decision process, much like a doctor would do as they diagnose a patient.

For example, if you help your customer/patient come to an understanding of the severity of their situation, they will be willing to invest in resolving their problem.

They get it, but if you keep doing it for them, they have no incentive to change.

Go beyond proactive to inter-active. A proactive manager gives the salesperson direction and a plan, assumes the salesperson will execute effectively, and waits for the results to roll in…management by assumption. By the time the results are reported, it’s too late to provide productive guidance. It’s like an athletic coach handing out the game plan, asking if there are any questions, and then heading back to their office to work on administrative details as the team takes the field.

Sales leaders who can meet these challenges will replace frustration with confidence and direction for the individuals on their team and themselves. The results ... a high performing team producing more profitable and predictable revenue streams.

Jeff Thull is the author of best selling books Mastering the Complex Sale, The Prime Solution, and Exceptional Selling and is president of Prime Resource Group. Visit his website at

To use an interactive approach, first, reach agreement with the salesperson on an action plan that defines specific behaviors, in terms of the quantity and quality of their sales activity. Then interact with the salesperson regularly and ‘course correct’ as you move forward.

www.primeresource.com.

NZSM / aPr 1ST 2009 / 6

The 5th Annual

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Create a motivated and resilient sales team to succeed in uncertain times Recession affecting your sales targets?

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FEEDBACK: The breakfast of championS

By Paul Kernot

I

read the phrase ‘Feedback is the breakfast of champions’ more than ten years ago in a book on networking and never forgot it.

I have since been reminded constantly that feedback is a large piece in the success jigsaw, both for businesses and individuals generally.

How to prosper from feedback The obvious and yet still under utilised way to use feedback as a business tool, is to get glowing testimonials from your happy, satisfied customers.

Put them on your website, include them in any promotional material you send out (as long as you have permission from the author), add a verbal version to your phone line when your customers are put on hold and get it working for you.

“If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for me” is the

thought you are trying to encourage in your prospects mind.

When and how do you ask for a testimonial? The best time to ask is when your relationship with your client is at its best, usually immediately after you have delivered your product or service.

Say “Hi Mrs. Jones. Just a quick follow up call to check that everything is working as it should? Were you happy with the service Mrs. Jones?”

NZSM / nov 12TH 2008 / 8

Once you have listened to their positive feedback, say “Could I ask you to put that in writing Mrs. Jones? It would really help my business to progress.”

Human nature is such that people like to help other people, particularly if they like you and you have done something for them that they appreciate.

An even better way to use feedback is to ask what you did that didn’t quite match their expectations.

We all know that it costs around ten times as much to get new clients as it does to keep the one’s we already have but once again, human nature dictates that the majority of people are afraid to ask what they are doing wrong or could do better.

A temporarily damaged ego is far better than a permanently damaged public image, not to mention your bank balance.

There are several ways to generate this kind of brilliant feedback: 1. Design a feedback form for people to fill in after your work is done. Offer them the opportunity to go in the draw to win a prize if they return it. If you do this, just be aware that your strike rate is likely to be quite low i.e. you won’t get many of them returned. And of those you do get, some will tell you what they think you want to hear rather than upset you. Therefore, a good idea is to: 2. Assign the responsibility of following up on the phone to a third party. Hire an independent person on a part time basis to conduct a quick survey of your customers. They will need to tell the customer that they are independent and encourage them to be completely honest.

This way you are more likely to get the real oil from them which you can then use to improve your service.

Human nature is such that people like to help other people, particularly if they like you and you have done something for them that they appreciate.

3. Join a business mentoring group. A guy I once worked with now runs a business facilitating meetings between business owners and key personnel around New Zealand.

His company hand picks individuals in groups of 8 - 10 so that they work together well. During the year they meet in various locations around the country and as well as sharing general business ideas, the whole team focuses on one of the group’s business or particular challenge they are having per meeting.

4. Join a mastermind group. A client of mine last week told me of a coach/ mentor he is working with who has an interesting addition to his programme.

Each new client he takes on is introduced to his last ten clients and joins their mastermind group.

This is a more localised version of the groups I mentioned above. They meet regularly for a business breakfast to share ideas and to gain inspiration and encouragement from each other.

There are many other feedback ideas that businesses and individuals can use.

The key is communication. You can’t get to where you want to go without knowing where you currently are!

Founder of PK Sales Training, Paul Kernot is a highly respected New Zealand motivational speaker and corporate trainer. You can visit his website at www.paulkernot.com.

NZSM / aPr 1ST 2009 / 9

THE INTERVIEW

No Retreat, No Surrender!

Danny Ing, 34 year old founder of website design company Datum Connect shares his hard learned lessons on customers, staff, pain, and what it takes to build a successful business with no money, experience or management skills!

S

ince starting off in 2002 in a dingy flat in south Auckland, Datum Connect has built over 900 websites for businesses throughout New Zealand and Australia, and as far away as the UK and the Netherlands.

From small beginnings, Datum Connect is a finalist in this years prestigious BDO Spicers under-$5million category of the Vero Excellence in Business Support awards in May. Download the MP3 of NZ Sales Manager’s interview with hard working business founder Danny Ing for some interesting and humorous insights about building a best selling business from scratch.

DOWNLOAD THE INTERVIEW HERE: Danny Ing - Part 1.mp3 (9mb) Danny Ing - Part 2.mp3 (9mb)

NZSM / aPr 1ST 2009 / 10

WED 1 APRIL

MON 6 APRIL

FRI 10 APRIL

Sales Prospecting Seminar EMA Northern Auckland

TUE 7 APRIL “Creative or Just Competitive?”

Rev Sales Network Auckland Cold Calling Workshop Top Achievers Sales Training Auckland - East Sales Basics Seminar Geewiz Christchurch

SUN 5 APRIL

SAT 11 APRIL

FRI 3 APR

Managing Difficult Customers Zealmark Group Auckland

NZSM CALENDAR SAT 4 APRIL

THU 2 APRIL

MON 13 APRIL

WED 8 APRIL Key Account Management David Forman Wellington

TUE 14 APRIL Sales Skills 2 Zealmark Group Auckland

THU 9 APRIL Key Account Management David Forman Wellington Sales Skills 1 Zealmark Group Auckland Hit The Road Running Sales Seminar Top Achievers Sales Training Auckland

WED 15 APRIL Introduction to Supervision Zealmark Group Auckland

Networking Workshop Top Achievers Sales Training Auckland - West

SUN 12 APRIL THU 16 APRIL

FRI 17 APRIL

SAT 18 APRIL

MON 20 APRIL

Hit The Road Running Sales Seminar Top Achievers Sales Training Hamilton

Sales Planning David Forman Wellington (April 20-21)

Sales Management Geewiz Wellington

Sales Development David Forman Auckland (April 20-21)

SUN 19 APRIL WED 22 APRIL Professional Sales Negotiations AchieveGlobal Auckland (April 22-23) Sales Development David Forman Auckland (April 22-23) Workplace Coaching & Mentoring Zealmark Group Auckland

TUE 28 APRIL Sales Development David Forman Christchurch

THU 23 APRIL Advanced Serious Selling Geewiz Auckland

FRI 24 APRIL

SAT 25 APRIL

Sales Skills Level 2 EMA Hamilton

TUE 21 APRIL Hit The Ground Running Sales Seminar Top Achievers Sales Training Christchurch Managing Through Leadership Zealmark Group Auckland Sales Basics Seminar Geewiz Auckland

MON 27 APRIL Sales Skills Level 1 EMA Auckland

Cold Calling & Prospecting Top Achievers Sales Training Auckland - South

Sales Development David Forman Christchurch

SUN 26 APRIL WED 29 APRIL Sales Development David Forman Christchurch

THU 30 APRL Sales Development David Forman Christchurch Professional Prospecting Skills AchieveGlobal Auckland

FRI 1 MAY

SAT 2 MAY

Professional Prospecting Skills AchieveGlobal Auckland Prospecting & New Business Development David Forman Christchurch NZSM / aPr 1STSUN 20093/ MAY 11

TWO MINUTE TOP-UP

Are You Selling Yourself Short?

Creating a CV that Stands Out

By Ann Andrews

I

have just read of a caretaker position being advertised.

700 people applied for the job!

Imagine the poor person who had the enormous task of wading through 700 CVs. Do you think he/she would have read every CV? I think not. I’m sure they would have found ways to weed out the vast majority – at best, they would have gone through 30 or 40 and the rest would have probably gone into the recycling bin.

the jobmarket has changed beyond recognition. Now managers will be receiving more CVs than they will be able to cope with and they will find ways to ditch anything that doesn’t stand out in some way, shape or form.

So how do you get your CV to stand out if there are hundreds of people chasing the same job? Not so long ago, if a job was advertised, most owners or employers would probably have received two or three enquiries. Suddenly,

In this article I want to share some tips for preparing your CV so that it will get noticed. And please remember, your CV isn’t designed to get you the job, it is designed to get you the interview.

PREPARING A CV

memorable. Others think “No” – particularly if you are not photogenic (and some of us aren’t). If you don’t photograph well, then leave it out! If you do decide to put one in the CV, then make sure it is a corporate looking photo – no cleavage (women) …no shirt open to the waist (men – or women!).

In readiness for creating a CV – write a story about every job you have ever had; the skills you learned and your achievements along the way. Then…..

1. Condense that info into a really short and sharp synopsis – no more than 3 – 5 pages. And even those pages need lots of white space. Use bullet points rather than sentences.

Busy managers do not have time to go through 55 pages of everything you have ever done in your life. The aim of this preliminary exercise is to write the story for yourself; to remind you of all the amazing things you have achieved in your working life.

3. Abbreviate your qualifications – most people know what a BCom or an MBA is – you don’t need to go into masses of detail.

2. Put a photo in your CV. Two schools of thought here – some think “Yes” put a photo in your CV to make you more

In particular highlight any training that is relevant to the job being advertised.

4. Make sure you mention any recent training – organizations do like to know that you are a life-long learner. But make sure it is recent training, no-one is interested in something you did 20 years ago.

NZSM / aPr 1ST 2009 / 12

5. Have some very strong testimonials – include contact details so references can be checked. Don’t ask relatives for testimonials.

6. Make sure you mention ways you can add value to the organization in particular mention skills and results you have achieved. But don’t lie. You will be found out.

7. If you are not good at writing – pay a professional to do it for you – after all this is a document which is designed to ‘sell’ you. What are you worth?

8. If applying on-line – keep it short and simple but ‘bold’ your achievements – they will stand out.

DON’T USE CAPS – IT FEELS AS THOUGH YOU ARE SHOUTING! 9. Use a coloured cover and put your CV into a coloured envelope or sleek, slim, black box – it will stand out.

10. Hand deliver your CV if possible – and make sure you impress the receptionist – in my own case, I used to ask our receptionist to put a smiley or a not smiley on the application depending on how well the applicant had treated the receptionist! First impressions count.

11. Include a link to a 2 minute video of yourself 12. Get one of your referees to make a 3 minute audio about how great you are and what you did for their company.

13. Have a generic CV for highlighting the key points of your career to date, but make sure you tailor your CV to suit each job you apply for – different jobs will need to draw on different parts of your skills, talents and experience.

14. Google yourself. See what is on Youtube, Facebook and MySpace, and any of the other social networks – this process is used more frequently than most would be employees realize – if you are presenting a professional image in your CV and you have a Youtube clip of yourself half naked at a drunken party, which image is going to

make the biggest impression? I don’t know how you get such photos removed, but I would move heaven and earth to remove them.

15. Be enthusiastic when you write your CV and letter to the company – that may sound very strange, but enthusiasm comes across, even in a written document. If you don’t get enthusiastic about what you have to offer – who will?

16 Believe in yourself. If you have recently been made redundant, you are probably feeling pretty battered.

17. Try and do things that keep you busy and motivated, use the time to go to the library and find out what is happening in the world; in the market; in your industry. I know a number of people who have been made redundant; found another job and then wished they had used the time to paint the kitchen, or clear up the garden. But most of all, do things that make you feel good about yourself, because when you get that interview, you want to present that wonderful, cheerful and energetic you!

Ann Andrews CSP is a consultant on human resource issues, a professional speaker, and MD of The Corporate Tool-box. Visit her website at www.thecorporatetoolbox.com.

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FOCUS ON SELLING: INSURANCE

Have You Got What It Takes?

Ever thought about selling insurance?

In the first article in a two-part series, insurance expert Tom Somerville offers some insights into what it takes to succeed as an insurance sales professional.

I

started my insurance career with Prudential 11 years ago. At that time the recruitment process seemed to be one of mass recruitment and self selection. Since then I’ve seen many come and go in our industry and have tried to nail that X-factor that would identify a broker as a sure bet. Trouble is it isn’t that easy to pick when recruiting.

successful consistent new team member amongst a group of six new brokers.

Here are some of my observations.

I say “brutal” because your effectiveness gets measured in dollars every month. There is no hiding from it. Whether you are succeeding or failing comes right down to an indisputable number. This causes some to try and hide, some to quit and others to strive for improvement.

Sometime in the first 12 months each new entrant who succeeds at above average levels will get to what I call the “Caesar point”. This is where they burn the ships behind them and make a full commitment to becoming the best they can at this chosen profession.

The insurance industry is both beautiful and brutal These people have the ability to make powerful commitments and keep to them. I remember making such a decision myself. I decided that if I couldn’t succeed at this, I would never succeed at anything. That decision was the making of me both professionally and personally.

Another example of this is we have a recent recruit in our team at the moment. All the profile testing said don’t touch him, not teachable. Yet this guy was given the chance because he promised he would not let us down. He is currently the most

The insurance industry is both beautiful and brutal. It was described to me once as the easiest “hard job” and the hardest “easy job”.

It’s ‘beautiful’ because the factors that determine everyone’s success are found between their ears. It’s a journey in personal challenge and self development. A complete mind game. It is human nature to progress to the next personal barrier that keeps a lid on us. We stay where it is comfortable until we are ready to confront and grow again.

For those who make that commitment to face up and grow, who are coach-able and disciplined, financial rewards can come relatively quickly. It is normal for a new broker to earn in excess of their pre-insurance income within the first year.

Jim Rohn said, “If you want to get to the top, stay in line.” I like this because with most industries the longer you stay and keep growing, the better it is. People usually leave because they get to a barrier and blame the business not themselves.

To succeed in professional insurance sales, the key is a willingness to commit to your own personal growth, and taking full personal responsibility for your own success.

Tom Somerville is a co-founder and director of Brokers Independent Group.

Visit his website at www.biggroup.co.nz.

NZSM / aPr 1ST 2009 / 15

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   

   

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   

  

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   

   

    

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   

    

    

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        

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   

        

  

   

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    

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   

  

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   

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   

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   

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   

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         

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   

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   

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   

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    NZSM / aPr 1ST 2009 / 16

RESOURCE CORNER

The One Minute Manager Meets The Monkey

By Ken Blanchard

Published by HarperCollins Business

H

“

ow management can effectively rid themselves of ‘monkeys’ - other people’s responsibilities that cling to them and prevent them managing efficiently.

This book explains in simple-minded if abstract terms how to achieve a balance between supervision and delegation for reduced tension and improved productivity in the work-place.

“There is a high correlation between self-reliance and morale,” stress the authors. With humor and logic they describe the delicate business of assigning monkeys to the right masters and keeping them healthy, ie, fed, and cared for, “...If monkeys are managed properly, you don’t have to manage people so much.”

If you’re a fan of The One Minute Manager series this installation is a must have.

$23.67 from

“

Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better.

Jim Rohn

NZSM / aPr 1ST 2009 / 17