APRIL 2013 ISSUE 70
CLOSE OR ADVANCE THE SALE Are you really the one being qualified? The shortest sales training session ever Never ‘Dear Mrs Customer’ again NZ’S E-MAG FOR SALES LEADERS 1 / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz
CONTENTS 6
THIS WEEK'S MUST READ
CLOSE OR ADVANCE THE SALE Find the win-win
10
ARE YOU REALLY THE ONE BEING QUALIFIED? Mutual qualification
14
TWO MINUTE TOP UP THE SHORTEST SALES TRAINING SESSION EVER Just four words
16
RESOURCE CORNER SALES TEAM LEADERSHIP Pure and simple
17
QUICK FIX NEVER ‘DEAR MRS CUSTOMER’ AGAIN It’s not what you sell, it’s how you sell
18
WHAT’S NEW NOTICEBOARD HELP IS HERE FOR TECHNICAL SALES PEOPLE
www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz / 2
20
CALENDAR
21
THE CLOSE
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ABOUT / Short and sharp, New Zealand
FROM THE EDITOR
Sales Manager is a free e-magazine delivering thought provoking and enlightening articles, and industry news and information to forwardthinking sales managers, business owners and sales professionals.
EDITOR / Paul Newsom
Contributor Jeff Ribman came to
professional buyers. In a more
me last month and said ‘it’s a long
simple, transactional sale, traditional
while since you have included an
closing techniques may be more
article on closing’. This is true, so we
effective.
are pleased to include in this issue Jeff’s thoughts on one of the most talked about topics in sales.
ART DIRECTOR / Jodi Olsson GRAPHIC DESIGNER / Sevim Dogru GROUP EDITOR / Trudi Caffell CONTENT ENQUIRIES / Phone Paul on 04 586 4733 or email
I like Jeff’s article because it emphasises the important points of focusing on advancing or prog-
Since Neil Rackhams’ SPIN Selling
ressing the sale to move the sale
research and book 25 years ago
forward, and that it is about a win-
showed that traditional closing
win outcome, not an adversarial
techniques can reduce the chance
tussle until you get the customer to
of making a sale, discussion on the
say ‘yes’. Do these things well, and
topic has evolved considerably.
a close will be the obvious outcome
Rackhams’ views are now widely
when the prospect is ready to buy.
pauln@nzsalesmanager.co.nz ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES / Phone Richard on 09 522 7257 or email richardl@espiremedia.com ADDRESS / NZ Sales Manager, C/- Espire Media, PO Box 99758, Newmarket, Auckland 1151, NZ WEBSITE / nzsalesmanager.co.nz
accep-ted in complex and relationship selling when working with
Happy Selling Paul
ISSN 2230-4762
NZ SALES MANAGER WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE SUPPORT OF OUR MAJOR PARTNERS
www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz / 4
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MUST READ
CLOSE OR ADVANCE THE SALE
Find the win-win
P
By Jeff Ribman
eople don’t tend to buy if they haven’t
There are a number of signals that indicate an
identified a good reason to do so. Once we
interest to buy:
have established a need, or felt some pain,
Non-verbal signals
for something are we motivated to look to satisfy
Changes in facial expression, tone of voice and
the need or to resolve the pain? Buying signals
posture are good indicators. Once you’ve decided
will depend on how well you have done your job at
to buy your posture becomes more relaxed,
raising awareness of the need early on in the call.
expression softens from being interested asking questions to being more agreeable. Eye contact is comfortable and posture is open and relaxed.
www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz / 6
Changes in facial expression, tone of voice and posture are good indicators. Once you’ve decided to buy your posture becomes more relaxed, expression softens from being interested asking questions to being more agreeable. Eye contact is comfortable and posture is open and relaxed. Verbal signals that satisfy a need Any of these plus many more are good indicators that they are willing to buy:
decisions lightly and as a result it can take them some time to decide to buy! When they do, it can be hard to change their mind to try something else. Given this, you may need to visit them a number of
•
“This would be good for my customers”
•
“This would save my staff a lot of time”
•
“This would be easier for employees to use”
or advances’.
•
“This would save a lot of hassle”
Continuations are simply an unsuccessful sales
•
“This would be a safer way to do it”
•
“This would save a lot of money on repeat visits”
Other signals Other things to look out for include: •
Asking a third party for their opinion
•
Enquiring about the price (but not too soon)
•
Asking lots of questions about how it works
•
Using possession type language, for example “I could…”
times before you come out with the sale. All the meetings in between will either be ‘continuations’
call. With no agreement on next steps you’d have to question how effective the use of your or the customer’s time was. •
“Thank you for coming. Why don’t you visit us again the next time you are in the area”
•
“Fantastic presentation, we’re very impressed. Let’s meet again sometime”
•
“We liked what we saw and we’ll be in touch if we need to take things further”. Positive strokes and compliments aren’t reliable signs of call success. Closing success must be measured by actions, not by nice noises.
SALES, ADVANCES AND CONTINUATIONS
Advance is a good outcome as you are getting
Most industry transactions today are generally
closer to benefiting from your product or service.
characterised by complex sales. It matters to
Examples of advances include offering to trial the
customers what they buy, they don’t tend to make
product, to discuss it with the director or other
closer to achieving the sale and the customer is
7 / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz
MUST READ
members of the staff, to look up more
statement. Closing has been likened to cold
information about it, etc. The customer is
calling – in the face of possible rejection
interested but signals that they have a few
a failsafe strategy is to avoid. This isn’t a
other things to check out before committing
strategy for successful sales people however!
to buy.
It’s important to recognise your frame of
PLANNING ADVANCES
mind and the skills you’ll need to draw on
Top sellers reach their ultimate goals by
when it comes to the end of the call.
consistently planning and conducting calls
You need to be:
that move the sale forward in steps. Less
•
In tune with your customer
•
Prepared
“collect information about the customer,”
•
Confident
“build rapport with the buyer,” or “get
•
Committed to achieving a win-win.
successful sellers get more continuations because they’re content with objectives like
buyer to say they like our system.” Nothing wrong with these but they don’t move the
If you know your customer’s needs, and you know that your product will satisfy these
sale forward.
needs, and you know that your customer is
A Sale is an excellent outcome of a sales
willing to address their needs, help them to
call. Well done!
do so. Ask the closing question or make the
Be realistic about what you expect to achieve
closing statement.
and plan your call accordingly. Sales success
Keep your close short, simple, positive and
is a process and you should be aware what
preferably ask a ‘closed’ question (one that
stage of the process you are at so that you
requires a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer). It’s easiest
can plan your expectations whether it is to
to do it once you’ve summarised your
continue, advance or sell.
discussion and highlighted the key points.
SALE OPTIONS
This brings the customer with you to the natural same conclusion so that the actual
Many sales representatives struggle to ask
close feels like an obvious and natural place
the closing question or make the closing
to be.
www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz / 8
MUST READ
TYPES OF CLOSES 1. Direct Close Will you sign up now?
5. Urgent Close You will need to sign up today to take advantage of the deal as it is only available until the end of
Does this agreement meet with your approval?
2. Assumed Close
the month.
When would you like delivery?
Sales people can be tempted to ask for too much
How many would you lie to begin with?
too soon and as a result end up with less. Once
3. Alternative Close
your customer has agreed to buy, it’s time to set up
Would you prefer stock now or next week?
how you will follow up and then leave. If they begin
Would you like to order a pack of 50 or 100?
4. Objection Close
to feel overwhelmed they could simply choose to do nothing.
If your customers are not doing as well as you’d like on the other product would you try ours?
Jeff Ribman is a Business Mentor with a breadth of expertise from start-ups, to sales, to succession planning. For more information, visit www.linkedin.com/in/jeffribman
9 / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz
ARE YOU REALLY THE ONE BEING QUALIFIED? Mutual qualification
By Paul McCord
E
very seller is concerned about qualifying
can be simple or complex depending on how many
their prospects. We all want to be in front
criteria a suspect must meet in order to be classified
of prospects who can buy—that is, who not
as a quality prospect.
only have a need or desire but also the means to
Consequently we sellers try to use as many tools at
consummate the purchase. Qualifying a prospect
our disposal as possible to learn about and qualify
www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz / 10
those we think could be quality prospects for us.
number of variations, some quite complex, but in
And one of the most important and often used
the end, this is the format a great many of us have
tools is the question, and in particular open ended,
been taught.
probing questions.
Although we view our questions as important
Unfortunately we seldom, if ever, consider that the
discovery questions, we tend to view the prospect’s
prospect is doing exactly the same thing to us—they
questions as either worrisome objections or
are actively trying to determine if we are someone
diversions that are nothing but a smokescreen or
they would buy from.
are out and out buying signals. For many of us, the
Many of us have been taught that our sequence of
questions and actions of the prospect are either
events should be: qualify, present, close, answer
those of an enemy or those of someone telling us
objections, close again. This sequence has a
they are ready to buy.
WHAT IF NEITHER OF THOSE CHOICES IS TRUE?
Instead we’re dealing with a human being who
What if all of those questions and the statements
wants to know whether or not we’re trustworthy,
by the prospect, instead of being obstacles to our
whether or not our offering is appropriate for them,
sale or indications of their desire to consummate the
whether or not we’re wasting their time.
purchase, are simply questions and statements to
In other words, they are in the process of qualifying
help them qualify us and our offering?
us just as much as we’re them. When we qualify a
WHAT IF THEY ARE DOING THE SAME TO US AS
prospect we ask questions and probe to discover
WE ARE DOING TO THEM?
who we’re dealing with and what we might be able
If that is the case, then that means we’re neither
to do for them. When we’re asking questions we’re
dealing with an enemy to be overcome nor are
not trying to play the ‘gotcha’ game. Most of us
we dealing with someone asking us to close them.
aren’t trying to trap them into a sale. We’re honestly
11 / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz
seeking information that allows us to know whether
involves both parties qualifying one another and
or not we are in front of a real prospect with a real
that the qualifying process involves the investigation
need that we can help solve in a way that produces
and questioning of each party, we can relax and
real value for them.
begin to address the prospect’s questions for what
The prospect is going through the same process
they really are—a legitimate desire to find out who
with us. Whether they are conscious of it or not,
we are and whether or not we are someone they
they’re trying to determine whether or not we
want to work with.
are someone they want to do business with and
Recognize an honest qualifying question for what
then, whether or not our product/service/company
it is. Maybe those questions you are trying to
presents any real solid worthwhile value for them.
overcome, especially about price or quantity or
The traditional terms sellers think in—overcoming
delivery or usage, aren’t objections or buying
objections, closing the sale etc, tend to set up an
signals at all but are just honest discovery questions.
adversarial relationship where we are on the lookout
Go forth and qualify—and let yourself be qualified.
for the dreaded objection and the opportunity to
It’s a whole lot more fun to sell when you’re working
pounce with the closing question.
with a prospect to mutually qualify one another than
However, if we recognize that the sales process
it is to try to out fox and overcome an adversary.
Paul McCord is an internationally recognized authority on prospecting, referral selling, and personal marketing. To find out more visit www.mccordandassociates.com
www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz / 12
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2 MINUTE TOP-UP
THE SHORTEST SALES TRAINING SESSION EVER Just four words By Ian Segail
HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU INVEST IN TRAINING YOUR SALES PEOPLE? We invest thousands of dollars a year on training our sales people •
We teach them sales tactics and sales strategies.
•
•
value of asking questions, and yet every day sales people are still talking as opposed to asking. Why is it then, with all the training over the years where we have taught sales people to ask questions and to listen to the answers, that they still talk more than they ask and listen? Why is it that when sales people get in front of a customer they feature and benefit them into boredom.
We teach them key account management
They will tell customers and prospects all about
and business development.
who you are and all you do and how marvellously
We train them in time management and customer service etc.
Yet with all of that training, they have still to master the four word sales technique upon which all the other training is based.
you do it. Do your people still feature and benefit your customers to death? Try this exercise with your people. Pull out a pen or take off your watch and ask your
The shortest sales training session in the world
salespeople to sell it back to you. What will they
basically covers just four words “Shut up
in all likelihood do?
and listen”
They will feature and benefit you. It will only be
There is not a sales training course out there
those rare birds that will stop and ask you why
where the trainer won’t at some point discuss the
you were in the market for a watch or a pen?
www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz / 14
14 / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz
2 MINUTE TOP-UP
When I ask you to listen and you start trying to solve my problem, I feel underestimated and disempowered. When I ask you to listen and you start telling me what I need to do I feel offended, pressured and controlled. When I ask you to listen, it does not mean I am helpless. I may be faltering, depressed or discouraged, but I am not helpless. When I ask you to listen and you do things, which I can and need to do for myself, you hurt my selfesteem. Asking questions and listening to the answers is selling skills 101. It is as basic as it comes. Yet with all of our technology and reports and business tools,
But when you accept the way I feel, then I don’t need to spend time and energy trying to defend myself or convince you, and I can focus on figuring
we still have yet to figure out how to get our sales
out why I feel the way I feel and what to do about
people to “shut up and ask questions”
it. And when I do that, I don’t need advice, just
When I ask you to listen and you start giving advice, you have not done what I have asked. When I ask you to listen and you start telling me why I shouldn’t feel the way I do, you are invalidating my feelings.
support, trust and encouragement. Please remember that what you think are irrational feelings always make sense if you take time to listen and understand me. To your sales success...
Ian Segail is a leading authority on sales strategy and sales management, and works as a Strategic Sales Performance Coach with both novice and experienced sales managers across a wide variety of industries and selling disciplines. Find out more at www.iansegail.com
RESOURCE CORNER
SALES TEAM LEADERSHIP PURE AND SIMPLE
Authors: Publisher: Price:
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t doesn’t matter if you lead a business, a
both diversity and inclusion of all members. Focus
nonprofit organization, or a sports team; you
on the vision, and be sure to communicate and take
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decisive action. By doing so, you’ll help your team
players. Join Coach Joe Sasso, a sales and training
achieve results. Whether you are a new salesperson
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or manager or a seasoned sales professional or
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ever before. During these challenging times, it’s
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Leadership so you can make sales happen right the
yourself available to team members and inspire
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people without even speaking. Teamwork demands www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz / 16
QUICK FIX
QUICK FIX
IT’S NOT WHAT YOU SELL, IT’S HOW YOU SELL.
NEVER ‘DEAR MRS CUSTOMER’ AGAIN
H
ow can your customers be
Tip by Debbie Mayo-Smith. Debbie works
impressed if you address
with businesses that want to be more
communications with ‘Dear
productive and effective.
client’, no greeting or without their name in full?
Find out more at www.succcessis.co.nz
Solve the problem of splitting first and last names apart with the fabulous but poorly known function in Excel called ‘text to columns’. Found in the data menu, it will split information based on the criteria you specify such as space, comma, colon and so on. Is your customer information not in Excel? It’s easy to import it from another program. Save the original as a text or CSV file and import into Excel. Within Microsoft a simple copy and paste works perfectly.
17 / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz
WHAT’S NEW NOTICEBOARD
HELP IS HERE FOR TECHNICAL SALES PEOPLE One of the biggest challenges faced by Technical
Grace (formerly Heather Grace Smith of The
Business is mastering sales and business growth.
Marketing Company) is one of New Zealand’s most
New Zealand is pouring resources into innovation
renowned Sales and Business Growth professionals.
but how do we transform our great ideas into truly
Starting out as an Industrial Chemist, Grace
great profits? Sales… but it’s sales with a point of
transitioned to technical sales in the early 80’s.
difference, according to Heather Grace of Success With Grace.
www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz / 18
Says Grace, “it wasn’t an easy transition, one client actually threw me out of a meeting before
WHAT’S NEW NOTICEBOARD
becoming my single biggest client, tripling their
The tools to make that transition are now readily
original spend”.
available thanks to Grace’s new business initiative
According to Grace, teaching technical people sales skills hasn’t changed much since the 80’s. “People of course do make the transition, but it often comes at great personal cost. Sales can be tough. Rejection is tough. And when you’re not a natural salesperson
Success With Grace, and her world first ‘TechBiz Success Academy’. “Sales and Business Growth skills can be taught, but technical people are often not well served by mainstream courses designed for existing sales people”, says Grace.
it’s too easy to withdraw from the fray on the back
“Even when the skills components are there,
of those early experiences.”
technical people are often well out of their comfort
In her career as Sales and Marketing Manager of Bayer NZ, IT Business Owner, Division Manager of Downer EDI and General Manager of a Chemical Importing company Grace was regularly teaching technical people how to make that transition. Each
zone and are lost in the crowd of voices. The TechBiz Success Academy programme is designed specifically for technical people to give them the skills they need, in a way that’s easy for them to assimilate.”
time she triggered exponential profit growth.
When it comes to business success, Grace has
“Unleashing the talents of technical people really is
earned an envious personal record of achievement
the fast track to technical business success.”
in the Chemical, IT and Engineering sectors.
“The TechBiz Success Academy programme uses
To find out more or to arrange specialist training
proven methodologies,” says Grace “Technical
for your technical people, contact Heather
people like that just as much as non-technical
Grace directly at Success With Grace: heather@
people. So we’re already bridging the divide. ”
successwithgrace.com or phone 09 476 4278,
Success With Grace offers a proven methodology to transform the sales process particularly in the HighTech, IT (Software and Hardware), Engineering and Science Sectors.
mobile 022 1030 437
CALENDAR DATE
NAME
PLACE
COMPANY
LINK
Thursday 2th May
Cold Calling and Prospecting
Auckland
Top Achievers Sales Training
www.topachieverssalestraining.
Customer Service
Auckland
David Forman
www.davidforman.co.nz
The Sales Process
Auckland
Top Achievers Sales
www.topachieverssalestraining.
Training
co.nz
Monday 6th May -
co.nz
Tuesday 7th May Tuesday 7th May
Star Selling
Auckland
Sales Star
www.salesstar.com/salestraining/ consultative-selling.html
Tuesday 14th May
Sales Basics
Auckland
Geewiz
http://www.geewiz.co.nz
Tuesday 14th May
Social Media and
Auckland
Top Achievers Sales Training
www.topachieverssalestraining. co.nz
Monday 13th May Tuesday 14th May
Sales Scotwork Advancing Negotiating Skills
Christchurch
Scotwork Negotiating Skills NZ
http://www.scotwork.co.nz/
Tuesday 16th May Wednesday 15th May
Advanced Serious Selling
Auckland
Geewiz
http://www.geewiz.co.nz
Wednesday 15th May
Prospecting & Gold Calling
Palmerston North
The Marketing Company
http://events. themarketingcompany.co.nz/ courses/21-prospecting-gold-calling
Tuesday 21st May
Sales Basics
Wellington
Geewiz
http://www.geewiz.co.nz
Tuesday 21st May
Sales Training Course
hamilton
Top Achievers Sales Training
www.topachieverssalestraining.
Tuesday 21st May
Professional Relationship
Auckland
The Marketing Company
http://events. themarketingcompany.co.nz/ courses/3-professional-relationshipselling
Sales Development
Auckland
David Forman
www.davidforman.co.nz
Tuesday 22nd May
Advanced Serious Selling
Wellington
Geewiz
http://www.geewiz.co.nz
Thursday 23th May
Winning Business as an
Christchurch
Shipley
http://www.shipleywins.co.nz/ public-training-schedule.html
Monday 14th May -
Selling
Monday 20th May -
co.nz
Thursday 23th May
SME Thursday 24th May
Sales Ignition Day
Northland
The Marketing Company
http://events. themarketingcompany.co.nz/ courses/2-sales-ignition-day
Monday 29th May -
Winning Proposal
Wellington
Shipley
Thursday 30th May
Strategies
http://www.shipleywins.co.nz/ public-training-schedule.html
20 / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz
THE CLOSE
“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” - Michael Altshuler
Have you subscribed to NZ Sales Manager? It’s free! Simply visit www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz to get a copy of NZ Sales Manager delivered straight to your inbox monthly!
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