NZ Sales Manager Issue 79

FEBRUARY 2014 Issue 79

NZ’s e-mag for sales leaders

3 tips to maximising sales in 2014 Hands free calling – how well prepared are you really?

Slow down to go faster Do you know what motivates you?

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CONTENTS

www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz / 2

6

THIS WEEK'S MUST READ

Sales is a flawed model

10

Maximising Sales in 2014

Three tips you need to know

14

Hands-free calling

How well prepared are you, really?

16

Two Minute Top Up

Slow down to go faster

19

Quick FIX

Do you know what motivates you?

It’s not what you sell, it’s how you sell

20

Resource corner

Discover questions that get you connected

Be the one seller buyers want to talk to

21

CALENDAR

22

NZSM CODE OF PROFESSIONAL SELLING

23

THE CLOSE

Classic cars get better with age.

Software doesn’t.

Unfortunately, time takes its toll on technology.

Microsoft will soon end security updates for: •

Windows XP

• Office 2003 • Windows Server 2003 Without these updates, you leave your organisation at risk of harmful viruses and business disruptions.

Ensure your business is future ready.

Visit microsoft.co.nz/getmodern for great deals on software upgrades.

3 / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

ABOUT / Short and sharp, New Zealand

FROM THE EDITOR

H

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

appy New Year and

that 47 per cent of the people

ART DIRECTOR / Jodi Olsson

welcome to the first

interviewed thought it unlikely that

GRAPHIC DESIGNER / Sevim Dogru Ozan

issue for 2014. We

they would be penalised for using a

GROUP EDITOR / Nick Harley

mobile phone while driving.

CONTENT ENQUIRIES /

hope you are off to a great start and wish you well for the year.

In addition, when we are stationary

You might be thinking the title

in the car, the number of us who

of our lead article is provocative,

pick up the phone increases from 1

and it is well worth a read. I find

in 40, to 1 in 20. While we might not

contributor Sharon Drew Morgen

be thinking about safety, I suggest

talks a lot of sense. I can think of

most of us would be unaware of

many sales opportunities that I

the $80 fine and 20 demerit points

have not won because the client

if we do get caught either.

probably could not, or did not know how to change to be able to use the solution, and I was unaware and therefore unable to help them with this.

I was reading a media report last week that a survey done by the

We’ve got the facts on the law

Phone Paul on 04 586 4733 or email 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

on mobile phone use for you in this issue, which we hope you find helpful.

ISSN 2230-4762

Happy Selling Paul

Ministry of Transport has revealed

NZ Sales Manager would like to acknowledge the support of our major partners

www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz / 4

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MUST READ

By Sharon Drew Morgen

D

o you know why you don’t close all the sales you deserve to close?

Do you know, on your first prospecting call, who will buy?

Do you know where buyers go when they say ‘I’ll call you back?’

Do you know what takes buyers so long to buy when it seems so obvious to everyone – including them?

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MUST READ

You don’t know the answers to these questions

The buyer’s environment is a kind of system, with

because the sales model is geared for solution

people, and policies, initiatives and relationships, all

placement. Of course you give good service, ask all

working together, fighting to maintain themselves.

the right questions, understand the need and how it fits with your solution. But the sales model is not set up to manage the personal, human, political,

And when they consider fixing something, they have to manage everything that touches it or face chaos.

Just as you can’t just purchase a new house on the way home and announce to your family that you’re

strategic, and hidden systemic issues that buyers

moving tomorrow, a buyer cannot just choose a

must handle internally to get the buy-in and develop

solution to add to the well-functioning mix of givens

the pathway to bring in a new solution.

within the status quo. It’s not about the house.

“the sales model is not set up to manage the personal, human, political, strategic, and hidden systemic issues that buyers must handle internally to get the buy-in and develop the pathway to bring in a new solution.“

To continue with the analogy, the sales model

possible divorce. To sell the house, these details

merely understands the family needs for a house

are unnecessary. To buy the house, it’s imperative

and then finds the house. It does not handle the fight between the parents and teenagers who don’t

to resolve first before they know what or if to buy.

want to move from their friends, or the decision to

And everyone must buy-in somehow before a choice

move closer to in-laws, or the discussion around a

is made.

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MUST READ

A new skill set that works alongside of sales is

Here’s an example. The head of Consumer

required and I call this Buying Facilitation®. It’s not

Banking of Barclays Bank called to ask if Buying

sales, but it’s a change management mode that

Facilitation could be used with a program they were

can be used in any change situation (management,

developing. Here’s the dialogue. Note that I am not

negotiation, coaching) to help others reorganise and

doing a sales job here (that will come later – buyers

reconsider their status quo so something new can

need solution data only when their other decisions

enter. This is based on a servant-leader goal, to truly

and internal change issues have been handled) but

help others make their best decisions.

am helping him figure out how to bring change and

SHARON DREW MORGEN

Visionary, New York Times Best Seller, Developer Of Buying Facilitation get buy-in… all of which would include my help at

capability you’d get working with me directly or with

some point, but not specifically about my solution.

the outcome they’d get from the tech guys using

BANK: Can Buying Facilitation be added to the

my books?

software we are developing so customers will be

BANK: They won’t know the difference, but I’ve

able to choose the best product?

read some of your books and I know that you keep

SDM: Yes. But what’s stopping your tech guys

some of the ‘How To’ out of the books. So I know

from trying to do that for you?

BANK: Nothing. They’ve already bought a few of your books and are trying to put your ideas into

you’d provide more, but they won’t.

SDM: What should you and I do to help them decide what will be their best solution?

their software design.

BANK: Let’s set up a conference call.

SDM: So I’m hearing they’d rather do it all

At that point, he named two department heads

themselves. How would you and the rest of the

that needed to be involved – technology and

Buying Decision Team know if you’d prefer the

training. I suggested he might add the heads of HR

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MUST READ

My solution was irrelevant until they understood how they needed to bring in something new and fit it in, and until all of the right people were on board to fully define the need. (to train 4000 people), internal consulting/project

Sales is great. But if you add the change

management, sales, and retail banking. He set up

management piece to the front end – before you

the conference call.

sell, or understand needs, or make a presentation, you can easily know - who will close, approximately

On the call, the CEO of Barclays joined the call.

when, and how to help them discover, prepare, and

We all worked together for a month (I’m on the

facilitate buy-in for the buyer…and, get onto the

Buying Decision Team at this point) to figure it out.

Buying Decision Team on the first call. Halving the

And I ended up with my piece of the pie – with no proposal, no visit to UK, no price discussion, no competition. My solution was irrelevant until they understood how they needed to bring in something

sales cycle.

Until or unless buyers have all of the change management issues covered, they will not buy, regardless of the match between your solution and their need. They are doing ‘well-enough’, and

new and fit it in, and until all of the right people

if they could have resolved the issue, they would

were on board to fully define the need.

have already.

Sharon Drew Morgen has been helping sellers influence and facilitate the buyer’s behind-the-scenes buying journey since the mid 80s. To find out more visit www.newsalesparadigm.com

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MAXIMISING Sales in 2014

THREE TIPS YOU NEED TO KNOW

By Stuart Edmunds In many ways sales has changed more in the past

such a large proportion of sales interactions are so

few years, than it has in the 30 years preceding.

awful that the opportunities to stand apart are yours

Yet still so much of sales remains how it was 150

to take.

years ago. It is personal, timely and relationshipbased. This makes 2014 a year to look forward to,

So what has changed looking forward to 2014?

with boundless opportunities to engage buyers in

In complex business-to-business to sales, successful

a different way with a renewed focus on the buyer.

outcomes are the result of a huge number of

Also being mindful that the challenges to break

variables that differ in each sale. However, a number

into new accounts and get those truly incremental

of factors are reported that divides the winning

sales for your company have never been harder, but

seller with the remainder.

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1) EDUCATION: Top sellers educate buyers with new ideas or thinking.

Buyers desperately want sellers to bring more value to the table. Expand their knowledge, give them new ideas that can change their thinking, or at least serve as a hook to engage in further discussion.

This might be through sharing original, reposted or repurposed content such as white-papers, presentations, webinar recordings or invites,

The seller becomes known as a source of insight to the buyer.

2) COLLABORATION: Buyers have personal and business goals Buyers want to be part of the solution, so make sure you work with them to achieve this. When a purchase is made, one of two things has occurred:

• Need: the buyer drives proportionally more demand and have some requirement to buy.

• Want: the seller drives proportionally more

websites, videos or research. Of course this material

demand, until a ‘want’ is evolved in their minds

needs to be timely and applicable to the buyer.

as a priority purchase.

Because the buyer isn’t required to buy when a seller is driving demand, sellers must be able to drive the priority up the scale to make the purchase happen, but you’re nowhere near the top of the buyers’ priority list when you start. The keys to moving up this list are:

• Desire: they really need to want what you can do for them.

• Ownership: take something not even on their long-distance radar screen and take on the deep belief they must do something about this.

Top sellers collaborate with prospective buyers almost three times more than second-place offerings. Collaboration helps in almost every sales environment.

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3) ACTIVE LISTENING: One part of truly understanding.

A salesperson who is talking too much, and not actively listening, is probably thinking or feeling: •

The need to pitch my product or service

with relevant information to demonstrate your

•

I like to hear myself speak

understanding is regrettably lacking with many sales

•

I get nervous with gaps in the conversation, so

Actively listening to buyers and following up

interactions. Salespeople, like most of us, have selective hearing and still miss the points above in item 1 - Educating with new ideas or perspectives.

Winning sales people educate with new ideas, but they also listen and truly understand needs, before educating.

I speak to fill the void •

I have no plan or objective

•

I’m distracted and go off-plan

•

I already know what they’re going to say and what they need

We’ll say it again. Sales has changed, yet so much remains the same. Above all, every customer is human and very few like to be sold to, although every business needs to sell in order to survive and grow.

If you’re not actively (actually) listening you:

human and very few like to be sold to, although

drastically diminish the window of opportunity to

every business needs to sell in order to survive

build rapport can only guess what elements of

and grow.

your offering will give the maximum value for this particular buyer. You miss the chance to uncover true needs and craft something truly special We’ll say it again. Sales has changed, yet so much

These tips, whilst simple to understand, are difficult to master. Study them and prepare for more success in 2014.

remains the same. Above all, every customer is

Stuart Edmunds is the founder of the New Zealand Institute of Sales, the only national, cross-industry professional organisation dedicated to elevating the sales profession in New Zealand. They support professional development, peer networking and industry awards among members who support, work-in and lead sales organisations. To find out more visit www.instituteofsales.co.nz

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HANDS-FREE CALLING How well prepared are you, really?

M

obile phone communication is a daily reality for most business people including while ‘on-thego’ in vehicles. There are a range of devices to assist hands free calling while driving, and the uptake of them since the driver law change in November 2009 has been universal. However, many

companies may currently be exposed to a prosecution by the Department of Labour if one of their employees is involved in a vehicle incident caused by them using a mobile phone. Even with a Bluetooth device in use, if the mobile phone is handled at all, this is in breach of the Law. Some companies have a policy forbidding any phone use by a driver – even such a policy may prove to be inadequate protection for a company against a prosecution under Occupational Safety & Health (OSH) regulations.

We spoke to Dave Youngson, of Point to Point New Zealand, to find out more about the law and driver safety.

NZSM: So what’s the issue here Dave?

DY: A paraphrased version essentially says that all

DY: Human nature being what it is, a particular

employers have a “Duty of Care” towards all their

set of circumstances may cause a driver when

employees, at all times, to make all reasonable

taking a call to handle their phone, resulting in a

provisions to ensure a safe workplace environment.

tragic outcome.

This of course includes a vehicle.

NZSM: What does the Law require of

In court it may be established that it is not

an employer?

unreasonable to invest in a car-kit to provide hands-

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free calling of a quality such that drivers will always use it. This may well be measured against the tensof-thousands of dollars invested in a vehicle and hundreds in a phone or other device, and deemed

voice controlled and completely hands-free. They read out loud emails and txt messages, record a message or conversation, assist navigation and even

to be a small additional price to pay verses accident,

provide safer heads-up music selection.

injury or death.

NZSM: What about vehicles that already have

NZSM: What does the (Nov. 1st 2009) Law state?

DY: A driver may push buttons infrequently if the

Bluetooth in their stereo head-units?

phone is secured in a cradle or holder.

DY: Since these have been available, the

A fully installed (hard-wired) car-kit with a cradle

experience of users has been mixed. Some find that

to secure the mobile phone further mitigates the

too often they do not produce satisfactory audio

company’s liability with regards to “duty of care”.

The cradle also provides connection to an aerial outside the vehicle for a stronger signal.

quality for the caller (not in the vehicle) to hear with ease, for others their mobile phones won’t connect

NZSM: Who should be using car kit?

with them. This may result in drivers not using

DY: Anyone who wants to make or receive phone

Bluetooth, and handling their mobile phone which

calls while they are driving. Particularly those who

increases risk or that driver being out of contact

spend significant time driving in a working day and

which could reduce productivity.

need to be in contact.

NZSM: As well as compliance with the law, are

NZSM: What’s the one thing that people must

there other reasons to use one?

consider when choosing this kind of product?

DY: A good quality car-kit solution enables a driver

DY: Will it work well enough for me such that I will

to make and receive calls with ease during what may otherwise be less productive time – often for longer

ALWAYS use it?

periods in a day. Higher-end solutions are now fully

Point to Point Technology distribute the BURY range of in-vehicle hands-free solutions. They are committed to assisting safer road usage in New Zealand. To find out more visit www.ptp.net.nz

HANDS FREE SOLUTIONS FOR SMARTER DRIVERS Click here to receive 10% discount! - Use promo code: SM30214 www.ptp.net.nz

15 / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

2 Minute top-up

Slow down to go FASTER

By Daniel Batten

W

hen I was 19 I rode a motorbike. Then I did this course where we rode around a real racetrack. After half an hour, Richard our riding instructor said “Get up to 100kph, then brake as

www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz / 16

2 Minute top-up

hard as you can. So I did. He told me “It took you

Then just as I was starting to feel good about my

44 meters. Daniel, you are a danger to yourself and

achievement, he said “Back on the track, let’s time

others. Let’s show you how to brake properly.”

you again.” That good feeling evaporated. I knew

By the time he’d finished I was getting up to 100kph

that with all that braking I’d have caught “slow-

and braking in just 19 meters.

disease”. Anyhow, I did another lap. And there was

Richard, beaming. “Seven seconds faster”.

I couldn’t believe it.

By learning to slow down, I’d learnt to speed up.

Why? Well, because I could slow down more effectively, I could accelerate up each straight for longer. That meant I spent more time at a higher speed, and in more control too.

In life, that whirring engine is your mind; the “track” is your outer world of activity. When you learn to slow down – not only do you make life less anxious for yourself and others; your performance improves “on the track.”

This year, stop trying to do more; start mastering how to slow down. This is the secret to gaining more success and less stress at the same time.

Happy new year.

Daniel Batten is a true linguistics champion and marketing thought leader who can take your marketing message and organisation beyond its current ceiling. To find out more visit www.beyondtheceiling.com

17 / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

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QUICK FIX

QUICK FIX

It’s not what you sell, it’s how you sell.

Do you know what motivates you?

I

f you can’t instantly answer this question, then it’s time to pause for a while and figure this out. Your

success will depend on it.

Some people have a strong internal motivation (intrinsic) and drive. They can be equally effective in a variety of environments. Others need motivation from the outside (extrinsic). It could be the office environment, or a regular pep talk from a partner, manager or friend from which they draw their motivation.

When you have the answer, make sure that the factors which provide this motivation are sufficiently present on a daily basis. If not, you should consider what changes you need to make to your situation or to your daily routine.

19 / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

Resource CorneR

Discover questions that get you connected BE THE ONE SELLER BUYERS WANT TO TALK TO

Authors: Deb Calvert Publisher: People First Productivity Solutions from www.amazon.com Price: $17.96

M

ake every sales call count and be the

sellers like you) and anecdotes from actual sales calls

one seller buyers want to talk to! With

will show you exactly how to become more effective

DISCOVER Questions™, you will be able

in all stages of your sales process. You will advance

to differentiate yourself from the pack, create value

the sale more efficiently when you use DISCOVER

for your buyers and connect in ways you never knew

Questions™ and the sales approach described in

were possible. The research (over 15 years of it with

this book.

20 / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

CALENDAR

DATE

NAME

PLACE

COMPANY

LINK

Tuesday 4th March -

Key Account Management

Wellington

NZIM

http://www.nzim.co.nz

Prospecting and Gold Calling

Christchurch

The Marketing Company

http://events.themarketingcompany.

Sales Development

Auckland

David Forman

http://www.davidforman.co.nz/

Wednesday 5th March Thursday 13th March

Monday 17th March

co.nz

Our-Programmes/Sales/Sales-Development.aspx Tuesday 18th March

Cold Calling and Prospecting

Auckland

Top Achievers Sales Training

www.topachieverssalestraining.co.nz

Tuesday 18th March

Sales Basics

Auckland

Geewiz

www.geewiz.co.nz/seminars

Wednesday 19th March

Sales Management

Auckland

Geewiz

www.geewiz.co.nz/seminars

Wednesday 19th March

Sales Ignition Day

New Plymouth

The Marketing Company

http://events.themarketingcompany. co.nz

Thursday 20th March

Overcoming Objections

Auckland

Top Achievers Sales Training

www.topachieverssalestraining.co.nz

Monday 24th March

Territory Planning and Management

Auckland

David Forman

http://www.davidforman.co.nz/ Our-Programmes/Sales/Territory-Planning-and-Management.aspx

Tuesday 25th March

Sales Process

Auckland

Top Achievers Sales Training

www.topachieverssalestraining.co.nz

Wednesday 26th March -

Essential Marketing Boot Camp

Nelson

The Marketing Company

http://events.themarketingcompany.

Sales Leadership for results

Auckland

David Forman

http://www.davidforman.co.nz/

Thursday 27th March Monday 31th March

co.nz

Our-Programmes/Sales/Sales-Leadership-for-Results.aspx

21 / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

THE NZ SALES MANAGER CODE OF PROFESSIONAL SELLING When dealing with me: • You will find honesty and integrity.

• You will be listened to. I will seek to understand.

• You will be told the truth, how it is and as it happens.

• We will be working towards mutual gain.

• You can expect me to follow through on the promises I make.

•

You can expect me to be committed to my own personal development.

• You can expect me to be an ambassador for the sales profession.

Does your organisation have a code of sales ethics?

We’ve developed this one especially for NZ Sales Manager readers.

Please feel free to adopt for your team or organisation!

THE CLOSE

“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter.

Try again. Fail again. Fail better. ”

- Samuel Beckett (and tattooed on Stanislas Wawrinka’s left arm)

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!

23 / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz