NZ Sales Manager - Issue 92

MARCH | ISSUE 92

Why Politicians Can't Sell How politicians could improve their sales technique Page 6

Increase Your Sales 3 Tips To Invest In You

NZ’S E-MAG FOR SALES LEADERS | WWW.NZSALESMANAGER.CO.NZ

From the Editor T

he aim of our two minute top-up piece in each issue is to provide a quick tip to solve a common sales problem or challenge. In this issue, Linda Coles article, 'Let me be your customer', suggests solutions that at first seem very obvious yet we are so often blind to them.

Tools and technology are designed to make our lives easier, but we can make wrong assumptions that it therefore should also be easier for the customer and we lose the personal touch that Linda refers to. When was the last time you tried to be a customer in your own business to see how customer I find that part of the problem why customers find it hard to buy, is that the sellers systems and processes are designed to make it easy focused you really are? for the seller, not the customer.

PN

CONTACT/SUBSCRIBE&SHARE W

www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

E

pauln@nzsalesmanager.co.nz

www.linkedin.com

SUBSCRIBE AT www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz. It’s free!

ABOUT Short and sharp, New Zealand Sales Manager is a free e-magazine delivering thought provoking and enlightening articles, and industry news and information to forward-thinking sales managers, business owners and sales professionals.

02 |

www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

ISSN 2230-4762 EDITOR Paul Newsom GROUP EDITOR Richard Liew

CONTENT ENQUIRIES Phone Paul on 021 784 070 or email pauln@nzsalesmanager.co.nz

ADDRESS NZ Sales Manager, C/- Espire Media, PO Box 99758, Newmarket, Auckland 1151, NZ

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Phone Jennifer on 09 522 7257 or email jenniferl@espiremedia.com

ART DIRECTOR Jodi Olsson

Payroll made easy.

BNZ EdgePayroll is a simple and easy-to-use payroll solution that takes care of direct crediting wages, PAYE filing, IRD payments and KiwiSaver contributions.

Simple and easy to use Flat-fee from $25 per month1 - if you don’t use it, you don’t pay Secure, cloud-based system We’ve partnered with Datacom2, a PAYE intermediary, which means you’ll never miss a payment to the IRD Full support available from a New Zealand-based help desk

Click here to find out more.

5030

BNZ business transaction account required. 1. $25 per month fee is GST exclusive and covers payroll services for one to five employees. Other one-off set up fees will apply. 2. EdgePayroll is provided by Datacom Employer Services Limited (Datacom) for BNZ customers. BNZ will receive a commission from Datacom for referring you.

contents

MARCH THIS MONTH'S MUST READ...............................................................................................................6 WHY POLITICIANS CAN’T SELL

INCREASE YOUR SALES.................................................................................................12 4 STEPS TO YOUR SALES STRATEGY.........................................................................................16

TWO MINUTE TOP-UP.......................................................................................................................22 LET ME BE YOUR CUSTOMER

QUICK FIX..........................................................................................................................................24 It’s not what you sell, it’s how you sell

BOOK REVIEW...................................................................................................................................26 New Sales, Simplified: The Essential Handbook for Prospecting and New Business Development by Mike Weinberg

CALENDAR............................................................................................................................27 THE CLOSE........................................................................................................................................28

04 |

www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

Get world leading free whitepapers and research each month by email!

• Sales Management • Leadership Research • Training & Development Click here

Global Best Practices For Kiwi Business Contact Ross Wilson on 021 152 8400 or email info@growingorganisations.com to discuss how we can help you achieve your sales goals in 2014.

www.growingorganisations.com/offers

MUSTREAD

Why Politicians Can’t Sell Recently Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott was criticised for not being a good enough salesman for his policies.

Words by Elliot Epstein

06 | www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

L

aw, Unions, Engineering, Journalism, Small Business, Academia and Agriculture have all delivered people to politics.

But the world of high stakes senior sales professionals, steeped in the art and science of winning complex, competitive multi-million dollar deals has not regularly supplied our parliaments with its exquisitely skilled members. The pay cut would kill them for a start, and the expense account scrutiny would deter the rest.

Typically, corporate sales can’t handle politics and politicians can’t sell. We, the electorate, languish amidst debate, despair and disaffection vainly hoping that our leaders will suddenly discover the ability to deliver the messages that inspire, reassure and invigorate our lives. But, it never happens. The disenchantment festers and politicians now get voted out every nine and half minutes.

The irony is that like all buyers we subconsciously want to be sold to, no matter how much we deny it. Top corporate sales people know that the product is not the issue because they still win business when they’re more expensive, less credentialed or have inferior features. Contrary to many of the pundits raving about policy decisions, the political products are not the issue either. Both Liberal and Labour have manufactured their own home brands called ‘Ideology’.

Their political warehouses are full of them on Budget Reform, Medicare, Asylum Seekers, Education, Tax, Child Care etc. and then they try to flog them.

Their sales figures are not good. www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz |

07

1

Here are three key things our pollies could learn from corporate sales gurus.

That’s why we switch off the pollies. We don’t want to be told your policy is fantastic. We want to feel that you deeply understand its impact on us as human beings first. If we don’t trust that you care that much, we’ll smash you as soon as you make your first mistake 08 | www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

‘I don’t care how much you know until I know how much you care’ Selling at the highest levels is highly collaborative at all levels of client engagement. They do not make recommendations until they have deeply understood the client’s culture, current thinking, past decision making history, emotional drivers of key executives, financial goals and insecurities. And, they consult widely to build a case that connects emotionally to the egos and ambitions of decision makers and influencers.

Companies that don’t demonstrate genuine care and simply try to prove that they’re the experts, droning on about why their product is just the ducks’ nuts and more technically correct, inevitably lose out to the emotionally intelligent.

That’s why we switch off the pollies. We don’t want to be told your policy is fantastic. We want to feel that you deeply understand its impact on us as human beings first. If we don’t trust that you care that much, we’ll smash you as soon as you make your first mistake.

We want to feel that you understand our concept of fairness, not yours.

2 ‘Pleeeeease, talk to us like a real person’ The old days of selling involved Willy Loman like characters who created a different persona and convoluted language to try and convince people often against their will.

It says 2015 on my iPhone and current day sales experts are conversational, relaxed, willing to concede faults all in the name of getting the best result for the client and by default for them.

Politicians are now Manchurian candidates controlled by advisors, apparatchiks, minders and other bedwetting, anxiety driven control freaks.

The politicians I’ve coached have had to sneak out to see me like they’re doing a clandestine drug deal because if their staff found out they’d freak out and turn into reactionary parents who ban undesirable friends from the house.

The lame excuse for the stage managed, manicured messaging is that the 24-hour news cycle and social media will catch them out without that level of control.

However, if our leaders are not authentic, conversational, relaxed and engaging, we won’t listen. If we’re not listening, all that effort creating too clever by half messaging is totally wasted. If we’re not listening, it’s as if you haven’t

www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

| 09

3 Trust is a verb Most successful sales people are totally relatable to their clients – that’s how trust is generated.

They provide loads of reassurance, case studies, evidence, pilot programs, stakeholder engagement sessions to prove not just that their solution works, but that it works in that client’s specific environment at this specific time in history.

They don’t get ahead of themselves or get carried away with future opportunities until they’ve proven that they’re true trusted advisors.

Then, they do what they said they’d do.

They don’t upsell before the first implementation is bedded down. They don’t put a quote in for $1.2M and then invoice $2.6M because they’ve got a budget shortfall.

Real professionals take great care to empathise and relate, knowing that the trust generated will pay off for years to come.

Politics is about selling ideas and policies to millions of people who desperately want them to succeed. Maybe an authentic, skilled sales professional will one day give up the Audi for a ComCar and take his or her place in Parliament. What would be even better is an emotionally intelligent politician who can learn to sell. •

Real professionals take great care to empathise and relate, knowing that the trust generated will pay off for years to come.

 www.salientcommunication.com.au

Elliot Epstein is a sought after keynote speaker and corporate trainer who has coached and trained over 4000 people including CEOs, senior management and successful sales teams throughout Australasia. This article was originally published by Mumbrella.

010 |

www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

partnership a perfect

Enjoy your 2015 season Bluff Oysters with one of these fine offerings from Malborough’s Cloudy Bay Winery Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2014

$31.95 bottle

Cloudy Bay Pelorus Vintage 2009

$39.50 bottle

The quintessential Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, extremely popular worldwide.

Full of ripe citrus and passionfruit flavours.

Aged on lees, this blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay is toasty and full bodied with hints of biscuit and brioche. A fantastic vintage methode at a great price.

visit our online store: moorewilsons.co.nzwww.nzsalesmanager.co.nz |

011

Increase Your Sales

3 Tips To Invest In You Words by Sue Hornblow

M

y daughter was complaining because so many apps she wanted wouldn’t work on her i4. To get them to run she needed to upgrade to an i5 and then keep up to date with new software releases. Most of us are familiar with this, and update our software regularly. We know that if we want improved performance, then we have to update our software.

Our brain is like an operating system, it needs to be updated regularly so we can improve our performance. As we strive to achieve more we need to acquire the knowledge, skills and the ability to think and perform differently. Every year in business we aim to increase revenue, increase market share, or increase margin.

We put plans in place and strive to achieve targets.

012 | www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

What really holds us back is not just what we do, it is how we habitually think, our beliefs in what is possible (or not) and how this translates into our actions. A lot of these habits and beliefs are unconscious.

Or we are unconscious of the impact they are having on our performance. So though we strive to increase results, we are limited by our own beliefs, we get in our own way. We are limited by the operating system we are using. We can continue as we are and probably make slow incremental progress, or we can update our operating system and accelerate our development and accelerate the results we achieve.

Our rate of development must at a minimum keep pace with the rate of change in our environment. Just imagine what more we can achieve when we upgrade our operating system.

As business leaders it is critical to the success and growth of our business to continually update our operating system.

A major study of 486 managers across a wide range of business showed that 37.6 percent of the variation in perceived business performance can be attributed to the leaders’ effectiveness. This means that regardless of how much effort we put into our strategy and having the best products, service and systems the real untapped and often overlooked potential is the effectiveness of our leaders.

Investing in the development of leaders has a multiplying effect as they in turn lift the effectiveness of their teams.

So what are the most critical competencies for sales leadership effectiveness? The most effective sales leaders need to be high on achieving results, balanced with how they relate to others. They have high levels of self awareness, are authentic in the way they act and have a perspective that is broader than just their unit, business or industry.

Many sales leaders were promoted to the role because they were the best sales person. Ironically the very characteristics that helped them to be a successful sales person often get in the way of them being an effective sales leader.

Top sales people, who are driven, ambitious, operate independently, and take note of detail may become a controlling manager, who leads by reputation and example as opposed to fostering team play, collaborating and mentoring others. A sales person who relies on pleasing customers can become a manager who cannot make the tough calls. Both managers will not harness the full potential of their team.

Existing leaders need to ensure they develop at least to keep pace with change just to stay still. When we are promoted we need to update our operating system to help us develop the capacity to excel in our new role. www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz |

013

Here are three tips to help you to update your operating system: 1. SLOW DOWN TO SPEED UP As we hurl through our busy days we stop noticing, we operate on auto pilot. Build in time each day to reflect on your actions and decisions. Become aware of what data you use (and don’t use) and the interpretations you make. Be curious about different interpretations.

Consider how you felt and how this impacted your behaviour and the results you achieved.

2. STOP REACTING: INSTEAD DEFINE THE GOALS YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE It is easy to get caught up in a cycle of reacting to problems. Instead define your goals. Be clear on what do you really want to achieve. Working towards goals that have meaning for us creates energy and momentum that is energising and generates momentum. Make a daily morning practise to ensure that where you will spend your time and energy that day is in line with your goals.

3. CONSCIOUSLY CHOSE HOW YOU SHOW UP Before meetings, consider not just the outcome required, but what leadership role you need to play.

Do you need to act as a coach, a mentor, do you need to provide a broader perspective, or do you need to challenge, drive for results or make a decision? Being conscious helps to avoid being on auto pilot and will increase your effectiveness.

These three practises will help you to be more aware of your habits, your behaviour and impact on others.

Increased consciousness is the key to updating your operating system.

A well designed personal development program over a period of time will deliver increased performance. A good program combined with coaching will help you be more aware of our strengths, what is limiting your success and help you to develop new more effective patterns of thinking and acting.

Increasing your leadership effectiveness takes time and effort, but the rewards are high. Imagine what a 37 percent increase in business performance would mean for your business? Make 2015 the year you invest in you to increase sales for your business. ●

 www.keyperformancegroup.co.nz

Sue Hornblow’s passion is helping people and organisations to unlock their potential to accelerate results. To find out more visit her website

014 |

www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

MIKI SZIKSZAI CEO, SNAPPER

NEW ZEALAND’S SMARTEST BUSINESS PEOPLE ARE SWITCHING TO 2DEGREES. “We were saving between 35% and 40% off our telecommunications bill right off the bat. It also has opened up the opportunity for us to potentially reduce our reliance on landline phones in the office, which we’re now exploring. And again, that will probably take another 20% to 30% off our comms bill.”

MC2527A

To see the full story about Snapper, and hear about other companies who have made the move to 2degrees Business, visit: 2degreesmobile.co.nz/business.

Talk to one of our Business Consultants today and we’ll help drive your business forward.

Call 0800 022 249 or visit 2degreesmobile.co.nz/business

4 Steps To Your Sales Strategy Words by Ross Wilson

I

t’s easy for a sales professional to get stuck in tactical mode, responding in the moment in the way that feels best at the time to every move the customer makes. But this is self-defeating and even dangerous. Rarely does it win quality business.

Instead, I have found that even though it’s much harder at first, it is better to develop a strategic approach to working with customers.

What does that mean?

A strategy is a principle-based plan. After defining what a “win” is for your business, a strategy is developed by rising above a situation and seeing the wider context and setting in place a series of steps that will result in a win in the vast majority of cases.

Think of a medieval battle scene. You’ve probably watched one in a movie. The monarch and the commanding officers take a position on high ground overlooking the battlefield and the work out the over all plan, or strategy.

Then, while always staying within the strategy, the lieutenants and foot soldiers apply common sense (tactics) in the specific scenarios they confront in the field. Those tactics change and change again but the strategy isn’t forgotten. Only when it’s evident that the strategy is failing will the signal to retreat be sounded.

016 |

www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

So what is your sales strategy?

Your strategy will be, to some extent, influenced by your industry, your company’s vision and values, and your team’s strategic imperatives and priorities. You have to figure all that out in consultation with your peers and senior leadership team. But your strategy should include at least these four critical elements:

1

VALUE PROPOSITION

What is the therapeutic effect of your offering?

What is the condition that your offering is designed to treat? And how does it do that?

Retro-fitted insect screens for windows and doors are not designed to embellish the aesthetic appeal of your living room (they may also do that but that’s not their core purpose). Why would you install this product in your own home or office?

Ok, to keep insects out. Really? But what if you installed them in your butterfly house? To keep insects in! So what is the real effect of a screen?

To keep some things from crossing a threshold while allowing other things to pass through. Now we have it! That’s the value proposition.

Now, who on earth would find it useful to keep some things in and some things out, using your range of products? www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

| 017

Identifying the profile of a customer is essential for all salespeople.

They need to know where to look for genuine prospects and, within that large but limited pool, who to look for and who to watch out for.

018 |

www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

2

CUSTOMER PROFILE

In a few sentences, who buys what you’re offering? Be as specific as you can without unduly limiting the market. Especially watch out for your own biases. Don’t limit the size of the prospect pool by focusing your team on the kind of people you prefer to deal with. But don’t broaden the size to include people or companies that clearly won’t buy.

In a B2B context, it’s usually important to also identify who, within a prospect company will do the buying and who will probably not do the buying. I mean, who are the decisionmakers and who are the gatekeepers in most situations? This is also true in direct sales; will the person who answers the door or phone always be the one to make the buying decision? How will your salespeople know who is the decision-maker and who is the gatekeeper?

Identifying the profile of a customer is essential for all salespeople. They need to know where to look for genuine prospects and, within that large but limited pool, who to look for and who to watch out for. Then they are less likely to waste time and money trying to get gatekeepers to buy or mistaking decisionmakers for minions.

3

CRITICAL SELLING STEPS

Stay with the “strategy” theme here. It’s easy to be drawn into tactics, and especially dangerous to start telling salespeople how you used to do it. Remember, your job as a sales manager is to stay on the high place and let the lieutenants make the tactical calls.

However, from the high place, you need to clarify the critical steps – what must happen, and what must not happen, in all cases.

Break down the sales process into appropriate phases. Three to five phases is best and suits almost all industries. Too many phases leads to too much tactical control. Here we’ll focus on the three most common phases.

A. Finding and contacting the "customers" as described in the customer profile. This includes lead generation and scoring.

B. Helping these customers mentally connect your offering with their relevant pain points. They may have never thought of your screens as a way of keeping their child’s flea farm separate from their child’s bed. This is the broad stroke campaign plan and often includes key messages pushed out via different media. There will be company activity types and salesperson activity types.

C. How does a typical buyer (a customer who is beginning to feel the need or want of your offering) move towards a buying decision? How do they shop? Get into their heads and break it down into key steps. And, therefore, how will your company assist the buyer on that shopping journey? What selling activity types are appropriate for each step of the buyer’s buying process? (Note: let the salesperson decide on the specific behaviours – tactics - that are appropriate when dealing with a customer in each step, and coach them on performance).

As you can see, these strategic points become universal principles to be applied across all customers. So what about exceptions?

These are rare, and any genuine exception should be first evaluated by and potentially signed off at the authority level where the strategy was developed and approved. www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

| 019

4

SUPPORT

When prospects buy, they become customers or clients. They also continue to be prospects for repeat purchases or for other offerings, and so they loop back to critical selling step A. But as customers now, what are their expectations of (a) the salesperson, (b) the company, and (c) your company’s offering after they have made the decision to buy? From that moment on, what are they thinking?

We all know the best advertisement is a delighted customer, and the most destructive things can be a really unhappy customer.

That makes this part of your sales strategy as important, or more important, as the other parts, so don’t weaken your efforts here to provide clear guidance to your sales team.

What do your customers most often ask for? What are the root causes of conflict between your people and your customers?

What do your customers want from you? How will you respond to those expectations? Find out, write it down, develop your strategy, execute it, and review it regularly.

The most effective way to build and maintain your sales team’s motivation, focus, and high performance is to establish and reinforce a clear sales strategy. Without it, the law of entropy results in chaos and errors, and that in turn leads to financial ruin.

Take the time to develop, communicate and support your sales strategy. The rewards are great! ●

The most effective way to build and maintain your sales team’s motivation, focus, and high performance is to establish and reinforce a clear sales strategy.

 www.growingorganisations.com

To develop a sales strategy that will deliver the results you want contact Growing Organisations today 020 |

www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

| 021

TWOMINUTETOPUP

Let Me Be Your Customer

As well as my normal day job as a speaker and trainer, busy working on a new venture which has meant spending a great deal of time trying to find new suppliers as well as the all important new customers. It is because of trying to deal with possible new suppliers that prompted me to write this post.

Words by Linda Coles

M

y journey as the prospective new customer has not been as easy as it ought to be so I thought I would share some of the obstacles I have come across that many of us including myself may be guilty of, probably without even realising it.

BE ONLINE

BE CONTACTABLE I need to find these easily so I can guess what: contact you.

An email address, a phone number and at least the area you are in is great.

When I make contact through your website, please do reply, preferably the same day. Did you know that you have more chance catching the sale by responding to a sales enquiry from your website in the first five minutes than at any other time? Whilst many companies can’t do that, same day is rather helpful. Don’t try and be clever by trying to make me think you are mad busy, replying in a timely manner shows me you are in control, you take me seriously, you value my custom and above all, I appreciate it!

Even now after a week, there Google is everyone's friend, so it’s important that if I put in some are probably 10 responses I am still waiting for from key search terms such as “boutique coffee roaster NZ”, that you come up in the first 3 pages at the very minimum. Likewise, possible suppliers so what does that tell me about dealing I will try doing a basic search on Facebook so I can see more about your business and what your fans think. I might also go to with them in the future?

Simple, I won’t be. your other social pages too.

022 | www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

I urge everyone to take a good long look at how a new prospect interacts with their brand from the very beginning, and how areas can be improved to make their prospects’ journey more efficient and ultimately more fruitful.

BE FRIENDLY

BE ON THE BALL

Those that have replied by enlarge have been friendly enough. A couple have been super friendly and helpful and a couple have been at the other end of the scale……At this point, you might think I am a tyre kicker, just after a price, but really I’m not. I am after a price because I want to buy.

If you tell me you will follow up my enquiry or send on some images or something else you have agreed, please do so, I will be expecting it.

Going through the process of finding new suppliers has nearly been as hard as finding It was the lady at the courier company who was super nice and new customers. It’s not hard to helpful that got the business over the other two – one didn’t be nice, be on time, do as you follow up and one simply said it was going to be too hard. I could say and help someone when have tried other companies, but Karen got the job done quickly they get in touch but some and was very pleasant. The extra little note with well wishes for companies are making it so. the new venture was a nice touch.

I urge everyone to take a BE PRICE EASY good long look at how a new If I am going to be buying your products wholesale to sell on in some prospect interacts with their way, do let me have an up-to-date price list and preferably one with brand from the very beginning, matching pictures so it’s easy to see what I am getting. Asking me to and how areas can be improved go to the website and cross-reference the list with the products is again to make their prospects’ making it too hard. If you have hundreds of products, I understand it journey more efficient and might not be possible, but an A4 price list is very do-able. ultimately more fruitful. ● If you can’t help me, it’s fine to say so, but can you offer me an alternative, maybe a smaller size, a different colour or a special price?

 www.bluebanana.co.nz

Linda Coles is a digital marketing coach, speaker, trainer and author. www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

| 023

QUICKFIX

So What’s The Price?

I

f the price question from your prospect is a nervous cliffhanger in your sales calls, maybe you need to rethink when to have the conversation about price. Leaving it until the end and waiting for the prospect to ask can bring unnecessary tension and an awkward end to the meeting or start to a negotiation.

You will know your job is to understand needs and explain the value of your offering to your customer. It is hard to talk about value without including some discussion on price, so have the confidence to connect the value with your price as you move through the sale.â—?

024 | www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz 024 | www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

Landscape powered by Helix

New Zealand’s most powerful and dynamic segmentation solution

Inivio introduces New Zealand’s first truly household level segmentation product.

Inivio have teamed up with Roy Morgan Research to create Landscape powered

by Helix providing a dynamic and comprehensive view of New Zealand consumers.

Roy Morgan collect a myriad of data on everything from income, discretionary spend, response to marketing mediums and thousands of other variables that drive New Zealand consumer attitudes and buying behaviour.

Landscape Powered by Helix builds upon Roy Morgan’s Helix segmentation solution with enhancements utilising Inivio’s verified household level intelligence to create the most dynamic and granular segmentation solution for NZ.

Next steps

With Landscape powered by Hel x you will: Receive dynamic updates every quarter Gain access to Roy Morgan’s Helix website to view research intelligence and media consumption trends Manage marketing & risk through identifying value segments and how to attract likeminded prospects Focus media buying based on value prospect behaviour

To find out more contact Inivio on 09 367 6285 or visit www.inivio.co.nz

© 2013 Veda Advantage Solutions Group Pty Limited This document is the intellectual property of Veda Advantage Solutions Group Pty Limited. The information contained in this document is confidential and may not be stored, copied, given, lent or in any way transmitted to any other company or person without the express written consent of Veda Advantage Solutions Group Pty Limited.

RESOURCECORNER

New Sales, Simplified: The Essential Handbook for Prospecting and New Business Development

N

o matter how much repeat business you get from loyal customers, the lifeblood of your business is a constant flow of new accounts. Whether you're a sales rep, sales manager, or a professional services executive, if you are expected to bring in new business, you need a proven formula for prospecting, developing, and closing deals.

New Sales. Simplified is the answer.

You'll learn how to: identify a strategic, finite, workable list of genuine prospects; draft a compelling, customer-focused 'sales story'; perfect the proactive telephone call to get face-toface with more prospects; use email, voicemail, and social media to your advantage; overcomeeven prevent - every buyer's anti-salesperson reflex; build rapport, because people buy from people they like and trust; prepare for and structure a winning sales call; stop presenting and start dialoguing with buyers; make time in your calendar for business development activities; and much more.

Packed with examples and anecdotes, New Sales. Simplified. balances a blunt (and often funny) look at what most salespeople and executives do wrong with an easy-to-follow plan for ramping up new business starting today. â—?

 026 |

Available from Fishpond

www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

By Mike Weinberg

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE

NAME

PLACE

COMPANY

24 March

Sales Basics

Whangarei

Geewiz

26 March

Overcoming Objections

Auckland

Top Achievers

27 March

Sales Management

Auckland

Top Achievers

14 April

Sales Seminar

Christchurch

Top Achievers

15-16 April

Essential Marketing Boot Camp

Auckland

The Marketing Company

16 April

Cold Calling and Prospecting

Auckland

Top Achievers

20-22 April

Sales Performer

Auckland

David Forman

21 April

Sales Basics

Auckland

Geewiz

22 April

Customer Service

Auckland

Geewiz

22 April

Key Account Management

Wellington

NZIM

23 -24 April

First Line Leadership

Auckland

David Forman

28 April

Sales Management

Auckland

Top Achievers

29 April

Create a Marketing Plan

Wellington

Geewiz

29-30 April

Essential Marketing Boot Camp

Christchurch

The Marketing Company

www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

| 027

THECLOSE

“Whether you’re having setbacks or not, the role of a leader is to always display a winning attitude” - Colin Powell

Subscribe at www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

IT’S FREE!

028 |

www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

Stocklight / Shutterstock.com