NZ Sales Manager Issue 80

NZSALES MARCH | ISSUE 80

What

Separates the Best from the Rest?

How to make sure

Are Defective Handshakes Killing Your Sales?

Are You Prepared For Your Sales Presentation?

Keep it Positive

Page 10

your time at work is well spent Page 5

Page 18

Using positive language can help ensure sales Page 20 www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

NZ’s e-mag for sales leaders | www.NZSALESMANAGER.CO.NZ

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From the Editor W

elcome to a fresh and vibrant new look to the magazine which we hope you enjoy.

Prospecting is always a topic that generates interest, and we have a couple of quite different articles in this issue. Paul McCord articulates particularly well the difference between being busy preparing to prospect, and being busy with productive prospecting. It will make a useful discussion topic for any sales team, or for a coaching session.

I’ve had an article on ‘the handshake’ on the list for including in the magazine for a while, and there is no better summary than the one from the late Conrad Elnes, who sadly passed away last year. His article is full of great tips about how to make a good first impression.

Handshakes are one of those things that we tend to learn by trial and error as we grow up, and we might be fortunate to have parents or relations who give us a few tips along the way.

It might make you think about your handshake, and again, it is a topic that you could have some fun with in a training session with your team.

PN

CONTACT&SHARE Twitter

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pauln@nzsalesmanager.co.nz

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.

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www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

ISSN 2230-4762 EDITOR Paul Newsom GROUP EDITOR Nick Harley

CONTENT ENQUIRIES Phone Paul on 04 586 4733 or email pauln@nzsalesmanager.co.nz

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

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Phone Richard on 09 551 0607 or email richardl@espiremedia.com

ART DIRECTOR Jodi Olsson

Industry Type Location or Sales Territory

Company Size

BUSINESS VAULT Telephone Marketing

Direct Mail Business Intelligence

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contents

MARCH THIS WEEK'S MUST READ.................................................................................6 What Separates the Best from the Rest?

How to make sure your time at work is well spent Are Defective Handshakes Killing Your Sales?......................10 How inneffective greetings turn prospects off ADVERTORIAL....................................................................................................14 The end is nigh for Windows XP! Is your business ready? in the news.......................................................................................................16 TWO MINUTE TOP-UP.........................................................................................18 Are You Prepared For Your Sales Presentation?

Quick Fix.............................................................................................................20 It’s not what you sell, it’s how you sell BOOK REVIEW.....................................................................................................21 People Love You by Jeb Blount EVENTS CALENDAR...........................................................................................22 THE CLOSE..........................................................................................................23

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MUSTREAD

What Separates the Best from the Rest?

How to make sure your time at work is well spent Words by Paul McCord

A

s a seller, sales leader, business owner, and sales consultant I’ve seen and worked with thousands of sellers from dozens of industries and from all sales

career stages. I’ve seen the best of the best and the worst of the worst and all in-between. I’ve seen sellers who failed miserably as well as those making well into the seven or even eight figures.

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Consistently the single biggest difference I have seen between the successful sellers and the also rans is prospecting. What is so different about prospecting that one group makes a ton of sales and the rest fail or just make a living?

One group prospects, the other group simply thinks they prospect. The successful group is getting in front of great prospects and making sales while the other group is baffled by their lack of sales success because they insist that they are ‘always prospecting.’

Almost all in the second group can produce lists of prospects, some of which they’ve called; they can show where they’ve sent out a ton of letters and emails; they can give receipts for advertising they’ve bought; they can produce flyers that they’ve plastered all over town.

Most have been busy; there is little doubt about that. The problem is that although they have been busy, they haven’t been prospecting.

Instead of prospecting, they’ve been doing ‘things’ - creating flyers, writing letters and emails, attending non-qualified networking events, constructing call lists - and on occasion actually making a few phone calls. Like many salespeople, they’ve confused doing preparatory and busy work getting ready to prospect with the activity of prospecting.

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Although they have spent a great deal of time doing busy work, they have spent very little time actually connecting with and getting in front of decision makers. They think they are always prospecting, but in reality they find ways not to prospect. They engage in a great deal of activity, but the activity engaged in isn’t the activity that would produce business.

Instead, it is the activity that made them feel good, that made them feel productive, allowed them to convince themselves that they were being extremely active.

We salespeople tend to focus on activity - after all, activity is what gets us in the door, gets us the business we must have in order to succeed. But activity alone is fruitless. Activity for activity’s sake is just as sure a way to failure as inactivity.

The salespeople in the second group above believed they were highly productive because they felt productive.

Prospecting isn’t preparing to prospect; it isn’t finding easy ways to feel like you’re getting your message out; and it isn’t doing busy work. Plastering the shopping mall parking lot with flyers or sending out thousands of spam emails may be easy, non-threatening activities, but they are also career killers.

Prospecting is a very specific activity - connecting with a decision maker, and that requires a physical connection.

If you cold call, that means being on the phone, not getting ready to get on the phone.

If you network, it means actually being in front of and meeting prospects or garnering introductions to prospects from referral partners, not researching events or even spending time at non-qualified events where you’ll meet few, if any, prospects. It means connecting with quality prospects through highly targeted and personal letter and email communications, not sending out thousands of pieces of spam hoping that someone will read and respond.

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Although they have spent a great deal of time doing busy work, they have spent very little time actually connecting with and getting in front of decision makers.

They think they are always prospecting, but in reality they find ways not to prospect

It means creating a highly targeted and well researched direct mail campaign, not just sending letters to a purchased list.

Yet even in the above prospecting activities, the prep and research time is not prospecting time and should be done only during non-productive prospecting hours.

Investing time and energy in the wrong activities has killed as many sales careers as inactivity has.

As salespeople we have

three very basic duties - finding and connecting with quality prospects, working with those prospects to help them satisfy needs or wants and to solve real issues, and insuring that they are taken care of during and after the sale.

Everything else is busy work and busy work doesn’t make a sale, doesn’t generate income, and doesn’t move us toward our sales or income goals.

Before you engage in any activity consider whether that activity is income producing or not. If it isn’t directly producing income, does it really need to be done? If not, move on to an activity that will directly lead to a sale.



www.mccordandassociates.com

Paul McCord is a bestselling author, speaker and leading authority on lead generation and personal marketing.

www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

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Are Defective Handshakes Killing Your Sales?

How inneffective greetings turn prospects off Words by Conrad Elnes

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Y

ear by year, it becomes increasingly challenging to secure appointments with new prospects. Therefore, it is also becomes essential that your salespeople convert most prospects into sales. Yet studies indicate that even senior salespeople close only about one-third of their new prospects. Failing a sale, they remain on the outside, and standing against them are 16 INs that conspire to keep them OUT. On the next page are examples of one such IN INeffective handshakes, and solutions that can correct them.

Prior to discussing handshakes, let me give you some background. In his book, Social Intelligence, author Daniel Goleman asserts that successful people must master two sets of social skills, Social Awareness and Social Facility. An important element of the latter is meeting the expectations of others.

Included in this skill set are good manners and language skills, appropriate dress and correct business handshakes.

However, the handshakes of nearly forty percent (40%) of salespeople contain a flaw.

An INeffective handshake may turn buyers off within seconds of meeting them. In fact, INeffective handshakes may be keeping some of your salespeople OUT right now!

You don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression >>The SOLUTION: Handshakes are so important that many of our sales and customer service training clients have asked for specific suggestions for making corrections. I have compiled a list of the most important flaws along with some corrective suggestions. Shake with your sales associates and suggest corrections to each person when needed. www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

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FLAW

POOR EYE CONTACT

CORRECTION Somewhat common. Practice with friends and colleagues until comfortable.

FLAW

LACK OF A WARM SMILE

CORRECTION See above.

FLAW

THUMB WEBS DON'T INTERLACE WHILE SHAKING. (MANY MEN ARE UNSURE ABOUT THIS, ESPECIALLY WHEN SHAKING HANDS WITH WOMEN)

CORRECTION Extend thumb at 90 degrees to fingers when extending the hand.Take care that webs interlace. If not, say "Oops we missed," release your grip and push.

FLAW

HAND IS CUPPED, SO PALMS DON'T TOUCH

CORRECTION See above. Be sure palms press together.

FLAW

GRIP IS TOO WEAK OR OVERLY STRONG

CORRECTION If you follow the two above points, you can make a firm grip without hurting the prospect.

FLAW

PROSPECT TWISTS YOUR HAND UNDER

CORRECTION Message - "I have the upper hand."

Hear the message.

FLAW

SALESPERSON EXTENDS HAND WITH PALM TWISTED UP

CORRECTION

FLAW

DOUBLE CLASP SHAKE

CORRECTION Too warm for most business shakes.

FLAW

TOO MANY SHAKES

CORRECTION Ritz Carlton Hotel studied this. The best number is two shakes.

FLAW

HOLDING HANDS TOO LONG

CORRECTION If a prospect holds your hand a long time, it may be positive. Release your grip if you become uncomfortable.

FLAW

STIFF ARM (APPROACHING A PROSPECT WITH ARM STRETCHED FULL LENGTH)

CORRECTION Prospect will mirror you and stop three feet apart. Too far and stand offish. Bend elbow 90 degrees at waist as you approach.

Prospects will mirror you.

FLAW

INVADER (SALESPERSON INVADES PROSPECT'S 18 INCH BUBBLE OF PRIVATE SPACE)

CORRECTION See above.

FLAW

LEFT HAND HIDDEN IN POCKET OR BEHIND THE BACK

CORRECTION Let the left hand drape at your side. It has no function during a business handshake.

FLAW

DEFERENCE TO A WOMAN WHILE SHAKING

CORRECTION This may be the unpardonable sin. No gender deference in business shakes!

FLAW

JUXTAPOSED BODY POSITION WHILE SHAKING

CORRECTION Stand squarely face-to-face.

Handshake habits formed during childhood may be difficult to break immediately. Since this skill is so essential, work with those who are ‘Handshake Challenged’ until their correct handshake is second nature. Both of you will receive a big payoff. ● 012 |

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Message - "I'm giving you the upper hand." Legitimate shakes are perpendicular to the floor.

 The late Conrad C Elnes was an author and corporate trainer, and is listed in the Who’s Who of Sales Thought Leaders.

Talk to us to nd out how we can help you grow in 2014!

Contact Ross Wilson on 021 152 8400 or email info@growingorganisations.com for a no obligation discussion about how we can help you achieve your sales goals in 2014

www.growingorganisations.com www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz | 013

ADVERTORIAL

The end is nigh for Windows XP! Is your business ready?

A

pril 8, 2014, will be a moment of truth for businesses that run Windows XP as their IT’s main operating system. After this date, Microsoft will no longer be providing security updates for the Windows XP operating system (OS) which patch vulnerabilities that may be exploited by malware.

What this means is that after April 8, businesses still running the old XP operating system face increased security risks to their data, increased costs and lack of technical support. It is critical then that businesses of all sizes begin planning and move off of Windows XP prior to this date.

However, with less than a month left before this ‘End of Support’ (EOS) point, many business owners are still wrestling with how to make the jump from Windows XP to a modern operating system.

For many small and medium-sized businesses with little to no IT budget, the process may fall on one employee or the owner themselves and upgrading 5, 25 or 250 computers can seem daunting.

The problem is, some business owners may not know what computers in their business are running Windows XP and how to migrate them to a newer OS, or if they need to purchase new devices.

To help ease the process, Microsoft has developed a handy checklist that covers the key steps small and medium-sized businesses need to take to be ready well before April 8.

Evaluate Your Hardware Needs First, you need to check to see if you are running Windows XP. If you are, odds are that you are using an older desktop PC or notebook. That hardware did a great job providing a powerful Windows XP experience, but technology has improved dramatically since then.

Migrating to hardware with a currently supported operating system – such as Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 – will mean you will receive regular security updates to protect their computer from malicious

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attacks. Older hardware is simply not designed to support a modern operating system like Windows 8.1 or the mobile demands of the modern workforce, so the sooner you upgrade the smoother will be your transition before support ends.

Windows 8.1 devices are all about choice, and you’ll find many of them offer the power and productivity needed for a more mobile workforce with the specs and price point to meet any of your business needs.

Prepare Your Data Once you know which devices make sense for your organization, you’ll need to think through how you are going to move your company data. It’s common to feel a bit nervous when it comes time to move years of sensitive company data across devices, but advances in cloud technology make it easier than ever to backup, store and transfer files.

As you map out your migration strategy, include a plan for how you will both backup sensitive files and securely transfer your company data across PCs. If you are unsure as to the most efficient way to do this for your organisation, Microsoft has resources to help you sort through the various options.

Check Your Apps Few things are as frustrating as picking a new device, moving over your data and sitting down to work, only to discover that a critical business application is not compatible with your new operating system.

To avoid this, evaluate your applications before starting your migration. Not only should you check the applications you have downloaded directly onto your PCs, you should also double check any web-based applications that your business uses to ensure they will work with an updated version of your internet browser.

Deploy a Modern Operating System With your new hardware in place, your data safely transferred and your applications up and running, your business is ready to take full advantage of a modern operating system.

Windows 8.1 is the operating system that Microsoft designed for modern business. It builds on Windows 7 fundamentals like increased speed, reliability and security, while creating a modern platform designed for a new generation of hardware experiences Because it works across everything from tablets and innovative touch devices to traditional desktops and laptops, Windows 8.1 is great for business because it is designed to deliver the experiences your people will want, with the enterprise-grade capabilities they need.

Microsoft originally announced that support would end for Windows XP in September 2007. Since that time we have been working with customers and partners to help them migrate existing Windows XP PCs to a modern operating system.

If your business still has to attend to this issue, don’t worry; there is still time – but if you want to ensure your business remains free from data security issues associated with Windows XP, now is the time to think about how your business will ‘get modern’. ●



www.microsoft.co.nz/getmodern

Visit microsoft.co.nz/getmodern for information and to take advantage of current discounts in market. You can also follow us on Twitter@MSNZBusiness and sign up to our newsletter for updates.

Cheese gets 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.

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INTHENEWS

New skills online anywhere anytime Everybody wants satisfied customers, whether you’re the owner of the business, or one of those people providing service. These customers make for both good business and better working days for staff.

for anyone in a role, or looking for a job in a service industry, or indeed anywhere in work or life where good customer or personal A new online solution has been launched by ServiceIQ that will make it a lot easier to do just that. It will also provide those relationships are important. looking for a job with a few extra skills that could get them “ServiceIQ’s Skills Online near the top of the preferred candidate list. learning is an excellent ServiceIQ Skills Online (www.ServiceIQskillsonline.org.nz) has started with courses that cover some key essentials for businesses in the service industry: customer service skills, resolving complaints, and consumer legislation.

The initial suite of four courses has a special introductory price of only $25 each. Courses are purchased online, and can be accessed by smartphone, tablet or computer. Many more courses, covering a wide range of topics, will be added throughout 2014.

ServiceIQ CEO Dean Minchington says the online courses offered are to the same standard and cover some of the same material as qualifications taught offline. “Everyone can learn useful skills and gain new knowledge from these courses because they are based on parts of training programmes.

Think of them as a taste of what it’s like to study towards a qualification, as well as the opportunity for you to up skill.

“Every successful course completion also generates a certificate that can be printed out to show that you have acquired new skills and knowledge. That makes it valuable 016 |

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option for many people and businesses because it’s time and cost-effective, and the course can be done on any device whenever time allows.

Whether you want to sit and complete the course in one session, or break it up into chunks, it’s up to you. The system remembers where you got up to, and you simply pick up from where you left off.”

Registering at www.ServiceIQskillsonline.org.nz

is free, and this allows you to explore the site, check out the comprehensive FAQs and get more information on each of the learning options.

INNOVATIVE WEB SHARING FROM A TABLET In what looks like a world first for information sharing from a mobile device, Wellington, New Zealand based Showcase Software has released an incredible new feature to its popular tablet content management system. Showcase Web Share enables users to share an entire tablet presentation – including videos and slides – directly with a client or prospect.

Sending recipients an email directly from their presentation includes a link, which opens a browser on the recipient’s laptop or PC and gives them instant access to all of the rich content they have viewed on the tablet, without downloading massive files.

Adam Blackwell, Marketing Director of Showcase says, “Not only can a sales person know they have all of their essential sales collateral in one easy appbased format on their tablet, they can now also share that material in real time with a prospect or client. Then, when they get back to the office, they can check Showcase analytics to see when their prospect viewed the presentation.”

Keeping the information fresh and current is critical so Showcase Web Share auto expires the presentation after 14 days. The auto-expire feature protects businesses from having outdated information in the market, and gives the sales person another reason to follow up. For more information visit www.showcaseworkshop.com ● www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

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TWOMINUTETOPUP

Are You Prepared For Your Sales Presentation?

Words by Brett Burgess

Yes

No

Maybe?!

R

ecently Samsung launched their new Curve 105inch HDTV at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Employed as the celebrity presenter and spokesperson was “Transformer” director Michael Bay. Unfortunately for Michael his teleprompter malfunctioned and it soon become embarrassingly obvious that he was totally unprepared and after ad-libbing for about 30 seconds he walked off the stage (you can view it on YouTube).

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There is no excuse for not being prepared. He would have been paid a small fortune for that appearance and so to just turn up and rely on a computer to feed him the information without doing any research or preparation it’s fair to say he got the result he deserved.

You might be thinking what this has to do with sales.

Many salespeople believe experience is a substitute for preparation or they do their planning in their prospects reception area Well the truth is many salespeople do very little preparation before sales calls, meetings or presentations in the mistaken belief they can ad lib the meeting because of their experience and confidence around their products.

Getting appointments is the key to ensuring the best outcome from the meeting – 90% of sales are won or lost before we ever get in front of the prospect because too few salespeople actually do any pre-call planning.

Many salespeople believe experience is a substitute for preparation or they do their planning in their prospects reception area. These people believe, like Michael Bay, they can walk on stage and use the script and walk out with the sale. What they don’t allow or plan for is when the prospect changes the script by asking different questions or throws up new objections or the teleprompter malfunctions!

We as salespeople should treat pre-call planning the same way pilots treat their pre-flight checks – as if their lives depended on it, which in fact they do. In our case our livelihoods depend on it.

The lesson we can take from all of this is – preparation is the key to ensuring the best possible outcome from any sales interview. ●



www.salesimpactgroup.co.nz

Brett Burgess is a Sales Trainer and Programme Developer for Sales Impact Group Ltd based in Hawkes Bay. To find out more visit www.salesimpactgroup.co.nz

So what to include in your pre-call planning...

• Written call objective • Anticipated problems our prospects may be experiencing that we have solutions for • List of similar clients’ case studies • Needs analysis with key questions • Cost qualification analysis • Closing strategies

QUICKFIX

Keep It Positive Using positive language can help ensure sales “I’m sorry sir that product is out of stock, and we won’t be able to get any more until next month.”

A

s a customer, this kind of news from a supplier makes your heart sink, both because the product is not available today, and also because it is a negative statement that gives no certainty when you will get the product. Nor does it show any care from the supplier whether you get the product of not.

There’s nothing factually wrong, but customers will be happier if you can keep the conversation positive and customer focussed.

“I’m sorry sir, that product is out of stock. I can order it today for you, and it will be in next month.

I’ll give you a call as soon as it comes in.”

This time, as the customer, you know that the product is ordered, and the supplier has taken ownership of the solution for you. ● 020 |

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RESOURCECORNER

People Love You

The real secret to delivering legendary customer experiences

I

n a hyper-competitive, global marketplace protecting your company's customer base, the lifeblood of your business, must become your number one priority. The rubber hits the road with account managers, project managers, sales professionals, and customer service professionals - the people most connected to customers - who are on the front lines of customer experience.

They build unique and enduring emotional connections with customers that creating long-term revenue and profit streams.

In "People Love You," human relationship guru, Jeb Blount, gives you a powerful playbook for interacting with customers in a way that creates deep, enduring, visceral connections that withstand relentless economic and competitive assaults. â—?



www.fishpond.co.nz

Author: Jeb Blount. Published by John Wiley and Sons

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

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EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE

NAME

PLACE

COMPANY

1 April

Professional Relationship Selling

NEW PLYMOUTH

The Marketing Company

1-2 April

Cutting Edge Sales Skills

WELLINGTON

NZIM

7 April

Key Account Management

AUCKLAND

David Forman

7-8 April

Negotiating Skills

AUCKLAND

NZIM

8 April

Sales Training course

HAMILTON

Top Achievers Sales Training

10 April

Advanced Sales Development

AUCKLAND

David Forman

15 April

Cold calling and prospecting

AUCKLAND

15 April

Sales Basics

AUCKLAND

Top Achievers Sales Training Geewiz

16 April

Customer Service Basics

AUCKLAND

Geewiz

22 April

Essential Client Management

NEW PLYMOUTH

The Marketing Company

24 April

Sales Management

AUCKLAND

Top Achievers Sales Training

28 April

Prospecting

AUCKLAND

David Forman

28 April

Sales Development

WELLINGTON

David Forman

022 |

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THECLOSE

“Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first�

Simon Sinek, Author, Start With Why

www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

Image credit: http://tedxmaastricht.nl/inspiration/program/simon-sinek/

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