NZ Sales Manager Issue 82

NZSALES MAY | ISSUE 82

An Interview with Matt Elliott

How Do You Raise Sales Performance from Good to Great?

Page 14

Managing Director of BP Page 6

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

From the Editor I

always enjoy the insights from the CEO interview’s that we do from time to time.

In this issue, we talk to Matt Elliot, the Managing Director of BP New Zealand.

A couple of the answers Matt gives particularly resonate with me. His measure of personal success as a sales manager is playing a part in the success of his salespeople, and from this come the rewards of being a sales manager. Helping your sales team to be successful should always be the number one objective on any sales managers’ job description.

I hope you enjoy a new feature too, the ‘question of the month’. Thanks to Ross Wilson who will be providing us with his thoughts and ideas on some of the challenges we face as sales people and sales managers, starting with ‘how do you raise sales performance from good to great?’.

PN

Matt’s advice to anyone entering the sales profession is well worth a read too. I might just pass it onto some people I know!

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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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contents

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THIS MONTH'S MUST READ.................................................................................6 AN INTERVIEW WITH MATT ELLIOTT Managing Director of BP New Zealand STOP ARM WRESTLING WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS.................................10 Six tips to developing better relationships QUESTION OF THE MONTH................................................................................14 HOW DO YOU RAISE SALES PERFORMANCE FROM GOOD TO GREAT? NOTICEBOARD.........................................................................................16 NAVMAN WIRELESS DRIVING ACADEMY SHOWS FLEET MANAGERS THEIR HIGHEST-RISK DRIVERS TWO MINUTE TOP-UP........................................................................................18 WHAT PROMISE DOES YOUR VALUE PROPOSITION MAKE? QUICK FIX..............................................................................................................20 It’s not what you sell, it’s how you sell BOOK REVIEW......................................................................................................22 Beyond the Chicken Dance by Charles H. Newman EVENTS CALENDAR............................................................................................23 THE CLOSE............................................................................................................24

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MUSTREAD

An Interview with Matt Elliott Managing Director of BP New Zealand

Matt Elliott is the Managing Director of BP New Zealand. He joined BP New Zealand in 1994 and has since had a diverse range of sales roles across several business channels in New Zealand, the UK, the United States, Fiji and Australia. We asked Matt for his thoughts on the finer points of sales and sales management.

NZSM: Are people born to sell, or trained to sell?

Which is it?

ME: I think a combination of both. By that I mean there are some fantastic training courses and techniques that can be taught and learned throughout your sales life.

However, I also believe that to be a great salesperson a certain type of character (i.e. people person) is required. You need to be able to communicate well, listen and relate well to people, and be able to build great relationships. Also, when you genuinely believe in something and have a passion for it, it’s easier and more natural for that enthusiasm to translate into a positive transaction.

NZSM: If you are good at selling and train to be a manager, does that make you a good sales manager?

ME: No, not necessarily. Management is more about managing a team of people and in this context that means a sales team. You may be a good salesperson, but in my opinion, management requires an additional set of skills.

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NZSM: So what are the top three qualities or attributes that are needed to succeed in sales management?

ME: Understand your own, and the team objectives/ targets and measure against them. Be authentic and show integrity. You should always strive for excellence.

NZSM: What are your three ‘top tips’ for a sales manager?

ME: Know your customer, know your product or service and know your competition.

Also, communicate clearly to exceed expectations - do what you say you’re going to do. Is that more than three?

NZSM: I think that is more than three, but you just said you need to exceed expectations!

How can you identify top sales people at an interview?

ME: I think you can pick up on the personality, integrity and character which is vital in salespeople. Also I like people who can articulate clearly, listen well and ask lots of questions.

“Be authentic and show integrity. You should always strive for excellence.”

NZSM: What are the most important thing a sales manager does each week, month and year?

ME: Talk to and visit your customers, as it’s still about relationships in my view. Set expectations, measure against KPI’s and always review with a view to continuous improvement. Innovate and challenge the status quo, and help motivate the wider team.

NZSM: Which sales or sales management success are you most proud of?

ME: I particularly enjoy seeing my team reach their potential, succeed and grow and if I can play a part in helping make that happen, then that makes me very proud.

NZSM: What is the biggest mistake you have made in sales, and what did you learn from it?

ME: Being too inwardly focussed as opposed to customer focussed. I soon learned you continuously need to help your customers achieve their business goals and understand their evolving needs.

“Know your customer, know your product or service and know your competition." www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

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“Be prepared to think differently and innovate to create points of difference that set you apart from the competition. Listen and genuinely care about your customers and always be prepared to learn.�

NZSM: What is your favourite sales, or sales management book or resource?

NZSM: Please give your advice to succeed in sales in 2014?

ME: The Trusted Advisor by Maister, Green and Galford

ME: Focus on what you are good at, play to your strengths and be the best that you can be. Work as a team to leverage best practice and strive to continuously improve.

NZSM: And for anybody thinking of moving into sales or sales management, what advice would you give them?

ME: Selling is not as easy as people think, you have to earn every sale. Build a reputation based on trust and integrity.

Also, it helps to work for a company whose product and/or service you genuinely believe in and can be passionate about. Be prepared to think differently and innovate to create points of difference that set you apart from the competition. Listen and genuinely care about your customers and always be prepared to learn. • 08 |

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Stop Arm Wrestling with your Customers Six tips to developing better relationships Words by Adam Sands

Why do buyers often introduce ‘irritants’ like arranging for your competitors to be visiting them just before or after you so you pass in reception, or saying they just had a comparative quote 10% lower than yours? Why do they seem suspicious of your motives for cold calling them, or suspicious of your initial offer? Why do they seem intolerant of your need to follow up with them after a sales meeting?

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Why do they often hold back information, like the details of the comparative quote, or the details of their current supplier?

Does this type of buyer behaviour get them what they want?

T

he answer is “No”, not usually. Sure, it might help them win an extra short term discount, or screw the supplier down in terms a little more, but in the long term, it only lessens the chances of achieving the right fit, right terms, right supply model to truly meet their organisations’ needs. This means missed opportunities for boosting their bottom line.

So, why do they do it? The first reason I believe so many buyers behave in this way is that salespeople have ‘trained them’ to do so. Buyers have learned that if they put pressure on sales people they give in. Unfortunately, this has just encouraged buyers to expect and demand more.

Remember, goodwill begets greed, not gratitude!

The second reason is that behaviours are catching.

If I choose to withhold information from you, chances are, you’ll withhold information from me. If I choose to show you how much power I have, you’ll do the same. At best we’ll waste lots of time posturing, flexing our muscles and whining about each other. At worst,

Buyers have learned that if they put pressure on sales people they give in.

Unfortunately, this has just encouraged buyers to expect and demand more. Remember, goodwill begets greed, not gratitude! profitable collaborations between suppliers and clients, that improve both parties businesses, don’t happen.

Traditionally, sales people have been motivated by one thing – their own selfish gain (money, commission, sales leagues) rather than their customers’ success. As a result, buyers have learnt that sellers will start high, will embellish the truth about their products and services and make promises they can’t keep. Sellers HAVE behaved this way, and buyers have been forced to respond accordingly.

Even if you are one of the more enlightened sales people, who are focused on your customers real needs and keen to help them solve their business problems, at the beginning of the relationship, you are perceived as just another sales rep. So if we know that it is the behaviour of generations of salespeople that have taught buyers to act in a certain way, it stands to reason that when we change our actions and behaviours, the way buyers respond will also change.

This could mean our customers get better long term deals, our relationships with buyers improve more quickly and we achieve greater levels of success. Sounds like a win-win to me. The trick is to behave in a co-operative way, try to understand what business or personal needs are driving a certain reaction or behaviour, and then work to meet that need – on terms acceptable to you and your organisation. www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

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SIX TIPS TO DEVELOP MORE COOPERATIVE AND COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS: 1. Be more emotionally detached When people are emotionally involved, they tend to argue from a more irrational and less commercial perspective. They react personally to things like irritants rather than asking themselves “what does the buyer hope to achieve by acting in this way? Is there any other way I can help them achieve that without it compromising my needs?”

2. Be prepared to disclose information If I’m more open with you, you’ll tend to be more open with me. If a buyer seems like they don’t believe you’re offering them the best price, can you prove it by showing them your margin? This thought scares salespeople, but if I choose to tell you what my margin is, does it mean I have to give it away to you? Of course not. I might choose to trade some of it for greater volume, or a longer term commitment, but I have yet to meet a buyer who thinks it’s unreasonable for a supplier to make a profit. A word of caution though: when considering whether or not to disclose a piece of information, the acid test is how does it structure the expectations of the other party. If it’s likely to help them make movement towards me, I’ll disclose the information. If not, I’ll be a little more careful about what I say.

3. Try to hold your meetings in a more informal, private setting Ever seen a negotiation between two parties’ seem collaborative and cooperative when it’s held through the press? Ever felt relaxed and comfortable in what you thought was a one on one meeting, then the buyer brings in six other people? Meetings held in a public setting are, on the whole, more competitive and adversarial. Try not to go mob-handed to sales presentations. If you find yourself outnumbered, try to bring others in with you to even things up. Avoid publicising the details of your deals. And remember, informal does not mean unprofessional, even a meeting over a coffee should be well planned and well structured.

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4. Become a more skilled operator In most cases, skilled sales people, skilled buyers and skilled negotiators act in a more cooperative way, than those who are less skilled.

This is not because training teaches you to be cooperative. Rather skilled operators know that by being cooperative, they get better, more sustainable deals.

5. Focus on building a long term relationship with your buyers.

Ask people what their definition of a ‘good deal’ is in a one-off relationship. They’ll usually say it’s when they know they’ve screwed the other party to the floor. When asked what their definition of a good deal is in a long term relationship, they’ll often say, when they know they’ve taken the other party close to their limit, but know the other party is prepared to do business again with you.

Treat all seller/buyer

interactions as long term. New Zealand is a small marketplace, and although you may think that the buyer you’ve nailed to the wall is one you’ll never have to deal with again. Chances are they’ll appear in another organisation, at another time, with more power and then who’ll get screwed?

6. Reduce the contractual elements If a supplier tries to get me to sign a lengthy contract, with high impact penalty clauses for early termination, what will I be thinking about the claims the sales person has made about the true benefits to me of their solution? That they might be a little exaggerated? Clearly some contractual obligations are necessary in business relationships, but for example where penalties for early termination are balanced with incentives for longevity, or offset against supply performance indicators, the parties involved are more likely to see the mutual benefit in them.

One highly successful global Kiwi brand I came across a couple of months ago, said their ethos around contractual arrangements with their clients was ‘love without clauses’ – that’d make me trust that supplier.

Next time you come across a competitive, adversarial buyer, don’t respond in kind – consider the personal or commercial need driving that behaviour, act in a cooperative way and try to meet that need – on terms acceptable to you. •

 www.scotwork.co.nz

Adam Sands is a Principal Consultant with Scotwork NZ. Scotwork is the world authority on negotiation skills development.

www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

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QUESTIONOFTHEMONTH

How Do You Raise Sales Performance from Good to Great?

Words by Ross Wilson

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oth good and great salespeople have the skills and knowledge necessary to become great, so the answer lies somewhere else. Numerous studies show that the single most important factor in lifting good salespeople to become great salespeople is the sales manager’s performance.

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Central to being a high performing sales manager is the ability to appropriately recognise a salesperson’s performance – to answer the salesperson’s question, “What’s in it for me?”

Central to being a high performing sales manager is the ability to appropriately recognise a salesperson’s performance – to answer the salesperson’s question, “What’s in it for me?” Whether it’s a trip to Hawaii, a financial reward for a big sale, or a plaque on the wall, providing some kind of tangible benefit is usually seen as both necessary and sufficient to motivate high performance.

There are, however, intangible rewards that can have an even greater impact on

motivation, and provide the sense of personal fulfilment that keeps salespeople energised and committed.

The most important thing a manager can do in this regard is to provide meaningful recognition that is personal, specific, and timely. Since what individuals find meaningful varies greatly from person to person, managers can be most effective when they understand the sources of individual motivation and customise recognition and rewards rewards accordingly.

Managers who can do this see the results when their salespeople are inspired to deliver the above and beyond effort that raises performance from good to great. Read more in the full article here.

 www.growingorganisations.com

Ross Wilson helps organisations improve business and human performance. www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

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NOTICEBOARD

Navman Wireless Driving Academy Shows Fleet Managers their Highest-risk Drivers A new web-based, predictive analysis platform allows companies to pinpoint the most at-risk drivers and provide a specific training regime to suit each driver’s behaviour.

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avman Wireless Driving Academy is designed to help companies reduce collisions, injuries, costs and liabilities for fleets and create extra visibility in identifying the most at-risk drivers.

THE PROGRAM’S HAZARD PERCEPTION EVALUATION ALLOWS FLEET MANAGERS TO IDENTIFY RISKS IN SIX CORE COMPETENCY AREAS INCLUDING: 1. Scanning 2. Space management 3. Knowledge of danger zones 4. Speed management 5. Awareness of other motorists 6. Attitude

Once the evaluation is complete, drivers are then automatically assigned specific, targeted training modules to address deficiencies. “The Navman Wireless Driving Academy training courseware has been developed by instructional designers who understand the ways adults learn most effectively,” said Chris L’Ecluse, Solutions Specialist at Navman Wireless.

“People learn best in short 15-20 minute intervals, so we developed the training content with that in mind to ensure drivers get the most out of the sessions.” The Navman Wireless Driving Academy Defensive Driver Training program provides trainees with a problem-proof-solution format followed by a comprehensive assessment. To maximise results, the program uses real-life video footage and a modular design that allows clients to build custom solutions.

THE KEY BENEFITS INCLUDE: • A cost effective way to efficiently allocate fleet training budgets • Ensures fleet managers are meeting their duty of care • Provides accurate tracking and reporting to monitoring drivers’ risk levels and process through training modules • Improves and modifies driver behaviour when it comes to fuel efficiency

 www.navmanwireless.com www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

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TWOMINUTETOPUP

What Promise Does Your Value Proposition Make?

Words by Sharon Drew Morgen

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our solution, your marketing, your service all promise your customer something, whether it’s stated or not. But do you know the promises you are conveying? Do you know if your marketing, branding, SEO, and sales efforts are consistent with your value proposition?

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Your value proposition is a promise between your company and your buyers. Make sure it’s consistent throughout all of your marketing, SEO, and sales.

Take a look at your website with fresh eyes. Is it congruent? Consistent with your brand? If you say your value proposition is good service, is there any way of knowing that from your site? If you claim to be the best at something, what is the expression of that in your marketing?

I recently went to a site that promoted a speaker as a thought leader. Most of the pictures on her site were stock shots of god-knows-who. The video of her was less than authentic or professional. She didn’t inspire confidence. She didn’t make good on her promise.

And how many of us even know what our promise is? Or even if our branding is a consistent demonstration of our value proposition. Large companies like Harley Davidson and Coca Cola do it well. Do you?

Your value proposition is a promise between your company and your buyers. Make sure it’s consistent throughout all of your marketing, SEO, and sales. If your value proposition shows up as just another way to sell, you have lost a great opportunity to differentiate yourself.•

 www.newsalesparadigm.com

Sharon Drew Morgen has been helping sellers influence and facilitate the buyer’s behindthe-scenes buying journey since the mid 80s. www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

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QUICKFIX

Are You Coaching or Controlling?

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hen coaching one of your sales team on a client visit, your role is to observe, and then give feedback afterwards. You are there as a coach and that means that you must let them do the selling. Be a passive observer. They will learn a lot less by you doing the selling, so leave the direction and control of the call to the person being coached.

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Do not jump in!

Resist the temptation to jump in when you see a gap or think things are going astray. Keep their credibility intact at all times when in front of the customer. •

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 | 021

RESOURCECORNER

Beyond the Chicken Dance An Enlightened Approach to Building Better Business Alliances

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his book brings you real life experiences so you can avoid some of the mistakes others have made along the way. Its purposes are: (1) to give you a head start in building better relationships and alliances based on other peoples’ experiences and (2) to help you build and manage your relationships in a way that will increase your chances of success.

It will provide you with guidelines based on real world experiences -- mine and those of other successful management people who together have more than 500 years of business experience. By using the information and processes from this book, you should be able to avoid many of the pitfalls discovered by those who have gone before you. There are many lessons here, some learned the hard way.

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In addition, this book will provide you with tools to help you better understand the dynamics affecting your business and your relationships. •

By Charles H Newman - $32.47 from Fishpond.co.nz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE

NAME

PLACE

COMPANY

12th May

Presentation Skills

Auckland

David Forman

19th May

Sales Development

Auckland

David Forman

20th May

Cold Calling & Prospecting

Auckland

Top Achievers Sales Training

20 May

Sales Basics

Auckland

Geewiz

27 May

Sales Process

Auckland

Top Achievers Sales Training

27 May

Sales Basics

Christchurch

Geewiz

29 May

Sales Management

Auckland

Top Achievers Sales Training

6th June

Auckland

The Marketing Company Ltd

16th June

Intensive Sales Accelerator Program Wk 1 From Selling to Partnering

Christchurch

David Forman

17th June

Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland

Top Achievers Sales Training

17th June

Sales Basics

Auckland

Geewiz

18th June

Advanced Serious Selling

Auckland

Geewiz

20th June

Prospecting & Gold Calling

Christchurch

The Marketing Company Ltd

23rd June

Year End Super Charge Day

New Plymouth The Marketing Company Ltd

23rd June

Negotiation

Auckland

David Forman

23rd-24th June 26th June

Cutting Edge Sales Skills

Auckland

NZIM

Sales Management

Auckland

Top Achievers Sales Training

www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

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THECLOSE

“If everything seems under control, you’re just not going fast enough.”

Mario Andretti 024 |

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