How to stay on track

SEAN MCPHEAT suggests seven sales resolutions for the coming year A re you still sticking with your New Year’s resolutions or have you caved in already? We all seem to set weight loss goals or promise to drink less, but how many of us set resolutions in that is true in the business of sales as much as anything else. Being able to adapt to those changes and the business environments customers work in will set the best salespeople apart from others in 2016. It is well worth remembering Charles Darwin’s terms of what we are going to do, or indeed stop famous deduction: “It is not the most doing, to improve our sales performance? intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST species that survives is the one that is able At no time in history has change been a more best to adapt and adjust to the changing constant companion in every facet of life, and environment in which it finds itself.”

TRY TO SET THE TONE SEVEN SALES RESOLUTIONS My philosophy for sales success is simple: “Do what you said you were going to do, when you said you were going to do it, better than you said you were going to do it.”

This involves having the right attitude as well as aptitude or skillset. It means making a real effort to go beyond the With that in mind, here are seven resolutions l Research at Harvard has shown that 80% of that will help you do things better than you said negotiators adopt the same strategy as the you would – and, quite possibly, better even than other party. If the other negotiator wants to you thought you could: play hardball, they’ll play hardball too. If they are interested in collaborating, they can collaborate 1) Listen more, talk less just as well. The key skill that should be adapted, adopted l Only 20% of negotiators, on the other hand, and adjusted in 2016 is curiosity. On the take a more assertive approach, trying to set phone, face-to-face, via email, or however you the tone. Interestingly, one of the things people are communicating, you should be asking in those 20% find is that no matter what tone they set, people tend to negotiate in the same way. Looking at the stats, it’s not surprising to see why: chances are, they are negotiating with yourself why the prospect is taking the stance they are. The quality of your questions will dictate the quality of the information you someone in the 80%, someone who is looking obtain, so there has to be a clarity of thought to see how they will negotiate in order to follow that leads to probing at the most professional their lead. level. This requires commitment to improving l The lesson here is that if we want to improve your listening and interpretation skills. You our chances of success in a negotiation, we gain simply cannot listen while you are talking, and a tactical advantage by being proactive and that also means talking to yourself. Vow to setting the tone. Most of the time, spend more time concentrating on the people will follow our lead. prospect’s needs rather than pushing Source: thenegotiationblog.com 80% your product. 2) Follow up quicker OF NEGOTIATORS When responding to new leads, ADOPT THE SAME when sending proposals, when STRATEGY AS THE following up an email… speed wins! OTHER PARTY One thing that customers tell us is how impressed they are with our speed of response to enquiries and the impact that has on their decision-making processes. Imagine that you are getting an enquiry from a prospect who is going to be researching a number of other options. The sooner you can respond to the enquiry, the less likely it is that they will continue in their search, because prospects want to make speedy decisions to change their businesses for the better. If you can prove your ability and acumen quickly to

DO THINGS BETTER

them, you stand a great chance of progressing. expectations of the client. It involves a mindset that understands, adapts and responds to changes in real 20% world environments and situations that will only get more complicated and technological in the year ahead. OF NEGOTIATORS TRY TO SET THE TONE

3) Check your numbers regularly If I asked what your closing ratio was last month, your call to appointment levels, your pipeline figures, or the number of lost sales you experienced, would you be able to tell me immediately, accurately and without hesitation? Many sales professionals cannot do so.

Why is it so important? Because your numbers show what’s working and what’s not. Without the confirmation that your sales processes are working, you may spend your valuable time on procedures that don’t bring effective results. Without knowing where your time is wasted, you will probably concentrate on inefficient steps. Your numbers will give you clear information about where you are successful and where your development efforts will reap rich rewards.

4) Become more than a salesperson Think of your prospects. How can you turn them into customers? What about your customers? Could some of them become ongoing clients? And could any of your regular clients become advocates?

By adding additional value at each stage in the process, you prove that you are no longer just pushing products and services; you become someone who proves themselves to be a valuable asset to any business. You prove this by positioning yourself as a “maven” in your industry. According to Wikipedia, 63% OF ATTENDEES REMEMBER a maven is a trusted expert in a STORIES AFTER products, you may not think it particular field who seeks to pass A PRESENTATION. matters much. But here’s the knowledge on to others. It means 5% REMEMBER maths. Your profit currently is “one who understands”, based on STATISTICS (100 x £100 x 25%) £2,500. an accumulation of knowledge. Source: LinkedIn Sales The adjusted figures become This expertise is something you can (90 x £100 x 25%) £2,250 + (10 x prove by getting published on £90 x 15%) £135 = £2,385. LinkedIn, writing articles that position you That drops your overall profit by over as someone who others value. By becoming 5%. And that’s with a very small discount on a valuable, you get people calling you, asking your very small number of products. When you do opinion, building a reputation for changing the sums, you will realise that even offering a low businesses and the way they work. discount will have a big effect on your figures. 5) Commit to upskilling How many training hours did you put in during 2015? Are you happy with that number? Let me ask that question slightly differently. How many hours did you devote to your own personal learning and development in 2015? To be adaptable to the changes that are happening in today’s business environment, you need to keep your development as a top priority.

Make plans in 2016 to make it the year where you keep up with industry developments, improve your questioning skills, build your knowledge of business skills and create a persona that appeals to the widest range of possibilities.

6) Don’t discount so readily You will know the objections that are raised most of all with your products and services. Have you dealt with each one effectively? Or are there still some areas where you struggle to overcome some of the things prospects throw up at you?

Make it a goal for 2016 to plan for the objections you most often encounter. Identify what precisely the prospect means by that objection and deal with it professionally.

The most frequent objection salespeople face is that of price. But what happens when you discount your price? Your products lose their value and are cheapened.

Imagine your profit is 25% on your product, and you sell 100 per month at £100 per piece. If you offer a 10% discount on just 10% of your 7) Become an expert storyteller What happens when someone tells an anecdote or story? Others stop what they’re doing and pay attention. Why? Because we all like to use our imagination and see how it could possibly become real.

Storytelling should become a skill you embrace for 2016. It’s a very powerful tool that can include case studies, examples of success, challenges that have been overcome and objections that have been turned around.

You won’t have the same conversation twice, but you could have a string of stories that would impress most prospects. Rather than just talk about your products in 2016, draw on your experiences and present the most applicable successes that you have achieved, and explain what the current prospect can expect as a result. When the prospect sees what your current clients are experiencing, they will want similar success. So, if you can link the storytelling with the current challenge the prospect is facing, they will see the point of your products and the chance of a great result if they make a similar choice.

ADAPT AND PROSPER In 2016, it won’t be the most intelligent or the strongest salespeople that prosper – it will be those who adapt to the changing philosophy and behaviour of buyers. By following these resolutions, you’ll stay motivated and achieve the results your professionalism deserves.

Let me tell you a story: Storytelling is a very powerful sales tool and should become a skill you embrace for 2016

SEAN MCPHEAT is managing director of MTD Sales Training. A best-selling author, international speaker, and award-winning entrepreneur, he is a regular presenter at ISMM events and is frequently quoted in the media as a subject matter expert. For further information, call 0800 849 6732 or visit www.mtdsalestraining.com