Category: Marketing

Small Fires Make Little Heat

Marketing, Sales Management, Sales Training

A salesperson without desire is like an oven without a flame. You can’t cook much with it. Salespeople should be the most goal-driven in any organization because, without their hard work of bringing in sales, no one else really has a job. So, it would stand to reason that a salesperson with a passion for achieving great things for themselves or their company will usually produce average results. Should this be fixed? Yes. Can it be done? Of course. Will it be easy? Well, that depends.

 

All salespeople like the lowest hanging fruit. In a world of constant rejection and uncertainty, who could blame them. It’s the easiest way to explain the high resistance against prospecting and cold calling. But small fires make little heat and little desires bring little results. Who can cook great things in an oven with little fire? What is a salesperson with tiny goals and small desires? You want a sales team that hungers for success and here are 5 simple (but sometimes hard) things you can do to build big fires that make a lot of heat.

 

  1. Set lofty goals – Too often we are afraid of scaring away salespeople by giving them goals that might be too hard that cause a rift between sales and management. Set low goals, get low results. Remember, you don’t get what you expect, you get what you inspect and you aren’t inspecting the progress of lofty goals, the goals will not likely be met.
  2. Create proper incentives – Management gets this wrong more often than I care to share. The ones that get it right have a strong sales force. Remember, the more a salesperson sells, the more the cost of sales associated with them decreases. They become more profitable. Tiered incentives demonstrate to the salesperson that not only do you believe that these lofty goals are possible but worthwhile.
  3. Don’t be afraid to challenge salespeople – Many owners and managers feel like they are being held hostage by their salespeople. As long as they are bringing in sales, that means they have control in the employment relationship and if you disrupt this you risk losing them and their sales. This is rarely true and, unless you have a real rockstar on your team (why challenge them when they challenge themselves), most salespeople will usually not push back? Why, because pushing back is too challenging. Do you see the fallacy in this loop?
  4. Stop rewarding mediocrity – How many times have you given salespeople a participation trophy? Way too many of us do. Your reasoning is noble in that you want to offer positive reinforcement and help people improve. But over time this becomes enabling and we communicate to average salespeople that being average in sales is ok. Is it?
  5. Coach them – Most salespeople are too proud to ask for help and some go so far as to resist it. Don’t let them fool you. Show them that you care by showing them that you care. You don’t have to micromanage them, but show them that you are paying attention because you want them to succeed and help them through their challenges. 

Passing The Persistence Test

Marketing, Sales Coaching, Sales Management, Sales Training

Sales is not a quick path to riches for all of us, but it certainly can lead us there. Some people take to it like a duck to water while others seem to slowly trudge along. Are the successful ones just having a run of good luck or possess exceptional skills? Maybe, but there has to be more to it than that. It’s not so much a matter of what they have, but what is it that you are lacking? There is a very good chance that you don’t invest enough in persistence. Napoleon Hill once suggested something along the lines that great success is given to those who pass the persistence test. In other words, those who work through their fears and failures are eventually rewarded.

The persistence test, like so many other tests, is one that most of us want to skip. It is a difficult test because it requires both hard work and a willingness to make mistakes. If the definition of insanity is doing something over and over again with the same results, then ignorance means doing nothing at all. Persistence falls somewhere in the middle. It is your ability to achieve your goals by following your plans while overcoming obstacles. And there will be plenty of obstacles in sales. If you want to be successful then you must pass the persistence test. Here are 5 tips to help you with this test. 

  1. Have a goal – Simple enough, but have you really identified in great detail what your desired outcome is? It can’t be a vague vision of yourself sitting on a beach somewhere with bags of money. It needs a number and a timeline.
  2. Have a plan – You can’t apply persistence to an idea without a plan. It just doesn’t work that way. I understand that telling you that you need a plan isn’t anything new to you, but if you aren’t successful, then I suggest this is one of the places you look first.
  3. Avoid shortcuts – When the plan is hard, shortcuts are tempting. There are times when they make sense, but shortcuts usually lead to shortfalls when it comes to your goals. You cannot be afraid of putting in the hard work. Shortcuts counter persistence which means you are trying to avoid the persistence test. Don’t do that.
  4. No more procrastinating – Inaction breeds inaction and delivers no rewards other than the certainty that you can play it safe and stay where you are. There is a difference between careful planning and prioritizing instead of moving forward into the unknown. That’s what successful people have to do.
  5. Permission to make mistakes – You are going to make mistakes along the way in the sales. Some of these mistakes will be painful and perhaps expensive, but they are unavoidable. Persistence is all about confronting these mistakes, learning from them, and moving forward. If you do not allow yourself to make mistakes, you will paralyze your plans and goals for success.

Getting Punched in the Face? Cold Calling & Rejection

Marketing, Sales Coaching, Sales Training

Very few salespeople get excited about cold calling and sales rejections hurt no matter who we are. That’s your baseline and it’s something we all have to overcome to be successful in sales. I want to tell you that there is a great hypnotherapy technique that will quiet your inner voices or give you a pill that will turn your anxieties into exuberant confidence. We already know that these don’t exist, but what you are really looking for are coping and motivating skills to help you push through your own fear of rejection. And there’s the good news, these skills do exist.

 

It is natural to avoid rejection. That’s why we all want warm leads. It’s hard to feel successful when so many strangers tell us ‘no’ before they even know what we have to offer. The fact is that you will have more opportunities and success if you introduce yourself and your products & services to people who are otherwise unaware. I don’t want to bemoan the importance of prospecting and handling rejection because you know most of it already. However, these simple tips are a practical way for you to get back creating new opportunities for success.

  1. You’re not a pest, you’re a problem solver – This is something that I recommend that everyone repeats to themselves each time they pick up the phone, send an email, etc. It’s a fact. You just need to find people who have the problem you can help with.
  2. Looking for a fit – You are not seeking validation of your sales skills, you are looking for those who are a good fit for what you sell. There’s only one way to do that and that is asking. If it isn’t a good fit, no big deal. Onto the next opportunity.
  3. Set easy goals – Don’t drown yourself in prospecting activity if you don’t have to. It is exhausting. Set goals that are achievable. 10 phone calls a day isn’t all that much, but compound this activity over days and weeks, you’ll see that you are improving and getting better results. 
  4. Prospects can’t hurt you – I have yet to hear a story where someone cold calling got a bloody nose, went to prison or had their birthday taken from you. Prospects can’t hurt you. They have no power to do so. Remind yourself that you are safe and create an emotional distance from their response.
  5. Be Persistent – The more you cold call or prospect, the better you get at it and the less painful a ‘no’ becomes. You will build a natural immunity to rejection just from the exposure alone. Your mind will create its own coping mechanisms to help you handle rejection if you are willing to try.

Building Up The Nerve To Cold Call

Marketing, Sales Coaching

Let’s face it, you can only run from cold calling as a salesperson for so long. If you managed to be successful without it, chances are it is because someone else is doing the heavy lifting for you to generate your leads. But if you really want to become the great salesperson you think you are or want to be, it’s all about getting the attention of someone who doesn’t know you for an opportunity to sell. Yes, it is old school, yes it is still effective and frankly, it’s quite powerful.

 

There are several elements to effective cold calling such as messaging, method, timing and targeting, but there is one that is often overlooked; coping. It is the one you are struggling the most with for sure and, that is, how do I confront prospects who do not know me and may reject me? Let’s face it, you procrastinate every chance you get to pick up the phone and we all do it, but there are some simple and effective methods for mentally preparing for this effective and essential sales skill. Here are ways you can prepare yourself for cold calling just by simply uttering these words to yourself over and over again as if you are saying them to your prospect.

 

  1.  You can’t hurt me, but I can help you – Cold calling is not illegal or immoral. You will not get arrested for calling a prospect, they cannot defame you or get you fired. They can say ‘no’. That’s it. That’s the worst that can happen. However, you can actually help them. Why else would you be calling them? 
  2. I am bringing good news – Let’s face it, you will almost always contact someone at an inconvenient time. That doesn’t make you a pest, that makes you an unplanned opportunity for them. You know you have something they need and they must hear about it. You are not a pest, you are a problem solver.
  3. Say ‘no’ today, say ‘yes’ tomorrow – In sales, ‘no’ always means ‘not today’. Whether your prospects know it or not, what they are really saying is that they are not ready yet. Once you have planted an idea in their head, check back in a couple of months and see how that idea grew in them.
  4. I want your sale, but I’ll settle for your attention – Salespeople who don’t get noticed cannot be successful. Prospects have to get used to you. After all, you are a good person. Although your fear of cold calling desires to have your call go right to voicemail. It is better to get their direct attention than to go unnoticed. 
  5. I deserve to be successful – You certainly do deserve success and you need to remind yourself of this before each call. Success comes to those who desire it and can see it. Hear your prospect saying yes before they answer the phone and they will pick up on that and respond more favorably.

The Assumption Technique; When Hot Leads Turn Cold 🧊

Marketing, Sales Coaching, Sales Training

There’s nothing worse than seeing what you felt was a sure thing in terms of a sale slowly drift away from you and into the land of wind and ghosts. 👻 What in the world happened?! You did everything right and the customer said all the right things, but now they won’t return your call. 📞Was it something you said? Were you just being played for a chump? Are they just on vacation? There are all sorts of questions we ask ourselves when a hot lead turns cold, but the most important question is what do we do now❓❓

 

You were really counting on this sale, and now you are feeling desperate. You’ve considered offering a discount, showing up to the office to confront them  or, heaven forbid, stalking them on social media to see if you can glean an answer there. Before you act on your desperation and give up all control of your sale, there is an effective technique I recommend to either get the sale back on track or just walk away; The Assumption Technique. 

 

Before I hand this method over to you, we have to at least talk briefly on why the hot lead went cold in the first place. The answer is usually simple. You either have a very shallow sales process or you made the conscious decision to skip steps in your sales process. I can tell you that it is better and easier to correct this issue than it is to use the Assumption Technique, but let’s face it, sometimes we do everything right and the customer just runs off without warning. When this is the case and you want closer on the deal or the situation, it’s time to give the assumption talk. This can be via voicemail, email, or even letter, but here is the final message unless they truly do want to do business.

 

The Assumption Technique:

“You know what they say about assumptions. Since you haven’t responded to me by now I can only assume that you are no longer interested in our (product/service). If that is so, I can be okay with that, although I’d be a little disappointed all the same.

If I read the situation wrong, please let me know. Otherwise, I wish you the best of luck.”

 

It’s that simple. If they don’t respond, then you know you can walk away with the confidence that there is no deal to be had and you can quit chasing this one. However, oftentimes you’ll find the message is powerful enough to get them to break their silence and tell you what is really going on. There is something about the word ‘assumption’ that motivates people to respond and, best of all, this can put the control of the sale back in your court. Give it a try the next time you have a hot lead turn cold and let us know how it worked for you.

Selling On Friday Never Works

Marketing, Strategy Planning

Now that I have your attention, let’s talk about the salesperson implied and perpetual  3 day weekend. You’re reading this because the title got your attention and either you A) agree and are looking to validate this argument with your boss or B) completely disagree and are enraged with such a bold claim. This topic could be the third rail for yours truly and his audience, but let’s look at the issue from both sides.

 

For salespeople who almost always write off Fridays for legit selling activities, I hear you. You’re not the only one who becomes a phantom on Fridays; lots of customers do too. So perhaps we’ll make an appearance to the office in the morning, catch up on the ‘admin’ stuff that makes us look busy in front of our computers, then quietly slip out the back when no one is looking. And if anyone asks, you’re going to catch up on your emails at the local coffee shop. Well, you’re neither wrong nor right about your customers. Some of them have ghosted 👻 and the remaining ones have no interest in a sales call on a Friday any more than you do. However, there are still plenty of opportunities to be had on Friday.

 

What do I say about sales people who are crushing their goals? Well, most sales jobs are never typically a 9 – 5 job. You’re not making widgets, you’re producing results. If you can crush your sales goals in only 30 hours of the week, then so it goes. Most sales managers are more concerned with your outputs than your inputs. You’re paid on salary with a commission and you punch no man’s clock. If you, your team and your superiors are happy with your results, then perhaps Friday is negotiable.

 

Now, let’s see what’s on the other side of this coin. People who stick it out and sell on Fridays are keeping a secret from the non-Friday salespeople and cashing in. 🔐Do you know who else is ducking out on Fridays? Your competitors. Sure, you might have a smaller audience on Friday, but they are a captive audience nonetheless. Most people prefer not to jam pack their schedule on Friday and have a little extra time for a sale call, perhaps more time than any other day of the week. After all, Friday represents 20% of your time to sell. Who in their right mind would give up 20% of their opportunities? 

 

Salespeople who are crushing their goals and still give their best on Friday are the ones filled with passion, desire and motivation. Naturally, they are higher earners as well. They aren’t about to forfeit that 20%. They want more and they will certainly get it. In some cases, they will even tell you that they have their best successes on Friday.

 

So, where do I land on the issue? It really depends. I don’t argue with successful sales people and whatever good or bad habits they have that gets them results. Results speak louder than anything. But why forfeit 20% opportunities that may be at a premium? I guess it really depends on where you are with your goals, the company’s goals and overall results. It’s nice to be rewarded with some extra padding to your weekend, but perhaps put the extra effort in on a few Fridays. You might like the extra sales and income it gets you.

They Won’t Buy What They Need, They Buy What They Want

Marketing, Sales Training

People only buy two things: solutions to problems and things that make them feel good. It’s as simple as that. Unfortunately, modern sales training tells us that people only buy when there is pain and that is not true at all. Yes, pain does motivate a sale, and on its own can be an effective strategy, but it misses an entirely different buying process that is based on good feelings. 

We are all selling something that someone else needs, but why do those people not always buy from you? Is it because their pain isn’t great enough, or maybe you just didn’t know how to make them want what you have. Most people do not want to buy on pain (unless they are going to the pharmacy), so how can we balance their pain and need with their want? ‘Pain’ starts the conversation, but ‘Want’ closes the deal, and here are a few ways you can do it.

 

  1. Benefits, not features – Don’t focus your pitch and presentations on your features. Design them around the benefits and the feelings what you sell creates. People buy more on emotion than on logic (although they don’t realize it). How will your customer feel once they begin using your product and service?
  2. Reviews and testimonials – If you don’t have them, do everything you can to get them. Once you have them, do everything you can to let customers see them. Customers always relate to the feedback from others. It builds their confidence and changes their needs more into wants. 
  3. Demonstrations – Let the customers see for themselves how your products and services feel, sound, smell, etc. There is a reason why food companies give out free samples. Let your customers ‘taste’ what you have to get them from a need to a want. 
  4. The most important thing – Learn what is really motivating the buyer and deliver specifically on that want. HINT – price is never what is motivating a buyer, it is only a symptom. Whether it is better quality, unique offerings, or superior service, if you get this part right, the price will not drive the entire buying process.
  5. The customer experience – Profits are made and lost in the customer experience. The customer experience is the emotions you create within the customer with every touch they have with you and your company. Simply stated, you must make the customer feel like they are the most important thing by making everything easy while addressing their needs. 

What’s Wrong With Asking For A Little Help?

Marketing, Sales Coaching, Sales Training

Salespeople are a prideful bunch. So are their managers. We always love to act like everything is under control and very often this may be true. But what happens when things aren’t going so great. When is it time to ask for help? We don’t like to ask for help because it is a sign of weakness and we worry about how this weakness will be perceived by others. That can be your boss, your customer base, your competitors, or your respected peers. So we just pretend that everything is okay while deep down we are actually suffering.

Believe it or not, relief from your struggles starts the very moment that you ask for help. ,(Read: Do We Need a Sales Coach?) Admitting you need help is one thing, but seeking the solution is another. Some of the most successful people in not only business but in sales are the ones that ask for help at the right time. When it comes to sales, Scorecard is here to help you. What’s wrong with asking for a little bit of help? Here are 5 things that might be a sign that it is time to ask for help.

  1. You are not meeting sales goals – It’s easy to focus on sales goals. I’m not talking about just missing it in the last month. I mean consistently missing it month after month and things are starting to feel a little scary. (Learn more: ,“6 Reasons Good Salespeople Stop Reaching Their Goals”)
  2. Competitors are taking your business – You once had a respectable book of business, but customers are leaving you for the competition. Sales are hurting and you have no plan to win them back while attracting new customers.
  3. The sales team is disengaged – Sales meetings are unproductive. (for help with this, visit: ,Sales Meeting Agenda Tools & Templates) Salespeople stop communicating or worse, leave the company. You can feel the tension building.
  4. You no longer have a plan for growth – You used to have a competitive strategy, but frankly, you’ve lost your edge lately. You want to get back out there and compete but you’ve lost your way. (more about this:, One Page Sales Plan – the Start of Sales Strategy)
  5. You feel like you have exhausted your options – You’ve tried to do everything you can to figure this out on your own but you’re not getting anywhere. You are now officially stuck.

It’s time to ask for help and it’s okay to do so. Reach out to Scorecard for help with your sales goals, sales team, and sales culture.

Our most successful clients are winning sales awards, breaking records, gaining new business, and learning new skills. How’d they do it? They attended sales training, created a new sales culture, engaged in one on one sales coaching, and embraced Scorecard methodology and technology.

They did it and you can, too. Read what they’re saying online, ,here. Then contact us at ,ajacobs@scorecardsales.com to learn more and get some help today.

Do You Know Your Customer’s Code Of Ethics?

Uncategorized, Marketing, Strategy Planning

Every business is expected to have a set of rules and to play by those rules when it comes to our customers. We do our best to adopt a service-first business model where we will do anything for the sake of our customers. Customers are, of course, the lifeblood of our business so naturally, we want to do anything we can for their sake to keep them coming back for more. The question is, do you feel like you are playing on a level field with your customers?

We have to accept some hard realities that quite often our relationship with our customers are more one-sided than we like to admit. So, if we tell our customers that they can expect certain things from us based on our code of ethics, then what do you think we would expect from customers? Here are the hard truths about the Customer Code Of Ethics.

The customer demands a deal that is best for them every time.

  1. The customer expects options that are easy to choose from.
  2. The customer wants everything about working with you to be easy.
  3. The customer insists that their demands are reasonable… as far as they are concerned.
  4. The customer will want their money back if they are not happy, even if it is their fault.
  5. The customer believes that they deserve to be right about everything.
  6. The customer believes that it is your privilege to have them as your customer.
  7. The customer expects you to treat them as your most important customer.
  8. It’s the customer’s money so they expect to be calling the shots.
  9. If you cannot satisfy the customer’s demands, they can take your business anywhere else and anytime and leave you a bad online review regardless of whether or not it is deserved.

This is what you are working with whether it is expressed or not, but why is this important to know? Because the customer does not and will not see the sale the same way that you do and they want you to give up control of the sale. Any you will be tempted to do so, but before you give it all away, remember that customers don’t care about:

  • Your profit
  • Your income
  • Your other customers
  • Your idea of a fair deal
  • Your personal problems
  • What motivates you
  • Whether or not you think you are a nice person
  • How badly you need this sale

Remember that a sale should always be mutually beneficial and as a respected sales professional, you should expect to be treated as such. It is good to want to work with customers to get them what they want, but it is also important to stand your ground. If you don’t look out for the best interests of you and your company, your customer certainly never will.

Never Lower Your Price Until You Ask Twice

Business Analysis, Marketing, Sales Coaching, Sales Training

Customers will make their purchasing decision based on price if they perceive no other value. This is an old sales truth that will never change. A major part of our role as salespeople is to communicate that value in a compelling way to the customer. Easier said than done for some of us. As salespeople, we acknowledge that customers can get similar products and services from our competitors, although we’d rather not call attention to it. When the conversation of options comes up, you can bet that price will be a part of that discussion.

You want the sale and the customer will make you work for it. So if a customer wants a discount, shouldn’t they work for it as well? Most salespeople dislike price objections and buckle under this pressure every time. This is the point where you usually lose control of the sale and you adopt a defensive position. It is critical to remember: Never Lower The Price Until You Ask Twice!

If you are not willing to ask for your same price twice, then you are giving up control of the sale at the most vital time. (read more about how to control the sale here.) Customers love to play games with the price, and you will lose every time you play it if you play by their rules. If you find that you have no other choice but to lower your price and it is still a fair deal, do not do so until you have asked for the same price twice. You will find that this demonstrates confidence and customers will respect you for it. Many times you will find that the customer isn’t willing to push back a second time; especially if he or she has no grounds to ask for a lower price. The customer isn’t holding all of the cards that you think they are holding. So when you get to the discussion about price and you want to stay in control, remember that you never lower your price until you ask twice.