Category: Sales Coaching

Planting the Seeds of Success or Doubt?

Sales Coaching, Sales Management

If we reap what we sow, then why aren’t we more careful about the seeds we choose to plant? As salespeople, it seems simple enough that we should scatter our seeds of success among the fields, but we sometimes hesitate along the way and grab for a handful of doubt instead. Customers can sense doubt a mile away and, if we are not careful, they can use it against us. This has a lot to do with our confidence, but why do we so often fall victim to our own inhibitions? 

Salespeople too often plant the seeds of doubt instead of the seeds of success within their customers by their own actions and lack of control. We plant the seeds of doubt without even realizing it simply because we do not have control over our own selves. The worst part is that we don’t realize that we are doing it until it is too late.  How can we expect to bring the sale to a successful close if we can’t control our own processes and emotions? The most common ways that we plant the seeds of doubt and hand over control of the sale to customer include:

  1. Demonstrating a lack of confidence – ‘I probably won’t be able to close this deal’. If you can’t see it, chances are you won’t get there. Customers want to do business with salespeople they perceive as winners, and if you don’t carry yourself like a winner, you have greatly narrowed your chances of success.
  2. Not executing a formal or deliberate sales process – ‘I’ll just make it up as I go along’. No one wants to do business with a sloppy and unprepared salesperson. It betrays the concept of trust from the start.
  3. Focusing on our fears – ‘I hope the customer didn’t see our bad online review’. Stop considering the worst-case scenario, lest it should find you.
  4. Acting on desperation – ‘I’ll do anything to make this sale’. I know, as salespeople, that we are supposed to do whatever it takes, but this often goes too far. Desperate salespeople actually scare customers.
  5. Becoming attached to false ideas – ‘The customer is only concerned with price’. Sometimes salespeople can make up really bad stories in their heads about what they believe the customer knows or is thinking. Don’t let what you don’t know turn into fear.

 

I Heard A Rumor About You 📢

Business Analysis, Sales Coaching, Sales Management

Your sales team sure is a talkative bunch; especially when you’re not around. The role of a sales manager is one of the most difficult ones in the organization. You must hold an alliance with your sales team and upper management even when they are at odds with each other. The bottom line is that the needs of upper management take priority over everything else. That’s the way it has to be done for a company to run effectively. Now you’re in a tight spot because the sales team is unhappy with an unpopular decision from upper management that you have to deliver. 

 

Now you have to do damage control. You’re getting word that so-and-so is saying such-and-such and the rumors abound. Let’s face it, you and everyone else has better things to do than to play the gossip game, but we are humans and the truth is that you have to deal with it. The only way to deal with any issues like these is to have the right conversation with the right person in the right way. Here are 5 tips to help you calm the waters in troubled times.

 

  1. Signals and noise – Sometimes the feedback you are hearing is just noise; a passing moment in time. Someone needed to vent and the moment has passed. You can’t chase every little issue that comes your way. Are you seeing a trend that must be addressed, such as the team being upset about the new compensation plan, or is it just a fleeting moment. Choose your battles wisely.
  2. Check your communication – Sometimes we can let a couple weeks slide by without regular meetings and things can fall apart at the seams. How often and effectively are you communicating with the group both as a team and as individuals? This is your opportunity to control the message. 
  3. It’s nothing personal – It is easy to get emotionally invested in a situation, but chances are it is really not about you. Even if people are gossiping about you. It is really about them.
  4. Confront the issue privately – As I said earlier, it’s all about having the right conversation with the right person in the right way. Discuss the issue privately and be willing to listen. Chances are is this was all that was needed to calm the situation. 
  5. Respect – Be respectful and especially if others are not. Most people will change their demeanor when they believe they are being treated with respect. If you always take the high road, others will eventually follow.

 

You Only Fail When You Quit

Sales Coaching, Sales Training

Sooner or later you need someone to encourage you to keep trying. In sales, that need occurs more often than any of us are willing to admit. The life of a sales person is high highs and low lows and hardly ever in the middle. That’s the life we chose and let it be so. But what happens when the hard times just won’t give in? We’ve all found ourselves in the death valley of sales. There is no sign of life and we question whether we should change our careers, will we be fired, is there something wrong with me and simply, what am I doing wrong? Some days you are ready to throw in the towel and stomp on it a couple of times. Are you ready to accept that you are a failure? 

 

The only time you truly fail is when you quit. Let’s be honest, maybe sales just isn’t for you. Or, the more likely conclusion is to figure out what isn’t working and change it. Salespeople have to deal with a lot of rejection, but that is not the same thing as failure. Roll up your sleeves and fight the good fight. Change will not happen immediately, but you can turn things around and here are 5 things you can do to get started.

 

  1. Attitude – Yes, I understand that pointing this out is not going to make headline news, but it must be discussed because, frankly, everything hinges on this. If you maintain an attitude of failure you will achieve just that. I know it is difficult to change your mindset, but until you do, nothing else you do will matter.
  2. Behaviors – This is the natural progression from the topic of attitude, but have you examined what habits are holding you back?  Are you really putting your best foot forward or have you been stung by the busy bee and forgot how to be productive? You have to do something different. 
  3. Try something new – The world will not change for you, so if you don’t try something new, why should anything be different? Try a new market, a fresh approach, network with new people. Whatever you do make sure you get out of your comfort zone; it is not as comfortable as it appears.
  4. Get help – Salespeople are notorious about not asking for help. We don’t like to show any signs of weakness. You have to rise above this and reach out to someone you respect for honest feedback. Seek to listen to what they have to say. If it makes sense, perhaps you can ignite a mentor relationship. Salespeople with mentors always perform better than those that don’t. 
  5. See your success – I understand that it is hard to see the promised land when you are wandering the desert. If you truly cannot see your goal, then chances are it will never find you either. And don’t see the leap you need to get there, but the steps it takes each day until you arrive. 

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.

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.

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.

5 Techniques to Get Customers To Pay More

Marketing, Sales Coaching, Uncategorized

What makes a customer willing to pay more for a product or service when much of the buying criteria seem identical? Assuming all things equal, customer purchase behavior can sometimes defy logic and in fact that they will knowingly pay more for something they want based on something important to them that was not recognized by all the sellers. And it certainly wasn’t the price. Were the customers fooled or taken advantage of? Probably not; they knew what they were doing when they did it. So what is the magic that salespeople can possess to get customers not to focus on the lowest price, but be willing to pay more?

Customers will judge you, your products, and your services on your price alone if they perceive no other value. On the other hand, when salespeople struggle to articulate any real value, most of their sales strategies are based on offering the most competitive price. Don’t get me wrong, I understand that price is important, but it isn’t the only important thing unless you treat it that way. Sometimes it is difficult to look beyond what you are selling to really see what it is the customer wants. It is more than your product and it is always more than your price. Here are the 5 techniques that you can apply to make the customer willing to pay more.

  1. Simplicity – Customer will always crave easy and simple, but salespeople sometimes like to make this difficult. We may add too many steps in the process that do not create value for the customer. We may be asking customers to complete certain tasks that we can, and should, be doing for them. How can you make purchase research easier for them? How many forms must a customer sign and can we condense this? Is our website easy to navigate? Are our proposals easy to understand?
  2. Valued differentiator – You have competitors, and if we set aside price, what is the one reason why customers should buy from you that actually matters to them? Do you have convenient hours and locations? Do you generate easy-to-read reports? Are you a one-stop-shop? Do your products and services have a unique feature? These key differentiating factors should not only steer business away from your competitors but have your customers considering to pay more.
  3. A great customer experience – Do you have a buying process that makes the customer feel like the most important thing every step of the way? If what you do and how you do it makes the customer say, “Wow!” at any given time, they should and will be willing to pay more. How can you make your customers say “Wow!” more often and you will likely find a way to charge them more as well.
  4. A sense of urgency – Limited time offers may sound old school, but they still work very well. Customers love the feeling that they got something special or got it in some special way. If you can create a sense of urgency with customers, they may be willing to pay more before the window of opportunity closes.
  5. Fitness – Are you able to address a customer’s needs in a unique way. Like a custom suit that you can’t get anywhere else? People will pay more if they perceive something to be unique to them. They either can’t get something like this anywhere else or no one else will be able to get what they now have. If it is the perfect fit, they will pay more.

6 Reasons Good Salespeople Stop Reaching Their Goals

Business Analysis, Marketing, Sales Coaching, Sales Training, Uncategorized

Sales is hard work and there is no doubt about it. Sometimes we have good years, and other years, well, not so much. There are times when we believe that we are a great salesperson, and if we’re being honest, there have been some days where you thought about changing your profession. It is very easy for salespeople to get in a rut and course-correcting for some salespeople is very difficult. Our goals suddenly extend beyond our grasp and once we fall behind, we lose hope of being where we need to be. We now question whether or not we are the good salesperson we thought we were.

Selling requires you to frequently pivot in order to stay competitive and relevant. When we forget to pivot we start to get farther and farther away from our goals. It doesn’t mean you are no longer the great salesperson you once thought you were, but there is a good chance that you have turned a blind eye to things that you know are important. Let’s talk about a few things you can work on to get back on track to being the great salesperson you know you can be.

  1. You are reluctant to change and take risks – Change is hard for salespeople, as it would be for most people, but our profession demands us to change more than it does for others. Consider what you do in terms of what is, and is not, working. What changes need to be made and what risks are you willing to take on? (,Fortune Favors the Bold and ,5 Tips to Becoming a Confident Salesperson)
  2. You are not paying attention to your pipeline – Long term sales professionals tend to fall victim to this issue more than new salespeople because they become complacent. You get into a comfortable place where referrals are strong and so we stop developing raw opportunities. When the referrals dry up, there is no pipeline to work on and you are left short of reaching your goals. A poor pipeline is always one of your biggest sales problems. ,(How Does My Sales Activity Relate to My Pipeline?)
  3. You think there is nothing new to learn – And I don’t blame you because sales are always sales, however, there are new techniques and technologies that become available all the time that help you stay sharp and competitive. Some of the worst salespeople I meet are the ones who pretend to know everything. (,Going to the Sales Gym – Working Your Core)
  4. You are not meeting enough new people – As salespeople, we must be in front of the target markets often and making a name for ourselves. It is exhausting work and it consumes a lot of evenings, but if you are staying within your own circles, you are ignoring the fact that there have been a lot of changes and new faces in your market. Those opportunities are going to someone else.
  5. You stopped being persistent – Instead of trying 10 different ways to get a new account, you give up after 2 or 3 tries. Persistent feels like groveling to an experienced salesperson like yourself. If you are not being persistent, that means you have a very leaky pipeline and you have been missing a lot of opportunities. (,Pushy or Persistent?)

You rely too much on past results – Many salespeople will hit the cruise control button on their sales any chance they get. It is one of the only professions that can get away with this and frankly, who could blame you for coasting a little bit to catch your breathe and enjoy life. Sometimes we try to coast a little too long and we run out of steam and before we know it, we are no longer on top. Congratulations on your past success, but there is still a lot of hard work ahead of you and you need to demonstrate that you still have what it takes to crush your goals. (While referrals are terrific, ,here’s why it’s dangerous to rely on them to carry your pipeline).

Never Lower Your Price Until You Ask Twice

Business Analysis, Marketing, Sales Coaching, Uncategorized

When I ask salespeople what their most common and least favorite sales objection is, more often than not it has something to do with a price objection. That makes sense because this is usually the moment of truth for any deal. Does the price meet the budget and expectation of the buyer based on the value and outcome they desire? But price, albeit important, is very shallow in the buying process for anyone. Buyers put it high on their list of importance and may even lock in on a number, but is this really what it all comes down to in our sale? Maybe yes, but likely not. However, that is how both the buyer and seller treat this common sales objection.

Price is merely the symptom of the value in an exchange. We all have an idea of what something is worth and what we are able or willing to pay, but price is really just a barrier between everyone getting what they want. This is important to remember in sales because we focus more on what someone will spend instead of what they will get. This means that you have to requote, discount or devalue the sale in order to close the deal because we believe the customer is more concerned about what the price tag is than the value. This is a deceptive illusion. Understanding that there is a limit to what can be spent, we have all been willing to pay more if it meant getting something that we wanted that we felt was valuable. Let’s talk about how we can start to get past the price conversation to close more deals.

  1. Empathize – Before you get defensive at a price objection, take a moment to connect with the customer. It’s not uncommon for someone to question the price and let them know that it is okay to do so and you, in fact, are also price sensitive. “Mr Customer, I don’t blame you for bringing up the price. In fact, I do the exact same thing and I expected us to have this conversation.”
  2. Challenge – Everyone has their own reason for being concerned about the price, but assumptions are not always based on reality. Before you validate their assumption that they should have a better price, be sure to understand their position. Many times you will find that you are uncovering a bluff. “Mr Customer, help me understand why you believe the price should be lower. Have you shopped and found the exact same thing for a lower price?”
  3. Position the value – Shift the buyer’s focus back on to the value that you presented. It’s the reason why he wanted to talk to you in the first place because his other options did not completely satisfy his needs. Otherwise, why would he still be talking to you? You still have something he wants so you still have influence over his decision. ‘Mr Customer, can we agree that, besides the price, what I am offering you is the best option you have?”
  4. Is it really about price? – When a buyer gets hung up on the price, be sure to ask, Mr Customer, is price really the only or most important criteria for you to make this decision? I don’t know about you, but the last time I went with a lower price I found myself being unhappy with my purchase. Did you ever go for a lower price and regret it later?
  5. Ask again – Never lower your price until you ask twice. You have to be confident in your value and pricing models because if you back down right away, you signal to the buyer that you knew you were going to overcharge them. It’s up to you to decide what you are willing to do to make the sale, but hold firm to your price and buyers will respect you. You’ll be surprised how often that respect will lead to the sale at the price you offered.

How about some more dialogue and ,practice with price objections? Contact us at ,ajacobs@scorecardsales.com for training and coaching.

5 Tips To Keep Your Sale Moving Forward

Sales Coaching, Sales Management, Sales Training

We all had a sale that got stuck somewhere along the way. We thought everything was going great because the customer was responding so positively to everything. In fact, you felt like they were almost ready to sign, but they held back at the last minute for whatever reason and left the conversation promising to get back to you soon with an answer. Then nothing. All you have left of that opportunity is a trail of follow up voicemails and emails that feel a little more hopeless and desperate with each message. The sale is not only stuck; it is sinking, sinking, sunk. But why? Where did we go wrong? We were so close. What could we have done differently?
There is at least one mistake that you made that you can be certain of; you left the sale without any planned follow up with a definite time, method and place on everyone’s calendar. Trusting a customer to plan and execute the next step in a sale is almost certain failure and we have all done it. ‘Take a couple of days to think it over and get back to me’ is often the kiss of death for a sale. The customer now has no expectation or obligation to follow up with you unless they feel like it. Sometimes you will get lucky, but often you play a waiting game when you could have done something simple to keep the sale moving forward in that moment. When you reach the end of your sale and there is no conclusion, try these simple tips to keep the opportunity in play.

  1. Address the objection – When a sale reaches the think-it-over phase, you have arrived at a moment of truth. Do you know what the customer is hung up on? Did you ask them? Make sure you have covered all of their concerns by empathizing and asking. “I don’t blame you for thinking it over. I do that too sometimes. Do you mind me asking what portion of this sale has you the most concerned? What is the most important factor for you to make this decision?” If you haven’t already, take time to address their concern and make sure there is nothing left unspoken.
  2. Set the next meeting – Don’t leave a meeting without having the next step firmly established. Need time to think over the proposal? No problem. Let’s get a date on the calendar now for next week. If the customer cannot commit to a follow up meeting you can probe them for more information. “I sense that you are hung up on something. What is your biggest concern about making this purchase?” If there is still no commitment, it is probably time for both parties to move on.
  3. Extend an invitation – Unless you already had your customer at your office or facility, invite them to do so so they can get a sense of your quality and customer care. If they are serious about the deal, they will often want to take you up on your offer. If they agree to your invitation, there is a strong chance that you will close the deal.
  4. Perform a demonstration – Again, unless a demo is already a part of your pitch and presentation, this can be a great next step for your customer who is not ready to sign yet. Allow them to touch, test, and sense the experience of your product. Much like a facility visit, if a customer agrees to a demonstration, you have greatly increased your odds of closing the deal.
  5. Create an expectation – No one wants to be pressured in a deal, but we still have to treat one another with respect and professionalism. Some people need more time to research and think than others, but almost everyone has an end date in mind and your job as a salesperson is to learn what that is. Let the customer know what your expectations are as well as finding theirs. ‘Mr Customer, in my experience, most customers make this purchasing decision by 2 weeks. When do you expect to make your decision and can we agree on a time to meet on that date?

Did you find this helpful? Want to learn more techniques to keep your sales moving forward and close more deals? Check out Scorecard training ,here or contact us: ajacobs@scorecardsales.com.