Thoughtful Thursdays - Don't bore me with the details

There are lot of benefits to be realized by noticing the "little" things during a sales call. The major benefit being the shortening of the sales cycle.

The "little" things I am referring to relate may help reveal the personality of your contact. The value of knowing your audience is undeniable. The ability to assess and adjust your approach is a competency that develops over a period of time and increases with experience.

So, what might you be observing while listening?

• Is the office neat or does it appear to be in disarray?
• How is the customer dressed?
• What is hanging on the walls?
• Are there family pictures?
• Is there note taking?
• Does your customer keep looking at the time?
• Eye contact?
• Are there interruptions?
• On time, or do you have to wait?

These kinds of observations will help you determine who your audience is. With that knowledge you can adjust your approach to match their personality. There is more value focusing on numbers and details with an analytical personality, where the intuitive type may be more interested in the theory.

Remember the formula: Two eyes, two ears and one mouth, use them in the same proportions to your advantage.

Good selling,
Richard

Thoughtful Thursdays - It's all about helping

Dealing with an unhappy customer is something every sales person will face from time to time and can bring feelings of apprehension to the most seasoned professional.
Lets face it, eventually something will go wrong and just as you are well prepared to address objections to sales, you will do well to be mindful of times when all does not go to plan.
Fears can develop when we begin to think about worst case scenarios. Not that it is not a good idea to be mindful of the worst that might happen, but don't put yourself there until all the facts are gathered. Arthur Conan Doyle said: "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Sensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."

The fact is that your customer is unhappy and it is your responsibility to find out why. It is an opportunity to help someone who is in need of your assistance. Think in terms of helping and the task will become easier to accomplish. Employ your best sales tactics - listen and learn before offering any solutions. Be prepared to listen for quite a while as well.

One more suggestion: Contact your customer in real time. That means in person or by telephone, not email or similar. Personal service is the order of the day.

Good selling,
Richard

Thoughtful Thursdays - Starting a business is a full time job

If you are the owner/operator of the business, it might be said that it is more like having several full time jobs. The responsibilities range from setting company values to taking out the trash and everything in between.

It should come as no surprise that time is one, if not the most valuable resource you have. Having said that, it is also one that is most misused. How times have you heard that something did not get done because "I just didn't have the time" or "I ran out of time" or I was too busy" or ...you get the idea.

Many start-ups today are home based micro-businesses. Cash resources are often tight and cash flow management is critical. Once a plan is developed, the priority is to generate profitable sales revenues as quickly as possible.

Here is a short  list of common barriers to making sales many new entrepreneurs encounter:

• Building their own website
• Designing their own promotional material
• Non-business related activities
• Doing laundry
• Taking care of the kids
• Shopping
• Yard work
• Running errands for others
• Conducting unnecessary research
• Not working instead of networking
• Waiting for phone calls

These are activities that take a sales person off the road.

A few good questions to ask yourself before engaging in any activity, is one that a manager might ask: "How will this contribute to achieving sales?" If the activity will not, then are you willing to accept the consequence of not making sales as quickly as needed.? Can your business afford this?

To be successful your business needs you to be all in. If you are not for any reason, then your expectations may need to be reviewed.

Good selling,
Richard

Thoughtful Thursdays - Prospecting

Closing that first new, new customer is a challenging task, yet one of the most rewarding closes a new business owner can make. This is a customer that does not come from a referral or previous business relationship. It is new business developed from a new prospect identified from scratch.

Today's thought is about identifying those prospects in a timely manner.

Networking is a powerful tool that can generate many new prospects. Business directories, industry databases and trade associations are also good sources for identifying prospects. In my experience, it is a combination of resources that leads to successful prospecting.

A colleague of mine provides good advice when he says "Don't go looking for the needle until you identify the correct haystack."

If you are experiencing challenges prospecting, you may not be searching in the correct haystack. If this is the case, revisiting your market research will likely be a beneficial. Does the target market identified represent the people/businesses that are most likely going to want to purchase your products/services? If not, further research will help bring clarity.

If the target market is correct, are you prospecting in the venues where they are most likely to be found? Networking quickly turns into not working if this is the case. Review your activities and confirm  that you are in the right places on a regular basis.

Good selling,
Richard

Thoughtful Thursdays - Damage control

Once in a while best laid plans go off the rails. In a worst case scenario the reputation of your business can be damaged and image re-building is the order of the day.

A recent group discussion based on an Moneyville article brought to light a situation where a business appears to be experiencing a loss of customer confidence.

Without knowing all the details, it looks like a promotion may not have considered the possibility of success beyond expectations, and as a result there are unhappy customers.

Today's thought focuses on how one might initiate damage control when something like this happens.

Although it may seem to be a good time to panic, don't. Many companies have experienced similar consequences of actions and survived to talk about it. In several cases they have come out of these situations with stronger customer confidence.

Being honest with your customer is the common theme in turning bad into good. Do your homework, assess the situation and tell them how you plan to fix it. Clearly communicate the action plan to your employees and then tell your customers. Don't keep anyone guessing. The success of repairing any damage will rest on the precise execution of the plan, so be involved and measure the results. Talk to your customers, be prepared to listen and show that you care.

Next week - how to avoid getting into this kind of situation.

Good selling,
Richard