Never Take A NO From Someone Who Cannot Give You A YES!

You should never, ever ask a prospect in sales this question: “Are you the decision maker?”  Why?  Every sales class, book, or sales manager you have connected with tells you that you must be in front of decision makers in sales. This is accurate, and at the same time the way you make the determination is crucial. It takes grace, style and diplomacy to do it correctly.

• People (including prospects & customers) have a way of thinking.
• People want a good outlook and a higher self worth.
• People will do whatever it takes to achieve recognition.

When you ask someone if they are the decision maker and they are not the tendency to distort the truth exists.  The desire to increase one’s self worth comes out in some people.  This is accelerated when they are asked if they are the decision maker and they are not.  It is as if you are asking them to lie.  People say “yes” to that question for that split second of a good feeling. It’s human nature. You can’t clash over this - so don’t try to.

A diplomatic way to determine and involve the right decision makers is to share the following:

“In this age of conscious decision making many of my clients like to engage other people in their organization in the important choices that the company makes.  Given your style of leadership, other than yourself who would you include in your decision making process?”

One way to lengthen your sales cycle is to spend all of your time with people that cannot tell you yes. Often these people can tell you “no,” but they can’t tell you “yes.”  Your job is to get in front of decision makers that can tell you, yes or no.  If all of your sales appointments and conversations are with Jamie, the clerk, you will end up in a tough spot.  The problem is, James will talk to you. James has time for you.  James is nice. James likes you. Warning signs!

Summertime and the Livin' is Easy!

Hello Summer!

Summertime and the Livin' is Easy!

Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high

Yes, indeed, it was a very rough winter for most of you!  Summer weather is wonderful to enjoy!

How are your sales?

Are you heading into that venerable annual tradition: The Summer Sales Slump

When the calendar turns to July and August, most salespeople struggle to prospect because they believe that all of their prospects are on vacation. The fact is, the top 20% of salespeople still find ways to make their quotas in summer, and they also find ways to set up the end of the year so they exceed their revenue goals. 80% of their competition approach summer like they approach everything else in their sales career - they bluff their way through the summer season and hope to run into business.

"It's the middle of July. People don't buy things in July. It's too hot, they're not at the office, and so salespeople don't have to work." There's a French proverb that says, "He who makes excuses, accuses himself." - "Qui s'excuse s'accuse."  The choice is up to each salesperson. They can either make the excuse and say that people don't buy things in the summer or they can use the time more effectively than their competitors.

Smart companies use the summer months to improve their team's selling skills so they are sharp and ready to take advantage of the fourth quarter. The summer months provide a perfect time for salespeople to attend sales training. This is a wonderful opportunity for salespeople to separate themselves from the competition, and set themselves up for a record breaking autumn.

Summer is the perfect time to improve performance and 

knowledge through sales training.

• Attend a sales training course and integrate what you see into your work.

• Use this opportunity as a way catch your competitors while they're snoozing.

The choice is yours: You can either make the excuse and say that people don't buy things in the summer. Or you can use the time more effectively than your competitors.

Join our other Sales Pros!

We'll make it real easy for you this summer with our August sales training offer! 

Register 2 participants for our next Sales Pro PSS Public Session in Fort Myers, Florida August 20 & 21          

1st Participant - $1495 Regular Price            2nd Participant - Half Price - $747.50

August 20 & 21 Public Session Only

SalesPro PSS Brochure - Description of Sales Training

REGISTER HERE FOR SALES PRO PSS

Listen to Norah Jones "Summertime"

Does This Sound Familiar?

I was reminded today of an older church and evangelism story.  A traveling evangelist knocked on a door and was invited into a home. He seemed surprised to be sitting in the living room with the homeowners and their children politely gathered around.  The homeowner prompted the guest evangelist and said, "Well what do you have to share?" The evangelist said, "Well, I have never gotten this far... I am not quite sure..."

That is exactly how I felt when I answered a telephone call this morning from a Chamber of Commerce representative.  She asked if I had ever considered their fair city to do a program in.  Frankly, having recently looked for new options, I settled in to chat with the young lady.  I said that I would like to give a new venue consideration since my clients come in from around the country. I was surprised by the following opening/closing/ending/good bye! "Should I call you back in a few months to check in on you then?"

  

Are your sales people inches away from learning more yet too shy and untrained to take the ball and run with it?  That is exactly what happened for that Chamber of Commerce representative this morning. I wonder if I will even get a call back in a couple of months.  I doubt it.

We teach salespeople to help their prospects and customers to become more productive and profitable.  Are you a member of a Chamber of Commerce that is serving or not serving your community this way?  How about your own business? Do you serve your prospects and customers?

I would enjoy an opportunity to talk with you and to listen to the challenges that you face in the advancement of your sales.  My office number is 239-599-8408 and my email address is Jim@c4oe.com.  Join me on Linked-In.  Follow me on Twitter and Facebook.  View our Blog.  Visit our website

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Is Customer Indifference Hurting Your Business?

"We are very happy with our current provider and have no desire to change." "Not right now. Check back with me in a year as things may have changed by then." "I received all your material and have your contact information. When we have a chance to review it, we will give you a call." "We already have a solution in place and don't plan on evaluating any new ones." " I don't mean to cut you off but we're just not interested in any right now. Thank you." *click* Do any of these sound familiar to you?

As soon as your competitors encounter indifference, they pack up their tents and head for home! Learn how to handle indifference NOW! Customer Indifference - Deal with it! When customers are indifferent to your offering it is often because they are satisfied or even complacent with their current situation and/or are unaware of your offering's potential for meeting their goals. Either way, the customer does not perceive a sufficient need and/or sufficient value in exploring and/or pursuing change. The average salesperson's inability to handle customer indifference may be the greatest single factor contributing to your company's loss of productivity. Customer indifference is one of the most challenging situations salespeople encounter.  Sales calls with indifference are more than two and a half times more likely to be failures than calls without indifference.    Handling Customer Indifference Our sales training program Sales Pro Professional Selling System (PSS) includes addressing Indifference. Participants will explore the reasons why customers may not express needs when they are indifferent and learn how to respond.  Participants learn how to acknowledge the customer's point of view and gain agreement to probe. They then learn how to guide the conversation to create customer awareness of needs and present ways to address such needs. Participants will learn how to: * Acknowledge rather than gloss over customer indifference. * Re-open the sales conversation in a way that expresses value to their customer. * Use a four-stage probing strategy to identify opportunities with their customer and create mutual awareness that they can support.       Jim Ullery We would like to hear about from you!  239-599-8408 Jim@c4oe.com Please visit our website

Sales Pro Professional Selling System

Sales professionals consistently ask one or two questions and begin to sell when they haven't really earned the right to open their briefcase. 

Sales Pro Professional Selling System requires shining the spotlight on the customer to find out what the customer needs, what the customer cares about, and what objectives the customer is trying to achieve.  A seller may need to ask more discovery questions than before, and even ask the tough questions about budget, risks and rewards that they've been afraid to ask in the past.

In our two-day program, participants apply a discipline on the use of skills they know work, yet have not fully optimized in their daily practice  Sales Pro Professional Selling System is specifically designed for sales professionals who want to improve their skills at building strong relationships and delivering outstanding value and results to their customers and back to their own organizations.

Need to Train a Large, Geographically Dispersed Sales Force?

For details and quotes, please call us at 239-599-8408 or email Jim@c4oe.com

Is Summer Sales Training a Good Idea?

When the calendar turns to July and August, most people struggle to prospect because they believe that all of their prospects are on vacation. The fact is, the top 20% of salespeople still find ways to make their quotas in summer, and they also find ways to set up the end of the year so they exceed their revenue goals. 80% of their competition approach summer like they approach everything else in their sales career - they bluff their way through the summer season and hope to run into business.

“It’s the middle of August. People don’t buy things in August. It’s too hot, they’re not at the office, and so salespeople don’t have to work.” There’s a French proverb that says, “He who makes excuses, accuses himself.” – “Qui s'excuse s'accuse.”  The choice is up to each salesperson. They can either make the excuse and say that people don’t buy things in the summer or they can use the time more effectively than their competitors.

Smart companies use the summer months to improve their team's selling skills so they are sharp and ready to take advantage of the fourth quarter. The summer months provide a perfect time for salespeople to attend sales training. This is a wonderful opportunity for companuies to separate themselves from their competition, and set themselves up for a record breaking autumn.