Sales Professionals Breakfast Speaker Lisa Schilling RN CPT

This morning our speaker, Lisa Shilliing RN, CPT,  spoke about balancing you life.  The analogy she used was most of us try to keep plates spinning atop as stick.   Being exhausted from keeping all the work life, family life, volunteer life, etc plates spinning, many times we neglect the last plate, our personal needs.  Not a good idea...   Be mindful when this happens to you.  it's time to stop and smell the roses.  Paying attention to your personal needs keeps us in "alignment" (code for a better and happier person)

Her website is chocked full of good stuff.  In addition she has offered to our group the following as a free down load from her website for the next 48 hours. 

Look for:

• F.I.V.E x F I V E Finding Internal Vision Exercise
• Get your tasks in order with the Get REAL My Master Accomplish List

Go to: http://getrealwellnesssolutions.com/getrealguru/

Lisa was up at 4:00am readying herself for our breakfast and drove 2 hours to be here for a presentation.  No doubt she would appreciate hearing from our group thanking her for her extraordinary effort and presentation this morning.  Her email is: getrealwellnesssolutions@yahoo.com

Have one of your best months ever!!!

10 LinkedIn Tips for Building Your Business

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/linkedin-tips-business-building/

Click on the above link for an article on using Linked In for your business.   This article will take some time to go through as there are examples and videos to watch. I suggest forwarding this to your house email to review over the next couple of weeks.  I think that it is that important.  I could not cut and paste the article so I copied the 10 point to do list.

Cut and paste them into a Word Document, give yourself some spacing and you can use the list to make notes as you review the above link.

•  Use Appropriate Keywords in Headings and Titles
• Mirror your On Line and Off line Business Network with Linked In
• Tag your Skills and Expertise
• Link your Website with Keyword Anchor Text
• Personally Welcome and Acknowledge New Connections
• Add Video to your Profile to make it come alive
• Note important Details and Opportunities for Next Actions
• Tag and Filter connections to organize and Build Relationships
• Use Context to Acquire Business Intelligence
• Periodically Update your CRM with Data from Linked In

I do not know half of the things that the author is telling me about Linked In. I think that that puts me behind in this juggernaut called Linked In. I really encourage our Sales Professionals to take some time and use the Linked In Tool in your business life.

Proactivity and Presentations

This article from Dave Kahle Cuts to the Chase.  How many presentations are you or your sales people doing a week, month, or whatever time frame?  No judgments No Aspersions being cast.  No One will read your answers, but you know or will know if you ask the question.



Copyright MMX, by Dave Kahle


A few years ago, I was working with a VP of sales on a new compensation plan for his sales force. He wanted, among other things, to encourage the sales force to make more presentations of new products and programs to their customers.


“How many presentations do you think they make each week, on the average,” I asked.


“I don’t think a week is the right duration to measure,” he replied.


“OK,” I said, “Let’s use a month. How many presentations to you think they make per month?”


“I think we’d be lucky if they averaged one,” he said. I was stunned. One? How could that be?


“If they aren’t presenting something, what are they doing?” I asked. His answer: 


“Taking care of problems, nurturing the relationship, writing orders – just generally being nice guys, and taking care of the customers.”


“You don’t have sales people,” I replied, “You have mobile customer service representatives.”


Unfortunately, the company described above is no longer is existence. Their fortunes were tied to a major product line. When a new management team decided to take that line direct, the company was unable to fill the void, and, after 80 years of existence, closed their doors. One of the contributing factors was their inability to create demand for their new product lines. In other words, they couldn’t sell very well. 

Personal note from Dave Kahle "I hope you enjoy this article. We have lots of resources on this site, ranging from dozens of similar free articles, podcasts, weekly features, books , CDs and video training programs. Enjoy! "

Alas, his story isn’t at all unique. The world is full of people who call themselves sales people, but whose vision of their job is really a “mobile customer service rep.”

Their idea of selling is to: 

• Be a nice guy 
• Fix any problems the customer might have 
• Hope that the customers ask about something.
• If they get along with the customer, that relationship will lead them to buy, or so they believe.

There was a time when the mobile customer service rep model worked well. Business was simpler, customers had more time, and competition was not nearly as fierce. Manufacturers fielded larger sales forces, and created the demand for the product. Distributors merely supported it. A distribution company could get by hiring nice guys who had some industry experience. Few companies actually trained their sales people in the best practices of consultative selling, because, if they were nice guys, people would buy from them. They didn’t have to actually sell.


Now, however, we are in a new economic climate. Astute CEOs are realizing that they cannot wait for the economy to improve to grow their businesses. The companies who want to survive and thrive, and the sales people who work for them, will need to sell better than their competitors.


That means they can no longer merely expect their relationships to stimulate their sales. Higher order skills are required.


In the new economy, both distributor sales people and distribution companies will need to create demand for the lines they carry – to actually, really and truly, sell.

One measurement of the quality of a sales force: 

• Is the degree to which the sales force is proactive 
• To what extent do the sales people routinely plan for the penetration of key accounts 
• Plan for sales calls 
• Assertively setting the agendas 
• Probing customer issues AND 
• Presenting Solutions via Presentations?

Sales forces, real sales forces, concentrate on doing all these things, routinely and well.


Here’s one simple little measurement that will shed a light onto the degree to which you, or your sales force, are proactive: Measure the quantity of sales presentations made every month. Easy, simple and incredibly revealing.


A sales presentation occurs when a sales person delivers some information to the customer about something that the customer can buy from him. So, for example, when a sales rep lays down a sell sheet about a new product, and says, “Let me tell you about this,” that is a sales presentation. So, too, for the product demonstration, the written proposal, even a response to a request for a bid or quote.


If you can pull this information off a CRM system, great. But even a simple hash mark system will work. Every time you, or your sales people, make a presentation, just scratch a hash mark onto a piece of paper. At the end of the week, count up the total. See how proactive you actually are.


Critics will be quick to point out the flaws in the system. There is no provision for the size of the presentation. In other words, a presentation in a “C” account counts the same as a presentation in an “A” account. And what about those big deals where it may take several months to get to the point where you can make a presentation? There is no accounting for that.


Fair enough. You can certainly add some layers of sophistication to take into account the size and strategic value of the account. But for now, let’s just get an indication of the degree to which you, or your sales force, are proactive sellers. Everything else being equal, the mobile customer service reps will make very few presentations, where the proactive sellers will make considerably more presentations.


This simple little measurement – the quantity of sales presentations made – can go a long ways into shedding light on the degree to which you, and your sales force are equipped to sell better in the new muddle economy.

How many presentations did you make?

• Last Week
• The Week before That
• And Last Month

This is not to judge, but you need to write that figure down and then work to improve...


Mel

Active Listening

Sales people need to follow the “100 Percent Rule” –
• Sales people must take 100% of the responsibility for making sure the customer understands them.
• Sales people must take 100% of the responsibility for understanding what the customer says

This article gives you some suggestions on taking this full responsibility

Mel Carney

When talking about sales skills, the first thing that comes to mind for many is asking questions. Rightly so. Asking questions, however, is not one-way … often the best questions are ones that build on prior statements – resulting in a sales call that resembles a business conversation with a smooth flow between those participating. 

This necessitates the sales person not only hearing what the customer says but actually listening to what’s been said. And, the customer must know you have listened. This means listening isn’t a passive activity – it’s an active sport. What do we know about listening? 

Remember the old adage – “in one ear and out the other.” Unfortunately this is one of those cases where the old adage rings true. Research tells us that after listening to someone talk, immediately after you only remember ½ of what was said. And after 8 hours, you only remember ½ of that! 

This means sales people need to follow the “100 Percent Rule” – sales people must take 100% of the responsibility for making sure the customer understands them. And take 100% of the responsibility for understanding what the customer says. 

Let’s explore seven best practices for getting that right: 

1. Test Understanding. “That’s a need I haven’t heard you talk about. Before we move on could you just tell me more about …” Testing understanding invites the customer to continue to discuss or explain so you can achieve a more comprehensive understanding of their needs and opportunities. 

2. Summarize What the Customer Says. Summarizing is a great way for sales people to demonstrate they understand what the customer’s saying. “From what you have said it sounds like your major concern with the existing support could be summarized this way …” Summarizing restates what the customer said in a way that demonstrates understanding. Here, it is important to distinguish Summarizing from “parroting” – the latter being a bad idea. Summarizing paraphrases only the essentials and is stated in your words. 

3. Build Support. “That’s an interesting point – might there be other reasons for building that into the equation? For example, we’ve found in a similar case that …” Building support reinforces or extends the customer’s support or agreement by applying what you have learned from a previous experience or by suggesting its application to a new situation. In a business development

conversation it can provide a proactive approach against competitive action and can provide additional answer to the question – Why us? 

4. Take Notes. You can listen four to five times faster than someone can talk so use the time to evaluate what is being said and take notes. Do it in a transparent way because it indicates you are interested in what the customer is saying. One unintended outcome from talking notes is often the more notes you take, the more the customer will share. And, of course, by taking notes you’re more likely to recall what was said and what commitments were made 

5. Evaluate the Entire Conversation. It is important to not only listen to what is being said, but also to listen to how it is being said, and to what is not being said. Qualifiers or evasive language is informative and the absence of information about a particular issue can be an important signal for future action. 

6. Tune into High Fidelity Situations. Sometimes it is important to turn up the volume. When topics enter the conversation such as: New challenges High risk issues Or key decision criteria it is time to up your game. Plus it’s a good time to pay attention to non-verbal’s. 

7. Be On the Same Page. A good sales call is all about keeping your eye on the customer. A classic trap is doing a really good job in talking about the wrong thing. Periodically ask and really listen to the response as to whether the topic under discussion is a priority for the customer. If the answer is no – it’s time to change topics.

Sales Pros Kansas City is praying for our Colorado Springs Group

Colorado Springs Wildfires

Follow the story in pictures here: http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2012/06/27/colorado-wildfires-waldo-canyon-fire-colorado-springs/5732/

Colorado Springs was going to be the site of Sales Professionals International Convention this year, no word yet on whether that will change.

We are praying for rain and cooler temperatures, and that everyone is safe in Colorado.

THE LESSON OF THE COFFEE BEAN

A daughter complained to her father about how hard things were for her. "As soon as I solve one problem," she said, "another one comes up. I'm tired of struggling."  Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen where he filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the second, eggs, and in the last, ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

The daughter impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. After a while, he went over and turned off the burners. He fished out the carrots and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them a bowl. He poured the coffee into a cup. Turning to her he asked, "Darling, what do you see?" "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

He asked her to come and feel the carrots and when she did she noted that they were very soft.  He then asked her to take an egg and peel the shell and when she did she had a hard-boiled egg in her hand. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. She smiled, as she tasted its rich flavor.

She asked, "What does it mean, Father?" He explained that each of them had faced the same adversity -- boiling water -- but each reacted differently.

1.     The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting, but after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

2.    The egg was fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after being in the boiling water, its insides hardened.

3.    The ground coffee beans were unique. By being in the boiling water, the ground coffee changed the water into a rich and pleasant brew.

He asked his daughter, "When adversity knocks on your door it is you who determines how  you react?  You can give in and become weak, you can harden inside, or you change the situation and become richer because of the test.”

Author is unknown, ah- but the lesson