Most sales people have aspirations of being the best in their field. Most have a desire to excel beyond their peers and rise to the top of their industry. One of the most frequent questions I get is, “How do I become a top sales person?”

Well, let’s relate the selling profession to other professions. In many areas, one way to recognize someone who is a qualified expert in their field, who has an abundance of knowledge on a particular topic, is someone who holds a PhD in that field.

The abbreviation PhD stands for “Philosophiae Doctor,” which is Latin for Doctor of Philosophy. Of course, I would say that term could not be any more appropriate to describe a master sales expert! If you want to become the best, then get a PhD, a doctorate in sales!

Sales Doctor
On average earning a PhD or Doctorate’s Degree requires 8 to 12 years of study or at least 4 years after earning a Master’s Degree. However, let’s relate this to selling. Of course, one of the most appealing aspects of our profession is that time is not the issue. In the sales business, it is all about merit. Like a car, it is the mileage, not the age that counts. So how can you earn what would be the equivalent of a PhD in selling in less than 8 years? Try this formula.

A Formula for a PhD in Sales
I’ve come up with a formula that I believe represents a fair equivalent to earning a doctorate in selling and takes into account the vast differences in products, services, commissions structures and sales processes.

The Common Denominator
With one company and product, a top-level sales person may close five sales a week. However, with another product, you may need to make five sales every day to be just average, and with yet another product, to close five sales in a whole year would make you a top producer. Since products vary so much, you need a common denominator in sales. The best common denominator to measure sales success is income. So, let’s begin there.

#1 – Top Income
In determining your PhD, first find the top earning sales person in your profession or industry. That does not mean just in your firm, but in your industry. Find a top-level sales person or consider what the highest level of sales achievement is in your company. In either case, get a number in terms of annual income that the big dogs make.

#2 – Average Sale and Commission
Now, find out what is the average sale in your business, and the average commission for that sale.

#3 – Divide the Average Commission into the Top Annual Income
Next, take the average commission earned on the average sale and divide that into the top annual income. This will give you the number of sales needed to earn the top income.

#4 – Times the Closing Average
Multiply the number of sales needed by the closing average to get the number of closing attempts needed to earn the top income.

#5 – Times Three
Finally, multiply that number by three.

The resulting number is the amount of closing attempts you need to make to earn a PhD.

An Example
Let us assume that in your field the top sales people earn £100,000 a year. You then find that the average sales commission is £250. Therefore, on average, it will take 400 sales to earn the £100,000.  (£100,000 / £250 = 400)

Of course, the top sales people may have a much higher average sale. However, use the company average, not that of the top sales person.

Now, with 400 sales, consider the closing average. Again, this is the company closing average and not that of the top producers. The closing average we will assume is 20%, or one out of five. Therefore, we will say that it will take 2,000 closing attempts to close 400 sales.  (400 x 5= 2,000)

Finally, take that 2,000 and multiply it by three and you get 6,000.

If the above numbers represented your business, and you put yourself in position to close, to ask for the order 6,000 times, you would have earned a PhD!

You see; prospecting skills, closing skills, knowing your business, understanding the competition, account management, referrals, everything must come into play for you to be able to perform the required number of sales interactions. Figure out the numbers in your profession and bring it down to a number of closing attempts and multiply it by three.

8 Years or Less?
How long will it take to achieve a sales PhD in the above example? Could it take three years? Possibly. However, can it be done in two years? About a year and a half? Alternatively, it may take someone five or six years to finally see 6,000 prospects. That is where the merit comes in.

Earn your PhD in selling your product or service and you are sure to become a tenured member of the sales elite in your industry!

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

Stop scratching around for sales and learn how to sell the modern way with my FREE 40 minute online training session. Click on the image below to find out why you’ve got to be changing the way that you prospect and sell…

Some call it “small talk.” Others refer to it as the “warm up.” You know; it’s that idle, incidental banter between you and the prospect as you get things into place before the sales interaction. This warm up talk is more important than many realise and can steer the sales process in a positive or negative direction. In addition, this time for many sales people and prospective customers, is a waste of time. So, read on as I share a few tips on making sure this SMALL talk pays BIG dividends.

Part of the Sales Interaction
First, you need to pay as much attention to the structure and planning of the warm up as you do to the rest of the sales interaction. The warm up IS part of the sales interaction and an integral part of the entire sales process. Do not take for granted this period, and keep in mind the following three ideas.

#1 – Prevent the Conversation From Going Off Target.
You want to make sure the direction of the talk does not veer too far off on a tangent such as becoming too personal for the product or service at issue. It is fine to touch briefly on topics like the family and children and sports, etc., especially if the product warrants such information. However, be careful not to let this become liken to two ol’ buddy’s having a pint at the local pub. This is business.

Far too often sales people fall into the trap of trying to become best friends with the prospect first. While it is important to develop a good rapport with the prospect, today’s modern and educated buyer is not going to buy from you just because you are a nice and likable person.

You also want to direct the conversation so it does not delve into sensitive areas such as politics or religion. Even if you may happen to agree with the buyer’s views on those kinds of topics, they are always dangerous during a sales call.

#2 – Gather More Information
Use this time to get more information that will help close the sale. Ask questions that are of a warm up nature, yet have a business foundation. As an example, you may make a comment on how nice the prospect’s office looks when you walk in. Take that comment to another level and get some information that may aid in the sales process.

As an example, let’s say this sales person sells computer hardware and services. Instead of:

Sales Person
“Wow, Sarah! This is a great office! Beautiful, and you have such a lovely view of the water.”

Prospect
“Thank you. I like it.”

Try…

Sales Person
“Wow, Sarah! This is a great office! Beautiful, and you have such a lovely view of the water. Do you own the whole floor?”

Prospect
“Yes. Our office goes all the way around the building and we have two other floors as well.”

Sales Person
“That’s great. So, about how many employees in this building?”

Prospect
“Oh, a little over 300 at this location.”

Sales Person
“So, that’s at least 300 PCs…How many servers operating here?”

You get the idea. Use the warm up to get information.

#3 – Position the Buyer as a Client
Use the warm up to help paint the picture of the prospect as a customer. In other words, make comments that show the prospect that many of your clients are his or her peers and share many of the same problems and issues; issues that you have solved for them.

Prospect
“Yeah well, we used to be over on Coventry Lane and I had over 500,000 square feet. But with the economy downturn, I had to relocate to this smaller facility.”

Sales Person
“Oh, I understand that, Steve. In fact, I was able to assist several of my clients, right after they made that type of transition…”

Plan the warm up. It is part of the sales presentation.

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

Stop scratching around for sales and learn how to sell the modern way with my FREE 40 minute online training session. Click on the image below to find out why you’ve got to be changing the way that you prospect and sell…

 (Image by Renjith Krishnan)

Your LinkedIn “teaser” is the short header section which appears at the top of your profile on the site, and includes your picture, name, profession, location, industry and most recent status update.

It’s known as the “teaser” because it’s the only section of your LinkedIn profile which shows up when you appear in the platform’s search results and when you contribute to a discussion in one of your LinkedIn groups. This is the equivalent of your first impression on the site, and it is so important to optimise this part of your profile to the fullest to encourage people to click through to your full profile and find out more about you.

The basic rules of optimising your “teaser” for best results include using a professional image of yourself (no holiday snaps please!) and making sure the name you use is the one that you are referred to as within your professional environment – so no nicknames or abbreviations.

It’s also important to include the most relevant industry and the local area of your company within your teaser so that people can who are searching for the products and services you provide in your local area can find you easily when they are searching online. But the really important factor lies within your professional headline.

Your professional headline should be a one line power house of a bio, which explains in good detail but in few words exactly what your company does, your role within the company and most importantly what you and your company can do for your prospects.

You need to choose the keywords that will trigger a response when a prospect is searching for somebody in your area of expertise and make sure you clearly explain to them how what you do will benefit them.

For example, my headline on LinkedIn could simply read “Marketing Manager at MTD Training”, but although it does explain my role within my company, it doesn’t explain what my company does or sell me as a professional within my industry.

So, I have optimised my LinkedIn headline to read “Marketing Manager at MTD – We Help Businesses To Improve Their Sales People, Their Managers & HR Capability” – as this clearly names my company, describes my role and explains what myself and my company can do for potential clients. Bingo!

Your “teaser” – and most importantly your headline – is critical because this is the first thing people will see when you show up in their search results or respond to their post in a group, so you need to fully optimise your teaser and polish up its appeal.  Not only will this help you make the right first impression but it will also encourage new connections to read your full profile and potentially choose to connect with you.

That’s all for now folks, see you again soon for another Techy Tuesday.

Regards,

Louise

Louise Denny

Marketing Manager

Many sales people ask if they should buy the product or use the service that they sell. My answer is also a question in, “Do you truly believe in what you sell?” I will make this short and sweet:

“If you qualify as a prospect for what you sell, then the first sale you should make should be to yourself.”

I want to stress, that the prerequisite is that you must be able be a qualified prospect for the product or service. In other words, if you sell jet aircraft to Fortune 1,000 CEOs, then you probably do not qualify as a viable prospect.

However, if you fit the parameters of a prospect that you would normally go after, then yes, you should own the product.

Can’t Afford It
If your first thought is that of course, you would buy the product and you will someday, but right now, you just cannot afford it; then you do not believe in what you sell. This lack of true belief will cause you a ton of problems. You will lose more sales than you can ever realize because you will have to empathize with the prospect.

I Understand How You Feel
Any excuse you use for yourself, for not owning the product; you will have no choice but to believe and understand when the prospect gives you that same reason for not buying. You feel that you simply, and very honestly, do not have the money to buy the product right now. You know you are not lying to yourself, as you know your own financial situation. It is the truth, not a stall or an excuse. Ok.

However, when a prospect, who is equally as sincere, tells you that he or she honestly cannot afford it right now, you will have no choice but to believe them and accept that answer. You may use all of the rebuttals in your sales script, and rattle off the usual off-pat answers to the objection, but deep down inside, you will be saying, “Yeah, I understand how you feel, Mr Prospect. I can’t afford one either.”

Come Back Next Month
Likewise, when the prospect pleads with you, “I really love the product, and I want it. I just can’t do it today. If you come back next month, I’ll be ready to buy…” When this happens, your words may try to overcome the objection, but your eyes will be saying, “Yes, I think I will get one next month too.”

Create the Objection
In addition to the above, you will actually create more objections than you overcome, and ironically, they will be the same objections YOU use not to buy. If you feel you cannot afford it, you will get ‘I can’t afford it’ objections all day long. If you believe the price is too high, watch how many prospective customers tell you the same thing.

Get On or Get Off
If you believe in what you sell, and are a qualified buyer, then buy the product. That means, PAY for it! I am not talking about getting some free-be from the company. Aside from perhaps a small discount, you need to buy the product the same way your customers do.

Huge Return on Your Investment
If you want to energize your career, and dramatically increase your income overnight, try this: No matter how difficult it is, stretch the budget, sacrifice a bit, and buy your product from yourself. The brief pain of the expenditure will dissipate quickly, leaving you with the great benefits your product offers. You will reap the rewards and realise that it was worth the money.

When that happens you will begin to close with such strength, you may not recognise yourself, and your closing percentage will sky rocket along with your income. In addition to the benefits you get from owning the product or using the service, you will essentially get a raise. Oh, and let’s not forget, that when you closed yourself, you got a commission too!

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

(Image by Digital Art)

Stop scratching around for sales and learn how to sell the modern way with my FREE 40 minute online training session. Click on the image below to find out why you’ve got to be changing the way that you prospect and sell…

The sales team works hard. Most put in long hours, study diligently and follow the plan. However, are all doing as well as they can? Are all of your sales people actually working as hard, trying has much and giving it all they have? In short, are they doing their very best?

Below are some effective ways to help you motivate your sales people to do their very best and try their hardest. After all, often the only missing ingredient between success and failure is that last little push.

Money is Not the Prime Motivating Factor
First, find out what it is that truly motivates each sales person. Understand that on the surface, and even to the sales person, that motivator may appear to be the money, but it is not. The sales person who is motivated by money, is really inspired by the things that the money will do for him or her. The person’s desire is the results, lifestyle, power, influence, fun or any number of a thousand things that the money will provide.

Your job is to find out exactly what it is that money provides that powers the sales person, and use it as the proverbial “carrot.”

Uncover Past Feats of Great Inspiration
In attempting to discover what a sales person’s motivating triggers may be, look to a time in his or her past, for a demonstration of great inspiration. Everyone has a story when they persevered through enormous adversity to succeed. Everyone has a story about when they would not stop, would not give up and won against all odds.

Such an experience could have been in a business setting, or something personal like overcoming a health problem, passing a difficult test, getting a degree, pursuing a member of the opposite sex, quitting smoking or learning to swim. Everyone has a situation where they pushed their hardest and succeeded.

You should get to know your sales team on a level more personal than just business. Take an interest in their lives and get to know them. In doing so, uncover one of those great challenges, and see what was the underlying motivation.

Perhaps it was love, or the feeling of power, or being in control. Often, it is recognition and pride. The point is that you want to take those past underlying motivational triggers, and use them today.

The Marathon
As an example, you ask a sales team member to explain the greatest challenge he has ever faced and overcome. The reply is that he trained for years, tried and failed many times, but finally he completed a full marathon race.

You next ask him to explain why he went through so much effort. Why was it so important and what drove him to keep trying? He tells you that it was simply to be able to know that he was capable of doing it.

Obviously, self-satisfaction and inner pride are driving issues for this sales person. You then use such ideas during your personal motivating meetings with this sales person.

“You know Steve, it is extremely tough and may take a lot of tries to do it, but if you can hit 45 sales in one month, you can take pride in knowing that you are the first person to ever reach that goal in the first year with the firm.”

Perhaps the marathon runner’s answer was that she wanted to prove all of those people wrong who said that she could never do it.

“Sarah, if you could close 45 sales this month, you will prove me and other managers wrong…”

Do It Again
Please understand, I am not talking about trying to manipulate people nor am I suggesting some psychological mind games. I am simply suggesting that you find what motivating factors led someone to overcome great obstacles in the past, and use those same factors in the present. In fact, do this to and for yourself!

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

(Image by Nattavut)

Stop scratching around for sales and learn how to sell the modern way with my FREE 40 minute online training session. Click on the image below to find out why you’ve got to be changing the way that you prospect and sell…

Listening skills…

Every sales manager and director tells you how important they are but do they actually tell you how to improve them!

As sales people elevate their sales skills in other areas, often the area of listening begins to suffer, and usually it is the more experienced pros who are the biggest culprits. There are reasons that listening skills deteriorate over time in the sales business and below are the main three. Avoid these mental mistakes and you will increase your listening skills and close more sales!

Listening Mistake #1 = Knowing the questions and answers before you hear them
One of the main problems happens as sales people get to the point where they know all of the answers. You have heard all of the objections a thousand times and you believe you already know what the prospect is going to say. When this happens, it is easy to hear but a fraction of what the prospect actually says, as you mentally anticipate the rest of the question or statement. The problem is that often you are incorrect. You THINK you heard what the prospect said, when you really heard what was in your mind.

Solution: To help avoid this, look to discover new answers and thoughts. Try to make them tell you something you have not heard before. This can only help you get better. When the prospect begins that question that you know you have heard before; stop and try to find what is different about this question. To your surprise, you will find some new thoughts and ideas.

Listening Mistake #2 = Formulating your response before the prospect has finished
Following mistake #1, many sales people begin to formulate their response to the prospect as the prospect is still speaking. The prospect begins to explain his or her concern. You believe you know exactly what they are going to say, and you begin rehearsing in your mind what you will say back. Anxious to obliterate the prospect’s objection immediately, often the sales person will cut off the prospect in mid-sentence.

Solution: Wait until the prospect has completed their thought, and then count to three before you open your mouth. This not only helps you listen and digest exactly what the prospect said, but it also helps you avoid belittling the prospect. Do not be too quick to “have an answer for everything.” Take time and let the prospect see that you are thinking and that his or her concern is important.

Listening Mistake #3 = Lack of eye contact
Most sales people diligently try to maintain eye contact when they are speaking. However, many seem to wander as the prospect talks. Listening entails more than just your ears. You have to listen with your eyes and emotions.

Solution: Maintain constant eye contact every time the prospect says anything. Take in and note the prospect’s body language, facial expression and movements. You need to SEE and FEEL what the prospect is saying in addition to hearing it.

So, lose the sales Crystal Ball that tells you exactly what the prospect will say before they say it. Don’t write your thank you speech before the game is over and listen with your eyes as well as your ears.

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

(Image by HigherSights)

Stop scratching around for sales and learn how to sell the modern way with my FREE 40 minute online training session. Click on the image below to find out why you’ve got to be changing the way that you prospect and sell…

Every sales person knows that to set yourself apart from your competition is a vital component of your sales process.

Although you may get many chances to do this during the sales process, the best time to differentiate yourself is in the very beginning. Here are three powerful ways to help you eliminate your competition so they could ultimately respond with “You had me at hello!”

#1. Response Time
While it seems that everyone invests enormous amounts of time and money on increasing web presence and traffic; not as many invest equal resources on responding to those enquiries. Those emails and incoming phone calls are critical and the time it takes to respond is as important, if not more so, than how you respond.

Take any measures necessary to respond instantly to web enquires. By instantly, I do not mean a few days later or even the next day. I am also not referring to an automated response saying that you received their enquiry. You need to contact that prospect with a personal telephone call or email within minutes or as soon as physically possible. Establish alert systems, forwarding avenues; do whatever you have to do. Hire a dedicated person to respond or to distribute enquiries to the appropriate sales person if needed.

Now, I know some of you are probably thinking, “Now, wait a minute, Sean…that can cost a fortune and we do very well with incoming leads.” Do you honestly know exactly what your enquiry-to-lead conversation rate is? Do you know exactly how many calls came in to the front desk and how many become bona-fide leads? Do you have actual data or are you guessing?

When you get that enquiry, chances are yours is not the only site that prospect hit, nor the only request for more information they submitted online. People have become used to waiting days or even weeks to hear from a real live person with answers to their questions. Respond instantly and with customised information not generic sales-brochure type rhetoric.

#2. Give Something
Now, in that instant response, or if this is an outgoing call or contact, give the prospect something first before you begin asking for business. By this, I mean you need to offer the prospect information, ideas and advice that are useful to them, and do so without the thought of receiving anything in return. Educate the prospect during that first contact. Help them.

#3. Become a Consultant and Advisor
During that first contact, you need to raise yourself to the level of a consultant who is a leader in their industry. To accomplish this successfully, you need to ask THE question. THE question is one for which the prospect has not yet thought of. You need to ask a question that shows the prospect that you understand their situation and problems even more than they do. You need to ask that question that the prospect cannot answer.

It is that question to where the prospect’s only response is something like, “Uh…um. I never thought about that. What do you think?” When this happens, you have become the advisor!

If you do not currently have several such questions that make the prospect dig deep; that uncover areas of problems and pain that the prospect is unaware…then you need go back to the drawing board and figure out a list of questions that help to unearth their true hot buttons. However, you cannot TELL. You must ASK.

Respond instantaneously.
Offer some free information or advice.
Ask a question that solidifies you as an expert and you will eliminate competition before they can compete!

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

(Image by Chaiwat)

Stop scratching around for sales and learn how to sell the modern way with my FREE 40 minute online training session. Click on the image below to find out why you’ve got to be changing the way that you prospect and sell…

So how exactly do you prospect on LinkedIn?

Most sales professionals and business owners are only aware of their first degree connections. These are the people that you probably already knew before LinkedIn; friends, colleagues, people you have worked with in the past etc.  But these connections might not be potential prospects for you, so how can you get to the key decision makers who you really want to engage with?

The real gold which LinkedIn has to offer (more than any other social networking site) is the ability to be introduced to key decision makers you may otherwise not be able to reach. It quite literally is a prospecting power tool…in the right hands.

The real value in the site doesn’t necessarily come from who you are connected to, but who your connections are connected to – and the great thing about LinkedIn is that it doesn’t just show your own network, it also shows your network’s network. In fact, LinkedIn even shows you how you are connected to these prospects so that you can ask for an introduction from your shared connection in order to make that first contact.

Say for instance you are already connected to the Sales Manager of particular company, but the connection you’re really interested in is the Sales Director of their company who they are already connected to.

By building up a solid relationship with your current connection – giving them good advice, offering solutions to their problems or suggesting interesting content that may help them – you can then ask them with confidence to recommend you as a connection to the key decision maker you are keen to network with. After all, you’ve proved to be a good connection to them so why would they not consider recommending you to their colleagues?

But it goes further than that. Whilst asking for a recommendation to connect on the LinkedIn platform is a start, what you really want is to get to talk to this key decision maker outside of the site, via email or on the phone.

If you have a new product or an interesting whitepaper you feel would really benefit the Sales Director of the company, email or call your first degree connection and speak to them directly about what you have to offer them and the company, and then either ask to speak to their Sales Director directly or set an appointment where you can meet with them both to discuss things further.

If you have a good relationship with your first degree connection you will find it much easier getting them to pass you on to their superiors and setting an appointment with them – you are literally bypassing the gatekeeper and getting right into the heart of the company.  

This is the gold on offer through the LinkedIn platform, and by putting in the time and effort with your current connections you could soon find yourself being recommended to the key decision makers you are looking to work with – an opportunity you may not otherwise get.

That’s all for now folks, see you again soon for another Techy Tuesday.

Regards,

Louise

Louise Denny

Marketing Manager

(Image by  Jannoon)

Whenever the idea of a planned presentation comes up, usually the first thing sales people think about is a “canned script.” In a canned script, I am referring to the old-fashioned, smile-and-dial era, word-for-word, rehearsed, “Pitch.” Such was a primary tool of sales people, in particular telemarketers, years ago. Alternatively, we had the opposite of the canned spiel with the show up and throw up method, where sales people just walked in and did whatever they thought came natural.

While most sales professionals have rose above the smile and dial pitch, the question arises of the validity of using a planned sales presentation today. While not exactly a throw-up tactic, many still believe it is best to know all you can know about your product and prospect, and then just go in and let the sales interaction flow impromptu, directed by the prospect’s interests. So, dealing with today’s modern and educated buyer, should you play-it-by-ear and wing it, or use a planned and structured sales interaction?

Defining a Planned Sales Interaction
I believe that for the majority of selling situations, you should use a well-planned and structured sales presentation; but allow me to define exactly what I mean.

Although with a planned presentation, you may have a few words or phrases that you might use verbatim, I am not talking about a canned script. By a planned presentation, I am referring to “a thoroughly interactive, yet totally controlled methodical process that systemically moves the sale through incremental, yet critical stages, accomplishing interim goals at each step, while maximizing the odds of closing the sale.”

You can keep your sales interaction feeling impromptu, but you must have a way to control the direction and outcomes. You should have a step-by-step process that leads to a successful conclusion. In such, you can maintain the flexibility to adapt to responses, yet keep the process on track towards a narrow objective.

A Strategy
A Planned sales interaction is a strategy. With a planned interaction, you want to know what you need to accomplish at each stage of the presentation. For instance, in your first step, you may want to design proper seating arrangements as soon as you arrive. Or you may want to find out more about the prospect’s delivery systems during your warm-up talk. Perhaps you need to uncover more about the current contract the prospect has with a competitor.

In your second stage, perhaps you need to uncover exactly how much the prospect is spending on the outdated system, how much time their people are wasting due to lack of training. It is a plan on what you need to accomplish and when.

Planned VS Canned
So what is the difference between a planned sales interaction and a canned pitch?

A Canned Script – PUSHES: Pushes benefits, forces ideas, and minimises interaction.
A Planned Structure – Pulls: Pulls out problems, uncovers pain and maximises interaction.

A Canned Script – SUPPRESSES: Suppresses responses and objections and stifles emotion.
A Planned Structure – EXTRACTS: Extracts responses and objections early or avoids them and stimulates emotion.

A Canned Script – TELLS: Tells the prospect things.
A Planned Structure – ASKS: Asks the prospect questions.

In dealing with today’s sophisticated and educated buyer, now more than ever, you need to have a well-thought-out plan. You must have a strategy to accomplish every sales goal, including just setting an appointment.

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

Stop scratching around for sales and learn how to sell the modern way with my FREE 40 minute online training session. Click on the image below to find out why you’ve got to be changing the way that you prospect and sell…

Due to circumstances well beyond your control, the new software version upgrade will not ship as promised. The sales team has anxious clients waiting for the upgrade, in addition to many prospects who are interested in seeing the new version. Moreover, the delay means that regular monthly maintenance fees are suspended and the sales team will not receive their monthly residual commissions!

Now it is your job to deliver this uplifting news to the sales team. Arrrgh!

In business, things do not always go as planned and there are times when your firm may have to endure negative, costly and painful information. How you deliver such information to your sales team is critical.

The Positive Sandwich
You may have heard of the concept of the positive sandwich, in when delivering disconcerting information, you simply position the bad material in between two positive discussions. Lead off with something good, quickly disseminate the bad, and then close with something good. While there is nothing wrong with this concept as it makes sense and works quite well in many situations such as public speaking; today’s modern sales people may need a bit more.

Start at the Bottom and Go Up
Eliminate the emotional rollercoaster. Begin with the worse news possible, and then deliver good news. Follow that by even better news and then the best news. Finally, show some example of this good news in action.

As an example, using our hypothetical software upgrade above, you would deliver the bad news that the upgrade is late as are residual commissions. Then, share the good news that the upgrade has additional features and benefits. Better news; that clients who upgrade will get a reduction in their monthly service fees. Follow that by best news that sales people will get a raise in their residual percentage. Finally, share an example of the good news with the fact that the new features will open up new markets and more sales opportunities for the sales team.

Expectations Shape Perception
The most powerful way to deliver bad news to your sales team is to shape their expectations of that news.

Have you ever felt a movie would be the best movie of its genre you have ever seen, only to find that the movie was not as good as you thought? Alternatively, the movie you thought would be a flop, was not as bad as you thought it would be.

A company earns $200 million in profits. However, the company failed to meet the Wall Street expectations of $206 million, and therefore did not perform very well. Expectations greatly influence perception.

When you need to deliver bad news to the sales teams, start by shaping their expectations of the upcoming news. Let the team know that in the next meeting, you have some very bad news to share. You do not want to exaggerate or lie, and you don’t have to. Individual human imagination will run rampant as sales people envision their own worst possible nightmarish fears.

Now, by the time you deliver the actual news, you can rest assured that it will be nowhere near half as horrible as they thought. Now use a nonchalant, light-hearted tone of voice when delivering the news and the sales team’s perception will be that the news was really not that bad at all!

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

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