On the way to work this morning Elvis came on the radio with “A little less conversation a little more action” and I couldn’t help but turn up the volume!

It made me think though of how sales people follow up on their prospects for some reason!

I know….I’m weird!

Picture this:

You’ve had a great meeting with a prospect, you’ve gone away thinking that you can do business and then you call a couple of days later to “touch base” (I know, I hate that term too!) and they say, call back later and then you go into ping pong mode with emails and calls.

The thing is, a lot of sales people follow up on calls just to get updates to see if the prospect has a “yes” or a “no” for them. The prospect knows the reason why you are calling!

You then wonder, how long should you leave it until you call the next time? Would calling back in a couple of days look like I’m desperate?

Instead of these follow up calls where all you’re doing is calling, why not put new prospects into an education and positioning follow up series?

The aim of this is to keep in the front of the prospect’s mind without being a nuisance or looking desperate.

Done in the right way you can look really professional if you execute this correctly.

Here’s what I mean:

DAY 1 - You meet with the prospect
DAY 2 – You send an email saying thanks for the meeting and the next steps you agreed
DAY 4 - They receive something of value to them or their situation like a report, a news article you’ve found, a website link of interest
DAY 8 – You call them. To see if there’s any news and to talk about the resource you sent them

And then you put other actions in place. Note that you’ve spoken to the client twice yet you’ve had “4 touchpoints” with them.

A little less conversation, a little more action does pay off! It’s all about doing the things that your competition are not and it’s not about being a pain in the rear end and bugging them with calls all of the time.

Being in the front of their minds is the most important part and a combination of calls, emails, post and the like go a long way in achieving this.

Happy selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Sales Training

Telephone: 0800 849 6732

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Here’s an interesting question I just got asked:

_________________________________________________

“Hi Sean,

Unfortunately, I don’t need to think too much about my most burning question for you…

It’s an easy one, and I’d title it “How do I keep the momentum going with a prospect” or rewording it into “how not to lose the momentum with a prospect”.

In my business, the sales cycle can easily take one year from initial contact up to deal closure.

During the initial meeting, I often get a response along the lines of “great idea”, “I love it”, “we need to do it”, which is followed by “now we need to wait for CEO decision / budget confirmation/ take-over to be complete / products to be available and many other challenges.

My question: How to keep these prospects “hot”, during the long period from initial meeting up to finalising the deal?

The problem is that as time goes by, prospects tend to forget their excitement, forget answers that were provided, and the value proposition is kind of diminishing with time.

In this process, I do send a reminder, call to check on things, but am thinking if there is any other aspect of the “follow up whilst waiting for decision” that I can look into.

I love your periodic emails; no book ever gave me so many concrete and relevant problem/resolution like your emails!

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Kind regards,

NK

_________________________________________________

Here are my thoughts on this:

How to Keep the Sales Process Going During Down Time

In short; how do you keep the momentum and the excitement going with a prospect as you wait out your sales cycle?

Do what may be considered the opposite of what most sales people think to do.

DO NOT periodically “check” on the account or the status of the sale. Thus, inherently makes prospective customers feel that you NEED the sale and it is easy to become a pest. It can make people feel like you have no confidence and adds “pressure” to the DM.

You do want to stay in contact, but for reasons OTHER than the status of the sale in progress. This is the time for you to promote YOU and to promote that you are an industry executive and that you are more than just a sales person!

This is the golden opportunity for you to demonstrate to the prospect that if and when they make the
purchase, they get MORE than they pay for—They get you!

This is when you send them information about things relevant to their business; send emails, (not
about the progress of the sale) that helps them! Send information, emails, articles clippings, web site links that prove that you are indeed an industry leader and authority with your finger on the pulse of everything!

This is the time to demonstrate to the prospect that you care about their business and NOT just the
commission!!! This is the time for you to help the prospect see the value in doing business with YOU vs. any competitor because YOU are more valuable!

How about a phone call like this:

You:
“Hi, Mrs. Prospect, it’s NK from XYZ? How have you been?

Prospect:
“Oh, fine, N….but we have not been able to confirm the budget for your proposal yet…I don’t know…”

You:
“Oh, no! Mrs. Prospect, that’s not the reason for my call. The reason I was calling was that I just
found out that there is a big conference in London next week about Widget Management. I remember when we were together, that you mentioned something about having a problem with your widgets.

Anyway, this is not really in my area, but I thought you could use the information…”

Whoa! Or how about an email like this…

Hi Steve,
I came across this web site the other day. It has a
wealth of information that helps IT managers compare
costs and down time. It has a ton of studies worldwide
and charts – I’m not sure if you are aware of this
site, but we use it for a lot of our scientific data.
I thought it might be useful to you and your help desk
people.”

Or how about a letter like this:

Hi Donna,
I came across this article and I thought you might get
a real kick out of it! I remember that you had
mentioned how much time your people seem to spend at
the water-cooler…well this satirical view I caught in
the Times, will just crack you up!”

Take that interim time and show your would be customer that you are an expert; a high-level professional who is confidant that you WILL get the business, but in the mean time, someone who has their best interest at heart. Show your prospective customer that you are the authority in the industry and you are a wealth of information and a valuable resource who is available at ALL times.

DO WHAT ALL OF THE OTHER SALES PEOPLE DON’T DO!

Until the next time, take care of yourself and happy selling!

Sean

PS If you want to improve the performance of your sales people please click on the link below and send me an enquiry: http://www.mtdsalestraining.com/enquiry.html or please give me a call on 0800 849 6732

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Sales Training International

We’ve trained over 20,000 people around the world and I am amazed at how many times I hear statements like:

“We’re not a customer centric organisation…”

“Finance said that we can only…”

“Operations said that we can’t support that growth…”

Can’t support growth?

What!

I find that in a lot of companies the tail wags the dog. As sales people and marketers we are responsible for the growth of our companies and it’s finance and operations and everyone else’s role to support that growth and to enable it to “Make it happen”

How many “Business Preventation Teams” have you got in your company?

It’s your Sales/Marketing Directors role to clear the pathways for profitability.

In my opinion there are two kinds of workers.

There are those that make money and generate review. And there are those that cost the company money.

And if you are one of those people that cost the company money and are not responsible for generating income then it’s your job to support those people WHO DO make the company money or you’ll have no money to count or operations to manage!

So, have you identified your BPT’s yet?

Once you do, meet with them to discuss how you can work more effectively together to the common good of the business.

Ok, I’ll get down off my soap box now!

Happy selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
The UK’s #1 Authority On Modern Day Selling
MTD Sales Training

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During longer sales cycles it’s critical that you keep your name in your prospect’s mind but you don’t want to become a pest either!

I’m not just talking about those cringing “touch base” calls that you make. There’s no such thing as a touch base call! They know it and you know it! They know that you’re fishing for a decision!

So instead you should keep in contact via email, postcards, direct mail, sending them information etc

But whatever you send just make sure it has something in it for them. Make sure that you provide valuable information that will help them in some way.

Have a brainstorm about what you can do to keep your name in your prospect’s mind and then do it!

Happy selling

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

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I received an interesting question yesterday from Keith Lassiter who sells conservatories.

Keith asked me how to contruct a sales process from scratch.

Now if you have to do this, here’s my top tip on how to make a start:

With a blank piece of paper write down how your prospects and clients make their buying decision?

Right from the moment that they say “I want a conservatory or whatever it is” through to them saying “yes, you’ve got the deal”. You need to think this through.

For example:

* Do they search the internet first to find out “what’s out there?”
* Do they ask their friends and if so where and how do they do this? (word of mouth, facebook etc?)
* Who is the main influencer in the decision? The wife? The husband?
* What’s going through their mind when you turn up on their doorstep?
* What needs and desires do they need satisfying before they say yes?
* When do they want to talk about money?
* Who esle will they be seeing and what process do they use?
* Do they want to think about it? And if so, what do they need to think about?

I think you get the picture!

You see, you need to map out the “buying process” before you start to design your “sales process”

The two should overlap each other into a really snug fit.

There’s loads more I could cover here and it’s one of my specialities when I consult with companies.

Always remember, “It doesn’t matter what you think that you’re selling that counts. It only matters what the prospect thinks they’re buying!”

So turn your sales process on its head and see if from the buyers point of view and then start from scratch with your sales process.

Happy selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
The UK’s #1 Authority On Modern Day Selling
MTD Sales Training

Click here if you’re interested in having Sean come in and take a look at your sales process

Telephone: 0800 849 6732

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Have you ever experimented by offering different options for your products and services?

If you do want to offer options then I recommend the power of 3 options because anymore than that and the information looks a little overwhelming.

A Good (budget option) Better (budget plus) and Best (expensive) approach works well.

Now this approach can work well in the “current economic climate” because it is catering for different budget levels and even if you get your client “in” on a lower budget option, the fact that they are “in” means that you can demonstrate your worth to them and the benefits and an upsell later on will be the natural, logical choice.

This is the approach of “Get them in cheap and sell them deep”

All you want is an opportunity for them to become a client of yours and then, if you are true to your word and your product/service does what you said it would do, and then some, you can upgrade your clients over time to more profitable options.

This is a strategic approach to selling and one that needs buy in from the top because you will have smaller margins to begin with but the the pay off is that you will have long term clients whose margins will increase over time.

Happy Selling

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training
MTD Sales Blog

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I received an interesting question yesterday. Here it is:

Hi Sean

Russell Flory
Director

Here are some areas to look at and think through:

1. You want to maintain momentum but don’t be a pain. Don’t follow up too often

2. Educate the client - can you send any articles or educational pieces as to what they could use your cutting machine for? Instead of selling in-between contacts why don’t you educate them?

3. Get a mystery shopping company to “shop” the competition and find out what they do in-between contacts with prospects. Get them sign up their lists, to ask for info and see what sales process the company use on them

4. What makes you so different? Now is the time to really think through your competitive advantages and to use these when you sell

5. In terms of telling everyone on your database, I hope you are setting up appointments to meet with them? For example, to show them is better than to tell them

6. Staying ahead of the competition is all about finding out what they do EXACTLY and then make everything about your products, your service and about doing business with you, better.

There are many more things I could help you with but I’d need a lot more information from you first but I hope these get you started.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
The Sales Jedi
MTD Sales Blog

Have you downloaded my latest report yet? “The Sales Person’s Crisis” has been downloaded by over 10,000 sales pros and entrepreneurs. Don’t miss this unique report that lifts the lid on modern day selling!

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“Sales Velocity” - it’s a new buzzword in town and I’ve just commented on another decent sales blog at Sales Excellence about the very subject.

So what actually do we mean by sales velocity?

Well, it’s how long the sales cycle is for your particualr product or service.

In other words “How quick do you close a sale?”

Now a lot of sales training books and the techniques that you read about always talk about generating new leads, farming your existing accounts etc to build sales but an often overlooked area is that of increasing how quickly you MAKE your sales.

It makes plain out common sense that if on average it takes you 11 days to win a piece of business that if you can reduce this down to 7 or 8 days then you’ll have more time free to prospect and sell.

So how can you do this?

Well, firstly you need to get together as a sales team and map out your sales process.

List and draw up every single activity in your sales process and for each stage put down the best case and worse case time period that it should take.

Now, after you have done this you need to add up all of the best and worse case time periods so you’ll get a range like:

WORSE CASE – 33 DAYS
BEST CASE – 2 DAYS
AVERAGE – 10 DAYS

Now find out who is the best performing sales person at each stage of the sales process and work out what they do and how they do it. Map this out across the sales process map in some way or link to it via another document.

And then go to work on implementing what they do and how they do it. Keep evaluating and measuring how long each stage takes to see the impact.

It will make a huge impact on your sales.

So going forward look at your sales velocity figures as well as your ratios and your activity.

By increasing your sales velocity you will free up a lot more time to sell which in turn will lead to more sales naturally!

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Blog
MTD Sales Training

Telephone: 0800 849 6732

Have you downloaded my latest report yet? “The Sales Person’s Crisis” has been downloaded by over 10,000 sales pros and entrepreneurs. Don’t miss this unique report that lifts the lid on modern day selling!

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Just imagine if you were faced with a selling situation and you could look up which direction or action to take from a book that contained step by step instructions written down by the very best sales people in your company – do you think that would improve your results?

Of course it would!

Well, enter the SALES PLAYBOOK!

Now for those of you that a familiar with American Football you’ll have heard of what a playbook is but for those that don’t here’s a quick explanation. A playbook lists all of the moves, positions and tactics that an American Football team uses.

The Quaterback calls out instructions via a special password or series of numbers and everyone on the offensive team knows exactly what to do, where to go and what their role is during that play.

The same analogy can be said with a Sales Playbook. It’s what moves you need to take as a salesperson to get a successful outcome.

So what should a Sales Playbook include?

Well, your playbook should list all of your sales processes from beginning to end. It should detail what to do, what to say, who to get involved, what resources you need, what you need to send the prospect, what to do next – you name it!

You should be able to pick up the playbook and know EXACTLY what to do to maximise your chances of success.

So how should you put a Sales Playbook together?

Well, get your best sales people around a table and map out each of your sales processes (and these can be by industry, product, service – whatever to make it bespoke and specific to your company) and find out who is the best sales person at each step of each process and ask them what they do and then write down what they do and how they do.

Soon you’ll have a “play by play” book of best practices which will become your holy grail!

There’s lot’s more to a Sales Playbook than what I have mentioned but at least you can make a start if you’re not using one already.

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
The Sales Jedi
MTD Sales Training

Telephone: 0800 849 6732

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Have you downloaded my latest report yet? “The Sales Person’s Crisis” has been downloaded by over 10,000 sales pros and entrepreneurs. Don’t miss this unique report that lifts the lid on modern day selling!

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What are your hit rates?

Do you understand the numbers behind your selling?

If you are deadly serious about becoming the best sales person you can be then you need to understand the numbers at EACH and EVERY stage of your entire sales process. Whatever you do, you need to measure it, keep score, track it and then improve it and then modify it and so on and so forth…

Did you know that even the NYPD keeps tabs on each of the shootings that their officers make?

Oh yes!

In a report published by the NY Times it was revealed that the majority of shots made by NY police officers actually miss their target! (See, it’s not only sales people!)

NYPD only had a “hit rate” of 34% and when you think that the majority of officer combat is conducted less than 10 feet away then that’s a remarkable low stat!

So what’s your “hit rate”? I’m not just talking about your closing ratios, but what’s your “hit rate” at each stage of your sales process.

I’m talking about areas like:

# of calls made
# of calls answered
% of calls spoken to a decision maker
% of calls returned from left answerphone messages
# of meetings made
# of meetings actually taken place
etc etc

You get the picture.

NYPD have set themselves some stiff measures to improve their “hit rates” – and at least they know what their current performance is.

So if you ever have the unfortunate position of being faced with a gun from a NY Cop you know you’ll be ok 66% of the time so leg it!

You’ll need to know what your numbers are as well when a prospect looks down the barrell of your gun too!

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
The Sales Jedi
The UK’s #1 Authority On Modern Day Selling

MTD Sales Training

Telephone: 0800 849 6732

Have you downloaded my latest report yet? “The Sales Person’s Crisis” has been downloaded by over 10,000 sales pros and entrepreneurs. Don’t miss this unique report that lifts the lid on modern day selling!

Click on the image below to find out why you’re very existence as a sales person is in doubt…