“I am sorry, but I am very happy with my current supplier/vendor. We have been doing business with them for many years and have no reason to change…”

This position strikes terror in most sales people and many ask me for advice on how to overcome this objection. The problem is that this is NOT an objection. It is a matter of fact, and should be expected.

Waiting for You?
My question is, when you call a prospective client, what did you expect their situation to be? Did you really think the prospect would be sitting there, without a current supplier or vendor and just waiting for you to call?

It is obvious that the prospective company is already doing business with one of your competitors. Now, if that decision maker were completely unhappy and unsatisfied with that current vendor, do you think he or she would have done something about it? What businessperson would continue to do business with a vendor for which they truly did not want to do business? And if, that were the case, then would not that vendor had probably called YOU?

Common Sense
Of course, they are happy with their current supplier or vendor, and you should already assume that. It is not an objection. Therefore, do not take it as an objection and move on. Instead of trying to argue the fact that perhaps you would make a better supplier, take the sales process as it should progress…one-step at a time.

Glad to Hear That
Do not argue the point. Instead, agree and even congratulate the prospect and let them know the reason for your contact at this stage of the sales process.

Prospect
“Well, I am really happy with our current technical training company. We have been working with them for about ten years, and we are very satisfied.”

Sales Person
“Great! I am glad to hear that Ethan. I would think that since you have been doing business with XYZ Tech for all of these years, that you are indeed very happy. I am also certain that they EARNED your business. Ethan, I am not asking you to GIVE me your business because I have NOT earned as they did. All I am asking is that you allow me to give you some valuable information about new developments in our industry over a quick 30 minute meeting. Perhaps in time, I might be able also to EARN some of your business. But in the mean time, the information will beneficial to you…”

The Opposite
The situation is the exact opposite of what most sales people think: Don’t fear the prospect who is happy with their current supplier…fear the one who is not.

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

Have you downloaded my latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

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

The End is the Beginning
The way you end the call is as important and sometimes more so, than the way it began. If your goal was to set an appointment, and you did so, what you do and say as you end that call can make the difference on if the appointment happens or the prospect cancels or no-shows.

If you closed an actual sale on the telephone, then your call “Termination Tactics,” are even more critical. Below are three powerful tips to ending the call that will help actualise and materialise what you worked so hard to accomplish during that call.

#1 – Confirm and Summarise
After you have successfully set the appointment or closed the sale, you have to concretely summarise and confirm what happens. I know that sounds like it is automatic and assumed, and that is the problem. Most sales people take this for granted and it is a mistake.

Although, so you mentioned the product and costs ten times, or you talked about the meeting on several occasions during the call, you need to DO IT AGAIN!

“Once again, Sarah, I appreciate your time today and look forward to meeting with you next week. Let me just double check one last time; you will meet me at your office, located at 1234 Bending Road Place, Tuesday, that is the 12st, at 3:00 pm, is that right?”

#2 – Leave a Logical Backup
Remember, people make most buying decisions based on emotion and then justify or “back-up” those decisions with logic. On the telephone, when the prospect has agreed to buy or agreed to the appointment, he or she has made a buying decision, even if it is to buy the meeting. You must leave the prospect with some logic to help them justify or back up their decision after you get off the telephone.

“I want to just reiterate, Ethan, that during that brief meeting next week, I am going to show you exactly how to gain a slight advantage over your competition on the internet and leave you with some extremely valuable information. The meeting will greatly benefit you regardless of if you decide to do business with us or not…”

“Once again, Mary, the fuel adjustment gauges will arrive early next week, and you will see that you sill save a minimum of 24% on your costs starting from day one…”

#3 – Wait for the Prospect to Hang Up First
Lastly, after the good-day pleasantries, wait and let the prospect hang up the telephone first. You do not want the last thing the prospect or new client to hear be a telephone slam down on them. In addition, it is very easy for you to hang up as the prospect begins to say something or ask one last question. Also, you do not ever want it to appear that you were in a hurry to get off the phone. Slow down.

Confirm and summarise. Leave some logic behind and hang up last, and some of those great tips on beginning the telephone call might actually pay off in the end!

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

Have you downloaded my latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

(Image by Ponsulak)

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

So, what is it that you have to do in a voice mail to get people to call you back? Or should you even LEAVE a message in the first place?

The Objective
Just like any telephone sales call, you have to have a clear objective. When calling to set an appointment, you have to SELL the appointment.

When you call and get the dreaded voice mail, the objective becomes to get the prospect to return your call. Then SELL the return call, and ONLY the return call.

Return the Call
You must remember to sell and concrete only on getting the prospect to call back and nothing else. I know this sounds simple. However, while most sales people have think objective in mind, they do exactly the opposite in the call.

Look at this example of a voice message:

“Hi Ethan, my name is Sean Colby and I am with ABC Widgets. Your friend, Sarah Edmonds suggested that I give you a call. ABC Widgets sells the best widgets in town and they can really help you. In fact, Sarah bought some of our widgets and she was so impressed that she thought you might want some too. So, I am calling to see when I might set up a time to meet with you so I can show you the widgets and see if we can be of service to you. Our widgets are the best in the industry and Sarah agrees. So, please give me a call at 0800 123 4567 or you can send me an email at jevans@abcwidgets.com. You can also stop by our web site at abcwidget.com. I will be in your area next week, so anytime then would be a good time to meet or anytime at your convenience. Thank you”

This may sound like it makes sense, but actually our hypothetical sales person tried to sell too many things at once. He tried to sell:

1. His company, ABC Widgets
2. His products
3. The appointment
4. The email return
5. The value of the referral
6. The time for the appointment
7. Justification of the product
8. Industry recognition of his product and service
9. Their web site
10. His reputation and more

The last thing he sold was the return phone call, and guess what? No call back!
Do not make the mistake of forcing the prospect to make the big, hard decision of buying your product or service in advance. Instead, help them make the little, easy decision just to call you.

Let’s look at this same scenario, but this time with a sales person who understands that she should sell only one thing: The call back:

“Hi Ethan, Sean Colby with ABC Widgets. A mutual acquaintance, Sarah Edmonds, suggested that we speak with each other for a brief moment. I was able to share some information with Sarah that she was very excited about and she wanted me to talk to you. Please give me a call at your convenience and in a two-minute phone call, I can tell you what Sarah was so excited about. Please call my cell phone at 0800 123 4567 whenever you get a quick minute or two. Once again, that’s Joe Smith, with ABC at 0800 123 4567, and I look forward to talking with you. Thank you”

This sales person sold ONLY the return call. Also, note this professional stressed that the call would be quick and painless. He did not try to get the prospect to make a buying decision in a 30-second voice mail message. He just sold the importance of the returned call, the importance of talking for a quick minute and he made it easy for the prospect to do so.

If you sell only the return phone call, you will get few more return calls and in turn, you will contact a few more customers, close a few more sales and make a few more pounds!

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

Have you downloaded my latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

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

A – Advise
If you really did your job in closing the sale, then you were able to elevate yourself from the position of sales person, to the level of professional consultant, solutions provider and trusted advisor.

During the sales process, you were a great advisor; you uncovered problems and exposed areas of pain and need. You then advised the client on the best way to solve the problem. However, immediately after the sale, your advice stopped.

Continue to advise your clients. I am not saying that you need to create multifaceted business plans and directives for free. However, a simple email or a brief telephone call with a tip here and there, can make all the difference.

“Hi Mary, I just wanted to let you know that there is a user’s convention next month and one of the main topics is using software solutions such as the one we installed for you. I would like to suggest that you send a few of your managers there as it will help them…”

Continue to be an industry expert and leader. Continue to consult and advise.

B – Build
Continue to build on the relationship. Provide additional services or become a liaison to other services. Make your clients aware that they can call you for other things aside from what you sell. You have many clients in many different industries. Let your clients know that you are a wealth of referrals. You are a veritable trove of information and they can call you for more than what you have in your portfolio.

C – Care
Before you pocketed the commission, this customer was the most important thing in your life. You were deeply concerned with helping them solve a problem. Then, after the sale, do you feel the same way? Let the client know that you genuinely care.

Do not underestimate the value of the unexpected telephone call or the quick email that simply asks, “How have you been?”

Contact your clients occasionally when you are NOT trying to sell anything! When customers feel that the only time they ever hear from you is when you want more money, you are not cultivating a relationship.

Follow the ABCs…Advise. Build. Care.

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

Have you downloaded my latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

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

6 7 2

Print This   Email This

There is the paranoid, scared buyer who does not seem to trust or believe anything that you say. Then you have the price only buyer, who is only concerned with getting the lowest price and nothing else.

While, still you will run into the know-it-all buyer who believes they know more about your product or service than you or anyone else. And of course, you have met the overly aggressive or bossy buyer who wants to control your sales interaction from start to finish.

This bossy buyer is so easy to spot, I won’t spend a sentence on explaining how to recognise this situation. Instead, here are a few brief but effective ways to help you deal with this “I’m in charge” type personality in a professional sales interaction.

#1 – Do Not Change Anything
This buyer will try to get you to alter everything that you do. He or she will often try to rush your presentation and ask you to skip details or important points and explanations.

It is critical that with this buyer, you stick to your planned (not canned) presentation. Of course, you should have room for flexibility; slightly to adjust to the prospect’s personality, but you cannot trash your sales process. Stay on track.

#2 – Do Not Fight, But Don’t Patronise
You do not want to argue and fight with this prospect (who will try to antagonise you at times) but you cannot succumb either.

When the bossy buyer is wrong, be clear to let him or her know that while their opinion may be a good point and have some value—it is wrong. Do not be afraid to remind this buyer that you are the expert.

#3 – Be Prepared to Walk Away
One of the main things this buyer will try to do is push you to the limit to see if you eventually give in. You must be mentally prepared to walk away from this prospect and save your self-respect and professional integrity.

Usually, when this prospect senses that you are willing to walk away, you will regain some power. It is when the prospect knows that you NEED the sale, that he or she will take advantage. Once you are willing to walk away, you will usually not have to do so.

In short, be cordial and respectful, but do not allow the bossy prospect to change who and what you are: A professional sales person!

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

Have you downloaded my latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

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

6 7 2

Print This   Email This

Category: MTD Water Cooler, Sales Management, Sales Meetings, Sales Motivation | Tags: how to be top sales person, how to deal with a top sales person, motivating the top sales person, sales management, sales manmagment, Sales Motivation, Sales star, super sales person, top sales person



Edit

A Big Deal
Finally, the sales person began to hit the mark. The first few times that happened, you where ecstatic! You clearly demonstrated appreciation for the hard work and dedication of the sales person with congratulatory statements, awards and spiffs. When the sales person began to achieve the numbers, it was indeed a big deal, as you know the work it requires.

The Uncommon, Common Place
Then, after the sales person begins to hit the mark over and over, week in and week out, and even with you constantly raising the bar, you know you have a winner; a superstar.

When that understanding sets in, you must be aware that often you now begin to EXPECT RESULTS that are above the norm from this person. You begin to lose the excitement and appreciation you once felt. The sales person’s uncommon sales results, now become a common occurrence.

The Thrill Is Gone
At this point, usually in sales meetings, the admiration and congratulatory recognition dissipates and it is simply the same sales star doing what he or she is expected to do. It becomes very easy to begin to take this person for granted.

Same Effort
You have to remember, that while the reaching that high-standard of achievement has become common place for the sales person, the effort and hard work remains. It is true that many parts of the sales process may have become easier and more routine for the sales star, continuing to deliver exceptional results, still requires exceptional effort.

Appreciate Every Drop
You have to take precaution about beginning to become lethargic in your appreciation of the achievements of those who constantly achieve. Usually management spends so much time working with and pushing those who fall short, that those sales team members that are exceeding, get little attention.

You must continue to pay attention to, recognise and truly appreciate the achievements of the superstar sales person just as if he or she achieved such success for the very first time.

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

Have you downloaded my latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

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

The whole though of “winning the sale” is an obsolete concept. Yet, you hear it all the time, sales people and management talk about winning or losing the sale. The thought is that if you close the sale, then YOU won. However, if you do not close the sale, then the prospect won.

The inherent problem this type of old-fashioned, smile & dial era thinking is that someone HAS to lose. The sales person and the prospect are on different sides of the fence. The prospect does what he or she can to NOT buy, by offering objections. The sales person in turn, does what he or she can to overcome those objections and WIN the debate.

To reach a level of true success in the world of professional selling, you need to understand you and the prospect are not on different sides. You are on the SAME side. There is no debate

A Shared Goal
You and the prospect want the same thing: for the prospect to make the best decision. When the prospect objects, it is not a problem just for you. It is an issue for you BOTH. Approach the objection with the understanding that you need to help the prospect deal with the issue so that you can BOTH get what you BOTH want. Be careful not to think that you want different outcomes. When you do so, you create an adversarial attitude in your mind that becomes evident to the prospect.

You Either Both Win OR Both Lose
There is no win-lose situation in professional selling. Either you both win or you both lose. When you view the close as a win-lose scenario, it affects how you think. If you believe that only you lose and the prospect wins if the prospect does not buy, then you can only think in terms of yourself.

As you are closing, beginning to persist and overcome objections, in the back of your mind you will be thinking about your paycheck. You begin to think of your commission and pride and not the loss to the prospect. This is only natural if you are thinking that you must WIN. This feeling comes through loud and clear and the prospect feels that you are pressuring them for your own good and not for their benefit.

Persistence Is Welcome
However, when you believe that if the prospect does not buy, THEY will suffer even worse than you will; then your persisting takes on a different tone. When the prospect feels that you are persisting because you genuinely believe that it is in THEIR best interest, they then understand and appreciate your persistence.

The sales process is not a fight. It is a dance, where you must gracefully LEAD your partner across the floor.

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

Have you downloaded my latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

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

There are a few of us that have no fear of the cold-call and know how to get through the tough gatekeeper screen, get through to the decision-maker and set appointments or close sales. However, there are some pitfalls that even the best-of-the best have problems handling. Speaking to the telephone sales specialists, avoid these three mistakes and you will move on to levels that even you never thought were possible!

Simply put, sometimes your skill can be TOO much.

#1 – Too Smart
There comes a time when you know exactly what almost every prospect is going to say. You know every possible objection and you know how to handle each. Almost as if you have some type of extra sensory perception (ESP), you can cover every objection before they arise. It is easy to begin to assume that you know what the prospect is going to say before they actually say it. While you may be correct much of the time, you will be wrong as well.

In addition to assuming incorrectly, even when you are right, you will tend to cut the prospect off, sometimes in the middle of their sentence. You must remain open minded and listen to every response completely.

#2 – Too Quick
In addition to knowing too much, almost like somewhat of a psychic; always being right and having all the answers at the tip of your tongue, is a mistake. Prospects will often object simply because they feel you left them no objection. They feel you are too prepared and they have no control. Though you must maintain control, the prospect needs to feel as if they are in control. No one wants to feel as if they had no choice in the buying decision. Slow down and give the prospect’s objections and feelings some validity. Don’t overcome objections too fast and easy.

#3- Too Comfortable
Beginners and undertrained cold callers make the mistake of sounding too rehearsed, tense and phoney when making sales calls. However, the experienced pro can often sound too relaxed, loose and informal. You need to sound natural, and unrehearsed, but you must be careful to maintain a professional tone. It is easy to become so comfortable that your calls take on a casual, un-business like atmosphere.

Keep in mind that although you may have everything under control, the prospect cannot feel that there is a predetermined outcome.

You may be too good, but don’t be TOO good.

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

(Image by Photostock)

Have you downloaded my latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

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

I am also guilty of this, in that most of my training and advice, assumes that you have at least some minimal sales experience. Yet, there are those out there who are just jumping into the game, just getting started and face some very different challenges.

Below are some essential tips for the brand new sales person who is just walking in the door.

Become a Customer
If it is at all possible, be a customer or user of your own product or service. Selling at its core, is a transference of feeling. In other words, if I can make you feel the same way I do about this product, then you will want it.

All the training and experience in the world, cannot take the place of true, personal enthusiasm for what you sell. If YOU are personally excited about what you sell, the prospect will see and feel that as well. When the prospect can see that YOU believe…THEY can believe.

If it is not possible to own what you sell, then get with customers. Get their feedback, feelings, and opinions. Get testimonies.

An Advantage Over the Experienced Pros
This is one way that the new, rookie sales person can actually have an advantage over their more experience co-workers. After selling the same product and making the same presentation over and over for years and years, many sales people begin to lose that genuine excitement for their product or service.

Let loose with a childlike passion and joy about representing your product, and you will soar above many experienced pros that have become lacklustre in their sales interactions.

Just Happy to Be Here
In addition to expressing your heartfelt enthusiasm for the product or service, let the customer see and feel how genuinely excited you are about the company you work with. If you have done your due diligence before you went to work for the firm, then you should have confidence and trust that you work for the best company in your industry. Let the prospect know that you believe in the firm, and they will too.

Leverage the Experience of Long-Term Colleagues
Boast of your successful team members. Let the prospect know that yes, YOU are new, but most of the people in your firm have been with the company for years, and have tons of happy, long-term clients. In fact, the longevity of the sales people and their reputation in the market place is the main reason you joined the firm, and you feel confident that you also will be there for the long term!

It Comes From Within
If you are new to the world of selling or just new to the company, there is a lot you have to learn and much growth is in store. There are skills and techniques that you do not know and that you need to know.

However, the old adage is true; people do not care how much you know, until they first know how much you care. Your belief in what you sell and what you do, will carry you as you learn and grow.

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

(Image by  Digital Art)

Have you downloaded my latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

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

LinkedIn is full of opportunities for every executive, sales professional and business owner to generate leads for their business and engage with those all important decision makers  – but how do you ensure that your LinkedIn account is a professional as you are?

Well, here are 5 top tips to take your LinkedIn account from office rookie to high-flying executive.

Are You Up To Date?

You need to think of your LinkedIn profile as being a 24 hour, worldwide advertisement for yourself and your company – so are you keeping it up to date? Having a 100% complete profile is a must if you want to use the LinkedIn platform to the best of its abilities, and it is so important to ensure that you regularly update your status updates and recommendations on the platform.

You need to look at your LinkedIn Profile as if you were a potential client who has never met you before and wants to know more about you – does your profile do you justice?

Time Is Money

What exactly are you hoping to get out of LinkedIn? Are you looking for a new career? Trying to build up your business connections and generate new leads? Or are you looking to position yourself as an industry expert and leading authority in your field?

You need to be clear about why you have chosen to use the platform to ensure that you are getting real value out of the time you spend on the site. So many LinkedIn users just waste their time on the platform, simple because they are not actively seeking a purpose – so ensure you know what you want out of your time and make the time you spend on the site count.

The Opportunities Are Endless

Every time you connect with a new person on LinkedIn, you immediately become connected to all of their contacts, so your network on the site is ever-growing. The key to getting the most out of your connections on the site is to not only network and engage within your own connections but to also seek out which of your connections contacts might be a valuable connection for you.

Take the time to assess your 2^nd Degree connections – there might be some real VIPs right under your nose and you don’t want to miss out on getting that all important introduction to them as they could mean big opportunities for you and your company.

Don’t Be Selfish

When it comes down to it, LinkedIn is still a social networking site, so don’t be anti-social. You will not build your presence on the site by being selfish with your activity, so make sure you regularly contribute to other people’s discussions rather than just posting your own – and contribute something of real value, don’t just make everything you do on the site about self-promotion.

Do You Want To Be In My Gang?

The LinkedIn Groups are a great way to engage with and prospect for new leads, so why not consider starting a group of your own?

By creating a group closely related to your industry, you can immediately see who on LinkedIn is interested in the products and services you provide – think about it, they wouldn’t have joined your group if the first place if they weren’t! You don’t even have to go looking for new prospects, as they will come to you in the form of new group members.

You can then use your own group to network and engage with potential new clients, as well as sharing all of your great content with them and demonstrating to them why you would be a valuable connection for them to have.  

Regards,

Louise

Louise Denny

Marketing Manager

Have you downloaded Sean’s latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

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