Should you leave a voicemail message or should you hang up when cold calling? I have seen both work, but with caller ID just hanging up becomes a little more obvious to the prospect and can work against you. I suggest polishing up on your voice messages to increase the number of call backs and position yourself as someone your prospect would like to talk with. Leaving a bunch of missed calls will probably not peak a quality prospects interest in speaking with you.
Don't give up if your phone does not start ringing off the hook with call backs. If you are calling on busy people it will probably require more than one call to get through. Still, if your messages establish credibility, piques curiosity and closes with confidence you will see progress.
Jill Konrath, sales strategist and bestselling author of Selling to Big Companies and SNAP Selling has a very good short video on How to Leave Effective Voicemail Messages. If you follow her advice and examples you should be well on your way to more appointments and sales.
Here are the three points Jill suggests to improve your message on her video.
1. Establish credibility by showing you understand what is happening in their market place.
2. Pique their curiosity by stressing your value proposition or what might have been realized by one of your other clients.
3. Close confidently by sounding equal to the prospect not like a self serving sales person needing to get something from them.
My last tip would be to have a strategy when leaving multiple messages with one prospect. Plan more than your original message. Make sure there is value and connection between your messages and keep them brief.
If you want to see more of what Jill has to offer, find her at www.sellingtobigcompanies.com.
If you or your sales team wants help crafting your message give me a call and we can set up a time to do that 916-596-3713.
If you have managed to maintain your sales volume and customer base during the past 14 months, I say well done! If business has been down or you feel like you have taken a beating during a weak economy, make sure you have not weakened your approach to opportunities.
Here are a few reminders to keep you selling from a strength position.
Remember Who You Are - You are not your sales. You are the person who helps customers make quality decisions and push through their uncertainty to act. You can be confident in that fact day in and day out.
Qualify Strong - Don't let yourself fall into the trap of "trying" to win every opportunity that crosses your path. You might need to say "no" to more opportunities today to allow you time to find the customers who prefer to buy from companies like yours. This will also allow you to have more time to do a better job at selling than your competition.
Add and Re-sell Your Value - Add unexpected value to your current customers and make sure they understand that it is why they choose to do business with you. Also, ask them why they continue to do business with you and your company. This will help both you and your customer recommit to what is important to them.
It can be very easy to fall back to order taking and slave selling (doing whatever they ask, good or bad), in hopes of winning a deal. Don't do it. Challenge poor buying practices. Remember, you want to practice consultative selling. Be the consultant your customers rely on.
I have received a number of searches seeking sales manager evaluation criteria. Here is a list to consider in your hiring and evaluation process.
LEADERSHIP - How effective is the sales manager at providing leadership for their sales team and department? To what degree is the team working toward long and short term goals?
STRATEGIC - How effective is the manager at providing strategic directions and approaches that can be duplicated and produce more cost effective results?
COACHING - How effective is the managers' coaching techniques with the sales people? Are sales people improving their selling ability and results?
SYSTEMS - To what degree does the sales manager develop and implement systems that help drive business, monitor progress and allow for ownership to evaluate the department?
MOTIVATION - To what degree does your sales manager provide motivation directly or indireclty to the sales team?
EXPECTATIONS - How effective is the sales manager at providing clear expectation to the sales people that are aligned with the business goals?
EDUCATION - To what degree is the education the sales manager provides improving the sales team?
TRAINING - How effective is the direct or indirect training the sales manager provides to the team?
COMRADERY - Does the sales manager provide comradery for your team and if so is it resulting in more teamwork and improved sales?
ACCOUNTABILITY - To what degree is there accountability among the sales people?
RECOGNITION - Does the sales manager provide or facilitate recognition that results in a stronger sales person and team?
REPORTING - Does the sales manager receive and provide reports that allow for effective management and improved sales of the sales department?
FORECASTING - How reliable are the sale forecasts produced by the sales department?
SALES RESULTS - How effective is the sales team at achieving the company sales targets?
PROJECTS - How has the sales manager done at completed assigned projects?
COOPERATION - How cooperative is the manager with the other managers in the organization?
You can easily put these into a rating scale format from 1-10 if you prefer. A sales manager should not only be measured by what he/she does but how effective their work is through their team and in conjunction with the long term goals of the company.
If you have sales reps spinning their wheels, pumping out proposals but not closing an acceptable percentage of business, they might need some help with qualifying and managing the sales process. In order to manage your sales people easily and effectively, you need to clarify expectations and build in some accountability steps.
Here are five ways to improve sales efforts by improving skills to qualify prospects and build accountability into sales processes.
Clarify and document your qualifiers. Make sure you define and document who a qualified prospect is for your business. As an example, I have listed the following criteria I use to qualify my clients:
• Small privately owned business
• 1-4 sales people
• B2B selling model
• Does not have a dedicated sales manager
• There is a market for the product and services that are being sold
• The company is willing to invest in infrastructure with growth in sales
• Owners are willing to use an outsourced resource
In addition, require your reps to document to their manager how each prospect they pursue meets these requirements before they move forward. You can build the qualifiers into a Discovery Form.
Use a Discovery Form that will outline what a rep needs to know to qualify the prospect and build their Letter of Understanding. To learn more about a Discovery Form and download a sample click here.
Add a Letter of Understanding to your process. The Letter of Understanding will document that the rep understands the prospects current situation, their goals, needs and problems, and what the next steps in the sales process should be. The prospect will confirm that the rep has it right. The manager will now have a tool that lets them know their rep has a viable prospect and is planning the sales process as the company prefers. (Sample Letter of Understanding)
Require completion of Discovery Form and Letter of Understanding before proceeding to a presentation. This step builds in a true accountability step versus leaving it up to the sales reps opinion of when to move things along.
Make sure the reps understand and buy into a consultative sales process. If a rep has a lot of activity and not a lot of results, they may have been taught selling through the "show and tell" method versus a consultative approach. Show and tell reps are always trying to push their ideas, features and benefits onto a customer (anybody and everybody) in hopes of winning them over. The consultative rep understands the value of qualifying and discovery and will be more patient land that will lead to more sales.
The idea is to build real accountability into the sales process and stop reps from showing and telling. Some reps will have a resistance to new processes, but if they understand the value and how it will help them, they will begin to use the tools and the quality of opportunities will be improved.
Have you walked into a selling situation where the prospects seem completely sold on another vendor or approach and shows little interest in hearing about your solution? Sometimes it might feel as if they are defending their preference as a protection from hearing something new. Let's say they like apples and you are selling mangos. Apples might be a good solution for them, but the mangos you represent are better. How can you help your prospect
disconnect from their love of apples and be open and begin to
focus on mangos?
First, have the right attitude (no one sale matters). Don't resist their like for apples or defend your mangoes. Be open to learn.
Second, don't make assumptions, go deep into discovery. Find out what they like about apples and why they believe they are the right solution. Have them explain how apples will solve their business objectives if they know what they are. Ask quality questions to learn more about company issues, problems or objectives. You end up learning what you need without creating a wall between apples and mangos.
Third, resist the urge to say "mangos do that too but better" as you hear opportunities to share. Stay in discovery and save it for later.
Finally, when you have gained a clear understanding of their problems, goals or objectives and how they understand apples will help them, use this type of phrasing as your "disconnect and re-focus."
"You have done a very good job at identifying apples as a good solution for you. We don't sell apples, but many of our customers used to buy apples as their solution until they learned how mangos were able to exceed their apple expectations. Would you be interested in learning more about why others are choosing mangos to solve the problems you have expressed and attain your objectives in a more effective and efficient manner? (Of course using specifics they share will be better)
If you get a yes - you have just completed your disconnect and re-focus and it is time to get back to your selling process.
One last reminder: What you resist will persist, when you are okay with someone liking apples you give them room to listen to what mangos have to offer.
Business relationships are no different than personal relationships. Things can go awry when we take things for granted, become less appreciative or neglect the details that first built the strong relationship. When a competitive large sales opportunity presents itself with an existing client or customer an easy trap to fall into is, trusting your key contact (the one with the strong relationship) to do your selling for you.
When you are servicing an account, making small or average sales you will tend to work with the same person for all the buying decisions. You build a strong relationship and there is trust being built. When a new system or major purchase is being considered it is easy to continue selling to the same person you always have in the past, trusting them to do your selling up. This usually happens for a couple of reasons. One; you are getting good vibes; they are saying they will recommend you and two; it is sometimes awkward to work around them to their boss and peers.
On the other hand, the competitor is going straight to the top to sell down, instead of up. If they get to the top level and convince them of their value, your years of relationship can be in serious jeopardy. You obviously don't want this to happen, so I recommend the following sales tips to prevent losing what should be yours.
- Do your job. Remember you have a job to do, not just a relationship to build. As a sales professional we are there to help buyers make quality decisions, hopefully in our favor. If there are new buyers with authority to make a larger purchase they deserve to hear from you so they can make a quality decision just as your regular contact has in the past.
- Don't take anything for granted. Every buying decision must be justified. Never let the past be the justification for a new buying decision. Perform your quality discovery and present a solid ROI. Don't let the "good feeling" from your solid relationship cause you to take a short cut.
- Don't get bogged in technology and features. When you are servicing an account you will tend to discuss features and technology more as the buyer is already sold on the strategic advantage of doing so. When a larger purchase is in play and new buyers are involved, make sure you are talking about their strategic objectives and how your offering will help them solve their high level problems. Talking tech or features to higher level buyers will weaken your sales position.
- Take the lead. You don't need permission from your long term contact to do your job. Lead them in a way that makes them look like a champion for doing business all the years that they have.
When things are comfortable it is easy to fall asleep on the job. If you approach each sale as if you were winning it away from your competitor you will stay sharp, serve your customer and preserve a strong relationship for the future.
Someone on Linkedin asked the question, "What is missing in the sales profession today." I believe if you fill the leadership gaps in companies the sales people will follow. Leadership gaps exist in three areas, the sales team, sales management and the company.
I don't see much of a difference in today's B2B salespeople as in years past (30 years of selling, managing and consulting). Salespeople will follow quality leadership and leaders among the team will emerge.
This does not mean the leaders need to be replaced, but they do need to know how to lead a sales team (see sales management process diagram in this link) and what a sales team needs from the company to meet expectations. The sales leader (manager) needs leadership and support from the company to be the best they can be.
To build sustainable sales success, with people who represent your company well, requires leadership working toward this end. It is not much different in other disciplines or departments. People like to be led and their best will come out under quality leadership and a company that supports them.
In today's world of constant improvement, doing things better and faster, and new software every day, it is easy to look for new solutions to old problems. I believe many times today's problems simply require time tested solutions with a few new tools.
Are you building a sales career or living or dying by your next deal? Tiger Woods is working toward a career objective, and as we saw Sunday at the PGA Tournament, things don't always go as planned. In sales we don't close every deal but we do have a response to every outcome.
Your response to your wins and losses will either bring you closer to your career objectives or further away.Your response can be considered part of the career sales process.
Tiger understands winning 19 major PGA tournaments is a career objective. Some years he will win 1-4 and others years none at all. No matter what the result, each year he works to get better. He responds by finding ways to improve and avoids wallowing in his losses or basking in his wins.
During these last 12 months I have not witnessed record selling numbers by my clients, but I have witnessed quality individuals focused on getting better. These sales professionals are building a career, and when the market changes they will be positioned to set records.
Don't let yourself complain when things aren't going your way. Assess how you might do things better, different or more creatively then pick up a club and take your next shot. Sometimes, a change isn't necessary, just simply keep showing up and doing what you need to do, the results will come.
There was a time when leading the sales process was very easy as buyers depended on salespeople to be the expert. Today, buyers are much more educated and informed and will at times tend to lead the sales process themselves, but don't let it happen.
As a Service-Minded salesperson you are there to lead buyers through the sales process and help them make a quality decision related to your offering. Leading does not mean controlling; there is a difference between the two. When leading, you allow the buyer to follow. When controlling you leave them no choice. Buyers like choices.
Here are five key areas you want to lead buyers into discovering or confirming.
- What problem they are solving or goal they are attaining that will support their company initiatives and plans.
- What their decision making criteria is.
- How any solution matches with their goals and criteria.
- They are convinced of the value and return on their investment.
- They are convinced and comfortable working with you.
It is the salespersons responsibility to help them understand these five areas.
So how are you doing at leading? If you want to take a quick look, answer the questions below.
- Are you assuming leadership of the sales process?
- Do you explain your process up front and get the buyers buy-in on following it?
- Are you willing to walk from companies that will not allow you to lead or follow a good process?
- When you receive fluffy, surface answers to tough business questions do you settle or ask a deeper question?
- Do you ever deliver or present your solution without confirming that the buyers understand the value tied to their problems, goals or vision?
- Do you accept when you are told you will not be meeting with decision makers, or do you sell them on why you need to?
- Do you let your good feelings about the deal or conversations cause you to take short cuts in your process?
Being a Service-Minded sales person does not mean you will win every deal you are involved in, but it does mean you will help your buyer be very clear about the value you offer and follow a quality buying process. To do this will require leadership.
What is the value of the contacts you made today? If you have an answer to this question you are viewing the value of your contacts from a short term perspective. We never will know the value of any contact (person we converse with and get to know) until their life is over. So how do you increase the lifetime value of each contact you make? Most professional B2B Sales Managers would suggest:
- Don't care about how much value someone can bring to you, but you do care about how much you can bring to them.
- Stop looking at "people" as prospects, suspects, customers and clients and you see them as people who might be able to use your help.
- Never determine the value of a relationship on whether they buy from you or not. Offer them your best if you win or lose, and maintain a relationship.
- Always give to the relationship when you get a chance. This could be as simple as staying in touch with a call, card or email, or sending them information that they can use in their business orlife.
- Genuinely care. Don't worry about if you are crossing some business/personal line. Caring is always good if it is recognized or not.
- Never burn a bridge, even if one is burnt back to you.
- Follow your heart; it is less risky than keeping up with the Jones'.
Supporting Case Study:
Three years ago a consultant met and proposed a sales management solution to a V.P. of a large regional company. The V.P. chose not to buy, but the consultant stayed in touch. He contacted him two or three times for the past three years with industry information that might have been helpful to the V.P. This year one of the consultant's clients opened an office in the V.P.s area. He gave the V.P. a call to see if his company would like to meet his client, for a possible strategic partnership. Two meetings later the two companies started a relationship.
Because the consultant was not short-sighted and practices building lifetime value this partnership was possible. Time will tell but I anticipate the value the two companies bring to each other will be significant over the coming years. As for the consultant, he happens to earn an overide based on sales of his client which will return value to him.