DON’T DISCONTINUE CONTINUING EDUCATION

A quick trip to Google and you can find thousands of “SALES CLASSES” that are being offered by some of the most well known authorities on sales and some of the least known self proclaimed authorities on sales.

These classes can range from free to thousands of dollars for anywhere from 30 minutes to months. Some are online classes and others are face to face. Class size can be from a few people to a stadium full. Topics can range from the broadest to the most insignificant.

So how do we know which are the best and worst of the group?

The answer may be different for each of us. The facts are if you go through a process of selection to find a class you will be much more likely to find the class useful and rewarding.

Think about what it is you are trying to accomplish by taking a class. Is it to improve your selling skills, industry knowledge, presentation skills, basic business knowledge, better self esteem, or just to learn something new? (This is a short list, I am sure there are many other reasons for taking classes as well and all different and mostly good reasons)

When selecting a class make sure that the class will fulfill your rationale for taking the class. Next do your homework on the instructor or organization putting on the class. Make sure they have the credentials that support their claims of expertise. Consider the costs, you DON’T always get what you pay for, some of the best classes I have taken have been free classes. Consider ALL the costs, this isn’t just dollars but time as well, remember it isn’t only the time in the class, the time out of the field also needs to be taken into consideration.

You also need to think through the outcome. Are you going to be willing to make whatever changes are necessary to use the information you gain in a class. If it means never wearing your lucky tee shirt again are you going to be willing to retire the tee shirt?

Finally, is the information the newest available? Taking a class today where the information is out of date tomorrow is foolish. The information needs to have some staying power so it can be used and proved to be helpful in your career.

No one factor should be looked at with any more weight than any other. The total picture needs to be right for any class to be useful and help forward your success.

Certificates, diplomas, graduation letters, and all the accolades that go with them are all fun, but the real reward is becoming the best sales rep for your customers and yourself.

Lorin

WHAT TIME IS IT

We have all heard the term “CLOCK WATCHER”. It is a derogatory name for someone who never shows up early for work and never leaves late. This person works only the hours that are expected of them.

Many years back I had a rep ask me, “How many hours am I expected to work every week?” The only thing I could think of is I am talking to a clock watcher. The look on my face and the answer I gave shocked the rep as much as his question shocked me. I told him as many as it takes for you to achieve what you promised the company you would achieve.

Most of us get paid at least a small portion of our earnings as commissions (some 100%) and this question seemed so silly to me. I know that I worked as many hours as I needed to hit my maximum commissions and I thought all reps did at least that much to help themselves.

BOY WAS I WRONG! Since that rep asked me the question I have had dozens of reps ask me the same question. I am confused, if a good portion of our income depends on our hitting goals and quotas then why would any rep ask this question. I would think that a rep would ask, “Is there a limit to the number of hours I can work?”

I will be one of the first to tell you that work isn’t everything. I have a family, I have friends, and I try and have a life. However if I didn’t have any commitments to my family or friends and I was behind in sales I worked as many hours as I could.

As a sales manager I always felt that if a rep hit their numbers they didn’t need to work the long hours. However, working short hours and having short numbers is a bad combination.

When I interview outside sales reps, in about 99% of the interviews the rep tells me that the freedom to control their own time is a major factor of them becoming an outside rep. I was one of the 99%, but I also realized that along with the freedom comes the responsibility.

I have never seen a clock watcher become a success, but have you ever noticed how many successes carry a briefcase home with them? I don’t think they have their leftovers from the Training Buffet in those cases.

Lorin

FOCUS ON SOMETHING

Have you ever felt that things just weren’t going right? You don’t know exactly what is wrong, why it seems wrong, or how to correct it you just know something isn’t right.

The uncertainty is the hardest thing to deal with when this happens. The waiting for the problem to show itself is about as unsettling a feeling as you can have. And no one can really help. People try, our friends tell us things like “what do you have to worry about?” our spouse asks us “did you do something to make you feel this way?” and our sales managers say to us “go sell something and it will go away!”

I have found that the sales manager is the closest to really helping you. In their own way they are giving you advice that can actually get things back on track. What they are saying is GO TO WORK, now I won’t say go to work but I will say FOCUS ON SOMETHING! When you have this feeling that something is wrong you usually lose focus. You fixate on what you think may be wrong and you forget to do things right.

When you find yourself a little lost the best remedy is to start doing things that you know you do right. As a matter of fact you should start with the things you not only do right but the things that you do EXCELLENT! This will accomplish two things, first it will rebuild your confidence, second what you do usually is almost second nature so you will not need to put a lot of mental energy into it. This will give you the time you need to pin point the problem or allow the problem you THINK you have to pass.

The worst thing you can do is to keep your focus on trying to recognize the problem. YOU CAN’T FOCUS ON A NEGITIVE AND ATTAIN POSITIVE RESULTS! This is a fact that is universally true.

It takes practice to be so mentally strong that you can tune out a problem and focus on something else. The more you do it the better you will get at it. Start this way, whenever you consciously think a negative thought, immediately replace it with a positive one. The mind can only focus on one conscious thought at a time so if you’re thinking negatives you will be negative if you think positive you will be positive.

Lorin

REP TO FRIEND, THE JOURNEY WORTH TAKING

Today I was taken to lunch by a sales rep. Ten years ago that is how I would have started this blog, however today I was taken to lunch by a good friend of mine Jagat Trivedi the VP of Sales and Marketing for Agora Leather Products.

As I said, Jagat and I met about ten years ago. I was looking for a vendor to manufacture a new salesman case that my boss and I designed. Over the years we had gotten some small items from Jagat and he was always asking for a shot at our “BIG” business. This was his shot.

I can remember it as if it were yesterday, Jagat came in and listened to every detail about the bag we wanted and when we were done he made some suggestions and told us he would have a sample made for us in 4 to 5 weeks. Like a good sales rep he under promised and over delivered, he was back in less than 3 weeks with a bag that not only had everything we had asked for but several additions that Jagat thought would come in handy.

We made a few changes and a week later he was back with the sample. IT WAS PERFECT! That was a good sales day for Jagat, I know this because I was the one who placed the order for 1000 of the bags. I know this wasn’t a tremendous sale in his world, but he made me feel as if it were the biggest sale he had ever made.

He followed up with me often giving me the updates as to the manufacturing schedule and shipping schedule. If things were behind he always let me know and if things were ahead of schedule he would communicate that as well.

Over the next 7 years I must have ordered 2 to 3 thousand more bags from him, at one point we redesigned the bag and added wheels and a collapable handle. Every time Jagat came by he made me feel like I was his biggest and only customer.

Jagat knew how to carry on a conversation and he learned about my family and always asked about them. I also got to know him and about his family. It is funny because today at lunch I found out things about Jagat that I never knew like he is a mechanical engineer.

I have changed companies now and I have not bought anything from him in about 4 years, but we still keep in touch. Jagat and I have made the jump from sales rep/customer to FRIENDS. Let me ask you a question, if I ever need anything like what Jagat sells at my new company do you have any doubt I will call him in a New York Second? If he ever has the chance to promote me and my training, any doubt he will?

This is the Stanley Cup, the Super Bowl Ring, the World Series Trophy, the Oscar, the Green Jacket of sales. The moment a customer becomes a friend and the moment you are a rep become a customer’s friend you have left the traditional relationship behind and forged a new stronger relationship that will last for years to come.

It was once said that selling is nothing more than making friends. I think there may be a little more to it than that, but making friends is certainly a big part of the sales puzzle.

Jagat, I know you are going to read this, if you remember I told you I take what happens to me every day and try and put a sales twist on it so I can blog about it. Here is the proof. Thank you for lunch, I will see you soon FRIEND!

Lorin

TA TATT TATTOO

I don’t know what it is, but over the past several days I have seen more tattoos than I have in the past decade. I turned on TV the other day and saw a show about beaches and it seemed most of the people on the beach had some tattoos. I went to a movie with my wife and some friends and the group in front of us was covered in body art (their words not mine). I went to the grocery store tonight and every isle had someone with a tattoo walking beside me.

Now don’t get me wrong, I have seen a lot of tattoos I really like, not enough to ever get one myself but still I liked them.

I had to laugh because as I watched the TV show about beaches one of the hosts made the statement that if you are considering a tattoo you should go to the beach first. At the beach you will see what your tattoo may look like 30 years from now and reconsider… (That made me laugh!)

Over my career I have seen tattoos, haircuts, piercings, make-up and plastic surgery on reps that have sold everything from diamonds to pots and pans and in some cases these “enhancements” have helped the rep and in other cases have been a factor in their failure.

When I first graduated I went to work in the jewelry business and eventually gained enough skills to become a diamond wholesaler. I traveled from jewelry store to jewelry store selling loose diamonds and color gemstones. I also attended many wholesaler shows, it was at one of my first shows that I met a gentleman who became one of my mentors in the business. He had a son that wanted to learn his father’s business and become a jewelry rep. His son had one of the first tattoos I had ever seen that covered the entire top half of his body. It went from just under his ears down to his hips and left nothing but his hands without ink.

His father was devastated. Back in the late 70’s and early 80’s this was not the look of success. It definitely wasn’t the look of a jewelry rep. His dad taught him the business to the point where his son knew every step of what he needed to do to keep the business going. However he never sold enough to even make a difference. His son took the business over, but had to hire a rep to sell his line and to this day he doesn’t do anything that puts him in front of the customer.

How you look, as superficial as it may seem, makes a big difference as to how people view you. I am not just talking about dressing for success, over my personal career I have sold more in a polo shirt and slacks than I ever did in a suit, I am talking about YOU the entire package not just the wrapping.

I know that you need to dress for your industry. When I sold diamonds I was always in a suit, when I sold pots and pans I was in jeans and a polo shirt, when I sold chemicals I was in a company logoed shirt and slacks. Each industry has its own ideas of what a rep should look like.

If I were selling to motorcycle shops the tattoos, piercings and haircuts may make all the difference between being an insider or an outsider. In this case because a high percentage of the customers accept these looks they become an asset. The same look walking into a jewelry store could get you arrested!

Before you go out and get that tattoo of a horse jumping out of a cake put on your neck where it will be seen, think about what it is you do for a living and how it will impact your career. If you sell horses that jump out of cakes, GO FOR IT! If not TYHINK ABOUT IT!

Lorin

TOO NEW FOR WORDS

Today I want to show you something that will have you watching slack jawed and not believing your eyes.

Why would I show you something like this on a sales blog? Simple, I want you to think about what you would say to a customer to explain what you have. You can’t bring it with you, it is too big. You can’t have every customer come to your place of business, it is too far. All you can do is tell them about the most unique product they have ever seen or heard of.

Let me know what you think and what you would say.

http://www.wimp.com/functionaltools/

Lorin

IT HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME

There is a fear that lies in the heads of many sales reps. This fear has such a grip on a rep that just the notion of it happening sends reps running for the door. This fear keeps reps from doing what they do best, sell. This fear gets between a rep and a customer and once it shows up no sales will be made to that customer on the sales call.

What is this devastating fear, THE FEAR OF SELLING TOO MUCH!  That’s right, reps are afraid that if they sell multiple products to the same customer during one sales call the customer will stop in the middle of the sale and say, “Forget it I don’t want anything”.

I need to know, has this really ever happened to anyone reading this? Don’t tell me about what you heard, or what someone told you once happened to a rep they knew, HAS THIS EVER HAPPENED TO YOU?

The reason I ask is because in all my years as a sales rep, and all my additional years as a sales trainer riding with reps making thousands of sales calls this has never happened to me.

Where does this fear come from? I have a theory. When a rep is selling and thinking about how much a customer is spending they try and relate it to how much they personally spend. What the reps sometimes think is the customer is spending more than I would spend so I better stop selling before they get scared and cancel everything.

The thing the rep that thinks this way is missing is, the customer isn’t spending their money, they are spending company money and the budgets are very different. What seems like a lot to us personally may only be a drop in the bucket to the customer based on their budget.

I have written orders for hundreds of thousands of dollars and my biggest sale ever was $1.1 million dollars. I will admit that this was more than I would ever spend (OK more than I make…in a year…GEZZZ OK a lot of years) but to the customer it was part of doing business.

When a customer is ready to say NO, believe me they will say NO! I haven’t met many customers that are shy about saying no have you? Sure, I will admit that I have seen customers that get wrapped up in the moment and order more than they need, but usually before the order is signed they will come back to reality and cut the order back to their normal amounts.

So, if you have had this happen, let me know. If not then sell and keep selling.

Lorin

OLD meet NEW

I get several e mails a day from different sales groups containing all sorts of subjects. Some are very good and others… well let’s just say not as good. One of the e mails I get that has consistently had good subject matter is from Dale Carnegie. Today was no different, I received an e mail and the subject was “different generations working on the same team”.

As I read the article I was thinking about this same idea as it relates to sales. Different generations selling to one another. It may be the seasoned rep selling a new buyer or a new rep selling a seasoned buyer. What does it take in either case to make a sale?

Let’s look first at the young rep selling a seasoned buyer. At some point just about every one of us has been in this situation. And by the way, a young rep can be just about any age, it would be relative to the age and experience of the buyer.

In most seller buyer situations there is always one major opposing view. The seller wants to make as much money as they can and the buyer wants to spend as little money as possible. This has nothing to do with age or knowledge, it is the basic jobs of both parties.

So what else is going on, in a new rep to a seasoned buyer the buyer is wondering if the rep knows what he is talking about and can the buyer trust the information. The rep is thinking that the buyer knows in some cases more about the product or at least the application than the rep does and what can the rep say to show the buyer he knows the industry and understands the application.

This “conflict” is usually resolved during the presentation if the rep hits the right points and the buyer asks the right questions.

On the other side of the coin is the seasoned rep with a new buyer. This is usually a harder situation for the rep and is more difficult to work through. In this case the seasoned rep has a lot of what I call “Tribal” knowledge. This is knowledge that has been gained over the years of selling. The buyer on the other hand may have an extensive education but not the hands on experience. If the seasoned rep doesn’t give the buyer credit for his education and position the buyer will cut the presentation off in midstream and no sale will be made.

So the question then becomes what is more important, the tribal knowledge gained over time or the education gained over books? The answer is… Yep you guessed it… BOTH.

During any multi-generational sales presentation each side needs to give the other person the credit they are due. They both need to realize that neither can stand alone. If new reps and new buyers didn’t come up through the system there would be no changes and new ideas. It doesn’t matter what industry, product, or service you are involved in, no new ideas means no progress. On the other hand if it were not for the seasoned reps and buyers the foundation for the entire industry wouldn’t be laid and the opportunities that lie within the industry would have never come about.

If you are the seasoned rep, don’t look at the new buyer as “THE KID”, look at him or her as the future. If you are the seasoned buyer, don’t look at the new rep as “THE KID”, look at him or her as the next step in the evolution of your industry.

I have told this story in many classes, let me tell it here. Several years ago my insurance was with Kaiser Permanente. If you know anything about Kaiser they have their own doctors. My wife and I had the same doctor for many years and then one day we got a notice that he was leaving the Kaiser practice and we needed to select another doctor.

The way Kaiser does this is they send you a catalog with little pictures of each doctor and a short bio. I wasn’t happy with this so I called the administrator for the Kaiser office I went to. I was talking to a gentleman and he was suggesting all the doctors that were with Kaiser for many many years. I cut him off and I said, “I want the newest, youngest, most recent graduate you have on staff”. This shocked the guy I was talking to, he asked me why. I told him, “I want the doctor who knows all the latest and greatest procedures. I wanted a doctor that I would be an important patient. I wanted a doctor that wasn’t locked into old methods but understood them, that didn’t have any bad habits YET, and that would be there for me for years to come”.

My new doctor asked me not to call him, “THE KID”!

Lorin

ONLY THE LONE RANGER HAS ONE

It seems that every time a company has an issue, no matter what the issue is or what department the issue is in, someone sits in a meeting and asks the same question, “IS THERE A SILVER BULLET”? And as often as this question is asked, the answer inevitably is, “THERE IS NO SILVER BULLET”!

One of the reasons that the silver bullet is rare at best is because a silver bullet will only hit one target and there are not many problems that only have one component. Most of the time the problem consists of many different issues and each issue can have several different resolutions. Therefore I guess what we need isn’t a silver bullet but a silver shot gun shell filled with silver pellets.

So if there is no silver bullet how can we as sales reps solve complex problems and resolve multi-layered issues for our prospects and customers? Again, there is no one answer or one method that will work 100% of the time. Knowing this one fact however can help you come to a positive resolution 100% of the time.

You need to know your options. Ask yourself these two questions, what can I do and when can I get it done? If you have a good idea of your capabilities and the capabilities of your company you can start to work towards a positive resolution with your customers.

There are a few things that you need to recognize. You need to understand that in almost every case the customer isn’t totally unreasonable. In most cases when a customer makes what appears to be an unreasonable request they have a reason for doing it. I once had a customer ask me if they could get the product in less than 2 hours. In most cases this sounds like an absolutely unreasonable request, however the reason the customer made it was they were having an inspection in 5 hours and needed the products so they could be ready for the inspection. In this case I knew that my company couldn’t get the product to the customer, however I knew that if I went to my warehouse and picked the product up I could have it back there in time. Is this a silver bullet? NO, it was me knowing what I could do and couldn’t do and making a decision that created a positive resolution.

On another occasion I had a customer ask to have a product bottled in a size that my company didn’t manufacture. I also knew that there was no way that we would consider it for the limited amount the customer wanted. I went to my equipment department and we put together a simple and inexpensive dispensing method that would allow the customer to make any size package they wanted. Once again, knowing what my company would and wouldn’t do, along with knowing what the issue was allowed me to be creative and resolve the customer’s problem. Was this a silver bullet? NO, it was using my resources and finding a way to satisfy the conditions set by the customer.

I have many stories where there was no resolution that worked and my only other option was to guide the customer to another company that could help them. Was this a silver bullet? NO, it was a way to help the customer and remain in the ball game for another try later.

When sales reps are looking for silver bullets they generally look first at one thing, PRICE. What a mistake, I can say without any hesitation, price is NEVER the silver bullet. Price may help you make the sale in the short term, but then price will usually be the reason the customer starts buying from someone else later. There is always someone out there that is willing to cut your price by a few cents to take a customer. Price doesn’t build loyalty, it ruins it. PLEASE don’t load your gun with price cuts thinking that they are silver bullets, you will be shooting blanks.

So with a hardy HI OH SILVER AWAY, I will wish you happy trails.

Lorin

TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE

I received a call a few weeks ago from a friend of mine who asked me for some help with a problem customer he has been working with. He told me all about the customer and that no matter what he has done the customer just will not commit to him.

I went through all my usual questions to try and find something that he may have missed, no such luck, it sounded to me like he had done everything correctly. Now I was only hearing one side of the conversation, but according to my friend the customer’s replies all pointed to them buying, the product seemed to be a great fit, the price as near as I could tell was more than fair. With all this, the customer just wouldn’t commit and buy.

We talked for about 45 minutes and I told him to let me think about it and I would get back to him the next day. I didn’t just think about it, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. WHY didn’t the customer say yes? WHAT was I missing?

The next day I called the rep back as promised and we talked for about an additional 30 minutes. Once again I couldn’t find anything that kept the customer from saying yes.

Then I asked him, how long have you known this customer? He told me that the GM at this customer was a friend of his that he has known since High School and he brought him in and introduced the owner to my friend.

That’s when it hit me! I asked my friend if there were any other reps in the area that he could bring into the next sales call on this customer. He told me there was but was confused why I wanted him to bring in another rep. He said he knew more than the other rep and that he consistently sold more at a much better profit. He told me the other rep was a nice guy but that he doesn’t really ever talk to him nor have any contact with him on a regular basis.

I told my friend to ask the rep to make the call with him and to introduce him as a Product Placement Specialist. This is a term I once heard a sales rep call himself and I loved it. I instructed him to tell the other rep the full story and that all he needed was the other rep to reinforce what the customer has already been told.

We hung up and I got a call the next day from my friend letting me know that he and the other rep had an appointment to see the customer the following week. We talked for awhile and after we hung up I forgot all about it, until today.

My friend called me and first said he was sorry for not getting back to me sooner but he has been busy. I asked him how the meeting went and he said that is what he has been busy with. It seems that when my friend and the other rep made the sales call the customer was so pleased that he brought in a specialist that he signed the order that day.

Both my friend and the other rep were so pleased that they started working with each other several times a week calling on customers that they have made presentations to but have not given them orders. My friend told me that they are closing 7 out of 10 of these customers the first time they walk in together and another one or two on the next visit.

Their success for the past several weeks is so good that their manager met with them to see what they are doing and is now going to be asking all his reps to team sell a few days a month. Before we hung up he made sure to tell me that he told his manager that it was my idea and wanted to let me know that the idea is awesome. I was happy it had worked out and we hung up.

I knew this method would work, it usually does. Not for the reasons the old saying wants us to believe, “when 2 sell to one, 2 always wins”, but for a better reason, when you bring in another rep and position them not as a sales rep but as a specialist, the customers fears are set aside. They have more confidence in this being the right thing to do and will usually be comfortable making the decision the specialist suggests.

A few tips to team selling before I close.

1)      NO PRESSURE – the second rep isn’t there to high pressure, as a matter of fact they should be even more relaxed and laid back.

2)      Don’t let the new rep talk too much. Even if you read them into what you have done they still won’t know everything. Keep control and use the second rep as reinforcement.

3)      YOU close the sale when the time comes. It doesn’t matter if the customer is in the middle of talking to the second rep when they decide to buy, you do all the paperwork, and you make the price and make sure the customer knows that you are the lead rep.

4)      Get to know the second rep if you can. The more you work with them the better you will know what they do and how they do it. This will make the team look even more professional.

Team selling, it just doesn’t get better than this!

Lorin

A LITTLE OLD ANT

For the past week my Mother-In-Law has been visiting my wife and I. Unlike many people I have a wonderful relationship with my “MIL” and we had a great visit. This morning I drove her to meet a friend who she is going on a 2 week vacation to Florida with. During the ride my “MIL” and I were talking about some old songs and she reminded me of a silly song that I had not heard for years. The song is called “High Hopes” and was sung by Frank Sinatra.

As my “MIL” was talking I was running the lyrics through my mind and remembering the song. A big smile must have been on my face because my wife asked me what I was thinking. All I could do was start singing, “Just what makes that silly old ant, Think he’ll move a rubber tree plant, anyone knows an ant, can’t, move a rubber tree plant… but he’s got high hopes, he’s got high hopes, he’s got high apple pie in the sky hopes..so any time your getting low, stead of letting go, just remember that ant, oops there goes another rubber tree plant”

We all started laughing and I kept singing. As I sat down to write this post I still have the song in my head, so what better subject to write about!

I have said repeatedly that hopes without plans are nothing but dreams. I still feel that way and I am not sure there is anything anyone could do or say to change my mind. However the best plan will only be worthwhile if the rewards are enough to motivate us to work as hard as needed to put the plan into action.

Here is where the song comes into play. (no pun intended) If your hopes are big enough, or high enough in the case of the song, then you will refuse to acknowledge failure as an option. When you eliminate failure as one of your options the only thing left is success.

For the life of me I couldn’t remember all the lyrics of the song so I had to Google them. I only have one word for the lyrics, AWESOME! I wish I could send each of you a recording of the song, it is that good. Because I can’t I will do the next best thing. I am going to reprint the lyrics and give you a link to download the ringtone to your phone!

Read these lyrics and I think you will see how they are perfect for sales reps. After you read them once, print them off and when you are driving down the street going to your next sales call, sing them out loud (don’t worry you are all alone in your car, no one will know). Not only will you put a smile on your face, you will immediately feel your entire attitude start to get better as well.

WARNING: THE TUNE AND LYRICS ARE ADDICTING AND ONCE IN YOUR HEAD WILL STAY THERE FOR A LONG LONG TIME!

The link for the ringtone and to print the lyrics is: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/f/frank+sinatra/high+hopes_20055241.html

Frank Sinatra High Hopes Lyrics; Songwriters: J. VAN HEUSEN, S. CAHN

Next time you're found, with your chin on the ground
There a lot to be learned, so look around

Just what makes that little old ant
Think he'll move that rubber tree plant
Anyone knows an ant, can't
Move a rubber tree plant

But he's got high hopes, he's got high hopes
He's got high apple pie, in the sky hopes

So any time you're gettin' low
'stead of lettin' go
Just remember that ant
Oops there goes another rubber tree plant

When troubles call, and your back's to the wall
There a lot to be learned, that wall could fall

Once there was a silly old ram
Thought he'd punch a hole in a dam
No one could make that ram, scram
He kept buttin' that dam

but he's got high hopes, he's got high hopes
He's got high apple pie, in the sky hopes

So any time you're feelin' bad
'stead of feelin' sad
Just remember that ram
Oops there goes a billion kilowatt dam

All problems just a toy balloon
They'll be bursted soon
They're just bound to go pop

Oops there goes another problem kerplop
Oops, there goes another problem kerplop
Oops, there goes another problem kerplop
Kerplop!

Lorin

BTW, Yesterday I asked a question and told you I would give you my answer today.

The question I would ask the best rep in my industry is, "In your opinion, what separates a good rep from a GREAT rep?"

I still want your answers also. Send them to me.

I WANT YOUR OPINION

I want to do something a little different today. For almost a year now I have been writing posts that you read and if I am doing my job, learn something from. I hope that you have all enjoyed at least some of my posts and that they have helped you grow in some way as professional sales reps.

Today I am going to ask for feedback. On one of my LinkedIn groups a question was asked that I find very interesting. I know my answer and I will post it tomorrow, in the mean time I want to ask you the same question and see what replies I get from you.

The question is:

IF YOU HAD 5 MINUTES WITH THE TOP SALES PERSON IN YOUR INDUSTRY,

WHAT WOULD YOU ASK HIM/HER?

Please send me your replies and I am looking forward to reading and sharing them with you tomorrow.

Lorin

GREAT TIPS THAT MAKE GREAT SALES REPS

The following article was sent to me by one of my networking associates. After reading it I knew I would not be doing my readers a service if I didn’t pass it on. I am not sure who wrote this but whoever you are Thanks.

If you are serious about maintaining a long-term career and increasing your sales, here are 14 things you should never stop doing. If by chance, you haven't started doing some of these, I suggest that you do start...the sooner, the better.

1. Prospect. If you do nothing else but prospect for new business every day the chances are you will always be busy and seldom, if ever, experience peaks and valleys in your sales.

2. Improve your skill. Professionals in many industries require regular upgrading up skills. Selling is no different. The marketplace has changed and what worked five years ago is no longer relevant. Make the time and invest in regular self-improvement programs (workshops, conferences, books, audio programs, etc).

3. Listen more than you talk. People who listen more, learn more. The more you learn the more effectively you can position your solution or offering. Enough said.

4. Establish clear call objectives. Whether it's a face-to-face meeting or telephone call, you need to have a clear objective of what you want to accomplish. Closing the sale is NOT an objective.

5. Create plans (yearly, quarterly, monthly and weekly). I know very few sales people who actually create a business plan for the entire year. What sales do you want to achieve? How will you reach those targets? What daily, weekly and monthly activities do you need to execute to achieve your goals?

6. Study your products. How much time do you spend studying and learning your products? Do you know the key differences between similar products? Do you know how each product will actually benefit a customer?

7. Network. Effective sales networking means attending the events that your key prospects attend. A friend of mine deals with high-ranking executives so he attends high-profile fundraising dinners. The cost of entry can be expensive but the return can be excellent.

8. Ask awesome questions. I've mentioned this...more than once! But the ability to ask great questions, tough probing questions, penetrating questions, is one of the most effective ways to increase your sales.

9. Deliver great presentations. Don't confuse this with the ability to stand up in front of several hundred people and deliver a keynote presentation. The key to delivering a great sales presentation is ensuring that it addresses your prospect's key issues and that it focuses on their needs and objectives, not your agenda.

10. Adapt your approach. Do you ever consider the personality style of the other person when planning your sales presentation? Do you know if your prospect prefers correspondence via email, texting, face-to-face or telephone? Is your prospect a 35,000 foot view person or do they like to know every detail?

11.  Set high goals. People with the highest goals tend to achieve the most. Are your goals challenging and motivating? Do you even set your own goals or do you simply take what's given to you by your boss?

12.  Be persistent. Four or five years ago it would take an average of seven calls to connect with a new prospect. Now it's a safe bet to say that it can take as many as twelve or more, just to make that first contact. You need to be diligent and persistence.

13.  Forge relationships. Developing and maintaining great relationships with prospects, customers, friends and other people in your network is one activity that will ALWAYS pay off.

14.  Show respect. I have seen, firsthand, how poorly some sales people treat gatekeepers and receptionists and it always disappoints me because I am a firm believer in treating people with respect and dignity. Yes, that person may only be the receptionist in your eyes but they often hold the key to the Presidential Suite. Treat them accordingly.
If you consistently apply and execute these strategies you will definitely see an increase in your sales.

Now that you have read this once scroll back to the top and read it again. This time have a pad and pencil that you can jot down the items you do so you can remember to continue to do them and the items you don’t do so you can start to work them into your daily activities.

Lorin

A BASIC LAW OF PHYSICS

OK try and stick with me on this one. Every time I start to explain this to reps the knee jerk reaction I get is a loud moan and someone saying “I hated physics” or “I couldn’t learn it in school what makes you think I can learn it now”?

The reason I think you will learn it now is simple, NOW IT IS A MATTER OF MONEY!

Here we go:

FOR EVERY ACTION THERE IS AN EQUAL AND OPPOSITE REACTION.

How simple is that? Let me give you an example, when you are in your car sitting at a stop sign and you gun the engine your car races forward (the action), you in turn are pushed back in your seat (the reaction).

What we do as sales reps works the same way. What we say to a customer (the action) solicits a response (the reaction).

If you are hearing the same things over and over again it is usually because of what you are saying to the customer. So many reps try and place blame on everything but the real problem. They will blame the economy, the territory, the product, their company, the weather, and anything else they can think of. The truth is the problem lies in their sales approach.

We have all been through classroom sessions where we were taught to “OVERCOME” objections. I have taught these classes hundreds of times to thousands of reps. It wasn’t until I realized that by the time you overcome an objection the damage has already been done that I started to look at what I can teach a rep to do to be ahead of the curve and stop objection BEFORE they are spoken.

As reps we need to find the words, find the demos, find the feature, and find the BENEFIT that will keep the customer from having the objection in the first place. To do this we need to look at the root cause of objections. For most customers an objection is a defensive measure that keeps them from saying yes. Sometimes this defense is imaginary and sometimes it is absolute fact.

How can we stop an objection before it is spoken? We need to have the answers built into our presentation. Let’s face it, we know what we are hearing repeatedly as objections, what we usually don’t do is change our presentation to head them off, we are constantly doing what we have been taught to do, OVERCOME.

Well if we start to think ahead of the curve and build the right presentation we can close faster and have more satisfied customers than we have ever had before.

The law will not change, FOR EVERY ACTION THERE IS GOING TO BE AN EQUAL AND OPPOSITE REACTION, by changing our actions the reaction we get from the customers can be much more favorable.

Lorin

THE FORGOTTEN HUMAN RIGHT

I’m sure that last week we all heard at least once about our freedoms and our rights. Today I was reminded about a human right that has been forgotten, THE RIGHT TO DREAM.

I don’t know about you, but I love to dream, and not always when I am asleep. I find myself drifting off into my “day dream world” and dreaming about what it would be like to have millions of dollars or winning a big lottery. I dream about having the mountain cabin, the ocean yacht, the condo at the beach, a 1972 fully restored 442 convertible, and a private jet just to name a few little things.

Today a good friend of mine reminded me that dreaming is something that I have the right to do. He also reminded me that dreaming won’t help me get any of these things. I laughed, if I have the right to dream shouldn’t someone at least be obligated to fulfill a portion of my dreams? You know maybe the government! OK, you all know me better than that.

I do believe that we all have the right to dream, however if you don’t turn your dreams into actions all they will ever be are dreams. I used to love it when one of my employees told me that they “really wanted” something. I would ask them to tell me about it, I would suggest to them to find pictures of it, cut out articles about it, get prices and know where they can buy it if they had the money. Why did I do all this? Because I knew that if I can get someone to start working towards their dreams I can create an unstoppable force!

As much as I loved to hear one of my employees tell me what they dreamed about having, I used to hate it when the only thing that one of my reps were interested in was money. Money is a great thing to have and I really wish every one of my readers the curse of becoming as rich as they desire. But if money is the only thing you dream about then you are really boring and destined to be a failure.

While you are dreaming about money, I am dreaming about all the things money can buy. While you are dreaming about money, I am dreaming about the happiness that I can bring to the people I love by having enough money so they won’t need to ever worry again. I’ll tell you what, think of this, next time you are hungry dream about money, I’ll dream about the steak that I can buy with money. Who do you think will have a more pleasant dream?

So here we are snug in the middle of our right to dream and our right to earn a living. As I think about the two I come to the conclusion that one without the other is pretty worthless. If we don’t have dreams than what are we working for and if we are working without dreams what are we going to do with our money?

I was telling you about how much I loved it when one of my employees had a dream and what I would ask them to do, well let me finish, when the employee had all the pictures all the articles, all the information on where to buy what they wanted and how much it costs I would have them set a goal as to when they wanted it. Most of the time they always wanted it NOW! But that wasn’t going to happen so I would ask them to give me a real time frame in which they wanted to fulfill their dream. I would then ask them to divide the price of what they wanted by the number of years they set until they owned it. I would then sit with them and make a table showing how much they needed to put aside each year to achieve their goal. I would start them off at a reasonable amount starting right now. It may only be a few dollars, but as they worked and grew their business they could afford more and more each year, until they were ready to buy.

Over the last 30 years I have had several reps stay on track and achieve their dream, but to be honest the vast majority didn’t. For most either their dreams changed or life got in the way of their dreams, but even with an awful success rate I have had just about every rep that started and kept with it for a period of time thank me. Were they thanking me for showing them how to fail? No, they thanked me for showing them how to save and how to reach for the stars and achieve other dreams.

So let me finish with the lyrics to an old song by the Lovin Spoonful, “What a Day for a Daydream”.

 What a day for a daydream
What a day for a day dreamin' boy
And I’m lost in a daydream
Dreamin ‘bout my bundle of joy

And even if time ain’t really on my side
It’s one of those days for takin' a walk outside
I’m blowin’ the day to take a walk in the sun
And fall on my face on somebody's new mowed lawn

I've been havin’ a sweet dream
I been dreamin’ since I woke up today
It’s starrin’ me and my sweet dream
Cause she's the one that makes me feel this way

And even if time has passed me by a lot
I couldn't care less about the dues you say I got
Tomorrow I'll pay the dues for droppin’ my load
A pie in the face for bein’ asleep before dawn

And you can be sure that if you're feelin’ right
A daydream will last along into the night
Tomorrow at breakfast you may pick up your ears
Or you may be daydreamin for a thousand years

What a day for a daydream
Custom made for a daydreamin’ boy
And now I’m lost in a daydream
Dreamin ‘bout my bundle of joy

Lorin

THE MISUSED SALES TOOL

As Sales Reps, each of us wants to become SALES LEADERS. Our natural competitive spirit will usually drive us to perform to the level of our peers. But how hard do you think it is for our sales managers to lead us? How hard is it for our sales managers to find ways to motivate us? And how hard is it for our sales managers to keep us on track?

Depending on which system you believe in, the optimum number of people a manager can effectively manage is 6 to 18. If you now look at theories about sales managers the numbers drop to 6 to 12. Taking it one step further and focusing on managers that manage commissioned sales reps the number is closer to 6 to 8.

I have worked directly with several sales forces and have experience with many others, my observations are that in most cases sales managers are being asked to manage 2 to 3 times these numbers. This fact alone sets the bar low for effectiveness, productiveness, and performance. Not due lack of talent or desire on the part of the manager but due to the workload and time restraints placed upon them.

So now the question is, what should a rep do? I am a firm believer that a great sales rep needs a strong sales manager. A strong sales manager needs co-operation from their sales reps. How does a sales rep co-operate with a manager? By using the manager for what they are best at not wasting the manager’s time with non productive, insignificant, meaningless chores and acting like a primadona.

OK BEFORE MY ENTIRE SALES REP FOLLOWING STARTS SENDING ME HATE MAIL AND LOGS OFF MY BLOG FOR THE LAST TIME, PLEASE READ ON.

If you take the facts that I have set before you so far and think about the questions I have posed to you it really comes down to what SHOULD I ask of my sales manager not what CAN I ask of my sales manager.

I have heard reps ask managers to do paperwork for them, make phone calls for them, basically reps asking their managers to be errand boys (or girls) for them. Depending on the ranking of the rep these requests usually become more and more abusive and more and more absurd.

If each of us took the time to think about the best way to utilize our sales managers to help drive our personal sales we would all benefit. Let me give you some examples. I have had top sales reps asking their sales managers to train and retrain them on company software. When I have approached the rep and asked why they didn’t ask IT or ask ME the sales trainer, in almost every case I was told they didn’t want to look stupid and follow it with, THAT’S THE MANAGERS JOB ANYWAY ISN’T IT?

Let’s look at the dynamics of a request like this. The sales manager is now taking time to train the rep and because the rep is being trained they are taking selling time out of their day. So a top rep and a sales manager are out of the revenue stream for however long the training takes. In other words, if the training takes 30 minutes an hour of productivity is lost. (30 minutes X 2 people = 60 minutes). Taking this one step further let’s say the managers top 4 reps ask for this kind of non-revenue generating help in a week that is 4 hours, half a day, or 10% of the week doing chores that won’t help the company make sales and won’t help the reps make commissions.

So back to the question of what SHOULD we ask our sales managers to do for us? This is really easy if we always ask one question before we make a request from our managers. Will what I am about to ask drive sales, make profits for the company, or directly help me earn more commissions? If you can answer yes to any of these criteria then it is a good request. If the answer is no then very simple DON’T’T ASK and look for help in other places.

I know that this may not be the most popular post I have ever written for my followers who are reps, but the facts are it really should be. By using our sales managers the right way we will not only earn more money for ourselves in commissions and bonuses, but we will also help every other employee of the company. Being a sales trainer and having been a sales reps I believe that every job in the company is depending on us to do our jobs the best we can. WE are the revenue generators, WE are the profit makers, WE are the people that make the company grow and thrive.

Take this responsibility seriously, your fellow employees, customers, and fellow reps are all depending on you.

Lorin

GOD BLESS AMERICA

With the 4^th of July week coming to a close I was thinking today how lucky we are to be living in a country where we can be what we want to be.

Imagine if instead of being Sales Reps we were forced to work in a factory because that is what our government wants us to do. Now imagine working in the factory and no matter how hard you worked or how good a job you did you made the same amount of money as everyone else because that is how much the government said you will make. No imagine not having the opportunity to advance, make more money, or ever change your occupation because the government doesn’t allow it.

Sounds awful don’t it? Well that is exactly how many people live everyday of their lives.

As people living in a free country (and for my international audience free countries all around the world) we are the fortunate ones who have the opportunity to not only do what we WANT to do but EARN what we want to earn and LIVE the lifestyle we want to live.

The price of this great freedom, as the saying goes, isn’t free. First let’s thank all the men and women who serve our countries in the armed services that protect us and keep our freedoms safe. It becomes especially apparent on the 4^th of July how important you are to us all and the debt we owe you for being the front line of freedom. Next let’s thank all the people we love to hate, the politicians. YES I said it, it doesn’t matter which side of the aisle you are on or if you sit dead center of the aisle, someone needs to be our voice in government. Always remember, our government may not be perfect (or even close to perfect) but it is still the best in the world. Now let’s thank all the risk takers that started the companies we work for large and small. It may have been centuries ago or yesterday but every company we represent started with an idea and a person or a few people willing to put it on the line and try something new.

With all her problems, AMERICA is still the land of opportunity. With all her issues, AMERICA is still the place where the world looks for ideas and progress. With all her mistakes, AMERICA is still the place with more prosperity and wealth than any other country in the world.

As we look back on this 4^th of July week 2011, even with all our troubles Americans have still lead the world in charitable donations to countries that have had disasters. Even with our own troubles, Americans have never stopped helping people at home and abroad in their times of need. Most important of all, even with our troubles we never falter in our beliefs in freedom and human rights.

We are fortunate to live where we can be what we want to be and pursue the career of our choosing. We are fortunate to live where the only limitations to our success are the limitations we impose upon ourselves. We are fortunate to live where competition drives the economy and the better we are at what we do the more successful we can become.

I hope that you and your families had as grand a 4^th of July week as my family and I have had.

Lorin

LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE

When was the last time that you were lied to? I can only hope it wasn’t the last time you talked to a sales rep.

I was with a friend today and he was shopping for a new computer. I have had some great service and have found a store that I like so I recommended we go there. He told me that he had never done any business at the store I liked and he was going to a store that he has seen a lot of ads for on TV.

As we walked into the store I noticed that the sales people were lined up like used car sales man at a buy here pay here lot. I felt as if I was walking into the preverbal lion’s den. I am going to guess that these people took turns because as the front door slid closed behind us this person (notice I didn’t say sales rep or sales person) slithered out from behind everyone else and introduced himself as “OUR SALESMAN”. So badly I wanted to ask what lottery I had lost to get him but held my tongue.

Our salesman told us his name was JOHNNY and without asking or caring what our names were asked what we wanted to buy. My friend told him a computer. Here is where JOHNNY showed a small sign of possibly being better than I thought he was going to be, he asked if we had any special type or manufacturer in mind. My friend told him he wanted a desktop and started to tell JOHNNY what he wanted in it. It was here that I realized all my suspicions about JOHNNY were going to be spot on. Before he could tell JOHNNY the first item on his list of “Must Have’s” JOHNNY was off and running. He started walking and talking at the same time. Neither my friend nor I heard anything JOHNNY was saying and we weren’t even sure if we were supposed to be following him.

When we figured out that we were supposed to be behind good old JOHNNY we started walking and caught up to him in the computer section of the store. JOHNNY started showing my friend a desktop computer. Now remember, my friend never was given the chance to tell JOHNNY what he wanted so JOHNNY was shooting in the dark.

I was getting a little tired of this guy so I told him, “If you stop talking and listen for a minute I promise he will tell you what he wants in his computer and make your job easier”. JOHNNY didn’t like me at this point but said in a disgusted voice, “OK what do you want” The first thing my friend said was he needed 2 hard drives and each needed to be 1TB or greater. This is where JOHNNY started his lies, he stopped my friend and said, “No one makes a desktop with that mush hard drive space”.

I was floored and my friend was now getting madder than I was. He knew we had just been lied to and it didn’t take a genius to know it was most likely because JOHNNY didn’t have any desktops with 2 X 1TB hard drives.

JOHNNY went on to tell us that 3 other items we were looking for were not going to be available anywhere because NO ONE MADE THEM LIKE THAT!

Enough with the story, I think you get the picture, so let’s move on to the lessons learned.

The first lesson should be DON’T LIE TO A CUSTOMER. If your customer is like my friend and I we will know you are not telling the truth as soon as the lie leaves your lips. You are much better of telling the truth and working with the customer to find what they need rather than what you have.

The second lesson is SHUT UP AND LISTEN. If JOHNNY had listened from the start he could have showed us the closest computer he had and tried to sell it to us even if it wasn’t exactly what my friend was looking for. Remember why we were there to start with, my friend saw the ads and he WANTED to go there to buy a computer.

And the third lesson should be, DON’T LIE TO A CUSTOMER, oh that was number 1 wasn’t it, well it is worth repeating.

The fact is there are many people out there already that don’t trust sales reps. If as a professional sales rep we keep doing the things that have given us this reputation we will never regain the public’s trust.

As reps we eat what we kill (sales talk for we earn only by selling something) and it is sometimes hard not to bend the truth and tell that little white lie to make a sale. However I can assure you, for every dollar you make by telling the little white lie (or the big dark lie) you will lose ten times more by telling lies.

Lorin

NORMAL ISN'T ALL IT'S CRACKED UP TO BE

I will bet that all of us have heard of Sigmund Freud but have you ever heard of Carl Jung? Carl Jung was the father of many of the modern psychology principles used today. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator was developed from Jung’s theories.

Carl Jung also made some great statements during his lifetime, one that I want you to think about today is;

“TO BE NORMAL IS THE GOAL OF UNSUCCESSFUL PEOPLE”

Carl Jung knew people thru his work as an Analytical Psychologist and one thing that he discovered is the norm for most people is mediocrity. From this he made the leap to the statement above.

1)      The norm for people is mediocrity

2)      People don’t consider mediocre successful

3)      People want to be considered normal

4)      Normal people are unsuccessful

It doesn’t matter if you agree with his line of thinking or not, you can hardly argue with his theory. Most people are not successful and they consider themselves normal. Most people who are successful are NOT normal. As a matter of fact it is almost the rule that the further you are away from normal the more successful you can become.

I have my thoughts on this and I would like to share them with you. To start with let me try and outline what I believe people view as normal. People think normal is;

1)      Going to work everyday

2)      Doing the least amount of work they can to keep their jobs

3)      Accepting the security of a “PAYCHECK” for what someone thinks they are worth rather than taking the chance of getting paid what they are really worth

4)      Letting time be the reason for their promotion rather than accomplishment

5)      Not “rocking the boat”

6)      Working 50 weeks a year to get their 2 week vacation

7)       Waiting to be handed everything rather than going after it for themselves

8)      Looking at fellow workers that retire with envy

9)      Living on a budget

10)   NEVER asking WHY or saying NO

I guess that describes normal and unsuccessful as closely as I can in 10 bullets. After reading these 10 items I hope that you can see that if this is normal the LAST thing that you should be trying to be is NORMAL!

Let me give you another quote from one of my hero’s, Albert Gray;

“THE COMMON DENOMINATOR OF SUCCESS FOR ANYONE WHO HAS EVER BEEN SUCCESSFUL – LIES IN THE FACT THAT THEY FORMED THE HABIT OF DOING THINGS THAT FAILURES DON’T LIKE TO DO”

I believe Albert Gray was saying, you can’t be normal and succeed! You need to take the route that most people are not willing to take and do the things most people are not willing to do. Albert Gray wasn’t a psychologist, he wasn’t a Doctor or a great master of the human mind, Albert Gray was an insurance executive with Prudential Insurance Company for 30 years. The common denominator of success was delivered to in 1940 to the National Association of Life Underwriters, 71 years later it is still as true, as meaningful and as inspiring as it was then.

The bottom line is simple, success isn’t normal if it were than what would we consider better?

I hope this gave you something to think about. I know that I did a lot of thinking as I prepared to write this post and will continue to think about this for a long time to come.

Lorin