Archive for May, 2007

May 31st, 2007
Before You Discount Your Price

By Brooke Green So close…How many times have you been in this situation: *You meet a prospect *You take them through your process *You ask them the right questions, ...READ MORE

Before You Discount Your Price

Thursday, May 31st, 2007

By Brooke Green

So close…How many times have you been in this situation:

*You meet a prospect
*You take them through your process
*You ask them the right questions, tough questions
*They reveal that they have a problem
*They know it is costing them money
*They think you can help them fix it
*They say “NO” because they can’t afford your solution

WHAT? WAIT A MINUTE! EVERYTHING WAS GOING SO WELL.

What’s really happening…

I think our first instinct is to believe what they’ve told us - our price is too high. We obviously didn’t hear something right, or our pricing process is flawed. So, maybe I should discount. STOP! If your arm is falling off and you’re bleeding to death, do you negotiate with your doctor for a lower price?? Do you decide to let it bleed a little bit longer before you do something about it?

No, you realize you have a problem, you know you have to invest something to fix it, and you believe the doctor can fix it for you. If you have a prospect with a problem as big as a “dangling arm” should they behave differently? My experience is that it’s not about price at all. It’s a belief issue.

What to do about it……..

If you have helped a prospect identify a problem, denominate the cost of the problem, and you and the prospect have decided together that you can fix it, what does price have to do with it? NOTHING! It’s about belief; belief that the problem they have exists, belief that it’s worth investing time and money in to fix, and the belief that you are the person to fix it. So, if the prospect wants to keep making it about price, what can you do? Go back to your process……….

• Historical Review – How did you get to this point?
• Up–Front agreement – “I want to find out what is really holding you back”
• Compelling Reason – What was the pain that was revealed to you? Remind them of it – over and over and over.
• Economics – What is the cost of not fixing the problem? How much is the problem costing them currently? Is the value your solution higher than the dollars they will invest to fix it? If yes, than logically, they should move forward with the solution.

If you take them back through your process and they are still hung up on price, you have to lay it out for them:

“My experience is that the problem here is really not the price. Maybe your gut tells you that the problem is not worth fixing, or that I really can’t help you. That’s okay, but if that is the case, I will have to walk away.”

If they allow you to walk away, they weren’t serious about fixing the problem. The thought of you leaving them with their problem will force them to “get real” and get you back on track for the real, true conversation.

 

Tags: it's not about price, VP of Sales
Posted in Brooke Green, Inner Game | No Comments »

May 17th, 2007
Lead Generation Seminars–What Works-What Doesn’t?

Seminars are outstanding ways to generate "conversations" with prospects---and ultimately leads. But if done poorly, they can ruin your brand. If you're a sales professional ...READ MORE

Lead Generation Seminars–What Works-What Doesn’t?

Thursday, May 17th, 2007

Seminars are outstanding ways to generate “conversations” with prospects—and ultimately leads. But if done poorly, they can ruin your brand. If you’re a sales professional and you are asked to do a seminar, then take these into consideration.

FACT: Every company has expertise that lends itself to sharing at a seminar (telephone, webinar or face to face). I’ll post later on some ways to organize your material, but for now, we’ll talk about DO’s and DONT’s.

What To Do
Here are some tips on what to do when presenting a seminar designed to generate leads (or conversations):

1. Find Out Customer Objectives
This can be in the form of a PDF you send out on an autorespond when they sign up. Or you can pass out a brief questionnaire when people sit down. Remember, in our sales approach, we sell to the pain–to teh problem. How will you know how to convert your knowledge if you don’t know the pain of the group.

This also gives you a chance to talk about what you WON’T cover in a seminar upfront so people don’t leave disappointed. I always say, “John, that’s a great point. Because of limited time, I won’t be able to address that fully here. If you’ll mark on your business card, I’ll make sure we talk later.”

2. Tell Stories
People don’t want to see PowerPoints. They want to hear stories–stories of real people solving real problems. If you don’t have 5-10 good, short stories, then you’re probably boring your audience.

If you are not a story teller by nature, then do 3-5 short Case Studies. Remember, a case study should follow the following format: a) What was the problem you’re client was having? b) What impact was that having on their business? c) What solution did you bring to them? and d) What is life like now for the client. That’s the ONLY format to use.

3. Never Answer The First Question
This goes for salespeople on a call as well. The question the prospect asks you is never the real question. It is a “poser” for a deeper question. Consequently, you should find out what’s the question behind the question.

Barb (attendee): “Bill, how do you handle it when a prsopect tells you they don’t have the money to buy?”

Bill (me): “Good question–did everyone hear that? (then repeat the question). Before I answer that, give me a little more data — what exactly did you say that caused that reaction?”  You see, if I answer the question as posed, I may miss something that she said to cause the prospect to respond in that manner.

Once I know that, then I can answer the question. EVERY QUESTION HAS A DEEPER QUESTION BEHIND IT. You do the prospect a severe disservice if you merely answer the question asked.

OK-Now What NOT To Do

1. Stop Reading Your Freakin’ PowerPoints
Every good presentation book says this yet no one apparently is reading those books. If you’re in professional sales and you have to rely on a PowerPoint on a projector, then you’re making too much money.

2. Never Let People Out Without A Commitment
I am not looking to close someone from the front of the room. But you must never, ever let someone leave, after you’ve worked with them for the length of the seminar, without a clear future on what to do next. It frustrates your participant too. If you’ve done a good job upfront, finding  out what they’re pain is, then why shouldn’t you close for a future action?

3. Don’t Spend More Than One Minute on How Great You (or Your Company) Is
I was at a seminar earlier this year. The introducer spent 10 minutes on the qualifications of the main speaker. Come on….one minute is enough. It was laughable. I know you’re proud of your accomplishments, but did you know ‘they don’t care about you?’ They only care about you to the extent that you can help them to a better future.

If you don’t do lead generation seminars, then find a reason to start doing them. But if you do them, follow the very-simple tips above for a magical outcome.

Tags: sales professional, salespeople, seminar tips
Posted in Lead Generation | No Comments »

May 14th, 2007
Getting to the Decision Maker–Your Attitude Matters

Recently in our SELECT (advanced sales training) program, we got into a conversation about getting to the right person in the sales process. As we went ...READ MORE

Getting to the Decision Maker–Your Attitude Matters

Monday, May 14th, 2007

Recently in our SELECT (advanced sales training) program, we got into a conversation about getting to the right person in the sales process.

As we went down the path, it became apparent that it was less a technique issue and more of an attitude issue on our part.

I went back in to the studio and recorded a short eight-minute recap for all of our client base and anybody who has subscribed to our email newsletters.

Hopefully, it can provide you with a little guidance when you are faced with this idea of “How do I get to the decision maker inside my prospect company?”

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: sales process, sales training, VP of Sales
Posted in Inner Game, Rules, Tools & Attitudes | No Comments »

May 7th, 2007
What is Your Customer’s Mentality?

Just like you have an outlook and a mentality of how you see the world, so does your customer. And many times that mentality they ...READ MORE

What is Your Customer’s Mentality?

Monday, May 7th, 2007

Just like you have an outlook and a mentality of how you see the world, so does your customer. And many times that mentality they have does not fit in with your plans or your solutions.

Recently, I was asked to come in and do a half day training program for a group of 20 sales people. A manager “just needed someone to fill a slot” and thought I might be the right person to do it. However, in our business I don’t consider myself a slot filler. I consider myself a problem solver and until the customer’s mentality changed from how do I fill a slot in my sales meeting to how do I solve sales problems, he was not a prospect for me.

So the question becomes, can one change another’s mentality? I think you can. But it’s unlikely you will until you realize “the current state of the customer mentality.” 

In many instances the customer’s mentality is save money or get it for cheap, protect and defend my current status or laziness (doing as little work as I can on this). You might consider changing your customer’s mentality by writing down what you would like it to be. What would a client’s mentality have to be for him/her to be open to telling you about his/her problems and your solution? Once you write down the ideal mentality then you are on your way to being able to assess whether or not you see that in a customer.

Another example
I have a client that sells therapy equipment to clinics. When I asked him to do this exercise, he wrote down that the “ideal client mentality” would be to “find a way to leverage my patients and the relationships I have with them to grow the average per patient revenue per visit.”
Even though that wasn’t always the mentality of the prospect, when he was able to articulate that and say this is the kind of person we can help is one who has this “mentality” he immediately started to see change on how the doctors saw his value.

So, do the same thing. Write down that ideal client mentality and see if it enables you to change someone’s perception of what you do.

Tags: customer mentality, sales people, sales problems, sales training
Posted in Inner Game | No Comments »

May 3rd, 2007
Fear Installment #2 “Fear & Self-Sabatoge”

By Brooke GreenI posted a blog a few weeks ago about the Fear of Learning billcaskey.com. In that blog, I talked about how the fear ...READ MORE

Fear Installment #2 “Fear & Self-Sabatoge”

Thursday, May 3rd, 2007

By Brooke GreenI posted a blog a few weeks ago about the Fear of Learning billcaskey.com. In that blog, I talked about how the fear of learning can stop us in our tracks.   It’s hard to believe that we would want to stay stagnant.  Why wouldn’t we want to get better?

Sounds crazy, right?  Not really. Think about all of the ways that you self-sabotage.  You complain about how your jeans are too tight as you stuff another Girl Scout cookie in your mouth. You talk about getting out of debt, but then come up with a reason to put those great shoes on your credit card.  Not that I have any personal experience…

Anyway, I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. 

Diagnosing The Problem
When we go into companies and do a diagnostic on the current situation, it is usually clear why we’ve been invited in.  As we talk about how we can fix problems, the discomfort in “what might be” starts to show itself.  Sometimes the pain of doing nothing is so much less than the pain of change.

What are we afraid of?  Will people’s expectations of us increase?  Will we have more to lose?  Will we just be TOO fabulous?

Can You Handle Change?
Maybe you’ve imagined what life looks like when you’ve accomplished the learning.  Are you afraid it will turn out differently than your plan?  My experience is that I can handle learning (change) much easier in small bites.  Instead of looking at the end of the learning, take it as it comes.   It’s kind of like not looking at the total amount of your mortgage, but just the monthly payment – much easier to stomach, isn’t it?

What is one thing you would like to learn / change? (Hint:  What is not working in your sales process?  Can’t get to the decision maker?  Not enough activity?  Deals fizzle out?) What is the smallest step you can take?  Once you’ve accomplished that, what’s the next step, and the next and the next…. You’re on your way.

Tags: fear of learning, sales process
Posted in Brooke Green, Inner Game | No Comments »