Selling Your Way to Success

Geoff Payne AFAIM, MIEEE

Learn how to get more prospects, close more sales and create more money whilst having more fun achieving it
Dec 2005

Selling your way to success.

Forward Dedication Acknowledgements

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PART ONE
Basic Selling Skills Objectives Background Attribute(s) Steps Of A Sale Information Gathering Initial Appointment Phone Call Initial Visit Qualifying

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Dominant Buying Motive (DBM) Needs Wants Budget Authority

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PRESENTING

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1. When to present your Quote 2. Submitting your Presentation 3. Minimise the contents of a presentation or quotation. 4. Never offer a demonstration.

BUILDING A COMMITMENT
Unit Of Conviction Buying Signals Non Verbal Direct Verbal Intimation Trial Close Assumptive Close Alternative Choice Close Trivial Close Isolating Objections 1. Please explain step 2. Empathy step 3. Just suppose step Handling The Objection 4. Raise a question step 5. The READY step 6. Trial close step. Demonstrations FOLLOW THROUGH Part 2 Exercises

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PROSPECT INFORMATION SHEET

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SCENARIO ONE
How to break down and close the sale.

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SCENARIO TWO
A dificult situation is not beyound you.

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SCENARIO THREE
How to handle a Trustee or a board decision

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SCENARIO FOUR
Getting a result from a family run business

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SCENARIO FIVE
Selling to new and start up businesses.

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SCENARIO SIX
A different approach

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Steps Of A Sale Essentially there are four major activity areas (or steps) associated with a sale. They are: a. The information-gathering step during which you introduce yourself and your firm to the prospect, discover their needs, and what is likely to influence them to buy from you. b. The presentation step entails the delivery of a proposal either in writing or verbally. c. Building a commitment is the time during which the sale is closed. d. The follow through stage, ensuring that the sale is completed and that you maximise your chances of further success as a result of this sale. The diagram below illustrates the amount of time traditionally devoted to these activities, compared with how you will allocate your time after this training programme.

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Traditional Salesperson You the Professional Salesperson Building a commitment Follow Through Presenting Information Gathering

Notice how the traditional approach puts so much emphasis on the presentation and closing steps. This is often reflected in traditional sales training where priority is given to demonstration techniques and hard sell closing. This philosophy as it unfolds puts the emphasis on information gathering and following through. This approach results in a situation where the prospect is as anxious to buy as you are to sell. Consequently, the presentation and closing steps will not only require far less time, but they will also be painless and even enjoyable. It is now appropriate to detail the process of executing each of the steps outlined above.

Information Gathering The first step in gathering qualified information is of course getting an opportunity for a face to face meeting with a prospect. This in itself is not always easy and later sections of this programme are devoted to detailing a method of maximising your chances of creating such opportunities. Briefly, the method in these sections shows how to pro actively gather information which will enable you to seek out suspects, qualify prospects and eliminate deviates (those who would have you waste your time on them). Furthermore the section shows how to cause a prospect to want to see you. Now let us assume that you have a prospect (i.e. someone you believe can benefit from investing in your product) and you want to get an appointment to see him or her. Initial Appointment Phone Call Before addressing this mini step in detail, it is a good idea to look at a couple of Salespersons diseases which, if not treated, could cause one to not even to try to make the call. a. Laziness is the first of these diseases, and is perhaps the most infectious. The problem is that without confidence and a methodology, making such a call is plain hard work and we can easily convince ourselves that there are many more important things we can do with our time, rather than make that phone call. Without possessing a well practiced set of selling skills, we also realise that if we are successful in getting that first appointment, we then have to go out and face the prospect; and that can be even more daunting. To cure this disease we must first become consciously competent at using selling skills, so that we are confident in ourselves, and value the work we do. If this alone does not eradicate the disease try allocating a set time to make these types of calls, and then form the habit of standing up while making each call. You will be astonished at the result. Use scripts. Without these magic words we will often get tongue-tied, go off at a tangent or just plain forget what we are trying to say. Write down word for word what you want to say and the likely questions you may be asked. Answer the question and write the

answers clearly under each question. (Tip: always end your answer by asking the prospect does this answer your question). Practice the script on anyone who has time to listen and ask questions. You will know when you have mastered your script because you will feel confident, self assured and ready to pick up the phone. b. Fear is the other disease worth mentioning at this point. FEAR stands for False Expectations Appearing Real. This is so with most salespeople; they fear rejection, which causes them to not want to make that call. Apart from these diseases there are a number of mistakes that are common when making an initial call which we should be aware of, and ensure we eliminate them. They include: a. Forgetting you are only trying to get an appointment, and attempting to start selling (by peddling) the product instead. b. Taking up too much of the prospects time talking about trivia. Use the script. c. Sounding dull and uninteresting. Smile when you talk it makes a huge difference to the way your prospect hears what you have to say. d. Lacking confidence and not really expecting to get the appointment. e. Allowing the prospect to take control. f. Failing to relax. Now having exposed our potential weaknesses, let us get back to the call. The best approach is to assume that you have every right to get the appointment, and that indeed, after listening to your opening line, which outlines the reason for the meeting; the prospect is keen to see you. (Practice your opening line and keep it to less than 20 seconds. In that time state who you are, what you have and why they should take time out to see you) With this in mind, take control quickly by suggesting a specific time for the appointment early in the discussion. If the prospect objects simply suggest an alternative time and seek his agreement. In practice because you are being so confident and wasting as little time as possible with this call, it is seldom that a prospect attempts to put you off after your second suggestion of an alternative time. Some salespeople who use this technique boost their chances of success by suggesting an unusual time such as 10.20 am next Tuesday. The prospect automatically thinks the appointment is probably only going to take about 10 minutes, and is therefore more likely to agree to see you. Once again this area is specifically covered in much more detail elsewhere in the Programme, so at this time we will proceed on the assumption that you can successfully get that first appointment. Initial Visit

The most critical thing to remember about an initial visit is the same as for any sales meeting. You have to have a goal. As will be seen shortly we do not want to try to close the prospect at this time, we merely wish to gather information, so surely our goal is simply to get into comfortable conversation with the prospect. Throughout this text there are a number of rules used for certain situations, which if learned will assist in both the understanding of professional selling skills, and their application. There are some very definite rules that apply to the initial visit. You must at all times be yourself, listen with both ears. Remember the more you talk the less you know about your prospect and his / her needs. Use what you have been shown in your way and in your words. If you do this then what you do and say will be natural and you will amazed at the responses you get from your prospects. It is worth remembering that the more your prospects talks the more he or she will remember you. They will perceive correctly that you are really interested in what they have to say. Always arrive early By doing this it gives you the opportunity to observe the prospects environment (the receptionist, the waiting area, attitude of other workers etc.), thus enabling you to gauge the type of person they are likely to be. If you are for some good reason, going to be late, always phone before the appointment time, and advise the prospects receptionist. In this way you will not upset him or her greatly. They are almost certain not to see you immediately so you have the same opportunity to observe as if you had been early. Most firms have a peg board at reception stating if the employees are in or out. In every case the owner / managing director /general manager will be at the top and the post boy at the bottom. Check to see where your prospect is on the list. This will indicate if he or she is high enough up the ladder to actually make decisions.

Be Prepared Do not assume that the meeting is going to be successful unless you have complete control. To achieve this you must plan how you want the meeting to go and be well prepared. Have at least your first four questions ready. Always Sell in Private You are entitled to a level of respect as a professional salesperson, and this ought to be afforded you by your prospect. Occasionally, you might for example, be asked to have your discussion in the waiting room: (perhaps because the prospects of f ice is currently occupied by someone else); it is OK to ask for an alternative venue such as the board room, where you have an opportunity to optimise the time you and your prospect will be spending together. Refuse Tea or Coffee The most natural thing in the world is for a prospect to offer you a cup of coffee when you first arrive. It is also natural for you to accept, but in so doing you surrender some control over the meeting, and you may be denying yourself some great opportunities later in the selling cycle. This will become clearer as we look at some closing techniques.

Share Your Purpose Up Front Your prospect will be more cooperative during the meeting if you share with him /your purpose in being there. Be up front about it. Once youve broken the ice share with him or her precisely what it is you hope to achieve and then seek their approval of that aim? Your purpose is to ask your prospect a number of questions to determine if he or she could benefit from what you and your firm have to offer (value chain). Tell your prospect just that. The prospect will almost certainly approve your purpose, but most importantly, at a very early stage in the proceedings you are getting the prospect to agree with you on something.

I will stress again and again throughout this course the importance of being comfortable with your prospect. Practice your timing and ice breaking questions until you do not have to think about them, they just come naturally. Do this and be yourself ALL of the time and you will find you will actually enjoy the experience.

Qualifying It is now time to look in some detail at what will constitute your purpose as referred to above. First it is important to recognise that it is impossible to close a non-qualified prospect. According to all of the text books on sales it cannot be done; and of course they are right. To understand the art of qualifying it is important to understand that when people want to invest in your product they do so, not so much because they understand the product, but because they feel that you understand them. Therefore we ought to work at asking questions right from the start about them, and recognise that all buying decisions are emotional rather than logical. People use logic to justify the emotional decisions they make. They do not buy product features. They buy how using the product will make them feel, or what using it will help them achieve. Bearing this in mind there are five distinct f actors we need to know about a prospect before he or she can be said to be qualified, they are: a. b. c. d. e. DOMINANT BUYING MOTIVE NEEDS WANTS BUDGET AUTHORITY

Dominant Buying Motive (DBM) All five qualifying factors are essential, but establishing the DBM is the most important. The DBM is the emotional reason this prospect will buy from you. Ultimately, you will be putting some form of proposal to the prospect, in competition with others. The proposal will deal in fact, and as such you could be defeated if it forms the basis of your sales pitch. If, however you deal in the emotions of your prospect, the opposition will not be able to compete. The unfortunate part about dealing with a prospects DBM is that you cant ask him / her what it is. What you must do is decide from the emotions of human nature, which one drives your prospect the most. These emotions include:Ego

Pride Anger Fear Greed Your judgement as to which one applies is critical. You can start making your assessment from the moment you arrive (early). How tidy is the environment, How do the rest of the staff behave? Does the prospect have you shown in or come out to greet you? What is their mood when at first seeing you? With practice you will learn which emotion is most likely to be dominant with each prospect. You cannot ignore the need to make this determination and still benefit from the skills that are outlined in the next section of this programme. It is better that you make a choice and be wrong. With practice you will get it right most of the time. Remember it is OK to try, and fail...... the first time. To discover the DBM, the art of questioning holds the key. Most people will open up and tell all there is to know about themselves if only someone would ask. So play dumb and ask questions such as:How long has your organisation been operating? Who is your main competitor? When did you commence working in your existing position? What is the most difficult aspect of your operation? How do you find the XYZ market at the moment? Questions such as these tend to get the ball rolling and soon you will be given the DBM by the prospect, without having to ask for it specifically. What questions can you ask that you feel comfortable with?

This extract from the Theory section of the course lays the framework with which you can start to develop your own style of salesmanship. Theory is fine and a much needed part of any development; however the practice of sales is what makes you great. Following the theory are six practical lessons on how to approach different sales situations. These will give you the start to finish sales cycle and will explain in detail what to do and when. These lessons are invaluable as they make you more confident

and shows in an easy to follow style how all the various theorys mesh together in different ways.

SCENARIO ONE Your name is your own name. You are the proprietor of a medium size printing service operating throughout the Greater Metropolitan area. You have three stores all linked by high speed computer links. Your existing system was already installed when you purchased the business two months ago. You were led to believe that the communications system in place was ok at the time you acquired the business, but it has become apparent that this is not the case. The store Managers frequently cannot send work to the other stores. If the information does get through, you have to make a phone call to make sure the file was not damaged. You generally feel that the business is suffering as a result of having an antiquated communications IT system. You bought the company (called Dollar Smart Printing) with your superannuation pay out, received after leaving the public service. You are depending on the business to see you through to retirement in 15 years time, and hope that you can sell it then for enough to retire on comfortably. The representative who is calling is one of five you contacted to come and see you regarding a possible upgrade to your IT communications system.

How to break down and close the sale. The first thing the sales person has done is make the appointment. To do this he / she did not try to sell the product, and has been told they have thirty minutes to tell their story. The salesperson has arrived early, with four questions he / she feel comfortable using. For example:Thank you for taking time out to speak with me. I understand we will only have thirty minutes is that correct? To save time is there anyone else who is part of the decision making process available to join us now? I noticed on the peg board outside your title is proprietor. Can you tell me what that entails?

I noticed you have a signed boxing glove of Mohammed Ali in reception are you interested in boxing? Or is it an investment? Notice how the questions are all leading question, are non threatening and invite the prospect to start talking. You will also note that at least one of the questions invites a yes / no answer. This question will start the process of getting the prospect to agree with what you are saying. (Remember simple questions have the most power. So use them often). From the answers to these questions, you should have an idea what the prospects DBM is. Remember to use phrases and language that will appeal to the DBM type you believe the prospect to be. The responses you get back will help you fine-tune your initial thoughts. In this case, the prospect worked in the public service. He has told you he brought the business with his superannuation and he needs the business to prosper so he can retire in several years. From the answers to the questions above which may have been; Yes I only have 30 minutes, No, I make these decisions, The position I hold is the owner and whilst I have a management team I like to make and set the strategic direction of the company myself, And finally, the boxing glove is an investment opportunity which I saw and liked. So I brought it. You now know he makes the decisions to purchase. He is also capable of seeing an opportunity and acting on it (the boxing glove) His manner and energy lead you to believe his DBM is pride with fear a close second. Pride in what he has done and fear that he could lose everything if the business fails. Now you need to find out the needs and wants. For example:Needs: What do you like most about your current system / process/ machine/ practices? Could you elaborate? Wants: How would you like to see it change? Could you elaborate a little for me please? Next, confirm whether they have the authority to buy or if others are required. This is very important, and many prospects with a DBM of ego will lie unless you can coax the truth from them. Remember, you can spend all day with a prospect; if they do not have the authority to make the decision (dont believe the title allows them to do anything!) to buy you are using your time unproductively. It is ok to continue your presentation with the prospect if they say they will need to take it to other staff members, because you now know you can steer the process so that these other people can be brought into play later. You will also have the opportunity to make this person your champion. A champion being:- somebody who supports your product or service within the organization.

Remember during this initial visit your prime goal is information gathering.

Both the theory and exercises are short extracts from the actual book so why not get excited about earning some real money and having some fun at the same time. Become the envy of your sales team or just blow your budget out of the water. It can be done and you can do it. Remember if you do what you did yesterday dont expect a different outcome today. Make a difference. Make a change. Start now go to www.totalmanager.net and download the full book now! I look forward to working with you to help make you the best sales person you can be. Best regards and happy selling Geoff Payne. PS. Remember that as a New Year bonus I am giving my sales guide and twelve months updates to the book Free of charge. A $50 saving. Plus you will also receive unlimited email help for any sales problem you are experiencing. For Ever!!!!!!!