Why Retail Will Die
Sep 29, 2005 All About Selling, Clients are fun. Case Studies in Sales and Leaders..., Experiences in Marketing, Insights in Business, Live Responsibly: Life Tips, Great Living, Prospecting, Cold Calling and Networking
Harsh words I know. But it’s not too late! Hey, I strive to save many of the retailers out there. But c’mon folks, you managers and business owners gotta start looking at what your people on the floor are saying to your prospects.
The very prospects that you may be spending hundreds if not thousands of dollars in advertising every month trying to bring them into your store! The only sales that they are making are the ones that they blindly run into. (So if I need a new mobile number, I’m going to go into the store and tolerate the service and lack of knowledge that comes with this experience. It’s not changing the fact that I still want one and that may still be the easiest route for me to take.) To corporate, they may feel, “Sales are there so why change. Why spend money on developing our people ?” I love the numbers folks.
Let me give you an example.
I recently purchased some advertising space in a national magazine. I have been a subscriber for years and knew everything I needed to know to select them as an advertising vehicle. I called them with one intention, to place an order.
When I called their office, the salesperson began doing what she felt was appropriate; to start selling me. She began with the history of the magazine, then moved into a discussion about her subscriber base, how effective an advertising campaign can be and ended with information about her ad design team. She was unaware that I already knew all the information that she decided to share with me.
She never took the time to ask what my intention was in running the ad or what information I might be interested in hearing more about. While she was speaking at me, I could only think about how many selling opportunities this must have cost her when dealing with prospective clients who didn’t have the time or patience to listen to information that didn’t fit for them.
This is not an unusual problem. Many salespeople spend much of their time during a sales call attempting to educate the prospect about their product, service and industry. They think it will stimulate interest and increase the odds of earning a new client. In many cases, this is the same strategy that compromises their opportunity to create a relationship with that prospect.
Unfortunately, this is the easiest way to lose their attention. Once a person hears something they aren’t interested in or if they feel you are providing information that doesn’t apply to them, their interest is lost and they stop listening.
A sales call is not the time prove how much you know. It’s the time to find out what you don’t know about the prospect and what the prospect doesn’t know about you. It is not your knowledge that sells, but how effectively you customize your knowledge to meet each of your prospects’ specific needs.
Before you can uncover a prospect’s individual needs and educate them on how your product will meet those needs, you must first uncover what your prospect already knows.
Your company’s presentation materials are designed to assist you in educating your prospects. However, it’s your job to determine and provide the appropriate information that will fit their specific situation.
Start your conversation by asking certain questions. Questions will enable you to uncover the relevant information to provide and identify the prospect’s objective and expectation of the meeting. Begin your meeting with the following questions. “What are your expectations of our meeting today?” “What information can I provide that would assist you in making the right decision when choosing a (new vender, service provider, contractor, etc.)? “Just so I don’t sound repetitive, what do you already know about…?” Then, based on the information you receive, you can craft your presentation.
Caution: When listening to what your prospect already knows, some of the information you receive about your product or industry may be inaccurate. Address this carefully. Instead of correcting them, simply add another truth to their statement by asking another question or adding to what they had said. Otherwise, while making yourself look right, you run the risk of making the prospect wrong, thus putting them on the defensive.
Most importantly, learn to put your ego aside and let go of your need to “sell.” The most effective presentation is going to be judged by the outcome that you produce. This begins with finding the right balance of information that your prospects want to hear.
Get Over It
Sep 28, 2005 All About Selling, Insights in Business, Live Responsibly: Life Tips, Great Living, Prospecting, Cold Calling and Networking
Are You Playing The Victim?
“I can’t believe I wasn’t able to schedule an appointment with Mr. Prospect today! I feel so dejected and frustrated, too frustrated to do anything else productive today.”
C’mon.
Do you allow one bad experience to snowball and affect the rest of your day?
Rather than moving on and forging ahead, this allows you to go into a negative tailspin and destroy the chance of doing anything else productive for the remainder of your day.
Another example of playing the victim would sound like, “With the type of manager I have and the lack of support I get, I’m never going to be successful at this job.”
Hit the reset button.
Regardless of what you do, whether you’re a manager, telemarketer, salesperson, business owner or coach, remember:
one bad call doesn’t make a bad day,
one bad day doesn’t make a bad week,
one bad week doesn’t make a bad month,
one bad month doesn’t make a bad year.
While you may find that one or two (or more) of these behaviors resemble some of your diversionary tactics, this is actually good news!
Yes, you have some, we all do and if you don’t think so, then consider that the very fact you deny or resist having on is, in fact, your diversionary tactic, or what I like to call, perfectionism. Sorry for the ramble but hey, this is my blog, and if I choose to write insignificant dribble while adding some value then I hope it makes you smile. After all, my webmaster practically twisted my arm and made me do the forum and this blog. I trust him but my wrists are beginning to get sore from typing. I truly hope you’re enjoying this out there!
Hey, I never said that you would actually like bringing this truth to the surface. After all, it takes a lot of courage to admit our foibles. However, now that you have a greater understanding and awareness about them you can do something about it. When you notice yourself falling into this trap, you can make the choice to either continue engaging in your diversionary tactic or make a better choice that will generate the results you really want.
Get Naked
Sep 25, 2005 All About Selling, Clients are fun. Case Studies in Sales and Leaders..., Experiences in Marketing, Insights in Business, Live Responsibly: Life Tips, Great Living, Prospecting, Cold Calling and Networking
Have you ever done something that you know is not in your best interest? Have you ever avoided doing something that is in your best interest? In either of these scenarios you were probably able to justify your behavior as well as your line of thinking and most of all; avoid being accountable.
While that may sting a little bit, allow me to introduce to you a new definition for this type of behavior. A diversionary tactic is an action, excuse, or belief you hide behind that justifies your behavior and performance, providing you with the out so you do not have to be accountable for your performance, responsibilities, goals or the situations you put yourself in.
Other examples of diversionary tactics are as follows:
• An excuse for the behavior you really don’t want anymore.
• An action, a lack of action or a belief that keeps you from being
• A persistent or constant complaint.
• A source of energy. (Even though it may be a negative energy
source, human beings tap into any available energy source, even if
it causes additional problems, stress, and difficulties.)
• A justification for doing something you are better off not doing
which isn’t aligned with your goals and objectives.
Some non-negotiable tasks, activities, and priorities in your life may be obvious, such as your commute, showing up for work, engaging in your favorite hobby or pastime, and spending time with family. However, some may not be so visible, such as prospecting, practicing self-care, one-to-one time with your employees, planning, goal setting, or putting time aside for professional development.
If there are activities you need to engage in that support your lifestyle and will truly determine whether or not you will reach your personal and professional goals, it’s essential that you make these tasks non-negotiable rather than optional. Otherwise, you’ll find that they have tendency to take a back seat to other activities that may need to get done and have some degree of importance.
You know, the activities or tasks that you may be more comfortable doing (such as cleaning your office, doing paperwork, responding to e-mails, helping other people, compiling data, customer service, working on making your marketing material perfect) but don’t significantly move you forward. Instead, they keep you stuck in maintenance mode, allowing you to do just enough to stay afloat.
Then, you may have conversations with yourself that sound like, “That’s okay, I was busy today. I’ll do that tomorrow.” Or, “I just wasn’t able to find the time to get to prospecting today.” And wouldn’t you know it, something else always seems to come up! I don’t suppose this has ever happened to you.
This busy work will disguise the truth, creating the illusion that you’re working hard, simply because you feel busy. These diversionary tactics enable you to do everything else but the activities that would dramatically accelerate your success.
Just ask any salesperson who has to prospect to build their business. They can justify practically any and every activity that will take them away from prospecting, allowing them to major in the minor activities that act as a diversion to doing what’s truly needed to build their business.
If you, “Can’t seem to “find the time,” for these activities, I have yet to stumble across time that I just happen to “find.” It becomes a never-ending search, an exercise in futility. Consider that these non-negotiable activities that you may be avoiding must become as habitual as waking up in the morning, taking a shower, brushing your teeth, and breathing. These are the activities you do, (hopefully) without a second thought.
Uncover your diversionary tactics. Once you do, you’ll then be able to make the choice whether or not to continue to take part in them or the activities that serve you best. To further illustrate the importance of uncovering and eliminating your diversionary tactics, consider the cost you incur by not making certain activities non-negotiable. For example, what does it cost you if you don’t prospect; professional satisfaction, selling opportunities, peace of mind, income, your career?
Developing Half A Person
Sep 20, 2005 All About Selling, Insights in Business, Live Responsibly: Life Tips, Great Living, Prospecting, Cold Calling and Networking
The fact is, there are things you are doing right now which are creating what you want to avoid. And the kicker is some of you already know this!
The most productive people master the art of abandonment. That means, the ability to let go of old stuff that no longer works.
We all want better results but in order to do so, what precedes those results?
Change. We have to change something first.
There was a great quote I recently heard:
Our dilemma is that we hate change and love it at the same time; what we really want is for things to remain the same but get better. -Sydney J. Harris
In my experience, generating extraordinary results requires changing two things:
That is to:
• Change what you do and
• Change how you think.
The fact is, successful people not only do things differently they also think differently. They are wired differently.
Ironically, most people focus on the doing side. Without focusing on how to best manage their mindset
The result? YOU ARE ONLY DEVELOPING HALF OF THE PERSON THAT YOU CAN BE. Take a salesperson who only focuses on following a certain step by step selling process. Now, if success in selling was only dependant upon what you did, then every salesperson who followed this process should perform at the exact same level and from what I see, especially speaking with thousands of salespeople and sales managers every year, this is certainly not the case.
The good news is, you haven’t even begun to tap into your fullest potential.
It’s like upgrading a computer. When you get coached by an expert, part of the process is similar to taking and old processor, such as an old 386 computer and upgrading it to a Pentium 5. Only difference here, we’re upgrading your operating system, how you think, how you’re wired so you can think better, remove any corrupt files or thinking, and operate at maximum efficiency.
Change Your Mind
Sep 16, 2005 All About Selling, Clients are fun. Case Studies in Sales and Leaders..., Experiences in Marketing, Insights in Business, Prospecting, Cold Calling and Networking
We’ve all changed our mind at one point or another regarding how we feel about someone, something, or an experience we’ve had. Depending on the complexity of the situation, there’s a good chance that you change your mind on a daily basis regarding certain preferences, (favorite food, color, store, restaurant, leisurely pastime, TV show, hobby, sport), activities, experiences, and even certain people.
You may have changed your mind regarding a certain experience you had. For example, Mary, a client of mine, shared an experience she had regarding a sales call she went on. When Mary left the meeting with a prospect, she called me sounding very upset. After presenting her product to this prospect and following up with them a week later, the prospect decided to use another vender. She felt frustrated, upset, and dejected. She was ready to leave her sales position, feeling as if she failed and this wasn’t the career for her.
After talking with her about this sales call in more detail, it sounded as if there were some holes in Mary’s selling strategy that may have cost her the sale. I suggested that she look at this experience not as a failure but as an opportunity to learn and grow. As such, she changed her outlook. Mary felt better using this experience as an opportunity for continuous improvement. Together, we identified the areas that needed refinement and changed her approach when presenting to a prospect.
As a result of what she had learned, she became the number one salesperson in her company. Now, Mary has adopted a new belief; there is no such thing as failure, only unexpected results that you can then learn from. The only way Mary can fail is if she doesn’t embrace the lesson. I love that!
Selling is the Art of Creating Possibility
Sep 15, 2005 All About Selling, Clients are fun. Case Studies in Sales and Leaders..., Experiences in Marketing, Insights in Business, Live Responsibly: Life Tips, Great Living, Prospecting, Cold Calling and Networking
If you are focused solely on making a pitch or are pushing for the appointment or the sale rather than conducting a process of inquiry, then consider whom you’re making the sales process about. And that would be you!
Create Possibilities, Not Expectations
A possibility that goes unfulfilled is still a possibility. An expectation that goes unfulfilled is a disappointment.
I remember talking with one of my clients. His name was John and he was a great salesperson. After working with John for a few months, I noticed that his mood or state of mind fluctuated during each meeting I had with him.
It seemed that, like many salespeople, John was allowing himself to be a victim of circumstance. He set high goals and expected nothing but exemplary performance from himself. When he experienced success from his prospecting efforts, he was in a great mood. However, on the days that he felt he wasn’t producing up to his expectations, he really took it to heart and it threw him right into a bad mood. Feelings of disappointment, anxiety, and frustration overcame him. This lasted until he had another productive day cold calling. John was allowing external situations, more specifically, his daily productivity to influence or dictate his internal condition or attitude, swinging the “mood” pendulum from one extreme to another.
It’s one thing to experience good days and bad days. We all have them. However, it’s another thing to allow your prospecting efforts to dictate whether or not you’re going to be smiling at the end of the day. After coaching him around this, we soon realized that he had some unrealistic expectations regarding his performance.
I explained to John that it was wonderful to have a very clear vision of what he was looking to achieve. After all, defining your goals is a great exercise, one that I certainly endorse. However, when your goals begin to consume you and diminish the quality of your life, it’s time to re-evaluate your strategy.
I then suggested to him, instead of being hooked on the expectation of having to generate the result he was seeking during every cold call, what if it was only a possibility that he would generate the desired result? I saw the confusion in his face. I then shared with John the distinction between a possibility and an expectation.
A possibility is something that may exist or what could happen, where an expectation is a hope or an attachment to a specific outcome. A subtle, yet powerful distinction. When you are open to possibility, you are inspired to innovate and create something new while being present in a conversation or with the activity you are engaged in. You feel a sense of choice in the pursuit of your goal. In other words, you can either be gripped with a certain expectation about something; in this case having to sell, or you can simply enjoy the possibility of creating a relationship with that prospect, determining whether there’s a fit and providing value to them, without being attached to whether or not you will sell.
Some people have an attachment to certain outcomes during a conversation. They are so focused on having the other person see their point of view or attached to creating a specific result that they miss out on the ability to create a new and better outcome simply by listening openly to what the other person was actually saying.
Sometimes we get so attached to having others see our point of view that we exhaust all our energy just to prove a point. We might do this with our prospects, co-workers, boss, family, or friends. The problem is, if you are so attached to your own agenda inside a conversation then how can a new or better possibility ever surface? How can you listen to your prospect’s wants and needs or create solutions to their initial concerns that might get in the way of the sale? It just can’t happen.
A congested mind does not allow for the space to create the best solutions for your prospects during a cold call. Consider for a moment that the person you are speaking with may have a better solution or voice an initial objection, yet you can’t hear it because of your attachment to the outcome.
Think about the sales you have made in your career. Picture your state of mind at the time. Were you relaxed, centered, and connected with your prospects or were you concerned, anxious, and biting at the bit while calculating how much money you would make if you sold?
Most salespeople are more inclined to generate the desired result they seek during a cold call when they aren’t concerned about whether or not they will sell. And this feeling; according to them, usually surfaces right after they had a successful cold call or reached their monthly sales quota. In other words, these salespeople weren’t attached to the expectation of having to sell the client because it was no longer a “have to” for them. Since they already reached their daily or monthly goal, in their mind the rest was gravy. The pressure to produce was lifted off of their shoulders and they had nothing left to lose.
Many of us suffer from unfulfilled expectations. If you are attached to the expectation of having to generate certain results when cold calling and you don’t produce them, , think about how you feel? Lousy, discouraged, frustrated, dejected, upset, maybe even a bit drained. Not only can this destroy your productivity for the remainder of your day, but you’re also less likely to want to engage in this activity again or call on other people. Setting yourself up to have unfulfilled expectations is a formula that continually reinforces negative feelings, which creates negative experiences.
Now, imagine what would be possible if you believed that every conversation you had with a prospect provided you with the possibility to earn their business? This way, if you don’t generate your desired result, then the possibility is still just a possibility!
When something is possible for you, the process is actually enjoyable. After all, if you’re going to cold call, you might as well enjoy the process. The alternative is being let down or crushed from having unfulfilled expectations.
Consider this truth. What if a surgeon in the ER expected to save every life that he operated on? Chances are, this person wouldn’t be a surgeon for long, even with the best of intentions.
You know it’s a possibility when you’re having fun and you can’t lose. It’s an expectation when you are upset if it doesn’t work out.
Detach From The Outcome
Sep 7, 2005 All About Selling, Clients are fun. Case Studies in Sales and Leaders..., Experiences in Marketing, Insights in Business, Live Responsibly: Life Tips, Great Living, Prospecting, Cold Calling and Networking
Selling is the art of creating possibility. That’s selling at it’s core.
If you were ever in a situation where you’ve walked away from a conversation feeling drained or exhausted, chances are there was something you were attached to in the conversation. Where you attempting to control the outcome?
When cold calling, prospecting, networking or presenting, here are some attachments to be aware of that can grip you and limit your potential.
The need to be right or look good.
The need to make the sale (appointment, demo, proposal)
The need to be understood or prove your point.
The need to have people agree with you.
The avoidance of being wrong, looking bad, and hearing “No.”
If you find that you are repeating yourself, pushing to get someone to see it your way, or creating evidence to strengthen your side, you may be caught up in the ego of the situation. The conversation then turns into a struggle for power and control. When prospecting, who do you think is going to win that battle most of the time? The prospect.
Being attached to the outcome during a prospecting conversation:
Focus on the Present
In order to let go of your expectations or attachments during the cold calling process, focus on the present.
Consider the three points in time; the past, present, and the future. Sure we live in the present, but is that where you are truly living and responding to moment to moment? Consider that almost 85 percent of your time is spent either living in the past or in the future. (For example, reacting from a past experience or an expectation of the future. Remember the conversation on fear in Chapter 1?) Where is the focus of your energy and thoughts?
If you are living in or reacting from the past, that would sound like:
“If only I (woulda, coulda, shoulda)[el] I would be much happier/successful today.”
“I should have done that years ago because I would have reached my financial goal by now ”
“I remember the last time something like this occurred. I’m sure it will happen again.”
These examples illustrate how you are responding to and “living in the past.”
If you are living in or reacting to the expectations of the future, that would sound like:
When I (once I, if only I) buy a house (make more money, find my spouse, lose ten pounds, discover my ideal career, become a master at cold calling) then I will be truly happy and fulfilled.
If you are hooked on the future, then you are attempting to get somewhere other than where you are now. Where you are today and what you’ve achieved thus far doesn’t seem to be enough for you or provide you with a sense of satisfaction or accomplishment. As such, you’re attached to an end result that hasn’t happened yet.
We often live, listen, and react from the past or are pushing for something to happen in the future. Top producers respond to and are fully living in the present. To be fully present means you are able to focus on a single person, idea, or topic. It means not having any preoccupations with the past or future. The past is gone, and unless you have a crystal ball you have no control over the future.
Expectations are based in the point of time we refer to as the future. Possibilities are happening at any moment in the present. Look at a possibility as a choice where an expectation is a rigid need that must be met in order for you to feel fulfilled and complete.
Jim was a client of mine who believed that he did not think well on his feet. Jim felt that he wasn’t able to respond quickly or intelligently to certain objections or concerns that his prospects presented to him. Interestingly, Jim informed me that this only occurred in a selling situation. During other conversations, Jim stated this was never an issue.
What was it that made Jim freeze in a cold calling conversation but was quick witted and engaging during normal conversation? As we explored this phenomenon in more depth, the reason became evident.
I asked him, “When you engage in daily conversation, is there some specific result that you are looking to achieve in each conversation?” “Not really,” Jim replied. He then added, “If anything, I certainly like to help people.”
“How about when you are cold calling?” I then asked. “Most definitely! I need to sell.” Jim declared.
Jim had an attachment to the outcome. His focus and intentions changed depending upon the type of conversation and whom he was speaking with. When cold calling, Jim was attempting to have a conversation with his focus on a future outcome (the sale), while his prospects are speaking to him in the present moment. Jim was unable to create new solutions or respond effectively to his prospects’ concerns because his mind’s eye was focused more on what he wanted to happen rather than what was occurring in the moment.
Being fully present takes practice, effort, focus, and a willingness to exclude all that is not directly relevant to what you are currently engaged in, especially while speaking with someone. Living in, responding to, and thinking in the moment is both healthy and more productive. If you can practice this, the quality of your communication as well as your cold calling efforts will greatly increase.
Here’s a key point.
What was and what will be never takes precedent over what is.
An attachment is never about what is happening in the present. If you’re hooked on a future, anticipated result, you can’t create any new possibilities in the moment, since creation only occurs in the present. Any attachment is based in the future or the past, with the focus on a specific expectation or result that you are looking to achieve.
Ask yourself, “Am I responding to and living in the present?” (During a conversation, am I focused on an anticipated future outcome or stuck in the past with regrets, beliefs, or events that are really not relevant to creating something new in the present?)
Once you open up your thinking and detach yourself from the outcome during your cold calling efforts or a conversation with a prospect:
You will notice your energy level will naturally increase.
You will experience less stress.
You will uncover new and greater possibilities, solutions and selling opportunities naturally that you would otherwise miss without having to push for them.
Detaching from the outcome frees you to embrace the truth in any situation in order to create new opportunities in the moment rather than being hooked on what you really want, what you think you want or need, or what you expect to happen.
Don’t Become another Statistic
Sep 6, 2005 Insights in Business, Live Responsibly: Life Tips, Great Living
Lets keep rooting for the good guys. The honorable remodelers. The companies that actually follow through and honor their commitments. You guys deserve much success and praise.
They are, unfortunately, the underdogs in many situations. The remodeling industry is plagued with poor workmanship and horror stories from homeowners, ranking remodeling as the number 1 or 2 industry with the highest consumer complaints. With a scarce labor pool, an increasingly high demand for remodeling, as well as recent natural disasters, we find ourselves in a desperate situation, often going against what we may know is best and putting up, tolerating the less than the best company to do the work; because there’s no on else!
Homeowner’s Join Together and Stop Tolerating Unqualified Remodelers!
Sep 4, 2005 All About Selling, Clients are fun. Case Studies in Sales and Leaders..., Experiences in Marketing, Insights in Business, Live Responsibly: Life Tips, Great Living, Prospecting, Cold Calling and Networking
My wife and I were about to undertake our last remodeling project. Being a consummate consumer, I wanted several qualified companies to bid on our next project. After calling ten contractors, I scheduled an appointment with the five that called back.
Following our meetings, one gave me a price on the spot and two never responded with an estimate. Two contractors mailed an estimate, and one of them followed up a week later.
Guess who got the job. Just by making a five-minute phone call! What fascinated me most was that only one contractor called back to discuss his proposal and ask for my business.
How can these salespeople afford not to follow up? Conducting my own research, each one said they needed more business, yet didn’t know the status of the majority of proposals they sent. I sensed that following up regarding their proposal was not their typical M.O. Instead, here’s what they said.
• I thought you were using someone else.
• I didn’t think you were ready to buy.
• I thought you felt the price was too high.
• I didn’t want to bother or pressure you.
While these contractors formulated their own conclusion, they never bothered to confirm if their assumptions were, in fact, true! They were operating under the costly assumption, “The prospect will call when they’re ready.”
I asked Bill, one of the contractors, “If you’re sacrificing valuable time to drive to an appointment, deliver a presentation, write a proposal and then don’t follow up and ask for a prospect’s business after taking all of the steps that earned you the opportunity to do so, who are you really helping?” Then it hit him between the eyes. “My competition!”
Bill realized something that only a select few have. While prospects need his remodeling knowledge and skills, they also need his help in making their purchasing decision.
Bill recently called me with some exciting results. After making thirty phone calls to past prospects, he spoke with ten prospects he had met with. Bill sold three more deals ($78,000) in one week that he never would have sold.
In many businesses, especially the ones that sell directly to consumers such as home remodeling, cold calling consumers via the phone is no longer an option to generate new leads. Aside from canvassing door to door, networking, asking for referrals, posting job signs or traditional (and sometimes costly) marketing/advertising campaigns, what else brings in more business? Follow up calls.
How many prospects are waiting for your phone call so they can send you a deposit? How many people are out there waiting to begin working with you?
Bill and I sat down to crunch the numbers. I shared this observation with him. “Consider that you can make about fifteen calls per hour (one hour per week). Assume that out of fifteen contacts, you make one more sale. (Average sale $10,000.) Four hours a month equates to four more sales. Over a year, that’s $480,000 in volume. This exceeds the yearly volume of most contractors just by making one hour of follow up calls each week!”
If you take a moment and look at your call back list, how much business does that equate to? Now ask yourself, “How much of it am I willing to give to my competition?”
Since your competitors aren’t paying you commission, here’s your opportunity to utilize a simple, efficient three-step follow up system that will bring in more (free) sales.
Get Permission. Whether you need to follow up after an initial conversation or once a prospect receives your proposal, tries out your product, speaks with references or needs to check their schedule before they meet with you a second time, it’s just good business sense to get permission before doing so. For instance, you inform the prospect they will be receiving your proposal next Friday. Before you leave the appointment ask, “May I follow up with you to discuss and answer any questions you have regarding my proposal?” Gaining permission to follow up eliminates your fear of appearing overly aggressive or pushy. Now, they’re expecting your call.
Schedule A Meeting. Now that you’ve gotten permission, schedule a time that you will be calling or meeting with them. Immediately put it in your planner or PDA. This eliminates the time consuming game of phone tag and having to hunt your prospect down in order to schedule yet another time to meet or review your proposal, reducing the number of calls you’ll have to make or respond to.
Tip from The Coach: There is an exception to this rule. If part of your selling strategy requires drafting a proposal for a prospect, rather than sending your proposal and then scheduling a time to meet after they’ve received it, if possible, it’s always better to schedule a time to hand deliver your proposal. This way, you can review it face to face (or computer to computer) with the prospect and immediately address any concerns or barriers to the sale. Reviewing the proposal upon delivery provides you with the luxury of handling all possible objections immediately so that you can then ask for the prospect’s business, thus reducing the chance of your proposal becoming another item on the prospect’s lengthy ‘to-do’ list. In many cases, the longer it takes to reconnect with a prospect, the closer your proposal gets to the bottom of their priority list.
Instead of thinking about how many calls you need to make, consider how many sales you’ll be giving to your competition if you don’t. If something as simple as following up provides you with a competitive edge, then your next sale is just a phone call away.
About Keith Rosen, MCC
Sep 3, 2005 All About Selling, Books by Keith Rosen, Clients are fun. Case Studies in Sales and Leaders..., Experiences in Marketing, Insights in Business, Prospecting, Cold Calling and Networking
About Keith Rosen, MCC – The Executive Sales Coach™
Keith Rosen is the preferred, experienced coach that top executives and sales professionals in many of the world’s leading companies call on. As a prominent, engaging speaker, coach and well-known author of many books and articles on selling, leadership, time management and achieving greater personal success, Keith is one of the foremost authorities on how to assist people achieve positive, measurable change in their attitude and in their behavior.
As a pioneer and a leader in the coaching profession, Inc. magazine and Fast Company named Keith as one of the five most respected and influential executive coaches.
After the devastation of 9/11, it was Keith Rosen who the leading U.S. government contractor called upon to develop an internal executive coaching initiative for the leaders in the intelligence community. As the ‘go to guy’ for advice, guidance, and coaching, Keith continues to reshape the landscape of companies worldwide. Each year, Keith helps thousands of salespeople, managers, coaches and business owners live their true potential today.
Keith Rosen is the President of Profit Builders, LLC, (www.ProfitBuilders.com) a provider of leadership and sales coaching and corporate training. He is the author of Time Management for Sales Professionals. His last book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Cold Calling has been featured in Inc. magazine and became a Best Seller on Amazon.com. Brian Tracy, author of Advanced Selling Strategies has this to say about Keith’s cold calling book. “This book gives you the step-by-step, word-by-word instructions you need to get in front of more people and make more sales than ever before. Keith Rosen has brought together in one book the very best techniques for getting more and better appointments ever written in the field of sales.”
Keith has been featured dozens of times in the media. Among other publications, Keith’s articles can be found in Selling Power Magazine and has appeared in feature stories in The New York Times, The Washington Times, Inc. Magazine, Sales and Marketing Management’s Ultimate Motivation Guide with Stephen Covey and The Wall Street Journal.
Keith is one of the first out of only a handful of trainers and consultants who has earned the distinguished Master Certified Coach designation and most important, walks his talk. His “no fluff” result oriented coaching and training motivates you to take the right actions consistently so that you can master your time, enjoy a healthy, balanced life and achieve bigger, more rewarding goals without the steep and costly learning curve. His unique approach and infectious, positive attitude empowers people to discover and live their true potential today. Keith currently lives in New York, with his wife and three children.
To speak with Keith or to receive his free newsletter, call 1-888- 262-2450, e-mail info@ProfitBuilders.com or visit www.ProfitBuilders.com.
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