Category: consultative selling

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How To Sell Hardware, Software and All Things IT with Mike Slowik #181

Mike Slowik Sales Babble Hardware Software IT Sales

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Mike Slowik Sales Babble Hardware Software IT SalesHow To Sell Hardware Software and All Things IT with Mike Slowik #181

In this episode we meet Mike Slowik, 34 year veteran of selling hardware software and all things IT  But Mike tells us that he doesn’t actually sell IT. He sells change.  We talk about the enterprise sale and the complexity of working a prospect who brings a large team for the evaluation.

Mistakes sellers make: Not communicating, not talking in a style prospects respect. It’s a must if you want to learn how to sell hardware software and IT.

The Danger of the Unsolicited RFP

It’s difficult to win an RFP, especially one that is requested out of the blue. Most likely your competition wrote the majority of the evaluation. Get a meeting before applying for an unsolicited RFP to see if it’s worth the trouble. Moral of the story – GET THE MEETING.

FUD  (Fear Uncertainty and Doubt)

FUDing is a process sellers use to motivate prospects to look at competition skeptically.

  • Fear
  • Uncertainty
  • Doubt

Get the prospect to dig deep into the competition by creating fear, uncertainty and doubts in their mind. Have the prospect take the initiative and  see if the competition is all they promise. At the same time assume YOUR competition is doing the same to you. Have an answer to set the facts straign about your company.

Treat Everyone Like the Boss

It only takes on person on the buying team to deep six a deal. Beware of groupthink!  Listen deeply to everyone’s insight. Don’t judge the team, dynamics quickly. It may not be at ALL what you think it it.

How To Connect With Mike Slowik

Maybe you would like to learn more on how to sell hardware software and IT. Connect here…

We mentioned the Aurora University Sales Institute

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Consultative Technology Selling

This is just one of a number of past episodes that discusses the enterprise and sale and the need for using a consultative process. Listen today!

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How To Generate Leads with Relationship Selling with Michael Ross

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how to generate leads with relationship sellingHow To Generate Leads with Relationship Selling with Michael Ross

Today we meet a seller in the trenches. Michael Ross is a business owner, sales manager and sales guy who believes that relationships are the bridges where value is transferred. In this episode Michael shares practical advice on who, what, where and how to connect with others in the marketplace. Michael has just published his second book “A Clear View” and today he’s going to share concrete advice on how to generate leads with relationship selling .

Bringing value to the marketplace

You want to make money. That’s the goal of business. But you want to help people along the way.  How can we do this?Answer the following:

1. What is your target market?
2. Who should you reach out in that market who has influence?
3. Who can you partner in the market to mutually help one another?

Michael share the Zig Ziglar quote:

“If you help enough other people get what they want about of life, they will help you get what you want out of life.”

This is so true. Move from a getting standpoint to a giving standpoint.

How To Generate Leads

Start with local meetups. Pick a vertical market and find out where they hangout. e.g. credit union summits for IT services  as a sponsor or vendor.  Ask good quality questions. You will find two types of people: the qualified and the not qualified. Ask questions about the business, staffing, what’s working, what’s not.  If you meet someone in person try  to get them on the calendar ASAP.

J Abrams  the king marketer says that most businesses undersell their clients by 65%. Ask for recommendations and introductions. Don’t hesitate to ask your circle of influence to help you. They too can show you how to generate leads with relationship selling.

Social Selling for Lead Generation

Marketing campaigns should be tied around social media. Cold calling gives you self-efficacy, confidence, and gives you progress  forward.  If I can do this now, you can do it later. Address your fears and prove you can do more in the future. Note that Social selling conversion rate is very very low. Meeting people creates conversions, visibility and trust.

He quotes Tom Hopkins…

“you’re job is to alleviate pressure.”

Michael’s not meeting with people just to sell a product, but to build relationships that can create greater opportunities.  Be intentional how you connect with people. Virtual relationships have their limits

Take Action Advice

Focus on activity over “sales”. Take an analytic perspective e.g. 10 appointments for 2 closed sales. Focus on the 10, not the 2. Do the best job you can and you’ll like the results. Process not Results.

How To Find Michael Ross

You can find Michael on the web:

If you send an email, with “Pat Helmers” in the subject line

Two books “Overcoming the Character Deficit” (synopsis on lack of character in society) or “A Clear View” (on self image) for guidance on how to generate leads with relationship selling.

Other Sales Babble Episode

Michael mentioned the sales giant Tom Hopkins in a quote. Tom was on Sales Babble!   Tom Hopkins “When Buyers Say No” episode is well worth a listen. Check it out today!

 

 

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Four Skills You Need For Sales Success – HEAT

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pat-helmers-sales-skills-successFour Skills You Need For Sales Success – HEAT

In this solo episode  Pat Helmers shares the four sales skills for sales success.  Selling is not about being outgoing and pushy. It’s about having HEAT:  

 

  • Helpful
  • Emotionally Intelligent (Empathetic)
  • Astute
  • Tenacious

Sales Success Skills and Links

Here are the attributes and skills for sales success mentioned in the podcast. Note the links that reference previous episodes and posts made here on Sales Babble. With these four attributes, you’ll have a fresh mindset on how to approach customers and provide value.  And you’ll do so in a natural an efficient way to work your skills for sales success.

Helpful

By taking the mindset of being helpful, it’s easier to promote what you have. But only if you’re certain you can help. You’re not trying to sell them, you’re trying to lend a hand.

 

In this situation you ask a number of questions: What’s going on? What’s the problem? Is there something I can do? How can I help? Not a mindset of being pushy, but being helpful.

Emotionally Intelligent (Empathetic)

Skilled entrepreneurs are able to pick up social cues. They can read body language in ways words don’t convey. Being able to read people, depends on your ability to listen, look, and understand.  It’s easier to understand what your prospective client is saying by paying close attention. Master sellers are empathetic to the troubles their customers have, and it shows. 

The best way to know what your customer thinks, is to ask and truly LISTEN. None of us are mind readers. Never assume you know what a prospect is thinking. Ask  for honest feedback, and listen how they answer.

Astute

Smart sellers are able to connect the dots. They take random facts, find patterns, and then understand how to take this situation and turn it to their advantage.Buyers are often confused by the event in their lives. They know they are experiencing pain, but unsure where it stems. It’s important you that understand your ideal client better than they know themselves. Once you understand the troubles they have in their lives, you can provide relief.

An astute entrepreneur never leads with a solution. But they do walk their clients through a conversation. If done masterfully, it’s a conversation that concludes with a solution the startup offers. Always be  patient when selling letting buyers come to a realization on their own schedule.

Tenacious

Entrepreneurs do not give up. They work deals until done. Tenacity is the ability to not quit and stick with the deal, win or lose. This requires you to become organized and detail oriented. building new daily habits centered around CRM software. With a little discipline, you too can become the organized Seller.

Most likely your competition is terrible at following up. Most sellers don’t follow up more than twice. This is where you can beat them.

Follow ­up, follow ­up, follow ­up!

Four Skills For Sales Success – HEAT

Productivity Guide

This is the productivity guide Lian Austin is sharing in preparation of his December Summit. Stop wasting time! Optimize your day and with efficient time management strategies.   This is Liam’s interview on episode #135.

Consultative Selling

Masters Sellers have HEAT and this is how we do it. Listen for more advice in these episodes to learn skills for sales success!

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The Perfect Close with James Muir #132

James Muir Perfect Close

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James Muir Perfect CloseThe Perfect Close with James Muir

James Muir is a Corporate trainer and executive coach for NextGen Healthcare. James specializes in training and coaching executives in B2B complex sales. James came into sales as a technical domain expert and at first struggled on how to ask for the sale. Through experience he learned to overcome this hurdle and  has published a new book titled “The Perfect Close”.  Closing is not as hard as you might think!

Sales Call Preparation

Before going into a meeting have an outcome in mind. Assume the conversation will  go in multiple directions. Have two alternatives prepared when that happens. These are  used to ADVANCE the sale.

Two Perfect Close Questions:

Use these two questions for the perfect close.

Question #1
Does it make sense for us to X?

X is the next Advance e.g does it make sense to set up an assessment or pilot.

Two possible answers YES or NO. If YES proceed to advance the sale. If NO ask  question #2

Question #2
What’s a good next step?
90% of the time the client will suggest an advance that’s appropriate for where they are at.

This paces the sales cycle. It sets the speed of the sale that’s comfortable for the client.  If they are not sure what’s next, use prepared advances e.g. …. other customers have tended to do this……

Always have an agenda and it’s critical you give value in every meeting (Some aha moment).

Five versions of question #2

You can mix up question 2  depending on the situation:

1. “What’s the next step?”
2. Would you like me to make a suggestion?
3. Have a fall back statement where you make a suggestion if they say no….
4. The add on …. “Other customers commonly do this …..
5. “Does it make sense to see if I can do something special by the end of the quarter to see if we can wrap this up?”   The goal here is to minimize giving a discount.

How to Find James Muir

Get three free chapters of “The Perfect Close” here.

You can find James all over Social Media:

  • www.puremuir.com
  • www.linkedin.com/in/puremuir
  • twitter.com/B2B_SalesTips
  • www.facebook.com/james.muir.902266

Closing Sales Tips

Here are some other great episodes on closing. Download them today!

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How to Sell to the Obvious with Stephen Schiffman

Stephen Schiffman Cold Calling

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Stephen SchiffmanHow to Sell to the Obvious with Stephen Schiffman

In this episode we are honored to meet return guest,  Steve Schiffman a leader in motivational  sales training. Steve has trained over a ½ million professionals in over 9000 companies. He’s a best selling author and author of series of best selling books on sales. Today Steve and I laugh about how to sell to the obvious. And by that we mean truly listening to the needs of the customers and selling products and services that meet those needs. 

Listen here for Steve’s previous episode 8  Cold Calling Techniques in Sales.   

 

Reinvent Yourself in Sales 

If you’ve been selling for awhile, you may need to reassess yourself and reinvent. It’s time to stop selling like it’s 1950; when there was no shopping process on the internet.  Weak selling stems from:

  1. Fear –  afraid of success or afraid of failure
  2. Uncertainty – unclear what will happen each time you try
  3. Doubt – uncertain you still have the skills for success
  4. Habits – overtime picked up bad behavior.

How to Build New Habits

  1. Accept that you’re going to improve yourself
  2. Put it into practice within 72 hours
  3. Keep at it for 30 days

Sales Is Getting Harder

Throughout the interview we repeated the following themes:

  • Due to the internet, you are mostly selling commodities. People shop online before speaking to sellers.
  • On a sales call, most likely your prospect already has an existing vendor. You always have competition.
  • Sellers do interruptive marketing. They are not expecting your call. This is always a barrier.
  • Don’t be intimidated by the competition. Instead ask the question, “I’m curious as to why you buy from XYZ company, why not buy from me?”

The 4 Elements To Make A Sale

According to Steve the following  four elements that must be aligned to make a sale.

You must be talking to …

  1. The right person
  2. The right product
  3. The right timetable
  4. The right pricing

If anyone of these elements are missing, the sale is in jeopardy.

How to Find Steve Schiffman

Get a copy of  Cold Calling Techniques: That Really Work 

 

Cold Calling Tips

Here are some past episodes to continue the conversation!

 

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Educate While You Negotiate with Jeanette Nyden #85

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Jeanette NydenEducate While You Negotiate with Jeanette Nyden #85

In this episode we meet Jeanette Nyden,  expert sales contract negotiator and the author of the book Getting To We.  Jeanette is a former attorney who has spent many years working with procurement organizations and she is keen at ensuring all the right stakeholders are engaged when negotiating a contract.

Procurement Challenges

Large companies have procurement organizations. These organizations are solely focused on getting the best price. They may not fully understand  the value you bring. It is the responsibility of the seller to ensure all  decision makers and stakeholders are involved during negotiations.

Total Cost of Ownership

The total cost of ownership is based on taking into account the cost of the asset to be purchased plus the cost of installing and removing the existing asset.

Things such as:

  • setup costs
  • training costs
  • removing old installation
  • old installation’s ongoing costs

The best way to quantify this value is to build a spreadsheet. This spreadsheet will be used to prove your value. In a spreadsheet you can quantify the costs and the risks with both  the existing installation and your future solution. This process will turn  into a value conversation, so compelling it will bring decision makers into the conversation.

Three things you need to understand as a seller:

  • actual costs
  • gross profits
  • net margins  (net profit)

With this data you can clearly explain the value of decreased risk, decreased costs, increased opportunities, and increased benefits.  By taking a  life-cycle point of view you can be successful.

Do the math!

Links To Jeanette Nyden

LinkedIn Page

Jeanette’s website JNyden.com

Twitter @JeanetteNyden

Her book Getting To We  Negotiating Agreements for Highly Collaborative Relationships

Sales Training, Sales Coaching, Sales Consulting

Selling With Confidence  is  the online self-paced sales course that teaches you  how to ….

  • Be Yourself
  • Add Value
  • Make Sales

Go here and see  how you can start  selling with confidence today

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Why Can’t I Get a Degree in Sales with Professor Shawn Green #80

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Shawn Green Aurora UniversityWhy Can’t I Get a Degree in Sales, an interview with Professor Shawn Green

In this episode we meet with Shawn Green, professor of marketing and sales at Aurora University. We consider the question why colleges and universities don’t  teach sales in their business programs. Given that sales is the foundation of all business, you’d think a degree in sales would be a choice.  It’s not.  

Shawn is one of a select few professors who DO teach sales. He is a strong proponent of providing selling skills that will make students marketable in the job place.

Business Schools in the United States

Business schools in the United States have the following characteristics:

  • Over 4K schools in the USA
  • All have business degrees and all have marketing degrees
  • Only 100 or so  have some sales curriculum
  • 10 institutions have degrees in Sales

Business School Graduates

Although sales is not integral in many schools business programs, many students enter the sales profession after graduation.

  • 80% marketing graduates will go into sales:
    • direct sales (usually start inside sales)
    • sales support
  • 50% of  all business  administration  graduates will go into sales

Companies can easily recoup their investment in new employees by moving them into sales.

Links To Shawn Green

Shawn can be found in the following:

Lunch and Learn LIVE Workshop October 7th

I will be providing free sales training lunch and learn workshop October 7th, 2015.    

Sign up!   It’s in Naperville, IL

Sales Training, Sales Coaching, Sales Consulting

Selling With Confidence  is  the online self-paced sales course that teaches you  how to ….

  • Be Yourself
  • Add Value
  • Make Sales
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The Ultimate Sales Revolution with Steve Lishansky #77

Sales Consultant Steve Lishansky

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Sales Consultant Steve LishanskyThe Ultimate Sales Revolution with Steve Lishansky

In this episode we meet author and sales innovator Steve Lishansky. We start the discussion with the paradox  that when we ask people what they want,  they often don’t or can’t tell us. Steve explains what’s going on!   He gives advice on  what we can do discover what they truly want and the final outcome they desire. Steve provides thought provoking, “ultimate sales revolution”  point of view and practical advice you can bring to your sales calls.

Download Episode Here!

 

What Matters in Sales is Value

People say that Sales is all about a relationship.  Steve instead believes:

  1. Sales is about the amount of value that’s created in the relationship.
  2. The more value, the greater the relationship
  3. Value lives in the mind of the other person

We ask the question: what’s the % is the first request is what’s most important?    10%

Clients are not clear 80-90% of the time.   They want people sellers to perceive what’s most important to them, but even they don’t know!

Three questions to ask and discover:

  1.   What do you really want or need, what’s most important?
  2.  What’s the most important RESULT that will give you?
  3.   What’s most valuable about that RESULT?

Steve Lishansky Biography

Founder/CEO – Institute for Sales Innovation and Optimize International

For more than 24 years, clients from leading technology, financial services, pharmaceutical, health care, and many other industries have called on Steve Lishansky as a source of deep insight into improving organizational leadership, team performance, and sales success.

He works with senior executives, top professional services providers, and technical experts to advance and accelerate their impact, performance and Steve is a Hall of Fame executive coach, compelling speaker on leading change, strategic leadership, high impact influence, and sales innovation, and the developer of top leadership, communication and sales programs.

Steve can be found at:

Free eBook

Send an email to  Steve @ OptimizeIntl.com

Sales Training, Sales Coaching, Sales Consulting

Selling With Confidence  is  the online self-paced sales course that teaches you  how to ….

  • Be Yourself
  • Add Value
  • Make Sales

Don’t be shy non-sellers!  You too can start Selling With Confidence today.

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Conversations That Sell an Interview With Nancy Bleeke #68

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Sales Consultant Nancy BleekeConversations That Sell

In this episode we meet Nancy Bleeke, President of Sales Pro Insider, Inc., and author of Conversations That Sell, and today we chat about the necessity for companies to make their conversations count-with customers, prospects, and team members.  Nancy shares her beliefs that When the right people are having the right conversations-companies thrive.

Decision Making and Taking Action

A conversation that sells is a conversation where you’re helping someone else make a decision or take an action on something:

  • Another appointment
  • Get an introduction
  • Buy your product or service

A sales pitch is about the seller wowing the the listening, grabbing their attention a conversation is a two people collectively coming to a decision. A conversation that sells is as it says, a conversation! 

Sales is helping someone else do or decide something.

Elements of a great conversation:

  • Preparation – focus on what’s in it for them (the buyer): relevant, engaging.  Do some research on them (e.g. LinkedIn).
  • Mental Preparation – May only take a few minutes (the Pause Time).
  • Initiate the Conversation – explain what’s in it for them.
  • Investigation NOT interrogation .
  • People may 50% already complete in their investigation before they talk to you. Be prepared.

Decision making is slowing down. Professional sales people help them narrow down information, so they can be more confident in making a decision.

Consider the risk of NOT buying something

If you can create this conversation you can speed up the decision making process. Once it’s clear something can be done about the situation, the sales is advanced.

Sellers are often paralyzed when making a buying decision. The prepared sales professional can cut through that fear and can get them to focus on what’s important.

Selling Methods Distinctions

  • Consultative sales – when the sales professional is an expert
  • Collaborative sales – when the sales professional uses that expertise to recognize the knowledge of the buyer and works with them make a decision.
    • Learn what they know
    • Right size the conversation
    • Align selling process with their buying process
    • Flex and to help them move through the process

Identifying what’s important to them before the conversation, and throughout the conversation. That will separate you from the competition.

Links to Find Nancy Bleeke

Special Bonus

Nancy is providing your listeners the first two chapters of her book, Conversations that Sell. You can direct your listeners to  http://www.salesproinsider.com/two-chapters

Nancy Bleeke Bio

Nancy Bleeke, President of Sales Pro Insider, Inc., and author of Conversations That Sell, is known as someone who gets things done.  She is driven by a battle cry that companies need to make their conversations count-with customers, prospects, and team members. When the right people are having the right conversations-companies thrive. Her focus since 1998 is equipping companies to grow sales, customer loyalties, and employee engagement with training, consulting, assessments, and tools that stick.

 

Sales Training, Sales Coaching, Sales Consulting

Become confident in sales and grow your business. Check out the Selling With ConfidenceSales System for both new and experienced sellers. This is an opportunity for you to

  • Be Yourself
  • Add Value
  • Make Sales

Don’t be shy. You too can start Selling With Confidence today!

 

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The Smooth Sale Pricing Process with Elinor Stutz #60

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elinorstutz2014-300px sales consultant

 Smooth Sale Pricing Process

In this episode we meet Elinor Stutz, CEO of Smooth Sale,  and author of  two books:  The International Best-Selling book, “Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results”, and  her second best-selling book, “HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself On Interviews.”

Today Elinor shares stories about how she got started in sales.  Next she shares her sales pricing process for broaching money during a sales call. She does it in a way that leaves margin that will increase your commission.

Telling Selling Doesn’t Work

When first meeting a client Elinor asks: What caught your attention to invite me in?

Smooth Sale

Smooth Sales as repeat business, referrals and testimonials.

She believes if you do a good job in sales you become an order taker.

The steps:

  1. Your clients repeatedly keep ordering
  2. Your clients tell everyone they know, they  become your own private sales force.

Elinor believes we each have our own brand. If you’re true to yourself you too can be a top producer.

  • First be true to yourself
  • Second always be improving: clientele relationships, industry knowledge,  and widen your network of markets

Everyone is the CEO of their job… treat everyone with respect.

Sale Pricing Process

Right up front Elinor states the following:

  1. I appreciate your time.
  2. We are NOT the least expensive supplier.
  3. I need to know up front, is price or service more important to you?

This gives confidence knowing price is not the sole part of the decision. It allowed her to sell with profit.

Ask For Referrals

You have to ask for referrals. Ask for it when they say glowing things about you, at that moment, not before. Once they share their thoughts say “Can I use your words to share publicly and do you know anyone else who is shopping?”

She recommend Neil Rackham’s SPIN questions.

What she told a prospect to get a meeting and eventually her business. “You must be very embarrassed standing me up 3 times, just give me 5 minutes”.

Elinor Stutz on Social Media:

Twitter: @smoothsale
Facebook: Elinor Stutz
LinkedIn: Elinor Stutz

Youtube:  Elinor Stutz

www.smoothsale.net       (408) 209-0550   

Elinor @ smoothsale.net

Goal Setting

This is the  Laser Goal Setting Post Card that Elinor mentioned in the podcast.

 

Sales Training, Sales Coaching, Sales Consulting

Become confident in sales and grow your business. Check out the Selling With Confidence Sales System for both new and experienced sellers. This is an opportunity for  you to

  • Be Yourself
  • Add Value
  • Make Sales 

Don’t  be shy. You too can start Selling With Confidence  today!