Are you in a world where people say "yes"? Are you surrounded by positive people? Or just maybe... do you ever find that whoever is in a position to ignore or deny your humble petition in fact responds with a clear and unmistakable "NO"?
The world of only "yes" doesn't exist. I'm sorry to be the one that has to break the bad news to you. The world needs "no", even though being in sales it can hurt - BAD! But you know what? Being in a world that doesn't care isn't quite so tough if you're positive and - over time - seek out likeminded people.
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...and that's just it!
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Maybe you didn't know, but the best sales people have a sales strategy inside the sales strategy. The inside strategy outlines how you deal with failure (as well as success, for that matter). The inside sales strategy is almost like selling yourself to your own peers, but it's not what we tend to think of as being traditional selling. This kind of selling can be compared to "sincere goodwill".
You want to know more about that - have more of that..? Well, stick around this blog, and you've begun a journey that will lead you to understanding how to attract positive people that will say "yes" when you desparately need it and a network of people that will pick you up when you get too many "no's". Better yet, why not become the "yes person" the "no people" intuitively turn to when they themselves are rejected?
One-on-one is the best way to do your selling. Nothing beats one-on-one! However, to be successful it's crucial to understand the depth and complexity of one-on-one interaction. Every sales cycle will include three levels of one-on-one dialog.
In reaching any kind of result we move through three levels or stages. The mental picture was originally introduced by Dr. Sephen Covey where he highlights natural law.
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Sometimes we tend to think that social systems differ from natural systems, but really they don't. Just like growing a tree, moving from root structure to eventual fruit and harvest every human interaction has the same characteristics. Just like nature will not let you cheat, so it is with social systems. If you try to force the process, you'll fail.
Each level demands attention, and one-on-one is the basic most powerful and effective way to go about it: a) One-on-one to strategically position yourself, b) one-on-one to build a network of valuable relationships and c) one-on-one to skillfully apply tactics in reaching agreements.
We will continue dealing with this subject in the next post coming up.
In striving for excellence every so often we tend to forget the basics. It has always been like that... We see this in all sales people, too. When there's a dip in performance, you can be sure, 80% of the time it's due to forgetting some of the basics. What lesson can we learn from this? If we're careful to be aware of and stick to the basics, we can save ourselves an awful lot of pain and failure.
So what are those basics? There are a few! In stead of naming a number of them, let's just consider one and one only; face-to-face one-on-one conversation. Ultimately, the most basic interaction and sales activity is one-on-one contact with another individual. You can make a lot of mistakes, but if you fail to go one-on-one mistakes will usually do unnecessary and greater damage.
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I once had a CEO that intuitively understood the principle of one-on-one. It was a beauty to witness! Almost on a regular basis he would come for a quick visit in my office and discuss some of the difficult issues coming up in our next management meeting. By the time he left my office he would know perfectly my feelings and viewpoints. Knowing him well, he did the same thing with all the other managers, too. Then, when the time came to meet and discuss, he would have no difficulty reaching an agreement. | |||||||||||
In short, he exercised a form of one-on-one sales, and it worked very well for him.
The speed of trust
Make sure to keep in mind how today's screaming need for efficiency may lure you into a dead end. E-mail, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twittering and other similar online tools - even the phone - may increase the frequency with which we are in touch, but quality conversations can never be replaced. The time and place to share intimate or private matters is face-to-face. One-one-one may not be the only way to build trust, but it certainly is the most effective way, even-though it may feel oldfashioned and slow.
While recommending Stephen M. R. Covey's book The Speed of Trust, David Neeleman, Founder and CEO of JetBlue Airways says it so well: "With high trust, success comes faster, better and at lower cost."
Management and their sales people measure success mostly in monetary value. Of course, this is the main driver behind corporate sales activity. However, getting the money alone is a misplaced focus and will inevitably represent long term failure if you don't keep in mind the other five measurements of sales success.
Keeping track of results is everything!
Why don't we say it again. Keeping track of progress and results is everything! Whatever we measure receives attention. So what are we to measure and keep track of?
Personally I'm a fan of several programs, among others The 4 Disciplines of Execution by Franklin Covey. It introduces you to how we facilitate execution in individuals and teams. However, in generic terms, what is it we seek to accomplish?
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There are many ways to measure success, but we've found the most effective perspectives to be individual and organizational. That's both to keep it simple and focused on daily and weekly measurables.
Individual success
The perspective of individual progress is based on The 3 Energies (3E) Passion, Connection and Intuition. Looking at each individual they become:
- Personal insight (mission statement and goals)
- Improved balance (planning and personal considerations)
- Sharpened skills (empirical data based on observation and recordings)
Organizational success
The perspective of organizational or team progress is also based on The 3 Energies (3E) Passion, Connection and Intuition. Considering results from an organizational view they become:
- A better position and reputation (Key Performance Indicators - KPI's)
- An improved relationship with key people (CRM and personal considerations)
- Sales numbers (budget compared to actual numbers)
Measuring results is crucial, but measuring poorly or ad-hoc tends to demotivate individuals and teams. It can in fact hurt more than do good. The first steps of sales success is deciding WHAT to measure, WHO to measure, HOW to measure and then stick to it.
Without moderation, I believe Marit Breivik may well be among the best coaches in the world. Her management has brought about outstanding results. She's widely known for creating a phenomenal team spirit. What are some of the distinctive principles behind her success?
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I was asked to speak at the same conference as Marit Breivik last week and had the opportunity to ask her a few questions about her tremendous success.
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One of the key factors she points out is the importance of supporting each player individually, making sure to highlight key strengths that fit into the whole. Teamwork is not only about bringing each player to flawless expertise, neither is it possible to create synergy by itself --unless-- each player and the entire team knows WHY and WHAT they are about.
Humble and teachable
I also appreciate Marit Breivik's humble approach. During her career she has stressed the importance of taking counsel from others and making sure the entire culture is one of constant learning. There are few world champions, but as a team we can create complimentary strengths that collectively come close to world class performance and passion. Being the best takes daily effort, and staying ahead of the game demands ongoing and intense attention.
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