Carson V. Heady's Blog, page 73

Consult Carson 6/29: “How can I make trade shows and events profitable?”

From today’s mailbag: “My company sends me to a lot of networking events and trade shows, but I rarely see results from them in the way of sales.  Any recommendation?”

Carson: There are varying level of warmth of leads.  It is very important that we manage our leads and prioritize them based on warmth because the ones that are the warmest will be the ones that keep us warm during those chilly selling periods where we resort on cold calling and networking events.  That said, each and every day we are planting seeds that will grow into future sales harvest.  We are beginning relationships that will bear fruit at some unforeseeable point down the road.

While some of these networking event contacts may have an immediate need you can fill, remember why they are likely at the event or trade show to begin with – to sell.  Your best way in with any potential new customer or contact is to focus on giving rather than receiving – to add value and to earn their respect and trust and partnership by offering to aid them first.

1. What do you have to offer of value to those you interact with at these events?  Treat it just like any other selling opportunity – ask questions, learn about them and what they do, find out their target customer and their hot-button priorities and figure out how you can potentially help them.  Can you connect them with someone who would benefit them?  Can you recommend someone who could benefit from them?  They will have a vested interest in working with you and continuing the conversation if you provide them ample reason to.

2. Don’t rule anyone out.  You literally never know who you will come into contact with at these events.  You may come into direct contact with decision makers, with people who can introduce you to decision makers or to people who will refer you to contacts of theirs it would behoove you to meet.  Always keep an open mind as to where these conversations can go.  Don’t stress.  Not every lead will lead to a sale, but you literally never know when a new contact can pop up again or who they can put you in touch with.

3. Remember the law of averages.  Marketing dictates that your sale will typically occur after fifth contact; these contacts can be from seeing an ad for your brand, meeting you, getting your follow up call, and having a colleague of theirs speak highly of you or your product.  Make each contact a quality one, including the first impression, and every step of the sales cycle will enhance your probability of successfully realizing revenue from the relationship.

4. Look at the types of shows or events you are going to.  Are they the most applicable to what you have to offer?  Is there a better audience you should be in front of?  If you have any say or control over which you partake in, be willing to try anything – don’t discriminate against any potential revenue streams.  Be a resource to as many groups as you can so that word of your value can spread!

5. Follow up.  Most sales seedlings die relatively quickly because they are not given the opportunity to grow.  Did you collect business cards?  Do you have a roster of event attendees?  Have you reached back out to those you met, whether connecting on LinkedIn, sending an e-mail, calling, or all of the above?  You can’t give out a business card and expect someone to just magically call you.  It’s possible, but you don’t stand out as the unique, best option unless you are following up on your proposal to add value.  Continue to find ways to stay in touch with your target audience, be it from initial follow up, newsletters, and relevant content you post on social media that your new contacts can see.

Every method of obtaining leads has its place and validity.  While you want to put your warmest leads first, you can certainly find the start of new business relationships anywhere at any time.  Be ready!  And be ready to provide value up front and as time goes on.

*******************************************************************************

Carson V. Heady posts for “Consult Carson” serving as the “Dear Abby” of sales and sales leadership.  You may post any question that puzzles you regarding sales and sales leadership careers: interviewing, the sales process, advancing and achieving.  You will also be directly contributing to his third book, “A Salesman Forever.”

Question submissions can be made via LinkedIn to Carson V. Heady, this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carson-V-Heady/125078150858064?ref=hl , Twitter via @cvheady007 or e-mail at cvheady007@yahoo.com or you may post an anonymous comment as a reply to my WordPress blog at the bottom of this page: https://carsonvheady.wordpress.com/the-home-of-birth-of-a-salesman-2010-published-by-world-audience-inc-and-the-salesman-against-the-world-2014/

Carson V. Heady has written a book entitled “Birth of a Salesman” that has a unique spin that shows you proven sales principles designed to birth in you the top producer you were born to be.

If you would like to strengthen your sales skills, go to http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ICRVMI2/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_yGXKtb0G28TWF

Consult Carson 6/25: “I’m surrounded by incompetence at work. Any advice?”

From today’s mailbag: “My team is incompetent.  I feel like I am doing everything I can but just cannot seem to rise above the poor work ethic and lack of contribution of others.  Any advice?”

Carson: There’s the old adage that a team is only as strong as its weakest link.  No matter how hard you try, your efforts and excellence and contribution will be leveled out and watered down by those whose pale in comparison.

1. Analyze the skill sets of the team.  Does the incompetence exist because people are working well outside of their strengths?  Are there ways to reorganize the work so these issues are diluted?

2. Is leadership aware of the issues?  By no means am I a proponent of “tattling,” but constructively presenting problems with proposed solutions is often an effective mechanism to tackle just about anything.  Rather than just telling leadership that team members are not carrying their weight, present the areas that are suffering, allow leadership to draw their conclusions based on fact and seeing the issues firsthand, and present any solutions you can think of as someone on the front lines.  If you do this, it builds trust and it is more likely your recommendations will be taken seriously.  Those who throw their co-workers under the bus can easily be branded as disloyal, and that will be counter-productive to your cause.

3. Invest the time to help.  Are you in a position to train those who are lagging behind?  Are you able to take steps to improve the broken links in the process?  It may be daunting and take away from the tasks at hand, but remember you are investing into future success.  Wouldn’t it be easier if the team worked better and the process had fewer gaps?  Invest the time now to yield future successes through better trained people and improved assembly line.

It’s very likely that no matter where you go, you will encounter incompetence in the workplace.  However, it is not always a lack of will; it could be lack of skill that can be addressed and enhanced.  It could be a lack of will that needs to be brought to the attention of leadership in a roundabout way by pointing out the obstacles you are facing and letting them draw conclusions with the help of your recommendations.  Whatever the case may be, you will need to accept a certain degree of issues and obstacles and lack of effort from time to time, but take steps to minimize these issues, be a voice for positive change – and you just may find yourself in a position to impact the business even more!

*******************************************************************************

Carson V. Heady posts for “Consult Carson” serving as the “Dear Abby” of sales and sales leadership.  You may post any question that puzzles you regarding sales and sales leadership careers: interviewing, the sales process, advancing and achieving.  You will also be directly contributing to his third book, “A Salesman Forever.”

Question submissions can be made via LinkedIn to Carson V. Heady, this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carson-V-Heady/125078150858064?ref=hl , Twitter via @cvheady007 or e-mail at cvheady007@yahoo.com or you may post an anonymous comment as a reply to my WordPress blog at the bottom of this page: https://carsonvheady.wordpress.com/the-home-of-birth-of-a-salesman-2010-published-by-world-audience-inc-and-the-salesman-against-the-world-2014/

Carson V. Heady has written a book entitled “Birth of a Salesman” that has a unique spin that shows you proven sales principles designed to birth in you the top producer you were born to be.

If you would like to strengthen your sales skills, go to http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ICRVMI2/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_yGXKtb0G28TWF

Consult Carson 6/15: “The process at my job is a disaster. What can I do?”

From today’s mailbag: “The process at my job is a complete disaster. I’m surrounded by incompetence that makes it impossible to truly take care of my customers and no one really seems to care or be able to make positive change. Thoughts?”

Carson: Whether you are at a small or large company, a division or project in incubation stage or that has been around for years, you will encounter issues with process.  Honestly, lots of people in leadership positions do not understand that process and people are really the main things that make things tick.  Sometimes, the people calling the shots in sales organizations have never worked in sales and they do not consult with the people before making process.  Furthermore, there are always varying levels of excellence people have for the roles they are in.  Mix these all together, and they make for an interesting cocktail.

1. Are you being a positive influencer?  You may not have been consulted when the process you describe was implemented but you can certainly control your attitude and actions regarding it.  Reach out to those who impact the process and ensure that they know the struggles you are having.  Preface your statement with understanding of any growing pains or positive components of the process, but respectfully present issues and potential solutions you have so that you can constructively work toward fixes.

2. Consult your peers.  How are others in your role dealing with the process?  Surely, if you are struggling so mightily, they must be experiencing similar woes.  If that is the case, they may have shortcuts, simplified ways of managing and maneuvering their way through and an answer to the specific problems you face.

3. Keep your head down; grin and bear it for now.  Change is imminent.  Nothing lasts forever.  Yes, there are problems in the process but with your input and input from those like you, you’ve got to have faith that positive change will occur.  It is OK to level set with your customer and ensure they know of the expected timeline of the process.  It is OK to have candid conversations with your supervisor and others who can impact the process to ensure your voice is being heard – appropriately.  Any company with viability will address their process problems appropriately.

Always think and operate “big picture.”  Yes, your customers may occasionally serve as the broken eggs that become the omelette.  It is frustrating in the moment when process is a problem rather than a proponent.  But you control what you can control (your attitude and actions and your input to guide the process as it evolves, because all processes are evolving) and you keep a steady hand on the wheel during this storm.  Give it time, and months down the road look back and ask yourself, “Has this process improved?”  If it has, great.  If it hasn’t, it’s likely time to start asking different questions.

*******************************************************************************

Carson V. Heady posts for “Consult Carson” serving as the “Dear Abby” of sales and sales leadership.  You may post any question that puzzles you regarding sales and sales leadership careers: interviewing, the sales process, advancing and achieving.  You will also be directly contributing to his third book, “A Salesman Forever.”

Question submissions can be made via LinkedIn to Carson V. Heady, this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carson-V-Heady/125078150858064?ref=hl , Twitter via @cvheady007 or e-mail at cvheady007@yahoo.com or you may post an anonymous comment as a reply to my WordPress blog at the bottom of this page: https://carsonvheady.wordpress.com/the-home-of-birth-of-a-salesman-2010-published-by-world-audience-inc-and-the-salesman-against-the-world-2014/

Carson V. Heady has written a book entitled “Birth of a Salesman” that has a unique spin that shows you proven sales principles designed to birth in you the top producer you were born to be.

If you would like to strengthen your sales skills, go to http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ICRVMI2/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_yGXKtb0G28TWF

Consult Carson: “My boss said it’s OK to cheat. What do I do?”

From today’s mailbag: “Lots of people in my department cheat and add services to customers’ accounts they know nothing about. Even my boss has indicated that this is common and they would look the other way if I did this to boost numbers. I can’t believe I’m even considering it to be able to compete and earn a bonus. What should I do about this?”

Carson: Cheating is a line that – once crossed – there is no way back.  You’re tainted.  Trust me, I can tell you that you can be the best without cheating.  These times are temporary, cheaters will be exposed eventually and when the dust settles, you’ll be the one standing proudly behind real numbers.

Look at major league baseball as a prime example.  Those who have cheated over the last couple of decades posted inflated numbers and celebrated false victories in the moment.  But, after all that’s said and done, how do we currently view these fallen heroes?  They will never make it into the Hall of Fame, their legacies are destroyed, and they are a punchline.

If any manager tells you to cheat or condones cheating, they are weak and an extremely poor leader.  They, too, will eventually find their way out of the business, believe me.  Sales results are all about people and process.  If you are struggling in any key metric of your bonus plan or your compensation, look at the reasons why customers are declining.  Look to people who are being successful without cheating and find out what they do.  Birds of a feather flock together – link up with the winners in your department and share best practices.

Unfortunately, doing things the right way and living a career of integrity can often be a lonely road.  You will see accolades and praise given for people that are completely undeserving and will be flavor-of-the-month folks who throw up phony numbers.  A career is a body of work.  You don’t have to be #1 every month, and – frankly – sometimes you have to keep your head down and nose clean and do your job while everything else takes care of itself of its own volition.

The moral of the story: Never, never, never cheat.  There are a variety of ways to produce results in any metric without cheating; learn best practices from others.  Analyze your process to ensure you are asking the right fact finding questions to form enough return on investment ammunition to pitch the product and overcome any objections, and, if your own boss is not going to be a resource, seek counseling from others on your coaching needs and career.

It is frustrating to watch others be praised in an arena you cannot currently compete in – but that’s the very reason that when you earn the accolades you desire and deserve, the victory will be that much sweeter.  You will have proven you did it the right way and 5-10 years down the road when you’re doing something else you want to do or you’re running the department, the lessons you’ve learned and the experiences you are gaining now will be invaluable.

*******************************************************************************

Carson V. Heady posts for “Consult Carson” serving as the “Dear Abby” of sales and sales leadership.  You may post any question that puzzles you regarding sales and sales leadership careers: interviewing, the sales process, advancing and achieving.  You will also be directly contributing to his third book, “A Salesman Forever.”

Question submissions can be made via LinkedIn to Carson V. Heady, this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carson-V-Heady/125078150858064?ref=hl , Twitter via @cvheady007 or e-mail at cvheady007@yahoo.com or you may post an anonymous comment as a reply to my WordPress blog at the bottom of this page: https://carsonvheady.wordpress.com/the-home-of-birth-of-a-salesman-2010-published-by-world-audience-inc-and-the-salesman-against-the-world-2014/

Carson V. Heady has written a book entitled “Birth of a Salesman” that has a unique spin that shows you proven sales principles designed to birth in you the top producer you were born to be.

If you would like to strengthen your sales skills, go to http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ICRVMI2/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_yGXKtb0G28TWF

Consult Carson 6/11: “My top seller is a prima donna. How do I manage them?”

From today’s mailbag: “I’ve got a top salesperson whose ego is over the top and regularly puts themselves ahead of the team.  It’s very difficult to manage the situation, but I fear living without their sales.  What should I do?”

Carson: Ego in sales is very important, however no one person is more important than the team.  Look at Michael Jordan – unarguably the greatest basketball player of all time.  He had several seasons where he was the best scorer, but he was not getting his teammates involved and they were not winning championships.  When he became the best playmaker as well and the best competitor, the Bulls could not be stopped.

In the end, we can all be replaced.  I’ve replaced and had to replace numerous top producers due to promotions, job movement, attrition and because it was ultimately not a fit for the company.

1. Any time an employee’s actions and behaviors are not in the best interests of the team, that very conversation must be had.  “Thank you for your amazing revenue contributions.  But this is a team game, it’s a big picture.  The company and I need you to excel in all areas of this endeavor, not just in revenue.  Let’s work together to make a plan to get there.  What behaviors do you feel you make now that are not in the best interests of the team?  How will we change them?”  Get them to commit to a course of action.

2. Figure out what motivates your top seller.  If it’s money, and money alone, they can often keep up their detrimental behaviors unless you are able to corral them through making them fear losing what they have.  “Joe/Mary Rep, I have dozens/hundreds of people applying for this role every month who will undoubtedly pledge their devotion to the team.  Sure, they may not sell like you out of the gates, but I can coach them and manage them.  When your attitude continues to negatively affect our team, what’s stopping me from making that change?”  You will learn a lot about next steps from their reaction.  If they are or remain defiant, they likely have to go.  If this is enough to shake them up, it’s likely they will at least be willing to change.

3. Work to get them more involved with the team.  Sometimes a chasm can develop between these prima donnas and the team that seem so impossible to do away with that no one tries.  Encourage your top seller to be more of a leader.  Also, do they want to be in leadership?  Because, if they do, this is the acumen they must develop; they have the sales part down pat, but it is very unlikely they can coach someone who was once a peer if they do not even have their respect.  We must work on bridging the gap between the top seller and the team; humanizing them.  Sure, you can give them leadership posts and tasks and projects, but they must learn to reach out to their team members, get them involved and engaged, and work to change the perception that they are selfish and only out for themselves.

4. Work for consistency.  Just like a bad relationship that can boomerang from horrible to great for a couple of weeks after making up until reverting to its true form, your top seller may try for a bit and then return to their comfortable ways of failing in the team environment.  Like any sales coaching, it is imperative you set clear expectations, gain their commitment, and follow up – recalling the prior conversation, discussing where you were, where you are and where you’re going.  Have a few of these such conversations over a period of a month or three and you’ll know if this person is good or bad for the team.  That will make the decision for you.

No one salesperson is above the team.  They likely have a lot to offer the team in sharing best practices and helping others reach the level of success they have.  If they choose not to do that, they are expendable.  You can find people out there who will excel at the job and help their team members selflessly.  You can replace your top seller and you likely will have to numerous times.  When you identify a cancer in your organization, you cannot let it spread!  You must treat it and keep it in check until the issues either subside or you decide to part ways.

*******************************************************************************

Carson V. Heady posts for “Consult Carson” serving as the “Dear Abby” of sales and sales leadership.  You may post any question that puzzles you regarding sales and sales leadership careers: interviewing, the sales process, advancing and achieving.  You will also be directly contributing to his third book, “A Salesman Forever.”

Question submissions can be made via LinkedIn to Carson V. Heady, this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carson-V-Heady/125078150858064?ref=hl , Twitter via @cvheady007 or e-mail at cvheady007@yahoo.com or you may post an anonymous comment as a reply to my WordPress blog at the bottom of this page: https://carsonvheady.wordpress.com/the-home-of-birth-of-a-salesman-2010-published-by-world-audience-inc-and-the-salesman-against-the-world-2014/

Carson V. Heady has written a book entitled “Birth of a Salesman” that has a unique spin that shows you proven sales principles designed to birth in you the top producer you were born to be.

If you would like to strengthen your sales skills, go to http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ICRVMI2/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_yGXKtb0G28TWF

Consult Carson 6/10: “I have a bad relationship with my boss. Help!”

From today’s mailbag: “My relationship with my boss is poor.  I don’t feel there is any respect, I feel micro-managed and like nothing I do is right.  Any suggestions are appreciated.”

Carson: When a facet of your job such as the manager-employee dynamic is poor, it has a way of contaminating the entire experience.  No matter how enjoyable your role, a poor relationship with your boss can destroy it all.

Remember that the manager-employee relationship is a contract.  You agree to be the person you pledged to be on interview day.  They agree to give you the training and support you need, to remove obstacles from your success and help you on your career path.  Period.  However, it’s never really this easy, is it?  Lots of times, managers do their part and get nothing from employees, and vice versa.  Unfortunately, many managers have not gotten the training they need to be effective managers!

Often, all you can control is you.  However, you can certainly control the steps you take to address this disconnect.  This is what I call the sales food chain; your relationship with your manager is similar to your relationship with subordinates or with clients.  It’s about support, mutual respect, and mutually beneficial partnership.

1. Take the initiative to meet with your manager.  What motivates them?  Do they know what motivates you, what you need and how you like to be led?  Communication is the cure to nearly all the world’s problems.  If they “don’t trust” you or “micromanage” you, there’s a reason for it.  They may be getting pressure you know nothing about.  They may be under a false impression about you.  No matter what, you need to renew your contract like renewing your vows – revisit the agreement from when you started working for them.  Express what you need from a support perspective.  Make an agreement on how you will proceed.

2. Be sure to look at things from their perspective.  Micromanagement is often an over-used word; the dictionary defines it as “excessive attention to minute details.”  Performance and process are not minute details – they are paramount.  So be sure you give your manager their due; they are also under expectations and have a boss.  The more you understand what your manager needs from you and the more you work together to deliver for and support each other, the better.

3. Give it time.  Trust me, I know that not every frosty relationship can thaw.  You can rarely do much in the way of seeking outside help because there can very easily be repercussions for such an action no matter what any HR department will tell you.  Sometimes, all you can do is persevere.  If it is a completely intolerable relationship or situation, you may need to look elsewhere or seek a move to another division of your company.  However, nothing lasts forever, and at some point your manager may go elsewhere and you may as well.  Furthermore, if you grin and bear it and support your manager as best you can without burning the bridge, they may at some point provide some assistance.

Control what you can control.   You can control taking the initiative by scheduling a meeting with your manager and communicating your perspective.  You can control how you view the relationship and how you alter your process based on your manager’s needs.  You can control making an exit from the situation if that’s what must be done.  But – just like any sales opportunity – you don’t move on until you’ve exhausted the opportunities that exist.  If it’s just that you feel they don’t trust you and they micromanage your process, then you need to find out why this is the case before you decide that this dynamic cannot be changed.

*******************************************************************************

Carson V. Heady posts for “Consult Carson” serving as the “Dear Abby” of sales and sales leadership.  You may post any question that puzzles you regarding sales and sales leadership careers: interviewing, the sales process, advancing and achieving.  You will also be directly contributing to his third book, “A Salesman Forever.”

Question submissions can be made via LinkedIn to Carson V. Heady, this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carson-V-Heady/125078150858064?ref=hl , Twitter via @cvheady007 or e-mail at cvheady007@yahoo.com or you may post an anonymous comment as a reply to my WordPress blog at the bottom of this page: https://carsonvheady.wordpress.com/the-home-of-birth-of-a-salesman-2010-published-by-world-audience-inc-and-the-salesman-against-the-world-2014/

Carson V. Heady has written a book entitled “Birth of a Salesman” that has a unique spin that shows you proven sales principles designed to birth in you the top producer you were born to be.

If you would like to strengthen your sales skills, go to http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ICRVMI2/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_yGXKtb0G28TWF

Consult Carson 6/9: “How do I improve my sales team’s morale?”

From today’s mailbag: “My sales team’s morale is suffering, and I’m not sure what to do.  I’ve tried catering to them, taking it easier on them, but cannot find the balance between morale and results.  Any suggestions?”

Carson: Often, we attempt to cure the perceived poor morale of our sales teams by making knee jerk reactions.  We may coddle them, drastically swing from one end of the accountability spectrum to the other or lend too much credence to the complaints.  Remember: any time we deviate too far from proven or effective process, it can have disastrous – or non-existent, in this case – results.

1. Isolate the real issues.  Meet with your team individually and as a group.  It is important to determine the problems so you can – as a team – come up with solutions.  You will always make commitments and contracts with your team; as it is your role to serve and protect your team and guide them in their career paths and coach toward their success, it is quite important that you work with them to create solutions to the problems.

2. Create a betterment committee.  Assign people that are representative of your team dynamic who are interested in being part of the solution to report and remain at the pulse of the squad.  You need the real, unfiltered truth.  However, you must temper and filter the results and findings; it is important you coach this committee not to just blindly buy into every complaint but to work to not let negative items simply lie.

3. Address everything.  Even if you cannot change it, you must acknowledge an issue and either provide your commitment to attempt to change it or the reason why it cannot or should not be changed and the substantiation.  Honestly, your team will not and does not expect you to change absolutely every beef they have.  They just want someone who has their back; they want to feel supported.  They want to see that you will give them the guidance they want, provide opportunities and remove barriers to their contentment and success.

4. Follow up, and be consistent.  Remember, it’s about keeping at the pulse of your team.  Meet regularly with your team and with your committees for team improvement.  Consistency means not making drastic changes to your approach that you cannot and should not keep up for the long haul.  It means instituting permanent, positive change and monitoring the success.  It means giving your team the ability to voice concerns and be part of that change.  The more everyone is bought in to the change and holding each other accountable to positivity, the more likely real change will occur.

Coddling  your team or taking it easy on them can work for a day or so and yes – every once in a while, we should give our teams a break.  They likely have stressful times and need to feel free to communicate that and vent.  Be understanding, be respectful, praise their successes but be consistent with how you lead and how you work out solutions to any problems that plague you.  Morale will have some peaks and valleys, but you can absolutely minimize the disparity on that spectrum if you manage with a steady hand on the wheel.

*******************************************************************************

Carson V. Heady posts for “Consult Carson” serving as the “Dear Abby” of sales and sales leadership.  You may post any question that puzzles you regarding sales and sales leadership careers: interviewing, the sales process, advancing and achieving.  You will also be directly contributing to his third book, “A Salesman Forever.”

Question submissions can be made via LinkedIn to Carson V. Heady, this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carson-V-Heady/125078150858064?ref=hl , Twitter via @cvheady007 or e-mail at cvheady007@yahoo.com or you may post an anonymous comment as a reply to my WordPress blog at the bottom of this page: https://carsonvheady.wordpress.com/the-home-of-birth-of-a-salesman-2010-published-by-world-audience-inc-and-the-salesman-against-the-world-2014/

Carson V. Heady has written a book entitled “Birth of a Salesman” that has a unique spin that shows you proven sales principles designed to birth in you the top producer you were born to be.

If you would like to strengthen your sales skills, go to http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ICRVMI2/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_yGXKtb0G28TWF

Consult Carson 6/8: “How do I make my resume stand out?”

From today’s mailbag: “How do I get my resume noticed when I’m applying to jobs? How do I make it stand out so I actually get a response?”

Carson: You have likely heard the phrase before that you have to sell yourself – your most valuable commodity. People buy from people, so when you are marketing your attributes and skills it is important to mirror other selling processes; namely, be unique and stand out by any practical means necessary.

1. Avoid the clichés. Frankly, double-think all of the adjectives or statements that make you out to be a team player or driven or goals-oriented or hard worker and discard them in favor of finding ways to illustrate these strengths with numbers (see next point). Think about it from a hiring manager’s perspective – everyone is telling them that they are the best candidate for the job. Show them what you’ve done to merit consideration.

2. Use lots of numbers. One of the most frequent things I see missing in resumes is numbers. You can rarely have too many. From percent increases you provoked in your previous roles to percent of goal and total number of dollars generated and people you impacted, your mission here is to show a potential employer something that makes them say – “Hey, I want this person working for me and doing these things for me!”

3. Be creative. Again, think about what other resumes look like or what is relatively easy to present (namely, a basic, generic synopsis of a role you fulfilled). Make your resume stand out. Make a video resume. Hand-deliver it. Make different versions that are easy to digest, such as in a slide show or web page format. Do the work that others won’t so you are the one who gets the attention.

3. Strength in numbers. Send your materials out feverishly, to the right people in the right way. Anyone can apply to a job online. Not everyone looks up the company or the hiring manager on LinkedIn and connects with a gracious, humble message to be followed by a request for an advice meeting. Not everyone is willing to do what it takes to meet and connect with decision makers outside of the online jobs that are posted for all to see (which prevents them from ever knowing about the jobs that aren’t posted). Not everyone is willing to tweak their resume regularly with new accomplishments and accolades.

To get attention from your resume, make your presentation stand out. Consider what your hiring manager will want to see. You are playing a numbers’ game, so the only logical approach is to tip the odds in your favor by any means necessary.

*******************************************************************************

Carson V. Heady posts for “Consult Carson” serving as the “Dear Abby” of sales and sales leadership. You may post any question that puzzles you regarding sales and sales leadership careers: interviewing, the sales process, advancing and achieving. You will also be directly contributing to his third book, “A Salesman Forever.”

Question submissions can be made via LinkedIn to Carson V. Heady, this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carson-V-Heady/125078150858064?ref=hl , Twitter via @cvheady007 or e-mail at cvheady007@yahoo.com or you may post an anonymous comment as a reply to my WordPress blog at the bottom of this page: https://carsonvheady.wordpress.com/the-home-of-birth-of-a-salesman-2010-published-by-world-audience-inc-and-the-salesman-against-the-world-2014/

Carson V. Heady has written a book entitled “Birth of a Salesman” that has a unique spin that shows you proven sales principles designed to birth in you the top producer you were born to be.

If you would like to strengthen your sales skills, go to http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ICRVMI2/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_yGXKtb0G28TWF

Consult Carson 6/7: “What fact-finding questions should I ask?”

From today’s mailbag: “My manager tells me I need to ask ‘fact-finding questions’ but I’m not really sure where to get started. What questions should I ask?”

Carson: Your success in any given sales transaction that hopefully begets a business relationship hinges quite a bit on first contact and how you choose to follow (or not follow) a selling process.

Once you are granted access to ask questions and have a conversation, thanks to maneuvering through the gatekeeper as a friend rather than foe and by capturing enough attention to advance from the decision-maker, it is time to start gathering clues. Like Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson, you must advance stealthily but methodically; one false step and you’re toast. Proper and proficient use of your time, however, in ascertaining your customer’s needs and wants, their current method of doing whatever you’re trying to convince them to change (either non-existent or a competitor) and what they do and don’t like about that current choice will determine practically everything going forward.

1. Don’t ask a question just to be asking a question. Many times, I’ve heard sales reps just ask a myriad of questions with no real purpose. Certainly, it does help to know how long they have been in business, but right now I don’t necessarily need to hear a litany of their entire career. Be able to inquire without interrogating; be able to figure out what you really need to know to uncover where you can be the solution to their problem.

2. Think big picture. Where does this customer want to go? What are potential new forays they can make? What’s something they are missing in their current arsenal? To uncover these, think about what you have to offer. What does your solution often cure? Try to find any potential holes or points of discontentment in your customer’s current way of doing business. Then find out what they have done to address it, or why they have not addressed it. Not only will you need to overcome objections like lack of belief and price, but you will need to uncover hidden objections as well – past failures in the very line of work you’re in – to actually proceed.

3. Ask the questions that will allow you to prove return on investment. Find out the worth and value of a proper solution. Utilize this information when you are justifying the price and cost of your solution – “Mr./Mrs. Customer, you indicated previously that landing a new client/ remedying your efficiency issue/ the cost of acquiring a new employee, etc., was $$$$. By applying our tried and true strategy, you increase the probability of landing that client/ resolving that issue by XXX% for a mere $$$$$ investment. That said, just how quickly do you make a profit?” Work with them to uncover the solution you want them to uncover.

4. Realize that a customer’s primary objection is lack of belief. In reality, it’s the only one; it’s the very reason they throw obstacles like price and partners out to you. If they believed this would work, they’d be selling their partner and they’d be spending the money to fix a problem they have already identified (or that you’ve helped them find! Elementary, my dear Watson!). Knowing this, and knowing you don’t really sell anything – they make the decision to buy! – ask the questions that will lead the horse to the water that they will be enticed to drink. You want them to draw conclusions, so make them see the inadequacies of their current comfortable (or uncomfortable) ways of mediocrity or failing. Show them that it’s possible to “have it all” – to dive into the new forays or ventures they want to eventually pursue.

5. Check with them along the way. Remember, we don’t close every customer the first conversation. We rarely do. That said, ask the questions that show you’re there as a trusted advisor. Point out the current state of the union and ask, “How may I be of additional service?” “How may I further support you at this point?” “What additional questions exist, or what can I shed further light on so we may provide the added efficiency we discussed?” Open-ended questions, not questions that end in a yes or a no, that position you as someone with their best interests at heart and make clear you are offering respectful service rather than a hard close will make the environment conducive to the sale.

Ask the questions that will enable you to overcome stated or hidden objections before they even surface. Use your experience and mistakes in sales conversations to figure out where you stumbled before. Odds are, asking more questions and having more facts would have and will enable you to solve the case of what specific combination of facts prompt your customer to respect you, trust in you, and buy from you.

*******************************************************************************

Carson V. Heady posts for “Consult Carson” serving as the “Dear Abby” of sales and sales leadership. You may post any question that puzzles you regarding sales and sales leadership careers: interviewing, the sales process, advancing and achieving. You will also be directly contributing to his third book, “A Salesman Forever.”

Question submissions can be made via LinkedIn to Carson V. Heady, this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carson-V-Heady/125078150858064?ref=hl , Twitter via @cvheady007 or e-mail at cvheady007@yahoo.com or you may post an anonymous comment as a reply to my WordPress blog at the bottom of this page: https://carsonvheady.wordpress.com/the-home-of-birth-of-a-salesman-2010-published-by-world-audience-inc-and-the-salesman-against-the-world-2014/

Carson V. Heady has written a book entitled “Birth of a Salesman” that has a unique spin that shows you proven sales principles designed to birth in you the top producer you were born to be.

If you would like to strengthen your sales skills, go to http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ICRVMI2/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_yGXKtb0G28TWF

Consult Carson 6/6: “My team tries to sell the cheapest plan – how do I increase average buy?”

From today’s mailbag: “My average buy is struggling and I’m not hitting goal. I’ve got reps who go for the cheapest plan right out of the gates. I’m trying to convince them to sell on value, but they just don’t listen and say they are afraid of losing the sale. Help!”

Carson: It is imperative I start most of these off by saying “sales is a process.” For starters, you cannot be afraid of losing something you never had. Your team, often when they are slumping or worried or anxious about potential loss, will allow themselves to deviate from process. They will use the excuse that they are afraid to lose the sale or that they are slumping and just needed to get on the board. They will start pitching out of their own pocketbook, second-guessing themselves, and assuming a customer will not pay what your program is worth – solely because they have lost faith in either themselves or in their product or in their process.

When coaching, it is important to get the employee’s agreement that they are not satisfied with their current results. If they have had prior success, it can also help to remind them of what their process was like when they were closing. Like a baseball hitting coach assisting a slumping player in finding his previous, successful stance and swing, like a golf instructor watching for where the mechanics of the follow-through have gotten out of whack, we as sales coaches must diagnose the destructive changes to sales process.

1. Find the reason why your team member is deviating from process. Is something on their mind, and distracting them from what they should know is the right process?

2. Re-visit the why and how of process. We make an impactful intro so we grab our customer’s attention and earn the right to have a conversation. We ask insightful questions to learn the customer’s motivation, gather enough of their words and passions and perspective to utilize their own philosophies in not only constructing the pitch but also overcoming their objections. We build value in our complete solution, and based on the return on investment, we make it make sense to our customer. Immediately going in and pitching the lowest common denominator does literally nothing but scoff in the face of process and if we actually do get a “sale” it will be the result with the least probability of benefiting our customer. The long-term relationship we should be striving for is destroyed before it begins.

3. Establish a commitment between your team member and you that they actually do fully understand why a change is necessary, that you will provide the help and coaching they need to implement the change, and that you will (and you actually do!) follow up to ensure it is carried out. Often, people won’t change because they don’t fear the potential down side worse than they fear changing. They settle for comfortable ways of failing or mediocrity. They may also buy in to the process change, but they go out in a job that’s 1 for 10 or 1 for 20 or 1 for 100 as a good close rate, they fail the first few times out of the chute, and they go back to comfortable ways of failing. They don’t give it enough of an opportunity to work, but they mentally tell themselves it’s the process that failed, not them.

4. Finally, truly re-visit your commitment. Like renewing your vows, like re-visiting a promise or contract, you must hark back to this conversation in future ones. Always use coaching conversations to visit where you are now, look back at where you were, look at what you committed to do and if it panned out. You applaud the wins and coach the opportunities and make a plan to either continue upward trajectory or to address the fact they refused to change.

In the end, this one all boils down to ensuring your salesperson knows the process, knows why process is paramount and is actually following it in the field. Your part in this play is to determine any obstacles or objections they have and eradicate them… so that nothing stands in the way on the road toward successful sales that truly benefit the holy sales trinity: customer, company and you.

*******************************************************************************

Carson V. Heady posts for “Consult Carson” serving as the “Dear Abby” of sales and sales leadership. You may post any question that puzzles you regarding sales and sales leadership careers: interviewing, the sales process, advancing and achieving. You will also be directly contributing to his third book, “A Salesman Forever.”

Question submissions can be made via LinkedIn to Carson V. Heady, this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carson-V-Heady/125078150858064?ref=hl , Twitter via @cvheady007 or e-mail at cvheady007@yahoo.com or you may post an anonymous comment as a reply to my WordPress blog at the bottom of this page: https://carsonvheady.wordpress.com/the-home-of-birth-of-a-salesman-2010-published-by-world-audience-inc-and-the-salesman-against-the-world-2014/

Carson V. Heady has written a book entitled “Birth of a Salesman” that has a unique spin that shows you proven sales principles designed to birth in you the top producer you were born to be.

If you would like to strengthen your sales skills, go to http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ICRVMI2/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_yGXKtb0G28TWF