Brandon L. Clay's Blog, page 24

Call In The Reinforcements!

Ok Brandon, I received the "gospel of the cultivator" and you promised me that opportunity would be waiting for me at my desk.Hang tight, change takes time...and effort. It also requires recognition of what is likely already in your midst. The goldmine of your future is likely in the rolodex (yes, I just dated myself)...or I-Phone that sits idle on your desk. Secret #3 - Reinforce the Sale!The first key to strengthening the relationship that consummated the sale is to stay in contact afterward... to Reinforce . With strategically planned client outreach you will reinforce their buying decision, the importance of them as clients and your relationship. Have you ever bought something that didn't meet your expectations?Strong likelihood that you made an attempt or two to rectify the issue. Did you call the salesperson? How did they act...react? Awkward silence...did they even remember you?If a salesperson has not spoken to you in 6 months since your purchase, you will probably call customer service and strike up a conversation with someone who gets 100 complaints a day. How does that usually go?If you don't get satisfaction, what do you do next?  The return counter perhaps?Most buyers' remorse can be treated with Reinforcement.The most positive time in a prospect's mind is after they make a purchase...it is also the most vulnerable."Yes, they will be happy, but they will naturally second guess the decision of their purchase. They will tell a trusted friend what they have done for feedback and the secret need for approval. They will check the internet to see what strangers have done, how they have rated the product and their experiences, to compare it to their own." What is the best thing a professional seller can do in this vulnerable period?Reinforce the good decision the client has just made.You do this by sending them a thank you card. Calling them once the product is received to make sure all is well and see if they have any questions. Check in with them on date of delivery, and special future dates in their lives, like anniversary dates. The most powerful tool in the Reinforce arsenal is Gratitude - saying "Thank you" for their business and relationship. Become creative with each interaction, so that you are more memorable.You don't have to overwhelm them but simply let them know you have not, and will not abandon them after the sale."Service has become a "dying art" in business and particularly at the point of sale. You can leave your fate (and commission) to your customer service department or you can take matters into your own hands and Reinforce.I say Call in the Reinforcements!Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

The Gospel!

What was waiting for you when you got to the office today?Leads? I hope so. Was it your turn to get some?A note to meet the sales manager to discuss last week's production...or lack of?I don't mean to get you upset so early in the week, but I also want you to know this could be the last Monday you have to "face the music" or wait for the lead rotation handout!What if you came to the office today and had 5 voice messages from clients?...With repeat business? With Referrals?Ok, let's start over...HAPPY MONDAY!That is exactly what it would be if you had repeat business and referral opportunities meeting you at your desk each day...If you became a cultivator...not just a producer.I understand that everyone in sales has to start as a producer in the Effort Phase of their career. A producer has to pay their dues. If they are on the leaderboard, they are paying dues successfully. I applaud them!I can tell you that producing is hard (duh!)...it requires daily grit and determination as you have to dig deep to mine new opportunities. What happens to producers that don't transition to cultivators? They burnout.Do you know the symptoms of burnout? Here are a few;Getting up every few minutes, taking more breaks from cold-calling.Pre-judging the leads and giving half-hearted sales presentations due to a "what's the use" syndrome.Calling in "sick" and staying in the bed rather than working!To break out of the producer level to cultivator status there is a foundational concept you must receive as "The Gospel";Secret #2 - Turn new business clients into raving fans. Convert clients into people who see you as a Trusted Advisor and who will only buy relevant products from you.   They will refer everyone they know to you. A producer who operates with a high level of integrity and provides superior value to his clients, will become a cultivator with more repeat business and referrals...in due time."Burnout?Not a cultivator! Why? They spend most of their time presenting solutions to a ready, trusting audience versus "hunting" for someone to pitch?My brothers and sisters, receive the gospel, become a cultivator and change your life once and for all! Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

Do You See What I See?

When you look at the leaderboard or rankings for your company/industry, what do you see? (Hopefully, your name at the top!)That list contains a group of people who rose to the top doing some very effective things and received the coveted "spoils of war" - recognition, compensation and a prime company parking space!Take a deeper look at that top list. Will the person who is #1 this month, be the same person next month? Could be, but more than likely, there is a monthly musical chair proposition. The names change as the ebb and flow of leads and sales opportunities dictate "one for you...one for me".Consistency is rare in sales and in life and is part of what perpetuates The Law of Pareto. You know it better as the 80/20 rule. That means that 80% of the sales can be "predicted" to come from 20% of the salesforce.Not a bad distribution...if you are in the 20%!Are you?I have trained over 35,000 sales people (give or take a few!) and seen The Law play out over and over. It was only when I demanded an expansion of The Law by developing the 80% of the sales force that things turned around. The result: Company's I worked with began to experience 80/40! For the non-mathematicians, that means that 80% of the production was now coming from 40% - a doubling of sales effectiveness of the team!Does that make me a genius...a sales guru....a Svengali (look it up!)Humbly, modestly, and quite frankly...YES!What is the method of my madness? The secret formula that allows me to get more from a sales team than The Law Allows?Secret #1 - Turn Producers into CultivatorsThe producer concentrates on new business which requires each day they have to "start over" and work to build a new relationship...from scratch.A cultivator has business meeting them at their desk! Repeat business and referrals...each day...Who would you rather be?"Look at the leaderboard again.... Do you see what I see? Secret #2 tomorrow...Until then, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

Breathe Darn You!

If someone was helping you learn Sudoku (yeah, I'll admit I have no clue or desire) how many attempts at teaching would you want to them to take...one, two...maybe three?What if you were choking from a steak at Bones (fancy smancy!)...how many times would you want them beating on your chest?... Thought so! Persistence requires that the outcome mean something...it has to matter...it has to be "life or death".Persistence is an outward show of faith. It is action oriented and not just idle talk. In the Bible, James Chapter 2 says (paraphrased) "One man says he has faith...one man does faith filled action". It concludes - the man with real faith is the one who is doing! Start doing the right things and keep doing them until you win! Persistence is Insistence. It becomes a demonstration of conviction. You may be turned away but you are still committed to find a way! LeRoy tells matt about the power of persistence that converts to conviction, "Once a man is convicted and acts on that conviction, he will be successful in whatever he puts his hands to do".Persistence obliterates procrastination and demands immediate, direct action. Persistence says "I must have it - it is a necessity". Necessity is the mother of invention and will engage the power of innovation and imagination. Even if you don't know what to do next, if you persist you will find a way. Persistence requires you pay a price. In Sales Crumbs from the Master's Table Matt forgoes lunch with colleagues looking for a breakthrough. When you need a breakthrough, you may need to "work through" - work through lunches, television shows, afternoon golf, and excuses. Push against and lean on the Law of Averages...the breakthrough will come!For all the activities that are the science of the sales process, persistence can't be overdone, or overlooked. You can't make too many sales calls, you can't become too much of an expert in your product, etc. In the artful side of a sales interaction, there is a difference between persistence and being a nuisance. We all hate pushy sales people...right? Common sense will let you know the difference and when you have crossed the line. Some sales people use not wanting to be a pest as an excuse for their approach avoidance. If unsure if you are being persistent or a pain remember; when it doubt...go for it! That extra effort could be the difference maker. I reprimand you to fight and life demands that you fight.  Hit your dreams right in the chest, repeatedly, commanding..."Breathe Darn You" ...until the life comes back to them.Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

If At First...

In Sales Crumbs from the Master's Table, Leroy begins a lesson,"If I could only give you one word that would demonstrate the personal quality that provided me with the greatest results over the years, that word would be persistence.Persistence.It is the key to focusing on your product knowledge until "revelation" on how to sell it comes.  It will help you improve yourself - to endure the arduous tasks of prospecting and business development until success comes.  When your tank of enthusiasm is empty, persistence is your reserve tank - helping you make the next few miles until the breakthrough comes (and persistence ensures that it will come!).Persistence is the ultimate failsafe against failure."It is not over until I win" - Les Brown.Many people want instant "just add water" success. They don't want to pay the price of achievement or success. Yes, and quite proverbially, Thomas Edison faced almost 10,000 failed attempts...I am so glad he was persistent. If he wasn't, you wouldn't be reading this!Any of this sound familiar?"I tried that once and it didn't work!""Once bitten, twice shy!""That last attempt taught me a lesson...I won't be trying that again!"Right now, right here, today, what can you do to prove to yourself that you are willing to be persistent and do the uncomfortable things?"Start a new dialogue in your mind and spoken vocabulary;"I will not be defeated, I will not give up!""I will continue firmly steadily and insistently until my good appears!"I will do what it takes, to get what I want...as long as it takes until I get what I want!"The future greatness in your life is not waiting on a "big break" - persistence creates opportunity! It is not reliant on the kindness of strangers - persistence will compel people to your aid.Your greatest achievements and triumphs will come as a result of a second, third, fourth...ad infinitum attempts.If at first...You know what to do...I believe in you...DON'T YOU DARE GIVE UP! Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

Give Your Clients The Value Meal!

Today's selling environment is highly competitive. Readily available information on products just like yours sets the stage for the "burger war" scenario. The Big Mac versus The Whopper versus...you get the picture (lunch plans?)We have discussed the parts of the sales process you can't control...your product, the client. Most certainly, you can't control the competitors product. So why enter into a "burger war" battle that may undermine your credibility and integrity?Yes, it may be old school to take the "high road" but in a war of words against another sales person or product, the client is likely looking for a deal where price will become the main and possibly the only differentiator. That reduces your sale (and your precious invested time) to a commodity. In a commodity sale (where price and availability are all that matter) your physical presence is not an advantage...or even necessary. I watch sales people expend more energy on clients that they have already discovered are "playing the cart against the horse" and only looking to be a hard negotiator.Am I saying walk away from these sales? No! I am saying your strongest, sustainable sales approach is to focus on taking the features of YOUR product and aligning them with the uncovered and discovered needs - creating benefits that bring YOUR product to life.   Value is expected in this day and age and price pressure is real. You have to become more innovative in demonstrating the tangible (and sometimes intangible) strengths of your product so price isn't the easy (and only) objection. In Sales Crumbs from the Master's Table, LeRoy is giving Matt a lesson on value and creating an memorable buying experience. As a conversation on golf ensues, Matt recounts how the price of Gatorade changes based on the environment (golfers will feel me!);$.99 for 32oz at the grocery store$1.69 for 32oz at the gas station$3.00 for 20oz at the local golf course$5.00 plus tip for 20oz at fancy course!"Then I suppose you show your displeasure by not drinking Gatorade in those higher priced environments, right?" queried LeRoy already knowing the answer. Matt shook his head and started laughing and answered, "No, call us crazy, but we still buy it."     "I will tell you why...the answer is value" LeRoy is right...value is the difference maker...Always give your clients the Value Meal!!!Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

Why Not Give Them The Hand?

From yesterday...rather than fighting for the upper hand, why not "give" your clients the hand? In this age of information, it is safe to say that consumers have access to your product;If they want to see it in action (click!) - YouTube...If they want to see how others review it (click!) - Amazon...If they want to order it (click) - on your company's website a "live" person is ready to "Chat". Yes, you may even be competing against your marketing department for sales! Ah, but you have a distinct advantage - you are able to bring the product to life! Give it a name and a face - making the purchase an experience.How do you give your clients "the hand"?You let them control as much of the buying experience as possible. As we said previously, they know "The Secret" and if you are too pushy, talkative or persuasive, they don't have reveal it. You lose!Remember the Relaxing and Relating phases of the sales interaction? What if during these phases, you begin to ask a few simple questions that allow the prospective client to have "the hand"?"Before I begin to show you my product, what do you know about it already?""Have you seen it in action on YouTube or checked out reviews on the web?""Do you have any friends that have experiences with our product?"While it seems counterintuitive, you aren't really giving up control when you allow them to "add their voice" to the proceedings. What will happen when they chance to talk?They will express their needs/wants/desires and yes, their concerns. They will tell you "The Secret". You need these secrets to hit the hot buttons and overcome objections...right? You also have two ears and one mouth, you should use them proportionately. Ultimately, they will run out of facts, concern.  With l the elements of "what-why-how" on the table, the product expert (that's you!) can begin Releasing the solution. Now, it's your turn;"Thanks for all the great insight, I love that you are knowledgeable about my product. There are a few additional things I would like to show you that I think will make this perfect for the situation you have outlined." Sometimes, you get more by giving first...Go ahead...Give them The Hand!Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

Can I Get A Hand?

Most sales people assume they have the upper hand when it comes to the product. Stands to reason, you know the product better than anyone...right? You live your product 24 hours a day...you breathe it...it is your lifeline to revenue/income and the fulfillment of your "what's" in life. The product is the smooth stone in your sling...You better know it! Less than half a century ago (the stone ages!), the salesperson would take their demo kit and pitch book and "own the stage". In a sales monologue (never coming up for air!) they would present their product, dazzle prospective clients with its fine array of features, and then close with an "incredible deal".Not so easy today...is it?A standard sales transaction is more like a wrestling match. The combatants use Knowledge and Gold as the weapons of the contest.To the salesperson, Knowledge is Power, or so we want to believe. From the clients standpoint, "He who has the Gold (money) makes the rules". As a result, clients do their best to get all the knowledge they can before talking to you (the internet is great, isn't it?). Sales people try to make their solutions complicated so that the clients need them, and the battle is on for the "upper hand". I love Seinfeld. There is an episode where George Costanza talks about "the hand". He is referring to the upper-hand that allows him to control a relationship.  He famously laments, "I have no power. Why should she have the upper hand? Once in my life, I would like the upper hand. I have no hand. No hand at all. She has the hand...I have no hand".Rather than wrestling for the upper hand...there is a better way...tomorrow.Until then, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

Clients Know The Secret!

Your clients are keeping a secret from you!The "secret"? - What they need, why they need it and how they will buy. Do you recognize that "what-why-how" from a previous Sales Crumb? They are the ingredients to achieving a goal, but are also powerful ingredients of the sales process. When mixed by the skillful hand of a sharing/caring sales professional (yes...that's you!), they generate a white heat of desire. That desire is what causes the prospective client to take action...to buy! If you have read Sales Crumbs from the Master's Table, then you will remember LeRoy's lesson to Matt on how to get "The Secret" from a client. He taught Matt that to get people to express what-why-how you must engage the process of Relaxing, Relating, and Releasing. Relaxing puts you and the client at ease. Face it, they know you are there to sell them something, so the classic "divide and conquer" positions and authoritative postures may not be necessary. For the moment, in the opening, selling is secondary...relaxing is primary.Relating is facilitated in an atmosphere of Relaxation. Dialogue becomes a two way street...natural, un-choreographed - using your Authentic Sales Voice. It exposes mutual interest and commonalities - chemistry/rapport. In the era of Facebook, the "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" is actually more like 2 degrees. The world is smaller and we are closer than we have ever been and it is easier to establish the "ties that bind". In this interplay, there will be a logical time to Release your solutions - your products. Yes, there will still be objections and clarifications of their specific needs to address, but at this stage of the process, they will gladly receive what you are offering (sharing to continue the metaphor!). When done masterfully, the prospective client doesn't have to divulge "The Secret" through coaxing or coercion. They will gladly express them in an open dialogue of sharing.Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

Client Know The Secret!

Your clients are keeping a secret from you!The "secret"? - What they need, why they need it and how they will buy. Do you recognize that "what-why-how" from a previous Sales Crumb? They are the ingredients to achieving a goal, but are also powerful ingredients of the sales process. When mixed by the skillful hand of a sharing/caring sales professional (yes...that's you!), they generate a white heat of desire. That desire is what causes the prospective client to take action...to buy! If you have read Sales Crumbs from the Master's Table, then you will remember LeRoy's lesson to Matt on how to get "The Secret" from a client. He taught Matt that to get people to express what-why-how you must engage the process of Relaxing, Relating, and Releasing. Relaxing puts you and the client at ease. Face it, they know you are there to sell them something, so the classic "divide and conquer" positions and authoritative postures may not be necessary. For the moment, in the opening, selling is secondary...relaxing is primary.Relating is facilitated in an atmosphere of Relaxation. Dialogue becomes a two way street...natural, un-choreographed - using your Authentic Sales Voice. It exposes mutual interest and commonalities - chemistry/rapport. In the era of Facebook, the "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" is actually more like 2 degrees. The world is smaller and we are closer than we have ever been and it is easier to establish the "ties that bind". In this interplay, there will be a logical time to Release your solutions - your products. Yes, there will still be objections and clarifications of their specific needs to address, but at this stage of the process, they will gladly receive what you are offering (sharing to continue the metaphor!). When done masterfully, the prospective client doesn't have to divulge "The Secret" through coaxing or coercion. They will gladly express them in an open dialogue of sharing.Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!