Mark Jewell's Blog: Selling Energy, page 248
April 12, 2017
Overcoming Cold Call Resistance
The more you think of yourself as the connection between a product or service that is available and someone who needs it, the more effective a sales professional you’ll be. This shift in perspective can have an enormous impact on your performance across the board.
A attendee at one of our Efficiency Sales Professional Boot Camps recommended a book called, “The Psychology of Sales Call Reluctance” by George W. Dudley and Shannon L. Goodson. It’s quite a thick tome… My first reaction upon seeing the book was that someone could delay making cold calls for a very long time if he or she elected to read it cover-to-cover rather than just picking up the phone
It’s been said many times that one of the easiest to visualize and most helpful tricks for overcoming cold call reluctance is to imagine that you’re calling your prospect to return his or her wallet, which we’ll assume you found in the back of a taxi cab.
Why does this little thought experiment help? Because if properly visualized, it will have a dramatic effect on the way you’re going to address the person who answers your call. For one thing, the gatekeeper is not going to prequalify you with twenty questions if it appears you are calling to give rather than take, and the way you communicate while you’re in this mental “zone” will give the impression that you have something important and valuable to offer.
Staying with this scenario for another moment, how much do you think that hypothetical lost wallet is worth? Let’s assume your prospect is well-heeled and has great taste in leather goods. Say it’s a TUMI wallet lined with a couple hundred dollars of cash your prospect had just withdrawn from the ATM. It also holds a couple high-limit credit cards, a driver’s license, and perhaps a few other items that are relatively easy to cancel or replace. The whole value of the “prize”? Probably less than five hundred dollars, including the labor cost of his assistant who would wind up replacing the wallet and reporting the credit cards lost.
Now, let’s return to the real reason for your call… an expense-reducing capital project with a projected life of a decade or more. What is the net present value of the energy-saving solution you’re about to introduce to this prospect? Is it $500? How about $5,000? How about $50,000? If you’re selling complex solutions, the NPV might well exceed half-a-million dollars! Think about it… That’s equivalent to returning 1,000 lost wallets worth $500 apiece! Now why would you ever hesitate to pick up the phone to return 1,000 wallets?
Don’t ask yourself, “Why would this guy want to take my phone call?” You should be asking instead, “Why in the world would this person not want to take my phone call? It’s like finding 1,000 of his wallets in the back of a taxi cab!”
Regardless of which mind game you intelligently deploy to overcome cold call resistance, always remember one thing. You have something valuable to offer, and you are the connection that links your prospect to that value.
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April 11, 2017
7 Attention-Grabbing Triggers
When you’re giving a presentation, or pitching a sale, you’re always at risk of losing the attention and focus of the audience. Let’s face it… people have short attention spans. So, what can you do to keep people from tuning out? Here are some tips:
Smile
Use shorter sentences
Change your delivery speed from time to time
Use pauses
Insert a blank slide when talking about a key topic – this will encourage the audience to listen to what you’re saying
Ask a question and pause before you answer it
Tell a captivating story
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April 10, 2017
Got a Meeting? Make it a Walking Meeting
Before you head into your next meeting, watch this TED Talk by business innovator, Nolifer Merchant, on how you can bring about new ideas that may be in opposition.
Here’s a summary from TED:
Nilofer Merchant suggests a small idea that just might have a big impact on your life and health: Next time you have a one-on-one meeting, make it into a “walking meeting” — and let ideas flow while you walk and talk.
“You’ll be surprised at how fresh air drives fresh thinking, and in the way that you do, you’ll bring into your life an entirely new set of ideas.”
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April 9, 2017
Weekly Recap, April 9, 2017
Monday: Read The Referral Engine: Teaching Your Business to Market Itself, by John Jantsch, and learn how to create a system for leveraging referrals to grow your business.
Tuesday: Check out 8 questions you might ask yourself to determine your competitive advantage.
Wednesday: Discover elements to a perfect elevator pitch.
Thursday: Learn what you should be doing with your hands during a presentation.
Friday: Learn why prospects don’t want to play “20 questions.”
Saturday: Read this article published in Entrepreneur Magazine and find out why superior customer service is all about focusing on the little things.
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April 8, 2017
Focus on the Little Things
Running a successful business takes happy and valued customers. So, how do you get loyal customers? If you put more of your resources into customer service, you’ll get not only more repeat business, but also free marketing through word-of-mouth referrals.
Not convinced? Give this article a read by Entrepreneur Magazine online and find out why superior customer service is all about focusing on the little things.
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April 7, 2017
No More “20 Questions”
Effective questioning is key when it comes to finding out what your prospect’s needs and values are. It equips you with the information you need to create a compelling and persuasive case for change. A lot of people think that consultative selling is the bee’s knees – that if you just ask a lot of questions, the prospect will think that you’re interested in them and you’ll get a lot of information that you can somehow cobble into a compelling proposal.
Let me tell you something: people don’t want to play “20 questions” anymore. You’re doing yourself a disservice if you ask too many questions, especially if they’re questions that you should already know the answers to before you walk in the room.
Take for example, “Tell me a little bit about your business.” Do you really need to ask your prospect to tell you about their business? If you think this is somehow going to show them you’re interested in their company, you’re wrong. Of course, you’re interested in their company – you’re there to sell them a product or service! All this does is demonstrate that you haven’t even done your due diligence on their industry, much less their company, before meeting your prospect.
Rather than asking a lot of questions, come prepared with a few well-thought-out, specific questions that are the result of thorough research that you conducted before the first meeting.
If you want to score bonus points, ask a question that suggests that this is not your first rodeo… that you’ve helped others in the prospect’s situation… that you know the questions to ask that will lay the groundwork for providing your prospect with genuine insights even before they hire you.
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April 6, 2017
What Should I be Doing with My Hands During a Presentation?
When you’re giving a presentation, the audience may be consciously listening to your words, but they’re also subconsciously tuned into your body language, facial expressions, and visual focus. The way in which you present yourself physically can have a significant effect on your ability to engage and persuade them. At this point you’re probably wondering, “When I give a presentation, what should I be doing with my hands?”
I suggest taking the middle road when it comes to gesturing while presenting. At one end of the spectrum is the speaker who leaves his hands at his sides the whole time he’s talking. This makes him look stiff and uncomfortable, and it makes the audience uneasy, whether they consciously realize it or not. At the other end of the spectrum is the speaker who uses a gesture with every word. This can be distracting and visually tiring.
It’s important to find a middle ground between these two extremes. Think about what you do with your hands when you’re having a conversation with someone with whom you’re very comfortable. You probably gesture occasionally for emphasis. You neither stand with your hands at your sides nor move your arms with every word. This middle ground looks natural while helping you maintain your listener’s attention. It provides visual reinforcement without being distracting.
On a related note, people often ask me if it’s OK to have your hands in your pockets while presenting. I don’t think it’s a big deal to have one hand in your pocket as long as you’re not fiddling with coins or keys in there… and as long as the rest of your body remains energized, your posture is good, and you’re physically engaged.
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April 5, 2017
Pitch Perfect: 5 Elements to A Perfect Elevator Pitch
The elevator pitch is a concise statement that grabs attention and communicates value, ideally leading to a next step.
You need multiple versions of your elevator pitch, with each one incorporating details that are most relevant to a particular listener. A great elevator pitch would typically include at least a few of the following elements:
Who you are and how long you’ve been doing what you’re doing
The company you work for, including anything that’s especially noteworthy about it
A product or service you’re currently offering that your listener would likely find interesting
Insights tailored to appeal to your listener’s professional role or industry segment
Companies and customers you’ve served that suggest that your listener’s peers have already benefited from your offerings
An elevator pitch shouldn’t tell the whole story, it should set the hook. Keep the following in mind as you consider what to include in your next elevator pitch:
Who: What appeals to your target customer? What do you want your listener to remember most about you and your business?
What: Express the value of your product or service. What have been the key results or impacts of your company?
Why: Show the unique benefits that your company offers. What makes you stand out from your competition? Why do you do what you do?
Goal: Describe what you would like to ask of your listener – even if it’s just to accept your business card. Your goal should be concrete and realistic.
We all know the importance of making a great first impression. Confident posture, good eye contact and a sincere smile all help. However, when it comes to capturing your prospect’s attention, the first few sentences you say (or questions you ask) can make all the difference in the world. So, invest the time to plan a series of elevator pitches that highlight the value of what you do… and make sure to select the one that’s most appropriate for each prospect.
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April 4, 2017
Finding Your Competitive Advantage
What is your competitive advantage? If you don’t have a clear picture of how your business differs (or fails to differ) from other similar businesses, you might want to spend some time researching your competition and strategizing new ways in which you might set yourself apart. Here are 8 questions you might ask yourself to determine your competitive advantage:
About your competition:
What are they doing (and what are they not doing)?
What are they best known for (both the good and the bad)?
What do their customers value most about their product or service?
If you worked for their company, what changes would you make?
About your business:
Why did my customers choose me over my competitors (for closed sales)?
Why did my prospects choose to work with a different business (for lost sales)?
What do my customers value most about my product or service?
What do I want to be known for (e.g., great customer service, highest quality products)?
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April 3, 2017
Teaching Your Business to Market Itself
In the efficiency business, a successful referral can mean the difference between a lousy month and a great one. You can’t always rely on marketing and promotions to drive new business, so it’s vital that you set up a well-oiled “referral engine” to help manage the heavy lifting.
One of my favorite books on referral strategy is (aptly) titled The Referral Engine, by John Jantsch. In it, Jantsch argues that people instinctively enjoy making referrals. The trick is to help your clients use their instincts to reach the right prospects. This book will help you create a system for leveraging referrals to grow your business.
Here’s a summary from Amazon Books:
“The small business guru behind “Duct Tape Marketing” shares his most valuable lesson: how to get your customers to do your best marketing for you.
“The power of glitzy advertising and elaborate marketing campaigns is on the wane; word-of-mouth referrals are what drive business today. People trust the recommendation of a friend, family member, colleague, or even stranger with similar tastes over anything thrust at them by a faceless company.
“Most business owners believe that whether customers refer them is entirely out of their hands. But science shows that people can’t help recommending products and services to their friends – it’s an instinct wired deep in the brain. And smart businesses can tap into that hardwired desire.
“Marketing expert John Jantsch offers practical techniques for harnessing the power of referrals to ensure a steady flow of new customers. Keep those customers happy, and they will refer your business to even more customers. Some of Jantsch’s strategies include:
-Talk with your customers, not at them. Thanks to social networking sites, companies of any size have the opportunity to engage with their customers on their home turf as never before – but the key is listening.
-The sales team is the most important part of your marketing team. Salespeople are the company’s main link to customers, who are the main source of referrals. Getting them on board with your referral strategy is critical.
-Educate your customers. Referrals are only helpful if they’re given to the right people. Educate your customers about whom they should be talking to.
“The secret to generating referrals lies in understanding the “Customer Referral Cycle” – the way customers refer others to your company who, in turn, generate even more referrals. Businesses can ensure a healthy referral cycle by moving customers and prospects along the path of Know, Like, Trust, Try, Buy, Repeat, and Refer. If everyone in an organization keeps this sequence in mind, Jantsch argues, your business will generate referrals like a well-oiled machine.
“This practical, smart, and original guide is essential reading for any company looking to grow without a fat marketing budget.”
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