“I’m waiting for customers so I can start selling something!”
I heard a sales person say that at a trade show last weekend. Here’s a great question: are you waiting to sell someone something? If so, you need to start an action plan and get someone to start buying your product.
Most sales people think trade shows are a time to sit, watch, and complain about customers or lack thereof.
The number one goal at any trade show should be to set appointments. In order to do this you have to ask great questions like: “What is your experience with our product?” In other words, tell me why you think you need this product. Always ask “how did you hear about our product?” You need to constantly test and track how your marketing is working and how people are hearing about what your product or service. The final piece of the puzzle is asking “why did you come here today” or more importantly “what is driving force to making this a decision day?”
Most sales people don’t ask a potential customer to buy. They refuse to ask because they don’t want rejection. The truth of the matter is that most customers are disappointed if you don’t ask them to buy. For those sales professional who say “I don’t want to come off as a pushy sales person” I say don’t worry about that, you’re not that good. On average it takes 7 asks before a customer will finally buy. The best question you can ask a customer is “do you want to buy?” The worst is “how may I help you” or “let me learn a little a little bit about you.”
While you’re waiting for customers, your competition is taking action and going after customers. Set a goal of how many appointments you are going to make during a trade show. Secondary should be how many email and cell phone contacts you are going to get. You should also pre-invite customers to your trade show event. If you plan to be busy--you will be. However, if you don’t plan you’ll be like my friend; sitting, watching and complaining that no customers are coming in so you can start selling them something.
Word-Watch from Dave-Cyber-Squatting: Fake websites passing themselves off as real. Make sure to protect yourself from Cyber-Squatting.
Monday, October 25, 2010
What's Keeping you from the Basics?
I hear many veteran sales professionals tell me things like "back in the day, I used to really get after it and make follow up calls" or “when I first started in sales, I always wrote thank you notes." Perhaps they believe these “war stories” will help inspire the sales up-and-comers. But what the grizzled old sales veterans are really saying is “I used to be on my game, I’m lazy now.” They are simply living on past success.
Here’s a real simple piece for getting back on track in the sales world. Go back to what you used to do when you were really good at sales. I constantly hear football coaches tell me after a loss they will take players back to the basics of blocking in tackling. Leaders of great teams always tell me “we work on the basics every day and we execute those little things so we can win every time--we're prepared for everything.”
For a sales rep, the x’s and o’s should be having the potential customer map out on paper where they might place the purchase. This assumes they are going to buy your product and gets the customer to the next step of where they will actually place it in their life, home, business plan, etc. Ask questions like “how far it is from the doorway?” or “how can we get power to your location?” or “what color is your room?”
One sales person I suggested this tactic to actually told me “you know, back in the day I used to do that all the time." So my obvious question is why would you stop doing something that used to earn you twice the money you’re making now?
For newer sales professional who hear the ‘war stories’ of how it used to be ‘back in the day’, ask your boss or manager if they were successful. If the answer is ‘yes’, then follow up by asking them why they quit doing things that way. Better yet ask them to take you out and show you how to sell!
If you don't remember what you used to do to be successful in the sales world, call the top ten customers that you lost during the recession. Ask them why they bought from you and why they stuck with you so long.
Trust me. The answer will have to do with the little things that you used to do, but because of laziness and the excuse of the bad economy you've quit doing.
Here’s a real simple piece for getting back on track in the sales world. Go back to what you used to do when you were really good at sales. I constantly hear football coaches tell me after a loss they will take players back to the basics of blocking in tackling. Leaders of great teams always tell me “we work on the basics every day and we execute those little things so we can win every time--we're prepared for everything.”
For a sales rep, the x’s and o’s should be having the potential customer map out on paper where they might place the purchase. This assumes they are going to buy your product and gets the customer to the next step of where they will actually place it in their life, home, business plan, etc. Ask questions like “how far it is from the doorway?” or “how can we get power to your location?” or “what color is your room?”
One sales person I suggested this tactic to actually told me “you know, back in the day I used to do that all the time." So my obvious question is why would you stop doing something that used to earn you twice the money you’re making now?
For newer sales professional who hear the ‘war stories’ of how it used to be ‘back in the day’, ask your boss or manager if they were successful. If the answer is ‘yes’, then follow up by asking them why they quit doing things that way. Better yet ask them to take you out and show you how to sell!
If you don't remember what you used to do to be successful in the sales world, call the top ten customers that you lost during the recession. Ask them why they bought from you and why they stuck with you so long.
Trust me. The answer will have to do with the little things that you used to do, but because of laziness and the excuse of the bad economy you've quit doing.
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