http://www.salesissimple.com/
The Stretch [stretch] verb def - an unbroken period of time in which you are going to accomplish something.
Remember your favorite "Come from behind, when all the chips are down, able to gain victory anyway" movie? I.e. Rocky, Remember The Titans, Gladiator or The Miracle type movies. If you recall, there's a time when failure appears evident and the agony of defeat is quickly approaching, that time period is considered - The Stretch.
The current reality is most of us as Salespeople, Managers or Entrepreneurs are in The Stretch. There are 3 things I want to encourage us to consider for survival...
1) Our Sales Activity and Attitude Will Determine Our Stay
Ever wonder why most 80% of salespeople fail? It's quite simple...they don't see enough people. During our current environment, now is NOT the time to be fearful and panic about things beyond our control. We must focus on even higher sales activity levels and connect with more people via Prospecting, Marketing, SEO, etc... As a Sales Consultant, we currently work with sales staffs that are now operating at triple the normal activity levels to achieve desired sales results.
During hard times - it's easy to adopt a selfish attitude and focus on the "What's in it for me" mentality. However, I want to let in on a little secret - Giver's gain. The more you give, the more you are rewarded in return - It's a fabulous concept! Unfortunately, most salespeople don't know how this operates, it's a bit much to explain in this writing. However, if you want more information on how the concept works, I encourage you to test it for yourself - please see below.
2) Words are Powerful
Whether you believe in the power words have or not is irrelevant. The truth is words have tremendous power! For the sales professional, this is particularly important because of who we speak to most of the time - Ourselves! And during these challenging times it's easy fall into the trap of speaking negatively about your personal situation, sales team or business. I encourage you to become sensitive to negative talk and address it as quickly as possible because, like a thief in the night it can rob you of success and position you for an extended period of time in The Stretch.
3) Doubt the Doubt and Disbelief
The element of doubt and disbelief can paralyze sales momentum. It is vital for us to protect ourselves from these twin evils during our time in The Stretch. As these sneaky predators begin to creep in, it's important to address them immediately. How? Doubt both the doubt and disbelief. Doubt and disbelief are weapons of distraction designed to steer you off your course of action. Staying focused on the goals at hand and expressing doubt in any "weapons" formed against you are essential for success.
In Napoleon Hill's book, Think and Grow Rich, he tells the story of R.U. Darby who later became one of the most successful insurance salesmen of his time. He did so after learning a very valuable lesson. Long story short, he participated in the "Gold Rush" and owned land that produced some gold initially. However, after continued mining the land produced nothing and he later sold it. The buyer, re-examined Mr. Darby's calculations, determined R.U. Darby was off by 3 feet, mined accordingly and eventually made millions. Mr. Darby was 3 feet from a fortune because he gave up during The Stretch. This valuable lesson subsequently helped him become a successful salesman. We can all learn from R.U. Darby's experience...
What are you 3 feet away from?
Giver's Gain Challenge - To experience the true essence of how this concept works, you must give more of what it is you wish to receive. Want more referrals? Give more referrals. Want more business? Help another gain more business. It's just that simple and easy! Experts say it takes 21 days for any activity to become habit. I encourage you to test the Giver's Gain Challenge for the next 21 days and see for yourself how powerful the concept is!
Let us help you! Want better sales results? Purchase 2 copies of my book, Sales is Simple - From Luck to Leverage, (Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble.com or www.SalesisSimple.com) keep one for yourself and give the other away. Want even better results? Give more away!
If after 30 days you are not satisfied, send the book back along with your receipt and we will refund your money - satisfaction guaranteed!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Want Better Sales Results from Your Sales Staff? Stop the Pain! Check the Sales Process…
www.SalesisSimple.com
While listening to news radio the other day, a Sales Guru serving as a guest of a talk show was asked to offer his advice given the current economic environment. He stated he has some VERY valuable advice for business owners to assist them through the crises - the show then went to a commercial break - as they often do when some good information is to follow.
During the commercial break you could feel the anticipation build. Listeners were gearing up to receive the magic bullet - the solution they needed to manage through the economic peril. After the commercial break and a pregnant pause, the Sales Guru proceeded to share his infinite wisdom...
Afterwards, I could sense the deflation and disappointment from the radio audience. The Guru had just confessed that he too had become a victim of the PAIN CHAIN. But was he onto something???
In challenging times sales leaders in organizations tend to fire up the Pain Chain - when sales results are not realized the pressure gets cranked up in hopes of improving results. The Pain Chain can cause frustration, stress, anxiety, etc…sound familiar? Most importantly, the Pain Chain, if not addressed properly can cause failure. As a Sales Consultant and founder of The McKinnis Consulting Group, I see this far too often and it really is a symptom of a bigger problem – the lack of a sound sales process.
My team and I grew a multi-billion dollar sales organization 50% in just 18 months - we could not have done it through Pain Chain pressure. The key was having an efficient and effective sales process. The cornerstone of a highly effective sales process is simply – Managing Relevant Sales Activity...Not Results. Many companies fall into the trap of trying to manage results when it is actually the underlying relevant sales activity that should be managed. This concept is so important that I dedicated an entire chapter to the concept in my new book Sales is Simple From Luck to Leverage (available on Amazon.com). Here’s an excerpt…
Inconsistent sales results are a function of inconsistent or unmanaged sales activity. Some examples of relevant sales activity are Attempts, Contacts, Appointments and Conversions. The most important of these activities are the Contacts. Contacts are defined as opportunities to initiate the sales process i.e. phone conversations with decision makers, presentations, etc. Experience has proven, increased Contacts lead to increased Results - it's that simple.
An effective sales process should deliver desired results, if not, the process should be evaluated and modified.
Discovering how to ramp up contacts consistently can lead your sales efforts to sustainable high performance levels and a recession proof sales process. Marketing and Advertising are essential for driving contacts. However, if you are strapped with cutbacks and shrinking budgets there are 3 simple things to incorporate into your sales process for your Sales Reps:
During these times, be encouraged to maintain your Contacts at high levels. Sales teams we currently work with are operating at very high activity levels, under normal conditions their efforts would place them at 200% of goal. However they are still achieving desired results. Are you?
Reducing the Pain, evaluating your sales process and holding your sales staff accountable are the keys to managing through this economic climate. Please understand, your prospects and clients are still doing business, the question is, are they doing business with you.
While listening to news radio the other day, a Sales Guru serving as a guest of a talk show was asked to offer his advice given the current economic environment. He stated he has some VERY valuable advice for business owners to assist them through the crises - the show then went to a commercial break - as they often do when some good information is to follow.
During the commercial break you could feel the anticipation build. Listeners were gearing up to receive the magic bullet - the solution they needed to manage through the economic peril. After the commercial break and a pregnant pause, the Sales Guru proceeded to share his infinite wisdom...
"You business owners need to lighten up on the sales reps because it's hard out
here. We're in some very challenging times and you need to tone it down a bit."
Afterwards, I could sense the deflation and disappointment from the radio audience. The Guru had just confessed that he too had become a victim of the PAIN CHAIN. But was he onto something???
In challenging times sales leaders in organizations tend to fire up the Pain Chain - when sales results are not realized the pressure gets cranked up in hopes of improving results. The Pain Chain can cause frustration, stress, anxiety, etc…sound familiar? Most importantly, the Pain Chain, if not addressed properly can cause failure. As a Sales Consultant and founder of The McKinnis Consulting Group, I see this far too often and it really is a symptom of a bigger problem – the lack of a sound sales process.
My team and I grew a multi-billion dollar sales organization 50% in just 18 months - we could not have done it through Pain Chain pressure. The key was having an efficient and effective sales process. The cornerstone of a highly effective sales process is simply – Managing Relevant Sales Activity...Not Results. Many companies fall into the trap of trying to manage results when it is actually the underlying relevant sales activity that should be managed. This concept is so important that I dedicated an entire chapter to the concept in my new book Sales is Simple From Luck to Leverage (available on Amazon.com). Here’s an excerpt…
As a salesperson, how many times have you heard the “pick it up” phrase from a
Sales Manager or a C – level (CEO, CFO, etc) Executive? What does it mean
exactly? Do more calls need to be made? Do more hours need to be
worked?
It is the “pick it up” phrases that get thrown around and
scramble afterwards that will suck the energy and life from a sales force if
they are not clear on what to do. It’s like being given a map of London when you
are trying driving from Chicago to New York – it’s frustrating.
Managing your sales activities is not only the key to achieving
high performance sales success it also the key to achieving sustainable success.
What good is making high levels of cold calls if you are not
achieving the desired results?
To effectively manage sales results
the focus has to be on the relevant sales activities. In the simplest terms,
relevant sales activity can be described in 3 categories:
Inconsistent sales results are a function of inconsistent or unmanaged sales activity. Some examples of relevant sales activity are Attempts, Contacts, Appointments and Conversions. The most important of these activities are the Contacts. Contacts are defined as opportunities to initiate the sales process i.e. phone conversations with decision makers, presentations, etc. Experience has proven, increased Contacts lead to increased Results - it's that simple.
An effective sales process should deliver desired results, if not, the process should be evaluated and modified.
Discovering how to ramp up contacts consistently can lead your sales efforts to sustainable high performance levels and a recession proof sales process. Marketing and Advertising are essential for driving contacts. However, if you are strapped with cutbacks and shrinking budgets there are 3 simple things to incorporate into your sales process for your Sales Reps:
1) Reduce the Pain - Create a “Contacts” Goal - determine the goal based upon the desired sales results a.
2) Manage Contact Levels Weekly – It’s a simple fact, what gets measured get done -accountability is everything!
3) Reward Behavior, Celebrate the Sense of Accomplishment – If the contact goals are accomplished, acknowledge them with your team. Some ideas are lunches, dinners, unannounced prizes, etc. Use what’s best to motivate your team. If you’re and entrepreneur – celebrate your own accomplishment the best way you know how.
During these times, be encouraged to maintain your Contacts at high levels. Sales teams we currently work with are operating at very high activity levels, under normal conditions their efforts would place them at 200% of goal. However they are still achieving desired results. Are you?
Reducing the Pain, evaluating your sales process and holding your sales staff accountable are the keys to managing through this economic climate. Please understand, your prospects and clients are still doing business, the question is, are they doing business with you.
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