Presidents Talk To Presidents

“Equal business stature, Tim, that’s all I want, to be treated as an equal. I believe I have earned that right and yet to a gatekeeper or prospect, I am the lowest form of humanity.”
So lamented a friend of mine over a recent lunch of burgers, fries and a heaping plateful of frustrated sales efforts.
As a sales trainer, it’s frustrating for me as well to listen to such stories when I know that the man I was sitting across from – and others – have all the requisite skills of a trusted advisor. Unfortunately when they engage in the work of finding new prospects their self-esteem gets the whack. Prospects can be cold, tough. Gatekeepers can be worse.
Let’s be fair. No one likes taking calls from salespeople. Not you, not me, not any rational human being. Gatekeepers take sales calls all day long and who can blame them for being edgy at the sound of an unrecognizable voice (“It’s gotta be a salesman!”). However in the salesperson’s defense, gatekeepers are paid to take telephone calls and while part of that pay means keeping salespeople at bay, a bigger part is to discern who may be useful to the organization. Gatekeeps are not paid to unilaterally dump potential business partners, especially at the expense of a business plan.
There are two ways to develop EBS – Equal Business Stature: Act as though you’re the president and get referred in – multiple times. Presidents talk to presidents and being referred in says success, says trusted advisor, and it says you’re different. A gatekeep can hear different a mile away.
Having equal business stature has everything to do with shortening a sales cycle. At this moment in time I can’t think of anything more important to cash flow than a shortened selling cycle.
My own preference for getting referred in is www.onedegreeconnected.com.

Looking For A Sales Position?

Stop doing what you’re doing.

The interview process can be a harrowing experience for anyone. I get it. It’s a tough processes no one likes to go through. I have a great deal of empathy for those of you who are out there pounding on doors.

A couple of thoughts you might want to consider:

1) You’re qualifying them as much as they are qualifying you. You can’t demonstrate equal business stature if you’re giving all the power to the interviewer (read ‘buyer’). Why not plan to get control of the meeting by asking THEM questions? Why are they looking at the new position? What’s the history of the position? Is the company losing ground to the competition? Do they want to grow a new territory? Are they frustrated by a lack of results?There’s 1,000 easy questions you can ask to find out why the need now.

2. Set some ground rules for the meeting. You can’t qualify them if they give you 30 minutes for an interview. That’s a one-sided play to make you give up control. You can’t qualify them if they won’t agree to your agenda too.

3. Ask for a decision at the end of the interview. If they’re 100% sure there’s not a match (and if you’re sure of the same), don’t you want to know that at the end of the meeting? Why play the “We’ll get back with you game?”

4. Demonstrate evidence of a selling system. Very few people are proficient in their sales methodology. In fact, most alleged salespeople wing their calls hoping their good human skills will carry the day. Don’t wing a sales call and don’t wing an interview.

5. Demonstrate original thinking. The value proposition in most sales calls is original thinking. If you can’t demonstrate it during an interview, then you can’t do it on a sales call either.

6. Know that they are testing you in the interview. They really would like for you to demonstrate an ability to win the business. Show them you know how.

Good Luck. We’re all pulling for our sales brothers and sisters.

The Feeling of Jiggy

Winning a big sale is one of the most exciting things that can happen for real salespeople. They like the money that comes with a win but the best of the best will always tell you there is nothing better than the high that comes with knowing you beat the competition in the boardroom battlefield.

 

Strong salespeople like the feeling so much they work harder than others to have the sales buzz as often as possible. The better they get, the more they expect to win.  They become wired for the win.  Contrast that to a mediocre salesperson who doesn’t know how to celebrate the big win – or worse, has a boss who responds to the win with a, “You just got lucky, anybody could have bagged that.”  They learn to discredit feelings associated with a win and over time fewer victories become the standard.

 

I love the feeling associated with a win – big or small.  I get jiggy.  Jiggy is a feeling that brings my whole body to life.  Getting’ jiggy means I’m sending a signal to every cell in my body to generate super-positive feelings.  Jiggy is the celebration that says, “I know what I’m doing and I’m not the best in my field, I’m the only one who does what I do!”  Jiggy, as my good friend Kevin Eickenberry would say, is becoming remarkable.

 

The human body has 50 to 70 trillion cells and all of them have a memory!  Are you wiring them for mediocrity or are you getting’ jiggy with it?

Children, Influence and Purpose

Recently, I found myself absorbed with the notion of influence.  I wondered aloud who are the great influencers of our time and wondered further how they got that way. A voice in the room, that of a good friend, shot back, “The #1 salesman in the world is a kid who loves ice cream!”  We all laughed yet buried in that answer was delicious truth.

 

I closed my eyes and began to imagine that kid on a hot summer day.  I heard the gaggle of lots of kids playing in a front yard and then the sound of music – ice cream music.  As the ice cream truck lumbered through the neighborhood, all of the kids began screaming and shouting the good news of ice cream on the way.  Little hands immediately plunged into pockets.  Some came up empty and some were prepared.  Many little feet scampered to their respective homes.  It was here that I could imagine the influencing taking place.

 

I imagined different strategies being employed.  From Chatty Cathy down the way I imagined a full onslaught of promises made “if only, this one time…”  Cathy would have to work but eventually the chatter would wear mom and dad down.  “This is the last time,” shouted dad to deaf ears already out the door.

 

Silent Steve took another approach.  He needn’t say a thing, his mother knew what he wanted and also knew he wouldn’t ask.  “I’ll surprise him,” thought mom.  Steve was an early winner.

 

Ernie used pain as his strategy.  “It’s murder out there,” he exclaimed, “This must be the hottest day of the year!”

 

Elaine, always getting what she wanted, checked her “What-Would-Eddie Haskell-Do” manual and arrived at a winner:  “Mom, the ice cream truck is in the neighborhood, is there something I can get for you and dad?”

 

Still, others used urgency.  “”Hurry mom, he’s getting away.  We’re going to miss him. Fasaaasssstttterrrr! Puh-lease.  Keeping the parents off balance was never a bad idea.

 

In the end, kids always win.  At an early age, we learn how to get what we want.

 

Influence is an art form.  Influence has different levels of skills.  There are those who simply possess wisdom and are invited in.  There are those who work to use it purposively and there are those who do it yet have no idea they’re doing it.

 

Influence is a perfectly powerful tool and when used with trust and curiosity becomes your best tool.  The most important point to influence, however, is that it should only be used in conjunction with the purpose of the person or persons you wish to influence.  Influencing for your purpose will backfire.

 

Each of us are equipped with the tools of influence.  My experience is that most go unused.  We acquiesce to the fear of conflict.  To play in today’s market, you’ll need influence.  What will your strategy be?

I Hate Rules!

I hate rules. Or do I?

Given that most of us really aren’t that aware of how we conduct ourselves on the planet (we’re typically perceived differently by others than what we imagine), my guess is that many of us are uncomfortable when a rule or “should” (you should do this or you should do that) comes our way.

Actually, we’re rule machines. We follow them constantly and consistently. We wake up on time, we bathe, brush our teeth, dress appropriately and make our way to work all based on the rules or guidelines that will launch the day successfully. And that’s just the beginning. The rest of the day will follow suit.

Never one to appreciate math I am always curious to the success of those who embrace numbers. They always tell me, “Gee, Tim, math is easy, it’s based on rules. Know the rules, they’re black and white, and you win.” Dang! Where were the good teachers when that message was passed out?

Selling is no different. On a recent plane trip I read a book on selling rules, The Sandler Rules: 49 Timeless Selling Principles and How To Apply Them by David Mattson. It was a very good and easy read (1:45). I gotta tell you, it’s just like the math geeks said, rules make it easy, they’re black and white and if you master them, own them, then you win. I suppose that would mean you could go to the bank more often. I suppose it means, especially in a tough economy, that if you follow the rules, you’d sell smarter, not harder.

As an Indianapolis-based Sandler trainer, I’ve always said, “Sandler rules!” The message from here on out will be, “Follow the rules, Sandler rules.”

Highly Trained and Well Disciplined

Scared breathless. Alone on a cold, rugged Afghan mountainside on a moonless, pitched black night. No one to talk to, no one to help me think, no one to rescue me if the going gets tough. I know bad guys are all around. This is their turf, they know it rock for rock and have trained for this very moment.

I got nothing. I was sent over here without any training – none whatsoever. The only thing I have to rely on are what I know from my Xbox and what I’ve seen on movies like Blackhawk Down. I’m telling you it was more comfortable from my living room than it is right now. If the bad guys find out I’m winging it, I’m toast.

Whew! Thankfully as a nation we would never send our people into harms way with Xbox and a movie as their readiness training. We make it a priority to make sure our fighting forces are highly trained and well disciplined. Our commanders make it their business to make sure the men and women who protect us are ready for the worst case scenario at any given moment.

Selling, of course, is not life and death. But if I were a betting man, you’ve been on a sales call alone with no one to help you think, to strategize, to rescue you when the highly trained and well disciplined buyer was firing stalls and objections at you. Make no mistake of that: Buyers train for their encounters with salespeople. They practice saying things like, “If only you could do better with your price. I’m on your side but the owner says…”

I am privileged to spend 11 hours a day, 5 days a week with salespeople. I love to watch them practice and grow. But when they first come my way it is frustrating to feel their pain as they describe the pitfalls of winging it. They’re not scared breathless, but you know the going is tough. They know they are at a complete disadvantage.

How much time do you spend practicing the skills that feed your family?

Everybody Is Good On A One Hour Date

Ever put a price tag to a hiring mistake?  Danged if it doesn’t cost a lot more than you think.

 I watched a manager not long ago pull his hair out as he explained in agonizing detail “every flippin’ penny wasted on a guy that never should have been interviewed let alone hired.

 “We wined him, we dined him, we guaranteed money – without any agreed upon expectations;  he was given a car, unlimited miles, unlimited expenses.  We provided the laptop, the cell phone, an anybody-could-sell-premium-territory-and-prospect list.  He was given every health benefit known to man and we told everyone on the planet about our new ‘gun.’  We got nothing in return.”

 Only had I a camera.  The look on his face would have sold my services for years to come.  You could tell he was a tortured soul.  You could tell he had taken the heat from company ownership regarding the lack of a hiring methodology.  You could tell he had relied on his gut while making the crucial decision.

 Everybody is good on a one hour date.  Salespeople have plenty of people skills.  They can find your hot points faster than grandma in the kitchen. They’ve had as much interview practice as Larry King.  Rod Blagojevich calls them for advice.

 When hiring your sales team – the lifeblood of your company – consider the S-E-A-R-C-H model. This is the work of Sandler Training and is the best model I’ve seen!

 

S – Skills. How are they at prospecting, Bonding and Closing?

E – Experience.  What have they done in the past?

A – Ambition.  What is their ambition, drive and objectivity?

R – Results.  How well they’ve performed?

C – Cognitive.  What are their problem solving skills and self-awareness?

H – Habits.  What is their pipeline management plan and initiative?

 This is the 30,000 foot view. If you’re curious about what we know about salespeople here at Trustpointe, pick up the phone.  Spending 11 hours a day 5 days a week with salespeople gives us insight.

 Or buy yourself a box of price tags.

The Lost Art of Original Thinking

I get it. “As a man thinketh so shall he become.” Heard it. Know it. Believe it. But ain’t it the truth, we don’t doeth it mucheth anymore.

At a recent sales training seminar my company was hosting, our guest, Kathleen Hart, a partner in the Litigation Group at Indianapolis-based law firm Bose, McKinney and Evans sparked some neural pathways in the audience. We had ignition and take-off. I wept like a child.

Her topic, How Lawyers Find Truth, was designed to demonstrate that what we do as salespeople is similar in scope and practice to what attorney’s do. Her message resonated with all: We don’t have to sell anything, we just have to find the truth and the truth is either, yes or no. They either need our products and services or not. The skill required is the issue. We could tell Kathleen was highly trained and well disciplined.

Kathleen made us think, though, and that was the bigger matter. I watched the note taking fly. I listened to the earnest questions reach. I could feel brain matter squeak and stretch. In that thinking, change was being created. Her message, while doubtfully original to her, sparked imagination and original thoughts in those present.

Do you spark original thinking in your prospects? Do you bring original thinking to them? Do you have the inner strength, comfort level and skill to find the truth? Or has your “value proposition” been limited to a hot laptop presentation and a discounted price?

In a trusted advisor’s sales world, the value proposition created is original thinking.

Chewing Trust

 What’s your strategy for developing trust with another human being?

 Don’t answer that question too quickly. Take time, chew on it a bit and then consider what you do to demonstrate trust with family, friends, prospects and clients.

 Trust comes in many flavors and means different things to different people. Of course, you’ll hear the standard attributes: credibility, reliability, honesty and integrity but do you also consider the role that vulnerability and risk play?

 We arrived on the planet with little understanding and immediately began trusting that these big talking things around us would do the right thing and get us through the day to day perils of staying alive. Incredibly dependant, we started trusting from the get go. For most, it was easy to trust, in fact we could count on excellent attention and service. For others, iffy moments kept us not-OK 24/7. Danged if that doesn’t carry forward for the rest of our lives.

 Not trusting others, for many, is a hard-wired response. Moreso, it’s a hard-wired feeling.  Without being too philosophical, the neuro crowd demonstrates everyday that we’re made of 50 – 70 trillion cells and all of them have a memory.  The memory often plays back as an automatic response.  And danged if the person sitting across from you can feel it too!

 You lack trust, they lack trust. The barriers are now in place and while you think you are a relationship builder extraordinaire, they feel your real stuff. Sabotaged by your subconscious again!

 Don’t get rattled by the word “strategy” here. I don’t remotely mean to suggest anything so inauthentic. I do, however, invite you to  chew on what trust really means to you, for you and how it affects every relationship in your life.

Inspiring Sales Leaders

Once upon a time, a mentor asked me a question he couldn’t wait to answer: Do you know why judges become judges? Because they ain’t very good at lawyerin’.

I giggled at the time, yet now find myself a sales trainer. And, of course you know why people become sales trainers? Because… well, at least that’s the joke I imagine.

The same thing has been said about plenty of sales managers.

Sales managers come in a couple of forms and both seem to work. Form #1 are the sales managers who say, “It’s true, I am not as good at selling as I am getting the very best out of the sales people I lead.” And Form #2 are the ones who say – with equal pride, mind you – “I was proven in the field and find it important for my peeps to know that I’ve been there, done that.”

Great sales leaders have to possess a deep bag of wisdom. Like the Wizard of Oz they must know with certainty what each sales player needs. True enough, some need brains, some need heart and some need courage.

I must say, though, it’s unfortunate that there remain more bad managers out there than good ones. You might be thinking of one right now. You might even refer to that person as “boss.” Ouch, Babe.

These alleged sales managers are not necessarily bad by design. More often than not, they are simply misplaced by well-intentioned company ownership. If I had a nickel for every owner that said, “He deserved it, he’s our best guy,” I’d be rich.

I am incredibly fortunate to work with many great sales leaders. Providing a forum as we do at Trustpointe for sales leaders to engage with like-minded, like-challenged people has been nothing short of rewarding. The very best are committed to the success of their charges, both in terms of personal development and bank account development.

Managing salespeople is not for everyone. It is a career, and a challenging one at that. When a team succeeds, though, it can be richly fulfilling. I know first hand that it can be inspiring to hear a great sales leader boast of his/her team. I get to hear often, “I’ll put my sales team against yours any day of the week! TR