I was talking with a colleague about what salespeople do when January rolls around and new goals and territories are handed out. They ask the inevitable question, “How am I going to make this…?” So, my question right back is “Do you dream in color?” Do you see the possibilities and the opportunity beyond what you did last year and see HOW your territory can yield even more and bigger results? Are you still thinking that the business will come the same way from the same tactics and skills? Are you linear on your thinking or challenging yourself to be as expansive as possible as you think about the HOW of your business?

The 5 Rules for Dreaming in Color

1. Think about who is actually saying “no,” or that they “can’t buy any more,” or that “There is nowhere else for me to go.” Is it your client talking or that little voice in your head saying these things? Did you actually hear “no” or are you thinking you will hear no?
2. Stop thinking or saying “I don’t know where the business is coming from.” Every territory has new and untapped possibilities and business to be had. That is a fact. There are new decision makers and new spots of opportunity, and you just need to find them. Are you pushing yourself to see beyond your own beliefs? Dream about what you WANT to accomplish and figure out where the business is – and go get it.
3. Don’t let fears limit you. Are you afraid to prospect where you “think” you couldn’t or shouldn’t be prospecting? Why do you have that “fear”? Right now – end that perception of what you can do or where you can and can’t go, and just go and “knock on that door,” as it were.
4. Think “outside the box” with regard to your offerings and services. Guess what? There are way more needs for what you offer than you realize, and all you have to do is find those people with those needs. That starts with the basics of selling – discovery, asking for introductions, and networking!
5. Improve your skills. What are you going to do to sharpen your skills and hence your sales confidence? Is there someone in your midst you can turn to for coaching and counsel? What do you need to learn in 2012 that will give you the competitive edge you need? Challenge yourself this way – ask five clients what they liked about doing business with you and see what they say. I think you will get a tremendous benefit from this exercise. I do it all the time and my business grows as a result. This takes some confidence, but go ahead and try it anyway!

So – there you have it – are YOU dreaming in color? Are you allowing yourself to see all of the possibility that your sales territory holds even though it may not be obvious? Are you thinking in a way that stretches your offerings and services to fit a new and unfound set of client opportunities, or are you thinking too narrowly to expand your business? That’s your goal for 2012: Dream in color, execute on that dream, and enjoy the amazing outcome!

Good selling!
-Todd

I thought that was a thought-provoking way to ask ourselves a very important question: What kind of show are we hosting? For example, are you talking more or listening more to your clients and customers? Regardless of what you do, you are connecting with people every day who seek you out because you need what they have to offer. When you do connect, what does that interaction look like? What kind of show are you hosting? If you want it to be a great one, consider my seven rules:

1. Listen more and talk less. No new ground here. We all should know this, but it’s always worth reminding ourselves to listen more.
2. Take your time. A common mistake in sales is that there is often a rush to answer a question or concern that has not been voiced yet! So unless you have developed ESP, listen more and talk less.
3. Be humble. You don’t have all the answers – and you don’t need to. Listen more and your clients will often solve their own issues or objections by simply allowing themselves to process their issue as they talk through it with you playing the tour guide.
4. Remember that eye contact wins. Maintain a steady and unwavering gaze. This says that you’re interested and that you care. It’s also the utmost sign of respect, so don’t look around and get distracted.
5. Acknowledge what you are hearing. Great sales professionals always acknowledge without judgment.
6. Never forget: You are the host. It’s your show, and the customers are your guests. Treat them accordingly!
7. Don’t text. Okay, I’m slipping in some of own bias toward the lost art of conversation, but texting while you’re talking with a client just doesn’t fly. Thinking that you can justify it by saying “I’m listening, keep talking” is the best way I know to lose a customer, a sale, or a colleague intending to work with you.

The best part of “hosting a great show” is that we all are capable and do this every day. It’s being conscious of what kind of show you’re hosting. Why do people want to be on the most successful talk shows out there? I would suggest that it’s because the hosts are actually hosting a listening show. And that’s true power.

See you at the Emmys!

Good Selling!
-Todd

Not that I am “the” expert in coaching people how to coach, but the one thing I do know is that a good coach is someone who can explain and engage the person he or she is coaching in a way that is nonthreatening and helpful. A great coach lets the person being coached find his or her own way. This makes us all feel good. Telling someone what to do is just that. It’s one way, directive, and really stifles any creativity or ideas that the other person might have. How is that helpful? Coaching is a form of selling and also teaching and helping people learn better skills and techniques. Telling someone how do something is not coaching. Great sales professionals are also great teachers and therefore great coaches. Another way we are truly “all in sales.”

Yes, we are all coaches in some fashion – so ask yourself this question: When you have the opportunity to help someone by coaching, do you respond by telling them or coaching them? I think that being a great coach is a skill and one we can all work on and be aware of so we “coach and not tell!”

Good Selling and Coaching!

-Todd

Read the entire article as published in the Philadelphia Business Journal on August 20th, 2011.

Does this sound familiar? It’s the sound of the frustrated sales rep. We have all been there. Every sales rep on the planet has been there. It can be a frequent trip, and there are no frequent flier miles for that one!

Maybe it’s time you fired your prospect. Yes, I said “fired.” Shocked? Don’t be. It happens all the time and maybe it should happen more. It happens when we as sales professionals do everything we can to close the order. All of the right things have happened. The buying signals have been strong. Contracts submitted. According to our prospects, we are just “waiting for the signature.” Days turn to weeks. Weeks turn to months. We don’t know what to do. So as a final gesture we call the prospect and say something that might sound like “I have not heard from you, so I am assuming you are no longer interested in our offering. I am withdrawing the offer as we agreed. Good luck to you and I truly wish you the best. Thank you for the opportunity to work with you.”

Whoa! A sales rep challenging the prospect to stand up and deliver! The audacity! The temerity of that rep! Then guess what happens? The prospect might call and bring the deal back to life! It happens every day. I have done this, and I have coached my reps and managers to do it. It can be liberating. We have closure and we can move on.

You essentially fired your prospect, who…responded!

Sales is a two-way street. It involves a genuine and honest sales professional dealing with a genuine and honest prospect. It means a relationship has been built so that should the prospect go radio silent, we know why. We owe the prospect everything we can to conduct a credible sales campaign. The prospect owes us the respect to communicate the intentions.

Friends, think about this the next time you have a situation like what I have described. If you decide to take the step of firing your prospect, be sure you follow these steps: Be polite, be sensitive, and be professional and thankful for their time. Do not be antagonistic. Watch your tone of voice, be confident, and be ready to walk away. Take the high road, and keep your head held high.

Whatever you decide, do not burn the bridge that the prospect needs to walk back across to meet you. The reasons he or she went silent may have nothing to do with you or the sales campaign. It may be a personal or an unrelated reason. Give the prospect the chance to explain and meet you on the bridge.

Todd Cohen is the principal of Sales Leader, LLC, a speaking and consulting firm focused on growing sales through sales culture. Visit www.ToddCohen.com for more information.

I think that it is common for people to think of a thought leader as someone who must be very highly educated, has won awards, or is a published author – perhaps a scientist or a famous writer. This might be true to a certain extent, but here is the rub: We are all capable of being thought leaders in our own right. Owning the title of thought leader means nothing more than making sure you are educated and passionate about something and being able to articulate that experience or expertise to a client or prospect. If you have expertise in selling your product and/or service, you can claim thought leader status.

As sales professionals, we must always be thinking about how to raise our profession and our sales community as a whole to new and unprecedented levels of respect. We can do that in many ways. For this article, I am talking about being known as someone who can speak with authority and intelligence about the field in which you sell. For example, if you are selling knowledge management systems to catalyze education, you need to know what is happening in the space, trends, and developments, the current thinking of the experts, the state of technology, and so on. You must be able to express an opinion and converse intelligently and authoritatively on your services beyond the clicks, bits, and bytes of the actual product. If you cannot have a discussion on theory and be able to hold your own with the experts, you are not a thought leader. You run the risk of being “just the salesperson” in the client’s eyes. Being a thought leader increases your value to the client. You get the appointments and the client’s time. That is money in the bank.

What Does It Take Be a Thought Leader?

Becoming a thought leader is not difficult. In fact, it is easy, and if you like to learn, it’s fun! Make it your business to educate yourself by reading, attending industry meetings, and networking! Know everything you can about your space. When I was selling online education, I made it my business to learn and understand how people learn and to know what the adult learning theory means. I talked to everyone I could and was able to really converse with the experts. My clients knew I took the time to learn and respected me for doing it. They trusted me to make sure I knew what was happening. The results were better relationships, fun sales calls, effective networking, and bigger deals.

Everything you absorb will help you know your space better; this empowers you to educate your clients and prospects. Elevate your sales calls to discussions on concepts, developments in the market, and futures. Take a dive into the cerebral pool with your clients. You will earn more respect, and this creates a more natural bridge to being a better sales professional. Being a thought leader shows you care about what you do and about your clients’ business and their passions! Being a thought leader in your own right means you can connect at a new and more exciting level.

So, go climb the knowledge mountain and claim your thought leader status.

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What Is a Value Proposition?

A value proposition is a clear, concise statement that quickly describes what customers will get by using your organization’s products or services. Strong value propositions communicate how an organization’s products or services deliver measurable results, such as by boosting revenue, reducing employee turnover, increasing market share, and decreasing costs.

The value proposition must speak directly to your customers’ needs. In addition to solving their needs, you should also be crystal clear about what your organization does that’s unique compared to your competitors. It should also present the most compelling reason for customers to do business with you. For example, my company’s value proposition is: “We build sales culture to help organizations drive revenue.”

Value Proposition – Baseline Sales Tool

The value proposition is a baseline sales tool and the common thread of sales success in an organization. If all members of your organization truly understand the value proposition, they’ll become a valuable part of the virtual sales team. Their focus will center on fulfilling the value proposition and providing strong support to the sales team.  By establishing a unique value proposition and making sure everyone in your organization understands it, you’ll find your sales culture will come alive and deliver powerful results!

As a sales professionals, we are all accountable to drive the correct activities that produce results. We all know this. When you are thinking about your pipeline or are in a discussion about your pipeline, do you find yourself saying “Well, I feel really good about my pipeline,” or “I have been having some great meetings,” or perhaps “I am pretty sure I have enough to make my numbers,” or “I think I can hit the targets”?  Do you find yourself saying these things?

STOP. Step away from the fuzzy cliches.

Part of being a great sales professional is the ability to move beyond the “feel good” and demonstrate ability to translate the right activities into closeable business! I am glad you feel good. That’s important, but do you feel good enough about what you are doing to put commissions in your pocket?

Here are “Todd’s Tips” on Getting Tactical:

1. Close every “great call” with a list of follow-up items, and complete them within 24 hours.
2. If you find yourself wondering what to do next to make business happen, consult your virtual team.
3. Seek coaching.
4. Review your pipeline daily, and if you don’t have follow-up items, then get in touch with your prospect and ASK what is next.
5. Create a plan of action for your clients. They are waiting for you to educate and show them the solution.

Good Selling!

-Todd