Usually, salespeople want to make sure that our prospects have choices when proposing goods and services. It’s the way things have evolved – and it’s a problem if we can’t control ourselves! I have seen – and have been guilty of – the sales syndrome I am hereby naming “toomanychoiceitis” or its other name, “overproposingitis.”

The idea is to get our prospects to say “yes” to our proposals in a reasonable timeframe. We all get that, and it’s what gives us the energy and the strength to keep pushing on! In the spirit of getting business done and doing the right thing by our clients and prospects, here are the six rules for the right way to propose and close the business.

1. Propose based on the discovery that you have done with your prospects. Offering a solution based on what you think you heard or what you think they need without having the data or dialog to support your assessment is a fast road to a “no.”
2. Offer TWO choices. As soon as we start offering way too many choices and give prospects too much to think about, they will freeze, and then no decision happens. Proposing is about making it EASY to do business with you and offering a logical path for them to be successful…and making it easy to say yes.
3. Place a deadline on your proposal. Your prospects’ time is valuable, and so is yours. If you suggest that you need a decision by a certain date to be able to schedule the work, this helps them feel confident that if they choose you, they will get the services on a schedule that is a win-win.
4. Stop thinking! The longer you mentally debate every minute aspect of the proposal, the longer it will take to get it done, and the longer the proposal will be. People don’t want long, detailed, and overly complex proposals. They want to see a crisp and clear (and short) document that reflects your understanding of what they need and how you will provide it.
5. Deliver the proposal in person. ASK for the opportunity to deliver the proposal in person. It’s harder to say no that way, and it’s easier to get a sense of any objections you may encounter. Proposal review and debate via email is just not efficient, and much more gets done in person.
6. Nothing can replace YOU. Your proposal is not a salesperson and it’s at best a document to work from to further your discussions and to provide a mutual opportunity to discuss, refine, and build the relationship. If you miss a detail or are not sure how to present something, bringing it up in person is the best opportunity to discuss and resolve it.

Try these six rules out for yourself, and I am sure that you will see a difference in how you’re perceived, received, and welcomed by your clients and prospects. Selling is about you and your ability to match what you do to what is needed. The proposal is just one tool to help prospects see and learn about you. Use it wisely.

Ever notice that sometimes when you are about to give up – when you’ve tried too hard or too long and the obstacles seem too great, when you just don’t have it in you to keep going – as if by magic, you have a breakthrough. I see this in my own life, when the prospects with whom I have been following up with for years finally bring us in for a project. I witness it in the lives of my clients, when the proposal they’ve put before their boss, which has seemingly disappeared, is brought back as a topic of discussion…and then funded. I notice it in the life of my son, who has literally cried his way through homework because handwriting is so difficult for him, and then one day he found himself easily putting pencil to paper and capturing his thoughts without struggling. In each one of these instances, frustration has been high and we’ve all been at the “breaking point,” but when we’ve been patient, when we’ve persevered, it has been magical.

There is a time for realizing, and admitting, that all of our effort may have been for naught. There is a time for admitting retreat, if not defeat, and choosing another goal, or at least another approach. And just as insanity is “doing the same thing and expecting different results,” there is a time when our steadfast adherence to what we want and how we want to get it can appear, at least in some ways, insane.

Yet, there is a time for giving it one more chance, persevering against all odds, and simply being patient. Trusting that it will work out if we just keep showing up and trying. Or at least just showing up. The challenge is to know which of these choices is the “right” one, at least for the moment. The leadership challenge is to walk this fine balance, to be patient and persevere, and to look for the magical results.

Where do you need more patience? More perseverance? How can you get it?
The next time you feel like giving up, give it one more chance instead.

Source: Lisa Kohn of the Chatsworth Consulting Group. Based in New York and Pennsylvania, the Chatsworth Consulting Group helps individuals and organizations articulate and realize their goals. By taking a holistic approach to consulting and coaching, CCG uncovers the often-hidden opportunities for success so that clients move forward with greater focus and purpose. For more information, you can email them.

Join Gene Marks and me on March 30, 2012 to learn how to upgrade your sales technology and increase your sales!

Topics will include:

• How to generate greater impact from your sales incentive and compensations plans.
• How to plan for and create a sales culture and not just a sales team!
• How to convert your customer relationship system from a “Glorified Rolodex” to a productive sales and marketing system.
• Which emerging sales and marketing technologies you should consider this year.

Plus, you’ll get copies of our books – Everyone’s in Sales and In God We Trust, Everyone Else Pays Cash.

When: March 30th, 2012
Where: The Marriott Courtyard at The Philadelphia Airport
Time: 8:30 AM EST – Noon

For details, click here and to register, click here.

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

At this time of year, executives focus on two key actions:
1) Achieving your 2011 financial plan for orders, revenue, and profit
2) Finalizing a strategic plan that enables achievement of 2012 desired growth targets

For 2011. the clock is ticking, leaving you very little time to reach the end zone. Either you have a game plan to score that touchdown or you’re trying to move close enough to at least get a field goal. Regardless, right now you need to secure a strong finish for 2011 and initiate plans for a successful 2012.

To succeed in 2012, you need everyone in your company to get behind the game plan right away as an active and supportive player. Make sure your strategic plan doesn’t become shelfware that only those in the corporate offices review. Without question, your strategic plan touches every organization in your company – so make sure everyone has a clear understanding of the strategy and is committed to achieving the goals.

How Do You Accomplish That?

With effective communications throughout your business and a solid execution plan. Unfortunately, although everyone knows he or she needs a strategic plan, I’ve seen companies miss the mark on the communication and execution – even though these two criteria can enable your strategic plan to succeed, or they can cause it to implode. Here’s why…

Have You Considered the Following in Your 2012 Strategic Plan?

• Is your plan clear and ready to communicate throughout your company?
  • Reach out to each organization early in your fiscal year to build support for the strategic plan.
  • Communicate the key contributions needed to achieve the plan.
• Are your target markets well defined?
  • Refine “profiling” of your targets to position your sales organization for attaining a higher win ratio.
  • Define accounts clearly to support more focused and directed marketing initiatives.
• Does your sales structure adequately cover your target market(s)?
  • Consider reaching a larger market through partnerships – either strategic alliances and/or channel partners.
• How effectively does your sales compensation plan align with your strategy?
  • Provide a greater incentive for sales reps to sell the strategic products and/or services that drive your growth strategy – not just to sell anything in your solutions portfolio.

Success Follows Implementation, Measuring Progress, and Accountability

Remember…achieving your financial targets is not the sole responsibility of your sales or operations organizations. The cycle of interdependency among various organizations affects success – or the lack of it. What comes first – the chicken or the egg?

• Portfolio management teams with responsibility for bringing new products and/or services to market are key contributors to your strategic plan. Timelines missed here have a ripple effect on the rest of your plan.
• Sales teams need the details on your portfolio of services and/or products, including a competitive analysis, to achieve their sales targets.
• Marketing needs to support sales by generating demand through effective awareness campaigns, events, and lead-generation programs; and marketing is a key participant in any new product or service introduction.
• Operations need to be updated on plans for new products and/or services as well as the sales forecast to ensure they have the scalability to meet demand without compromising quality.

The link among portfolio management, marketing, sales, and operations is clear. Implement a process for these organizations to measure progress on attaining your objectives. Teams focus on what’s measured. Without measurable accountability, too much time slips away before it becomes apparent that the plan is no longer attainable.

In reality, creating the strategic plan is less than half the required effort. The hardest part may be getting everyone in your company behind the plan and ensuring that all the required deliverables are met on time and on budget.

Bottom line – don’t just build a strategic plan…execute it effectively!

7 Rules to Make Sure That You’re Relevant

In sales as in any business, being relevant means your clients, prospects, and colleagues see you as a necessary and important part of their business or virtual team. You are top of mind and you represent a harmony between what your client needs and what you have to offer. Here are seven rules to make sure you are relevant and necessary:

1. Your solution or offering represents a connective tissue between you and the client’s needs. It’s strong and binding and cannot tear. It’s fluid and stands the test of time. It can stress and flex where and when necessary. It’s obvious that you are relevant.
2. You make sure that people want to work with you. They seek you out. They see you and your offering as a match to their strategic needs. They know that you get them and their needs.
3. You make sure that it’s obvious that you have taken the time to be educated and smart about the needs of the market and of your client and prospects. I have said that great sales professionals are always educating. Being able to educate means you are relevant.
4. You understand and can connect the dots between listening to your client and winning deals. You can’t be relevant if you’re not a good listener. Being relevant equals business success.
5. You remain pertinent to the client after the deal is done and into the future. You bring consistent value and significance.
6. You are never satisfied just being relevant. You are always challenging yourself before your clients and colleagues do. One does not ever arrive at final relevancy.
7. Your offering is congruent with the market and reflects your ability to stay ahead of your competitor.

As I teach all the time, being a sales pro means that you’re the go-to person. Here is another thought on relevancy: Does your phone ring with people wanting your skills? This is a question that applies to us all regardless of what we do or what our jobs are. We all have to rise to a level of relevancy. Are you being sought out for your expertise, knowledge, or services? If not, why not? If so, then it’s a pretty good chance that you – for the moment – are relevant in the eyes of the people who matter. When you prove that you are relevant, you create a level of confidence that is inspiring and motivating to everyone around you. Attaining relevancy is fun, and it keeps things interesting, current, and profitable!

As a bonus, everyone who joins will get a copy of my special report on Sales Culture.

Click here to join “Everyone’s in Sales.” – and email me when you do and I’ll get you a copy of the free report.

I thank you for joining and welcome!

All too often, I see people who are going through the motions of their job, but there is something missing…and it’s obvious. It’s obvious to coworkers, and it’s most obvious to the people they are doing (or attempting) to do business with. When I speak, I feel engaged and connected, and that helps me deliver a good speech for my clients. Here are a few thoughts for you to make sure that you are present and engaged:

1. Are you prepared? Are you prepared to take on the task at hand and have a meaningful and productive meeting with your client? If you are going into the meeting thinking that there are things you didn’t do or research you didn’t complete, being present will be hard.
2. Is your mind racing? Are you headed into that sales call or client meeting already thinking about the next task or the meeting you have that day or in the future? If so, you are not present and need to take a deep breath and get focused and centered on this meeting.
3. Are you answering questions before they are asked? This is a classic salesperson’s mistake, and we all do this one from time to time. Great sales professionals – and for that matter, all professionals – listen to the question and answer the question, not the next question that hasn’t yet been asked.
4. Are you feeling patient? If you start the meeting or sales call with the intent of ending it so you can get to the next thing, your client or prospect will sense it and tune you out – they’ll be the ones who aren’t present. Remember, being present is a two-way street for ultimate sales success.
5. Are you passionate? Clients, hiring managers, and prospects all can tell when someone is upbeat and positive about the meeting and task at hand. That passion means you are in synch with the client and able to connect. This translates into a higher likelihood of a positive outcome! It’s certainly no secret that enthusiasm and passion sell – and it’s also a strong indicator of your being truly present.

Being present and available is a very big deal, and it’s not always easy. In fact, sometimes it feels almost impossible if we have other things distracting us. You have to constantly “check in” with yourself and make sure that you are prepared and on your game. If the answer is “yes,” then everyone around you will sense it and be excited by it! They will see and bask in your confidence and buoyant attitude. This will directly translate into sales and other professional successes. Whether you’re facing a job interview, a monster presentation to the boss, or that all-important sales call, your ability to be present is the reason why you will set yourself apart from your competition and win!

Employees and customers remain where they feel satisfied and a part of the culture. They will work together to solve problems and appreciate each other’s contributions and value. They will innovate together, providing input to your company’s next strategy. They will collaborate and impact company successes.

As customers tend not to leave you, they contribute to your efficiencies since you do not incur the cost of replacing them. They also sell for you through referrals as they provide your best testimonials.

Employees also stay because they are satisfied as recognized contributors to the creation of value. Everyone has a pipeline of customers, some internal and some external, but the customer-centric mindset is prevalent in all activity and initiatives. This pipeline of customers actually defines the critical path of one’s contribution to the objectives and goals of the organization. Employees are all able to tell you what their critical path is for impacting a customer and a sale. They also understand each other’s pipelines and roles and how they contribute to organizational objectives and goals. The matrix of cross-functional activity is understood by all. All members have energy and passion for the value of their individual roles and contributions to the pattern and fabric of the organization. Each can clearly and simply articulate the value proposition of your company. Customers don’t hear a different message from different people with whom they interact.

You will also attract better, more qualified and accomplished sales professionals. These people value winning situations. They recognize that the joint collaborative work of all stakeholders cannot fail.

Revenue will increase because you have introduced a level of stability into your workflow, which maximizes synergies and overcomes obstacles with a flexibility to accommodate changes, and, therefore, contribute to closing sales.

And finally, the customer is perceived to be king and everyone knows it!

Are your customers considered royal?