23Dec/080

6 P’s: What To Do Before You Ever Get In Front Of A Prospect – The SalesBuzz Radio

The SalesBuzz Radio show entitled "The 6 P’s: What To Do Before You Ever Get In Front Of A Prospect" broadcast on 12/18/2008 is now available in the media section of The SalesBuzz Community. You can listen to the show now, or download the MP3, by clicking here.
(You must be a member of our SalesBuzz community to download the file. If you're not already a member you can join for FREE by clicking here.)

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Filed under: The SalesBuzz Radio No Comments
19Dec/084

Seven Keys to Highly Effective Prospecting

Recently, I was having a conversation with a client who mentioned that, even in our current economy, his top salespeople were still leading the pack! They were doing so with numbers a bit lower than the previous year. In actuality, everyone's numbers had dropped across the board, although some drops were more severe than others.

The client went on to explain that some fluctuation was to be expected, and discussed how important it would be to make sure that next year's goals would be realistic for his team. The conversation quickly turned to why his top people were still at the top even in a down economy.

Were they all the same, or did they share certain attributes that contributed to their success? The common thread turned out to be that his top salespeople were all good at prospecting.

In the case of each stand-out performance:

  1. A formal prospecting plan was in place (tailored to what worked for the individual).
  2. Action was taken to implement the plan.
  3. Personal goals were set (Not by a manger, but by the salesperson).
  4. Regular personal reviews were established to determine if the right results were being obtained.
  5. Flexibility was given to tweak the plan when needed.
  6. The salesperson was disciplined enough to follow the plan.
  7. They had mastery of more than one prospecting technique (there are many different strategies for prospecting; cold-calling is just one of them).

If you will mirror these seven steps, chances are you will find your prospecting efforts to be very effective. When times are tough, the key to success is to have a plan, take appropriate action and remain flexible to course correct if the plan isn't working. Above all, having the discipline to stay the course is critical!

Submitted by:
Tony

Filed under: Prospecting 4 Comments
18Dec/081

Make the Best of the Interview Process

I joined The Brooks Group just over a month ago and I thought it would be apropos to offer some tips or reminders on hiring and potentially bringing on a new associate.

Pre employment:

1. The 80/20 rule should apply when it comes to who is doing the talking. Try and ask open-ended questions to ensure the candidate does most of the talking.

2. While the candidate impressing you is most important, keep in mind that you should sell the company to the candidate as well. There are many ways to make the candidate feel welcome, for example:

  • Start the interview on time.
  • Be prepared. Read their resumes before they arrive.
  • Look on the Internet; is your candidate on LinkedIn, Plaxo?
  • Invest time in genuinely getting to know that candidate. Simple actions which can improve your ability to focus on your interactions with your prospective hire might include not looking at the blackberry or computer, not accepting calls, and closing the door to avoid interruptions.

3. Structure a portion of each interview to incorporate not only potential superiors, but peers as well. This will allow coworkers to see if the person being considered will fit in with the team dynamics. Also, try to schedule part of the meeting in an informal setting such as a lunch. This step will allow all parties to interact in a relaxed setting. This will also provide an opportunity to ensure the candidate has proper social skills in a business environment.

4. Explain to the candidate who they will be meeting with, as well as what roles they have within the organization so the candidate can prepare and have questions ready.

5. Advise approximately how long they should expect the interviews to last and try very hard to stick to that plan. It shows your potential employee that you run your organization properly and can function within time parameters. If you do need to run long, ask the candidate if it is ok, and give them a chance to make any calls they may need. It can cause a great deal of stress to a potential employee if an interview was to take an hour or two, only to have it run three or four hours. Keep in mind that they may have other interviews, babysitting conflicts or a current position that they must take responsibility for.

6. During the interview process, make clear your expectations for new employees in terms of job performance and adherence to company culture.

  • What is the work day like?
  • What is dress code?
  • Is the office environment more relaxed with kidding and cut-ups?
  • What are realistic performance expectations for the first month, six months, year, etc?

7. Depending on the position you are filling; take the candidate and their spouse out for a dinner. This is a good time to talk about some of the details of the offer, as well as showing the spouse that you are concerned about the overall quality of life of the potential new employee. When my wife and I went to dinner with Steve and Kevin and their wives, it helped us see a wonderful family environment that The Brooks Group takes such pride in.

Next Month, I will talk about some ideas for new employees first few weeks on the job.

Good Luck!

Filed under: Hiring / Retention 1 Comment
10Dec/082

Selling to a Committee Brings New Challenges

Here's one of the most important questions you could ever ask one of your prospects: "Is there anyone else besides yourself who might be involved with this purchasing decision?"

Why is the question so critical? Because more and more companies are using committees to make major buying decisions. Many salespeople tell me, "I thought I was talking to the person in charge, but when I asked for the sale, I was informed there were other players in the decision-making process who would have to be consulted first."

Senior executives who used to buy on the spot are often now consulting several members of their respective organizations. Why? It's simple - they want 'buy in' from the people who will have to manage or use your products and services. In short, don't be surprised if the person you thought was the decision-maker invites you back to talk with a production manager, a purchasing officer or perhaps even an end user of your products or services. While it's not bad to be invited back for another appointment, it is time consuming. Furthermore, if you have to meet with each of the other players individually, you may find yourself asking and answering the same questions over and over again.

So what can you do? First, in your pre-call planning research, try to determine how buying decisions are made at your prospect's place of business. If you discover your prospect uses a 'committee' approach, don't be afraid to recommend that you make your sales presentation to the entire committee, instead of making three or four individual presentations.

Second, allot more time to the committee meeting. It's likely you're going to have to field more questions, but it will be worth it. After all, you might find yourself making one sales presentation instead of three or four.

Filed under: Professional Selling 2 Comments
   


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