According to a Harris Interactive Poll, 23% of people routinely search the names of business associates before meeting them. That means a prospect "Googles" you before one out of every four meetings.

It also means your online reputation is critical to building trust and breaking through the invisible wall of apathy and resistance that exists between you and them. And, I'll say confidently, that the 23% searching today will only grow with time.

Two hundred years ago, your reputation carried across town. If someone in a neighboring village heard something about you, it probably didn't matter. Technology couldn't carry your story very far and, in most cases, it didn't matter because you likely didn't do business outside your own neighborhood. That's no longer the case.

What can you do to manage your online reputation?

Online reputation matters. Period.

The first step is understanding that your online reputation matters. A lot of salespeople incorrectly believe that it doesn't. They mistakenly think that they can "talk their way out of anything." Including a poor - or weak - online showing. That's no longer the case. The truth is that whatever shows up during a prospect's web sleuthing, will either: (1) Propel or (2) Repel your sales efforts. Here are a handful of things to consider in today's Google-centric society:

1. Check yourself: Googling yourself is called "Ego Surfing." But, it's so much more than that. It's also a way to find out what people are saying about you. While you're at it, check on your company, its products, and even your prospects and customers. In sales, "knowledge is power." The one with the most knowledge wins. So go out and get it.
2. LinkedIn: If you're not on LinkedIn, join. If you are, check out this video from Bill Rice about using LinkedIn for Sales. I don't know Bill, but he's one of the most knowledgable people I've come across in this area.
3. Play an active role online: Show your expertise by commenting on blogs and in LinkedIn groups. I'm not going to say that you'll get business by doing this, but you will become better positioned. Regardless of what you sell, your prospects want to do business with someone they perceive as having something valuable to say. Use the web to get that done.
4. Be intelligent, consistent, and professional: Now, more than ever, it's impossible to be inconsistent. What do I mean? I'm talking about authenticity. If you contribute to one blog by talking about how "annoying and demanding your customers are" only to jump to another to say that they "are the most impressive people you've encountered," you're setting yourself up for failure.

In short, online reputation matters a lot now. And it's only becoming more important. Manage it well.

What steps are you taking to manage your reputation? Have you arrived before getting there with a prospect? Did that make it easier or harder to sell?

- @JebBrooks

The days of salespeople saying "that social media stuff is useless" haven't gone away, yet. There are a lot of people who don't think they need to use these tools. But salespeople who know how to take advantage of these tools put themselves at a real advantage.

Using Social Media provides salespeople with an opportunity to generate a positive first impression. That's a good thing since the first impression is the most lasting.

Here's what I mean...

It’s now common practice for prospects to “Google” a salesperson before they agree to meet with them. Because Google really likes Twitter and LinkedIn, those sites rank highly in search results. That means you, as a salesperson, have the chance to influence what your prospects think of you before you meet with them.

Why would you NOT take advantage?

WHAT TO DO:

A LinkedIn profile ought to do the following things:

• Explains what you do for your customers.
• Provides specific results you’ve produced.
• Offers recommendations from happy customers.

A Twitter feed should do these things:

• Shows you engaged with your area of expertise.
• Reveals information that’s valuable to prospective customers.
• Leads your customers to information that they'll find valuable.

WHAT NOT  TO DO:

A LinkedIn profile is not a resume.Why would I decide to buy from you if it looks like you're planning to leave at the next opportunity?

By the same token, a Twitter feed should not reveal too much of your mundane day-to-day life. I don't care what you had for lunch. And neither do your customers.

So, get going on this! It's free and easy.

@JebBrooks

Last week I was invited to speak at a “Small Business Success Series” at a local association which I was excited to do.  An important part of our IMPACT Selling methodology is “positioning” yourself as something more than a traditional ‘salesperson’ who delivers their “pitch” or “value proposition”.  Speaking is one of the positioning strategies we teach (and it’s #3 on our top 14 list as the most effective prospecting strategies with cold calling being #14!)

I was anticipating an audience of novice selling professionals who had weekly and daily ‘cold call’ requirements.  To my surprise over 75% of my audience has been selling for at least 5 years and more.  At the end of my talk I was approached by the Regional Director of Operations of a major hotel chain who was attending with some of his sales people (major kudos to this manager who “walks the walk” with his people!).  He asked me if I would speak at his upcoming meeting of franchise owners and general managers on the same subject.  The moral of this story is this … if you really want to succeed in selling, stop cold calling & delivering your ‘sales pitch’.

Work on positioning yourself as a business expert or advisor and prospects will come to you.  We call that “pull prospecting” and that is every sales professionals desire, right

You hear the word “solution” a lot.

Everyone offers some kind of a solution. Whether you sell a complex piece of computer equipment or a handkerchief, you have a solution. The problem is that when everyone says the same thing, it becomes background noise…

For example, “we offer the best customer service,” is really meaningless because everyone says it.

So does that mean everyone's "solutions" make actual SOLUTIONS as meaningless as self-described great customer service?

Possibly.

But...a light went off for me at Selling Power Magazine’s recent Sales Leadership Conference. There, Ken Powell (Sr. VP at ADP) referenced the book, The Mind of the Customer by Richard Hodge and Lou Schachter. My copy of the book is on its way to me, but I couldn't wait to share this bit of information...it's just too valuable...

Ken told us that the book talks about the recent history of sales. He said it looks a little bit like this…

• In the 1980’s customers had needs that were addressed by products
• In the 1990’s they had problems that were addressed by solutions (there’s that word)
• In the 2000’s they sought results and now...
• They’re looking to accelerate those results.

I like that. It’s no longer just about the solution. Yes, people still have needs and problems, but it’s not just about finding a solution. It’s about installing the solution as quickly as possible in an effort to drive results.

That’s because people are having to do more and more with less and less.

If you’re going to remain viable, you can’t just offer a solution. This explains why metrics are so important. In fact, they're so important that you should consider including the results you provide in your Direct Value Statement. In order for someone to buy from you (at least in the B2B world), you need to prove one of two things:

1. Your offering will drive revenue.
2. Your offering will reduce costs.

And today, you'd better show that you'll do one, the other, or both more quickly.

So...Are you accelerating results?

@JebBrooks

Using the example of the Franchisee, we explored three of the five wants buyers have:
Primary Want; Product and Service Want; Provider Want. Next, let's take a look at the Benefit Want.

As mentioned before, to gain the best chance of having your benefit claims believed, position them before you describe them. Use words like:

• Decisions that are obvious
• Take the risk out of decision making

For example, say a benefit you can provide is a proven process of collection. To the Franchisee your proven process takes the risk out of his decisions (and operations), and provides a system for addressing the collection issue. This puts the Franchisee at ease, he has a system, no risky decisions about what he has to do.

You position your solution by stating you can remove the risk of decision making through your proven process. Simply stating you have a proven process does not satisfy the benefit want; it must be positioned in terms that are meaningful to the Franchisee. Solutions must be presented in terms that are meaningful to the buyer.

So, as you present your solutions, think about how your solution benefits the buyer in his/her world, and position the benefits in terms that are meaningful to your buyer. They are more likely to want your solution.

Last week we looked at the idea of The Primary Want. This week, let's take a look at the second of the five wants, the Product/Service want. As before, I'll use the example of the franchisee.

Remember, the franchisee purchases a franchise because they believe it is a workable, proven, business opportunity. It's accepted in the marketplace. It works!

And it works because it has been proven to work, and the proof resides in all the manuals describing operational procedures. The routine for running the business is the same every day and that's a source of comfort to the franchisee.

This is the appeal to the franchisee - a proven process that it is perceived to be low risk. And that's exactly what a franchisees' Product/Service want is. So, when positioning your product/service use words that demonstrate an appreciation and understanding of this primary want.

Words like:
Proven
Respected
Dependable
Operates the same every day

These words position your solution (product/service) in such a way that the franchisee feels the security they seek. When you use these words, the franchisees' perception of you is, You are a salesperson who understands me and my business.

Obviously, your solution must deliver on this promise for the franchisee. Just demonstrating and understanding is not enough. Having a viable solution and knowing how to position it correctly with your prospect is a major key to successfully allowing people to buy your solution.

Whether you're just getting started or you've been selling for years, it's important to remember sales don't just happen. They're the result of pursuing the right activities at the right time. Keep your selling career on track with this handy checklist of essential sales activities.

Pre-Call Planning

1. Are you talking to qualified prospects?
2. Timing: Are you in front of your prospects when they are ready to buy, not when you need to make a sale?
3. Prospecting: Do you prospect regularly and consistently?
4. Positioning (PDF): Do you define how you want your prospects to perceive you, your organization and your products or services?
5. Gather in-depth data about: your prospect's business drivers, purchasing process, decision-makers, challenges, problems, organizational structure, and competition.
6. Have you identified key players within your prospect's organization?
7. Time: Choose your daily activities wisely and treat time like inventory that's too valuable to waste.

Meeting with Prospects and Establishing Rapport

1. Confirm your appointment (don't assume that your prospect will remember your appointment).
2. Double-check for materials (business cards, list of satisfied customers, brochures, pens, notebook, calculator, delivery schedules, etc.).
3. Pay attention to your prospect's personality/behavior style.
4. Pay attention to non-verbal cues.
5. Credibility: You have only seconds to convince your prospect that time spent with your will be valuable.
6. Don't start your conversation with unsolicited small talk (PDF).
7. Trust: Do your prospects believe you and your organization are credible and you will deliver on every promise or commitment?

Presenting and Asking Questions

1. Forget about generic product demonstration
2. Choose the most appropriate product or service for each prospect
3. Tailor your presentation to your prospect's needs and wants
4. Focus on benefits, not on features or price.
5. Clear up any misunderstandings that your prospect may have
6. Don't confuse your prospect or overwhelm them with too many options
7. Ask the right questions
8. Then listen. Listen actively and take notes.
9. Find out: What he/she will buy, how he/she will buy it, why he/she will buy it, and under what conditions he/she will buy it.
10. Don't focus on what you want to have happen at the end of your sales call.
11. Instead, focus on what your prospect wants to have happen.
12. Do you get feedback from your prospect and make sure that your presentation is on-target?
13. Don't make price an issue.
14. Remember: Success in sales is driven by margin and volume.
15. Present price after you create perceived benefits that exceed price and perceived emotional cost.

Closing the Sale

1. Never make a claim you can't back up with facts.
2. Do you provide testimonials from your customers?
3. Try to involve happy customers with your prospect
4. Convince prospects that what you say is true and that the benefits of your product/service outweigh its price.
5. Handling the details: Try to work out any objections or problems.
6. Don't give them canned responses to objections
7. After the sale I: Do you tell the prospect they've made a wise decision?
8. After the sale II: Do you invite your customer to buy more?
9. After the sale III: Do you service your accounts as enthusiastically as you sell them?
10. Be responsible and accountable for your own sales results.

Take a moment to think about NOT making these common positioning mistakes:

• Relying too much on cold calling
• Appearing as a pest or as pushy to your prospect
• Coming across as desperate to make a sale
• Coming across as a stereotypical, fast-talking salesperson
• Immediately dropping your price, rate or fee
• Being a product pusher or data-dumper
• Too much social talk

Instead of mis-positioning yourself with these old school tactics, take 5 more minutes and think about incorporating these strategies as a way to position yourself as a resource:

• Research the organizations your customer belongs to and join them (associations, clubs etc.)
• Read the publications / materials your customer reads
• Search the web for information related to their industry
• Ethically and professionally gather information about their customers
• Talk to other salespeople who sell to their organization and find out what they know (NOT those who sell the same products and services you sell)
• Dress one notch above your customer - appear as an expert who knows the importance of respect and image
• Work smarter, longer, harder than your competition

Begin (gradually) to include these as more effective ways to position yourself. Add one at a time to your toolbox. You'll be amazed at the result - from just 5 more minutes.

Submitted by: Richard Dickerson

Take a moment to think about NOT making these common positioning mistakes:

• Relying too much on cold calling
• Appearing as a pest or as pushy to your prospect
• Coming across as desperate to make a sale
• Coming across as a stereotypical, fast-talking salesperson
• Immediately dropping your price, rate or fee
• Being a product pusher or data-dumper
• Too much social talk

Instead of mis-positioning yourself with these old school tactics, take 5 more minutes and think about incorporating these strategies as a way to position yourself as a resource:

• Research the organizations your customer belongs to and join them (associations, clubs etc.)
• Read the publications / materials your customer reads
• Search the web for information related to their industry
• Ethically and professionally gather information about their customers
• Talk to other salespeople who sell to their organization and find out what they know (NOT those who sell the same products and services you sell)
• Dress one notch above your customer – appear as an expert who knows the importance of respect and image
• Work smarter, longer, harder than your competition

Begin (gradually) to include these as more effective ways to position yourself. Add one at a time to your toolbox. You’ll be amazed at the result – from just 5 more minutes.

Submitted by: Richard Dickerson