5Aug/110

Curiosity Did Not Kill The Cat

Curiosity did not kill the cat. Instead, it was a poor reaction to whatever the cat discovered.

A natural curiosity is vital to success in any endeavor. Norman Vincent Peale, the great author, credited it for his long life. Socrates, one of history's most curious people, didn't killed by curiosity. He was murdered for dispensing advice.

There's a critical distinction to consider when thinking about curiosity:

Curiosity v. Cynicism. In many ways it's similar to the comparison of Optimists and Pessimists.

Curious people yearn to learn because of what they might uncover. Cynical people have no need to learn because they believe that whatever's out there will - undoubtedly - provide no value.

Curiosity drives meaningful sales conversations. That's because the salesperson is asking questions he's genuinely interested in learning answers to.

However, somewhere along the line, a lot of salespeople were told…

"Be like a lawyer. Never ask a question you don't know the answer to."

The problem with that advice is that it can lead to complacency. You can become satisfied with a "good" routine. You'll ask some good questions, get some good answers, make the same good recommendation, and move on. But good is the enemy of great, if you fall into that trap, you're not growing your skill base. There's no telling what you're missing out on. There's also no way to know what your prospects are missing out on.

In order to be wildly successful at sales (or, for that matter, in a sales leadership role), you have to be willing to fail. You have to be willing to step out onto limbs, take risks.

Unlike the curious cat, though, you'd better be able to react to whatever surprises lurk behind the new questions you're asking.

Again, it wasn't the curiosity that killed the cat. It was a poor reaction to whatever it discovered.

What are your reactions?

@JebBrooks

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3Jan/110

How to sell me something

I'm a pretty good prospect for lots of people. I control three budgets (marketing, R&D, and operations) in a privately-held company and I don't have all of the answers to the problems I face.  However, I'm terribly, terribly - at times unbelievably - busy.

So, with that setup, why do people think a Cold Call will work?

The chances of a cold caller catching me at a time when I’m able to pay attention to their offering is unlikely. Even if it’s something I could actually benefit from, I’m probably not going to be able (willing) to stop what I’m doing to focus on what they’re selling.

Cold calls frustrate me, especially when the caller is selling something I really do need. If you’re going to provide so much benefit, PLEASE get my attention some way other than an interruption. Here are some ideas:

  • Find out where I am, and be there. I attend a lot of conferences. Perhaps you can connect with me there.
  • I’m awfully easy to find on social media networks. Let’s tweet, link, or somehow meetup.
  • You've probably noticed that I like to blog. Perhaps you could comment.

I'm not alone; there are a lot of “Crazy-Busy” prospects (as Jill Konrath calls them) out there just like me. You can probably connect with them in similar ways.

The key to connecting with prospects like me  is to meet them where they are in a way that doesn’t interrupt them.

If you can do that…

…you’re doing a lot of good as a salesperson.

For the sake of my time, your time, and all time, stop the interruption-selling!

@JebBrooks

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27Dec/100

4.25 Predictions for How Companies Will Change Sales Behavior in 2011

2011 will be a great year. I just know it! But, then again, I'm an optimist. Here are my predictions for how Salespeople's Behavior will change for the better in 2011...

1. Customers will be at the Center of "Org. Charts"

Next year customers (and prospective customers) will be in their rightful place at the core of org charts. Having a true "Sales Culture" means that everyone in an organization understands, appreciates, and adds value to customer relationships. Why not build an org chart AROUND your clients? The printing company Consolidated Graphics, for example, ditched its annual sales conference. In its place, the company hosts a celebration of its clients (complete with an awards ceremony) called "emerge." How can you highlight your customers?

2. People will continue to try to figure out "Sales 2.0"

By now, there’s no mystery: Sales + Technology = Sales 2.0. It's a neat concept, but sales has been innovating since the first sale was made and, if we’re just now arriving at “2.0,” we’re a bit behind. In truth, that’s neither here nor there. Technology is changing more rapidly now than ever before. And smart companies don’t particularly care about the label that’s slapped on innovation, they just seek it out.

3. Coaching will become even more important

Sales coaching is a critical component to behavioral change. If companies truly want to see sales improve, they’ll adopt the philosophy that it requires constant attention. Enter Sales Coaching! The truth of the matter is that if you’re interested in change, it’s the only way to go. Event-based training accomplishes nothing. If you're looking at really changing behavior, there's no better route to take than coaching. Truly great Sales Managers will make a New Year's Resolution to spend a lot of their time providing real-time feedback to their teams.

4. Collaboration will be King

Collaboration is clearly the wave of the future. Sharing knowledge, experience, and skills among groups of people (e.g., sales, marketing, and operations teams) will make companies more flexible. And flexibility means victory in today’s dynamic marketplace. Tools like SalesForce.com’s Chatter are just the beginning -- these tools allow people from all over a company to work together on projects without having to worry about silos (departments that can't -- or won't -- work together). Companies that will thrive are the ones that harness the knowledge, experience, and skills of both their internal resources (employees) and their clients. Again, take a look at prediction #1.

4.25. We'll make more predictions in about 365 days-or-so

We'll have more predictions for 2012. And some of them will be identical to the 4 that are listed above. This one's only a .25 because it's not really much of a prediction. But this is the one that I guarantee will come true. In the meantime, Happy New Year!!

@JebBrooks

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29Jun/100

The Most Powerful “Word” in Sales Negotiation

The most powerful word you can learn in any sales negotiation training program is this: "___." That’s right! Say nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero.

Silence!

When a prospect says, for example, "You’re price is WAAY too high."

Respond with, "___."

You might feel awkward. But your prospect will have to say something.

And that means they’ll tell you why they think it's too high. That's what you're after, isn't it? There must be a reason for saying your price is too high. And, if you're quiet, they'll have to tell you what their reason is.

Then, you can address their objection.

Okay, if you're not comfortable with silence, you might also simply respond with, "Why do you say that?"

You'll get the same result: They'll tell you why they think it's too high.

This is just one of the negotiation strategies and tactics contained in the Sales Negotiation Training book called, "How to Sell at Margins Higher Than Your Competitors."

 

@JebBrooks

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