Archive | April, 2012

Sales poison

26 Apr

 

 I have had occasion to work with several types of personalities in sales 

I am sure I have not seen it all , but I would like to share some  with you that I have found to be pure poison to a sales team.  If you recognise these sales people   STAY AWAY !!!!  They will suck your productivity and positive energy. 

 

  • The “ It was better over there “ guy – This is the guy who will tell you how much better his last job was. The hours were better, the pay was higher, the customers were all credit qualified . To hear them talk you would wonder how your business does any business at all   EXCEPT- They left that last job… hmmm .  and when they leave this one they will tell their new team mates how much better it is .
  •  
      • The “ I’m better than my results guy “ This guy will tell you every day just how great he is at this thing called selling.   Of course the Delivery board doesn’t reflect it, “but that’s because Management is playing favorites, and he doesn’t get the house mouse deals.” He doesn’t think  he should have to attend training meetings, or study new product. He is the best he has ever seen. – The truth is he probably has experienced some success in the past, but his Ego has over ridden his heart .  Unless he re gains his enthisiasm, and returns to the fundamentals that built his career early on, he will settle into the pool of mediocrity 
      •  
    • The ” I’d rather be lucky than good” guy - Dont get to know this guy, when the door traffic slows down and it is time to do the hard work of follow up and prospecting, he will move on to the next dealership.  He just wants to wait at the front desk until the “buyers” and “Lay downs”  come in.  There is no real skill here, just plain laziness.   ~You may wonder why he is even around.  The answer is that some manager’s learned long ago that this type of sales person will come in for a season and make deals happen.  They see the short term production as being worth the aggrevation.  Personally, I would rather have a “green pea” with heart and enthusiasm taking up those training dollars. 
    •    

- The ” I oughta be running the place” guy  – He never gives Management a chance, Her doesnt like the Ad campaigns, The Inventory is all wrong, And He always has a “better idea” .    But ,when the Sales Manager asks for input, he is never speaking up !!  Why is that???? It is simply because it is easier to complain about today than work for tomorrow.

In the words of Cowboy Mouth ” It’s easy to b^*ch…” 

  ________________________________________________________

If you happen to be exposed to one of these characters, remember this  :

Positive progress can be stalled by negative influence.    Just a word of warning , guard the “Good Stuff”  and….

Sell like your living depends on it

Donnie 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Lesson’s from the finance department

24 Apr

 

I have had the privilege of working with some of the best Finance and Insurance professionals in the  business. 

I have been mad at them, happy with them, frustrated with their process, and even amazed by their ability,

but ,most of all ,I have learned from them.
 
  • It’s math not magic – failing to take into account the proper financial structuring of a deal, may make the deal look great on the front end, but it virtually guarantees you are wasting the customer’s time. Successful delivery requires that the LTV ( loan to value) and the initial investment meet bank criteria.  Even the best of the best can’t overcome poorly structured transactions.   This forces your finance Manager to work backwards in your deal.  He/She if forced to Change the details of the transaction, and present the new details to a customer you failed to prepare. This will cost you money, time, and the trust of your customer.

     

  • Protecting Information is Everyone’s job – Sales people tend to see this as the sole responsibility of a Finance professional . It is a complete disrespect to your client not to care for and secure all of their personal information. You may think it is clever to photo copy docs for your records, but it is not only unethical, it is illegal.   This seems easier for a new Sales person to grasp than an “Old dog”   so listen up old dogs,  The days of keeping open files on your previous customers that include their credit criteria are gone !!   If you cant get this any other way, imagine that the clerk at walmart is taking home your bank card information ” Just in case” .   Not a great thought is it?  STOP doing this.

 

      • Rates and Terms are not determined by the F & I dept. – Whether they are good or bad, at the end of the day it is the customer’s credit record that will determine the tier he falls into ,and the rates that are available to him.  Often sales people think that Finance determines the rate based on the profit they would like to make.  While there is mark up in rate, the tier and base rate are determined based on the customer’s prior credit history and the level of risk the bank is willing to take.

 

            • Faking it is NOT making it – You may think boosting income or job time or other factors on a credit application is a slick way of getting around the system, but it will in fact introduce you to another system. The Unemployment system, or worse the Prison system

 

  • There is no room for Guesswork - Finance is an exact science, guessing at the payment and quoting “ scenarios” are not doing you or your customers any justice. In fact they frustrate the process and the client. Get your finance manager involved when questions of rate and term surface. You’ll  find your customer enjoys being given the facts as they are, and not your best “guess” 

 

  The Finance manager is your team mate, they are not an obstacle to your success they are in fact a catalyst for it. 

 Abusing their system, and asking them to work out side of ethical lines  will short circuit your career. 

Take some time and learn what it is that they do, how their process works, and how to make the it work for you and your customer.

 

Sell like your living depends on it

Donnie

 

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Selling the customer that wont be sold

23 Apr

You’ve met this guy…

He is the one that won’t look you in eye, he will barely shake your hand. This prospect goes out of his way to make certain you know he hates sales people and he doesn’t care what you know or how you can help. 

He will use defense phrasing like “ just let me look and I’ll let you know if I need you” or “ If you pressure me I will leave.” ( When all you did was ask his name)  

We have all heard the suggestions from the Guru’s that haven’t been on the selling floor in twenty years…. 

“ KILL EM WITH KINDNESS” – yea because that’s what he wants – NOT . try this gushy approach and you will find out quick 90% of the other guys tried the same approach and failed. 

“ WEAR HIM DOWN WITH DETAILS “ Wait before you start out on this colossal waste of effort,  maybe you should understand                                              

                                                                     HE ISNT LISTENING!! 

“ JUST LEAVE HIM ALONE AND LET HIM WANDER THE LOT “ when he is done you will be handing out your card an saying good bye 

So, How do we help this customer ? And I mean really accomplish something here, lets ask it the right way… HOW DO WE SELL HIM SOMETHING? 

THE ANSWER LIES IN THE PERSPECTIVE :

 WE DON’T SELL….. 

                                          WE LET HIM BUY 

“ Sir, I completely understand where you are coming from, We have all met those sales people that could care less about how hard we work for a living, and what we really want to spend our money on.”

“ How about I make you a commitment concerning your visit here today…

You tell me what you want to see,

I wont waste your time showing you anything else

and if you like it enough to buy it on your terms, GREAT.

And if not I wont sell it to you. How does that sound “

 

  Putting it simply this is called a perceived transfer of control. 

I know, every Sales Manager you have ever had told you to always maintain control of the customer, but here my friends is the clearer definition of the rule in this case- You can control the sale, but you can’t control the customer . 

You see this guy came in the door locked up with the fear of losing control ,  Some low life sales person some where put him through the pains of a poor sellig process, and he is walking wounded.

But two things are true

He has a desire to shop

HE WANTS TO BUY

 So let him, Its just that  simple .  Give him the opportunity that he is looking for, Be the one Sales person that will let him BUY

Sell like your living depends on it

Donnie

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

So… You messed it up

19 Apr

OK so you blew the deal,

                                     had it  right there in your hand ,

                                                                        and some how let it slip. 

I know your angry, You’ve kicked the desk, cussed under your breath, sat for several minutes with your head in your hands…

  How did this happen??????????????????????? 

                                                          You were prepared !! 

                                                                              You gave a great presentation,

The money was right, and the customer liked you ….

 What do you do when it just doesnt make sense 

I know your angry, You’ve kicked the desk, cussed under your breath, sat for several minutes with your head in your hands…

 

  Ask the buyer  -  I have seen many sales people take this advice, and go on to close the deal they thought they had lost.

  ” Mr buyer, I know you have made the decision to pass on this deal today, But I really felt we were on the right unit at the right price.                                    Because I feel so strongly about our working together in the future, I just have to ask ;  What did I miss?      How did I lose your commitment?:”

 

What did I miss?

The answer may shock you !!

It may be something very simple, that you took for granted they understood.  There may be a hidden credit issue that prevents anyone from putting a deal together.  perhaps the competition just did a better job

One sure way to find out – is to ask

Do a mental post-mortem -  If its too late to talk to the buyer, find a quiet place and review the game tapes.   This is what all professionals do ,Study the failures and use the information gained  to make the next opportunity better

And lastly…

  Get on to the next one !!  Thats right,   dust your self off,   fix your head,    and go get em!!

  you havent stopped being a talented professional just because this one didn’t work out.  The fundamentals are still the same.  You need to get right out on that selling floor and try again.  

Always remember this :

Failure is not a person,

it is an event

sell like your living depends on it

Donnie

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Economy between your ears

17 Apr

  We are starting to hear the rumblings again !!

 

  The doom sayers are once again out in force , ” Gas Prices are too high, Credit is too tight, and people just aren’t buying “

DON’T GET SUCKED IN !!

  The formula for sales success doesn’t change because of economic conditions, It remains a constant even when every thing around it changes

                                                                                      SUCCESS STILL FOLLOWS HARD WORK !!

                                                                                                                             It’s funny how factors beyond our control affect us  very little, when we apply focus and energy to what we can control.   Frankly, Your just too busy to fail, You don’t have time for it.  the Customers you sold last year ,last month, and yesterday are counting on you for good follow-up.  They need a confident, trust worthy source to send their friends and family to.

   That customer that is watching his pennies  has to have you available, to ensure that neither his time or investment is wasted .   He doesn’t want to hear about the economy,( he is living in it).  He searches you out for fresh perspective, and a reason to move forward with his purchase.  THATS YOUR JOB !!

  Put down the newspaper, Its robbing you of energy and enthusiasm.

                                      Put on the cartoon network instead of the morning news if you must watch TV in the morning.    A laugh to start  the day will do you more good than some talking head telling you how bad it is !!

                     STOP  attending  services at the coffee pot congregation and the smoking area sanctuary, Where the message is always the same old negative spew !!    Your needed in the sales arena,.  There is money to be made, and Customers to take care of.

STOP attending services at the

 “coffee pot congregation”,

and the “smoking area sanctuary” … Your needed in

 the SALES ARENA

 

 

It’s the Economy between your ears that sets the tone

for sales success, You have complete control of the

content and contributions going in, and the effort

going out.  So… How’s the economy??

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Who you are is Why they buy

13 Apr

I stumbled on this one early in my career

I’m gonna share a pearl with you today…

    Early in my career I had the privilege of selling office equipment across a two state territory.   It was getting near Christmas and I’ll be honest I was struggling to make the ends meet. 

Heck I was struggling just to hold on to the ends!!

  I walked into a Car dealership that used me for their office needs, The task at hand was to design a computer workstation for the title clerk (making use of what had to be a broom closet turned into the worlds smallest office.)I stood in front of the Dealer and gave him my presentation,

 He  paid very little attention as I talked.  This was not a priority for him and he planned to buy as long as I could make the space work.   he did not even look up as he asked

 ” Will you take less?”   

“No”

Now I had his attention,

 Putting his pencil down, he looked up at me over the rim of his reading glasses.

” Hey guys. ” he yelled  out to his Sales people in the lobby.  ” Step in here a moment”

  When he felt he had a sufficient crowd developed to demonstrate his point, he proceeded to explain…

 ” This young man has just told me that he can’t take less for the workstation.” 

  Then standing from behind the desk, he walked around it ,  stood in front of me and asked in a firm tone. 

 ” Why won’t you take less, I buy all of my supplies from you, I am a good customer, and I deserve a break when I ask for it. “

THE ANSWER I GAVE ENDED UP BEING THE FIRST SALES TRAINING MEETING I EVER HELD, AND IT WAS UN INTENTIONAL

  ” You see Mr _______,  It is nearly Christmas.   My son Brandon heas asked me for a new bicycle.  The bike he wants costs  $79.00  at Wal-Mart.  The commission I will receive from this sale will pay for that bike.  I don’t want to break his heart at Christmas.   I know you are a good customer,  I try as well to be a good Sales person. 

 Today I am hoping that I deserve a break.”

He wrote me check, and said “Go get that bike.”

  I had indeed given him  good service.  I had never deceived him and I genuinely cared about his company and their needs.   I had given him ample reason to value me more than a discount.

Sell like your living depends on it

Donnie

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

So here are the Sales tips you asked for

10 Apr

  I get emails from time to time, all of which I read and try to respond to.

  One thing I am asked for with some frequency is selling tips, good ideas or things that will help a sales person gain an edge or boost

I thought this morning I would share 5 tips that will help you increase your sales production:

If you would like to add a tip to the list, put it in the comment section and i’ll publish it

1.  GET UP EARLY -  I know you really don’t like this one, but hey time to mentally prepare and motivate is critical to a great selling day.   Try giving yourself just fifteen extra minutes in the morning to listen to a motivational CD, or read a good sales book, If you dont have either just jump on youtube and watch a training video  This will make a big difference in your production.

2. PLAN YOUR DAY – Dont just fly through the days and weeks on a wing and a prayer, write out a plan for your day.  A hot list of prospects you need to call,  plan time for product training , and personal development.  Simply having a road map for your time will increase your income substantially

3.  SET GOALS -  Give your self something to shoot for, measure your success and reach for a new plateau.. tip within a tip:  Dont let the company set your goals for you, you should be reaching higher than their expectation

4. BE WILLING -  Take on the tasks that the others think are not worthwhile,  Have you ever noticed that people scatter when the work shows up?  Be that Sales person that is willing to put in the effort .  That difficult service customer could end up sending you referrals out of gratitude.  That Customer with the credit challenge may just able to buy a less expensive product and pay cash, That brochure gatherer could just be looking for a salesperson willing to put in the time

5. KEEP A POSITIVE ATTITUDE :   I really want you to get this  THERE IS NO PROFIT IN NEGATIVITY Negative Attitudes start out sucking the production from the Individual, and progress to sucking the production out of the entire team.  There perhaps is no greater hindrance to your personal success than a bad attitude.   You must work just as hard on your attitude as you do the job.  Be sensitive to what influences you in a negative manner, and learn to counter act this influence with positive energy and influence.  Avoid the players with spoiled conversations and stinkin thinkin.

 

These five tips will help you no matter what the product is you are selling

And as always

Sell like your living depends on it

Donnie

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

WORK THAT PHONE

7 Apr

  This just seems to be a painfull topic for so many Sales people !!

We treat the phones like we have an allergy, We dread the attempt, make excuses to keep us away from it, Some will even go so far as to convince themselves that they don’t need the phone work to be successful

THAT COULDN’T BE MORE WRONG….

  The problem is we are not working the phones with a plan…

Let me give you a three word plan for every phone call

1. Information

2. Motivation

3. Destination

 

1. INFORMATION  -  Have something to say !!!  Your not just calling to say hi. 

  Can you hear the silent screams coming from our customers?  ” DON’T WASTE MY TIME”  .  

   If you are taking the time to call, take the time to plan.   Have some new information to share. Analyze the reasons they havent purchased yet, and address those concerns with a fresh solution.  A bright idea, A better product choice, A financial promotion.  any of these is better than ” Just called to say Hi” 

2. MOTIVATION -  The natural result of new information , should be the motivation to make a move.  What is your customer’s reason to come back and see you.   Are you excited about the opportunity presented ?  If you are not projecting excitement and energy, where will they draw it from?   

 

3. DESTINATION  -  Set a TIME, PLACE, and PURPOSE  .  Have set appointment, and be available and prepared at that time.   Tell Your manager that they are coming , and that you will need to have the product available for presentation.  Let the receptionist know that they are coming and how you would like them directed.  Have the product staged, clean, and ready to show without delay.  

Call prior to the appointment and confirm the time and date. On the morning of your appointment check for any new programs that will impact the buying decision. and be ready with the very latest  

And remember

Sell like your living depends on it !!

Donnie

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Surf or get wet

5 Apr

 I have to admit I have never been on a surf board, However in observing the sport I have reached the conclusion that it is much dryer on the top of the board than beneath it.

  Our profession has some similarities.

WE HAVE WAVES OF OUR OWN TO NAVIGATE

 - A Changing customer base  -  Our customers are more educated and have more information at their fingertips than ever before  – The good news is, so do we !!!  We have the  ability to meet our customer’s  needs  faster and with better effeciency 

- A Changing Sales process  -  Gone are the days of sign here financing, and with them went the lazy sales efforts of yesterday.  I have met many Sales people who lament for the “good ole days “  The times when the financing came easy and the effort was minimal .  This wave is a big one we have to surf daily !!  The good news is, our buyers are stronger and more committed to the purchase.  their hard work and good credit are rewarded with low interest rates and perks that are reserved for those that have earned them 

A Changing sales environment  -  Remember the sales people that treated our customers like they had no value?  They raked in the easy money lieing on the credit applications, forging the facts, and in general destroying the buyer and the reputation of their company.   They have gone on to easier pastures, We that remain are relieved to see the return of solid ethics and financial responsibility.  Sure it takes more work to do things right but the rewards are fantastic !!

  Surfing the waves of change is a skill we learned to work on every day.

Sell like your living depends on it

Donnie

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 66 other followers

%d bloggers like this: