 I’m often asked, “Why did my salespeople fail?” or “Why do I fail at selling?” (or other words I choose not to print.) And the answer is usually: It’s not necessarily sales failure, but failure to do your best or be your best, or failure to take the best actions to help succeed.
There are signs that allow a sales leader to recognize failure is on its way. Most salespeople and some business owners blame circumstances rather than take responsibility. Blame is its own form of failure. But that’s a story for another day. I want to talk about the person who’s out there every day, trying to reach his or her goals, trying to achieve their sales plan. Add to that, most people are inadequately supporting their sales with realistic and applicable marketing tools. Even if you’re reaching your goals, even if you believe you’re well prepared, here are some signs showing how many people have reached a plateau and then never rise above: 1. Your inability to set an initial appointment with the real decision maker. 2. Beyond price, your inability to uncover the real buying motive of the customer. 3. Believing that competition forces price reduction. 4. Poor social media participation that results in low or no personal branding and low or no personal reputation. 5. Poor follow-up after the initial meeting. 6. Long sales cycle based on presentations to low-level decision makers. 7. Prospects disappearing after the first presentation. 8. Prospects not returning your phone calls. 9. Blaming customers and prospects for the loss of a sale. 10. Failure to take responsibility for the circumstances you create. I find it interesting that when businesspeople face one of these above situations, they rarely (if ever) take responsibility for creating them. If customers are not returning calls, there has to be a pretty good reason. Rather than blame the customer, find out why the customer isn't returning your call. If you are continually fighting price, it's obvious you haven't proven value. It's obvious that the customer perceives little or no difference between you and a competitive product or service. Businesspeople, in general, need to take more control of the selling situation by creating definitive next steps. If you give a proposal, and you don't have a firm appointment at a given time to reconnect, then you will chase that prospect and almost seem desperate to get the next meeting. Here are a few things you can do to help your prospective customers decide to buy: 1. Prepare in terms of them, not just you. The customer must perceive that there is value in doing business with you rather than your competition. Customers only want to know how they win. Focus on ownership and focus on outcome. Too many people focus on what it “is” rather than what it “does” after the customer takes possession. 2. Prove it, don't just say it. It amazes me how many people do not use testimonials. Prove everything you claim so that a prospect can feel comfortable and justify value over price – all based on the words of other customers. 3. Be there after the sale to prove your worth. The biggest lost opportunity in any relationship is the absence of the business after the sale has taken place. Help the customer get started. Help the customer understand and take advantage of “best uses.” Transfer your wisdom, transfer your experience, transfer all your help, and the result will be continued successes. Stop worrying about failing and start offering value
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 Anyone who goes online knows there is a lot of advice telling entrepreneurs to use in-person networking to build their businesses. But, in many cases, owners don’t see the necessity or they think they can just use social media, or they do not want to pay to join a networking organization. The truth is we are a society of doing business with those we know and trust. It is no longer about just shopping price or visiting a website to make a decision. Most business owners know that trust is a huge selling point and that trust cannot be built behind closed doors. Networking
The word alone makes some people uncomfortable. You attend events, meet people, exchange business cards, diligently follow up — and then disappointment. Why are you doing all this networking if no one responds? The problem is that most people think networking means selling. Unfortunately, that puts everyone involved on the defensive. Also, we know that so many people are either networking in the wrong groups or networking too much and not doing it the right way. So, with so many networking groups and events available, you could potentially be having breakfast, lunch, and happy hour every day. And, some of these groups charge a lot of money for membership and then you pay again to attend the events. It is true that I built my business on networking, but it takes a lot of time and diligence. If you are considering a way to network with no monetary cost (just your time), then you might want to consider using MeetUps. Free Yourself from the Pressures of Joining a Networking Group You may wonder why so many business owners struggle with networking. Ordinary networking fails because so many people attend networking events for the wrong reasons. They want to sell something or ask for a favor. Think about it. A lot of people who are only interested in promoting their own businesses approach you. A few of them may turn into legitimate leads, but you never get much out of it for the time invested. Unfortunately, too many people learn how to speak of their businesses but do not learn how to listen. Meetups as an Alternative to Traditional Groups Identify those Meetups that interest you and are business-related. Check and see who else is a member of the MeetUp. Once you have identified your niche, start connecting with people. Start establishing your credibility in your industry. In case you’re wondering “What's a Meetup?,” Meetup is the largest network of local groups in the world. With more than 10,000 groups of like-minded people getting together every day, Meetups are one of the easiest ways to find other people who share a common interest or cause. For example, when I searched for “small business” Meetups within 50 miles of where I live, I found 103 events on the first page of results. Of course, when you attend these events you want to do much more than just hand out business cards and sing your own praises. The goal is to make genuine connections with other attendees and find out how you can add value to their situation. Can you introduce them to a valuable connection? Is there a way you can help improve their business? When you approach a new business relationship from a giving perspective, you become a valuable part of the other person’s network. Why This Works The first reason is that most people are terrible at building relationships. Sad, but true. Secondly, it's face-to-face. According to Harvard Business Review research, 95% of people said that face-to-face meetings are a key factor in successfully building and maintaining long-term relationships. 79% said that in-person meetings are the best way to meet new clients to sell business. 89% agreed that face-to-face meetings are essential for "sealing the deal." Finally, there are always Meetups taking place. So you're in control of how often you connect with potential prospects. And if you can't find a suitable Meetup, start your own. The truth is most things people consider “networking” are really just a waste of time. If all you are doing is attending large events, handing out your business card, and pitching yourself to everyone in sight, you will never accomplish your goals. Small business owners can get better results using Meetups to grow their professional network. Think of how much more enjoyable and productive your networking time can be if, instead of always hunting for new business (often the proverbial “needle in the haystack”), you focus on how to become more valuable and indispensable to your business connections. That being said, I am still a fan of our local Chamber of Commerce, but that does not mean that MeetUps haven’t played a role in my networking efforts. In business meetings and networking events, sales meetings and company interactions, as in any conversation, there is a current or flow. If you can’t recognize the current in the conversation, it is difficult to follow its flow. Because not every conversation is planned or prepared, sometimes the current of the conversation will take you places that you never thought you would go.
Sometimes it is not a conversation of cataclysmic proportions but just a talk amongst associates, but sometimes it takes a turn to other subjects and if it is not your place to lead the speaker back to the original topic, you need to be flexible and go with the natural flow of the conversation. Here are a number of suggestions that will help you recognize and manage the flow and current in any conversation: Be an observer. In each interaction with others, there are messages that are being sent all the time. Usually, we don’t recognize them so they pass us by even though they are occurring right in front of us. Pay attention to individuals’ nonverbal behavior, their word choice, the tone of their voice, and any emotional reactions. Being able to recognize nonverbal signals allows you the luxury of managing the conversation more effectively. Notice your projection. When people begin to act in ways that don’t seem to be congruent with the flow or content of the conversation, try to be more aware of what you are projecting to them. Sometimes another’s behavior is more a reflection or reaction to what we are projecting to them. So if you notice what you are doing, it allows you to assess whether their behavior is a function of your delivery or something that is coming from them. If your behavior is respectful towards them, then you know that their behavior stems from something that they are thinking and feeling. Seek meaning. When others act in ways that you don’t understand, you want to search for the meaning behind their behavior. For example, you might say something like, “I can see that you are upset about something. What’s going on?” By stating your perception and then asking for clarification, they will help you understand their behavior and avoid any inaccurate assumptions. Create safety. If the person you are talking with seems reluctant to speak, try asking a few more questions. Asking clarifying questions indicates to the person that you care enough to really understand their position. This can help them feel that there is a safe environment for continuing the conversation. Follow the answer. If the person you are talking to will answer your questions, listen carefully to what they say and then decide where you want to go with the conversation. For example, if I ask, “What’s up?” and my co-worker says, “I have an issue with your project.” I respond with, “What kind of issue do you have?” and not a defensive reply. Notice that I took his answer to one question and used it to create another question. By doing this you can clarify what you think you understand, and you can explore a deeper meaning as you continue to pursue the conversation. Control the direction. You can control the direction of a conversation by the questions you ask and the answers you give. Before I offer ideas that may run counter to what a person is saying, I will ask enough questions to ensure that I have understood. Asking questions and then giving your full attention to the answers creates respect and fosters understanding. Once you feel like you have fully understood, it is easy to say, “I have a different viewpoint, would you listen to me and then tell me what you think?” I have never had anyone tell me that they were unwilling to listen to me if I first listened to them. Keep your composure. Sometimes conversations can become heated. When this happens, don’t take a person’s emotional reaction personally. Continue asking clarifying questions and try to understand them. Seeking to understand the other person and listening to their answers to your questions will reduce the emotional intensity in the conversation and will restore any rationality that may have departed. Be sincere. Insincerity in trying to understand the other person will disrupt the flow of the interaction. If you cannot give your full attention to them, you would be better to set a time when you can be fully present in the conversation. When sincerity is absent, your actions can easily be misinterpreted as manipulation rather than contribution and collaboration. Recognizing the flow or current of a conversation is the first step to creating an interaction that will be mutually beneficial. Initially, you have to be aware of the flow and then be courageous enough to jump in and discover where the current will take you. Once you find yourself in the current, you can do a number of things that will not only keep you in the flow but will also help you to arrive at your destination. It takes practice, but your involvement and flexibility in conversations will be well worth the effort. |
Boost Your BusinessMaria NovakI have over 35 years' experience in Marketing Small Businesses. Categories
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