When Shouldn’t You Prospect?

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Never.

 

 

 

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How My Daughter Marketed Herself And Landed A Job With A Wedding Planner

Part of being in a sales cycle with your prospects and clients is the need to keep them aware of your presence.  It is a crucial and required element but one most people and firms get wrong.  Either the campaign tilts over to annoying or it is non-existent and not worth the effort.  Keeping yourself front and center requires persistence and consistency but it should never be over or underwhelming.

My daughter, Jess, is a junior in college and, like most sophomores, she didn’t have a clue last year what she wanted to be when she grew up.  Wandering aimlessly and simply going through the motions, she decided to help out one of the clubs with an upcoming event.  Well, the light bulb went off bright enough for me to see it 800 miles away and in an instant she decided she wanted to be an event planner specializing in weddings.

I suggested she contact the best wedding planner in her area and just let them know she was available for any upcoming celebration in the event the planner found herself short-handed.  So every Tuesday, she left a simple message saying just that.  She did it for a month.  Then the month turned into two months.  Two months became half a year and we talked about it 4th of July weekend when she was home.

She told me she was considering not leaving any more messages because they obviously didn’t need her.  I listened to her and understood the negative feeling she had developed.  Sales is a tough place and you have to grow a thick skin and not take anything personally.  She hadn’t gotten to that point yet so I offered her some advice.

“First of all,” I said, “you have invested quite a bit of emotion into this but it has actually only cost you 10 seconds a week to leave a message.”  That made her stop and think.  I could see her eyes going distant for a second.  ”Secondly, and most importantly, no one has told you to stop calling.  I think you should keep going until something changes.”  So she renewed her efforts.  Every Tuesday.

She returned to school in September and suddenly her phone rang on a Friday night.

“Hello?” she said.

“I hear you’ve been trying to reach me.” a voice replied.  My daughter had the number in her phone so she was fully aware of where the call was coming from.

“YES!  I’ve been leaving messages for you every week!”  Jess hurriedly answered.

“I’ve heard them all.  You want a shot?  I’ll give you a shot.  Be at this address tomorrow at 8am.  Black sneakers.  Black pants.  Black shirt.  Don’t be late.  You’ll be working all day.  Let’s see what you’ve got.”

She immediately told her mom and me and the first thing we told her to do was to go and buy the black clothes she didn’t have.  I told her to relax because this is the best kind of interview.  She wasn’t going to risk flubbing a ridiculous question across a desk in a 10-minute interview.  She was actually being given the chance to prove whether or not she could do the job.  This is the type of opportunity everyone deserves but few truly get.

Jess learned a fantastic lesson in perseverance and determination because not only did she get the job but she is now doing high level work for the company.  She did it by staying on the radar and not going over the top with it.  She kept it short and sweet.

You, as the salesperson, have to determine what is annoying and what would be deemed acceptable by your client.  It is different for everyone and every industry.  A client may not be happy with a caterer asking for business on a weekly basis but an electronics aficionado may be perfectly okay with daily updates of the latest available hardware and software on the market.

However, that same caterer may be better served by simply proving a bit of food education to the customers.  In this manner, there isn’t a sales pitch but the business stays in the forefront of the client should the need for a caterer ever arise.

Remember, don’t give up, don’t be too heavy and be consistent in your delivery.

You Lost Another Deal? Learn From It.

Okay, so you lost another deal.  So what?  It happens.  There’s not a salesperson in the world that hasn’t lost a deal and, if you stay in sales, I guarantee you will lose another eventually.  It’s part of being in sales so, while you may never get used to it, you should at least expect it.  However, you can minimize the possibility of losing a sale again by performing post-opportunity analysis.

Not unlike a football game where the quarterback takes the fall for the entire team, the salesperson is also on the front line of blame in the event the deal was not made.  However, a sale doesn’t stand alone on the shoulders of the salesperson.  The entire company is involved; from upper management to sales and marketing to distribution.  The final step in the sales process should always be a wrap-up meeting with the department heads and everyone within the departments that had a major role in the development of the refused offer.

This meeting will provide a level of accountability that highlights which step went wrong.  If it was the fault of the salesperson for not having vetted the opportunity correctly, so be it.  Perhaps upper management did not provide the required support to win.  Was distribution at fault for not having had the merchandise available in time?

This is not meant to be another version of the Blame Game.  Regardless of the reason why the deal was not won, this is a fantastic opportunity to shed light on the issue that made the prospect hesitate to do business with your firm.  You now have a chance to address the problem, fix it and keep it from happening again.  Sometimes, though, you’ll find no one did anything wrong and every department worked to the best of their abilities.  In these instances you can only shrug and move on.

Here’s another point I have always been an advocate of.  Never do anything as a manager that will later be seen as a negative reinforcement by your team.  For instance, if you hold post-op assessments then make sure you gather your team for wins as well as for losses.  It is as vital for your staff to know what they did right as well as it is for them to know what needs to be improved upon.  If they don’t see the big picture and know what was correctly done, then there is a strong possibility it won’t be repeated for future deals.

Another reason why I advocate post-op analysis is it will give you a good indication of which employees work well together and which ones don’t.  The workplace is a very fluid environment and you should also be alert to ever-changing relationships that will add to or detract from the company’s culture.  Stay on top of it.

Look, I understand when you lose a deal the last thing you want to do is to discuss it.  I’ve been there and I just wanted to get out of the office and not talk to anyone.  It’s painful and it’s easier to file it away and forget about it.  It’s the pain, though, that should be your motivation to have a post-opportunity analysis.  You should want to do everything you can to minimize your losses in the future.

Don’t Offer One-Price-Fits-All

Your clients want to feel as if you are treating them according to what their needs are.  There is a level of personalization required for your clients to feel comfortable enough to purchase a product or service from you.  It’s as simple as that.  You shop for clothes at a store and walk out with a product only after you know it is a style you will wear and a size that actually fits you.  You would never purchase for yourself a shirt you considered to be ugly and ill-fitting.  So why would you expect your clients to do so?  The solution is not to offer a one-size-fits-all pricing but rather a matrix that allows the client to feel comfortable with the decision to buy.

The logical point to start at is to provide at least three different options to choose from.  This will create the widest net for you to find new clients.

Offer an entry-level package…call it whatever you like.  Basic.  Silver.  1st Tier.  It doesn’t matter as long as you remain consistent with your naming scheme.  At this level, you should offer enough to provide a value for your clients but also tempt them enough to come back at a later date and buy a more comprehensive package.  The customer is still paying you and that requires a level of trust not easily developed.  Don’t misplace that trust with a shabby product simply because it is the least expensive you offer.

At the next level package, again, call it anything…Intermediate.  Gold.  2nd Tier.  You should be focusing more of your marketing on this level that on the previous one.  You have to offer a full package here.  Supplement your first level with an added service and also some additional access.  This is where you make your money.  This is the level that will keep you afloat and make your business thrive.  This is the level that keeps the lights on in your office.

The tertiary level.  Advanced.  Platinum.  3rd Tier.  Will you have a lot of sales at this price range?  No.  However, the sales you do make are the sales you will feel the most satisfaction with because they will represent clients that trust you implicitly and want access to every possible service you can provide.  These are the clients that can call into a dedicated customer service representative.  This is where you would add 24/7 365 service if it’s applicable.  These are the clients that will call you on vacation if you allow for it.  Whatever it is you offer them for the highest level should include a level of customization that makes them feel they are the only clients you have.  These clients are known as whales.  You can’t depend on them but you can appreciate them when they buy.

A word of advice on letting clients jump from one level to another.  If the jump takes place while the process is active, then just charge the balance and move the client up.  If the jump up happens AFTER the completion of the contract them it is perfectly acceptable to add an additional fee.  If too much time has elapsed since the completion of the cycle then make them buy it from scratch.  You have a business to run and maintain and it should always be a leading element that guides everything you do with your pricing.

There are multiple ways to price what you offer but it is important to remember that your clients are all different and many express different needs.  Don’t sell your clients bells and whistles they don’t need.  It may look good on the sales sheet for the month but you have guaranteed the customer will not return for more.  I’m sure your business doesn’t have money to waste so don’t assume your clients do.

Practical Business Applications for Pinterest.

Pinterest has taken the world by storm.  Everyone is talking about it.  Millions are pinning on a regular basis and millions more want to know what the fuss is all about.  On a consumer level, it is yet another social media platform people are gathering towards.  It’s fun.  I pin and, some say, annotate even more than most.  However, for a business, Pinterest offers a possibility to interact with other businesses and clients in a manner not available from other social media sites.  Here are a few examples.

Wedding Planners – Creating a pin board for each client let’s both the bride and the wedding planner to communicate much faster than having to make appointments and even faster than using email.  A shared board allows both parties to discuss, in a visual media, all the fine details required for a wedding.  This can get out of hand very quickly, so guidelines must be put in place by the wedding planner.  However, when done correctly, it offers a level of communication that will only lead to better organized and less-stressful weddings.  Or at least I hope so for the couple’s sake.

Website Designers – I once worked in an IT shop as a recruiter and had a chance to watch the creative dept in action as they designed websites.  Without a doubt, the most time intensive aspect was making the constant changes the client wanted as the website progressed.  Ultimately, the decision was made to offer a client three initial options to choose from, offer a set number of free changes and charge for any additional work from that point forward.  Having had a pinboard on Pinterest would have solved many issues and drastically cut the development time.   Approval would have been faster and any misunderstandings would have been addressed much more quickly.

Caterers – This goes without saying.  Can you imagine how viral professionally photographed food pictures would go on Pinterest?  There is a powerful demand for food and drink images on Pinterest and a shrewd chef will take advantage of it.  Letting a client review the image of the food with the ingredients listed below also minimizes the chance of a food allergy rearing up during an event.

Teachers – Creating a board specific to the curriculum can only help to re-enforce the lessons taught in the classroom.  By posting it online, the teacher can help to ensure the students always have access to key points.  Additionally, the ability to post comments gives the students the ability to ask a question at any time.  Sometimes questions are forgotten by the time class resumes.  Not so anymore.

FBI – Okay, I’m may be going out on a stretch here but what’s to keep the Federal Bureau of Investigation from posting pictures of their Most Wanted on Pinterest?  The pictures could link back to the FBI so people know where to contact the FBI with any information that may lead to the capture of a fugitive.  Also, the pin allows for a small bio to be included.  I am not sure of the legal ramifications about the FBI and social media but if this is possible and within the boundaries of the law then I see no reason why the FBI shouldn’t do it.

As I have pointed out, the possibilities for how businesses and organization use Pinterest are endless.  As with any social media, the ones that most consistently take advantage of the benefits are the ones that usually gain the most from the endeavor.  How are you using Pinterest?

A Well-Hired Employee Will Add To Your Company Culture, Not Detract From It

Hiring a new sales employee is dicey, at best, but if you think of your needs in a comprehensive manner you will be more likely to attract the right candidate.  There is an inherent risk to the process and you should verify that your business is in a position to take a financial hit if the candidate does not work out.  You have to have the infrastructure in place to train the new hire and that also takes time and consideration.

The type of business you run will help narrow the candidate list down for you.  I know a hiring manager that will only hire outgoing, attractive men and women for his business.  He sells primarily through conferences and having good-looking people in his booth guarantees a much higher rate of interest from the attendees than if he had average looking sales people.  The sales cycle only runs for a few days a month and it is critical for him that the first impression generates immediate results.

This is in large contrast to the business that sells services to local “mom and pop” stores.  In this case, attractiveness is not the main requirement for success.  The qualified candidate needs to be more independent, have a friendly and approachable manner and be seen as an advocate for the business by the store owners.  In this case, good looks are replaced by independence, knowledge and friendliness.  The sales person selling to small business owners needs a higher sense of empathy than the “convention sales person” and the hiring manager needs to be aware of that.

If you are a technology firm trying to drum business from the military, then having sales people with military backgrounds is critical.  An even better qualification would be if the sales person has a ring from one of the military academies.  There is a fraternity inherent in the military that will make it nearly impossible for someone on the outside to be successful.

Once you have hired your sales person, make sure to properly train him or her.  Sales people are, by nature, independent, but rarely will they be able to hit the floor running without at least some guidance.  They need to be trained on the CRM software, who the people are in the firm to help them complete their job, and the actual sales process the company has adopted.  I am a big proponent of mentoring.  It always helps the newly hired salesperson to have someone to turn to for answers and it adds an immediate level of camaraderie.  Also, with the qualified mentor, training on the job is very successful.  I regularly preach about it and strongly believe in the process. Finally, if your firm already has an established method for sales then the salesperson needs to be educated in that process.

A well-hired employee will add to your company culture, not detract from it.  This will only be achieved by having properly researched the need and how you will fulfill the need for a new hire.  You will find the hiring process is actually easier and more clearly defined if you have taken the proper steps to identify the need and role your employee will play.  Remember, in the event the relationship does not work out, the responsibility lies equally with the hiring manager as it does with the employee.

What do you think?

Perspectives And Fleeting Moments

Last night, my wife hit a deer.  As I write this, she is out getting estimates for the repair to the car.  My first reaction, when she called, was to ask her if she was all right.  I wasn’t aware I had been holding my breath until I exhaled heavily when she said everything was fine except for the bumper that had caved in a bit around the left front tire.  I was at home with our son, already asleep, so I wasn’t able to drive out and meet her.  However, shortly after her call, AAA showed up and was able to help her.

For a fleeting moment, I was angry.  Not at my wife, it wasn’t her fault, but at the unfortunate luck we seem to be having as of late.  We just need a break once in a while, to remind us things will get better and this is just a blip on the radar we will look back at and be grateful for the strength we found in each other.

As I said…just for a fleeting moment.

The image of my friend’s cousin came rushing back to me.  He had been in a horrific head-on collision the night before.  The driver of the oncoming truck had been pronounced dead on the spot and my friend’s cousin was rushed to the hospital by helicopter.  He has many, many broken bones and no one is sure if he is going to make it.  We can only hope.  Now I saw my wife’s unfortunate accident involving a deer and a bent fender from a different perspective.  We will be fine.

Earlier this summer, my daughter called and said she was spending the night at her friend’s house because she had had a few too many drinks and didn’t feel she should get behind the wheel.  After I hung up, for a moment, I was furious because she is underage and shouldn’t be drinking at all.  However, the logical dad in me kicked in and I realized what a mature act it was for her to call and make the better decision.  She had done the right thing and I was proud of her.

But for a fleeting moment…

When my brother was eighteen, he had only been driving for a short while and ruined the rear end of his girlfriend’s uncle’s car at a family reunion.  He took off and wasn’t caught but the guilt became unbearable.  Soon after, he wasn’t able to sleep any more and nervously asked her father if he could speak with him about something very important.  This was very unusual for my brother as he was, (and still is…he and Lori have been married for eleven years), extremely intimidated by Charlie. Charlie knew something was up as both of them had been acting squirrely for a week.  He agreed to my brother’s request, fearing the worst.

Charlie sat in his chair, in his living room, watching my brother pace back and forth, scratching his head…stuttering.  Lori was at the top of the stairs, hidden and trying to listen but her heavy short breaths were giving her away and Charlie knew she was there.  After an unbearable amount of time and the pleasure of watching my brother fidget had worn off, Charlie finally ordered him to just say it and be done with it.  My brother didn’t hesitate and blurted out, “I’m so sorry, Charlie, but I’m the one that hit uncle Joe’s car and even though I don’t have much money I promise to pay for everything and..” Charlie cut him off with a hug.

“You hit a car?  That’s it?”, Charlie cried.  “That’s fantastic!!!  That’s the best news I’ve heard in my life!”

“You…you’re not mad?” my brother stammered.

Charlie looked at him with a crazy gleam in his eyes.  “I’m not mad, you idiot!  I thought you got my daughter pregnant!”

Lori came bounding down the stairs and her mom came running in from the kitchen from where she had been listening.  For the next few minutes it was all about hugs and kisses and laughter and crying.  It is still the only time my brother ever was kissed by Charlie.

But for a fleeting moment……

Advice For Training Your Sales Team

When training sales people, it is common to throw a deluge of data at them and hope something sticks.  “Surely”, the management team believes, “whatever seems promising will point us in the direction to show us what additional training is required.”  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Your sales staff is not your beta test and shouldn’t be treated as such.

Of course, you also have the added issue of a mature sales team which will include both veteran and rookie account managers.  How do you train them both while maintaining relevance for each?  There is a valid approach to training your staff but it must be well-developed; keeping in mind the many different experience levels you are dealing with.

The fact is, (while many seasoned vets will say otherwise), everyone will benefit from a refresher of the basics.  Let me say that again…EVERYONE will benefit from a refresher of the basics.  There may be a lot of mumbling and complaining from the tenured reps but falling into a rut is a very easy thing to do.  Re-learning what you are supposed to be doing is a good way to help get everyone back on track.

Also, don’t just lecture.  Lecturing is a great way to ensure your reps won’t retain too much of what you are teaching them.  Make the class interactive and when breaking up into groups try to have the veterans mix in with the newbies.  This will allow for multiple methods to be presented to all the reps as they will learn from each other.  By not separating the two groups the senior sales reps won’t push each other and the new sales reps won’t be exposed to the current techniques used in the field.

You can make the training more interesting credible for the sales team if you incorporate a new service or product your company will be offering its clients.  The training will not be seen as just another event that pulls them from away from their desks but rather as a crucial element that will help them sell better.

Finally, have action steps the sales staff will be responsible for as they relate to the training sessions.  The training, regardless of how appropriate and relevant it may be, will not be adopted if there isn’t a call to action.  Sales people are notoriously habitual and adding and removing elements to their day is very difficult.  Establish a daily and weekly task for the reps to complete.  Initially, offer an incentive to complete it as it will help your investment in training.  On the job training is the best kind of training and I have spoken of it in a previous blog.  It is an expensive process to teach a team and your company should do everything it can to garner as much benefit from the sessions.  Don’t penalize your staff for not following through with the training as you will be setting a dangerous precident for all future trainings.  Sales teams require regular training sessions of all kinds and turning them off to the process could prove catastrophic to everyone involved.

Remember, a properly planned-out training session is not an overnight event.  It takes thought, time and input from both the management staff, as well as from the senior sales people.  The company need to put as much thought into it as possible in order for the sales team to gain the most benefit from it.  Properly done, you and your sales staff will benefit, and, more importantly, so will your clients.

Sales Is About Numbers, Then It Isn’t, Then It Is, Then It Isn’t.

Too many people will tell you sales is a numbers game.  An equal number will cry out that it’s not a numbers game.  The truth is that any sales environment has to be a combination of both.  The trick is to learn from your sales calls and continuously hone your efforts.

When you are first starting out in a new sales territory you have to call and prospect as many clients as possible.  One of the key elements is to get your name and that of your company out there and be recognized as a player in your field.  Initially, you are not known to anyone that can make use of your services and it is crucial to change this fact as soon as possible.  So you prospect and you dial.  And you network and you dial.  And you follow-up and you dial.

Once you have collected sufficient data, you can then begin to analyze your efforts.  You will be able to see how many prospects it has taken you to develop a lead.  Just as importantly, you will see how many leads it has taken you to develop a sale.   Over time, you will begin to see there are market segments you are reaching with more success than others.  For instance, if you are produce farm and you are selling into a geographic area, you may begin to find you are gaining more traction by selling to caterers rather than the traditional produce stores.  Once you have established you are now good at speaking to caterers and have garnered some success, you begin to prospect again; more focused this time.  Once again, you prospect and you dial.  And you network and you dial.  And you follow-up and you dial.

The cycle will repeat itself, each time becoming more focused on your market segment.  The second effort at deciphering the gathered metrics may yield the fact that you are now selling more effectively not just to caterers but to those that market themselves as organic caterers focused on healthy eating.  Now, you start focusing your attention on those caterers that will most respond to organic produce.  By having focused your customer base twice, you will be more attuned to the micro market and will have more in-depth conversations with your clients.  You will begin to be seen as a resource, not just as a vendor, and your opinion will matter.  So you prospect and you dial.  And you network and you dial.  And you follow-up and you dial.  (Surely, you see the pattern by now.)

With each sharpened cycle, your conversion rates of prospect-to-lead and lead-to-sales will increase in your favor.  Your efforts will be more focused and also be more rewarded.  Initially, you have to throw everything in the water and see what rises to the surface.  The results, (and constant monitoring), of your efforts will guide you in a productive direction that will help make you a successful salesperson.

More Business Perspectives from Hurricane Irene

I live in Connecticut and the state suffered quite a bit more damage than had been anticipated from Hurricane Irene.  in fact, most of the eastern seaboard did, as we are not accustomed to storms of that magnitude.  It is similar to when it snows 1/4in every twenty years on Loop 410 around San Antonio.  The city just stops until the snow melts.  My town, in particular, was hit especially hard and we did not have power for a week.

Initially, it was chaos as my house developed a leak in the foundation and all we did for the first 36 hours was collect water by towel and try to keep up with the ever-creeping water expanding across the basement floor.  Ultimately, we did shore up the flood, albeit with the help of some excellent weather.  It’s always pretty after a storm, isn’t it?  The discomfort lasted a few more days and then we settled into a routine.

I found myself finishing a few books I had been meaning to but never had found the time to read.  My wife, the accomplished chef, simply moved from the stove to the grill.  My son, without the distraction of video games, found plenty of time to learn how to ride a bike and mastered it in 4 days.  My daughter slept.

It soon became apparent the television shows we thought we couldn’t live without we actually could.  Video games are fun but not required.  All of the junk food we had in the house seemed more a waste of space because we only had enough room in the coolers for ice and essentials.  We played more with the dogs and the dogs loved it.  My daughter slept.

It wasn’t entirely zen as we didn’t shower as often as we should have, the ice in the coolers was always melting faster than were were comfortable with and don’t get me started about the complete disappearance of every battery in the tri-state area.

What we did find, however, was the core of our family and the strengths of what we offer each other to maintain a healthy home.  We discovered what we truly need as apposed to what we thought was vital.  We reaffirmed the team that makes “US” and are the better for it.

I began to think about how this can relate to the business world.  More often than not, the changes over the last few years have dealt with reductions in force.  Sure, this will possibly change the atmosphere of the office for the better, (usually not), but there are other changes a company can adopt that may have more of an impact.

Firms have a tendency to spread themselves too thinly across a variety of offerings to its customers.  Taking a strategic look at what is working and what isn’t will offer possibilities of consolidating these offerings and maybe eliminating some less profitable ones altogether.  A firm should always bear in mind what its core values and offerings are and adjust as needed.  Customer feedback is important to decide what you may think the customer needs and what the customer knows is needed.  Always communicate.

Break the routine in the office and get to know each other again on a regular basis.  It doesn’t have to be every day or week, but it should be done regularly perhaps every two quarters.  Everyone has events outside the office that either drain or add to his or her productivity.  It’s is good to know what is affecting the staff and how that may affect the company.

As I said, not every experience the past week has been bad.  My family has now talked about unplugging for a week every year, as a result of our experience with the hurricane, as a time to regroup and catch our breath.  And so my daughter can sleep.