Brilliance is not an accident

Brilliant sales results do not happen by accident. 

Of course there'll be an occasional fluke - but on the whole, sustained sales success certainly does not happen by chance.

To be relaxed, confident and in control - and ultimately successful in sales - takes some level of preparation. From the shortest telephone chat to a week-long exhibition or conference, you need to be clear in what you want, clear in the outcome you seek. 

Your very own Personal Planner

I've developed a set of questions to help you prepare for any sales interaction - whether it be a short catch up chat, a full blown pitch, a presentation or a conference. Depending on the context you can use all, or just some of these questions. 

Try these questions before your next sales call, sales meeting, networking event, conference, sales presentation... 

Here we go...

The Outcome 

What do I want to achieve? 

The Opening 

What can I say to open the discussion? 

How should I stand/sit? 

What kind of Voice Tonality should I use? 

Rapport 

What can I do to encourage my client to be at ease and to talk freely? 

I think my Client's preferred representational system is... 

I think their preference is towards/away from 

Coverage 

What information do I need to collect? 

What level of detail do I need to get to? 

What information do I need to impart? 

How will I check for understanding (for me and the client)? 

Flow 

What can I do to ensure that the discussion flows smoothly from one topic to another? 

Manner 

What can I do to demonstrate respect? 

What can I do to show that I am listening to/interested in what they have to say? 

Question Technique 

Which open questions would be good to begin with? 

Which questions can I use to "funnel down"? 

The Close 

What can I say to close the discussion? 

How can I ensure the client knows what is to happen next? 

The Check 

If I do all the above, will I achieve my outcome(s)? 

What else could I do to improve on the above? 

Concentrates the mind doesn't it? Well that's exactly what it's designed to do!  

These questions will help you focus on what you want out of any upcoming interaction. And when you know your outcome beforehand, your brain picks up the instructions and sets out to make it happen. 

That's the psychology of successful selling. 

Until next time.

Leigh 

PS; If you haven't already, check out our 4 X DVD Programme "The Essential Sales System for Small Business"

results@sales-consultancy.com

020 7903 5426

www.sales-consultancy.com 

For previous 'Tricks of the Trade' go here

What can Mrs Thatcher's death tell you about sales?

What a deluge of written and spoken words following the passing of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Reading and listening to those polarised arguments about her merits or otherwise, gave me a timely reminder of one of the most important 'commandments' of selling... 

"Everyone has their own unique map of the world"

Margaret Thatcher. How can one woman; one mind; one set of policies; one set of actions, elicit wildly different opinions?

Simply because "Everyone has their own unique map of the world".

Everyone in the world has had a different upbringing, had different parents, had different teachers, joined different groups and clubs, read different news papers, watched different TV programmes, had different work colleagues and so on. No-one has had exactly the same set of experiences. We're all unique. Who you are today, your values, your beliefs, your opinions about politics or anything else will have been forged by these differing influences. This is your "map".

So it becomes much clearer why some people loved Mrs T - whilst others loathed her. Same woman, same actions. Likewise sit an Arsenal supporter and a Tottenham supporter next to each other at a game between the two football clubs - and they will see two completely different football matches. 

One football game. Two vastly differing maps.

And the link to sales? 

You need to recognise that every one of your potential customers is unique. Recognise that they're not like you. They are looking at a different 'map'. What excites you may not excite them. What you dread, they may look forward to. You might talk passionately about your favourite features of your product because you think everyone will love those things (your map) - when they may be more excited about the one thing you think is relatively unimportant.

How much better would your company finances look if you added 10% to your customer conversion rate? I would wager that the reason you don't already have that extra 10% is because in many cases you don't recognise the "map" of your potential customers, the ones that slip quietly away.

Want more sales? 

Then leave your map of the world - and find out their map. What's on their mind? What are their challenges? What problems are they encountering? What are they looking to achieve? It's not about you - it's about them. Get curious. Put your detective hat on.

I suggest you build a bank of around five great questions that you can choose from to get you the vital information you need for you to get to know their map of the world. Ask the questions. Let them talk. Crucially, LISTEN! Build a picture. And then you'll be in a much better position for sales success and to match your offering with their specific needs.

By the way - you don't have to agree with their map of the world, just acknowledge it and work with it for the purpose in hand - to identify whether what you're offering is what they need. If you work out their map of the world you'll achieve wonderful rapport - and with rapport anything is possible in sales.

Until next time.

Leigh 

PS; If you're looking to develop your winning mindset remember you can get started for just £10 - by snapping up my book 'iSell: Unlock your winning sales mindset"

Click through here to secure your copy 

'This is a ground breaking book that shows you how to develop unshakable levels of self-confidence in selling anything to anyone'
Brian Tracy, best selling author of 'The Psychology of Selling'

results@sales-consultancy.com

020 7903 5426

www.sales-consultancy.com 

For previous 'Tricks of the Trade' go here

How was Q1 for you?

Can you believe we're already into Quarter 2 of 2013? 

Yes we still have Q1 temperatures but we can't do anything about that. What you can do is take the opportunity to review Q1 and set out what you need to do in Q2. So my recommendation to you is to award yourself some high quality thinking time. 

Put the "no-entry" sign up on your door, or desk. Switch off your favourite gadgets. Close down your laptop...and work though the exercises below. In fact I highly recommend removing yourself from your normal place of work. So maybe go to a private meeting room, a business lounge, a coffee shop, whatever suits you best. 

By the way these exercises can be tweaked to work in a team so if you'd rather do this with your team or colleagues, go ahead.

I've grouped a series of questions under four main headings. You don't have to cover all the questions in each section, they are there to help you crystallise your thoughts around the four main questions.

The main thing is to allow yourself time to think and reflect. It's not a speed test! 

Quarter 1 Review 

What strategies have worked well for you in Q1?

What's worked?

What major actions have you been able to complete?

How have these completed actions helped your business?

What have you found difficult to implement?

Which actions are in progress, not yet completed?

Which actions have you not started?

What stopped you from starting/completing these actions?

How do you make sense of this?

If you stood back and watched yourself during these challenges, what thoughts come to mind?

What's holding you back?

What could you do to change the situation?

What would you do differently if you were able to start again? 

What changes have you noticed in yourself?

What new skills have you learned?

Score your performance out of ten

What could you have done to have scored one more point?

What's the next step?

What are the three key things you need to have achieved by the end of Q2?

Why are they important?

What will happen if you don't achieve them?

What will happen if you do achieve them?

What could get in your way?

How would you counter these possible obstacles?

What small step would get you started?

Who else can help you?

How can they help?

What are you waiting for? 

If you're reading this and haven't done the exercises yet - I dare you to do them! They are geared up to helping secure sales success for you and your business. If you aren't used to reviewing your progress in this way, then you're in for a treat. And a very useful treat too.

What are you waiting for?

Sales Success? It's all about the psychology.

Until next time.

Leigh 

PS; If you're looking to develop your winning mindset remember you can get started for just £10 - by snapping up my book 'iSell: Unlock your winning sales mindset" 

Click through here to secure your copy 

'This is a ground breaking book that shows you how to develop unshakable levels of self-confidence in selling anything to anyone' 

Brian Tracy, best selling author of 'The Psychology of Selling' 

results@sales-consultancy.com

020 7903 5426

www.sales-consultancy.com 

For previous 'Tricks of the Trade' go here

Stop Telling and Start Teaching

What do you do when one of your team comes to you for advice? 

It is so important that you're able to distinguish between when to give advice and when not. Imagine for a moment that one of your team come to you because they're not sure how to do something. How do you handle the situation?

I've worked with so many sales managers and business owners that fall into the trap of thinking that telling someone how to do something is the same as teaching them how to do it. If you've noticed specific people making the same mistake time and time again, my guess is that you could be continually telling them what to do and they're just not doing it. 

Frustrating isn't it?

Whenever you tell your people the best way to do stuff (and I know you're doing this with the best positive intention) you train them not to think for themselves. You create an environment where they feel the need to run stuff by you to confirm it's right.

The very best way to develop your team is to ask them what they think they should do. This develops their mind to come up with their own solutions. My approach is "I have some thoughts but what do you think?" Most of the time they come up with a perfectly good solution and I can reinforce their thinking by congratulating them and supporting them to get started.

Let them scuff their knees 

If their solution gets the job done (even if mine is simpler, faster, easier) I let them get on with it. This is the only way they have complete ownership. They will learn from the process. Let them scuff their knees...it's a great way to learn.

If their solution is way off track, ask lots of questions that give them their own realisation of the potential consequences of their solution. "What would happen if...." Help them develop a new solution for themselves.

This not only develops your team to think for themselves, it empowers them, grows confidence, increases contribution and self worth and creates new pathways in their thinking.

Train them how to treat you 

You have enough to do without having to think for them too! Remember...you train your team how to treat you. What are you training them to do if you keep giving them the answers?

Sales Success? It's all about the psychology.

Until next time.

Leigh 

PS; If you're looking to develop your winning mindset remember you can get started for just £10 - by snapping up my book 'iSell: Unlock your winning sales mindset"

Click through here to secure your copy 

'This is a ground breaking book that shows you how to develop unshakable levels of self-confidence in selling anything to anyone'
Brian Tracy, best selling author of 'The Psychology of Selling' 

results@sales-consultancy.com

020 7903 5426

www.sales-consultancy.com 

For previous 'Tricks of the Trade' go here