"You don't get what you want in life; you get what you expect"‏

Some questions for you... 

  

Do you know where you’re heading? In work? Away from work? In Life? Where is it all leading to? Does it have to lead anywhere anyway?   

 

A bit deep for a Wednesday? Maybe. Let’s drill it down to your business, even your sales, especially your sales... What actions are you taking to get you to where you want to go?  

 

That's assuming you know where you want to go!  

 

How much of a plan have you got? So many sales professionals I meet have lack-lustre goals, if they have any at all; "I want to reach budget", "I want to achieve the annual bonus", "I want to progress", "I want more money" and so on. Often not specific. Often just so so.   

 

How about sprucing things up a little? 

 

You can have mere wishes...   

...or you can have dynamic expectations that really motivate you to reach for the stars. When you have mediocre goals - and let's face it, "I want to reach target" is fairly mediocre, you're setting yourself up to be ordinary.   

Shouldn’t you really be aiming for outstanding?  

 

It's wonderful to experience the curiosity and confidence of young children. They believe that everything is possible. But what happens between the age of children and teenage years? And beyond? Something comes up that gets in the way of those early dreams.  

 

It's all about expectations  

I’m not sure who said this but I wholeheartedly agree with it... “You don't get what you want in life; you get what you expect”. There’s a massive difference. Most people expect ordinary. In fact many sales people expect ordinary. Many business owners expect ordinary. That’s fine if you want ordinary - because that’s exactly what will show up... 'better to aim low and not be disappointed' and all that.   

 

But what if you’ve had enough of ordinary? What if you want more? To start with, how about expecting more? What if you decide that instead of settling for mid table in your sales league you expected to be in the top three? Instead of growing your business at 5% next year, what if you decided to expect 10% growth? And instead of converting your leads at the same 25% as the last few years, how would expecting a conversion rate of 35% sound?   

 

Goals  

I don't know where you are right now on your journey but what I do know is that most people who don't achieve the things they want in life usually have pretty mediocre goals and mediocre expectations to start with.   

 

How often do you start work with clear outcomes to achieve that day? How often do you set really aspirational objectives for the month? How engaged are you with the goals of your team?  

Challenge yourself... 

How could you increase your expectations tomorrow? Or today! What would your new expectations be for Friday 20^th June 2014? What does real sales success mean for you? Maybe in terms of units sold, revenue, profit, lead conversion? What should you really be expecting in your career between now and three years from now? Where do you expect to be? What are you expecting to be doing? And who with?  

Play with this. Imagine. You already know that tomorrow’s realities start with today’s thoughts – so get thinking! Put some meat on the bones. Really raise those expectations. Get used to wearing them. Be comfortable with them. That’s where you’re heading after all.  

 

Raise your expectations and you’ll have started a journey. A journey that will encourage your brain to deliver new, better and imaginative ideas to achieve those expectations and goals.  

 

Think Big: Expect Big: Plan Big: Act Big 

 

Until next time.

 

Leigh

PS: Check out my recent article for O2's "The Business" - Click Here to access "Losing Sales? Here's Why" 

 

results@sales-consultancy.com

020 7903 5426

www.sales-consultancy.com

For previous 'Tricks of the Trade' go here

"Optimise Your Business!" Very Special One-Day Event.

"Optimise Your Business!"

 
Hello!

There’s a very special one-day event going on June 13th in London that I recommend you take a look at to help your business.

It’s being run by two very good friends of mine, Shaa Wasmund and Mark Attwood and I will be making a guest appearance!

Shaa, as you probably already know, is the founder of Smarta.com and the best-selling author of “Stop Talking, Start Doing”.

Shaa is a truly inspirational entrepreneur and speaker and knows exactly what businesses need, from start ups to companies like Dyson!

Mark has generated nearly £40 million for his own business, PAL Hire, using his own internet marketing techniques.

He’s been working online since 1996, and really knows his onions.

But, the best thing about Mark is his ability to explain something technical in a really down to earth way that cuts through all the bull.

Shaa and Mark did a webinar recently called “Top 6 Tips to Optimise Your Business”, which is available for a short time to listen to here:

www.shaa.com/optimise-your-business

I highly recommend you take a listen to the webinar and consider attending the event on the 13th – it’s a one-off, a great chance to network and I know the knowledge and insights you will gain will benefit your business including sales success!

As my gift to you, enter the discount code 'leigh' and you will receive your tickets for £67 instead of £197!

For more details about the event click here

I look forward to seeing you there!

 

Leigh

results@sales-consultancy.com

020 7903 5426

www.sales-consultancy.com

Decreasing Marketing; Increasing Sales

Most companies I help receive incoming enquiries - via the telephone line, emails, exhibitions, the list goes on.

None of these companies convert 100% of those enquiries into a sale. Of course, 100% conversion is pushing it a bit! However – there’s no doubt that all of these companies had potential to increase their conversion rate, in many cases by a considerable amount.

A company in particular comes to mind. They took enquiries mainly by phone and converted 25% of these enquiries into an individual average order value of £997 – we’ll round this up to £1000 for ease of telling the story.

Sales in volume were slightly over 10,000 a year so we’re talking about a £10m company here.

Having been called in to help, my first thoughts were what a crying shame that a massive 75% of sales enquiries were coming to nothing. Even sadder was that many of the 75% non-buyers were deemed ‘time wasters’ by the staff. I cringe at those words – in my book there’s no such thing as a time waster in sales and terming them as such reflects more on the seller than the potential buyer.

Within six weeks we’d got the conversion rate up to 27%. Now you might think that’s not much of an increase – and you’d be right. BUT – just this 2% increase in conversion rates equated to an annual increase in turnover of £800,000. Needless to say the training was deemed a big success.

The moral of the story? Don’t spend massive amounts of money on marketing when all you have to do is make better use of the leads that you’re already getting - sales success will follow.

How to increase conversion rates?

Here are a few pointers.

1.      Ban the use of the words ‘time wasters’! I’m serious. Using this word in a sales environment engenders an underlying unconscious disrespect for potential buyers. I firmly believe that no one has got time these days to be a time waster – there must have been SOME level of interest for them to pick up the phone – check out a website etc.

2.      Get technology in that can track enquiries and respond to them. This could be web analytics, a more sophisticated CRM, whatever it takes to know exactly who’s showing an interest – and which enables you to have a low cost follow up.

3.      Connect! Yes I know some of this is very basic but...! It works. We found out at the company in question that their company was on average one of three that the potential customer contacted before making a decision. There were about 5 major players in their market at the time – and not much to choose between them in terms of product and price. So who do you think was going to get the business? YES – the one to whom the prospect felt most connected.

4.      Connection is made through general rapport building and lots of curiosity – in sales terms known as good old fashioned open questions.

5.      Structure. I’ll never be an advocate of scripts on telephone calls – I hate them – but a little structure can help considerably. So make sure you give the staff the guidance they need to succeed on the call.

6.      Follow up when you’ve quoted. I can’t believe how many companies quote for business and then never follow up with at least a courtesy phone call. This is not hounding people – as a certain company’s ‘sales’ staff once suggested. This is called customer service, which, if we’re lucky, might catch on! If you don’t fancy following up quotes, you might want to consider an alternative career. Referring to suggestion 3, if you’re one of three companies that have quoted for a sale and you’re the only one that follows up, doesn’t that indicate a level of interest on your part that others haven’t matched?

There are of course another hundred+ tips on increasing sales and following up enquiries – but if you do these and do them well enough, your selling skills and your sales conversions will increase.

Converted yet?

Leigh Ashton
www.sales-consultancy.com
020 7903 5426
results@sales-consultancy.com

PS; Download my Free Report - The 9 Biggest Sales Mistakes You See Others Making

Sales Success?: Their Chunk Size Does Matter!

Sales Success?: Their Chunk Size Does Matter!

Have you ever been at a meeting when someone is talking about his or her vision for the organisation and somebody interrupts to announce that there are no loo rolls in the gents? Have you ever been bored at a presentation – you wanted an over view and got War and Peace?

Some people only want a brief outline of the situation. Others want to know all the details and more! That’s why some people emerge from meetings and presentations complaining they haven’t been told enough, whilst others, at the same meeting might argue they are weighed down with too much minutia. Some people like an over view, others seek detail.

How has this cost you in the past?
You will more than likely have been demonstrating your unconscious personal preference, whatever the needs of those you are communicating with. So if you’re an over view person, you’re likely be reluctant to go into detail, thus leaving those small chunkers frustrated that they haven’t anything like the information they need. On the other hand, if you’re a detail person, some of your presentations and communication might well have your audience bored to bits if they only ever wanted an over view.

So…
To attain the very best connection it’s essential you get to know the chunk size of anyone you’re communicating with – customers, prospects, colleagues, suppliers. People have different needs as far as the level of detail they thrive on is concerned. If you get it right, sales success will follow. Get it wrong and, quite simply you could be losing sales.

Which is best?
There is no best – but there is certainly a best for the situation and your key to increasing sales is knowing when to ‘chunk up’ or ‘chunk down’. This means leaving your own personal preferences aside. Go into the ‘map’ of the person you’re communicating with and go with their flow. Your flexibility is your key to better rapport, better connections and better conversion rates.
Remember, too many details will confuse a big chunker and too much vagueness will upset a small chunker. Give each the level they need.

How to find out
When you’re next communicating with anyone, pay special notice to the level of detail they display when they’re talking. If they’re vague, give short answers and obviously don’t do the small talk, it’s clear that the best way is to respond in kind. Likewise if they go into detail, you need to too. In my experience many sales people find it hard to leave their own map, so that’s the key. LISTEN – and respond.

Where else is this useful?
If you manage a team, take notice of how your team members differ. By responding accordingly you can look forward to better connections with your team with all the gains that can bring. Likewise your colleagues at meetings and in general conversation. Your general sales management skills can only improve.

I look forward to hearing your big chunk/small chunk feedback! In the level of detail you prefer of course.

Leigh Ashton
www.sales-consultancy.com
020 7903 5426
results@sales-consultancy.com

7 Autumn Sales Tips

There’s certainly never a dull moment as far as the economy is concerned.

The economists and statisticians pour over the latest data, trying to explain away the pro’s and con’s of the employment figures, growth trends, how the Italy/Greece/USA (delete as appropriate!) ‘crisis’ will affect the UK and so on.

What to do?

Rise above it! That doesn’t mean ignore it - you need to know what’s going on in the world. Your mantra needs to be ‘ok, so all that’s happening in the economy, how can I best respond to achieve sales success?’

To help - here’s 7 Sales Tips for Autumn


7 Autumn Sales Tips


1 Get the GOAL right

Yes that old chestnut. Powerful goal setting -and how to keep on track to achieve them - is one of the most talked about subjects in sales and personal development land.

Everyone has individual techniques to try to master the art of setting goals. You might like to try this one…jump ahead in time and Imagine it’s (‘insert date’).

Think to yourself ‘If Only I’d….’ Whatever big stuff comes to mind - that’s your focus for the period you chose. Useful - and particularly if you’re a little on the ‘glass half empty’ side of life.


2 Inject some FUN!

Seriously. Fun is a must for increasing sales. Some say that sales is not much fun these days. Well it’s up to you to re-install your fun formula! First - get more fun into YOUR life; watch a stand up comedian; watch your fave comedy TV show; read a joke book - anything to get you laughing more.

If you’re in sales management this is important to use with your team.
Then when your with a prospect you’ll feel better equipped to make them smile, putting them at ease and creating an atmosphere full of rapport.


3 Get in a TIP TOP STATE!

What’s your inner state today? If you’re feeling positive & motivated to get stuff done then celebrate & have a fantastic day.

If you’re feeling a bit flat or negative, go for a short break, look up & smile the biggest smile you can.

Changing your physiology is a brilliantly easy way to change your state. Changing your physiology will improve your selling skills 100%

Think about all the things you are grateful for & focus on what you want rather than what you don’t want!


4 Get MOTIVATED!

Ask yourself…Do I believe that what I’m selling is the best? Is my company the best? Are my work habits the best?

Am I letting outside pressures get in the way? Am I really taking care of mysefl?

Yes there’s an economic slowdown, but before you blame ‘it’, take a look at ‘you’. Make sure you’re fir for purpose!


5 Do it NOW!

Many people have ONE task to do that they continually avoid. Ring any bells? Yet when they eventually do it they find out it wasn’t that bad after all and they feel great for doing it.

So what’s that ONE TASK that you have been putting off that’s beginning to haunt you?

Go - Do it today - You’ll feel so much better by tonight. Go Go Go!


6 Do the RIGHT THING!

You can always find stuff to do to keep you busy but how useful is the stuff you do at generating sales? Focus on Income Producing Activity before all other tasks and you will increase your sales.

Remember also that if you focus on getting tasks done you may forget the purpose of the task…it’s not about getting through the calls/visits it’s about connecting with people and either starting or developing the relationship.


7 Happy Customers? - Get a REFERRAL!

When was the last time you asked for a referral? If you’re currently doing work for someone NOW is the time to ask.

Just finished working for someone? Ask quickly before it’s too late.
Ask your top customers. Referrals are free. Referrals are quick. I challenge you to ask for at least one before the end of today. Go Go Go!


Leigh Ashton

http://www.sales-consultancy.com/
020 7903 5426
leigh@sales-consultancy.com