Novation Selling

Weekly Reinforcement Training

2010-05-25T09:25:00.001-07:00

HOW OFTEN DO YOU HEAR:
"YOUR PRICE IS TOO HIGH?"

Join us this week for the Weekly Reinforcement Training that will discuss buyer comments like "your price is too high" or "I need to get some other quotes" and how to still get the business even when things like this come up!

We will be at the Landfall Executive Suites (1213 Culbreth Drive, Wilmington, NC) on Thursday, May 27th, 2010 at 8:00am. Please let us know if you will be able to attend by sending an RSVP to justin@novationselling.com

Everyone is welcome to attend and please invite a guest to attend with you this week! See you Thursday morning!

Prospecting for Today's Economy - New Approaches and Techniques - ITA Conference 2010

2010-05-06T08:29:00.001-07:00

Ron Silver, Founder & CEO of Novation Selling recently conducted a workshop at the annual Information Technology Alliance conference in Atlanta. Below is a brief recap of the topic he presented on. Pictures to follow soon!

Facts

You cannot rely on your current book of business
Most prospects have cut back
Your competition (as you read this) is hitting hard on your existing customers and prospects

Questions

Where are you vulnerable and how will you address your vulnerabilities?
In uncertain times, decisions are often pushed up a level or two. Do you have the contacts at those levels?
Are your customers and prospects becoming more demanding?
Do they still see you as a critical resource?

The #1 reason why companies do not have consistent sales right now is because they are not prospecting effectively on a consistent basis. Keeping the pipeline full of prospects that are real buyers (not tire kickers and time wasters) is the fuel that keeps your company running. Too many companies are running our of fuel.

If you have been putting off regularly scheduled prospecting because it has been unsuccessful in the past, then this session by ITA member Novation Selling will teach you secrets of prospecting to fill the pipeline. You will learn to:

Keep your sales people focused
Avoid time-wasting activities that lead nowhere
Identify who and when to prospect
Ge more leads into the pipeline immediately
Implement effective ways to prospect
Gain market share rapidly in a new niche
Develop your customized 30 second "Power Introduction"©

TMSC - 11/17

2010-05-03T20:36:00.002-07:00

If you're wondering why you keep wasting time with "bad" prospects, a couple of good early questions will help you cut your losses quickly.

-Ron

Another Lousy Appointment

Problem: It was a gloomy day and had just started to rain when Rick left his second lousy appointment of the day. "Man", he thought to himself, "it's pouring down rain, my car is at the other end of the parking lot, and this appointment that I drove 40 miles to see was a total waste of time. My grandmother is a better prospect than this guy." He put his head down and dejectedly trudged through the rain towards his car. On his way back to the office he reflected on the appointments he had been on recently. The majority of them had been similar to these two, a waste of time for the most part...nobody seemed interested in buying. He was starting to feel like they were all bad prospects. The gloomy day mirrored his mood perfectly. But he needed to do something quickly since his sales were starting to suffer.

Diagnosis: There are no bad prospects; just ineffective salespeople. Unfortunately, salespeople seem to be willing to meet with virtually anybody who expresses a passing interest in what they are selling. Hope springs eternal, as they say, and salespeople "hope" that if they can just get face to face with someone, anyone, something good might happen. However, more often than not, something not so good happens. Let's face it, most salespeople really don't want any bad news, so they don't ask the difficult questions, the ones that might disqualify a prospect. Questions like the ones we're suggesting below.

Novation Selling Solution: If you want more productive appointments, change your attitude and plant your feet. Be adamant that you simply don't have the time to meet with anyone who can't pass a quick qualification test. Anyone who can't answer affirmatively to the following three questions may not be worthy of your time:

Is the problem compelling enough for you to take a serious look at a solution, assuming one were available?
Are adequate resources available to implement a solution, assuming you found one that you knew would work?
Who else should be at the meeting that needs to be part of the final decision process, besides yourself?

If the answers to the first two questions are affirmative, you probably have a good prospect. If you get a wishy-washy answer, chances are your prospect is not very close to buying anything from you or anyone else. (Let your competitor go on this call.) The third question is designed to make sure you have the right people at the meeting. How much better would you feel if you had this information before you went out to the appointment?

Your time is simply too valuable to waste with people who aren't serious or who don't have the resources to buy. And you can't afford to spend time with people who don't have the authority to buy.

Good Selling!

Ron Silver

For more information, check out our website at http://www.NovaSalesTraining.com/ or call us at 910.795.0664

See how others achieved More Sales through Ron's workshops.

Refer a friend to Novation Sales Training's Monday Morning Sales Coach.

If you want to establish an effective sales process that will help you outsell your competition and dominate your market...we can help.

If you'd like your salespeople to close more business...on your terms...we can show them how.

If you're looking for ways to sell relationships instead of products and services...this is what we teach.

If you're looking for a fresh approach to training your salespeople...Please call us.

TMSC - 11/10

2010-05-03T20:36:00.001-07:00

Are you trying too hard to get an appointment? Some prospects aren't worth the time they demand, therefore utilize your time better by devoting more time to "good prospects".

-Ron

Early Warning Signs

Problem: "What am I doing here?" Robert said to himself. He was twenty minutes into the initial meeting with this prospect, and he was clearly fighting an uphill battle. All his attempts to develop rapport were met with apathetic, almost frigid responses. His questions, simple and innocuous though they were, received little more than one or two word responses. "What's going on here?" he wondered. This guy won't even crack a smile and yet he gave me the appointment. Is he just having a bad day, or do I have a hygiene problem? He just couldn't figure it out, yet he kept at it, trying to pump some life into this dying appointment. He wanted to quit, but his ego wouldn't let him; he felt he should be able to breathe some life into this situation.

We've all been there. We work hard to get an appointment and are determined to take the sales process all the way through to the end, to make that "all-important" presentation.

Diagnosis: Some prospects just aren't worth the effort. Let's face it, there are "good" prospects...and "bad" prospects. In fact, a bad prospect is not a prospect at all. Any prospect that is antagonistic, vague and even non-communicative is a bad prospect. But salespeople, despite the obvious danger signals, are almost completely reluctant to disengage. This old adage comes to mind...if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it probably IS a duck. Well, if it exhibits all the initial danger signs of a bad prospect, it probably is a bad prospect.

Novation Selling Solution: The good ones deserve our time and effort. The rest should be dumped like a bad habit. Every prospect must pass the first qualifying hurdle, or you must disengage quickly. There are definite warning signs, and fortunately, they show up early in the process and are easily recognizable, if you know what you're looking for. If you can't answer positively to these four quick qualifying questions, your continued efforts with the prospect will probably be futile. Here they are...

-Is the prospect friendly?

-Will the prospect answer your questions?

-Does the prospect know what he wants?

-Does he want "it" in a relatively short time frame?

If you're getting a bunch of negative answers to the above, your prospect may simply be looking to pick your brain, and it's probably time to say "Adios" and move on. Here's a nice way to do it.

"I don't think we'll be able to help you. Generally the folks we work with (pick one or two [are willing to speak frankly with us about what they're looking for...have a good understanding of what they need...have a relatively immediate need, etc]). That doesn't seem to be the case here, for whatever reason. Would you like me to make a suggestion as to a company that might be better suited to your needs?"

If that honest and polite remark won't motivate your prospect to open up, it's best to move on...quickly.

Good Selling!
Ron Silver

For more information, check out our website at http://www.NovationSelling.com/ or call us at 910.795.0664.

See how others achieved More Sales through Ron's workshops.

Become a fan of Novation Selling on Facebook.

If you want to establish an effective sales process that will help you outsell your competition and dominate your market...we can help.
If you'd like your salespeople to close more business...on your terms...we can show them how.
If you're looking for ways to sell relationships instead of products and services...this is what we teach.
If you're looking for a fresh approach to training your salespeople...Please call us.

TMSC - 10/20

2010-05-03T20:34:00.001-07:00

Are you having a difficult time closing? This problem can be because you aren't doing a sufficient job qualifying your prospect. Determining your prospect's pain is very important when it comes to qualifying them. Figure this out early and it will save you time and increase your closes!

-Ron

Assign Your Prospect Some Homework

Problem: Mitch's company sold data storage solutions. A five-year veteran of selling, he called the other day for some coaching. He said that he had just completed a one-hour meeting with one of his top prospects, a large retailer who was a key prospect for his company. He explained that he had experienced difficulty getting the prospect into a discussion of pain and, when he finally did, he felt time pressure to hurry through the qualifying process. As a result, Mitch thought that he had done a poor job in the pain step. He said that this seemed typical of his meetings and that due to poor qualifying on his part, he was not closing some of the accounts that he thought he should.

Diagnosis: Unfortunately, Mitch lacked an effective way to quickly begin the pain qualification process. Without an effective tactic for getting quickly into the pain step, Mitch spent too much time building rapport and discussing inconsequential issues that only wasted both parties' time. While there were a number of tactics to find pain that Mitch had learned, none seemed to be working well for him.

Novation Selling Solution: Doing the same thing and expecting different results is the definition of insanity, so try a new tactic. We told Mitch to add a new wrinkle to his initial meeting agreement. We suggested that he give his prospect some homework before the appointment. Mitch began saying the following to his prospects, "Mr. Prospect. In order to make our meeting as productive as possible, would you make a list of the two or three most challenging issues you are having with respect to data storage? Then we can really focus our discussion on your issues and try to develop a solution. Does that make sense?" Interestingly enough, it did make sense to most of his prospects. When Mitch arrived at the appointment, he simply reminded the prospect about the list and asked what the issues were. From there, the pain conversation was easy to conduct. His got to the pain step quicker and was able to qualify in greater depth. He started closing more business because he understood the issues and was able to recommend better solutions. It worked for Mitch and it will work for you. Try giving your prospect some homework before your next call.

Call me about the October Boot Camp coming up! It is a very special Boot Camp.

Good Selling!
Ron Silver

For more information, check out our website at http://www.NovationSelling.com/ or call us at 910.795.0664.

See how others achieved More Sales through Ron's workshops.

Become a fan of Novation Selling on Facebook.

If you want to establish an effective sales process that will help you outsell your competition and dominate your market...we can help.
If you'd like your salespeople to close more business...on your terms...we can show them how.
If you're looking for ways to sell relationships instead of products and services...this is what we teach.
If you're looking for a fresh approach to training your salespeople...Please call us.

TMSC - 10/13

2010-05-03T20:33:00.000-07:00

Do you hate making cold calls? If you don't sound like every other sales person and are unique, it will lead to more sales and BIGGER profits!

-Ron

Death of a Salesman

Problem: Most salespeople hate cold calls and they aren't very good at making them. And as a result, cold calling activity never seems to improve. We all get cold calls on a regular basis and most result in failure. See if you can relate to any of the following.

Diagnosis: The first 10 to 15 seconds are critical in a prospecting call and will set the stage for success. Most prospecting calls shriek "SALESPERSON CALLING" and trigger the prospect to turn on their automatic defense system. All of us have heard one too many sales pitches and tricky one liners. Here are some examples of how salespeople unconsciously shout "I'M A SALESMAN" in the first few seconds of a call. In parentheses is what the prospect is probably thinking.

"Do you have a few minutes to talk?' (Oh sure, I was just here in my office wasting a little time)
"I'm calling to tell you about our new_________" (Big deal, I don't need it, don't want it, and I don't care.)
"If I could show you a way ____" (This guy must have just attended one of those weekend training seminars.)
"We're giving away a free _______ with every new customer." (Sure...what are the strings?)
"We are announcing a new.... (and in to the pitch)." (Can I just get a word in edgewise to tell you I'm not interested?)

Novation Selling Solution: Don't act like a stereotypical salesperson! Break the pattern. Your task, once the prospect answers the phone, is to create a respectful, low key, and non-threatening environment. Have the courage to ask if you called them at a bad time. Ask them for a quick minute to tell them why you called and promise to be brief and right to the point. Tell them you may not have anything they'd be interested in and that it's okay for them to tell you if they have no interest. Don't act too enthusiastic.

The purpose of your call is to determine if there may be a reason to do business together. There may not be. In order to find that out, you have to get them to talk to you. This approach will help you do that.

Call me about the October Boot Camp coming up! It is a very special Boot Camp.

Good Selling!
Ron Silver

For more information, check out our website at http://www.NovationSelling.com/ or call us at 910.795.0664.

See how others achieved More Sales through Ron's workshops.

Become a fan of Novation Selling on Facebook.

If you want to establish an effective sales process that will help you outsell your competition and dominate your market...we can help.
If you'd like your salespeople to close more business...on your terms...we can show them how.
If you're looking for ways to sell relationships instead of products and services...this is what we teach.
If you're looking for a fresh approach to training your salespeople...Please call us.

TMSC - 10/6

2010-05-03T20:32:00.000-07:00

Do you feel like you're at the prospect's mercy when it comes to control of the sales process? Set the rules for what you can ask question, and the sales process will become much easier.

- Ron

Twistin' in the Wind

Problem: 95% of salespeople are at the prospect's mercy. That's right, the prospect is in control because he's got his rules, and he gets you to play by them. He's like the all-powerful conductor of the Boston Philharmonic, and you're playing the tune HIS way. And it's costing you money, not to mention how it's messin' with your head.

Diagnosis: The vast majority of sales opportunities are orchestrated by the prospect, keeping him in control from start to finish. He's calling all the shots, and most of you are simply going along for the ride as if nothing's wrong. And he's doing it, not because he's a bad guy, but simply to protect himself just in case you're one of those stereotypical sales types that everybody hates.

Just to make sure you know the prospect's rules, here they are (in the prospect's own words).

I'll dangle the carrot in front of you so you think there's a possibility of really big deal.
I may not be totally honest with you about my situation.
I'll pick your brain and get as much information as I can.
I'll decide if I want to move forward with you and under what circumstances.
I'll shop your proposal around to see if I can get a better deal somewhere else. (And I won't even say, "Thanks for your help.")
If I don't want to talk to you, I won't return your calls.
I'll keep you twistin' in the wind for as long as possible if it suits my purposes.
I won't place any value on your time.
And I certainly won't feel any obligation to treat you as an equal.

The conventional seller's wisdom says this is just the way things are, not much I can do about it. I'll get my fair share of the business. But that's a loser's mentality. If you want to be on the top of the heap, if you want to get more than your "fair share," you'd better stop playing by the prospect's rules. You'd better take charge and set the rules yourself.

Novation Selling Solution: At the beginning of any sales opportunity, you have a chance to suggest the "rules" to the prospect. Tell him that you're there to see if he has a problem that you can help him with. Get permission for you to ask questions about his situation so you can really understand the problem, how it happened, how it's impacting the company (and him personally), and to find out if it's important enough to seriously consider investing in a solution. Tell him that you'll need to discuss budgets and how he/they make decisions to bring in someone like yourself to help with problems like this. And tell him you're not there to make a sales pitch because it's inappropriate this early in the dialogue. Finally, tell him that if either one of you determines that there's not a fit, you'll close the file and move on.

Most prospects will agree to these "rules." After all, they are in his best interest. So the choice is up to you. You can play by the prospect's rules or yours. Yours are in the best interest of both parties.

Good Selling!
Ron Silver

For more information, check out our website at http://www.NovationSelling.com/ or call us at 910.795.0664.

See how others achieved More Sales through Ron's workshops.

Become a fan of Novation Selling on Facebook.

If you want to establish an effective sales process that will help you outsell your competition and dominate your market...we can help.
If you'd like your salespeople to close more business...on your terms...we can show them how.
If you're looking for ways to sell relationships instead of products and services...this is what we teach.
If you're looking for a fresh approach to training your salespeople...Please call us.

TMSC - 9/29

2010-05-03T20:31:00.000-07:00

Does your selling process go through the same procedure every time? Buyers become aware to how salespeople act, and you must find a way to separate yourself from the rest.

- Ron

Try a Pattern Interrupt

for Better Sales

Problem: Kim, a ten-year sales veteran, never felt like she was in control of her sales calls. She felt like her prospects and customers were always one step ahead of her. She attended many training sessions and they all basically taught her the same thing: always ask for the order, use the same 2-3 foolproof ways to overcome the price objection, lead with, "If I could show you a way to fix that problem, would you buy my product?" She felt these tactics must be effective since all the trainers taught the same approaches. Why weren't they working for her?

Diagnosis: Salespeople tend to be rather predictable and, as a result, buyers generally are in charge. They recognize the salesperson's approaches and have developed effective ways to deal with those approaches. To illustrate this point, have you ever been doing something on "autopilot" such as driving a car? You get too close to the car in front and you apply the brakes. In a dangerous situation you honk the horn to warn another driver. Neither activity requires you to stop and think. You're definitely not saying to yourself, "What should I do here? Oh yeah, let's honk the horn, that's a good idea." By then it's too late anyway. You just do it. That's autopilot. That's how we react instinctively to a situation. Dealing with salespeople is a familiar situation to everyone and we all go on autopilot when we're face to face with a salesperson. In effect, salespeople build their own roadblocks by being so predictable.

Novation Selling Solution: Don't act like the typical salesperson. Do the unexpected. Try a "pattern interrupt" and keep your prospect off autopilot. Here are a few examples:

Ask, "Sounds like I caught you at a bad time?" when you connect by phone.
Let your prospect know, "It's okay to say "no" if we don't have a fit."
Don't jump on every "buying signal" you hear and try to close. Instead, use a well-placed easy exit or takeaway to get the prospect to sell himself, "Really, I had no idea the impact was that significant."
Do your best Colombo routine, "I'm kind of confused, can you help me understand why that's so important to the company?"

You get the idea. Be different. Your sales results will be different, too. They'll be better.

Good Selling!
Ron Silver

For more information, check out our website at http://www.NovationSelling.com/ or call us at 910.795.0664.

See how others achieved More Sales through Ron's workshops.

Become a fan of Novation Selling on Facebook.

If you want to establish an effective sales process that will help you outsell your competition and dominate your market...we can help.
If you'd like your salespeople to close more business...on your terms...we can show them how.
If you're looking for ways to sell relationships instead of products and services...this is what we teach.
If you're looking for a fresh approach to training your salespeople...Please call us.

TMSC - 9/22

2010-05-03T20:30:00.000-07:00

Dear Colleague,
Are you commonly hearing "I'll think it over" or "maybe"? Hearing a potential prospect say this can be very time consuming, so you must talk to your prospect to determine how they really feel.

- Ron

What's a "No" Worth?

Problem: One of the most common requests we get is for time management training. It seems there just aren't enough hours in the day for most salespeople. Companies spend big bucks for cell phones and PDA's so salespeople can stay in touch and on customer relations management programs to make them more efficient. Training programs are conducted to help them evaluate areas where they are wasting time and provide solutions. Yet they still have time management issues.

Diagnosis: Unfortunately, the biggest time waster of all for salespeople is being overlooked. What is it? You guessed it...the ubiquitous "I need some time to think this over. Call me in a week or so." Salespeople still have a problem getting their prospects to make a decision when they make a presentation and that stems from the fact that they just hate to hear "no." So, they permit their prospects to drag them through the purgatory of alternating hope and despair, just because they don't have the intestinal fortitude to hear a "no."

Novation Selling Solution: Face the facts. You know that most "maybe's" are just slow "no's," so why not get the "no" in the first place. Get rid of your old head trash. You don't have to sell everybody. Ain't gonna happen. You and I both know that.

Let's look at the problems with "think it over's" and "maybe's." It takes forever to get a "no," which permits the prospect to steal your valuable time and employ his system at your expense. The slow "no" causes pipeline and forecasting problems (how much of your current forecast is wishful thinking?) It gives you a false sense of security, but when it becomes apparent that there will not be a deal, it's devastating.

Here are two additional suggestions to eliminate "think it over's." First, make sure you discuss that at the end of the meeting you'd like to talk about the next step, assuming you're both in agreement that the dialogue should continue, and that your prospect understands that he doesn't have to string you along just because he assumes you're not comfortable hearing "no." Finally, your attitude on every sales call should be: "my prospect must convince me that there is a reason for my continued involvement in the sales process." In other words, if you're having any doubts that there's a reason for the two of you to do business together, tell that to the prospect. Let him convince you that he really does have a problem and that you should stay involved.

So what's a "no" worth? Just the most valuable thing you possess: that irreplaceable asset, your time.

Good Selling!
Ron Silver

For more information, check out our website at http://www.NovationSelling.com/ or call us at 910.795.0664.

See how others achieved More Sales through Ron's workshops.

Become a fan of Novation Selling on Facebook.

If you want to establish an effective sales process that will help you outsell your competition and dominate your market...we can help.
If you'd like your salespeople to close more business...on your terms...we can show them how.
If you're looking for ways to sell relationships instead of products and services...this is what we teach.
If you're looking for a fresh approach to training your salespeople...Please call us.

TMSC - 9/15

2010-05-03T20:29:00.000-07:00

Dear Colleague,
Are your competitors beating you in the bidding process for a contract? In order to gain an advantage over your competitors you must gain control of the bidding process.

- Ron

Break The Rules

and Win More Bids

Problem: Many companies are frustrated because they have to participate in a competitive bidding process to obtain business. Winning is often based on having the lowest bid. More than in any other type of sale, the buyer is in total control of the process. All information is disseminated to the bidders at a common bid conference and individual meetings are rare. The seller has no advantage over his competitors and frequently is reduced to guessing what his company will need to win the bid. If there are six qualified companies bidding, your chances are less than 20% of winning the bid. And if you're the "lucky" one that is awarded the bid, chances are your margins won't be as healthy as you'd like.

Diagnosis: Typically, prospects use the bidding process to avoid having to deal with salespeople. But for the salesperson, failure to have access to the buyer is a recipe for disaster. You must find a way to take control from the buyer if you are to improve both your chances of being awarded the bid and arrange to generate higher profit margins on the contract. In other words, submit the bid on your terms, not the buyer's. To do this, we suggest the following "re-direct" strategy.

Novation Selling Solution: Get the buyer aside and say the following, "We've looked at the bid specs and see some problems. It looks like you might have made some mistakes in planning. If we bid the contract the way it's set up, you're going to have problems. By the way, have you ever awarded a contract only to discover that there are cost overruns, lots of change orders, and the work not done on time? That's probably because the specs were flawed from the beginning." (Most contracts have cost overruns, changes orders, etc. because the specs are often flawed, so the buyer can always relate to that.)

Continue with this tactic to take control of the bid process. "If you want us to bid, here's what we suggest...let us come in and review the bid specs. We'll have to charge for this service, but you'll get it back if we are awarded the bid. I've got to tell you one thing, we're higher but you'll make up for that during the course of the contract since there will be less cost overruns, etc."

Sell the analysis, re-write the specs to favor your company and enjoy a much higher close rate and higher margins.

Good Selling!
Ron Silver

For more information, check out our website at http://www.NovationSelling.com/ or call us at 910.795.0664.

See how others achieved More Sales through Ron's workshops.

Become a fan of Novation Selling on Facebook.

If you want to establish an effective sales process that will help you outsell your competition and dominate your market...we can help.
If you'd like your salespeople to close more business...on your terms...we can show them how.
If you're looking for ways to sell relationships instead of products and services...this is what we teach.
If you're looking for a fresh approach to training your salespeople...Please call us.

TMSC - 9/1

2010-05-03T20:27:00.000-07:00

Dear Colleague,

Are you peaking with prospects at the wrong time? Timing is everything in sales and engaging with the prospect too early can be very costly.

- Ron

Peak at the Right Time

Problem: Cal was a copier salesperson. One day in sales training class he lamented about his inability to get a prospect to make a decision on the proposal he had given for their copier business. He had provided some relatively attractive incentives to encourage his prospect to accept the proposal now, but couldn't get the prospect to move. Upon questioning, it came out that the prospect's current copier lease was not up for another 100 days. Cal's incentives were intended to raise the urgency of the situation so the prospect would make an early decision.

Diagnosis: Clearly Cal's timing was off. He needed the sale this month to make his quota, but his prospect didn't need to make a copier decision this month...he still had 100 days to do something.

I'm reminded of a track and field athlete who sets up a training regimen designed to enable him to peak at the moment of the big race. He's knows it's very difficult to maintain optimum performance level for a long period of time, so he tries to reach his peak performance at the very moment the race is to take place. He knows it's folly to peak too soon, and too late as well. For this athlete, timing is critical.

In sales, we are problem solvers. And the problems our prospects have generally fall into one of two categories: fix it or forget it. Both categories have two elements: severity and timing, and the timing is key. If finding a solution to a problem can be postponed without severe consequences, chances are its priority will be low. That was the case with Cal's prospect.

Prescription: Timing is everything. You must understand the prospect's buying process and his time frame for making a decision and implementing a solution. If you engage the prospect too soon, you don't have his full attention. The problem is not in the here and now; it's somewhere down the road and he figures his time is better spent dealing with today's problems, rather than working on things that can be postponed. And if you wait too long...well, you've probably missed the opportunity entirely and handed the business to your competitor.

Always ask these three questions:

"When do you need to make a decision (or implement a solution)?"
"Why is that date important?"
"What happens if you miss that date?"

Having answers to these three questions will help you understand their timing perfectly, so you can deliver your proposal at the right time.

Good Selling!
Ron Silver

For more information, check out our website at http://www.NovationSelling.com/ or call us at 910.795.0664.

See how others achieved More Sales through Ron's workshops.

Become a fan of Novation Selling on Facebook.

If you want to establish an effective sales process that will help you outsell your competition and dominate your market...we can help.
If you'd like your salespeople to close more business...on your terms...we can show them how.
If you're looking for ways to sell relationships instead of products and services...this is what we teach.
If you're looking for a fresh approach to training your salespeople...Please call us.

TMSC - 8/11

2010-05-03T20:26:00.000-07:00

Dear Colleague,

Do you get that "rejected" feeling when someone turns you down? As long as you have used proper selling tactics, all you have done is disqualified a prospect.

- Ron

Dealing With Rejection

Problem: While in my office the other day, I got a call from a financial advisor. As soon as I answered the phone he began a pitch that lasted for a very long time, listing all the reasons why I should do business with him. I told him that my wife controls the investing in our family and that she has had a successful relationship with a competing broker for over 20 years. Although the guy pressed harder, I sensed that I took the wind out of his "sales." I finally said, "Look, I'm just not interested." My eardrum rattled as he slammed the phone down hard. This was likely followed by some derogatory reference, most likely directed at me for "rejecting" him.

Diagnosis: First, his phone tactics were just plain awful. They needed some serious polishing. But for the moment, let's assume his phone tactics were adequate. The main problem was that the salesperson reacted to the call with a feeling of rejection. That bad feeling probably transferred forward into the next few calls. I suspect that it might have taken this person a little longer to recover.

The Novation Selling Solution: There is no rejection here. Was I a good prospect? The answer is, "No." I haven't made a buy or sell order in years. I have little input at my house on investment decisions. Did I reject him? No, I didn't even know him. I didn't have any need for what he was selling. He did his job. He disqualified me and put a line through my name. If he felt anger and rejection, it was because he created it. He is the one who decided to take my response personally. Disqualifying prospects is a very important and productive part of prospecting. Remember, you must sift through a lot of dirt and rocks to find some gold nuggets. In other words, it is okay to feel good about disqualifying a prospect as long as you have used proper selling tactics.

Good Selling!
Ron Silver

For more information, check out our website at http://www.NovationSelling.com/ or call us at 910.795.0664.

See how others achieved More Sales through Ron's workshops.

Refer a friend to the Novation Selling Tuesday Morning Sales Coach.

Become a fan of Novation Selling on Facebook.

If you want to establish an effective sales process that will help you outsell your competition and dominate your market...we can help.
If you'd like your salespeople to close more business...on your terms...we can show them how.
If you're looking for ways to sell relationships instead of products and services...this is what we teach.
If you're looking for a fresh approach to training your salespeople...Please call us.

TMSC - 8/4

2010-05-03T20:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Colleague,

Few salespeople actually enjoy prospecting because no one likes to feel rejected. But most do not know that each call, no matter the result, pays dividends.

- Ron

Are Some Prospecting Calls

Just a Waste Of Time?

Problem: Jenny came to sales training class one morning last week and asked the class to evaluate what had gone wrong on a sales call she made the week before. Frustrated that she had spent 45 minutes on the call, with no results, she explained the call in detail. After a short Q & A, it was determined that the "suspect" was not a good prospect after all. Jenny reluctantly agreed and said that this happened more than she liked and lamented that "some prospecting calls are just a waste of time". Jenny admitted that her prospecting activity had declined in recent months, and that she was no longer the leading salesperson in her region.

Reason: Depending on the business you're in, many prospecting calls lead to a dead end. Unfortunately this perceived "failure" can lead to the "non-supportive belief" that prospecting efforts are a waste of time. It doesn't take long before that "non-supportive belief" starts to affect the salesperson's attitude. What becomes perceived as a "reality" can become a "self-fulfilling prophecy." Eventually, the prospecting activity slowly starts to decline and so do sales results.

The Novation Selling Solution: Don't permit "unsuccessful" prospecting calls to affect your attitude about one of the most important functions in selling. Nobody bats a thousand, and in selling, it is the number of attempts that matters. Every single prospecting call pays dividends. Keep track of the number of prospecting calls made and divide it into your income. You will find that every call was worth at least ten or twenty dollars. Once you understand that you are actually "getting paid" for each call, you'll be inclined to make more calls. Remember, every time you dial the phone or knock on a door to make a cold call, you make an investment in your success. Every call pays dividends. Now go do some prospecting!

Good Selling!
Ron Silver

Become a fan of Novation Selling on Facebook.

If you want to establish an effective sales process that will help you outsell your competition and dominate your market...we can help.
If you'd like your salespeople to close more business...on your terms...we can show them how.
If you're looking for ways to sell relationships instead of products and services...this is what we teach.
If you're looking for a fresh approach to training your salespeople...Please call us.

TMSC - 7/27

2010-05-03T20:24:00.000-07:00

Dear Colleague,

How many times have you heard "we like you the best" but you didn't get the business? If you hear this, you haven't found the prospects "pain." Dig deeper!

- Ron

"We Like You the Best, But..."

Problem: Recently I spoke to the manager of a large regional bank. He had been having a dialogue with his prospect for several months about changing banks. He presented several proposals for the business and they all had been rejected as "just not compelling enough." He was very proud of the fact that the prospect had said to him on many occasions that they "liked him the best." When I heard that I knew he was in trouble.

When I asked him what the prospect's pain was he replied, "They felt their bank had not supported them during a down period in their business." I asked what else there was and was told that was all he could find out. I wanted to know if the bank's lack of support impacted their business or the people he was talking to. This was an important piece to the puzzle, and it was missing.

Diagnosis: How many times have you heard "we like you the best" but you didn't get the business? There always seems to be a "but" that follows that nice compliment. "We like you the best, but it's a hassle to change banks." "We like you the best, but your deal just isn't quite good enough to get us to move our business." "We really like you guys, but can't you sweeten the deal a little?"

It's all BS. When a prospect says they like you the best, they're giving you compliments instead of business. It's their way of keeping you in the game so you will lower your price until they have you where they want you. Yet salespeople somehow are oblivious to this tactic, in spite of the fact that they hear it so frequently. They don't want to lose that warm, fuzzy feeling that the prospect is giving them. Are we all so hungry for praise that we'll accept these compliments without wondering how we can be the favorite, but not be given the business?

The Novation Selling Solution: When you hear "we like you the best" you'd better be thinking, "Oh no. I'm in trouble," because you are. Bad news is just a couple of words away. You have failed to address the prospect's critical business adequately - you have done a poor job in the pain step. When you keep getting beat up on price this is a clear signal that you haven't qualified well. The prospect doesn't see the value you bring and the focus stays on price. It's that simple.

You must get past the surface pain. The mere fact that their bank didn't support them during a tough period is NOT enough pain. Dig down. "Tell me more about that." "What kind of problems did that cause for you?" "What else is there?" "What else should I know about how that impacted your company and you on a personal basis?" "Is it a serious enough issue to consider going through the hassle of changing banks?"

If you're not drilling down and getting this type of information, you won't get the business.

Good Selling!
Ron Silver

Become a fan of Novation Selling on Facebook.

If you want to establish an effective sales process that will help you outsell your competition and dominate your market...we can help.
If you'd like your salespeople to close more business...on your terms...we can show them how.
If you're looking for ways to sell relationships instead of products and services...this is what we teach.
If you're looking for a fresh approach to training your salespeople...Please call us.

TMSC - 7/21

2010-05-03T20:23:00.000-07:00

Dear Colleague,

If your prospects have objections, it's their job to resolve them!

-Ron

Getting Objections? Use a Role Reversal

Problem: Objections are probably the most misunderstood area of selling and salespeople typically are not very good at dealing with them.

Diagnosis: Experience tells us that objections are really not "buying signals" like we've all heard in the past. In fact, objections could be deal breakers if we don't handle them properly so most salespeople would rather not deal with them at all. Traditional methods of handling objections (memorizing ten ways to defeat the price objection, etc.) are not real world solutions for most salespeople. They can't remember most of them under pressure anyway, so avoidance becomes the strategy.

The Novation Selling Solution: If you keep doing things the way you've always done them, you'll get the same results. With the Novation Selling approach we want the salesperson to introduce the objections. It's the prospect's job to resolve them. If this sounds like we've got it backwards well, in a sense we do. In the real world, if you've got a ticking time bomb on the table, it's better to disarm it before it blows up.

Here's an example. Let's assume you know your prospect has had a problem with your company in the past. You're very concerned that this bad experience will be brought up by the prospect and used as a reason not to use you again. Typically, the salesperson would prefer to "let sleeping dogs lie" and avoid discussing it. However, the potential still exists for the prospect to raise the issue later and use it as a bargaining tool. ("Yes, but we've had a problem with you guys in the past and you'll have to significantly lower your prices before we would even consider.....") Sound familiar?

A more effective way to deal with this issue is to bring the problem up early by saying, "I'm told you had a bad experience with our company a couple of years ago. My biggest concern is that it's still an issue for you. Do we need to spend a few minutes discussing it before we...?" If the prospect says it still is an issue, your response would be, "If it's still an issue, I'm curious as to why you'd even want to meet with me. Can you help me with that?"

Let's face it, there's got to be some "pain" involved because most prospects have better things to do than meet with someone they do not want to work with. If it's no longer an issue, you'll be told that. Now you can focus on the prospect's "pain" and not be worried about past problems. Either way, you take control of the situation and deal with it.

Good Selling!
Ron Silver

Become a fan of Novation Selling on Facebook.

If you want to establish an effective sales process that will help you outsell your competition and dominate your market...we can help.
If you'd like your salespeople to close more business...on your terms...we can show them how.
If you're looking for ways to sell relationships instead of products and services...this is what we teach.
If you're looking for a fresh approach to training your salespeople...Please call us.

TMSC - 7/14

2010-05-03T20:22:00.000-07:00

Dear Colleague,

Do you get referrals, but rarely get past the first phone call? Turn your "cold" calls into "warm" calls by asking just a few simple questions to the person making the referral.

- Ron

Referrals Going Nowhere? Upgrade Them!

Problem: Most salespeople don't get enough referrals and often the referrals go nowhere. How many times have you called a referral, failed to get through the gatekeeper, and left a message that never gets returned? Perhaps you've even gotten through to the referral, only to be turned down? We all know that referrals are the best source of new business, so why does this happen?

Diagnosis: First and foremost, salespeople don't ask for enough referrals. Sometimes it's perceived as a "begging" activity, and few of us want to be seen as needy. The second reason is that they have experienced poor results in the past when calling referrals.

Here's what often happens. The salesperson is thrilled just to get the name of a referral and sprints to the phone to make what amounts to another cold call. Often the referral hasn't heard of the salesperson or her company or was simply doing the referring source a favor by saying, "Okay, tell her to call me." Then it was put out of their mind.

The Novation Selling Solution: Upgrade the quality of your referrals. Ask your referring source to do just a little extra work for you. When you get a referral, ask a couple of quick questions to upgrade it.

First question.....

"Why do you think this person would be interested in my product or service?" This will help you understand what the prospect's pain is.

Next question.....

"Can I ask a favor? Would you feel comfortable calling the referral and telling them a little about my company to see if they're even interested in talking to me?" 90% of the time the referring source will be glad to do this.

And finally.....

"Thanks. When can I call you to find out if this referral will talk to me?" This puts the ball in the referring source's court to turn the "cold" call into a "warm" call. And the referring source, since he's close to the prospect, usually will strongly urge the referral to take your call. If the referral doesn't want to speak to you, you don't have to make a cold call that is probably destined for a negative result anyway.

Now when you call the referral, he's familiar with your name and is expecting your call. Here are a couple of questions to break the ice. "Mr. Jones, this is Mike Smith with ABC Company, does my name ring a bell?" His answer will tell you whether or not he remembered his conversation with the referring source. Next question: "What did Jim tell you about me?" Or, "why do you think Jim wanted me to call you?" These questions will take all the pressure off you and get the prospect talking.

From there, based on his answers, begin to ask your qualifying questions and try to get an appointment if the pain is real and he wants to fix it. The bottom line is to get your referring source to do a little more work and your referral business will increase tremendously.

Good Selling!
Ron Silver

If you want to establish an effective sales process that will help you outsell your competition and dominate your market...we can help.
If you'd like your salespeople to close more business...on your terms...we can show them how.
If you're looking for ways to sell relationships instead of products and services...this is what we teach.
If you're looking for a fresh approach to training your salespeople...Please call us.

TMSC - 7/7

2010-05-03T20:21:00.000-07:00

Dear Colleague,
Do you dive into your presentation before you've even started to qualify? Start asking questions and leave all of those over-glorified brochures at the office!

- Ron

The Bag Dive

Problem: I recently spoke to a salesperson who told a story that we all can relate to. He was lamenting that on his last trip to meet with some prospects for the first time, the airline lost his luggage. We all know what a pain that can be, but he was mostly concerned that his big black bag containing all his collateral sales material had been lost. Quite frankly, he was uncomfortable on a sales call without it. After all, he was accustomed to doing the "bag dive" when the prospect baited him with the line, "tell me about your company." The "bag dive" was the move he would make toward his briefcase to haul out the company and product brochures. He assumed since the company had invested heavily in lots of sales materials that they must be effective. Marketing departments love to do this.

Diagnosis: Salespeople rely far too heavily on their literature. The moment the prospect asks them a question about their company or products and they have some slick glossies to help them with the answer, the long slow slide to "unpaid consulting" has begun.

The Novation Selling Solution: Don't take any literature with you - none. If that makes you just a little bit uncomfortable, it's understandable. But it's easy to say early on in the conversation, "You know, I didn't bring literature with me today. I wasn't sure what to bring since I really don't have a good understanding of your issues. Maybe we could spend some time talking about what you're looking for. Does that make sense?" Typically the prospect sees this as his invitation to start discussing his issues.

Remember, the moment you start diving into the bag and breaking out the brochures, your presentation has begun; the info dump has started. After that, it's too late to go back and start qualifying. They have your information. The only thing left to do is ask for the business. When you've failed to qualify thoroughly, your chances of getting the business are poor. So, leave the literature at home and learn how to ask questions instead.

Good Selling!
Ron Silver

If you want to establish an effective sales process that will help you outsell your competition and dominate your market...we can help.
If you'd like your salespeople to close more business...on your terms...we can show them how.
If you're looking for ways to sell relationships instead of products and services...this is what we teach.
If you're looking for a fresh approach to training your salespeople...Please call us.

TMSC - 6/30

2010-05-03T20:19:00.000-07:00

Dear Colleague,
Do you often hear this from prospects: "send me some literature?" How many of those turn to actual sales? Find out how to avoid the wasted of time and money that results from brochure brush-off.

- Ron

The Brochure Brush-Off

Problem: You want to get a face to face appointment with your prospect but they say "send me some information" and get back to me. Then after you have sent that beautiful four color brochure expounding the features and benefits of your company and your products, the prospect mysteriously vanishes and you end up in "voice mail jail".

Salespeople have tons of literature from the marketing department to mail to prospects that request information. The problem is that 90% of the literature that is sent out becomes just "litter." The bigger problem is that the salesperson is under the "illusion" that the prospect is really interested and will give them an appointment. The reality is that the literature went straight to the trash due to the "Send me a Brochure Brush-Off."

Diagnosis: Most salespeople think anything other than a "no" keeps them in the game. They mistakenly look at a "no" as a failure on their part. Many salespeople actually believe their prospects need to see literature prior to an appointment.

The Novation Selling Solution: Track your sales history. How many sales were made when the first step in the process was to send a brochure? If your experience is similar to people we have talked to, the number is painfully low. The only people who benefit from the sending of literature as the first step in the selling process are your printer, the postal service, and your competitor, as it will probably end up with them or in the trash.

You should not send literature unless you understand what the prospect wants to know and exactly what is going to happen after the prospect has the information. The only way to know for sure is to ask questions until you hear the answers you need. If you have been able to keep the prospect speaking long enough to find these things out, you should be able to get an appointment to see them. If you absolutely must send information, send only the information that relates to the prospect's problems they are trying to solve. Then agree on a date and time to call them to find out whether it makes sense to meet or to close the file.

Unless you have a good understanding of your prospects' problems and a firm commitment from the prospect to do something once they have the literature, don't waste your time or your company's money.

Good Selling!
Ron Silver

If you want to establish an effective sales process that will help you outsell your competition and dominate your market...we can help.
If you'd like your salespeople to close more business...on your terms...we can show them how.
If you're looking for ways to sell relationships instead of products and services...this is what we teach.
If you're looking for a fresh approach to training your salespeople...Please call us.

TMSC - 6/23

2010-05-03T20:17:00.000-07:00

Dear Colleague,
Do you ever try to be more enthusiastic to make a sale and just end up pushing your prospect away? Find out why you are pushing them away instead of reeling them in with the story below.

- Ron

I've Just Won the Lottery and

I Don't Need the Business

Problem:
How many times have you run into a salesperson that pushes too hard? Who epitomizes the pushy, aggressive stereotype that we've come to loathe. Who can't accept a "no" from a prospect and think their solution is the right thing for everybody. They generally come across as desperate. This aggressive approach can work in simple transactions, but only because the prospect will want to just end the deal only to avoid any further contact. But in a more complex sale, this approach is fatal.

Diagnosis:
The truth of the matter is that all too often we are under tremendous pressure to make a sale. And although we may hate to admit it, we are occasionally desperate. The little man on our shoulder is saying, "C'mon, you need this sale to make your quota this month. You'd better push a little harder - be more enthusiastic. Sell, sell, sell!" So you start to come across as needy, pushy and aggressive. You also begin to notice a change in your prospect. No longer is he open and agreeable. Instead, he's defensive and protective. Your behavior has had just the opposite effect than what you wanted. Often this is where the sale is lost.

The Novation Selling Solution:
Let's pretend for a moment that just before you had gone on that sales call you'd stopped at a convenience store and picked up a lottery ticket...and it was a winner. A million bucks! You had finally achieved financial security! With the winning ticket in your pocket do you think your attitude on that sales call would change much? Do you think you'd come across as desperate for the sale? Not at all. Instead you'd be able to exude a quiet confidence that only a financially secure person would have. Your prospective buyer would notice that attitude and be more comfortable with you and the call would probably have a better result.

Try adopting a new attitude: the "I've just won the lottery and I don't have to make this sale" attitude and watch your fortunes change. I promise, they will!

Good Selling!
Ron Silver

If you want to establish an effective sales process that will help you outsell your competition and dominate your market...we can help.
If you'd like your salespeople to close more business...on your terms...we can show them how.
If you're looking for ways to sell relationships instead of products and services...this is what we teach.
If you're looking for a fresh approach to training your salespeople...Please call us.

TMSC - 6/16

2010-05-03T14:41:00.000-07:00

Dear Colleague,

High Tech Trade Show "Selling"

Companies spend thousands of dollars attending trade shows and are often disappointed. When asked why they continue to attend, they say, "if we don't attend our customers will think we're in trouble" and "our competitors are there, so we need to be." Hardly an offensive strategy. If you're wondering why the results are so poor, part of the answer lies in this story.

The Problem:
A friend attended a high-tech trade show recently. He was there primarily because he wanted to see what the latest and greatest technology was. He reported the following:

"I was apprehensive about attending this show since I'm not technically oriented. After the first booth, my worst fears were realized. I asked what the company did and a salesperson immediately took me to a PC and launched into a demo of their software. He continued to show me feature after feature. Finally, he asked me if I had any questions. All I asked was whether or not he had a brochure. It was the only way I could think of to get out of there!"

"Later, it occurred to me that he had never asked me any questions until the end of his presentation. I was not a prospect for him, but he had invested considerable time with me. How many real prospects must have walked by the booth without stopping because they were busy talking to non-prospects like myself?"

This kind of behavior seemed to be the norm. Nobody asked questions, preferring instead to provide comprehensive technical demonstrations of their products and services.

The Novation Selling Solution:
No wonder so many of these high tech companies are in trouble. Their "salespeople" are confused about what selling really is. A demo to anybody before you've qualified them is not selling, it could be self-sabotage. Qualify first.

Try asking these simple questions at your next trade show before you get the urge to do a demo:

"What do you do?"
"What prompted you to stop by our booth?"
"What challenges are you looking to resolve at this show?"

These three questions should give you enough information to decide whether or not to spend more time with the suspect and what questions to ask next to qualify more extensively.

Good Selling!

Ron Silver

For more information, check out our website at http://www.NovationSelling.com/ or call us at 910.795.0664.

See how others achieved More Sales through Ron's workshops.

Refer a friend to Novation Sales Training's Tuesday Morning Sales Coach. Follow us on Twitter.

If you want to establish an effective sales process that will help you outsell your competition and dominate your market...we can help.
If you'd like your salespeople to close more business...on your terms...we can show them how.
If you're looking for ways to sell relationships instead of products and services...this is what we teach.
If you're looking for a fresh approach to training your salespeople...Please call us.

TMSC - 6/9

2010-05-03T14:39:00.000-07:00

Dear Colleague,

How (Not) to Control Your Sales Results

Problem: Sales is a mystery to many people.

What happens in that foggy area of the sales cycle between the initial meeting and when the order is received (hopefully by you, but often when your competitor gets it)?
Why do customers give their business to someone else, when clearly you have the best value proposition?
Why has that "superstar" you hired a few months ago has failed to produce?
Why are sales forecasts totally out of whack with reality?
Why do most companies only "hope" that they'll make their numbers, instead of actually controlling the results?

The hard truth is that really managing sales is, for the vast majority of companies, a very difficult proposition. There seems to be only one control mechanism that can be applied to the sales process to insure that something happens, and even that does not always work.

I'm talking about DISCOUNTING!

Diagnosis: When a sales opportunity starts to waiver the default solution used by most companies is "give 'em a discount to get the business closed". That strategy is very costly in three critical areas:

The financial impact on your profitability (a 5% discount comes off the bottom line, and if your net margins are 10%, you've just given 50% of your profit away).
You're training your customers to "expect" a discount.
You're training your salespeople to rely on discounts to close business.

All of these can have a devastating impact on your business.

Prescription: One of our clients had an epiphany in class the other day. His proposition was as follows: If I was selling my product or service to a very close friend, would I give him a discount? He concluded that he would not. His reasoning was that if he cut his price, this would not leave him enough profit to deliver the quality and the service that his friend would expect, and his friend would be disappointed at having bought from him. He might even lose him as a friend. Is that line of thinking a stretch? Not really. Actually it makes a lot of sense, the recession notwithstanding.

Can you continue to provide the kind of quality and service that your clients want if you are marginally profitable (or unprofitable)? Not for long. Will poor quality and lousy service affect that business relationship? Will a dissatisfied customer give you repeat business; how about referrals? You know the answers.

But the real question is what will you do in the sales process? Will you take the easy way out and use discounts or some other costly concessions to close deals, or will you do the right thing? The choice is yours. And you will have to live with the consequences.

Good Selling!

Ron Silver

For more information, check out our website at http://www.NovaSalesTraining.com/ or call us at 910.795.0664.

See how others achieved More Sales through Ron's workshops.

Refer a friend to Novation Sales Training's Tuesday Morning Sales Coach.

If you want to establish an effective sales process that will help you outsell your competition and dominate your market...we can help.
If you'd like your salespeople to close more business...on your terms...we can show them how.
If you're looking for ways to sell relationships instead of products and services...this is what we teach.
If you're looking for a fresh approach to training your salespeople...Please call us.

MMSC - 6/1

2010-05-03T14:35:00.000-07:00

Dear Colleague,

Are You Delivering Value, Or Just A Proposal?

Problem: "I'm afraid that I'm not going to get a decision when I make my presentation to the fitness store owners next Monday," Kelly lamented. "I've put together a great proposal. I think I've covered all the bases and have given them three terrific options for advertising in our newspaper. Surely one will work for them. But something tells me they won't make a decision, and I don't know why." Kelly was on target about one thing. She didn't get a decision. The fitness store owners thanked her for the proposal and told her they needed some time to "think it over."

Diagnosis: After some investigation, it turned out that Kelly didn't really understand what the store owners were trying to accomplish by investing in print advertising, other than to increase the store's sales. This is a common mistake. Too often salespeople hear a very ambiguous objective ("I'd like to increase sales") and think they've really zeroed in on the problem and believe they're ready to make a presentation and get a quick sale. But something in Kelly's gut told her she was wrong about this one. And although she was right, she just couldn't put her finger on the problem. It's pretty hard to hit the bull's eye if you don't know where it is. Kelly didn't find out exactly what the prospect wanted to accomplish by buying advertising space. She didn't know what the "home run" was from the prospect's viewpoint. As a result, she wasn't able to provide a specific, tailored solution for the prospect to consider. Instead, she felt compelled to offer several solutions, which nearly always causes a delay in the decision since the prospect needs time to "analyze" the options. And when all was said and done, Kelly stood little chance of getting one of the options accepted, since none were tailored to a specific objective.

Prescription: Kelly needed to get a handle on a few things. We suggested Kelly go back to the prospect and tell them she was having some trouble with the proposal. Specifically, that she didn't feel she understood exactly what they were trying to accomplish with the advertising program, and because of that she was finding it difficult to put the proposal together. She needed to find out if the objective was to increase store traffic, sales, phone inquiries, website hits, or if it was something else. Assuming it was one of these challenges, she needed to know how much of an increase they wanted and over what period of time. Armed with this information, she would be able to show the prospect exactly how she was planning to achieve their specific objective. This process makes it easier for the prospect to make a yes or no decision.

By taking this approach, Kelly would be able to deliver value (a specific solution to a specific problem) instead of just another proposal. The bottom line in selling is that if you don't bring value to the prospect, you're just part of the overhead.

Good Selling!

Ron Silver

For more information, check out our website at http://www.NovaSalesTraining.com/ or call us at 800-248-3758.

See how others achieved More Sales through Ron's workshops.

Refer a friend to Novation Sales Training's Monday Morning Sales Coach.

If you want to establish an effective sales process that will help you outsell your competition and dominate your market...we can help.
If you'd like your salespeople to close more business...on your terms...we can show them how.
If you're looking for ways to sell relationships instead of products and services...this is what we teach.
If you're looking for a fresh approach to training your salespeople...Please call us.

MMSC - 5/26

2010-05-03T14:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Colleague,

Are you getting your prospects involved emotionally, or simply focusing on your product or service?

All's Well That End's Well

Problem: Radio stations typically get "freebies" from local merchants in exchange for advertising time. These freebies are used for a variety of promotions and are an important way for radio stations to create interest in their stations. KZAP had a few sets of tickets for a Shakespearean play at a local theater, and decided to give them away. The DJ announced enthusiastically, "OK folks, we've got great theater ticket this weekend at the Old Globe Theater. "All's Well That Ends Well", a Shakespearean classic. The fifth caller gets the tickets, so call 555-1234 right away. And they waited and waited, but the phone lines were silent. So they tried again the next hour, with the same results. Two more efforts met with the same fate.

Reason: Ho-hum. So what? Their listeners were tuned into a different station, WII-FM, What's In It For Me? Their offer had failed to generate any enthusiasm in their listeners because they had failed to give them an experience that they could relate to. OK, free tickets, but to Shakespeare? Not exactly everyone's choice for an exiting theater experience.

Solution: At a meeting the following day, the general manager of the station recalled something he had read a few days before. People get excited about getting dressed up for a classy evening out, the report said. So they changed their "pitch" to the following, "If you'd like to have an evening out, want a reason to get dressed up and do something really classy, we've got just the ticket for you, and they're free tickets to see Shakespeare's' "All's Well That End's Well." Tickets go to the fifth caller." The phones lit up and the tickets were given away immediately. What was the difference? The audience was into the experience, not just the play. The play was secondary. Think of the emotional value of getting dressed up for a night out doing something classy. It's light years away from simply attending a play by the Bard.

Good Selling!

Ron Silver

For more information, check out our website at http://www.NovaSalesTraining.com/ or call us at 800-248-3758.

See how others achieved More Sales through Ron's workshops.

Refer a friend to Novation Sales Training's Monday Morning Sales Coach.

If you want to establish an effective sales process that will help you outsell your competition and dominate your market...we can help.
If you'd like your salespeople to close more business...on your terms...we can show them how.
If you're looking for ways to sell relationships instead of products and services...this is what we teach.
If you're looking for a fresh approach to training your salespeople...Please call us.

Monday Morning Sales Coach - 5/18

2010-05-03T13:43:00.000-07:00

Dear Colleague,

If you're wondering why you keep wasting time with "bad" prospects, a couple of good early questions will help you cut your losses quickly.

Another Lousy Appointment

Prescription: If you want more productive appointments, change your attitude and plant your feet. Be adamant that you simply don't have the time to meet with anyone who can't pass a quick qualification test. Anyone who can't answer affirmatively to the following three questions may not be worthy of your time:

Is the problem compelling enough for you to take a serious look at a solution, assuming one were available?
Are adequate resources available to implement a solution, assuming you found one that you knew would work?
Who else should be at the meeting that needs to be part of the final decision process, besides yourself?

Your time is simply too valuable to waste with people who aren't serious or who don't have the resources to buy. And you can't afford to spend time with people who don't have the authority to buy.

Good Selling!

Ron Silver

For more information, check out our website at http://www.NovaSalesTraining.com/ or call us at 800-248-3758.

See how others achieved More Sales through Ron's workshops.

Refer a friend to Novation Sales Training's Monday Morning Sales Coach.

If you want to establish an effective sales process that will help you outsell your competition and dominate your market...we can help.

If you'd like your salespeople to close more business...on your terms...we can show them how.

If you're looking for ways to sell relationships instead of products and services...this is what we teach.

If you're looking for a fresh approach to training your salespeople...Please call us.

Novation Selling Blog up and running!

2010-05-03T07:49:00.000-07:00

Welcome! The Novation Selling blog is dedicated to keeping you up to date on all things related to Novation Selling. You'll be able to find: Weekly Newsletters, Press Releases, Current News & Events, upcoming Training, new Training & Assessments, and much more!