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10 Tips to Drive Your Business Using Your “Drivers”
Every time you have contact with a customer you should: 1. Uncover a new driver – either personal or business. 2. - or – Reinforce a current driver with a new supporting fact.
Business Driver Tips: 3. Ask questions that require an open response to gain insight into the customer. 4. Always “double-down” your question by being ready to ask a follow up question after the customer responds to your first question. 5. Always link your conversation with a business driver but never link a phone call with more than 2 business drivers.
Personal Driver Tips: 6. If you aren’t able to find out any personal drivers be prepared to share with the customer something that occurred to you, ie: what you did over the week-end as a way to get them talking about what they did. 7. If the customer does not offer up personal information, don’t push it – accept as a personal driver that they do not like talking about personal information. 8. Open a conversation with a comment that supports one of their personal drivers.
Driver Tips: 9. Always record your drivers never think you’ll remember everything 10. When taking over an account or giving someone else your account be sure and share the drivers, however the new person should only use the business drivers in conversation. Allow the personal drivers to develop with the new person, this ensures integrity and confidence with the customer.
14 Tips to Voicemail Survival
If your goal is to get the phone call returned, don’t leave enough information to allow the person to make up their mind. Leave them with only enough information to return the call. (You must create a reason.)
Repeat your phone number twice. If the person can’t write your number down quickly, you’ve given them a perfect reason to not call back.
Never ask the person to call you back at a certain time. This only provides the person with an excuse not to call you.
Never state in the message that you will plan to call them back. Again, this only gives the person an excuse to ignore your message.
Messages left on a Friday afternoon are the least likely to be returned. For most people, Monday mornings are very busy and, as a result, only high–priority activities will get their immediate attention.
Do not leave voicemail messages at odd hours of the night. Most voicemail systems offer a time stamp and the person hearing the message will immediately suspect you did not even want to talk to them.
The best hours to leave voicemail messages are from 6:45 AM to 8:00 AM and from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Aggressive people are usually working during these time periods, and the person receiving your message will potentially view you as one.
Use time zone changes wisely to make as many calls as possible during the optimal voicemail periods listed in the previous tip.
Voicemail messages are an excellent way to introduce yourself to a person. Be personable, yet professional, and link your message to something of interest to the person you are calling (such as another person or event). The recipient may view your message as a waste of time if you have no purpose other than getting your name in front of them on their voicemail.
When leaving a message with multiple points, be sure to state up front how many points you will be making. This will prevent the person receiving the message from accidentally fast forwarding or deleting the message before it is completely heard.
If you can’t say it briefly, don’t say it at all. Voicemail is not “story time”. Leaving a long message is an invitation to have the entire message skipped.
If your goal is to get the voicemail returned, add a call to action by providing a key date or something of interest that will encourage the person to return the call.
When leaving your phone number, do not leave your website address as well. This will only give the person an opportunity to make a decision about you without calling you back.
Leave a “PS” at the end of your message. A “PS” is a very quick statement about an additional piece of information that will connect with the person.
Bonus Tips:
Use the person’s first name at least twice in the message. Don’t use their last name, as it may give the impression you have no relationship with them at all.
As a way of connecting with the person, refer to a mutual acquaintance in your message. (Caution: Make sure the recipient thinks positively of that person!)
Avoid leaving messages that are longer than 30 seconds. Better yet, strive to keep them shorter than 20 seconds. The optimal voicemail message is between 8 and 14 seconds.
Great Hunting and Great Selling - Compliments of Mark Hunter, The Sales Hunter
“Learn / Teach / Sell” Yourself to More Sales
Every sales call you make needs to include the “Learn, Teach, Sell” concept. Today’s customer has many options available to them. Rarely are we in a position to sell to a customer something that is so unique and compelling that they have no other choice but to buy from us. To help create a competitive edge in the marketplace, we must find ways to distinguish our selling process from our competition’s.
One of the most effective ways to do this is to use each call to “learn” something about the customer and to “teach” them something about the business. When we take the time to both “learn” and “teach” the customer something, then we have earned the right to “sell” them.
“Learning” something about the customer is absolutely essential if we are going to be in a position to help identify their true needs. Therefore, the questions you ask must allow you to gain information that can be used either in the current call or at a later time with the customer. An example might be finding out from a customer what their financial limits are.
“Teaching” is the way we can help the customer become more qualified in their position and, in turn, make better decisions. Teaching them something should not be centered on the products or services we offer, but on the industry and business practices. The key is to provide them with practical information. By doing so, you will demonstrate that you are interested in helping them be more successful, rather than just selling them something.
The final step is to “sell” the customer. Naturally, we want to sell our products on every call. However, reality reminds us that many times there are objections and other issues that must be overcome before the customer will buy from us. Still, it is essential for us to “sell” on every sales call, whether it is simply selling our integrity, our listening skills, or our personal style.
In the end, we have been successful if we have earned the right, privilege, honor, and respect to call on the customer again. This is best achieved when we’ve taken the time to first learn from them, and, second, teach them information of benefit.
Mark Hunter, “The Sales Hunter”, is a sales expert who speaks to thousands each year on how to increase their sales profitability. You can receive a free sales tip each week via email by contacting “The Sales Hunter” at Mark@TheSalesHunter.com or by visiting his website at www.TheSalesHunter.com.
Telephone Tips When Contacting Customers
Never ask if it’s a good time to talk. This gives the other person a perfect excuse to end the call. If you are unsure the person has time to talk then state up front this phone call will only take 3 minutes. When you give the person an exact time be sure you time the call. After the allotted time, tell the customer you’re at the end and ask them if they would like to continue or reschedule. Using this practice allows you to demonstrate how much you respect their time.
Ask questions. People will never hang up on themselves.
Use the person’s name at least 3 times in every phone call. Who doesn’t like to hear their name said?
When greeting people on the telephone, avoid using their last name. It makes the call seem too formal. Your objective should be to have a casual conversation, in the same way you would talk to a good friend.
Use visually descriptive words to help paint a picture of what you’re saying. A phone conversation doesn’t have to be boring and stale.
When starting a new telephone conversation, always give your first and last name. Never assume the person you’re talking to is going to recognize your voice or think you’re the only one with your first name.
Watch your facial expressions by placing a mirror in front of you when you talk. It’s amazing how they come through over the phone.
Add energy to your phone calls by standing up. Nobody likes talking to a “blah” person. People who have good posture tend to come across more enthusiastic than those who don’t.
When you end a conversation, always summarize it in the same way you would end a live meeting. By doing so, you can prevent misinterpretation of your discussion.
Always allow the other person to have the final comment or question. Just because you’ve asked all your questions doesn’t mean the other person has asked all of his.
Avoid negotiating over the phone, use it as a means to introduce information and to follow up or confirm information. It’s impossible to truly read body language over the phone and thus you lose a major negotiating tool. A phone call however can be an excellent way to introduce a new idea you would like to receive some feedback on. Many times it will allow feedback to be gained in a less threatening manner than if it were to occur in a traditional sales call.
Never use a speaker phone with a customer even if they say it is fine with them. Speaker phones add to the perception the conversation is not important enough to capture 100% of the person’s attention. (Only exception of course is if there is a group involved.)
Mark Hunter, “The Sales Hunter” is a sales expert who speaks to thousands each year on how to increase their sales profitability. You can receive a free sales tip each week via email by contacting “The Sales Hunter” at Mark@TheSalesHunter.com or by visiting his website at www.TheSalesHunter.com.
29 Sales Territory Questions
1. What is it I really like about my accounts?
2. What is the number one thing I don’t like about my accounts?
3. What is it my accounts would say they really like and appreciate about me?
4. What is it my accounts say they like about my competitors?
5. Would my accounts say I am, or am not a valuable asset to them and why?
6. Do I really know what the objectives are of my accounts and my prospects?
7. When accounts leave me do I know really know the reason why and what am I doing about it?
8. What are the top three reasons why people do business with me and how do I know this?
9. What are the top three reasons why people do not do business with me and how do I know this?
10. What are the elements of my sales call that really go well and what areas do I have trouble with and what am I doing about these?
11. What is the really big objective I need to accomplish to grow my territory?
12. What is keeping me from accomplishing my big objectives?
13. What are the things I do each week that do not help me build my territory?
14. What do I need to do to put passion into my job and to convey passion to my accounts?
15. When prospects do not buy from me do I really know the reason why they don’t and how effective is my follow up plan?
16. How many referrals do I get each year from my accounts and what do I need to do to get more referrals?
17. What do I need to change to cut down the amount of travel time I have each week / month?
18. What things am I no longer doing that at one time were the things that made me successful?
19. If I were to lose my biggest account what would I need to do to replace that business?
20. How really determined am I to making my goals? (Are there other goals in my life I’m more determined to achieve, why?)
21. What are the things I do or the questions I ask that really get my accounts talking?
22. Do I know the difference between a prospect and a suspect?
23. What are the five things I would tell a new person I was training they would need to do to be incredibly successful?
24. What is the average number of sales calls it takes on a prospect to convert them to a customer? Is the number decreasing or increasing?
25. What is the % of leads that ultimately turn into customers and how long does it take?
26. What is the profile of the key decision makers we deal with?
27. What is the profile of the key influencers / users we deal with?
28. What is the profile of a perfect prospect? How do I find / create more of these?
29. What do I need to do to make one more sales call per week?
“The best sales person is not the best sales person; the best sales person is the one who knows why they’re not the best sales person and is doing something about it.” – Mark Hunter / The Sales Hunter
Communication Tips
1. Make eye contact as a means of showing confidence and conviction.
2. Allow passion to come through your voice and body language.
3. Listen not only to the words being spoken, but also to what is being communicated through body language.
4. Use hand gestures and body language to support your spoken word.
5. Watch for obvious body language signals that either support or refute what the person is saying.
6. Listen for changes in the person’s pitch, tone, or volume as either a buying signal or the emergence of an objection.
7. As a means to get the other party to share information, be comfortable enough in your conversation to allow them to believe they’re in control.
8. Use the other person’s first name several times during a conversation.
9. To help convey the message that you’re paying close attention, tilt your head slightly when listening to someone speak.
10. End a conversation by giving the other person a compliment and repeating the key point of the discussion.
10 Tips to Improve Your Negotiations
1. Always make sure you know what the other party is really looking for
2. Don’t allow yourself to get sidetracked by the other party, keep the conversation on the issues being negotiated
3. Do seek to find alternative solutions the other person would find of interest
4. Use time to your advantage, know what the timeline is the other person is working against
5. Don’t allow the other party to know any absolute time constraints you might be under
6. Know how the other party intends to define success with regards to what they’re negotiating with you on
7. Never use a weak voice when offering a solution as it will allow the other party to feel there is something else they can get
8. Show eye contact when offering a solution or when trading something as it shows confidence
9. Use silence as a way to get the other party thinking and to help reinforce your points
10. Never put anything in writing until the final negotiation is complete, once something is in writing it’s very hard to get it changed.
Networking Tips –
Stop selling and start listening. Don’t try to sell or convince somebody you just met anything. Take the time during the first meeting to get to know them and to establish a relationship.
When giving a person your card, personalize the card by hand writing your cell number. By handwriting your cell number as you give it to someone they will feel they are receiving something special.
When receiving a card from someone, take a moment to write something on it such as, where you met. Do this while you’re still talking to the person, for it will help convey your sense of personal connection.
Use the person’s first name you’re talking to approximately two to three times in the course of your conversation. People always like to hear their own name and it will help you to remember it after they leave.
Spend your time asking them questions; it’s amazing how much you’ll learn.
After you’ve met someone use the back of the card to jot a note about something you’ve learned about them and the date and place you met them. Recording the information will give you something to talk to them about the next time you see them.
Receive sales tips free each week from Mark Hunter, “The Sales Hunter” - www.Mark@TheSalesHunter.com / 402-445-2110
More Networking Tips –
Connect with the person you’re talking to by tilting your head as you listen to them. Tilting your head sends a strong body signal that you’re paying attention to what they’re saying.
When the person is talking to you, be sure and look directly at them. Giving a person full attention with your eyes will encourage the person to share more. (Remember however it’s not a “stare-down” contest, give the person 3 – 5 seconds of eye focus and then look away briefly before giving them eye contact again).
After the person has shared something with you, ask them another question about what they just shared. By doing this it shows that you’re paying attention and that you care about what they’re telling you.
If you meet somebody new you have 72 hours to follow up with them before they will completely forget about meeting you.
“Success today comes to those who don’t know what they know, rather success comes to those who know who they know.” – Mark Hunter, The Sales Hunter
Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” and MJH Associates is a sales consulting companies who work with people and companies who want to increase sales, profitably….
Receive sales tips free each week from Mark Hunter, “The Sales Hunter” - www.Mark@TheSalesHunter.com / 402-445-2110
Questions to ask a sales force: 1. What are the 3 things the sales force could do that if done well would significantly increase the volume and profit of the company.
2. What would the sales force say is the single greatest thing blocking them from increasing their sales?
3. If each layer in sales could change one thing about the layer above them what would they change?
4. What are the things that have made us successful? How do we expand on these things?
5. What is the greatest weakness each of our competitors has that we can exploit?
6. What do our customers say about us?
7. What do our competitors say about us? What would they say is our strength, our weakness?
8. What is the single greatest contribution you make to the company on a weekly basis?
9. Does each person in the sales force truly understand what is expected of them in their jobs?
10. When a sales person is not able to accomplish something is it because of a lack of skill or a lack of attitude?
11. What is it I’m doing in my job that is significantly better than the way I did my job one year ago, three years ago? |
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