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It Is Personal0

By Tibor Shanto – tibor.shanto@sellbetter.ca

One questionable piece of advice sellers are given is not to take “things personally”. While I understand the sentiment behind it, encouraging sellers to not go down a dark hole, there is something wrong with telling professional sales people, in fact professionals of any type, not to take it personally. The reality is that part of successful selling is conviction, not just in your ability to add value to the buyer, but and in how you sell. It is hard to have that and not be passionate about selling, and as soon as passion is involved, it also becomes personal.

Certainly there are parts of the sales cycle that you can remove yourself somewhat from the emotions of the sale, usually during the prospecting stage, especially if you are a proactive rather than a passive prospector. When you first reach out to a potential buyer they don’t know you from Adam, and the goal is to get them engaged. Initial rejections are more situational than directed; meaning that they are not rejecting you as an individual, but what you represent, an interruption. But as you get engaged and are working through the sale, you get more emotionally involved, things do become a lot more personal.

It is that emotional involvement that often allows you to go deep with a buyer. Passion and enthusiasm are contagious, and it’s something you want your buyers to catch. After all, we are constantly reminded that people buy on emotion, then rationalize their decision, so it only helps if you are going to connect with the buyer on that level as well.

A more workable and realistic goal is to understand that you do need to get involved on a number of levels, that it does get personal, and that you need to be able to deal with and manage the outcomes whether they go your way or not. The ability to step back, assess the circumstance, and move on to the next sale. No different than the expectation and practice in professional sport.

By assessing the outcome you achieve a number of positives that help with the personal aspect. First you can evaluate how well you did execute you plan and process and understand why perhaps you lost the deal. I say perhaps, because there isn’t always a clear answer all nicely wrapped, if the result of the assessment is ambiguous, you will still have to deal with the outcome and move on.

But if the analysis of the deal and outcome are not ambiguous, then you are in a great position to learn, both what you want to repeat and to accentuate moving forward, and what to avoid and improve. While this may not take away the sting of a lost deal, it does help you benefit in some way, cope, and have a reason to give it another go with your new insight.

It is very much the emotion we bring at sellers that helps us win deals where most all other things are equal. It is precisely then that you need to go deep, and leave yourself open to disappointment, and yes it does become personal precisely because of that; and given the opportunity I would advise you to get emotionally involved and deal with the outcome win or lose. After all, they only give you the advice about it not being personal when you lose, it seems they are OK with it being personal when you win.

What’s in Your Pipeline?
Tibor Shanto

Time To Grow Up – Sales eXchange 1980

By Tibor Shanto – tibor.shanto@sellbetter.ca

When my kids were young and they would wish for something not real, or as a way to avoid a task, like “I wish I didn’t have to clean my room”, “I wish I could grow up to be a princess”, their grandmother always responded by saying “If wishes were horses then beggars would ride”. It’s interesting how that expression has great significance and application to many sales people and sales advisors, all now grown-ups.

I am speaking specially of advice doled out by some sales pundits that serves more to placate and patronize readers than help them improve their selling skills and success, delivering clichés and politically correct feel good myth, instead of proven and practical road tested advice based on experience. While we all want to make our audience feel good, I think it is more important to provide pragmatic advice that yields measurable results, even when it requires effort on the part of the reader and will often force them from their comfort zones. I for one do not see a problem in challenging readers and sellers, and do not apologize for creating some discomfort in helping them succeed. Much better than some of the sugar coated buzzword riddled schmaltz others seem to be peddling in an effort to make sellers feel good and allow them to rationalize their lack of effort, inventiveness and results. But as we all know sugar highs don’t last.

If you are wondering why I am on about this, it’s because once again I have someone taking a shot at my often debated, never disproven voice mail technique, not because it doesn’t work, it does, but because it does not appeal to their “sensibilities”, a sensibility that leads to no returned calls. As usual the technique is misrepresented, making it easier to cast in a questionable light, they then schmear a load of subjectivity mixed with value judgment, and raising but not speaking to the specifics of words like “trust” or “ethics”.

The reality is that there are no absolutes in sales, nothing works all the time, every time, most things don’t work most the time, so when you have a technique that proves to be 30% – 50% effective, you have something worth adopting. What’s more, while the technique may seem counter intuitive at first, those who try it, report back a consistent success rate. Recently there was a debate in a LinkedIn group, there were many who questioned the technique, who once they tried it, liked it, mostly because it got them call backs and appointments.

Most recently, the technique was again misrepresented, and labeled asinine. I bet I can find some internal memos at most record companies dating back to 10 years ago that called iTunes an asinine way to sell and consume music. I bet there were some Blockbuster folks who called Netflix asinine. Interestingly few are willing to challenge it head on. One challenger was invited to debate the technique on “This Week In Sales” webcast, but declined, I wonder why; not the worst thing, I had the whole show to myself.

As an industry, “sales enablers”, we keep highlighting the fact that only 50% of B2B reps make quota, well what is our role in that? If we do not push them to better themselves by trying, new, alternative, and yes at times outlandish but effective methods. We should challenge our audience, not just dust off the edges of tired techniques that play to the emotion of the reader even while ignoring the fact that what is being peddled are just retreads with new labels.

In the end it is down to the reader, our consumer, they choose how they want to make or not make quota. In the end the readers are like we the pundits, some know what is Shinola, and what’s not.

What’s in Your Pipeline?
Tibor Shanto

Unlearn To Earn2

by Tibor Shanto – tibor.shanto@sellbetter.ca

There is an ongoing debate as to whether training, specifically sales training, is effective and whether it truly delivers results over the long run. As you would expect there usually10 more opinions than there are participants at any given time, and as it is with most things in sales there is no absolute or right answer. But there some basic that when followed, will deliver measurable improvement in both execution and results.

There is one fundamental that you need to embrace, not a silver bullet, but a simple practice that will facilitate the adoption of new skills, methodologies, and practices that will ensure continuous learning, improvement and results as measure in revenues/clients gained. This is the ability to unlearn.

This is not always easy and somewhat counterintuitive, we have always been taught to accumulate knowledge build on our experience. While this may be true in the broader aspects of life, when it comes to selling it doesn’t work so well. There are only some many things we can bring to play in a given sale, and if we do not make room for new ideas and practices, it will be hard to learn them, practice them and ultimately benefit from them.

By unlearning dated or ineffective practices we not only make room for new methodologies, we train the mind to reach beyond its current limitations. As we replace the old with newer or reformatted ideas, we stimulate even greater progress as the new blends with the existing, and leads to new combinations that continue to be refined as we put them into practice, in this case the results do evolve beyond the sum of the two. While you can refine existing practices, there is no denying that if you don’t change the fundamentals, you are not likely to change the whole. If we don’t unlearn, we not only create clutter in the mind, we create a stagnant environment where while we do accumulate knowledge, we at the same time prevent ourselves from putting it into practice and improving our skills and ultimate results.

We have all met that rep who has read the latest best seller, attended the most up-to-date Sales 8.0 conference, can speak all the right buzzwords, and be proficient at the latest apps and gizmos; while they have everything going, everything but making sales and quota. As you work with them you quickly realize that they spend all their time, energy and creativity stacking things, rather than combining the right elements to succeed in selling. One analogy is urban redevelopment, you can keep building up, or you can selectively raze existing structure to make way for improvement; again making space for the new, creating a more vibrant environment.

I paraphrase the old saying that what you are doing now is perfect for the results that you are attaining. The reality of sales is what you achieve this year will not be enough next year. While everyone will tell you that the only certainties in life are death and taxes, well if you are a seller there is a third, your quota will grow next year. I can confidently guarantee that you will not get any more time to deliver those quotas, your only option is make room for new skills, by unlearning some unused, space and thought consuming old ones.

What’s in Your Pipeline?
Tibor Shanto

Enter To Win Today & Take advantage of A Special Offer!

Well boys and girls it is contest time again, yes it has been a while. This contest is to win tickets to the The Art of Sales…, Canada’s foremost sales conference, taking place in Toronto, January 29, 2013. This year’s list of speakers includes: Jeffrey Gitomer, Dr. Robert Cialdini, Joe Navarro, Scott Stratten, Michael Vickers, and Richard Robbins. You can get all the details AND Special Offer by clicking here, don’t forget to use the code RENBOR to get your special pricing.

But wait, you could win tickets for this great event, right here from Renbor and The Pipeline. So here is the deal, fill in the form below, especial the big box, because that’s how we’ll pick the winner.

What we are looking for is what’s the one challenge you have in sales today that you are determined to overcome by next January, 2014. Could be better questioning, better prospecting, overcome call reluctance, etc., and how that will impact your success. If you are a manger or other sales leader, do this for your team. Best answers win tickets to the conference.

Looking forward to reading the responses may the best seller win!

What’s in Your Pipeline?
Tibor Shanto

Jan 12th, 2013 Contest, Events, Learning, Play to Win, Productivity, Sales Success

Art of Sales, Contest, execution, Proactive, Prospecting, Renbor Sales Solutions Inc., Tibor Shanto, Toronto

Know The Why – Sales eXchange 17689

While the sales industry continues to improve and move the dial on “pitching” less, and asking more questions, adopting the “Don’t Ask – Don’t Sell” http://www.sellbetter.ca/?p=1938 philosophy. But many are still asking questions that serve their purposes only, not so much for the buyer’s, and even when they do they seem to lack the skills or courage to deep enough with their question to truly make a difference for either.

Probing question most often concentrate on the ‘what’, ‘when, ‘where’, and the ‘how’ of the situation at hand. No doubt these are important, but on their own, they fail to deal with factors that underpin value and foster a true relationship, one delivering mutual benefits for both seller and buyer. Sadly one contributor to this shortcoming are sales experts in my own field. Many actively tell their clients not to ask ‘Why”. I have yet to get a good answer as to why they say this.

Most tell me that it is too intrusive. What does that mean? It is my job to be intrusive in that way. Most present intrusive in a negative way, but being “disruptive” is part of my mandate to help my clients evolve, change and move forward for the better. After all they don’t buy things to stay the same.

The main purpose for asking the why question is to get to the real underlying reason for them engaging with you. Now it’s one thing if you’re one of those “wait to be found sellers”, the buyer is way ahead of you in their buying cycle, and you’re just one of a number of participants in the bathing suit contest. But if you got to the potential buyer before they were even thinking of being in the market, you need to ask a whole bunch of ‘why’ questions before you are in a position to offer up a solution. Unless you want to be a solution running around looking for a problem or pain, you need to get used to asking why, and even when the buyer answers the first why, you will likely have to ask follow up whys.

To understand the buyer’s real motivation, to get them to understand that you really do have their interest at heart, you need to park the product, and focus on the person. It takes courage to ask a buyer why they are thinking of doing something or doing it in a specific way, especially if all the other sellers lined up and say whatever they think the buyer wants to hear to get the order.

I sometimes wonder if the main reason some are afraid to ask why is because they don’t know what to do with the answer they get. They haven’t been trained again, because it is still about selling the product. If only they accepted that more sales made when it is about really helping the buyer, even when the buyer initially thinks they need to go one way, but end up in a better place after a genuine and intrusive why.

What’s in Your Pipeline?
Tibor Shanto

Don’t forget to vote

Last week I got an e-mail from one of the traditional providers in the sales enablement business. It seems they have discovered social media, Sales 2.0, and felt they had to let the world know. Further, they shared a couple of “big reveals”; one was that “buyers” will go to the web and the social web long before they will “call a sales person or company”, in fact completing over 60% of the buy cycle. Second, that there is a whole lot more information available to buyers than ever before; according to these oracles of sales, a customer can access some “20 times more data about you and your competitors than they could 5 years ago”.

Let’s deal with the first one, for those buyers who have completed over 50% of the buy cycle before engaging, it is more accurate to say that the seller involved is an Order Taker, not a Salesperson. You can tell your friends and family that you are in sales, but if that’s you, you’re an order taker, end of story. I am sure order takers need training too, may I recommend George Clinton.

The second, is mistaking data with information, and information with knowledge and action. There is no arguing that there is a lot more data out there, but I would argue that rather than that being an impediment or reducing the role of the sales person (real ones), it offers the prepared sales person an opportunity to succeed further. With that fire hose of information/data, comes confusion, misinformation, and the opportunity to misdirect. Real decision makers are seeking clarity and judgement above all.

I see it as an opportunity for a seller to bring clarity, advice and recommendation and direction based on the buyers’ objectives rather than the buyer’s digital footprint. Sellers have to rise above the data, but many seem to feel more comfortable swimming in it, hoping it will lead them to a sale. Good sellers will filter the data, and present actionable advice to decision makers looking to change where they are as opposed to getting more information, real sellers provide better and more actionable knowledge.

More is not better, clarity and action are! In the last couple of weeks we have had concrete examples of this. Apparently on Monday night there were millions of tweets about the storm, great, were you better informed? There was also a whole lot more water out there too. Did you know more? During the presidential debates, there were millions of tweets, one media outlet counted how many tweeted out #bindersfullofwomen, it was in the millions, lots ha, but were people better informed? Knowledge and the ability to act on it have value, data is sold (or given away) by the pound.

What’s in Your Pipeline?
Tibor Shanto

I have written about my friend who owns a gym, and his love of January, the month where everyone makes resolutions, a high number of which include “getting in shape”. They sign up for a year, they give up in month; retailers make their year in January, gyms in January.

He also tells me about people’s approach to the whole physical training thing, which in great measure the reason for them giving up and their ultimate failure. They go from doing nothing for years, not even minimal walking or cycling, straight to “Green Beret meets Navy Seal” program, or any of the infomercial touted programs that promise to give you a whole new you in 90 days. And the fact is that they do given two things, you were in some shape to begin with, a shape other than a potato on a lounge chair; second is that you do it the way you are told to do it. According to my friend most who give up fail on both counts, they go from doing nothing for years to fool blown Insanity. Others, decide to mess with the formula, and do things their way, still expecting the results they see on TV.

Having dealt with the second issue a couple of weeks back in a piece called Why So Picky? Let’s look at the former, the feast and famine phenomenon, people either doing (or not doing) the same thing year in and year out, to sudden turbulent change.

I recently met a rep Jill, again a “70 percenter”, in her territory for years, but she was different than most reps in one respect, she loves to read sales books. Unlike most reps who refuse to read a book even when they get one free. I remember reading a frightening stat that stated that only one in ten full time sales reps read a sales book in a given year. Jill’s problem is that she reads a book, puts a few things into action, and unlike the cup-of-soup she has for lunch, there is no instant result in minutes. So she logs on to her favourite e-retailer and downloads the next audio or e-book, touting the latest and till now the most insane approach to B2B selling. She consumes it with force, and puts some recommendations into action, and gives it till the end of the day to see results.

BTW, her sales cycle is about 90 days, I always tell sellers that any change in results when trying a new (hopefully proven technique) should be minimum a cycle and a half after putting things into practice Properly. So while I commend Jill for striving to learn and improve, she suffers from the same issue my friend’s gym clients do, they expect instant miracles from incomplete efforts. Assuming they don’t change the formula or recipe, they need to give it proper time to take effect.

What’s worse for Jill is that in hoping from one technique to another, she is limiting her success because she not spending enough time really engaging and selling to specific buyers, but instead experimenting with her most crucial resource, prospects.

The binary approach does not work for B2B sellers. While doing or changing nothing, Ø, is clearly not a good approach; implementing massive change and expecting instantaneous results is as ineffective. There is a third option, not available in a binary environment, allowing you to avoid the negative side of the syndrome. Decide which methodology or practices really address your sales situations, yes read a number of things that apply. Then develop a plan that allows you to implement them, making sure you can logically assimilate them without negatively disrupting current opportunities. Measure and adjust so you can perfect the technique. It’s not black or white, you can make money in the grey.

What’s in Your Pipeline?
Tibor Shanto

What's In Your Pipeline?

It Is Personal0

Time To Grow Up – Sales eXchange 1980

Unlearn To Earn2

See The Art of Sales Live – #Contest0

Enter To Win Today & Take advantage of A Special Offer!

Know The Why – Sales eXchange 17689

The Binary Sales Syndrome – Sales eXchange 16087