Salespeople are the new Super Heroes

My message today is designed to motivate you. To make you feel great about being in the Sales Profession; and to encourage you to look forward rather than backwards.

As the world continues to wallow in this economic crisis; as unemployment continues to creep up; as consumers and investors sit on the sidelines; and as companies continue to cut back, there is only one way out of this recession. We have to sell our way out.

It is the only way.

We have to get both consumers and businesses to start buying more products and services. And the only way we will sell our way out is if the hard working men and women of the Sales Profession step up and get to work.

Now some of you may say, "You're nuts Jeb. The situation with the economy is way more complicated than this. We've got the housing crisis, unemployment, the mess with the banks, government bailout, lack of consumer confidence and more. How can you stand there and suggest that salespeople are the key to our economic survival."

It's ok if you feel that way. This is a reasonable response to my assertion during this time of fear, uncertainty and doubt. And indeed the situation is complex. But I want you to consider this - and while doing so think about your own household, employer, or business.

Most people and businesses over the past seven months have cut huge amounts of fat from their budgets. Households have stopped spending and begun saving. New purchases like cars, furniture, and vacations have been deferred or cut completely. Household budgets have been slashed and most families are living a much more austere lifestyle than they were last year at this time.

Businesses too have undergone massive cost cutting. Any expense that was considered non-essential to the company's survival has been axed. And essential expenses have been slashed though negotiation with vendors and less consumption. There have been massive layoffs as organizations have cut headcount to the bone. Businesses and their employees are working in a much leaner environment that they were a year ago.

However, the once place where smart businesses have cut the least or not at all is in their sales organizations. The reason is simple: corporate executives and business owners are keenly aware that, though cuts in expenses are critical to survival, they cannot cut their way out of this recession. Those cuts simply lay a foundation for profitability and allow the organization to leverage scarce resources for revenue generation activities - otherwise known as SALES.

So as we look forward, leading the way out of this economic quagmire will be the Elite Athletes of the Business World™ - our Sales Professionals.

Salespeople are the new Super Heroes. People all over the world are counting on you to save us. Through your efforts of prospecting, questioning, presenting, closing, and relationship building you will save millions of jobs, you will keep your employers financially viable, and you will lead us to a new era of growth and abundance.

As you head out to hit the phones and pound the streets. As you encounter reduced budgets, scared buyers, and unscrupulous competitors. As you overcome objections and persistently ask for the business in the face of unrelenting "no's." I want you to stop for a moment and look at yourself in the mirror. What you will be seeing is Super Hero who one sale at a time is playing the most important role in our economic recovery.

Lift your shoulders up, stick your chin out, and be proud - you work in the most important profession in business. Look forward not backward. Stay focused. Be persistent. And WIN! The whole world in counting on you.

Click here to listen to this article FREE on iTunes.

by Jeb Blount

Jeb Blount is an internationally recognized expert in sales and sales leadership. His audio programs have been downloaded more than 2 million times on iTunes. Jeb's new Audio Book Sales Guy's 7 Rules For Outselling The Recession has just been released by MacMillan Audio.

Walking the Walk - Jack Daly

Jack Daly is my inspiration! On April 2007 I've attended his sales workshop, 8 hours of WORK, and a bit of play.
Jack is no ordinary sales trainer (and I've seen a few). He is all about building long lasting relationships, getting to know your clients, and be attentive to their needs - forget yours!
He's not only "Talking the talk". He is really Walking the Walk.
Zig Ziglar once said - "You can get everything in life you want, if you help enough other people get what they want".
Jack is a living proof of that. Although unintentional on his behalf, Jack inspired me to act, and follow my passion. I've started Continuity Programs Australia Thanks to his assistance.
Jack was very approachable, and responsive (not because he has too much time on his hands- his schedule is fully booked 9-12 months ahead. He told me this morning that he will spend 100 days at his home residence this year). After his presentation I've sent me an email, inquiring about a concept he talked about.
Jack made the connection between myself and Dave Epps, then the President of Continuity Programs, Inc.

Since then, Jack and I kept in email contact, sharing contacts and ideas, and we've built a relationship.
This picture, was taken this morning at his hotel in Sydney, after we had finished breakfast.

Jack's tag line is : "If your sales people think they know sales, they don't know Jack".

I believe that.
To get to know Jack, and book him for your next sales training session (if you can plan that much ahead) go to www.professionalsalescoach.net or www.jackdaly.net
To see Jacks' presentation style, watch the 4 minute video on www.continuityprograms.com.au

How about Sales 2.0 ?

 

How about this as a concept:

Recently we've been hearing a lot about Web 2.0 (two point O), which, as oppose to Web 1.0, encourages conversation and interaction, and the creation of communities. Everyone has a say, about any topic they want to comment on.

Now, this is a fantastic concept, isn't it? On previous posts, I've mentioned the Shortest course on selling, which is - Ask Questions and Listen!
How about joining the two concepts:

Make sales presentation 2.0! instead of the old 1.0 one sided, lecture type beautifully designed PowerPoint presentations, let's consider Sales 2.0 style White-Board presentation:

A list of questions, and topics of discussion, leading a two-way conversation between seller and prospect. The Seller is in control, leading the conversation topic, and the prospect have control, making sure he understand the product or service offered to him/her.

I think this is time to rethink old truths, and add the 2.0 dimension to our sales conversations.

Good bye sales presentation - Welcome the Sales Conversation - Sales 2.0!

 

 

Posted via email from mr-pitcher's posterous

How about Sales 2.0 ?

Image by rob.purdie via Flickr

How about this as a concept:

Recently we've been hearing a lot about Web 2.0 (two point O), which, as oppose to Web 1.0, encourages conversation and interaction, and the creation of communities. Everyone has a say, about any topic they want to comment on.

Now, this is a fantastic concept, isn't it? On previous posts, I've mentioned the Shortest course on selling, which is - Ask Questions and Listen!
How about joining the two concepts:

Make sales presentation 2.0! instead of the old 1.0 one sided, lecture type beautifully designed PowerPoint presentations, let's consider Sales 2.0 style White-Board presentation:

A list of questions, and topics of discussion, leading a two-way conversation between seller and prospect. The Seller is in control, leading the conversation topic, and the prospect have control, making sure he understand the product or service offered to him/her.

I think this is time to rethink old truths, and add the 2.0 dimension to our sales conversations.

Good bye sales presentation - Welcome the Sales Conversation - Sales 2.0!

Can you create customer loyalty in a recession???

Image via Wikipedia

Raise your hand if you were sitting around this morning shopping for a new yacht, or a private jet to match the one you already got your spouse for the holidays… Ya, me neither. But here are some things I did buy this week: gas, groceries, office supplies, and even a few new socks.

The point to be made here is that even though the economy is slow, there are some things I that you and I still buy. And regardless of whether you sell to businesses or consumers, there are things your customers are still buying, too. One of the best ways to stay afloat and grow your business in a recession is finding those everyday staples and using them as a springboard to something bigger.

Think about it this way: making small sales is usually a lot easier than making big ones. But if you can get your foot in the door, no matter if it’s $10 or $10 million, then you get a chance to show the people who buy from you what kind of pricing and services you can give. Pretty soon, that one small order could turn into two or three, along with a referral to somebody else who has a little bit of business to do.

Are all of these tiny orders going to make you wealthy? In most industries, probably not. But they will keep the cash register ringing, and keep you in a strong selling rhythm. Besides, when the economy starts to turn around, who do you think these folks will turn to for their bigger purchases? Some vendor they found on the internet, or the committed professional who stuck with them and did the hard work with them while they were struggling through a recession?

Remember, there are three parts to selling in a recession: adapting your approach, outselling the competition, and positioning yourself for the future. Making small sales is a great way to do all three at once.

How would you grow your sales in a declining market?

 

How would you grow your sales in a declining market?

It appears to be a declining market, where consumer confidence is down, and people are spending less on everything. However, they are still spending!

If there is less money to go around and the same amount of people in the receiving end, how do we make sure the money will be spent with us?

One of my clients, a marketing and advertising agency (www.admailasp.com ), understands the concept of NEVER STOP ADVERTISING! 

Yes, marketing and advertising are expensive, salespeople are expensive, and I keep hearing the stories of salespeople being laid off, and marketing and advertising budget is being lowered to a minimum.

I DON'T GET IT!

How can you get out of a sales slump, without your salespeople, or with no (or minimal) marketing?

Let me let you in a little secret:

Your competition is doing the same thing, which means it is the right time to invest the money into marketing and advertising NOW!

This is the time to capture your competitors' customers, and get them to make the switch NOW!

Why is it important?

People like to be cared for in good times and bad. If you take care of your people (customers) in the bad times, they will repay you tenfold in good times, which with new acquired customers, the good times will come quicker!

Isn't it what we all want?

 

 

 

 

Posted via email from mr-pitcher's posterous

Become thy prey, O Zen Master

If you really want to get crazy about sales and make a life out of it, everyone knows you have to stay close to your customer's community. If you're going to sell your services to computer geeks for the next ten years, you really should consider taking a programming class, read their magazines . If you're in the stuffing industry, and you're recruiting investment bankers (my heart goes out to you), you should read up on exotic derivatives and take up yachting. Become thy prey, O Zen Master.

Another method of digging into your industry is by doing this. Blogging. Yes, you may have heard the news. It's a nice way to demonstrate your knowledge. You could host it anywhere. Blogger.com, Wordpress.com, doesn't matter. Your prospects and clients will marvel at your insight and crave your association. But let's assume a ridiculous circumstance: you have no knowledge. Here's a quick idea for you. Don't try to be an expert. But do be useful.

You don't have to be an expert in your field. Check out local news stories, jobs, employment figures, good training programs, etc... and mix them into your RSS feeds of jobs. Use twitter.com to get updated on articles that your customers will find interesting, and email 'em. Over time, your pool of readers/ prospects will see you as an essential part of their community.

You don't have to have their particular expertise to have them read you over their morning macchiato. Now about how to start that RSS feed...

Based on a blogpost by Miles Jennings