Training Tips

Give the People What They Want! How to fulfill the desires of customers

The sales professional is the human element in most companies. For customers, they are ambassadors and leaders. According to Darcie Davis’ ezinearticles.com article “Four Things Your Clients Want from Your Company,” sales professionals should take note of four of their customers’ most important needs, including:

• Listening to them. Surveys alone do not satisfy the customer’s need to be heard. Reps must be attentive and caring.

• Demonstrating that you’ve heard them. “If your customers take the time to speak up and offer their opinions about their experience with your company, your company must show a response,” writes Davis.

• Serving instead of selling. Each customer is unique and has a unique set of needs. They want to be heard and get solutions, not listen to a sales pitch.

• Understand them. “Demonstrating that you understand their unique personal and company concerns can be one of your key service or product differentiators,” Davis says.

She advises three ways of meeting these needs.

1. Creating processes to listen to customers.

2. Using creativity to demonstrate caring and understanding.

3. Building strong relationships with customers.

“Spending focused time asking questions and listening to customers is still the most trusted method of building those relationships that ultimately build new business,” concludes Davis.

Lead Lines

Required Reading: Top ten leadership books of all time

It takes a great leader to shape a great team. For sales managers who are ready to dig deep and really hone their leadership skills, “The Top Ten Leadership Books of All Time” posted at askthemanager.com are a great place to start. All of the editors of the site worked together to compile this list:

1. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. “No matter what management level you hold — you don’t even need to be a manager to learn from this book — by following the 7 Habits you will improve every relationship in your work and private life; you’ll gain the respect of your peers, subordinates and superiors; and you’ll actually begin to accomplish a few things,” the author writes.

2. How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie. Although this “people skills” book was written more than 70 years ago, everything it teaches still rings true today.

3. The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson. This timeless story deals with how to manage a small team and can be applied across various levels of management.

4. Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done by Larry Bossidy, Ram Charan and Charles Burck. “Once you learn how to deal with and lead people, the next step is actually getting these groups to accomplish something,” the author says.

5. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick M. Lencioni. This book focuses on teamwork and teaches its lessons through the form of a fictional tale.

6. What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful by Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter. A great read for leaders and people looking to improve their personality or company culture.

7. First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman. The author says this should be required reading for all managers because of its focus on performance and discussion of unconventional concepts.

8. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t by Jim Collins. Collins’ book is described as the best roadmap for improving whole organizations.

9. The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Why did this get into the top ten? Because business is war, according to the author. “The Art of War teaches you how to plan, negotiate and build important interpersonal skills — it is an understatement to say that this work has stood the test of time,” notes the author.

10. Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life by Spencer Johnson and Kenneth Blanchard (foreword). “A unique approach to teaching the mundane,” the authors said.

Feel free to comment and share your thoughts on these books if you have, or plan to, read them.

Training Tips

Three Steps to Success: How to excel in 2009

Although there are no exact blueprints for success, Mike Brooks discusses three aspects that demand attention this year in his mrinsidesales.com article “2009 — Three Things You Must Do To Succeed,” which are:

1. Attitude. “You absolutely must do everything you can do to develop, protect and nurture a contagiously enthusiastic attitude,” Brooks says. Attitude is the major determining factor that will affect success this year. With all of the negative people out there to run into, it’s important to infect them with a positive attitude instead of being brought down with their negativity. Brooks suggests goal setting, listening to motivational CD’s and reading inspirational books in order to invest in a positive attitude.

2. Sales Skills. Because there is no room for error in today’s economy, laziness and bad habits will be deadly. It is imperative to acquire, perfect and make use of effective techniques. Brooks predicts that up to 25% of sales professionals will lose their jobs this year because of failing to improve their skills. Make a conscious effort to improve each and every day.

3. Prospects’ needs. “Now more than ever, it’s crucially important that you learn how to connect with your prospects and show them you really care about what they’re going through and what their needs are,” writes Brooks. Customers pay attention to those who try to understand their problems and find ways to help solve them. Listening will lead to more success than pitching.

“Just remember, 89% of your competition won’t do these things, but if you will, you will smoke them,” Brooks says.

Lead Lines

Are You a Leader or a Manager: How to tell the difference

Call center managers have a tough job in motivating a group of sales reps every day. It is much easier, and much more enjoyable, to behave like a leader, and not just a manager. The changingminds.org article “Leadership vs. Management” discusses the difference between managers and leaders, such as:

• Managers have subordinates; leaders have followers.

• Managers are authoritarian; leaders are charismatic.

• Managers are work-focused; leaders are people-focused.

• Managers maintain stability; leaders take risks.

• Managers appeal to the head; leaders appeal to the heart.

• Managers take credit; leaders give credit to others.

• Managers blame others; leaders take the blame.

“This is, of course, an illustrative characterization, and there is a whole spectrum between either ends of these scales along which each role can range. And many people lead and manage at the same time, and so may display a combination of behaviors,” the author concludes.

Training Tips

VIP Treatment: Take care of your best customers

All customers are important. Sometimes, however, time constraints force sales professionals to choose which ones are most important. In her about.com article “Nurturing the Relationships that Matter,” Laura Lake discusses ways in which sales professionals should take care of their best customers, including:

• Make it personal. “Companies don’t buy, people do. Have you lost your human touch? If so, it’s time to get it back,” Lake says. She suggests a phone call, card or e-mail to make direct contact with customers.

• Offer advice whenever possible. It’s better to be considered a trusted advisor than a salesperson.

• Focus on retaining customers. Do whatever it takes to keep them around.

• Be consistently impressive. “It isn’t just the first impression that counts. It’s every impression that you make,” Lake writes.

• Be personable. It’s much easier for a sales professional who’s friendly and approachable to build rapport.

“Nurturing a customer relationship is like dating. If you take them for granted, eventually they will replace you with someone who doesn’t,” Lake says.

Lead Lines

Seven Hidden Woes of Women: How to help with the unspoken struggles

For professional women and/or managers of professional women, understanding the secret issues facing working women is the first step in helping to solve them. Kathy Caprino conducted a yearlong national study with the Esteemed Woman Foundation to find out what issues bother women most. In her businessknowhow.com article, “Breakdown, Breakthrough,” the author shares 12 of the work-life crises women may be going through and not talking about, including:

1. Chronic health problems.

2. Inability to speak up for fear of criticism, rejection or punishment.

3. Workplace abuse or mistreatment.

4. Financial helplessness.

5. Feelings of wasted talent.

6. Juggling the balance of work and life.

7. Staying at a job they hate.

While professional women may have a different set of problems than their male counterparts, managers of either sex can encourage them to face their problems, by:

• Listening to their bodies. Aches, pains, illnesses and mood swings are ways our body communicates to us. It’s important to pay attention.

• Listen to intuition.

• Speak up.

• Accept themselves as good enough. “Many women strive, even slave, to be the best — driving themselves crazy in the process,” Caprino says.

• Be realistic about money.

• Stop making excuses.

• Accept support from other people.

• Find a role model.

“Finally, relax! It’s not all up to you,” Caprino writes.

Training Tips

Cold Calling Nightmares: Three things to avoid during a cold call

In his mrinsidesales.com article “Cold Calling Mistakes,” Mike Brooks says sales professionals should never do the following on a cold call:

1. Forget to use instructional statements. Sales professionals should include instructional statements with their name and why they are calling. When a secretary or receptionist hears this, there is a much higher chance of getting through to the right person.

2. Repeat an objection. “Sounds basic, but 80% of your competition unconsciously repeat objections,” Brooks writes. Sales professionals should be prepared for common objections by creating and using scripts. This avoids slipping out, “oh, you don’t have the budget?” or something similar.

3. Dealing with red flag objections. Prospects may reveal objections that show up later on and kill deals, but good sales professionals can identify and qualify them.

“If you use the techniques listed above, you’ll avoid the three biggest mistakes 80% of your competition is making. You’ll save energy and get out better leads which will result in more deals,” concludes Brooks.