IntroductionWelcome| 00:04 | Welcome to Sales Skills Fundamentals.
My name is Christopher Matthew Spencer.
| | 00:09 | I'd like to help you find the
powerful salesperson inside you.
| | 00:13 | I approach sales through honest
communication and building relationships.
| | 00:17 | In this course I'll be covering
communication and listening skills to help you
| | 00:21 | convey information clearly and effectively.
| | 00:23 | We'll be exploring prospecting and qualifying
leads so that they'll convert into paying customers.
| | 00:29 | Then I'll go over the process of
completing the sales cycle once you receive a
| | 00:34 | commitment from your buyer.
| | 00:36 | Finally, I'll be discussing
measuring and assessing your progress.
| | 00:40 | After reviewing these topics, I'll
demonstrate by role playing with a friend of
| | 00:43 | mine so that you can see how I approach
the sales process in both cold calling
| | 00:48 | and face-to-face sales.
| | 00:50 | I've had tremendous successes, and
I've also made all the mistakes you can
| | 00:54 | imagine in my sales career.
I am here to help you avoid those mistakes.
| | 00:57 | So please join me for Sales Skills Fundamentals.
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| Understanding why people buy| 00:00 | There are many reasons why people buy things.
| | 00:03 | Consumers shop for luxury items to
fill emotional desires or to achieve a
| | 00:08 | perception of status. Others buy for
educational purposes, entertainment, or
| | 00:13 | actual need, as would be the case
with buying groceries, for example.
| | 00:18 | Salespeople often sell the sizzle
but not the steak, and this can lead to
| | 00:22 | disappointment and buyer's remorse.
| | 00:24 | Creating customer value and embracing
your customers' values will be the most
| | 00:29 | powerful drivers to selling.
| | 00:31 | Customers are willing to part with
hard-earned money for meaningful experiences.
| | 00:35 | You know that's why Disneyland,
despite the enormous price tag for entry,
| | 00:40 | continues to be completely
crowded year after year.
| | 00:44 | The most successful salesperson will create
the value desired by his or her customers.
| | 00:50 | From basic needs to total indulgence,
consumers buy for a variety of reasons.
| | 00:55 | It's critical for you to identify with
your customers and to focus on the reasons
| | 00:59 | that they buy from you.
| | 01:01 | You know, it's harder to sell fads
than to sell basic needs, and that said,
| | 01:05 | there's far more opportunity to sell
people something that they consume rather
| | 01:09 | than something that's acquired for
vanity, fun, or simply admiration,
| | 01:13 | meaning that you'll have more selling
moments pedaling coffee than offering
| | 01:17 | a collectible plate.
| | 01:18 | I'll explore the facets of buyer
purchasing habits and how to tap them.
| | 01:23 | This will also help you choose a career
that has stamina and will yield the low
| | 01:27 | hanging fruit that makes
it a career for a lifetime.
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| Defining the range of sales transactions| 00:00 | This course is decidedly broad
because I'll be sharing my experience in
| | 00:04 | the field of sales, and I am
tailoring this to fit virtually any career
| | 00:07 | that involves selling.
| | 00:09 | If you're already in a sales career, then I'll
be opening your eyes to different perspectives.
| | 00:15 | If you're new to the field, let's
first explore the different types of sales
| | 00:18 | activities and customers.
| | 00:20 | Business to business, or B2B, describes
sales between two businesses such as
| | 00:26 | between a manufacturer and a wholesaler.
| | 00:29 | Business to consumer, or B2C, defines a
transaction between a business and an individual.
| | 00:36 | Business to government, or B2G, refers to
sales from a business to a government agency.
| | 00:42 | In some instances you have
customer to business, or C2B, transactions.
| | 00:47 | Think of a person who goes to a
music store and sells their used music.
| | 00:52 | With the proliferation of eBay and
other online selling platforms, consumers
| | 00:57 | also sell directly to other
consumers once they no longer want an item.
| | 01:01 | In theory, this is a B2C transaction
hybrid, because the consumer is operating
| | 01:06 | an online business, but they rarely
have a business entity or a license and
| | 01:11 | they're just casually
selling in a virtual garage sale.
| | 01:14 | So I just refer to those sales as C2C.
| | 01:18 | Each type of business transaction
involves various emotional or actual needs.
| | 01:23 | For example, a B2C transaction can
involve emotional motivations when the
| | 01:28 | consumer is buying luxury
goods for personal enjoyment.
| | 01:31 | A vacation, a luxury watch, or a
diamond ring would be considered emotional
| | 01:36 | or prestige purchases.
| | 01:39 | In the business supply chain such
as B2B sales, often subcomponents for
| | 01:44 | manufacturing can be involved.
| | 01:46 | A manufacturer, or a distributor, sells
to a factory to assemble a product and
| | 01:51 | provides them with the raw materials.
| | 01:54 | There are opportunities to sell
at every stage in the process.
| | 01:57 | For example, a tire maker has to buy
raw rubber from plantations and add other
| | 02:03 | raw materials that they purchase in B2B
transactions before finishing a tire to
| | 02:08 | sell to a car maker.
| | 02:10 | Here you can imagine multiple B2B
transactions occurring in that supply chain
| | 02:15 | before that actual car is sold to the
end consumer and they drive off with
| | 02:18 | their brand-new car.
| | 02:19 | I find that B2C sales often
involve far more time and handholding than
| | 02:25 | sales to businesses.
| | 02:26 | Businesses have very specific needs
and purchasing agents are exceptionally
| | 02:31 | experienced with buying.
| | 02:33 | Consumers on the other hand tend to be
more skeptical, or emotional, when they
| | 02:37 | are purchasing items.
| | 02:38 | Depending on the career path you're
choosing, you'll want to be prepared to
| | 02:41 | explore and understand the different
types of sales and the best approach.
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| Defining the sales process| 00:01 | The essentials of a typical sales
process include at least eight stages.
| | 00:05 | These are the initial contact, which is
also known as prospecting. Planning out
| | 00:10 | the sale, which includes developing
your plans for presentation materials.
| | 00:14 | Approaching the prospect, which might
be by email, by phone, or in person.
| | 00:20 | assessing their needs by analyzing the
information you've acquired during the approach.
| | 00:23 | Making a presentation based
upon your collection of information about
| | 00:28 | their needs. Then listening to
objections and then responding to them without
| | 00:32 | sounding, or acting defensive. Then
commitment from the person who now becomes
| | 00:37 | the buyer, and finally, follow-up or
post-sales support, which also means an
| | 00:43 | emphasis on customer retention.
| | 00:45 | You know from the sellers' perspective,
having logical steps in the process
| | 00:49 | dramatically reduces the risk of
making critical mistakes with prospects.
| | 00:55 | You know it also defines the sales
cycle for new employees so that they aren't
| | 00:59 | reinventing the wheel.
| | 01:00 | If you're a small organization, collection
of money generally won't be a huge topic.
| | 01:05 | However, in larger companies, you may
also want to add the collection of funds
| | 01:09 | as a phase to the sales cycle.
Now keep in mind every sales process is unique.
| | 01:15 | The checklist for selling successfully
includes some judgment, so you may skip
| | 01:19 | steps if your prospect has expressed
an interest to buy immediately, but make
| | 01:24 | sure it's the right decision for that situation.
| | 01:27 | You know many green and eager
salespeople may skip over an important step such
| | 01:31 | as setting expectations with their buyers.
| | 01:34 | For example, if you buy a used
Ferrari, even if you can afford the basic
| | 01:38 | payments, you have to set aside a good
amount of money for insurance and for maintenance.
| | 01:44 | If you sell used Ferraris, it's
critical to tell your buyer this, because
| | 01:47 | they'll find out eventually anyway.
| | 01:50 | Part of successful selling
includes customer satisfaction, which leads
| | 01:54 | to referrals to you.
| | 01:55 | Any standardized sales process will take
some planning, and I'll be expanding on
| | 02:00 | each of these stages throughout this course.
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| Exploring common sales terminology| 00:01 | There are a few common sales terms
that are helpful to know if you just
| | 00:04 | started out in sales.
| | 00:06 | Many of these you may have already
heard, but even so it's worth a refresher.
| | 00:10 | Let's start with a little bit of history.
In the late 1800s, advertising pioneer E. St.
| | 00:15 | Elmo Lewis coined a legendary sales
acronym called AIDA, which was his
| | 00:20 | observation of the phases that a potential
buyer experiences before deciding to buy something.
| | 00:27 | The letters AIDA stand for Awareness,
which means being aware of the product in
| | 00:32 | question. I and D represent interest
and desire, which is something that a
| | 00:37 | salesperson can either create
through the art of selling, or it happens
| | 00:41 | naturally like when the iPhone first came out.
| | 00:44 | In other words, good products sell
themselves. And lastly Action, the move by
| | 00:49 | the person to buy the product.
Let's discuss some other terms as well.
| | 00:54 | Prospects are the individuals, or companies,
that you target to become potential buyers.
| | 01:00 | Cold calling means reaching out to
new and untested prospects with whom
| | 01:04 | you've never done business, this is quite
possibly the hardest facet of a career in sales.
| | 01:10 | A gatekeeper is a person who is
trained to keep the cold callers from being
| | 01:14 | connected with the decision-maker at a firm.
| | 01:17 | The unique selling proposition is a
perceived specific characteristic that makes
| | 01:22 | one product stand out ahead of its competition.
| | 01:26 | Then there are a couple of
things that we discussed earlier.
| | 01:28 | B2B means business to business, and
that means a company doing business with
| | 01:33 | another company such as a janitorial
service that cleans an office building.
| | 01:37 | B2C means a business selling to a
consumer, and let's not forget networking.
| | 01:43 | Networking is the marketing and sales
term that describes how you interact with
| | 01:47 | others in social situations.
| | 01:50 | They could be arbitrary or deliberately
stage selling opportunities with groups
| | 01:54 | of people, think Tupperware parties.
| | 01:57 | And one last term, CRM, which stands
for Customer Relationship Management.
| | 02:03 | That's a common process where existing
customers are managed in a high touch way
| | 02:08 | to keep good customers and not to lose them.
| | 02:11 | You'll hear a lot of other terms as you
get into the sales field, and many terms
| | 02:15 | will be unique to your industry or company.
| | 02:18 | One of the best things
you can do is ask questions.
| | 02:21 | If someone uses a phrase you don't know,
don't hesitate for a moment to ask them
| | 02:25 | well what does that mean.
| | 02:26 | This is how I've garnered most of
my knowledge in the field of sales.
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| Some key things to know about sales| 00:01 | The selling environment has changed
dramatically since I first entered the field
| | 00:04 | in 1986, for instance
customers are less accessible.
| | 00:10 | Technology such as email and
voicemail has contributed to the lack of
| | 00:13 | direct access to people.
| | 00:15 | During your career in sales, it's
likely that your field, the economy, or the
| | 00:20 | customers may change.
| | 00:21 | It's important to stay flexible.
Here are some things to consider.
| | 00:26 | The fundamentals of sales remain the
same even when the world around changes and
| | 00:31 | people still buy from people.
| | 00:34 | Relationships develop leads better
than any other form of lead generation.
| | 00:38 | Who you know is far greater of an
asset than simply your product or service.
| | 00:42 | Customers' value genuine personality
over fancy footwork. It's rewarding and
| | 00:48 | refreshing to customers to have
someone who's pitching, who's down to earth,
| | 00:52 | relaxed, and giving a consultation
rather than a heated fast-paced sales pitch.
| | 00:58 | With so many different vendors
pitching the same thing, you'll need to
| | 01:02 | differentiate yourself immediately and think
about what that means to you and your company.
| | 01:06 | Passion inspires customers and opens
checkbooks faster than just about anything else.
| | 01:13 | It's important to believe in what you're
selling, and when possible, sell by example.
| | 01:18 | If you're a user of the product you are
selling you'll get even more sales flowing.
| | 01:22 | Remember, you can only sell something
if you're sold on the product yourself.
| | 01:27 | Be clear and direct.
Being concise instills confidence in customers.
| | 01:32 | Take the time to listen to each customer,
because every relationship is entirely different.
| | 01:37 | Be prepared to be fluid and think
openly that each person requires different
| | 01:41 | handling and has unique needs.
| | 01:44 | Lastly, maintain
patience and humor in your work.
| | 01:47 | By maintaining a strong sense of
humor, patience will follow naturally.
| | 01:51 | You know I've found that when I present
products or services that are of value
| | 01:56 | to my customers and meet their needs in
tandem with applying the sales methods
| | 02:00 | I've discussed with you, it
greatly enhances my sales results.
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1. Onboarding in Your First Sales JobSome homework while you're training| 00:00 | While you're developing your career in sales
I'd like to encourage you to do some homework.
| | 00:05 | You may not initially see the value of
doing homework outside your job, after
| | 00:09 | all it's not paid work, and we're
mentally programmed to think that we should be
| | 00:13 | paid for any work that we do.
| | 00:16 | A great education cost a lot of money
and eventually leads to a higher paying
| | 00:19 | job, so think of homework as work
as a way to invest in your future.
| | 00:24 | The extra curricular work I'd like to
suggest includes reaching out to other
| | 00:28 | sales people in your field.
| | 00:30 | Most fields have plenty of opportunity
and another sales person will generally
| | 00:34 | be inclined to give you great advice.
| | 00:36 | You know, it's human nature to help and
people are essentially good everywhere.
| | 00:40 | Taking a business colleague to lunch,
especially a top sales person in your
| | 00:44 | field, will offer tremendous insights.
| | 00:47 | Garner tips through these social
networking opportunities and ask at least one
| | 00:51 | person out a week as a good
habit towards educating yourself.
| | 00:55 | Other suggestions include attending
conferences in your industry and networking
| | 00:59 | with people there too.
| | 01:01 | Immerse yourself in the
field and the people around you.
| | 01:04 | Finding birds of a feather will
help you fly to great new heights.
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| Working in a team| 00:01 | Respectful relationships are the
cornerstone to gaining success in Sales.
| | 00:05 | You'll find a myriad of personalities
in situations when working on a team
| | 00:09 | that can be challenging.
| | 00:11 | You'll come across all sorts of
complainers, credit stealers, and gossipy
| | 00:16 | people, as well as those who want you
to do their work for them and they aren't
| | 00:19 | even your supervisor.
| | 00:21 | With patience and strategy you can gain the
respect of others and rally support at work.
| | 00:27 | First of all, it's important to
pick your battles wisely, but don't let
| | 00:30 | co-workers walk all over you.
| | 00:33 | There's a fine line between standing
up for yourself and being a difficult
| | 00:36 | co-worker, here are some suggestions.
| | 00:39 | Have patience with people, no matter
how much you don't want to hear what
| | 00:42 | someone has to say, be a good listener
as long as it doesn't interfere with your
| | 00:46 | ability to complete your own tasks on time.
| | 00:49 | You'll discover valuable
information from co-workers in the process.
| | 00:53 | Don't get sucked into gossip,
but listen to those who share it.
| | 00:57 | That'll show that you care about them
without having to agree with what they're saying.
| | 01:01 | Stand up for yourself if someone takes
credit for your work or tries to give you
| | 01:05 | their work when they shouldn't.
| | 01:06 | However, do pitch in and
help when work demands it.
| | 01:10 | If you run across colleagues who
complain a lot about their job, or their
| | 01:13 | supervisor, make a point of changing
the subject when you hear them whining.
| | 01:17 | Be good about absorbing and
remembering important small details about those
| | 01:22 | who workaround you.
| | 01:23 | A birthday, the name of a spouse or a
child, a favorite sports team, or hobbies
| | 01:28 | will all be details that earn you
bonus points and bring you closer to your
| | 01:32 | co-workers and higher-ups.
| | 01:33 | Turn down inappropriate requests and
avoid jumping on the bandwagon with
| | 01:38 | counterproductive behaviors.
| | 01:40 | These actions will help raise morale
at work, demonstrate your strength as a
| | 01:44 | person, and will be recognized
by others as positive traits.
| | 01:49 | With a little patience, understanding,
and persistence you'll soon be rallying
| | 01:54 | strong support at work, and you'll
shine as a huge asset to your team.
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| Learning from your company's top stars| 00:00 | Almost every successful salesperson
I know can remember at least a few
| | 00:04 | different people in their life who
passed on their wisdom and contributed
| | 00:08 | significantly to their success.
| | 00:10 | A mentor will encourage you, show you
the pitfalls, and help you stay focused.
| | 00:15 | A sales mentor offers you a beautiful gift
by cutting the learning curve dramatically.
| | 00:20 | It's natural in any new work environment
to feel a little intimidated about
| | 00:24 | reaching out to others for help.
| | 00:26 | I'd like you to grab the wisdom of
those around you, especially the top earners
| | 00:30 | in your sales department, and if
you're working as the solo sales guru at a
| | 00:34 | company, and you don't have a potential
mentor there, reach out to other sales
| | 00:38 | experts for help in your industry.
| | 00:40 | You'll find that most top sales
people are willing to help mentor you.
| | 00:44 | And if you don't have any immediate
thoughts on how to meet these people, try
| | 00:47 | attending trade shows or joining
business associations in your industry.
| | 00:53 | Contact all of the sales people you
admire and write them an email or letter
| | 00:57 | asking for a mentoring relationship.
| | 00:59 | Be specific about your
desires, goals, and objectives.
| | 01:03 | As a protege, be careful to avoid
mentoring with anyone who's overly critical or
| | 01:08 | perhaps too busy to
really invest in your future.
| | 01:12 | Think of yourself as an apprentice,
it's important to surround yourself
| | 01:16 | with people who are more successful
than you and eventually you'll rise to
| | 01:21 | their level of success.
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| Building integrity| 00:01 | Everything in your life, from happiness
to your ability to earn money, is directly
| | 00:05 | affected by your ability to
win friends and influence others.
| | 00:09 | Integrity in your personal and
business life is the core of this.
| | 00:14 | Let's talk through some essentials.
Start with developing personal conversations.
| | 00:19 | Living behind email, or text messaging,
will definitely lower your social IQ.
| | 00:24 | To become a fantastic influencer,
you must engage people personally.
| | 00:30 | Meeting others requires that you
take care in your overall appearance.
| | 00:33 | Grooming and appearance sets the tone
for your interactions with other people.
| | 00:39 | If you're connecting with people
online, remember to create meaningful and
| | 00:43 | personal responses to their communications.
| | 00:46 | Think carefully before hitting the reply
to all in an email, and ponder even more
| | 00:50 | carefully what you'll
actually say in that reply.
| | 00:52 | When communicating no one wants to
simply listen to what's important to you,
| | 00:57 | focus on what's important to them too.
| | 01:00 | Here's the next one, from
morning to night, make a point of not
| | 01:03 | badmouthing anyone, or anything.
| | 01:06 | Successful people are optimists and avoid
talking down about others, even competitors.
| | 01:11 | So focus on what's great and engage in
flattery, everyone has their own special
| | 01:16 | gifts, and if there is something you'd
like to see differently, go ahead and
| | 01:19 | lead by example rather than
finding fault in other people.
| | 01:22 | I've got a few more pointers for you.
| | 01:25 | Avoid arguments, people are
attracted to situations and others when they
| | 01:29 | feel good about them.
| | 01:31 | Positive mood and positive conversations
will attract others to you like a fly to honey.
| | 01:37 | Detach from heavy emotions and anger
and avoid using the word no when possible.
| | 01:42 | Instead make another suggestion
rather than turning someone down.
| | 01:46 | Avoid arrogance because it creates
an instant barrier between people.
| | 01:50 | To gain ultimate love and
respect from others you must give it.
| | 01:53 | Modesty wins confidence,
greed destroys friendships.
| | 01:57 | Remember that great listening builds a
solid bridge, and it connects with others.
| | 02:01 | People want to be heard, so give them your
undivided attention during conversations.
| | 02:06 | I'll leave you with this, love is a
powerful tool, give unconditional acceptance
| | 02:12 | and love to others, and you'll gain their
confidence for life. Trust in yourself.
| | 02:16 | Have exceptional integrity and in no
time everyone around you will gravitate
| | 02:21 | towards you as a person with whom
they give their ultimate confidence.
| | 02:25 | This is how you'll find more
prospects and sell more everyday.
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2. Communication Skills in SalesSelling in everyday life| 00:00 | In the same way a professional athlete
trains for a game, get into a lifestyle
| | 00:05 | of thinking like a salesperson.
| | 00:07 | I know a company in San Francisco that
makes a point of hiring curious people.
| | 00:11 | A curious person is someone who
examines every situation and brings the facts
| | 00:16 | and fascinations of life into focus.
| | 00:18 | Then they absorb that information and
find a way to use knowledge and curious
| | 00:22 | anecdotes to entertain and engage others.
| | 00:26 | Seldom does this routine come naturally,
notice I said routine, and I did not say talent.
| | 00:32 | I never imagined I'd be a trainer and
a speaker, none of this came naturally.
| | 00:36 | I developed all these skills from
watching, and learning, from people that I admired.
| | 00:41 | For sure there are very talented people
who are natural born sellers, but even
| | 00:45 | the most naturally curious and
talented salesperson has become successful by
| | 00:51 | living, breathing, and absorbing
sales techniques in their everyday life.
| | 00:56 | Here is an exercise I'd like you to takeaway.
| | 00:58 | In the coming week wipe-away any
personal agendas that you might have in terms
| | 01:03 | of your interactions
with others, even strangers.
| | 01:07 | If you like coffee, and you find
yourself standing in line at your favorite
| | 01:10 | coffee spot tell the person in line
with you how much you really like the
| | 01:14 | cranberry scones or the caramel
mocha, no agenda just friendly banter.
| | 01:19 | Don't be completely random or you
might get a dirty or puzzled look, but work
| | 01:23 | on conveying your belief in the things
that you're doing and what's genuinely
| | 01:27 | of interest to you.
| | 01:28 | Don't do this to sell, work towards
developing relationships rather than
| | 01:32 | considering these sales interactions.
| | 01:35 | Think about what you love with
no other agenda but to share.
| | 01:38 | Here is a more difficult one, you've
got a person in your life who is always
| | 01:43 | complaining about something, and
this happened to me very recently.
| | 01:46 | I wasn't willing to absorb all the
negativity so rather than be annoyed,
| | 01:50 | frustrated, and angry I sold happiness.
| | 01:53 | Now rather than gloss over someone's
problems empathize and listen, but have
| | 01:58 | some voice of reason to improve the
situation. Make it your mission to turn it around.
| | 02:04 | People all around us are
subconsciously begging for hope, happiness, and a
| | 02:08 | smile in their lives. Find a way
to be the shining star in their day.
| | 02:13 | You know I recently went to a car wash
and while I was paying, the clerk made a
| | 02:17 | point of telling me that
I'm always happy and smiling.
| | 02:19 | I reminded her that there's no
guarantee of tomorrow, and that I'm
| | 02:22 | extremely grateful for today.
| | 02:24 | And out of the blue she gave me a
discount, kindness is contagious.
| | 02:29 | Everyday at home and at work start
being a leader in everything that you do,
| | 02:33 | be friendly and live life with
integrity and honor, and you'll find that
| | 02:36 | people will flock to you.
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| Sharpening your listening skills| 00:01 | Great listening skills are cultivated over time.
| | 00:04 | Creating moments to listen is a developed
art that's personal and possible for anyone.
| | 00:10 | At the end of this movie I would like
for you to tune into the world around you,
| | 00:14 | nature sounds, traffic noise, the
speaking of others, and make a point of doing
| | 00:19 | this on a daily basis.
| | 00:20 | Place yourself in public situations
where you can absorb the various sounds.
| | 00:25 | Try your favorite busy coffee shop, or
other local hangout, go alone and start
| | 00:30 | hearing what's being said.
| | 00:32 | Listen to how two or more people
interact and react with each other.
| | 00:36 | Creating opportunities to listen is
one of your homework assignments, try to
| | 00:40 | garner information from these
listening sessions that relates to selling.
| | 00:44 | Tune into anything that involves persuasion.
| | 00:48 | Identify moments in which someone
is trying to influence a situation.
| | 00:52 | When you're in line at the grocery absorb
every conversation that takes place around you.
| | 00:58 | Watch the customer
service skills of the checker.
| | 01:01 | Everywhere you go pay attention to
the conduct of others and what they say.
| | 01:04 | Now once you've collected all this great
information sit down with a good friend
| | 01:10 | and start a conversation where
you listen more than you talk.
| | 01:14 | Be a sponge and hear everything that
they say and then find moments to repeat
| | 01:18 | back what you've heard to
reinforce that you have been listening.
| | 01:22 | Make this assignment about being a great
ear to bend, be the person who is great
| | 01:27 | to talk to, and if the other person
has something great to say tell them so.
| | 01:31 | If they're venting about some current
tragedy be a good shoulder to lean on.
| | 01:36 | The point is to practice listening
while not talking over or interrupting other
| | 01:41 | people and letting them get their ideas across.
| | 01:43 | With a little practice your listening
skills will develop naturally and make you
| | 01:49 | a better communicator.
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| Developing clarity with others| 00:01 | When communicating with others, you
will experience a plethora of subtleties
| | 00:04 | that exist in the exchanges of thoughts
and conversation between you and them.
| | 00:09 | To create the highest level of
understanding, you want to learn the art of
| | 00:14 | clarifying during communication.
| | 00:16 | You know it's really hard to simply
listen to someone without simultaneously
| | 00:19 | starting to formulate the next
thing that you are going to say.
| | 00:23 | If you spend your time mentally
formulating your next response, you will have a
| | 00:27 | hard time staying focused on what
the other person is saying to you.
| | 00:30 | Let's talk about clarifying.
| | 00:32 | The starting point is
reducing information overload.
| | 00:36 | Rather than trying to absorb the
freeway of information, avoid multitasking.
| | 00:41 | Here is how you can stay clear in a
conversation that involves the exchange of communication.
| | 00:46 | Work on staying positive, avoid being
critical of what you're hearing--that's a
| | 00:51 | hard one--but that'll immediately make
your mind available for the information
| | 00:54 | that you're receiving.
| | 00:56 | Don't accept that what you hear is
gospel, but take it in and have a positive
| | 01:00 | attitude about the other person's point of view.
| | 01:02 | This opens up your mind, and it really
opens it up to what you're hearing and
| | 01:07 | what the other person has to say.
| | 01:09 | Avoid any external distractions, and
you know turning off a cell phone during
| | 01:13 | an important sales meeting really helps me to
stay away from all those external distractions.
| | 01:18 | The most successful people, that I know,
put their phones aside and completely
| | 01:22 | focus when in sales meetings.
| | 01:25 | Quite your inner commentary and
stay laser focused on the speaker.
| | 01:29 | Put your own concerns in a mental box
and close that box, then perceive their
| | 01:34 | visual cues, including eye,
body, and hand motions.
| | 01:37 | If the speaker is lacking clarity,
be bold enough to step in and politely
| | 01:41 | ask them to rephrase what they have
said or if they're getting off-topic,
| | 01:45 | remind them what you'd like to know without
sounding disinterested in what they were saying.
| | 01:50 | Some people like to get right to the
point, but other people like to talk
| | 01:53 | socially when doing business, so stay flexible.
| | 01:56 | Many big deals are closed over social
activities such as fishing, golf, bowling,
| | 02:00 | or even having a cocktail together.
| | 02:04 | Clarifying your understanding of the
other person can include indulging in long
| | 02:07 | tangents of unrelated social exchanges
that bond you together and help you to
| | 02:12 | form a strong friendship.
| | 02:14 | You know most people would rather
buy from someone that they know well.
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| Getting your point across| 00:01 | I'm not a fan of bad news,
but I'd rather hear it quickly.
| | 00:04 | Trust is strongest with two people
when communication is rapid and honest.
| | 00:09 | When giving a seminar, a sales pitch, or
communicating in general, you are most
| | 00:14 | effective when you can be concise.
| | 00:16 | The last thing you want someone to
think is, what's your point? Or you seem
| | 00:20 | all over the place.
| | 00:22 | Clearly identifying your objectives and maintaining
focus on them is crucial to great communication.
| | 00:27 | Here is something you might wish to try.
| | 00:30 | Videotape yourself giving a
presentation and then watch it.
| | 00:34 | Look for opportunities for
improvement in your delivery and clarity.
| | 00:38 | Off topic elements, such as anecdotes, may be
a nervous habit, but they should be avoided.
| | 00:44 | Unless your prospect is showing a
desire to have a lengthy conversation, get to
| | 00:48 | the point as quickly as possible.
Think of time as a precious resource.
| | 00:53 | However, someone who does not like to
be rushed, should never feel like you
| | 00:57 | don't have enough time to share with them.
| | 00:59 | Great speakers inspire action and
poor speakers lose the audience.
| | 01:04 | Much of what I have learned
was from trial and error.
| | 01:07 | Keep presentation materials,
PowerPoints, or handouts at a very high level.
| | 01:12 | The goal is not to close a customer
with charts and concepts, rather vow
| | 01:16 | people with visuals.
| | 01:18 | A beautiful photo of the product is
more compelling than a sales graft.
| | 01:22 | Inject a little humor where appropriate
and practice with safe people close to you.
| | 01:26 | You know regardless of audience
size, gage reactions in their eyes to
| | 01:30 | determine how you're doing.
| | 01:32 | Limit your takeaway to the top five or
less value propositions because too many
| | 01:36 | sales points will dilute the message.
| | 01:39 | Know your top value proposition
so that you can hook folks on what
| | 01:42 | really matters to them.
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| Sales presentation essentials| 00:00 | Whether you are pitching someone by
phone, face to face, giving a webinar, or
| | 00:05 | talking to a large group, developing a
superb presentation involves core skills.
| | 00:12 | There are definite steps to tantalizing
and crafting the perfect presentation.
| | 00:17 | Start with the most basic, which is to
fully immerse yourself in the product or
| | 00:21 | service you are offering.
| | 00:22 | Ask yourself a very important set
of questions right here, and now.
| | 00:27 | Have you tried your own product?
Are you really convinced about how great it is?
| | 00:31 | Can you describe it?
| | 00:33 | In order to be completely committed to
what you're doing, you need to walk the
| | 00:37 | walk and talk the talk, be a
customer, not just a seller.
| | 00:40 | Commitment to what you're selling involves
a commitment to being authentic and genuine.
| | 00:46 | Become completely
knowledgeable about what you're doing.
| | 00:49 | Once you've laid the groundwork for
presentation skills, work out the pitch.
| | 00:54 | If you're giving a PowerPoint
presentation, the approach will be a bit more
| | 00:57 | structured than if you're
making a telephone call.
| | 01:01 | Every situation will differ, but the
concepts for your presentation will remain the same.
| | 01:07 | You'll start with an introduction, that
means an introduction of yourself, your
| | 01:10 | company, and what product
or service you are pitching.
| | 01:14 | Most folks get pretty bored by
graphs and charts and long explanations.
| | 01:18 | Audiences, whether one person or
stadium-full, want to be entertained,
| | 01:23 | tantalized, and thrilled.
Think of the presentation like a sandwich.
| | 01:28 | You will have a nice soft piece of
bread on the top and bottom and the meat
| | 01:31 | will be in the middle.
| | 01:33 | So start soft, give some good
introductory facts about your firm and product,
| | 01:38 | then put the meat in the middle, and get
to the most important piece of all, which
| | 01:42 | is your value proposition.
| | 01:44 | Your value proposition is what
differentiates your product from the competition.
| | 01:48 | And at the end of that, you should
have the close, which should also be soft.
| | 01:53 | Be direct about what makes your
product the best in the business.
| | 01:56 | In your presentation, show photos of
actual customers with your product.
| | 02:01 | If you're selling trips to Hawaii,
then photos of gorgeous clear water and
| | 02:05 | sunny beaches, happy travelers with huge smiles,
and lots of visuals will really seal the deal.
| | 02:12 | The point is make it sizzle.
| | 02:15 | Establish your message, then solicit
feedback, gauge your audience with questions,
| | 02:20 | and then listen carefully,
then establish demand.
| | 02:24 | It's easier for people to sell
themselves than for you to sell them.
| | 02:28 | Plant the seeds of desire
without pushing too hard.
| | 02:31 | If you've ever been to an Apple Store,
you'll notice that the largest emphasis
| | 02:35 | is on giving customers a hands-on
experience with the product.
| | 02:39 | Because they allow their customers to
play with the product, it's no surprise
| | 02:43 | that Apple is such a wildly successful company.
| | 02:46 | When you're pitching a large group, at
the end of the presentation have a way
| | 02:51 | for your audience to come and
interact with or use your product.
| | 02:56 | At the end of any super
presentation, ask for the sale.
| | 03:00 | Do so without sounding pushy or
desperate, ask your audience to give serious
| | 03:04 | consideration to taking the next step.
| | 03:07 | So to recap, the key points I have
reviewed with you can be summarized in this way.
| | 03:12 | Immersion into the product or service,
focus on knowledge and specifics, work
| | 03:18 | on the sandwich which is the
introduction, the meat, and the close, create
| | 03:23 | demand with customer and product
interaction, ask for the sale while being
| | 03:28 | friendly and honest.
| | 03:29 | Practice with friends, family, and
colleagues on are your sales pitches,
| | 03:33 | get their feedback.
| | 03:34 | Practice makes perfect and practicing
with people you know will help you develop
| | 03:38 | great presentation skills.
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| Exploring protocols for email and written communications| 00:01 | Email is a terrific, fast, and free way
to send messages, but it's not the best
| | 00:05 | way to convey emotions because
they can be easily misinterpreted.
| | 00:09 | While phone calling, and face time
can take longer to get information to
| | 00:13 | others, they spread your words in a manner
that fosters sincerity and conveys personality.
| | 00:19 | Having loads of personality in email is truly
possible, but requires skill and experience.
| | 00:26 | Here are some things to
consider with emailing and preparing
| | 00:28 | written correspondence.
| | 00:30 | One, avoid making claims, or promises,
without first doing some homework to ensure
| | 00:36 | that what you're stating is accurate.
| | 00:38 | Two, realize that it's better to turn
down a request rather than lie about
| | 00:43 | something you're discussing.
| | 00:44 | Honesty is the best policy at
every level even on small things.
| | 00:48 | Three, be responsive to emails rather than
simply sending a reply that has no substance.
| | 00:55 | Respond with an answer or
the information requested.
| | 00:58 | Interim updates, unless requested,
don't serve any real purpose.
| | 01:03 | Answer emails in a thoughtful manner
while being concise and to the point.
| | 01:07 | Four, be transparent, people appreciate candor.
| | 01:12 | Address the hard subjects even
when they make you feel uncomfortable.
| | 01:16 | Five, think hard before you hit Reply to All.
| | 01:20 | Unless you've been specifically told to
do so, it's best to respect other's time
| | 01:25 | and only include recipients when
the email is of interest to everyone.
| | 01:29 | Send correspondence only to
individuals who really want and need it.
| | 01:35 | Six, always add a greeting to
correspondents such as, Hi Jane, for an email, and
| | 01:40 | the more formal, Dear John, for letters.
| | 01:44 | Close with a thanks, for an email, and
sincerely plus your name and title, for letters.
| | 01:50 | In your corporate email, be sure that
your signature contains your name, your
| | 01:55 | title, company, and contact information.
| | 01:58 | Seven, maintain a polite professional
tone and never use any form of profanity,
| | 02:04 | you never know who might be sensitive to it.
Eight, know your audience.
| | 02:09 | The level of formality really depends on the
relationship you have with the other person.
| | 02:14 | I would lean towards a slightly more
formal, yet not stuffy tone, with anyone you
| | 02:19 | have just met or when you're
just starting to get to know them.
| | 02:22 | And nine, if you're writing a physical
letter to someone, take the time to look
| | 02:28 | at sample letters online, there
are many examples of how to format
| | 02:31 | correspondents, and you
want to look professional.
| | 02:35 | A few quick suggestions on formatting
include avoiding attachments when you can
| | 02:40 | just copy and paste
content directly into the email.
| | 02:44 | Reduce the file size of
images when sending attachments.
| | 02:47 | Avoid sending email at late or early
hours because some people actually receive
| | 02:53 | a notification on their
phone when an email arrives.
| | 02:57 | Stay away from things like ASAP, Urgent,
Important, and similar types of action
| | 03:03 | words that really get tedious quickly.
| | 03:07 | Lastly, take the time to proofread your
email before you hit the Send button, or
| | 03:12 | your letter before
sealing it up in the envelope.
| | 03:15 | You'll shine brightly in the eyes of
others when they correspond with you.
| | 03:19 | For more ideas on email formatting,
check out our other courses on email in the
| | 03:24 | online training library.
| | 03:26 | And did I forget to mention,
always use Spell Check.
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| Keeping good notes| 00:01 | Knowledge really is power, and I can
assure you that I don't have the strongest
| | 00:05 | memory in the world,
notes serve as my memory bank.
| | 00:09 | I keep notes in a variety of ways, but
the most important thing is I keep notes.
| | 00:15 | Sometimes the most trivial information
can land you a new friendship, a business
| | 00:19 | relationship, and a lifetime customer.
| | 00:22 | It's important to retain customer
information, such as needs and wants, but also
| | 00:27 | little bits of trivia information
are just as important, such as special
| | 00:32 | occasions and birthdays.
| | 00:34 | It would really be nice to remember your
special customers on days that matter to them.
| | 00:38 | I'm currently using Salesforce
Customer Relationship Management software
| | 00:44 | to manage the long list of details
about the thousands of people I touch
| | 00:48 | base within a year.
| | 00:50 | It's really impossible to track so
much information without computers.
| | 00:54 | Google Calendar has proven to be a
handy, and free tool, for me in keeping up
| | 00:58 | with reminders. And Salesforce allows me to
track the dates and times I've spoken to clients.
| | 01:05 | If you find yourself a little
overwhelmed by technology, it's okay, use a
| | 01:09 | notebook and keep handwritten notes.
| | 01:11 | Files also help, and you can never be
too detailed about your note taking.
| | 01:16 | I believe that these great well-kept
notes will result in closing more deals.
| | 01:21 | Jot down important tidbits at
meetings and transfer the paper notes to
| | 01:25 | your computer later.
| | 01:26 | Be diligent about it, and it
could really pay off for you.
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|
|
3. Prospecting and QualifyingDefining your audience| 00:00 | How intimately are you in tune with your buyers?
| | 00:03 | This is a pretty crucial question you
will be asking yourself when defining your
| | 00:07 | audience as a super salesperson.
| | 00:10 | In today's Internet-dependent world, I'd
like you to be sure that you get out of
| | 00:15 | the office, or your home, and put
yourself in the shoes of your buyers.
| | 00:18 | Do you speak directly to
customers in all of your communication?
| | 00:21 | Sales processes that define the
buyer persona are bound for success.
| | 00:26 | Be tuned into what your
buyers want and their needs.
| | 00:30 | The term buyer persona is the buyer
who purchases from you as viewed from the
| | 00:34 | personal habits, desires, and expectations.
Personas define who we are.
| | 00:39 | Have a core message for what you're
selling, then develop that message until it
| | 00:45 | converts leads to buyers.
| | 00:47 | With broad product offerings segment
leads into distinct audiences and make
| | 00:52 | marketing messages relevant to them.
Sales revolves around a conversation.
| | 00:58 | That's one of the reasons that social
media marketing has spread like wildfire.
| | 01:01 | Here are five things you should always
consider when defining your audience.
| | 01:06 | Number one, every buyer fits into a persona.
| | 01:10 | It's critical you ask if your product
appeals to a buyer's desire, pride, need,
| | 01:15 | status, or habit. Target buyer's
personas in more than one area.
| | 01:20 | Two, define your message to fit the
persona that's accurate for what you're selling.
| | 01:26 | Keep refining that message over time with
the input of your customers and your team.
| | 01:31 | Three, inspect what you expect.
| | 01:35 | If you manage others on a sales team,
check in with both your team and their
| | 01:39 | customers to ensure expectations are being met.
Four, develop and stick to a tone and style.
| | 01:47 | Customers will respond differently
to different styles and personalities.
| | 01:51 | Develop your own style that fits not
only what comes naturally to you, but also
| | 01:55 | results in a good response from your customers.
| | 01:59 | And five, feedback is payback, ask
for and keep track of customer feedback.
| | 02:05 | Unhappy customers will generally
keep their opinions to themselves.
| | 02:09 | That's not always the case, but it's
human nature to avoid a confrontation.
| | 02:14 | Customer feedback improves
your future service to customers.
| | 02:17 | Defining your audience is the process
of starting a conversation much like
| | 02:23 | moving to a new town and making new friends.
| | 02:26 | You're exploring and getting to know
your audience one person at a time.
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| Making effective cold calls| 00:00 | I've explained the benefits of being
directly to the point, when applied to
| | 00:04 | cold calling, you'll find it a powerful ally
in getting sales appointments and closing deals.
| | 00:10 | Cold calling is an
essential lead generation tool.
| | 00:14 | Many executives frown on it, but the
most successful and wealthiest individuals
| | 00:18 | I know, all do phone
prospecting in some form or another.
| | 00:23 | At its best, it's an
extreme sport that means a sale.
| | 00:27 | The worst outcome isn't bad at all
because you're getting some free publicity
| | 00:30 | and getting your name out at the same time.
A cold call generates value for your business.
| | 00:37 | Approaching a cold call requires a
few things that will carry you into
| | 00:41 | a positive outcome.
| | 00:42 | Start out by understanding the
value of other people's time.
| | 00:46 | A prospect is a decision-maker and
a decision-maker is a busy person.
| | 00:52 | When you're handling gatekeepers, don't
presume the receptionist is powerless.
| | 00:56 | Most gatekeepers will appreciate
hearing about what you're offering if you
| | 01:00 | treat them respectfully.
| | 01:02 | Develop a sense of timing and know
when it's okay to give up on a sales
| | 01:06 | prospect, move on if the gatekeeper is
making it impossible to reach the buyer.
| | 01:11 | Make a lot of calls, but to the right people.
Lead quality is important.
| | 01:16 | Sourcing good leads comes from networking.
| | 01:20 | The most effective pitches are
interactive and conversational.
| | 01:23 | Sales pitches are nonlinear, so be flexible.
| | 01:28 | Knowledge is power, so prior to
calling a prospect, review their website and
| | 01:32 | understand their firm and management.
| | 01:35 | Focus on goals when calling.
| | 01:37 | Cold calling secures the
opportunity to make a sale.
| | 01:41 | Be sure to leave voicemail
messages to ask for a callback.
| | 01:44 | A voicemail gets your
company name in the buyer's ear.
| | 01:48 | Follow-up is also important provided that the
call frequency is reasonable, not annoying.
| | 01:53 | I will leave you with my three Ps,
which are, be proactive in your calling,
| | 01:58 | always be polite no matter what the
outcome of your call, and exhibit tremendous
| | 02:03 | patience when doing cold calling.
| | 02:06 | You'll find that the three Ps will
result in the fourth P, which is payoff.
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| Turning prospects into customers| 00:00 | There are an infinite number of
ways that any sales process can occur.
| | 00:05 | A sales opportunity involves an initial contact,
prospecting, planning, pitching, and then qualification.
| | 00:13 | The sales process involves a large
number of prospects that dwindle down to a
| | 00:17 | smaller number of actual purchases.
| | 00:21 | I'd like you to consider that every
company develops their own sales process
| | 00:24 | through time and through experience.
| | 00:27 | The key is to turn
prospects into buying customers.
| | 00:31 | There's a transition point when a
prospect turns into a presentation and then
| | 00:35 | follows through to proposal,
negotiation, and then closing.
| | 00:39 | When a Girl Scout comes to your door
and asks if you want to buy some delicious
| | 00:43 | cookies, she's making a cold call.
| | 00:46 | In about five short minutes, you've
gone from a prospect to a sale and handed
| | 00:51 | over some cash and filled out an order form.
| | 00:54 | You'll be assessing your leads and
making decisions when to start presenting
| | 00:58 | or asking for a deal.
| | 00:59 | The complexity of that process
will depend upon your offering.
| | 01:04 | Selling a Gulfstream jet, for example,
involves a pretty small number of sales
| | 01:08 | calls since most buyers know what they want.
| | 01:11 | They just want to talk it over with you and
discuss things like pricing, financing, and terms.
| | 01:17 | Selling real estate, on the other hand,
involves more steps, since a permanent home
| | 01:21 | is a really personal decision.
| | 01:24 | There are lots of showings and offers,
and you need to plan for the folks who
| | 01:27 | really aren't capable of
buying what you are selling as well.
| | 01:31 | The way to make the smooth transition
from prospecting to selling is experience.
| | 01:35 | There is no substitute for it.
| | 01:37 | And you will want to partner with
others in your field who have the experience
| | 01:42 | to turn prospects into sales.
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| Understanding the power of referrals| 00:00 | Here is something that seems obvious but is
often not acted upon: asking people for referrals.
| | 00:07 | Never underestimate the power of friendships.
| | 00:11 | LinkedIn popularized the concept of
introduction marketing and capitalized on it.
| | 00:16 | Referral marketing is explosive, it involves
fewer cold calls and focuses on circles of influence.
| | 00:24 | Before asking for a referral, set some
goals, be sure you give and receive.
| | 00:29 | I maintain a list of the most
talented people in many fields and keep their
| | 00:33 | business contact information
current so that I can refer them.
| | 00:38 | When anyone I know is seeking a
referral, I'm armed with the resource.
| | 00:42 | I then feel equally good asking for a referral.
| | 00:45 | Be sure you reward referrals with at
minimum a thank you card, or you might
| | 00:50 | consider sending some home
baked cookies or a token gift.
| | 00:54 | You'll find that referral
business turns into paying business.
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|
|
4. Completing the Sales CycleExploring techniques for setting up appointments by phone and in person| 00:00 | Setting up appointments seems pretty
straightforward, yet I find that indecision
| | 00:04 | stops most sales people from
getting really big leads to close.
| | 00:09 | The top reason that sales people
fall flat is a lack of qualified leads.
| | 00:14 | Learning to set up appointments effectively for
maximum success is part of your sales career.
| | 00:19 | A personal appointment is preferred
over a phone call, so asking a gate keeper,
| | 00:25 | a secretary, or an assistant for an
appointment is a sales job all by itself.
| | 00:30 | You're selling an appointment to
sell the product. Don't try and sell the
| | 00:34 | product, leave curiosity on the table.
| | 00:37 | I've discovered that almost anyone
will give you a meeting out of curiosity.
| | 00:41 | Approach your prospect with a relaxed, non-
pitched attitude. You're asking for a meeting.
| | 00:47 | Rather than starting with your value
propositions over the phone before you meet
| | 00:51 | someone, work towards getting in the room.
| | 00:54 | Once you get the meeting, don't
forget to be on time, because when you are,
| | 00:58 | you've already created a great first impression.
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| Defining needs and creating value| 00:00 | Whenever you give generously, it's human
nature for the other person to return the favor.
| | 00:06 | Experienced business people are more
likely to reward great customer service
| | 00:10 | with repeat business.
And repeat business means more dollars, right?
| | 00:15 | Filling the real and perceived needs of
your customers creates value with your buyers.
| | 00:19 | Break free of any preconceived notions that you
have about giving and receiving relationships.
| | 00:24 | Outstanding customer service and a positive
attitude helps fulfill your customers' needs.
| | 00:30 | Interacting with your customers and
getting their feedback will help you improve
| | 00:35 | your service to them.
| | 00:36 | Measuring success should be thought of in
terms of satisfaction in a relationship.
| | 00:41 | Imagine a customer coming to you with
a whole year's worth of comments and
| | 00:45 | complaints about your product or service.
It would be overwhelming.
| | 00:50 | Giving outstanding customer service
provides ongoing and constant feedback.
| | 00:56 | Stay in the loop so
you're not getting broadsided.
| | 00:59 | This also means providing
opportunities for face time.
| | 01:03 | It's best to stay positive toward your
customers and when speaking about your competitors.
| | 01:09 | Focus on resolving customer needs
and repeat business should follow.
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| Clarifying roles, timing, budget, and decision making| 00:00 | Sales involves multiple
decisions on the part of a buyer.
| | 00:04 | Buyers are also influenced by
spouses, family, and business associates.
| | 00:08 | People are very social, and
buying involves social interactions.
| | 00:13 | Officers of a corporation or a partner
in a legal partnership will generally
| | 00:17 | have an approval process.
| | 00:19 | It's important to get clarity on roles,
timing, budget, and decision-making.
| | 00:24 | Dealing with companies, you may hear
terms like global sourcing, purchasing
| | 00:28 | department, or possibly purchase order.
| | 00:31 | These terms generally mean there's a formal
purchasing procedure that you must follow.
| | 00:36 | Bigger companies have more
formal procedures than smaller firms.
| | 00:40 | It's wise to determine the buyer's
authority level and ask them if there will be
| | 00:44 | other people involved in approving a purchase.
| | 00:47 | In business to consumer sales, a
prospect may wish to discuss the purchase with
| | 00:51 | their family before buying.
| | 00:53 | Be respectful and don't apply any
pressure when they've expressed this to you.
| | 00:58 | When you're selling quality,
you don't need to sell it hard.
| | 01:01 | People also generally
appreciate up-front and clear pricing.
| | 01:05 | In order for someone to budget for the
cost of something, they need to plan for it.
| | 01:09 | For larger ticket items, consider
having a payment plan or a financing company
| | 01:13 | such as a bank who's
willing to partner with you.
| | 01:17 | Clarifying roles, timing, and budget
will make for a very comfortable sales
| | 01:21 | process for both you and your buyers.
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| Asking for and getting the sale| 00:00 | Even with the best product, a sales person
must ask for the sale in order to receive it.
| | 00:07 | You know, customers value and respect a
person who has confidence in the product
| | 00:10 | that they are selling, someone who
cares if they buy it and who has the
| | 00:14 | expertise and knowledge in what they're doing.
| | 00:16 | Buyers are sophisticated. They know a
pitch when they hear one, and they will
| | 00:20 | expect you to try for a close.
| | 00:22 | Asking for the sale is the logical
thing to do once you've made a presentation.
| | 00:26 | At a personal note, I rarely buy from someone
who doesn't come right out and ask for the sale.
| | 00:31 | Being direct is a sign of
confidence and professionalism.
| | 00:35 | It gains the respect of your customers.
| | 00:37 | You're telling the buyer that you have
what they need, you'd like them to make a
| | 00:41 | decision, and you are confident
it will be the correct one for them.
| | 00:45 | If a prospect says no to buying
from you, then move on politely.
| | 00:48 | But if they do ask you to follow up,
continue to do so, and there's a good
| | 00:53 | chance you will earn that sale.
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|
|
5. Measuring and Assessing Your ProgressSetting realistic targets and achieving them| 00:00 | Companies use sales targets as a way to
help their staff meet an established quota.
| | 00:05 | Individual goals and objectives in
life will help you achieve satisfaction
| | 00:09 | in what you're doing.
| | 00:10 | The things that matter to you
will help you set those goals.
| | 00:14 | You certainly don't have to win every
time you do something, and having realistic
| | 00:18 | expectations will foster emotional success.
| | 00:22 | People who are happy don't always
get everything they want, and unreachable
| | 00:26 | goals definitely will hurt you as a person.
| | 00:29 | If you're constantly worried about
someone else's sales, then you will
| | 00:32 | lose sight of your own.
| | 00:33 | Personal and business satisfaction comes from
setting realistic goals and achieving them.
| | 00:39 | Stick to what you've been able to
achieve rather than dreaming of loftier
| | 00:43 | goals that you can't.
Work towards refining everything that you do.
| | 00:47 | Grab a notebook and write down the
five biggest sales you've ever made.
| | 00:51 | Write down everything that went right
with them and every place that you feel
| | 00:55 | there was room for improvement.
| | 00:56 | You can use this as a guide in the
future for reviewing and closing your leads.
| | 01:01 | Now, look at your sales cycle and establish how
many leads or customers are in various phases.
| | 01:06 | Shed all the stored leads within a
reasonable period of time to free you up to
| | 01:11 | focus on the ones are more likely to close.
| | 01:13 | Keep great notes on your progress in all
facets of the sales cycle and develop a
| | 01:18 | routine that will step forward for targets.
| | 01:21 | Don't reach for the stars, you know?
Start with something down to earth and work
| | 01:25 | to improve what you did yesterday.
| | 01:27 | You'll get a rhythm about you and soon
you will be setting targets that are not
| | 01:30 | only reachable but
completely sustainable over time.
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| Understanding team quotas and dynamics| 00:00 | Highly successful teams have
reachable goals and a cohesive team dynamic.
| | 00:06 | A team is motivated when
managers set reachable goals.
| | 00:10 | A sales team's highest potential is
reached when there are clear, reasonable, and
| | 00:14 | established parameters for developing quotas.
| | 00:18 | Managers may use historical sales
and trends to predict future returns.
| | 00:22 | Many industries use national standards
by comparing their performance against
| | 00:26 | other companies in the same industry.
| | 00:28 | There are always
variables that may affect sales.
| | 00:32 | These include the economy and if
your industry is growing or slowing.
| | 00:36 | I'd like you to consider that
experienced sales people have a larger number of
| | 00:40 | established business contacts and
are very likely to be able to tap this
| | 00:44 | pipeline of leads more
readily than a newbie to the team.
| | 00:48 | Don't be discouraged by this.
This is part of the sales team dynamic.
| | 00:52 | Create an action plan to ensure that
you establish value within your company.
| | 00:57 | Meet with co-workers on a regular
basis to share ideas for improvement.
| | 01:01 | Share ideas with them on ways to
reach team quotas and improve your sales.
| | 01:06 | With the support of your team, you will
acquire their collective knowledge, and
| | 01:10 | this is likely to help you reach
your top potential in much less time.
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| Exploring sample record keeping and lead retention systems| 00:00 | It's valuable to measure
what you make in any business.
| | 00:04 | I encourage you to keep a set of
records for your future reference.
| | 00:07 | Keeping records is an investment, and
the use of those records creates value.
| | 00:12 | Records identify trends, provide control
over leads, business activities, and finances.
| | 00:18 | It's always good to track money owed to
you as a salesperson and to your company.
| | 00:22 | Here are a couple of sample systems that I
have deployed successfully in my business.
| | 00:28 | Here is a sample card system that has
client contact information at the top.
| | 00:32 | The prospect's name, contact person, and
company info are at the very top of the form.
| | 00:38 | Then you see details of
phone calls that have been made.
| | 00:41 | If a sale was made, then the
dollar amount of the sale is recorded.
| | 00:44 | Tracking payments helps you
reconcile your commissions.
| | 00:48 | Companies are now turning to cloud
solutions that host sales records online in a
| | 00:52 | very reliable and accessible way.
| | 00:54 | These systems, called customer
relationship management software--also known as CRM
| | 00:59 | for short--offer efficient data retrieval.
| | 01:03 | Cloud solutions decrease
IT and record keeping costs.
| | 01:06 | CRM also provides higher customer attention,
improved planning, and increased profitability.
| | 01:13 | You can access cloud data from
anywhere and share with others securely.
| | 01:17 | Traveling salespeople depend on CRM to
help manage their entire sales cycle,
| | 01:22 | having it cloud-based makes it more accessible.
| | 01:25 | Use Wikipedia to find latest CRM
services and the comparison of their features.
| | 01:30 | Great record keeping will prepare you to analyze
results and manage future business decisions effectively.
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| Acting on your metrics| 00:00 | With a great set of records, you'll be
able to quickly act on the information
| | 00:05 | you're keeping on customers and sales.
Following up with customers is fundamental.
| | 00:11 | This is how you get sales
opportunities, but the metrics on your activities
| | 00:15 | helps you to fully understand
more than just sales volume.
| | 00:17 | Here is some of the information
you can collect as a salesperson.
| | 00:21 | These areas include reviewing lead volume.
| | 00:24 | Whether from a website or buying
qualified leads from an outside source, do
| | 00:29 | careful testing of the leads that you acquire.
| | 00:32 | Once you find out which leads are
turning into sales, then turn up the heat on
| | 00:36 | buying or acquiring more of those leads.
Buying the best leads possible might be expensive.
| | 00:42 | If you have to pay more for leads, but they
turn a profit, then the money is well spent.
| | 00:47 | A cheap lead that never
becomes a sale is false economy.
| | 00:51 | This is called lead value and is
interrelated with customer lifetime value and retention.
| | 00:56 | Conversion is the percentage of
your leads that turn into sales.
| | 01:00 | You can track this with good record keeping.
| | 01:03 | Keep notes that allow you to measure what you
make in the context of your sales activities.
| | 01:08 | Conversion rates and the cost of leads
should be tracked separately for each channel.
| | 01:12 | If you make a sale from a newspaper ad, track
those sales separately from website sales.
| | 01:18 | It may seem tedious to do at first, but
once you see the source of good sales,
| | 01:22 | you can beef up your efforts there.
| | 01:24 | Referrals should be tracked as their
own channels, so be sure to write down the
| | 01:28 | person who referred you and track
any customers that they have given you.
| | 01:32 | You can thing that person and track
how many new customers come from them.
| | 01:36 | Start to evaluate the
average account revenue over time.
| | 01:39 | It's far less expensive to retain a good
customer than it is to acquire new customers.
| | 01:45 | Do it through excellent
customer service and product quality.
| | 01:48 | Set aside time and resources to thank the
current customers who regularly buy from you.
| | 01:54 | Customer lifetime value is the overall
sales you can expect to receive from any
| | 01:58 | one customer over time.
| | 02:00 | You can use the customer's
lifetime sales value as a way to budget.
| | 02:04 | You'll find measurement of your progress and good
tracking of those results motivates you.
| | 02:09 | The goal is to follow up with existing
leads and get them converted into sales.
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|
|
6. Let's PracticeA sample face-to-face sales exchange for consumer sales| 00:01 | We've discussed the building blocks
of face-to-face sales, which include
| | 00:04 | prospecting, introduction, determining
the needs of your buyer, discussing the
| | 00:09 | value proposition, a
proposal, and then the close.
| | 00:14 | Make sure that what you're
offering is affordable to your buyer.
| | 00:16 | I am going to work with my good
friend Lance to demonstrate my take on a
| | 00:20 | face-to-face business to consumer experience.
| | 00:24 | We'll pretend that I work for an electronics
store and he's coming in to buy a cell phone.
| | 00:29 | In this case I'll be skipping the
prospecting phase because the consumer is
| | 00:33 | already walking into the
store ready to buy something.
| | 00:36 | This is completely unscripted. I have
no idea what Lance is going to say, and
| | 00:41 | I'm fully prepared for anything at this point.
Let's see how it goes.
| | 00:45 | Come on up here Lance.
| | 00:48 | (Lance: Hi, how you are doing?)
I'm good. Hi, how are you doing?
| | 00:50 | (Lance: Good, thank you.)
My name is Christopher, how can I help you?
| | 00:54 | (Lance: I'm interested in purchasing a new
phone. My phone is a little outdated, and I'd
| | 00:58 | like to check out some of
smart phones that are available.)
| | 01:01 | Oh, great. So can I ask you a couple of questions?
The first one being, have you got a phone right now?
| | 01:07 | (Lance: Yes, it's a flip phone, though.
It's pretty old.)
| | 01:09 | So with this flip phone, do you mostly just
make phone calls, or does it do other things?
| | 01:14 | (Lance: It doesn't do much else. I think it's got a
camera on it. It's not really worth much, though.)
| | 01:19 | Okay, so have you had a chance to
look at other people's phones--friends or
| | 01:22 | family--and see what kind of
phone that might really interest you?
| | 01:25 | (Lance: Yes. Actually, I'm a nurse, and my
good friend has a phone, and he has--it's one
| | 01:31 | of the new smart phones,
I am not sure which one.
| | 01:33 | But he has a lot of apps that are
advantageous for our career, obviously, as far
| | 01:37 | as looking up drug references
and that sort of thing.)
| | 01:40 | Got you. So would you find yourself being
interested in texting or more browsing or
| | 01:46 | making phone calls? Which of those
three sound like would be you know things
| | 01:51 | you'd need more frequently?
| | 01:52 | (Lance: Well, I definitely need to
make phone calls, obviously, as everyone does.
| | 01:55 | I would be interested in some applications
that would be good for my career, you know?
| | 02:00 | Maybe something as far as
continuing education, if I can read up on
| | 02:06 | nursing notes or that sort of thing, if
you have any apps that would be like a
| | 02:12 | physician's drug reference would be good.)
| | 02:13 | Well, obviously we sell phones. We
don't put the apps on the phone, although I
| | 02:17 | can help you do that.
(Lance: Of course.)
| | 02:19 | If you want, what we'll do is show
you the different phones that we have
| | 02:23 | available, and I can explain the
different types. Give me one second, okay?
| | 02:26 | (Lance: All right. All right, thanks.)
| | 02:30 | So I've got two different kinds of
phones that I can offer you, and both of them
| | 02:34 | are great phones, they are both
smart phones, both of them offer Internet
| | 02:38 | browsing, and they're both the same price.
| | 02:41 | It would be $100 for the phone with a
service plan, and the service plans are the
| | 02:46 | same for both phones.
| | 02:48 | So let me kind of walk you through it.
You were talking about wanting to look up
| | 02:52 | things on applications,
that involves the Internet.
| | 02:55 | I can get you a phone with unlimited
Internet, everything included, and you can
| | 02:59 | get 900 minutes on the phone for $69 plus tax.
| | 03:05 | Both phones will cost
exactly the same each month.
| | 03:08 | This phone has a proprietary operating
system, which means that the manufacturer
| | 03:13 | makes the operating system, so the
number of apps available are a little fewer,
| | 03:17 | a little more limited, but this phone
allows you to speak to it, and it does
| | 03:22 | virtually anything you want by voice commands.
| | 03:24 | So dialing numbers, texting, it's a
little harder to browse an Internet site
| | 03:29 | with the voice prompts, but things
like looking up directions or asking it to
| | 03:33 | dial a phone number, those are all
very easy to do with the voice prompts.
| | 03:38 | This phone has an open-source
operating system, and what open source means is
| | 03:42 | more people can write apps for it. And
subsequently, I just happen to know this
| | 03:47 | will have a lot more apps
that support the medical field.
| | 03:50 | So if you want the convenience of
voice prompts, I get this phone.
| | 03:53 | If you want the convenience of the
apps and things that are more geared
| | 03:57 | towards your profession, I'd recommend this
phone. Plus, it has a bigger screen than this one.
| | 04:02 | Based on that, is it the convenience of
the voice, or do you think you want the
| | 04:07 | apps is that more important to you?
| | 04:08 | (Lance: Well, you mentioned the 69 plus tax.
I'd like to get the price out of the way first.)
| | 04:13 | Sure.
| | 04:14 | (Lance: Is there a specific plan for
the Internet as well in addition to that?)
| | 04:17 | So that includes the Internet. I
quoted you unlimited Internet, unlimited
| | 04:21 | texting and 900 voice minutes, with the assumption
that you are going to spend most of your time
| | 04:27 | browsing and texting.
| | 04:28 | (Lance: And is there any sort of family
plan or anything like that--can my wife and I
| | 04:32 | have the same phone, or?)
| | 04:34 | Yes, so if you want to share the
minutes that I'm offering you, you can add
| | 04:38 | another phone. It would be $10 for the
phone. You know, you'd have to pay the
| | 04:43 | $100 for the actual device, but an extra
phone line will be $10 a month, plus an
| | 04:47 | unlimited Internet plan for the
extra phone with 30 more dollars.
| | 04:50 | So for 40 more dollars you'd get another phone
with unlimited Internet and unlimited texting.
| | 04:56 | (Lance: Okay, and can we call each
other without using any of the minutes or
| | 04:59 | anything like that?)
Yes, it sounds like you know a lot about phones.
| | 05:02 | So the way it works is if you're on
the same network, you can contact each
| | 05:06 | other, and you can speak as long as you want.
| | 05:09 | There is no cost, it doesn't use up your
minutes, as long as you're both calling
| | 05:12 | from each other's same network, you'll
be able to call each other for free, and
| | 05:15 | there's no use of your minutes.
| | 05:17 | (Lance: All right, well, it sounds like the
one with applications would be better for me.
| | 05:21 | So I think that's the one I am going to go with.)
| | 05:23 | So why don't I let you look at the phone.
That's a demo. You can take a look at it.
| | 05:27 | I'll go ahead and write up a contract for you.
| | 05:29 | And if you could, please provide me
with a drivers license and a credit card.
| | 05:33 | (Lance: Sure.)
| | 05:34 | And get that ready, then I'll go ahead
and have a contract prepared, and you can--
| | 05:37 | you can walk out with a
brand-new phone, ready to go.
| | 05:39 | (Lance: Sounds good to me.)
| | 05:41 | Thank you very much Lance,
appreciate your helping me with this demo.
| | 05:43 | (Lance: You're welcome.)
Appreciate it.
| | 05:46 | So, when you have a walk-in customer in
a B2C transaction, it's important that
| | 05:51 | you realize that they are already interested.
| | 05:53 | Just skip straight to identifying
the customer's requirements rather than
| | 05:57 | selling them on a specific action plan.
| | 05:59 | It's more of a consultation in this case, so the
knowledge of your product is what's really key here.
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| A sample phone call for consumer sales| 00:00 | I'll be working with Lance again
on a business to consumer cold call.
| | 00:04 | In this call I'll be offering him
family and pet portrait services, something
| | 00:09 | that a lot of people buy
at one point or another.
| | 00:12 | Something that I'd like to mention about
sales is that it's always ideal to work
| | 00:16 | in a field where you have
a large potential audience.
| | 00:18 | Lance, and I haven't scripted this,
so it's going to be very spontaneous.
| | 00:33 | (Lance: Hello?)
Hi, is this Lance Smith?
| | 00:35 | (Lance: Yes, this is Mr. Smith.)
| | 00:37 | Mr. Smith, this is Christopher
from Spencer's Portrait services.
| | 00:41 | We are right here in the mall, and I
wanted to give you a call to talk to you a
| | 00:47 | little bit about my business.
Is this is a good time to talk you to?
| | 00:50 | (Lance: Sure, I have a couple of minutes.)
| | 00:53 | Okay, well, we've been taking photographs
of families, their loved ones and their
| | 00:56 | pets for 20 years now, and I noticed
you weren't a customer, and I wanted to have a
| | 01:01 | chance to earn your business.
| | 01:02 | Have you ever considered
taking family portraits?
| | 01:05 | (Lance: You know, it's something that we'd
probably look into doing, but we haven't done so far, so.)
| | 01:11 | Oh, that sounds great. Well, it sounds
like there is an opportunity for me there.
| | 01:15 | We are very affordable, and what I'd
like to do is I get you in to the studio
| | 01:20 | to take some photographs, and maybe you and
your family can come down. I also do pets.
| | 01:26 | Do you have a pet in the family?
(Lance: Yeah, we have a dog and a cat.)
| | 01:29 | Great. Well, if you're interested,
I'd like to give you a free session.
| | 01:33 | If you like the photos that I take of
you, then prints are only $25 per print.
| | 01:38 | We do frame them for you as
well, which is an additional $20.
| | 01:42 | We can also do a variety of different
finishes and sizes for you--that's the 8x10 size.
| | 01:48 | If you are interested, I can get you
set up for an appointment next week.
| | 01:51 | (Lance: Yeah, I don't know. Is it the
typical, like--you know--we are going to re-touch
| | 01:59 | everything and fuzz everybody out and
make it look like we are in dreamland, or?)
| | 02:03 | Well, sir, you can decide how you
want the finished photos to look.
| | 02:06 | We do retouching, but the type of
retouching that I have been doing for my
| | 02:11 | customers really depends on what they want
and how they want the finished photo to look.
| | 02:16 | We do some of these fantasy type
backgrounds as well. We do green screen where
| | 02:21 | we can put you in any situation that you want.
| | 02:23 | We have thousands of digital
backgrounds that I can put into the photo.
| | 02:28 | With computers these days, it's pretty
much up to you how you want it to look.
| | 02:30 | (Lance: Okay, well, I don't really want to
take the family and put them in some kind of
| | 02:36 | magic castle or anything, but do you do--
you know, something I was interested
| | 02:39 | in was I've seen some of my friends and
their families get the portrait and then
| | 02:43 | put it on a canvas like a painting.)
| | 02:45 | And that's actually something that my
wife and I may be interested in doing.
| | 02:48 | Well, definitely sir I do canvas--I
definitely do a canvas type of texture and
| | 02:55 | the way we do that is we take the
photograph, and we use a press, and we put it
| | 03:00 | directly on a paint canvas, so
it look just like a painting.
| | 03:03 | (Lance: Okay, and about
how much does that cost?)
| | 03:06 | Well, that's pretty affordable too.
| | 03:07 | I would say the 18 by 24 size
is only going to be $125.
| | 03:13 | (Lance: Okay, and is it possible to get
the whole family and the pets in together?)
| | 03:18 | Absolutely, that's a very large size,
actually. You'll be able to get all of your
| | 03:22 | loved ones in one photo.
| | 03:23 | (Lance: Okay, well, I do have to go over
with my wife, but it sounds pretty good, so I'd
| | 03:28 | think we'll be coming in for a free session.)
| | 03:30 | Great, it sounds terrific.
Well, I tell you what I am going to do.
| | 03:34 | You know, I am going to go ahead and
give you a call back Monday, and I'll see
| | 03:38 | where you're at with the family, and
then we can set up an appointment for you
| | 03:41 | to come down, how does that sound?
(Lance: That sounds good, thank you.)
| | 03:43 | Great, thank you Mr. Smith,
you have an excellent day now.
| | 03:45 | (Lance: You too.)
All right, have a good day, bye-bye.
| | 03:48 | You'll notice that my hook here was
offering a free portrait session.
| | 03:52 | The obvious up sell is the prints,
but the customer isn't obligated to buy them.
| | 03:58 | My goal was to get the prospect into my
studio where I'd have a greater chance
| | 04:02 | of building a relationship
and a lifetime customer.
| | Collapse this transcript |
| A sample face-to-face sales exchange for business sales| 00:01 | So we've seen how business-to-
consumer transactions occur.
| | 00:04 | I'd like to walk you through an example
of a business-to-business transaction.
| | 00:08 | We're going to bring back Lance to
demonstrate again, and we'll pretend that I
| | 00:11 | work for Green Janitorial Service, and
I'm going door to door to businesses.
| | 00:15 | This is still completely unscripted, so I
really don't know what's going to happen.
| | 00:19 | Let's see how it goes.
Come on up here Lance.
| | 00:22 | (Lance: Hi.)
Hi, my name is Christopher Mathew, how are you?
| | 00:26 | (Lance: Good, thank you. I am Lance.)
| | 00:29 | Hi, Lance. I work for Really Green
Janitorial Service, and we work in this
| | 00:32 | building already, and my brother and
I go around, and we clean the offices
| | 00:36 | here, are you currently
using a janitorial service?
| | 00:38 | (Lance: No, actually, I only have 12 employees,
so I just have my staff do it every night.)
| | 00:43 | Oh, very good, Lance.
| | 00:44 | Well, you know I think that sounds great,
but I also feel that we might be able
| | 00:49 | to help you, because you know people
generally like to go home at the end of a
| | 00:53 | long day, they've worked hard, and you
know cleaning may not be in everybody's
| | 00:56 | purview, you know? Sometimes people
don't necessarily enjoy that idea, has
| | 01:00 | anybody ever mentioned that to you?
(Lance: No, I am sure they wouldn't, though.)
| | 01:04 | So, if they want to work
here, it's part of their job.
| | 01:08 | Ooh! Okay, I get you.
| | 01:10 | Well, the good news is I have a great
janitorial service. My brother and I have
| | 01:14 | very low overhead, it's just us, no
office, we're a home-based business, we're
| | 01:17 | very honest and diligent, we got great
references right here in the building.
| | 01:21 | We can come in and clean your office.
It looks like it's a pretty small office
| | 01:26 | so we can do Monday through Friday
cleaning, men's and women's bathroom, dusting
| | 01:31 | vacuuming, picking up the trash.
| | 01:33 | We use all orange oil for disinfectant,
and it's all organic cleaners, there is
| | 01:38 | no harsh chemicals, and it's really
green, so we recycle for you, we pick up
| | 01:42 | cans and bottles and put
them in the recycling center.
| | 01:45 | We take care of everything. All you
have to do is write a check at the end of
| | 01:49 | the month and for your size office I
think we could do it for $50 a month, since
| | 01:54 | we are already in the building.
| | 01:55 | How does that sound? Does that
sound like a good deal to you?
| | 01:58 | (Lance: It sounds reasonable; however, like
I said, I just have my staff do it right now,
| | 02:03 | and I'm comfortable with that.)
Okay, okay, Lance. I understand.
| | 02:05 | You know, I understand I don't want to
argue with you, of course. I think we're
| | 02:09 | great, and we'll do a great job for
you, so how about I leave you my card?
| | 02:13 | I also want to tell you about my
counter proposal which is maybe you'd consider
| | 02:17 | us if we gave you one month free.
| | 02:19 | If I gave you the first month at no
charge, kind of as a trial just to show you
| | 02:24 | our great service, would you be
motivated to taking a look at what we're doing?
| | 02:26 | (Lance: I'll think about it.)
| | 02:28 | Okay, well, let me give you
our card. This is our card.
| | 02:31 | If you just give us a buzz, if you want
us to start the service, we'll give you
| | 02:36 | the first 30 days at no charge.
| | 02:38 | My brother, and I will come down and
talk to you about it and give you a little
| | 02:42 | further explanation about what we do.
| | 02:44 | You can also talk to a couple of the
other tenants in the building that we work
| | 02:48 | for, and we'll provide you a list as well.
| | 02:50 | So how does that sound?
(Lance: Sounds good.)
| | 02:52 | Great, well, it was a pleasure meeting you.
(Lance: Me too.)
| | 02:55 | And I hope you'll take us
up on our one-month trial.
| | 02:57 | (Lance: We'll be in touch.)
Thanks Lance for helping out.
| | 02:59 | (Lance: You're welcome.)
| | 03:01 | So, when you have a door-to-door B2B
sale, it's important to note the companies
| | 03:04 | get a lot of solicitors, so have some
collateral like a business card since
| | 03:08 | people are pretty busy most of the time.
| | 03:10 | Lance did give me a good amount of
time, in most situations, it's shorter.
| | 03:13 | Get your brand name out there as many
times as possible. Leave your information
| | 03:17 | when you don't get a sale, that way you have
a chance of receiving a follow-up response.
| | 03:21 | By offering a free trial, I created curiosity.
| | 03:26 | Creating a no-pressure situation with a
free monthly trial of the service could
| | 03:30 | very well result in a callback, whereas
an aggressive approach could result in a
| | 03:34 | loss of a prospect and bad word of mouth.
| | 03:37 | The free trial was a call to action,
and I turned a no into a maybe.
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| A sample phone call for business sales| 00:00 | Now we are going to demonstrate
a business-to-business cold call.
| | 00:04 | I'm working with Lance again, and I'll be calling
him and pitching him Internet marketing services.
| | 00:09 | Again, I have no idea what he's going to
say, so this should sound pretty realistic.
| | 00:23 | (Lance: Retread.)
Hi there, this is Christopher Mathew Spencer.
| | 00:26 | I am with the Spencer Company, how are you?
| | 00:28 | (Lance: Good, thank you.)
Is this Lance?
| | 00:30 | (Lance: Yes sir.)
| | 00:31 | Lance, my company offers Internet
marketing services, and I'd like to take a
| | 00:37 | minute of your time to talk to you about your
business and how I might be able to help you.
| | 00:42 | (Lance: Go ahead please.)
| | 00:43 | Okay, would this be a
good time to chat about it?
| | 00:45 | (Lance: Yeah, I've got a few minutes.)
| | 00:47 | Okay, so Internet marketing is where we go
into your website and help improve your site.
| | 00:51 | I've had a chance to look at your
website. I got your number from the chamber,
| | 00:55 | and they told me that you were an
established business here in town.
| | 00:58 | Also I provide email marketing services as well.
| | 01:01 | Is your company currently using any
Internet marketing services at the moment?
| | 01:05 | (Lance: No sir. No, it's something I have
definitely been thinking about, though.)
| | 01:10 | Well, that's great, I am glad to hear
that I called you at the right time.
| | 01:14 | So what I'd like to do is kind of
outline for you what I do, but before I do
| | 01:19 | that, I just want to make
sure I understand your company.
| | 01:21 | You provide bicycle parts, is that correct?
| | 01:23 | (Lance: Yes sir, and we
specialize in the self-inflating tire.)
| | 01:26 | Well, I'd like to learn a little bit
more about that. I did see your website,
| | 01:30 | and I watched the video,
how does that work exactly?
| | 01:32 | (Lance: Well, it's not something we really
discuss over the phone, but we have patents
| | 01:38 | pending, so it's just a self-inflating
tire that you don't need to pump on the
| | 01:42 | road in case you get a flat. If you,
you know, ride a ten speed or a mountain
| | 01:47 | bike, it's a lot easier to change.)
| | 01:49 | Sounds really convenient, sounds like
a great product, actually, and something
| | 01:53 | that's really unique and special, and
I'd like to help you get the word out
| | 01:56 | about that, does that sound like a good idea?
| | 01:57 | (Lance: Yeah I'm interested, how
long has your company been in business?)
| | 02:02 | So we started our company in 1988, we
did most of our marketing by phone, but as
| | 02:07 | the Internet came around, we
transitioned to becoming more or less a fully
| | 02:12 | Internet marketing oriented business.
| | 02:13 | (Lance: Okay, okay, yeah. I like what I'm
hearing so far. Do you do--what type of businesses do
| | 02:21 | you usually accommodate?)
| | 02:23 | Well, we've helped all types of
businesses from attorneys to banks.
| | 02:28 | We've helped people who sell products
through Internet stores, we've helped people
| | 02:33 | with services such as pet services, we've
covered pretty much every segment and every industry.
| | 02:40 | We have several thousand
clients and lots of testimonials.
| | 02:44 | What I'd like to do is sit down with you
and discuss your needs face to face and
| | 02:48 | how I can introduce you to what we do
and give you a free trial of our services.
| | 02:53 | So there is no risk at all to you,
you'll have a chance to try out what we do.
| | 02:57 | We can help you send out monthly
newsletters to your existing customers and give
| | 03:02 | you a web sign up form to capture
people's information on your site so that you
| | 03:06 | can market to them as well.
| | 03:08 | We'll also help you improve your website,
and I have some good suggestions, but
| | 03:12 | I'd like to discuss them with you in person.
| | 03:14 | Would you have time later today
to talk about it face to face?
| | 03:16 | (Lance: Yeah, sure, that'd be fine.
About how long would it take?)
| | 03:20 | Well, the whole thing shouldn't take more
than an hour, do you have an hour this afternoon?
| | 03:24 | (Lance: Yeah, I can spare that.)
| | 03:26 | Okay, well, what I'll do is I'll stop by
your office. Let's say, how about 3 o'clock?
| | 03:31 | (Lance: That will work.)
| | 03:32 | Great, I'll see you at 3 o'clock Lance.
Thank you very much for taking the
| | 03:36 | time to talk to me, and in the meantime,
I'll go to your website and email you
| | 03:40 | from there our web information so you can
look at our products and services that we offer.
| | 03:44 | (Lance: All right. Thank you.)
Thank you very much, Lance. You have a great day.
| | 03:47 | (Lance: You too. Bye-bye.)
| | 03:51 | Cold calling isn't easy. The call volume is
very high, and there's a lot of rejection.
| | 03:56 | We showed a positive
outcome here, but that's unusual.
| | 04:00 | The number of leads you close will
be low, but you will be successful if
| | 04:05 | you call enough people.
| | 04:06 | Remember to be a good listener,
don't talk over your prospect.
| | 04:10 | Really zero in on asking about their
needs, be down to earth and friendly and to
| | 04:14 | the point, and people will
be more responsive to you.
| | 04:18 | Given enough calls, you'll be making deals.
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ConclusionGoodbye| 00:00 | I'm honored and proud to be a sales trainer.
| | 00:03 | Thank you so much for watching my
course, Sales Skills Fundamentals.
| | 00:07 | I appreciate your time, and I believe that your future
success comes from within you. Give it your best.
| | 00:14 | You've taken the step to seek
education and training, so I'd like you to
| | 00:18 | consider the next steps carefully.
| | 00:19 | There is a wealth of information about
sales online. Take time to look into it.
| | 00:24 | Apply these principles and make
every day a learning experience.
| | 00:28 | Thank you for watching.
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