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Add You - 7 Ways to Cut Loose from Old Sales Thinking
Email is a company’s lifeblood. Everyone from the corner office on down depends on it and expects 100 percent availability. They schedule meetings, assign tasks, answer questions, receive product orders, check progress and exchange friendly greetings – all with the click of a mouse. Communication among customers, employees and business partners has never been easier…Until something goes wrong.An employee inadvertently opens the door to a virus that downs the entire system … A heavy day of email volume overwhelms the allocated storage, impeding performance of other mission-critical IT functions … Corporate counsel has asked that you turn over all emails from July of last year to settle a patent dispute, and you’re not even sure if you have them. All the while several of your staff members are spending hours trying to solve these problems, while the more strategic and forward-thinking projects get put on
1. Stop the sales pitch. Start a conversation.
When you call someone, never start out with a mini-presentation about yourself, your company, and what you have to offer.
Instead, start with a conversational phrase that focuses on a specific problem that your product or service solves. For example, you might say, “I'm just calling to see if you are open to some different ideas related to preventng downtime accross your computer network?"
Notice that you are not pitching your solution with this opening phrase. Instead, you're addressing a problem that, based on your experience in your field, you believe they might be having. (I
An industrial adhesive is defined as anything that is used in a fastening or bonding application in any manufacturing industry. There are several different types of adhesive that are used regularly – epoxies, hot melt, sealants, acrylics, thermostat and silicon adhesives. And something many of us are familiar with - cement and mortar are also considered to be industrial adhesives.Different industrial adhesive types have different properties or features and can be used effectively for different purposes. Some adhesives have particularly good bonding qualities – for example, hot melt adhesives which can be repeatedly softened and hardened by alternate heating and cooling.Also particularly versatile are so-called pressure-sensitive adhesives, which – as the name suggests – need only very slight pressure to adhere to most surfaces. Pressure sensitive adhesives are available in water, solvent and latex based fo
A few weeks ago, I had a phone conversation with Julie, who has been struggling with the old-style selling methods that her manager insists are the only way to sell their company’s technology solution.
Regardless of what product or service you’re selling, you should be able to relate to her dilemma.
Outdated sales skills fail to address the core issue of how we think about selling and unless we get to that core and change it once and for all, we’ll go on struggling with the same counterproductive sales behaviors.
And we’ll continue believing that we’re always just one new sales technique away from the breakthrough we’re looking for.
New Thinking = New Results
Maybe it’s time to take a different approach. Maybe we need to analyze our thinking and identify why we’re not making more sales.
Take a look at the table below and think about your current selling mindset.
How would your selling behaviors change if you changed your sales thinking?
Old Sales Mindset: Always start out with a strong sales pitch.
New Sales Mindset: Stop the sales pitch. Start a conversation.
Old Sales Mindset: Your goal is always to close the sale.
New Sales Mindset: Your goal is always to discover whether you and your prospect are a good fit.
Old Sales Mindset: When you lose a sale, it's usually at the end of the sales process.
New Sales Mindset: When you lose a sale, it's usually at the beginning of the sales process.
Old Sales Mindset: Rejection is a normal part of selling, so get used to it.
New Sales Mindset: Hidden sales pressure causes rejection. Eliminate sales pressure, and you’ll never experience rejection.
Old Sales Mindset: Keep chasing prospects until you get a yes or no.
New Sales Mindset: Never chase prospects. Instead, get to the truth of whether there’s a fit or not.
Old Sales Mindset: When prospects offer objections, challenge and/or counter them.
New Sales Mindset: When prospects offer objections, validate them and reopen the conversation.
Old Sales Mindset: If prospects challenge the value of your product or service, defend yourself and
explain its value.
New Sales Mindset: Never defend yourself or what you have to offer. This only creates more sales pressure.
Let's take a closer look at these concepts so you can begin to open up your current sales thinking and become more effective in your selling efforts.
1. Stop the sales pitch. Start a conversation.
When you call someone, never start out with a mini-presentation about yourself, your company, and what you have to offer.
Instead, start with a conversational phrase that focuses on a specific problem that your product or service solves. For example, you might say, “I'm just calling to see if you are open to some different ideas related to preventng downtime accross your computer network?"
Notice that you are not pitching your solution with this opening phrase. Instead, you're addressing a problem that, based on your experience in your field, you believe they might be having. (I
A new resume can jump-start your career. Your network contacts may ask for a resume and some industries absolutely, positively demand a resume as the price of admission. When you begin thinking of your resume as a power source, the results can be astonishing.1. Your resume is a sales tool. It is not a place for therapeutic self-disclosure or true confessions. Be honest but present your accomplishments in the most positive way.2. Leave tricky questions ("Why did you have six jobs in ten years?" "Why are you applying for an entry position after you've been running the show?") for the interview. Practice interview responses with a support group, friend or career coach.3. If chronology works against you, opt for a sales pitch letter or use your network to get past the screeners. If you can't avoid a resume, some experts will advise a functional resume. However, once you show up for an interview, expect
And we’ll continue believing that we’re always just one new sales technique away from the breakthrough we’re looking for.
New Thinking = New Results
Maybe it’s time to take a different approach. Maybe we need to analyze our thinking and identify why we’re not making more sales.
Take a look at the table below and think about your current selling mindset.
How would your selling behaviors change if you changed your sales thinking?
Old Sales Mindset: Always start out with a strong sales pitch.
New Sales Mindset: Stop the sales pitch. Start a conversation.
Old Sales Mindset: Your goal is always to close the sale.
New Sales Mindset: Your goal is always to discover whether you and your prospect are a good fit.
Old Sales Mindset: When you lose a sale, it's usually at the end of the sales process.
New Sales Mindset: When you lose a sale, it's usually at the beginning of the sales process.
Old Sales Mindset: Rejection is a normal part of selling, so get used to it.
New Sales Mindset: Hidden sales pressure causes rejection. Eliminate sales pressure, and you’ll never experience rejection.
Old Sales Mindset: Keep chasing prospects until you get a yes or no.
New Sales Mindset: Never chase prospects. Instead, get to the truth of whether there’s a fit or not.
Old Sales Mindset: When prospects offer objections, challenge and/or counter them.
New Sales Mindset: When prospects offer objections, validate them and reopen the conversation.
Old Sales Mindset: If prospects challenge the value of your product or service, defend yourself and
explain its value.
New Sales Mindset: Never defend yourself or what you have to offer. This only creates more sales pressure.
Let's take a closer look at these concepts so you can begin to open up your current sales thinking and become more effective in your selling efforts.
1. Stop the sales pitch. Start a conversation.
When you call someone, never start out with a mini-presentation about yourself, your company, and what you have to offer.
Instead, start with a conversational phrase that focuses on a specific problem that your product or service solves. For example, you might say, “I'm just calling to see if you are open to some different ideas related to preventng downtime accross your computer network?"
Notice that you are not pitching your solution with this opening phrase. Instead, you're addressing a problem that, based on your experience in your field, you believe they might be having. (I
Private practice marketing is challenging enough without all the limitations we put in front of ourselves.Do you have any beliefs that limit you and get in the way of you being successful in your business?Let's discover how to identify your limiting beliefs and how to blow past them.Identifying your limiting beliefsTake a moment and consider what thoughts and beliefs you may have that get in your way. Ask yourself what do I consistently think about that gets in my way.How do you hold yourself back?How to blow past your limiting beliefsOnce you have identified your limiting beliefs, begin to question them, even make fun of them. This sets you up to come up with a good reframe of the limitation, which is simply a powerful way to look at the same issue in a different way.Case Study - About three years ago I realized that there was a rather silly l
New Sales Mindset: Your goal is always to discover whether you and your prospect are a good fit.
Old Sales Mindset: When you lose a sale, it's usually at the end of the sales process.
New Sales Mindset: When you lose a sale, it's usually at the beginning of the sales process.
Old Sales Mindset: Rejection is a normal part of selling, so get used to it.
New Sales Mindset: Hidden sales pressure causes rejection. Eliminate sales pressure, and you’ll never experience rejection.
Old Sales Mindset: Keep chasing prospects until you get a yes or no.
New Sales Mindset: Never chase prospects. Instead, get to the truth of whether there’s a fit or not.
Old Sales Mindset: When prospects offer objections, challenge and/or counter them.
New Sales Mindset: When prospects offer objections, validate them and reopen the conversation.
Old Sales Mindset: If prospects challenge the value of your product or service, defend yourself and
explain its value.
New Sales Mindset: Never defend yourself or what you have to offer. This only creates more sales pressure.
Let's take a closer look at these concepts so you can begin to open up your current sales thinking and become more effective in your selling efforts.
1. Stop the sales pitch. Start a conversation.
When you call someone, never start out with a mini-presentation about yourself, your company, and what you have to offer.
Instead, start with a conversational phrase that focuses on a specific problem that your product or service solves. For example, you might say, “I'm just calling to see if you are open to some different ideas related to preventng downtime accross your computer network?"
Notice that you are not pitching your solution with this opening phrase. Instead, you're addressing a problem that, based on your experience in your field, you believe they might be having. (I
Do you find fulfillment in sharing some of your blessings to the underprivileged? If you do, then you should get charity credit cards to show your support for charity. This type of cards came about because some people find that they really do not need some the types of rewards that are offered by credit card companies. This caused the credit card companies to team up with charitable institutions and offer an easy way for people to support the charity of their choice. A percentage of the amount charged to a charity credit card goes to the charity, every time people used this card to pay for a service or merchandise.Generous people feel good every time they use their charity credit cards. However, this method of donating to charity can also be a problem. People can get carried away with thinking that they are doing good by charging on their credit card. As a result, they may also charge themselves into a financial
Old Sales Mindset: When prospects offer objections, challenge and/or counter them.
New Sales Mindset: When prospects offer objections, validate them and reopen the conversation.
Old Sales Mindset: If prospects challenge the value of your product or service, defend yourself and
explain its value.
New Sales Mindset: Never defend yourself or what you have to offer. This only creates more sales pressure.
Let's take a closer look at these concepts so you can begin to open up your current sales thinking and become more effective in your selling efforts.
1. Stop the sales pitch. Start a conversation.
When you call someone, never start out with a mini-presentation about yourself, your company, and what you have to offer.
Instead, start with a conversational phrase that focuses on a specific problem that your product or service solves. For example, you might say, “I'm just calling to see if you are open to some different ideas related to preventng downtime accross your computer network?"
Notice that you are not pitching your solution with this opening phrase. Instead, you're addressing a problem that, based on your experience in your field, you believe they might be having. (I
The Goal of this article is to show how every organization has and needs a sales operation. Sales are involved in every function within the organization. Sales skills are critical from presenting an idea to top management and obtaining funding, strategic partnerships to the outright sale of your product or service.Many times when executives or owners of small organizations are asked if they have a sales operation, they respond that they do not. They say that their organization is too small to have one or that they do not have a product or service to sell. These answers are far from the truth.Whether you call it customer interaction, business development or just plain sales, everyone in the organization does sales to some capacity. Any interaction with the purpose of building a relationship that ends in some kind of agreement to further a mutually beneficial business relationship uses sales skills.Sa
1. Stop the sales pitch. Start a conversation.
When you call someone, never start out with a mini-presentation about yourself, your company, and what you have to offer.
Instead, start with a conversational phrase that focuses on a specific problem that your product or service solves. For example, you might say, “I'm just calling to see if you are open to some different ideas related to preventng downtime accross your computer network?"
Notice that you are not pitching your solution with this opening phrase. Instead, you're addressing a problem that, based on your experience in your field, you believe they might be having. (If you don't know what problems your product or service solves, do a little research by asking your current customers why they purchased your solution.)
2. Your goal is always to discover whether you and your prospect are a good fit.
If you let go of trying to close the sale or get the appointment, you’ll discover that you don't have to take responsibility for moving the sales process forward.
By simply focusing your conversation on problems that you can help prospects solve, and by not jumping the gun by trying to move the sales process forward, you’ll discover that prospects will give you the direction you need.
3. When you lose a sale, it's usually at the beginning of the sales process.
If you think you’re losing sales due to mistakes you make at the end of the process, review how you began the relationship. Did you start with a pitch?
Did you use traditional sales language (“We have a solution that you really need” or “Others in your industry have bought our solution, you should consider it as well”)?
Traditional sales language leads prospects to label you with the negative stereotype of “salesperson.” This makes it almost impossible for them to relate to you with trust or to have an honest, open conversation about problems they're trying to solve and how you might be able to help them.
4. Hidden sales pressure causes rejection. Eliminate sales pressure, and you’ll never experience rejection.
Prospects don’t trigger rejection. You do -- when something you say, and it could be very subtle, triggers a defensive reaction from your prospect.
Yes, something you say.
You can eliminate rejection forever simply by giving up the hidden agenda of hoping to make a sale. Instead, be sure that everything you say and do stems from the basic mindset that you’re there to help prospects identify and solve their issues.
5. Never chase prospects. Instead, get to the truth of whether there’s a fit or not.
Chasing prospects has always been considered normal and necessary, but it’s rooted in the macho selling image that “If you don’t keep chasing, you’re giving up, which means you’re a failure." This is dead wrong.
Instead, ask your prospects if they’d be open to connecting again at a certain time and date so you can both avoid the phone tag game.
6. When prospects offer objections, validate them and reopen the conversation.
Most traditional sales programs spend a lot of time focusing on “overcoming” objections, but these tactics only create more sales pressure.
They also keep you fro
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