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| #11 | |
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"Top Sales Expert"
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Man, really good question. And sadly, one which I don't have a really good answer for. I don't think anyone has.
I've tried a variety of things with some success. I rely a bit more on referrals nowadays, I'm writing more to try to establish a reputation, etc. Things most people are doing. On calls, I try to differentiate myself more. I try to package up what I do in a different and more intriguing way. I'm prepared to offer a guarantee to reduce risk for the customer. Rather than use just bald "facts" like how much money I could save them (or in my case how much I could increase their sales by) I like to work indirectly - telling short but personal stories about individuals I've helped (to try to develop empathy in the potential customer if they share the same issues - and to avoid the implication that they're idiots if I can come in and improve things so easily) - really just trying to pique their interest somehow. Don't get me wrong, the straight "we can save you 10% of..." approach still works with many customers. Just fewer than it used to work for. It's more a matter of building on and updating those older approaches rather than abandoning them. (For example, I'm really using the "I can save you 10%..." aproach - but packaging it differently), Another approach I've used successfuly before is to do a research project first and involve them as participants. They'e much more willing to get involved. After sharing the results with them I have a much better idea of what they need, and have established a fledgeling relationship. It's much easier to get in the door this way - but the danger is that you end spending a lot of time with people who aren't ever going to be buyers - but who are interested in your research. Another thing I put a lot of stock in is the "nurture marketing" approach. Drip feeding value to a potetial client to gain credibility and mind-share over time - so that whe they do need your services you're top of mind. Again, this is a big investment so you need to qualify well. So as I said, no silver bullet. In some ways we may be seeing a shift from a direct sales approach to a more marketing-driven indirect one. I'm not fully sure - but I do know it's up to all of us to keep trying new things and approaches, keep up to speed with the latest thinking and keep improving every dy. Ian |
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| #12 | |
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"Top Sales Expert"
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Well, Houston, I like the way you put that.
Interesting insight indeed.
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Hunger for Profit System© want to make more commissions or more profit, then you need to stop wasting time now! http://hungerforprofit.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
| #13 | |
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Don't most salespeople count prospecting as part of selling? The 'do not call' registry has changed telephone prospecting.
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| #14 | |
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"Top Sales Expert"
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Thomas - A few things here - first YES, prospecting is a sales practice. And, obviously, telephone prospecting is one form of prospecting. Though you might say that prospecting is my favorite subject, I love closing and every other part of the sales process too.
The DO NOT CALL LIST (DNCL) is not a law, it is a list. And it only applies to calling households. If you advertise you're in business then you must accept calls whether you like it or not. I live in Canada but know the rules well in your country. In fact, if you research it, you will find I was sued in a landmark case over the TCPA, or Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which is a law and changed things in 1991 when it was enacted (or added to)! The only change that is made by the DNCL is vendors are required NOT TO CALL those on the list. That does not mean you cannot call a household, though the TCPA does say that if you do you are liable for a $500 fine for each incidence (treble if it is willful), again, this is only in regards to calling households. This thread is not about prospecting though. It is about selling in general and the changes in selling. |
| #15 | ||
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Quote:
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| #16 | |
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Selling In General
Hi Thomas - simple buying transactions can be done with technology we all know, but selling as typically discussed on this forum isn't something that IM or emailing will effect much if at all.
Ear-to-ear and face-to-face is still the way to sell. MitchM |
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| #17 | |
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"Top Sales Expert"
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Mitch is right.
Every effort must be made to get together, for any serious B2C and almost all B2B selling. Dealing with "can I look at your website" or "can you send me information in an email" is part of what you must handle well in order to get face-to-face. This part I do not see differently. The quote is about selling face to face, not prospecting. |
| #18 | |
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"Top Sales Expert"
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A wrap up to this thread.
It really is a shame that only 12 people voted but thanks to all of you. Participation helps. The only apology I owed was for not finding a way to express what is wrong with new age selling concepts, particularly the offensive ones. So that is why I started with the thread topic as I did. The quote was one recorded in the 1950's! It really helps to look back, as clues like this really pull it all together. The man quoted was J. Douglas Edwards. And it shows that bad selling has been around for as long as good selling practices. The fact that 9 stated it applies today and a few that voted no stated they only did because this was known for 10 or 20 years shows you. As this has been known for centuries & was recorded on 78 LP in the 50's! I apologize because I have found feeble ways to make points. We who know better do not necessarily know how to express what we know. But that side I am quickly mastering. The Internet has not changed the way you act in front of a prospect. That is an undeniable fact, one that is poorly argued by us, those who see it clearly, the present and future visionaries of selling. We are not great at these arguments because we grew up in a world where bad information could not spread as quickly as it does now, but we are adapting! I will be posting less and saying more when I do. I hope you will gain a lesson from realizing that a man in the nineteen-fifties stated this and that he was mentored by a man who trained sales people in the 30's ... that selling by asking questions is not new. That finding out what the prospect wants and showing them how they can get it from your product or service instead of "telling" is not new. That this is old, as old as time. The only changes I made to the original quote was to replace the word HE. Back then women did not sell. Now they do and they make terrific sales people too. Best of luck always. Last edited by Gold Calling : 02-05-2008 at 10:51 AM. |
| #19 | |
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"Top Sales Expert"
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2-Cents
I've been "biting my tongue" waiting for this one to wind-down before throwing in a comment or two.
Interestinly, the thread doesn't portray any differentiation between "question" and "answer". OR, put into the context of the thread, "probing" and "listening". I'd strongly suggest that in sales, the science of listening hasn't been given due credit over the years. It is an assumption to say that, out of the gates, "sales reps are good listeners" because we all know that simply isn't accurate. In fact, the newbies will readily admit that listening throughout the sales cycle is very difficult to learn. As well, my experience dictates that "probing skills" are sadly lacking these days. As an illustration, over the years I've managed a number of SRs who don't know how to handle a "low reactor". In fact, I've left 2-man calls where the SR believed that he was still in the running ... I asked in the parking lot one simple question: "specifically, what did he say to give you the illusion that 'we're in'?" The point was that he hadn't said that we weren't in!! (Hadn't really said much, to be honest.) Some SRs enjoyed early success with a "system" or a "pitch" which worked had well (to date). In other words, they hadn't realized how brutal they were at listening to their prospects! If anything, the access to information has made purchasers more aware of what's out there. As well, it's made sales organizations quicker at ramping-up change to competitive pressures. My sentiments (wrt current sales training) are typified in the line about the "...only thing which has really changed is the name of the shovel..."! Good luck & Good selling! Pat |
| #20 | |
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Agreed.....you must ask questions to develop your sales approach to meeting their needs. Too many sales reps I work with feel the need to "Throw Up" on the Prospect from the Get-Go spewing their pitch all over the place without direction and or end.
If you know and believe in your product/service your questioning followed by listening will close more sales than you can imagine. Keep in mind there is a difference in being smooth with your words only vs. being smooth with your product/service. Success, Rory Wilfong |
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