Category Archives: Sales Coaching

Sales Coaching – Outcome or Opportunity

Do you view prospecting as an outcome or an opportunity? Do you think of prospecting in terms of a process or an event? The way you answer those questions makes a big difference in the results you experience.

Many people view getting the attention of a prospect as the outcome. That’s not a good thing, and it causes you to miss many opportunities. Getting the attention of a prospect is simply an opportunity for you to develop and continue a relationship with that prospect.

Most people who treat getting the attention of a prospect as an outcome aren’t able to capitalize on that attention. That’s because to them the appointment was what they wanted and what they got. They weren’t necessarily able to convert that appointment into a client and they didn’t have anywhere meaningful to go with the prospect once the appointment ended.

Oops, big mistake. You get yourself in these dead end situations because you think of prospecting and the appointment as an event when you should be thinking of them in terms of a process. Getting the attention of a prospect is the first step in a process that builds a relationship with the prospect leading to a meaningful sales conversation where you’re both there for the same reason.

You’re both agreeing to the appointment to determine if there is a reason for you to do business together. To have a process for prospecting you need a multi-step, perhaps even multi-media, plan to continue to connect with the prospect adding value to the prospect so the prospect wants to continue the relationship and know more. Throughout the process you’re conditioning the prospect to hear from you and to respond to you. And that gives you the power to turn opportunities into business.

Enjoy the time and financial freedom you deserve: “7 Secrets Top Producers Know that You Can Put to Use in the Next 9 Days” [http://increasesalescoach.com/]

Get a daily boost to increase your sales: the blog for Top Producers and Future Top Producers [http://increasesalescoach.com/blog]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/980100

Sales Coaching – 3 Ways to Simplify the Solution

Selling services can be confusing and complicated for the potential buyer. It’s a simple truth that a confused buyer will not buy. They can’t make a “yes” buying decision because they aren’t sure what they’re saying “yes” to, and the long-term implications of that “yes” decision.

Combine the complexity of the prospects circumstances with the sophisticated available choices, and a prospect is likely to throw their hands in the air in utter confusion. That means you have to take the complex and sophisticated and guide the prospect through a process that makes it easy for them to understand so they can make a decision. You’re job is much less about “selling” than it is about being the trusted advisor/advocate that the client needs.

There are 3 ways you can make things easier for the prospect to make a “yes” decision. And when you incorporate all three ways into the sales conversation you’ll have a mutually engaging highly productive sales conversation. These three ways address the learning styles of your prospects.

People are dominant in one learning style: visual learning, auditory learning, and kinesthetic learning. No big news flash there we’ve known this for a very long time yet many salespeople act as though they’ve never heard about this by the way they hold a sales conversation. For the visual learners use flow charts, tables/graphs, and pictures to demonstrate similarities/differences and consequences/benefits between the best three options for the prospect. You can simplify things for the auditory prospect by relating stories, providing lots of examples, using analogies all to simplify what you’re telling them. And for the kinesthetic prospect it’s important to get them physically engaged in the process perhaps having them write things down, arrange or rearrange options, even stacking options they like/dislike.

And what’s happening when you’re using these different approaches to simplifying the available options? You’re engaging and involving the prospect in the sales conversation. You’re getting them to open up and share their thoughts. You’re getting them to make small “yes” decisions. And you’re helping them to persuade themselves that the decisions they’re making are the right decisions. You’re coming to a mutual conclusion that benefits both you and the prospect. How easy was that?

Enjoy the time and financial freedom you deserve: “7 Secrets Top Producers Know that You Can Put to Use in the Next 9 Days” [http://increasesalescoach.com/]

Get a daily boost to increase your sales: the blog for Top Producers and Future Top Producers [http://increasesalescoach.com/blog]

 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/980053

Sales Coaching – 3 Skills to Focus On

A sales professional’s success is determined by your willingness to invest in yourself. There are two areas for personal development that most will invest in, and one area only Top Producers invest in. Those who aren’t Top Producers never even think to invest in themselves in this way.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t invest in all three areas because you should. The two areas you’re familiar with are self-improvement and sales process training. The area you may not be so familiar with is customer focus.

Self-improvement development is designed to help you to increase your personal productivity, enthusiasm, and energy level. Yes, you need to be focused on doing the things that directly lead to business with enthusiasm for what you have to offer and with an energy level that reflects your commitment. Salespeople who are lacking in these areas tend to be very busy doing lots of “things”, but have little production to show for their efforts.

Sales training development is essential. There’s no question you need the skills to prospect, present, overcome stalls and objections, and close the sale. Without proficiency in these key sales skills you struggle only landing the occasional easy sale.

Client focus development is the critical difference between the average salesperson and the Top Producer. When you’ve developed your client focus skills you’re able to: clearly understand the clients goals and get the client to openly share those goals with you, you’re able to work with the client to develop a plan for the accomplishment of those goals in a mutually engaging on-going conversation, and you’re able to develop a relationship with the client based on integrity and accountability leading to repeat business and referrals.

Enjoy the time and financial freedom you deserve: “7 Secrets Top Producers Know that You Can Put to Use in the Next 9 Days” [http://increasesalescoach.com/]

Get a daily boost to increase your sales: the blog for Top Producers and Future Top Producers [http://increasesalescoach.com/blog]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/980091

Sales Coaching – 9 Mistakes That Will Cause You to Fail

I work with and am friends with a number of financial advisors. In a recent conversation with a veteran in the business we discussed the main reasons new advisors don’t make it. Truthfully your odds of making it in the business are pretty slim if you just do what they tell you do to, but your actions determine your results and your future.

Lots of people enter the industry and only are rare few are still in the business after five years, and even fewer are successful. As we spoke we shared our experiences as to why so many people with so much potential fail from the perspective of the veteran who has seen people come and go like a revolving door, and the coach who works with the elite few who are committed to making it. By the end of our conversation we had a list of 9 mistakes those new to the business make that lead to their failure:

  1. you still have a wage earner mind-set and lack the entrepreneurial drive to make it work no matter what
  2. you think you’re selling products
  3. you don’t understand that it’s all about the relationships you’re able to start and build
  4. you lack focus, direction, and commitment causing you to get off track going in the wrong direction changing directions to chase the next great idea
  5. you think you’re different that you’re a super star, but you’re actions don’t back up your bravado
  6. you have a scarcity mentality and you’re afraid to invest in yourself to develop the skills you need to succeed
  7. you think you know what to do, but you don’t know how to do it
  8. you don’t know what you don’t know and you aren’t trying to figure out what you don’t know or how to know it
  9. you confuse activity with results and burn out with little to show for your tremendous efforts.

 

Did you recognize any of those fatal mistakes in yourself, or are you thinking you aren’t making those mistakes but you know others who are? I know the list is pretty harsh, but review it again and be harshly honest with yourself. If you aren’t headed where you want to be it’s pretty likely that one or more of those mistakes are getting in your way.

So what do you do if you confess that one of those mistakes is making things difficult for you? Congratulate yourself because the first step to removing any challenge or obstacle is recognizing it exists. You have the opportunity to both strengthen your sales skills and your sales results.

If you were sitting with a potential client and they identified a problem how would you proceed? Would you get them to identify all the problems or challenges they face, and then help them to prioritize the top three? After you agreed on the most important problems wouldn’t you help them to choose one of perhaps three solutions? Then wouldn’t you help them to take action(s) based on the selected solution? Hmmm, do you suppose that would work for you too?

Enjoy the time and financial freedom you deserve: “7 Secrets Top Producers Know that You Can Put to Use in the Next 9 Days” [http://increasesalescoach.com/]

Get a daily boost to increase your sales: the blog for Top Producers and Future Top Producers [http://increasesalescoach.com/blog]

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Cheryl_Clausen/56791

 

Sales Coaching – 7 Mistakes That Are Screwing Up Your Sales

You don’t know what you want to be when you grow up, or at least you’re acting like you don’t. You’re like a frustrated employee who hates their job, but doesn’t see how to get a better one. You lack focus, but you don’t know what to focus on so you’re running around looking under every rock trying to find someone you can sell to.

This stinks. It’s ugly, painful, and disheartening but it doesn’t have to be that way. You see, there are logical reasons it’s like this and those reasons include:

  1. You don’t know who you want to work with.
  2. You don’t know what they want.
  3. You don’t know why they want it.
  4. You don’t know what not having it is costing them, emotionally or financially.
  5. You’re unsure what you’re trying to accomplish.
  6. You don’t make yourself unique or special to anyone.
  7. You don’t know how to communicate who you are and what you do in a way that gets others to self-select themselves for you.

 

Part of your confusion and misdirection stems from fear. You aren’t making enough sales now, so you’re afraid if you narrow your target that you’ll starve to death. Just the opposite is true.

When you focus on a market and then make a commitment to dominate that market you’ll make more sales with less work and open more doors to places you could never enter now. You may wonder why or how this could be true? It’s true because we all like to feel special, we all like things that are just for us, and the more special you can be to a certain group of people the more sales you’ll earn.

When you aren’t perceived as special or unique you’re perceived as a disposable commodity. And you don’t want to be in the position of just being another sales smuck. Think through those 7 mistakes and develop your plan for becoming a top sales professional.

Enjoy the time and financial freedom you deserve: “7 Secrets Top Producers Know that You Can Put to Use in the Next 9 Days” [http://increasesalescoach.com/]

Get a daily boost to increase your sales: the blog for Top Producers and Future Top Producers [http://increasesalescoach.com/blog]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/960377