The Sales Professionals Blog

Are you a natural born seller?

This is a question we get asked a lot, are sales experts born or made? And what makes a good sales person? So let’s look at the three main qualities that any natural born seller will have in his or her armoury:

Effort

In today’s society “effort” is often a word we brush to one side. We are constantly bombarded with adverts which claim to show us how we can lose weight with zero effort, and how we can get rich in just 3 minutes.

In the real world, and the world of the seller, there is one road and one road only to success in any field: Effort.

There are no secret shortcuts, success in selling will come from the extra effort you are willing to put in, and the work ethic you use. If you combine sustained effort over sustained time then you will be on your way to being seen as a natural born seller… but of course, you will know the secret… effort.

Patience

We now live in a world where we can get almost anything quickly. If you want a product, you simply go online and it can be delivered that same day. We are very much in a world of instant gratification, and whilst there are many benefits to this, there is one major downside….

We have lost patience.

If you want to be seen as a natural born seller, then you will need patience. Think of a sale like a seed. You cannot plant a seed and be eating the fruit the next day, it takes time and attention.

Passion

The word “passion” is thrown around a lot these days, but in sales you can get passion in a variety of ways. The easiest and often most effective way is to be passionate about your product. Really analyse your product, what makes it great? What are customers saying about it? Soak up as much info about your product as possible, and you will gain both the confidence and the passion to excel.

There we go, you are now on your way to becoming a natural born seller.

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What do you do if you are not a natural seller, and you can’t currently afford to hire a pro salesman?

Today I am going to show you the four key areas that you can focus on to help you start selling today.

Step One - Research

This is a key area and is a great way to build your confidence and knowledge. You will need to get your product and really get to know it… play with it, break it, bend it, really get to know it inside out.

Also look at your competitors, what have they got that you don’t? What do they do differently? What do they do better?

Then look at your customers, who are they? What do they need?

Time spent researching these areas will vastly increase your confidence. You should also set an exact time frame for this stage.

Step Two - Connecting

Now it is time to get out there and connect with people.

Cold Calling - This often gets a bad reputation, but if done correctly, it can be a good way to get started. The key is often to not try and sell on the first visit. Just introduce yourself and leave some material, then pop back a month later and show them your hot products.

Trade Shows - Virtually every industry has trade shows. Ideally you should get your own booth and use this as a way of networking, selling, promoting and branding. Bear in mind that you may need to bring 2 or 3 more people with you to help out.

Get Attention - Getting attention and getting noticed are going to be key to making your sales easier. Advertising is the most obvious way of doing this, but you can also use press releases and the media to help. Try and think of a unique angle about you or your company, and use that to get a story to the press.

If you are looking for extra tips on getting attention and creating buzz, then get a free copy of this case study: Free Marketing Case Study

Step Three - Get Organised

The less your customers have to do to complete the sale, the better. Make it easy. Do the work so they don’t have to. If they have to do more than fill out a credit application and write you a check, that’s too much.

If you need a bunch of technical information, sit down with them. And YOU fill out the questionnaire while you go through it with them. If you can make everything as organised as possible, it will make your life easier, and will increase your sales.

Step Four - Close Close Close

Once you have got a signature from the customer, you are only half way there. You are only fully there once the money is in your bank account.

Always focus on closing the sale, and If you get a half-baked commitment and then no promised phone call, follow up. Show up. Bring a freebie. Be accessible. Invaluable. Available. And ready.

You now have four key areas that can help you orgnaise and become more effective in sales.

Good luck.

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Does your business really need a website?

According to the BBC the answer is no.

So what reasoning have the BBC given for why business owners should not bother having a website?

Simple!

One guy failed, and therefore the other 99.9999999% should give up.

They focus on one guy in particular:

James Pople, who runs a building contractor firm in Tunbridge Wells, is not convinced that a website is an essential tool for business success.

Nine months after his website went live, he insists it has not generated a single phone call from a customer.

He hasn’t generated a phone call in 9 month? Wow, the Internet must be useless! Or…. maybe, just maybe, it is James’ fault.

Let’s check his site and search for evidence:

His site is not even findable by the search engines. So no search engines = no users = no phone calls = Stupid journalism from the BBC = Me writing this article

Don’t let people like James put you off from making a website. I personally know people who makes tens of millions from the Internet, and whilst it is not a get rich quick method, you can benefit greatly from having a website.

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Salesman Carl Birkenshaw Not Guilty Of Assault

On the 28th October Confessions Of A Salesman ran a story which we picked up via the UK Daily Mail called: Give Me the Sale or I will Punch You

This is a Follow Up to the “story” - you see, the salesman in question - Carl Birkenshaw was found NOT GUILTY at court on the 5th November.

It appears that most people / most media and indeed rather shamefacedly ourselves here at Confessions Of A Salesman want to assume the worst about sales people.

Today we are pleased to correct that “story” - please see:
Carl Birkenshaw has been cleared of assaulting customer

I have been in contact with Carl and there is no doubt he is a sincere, professional guy, one that the selling profession should be proud of - there is also no doubt that he has been through a Nightmare of a time.

It is a Nightmare I dare say many people would never recover from - but my impression is that Carl is very strong of character and will handle this much better than most of us. That said, it is any professional sales person nightmare. Think, if you were a Doctor or a School Teacher and you were accused of professional malpractice and the implications of that - even when you are proved NOT GUILTY.

This is what Carl is having to recover from and rebuild his career around. There is no doubt that the real “story” here is the way that the MEDIA sees us salespeople and that is something we should all be working at to correct.

Carl Birkenshaw We Wish You Well and we are pleased to say it LOUD and CLEAR - NOT GUILTY! NOT GUILTY!

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When it comes to sales, there are three distinct styles. Every sales person on the planet fits neatly into one of these styles.

* John Mclane - You live for the thrill of the hunt. You’re aggressive, competitive and impatient with paperwork. You know your production to the penny. As soon as a sale is clinched, you’re looking for your next conquest. You are the John Mclane of the sales world.

* James Bond–You’re a people-person and a relationship builder. For you, the sale begins at the time of the close. You take pride in providing strong customer service and it shows in your high persistence ratios. You believe a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

* Robocop –You’re the Energizer Bunny, the Robocop of sales. You’re relentless. While you’re not flashy like James Bond or warm and Rugged like John Mclane, you get the job done through sheer perseverance. Rejection doesn’t wear you down. Repetition doesn’t bore you.

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They say you can’t sell ice to an eskimo. I believe you can! But there is no doubt that the key will be in using a killer closing technique.

If you can learn and eventually master these closing techniques, then you could quite literally sell ice to an eskimo.

Below are the 4 most powerful closing techniques that any sales person, business person or website owner should know:

* A Direct Close - Simply ask the eskimo for the order when you are sure your prospect is ready.
* A Deal/Concession Close - Using this closing technique gives the prospect the feeling that they are making a smart choice and saving money (or getting more value). Use it with phrases like “Order today and I can add an extra 3 bags of ice for only 10 percent more.”
* A Time-Driven Close - This one works well with statements like, “Ice caps are likely to melt next week, so you should go ahead a let me place your order today.”
* Trial Offer - You can let the prospect use the product at no risk for a trial period. This works well if you’re selling products that make people’s lives easier. They aren’t likely to want to give it back if it has saved them a lot of time and effort during the trial period. On the other hand, if they haven’t had the experience with the product you told them they would then you probably won’t get another chance. Note: This method won’t work too well with ice.

So there you have it, with enough practice and development of these techniques, you should be ready to launch your ice company in the North Pole.

Good luck!

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It is not easy condensing the entire sales process into one template or cheat sheet. But if pushed, I would point towards the format that has been the industry standard since the early 1950s.

It goes a little something like this:

1. Attention: The first step should always be to grab attention, this can be done via adverts, headlines, a catchy opening line etc. If you can grab attention and prospect the customer, then even better!
2. Interest: Build their interest by using an emotional appeal such as how good they will look to their boss when they make this deal that will save the company thousands of dollars!
3. Desire: Desire can be built by showing the features and benefits. A great example of this is a test drive in a car.
4. Conviction: At this point you need to give them logical ammo to help them see the purchase as a logical and intelligent one. This can be done via testimonials, facts, stats etc…
5. Action: Without action, nothing happens. You really need to finish by encouraging some form of action. This may be an order, an address, their email details etc..

This sales process will be just as effective in offline and online worlds, so make a note of it, bookmark this page and use it as your sales template for future sales.

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We have talked a lot about the different techniques and tricks you can use to improve your sales skills. Everything from building rapport to the qualifying process to knowing when to close a deal. But what happens if none of this works? What happens if you have given in 110% and the sale seems to have slipped away like an eel in a stream of cooking oil?

(Special Note - Please See 6th November Update at end of this post)

According to the Daily Mail, one salesman (Carl Birkenshaw) decided that punching the customer was the best option. He did this simply because the customer had spoken to a rival company.

Carl Birkenshaw, 42, allegedly threw a series of punches at George Dixon after accusing him and his wife of wasting his time during a meeting at the couple’s home.

He erupted with rage when Mr Dixon informed him that they had already sought a quote from another firm for new windows to be fitted into their luxury conservatory.

Attacking his rival’s reputation and quality of work he went on to criticise the Dixons for calling him out to their home and repeatedly refused to leave, the court heard.

When Mr Dixon tried to usher him towards the front door Birkenshaw grabbed him by the throat and swung two punches at him, Bedlington magistrates court was told.

Mr Dixon retaliated and punched Birkenshaw on the chin, knocking him back on to the settee.

As Birkenshaw got up Mr Dixon is said to have tripped and fallen backwards onto the floor. Towering over him Birkenshaw then allegedly said: ‘I’ve got you now, you bastard.’

The sales manager leapt on top of Mr Dixon before punching him at least three times in the face whilst his hysterical wife, Evelyn, telephoned the police, the hearing was told.

Mr Dixon managed to get up and heard his wife tell Birkenshaw that the police were on their way. The salesman ran past him, grabbed his briefcase and left the house.

But before driving off in his car he turned furiously to Mr Dixon and said he would bring people round to ’sort him out’.

Mr Dixon, who was left bleeding from his mouth and with injuries to his face and shoulder, was later seen by his GP and prescribed painkillers for the effects of the punches.

The extraordinary fight occurred in February this year after Birkenshaw was invited to the couple’s home in Cramlington, Northumberland, to give them a quote for their conservatory.

When Mr Dixon later informed him that they had also spoken to another company, Birkenshaw, a salesman for Paramount Windows and Conservatories, allegedly lost his temper.

It is people like Carl that are giving this industry a bad name. So if you are struggling to close as many sales as you would like, then bookmark Confessionsofasalesman.co.uk and we will guide you through all the very best sales techniques and tips.

Note: If anyone knows Carl, tell him to visit the site as well, it sounds like he needs a few lessons.

VERY GOOD NEWS: 6th November 2007

Confessions of A Salesman has just heard that Carl Birkenshaw has been cleared of assaulting customer - please see:
Carl Birkenshaw has been cleared of assaulting customer

In Particular note:

Graham Auld, managing director of Paramount Windows, told magistrates Mr Birkenshaw was an outstanding employee and he had never received a single complaint from a customer about him.

Chairman of the bench, Pam Brown, said they believed Mr Birkenshaw’s version of events and that he acted in self-defence when struck by Mr Dixon.

This is really good news - and even though the original post is now out of date I think the fact that Carl Birkenshaw has been cleared is very important. It is rare for a customer to assult a salesperson - and frankly the media is such that almost always the “Sales Person” will be seen in a bad light. Here at Confessions Of A Salesman we would like to redress that imbalance more often. Carl has no doubt been through a terrible experience - but the fact that his employers have stuck by him and supported him is admirable.

I just trust that all that other media who reported on this when it first came to court will also follow up and give details of the Final Verdict.

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Today we are going to look at a problem that affects many sales people who have been in the business for over a year.

It is called Skipping details, and it is something that will eventually sneak its way into your presentation if you are not careful.

The problem here is that you have done the presentation hundreds of times, so naturally it is going to be a little boring and repetitive.

However, remember that EVERY presentation is brand new for your customer, so you will need to maintain your enthusiasm, and avoid cutting corners.

There may be certain areas that don’t seem important to you, but to the customer, they may be the difference between making a sale or not.

One way to ensure your pitch remains fresh is to change it slightly every few weeks. Nothing drastic, but enough to keep it from going stagnant.

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Welcome to our sales training guide. Today we are going to take a sneak peak at EGO.

One of the most important qualities a sales person can have is confidence… but one of the worst is a huge ego.

If you have the dollar signs in your eyes when you are with a client, they may suspect that you are more interested in your financial needs than them.

This may be the truth, but if the customer knows this then they will take their business elsewhere.

There is no magic trick to overcome this, but you should mentally focus on the main customer’s needs prior to starting your pitch.

It is that simple!

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