Create a Safe Negotiating Space In a career as a salesperson, chances are you will come across a professional negotiator. Someone who has been trained to get the best deal possible. There are plenty of strategies to prepare you to work with these savvy people. But most deals are going to be with average buyers. People who hate conflict as much as you do. In … Read more
The Value of Training Most people have never been shot at with an assault rifle. Nor have most folks been on the receiving end of a mortar attack. And only relatively few have been ordered to jump out of a perfectly good airplane into the middle of a gunfight, or to charge a busy machine gun nest. These rather stressful situations are simply not part … Read more
Guidelines for Use of Call Recordings in Sales Coaching I just put this together for a new client who expressed concerns about his team’s response to the use of call recordings for coaching, since they had never done it. He was worried about resistance to a new level of accountability that might impact morale. He was also concerned it might make his folks fearful of … Read more
The Gap between Sales and Marketing Almost every company you can think of (whether successful or just mediocre) has something in common with all the rest: there is a gap between the sales and marketing groups. In some cases it is more like a gaping wound, or a fathomless abyss. In others, who have worked really, really hard on the problem, it is just a … Read more
The Role of Strategic Marketing While sales and marketing are technically separate functions, they must work together seamlessly. In fact, I’ll go so far as to state that the entire sales process begins with a market and markets are based on unmet needs. There can be a market without a solution A radio announcer remarked, “I put balm on poison ivy, not because it works, … Read more
Understanding the Strategies Used by Software Buyers Software buyers tend to be a knowledgeable bunch when it comes to negotiating deals with vendors. A number of books and programs exist to show software buyers how to use aggressive tactics to get the lowest possible prices out of sellers. Given that a large number of software buyers are taught to take advantage of sellers in this … Read more
Breaking Down Your Stroke This tip focuses on using a diagnostic probe, which is the first step in the Need Diagnostic. If you’re not familiar with this resource, I encourage you to download it from the Toolbox as a reference, or review this tip which provides examples of how to use an Open Diagnostic Probe. The rule: If there is no need, do not proceed … Read more
The Open Diagnostic Probe in the Perfect Discovery Call The open diagnostic probe serves as an alternative to a premature presentation. Presenting too early directs the conversation to the seller’s solution and almost always leads to a premature disqualification by the buyer. A generic presentation convinces the buyer that seller’s solution is not a fit for their unique, specific needs. Instead, asking the buyer to … Read more
The Role of Whitepapers in the Sales Process Marketing campaigns often revolved around some type of lead magnet like a downloadable whitepaper. A marketing department will create a whitepaper with the goal of showcasing a solution and use it to generate leads. But a solution does not necessarily create a market or lead to sales. The end result is the marketing department feels they have … Read more
A Holiday Reminder of the Mutual Agenda I was wrapping gifts for the holidays and received a large box with several gifts from one store for my wife. As I wrapped them, I said, “Boy I really need some gift boxes. These are hard to wrap without gift boxes.” As I reached for the last gift, it was not a gift, but a bunch of … Read more