Recently I saw a Facebook post criticising Dils Funeral Services. A resident near the North Shore Memorial Park posted video of the Dils crematorium facility belching clouds of black smoke into the air, asking the question, “How are Dils allowed to do this?”
There is a saying “there is no point climbing the ladder to success if it is leaning against the wrong wall.” Whoever they are – they are right.
Did you start your business to become a salesperson?
Not many people like selling or being thought of as a “salesperson”. They have often started a business or been moved into a technical support role because they are good at what they do and can solve problems for their customers, but they never set up their business to be a salesperson.
There is a common statement that we often hear from many different people and that is “I’m not in sales”. When T.V shows and movies depict salespeople as con-artists, manipulators, and greasy haired, shiny shoe door knockers, it is no wonder people do not like to consider themselves “In sales”.
The way we date has changed over the years, but there’s still a process for developing a relationship with someone. You can’t just skip to the end – the proposal.
It’s no different with sales.
How does it feel when you’re at the top of your game?
Whether it’s sports, a hobby or work, when you’re performing well it’s an awesome feeling and the results are pretty spectacular.
Unfortunately, you don’t always perform at that level.
How many times have you heard “no” from potential customers that you’re trying to make a sale to?
I bet it’s a lot.
And I can tell you the longer you’re in sales, the more no’s you’ll get. In fact, most likely, the no’s will far out way the yes’s.
If you dread it when a prospective customer says, ‘let me think about it,’ you may benefit from a process – proposed by New Zealand’s foremost thought leader in sales excellence Bill James – that helps you land the sale from start to finish in virtually one sitting.
Business is full of processes. It’s how we create efficiencies, measure results, and train new people joining the company.
However, it’s amazing how many people look at me blankly when I ask if they have a sales process.
Without a sales process, you’re ‘winging it’.
I have been asked this question a lot lately. Over the years I have seen hundreds of proposals. Some have been very poorly written proposals that instantly turn a buyer off, others were really well structured proposals that help make the buying decision easier.
A strategy is a plan of action designed to achieve a long-term or overall aim (Oxford Dictionary).
You’ll find strategies everywhere, from business to board games to battles.
Research would suggest that having a set sales process adds anywhere from 18% to over 50% to your sales results.
BUT there are also losses and restrictions that come from that structure that many love dearly.
When a lot of business owners think of sales they think of cold calling. And when they think of cold calling, they think of one of their least favourite things to do. Which is probably putting it mildly!
As sales coaches and trainers, we see a lot of sales mistakes.
In fact, I made a ton of mistakes when I was starting out (and still make many mistakes today!) one of my main goals is to have written on my headstone “Here lays Sharn Piper – The most successful, unsuccessful person to ever live”.
Training is a staple of the sports world. It’s how sportspeople and sports teams reach and stay on top of their sport.
How often do they talk about how well they trained leading up to a big match?
I remember when I decided to take up the sport of boxing.
You probably know the story of The Tortoise and The Hare.
Once upon a time, a hare was bragging about how fast he was – the fastest of all the animals in woodlands.
Listening to the hare’s boasting, the tortoise spoke up, “I’ll challenge you to a race.”
We’ve all got to the point (for some of us it’s pretty frequent!) where we throw up our hands and say, “I don’t have enough time.”
Normally this is followed by listing the large number of tasks that you still have to do on your to-do list (assuming you have one).
What if the story of The Tortoise and The Hare didn’t end after the tortoise won?
The hare having lost one of the most famous races in history, eventually gathered up his dignity and asked for a rematch.
Imagine your favorite sports team without a coach.
It’s pretty hard too, right? A coach is absolutely critical to the success of a sports team.
That’s why they’re normally in the firing line when their team is underperforming!
A great coach can make the difference between a team doing poorly or doing well.
How do you like to be motivated? What is it that if your manager did, you’d be inspired to go the extra mile?
Keeping your sales team motivated is an incredibly important part of being a sales manager.
However, there is no “one size fits all” approach to motivating people.
How does it feel when you’re at the top of your game?
Whether it’s sports, a hobby or work, when you’re performing well it’s an awesome feeling and the results are pretty spectacular.
Unfortunately, you don’t always perform at that level.