I recently became acquainted with Drew Stevens and last week used an article he wrote about Prospecting in our company sales training. I also featured it yesterday. Click here to read it.
Today I have a follow up article from Drew to start our Monday:
Why You Are Not Generating Leads
Sales Managers are perplexed with selling professionals. There is work to be done, goals that must be met and pipelines that must be filled. Yet as the year has begun the exasperating issues from last year reinvent themselves in the new one. There are several reasons for this.
With the plethora of competition and the need to lock in clients, it is amazing how selling professionals repeatedly commit the same errors. Customers today want one question answered, “How can it benefit me?” However, professionals consistently buck the answer. Listed here are the top 10 issues that stop you and the sales staff from getting business.
1. Stop talking about you. There is a current commercial trying to get consumers to purchase a dietary product. Ironically, a celebrity endorser speaks of the 10 reasons why she uses the product. No one cares. Kennedy stated, “Ask what you can do for your country”. That said, ask what you can do for your client.
2. Stop talking period. Your creator gave you one mouth and two ears. Stop talking and listen to client needs.
3. Provide value. Too often selling professionals continually mention features. Customers purchase based on the value they gain from your service. Turn features into benefits.
4. Stop Closing. Yes I said stop closing. The notion of closing based on ridiculous questioning techniques and statistics is false. You gain business when you engage in participative conversation. Relationship controls the business.
5. Procrastination. Too many selling professionals are not organized and spend much time shying away from undesired calls and paperwork. Wasted time is what builds. Do the things you hate to do first and end your day on a crescendo.
6. Asking inane questions. Customers cringe when selling representatives call and state, “How are you doing today?” Unless you are a relative stop repeating clichéd lines. The sweetest sounds people hear is their name repeat it, and the purpose for your call.
7. Reach decision makers. If sales staff craves rejection then continue to contact gatekeepers. If you desire unlimited revenue reach those that make decisions.
8. Research. Selling is a profession, similar to that of a healthcare professional. Physicians constantly use research to undisclosed illnesses and patient issues. Selling professionals must conduct themselves similarly. Discover information on the company and develop three reasons for connected with them.
9. Database. Customer Relationship Management databases are underutilized. Review your database for golden nuggets that have not been contacted for six months or more.
10. Did I mention stop talking about you. The selling process is concerned with gaining customers not how much money you make or how much you desire to place in your pocket. The purpose of any business is to create a client and revenue/commission is the reward for achieving success. Do not misconstrue your business purpose. Egregious behavior is short lived.
© Drew J. Stevens Ph.D All rights reserved.
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