Capstone Sales Development Blog

Posted by Charles Ingram on Tuesday, May 26 @ 08:30 AM

A woman we’ll call “Debra” sells business services and had a recurring “sales pain” that an informal poll of other salespeople confirms is a widely experienced problem. Debra suffers from anxiety attacks every time she turns in a deal.

Why? Because about 25% of the time, the new “client” calls her the next day (but usually not during working hours) and leaves a voice mail backing out. Typically, he would say that he had had second thoughts and decided not to keep his commitment.

Her prospects were experiencing a psychological aftereffect in the buying process known as “remorse”. Debra is trained that when she gets the order, she is supposed to exit stage left. The theory being that if she stayed, the buyer might have second thoughts and she would lose the sale. Typically, the buyer felt that Debra’s quick exit sent the message that “I just made a mistake”. Combined with some unresolved concerns, prospects became uncomfortable enough to back out.

Prescription:


Give the prospective client his God-given right to say “No”. Although considered career suicide, this freedom will give you an opportunity to save the sale when a buyer is on the fence. Try saying something like this:

“I really appreciate your business and look forward to working with you. Before I leave, however, are you sure you’re comfortable with what we’ve discussed? If there’s anything that you’re not sure about, this would be a good time to discuss it.”

Most of the time the buyer will reinforce his decision to do business with you. If he does bring up an issue, you will be there to deal with it. Avoid buyer’s remorse and your anxiety attacks!

Posted by Jim Lee on Tuesday, May 12 @ 08:30 AM

Effective leaders always set clearly defined goals and equip people to achieve them. They have the courage to set a direction and then make changes as new information becomes available. They communicate with candor knowing that people perform at their best when they know what is expected and are held accountable. Every meeting tells something about the people who plan and attend it. Here’s what to watch for.

1) Is it efficiently planned?

A meeting is the culminating step in a larger process. It begins by setting goals and preparing an agenda. Thus, did the person who called the meeting prepare and distribute the agenda in advance? Was the agenda complete and actionable? For example, did it clearly advise all participants of their roles, how to prepare, and alert those who might be expected to accept responsibility for action items? This pre-work ensures the meeting will progress smoothly, efficiently, and effectively. So how is the meeting going? Is there evidence of this attention to detail?

2) Is it effectively conducted?

Pay attention to and evaluate what participants say and how they behave. If their ideas build upon what others just said, it shows they’re paying attention. Are they contributing to the safe environment essential for open and creative thinking? If their ideas demonstrate originality, creativity, and knowledge, this shows they’re striving to add value. Effective leaders possess strong analytical thinking skills. On the other hand, chronic unproductive behavior betrays fear, a lack of effective work skills, or misunderstood expectations. People who perform poorly in meetings may need constructive coaching.

3) Are the next steps clearly defined and understood?

Leadership involves more than watching people talk. Is the chairperson leading everybody through methodical steps that take them to a result consistent with the stated purpose of the meeting? Is the chairperson helping others understand exactly what will be expected of them as a result of the meeting? Will the work coming out of the meeting be consistent with existing goals and their individual roles? Is the chairperson helping others perform at their best so that the group can produce an outstanding result?

4) Have effective follow-ups been established?

Have reasonable timelines for all assigned work been agreed to? Participants should know they’ll be held accountable for what’s been assigned to them. If subsequent meetings are needed they should be scheduled with clear expectations established. A system should be established that allows the chairperson to collect and distribute regularly-scheduled progress updates.

Someone who excels in the above areas should be considered for leadership positions. This explains why most executives consider a person’s ability to lead meetings when selecting future leaders.

You will want to book mark this url as a source for ongoing Sales Training information and comments.

We are currently updating our web site and will be posting to this blog very soon. You will want your Sales force to have this information!