StormStarter Strategy
By Bill Lee

About 15 years ago I became a charter member of a mastermind group that met quarterly to brainstorm ways to be more successful at our profession.

We named our mastermind group Master Speakers International because each member of our group made our living as a professional speaker. While we all worked in different industries, we all also had many of the same challenges.

Perhaps the number one challenge we all shared was how to grow our respective businesses. We all wanted to grow. We all wanted to expand our customer base. We all wanted to do more business with our existing customers.

In my own business, I have a lot in common with another member of Master Speakers International. His name is Mark LeBlanc and he is based in Minneapolis. The name of Mark's business is Small Business Success. Mark's specialty is working with small businesses where the owner of the business IS the business.

Mark focuses on businesses like real estate agents, dentists, professional speakers, medical doctors, etc. The individual owners of Mark's client companies are the engines that generate the sales of the business.

Professional salespeople are the engines that generate the sales that produce the commissions that provide the salesperson's livelihood.

This week, I received from Mark LeBlanc a new business strategy he has named his StormStarter Strategy. Mark has been doing what he does for many years and is one of the most successful members of my mastermind group. When Mark introduces a new strategy, I sit up and take notice and try to figure out if perhaps what works for Mark's clients will work for mine.

I believe the StormStarter Strategy is just that kind of action plan that will benefit the salespeople I work with in my business. So here it is the announcement I received from Mark LeBlanc yesterday:

"Make one business development call a day, five days a week, four weeks a month and 12 months from now you will have more business than you know what to do with.

"It's my StormStarter strategy. Add one StormStarter email and one StormStarter card each day and in less than ten minutes a day, these three little seeds will turn into a harvest of business you won't be able to stop if you tried.

"Yes, it's really that simple. Buy a $3.00 notebook and write Mark's StormStarter Strategy on it..."

I work with professional salespeople who want to grow their sales and improve their gross margin. I believe this StormStarer Strategy will work for you just as well as it works for Mark's clients.

So I issue to you the same challenge: Begin using it today and call me in 12 months.

About The Author:

BILL LEE is a business expert. Starting out in 1965 as a field sales representative and then a sales manager with New York City-based GAF Corporation, he soon became a part owner of one of the fastest growing start-up companies in the US — Builder Marts of America, Inc. (BMA)

Bill and his partners grew BMA from a startup to sales of $640 million in just under 20 years. Bill served as a corporate officer at BMA with general management responsibility for the company’s largest division.

Today, Bill is a sought-after seminar leader and business consultant who works extensively throughout the US and Canada.

He is author of Gross Margin: 26 Factors Affecting Your Bottom Line, now in its third printing.

His most recent book, 30 Ways Managers Shoot Themselves in the Foot was released in October 2005.

Thousands of owners, managers and salespeople read Bill’s award winning ezines and magazine articles on sales and gross margin improvement and best management practices.

Bill is president of Lee Resources, Inc., a Greenville, SC-based consulting, training and publishing organization.

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Brief Sales Truisms
by Art Sobczak

Greetings!
 
I'm often asked what books I recommend (other than Smart Calling). My answer is usually "Yes."
 
As in, I recommend lots of books, meaning that if you really want to grow in sales, and in life, you have several books going at one time, or have them lined up if you are not a multi-tasker.
 
The late, great Zig Ziglar said, "Rich people have big libraries, poor people have big TV's."
 
One book that had a big influence on me very early in my career is the classic, "How to Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive," by Harvey Mackay.
 
I remember marveling at the common sense wisdom in that book, amazed that it contained more useful information than most college courses--or entire degrees for that matter.
 
Harvey still writes a syndicated weekly newspaper column, dispensing the same type of street-sense advice.

A favorite column I saved contained a number of great sales quotes and aphorisms. Today I'll share some of the ones that I also believe in, teach, and live.

-One of the primary reasons most salesperson fail
is simply that they don't make enough calls.

-Initiative is important. Finishative is vital.

-A salesperson should never have to make a "cold" call. Ever. There is no reason you can't become an instant expert about a prospect company in advance.

-Don't just meet your quotas. Exceed them.

-You don't have to close very sale to be a success. No one bats a thousand.

-If selling were just a matter of low bids meetings specs, the world wouldn't need salespeople.

-Never stop tinkering with your sales technique.

-Most people avoid risks their whole lives by assuming the other person is going to say no.

-Selling is not the simple business of persuading
someone to buy. It is the art of creating conditions by which the buyer persuades himself.

-People, not specs, always will be the key in
determining who gets the sale.

-Position yourself as number 2 (when you don't
get the sale.) If you are standing second in line,
in enough lines, sooner or later, you're going to
move up to number 1.
 
Continue having your best week ever!
 

About the Author:
Art Sobczak, President of Business By Phone Inc., specializes in one area only: working with business-to-business salespeople--both inside and outside--designing and delivering content-rich programs that participants begin showing results from the very next time they get on the phone. Audiences love his "down-to-earth,"entertaining style, and low-pressure, easy-to-use, customer oriented ideas and techniques. He works with thousands of sales reps each year helping them get more businesses by phone. Art provides real world, how-to ideas and techniques that help salespeople use the phone more effectively to prospect, sell, and service, without morale-killing "rejection." Using the phone in sales is only difficult for people who use outdated, salesy, manipulative tactics, or for those who aren't quite sure what to do, or aren't confident in their abilities. Art's audiences always comment how he simplifies the telesales process, making it easily adaptable for anyone with the right attitude.

Contact Info
Art Sobczak
Business By Phone Inc.
13254 Stevens St.
Omaha, NE, 68137
402-895-9399
ArtS@BusinessByPhone.com
http://smart-calling.com/

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Are You Prepared To Sell In the Future?
by Michael Nick

 In recent years, many organizations have found that their sales forces haven’t delivered the results they expected. It seems that closing profitable deals has gotten more challenging, while the performance of the top sales professionals has somewhat deteriorated.

Certainly, the playing field has changed in that buyers are more sophisticated, busier, and are looking for solutions that will impact their entire organizations goals. In the past a decision was made to solve a problem.

The odd thing about selling today is that many major organizations are flush with cash. They are hoarding it for a rainy day or something. I spoke to a friend of mine that owns a bank worth over $800 million dollars and he said they are sitting on about $50 million in cash. I asked why? He basically said we are looking for something to buy.

In many of my other articles I talk about working capital and how important it is to look at an organizations financials as see how much they are sitting on. Typically too much means their money is not working for them (i.e. they are not making money with their money) or they don’t have enough working capital which is a problem because they likely can’t afford to buy anything from you or anyone.
Selling today is tough. Probably the most difficult time in my lifetime. Sales professionals are expected to know so much more than in the past. Buyers are in total control of the sales cycle and they seem to lack any scruples. Buyers will lead you and other on for months and end up either buying from a competitor or nothing at all.

That is why selling in the future requires you to have sales tools that will help you determine how much of a lead you really have. In other words, is this lead worth pursuing or just someone that appears to be a great lead? I am a strong believer of great discovery. I think you need to be strong and ask the tough questions, require your prospect to participate in the discovery process by telling you what you need to know. If not, there is a good chance you are wasting your time.

I am fortunate enough to be associated with many great sales trainers, advisors and entrepreneurs. I listen to their advice, I read their books and newsletters, I try to incorporate many of their thoughts into my own sales process. It all comes down to the same thing.

1.    Qualify the best you can against a set of minimum criteria  
2.    Perform discovery from a list of questions that are on paper or computer. Include the tough questions about budget and time lines
3.    Be sure you capture and calculate the current and on-going cost of status quo, so you are able to figure out the cost of no decision, and decision delay
4.    When you present a solution to the problems discovered, be sure to estimate the value of your solution…and get agreement from the buyer
5.    During due diligence, provide case studies, video testimonials and references that have gone through the same process to purchase

Selling today is difficult. So much so that there are more Colleges providing classes and degrees in selling than ever before. Here are a few out of the box suggestions for sales professionals to prepare you for selling in the future.

• Take a writing class or buy “Better Business Writing” From Harvard Business Review
• Create your own personal marketing plan that include Twitter, LinkedIn and Google plus. Use these tools to create your own marketing persona
• Use resources like Google Alerts for not only your customers but your top 10 prospects
• Use your local Library for research – in fact most librarians will help you research

Are you really prepared to handle the new era? Are you able to master the art of the sale and navigate the course to success? Hopefully yes, and remember the new era of selling is likely going to change again in the next few years. Good luck with that one.

Why Johnny Can't Sell 
How do I learn to write better emails?

1. Begin with purchasing two books - The first is without a doubt the best book ever written. It is by Strunk and White and it is called "The Elements of Style." Next purchase "Better Business Writing" by Bryan Garner and published by Harvard Business Review
2. Make your point in the first paragraph
3. Never send an email that is more than 3 paragraphs or better yet, don't send an email that is longer than you would read yourself
4. Use bullet points to get to the point - they draw the eyes attention
5. Short, simple messages are the best, people do not like to read long complex emails. Besides who has the time?
6. Subject lines are critical - think about emails you opened - You need to focus on subject lines. 

About The Author:

Michael Nick is considered to be one of the foremost authorities in the world on the subject of value estimation selling. Michael’s first book, ROI Selling (Dearborn Publishing ©2004) was a business best seller. In 2010, Simon & Schuster picked up the reprint rights giving ROI Selling another five years of availability in the market.

Over the past 13 years Michael has worked with Companies like, HP, Autodesk, Fiserv, Ingersol Rand, Trane, NEC, Checkfree, Bomgar, Rockwell Automation, Oracle, Great Plains,and more.

Visit him at: http://www.roi4sales.com

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How many times have you heard someone say, "That person is a born salesperson"?

Many times I have followed that statement with a request for the person to expand on the comment.

What do you mean when you say, "a born salesperson"?

What do you consider to be the attributes a person might possess that would lead you to draw that conclusion?

Invariably the characteristics always seem to be that he or she is a good talker, has the "gift of gab," an outgoing personality, is charming, friendly, has a sense of humor, is engaging, quite persuasive and has personality plus.

While these traits are seen frequently in those who sell, would you consider them characteristics of a true sales professional?

While they could be, I have found that there are other characteristics that are far more important.

A charming, outgoing personality can be very magnetic but, as with any relationship, the luster can fade if there is nothing substantial behind it.

I find that people are looking for a salesperson who is honest, has integrity, is truthful, and, most importantly, cares about the needs of his or her clients and possesses a genuine desire to serve them.

Furthermore, the attributes of trustworthiness and integrity are what separate true sales professionals from the sea of mediocre charlatans masquerading as salespeople, with whom most of us have had the misfortune of dealing.

In-depth research of the top 3 percent of outstanding sales professionals throughout the country has shown that these top performers share two common characteristics - the ability to establish rapport with their customers and the consistent creation of an atmosphere of trust in all their sales relationships.

These vitally important traits serve more than simply to endear these sales professionals to their prospects - they know these methods are the best way to secure repeat business and ensure that every sale wears well.

I find many times sales executives are confused by, or even unaware of, the difference between customers simply buying a product or service and a salesperson actually selling.

Just because a customer has parted with his or her money in exchange for a product or service does not mean that a sale has occurred.

For example, a prospect walks into a retail establishment to buy a blouse and the salesperson successfully finds the type of blouse, determines the occasion for which it is intended and how it will fit in with the prospect's current wardrobe. Then she writes up the order. Despite the fact that this may seem to be an act of selling on the salesperson's part, it really isn't. This scenario is merely an example of a salesperson filling a customer's order.

By contrast, the salesperson, in addition to selecting the correct blouse for her customer, may ask a few questions about the customer's current wardrobe needs and learns that her client has just landed a new job.

This reveals that the customer's real need is for professional clothing that will make a positive impression in her new workplace. The salesperson then proceeds to show the customer a new line of high-end designer suits and coordinating accessories the store has recently received - and the customer walks out with not only the intended blouse but also a suit, matching shoes, a handbag and scarf.

This is the act of selling.

It is not just filling an order but, instead, establishing rapport, gaining trust, determining a need and then meeting that need.

It is my belief that a salesperson's sole purpose is to be of service to the customer.

Along that line, as a salesperson, you should only make promises you can keep - and you should keep every promise you make.

As I have said many times, a professional salesperson makes a sales call for only one reason - to be of service to the customer. If your product or service is not the right thing for the customer then you have no right to sell it. However, if it is something that will benefit the customer and meet his or her needs, then the professional salesperson has a responsibility to sell it.

I've heard sales executives frequently complain that their salespeople often will say and do anything to get the sale and make their quota.

Unfortunately, the salesperson's over-promising and under-delivering create multiple problems, untold friction and significant internal dissension between sales personnel and the support personnel who are responsible for carrying out the salesperson's unrealistic commitments.

My philosophy is that every employee is either selling or unselling for the company, every hour of the day, regardless of his or her position.

It is crucial that the sales organization understands its responsibility to its customers and co-workers.

If any employee is unable - due to an impossible timeline, lack of resources or product availability - to follow through on promises made by a salesperson, that employee will be unselling the company.

To prevent this, salespeople should not overcommit when it comes to promises about what the company can offer.

If the company can't deliver, the sale will fall apart, as will the relationship with the customer.

More importantly, the company's reputation can suffer irreparable damage. In these times of stiff marketplace competition, smart companies know that their solid reputation may be the only thing keeping them ahead of their competition.

It is the responsibility of the sales organization to balance its desire to serve the customer and make the sale with the realities of what the company, whether it is boundless in wealth and resources or modest and greatly limited, is able to offer.

Only when this balance exists can the salesperson effectively communicate with, deliver for and serve the customer in a way that is consistent with his or her promises.

In order to get happy, satisfied customers who continue to return for a lifetime, who refer their friends and colleagues and who offer the kind of word-of-mouth advertising money simply cannot buy, learn to understand the difference between filling an order and actually making a sale.

When you've established trust and rapport, are well-versed in what your firm has to offer and sincere in your desire to serve your customers, you will find that it is easy to promise a lot - and always deliver more.

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A Horrible Prospecting Email - THIS Is Selling?
by Art Sobczak

Greetings!

For those salespeople and managers out there who whine about how hard it is to actually talk to people, and that they are contacting so many more people by email because its more effective, here's something to chew on.

Here's an example of what likely is being sent by "salespeople" perhaps hundreds of thousands of times daily, who believe that this is selling.

I actually received this. Since I didn't ask for permission to use it, I am taking out the name and company info.

Hello Art

This is (name) with (company) and I wanted to touch base with you regarding your interest in (company).

I know you guys had expressed interest a while back and I wanted to make sure I can answer any questions for you or get you up to a trial account.

Let me know if you need any help with these steps and I'd be happy to assist you.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards
(contact info)

A bit of background: Again, this was an email I personally received, meaning that the guy had to go through a couple of steps with my spam system to get it through to me, meaning it came from a individual, not an email blast.

Also, I have never done business with this company, nor to my recollection have I spoken with them. If I did, it was a very brief call where I told them I was not a prospect for their email lists of IT professionals.

Let's break it down and see just how bad it is.

-"This is (name) with (company) and I wanted to touch base with you..."

Ahh, the old Baseball Opening... "touching base." Wow, there's some value. Also, he used "just," which as I discuss in "Smart Calling" is a word that minimizes you and your message.

- "...regarding your interest in (company)."

This is actually insulting, since I never had any interest in that company.

- "I know you guys had expressed interest a while back..."

Again, see my previous point. No, I never expressed any interest. So, they either have their information wrong (most likely) or they are flat out lying in an attempt to lead people to believe there had been some contact and interest. If you feel my thinking on this is out there, I can tell you from experience that there are companies and reps that use this as part of their approach. And please, enough of the "you guys." That might be OK for social conversation or texting with friends, but not in business correspondence or conversation.

-... and I wanted to make sure I can answer any questions for you or get you up to a trial account."

If someone had questions, that would presume interest, which of course there was none. Then he is attempting to close on a decision, a trial account. He's asking me to commit to do something, when zero value has been discussed so far.

-" Let me know if you need any help with these steps and I'd be happy to assist you. I look forward to hearing from you."

You just can't make this stuff up. He's looking forward to hearing from me? Oh yeah, I was so compelled by this note that I couldn't wait to jump on the phone, contact him, and get that trial account going.


Make this your best sales week ever!

About the Author:
Art Sobczak, President of Business By Phone Inc., specializes in one area only: working with business-to-business salespeople--both inside and outside--designing and delivering content-rich programs that participants begin showing results from the very next time they get on the phone. Audiences love his "down-to-earth,"entertaining style, and low-pressure, easy-to-use, customer oriented ideas and techniques. He works with thousands of sales reps each year helping them get more businesses by phone. Art provides real world, how-to ideas and techniques that help salespeople use the phone more effectively to prospect, sell, and service, without morale-killing "rejection." Using the phone in sales is only difficult for people who use outdated, salesy, manipulative tactics, or for those who aren't quite sure what to do, or aren't confident in their abilities. Art's audiences always comment how he simplifies the telesales process, making it easily adaptable for anyone with the right attitude.

Contact Info
Art Sobczak
Business By Phone Inc.
13254 Stevens St.
Omaha, NE, 68137
402-895-9399
ArtS@BusinessByPhone.com
http://smart-calling.com/

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