Streetfighter Selling

Take it up a notch
Add 10% more to your day. Get up 30 minutes earlier. Strike early. Meet prospects for breakfast…have your competition for lunch

Focus
Plan your month, your week, your day.
Eliminate time-wasters. Put the most important things first. Then, do them.

Sharpen yourself
Are your meetings and phone calls crisp and controlled? Are you asking tough questions?
We all fall into bad habits. Practice and refine.

Expand your workweek
I value my weekend. But in turbulent times, a streetfighter gives it what it takes. And, temporarily, at least, at least 2 hours on the weekend will boost your output.

See More People
This should be Rule #1. Prospects, influencers, networking contacts, everybody.

Ask for the order more often
Yea, that’s sales 101, but it’s too often neglected. “This is the perfect time to give us a try. Let’s do it.”

Join the winners club
Avoid negative associations like the plague. Things are tight, we know that, but complaining will mess up your state of mind. Help stomp out global whining.

Comments? Questions? Let me know.

One of the greatest frustrations in business are sales delays. It’s the sale that gets sucked into a Black Hole….seeming to disappear. It’s ‘pending’….always pending!

Here are the symptoms:

First, you’re told “everything looks good,” but, as fast as you can say “this one’s a done deal,” you find out that one of the decision makers is on vacation, or “‘the committee hasn’t met,” or “we’re still looking at it,” or…you get the idea.

What happened? If it didn’t go to your competition, then it either wasn’t a high priority, or lost it’s priority status to something else.

How do you avoid the Black Hole of Sales?

Prevention.
-Understand their business, their needs and their goals.

-How important this sale or supplier change is to their company.
-Is it budgeted?
-What is their buying process (who has to sign off on it).
-Have you earned their trust?

Here are Seven More Tips:

1) Ask jump-start questions:
“what has to happen before we can move ahead?
“do you feel comfortable recommending it?”
“what is your timetable for moving ahead?”

2) Suggest a group-meeting with those delaying the sale to discuss planned usage, benefits and concerns

3) Uncover hidden objections

4) Avoid giving empty ultimatums
…..but when real, be ready to enforce them

5) Diplomatically make contact with ultimate decision-makers

6) When other efforts are exhausted
stay in touch, but move on

7) Don’t keep taking “no” from someone who doesn’t have the power to say “yes”

Toyota, Heinz and Hershey. They’ve got branding. Their name says it all. Branding identifies a product, and its perceived value. Hallmark Greeting Cards built an empire with the phrase “when you care enough to send the very best.”  Branding is ‘who you are’ in the minds of your customers.

Coca Cola, McDonalds and iPod have positioning. When a consumer thinks of a soft drink, Coca Cola is most often the first name that comes to mind.  Drivers looking to satisfy their hunger fast most often look for the Golden Arches. And iPods outsell all other mp3 players by a wide margin (although cell phones are quickly advancing.)  Positioning can be defined as ‘how quickly they think of YOU’ when they have a need.

.Too many salespeople focus only on the steps to the sale, from prospecting to closing, but never truly differentiate themselves from their competition.

Customers want solutions, not social calls. When you bring research, ideas or solutions  that will help make their job even a little easier, you differentiate…and you become a valued resource.

Find your own, personal value. If you consistently bring intelligent discussion, research and ideas, you brand yourself as a value-added consultant. Continuously remind them that you’re working in their best interest with articles or web page links that address their interests and needs and you’ll position yourself as their top, go-to person….the kind they trust, respect and want to do business with.