http://blogs.bnet.com/salesmachine/?p=8441&tag=nl.e808
For example, if you have a tendency to clutch when talking with CEOs, you must decide to change your belief set so that you’re completely convinced that you are as valuable as the CEO to the CEO’s firm long-term success.
Or, suppose that you discover that you’re less assertive when you’ve overeaten or not had enough sleep. In that case, you need to make changes to your physiology in order to provide the foundation of health and energy that will allow you to remain assertive, no matter what.
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
Monday, 1 March 2010
How do I sell innovative ideas?
Anchor & Twist
So how do you sell your innovation without baffling your audience or losing your listeners in the minutiae of the plan? Fast Company’s Dan Heath has a plan of attack — use “anchor and twist.” How does it work?
The first thing you’ve got to do is anchor in what people already know. So let’s say I had to explain Netflix to somebody who’d never heard of it. Well, I could start by saying, Netflix is like Blockbuster. Now at least you’re in the right mental space–okay, I get it, it’s a movie rental business. But then I can add to it: Netflix is like Blockbuster–but it’s by mail. Or it’s Blockbuster with no late fees, or Blockbuster that actually has the movies you want in stock.
As another example, think about the first generation of cars–how are you going to explain a “car” to someone who’s never seen one. Well, they were called “horseless carriages.” “Carriage” is the anchor–people understood what that was.
Notice that an anchor alone isn’t enough. An anchor is about creating similarity…. But the whole point of innovation is that it’s something new, something different. So you’re anchoring to help people understand, but you also need a twist. A twist is what gets them excited.
So how do you sell your innovation without baffling your audience or losing your listeners in the minutiae of the plan? Fast Company’s Dan Heath has a plan of attack — use “anchor and twist.” How does it work?
The first thing you’ve got to do is anchor in what people already know. So let’s say I had to explain Netflix to somebody who’d never heard of it. Well, I could start by saying, Netflix is like Blockbuster. Now at least you’re in the right mental space–okay, I get it, it’s a movie rental business. But then I can add to it: Netflix is like Blockbuster–but it’s by mail. Or it’s Blockbuster with no late fees, or Blockbuster that actually has the movies you want in stock.
As another example, think about the first generation of cars–how are you going to explain a “car” to someone who’s never seen one. Well, they were called “horseless carriages.” “Carriage” is the anchor–people understood what that was.
Notice that an anchor alone isn’t enough. An anchor is about creating similarity…. But the whole point of innovation is that it’s something new, something different. So you’re anchoring to help people understand, but you also need a twist. A twist is what gets them excited.
What are the top 10 reasons sales pros fail?
REASON #1: They base their self-worth on what other people think. If you define your sense of worth based on how you assume your boss, co-workers, and customers see you, you’ll be deeply hurt by anything that smacks of criticism. Selling, and working inside a sales organization, begins to look like a series of horrible and (finally) intolerable rejections.
REASON #2: They assume that past failure defines the future. Some people find failure so unpleasant that they try to avoid it at all costs. As a result, they avoid any situations where failure is a risk. Because any meaningful sales effort entails risk, such people seldom, if ever, accomplish anything significant in a sales organization.
REASON #3. They believe in destiny, luck and fate. Some people believe that their status in life and potential as a human being is determined by luck, fate or divine intervention operating upon the circumstances of their lives…
These beliefs, however, constantly keep you focused on what you can’t change (e.g. fate) and not on what you can (e.g. your skill set.)
REASON #4: They lack the right attitude. The right attitude for a sales pro consists three qualities: 1) Empathy, so that you can understand customer needs. 2) Confidence, so that your can bring customers to the point of buying, and 3) Resilience, so that you can use rejection and temporary setbacks as spurs that constantly move you forward.
REASON #5: They don’t perceive the subtleties. When mediocre sales pros make sales calls, they are so busy “trying to sell” that they miss the nuances of the customer relationship. Top sales pros know that the most important element of a successful sales call is the value that the sales professional can bring to the customer, rather than whatever might eventually be sold.
REASON #6: They’d rather be doing something else. Failing sales pros often wish they had the nerve get out of sales and do something completely different. If a sales pro’s ideal occupation is to play baseball, be a musician, write a novel, or do anything else that not in Sales — they’ll eventually sabotage their sales career.
REASON #7: They don’t learn from their mistakes. Sales pros tend to avoid looking at their failures and would prefer to examine their successes - and then attempt to replicate them. However, until and unless you understand how, why and where your sales process is failing, it’s impossible to correct systemic problems in your sales approach.
REASON #8: They can’t follow simple instructions. Sales skills must be learned. Some people are naturally resistant to learning new ideas and new techniques, especially if they’ve already achieved a certain level of success. Many a sales pro has “topped off” at the lowest level because of a failure to understand that news skills are needed at each stage of a sales career.
REASON #9: They lack true honesty and candor. Sales is all about relationships and relationships are all about trust. People who lie and fudge the truth may become good at fraud or other criminal acts, but they’re at an extreme disadvantage when it comes to being successful at an honest sales job. Most customers can “sense” when a sales rep isn’t being real… and avoid buying.
REASON #10: They can, but won’t, do the work. This is true not just of selling, but of every other activity in the world. Sales pros who don’t makes their numbers either can’t or won’t do what it takes to make sale. When you can’t do the job, it’s usually because you don’t know what to do. When you won’t to the job, it’s because you simply lack the drive.
REASON #2: They assume that past failure defines the future. Some people find failure so unpleasant that they try to avoid it at all costs. As a result, they avoid any situations where failure is a risk. Because any meaningful sales effort entails risk, such people seldom, if ever, accomplish anything significant in a sales organization.
REASON #3. They believe in destiny, luck and fate. Some people believe that their status in life and potential as a human being is determined by luck, fate or divine intervention operating upon the circumstances of their lives…
These beliefs, however, constantly keep you focused on what you can’t change (e.g. fate) and not on what you can (e.g. your skill set.)
REASON #4: They lack the right attitude. The right attitude for a sales pro consists three qualities: 1) Empathy, so that you can understand customer needs. 2) Confidence, so that your can bring customers to the point of buying, and 3) Resilience, so that you can use rejection and temporary setbacks as spurs that constantly move you forward.
REASON #5: They don’t perceive the subtleties. When mediocre sales pros make sales calls, they are so busy “trying to sell” that they miss the nuances of the customer relationship. Top sales pros know that the most important element of a successful sales call is the value that the sales professional can bring to the customer, rather than whatever might eventually be sold.
REASON #6: They’d rather be doing something else. Failing sales pros often wish they had the nerve get out of sales and do something completely different. If a sales pro’s ideal occupation is to play baseball, be a musician, write a novel, or do anything else that not in Sales — they’ll eventually sabotage their sales career.
REASON #7: They don’t learn from their mistakes. Sales pros tend to avoid looking at their failures and would prefer to examine their successes - and then attempt to replicate them. However, until and unless you understand how, why and where your sales process is failing, it’s impossible to correct systemic problems in your sales approach.
REASON #8: They can’t follow simple instructions. Sales skills must be learned. Some people are naturally resistant to learning new ideas and new techniques, especially if they’ve already achieved a certain level of success. Many a sales pro has “topped off” at the lowest level because of a failure to understand that news skills are needed at each stage of a sales career.
REASON #9: They lack true honesty and candor. Sales is all about relationships and relationships are all about trust. People who lie and fudge the truth may become good at fraud or other criminal acts, but they’re at an extreme disadvantage when it comes to being successful at an honest sales job. Most customers can “sense” when a sales rep isn’t being real… and avoid buying.
REASON #10: They can, but won’t, do the work. This is true not just of selling, but of every other activity in the world. Sales pros who don’t makes their numbers either can’t or won’t do what it takes to make sale. When you can’t do the job, it’s usually because you don’t know what to do. When you won’t to the job, it’s because you simply lack the drive.
Friday, 29 January 2010
How do I develop a sales pipeline on a shoestring?
Step #1: Upsell your current clients. It’s always easier to sell to people who already trust you and know that you can deliver.
Step #2: Get some referral accounts. After you’re revisiting your existing clients and confirmed that they’re delighted with your offering, ask them to provide you with at least two referrals. Have THEM call or email the referrals and set up (or at least suggest) the initial meeting. It is much easier to sell to referral accounts than to completely new prospects.
Step #3: Get some more referrals. Once you’ve exhausted your client base, list out every person you know who’s in the business world and who trusts you (perhaps because you’ve worked with them previously). As before, ask them to provide you with a referral and have THEM call or email the referrals to set up the initial meeting.
Step #4: Get a lead generation system. I recommend something like Insideview, which lets you build lists on the fly and prioritize them based upon events that have happened in that company and industry. If this is too expensive, you can generate pretty good list, for free, from Jigsaw. See my recent post “10 Free Online Sales Tools“
Step #2: Get some referral accounts. After you’re revisiting your existing clients and confirmed that they’re delighted with your offering, ask them to provide you with at least two referrals. Have THEM call or email the referrals and set up (or at least suggest) the initial meeting. It is much easier to sell to referral accounts than to completely new prospects.
Step #3: Get some more referrals. Once you’ve exhausted your client base, list out every person you know who’s in the business world and who trusts you (perhaps because you’ve worked with them previously). As before, ask them to provide you with a referral and have THEM call or email the referrals to set up the initial meeting.
Step #4: Get a lead generation system. I recommend something like Insideview, which lets you build lists on the fly and prioritize them based upon events that have happened in that company and industry. If this is too expensive, you can generate pretty good list, for free, from Jigsaw. See my recent post “10 Free Online Sales Tools“
Wednesday, 27 January 2010
The fundamentals of selling.
http://www.youtube.com/v/RX2XzjB4B7I
[SPR PDR]
Stimulus - (No) Pause -Response
Practice- Drill - Rehearse
[SPR PDR]
Stimulus - (No) Pause -Response
Practice- Drill - Rehearse
Wednesday, 20 January 2010
How can I be a good manager? Leading with the carrot instead of the stick
In the Carrot Principle, author Chester Elton draws on one of the most in-depth management studies ever conducted to definitively show that the key to getting the most out of your employees is frequent and effective recognition.
http://www.bnet.com/2422-13724_23-314287.html?promo=713&tag=nl.e713
4 Key Principles:
Goal Setting
Recognition and reward - for reaching goals . This ties the other 3 principles together.
Trust
Accountability
Goal setting is accelerated by rewarding activities that move employees closer to the goal.
Recognition & Reward
If a company wants speed, it rewards employees who provide quick responses.
If the goal is accuracy, it recognizes those who perform with a minimal margin of error.
And what more effective way to communicate company values and desired behavior than to recognize and reward it preferably in public.
Trust
Recognition also accelerates trust; because when you publicly recognize an employee that employee and everyone else instantly see that you can be trusted to share the credit.
Accountability
And by recognizing accomplishments and milestones toward larger goals, you're letting employees know in a very positive way that they're being held accountable for the overall success of the project.
How can you make recognition an integral part of your company?
Performance--something like an outstanding sales achievement;
Career recognitions--employee's date of hire, their anniversary.
Celebration events--maybe the company Christmas party;
.Day to day recognition-- That's the pat on the back, the team lunches, the small gifts of thanks you offer on a regular basis that praise and express gratitude to employees.
This recognition is often low cost but always high touched and that's something you can do right away.
Day to day recognition must be frequent, specific and timely. I recommend keeping a recognition frequency log like this one for my book, so you can be sure you're keeping up with everyone.
Always make praise specific.
General praises like thanks everyone for your hard work or you rock are useless. Thanks relating specifically to what the employee did and how it was helpful has tremendous impact.
Immediate recognition shows you are paying attention; and value the contribution. Just think of how your spouse feels when you miss a birthday or an anniversary by just one day.
Meaningful Recognition
It's important to remember that recognition always has more impact if the reward is something meaningful to the recipient. So take the time to learn what each employee values. What are their hobbies, interests, career goals?
Remember, effective recognition is frequent, specific and timely.
http://www.bnet.com/2422-13724_23-314287.html?promo=713&tag=nl.e713
4 Key Principles:
Goal Setting
Recognition and reward - for reaching goals . This ties the other 3 principles together.
Trust
Accountability
Goal setting is accelerated by rewarding activities that move employees closer to the goal.
Recognition & Reward
If a company wants speed, it rewards employees who provide quick responses.
If the goal is accuracy, it recognizes those who perform with a minimal margin of error.
And what more effective way to communicate company values and desired behavior than to recognize and reward it preferably in public.
Trust
Recognition also accelerates trust; because when you publicly recognize an employee that employee and everyone else instantly see that you can be trusted to share the credit.
Accountability
And by recognizing accomplishments and milestones toward larger goals, you're letting employees know in a very positive way that they're being held accountable for the overall success of the project.
How can you make recognition an integral part of your company?
Performance--something like an outstanding sales achievement;
Career recognitions--employee's date of hire, their anniversary.
Celebration events--maybe the company Christmas party;
.Day to day recognition-- That's the pat on the back, the team lunches, the small gifts of thanks you offer on a regular basis that praise and express gratitude to employees.
This recognition is often low cost but always high touched and that's something you can do right away.
Day to day recognition must be frequent, specific and timely. I recommend keeping a recognition frequency log like this one for my book, so you can be sure you're keeping up with everyone.
Always make praise specific.
General praises like thanks everyone for your hard work or you rock are useless. Thanks relating specifically to what the employee did and how it was helpful has tremendous impact.
Immediate recognition shows you are paying attention; and value the contribution. Just think of how your spouse feels when you miss a birthday or an anniversary by just one day.
Meaningful Recognition
It's important to remember that recognition always has more impact if the reward is something meaningful to the recipient. So take the time to learn what each employee values. What are their hobbies, interests, career goals?
Remember, effective recognition is frequent, specific and timely.
Friday, 1 January 2010
Mastering The Whiteboard Tips
1. Sketch out a few hours before what you want to sketch on the whiteboard for the meeting.
2. At the meeting, recreate that sketch and talk through the model as you recreate it.
3. Draw 3-D boxes for different entities.
4. Write in Capital letters - looks neater, easier to read.
2. At the meeting, recreate that sketch and talk through the model as you recreate it.
3. Draw 3-D boxes for different entities.
4. Write in Capital letters - looks neater, easier to read.
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