Sales STAR

It is now a universally accepted belief that sales training is critically important for sales staff. A well established practice that has shown results each time, sales training is the best tactic for companies to deploy for increasing sales volumes. A well trained sales staff helps to push sales even during times of recession or low demand, takes on responsibility for selling even with higher prices whenever the need arises for raising net revenue for the business.

Many businesses consider it a waste of money since sales training cannot come free. However, the business that does not have a well trained staff loses out to others who have gained from training and become experts at selling their company’s products. The question of whether sales training is important or not, can be answered by taking a closer look at the sales function of the business, and check:

• Are sales high enough to bring sufficient revenue?
• Is there room for improvement in sales figures?
• Are the products being sold at discounts or at full rates?
• Are sales taking place despite a recession, without any additional effort?
• Do people have a good impression about your business?
• Do you have repeat customers, or do they often go to your competitors?
• Do you get complaints about your sales staff?

Sales training helps in more ways than one. Besides pushing volumes they learn the selling style acceptable to the company, following their rules and code of ethics. Selling techniques change and evolve with the ever changing markets where competition increases every day.

Why is Sales Training Important?

• Sales is the most important part of a business on which the company’s survival depends
• A well trained sales staff is required to push sales
• How the sales team performs depends on their training, and where the training will take place, depends on the business owners
• It is easy for anyone to sell during times of high demand, but it takes an experienced and well trained salesman to sell during low demand phases
• Training will help the sales personnel understand the company’s products and services and how they score over competitive products
• Sales training helps through new approaches like role playing and scenario based lessons
• Sales training helps to improve the communication skills of the staff and teaches them how to acquire good verbal and written skills
• Conduct and confidence are instilled in them to make a lasting impression on prospective clients
• They can be taught how to be sincere and earnest, and these are qualities appreciated by customers
• Sales training costs money but reaps returns that more than compensate for the expense incurred
• Newer techniques of selling including online sales can be taught to sales veterans unfamiliar with them

If sales training is not considered important by your company, there could be a long term impact on the business that will lose in the sales race to those who have a well trained sales staff. Sales training can make a world of difference to the company and each of the individuals who get the training. Sales training is an investment which is bound to reap returns in the short and long term.

By Kristian Bray – Sales Development Specialist at SalesStar.com

As NZ’s only specialists in Sales Recruitment, we have a dedicated database and refined processes that guarantee results. If your currently looking to recruit a Sales Star or want more information text/call 021 799 029 or e-mail kristianb@salesstar.com

What is a sale? By definition, a sale is the pinnacle activity involved in selling products or services in return for money or other compensation.

Sales aficionados should be delighted to see pinnacle and money in the same sentence but if those words don’t resonate in your ears, you probably won’t make a great sales person. We are all wired differently and while some of us were born to sell, others will develop sales skills as their career path evolves.

Regardless, a salesperson will always be motivated by money and live by the principle that reaching the peak or pinnacle of a sales process is the most rewarding feeling on earth.

In saying that, a sale should be seen as an opportunity to develop a successful and lasting relationship rather than just a transaction. Unite this philosophy with an ability to instil trust and a tenacious appetite for positive outcomes and you have the foundation for a successful salesperson.
Now we need to find the building blocks that will strengthen character and generate genuine opportunities.

We can hear but we don’t always listen and mastering the art of listening is critical in gaining an acute understanding of someone’s needs. People love learning and having the skill to impart knowledge while maintaining control of a sales process is worth its weight in gold.

Resilience is paramount in a sales role. Conquering the fear of rejection needs to be envisaged on a daily basis. If we are talking in the true language of sales, the word reluctance doesn’t even exist!

The skilful craft of qualifying leads can’t be overlooked either. Identifying the right time to prospect and the right time to sell is essential in progressing quality leads along the sales pipeline.

Now you need the finishing touches that will convert those opportunities into real sales. This is where you can see the work that has gone into a quality build.

We naturally expect a discount if we don’t believe in what we are offered. A skilled campaigner will maintain control of the sales process while driving value and realise that negotiation begins after the selling is over.

Like a fine wine, someone’s professionalism matures over time. The rich tones of a well- developed attitude are the cornerstone of any sale. The eloquent among us will deliver a message concisely but effectively while leaving the listener wanting more.

Initial impressions are everything and we need a polished performer who maintains eye contact, understands body language and is eloquent with their own unique style.

A true Sales Star is something beautiful by design, especially when you see the hunger and the sparkle in their eyes. The Italians say capolavoro. We say masterpiece. Either way, you will have something worth holding onto.

Pipeline management is a set of activities or multiple projects that ease the running of a business. It eases the process of business forecasts and fine tuning the sales process, improving time management and finally achieving higher sales. Often considered to be a part of the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, pipeline actually implies the flow of income coming into a business with new clients and channels, and helps to keep track of all the plans and steps taken for projects. A full pipeline provides far more opportunities at higher levels by converting leads into sales and feeding the sales closed, at the lower rung. Pipeline management is a process that helps businesses evaluate their own business opportunities and balance quality with quantity. Though it can be used to find solutions for diverse business needs, it is used primarily in the sales division of businesses. It helps to:

• Forecast future growth
• Track sales trends for individual clients and employees
• Calculate taxes for each project
• Track delays and identify reasons for them
• An effective tool for large businesses

Some tips for Pipeline Management

1. Focus on sales staff more than managers- This helps bring out the best in each sales person rather than focus on the sales manager.
2. Keep the sales pipeline with potential customers and not just everyone- Pipeline management will fail if anyone and everyone is added to the pipeline. In this case, more does not mean more sales. Effective sales hold the key to success.
3. Divide customers into groups of actual, potential and fence sitters- Every business’ list of contacts has some customers who must be maintained, potential ones who must be pursued and fence sitters who are talk without substance, and must be kept away from the pipeline since they could be on either side of the fence.
4. Nurture every lead- The CRM exercise brings a list of leads that can be pursued for conversion into customers. Each of these must be nurtured before they can be converted.
5. Display efficiency and ask for references- An efficient sales staff makes customers happy and in return can always ask for references to tap new sources of business and get more customers. This is an opportunity that must not be lost.
6. Have a clear picture of pipeline management- This is important for small businesses that do not have a clear picture of pipeline management even though the basic idea linked to it is going on in their minds.
7. Model the pipeline according to the customer buying process- This should include an idea of how they buy, the stages of going to different suppliers, short listing a few and how they finally decide on one particular supplier.
8. Pipeline management is more about managing rather than measuring- the process and the numbers game are more for analysis to aid management rather than being an end in themselves. The numbers have to be used to make changes and improve more than getting them right.

Pipeline management is an effective tool that can restructure the sales process and improve results by following some of the above mentioned tips.

Sales management is linked to sales, which are considered to be the lifeblood of a business, since they ensure an inflow of revenue by selling what is produced. It incorporates all the sales processes and procedures adopted by a business and include the planning and implementation of strategies to promote sales. Recruitment of sales personnel, training and leading them, and through them achieving the sales targets set to sustain the company, all form part of sales management. It begins where the production and manufacturing process ends and the goods and services that form the core of the business have to reach the consumer, directly or indirectly.

Sales management is critical for every business since it defines the scope of expansion, higher profitability and its potential to become a leader in its field.

What does Sales Management include

• Recruiting a sales force to build a team- The actual sales of products are carried out by sales personnel. Ranging from a sales representative at the bottom rung to the sales manager or director, there is a hierarchy of people who form the sales team and have varying degrees of responsibility for selling. These are the people who directly deal with customers, are the public face of the business and have in-depth knowledge about the market, customer preferences, trends and competition.
• Training the sales team- The sales team is responsible for generating revenue for the business through sales. They can help the marketing effort bear fruit or come to nothing. Hence they play a crucial role, which has to be taught to them. Though they may come with the requisite expertise, they need to be trained according to the company’s requirements, its code of ethics and familiarize them with their tenets of selling. Above all, they have to learn to sell as part of the team that has been put in place. Lack of cohesive, coordinated effort will lead to wastage of market opportunities. They need to be taught how to drive sales, achieve targets and aspire for higher sales volumes.
• Formulating sales strategies and goals- Sales strategies have to be formulated not in isolation, but in coordination with other division of the business. The sales division has to primarily implement the marketing initiatives. The sales goals are defined by the marketing mix, which determine the objectives, promotions, advertisements and discounts. Keeping mind the sales force, the sales strategy involves making a budget and planning expenses for achieving the sales targets. The sales force is organized and assigned tasks accordingly, besides defining the geographical boundaries to them.
• Achieving the sales goals- Sales goals need to be formulated keeping in mind the sales potential. The arduous task is to achieve these goals, and the achievements of each of the sales personnel have to be closely monitored. Each person in the team is assigned specific territories and customers, and senior managers often keep high volume customers for themselves. The primary task of the senior sales managers to provide an environment conducive to selling, by motivating and rewarding their staff.
• Assessing sales performance and targets- This is critical since this is the only way sales goals can be reached and additional efforts put in, before it is too late. Evaluation of sales efforts can be done through the personnel’s daily efforts like number of sales calls made, number of enquiries followed up, number of orders booked and number of hours spent on pursuing new customers.
• Managing and motivating the sales force- The sales force comprises of professionals who form the front line of the company. Their high stress tasks and efforts put in need to be recognized and rewarded adequately to prevent attrition. The remuneration package, promotions and incentives also have to be designed accordingly.

Sales management encompasses all these essential aspects of a business and therefore holds the key to its survival, success and growth.

For most companies the markets into which they sell have changed. The markets have contracted, it is tougher to get prospects to spend money and competition has intensified over the few remaining opportunities that present themselves. To survive in these tough times, companies not only need to re-think their sales strategies, they need to communicate the new strategies to entire sales force to get understanding & alignment and then successfully execute the plan!

It is surprising that a lot of companies we assist don’t have agreement between what the MD, CEO and Sales Manager’s think the strategies are. When sales strategies are not aligned it sends mixed signals to the salespeople and Sales Manager spend more time resolving conflicts instead of growing the business.

The key to an effective sales strategy is execution! This comes from providing salespeople with clarity of the sales objectives, holding them accountable to the activities that support the strategies and making sure that any discomforts with the strategies are uncovered and dealt with.

For Example:

If your strategy is to grow market share – Research shows that it takes 7-12 touch points to a new prospect for them to even remember who you are.

• How many times do your salespeople make contact before giving up on a prospect?
• Are your salespeople capable of handling fob-offs from prospects i.e. “we are happy with our current supplier” or “we’re ok ”
• Are your Account Managers capable of hunting for new business?

If your strategy is to sell more to existing customers – Research indicates that if you’re not calling on your customers every 90 days, they are no longer your customers.

• How well are your salespeople managing their territories?
• Are they calling on the right people (decision makers) or are they calling on people they are comfortable with?
• Are they building strong business relationships or just personal ones?

If your strategy is to up-hold margins

• Are your salespeople comfortable asking tough questions to indentify the prospects pain and magnify the impact of the problem in order to sell on value?
• Do they have a money weakness and cave in when customers apply a little pressure and want a discount?

If your strategy is to train and develop existing salespeople to support your strategies

• Do you know if your salespeople are trainable and how much investment it will take to get them up to the required level?
• Or would it be more cost effective to recruit salespeople who can support the current strategies?

Would you like to know how effective your sales force is?

Take the test………..

Happy selling

Paul O’Donohue & the SalesStar.com team

Increasing sales is one of the most important tasks for businesses, since higher sales will bring in higher revenue. If businesses could increase their Net Returns or NR, the profitability will increase as well. But in the highly competitive business world with multiple products in global markets, increasing sales is an uphill task. A few tips might help:

TIPS:

1. Connecting with customers- The secret of selling lies in being able to connect with customers to understand their needs and preferences and working around them. It is the essential first step that will end in a sale even though it may take time.
2. Networking- This is of utmost importance since networking helps to expand a potential customer base. Meeting new people, establishing a rapport with them and through them meeting more people, helps in creating a larger network.
3. Advertising right- It is easy to spend millions on advertising and not see any tangible results. It is therefore critical that the right kind of advertising is done, be it on television, hoardings, media or sponsorships. The product, its customer base, and the probability of their noticing the advertisement is what matters.
4. Competitive pricing- This is crucial because at the end of the day every customer wants to buy the cheapest product. The business has to make sure that it uses a competitive pricing model and convinces the customer that they are offering the best quality for the lowest and most competitive price.
5. Establish an online presence- Businesses now have to survive in a global market place, and the advent of the internet has removed boundaries. It takes very little to create an online presence through a website or blog, and use internet marketing tools like articles, newsletters and blogs to reach out to customers and hence increase sales.
6. Brand building for a niche segment- This is the age of super specialization. A successful business is one which is able to push its own brand and make it stand out among others, and it will be even more successful if it fills a niche segment or an exclusive clientele.
7. CRM or Customer Relationship Management- CRM is important for repeat businesses and retaining customers who need to be kept in touch with. CRM is a marketing tool adopted by thousands of businesses and it has paid off by increasing sales for them.
8. Deliver what you promise and be honest- Dishonesty and false promises may get you an initial sale but such sales cannot be sustained. In the long run, honesty alone pays since customers like to get what they have been promised. Creating a hype or attributing features to your products that actually do not exist will never help, and may do more harm to the business reputation.

Applying some or all of these tips will doubtlessly help in increasing sales for the business and generate higher NR (net revenue), which in turn will lift the bottom line for the business. Increasing sales is a ceaseless task that requires constant and ceaseless effort.

Managers and sales personnel need to have the right qualifications to be part of a sales team, but they also need to have the right kind of personality to be successful salesmen. The sales force is the public face of a business, responsible for bringing in the much needed revenue by selling the products and services offered. The success of the business is on their shoulders and dependent on their success. Selling is an art that can be acquired, but success comes easier to those sales personnel who have the right personality. As this has become increasingly clear in the highly competitive business world, businesses are using highly advanced and specialized sales personality tests to get the best talent in the field. These behavioral assessments help to understand strengths and weaknesses in individuals which can then be improved and lead to more success as a sales force.

There are numerous sales personality tests that have been developed to gauge the personality, strengths and weaknesses of the sales personnel. Some of the well known ones include:

DiSC

DiSC is a non-judgmental assessment of behavior where people understand their own personalities and work around them to improve. Having been used for 40 million people worldwide, it helps people optimize their careers, and explores the four distinct behavior styles, namely, dominance, steadiness, influence and conscientiousness. It helps sales people understand themselves and their customers, who could be dominating and demanding, influence driven or conscientious. Gauging their personality, the sales people can devise strategies to meet their requirements and strengthen their own relationship with them.

Assessment of Total Sales Ability

Total Sales Ability has put forth JOY Tests which are not subjective and do not use any guesswork for hiring people, promoting them or retaining them. The test has been devised since checks for sales aptitude, checks sales personality, sales skills, and sales call reluctance are not sufficient to check sales capabilities and therefore has come up with 10 abilities to be tested before drawing conclusions about an individual.

The Big 5 or Five Factor Model

Scientific research in recent years has focused on the Five Factor Model and assessments like ASSESS and TotalView. The Big 5 takes into account 5 personality traits with the acronym OCEAN making them easy to remember:

• Openness to Experience
• Conscientiousness
• Extroversion
• Agreeableness
• Neuroticism

The most significant part of testing sales teams is not the personality test used in gauging the sales person’s personality, but to find ways of finding their passion and aligning it with their talent. The combination of the two will drive them towards greater success in sales. Most people who get jobs have the basics in place, including qualifications, expertise, experience all of which is reinforced by the stack of certificates checked at the time of recruitment. But these do not guarantee top notch sales performance, which is why personality, passion and talent have to be checked, assessed and used to bring out the best in the sales person.

Stronger People = Stronger Results

At SalesStar.com we believe people make the difference in an effective sales team. Our philosophy is that any sales development process starts with an injection of the right people. When you recruit “impact players”, training and development becomes less of an essential requirement leaving you to do what is needed in your business. That’s not to say even the best players in the game don’t still require training. Although he is highly regarded as the best open side flanker and captain in world Rugby, even Richie McCaw trains relentlessly. And with the demanding physical training also comes a necessary element of mental conditioning and mind training. When we train, we gain and stay on top of our game – regardless of the skill or profession.

Sales training should not be viewed as an event; it should be an on-going process of continuous learning and development. In order for training to be effective it needs to be driven from the top. A natural flow down to others should occur to ensure new behaviour is adopted. In terms of implementation, follow the “Triple R” concept:

1. Repetition
2. Reinforcement
3. Rolling practice

Sales people that are well trained are proven to be more effective and more likely to get things right when they are client facing.

A Sales manager can amplify success or failure of any sales force. Bear in mind however, the best player doesn’t always make the best coach. Often we find the best salespeople are groomed to become Sales Managers but when sales are down they revert back to selling which is what they know best. The reality is that time spent selling will mean they can’t grow the sales team. The primary purpose of a Sales Manager is to grow people, in order to grow sales.

SalesStar.com has a mantra that explains we should “train for skills and coach for performance”. Consistent coaching should be envisaged on a weekly/daily basis. Some companies that have implemented regular coaching have grown sales two fold in tough times. Coaching can be done out in the field, dual calls, post call debrief, or even from the office.

One of the probelms we often see is that Sales Managers aren’t spending enough time out in the field with their sales people to see them in action. The question is if you arn’t observing your sales people in action how can you coach them?

The next problem is that Sales Managers lack the effective coaching skills. We see them telling the sales person what they did well and what needs improving rather than asking pertinent coaching questions. Salespeople won’t get the buy in if we simply tell them what to do. We need to give them the skills to make decisions themselves by asking questions so they learn through experiential learning. When we ask the right questions, we allow the salesperson to own the experience.

The more you train, the more you gain. Grow your people and you will grow sales.

Happy Selling

Paul O’Donohue