I recently was traveling through an airport and came across a kiosk selling customized music CD\’s. I approach the booth and was met with a warm, confident outstretched hand and a big “Hello, how\’s your day going?”

After we exchanged pleasantries I asked the guy “so what\’s this all about?” I expected to ask the question and then sit back and listen to the “spiel”. He said, “We make customized music CD\’s for kids that includes the name of your child in the various songs over 40 times throughout the entire CD - do you have kids?” I nodded and he asked for one of their names. Thinking I was on a slippery slope to a lengthy demonstration I qualified my time by saying that I had a flight in a short while and didn\’t have a lot of time. He said, “no problem, you can go when you have to, it\’s easier and quicker to show you then it is to explain it, it\’ll only take a minute”. I gave him one of my boy\’s names and true to his word he had a live presentation for me in less than 15 seconds.

While he was doing the demo he asked about my other kids names, their ages and if the music would be appropriate for the older boy. I said it wouldn\’t be. He asked if the other two boys were familiar with the two different kid\’s musicians he was playing and whether or not they liked the music. I said they were and they did. When the demo was over he said, “What do you think of that?” I mentioned it was very cool and that my boys would love to hear their name incorporated in their favorite music CD\’s. I then asked “how much?” He told me the price and then simply asked, “It takes 3 minutes to burn a customized CD, should I do one up for each boy with each of the different groups you just heard?”

Done deal. I\’m happy because I got an early birthday present out of the way and my boys will love it.

There were a number of things this guy did right - let\’s have a look:

- Engage immediately. As soon as he saw me looking he approached me. Friendly, inviting and smiling are hard to resist.

- Excitement. He had a good response to my question, “what\’s this all about?” Why? Oh maybe because he hears it 1000 times a day! Prepare good answers to common questions that grab attention and create some excitement. Don\’t try to wing it all the time.

- Optimism. He was not deterred by my comment about having to go soon. He understands that catching your flight is on everyone\’s mind in an airport. He understands that it doesn\’t mean the person won\’t stay and listen, but that it is just the customers\’ escape route they are setting up in advance should they need it. Imagine how successful he would be if when someone said they only had a short while and he rushed them off with an informational brochure? Again, he had a good logical response. He alleviated my concerns by saying I could go any time and educated me as to how long it would take and what the benefit was to my hearing the presentation.

- Involvement. His odds of making a sale go up if he can get to a presentation so he asked for it right away. He had a smooth transition and a logical reason/benefit for me to hear the actual product not just hear him talk about it. Selling is leading. Are you taking the lead in your sales conversations?

- Professional presentation. The guy new what he was doing; he was practiced. He was quick and to the point and new exactly the best way to show value in his product. Can we say the same about the way we explain our products to people?

- Polite and not presumptuous. He got my input on what I thought about the product before moving to the next step of the sale. Do we get the clients involvement during the sales process? Are we asking confirmation questions to check our progress?

- Solid conclusion. He knew time was an issue. Why prolong the process? I saw the product and answered all the questions in a way that suggested this might be something I\’d consider buying - what else is there? It\’s not complicated. He asked for the sale. He brought it to a logical conclusion by riding the momentum he had gained through a good interview and presentation. Standard sales practice: ask questions, demonstrate product, get feedback from the prospective buyer and, if positive, ask them to buy. Are you asking for the sale every time you present a product?

How often is the sales process all herky-jerky and unorganized because the sales person isn\’t leading? Make sure you have a plan for the more common questions and products you deal in. Don\’t complicate the process with unnecessary points and steps. Create momentum with a planned approach that leads the client to a buying decision.

1. Be optimistic
2. Interview and get acknowledgement of a need.
3. Present your product professionally and efficiently
4. Get feedback from the buyer.
5. Ask for the sale.

By the way he suggested I pass on his contact information if I happened to know of anyone that had kids that might like the CD\’s. I\’ll save asking for referrals for another month

“Success is selling comes when opportunity meet preparation. Unfortunately, when opportunity presents itself it is too late to prepare.”

Kevin Neufeld is a sought after speaker and sales trainer. His unique outlook on the service side of selling allows participants to not only maximize their potential in sales but to feel good about the profession of selling.

When Kevin talks on motivation and commitment he knows of what he speaks. Kevin was a member of the Canadian National Rowing Team for 7 years and has competed in several Worlds Championship regattas as well as the Olympic Games in 1984 and 1988. The pinnacle of his athletic career came at the Los Angeles Olympics where he won a Gold Medal for Canada in the Men\’s Eight.

He is currently the Director of Program Development for the International Sales Training Company Fusion Performance Group which specialises in the Automotive, Financial Services and Insurance industries.

Go to http://www.fusionperform.com to ask for 3 FREE sales meeting agendas as well as other sales training tips

Recently I caught up with Carol, an good friend of mine. After exchanging all the news, we got talking about our careers. Carol told me she had started a new business as an interior designer. She had been working with one of the top interior designing firms in the country but decided to branch out on her own because it offered more creative satisfaction. Her company sold interior design packages to home owners looking for home improvement on a budget. Though she had a sizeable customer base, there was always room for more, as with any other business. During the course of conversation, she mentioned that selling a package to a client was the thing that gave her instant ulcers…selling was not her thing. She also talked about how it was difficult to figure out if each sale was contributing enough towards profits. I offered advice as the serial entrepreneur that I am.

“Carol, its great to know you’ve started out on your own. Being an entrepreneur is one of the best jobs around. I understand your concerns and your dilemma that selling is important but not for everyone. However, as you said yourself you can’t do without it. So let’s find a way to make it easier for you to start a sales pitch and close the deal.” I said.

“That would be great, Marilyn. I know you’ve started a lot of businesses and know something about this. So how do we start?” she said. “I first want to know what you do before you start planning a new sale meeting with a client.” I asked her. “Well, I usually call them up to set a time for a meeting and take a look at the house. Then I go back draw up a package, call them again to discuss it. Once I get a confirmed time for a meeting, I present the package” she answered.

“So where is the difficulty?” I asked her. “I feel a little uneasy pitching the package to the client because I am not sure if I can answer all their questions right away and that could cost me a sale” she said.

“Alright, Carol, I can see what is going on here. You basically don’t feel fully prepared for the sales meeting. That’s not unique to your case. Let me tell you about my ‘Mental Walkthrough’ strategy. You know, I am not a very ‘salesy’ person either but being in different businesses all these years has taught me the importance of selling and the value of preparing for it. I prepare for a sales meeting by mentally walking through all the steps of the sale process. That helps me in several ways:
- It gives me an idea of how I would begin the meeting. Taking the lead in a pitch improves your chances of closing the deal favorably and gives your client the impression that you are eager to help them out.

- It helps me work out how I would start the talk and what would I talk about. I don’t want to leave out any key details about my products or services the first time I speak with the client. So thinking about this step in advance helps me crystallize my thoughts.

- A mental walkthrough also helps me plan my reactions to different scenarios. For instance, in an interior decorating business, your client could ask you for a cost on redoing just one area of the house. Or when you make the presentation, they might ask you what it would cost for a design package for the whole house. When I think about the pitch, I keep in mind different scenarios that could develop and prepare to deal with them. This way I am able to pre-empt any uncomfortable questions as well.

- With a walkthrough, I am also able to factor in various costs like the number of phone calls and the expenses incurred on driving up to meet the client and the cost of delivering a product into my total cost and see if this client and their project is financially feasible for my business.

Making a sales pitch means you plan the whole process in advance. Of course, you cannot plan your clients’ reactions but you can make a good guess and prepare how to deal with them. A mental walkthrough of a sale is a critical step in good selling because it not only streamlines your selling process but also helps you keep a check on your cost of sales.” I added.

“Marilyn, I can’t tell you what a great help you’ve been, I am so glad we had this chance meeting. Now I can simplify my selling process and you know what? I already feel more comfortable with the idea of selling,” Carol said.

A seemingly small exercise like a walkthrough can help you build a great relationship with a customer. That in turn will increase the possibility of a repeat sale or a referral. So the next time you have to start a sale, spend some time to go through each step mentally. It will be time well spent.

Marilyn Sweet has started eight businesses over the last 25 years, spent less than $5,000 each time and earning up to a six figure income. The low investment, low risk “5k Biz” model has been developed for the average person. She retired at 51 because of the success of her 5K businesses. Her website is http://www.5kbiz.com and she teaches small business startup classes at colleges in Colorado.“A Fearless Guide to Starting a Profitable 5K Business” is available at Amazon.com.

Manipulation is all about controlling others for your own advantage. As a professional you definitely don’t want people thinking you are manipulating them into buying your products and services. In fact, your fear of being perceived as being manipulative may be putting you off having some sales conversations.

So how do you ensure you are not being manipulative and that you are not being perceived as being manipulative? Here are 6 steps:

Step One - Work out the value of what you offer. Get really clear on the value you offer your clients and the results you deliver. The clearer you get the more passionate you will become and your confidence will naturally soar. People will notice your confidence, your passion and your authentic desire to help them and there will be no feeling - or presence - of manipulation in the conversation.

Step Two - Have a conversation with the intent of helping people get what they want. If you have a sales conversation with the intent of getting what you want - a sale - then your focus is on getting an outcome which is good for you and this is more than often perceived as manipulation. So forget about you and instead have a conversation solely to discover if the person you are talking to wants the results and value you can deliver. With this intent manipulation will be absent.

Step Three - Have a conversation with the intent of gaining a client versus making a sale. The difference is subtle but the long term ramifications on your business are enormous. Come from a place where you view the first sale as just the beginning of a long term relationship where they are now your client. I am sure you have had the experience with the “hit and run” salesman. They made the sale, got your money, which is all that they wanted and you never see them again. You were left feeling manipulated.

Step Four - Ask questions with the intent to understand if you can help the person get what they want. If you ask questions with this intent the person you are talking to will feel relaxed and will open up to you. Contrast this with people who zoom through asking you questions and you know they are not really interested in your answers. You feel that all they want to do is quickly get to the point of telling you what is good for you - their solution. Again, you feel the presence of manipulation. So it’s easy enough to change - just change your intent.

Step Five - Listen with the intent of understanding. When you do ask questions, listen without judgments or assumptions and with the intent to understand. Again contrast this with the manipulation you feel with those people who pretend to listen to you and are really only waiting to pounce as soon as they can so they can start telling you what is good for you.

Step Six - Be committed but not attached to the outcome. When you have a sales conversation, be passionately committed to helping them make the right decision for them. Do not be attached to them deciding to become your client. Give them the space and the respect to make their own decision. They will feel your commitment and your lack of attachment and they will translate this as your genuine desire to do what is right for them (as opposed to what is right for you.).

By following these six steps you will find it easy to avoid being manipulative or being perceived as manipulative in your sales conversations. Try out these six steps and not only will you be more relaxed but you will attract more people who will want to be your client.

(c) 2007, Tessa Stowe, Sales Conversation. WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEBSITE? Yes, you can, provided you make all links live and include this copyright and by-line below.

Tessa Stowe teaches small business owners 10 simple steps to turn conversations into clients without being sales-y or pushy. Her FREE monthly newsletter is full of tips on how to sell your services by just being yourself. Sign-up for the newsletter and the monthly Sales Secrets Revealed teleseminars at http://www.salesconversation.com
http://www.salesconversation.com

When considering how to sell in a B2B environment, there are two factors that are very important to each buying influence. Each influencer in a B2B sale looks at the impact of your product or service on the corporation, as well as the impact it will have on him personally, from a career perspective.

To simplify matters, I have divided these two factors into wins and results. Results are how your product and service affect the corporation. Will it bring in more revenue, cut costs, or improve productivity. These are all corporate factors.

However, remember that everyone also looks out for himself or herself. So they will always ask, ‘how will this decision to employ your product or service affect me personally in my job? Is it a lot of hassle to put in? Will it really make my job easier, and will I look good to my managers?’

So a very important factor you must consider, when selling your solution to your prospects and customers, is how they have personal wins.

Picture a four quadrant square diagram, because I want to emphasize how important the concepts are that are conceptualized in the diagram.

Let’s have a look at all of the quadrants, and see the results associated with each one. We will start at the bottom right quadrant, and move clockwise to the top right.

I Win You Lose: This says you are trying to beat the buyer in some way, and in the long run, you will lose the life-time value of that potential client.

I Lose You Lose: This doesn’t have to be talked about, because it says it all. This happens when you get into an argument with your prospect or client, and get a short term gain for a long term loss. Stay away from these situations at all costs. There are some clients you do not want to do business with, for whatever reason. Don’t do business with them and just walk away.

I Lose You Win: There is one situation where you may want this to happen, and that is to get the client in the door. You may, and actually should, offer all kinds of incentives and guarantees to initially obtain a client. This should only be done when you consider the life-time value of the client, and you want to show that client your knowledge and expertise.

I Win You Win: This, of course, is the relationship you want to build with all of your clients. Win-Win relationships form the basis for any solid experience with another person. This is obviously true whether it is a business or a personal relationship. And as you know, if you have been in business for any length of time, many business relationships turn into very meaningful personal relationships that last a lifetime.

I am not going to delve any further into relationships here, as that will be a major topic in a later article. However, I want to show you the difference between Wins & Results.

Distinction Between Wins & Results Results 1. The impact your product or service has on the business process of your customer.

2. Results are tangible, usually measurable or quantifiable

3. Results are Corporate

Wins 1. This is the fulfillment of a promise made to oneself.

2. Wins are intangible, not measurable and quantifiable.

3. Wins are Personal

So you can see, there is a world of difference between personal wins and corporate results. You must balance the two of these, in order to make the B2B sale.

You already know that the B2B sales cycle can be anywhere from 2 months to 9 months. What if you could cut that time in half? Discover how you can do just that and at the same time stop chasing non-productive leads.

My name is Ian Dainty and I have written a book entitled “A Fast Track to Success in B2B Sales”. Visit my web site at http://www.hitechsalescoach.com/ and get your copy now. You can also contact me at ian@hitechsalescoach.com at any time for any questions you have about selling and marketing. I look forward to working with you to help increase your income.

Opening night for the Toledo Mud Hens is like a grownup’s Halloween. Like children, you put on your chosen outfit and eagerly await the evening. As the stadium fills and the sun goes down, you rush from face to face, getting as many handshakes, business cards and appointments as you can before your time is up.

Throughout the evening, your brain is overloaded with so much information that you can’t keep it all straight. By the time you get home, you realize you can only remember three names, and you’re as disappointed as a trick-or-treater with nothing but a big hole at the bottom of his empty candy bag.

All the names, faces and wonderful conversations you thought you’d remember have been lost, and with them some great opportunities. After all, what good is a “one night only” blockbuster networking event if you can’t remember the wonderful people you met?

The good news is that you really do have a better memory than you think; you just haven’t figured out how to use it yet. When you learn how to effectively store information in your memory, you can make the most of the networking events and the relationships you form.

Why is it that you can remember the details of that amazing home run in the third inning – which bases were loaded, who was up to bat, where you were watching it happen – better than you can remember the name of the person who was standing beside you when it happened?

The reason is that your mind thinks in pictures, not in words. This is why it is so easy to forget a person’s name only seconds after you are introduced to them. Names are hard to remember because they are words, not images. Remembering information is as easy as finding a visual way to recall it.

So, let’s say that at this year’s Mud Hens’ game, you meet a nice guy named Sam, who happens to be wearing a horrible toupee. What are you most likely to remember, his name or the look of the pathetic rug on his head? Use what is so visually obvious to you to help remember him. As you shake his hand, think (don’t say), “horrible toupee guy, Sam.” Associating his name with his unique visual trait will help you never forget Sam’s name for as long as you live.

Of course, it is easy to remember people like this when the opportunity is obvious. The secret lies in making the conscious decision to do this every time you meet somebody. While you shouldn’t necessarily focus on negative things, focusing on something ridiculous and very memorable is what makes the image and information stay in your mind.

Storing information visually is like creating a mental file folder, where you can keep all the information about one person under a specific image. After meeting Sam, you now how a file in your mind labeled “Horrible Toupee Guy.” In this file, you can store all the information about him: his name, how many children he has, his favorite sports team, when he is looking to switch vendors. Store as much helpful information about him as you want. You will be able to retrieve this information much longer and faster because you have a vivid picture to help you find it.

At their next networking event, your competition will be asking Sam, “Haven’t I met you before?” while you will speak comfortably and confidently about things that matter to him – his children, his hobbies, his business.

Your ability to remember the fresh faces you meet is what helps you turn acquaintances into friends, and friends into customers. So at this year’s opening game, keep your eyes open for opportunities. Take in all the sights and make this networking event a home run.

Tom Richard has been called one of the youngest visionaries and avatars alive today. He has dedicated his life to spreading the joy that comes from discovering your true self and enjoying the rewards of operating at your full potential. With the Bolt from the Blue team, Tom represents the powerful generation of personal development and self-discovery. Visit us at http://www.BoltfromBlue.com to bear witness to a new experience.

Being alone in a foreign country can make anyone feel like a fish out of water, especially when you don’t speak the language. One of the many things that can magnify this problem is realizing how badly you need to find a restroom.

Unfamiliar with the customs, the language, and the people, you try your best to describe what you need, relying on hand gestures and facial expressions. For some reason, you find yourself speaking louder and slower, as if it could help others understand your foreign words. Your desperation and discomfort well up and you can barely hold back the tears. Then, miraculously, you find someone who speaks perfect English.

You burst with joy, telling this stranger all about your restroom crisis. In just a few minutes, you have a new friend – someone who understands you and, most importantly, can help you with your problem. You feel connected and at home, simply because you speak the same language.

The sales world is no different. As salespeople spend each day immersed in the details of their job, they begin to pick up their own language. This language consists of specifications and insider talk that strays from the basics of customer usage and focuses on pages per minute, horsepower and reach. This techno-babble language becomes second nature, as if everybody in the world understands, or cares, about these types of details.

Salespeople become so comfortable with their own language that they fail to realize it has created a barrier between themselves and their customers. The customer doesn’t know how to speak the techno-babble language of the salesperson, and the salesperson is too engulfed in their own world to understand the meaning behind customers’ concerns and questions.

This problem of language is often most evident when the salesperson and customer make contact for the first time. Usually, customers want more information, but don’t know enough about the product or service to know what kind of questions to ask. They ask questions like, “How much is it?” or “How fast is it?” because these are simple and familiar questions they can use to get the conversation going.

Instead of discovering the intent behind the customer’s questions, the salesperson responds too quickly and too literally. They immediately tell the customer how much or how fast it is and assume that was all the customer wanted to know.

Statements such as “I don’t want to spend too much,” are interpreted by the salesperson as “I want something cheap.” To the customer, however, those same words could mean, “I don’t want to spend more than I need to, but I still want a product that will do everything I want it to.”

The salesperson has the all information the customer really wants and needs when making a purchase decision, yet the language barrier prevents the salesperson from fully understanding what is being asked.

A lot of meaning can be lost because of this language barrier. The distance between what is said and what is understood can be wide, unless the salesperson changes the way they listen. Learning to listen with the intent of gaining true understanding, rather than just responding, can help break the language barrier.

As a salesperson, it is your job to discover your customer’s meaning and ask questions that will promote understanding. It may be easy to subconsciously lump customers who sound alike into similar categories, assuming they all need the same thing. Realize that each customer is unique and try to understand the distinctive concerns and needs of that customer.

Your customers will be relieved and excited to find one salesperson who is willing to make the effort to understand them fully. With understanding comes comfort, friendship and trust – everything you need to build a great relationship between you and your customer.

Tom Richard has been called one of the youngest visionaries and avatars alive today. He has dedicated his life to spreading the joy that comes from discovering your true self and enjoying the rewards of operating at your full potential. With the Bolt from the Blue team, Tom represents the powerful generation of personal development and self-discovery. Visit us at http://www.BoltfromBlue.com to bear witness to a new experience.

One of the messages that us sales trainer types have been very good at getting across over the last few years is the motto of selling on value and not on price. In sales training course after sales training course around the country sales managers, sales directors and sales trainers keep banging on about value being key not price! As such, when I ask the question, all salespeople are quick to say that we should sell on value and not price.

So why then do they rush to discount so fast? And moan about how their competitors are under cutting them? And whine that their products aren’t any better than their competitors?

Because most salespeople don’t believe that people don’t buy on price - they just say it.

Saying that value is more important than price when selling is not enough. You actually have to believe it. If you don’t really believe it, when the chips are down… you’ll discount! Isn’t it about time that salespeople started being a bit more honest with themselves? If you don’t really believe that you can sell on value then you need to admit it. Only by admitting this can you start to build up the value of your product or service in your own mind.

Private healthcare gave me value for money…

I have recently been into hospital for a one day operation. In the UK the NHS and the private doctors are one and the same by enlarge. Infact, private consultants are normally rushing to get to you after finishing their NHS clients. So the product is identical. OK, so I got my own room but given that all I did was doze in it for 45 minutes before and a couple of hours afterwards that hardly mattered. I waited 6 weeks for a procedure because some drugs had to kick in first for a few weeks. This meant that going private was probably no quicker than the NHS.

So it was no quicker, I had the same consultant and I was barely in the hospital. I have no insurance so I paid for it myself. Can’t have provided value can it?

Yes! Yes! And Yes!

Value is in the eye of the beholder. Had I gone to Bradford Royal Infirmary the staff would have been professional and polite but in essence I would have been rolled in and rolled out. They are understaffed, overworked and trying to keep up. At the private hospital I was “meeted and greeted”, the nurses introduced themselves to me, the surgeon came to see me (twice) before and even the anesthetist popped his head in! When I woke up the nurse was by my bedside and prepared to chat to me. I was worried about the operation and to me this 121 time was worth the money.

Value can only ever be dictated by the client and their circumstances.

I am sure that many people reading this blog would say, “The hell with paying thousands for a chat” but in my mind it was money well spent and I am the customer.

The only way to build up your beliefs about value is understand your customers better. Keep case studies and compile them. Really know how you add value to individual customers. If you leave this to chance you will not truly believe the real value of your products, services or solutions.

What strategies do you have for maintaining your belief about the value of your offerings? If you don’t have any … join my Sales Success sales training newsletter now - it’s packed full of tips, tricks and strategies for increasing your sales results.

For the last 10 years, sales motivational speaker and author, Gavin Ingham has been helping sales people to explode their sales performance by turning self-doubt, fear and lack of motivation into self-belief, confidence and action. With his inspirational approach to sales performance and motivation Gavin combines commercial experience, personal excellence and communications technologies in delivering personal and business sales success.

Visit http://www.gaviningham.net now to join Gavin Ingham’s free newsletter Sales Success ~ tips, tricks & techniques that will help you to outsell, out-manoeuvre and outclass your competition! Refer us to your friends & colleagues but never to your competition!

Visit Gavin’s sales blog at http://www.gaviningham.net/blog Gavin strikes out at sales wimps the world over and tells you how you can win more sales right now. Don’t visit this site if you’re easily offended or you want to be cuddled!

Visit only if you are a sales winner and you want to increase your sales. Gavin tells it like it is, no holds barred. It’s not for everyone!

Driving along the Miami Coast in my rented convertible, I was taken aback by the beauty of the water and the humid air swirling through the vehicle. Having just left snow-covered Toledo, I was enjoying the pleasant break from the norm.

My obsession with the beautiful weather quickly turned into the topic of conversation at my customer’s office. I commented that just the day before I had been playing in the snow with my son, and now I was cruising around southern Florida.

This evoked a surprising confession from my customer. With an awkward smile, my customer admitted, “I’ve never seen snow before.”

“Really?” I asked, a little stunned.

While I understood that there are many people in this world who have never seen snow, I had never really thought about what that meant until that very instant.

For just a moment, try to forget everything you know about snow. Forget about the way the flakes gather lightly in the palm of your hand; the crunching sound it makes as it packs firmly together in your fist; the sharp sting of the cold on your bare hands.

Forgetting what you know about snow is impossible, because you have experienced it. It’s a part of what you know and who you are.

Yet, people who have never experienced snow before think they know it. They’ve seen it on television; they’ve heard others talk about it; they believe in their mind that they know everything there is to know about it.

But what would happen if you put a snowball in their bare hands? Everything they thought they knew about snow would instantly take on a new meaning. They would look at that snowball with pure wonderment, as if tasting a new and wonderful food for the first time. No pictures or words could give them the experience of snow like holding it in their own hands.

The same is true for those who have not yet experienced your products. As a salesperson, it’s easy to assume that your customers truly understand what you are selling, or to assume they have the same pool of experiences you have.

No matter what product or service you offer, your customers do not know it inside and out like you do. They may have a completely false perception of your product, or may not know anything about it at all. Unless your customers understand your product and feel comfortable with it, they won’t have an interest in buying it. The only way to help them know it as well as you do is to let them experience it themselves.

Your job is to create an eye-opening experience for your customers that will give them a real feel for your product. While they may be asking only for prices, brochures, and spec sheets, what they truly need is the knowledge that comes only with experience. No matter how much information you give them, your words and images cannot replace the true understanding that comes with personal experience.

Just like our snowball example, the easiest and fastest way for your customer to understand your product is for them to experience it themselves. This means you need to literally get your product in the hands of your customers. Let them see, feel, and use your product in person.

The value of your product will increase when it has a personal meaning for your customer. The sale becomes less about you, the salesperson, and more about the customer and their relationship with the product.

When your customer has a real and personal connection with your product, they will see the real and personal benefits of buying it. Having it in their hands will help them envision owning the product and using it in their daily lives. Once they gain a true understanding of what you have to offer, the product will sell itself.

Tom Richard has been called one of the youngest visionaries and avatars alive today. He has dedicated his life to spreading the joy that comes from discovering your true self and enjoying the rewards of operating at your full potential. With the Bolt from the Blue team, Tom represents the powerful generation of personal development and self-discovery. Visit us at http://www.BoltfromBlue.com to bear witness to a new experience.

I have written three previous articles on the four influencers in a B2B selling situation. If you sell to other businesses, versus directly to the consumer, then I strongly recommend that you read, and put into practice, all of the information you find in these four articles.

Why, because selling in the B2B space is dramatically different than selling in the B2C environment. Although there are some similarities, the biggest difference is that in the B2B sale, you have many more people and groups you need to convince, in order to consummate your sale.

As mentioned, the other three buying influencers in a B2B sale have been discussed. Your champion, or sponsor is probably the most important person you can fine in any B2B selling situation. For a quick revue, the four influencers in a B2B sale are again.

For a quick revue, the four influencers in a B2B sale are again.

1. The Financial Influencer(s)

2. The User Influencers

3. The Gatekeeper(s)

4. Your Champion or Sponsor

This article will focus on this very important individual, and one that will make your job much easier if you can find this person. This is the Champion or Sponsor of your solution.

The Champion

The champion may also be called your sponsor or coach. It is someone who preferable is inside the buyers’ organization. But, it may be someone inside your organization, or someone who is outside of both companies.

A champion is someone who will help sponsor your proposal to the buying company. The person must therefore have influence within this company. Preferably, it is an executive within the buying organization. And of course the best champion is the financial influencer or buyer. The second best champion is the user influencer executive.

However, you will have a much easier time overcoming all objections if the champion or sponsor is the person who controls the purse strings.

The champion’s role is to interpret information about;

• The situation and why the company is looking to buy,
• To give you access to all of the buying influencers,
• To understand and lead you as to how each of the buying influencers win, and what benefits each of them is looking for.

Your champion will focus on how you can be successful with this proposal, or “how can we pull this off”. Look for a champion or sponsor, and your job will become much, much easier by having one. Keep in mind though, that his or her reputation is at stake. So, you better implement well, and look after this client for a long time to come. You be rewarded far beyond your expectations if you do this.

Just as selling becomes much easier if you utilize referrals and references in your B2B selling cycle. Similarly, using a champion, or a coach, or a sponsor will make your job, in the B2B space, so much easier.

Go out and find the best champion you can, and make your job much easier and simpler. You will also shrink your sales cycle significantly. And you will not spend as much time spinning your wheels with a company that is not going to buy from you right now.

As you see, selling to an enterprise is a complex and sophisticated procedure. Once you have done it right, you will find it much easier each successive time. You can see why the sales cycle to other companies, especially large corporations, is so long. So, be patient. Touch all of the bases and you will be rewarded accordingly.

Ian Dainty has been involved in selling and marketing for over 30 years. Ian started his business career with IBM. He has owned, grown and successfully sold two technology related businesses. Ian has trained thousands of sales, marketing and management people on strategies for opening new account, selling to small and medium sized businesses, as well as managing large Fortune 500 companies.

Ian has written a book entitled “A Fast Track to Success in B2B Sales”. Visit Ian’s web site at http://www.hitechsalescoach.com/ and get a copy for only $9. You can also contact Ian at ian@hitechsalescoach.com Good Selling.

Top salespeople spend their time focused on a few qualified top opportunities. Focus is key, as numerous studies have shown that it takes an average of twelve contacts to make a sale in typical business-to-business sales.

A contact can be a:

* Personal visit

* Telephone call

* E-mail exchange

* Instant messaging

* Personal note

* Voice mail message

* Text message

* Audio postcard (salesforceaudio.com)

* Copies of interesting articles

* Social engagements

* Direct mail

* Newsletters

* Broadcast email

* Special reports

The twelve contacts are measured from the recognition of a qualified opportunity until the close. Additionally, the Harvard Business School conducted a study and determined that an average of seven of the contacts must be quality contacts, such as:

* A face-to-face meeting

* An in-depth phone conversation

* An active electronic exchange via e-mail, instant message or text message

Average salespeople quit after just three contacts and move on to the next opportunity. The ability to focus and stay with a qualified opportunity until it closes defines top salespeople. There are four primary reasons why it takes up to twelve contacts to close a sale.

1. Comfort Level/The Relationship

It usually takes some time (perhaps two to three contacts) for the buyer to feel comfortable with the salesperson, the salesperson’s organization and the products or services being offered.

2. The Buyer’s Decision-Making Process

Most companies have a formal process for making purchasing decisions. There may be more than one buyer, timing issues or budget constraints. The salesperson may have to help the buyer get the necessary funds inserted in the buyer’s subsequent year’s budget, causing a delay.

3. The Competition or Incumbent

The buyer usually needs time to review offerings from the competition or the incumbent.

4. Other Priorities

The buyer may have other, more urgent, priorities. The solution being offered may solve the buyer’s problem perfectly, but the problem may not be one of the buyer’s highest priorities. The buyer might have “other stuff” that needs attention, which may delay the decision-making process.

Average salespeople do not understand these reasons behind closing delays and give up too easily. If you ask a top salesperson how many contacts they make on a qualified lead before they give up, they won’t give you an answer! They will pursue a qualified buyer until the buyer “buys or dies.”

Because of the need to make so many contacts to a given qualified lead, a top salesperson quickly learns to focus. Average salespeople make a few contacts to a lot of contacts. Top salespeople make a lot of contacts to a few top prospects.

The Focus Formula

Based on how long it takes your salespeople to make a contact, your average sales cycle time and the percentage of time your salespeople are actually selling, make a rough calculation of how many prospects your salespeople have time to touch twelve times during your selling cycle period. Here is an example for a business-to-business sale:

Assumptions

Average time spent making quality contacts is 60 minutes. Average sales cycle time is six months.
National average for the % of time sales people actually sell (for complex sales) is 27%.Average number of contacts made to a buyer before the close is 12.Based on these figures, let’s calculate how many qualified leads your salespeople should be pursuing.

1,040 work hours in a six-month sales cycle (assuming an eight-hour day)

x 27% percentage of workday spent actually selling

280 “selling hours”

÷ 12 contacts to close the sale

————————————-

= 23 prospects to focus on

Make sure your salespeople are focusing on the correct number of prospects. If they are focusing on too few, there may be something wrong with the prospecting process—is it the salesperson or the company failing to obtain a sufficient number of qualified leads? If they have too many, they are not sufficiently focused—time for some coaching!

Meet with your salespeople once a week. Ask them for the status of their top prospects. Make sure those prospects are qualified leads. Ask how they have moved the sales process along during the previous week and what the next step is for each prospect. Keep the pressure on and keep them focused!

John Asher’s sales consulting and sales training firm, Asher Training, has worked with over 400 companies in the past eight years helping them improve sales and marketing processes. John is now is a dynamic sales trainer using interactive sales seminars.