Greg Bennett Sales Blog

Higher End Sellers Can Make the Same Mistakes In Not Taking Over the Sales Call

Earlier I was pointing out some closing mistakes made by a window blinds salesperson in not advancing the sale and failing to provide a plan for moving forward...but these problems are not unique to low-tech, less "sophisticated" types of sales; salespeople of all sized products (and all experience and income levels) can be just as guilty of not taking over the sales call and helping the client move from point A to point B. 

Over the past few months I've been involved in buying procurement software for our company as well looking into advertising and pr services.  Both of these areas can be fairly expensive and somewhat complicated.  And yet 90% of the salespeople I would interview never really provided a way for us to move from our shopping ignorance to closing the deal.  They still were stuck in the mode of, "So how can I help you folks?" and "What are you looking for?"  and "What do you want to do next?"....vs more of the "Here is what we need to do at this point..." and "My suggestion is that you do what most people do at this stage and that's to..."

I think much of it speaks to the fact that salespeople, and business owners who sell, are so focused on being liked and having a pleasant, conflict-free call that they pretty much agree to anything the buyer wants to do.  And they lose sight of the fact that buyers may know what they want...but they often times don't know what is supposed to happen on the way there!

So sellers, reading early "buying signs" (or what they THINK are buying signs from the client), think to themselves, "Well, he's asking me to talk about my services, so he must be ready to go..." and they begin to move directly ahead to their "pitch"...and thus end up in that old-school dance of "show up...throw up...and split".

Just because the client is asking for information, or seems curious about what you do, doesn't mean he or she is ready in the process to hear what you have to say. 

It's like going to the doctor and two seconds into the exam the patient says, "Let me ask you this doc, could you explain the various treatments for tendinitis?"  Wouldn't the doctor have to come back with..."Well, I could, but I'm not sure you've GOT tendinitis... we need to look at a few things and take some tests"?    Even if the diagnosis comes back as tendinitis, I doubt a doctor is going to go all the way into the medical jargon when describing the solution...he is probably going to boil it down into layman's terms and go from there.

Salespeople are usually opposite of this model...they START with a detailed presentation (complete with medical jargon) on the various types of solutions they provide, then ask the client to self-diagnose and make decisions... "So..based on everything I've showed you...which solution do you want?  Do you think you've got tendinitis?"

It's nuts.  We HAVE to wake up and realize the clients still need to be led, even though they may THINK they know what sicknesses they have, and what possible solutions they may need!

GB

You Need to Pay Attention to This First Story of NOT Being Led

You'll be amazed at the stories I'll be telling over the next few days here in the blog about my experiences, not as a seller, but as a client...a motivated client looking to purchase services from various people.

While you may look at these examples and think, "Well...I would NEVER do what he's describing as a salesperson", that may be true,but you might think again...look at your own performance with a critical eye and and see if you don't recognize some of the same mistakes these folks make in the heat of battle.

Example 1:  Buying Blinds.  For those who've read "Consultative Closing", you'll remember the true story about my wife and I trying to buy replacement windows (which by the way is turning out to be one of the more popular anecdotes in the book)...and I was amazed at how not one salesperson had a plan, or a process, for getting from point A: looking...to point B: buying.   In the book I tried to communicate that this isn't an exclusive problem just for window sellers...ALMOST ALL SALESPEOPLE ARE GUILTY OF NOT HAVING A PROCESS, OR A PLAN...OR ANYTHING TO MOVE THE CLIENT THROUGH THE PROCESS! 

Anyway...on with our example of buying blinds (for those same windows by the way)...and this example is a perfect illustration of what I'm talking about.  To set the scene -- my wife and I are out on a long weekend, I believe it was Labor Day...and she talked me into (aka forced me) going to look at wood blinds.  Now to me, nothing says Labor Day fun like shopping, so I was already in the mood to just take action on SOMETHING...let's just get it done.

So we walk into a place in a strip center (which shall remain nameless, though you can get these things done in a number of days apparently)...I walk in behind my wife like a kid shopping for jeans at a back to school sale...the woman behind the counter looks up, sighs, drops her book, and begrudging lumbers over. 

"Can I help you folks?", she asks...

"Yes...we're looking to get some blinds for the house...and just sort of out shopping around," my wife offers.

"Well...(she points) there are all our blinds...let me know if you have any questions,"  she says, strolling back to her book and some walnuts she was snaking on (no kidding)...

Wanting to get out of there and stunned by her lack of sales "charm", I had to chime in, "Excuse me...but can you give us some direction as to what we're even looking at?"

"Sure (she WAS pleasant at least)...these are the wood blinds, those are the fake-wood blinds...and you just let me know which ones you'd like to look at, and I can give some examples of pricing,"...

So I look at these things, trying my best to look like I know what the hell I'm doing...(okay...see honey, these are the wood ones...and these are the fake wood ones (and my wife is looking at me like, no sh*t Bob Villa)...fed up, I asked, "Can you tell me the process folks go through...we've never even looked at these things before and are not sure at all of the pricing, or the measurements or any of that..."

"Yes...typically, you just decide which one works best for you...(she sees me picking up the two types)...by the way, those wood ones are roughly x dollars and the fake wood ones are y dollars...anyway, you then give us a call and we'll send out someone to do the actual measuring and give you an exact quote... so when you're ready, just give me a call, here's our card."

How much more freaking ready can I be sweetie??  I'm here on a Labor Day Monday, begging to be sold...taken down and put away...so I HAD TO ASK.

"Well...is there a way we could set up that meeting now because I think we're ready to take the next steps..."

"Uh...yeah, I guess we could do that..." she says searching for paper and a pen.  "I'm not sure what their schedule is like...I'll have to leave them a note to call you...now what is the name?" (20 minutes in and she's starting with the first questions about our situation, starting with our name!!!!)

Needless to say we didn't buy from Pauline Walnuts there, and decided to go to Lowe's where the woman there was much more professional and locked the deal down that day (though we still had to push her).

Imagine if this other woman had had a process with some Mini-Steps:

We walk in...

"Hi folks, welcome to _____ Blinds...my name is Pauline, and you are? (gets names)...how can I help you today?"

Can you imagine her setting an agenda?  "What we normally do with folks that are just looking is take some immediate information...give you some options to consider, and then you all can decide if you want to take the next step, or you don't...totally up to you...sound good?"

Then can you imagine her having some Mini-Steps:  "What I would strongly suggest  you do Greg is get the meeting scheduled with one of our people right now, because they are very busy...and also give me 2 or 3 options you like today and we'll at least put a tentative hold on that inventory whether you go with us or not... what day next week would work?"

Some things for you to take away from this experience:

1. Don't assume clients know what they're doing...they often act like they do, but they usually are clueless about the process (THEY WANT TO FEEL SMART WHILE BEING LED)
2. Have your Mini-Steps ready and laid out so it's not a big deal to ask for action...
3. Use phrases like, "What we normally do" and "What most people do"...most people want to do what most people do
   
4. Ask for action, not feelings... "Let's schedule the meeting"...vs "So, how do you feel?"

And if you think these mistakes are just with smaller ticket sales items and would NEVER happen with experienced salespeople, selling more sophisticated products and services...think again.  More stories coming up in the next few days will illustrate what I'm talking about..

Ciao for now from the road

GB

Clients MUST Be Led...They Have No Idea What To Do

I'm going to go nuts!!

I have had several recent examples where I am trying to buy a product or service from a "salesperson" and they JUST won't take the lead...they expect me, the client, to do the work, take the initiative...even close the deal!!! 

I'm not sure what they're so afraid of....maybe they're afraid of being too pushy...or afraid of looking too much like a sleazy salesperson...or afraid of not being "liked"...I'm not sure what it is, but what they're NOT seeing is that it's annoying as hell to the client (especially a client that happens to be a sales trainer by trade).

I swear at times I want to grab their order pad and scream, "Here...watch...I, being the client, am here begging to be led down the path of buying something from you...see...I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm not going to admit that...what you COULD do is explain to me the action steps you "normally do", then suggest I take one of those action steps immediately because it would be good for me in some way...now just DO IT!!" 

Over the next few days (in between various training trips) I'm going to regale you with a few of these stories and talk about how we can avoid the trap of NOT leading, and how we can use Mini-Steps to create a closing plan and get SOMETHING done for heavens sake...check back for more...

Okay...breath...count...breath...relax...all better

GB

Why Are We Afraid to Ask?

More on "the ASK"...

In sales, if we know that asking someone to take action on something is better for us and gives us a much better chance at winning the sale...why don't we do it?  What are we so afraid of?   Well, I've been asking salespeople of all experience levels in a wide variety of industries that same thing...here are some of the answers I've been getting:

• "I'm afraid if I ask, the client will give me a no...and I can't afford a no"
• "I don't like the possible rejection"
• "If I ask I'll get reality...and to be honest with you, I don't want that much reality right now"
• "I feel like I'm being too pushy...too 'salesly'"
• "It feels like it's too early to be asking..."
• "I think it's smarter to just go with the assumed yes and let the momentum build...then we'll be too far down the road to stop"

I think most of these boil down to wanting to be liked, not feeling like a salesperson, and not being willing or able to hear the possible NO answer.

And don't you think it has a lot to do with not having enough "irons in the fire"?   I mean if you have a lot of prospects waiting in the wings, you're a lot more comfortable getting out there on that "ask ledge", ready to just go for it.

Here are some quick thoughts for facing our fears in this area:

• A.B.P....A, Always...B, Be...P, Prospecting...if we'll double the amount of prospects we have in the pipeline and maintain that level at all times, you'll get to a point where you HAVE to ask people to take action, or they'll miss out or pay more.  This is a wonderful place to be, and we CAN control it for the most part.
• Write Your Ask Questions Down and Keep Them In Front Of You...like learning any new habit, or skill, you've got to keep reminders in front of you all the time.  Asking for action requires the same thing...write the one or two ask questions you feel comfortable with on a page, blow it up and put it on your cubicle wall, maybe carry those questions on a card with you for a few weeks.
• Practice Asking People To Take Action Outside of Sales...look for ways to improve your asking habits by doing it more in the outside world...instead of just "visiting" with people...e.g. "how are you?", "so, are you having a good retreat so far?"...try adding an ask on the end...
  • "How are you? Can you tell me about the party last night?" 
  • "So, are you having a good retreat so far?  Can we schedule a meeting Tuesday morning to download what you're hearing?"
• Study "Embracing NO"... in my book, "Consultative Closing", one of the main areas of focus is in "Embracing NO" as an answer, and why it's much better to ask and get a NO than it is to stay in the pretend world of MAYBE - which only 'feels' better for the moment, but can end hurting people in the long run.

I'll end this little mini-series on "the ASK" with this thought...it's our privilege, our right, our duty to ask...it's the client's privilege,  right, duty to answer...even if the answer is no.

But NOTHING CAN HAPPEN UNLESS WE DO OUR PART AND ASK!

GB

   

If We're Not "Asking" the Client to Action...What ARE We Doing?

One of the biggest mistakes salespeople make is they don't ASK the client take action on anything in particular...partly because they haven't broken the sales process down into actionable "Mini-Steps" that need an ask...so if they're not asking, what ARE they doing?

• They answer questions or provide information...then just stop
  • –“the price?  Well...with everything included, your total price would be $34,000...” (and then they just stop....)
    
• They ask vague questions about how people FEEL, or THINK
• • “So what are your thoughts?”  “So what do you think?” “How do you feel about that?”  (these vague questions will get vague, evasive answers)

• They fail to control the call, allowing the client to come up with a plan...
  • Client:  –“Okay…well, why don’t you give me a call late tomorrow and I’ll let you know…”

Here is an easy test you can do to get more focused on asking on a regular basis...on your drive home each night, ask yourself..."How many times did I actually ask someone to take action on something today?"

You'll see there are too many days when, if we're being honest with ourselves, the answer will be...none!

Identify the Mini-Steps...then ask people to take action.

GB

–

It's All About the ASK

Lately I've been talking a lot about "The Ask" with a wide variety of clients. And how salespeople can sometimes do anything BUT ask the client to take action on something during a sales call !  The seller may do a great job of questioning, listening, probing, presenting, etc, but without an actual ASK, the sale may end up where most do and that's in that Death Valley of Sales!

Over the next few days I'm going to be sharing some random thoughts from those workshops on "THE ASK", check back regularly for an update!

GB

The Power Is In the Needs Analysis

When you do as much consulting, teaching and coaching as I have (it will be 20 years "in the game" next year!) you notice certain concepts bubble up from the giant pool of ideas and information more than others...and one of them is the power of doing an effective Needs Analysis. 

The Needs Analysis is critical in the sales process as this is where we gather enough of the right information about the client's "condition" in order to recommend the right solutions. 

Unfortunately, after all the years of everyone preaching and talking about the importance of putting the customer's needs first and letting the client talk most of the time...most salespeople still show-up, throw-up, and split!  Which means they either quickly roll through some surface-level questioning of the client, or they just skip questioning altogether...all so they can just get to their presentation. My how we LOVE to talk and talk and talk...

Can you imagine a doctor approaching his business this way?  "I'm going to just skip the questioning, probing, and examining process (takes too much time)... and just start providing solutions..." 

On occasion the doctor MAY guess right...but a lot of patients are going to get worse, and may even die with the process!!

Another reason this happens is because CLIENTS WANT SALESPEOPLE THROWING UP!  I mean, clients have this whole thing figured out (maybe it's because they're IN more sales calls {as clients} than we are as salespeople)...if they get us talking, they can sit in silence; gather all the info, and remain in total control.

Again...should the doctor just launch into a guess because the patient says, "Tell me about yourself and all the medicines doc...then make as guess about what I've got"  It's crazy folks.

Let's just agree to some basics here:

• We MUST have our questions in writing...
• We MUST clarify every answer we get from the client (partly because there is more to hear and partly because it makes us better listeners)...
• We MUST write down what the client says without immediately responding with a pitch or answer (there will be time for this later on)...

If the client is not talking 80% of the time, focusing on their issues, challenges, problems, goals and objectives -- then you're not being a good doctor!!!! 

GB

 

Consultative Closing Audio Segments and Written Materials

These are audio-only mp3's of the videos in the various book chapters.

Chapter 2 - The Deceptive Nature of Prospects - Approx 3 min.mp3

Chapter 4 - The Importance of Questioning and Listening - Approx 3 min.mp3

Chapter 5 - Role Play of Greg Bringing a Client Back From NO - Approx 5 min.mp3

Chapter 7 - Role Play of Greg as a Sales Manager Doing a Client Debriefing - Approx 5 min.mp3

Here are the Written Transcripts from those video segments if you can't stream video or listen to audio:

Chapter 2 Video - GB on Deception - Written Transcript.doc

Chapter 4 Video - GB on Effective Questions - Written Transcript.doc

Chapter 5 Video - GB Role Play as Seller Going to NO - Written Transcript.doc

Chapter 7 Video - GB Role Play as Manager Doing a Debriefing - Written Transcript.doc

Some sample Mini-Steps from real companies (no names or locations listed) (MS Word Doc):

Mini-Step Examples.doc

Consultative Closing Resource Center Coming

With the book launch just a few weeks away (though it IS available for early purchase on line now at Amazon.com, etc.) look for a full Consultative Closing Resource Center opening here on the blog. 

The Center will include:

• The video segments I mention in the book
• mp3 audio segments for you podcast-lovers out there
• Sales tools and templates
• Announcements about workshops, seminars, webinars, etc
• Success stories from sellers and managers around the world using my Consultative Closing strategies
• My new line of "Sales Swag" I'm going to be launching -- fun sales-related premium and promotional items (coming in '07)
• More about the Haiti children's initiative I'm involved with - the Haitian Timoun Foundation (www.HopeInHaiti.org) 
• Plus lots of other crap I'll dream up as we move along...

I want to create a family atmosphere with clients, readers, bloggers, strangers, friends, etc...so please check back often, pass is on to your friends (but make sure they're cool enough for the room) 

GB

CLOSING: How Blind Are We?

Wouldn't you LOVE to have a hidden camera in the room after you leave a sales meeting, or get off a follow-up call with a client after trying to close on a particular action step?  Just to watch and hear what is being said after we leave...after the guard is dropped and we get a look at reality.

Chances are we'd be afraid to look, but if we did, I'd imagine there would be lots of differences between how we THINK we sound, look and communicate and the reality of the client's experience.

I'd guess we'd discover some of the following:

• The client was bored...
• The client didn't believe nearly as much as they pretended to believe...
• The client missed the key points when translating it to a colleague...
• The material gets quickly filed and lost as the client goes back to the mission-critical issues of their day...

Contrast that with how we normally feel walking out of a meeting:

• That was pretty good...she seemed really engaged...
• She really seemed to buy-off on our proposition...
• She said she felt she could sell the critical points up the line...
• She said she'd look at it a bit more that afternoon and let us know...

Life is too short to live in this pretend world...we have to muster up the courage to face reality... even if that reality is uglier and less "rosy" than our fantasy world.

GB