Selling to Consumers | Sales Training Blog by Skip Anderson

Trade Show Magic

Do you want to maximize your effectiveness at a trade show?

Leave your booth. Visitors are more likely to visit your table or display when you aren't there. Once someone has entered your space, return to your space and engage the prospect in conversation. Apparently, people are intrigued by our displays, our table, our brochures and signs...but aren't so enamored with us. Therefore, step out of the way. Just for a few minutes.

 

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment. Skip Anderson is the President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies that sell to consumers in all B2C sectors to increase sales by leveraging the buying potential of every prospect and shopper.

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Go for the Big Sale. Or Maybe Not.

Conventional wisdom tells us that salespeople should go for the big sale, the record breaker, the home run. And conventional wisdom is usually correct.

But once in a while, going for the "big sale" isn't the best selling strategy. Sometimes the more moderate transaction is in the best interest of the salesperson (not to mention the customer). Will going for the big sale offend the customer so they don't even make a small purchase? Will going for the big sale interrupt an ongoing stream of revenue from the customer (a big short term gain chosen over an even bigger long term gain)? Will going for the big sale effect the relationship with your customer, or your market, or have some other negative consequenceIf the answer to any of these is "yes," then maybe going for the big sale is not the right activity at the present time.

Only wisdom can tell us if going for the big sale is the best action. And wisdom isn't always developed through experience. There are many experienced salespeople who have little wisdom, and many new salespeople who seem to have born with it.

Going after the big sale is a great idea- most of the time.

 

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment. Skip Anderson is the President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies that sell to consumers in all B2C sectors to increase sales by leveraging the buying potential of every prospect and shopper.

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When Selling, do You Make Ear Contact?

Everyone knows how important it is to make eye contact when selling face-to-face. Eyes, being the windows to the soul and all, are a powerful vehicle to connect with another human being. Since prospects are human beings, this works out to everybody's advantage.

But equally important as eye contact is ear contact. If eyes are the windows to the soul, than ears are the heartbeat of the soul.

Do you sell using your ears as much as your eyes? Are your ears a finely tuned instrument? Does listening play as important a role in your interactions with your prospects and customers as your eyesight? And your voice?

The next time you are interacting with a prospect in a face-to-face selling situation, pay attention to how well you use your hearing, listening for nuance in communication, listening for meanings rather than just words, and listening for unique speech patterns and your prospect's choices of words. All of the data your ears pick up can be used to better understand your prospect and his needs and buying requirements. And the next time you're speaking with your prospect on the phone, shut your eyes to shut of visual stimulation (or distraction) so you can zero in on the clues being presented to you aurally.

Eyes aren't overrated. But ears are underated in selling. What better way is there to engage your customers than by actually listening to them?

 

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment. Skip Anderson is the President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies that sell to consumers in all B2C sectors to increase sales by leveraging the buying potential of every prospect and shopper.

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Why "3 for $99" is Worth Much More than $99 to a Seller

You sell products or services to consumers. Let's say you're offering a widget on sale this week for $33. And you sell some throughout the day or week this widget is on sale. That's good for business.

But what's even better for business is to offer those same widgets at 3 for $99. Of course, this makes sense because a lot of customers will buy three of them, thus increasing your revenue.

But here's the real reason to adopt a "3 for $99" mindset in appropriate nooks and crannies of your business-to-consumer sales operation. You are setting up an opportunity to say this to your prospect or shopper:

"You can do 3 for $99, OR, you can save even more money and get 6 for $198, do you want to do that?

I know this isn't feasible for all B2C segments, but for some, this concept will have an impact on a company's revenue. Assuming that my suggestion is feasible for your particular business, then depending upon the industry and the product or service you are selling, you will find that anywhere from one out of ten prospects to ten out of ten prospects will take you up on your proposal. Just imagine what this could do for your top line!

Here are some potential examples:

> Your a men's clothing retailer so you offer a certain collection of dress shirts at two for $75, but you offer to sell four for $150.

> You're a plumbing and heating contractor and you have a special on toilets sold in the home for (I have no idea what toilets sell for these days, especially when installed, so bear with me) $395 instead of $450, but then you say, "or you can do a second toilet and do both of them for only 790. Some consumers will reason that, as long as you're already there replacing a broken toilet, I might as well go ahead and get a new toilet in the guest bathroom as well."

> You sell dog treats in your pet supply store. A special section of premium treats are $1.49 each, but you post a sign saying "2 for $2.75." When your shopper picks up two and lays them on your counter to purchase them, you say "If you want, you can get 4 for $5.50 and save even more money, do you want to do that?" You're surprised but pleased when the prospect puts eight dog treats on the cash counter.

Of course, the magic isn't in the exact quantity or the exact price in these scenarios, it's the concept. If it makes sense with your product in your industry, you can utilize this selling strategy to easily upsell many of your clients / customers.

How have you used this strategy successfully in your business? Or how do you think it could be used? Please share your thoughts or pass along additional examples of the concept.

  

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies that sell to consumers in all B2C sectors to increase sales by leveraging the buying potential of every prospect and shopper.

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Deciding: The Salesperson's Very First Step In Selling

A few minutes ago, I decided to take a break from what I was doing at my desk. I consciously told my body to move my chair back away from my desk, then I told my legs and arms to lift me out of my chair, and then I told my legs to transport me to the restroom.

Notice the word "decided" in the first sentence above. None of us will ever take a break from what we're doing at our desk unless we decide to do it first. The precursor to movement away from a desk is a decision made in our mind. In fact, it has to be made in our mind before we can execute the movement.

Successful selling is no different. 

> We can decide to be successful or we can decide to be unsuccessful (we can also decide to be tentative, to not put in too much effort, to wait and see what happens, etc. - each will bring a different result).

> We can decide to craft an effective presentation or we can decide to wing in (which may feel good to us, but will probably result in less success).

> We can decide to improve our sales closing skills or we can keep doing what we're doing ( in which case we will almost certainly get the same result)s.

> We can decide to become a better manager by improving communications with our staff, or we can blame our staff for not getting it (a sure-fire way to lose your staff, or at least its loyalty).

> We can decide to role-play a challenging part of our sales process or we can wait to see if it comes together over time (I don't want my surgeon seeing if his skills come together over time).

> We can decide to talk to our manager about an issue that concerns us or we can decide to not do that and instead gossip about it to anybody who will listen (thereby reducing the chance that something will be done about the issue).

Life is series of decisions, the results of which will show success or failure or something in between. Becoming either a top-tier salesperson or a short-lived one is also determined by our decisions - many of them - both big and small.

What decisions, big and small, do you need to make today?

 

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies that sell to consumers in all B2C sectors to increase sales by leveraging the buying potential of every prospect and shopper.

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Selling: Think Speed Dating (8 Tips for Sales Success)

Your younger sister is single following her breakup with her boyfriend. She calls you one evening and says she's going speed dating. She's asking advice from her older brother or sister (you) for speed dating advice. What do you tell her?

This is not a speed dating blog. It's not even a dating blog. It's a sales blog. So what's up with that?

Speed dating is a simple process but it can have major consequences. It can have many twists and turns. So can selling. Some customers buy in a one-call close environment, wherein there's an element of time involved, just as in speed dating. Prospects are seeking potential solutions to their needs and desires, and so are speed daters.

Seeing that there are similarities between selling and speed dating, please see the seven sales tips below, which are disguised as speed dating tips for your little sister:

1. Be well groomed and appropriately dressed based upon the characteristics of the speed dating group (the prospect) and the venue. Few will be attracted to someone (connect with a salesperson) who is inappropriately dressed or groomed. Dress and groom as appropriate for the people you expect will attend the speed dating event (the sales interaction). I know this makes me sound like an old school dude, but if you're selling to a bunch of burly, tough Harley riders (not that all Harley riders are burly and tough in reality), then you'd better dress and groom yourself in a way that will resonate with those burly tough guys

2. Keep your eye on the clock. You only have so much time with each speed dater (with each prospect). Make sure you plan your conversation (presentation) appropriately for the time available.

3. Ask questions to draw out the other speed dater (the prospect). Asking questions isn't the goal; getting the other speed daters (the prospects) to engage in conversation with you and being comfortable with you is the goal. Nobody wants to spend time with another speed dater (buy from a salesperson) who hasn't engaged them.

4. Don't waste your valuable time by talking all about you (you, your product, or your company), but focus on the other speed dater (the prospect).

5. Use eye contact, facial expression, and body language to help connect with the speed dater (the prospect). If the other person is cautious, then you be cautious, too, but with an inviting subplot. Singles looking for partners (prospects investigating purchasing something) feel most comfortable with people who are similar to them. Be similar, but with an extra dose of charisma, humor, confidence, or something else that will set you apart from all the others in a positive way. Not that you should be disingenuous, but we all have multiple elements of our personalities which we can call upon for use in different situations.

6. Know your strengths and weaknesses. Position yourself in a way that the speed daters (the prospects) will have the best opportunity to be impressed with you, intrigued with you, or even like you. Use your strengths and find work-arounds for your weaknesses. You're not good at humor? Then don't try to be funny. You have the best smile this side of the North Pole? Smile away.

7. Help the speed dater (the prospect) feel important. Everybody on the face of the earth wants to feel important in some way. You don't have to pretend, just treat your speed dater (your prospect) as being truly important.

8. Know your limitations. Don't over-talk, be overly funny, or be overly anything. Be genuine, real, and nice while getting the job done.  Be genuinely interested, respectful and effective. That what speed dating (selling) is all about.

Full disclosure: I don't participate in speed dating and never have and really don't know much about it. The speed dating advice above is based solely upon my middle-aged imagination. Therefore, it should be ignored.

However, you can trust the sales advice.

 

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies that sell to consumers in all B2C sectors to increase sales by leveraging the buying potential of every prospect and shopper. He's a happily married non-speed-dater.

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Sales Success: It's All in Your Head

When I was losing weight, I would sometimes convince myself that my plan to lose weight would allow me to have a couple chocolate truffles here and a few doughnuts there. Intellectually, I know that chocolate truffles and doughnuts are not foods that are known for their nutritional value or for their ability to create weight loss. 

Yet, I somehow convinced myself that "just this once" was okay, even if "just this once" happened several times per week, and even if it didn't include truffles or doughnuts but instead included french fries or pork ribs. Although the weight I was carrying was in my body, it was allowed to stay there (and grow) because of what was in my head. 

As it turns out, I wouldn't lose weight in my body until I took responsibility for what was in my head. Crazy thinking leads to crazy behavior.

Selling can be like that, too. 

We know that there is a path to success in sales. We've learned this path either from others in our company (colleagues, mentors) or from our salespeople parents, or from books we've read, educational seminars we've been to, from our sales manager, or from our experience. Yet, our crazy thinking creeps up on us, and we start to believe we can take shortcuts, yet achieve the same level of success.

So we don't upsell, or make the number of calls we're supposed to make. We don't follow the sales script or follow all the steps as defined in our sales manual. We talk about features but leave out the benefits. We convince ourselves our prospects don't want to hear what we have to say, or won't accept the price increase the company has just announced.

So our crazy sales thinking sabotages our real world sales success. We become our own worst enemy instead of being our own best supporter and cheerleader. We move backward instead of forward.

Your head will tell you...

... whether to greet the next prospect in your store or office with sincere gusto or with dreadful monotony.

... whether you'll be able to sell your widgets at $1150 instead of the old price of $1000.

... whether to practice a sales script until you know it or dismiss it as unnecessary or unimportant.

... whether to work until 5:00 on Friday afternoon or sneak out at 2:00 (haven't you already done that the last seven Fridays?)

... whether to put in the little bit of extra effort to do this or that instead of choosing the easy way.

... whether your prospect is a prospect or isn't a prospect (because it doesn't look like they can't afford your product or service, or they don't look like your typical customer.

... whether you learn or get stale, whether you energize yourself or bore yourself, whether you reach for the stars or don't bother reaching at all.

Sales success: It's all in your head. And whatever is in there will determine how successful you become. 

  

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies that sell to consumers in all B2C sectors to increase sales by leveraging the buying potential of every prospect and shopper.

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Emotional Baggage: It's There, You Just Need to Find It

  
Customers need things. Thank goodness for that, because if they didn't, commerce would grind to an abrupt halt, along with salespeople's careers.

Consumers need books, TVs, furniture, education, massage, barbecue grills, security systems, trees, orthodontics, replacement windows, hair replacement, bass boats, facelifts, vacations to Italy, jewelry, and thousands of other products which we, as sales professionals, are always happy to sell to them. But when we focus on only our products, we can lose sight of the emotional foundation of these customers' needs.

And when we do that, we're missing opportunities to understand, to steer prospects in the proper direction, and to sell more.

Consider the homeowner in his sixty-year-old home who calls a window replacement company to provide a price quote for new windows for his home. What does this homeowner need?

New windows.

But what are the emotional foundation needs behind those needed windows?

Well, since shoppers are different, we don't know exactly, but we can imagine several credible scenarios:

> Water is seeping in the home through the window in his son's bedroom, and it's been doing so for twenty years. The water damage, although not yet severe (at least from what is visible without ripping the plaster and siding apart to inspect it), is starting to rear it's increasingly present and ugly head. This prospect has an interest in securing his investment in his home and not letting constant drips of water gradually devalue it.

> A homeowner has invested considerable money in his home since he and his wife purchased it eighteen years ago. They've adding a sunroom, completed several major landscaping projects, added a third garage stall and a storage shed in the backyard, built a fence around the yard, finished the basement, and so on. The one substandard part of the owners' home as one looks it over from the street in front of the house is its outdated and time-worn windows. Although the windows work fine, they don't look fine, and the visual appeal of the home he has painstakingly engineered over the years has a blemish that is looking bigger and more obvious with every passing year.

> Energy use is a concern to another homeowner. As energy costs rise, the homeowner concedes that replacing windows with a more energy efficient product would result in enough savings over the decades that lie ahead to warrant such a project. Saving X number of dollars per year has strong emotional appeal to this homeowner, especially when he looks back on the energy costs he's incurred in the last fifteen years that could have been far less had the windows been replaced fifteen years ago.

And so on.

So how do you reach (I mean really reach) your prospects when you're talking with them about their product needs, whether those needs are related to windows or the product or service you sell?

Immerse yourself in the before, the after, the underneath, and the beyond of your prospect and your product:

> Examine

> Explore

> Ask

> Fish

> Investigate

> Seek to understand

> Look deeper

> Broaden

> Notice

> Focus

> Notice clues

> Dig

> Magnify

> Pick apart

> Analyze

> Clarify

> Listen

> Really listen

> Listen to more than just the words being spoken. 

My wife and I need a new barbecue grill, so we've been having fun shopping for one these last few weeks. But nobody wants a new barbecue grill just to have a barbecue grill. They want a quick way to prepare food, a centerpiece for entertaining, a monument to testosterone and manliness, a place to create the best damned grilled steak in the neighborhood (if not on the planet)!

How's that for emotional baggage?

Now, if salespeople would just quit talking to me about this feature and that feature and talk about ME instead...

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment.Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies that sell to consumers in all B2C sectors to increase sales by leveraging the buying potential of every prospect and shopper.

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Sales Training: Changing Selling Behaviors is Job One

  
Let's say your company sells to consumers, maybe in a retail setting or maybe in the customers' homes, or maybe you find your own leads as in insurance or real estate selling.

Let's look at [your]imaginary company that employs three sales professionals who sell widgets to customers. And, for the sake of this discussion, let's say you provide the same number of leads to all three of these sales representatives by you, their employer:

Sales Representatives "A" "B" and "C" all meet with 65 prospects per month. [Adjust this number of prospects for your real business numbers: if you sell retail, your number will likely be higher; if you sell in customers' homes, your number might be lower, if you sell insurance or real estate you might need to adjust it either way.]

Let's imagine that Sales Rep A sells to 45% of his prospects, and let's say this is the average for your industry. [Adjust this number for the average in your industry]. That's 29.25 prospects each month that he converts to customers.

Let's say Sales Rep B closes sales at a rate below your industry's average, let's say at 31%. Therefore, he sells 20.15 customers each month.

And finally, Sales Representative C closes at a rate higher than your industry's average, let's say at 67%. She sells 45.5% of her prospects.

Summary:

Sales Representative A:

> Closing Rate 45%

> 29.25 Sales per month

Sales Representative B: 

> Closing Rate 31%

> 20.15 Sales per month

Sales Representative C:

> Closing Rate 67%

> 45.5 sales per month

The impact these three individuals have on your business is astounding! Clearly, Sales Representative C is the big winner here. She sells more than twice as many customers as Sales Rep B, and over 50% more than Sales Rep A. What if you could get all three sales representatives to close 67% of their prospects? 

That would result in 136.5 sales per month instead of 94.9. That's an increase of over 45%!

And imagine if this is accomplished with no increase in your marketing budget. Your sales team is simply selling more of the shoppers or prospects that they see on a daily basis. Wouldn't that be terrific?

Now let's add another metric: Average Sale (or "average ticket"). Here's how your sales staff stacks up:

Sales Rep A: $1200 average ticket (the industry average, let's say).

Sales Rep B: $1000 average ticket (obviously, below the industry average).

Sales Rep C: $1400 average ticket (way above the industry average).

Using these numbers, along with the closing percentage as previously discussed, let's calculate the monthly sales revenue generated by each of your three salespeople:

Sales Representative A:

> Closing Rate 45%

> 29.25 Sales per month

> Average sale: $1200

> Monthly sales: $35,100

Sales Representative B: 

> Closing Rate 31%

> 20.15 Sales per month

> Average sale:$1000

> Monthly sales: $20,150

Sales Representative C:

> Closing Rate 67%

> 45.5 sales per month

> Average sale: $1400

> Monthly sales: $63,700.

If we add up the revenue from each of your sales team members, we can see that your small business sells $118,950 per month ($1,427,400 for the year).

But what if Sales Reps A and B were selling at the same admirable rate as Sales Rep C?

Your company's annual revenue would jump to over $2.29 million, an increase of $870,000.

And of course, this doesn't take into account that your Sales Representative C should be able to increase her sales numbers as well.

It's simple, really. When you raise the closing rate of your sales team, along with raising the average amount of each transaction, you can increase sales dramatically.

So, you ask, "how do I do this?"

You change the behaviors of your sales team.

Selling is behavioral. When salespeople do the right behaviors (just like golfers, cabinet-makers, brain surgeons, or pastry chefs), they get right results. Without changes in behavior, salespeople (and presumably, you as a sales manager and your entire organization) place themselves in a reactive state, waiting for the economy to turn around, waiting for some mysterious power in the universe to bless your business and increase sales success.

While sometimes waiting will result in sales improvements, it doesn't strike me as a viable way to run a business.

How do you change your sales team's behaviors? 

1. You educate them.

Sales training must bring about sales learning. And sales learning must lead to changes in sales behavior.

2. You educate them some more.

Successful sales training is a process, not an event. Just as the goalie or the stage actor or the public speaker need constant reminders of how to behave (perform) properly in order to maximize performance, so do salespeople.

3. You coach them.

To successfully change behaviors, sales training just can't occur at a seminar, webinar, or during an online sales training program. They need to be touched repeatedly by someone who can help them analyze and study their sales behaviors. They need someone to suggest, help, inspire, motivate, encourage, teach, and shape each salesperson.

4. You manage them.

To successfully change behaviors, management systems (hiring, performance reviews, compensation, daily operations, priorities, standards, etc.) need to work in concert to change sales behaviors in the organization.

* * * * * * *

Nothing mentioned here is new, or breaking new ground. It's not "Sales 2.0". There's no new sales magic here, no stunning new concepts. It's often said that sales is a "numbers game." But you'll only win the numbers game if you earn the right numbers.

So you want to improve the revenue production of your sales team?

Change their sales behaviors.

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment.Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies that sell to consumers in all B2C sectors to increase sales by realizing the buying potential of every prospect.

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The Race to Sales Competence: A Case for Sales Training

 
Like it or not, all sales organizations are participants in the race to sales competence.

How many sales leads will your organization, whether a sole-proprietorship or large sales department, burn through because your sales people are incompetent (or, at least, less competent than they should be) at selling? How many marketing dollars will you invest in various initiatives to get your phone to ring more or to get more customers into your brick-and-mortar location(s) when those dollars would be better spent getting your sales team to sales competence?

I know readers of this blog sell everything from appliances to fine art to RVs to cabinets to clothing and beyond. Regardless of the product or service your company sells to consumers, how much valuable time is being wasted by not getting your salespeople sales-competent? How many wasted marketing dollars will you spend before you decide to invest in teaching your salespeople to convert those pricey leads to sales? How many customer objections will continue to be answered ineffectively? How many opportunities for customer engagement will fall into the no-sale abyss? How many random sales interactions will replace strategic sales interactions with those leads you've so carefully (and at great cost) cultivated? How many sales of $1400 that could have been $1900 (or sales of $14,000 that could have been $19,000) will you allow to happen before you recognize your current position in the race to sales competence?

Someone is in first place in the race right now - it's either your company or a competitor. Someone is doing a bang-up job of presenting their products so they resonate with their prospects. Someone is closing sales at a far higher rate than someone else. Someone is likable and engaging and assertive and hard working and highly energetic while the also-rans are plodding along in the middle of the pack (or worse) in the race to selling competence.

Every day that passes means more missed opportunities for sales and missed opportunities for larger sales. What is the cost of not committing to sales competence today? You know your key metrics. You know what dollars are being made in promotions, marketing, and advertising. You know what commission plans you've tried, at times only being frustrated that the desired results haven't been achieved. You know how much time and energy of your sales team is being spent every day, every week, every month, and every year working with prospects that could have become customers, but didn't because the you're not winning the race.

What would a closing rate of 85% instead of 65% do for your company's bottom line (or 50% instead of 20%)? What would a 25% increase in your average ticket do for it? What marketing dollars could you save if your sales team sourced 15% of their own leads instead of 0%? 

This is real money. It's real potential profit. It's a real race.

But the real race is against yourself. What will it be? Marginal sales success? Or winning the race to sales competence now?

Sales training can help your team become sales competent.

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment.Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies that sell to consumers in all B2C sectors to increase sales by realizing the buying potential of every prospect.

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The One Call Close: 5 Sales Tips to Sell More

   

The "one call close" is a description of a selling situation where it is generally accepted that the salesperson needs to close the business with the prospect at the first meeting, or the sale will be much less likely to occur. This is typically the case with much retail selling, selling in consumers' homes, selling timeshares, door-to-door selling, and many other selling scenarios.

Some incorrectly equate one call close selling with aggressive or sleazy sales techniques. This isn't the case, but successful selling in a one call close environment does require significant sales skill. The one call close seller must convert a shopper to a customer in a quick and efficient manner.

Many who sell in a one call close environment love the quick results you can achieve in this type of selling. Unlike selling products or services that typically have long sales cycles (like many B2B selling situations), the one call close can feed selling personalities who need constant, ongoing immediate results, rather than waiting weeks or months (or even years!) to get sales results.

Here are five sales tips for successful one call close selling:

1. Follow a sales process.

The sales representative who relies on a strategic selling process is much more likely to achieve sales success. The sales process is a road map to the sale. Random selling simply doesn't work in a one call close environment. Use a well-conceived sales process to take your prospects on a journey from "exploration" to "owning."

2. Create sales momentum.

Sales momentum is the force that is created during a sales interaction that eventually ends with the customer buying your product. Sales momentum is so valuable because it helps prospects get over that speed bump of indecision, or the consumer's status quo paralysis (even when a prospect wants your product and has money to pay for it, the power of the status quo can cause the prospect to delay, or avoid entirely, a buying decision). Sales "speed bumps" are not like barricades, but momentum is required to get over it, or the speed bump will act as a barricade.

3. Become skilled at closing.

Much has been written about closing the sale over the years. Nowadays, sales closing has taken on a negative aura in some sales circles, with some sales gurus even proselytizing that sellers shouldn't focus on closing, or that they never teach closing. I disagree. Yes, the close is a logical conclusion to a compelling sales process, but a customer agreeing to buy is never a foregone conclusion. The skilled sales closer helps the customer take action - everything else is just talk.

4. Become skilled at handling objections.

Prospects throw both valid and false objections into the sales path. Sometimes, these objections are merely automatic responses, thanks to consumers' automatic response mechanism that causes them to say "Let me think about it" (or other common objections) without even thinking about what they're saying. The skilled one call closer knows how to get the prospect to get beyond these automatic responses and enter into a meaningful discussion about their real hesitancy to move forward. That's a very valuable sales skill.

5. Build the relationship quickly.

Sales relationships are important. But some assume that when we talk about building relationships that we're talking about long term relations (the type that an account manager in a B2B selling job might need to create). But successful one call close sellers are adept at creating substantial relationships quickly, even if they are short-term relationships. One call close selling is still a very human activity involving two or more human beings, and relationships between humans drive commerce.

 

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment.Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies that sell to consumers in all B2C sectors to increase sales by realizing the buying potential of every prospect.

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Brochures Don't Sell. People Sell.

Brochures, flyers, catalogs: They're all part of the weak salesperson's selling arsenal, at least in the face-to-face (F2F) selling realm. While these pieces can be helpful in marketing a business or a product, they are rarely much help to a salesperson in selling a product or service. 

The most effective tool a salesperson has in his selling arsenal is the salesperson.

A human being has the capacity to be infinitely more engaging with another human being than does a piece of paper, and an engaged prospect or shopper has a higher likelihood of becoming a customer than a non-engaged prospect or shopper. A brochure cannot ask questions. A catalog cannot leverage subtleties of personal communication preferences to have a greater impact. A flyer cannot keep an individual's interest like a human being can. A leaflet cannot become a trusted advisor.

RESIST the temptation to hand out a brochure...

> when a prospect asks you a question;

> when a shopper asks if you have one;

> when a browser asks if you have any information;

> when you're presenting your product or service to your customer;

> when you are handling an objection;

> when you habitually reach for one;

> when you don't know what else to do.

INSTEAD, do this:

> ask a question;

> then ask another one;

> listen;

> show the actual product;

> tell a story;

> paint word-pictures;

> take out a pad of paper and take notes;

> present;

> explain;

> smile;

> invite the prospect to touch your product;

> clarify the issue;

> review;

> ask for the sale;

DON'T BE A DISPENSER OF FLYERS. ENGAGE INSTEAD!

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment.Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies that sell to consumers in all B2C sectors to increase sales by realizing the buying potential of every prospect.

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The Selling Process: A Primer for Business-To-Consumer Salespeople

Just about everything in life has a process:

> There's a process for getting registered for kindergarten.

> There's a process to get accepted into college.

> There's a process for changing the oil in your vehicle.

> There's a process for paying taxes.

> There's a process for having a baby.

Successful selling has a process, too. Think of the selling process as a GPS for your sales interaction. GPS will get you to where you want to go, as long as the unit knows your destination preference. A well-conceived selling process will also get you where you want to go with your prospect. Although there are always exceptions to rules, a step-wise progression consisting of doing the right things and the right times will yield big results in sales.

A PRIMER: THE SELLING PROCESS FOR SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS-TO-CONSUMER SELLING

1. Find your prospect.

If you work in a retail store or have leads provided to you, you don't have to find a prospect to sell to. But otherwise, one of the keys to selling success is to find individuals who are open to spending time with you discussing their needs for your products or services.

Door-to-door selling in a residential neighborhood is a process of finding someone who won't slam the door on your face and will answer your questions (at minimum) or indicate they have a need for your product (better yet!). Selling insurance or real estate or other products or services that aren't sold at retail or door-to-door (D2D) require strong prospecting skills (or a nice marketing budget) in order to have enough people to talk to about your product. Selling on the phone requires a phone list of viable prospects or current customers to upsell.

Once you have your prospect, it's time to find out more about them.

2.Investigate Needs and Desires

Purchases are not random acts. Consumers buy to fulfill needs. Clients are complex and marvelous beings, and the better we understand them and their needs, the better we can position our products and services, and our company, to fulfill those needs. This leads to the prospect or shopper to become a customer or a client.

The depth with which we understand the prospect's needs will help determine our success with our prospects. Merely a superficial understanding will yield less results than an understanding of depth and an appreciation of nuance and detail in the customer's thinking. Therefore, we ask questions to uncover needs, and we discuss those needs and desires to develop a rich and thorough understanding of them, even if we have limited time with our shopper/prospect.

Most sales training will tell you that identifying and understanding consumers' needs and desires is one of the keys to a successful sales career. But many salespeople don't spend enough time on this step of the selling process because they're so anxious to talk about their product or service, or show the shopper something. Ask good good sales questions. Then ask more questions. Investigate.

3. The Presentation

Now is the time for the focus to be on the product or service, the salesperson, or the salesperson's company. This is where we match up our product to the shopper/prospect's needs.

We explain the features of our product. "Features" are details and facts about the product, ideally with the individual consumers' needs in mind. A feature might be any of the following: It's available in 17 colors; you can get an extended warranty; It's available in large or small; It is manufactured in the USA; we custom design all our products for our customers; It's 1.1 carat; It has side airbags; etc.

We also present the benefits of the product or service. "Benefits" are what the features will do for the prospect/shopper. This is where value enters the mix.

A benefit could be any of the following: So you can match the color of the widget to the color of your decor; so you can be protected over the next three years should anything happen to your new computer, therefore saving you time and money and frustration; so you're helping to keep Americans working and not frustrated with products that are made overseas with less quality craftsmanship; so the item is the perfect size for your needs rather than having to buy a widget from stock sizes that might not be right for you; so your fiance will have a diamond that is over that important 1 carat threshold that so many engaged women hope for so your fiance will be thrilled; so your not only protected with the front airbags in a crash, but also protection to the side can help minimize head injury and even death during a crash.

4. Closing the Sale

Everything we've accomplished so far is like the plans for a wedding: the proposal, the shower, the selection of the wedding date, arranging for the participants in the ceremony, acquiring a location, buying the cake and flowers and scheduling the musicians, creating and mailing invitations, selecting the attire, purchasing the rings, preparing the vows, etc.

But closing the sale is like the wedding ceremony itself. It is what all the previous steps have led you. Without the wedding ceremony, all the wedding preparation is a waste of time. Without closing the sale, all the previous sales steps have also been a waste of time.

Closing the sale first consists of a trial close (or test close) that is designed to verify that you have been on the right track with your prospect/shopper. An example of a trial close question is "Are we on the right track?" Another is "Today you were hoping to find a brown widget that would let you do this and that. Do you think this brown widget would let you do this and that?" If the shopper/prospect says "yes," you've successfully completed the trial close. If the response is "no," you've got to return to the "identifying needs and desires" or "the presentation" step of the selling process.

There are many different methods for closing the sale, the simplest being a direct question: "Do you want to go ahead and purchase it?" A salesperson can give alternates: "Do you want to go with the Hitachi or the Sony?" or assume the purchase: "When do you want this delivered?"

Closing the sales is absent from many salesperson's repertoire in the B2C selling sector, and therefore their sales success is limited.

5. Handling Objections

An "objection" is a stated reason why the customer won't or can't purchase from you.

Many of the objections a salesperson hears from a prospect are automatic responses that are not valid. Consumers have developed these responses over many years of dealing with salespeople or seeing others (parents, for example) deal with salespeople. Many other objections are outright fabrications. The remaining objections are valid objections. It's the salesperson's job to find out into which of these categories the objection fits.

Once that determination is made, the salesperson's job is to navigate through these objections in an attempt to arrive at a closed sales transaction despite the objection. The salesperson does this by asking questions, providing new information or reviewing information already presented, investigating the objections, understanding the objections, exploring the objection with the prospect, and asking the prospect to buy again.

I've developed the 3A method for overcoming objections. It can be used as a template for a great many sales situations to help the salesperson successfully handle objections and move on to the sales transaction.

In our wedding analogy, think of the objection as an absent priest, pastor or rabbi from the wedding ceremony, or a lost wedding ring or a pipe organ that won't work. Handling these events are like handling objections.

6. Acquire referrals and testimonials.

While many business-to-consumer sellers skip this step, it can be helpful for many in the B2C sector. Happy customers are often willing to share the names of friends and family members who could use your products or services. Testimonials are positive statements of endorsement you can use in your selling process or in promoting yourself to others.

* * * * * * *

Download the free sales eBook by Skip Anderson, "27 Can Do Steps to Sell More"

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment.Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies that sell to consumers in all B2C sectors to increase sales by realizing the buying potential of every prospect.

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Sorry, We're Going to Go With Your Competitor

Every salesperson hates to hear those words. But we're told we have to learn how to handle this type of rejection because it's part of sales.

And I agree that salespeople must learn to handle rejection. But if the rejection can be avoided, we can avoid having to handle it.

Here's a scenario for your consideration:

Let's say you sell landscaping design and services. You meet with your prospect and do a needs assessment, measure the property, and schedule a second meeting. A week later, You schedule a second meeting with your prospect for a week later, at which time you plan to present your proposal and make the sale.

But while you're away from your prospect for a week, there have been several key events:

1. Your prospect found out he's being sued by a business partner;

2. Your prospect has been looking into purchasing the property next door;

3. Your prospect received a proposal from one of your competitors, who has successfully convinced the prospect to change the prospect's previous stand against adding a hardscape in the northwest corner of the property.

The day for your second meeting arrives. You sit down with your prospect, present your proposal, and ask the prospect to sign your contract. But after you present your proposal, your prospect tells you she's decided to do business with your competitor instead of you.

What went wrong?

You started the second meeting as if the week between the two meetings didn't exist. You picked up where the first meeting ended, but that doesn't recognize that many changes could have (and in fact did) occur in the intervening week.

So what is the lesson to be learned here?

LESSON: Whenever your sales interaction with your prospect is divided into two or more separate events, at the beginning of the latter event, always ask your prospect if anything has changed since you last talked. Do this before you present a proposal.

Here's a great all-purpose question you can use to see if anything has changed since your last meeting:

"We last met three weeks ago to discuss your [widget]. Has anything changed since we last met?"

Or, you could go into even more detail by asking multiple questions, such as these:

> "Last time we met, we discussed the landscaping along the eastern border of your property, right around the old maple tree. You decided to plant ____________ and _____________ in this area, and we were going to place a casual gathering area under the tree. Has anything changed in your thinking about this area?"

> "We also discussed your love of lilacs, and your desire to include lilacs somewhere in your plan. What have you been thinking about lilacs lately?"

> "You wanted to keep the northwest corner of your property open for possible prairie plantings. Is that still your plan?"

> "Has anything else changed about your project or your ideas since we last spoke?"

By doing a thorough review of key issues before presenting a design or pricing, you can prevent confusion, prevent failed attempts at creating sales momentum, and keep you from frustration caused by barking up the wrong tree.

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies and individuals who sell to consumers in B2C, retail, in-home selling, and the financial, real estate, and insurance markets.

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10 Reasons In-Home Sales Calls Don't Succeed

For those who sell in consumers' homes, the in-home sales consultation is the catalyst to either sales greatness or failure. If you master the dynamics of selling in the home, you master your sales career!

Here are 10 reasons why in-the-home sales consultations might not be successful:

1. Not on time.

People are busy, and while prospects will likely cut a sales rep some slack if he's late (it's always best to call the prospect as soon as you know you're going to be late), outright disrespect for a prospect's time doesn't help grow sales.

2. Focus on the product instead of the prospect.

Of course salespeople need to present their product's features and benefits in a positive and interesting way, but that shouldn't be the centerpiece of the sales appointment. Although product and technical expertise is important in all kinds of selling, it's more important to have people expertise. The way to sell successfully is to focus on the prospect and her needs, not just the product that's being sold.

3. Do stupid things.

The salesperson parks in the driveway (a no-no in the eyes of some prospects), or plods across the lawn, he tells the prospect he doesn't like cats, he sets a tape measure on a nice cherry dining table and scratches it, he doesn't take off his shoes and tracks muck into the home, etc. Stupid.

4. Wrong pace.

Some prospects are naturally fast-paced, while others are s-l-o-w. Since people like to be around people who are like themselves, salespeople need to adjust their pace of speaking and the pace of their movement to the natural preferences of their prospects.

5. Not leveraging the location.

The prospect collects Italian pitchers. They're all over the kitchen, dining room, entry, and family room. But the salesperson is too busy playing with his order form, brochures, and PowerPoint presentation to notice, much less say anything about it to the prospect. Really? Yet this bozo told his sales manager during his job interview that he's a "people person." Yes, really.

6. No sit-down chit-chat.

The sales rep is in the home to do business. A great place, probably the best place, to do business is at a table, like a kitchen table or dining table. Yet, thousands of salespeople try to do business while hovering around the broken furnace, or in the unfinished basement, or in the upstairs bathroom, or in the entryway of the home where the security system control pad would go. Why? Because that's where the products they're selling are going to be installed if the prospect buys. Almost all in-home sales interactions can benefit from sitting down together first.

7. Missed opportunities for connection to prospects.

The rep knows some of her prospects own dogs, yet she doesn't t keep a small package of dog treats her our bag to offer one to the furry friends. She knows kids can be a distraction when trying to talk business, yet she doesn't t carry a couple coloring books and crayons in her supplies to keep the lovable kiddos busy while she has a serious talk with the Mom about her needs. She assumes everyone remembers her name, so she doesn't give a business card to the prospect at the beginning of the call. Missed opportunities. 

8. Not spending enough effort on discovering or understanding needs.

The prospect doesn't buy a sunroom to have a sunroom. She buys a sunroom to sit in it on a beautiful morning while enjoying her morning coffee while looking out at their apple trees and chatting to her college-aged son on the phone. If we only spend time telling prospects how great our product is, we miss the opportunity to relate the sunroom to the needs and desires and lifestyle of the prospects, and the things that are truly important in the customer's life.

9. Odors. Bad ones.

Cigarette smoke odor on our clothing, parmesan-chicken-with-garlic-mayo-on-ciabatta odor on our breath, body odor on our bodies, or overly aggressive perfume or cologne on our selves can make a sales interaction go south in a big hurry. These are offensive at any time, but these types of odors are even more troubling when they occur on the prospect's [literal] home turf.

10. No sale.

For many products and services sold in the home, our chances of buttoning up the sale AFTER we leave the home is slim. To maximize the sale, we have to know how to complete the sale while in the home. It's truly a skill, and one that every sales professional who sells in customers' homes must learn.

If you like this post (or don't) please click on "comments" below and share your comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies and individuals who sell to consumers in B2C, retail, in-home selling, in the financial, real estate, and insurance markets, and other consumer-selling industries.

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7 Indicators of High Pressure Selling

The vast majority of salespeople working today don't want to be high pressure sellers. In fact, some have a fear of using pressure to gain sales and avoid assertive, professional selling techniques because of their hyper-sensitivity to high pressure selling.

I also have a disdain for high pressure selling. But I know that professional salespeople need to be assertive, to be willing to put themselves out in the public's eye, to be able to take control, to drive their prospect's decisions, and to bring in the orders.

High pressure selling is something completely different. But what, exactly, is the high pressure selling that most of us dislike so much?

I think high pressure selling can be identified by the following seven indicators:

1. When the salesperson hasn't generated sufficient rapport with, or trust from, the prospect.

2. When the sales representative dominates the sales conversation and does not create customer engagement. 

3. When the salesperson lets the product dominate the conversation rather than the prospect's needs and desires, and their unique circumstances.

4. When the salesperson displays behavior that is disrespectful, rude, or offensive.

5. When the sales representative attempts to close the sale too early or in the wrong way.

6. When the salesperson crosses the line from being assertive (a valuable trait in selling) to being aggressive (attempting to dominate the prospect).

7. When the customer has incorrectly implied or communicated a high level of interest of commitment in the salesperson's product, and then feels taken advantage of when the salesperson acts congruently with that interest or commitment.

You'll see that six of the indicators listed above are the responsibility of the salesperson, and the last one is the responsibility of the prospect. Go ahead and hate aggressive selling. But don't let that keep you from selling.

Are there any sales behaviors missing from my list that you think is an indicator of high pressure or aggressive selling?

If you like this post (or don't) please click on "comments" below and share your comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies and individuals who sell to consumers in B2C, retail, in-home selling, in the financial, real estate, and insurance markets, and other consumer-selling industries.

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My [Very] Personal Story: The Pain of False Objections In Selling and in Life

I wanted to make love with my wife one night last week (especially because I've been very busy and have travelled a lot). But my plans were foiled when she told me she had a migraine. [She knows that the tried and true "headache" excuse doesn't work anymore, so in recent years she's elevated "headache" to "migraine"].

But I know she didn't have a migraine. No way. Her "objection" wasn't real. It was a faux objection.

The real reason my wife avoided my husbandly advances was because she wanted to watch a TV show.

[Great. Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe takes precedence over moi. While I'm thinking about getting "dirty" with my beautiful wife, my beautiful wife is thinking about Mike Rowe getting truly dirty as he plays the role of both a dung beetle researcher and a glass blower. That's just not the kind of role playing I had in mind. But I digress...]

It's not just wives that give objections; prospects do, too. So what do you do when you hear an objection from your customer?

The first and most important task is to determine how accurate and true the objection is. Is it a real objection? Or is it a false objection?

Salespeople hear objections every day. And every day, salespeople go after those objections not knowing if they're real or if they're a cover up, a false objection, a smoke screen, an excuse, an easy way out, a tall tale, a desire to exit the sales situation without having to make a decision, a temporary anxiety attack, or a manifestation of status quo paralysis.

Before we address the actual objection, we put our investigator's hats on and dig into the objection and ask some probing questions. Examples:

- - - - -

Objection: "I need to talk to my wife about it."

Investigative Question: "Being a married person myself, I can appreciate that. Let's set your wife aside for a moment. How do you feel about owning this [insert product or service here]."

- - - - -

Objection: "I can't afford this right now."

Investigative Question: "I agree, Bob, it's important that you only consider cars that you can afford. What was it about this [insert model of car] that made you want to test drive it today? [customer answers]. Is it more that you can't afford this car, or more that you don't want to spend this kind of money?"  etc.

_ _ _ _ _

Objection: "I'm going to have to think about this. Buying a townhome is a big decision."

Investigative Question: "You know, you bring up an excellent point. Let's think about this together. Do you like the location of the home? What do you think about the fourth bedroom? (I know you only needed three bedrooms). What do you think about the layout of the rooms?, etc.

_ _ _ _ _

Faux objections throw salespeople off course. Before you address an objection (or as you address it), find out if the objection is real and true. Sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn't, but addressing a fake objection as if it's the real reason the prospect isn't moving ahead with the purchase is a serious sales strategy error.

By the way, Dirty Jobs is on TV again tonight. Argh.

 

If you like this post (or don't) please click on "comments" below and share your comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies and individuals who sell to consumers in B2C, retail, in-home selling, in the financial, real estate, and insurance markets, and other consumer-selling industries.

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The Value of the Extreme

We notice and remember:

.The young woman with hair down to her tail bone;

.The guy with the super cool glasses;

.When we're greeted by someone wearing a tux;

.Ferraris, Lamborghini's, and Rolls Royces; Smart cars, too.

In sales and in business, it is sometimes (often) helpful to get noticed and get remembered. What have you done to get noticed and remembered? What has your retail store or company done to do likewise?

.Any retail store can set out a platter of cookies for shoppers. But what about little cups of bread pudding? Or mini tartlets? Or your own brand of chocolates?

.There is (was?) a drive-through coffee establishment in Washington that had workers who wore bikinis. This definitely got the public's attention (unfortunately, the bikini baristas took it too far, apparently).

.If coffee shop baristas can wear bikinis at work, how about having guys at your surf shop go shirtless?

.When I was selling products in customers homes 10+ years ago, I would wear a dress shirt and tie on sales calls. All the competitors wore polo shirts or work shirts. I closed 82% of my appointments. They didn't.

.I know a retail sales guy who changed his name to Peter Pepper so he would be remembered. I met him over ten years ago, but I still remember his name.

.I sold a custom closet back in the 90's to the founder of Geek Squad when he lived in a modest South Minneapolis duplex. Parked out front on the congested street was a vintage car with black and white paint (ala 50's cop car) that had the now familiar Geek Squad logo on the doors. We all know Geek Squad now, and it all started with their distinctive visual presence in the marketplace.

Be distinctive, maybe even extreme. Do things differently. Don't be a "me too" salesperson or a "me too" company. Is there an opportunity to utilize "the extreme" in your business?

If you like this post (or don't) please click on "comments" below and share your comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies and individuals who sell to consumers in B2C, retail, in-home selling, in the financial, real estate, and insurance markets, and other consumer-selling industries.

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Customers Lie

Nice customers lie. Mean customers lie. All customers lie. They can't help it. It's wired into their operating systems.

Customers consciously lie - yep, right to your face!

- They'll tell you their budget is $5500 when it's really $6500 (or $4500)

- They'll tell you they can make a decision today, but then want to discuss the purchase with their spouse.

- They'll tell you they're ready to move quickly on the purchase, but then drag their feet.

- They'll tell you that the widget they're going to buy must have the XYZ feature, but then buy a widget  without the XYZ feature from your competitor. 

- They'll tell you their brother-in-law bought the same thing for $13,000 when in fact it was $14,900.

- They'll tell you they'll buy if you knock 200 bucks off the price, then they walk after you do.

Customers also unconsciously lie. They don't mean to. They just can't help it. In fact, they're not even aware of it. Lies seep into the conversation without the prospect knowing it.

It doesn't mean you can't be wildly successful selling to consumers, it just means you need to be prepared. Put everything your prospect tells you into your truth machine for a second look. Be skeptical. Test the customer. Constantly reevaluate. Question your prospect. Look for cracks, proof, and evidence. Don't take much on face value. Investigate. Assume your prospect is lying in some way, especially on crucial issues.

Don't hate your customers for it. Love them. But like parents of devious children sneaking handfuls of cookies into their beds at night, listen carefully for their footsteps outside your bedroom door. And then look for crumbs in the morning.

Those who protect themselves will survive the onslaught of customer lies today and will sell anyway.

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies and individuals who sell to consumers in B2C, retail, in-home selling, and the financial, real estate, and insurance markets.

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More Hang Time Means More Sales

One factor limiting sales success is the salespersons' insufficient time with the prospect, especially in one-call close sales scenarios.

Since we need to get the prospect to hang in there with us and not end the conversation, I call the time we spend with our prospects "hang time." Often, more hang time equals means more sales.

One reason sellers fail at handling objections from customers successfully is that they aren't able to extend the conversation long enough to adequately deal with issues in the objection. "I'm going to hold off," for example, begs for a response, but you only have the opportunity to provide a response if you're able to engineer enough hang time into the sales interaction.

What many salespeople do to try to extend hang time is babble about more features or repeat themselves from earlier in the sales interaction. But these are ineffective ways of extending time with the prospect. What is far more effective is to address each objection with a customized response to that particular objection.

Or, responding to "I'm going to hold off" with a simple question such as "Tell me what you're thinking" can help reengage the prospect to continue the dialog. Important information, such as the true customer objection, can then surface. Once this objection sees the light of day, it can be examined and discussed, giving the seller the opportunity to change the outcome of the sales interaction.

If you're challenged with overcoming objections, develop the ability to increase the hang time with your prospect.

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies and individuals who sell to consumers in B2C, retail, in-home selling, and the financial, real estate, and insurance markets.

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2 Reasons Salespeople Fail at Effectively Handling Customer Objections

The biggest reason salespeople fail at handling objections from their customers is that they don't know what to say or do when they hear an objection, so they talk.

This is primarily a sales training issue, of course, but once trained, it becomes a sales management and coaching issue. Salespeople need to be reminded (daily? weekly? monthly?) how to effectively handle objections so that a simple customer objection doesn't kill a sales interaction prematurely.

The second reason salespeople fail at objection handling is anxiety. They get nervous, impatient, and loose their composure, often resulting in a haphazard response or an end to the dialog.

Again, this is a sales training and management issue. Just as anxiety control is important in being a pilot, a hockey player or a comic, anxiety control is important to the sales professional, too. High anxiety causes comfortable person-to-person timing to become rushed. During an episode of objection anxiety, sales reps loose their ability to listen, to think, and to react effectively.

If your sales team is struggling with handling customer objections effectively:

1. Make sure everyone knows what to say when the most common objections are expressed by prospects; and

2. Make certain salespeople know how to control anxiety through slowing down, improving listening, and lots of role-playing.

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies and individuals who sell to consumers in B2C, retail, in-home selling, and the financial, real estate, and insurance markets.

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The Power of a Sincere Compliment

Retail sales reps and salespeople who sell in customers' homes usually have a brief time to establish customer engagement. In the retail environment, customers get distracted, realize other priorities, or leave the premises. When selling in the home, the sales representative is on the prospect's home turf, so she can exercise very little control over the meeting.

In selling, sometimes small tidbits can create wonderful results. Sharing a sincere compliment with your prospect is one of those tidbits.

Although some individuals need recognition more than others, any human being loves to be recognized, and a compliment is a small way to recognize the value of another. I'm not suggesting fake compliments, wherein a salesperson shares a compliment in a sleazy manner to try to manipulate the prospect. I'm suggesting sincerity here.

There are some interesting gender and sexual-preference dynamics in the realm of complimenting customers. Sometimes women can compliment other women in a way that men can't. I've seen gay men interact with female customers in a way a straight man probably couldn't do successfully, and vice versa. Women salespeople sometimes need to adjust compliments to men customers if the men customers' wives are with them. It can be easier for a woman salesperson to compliment a woman customer than it is a male salesperson to compliment a male customer, so sometimes male sales reps have to work extra hard at complimenting effectively and inoffensively.

Here are compliments for you to ponder. Some of these are appropriate for retail settings, while others are appropriate for selling in the customer's home, yet others will work for office meetings. To engage your customer better, compliment better:

I love your glasses! Where did you get them?

You have the best laugh!

What a lovely purse!

Oh, what a beautiful baby! What's her name?

You have the most wonderful kitchen countertop. What is it?

This floor looks so exotic. I love it!

What a gorgeous family portrait - you have a beautiful family!

You look like you're relaxed and ready for the weekend.

You two make an adorable couple.

I love how you parent your little one. We see such poor parenting here sometimes; it's nice to see someone who sets boundaries for their kids.

I love looking at men's ties and I think yours is great!

I can see how much your wife means to you.

Oh my gosh, may I ask where you got those amazing SHOES?

What cool sunglasses you have on! They're stunning!

I could sit and listen to your accent all day! Where'd you get that?

Looks like you're bright-eyed and raring to go this morning!

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies and individuals who sell to consumers in B2C, retail, in-home selling, and the financial, real estate, and insurance markets.

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Oh, How I Hate Salespeople!

That's what a former boss of mine used to exclaim periodically throughout the work day (actually, his language was often more colorful than that). Whenever he'd receive a phone call from a salesperson (whether it was a cold call or an expected call), he'd slam the phone down after the call and shout out "Oh, how I hate *$#%+#@ salespeople."

And he's not the only person I've run into that exclaims hatred for people in our profession.

So those of us in the sales profession probably have something in common with IRS agents and traffic cops: some people just don't like us. Even if we have something that might help them, even if we are friendly and nice and well-meaning, even if we work our behinds off to be professional and effective, some people do not care for us because we're salespeople.

Here are four ways to handle customers who dislike salespeople:

1. Don't get angry!

If someone who dislikes salespeople pushes your buttons, don't fall prey to their manipulative strategies! These folks love to see you turn red-faced thanks to their actions.

2. Kill them with kindness!

No matter how vile these people treat you, kill them with pleasantries, a smile, and a helpful attitude. They hate that.

3. Put them in their place!

Many of these scum-like customers will quickly change their tune if you put them in their place. It works like magic in certain situations.

4. Fire the customer!

You've got to draw the line sometimes. Fire your customer and spend your time with others who are less evil. Your spouse, children, and dog will thank you.

* * * *

Here's a nice little video featuring some of my time management tips that the peeps over at Your Business Channel put together:

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies and individuals who sell to consumers in B2C, retail, in-home selling, and the financial, real estate, and insurance markets.

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Home Improvement Sales Training: Sales Professional or Pitchman?

Much of conventional wisdom in home improvement sales training centers around "The Demo." This is particularly true when selling windows, doors, sunrooms and the like.

The concept is that you wow your prospect with the quality of your product and walk out the door with a sale. But if this works so well, why does the average salesperson have to discount his price ("drop" in home improvement lingo) one or more times to get the order?

Look, we've got it all wrong. If we spend five minutes getting to know our prospect and twenty minutes performing our demonstration, where is our focus? What's more important here, our window, or our prospect?

I say our prospect is far more important. If we're going to spend twenty minutes doing our demo, then we'd better spend at least twenty minutes getting to know our prospect. It a decision that will determine if you are a sales professional or a pitchman.

- What micro and macro needs does our prospect have?

- Who is the dominant participant, in the case of a couple? Why?

- What prior experiences of the prospect will influence their decision about the purchase of our product?

- What's on the prospect's mind?

- What fears do that have regarding our product or our company or the buying process?

- How will the prospect make a buying decision?

- Why did they call us to their home today and not a year ago? Or a year from now?

- And so on.

But when a sales representative's focus is on the demo, he is:

- Assuming his product meets the needs of his prospect

- Putting his prospect in a role of secondary importance

- Putting the cart before the horse

- Hoping the prospect is interested enough to sign on, rather than finding out up front

Here's my suggestion:

If you sell windows, doors, cabinetry, custom closets, sunrooms, patio rooms, flooring, knives, vacuums, security systems, or anything else in the home, work to engage your prospect in the buying process by focusing on your prospect. Everything else will fall into place more easily if that is your starting point. Otherwise, you could just as well be an infomercial pitchman doing all the talking and none of the listening.

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies and individuals who sell to consumers in B2C, retail, in-home selling, and the financial, real estate, and insurance markets.

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5 Ways to Increase Customer Engagement With Better Goodbyes

I read a very interesting post this week by Rodney Johnson. I love the title: "The Power Goodbye." Read it.

In his article, Rodney discusses how society places more importance on beginnings (the "hellos") than on endings (the "goodbyes"). This is an interesting thought that got me thinking about how this concept  applies to prospects, customers, salespeople, and the sales process.

First, let me say I am a big believer in the power of effective openings during the sales process. The companies I work have salespeople who sell in customers' homes or in retail or in other B2C selling venues. They often have very limited time to establish a trust relationship, and while a B2B salesperson can rely upon prospecting activity to create a vibrant pipeline of prospects, many business-to-consumer salespeople can only rely on the leads supplied to them or the traffic in their store.

For instance, in a retail setting, you wait for your prospect to come through the door. When they do, you have a limited window of opportunity to engage that prospect in conversation. If you fail at opening up that conversation, the prospect will likely either leave the premises (perhaps to visit with your competitor!), or end up engaging with another sales representative at your store. Since the prospect traffic in a retail setting is a finite set, a salesperson must maximize their openings  with these visitors if they are to maximize their sales results.

But let's also look at, as Mr. Johnson calls them, the "goodbyes." 

Let's imagine your customer has just purchased a new barbecue grill, or an entertainment center, or a sunroom. How should the salesperson handle this engagement opportunity?

Here are five tactics to help you maximize engagement with your customer immediately after the sale:

1. CONGRATULATE.

It's very common to thank a customer for their order. One might even be able to argue that it's such a  common occurrence that it's lost its effectiveness. So, congratulate your prospect instead. "Betty and Bob, congratulations on your new health club membership!" has a nice ring to it. And when you follow it with a handshake and appropriate eye contact, you are supporting your prospects underlying needs and desires that motivated them to spend this money on this product or service.

2. SEND A THANK-YOU NOTE, BUT...

Thank you cards are nice. Send one after your customer buys 1 house-full of window treatments or a riding lawnmower or hardwood flooring from you.

But do something different, fun, or unexpected. Send an applicable article clipped from a newspaper or magazine with the thank-you. Take a picture of the customer next to his new recliner before he leaves your store and mail the photo the the customer along with the thank-you note. Send a lottery ticket. Have the entire staff of your store or company sign the card. Send an unconventional card - maybe something that doesn't even look like a traditional greeting card.

When customer engagement processes become unimaginative and routine, their effectiveness is reduced. But when we make them clever, entertaining, or different, we increase the odds of engagement. 

3. BRING A MANAGER INTO THE PICTURE.

When I bought my Sony laptop at Micro Center last year, the cashier called a manager over to her station to  personally thank me for my purchase. Did they have to do this? No, of course not. But did it have an impact on the customer. Yes!

If you work in a venue other than retail, the manager could phone the customer to thank the customer, or send a note or an email.

4. MAKE IT EASY FOR CUSTOMERS TO WEIGH IN ON THEIR EXPERIENCE.

The proper instrument may be a written comment card, a mailed comment card, an online survey, or a phone follow-up, but when you ask prospects about their experience, and it's clear to the customer that you really want their feedback, you increase engagement, trust, and respect.

5. FEATURE YOUR NEW CUSTOMER AND THEIR NEW PRODUCT.

A photo of your new customer standing next to their brand new boat (or, better yet, fishing on it) could be featured on a billboard, in an ad campaign, or in an email newsletter. Making human being customers the focus of your marketing activities can help engage customers because your company is more human-centric and less product-centric. Could insurance companies, for example, benefit from this? Yes! And maybe your company could, too.

Put more effort into your "goodbyes" and you'll increase your customer engagement.

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies and individuals who sell to consumers in B2C, retail, in-home selling, and the financial, real estate, and insurance markets.

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The Customer Comments Book: A Big Plus in One Call Close Selling

Here's the scenario: You're selling closet systems in a customer's home (or any design oriented product). You decide you've got to complete the design and sell it on the first visit. 

Find time in your sales process to hand the prospect a 3 ring binder full of customer comment forms which have been completed by your other customers. An appropriate time tcoo do this might be while you're measuring the prospect's space, designing the prospect's new closet system, or while you're doing an inventory of the space (counting shoes, short-hanging clothing, long-hanging clothing, number of folded sweaters, etc.).

These customer comment forms should be given to all customers after the product is delivered or installed. Providing some sort of incentive will increase the percentage of customers who mail them back to your company.

The most effective customer comment forms are brief, are filled out by hand by your customers, and include your customer's name and address. Alternatively, these comment forms could be copies of online comments you've received through an online customer satisfaction survey system (but these are much less effective sales-wise than hand-written forms). If you use a laptop in your presentation, you could scan your comments and include them in a slide show on your machine.

Back when I was selling in customer's homes, I bought a high quality leather 3 ring binder for this purpose. It had a luxurious feel and look, and touching it provided a tactile sensation which was pleasing to my prospects and supported the professional image I was trying to create.

 At the appropriate time in your selling process, simply hand the book to your prospect and say, "Here's something I'd like you to see." Never ask if the prospect wants to look at it because most will say they don't. Not all prospects will be intrigued by these customer comments, but many will be. As they read comments that sing your praises, your value begins to increase in their eyes.

The impact of this customer comment book on your prospects, and therefore your sales results, can be phenomenal. Prospects love to read comments from other customers as long as they are believable. Every week, I would have a prospect who would know one or more of the customers I featured in my comments book ("Why look, Jean, here's one by the Haffners who go to our church!"). This creates instant credibility and trust.

When you're starting in the closet and home storage industry (or whatever industry you're in that sells in the home), you'll have few customer comment forms. But as time passes, if you or your company are diligent about receiving these forms, you will end up with a binder that's bursting at the seams, which is a good thing. The more customer comments your prospect can read, the better. 

Imagine the impact of two competitors fighting for the same customer's business. One shows up for their in home presentation with a book chock full of glowing customer reviews, while the other doesn't. With all other things being equal, who has the greater opportunity to close the sale?

These customer comment books can be an extraordinary asset for those who sell HVAC, insurance, home improvements, design, or just about anything in a prospect's home.

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies and individuals who sell to consumers in B2C, retail, in-home selling, and the financial, real estate, and insurance markets.

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How To Handle Objections: The 3A Formula

Objections are part of selling. No matter how hard we try to prevent them, objections will appear out of nowhere, and it will always be that way.

First, for our purposes here, let's define the term "objection," because I think there are several variations on the term that can potentially cause some confusion in discussions about overcoming objections during the sales process.

Objection (definition): "After an attempt to close a sale, an objection is a reason expressed by a prospect why the prospect will not or can not buy the product or service being discussed."

For handling this type of objection, I teach the 3A system:

Skip Anderson's 3A Formula for Handling Objections:

1. ACKNOWLEDGE the objection

2. ADDRESS the objection.

3. ASK for the sale again.

Acknowledging the objection is some statement of understanding or even support for the prospect or their sharing of the objection. Let's imagine a prospect has just stated "I need to talk to my husband about it." Here are a few examples of acknowledgment statements:

- Thank you Mary for sharing that information with me.

- I understand!

- I'm a husband myself, so I can appreciate what you're telling me. 

Most salespeople skip this acknowledgment step, and get right to confronting the objection head-on. The problem with this is that it often comes off as being too confrontational.

The second step is "address the objection." This is when you provide further information, clarify the objection, isolate the objection, revisit previous conversation, remind the prospect of what they told you earlier, or all of the above. Let's imagine the prospect's objection is "I just don't think the colors in this rug will work in my home." Examples of addressing this objection could be:

- Mary, earlier you told me you loved this rug and the colors would match your colors in your living room. Did I hear you correctly? And so on.

- Based upon the paint chips you brought in last time you were in, we both agreed this rug looked great with those colors. What has changed since then?" And so on.

- Mary, why do you say that? And so on.

This step can be a lengthy one, and sometimes can result in rewinding the sales process back to the needs and desires assessment and starting it over again. If this happens, either the prospect wasn't being forthright, or something changed that you weren't aware of, or you missed something.

The third step is to ask for the sale again. Examples:

- Mary, you've spent hours and hours looking for a rug for your home. Why don't you get this one so you can quit worrying about it and start enjoying it?

- Should we schedule delivery?

- You want to own this rug, don't you?

The triple-A formula will help a salesperson get through many tough objection situations whether the objection is a legitimate one or a false objection. Remember: Acknowledge - Address - Ask!

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies and individuals who sell to consumers in B2C, retail, in-home selling, and the financial, real estate, and insurance markets.

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The Random Sales Process: A Perennial Favorite

What makes a selling process work? The strategy behind it.

And by definition, strategy is not random. Yet I observe lots of salespeople being random in their selling process. And their prospects return the favor by being random back.

In a retail store, the sales representative spewing everything he knows about the refrigerator on a couple. Then he asks if the prospects have any questions. The husband and wife look at each other and say, "No, I think we just need to think about this." End of conversation. Randomness wins. Both the shoppers and the salesperson loses.

At the athletic club, the sales woman gets bullet-point-itus (listing all the wonderful reasons the twenty-something guy should join the club). He takes a brochure home. End of conversation. Randomness wins again. The pounds will not be shed after all, or the heart strengthened, or the muscles toned. And the seller loses his commission opportunity.

In a home, the flooring salesperson brings stacks stacks of carpet samples in to show the prospects. Then he goes out to his van to get more stacks. He jumps from the twist carpet to measuring the room to chatting about his recent trip to Mexico and then back to the carpet samples again. The customers want to shop around. End of conversation. Randomness wins again. The fifteen-year-old carpet will stay on the family room floor for now, and the sales representative will repeat this scenarios at his next appointment.

Randomness is fine when spending time with your  loved ones, your best friend, when on vacation or while strolling through the park. But randomness is a losing proposition in selling.

Buying is like walking up a flight of stairs. Each step gets you closer to the top. Walking stairs is not a random act. It's a strategic act. If you want to get to the top of the stairs, get more strategy, and lose any randomness.

If you want to sell more, get more strategic about it. Lose the randomness. 

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies and individuals who sell to consumers in B2C, retail, in-home selling, and the financial, real estate, and insurance markets.

The Law of Distraction

The so called "Law of Attraction" has been much talked about in the last few years. But my sense is that it's becoming less trendy to talk about lately. Perhaps it's becoming a bit passe (he says, not intending to offend the Law of Attraction fans out there).

If I'm right, then I'd like to propose a new law that we should embrace: The Law of Distraction.

Prospects are distracted. Especially the consumer shoppers that are the focus of my client companies. The default state of most consumer prospects is that of distraction: They're always in a hurry to get somewhere; They have conflicting requests for their time and energy and attention; They have too much to do in too little time; They're concerned about finances and the economy. They can't focus. They are challenged by making decisions and giving sufficient mental energy to those decisions.

How can a B2C salesperson use the Law of Distraction to his advantage?

1. Accept it.

Assume you will have less time with your prospects now than you did a few years ago. Assume they'll be frazzled. Assume they'll be conflicted. Engineer a sales strategy that accepts these realities but yet allows you to deal with them successfully.

2. Engage your prospect.

The enemy of distraction is customer engagement. Create new ways to engage your customers. Use surveys, polls, videos, displays (retail), and most of all, improved questioning skills. Get them involved in the buying process more effectively than ever before.

3. Buy time.

If you sell in a retail venue, find ways to keep your prospects in the stores. Promotions, kids play areas, novelties, entertainment, refreshments, and anything that will keep distracted prospects in your store longer might be a plus. If you sell on the phone, offer an incentive for talking with you. If you sell in customers' homes, create an incentive for listening to your entire presentation.

4. Simplify the buying process.

Get out your paring knife and see what can be discarded that's currently a part of your selling process. Keep only the elements that help you sell. Say 20% fewer words (contrary to what some believe, fewer words are often more engaging than more words). Skip the hollow verbiage, the wasted words, the trite salesisms.

5. Get back to sales basics.

There are no magic wands in selling, but there are magical sales skills that work time and time again. Brush up on all the elements of selling because great sales skills work even for distracted customers.

6. Be less distracted.

The more distracted your prospects, the less distracted you must be if you want to overcome the law of distraction.

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies and individuals who sell to consumers in B2C, retail, in-home selling, and the financial, real estate, and insurance markets.

Selling to Consumers: It's Mostly About Relationships

When we think of "relationships" we usually think of those that matter most to us: partners, children, parents, friends, and the like. But those aren't just relationships, those are strong, meaningful relationships. There are other relationships, too. Those other relationships are the ones we have when we end up chatting with someone at the neighborhood coffee shop or meeting someone new at the bar while having a cold one.

And what about the relationship with the front desk clerk at the hotel we check into? It only lasts a few minutes, but isn't that a relationship? Or the parent we meet at the playground while our kids are playing. Or the person that talks to us in a retail store...isn't that a relationship? They're not deep, long-term relationships, but they are relationships, right?

Enter Doyle Slayton

My good friend (and rising star sales guru) Doyle Slayton through up quite a post on his blog Wednesday. It's gotten a lot of people thinking and discussing his topic, which is something that I think is very important for all of us in the sales profession (when I last checked, he had dozens of comments on this blog post). His post, "It's nothing personal, it's just business," takes a contrarian point-of-view to the the commonly held belief that selling is all about relationships.

While I understand what Doyle is getting at, and I definitely agree that sales results are king (everything else is just a means to that end), I somewhat disagree with Doyle's point of view, probably because Doyle's sales background and my sales background are in different types of selling.

My post today is about poking holes in Doyle's post (I warned you, Doyle!). The following are several excerpts from Doyle's article (I encourage you to read the whole thing so you can put everything into proper context). I've added some of my B2C-oriented commentary below. I hope you find the "debate" interesting at least, and thought-provoking at best:

“The relationship begins after the sale, not before.” 

Here's my bias, and why I've chosen to offer a differing point-of-view to Doyle's post:

Most of my sales experience, like many B2C and retail salespeople, has involved sales interactions where you must quickly establish rapport and trust (the basis of any relationship, in my opinion), so you can make a sale while the sales opportunity exists. If you sell windows, for instance, you're going to have a 90 minute (more or less) in-home consultation in order to complete the sale. If you close that opportunity often, you'll be a sales superstar. If you never do it, you'll just be one of the long list of salespeople who tried this job but failed at it.

For a salesperson to sell windows in an in-home sales appointment, one must absolutely, without question, create a relationship with the prospect as a means to achieving the sale. This relationship will be different than the relationship with your good friend, different from the one with your neighbor, your love interest, or your college buddies, but it will be a relationship.

Building a relationship isn't something you do TO someone, it's something you do WITH someone. And to be successful in these types of selling scenarios, the relationship has to be there, because you likely won't get a second chance to sell if you come up empty on the first call. The prospect will be on to his next appointment with your competitor, and if your competitor is able, he'll button up the business while you're left on the sidelines watching from afar.

The same thing holds true in selling jewelry, furniture, fine clothing, or cosmetics at retail. Or selling basement finishing, custom closets, landscaping, or home remodeling in the home. We may never see the customer again (therefore, a relationship after the sale is a moot point), but the relationship almost always has to be there if we're going to win the business.

Most people who sell to consumers don't act as account managers (insurance and financial products are two exceptions). Once the transaction is complete, the relationship, if it exists at all, is of minimal importance. "The relationship begins after the sale?" Nope. I don't think so. Not in the B2C world.

"If there are no results, there is no relationship. Period!"

I disagree with this statement for reasons I've already stated. In my world (consumer selling), there is a relationship, and almost always that relationship exists from the point of contact to the close of the sale, and rarely lasts longer than that.

"If there are no results, there is no relationship" strikes me as being a "which came first, the chicken or the egg" dilemma. Having said that, in B2C selling, the relationship almost always comes first.

Francesca at the gourmet store probably has one chance to sell you a set of All-Clad stainless steel cookware for a thousand dollars or more. If you don't buy it from her, you'll likely go to another store, or order it online, or decide that something else has a higher priority in your life at this moment than cookware. Many consumer purchases take place in a very limited window of opportunity.

I offer this spin on Doyle's statement: "If you can't quickly create a relationship with your prospect, you probably don't have a sale."

"Do you really think the majority of your prospects are interested in building a relationship? We might be pretty good people, but I don’t think any of us are that cool."

If you ask your prospects if they're interested in building a relationship, they'll say no. I agree with Doyle here. But I can also say that consumer prospects prefer to have a positive and productive interaction with their appliance salesperson or their interior designer at the end of the day. As salespeople, we shoot ourselves in the foot when we don't create a positive relationship, albeit a usually short-lived one, with our prospects.

Our prospects probably don't want us to ask for the sale, either. But we still do it. We have to to excel.

"Ok, point made. Let’s transition to look at our current client base."

Many of us in consumer selling don't have much of a "current client base."

While the B2B salesperson has the luxury of getting ongoing orders for steel or paper products or industrial finishes, or IT services, we B2C folks hunker down and look for new selling opportunities. You can make a nice sale selling window treatments to your prospect today, but aside from selling them window coverings at their second home or for their new home when they move in seven years, you're not going to get much repeat business from your customer (again, there are some exceptions, like insurance and financial services).

In my opinion, it's must more important to maximize your relationships with all your prospects, whether those relationships last five minutes, half-an-hour, or several hours (or if you're lucky enough to leverage a longer-term relationship into ongoing revenue). If you want to sell more, get better at creating relationships quickly.

That reminds me: Years ago I created a sales training program for a national chain of furniture stores called "Have a Relationship with a Customer." The point of the training was to look at the sales interaction as a relationship, not just two ships passing in the night.

Thanks, Doyle, for your thought-provoking post. Let the discussion continue!

[One of my favorite sales books is Relationship Selling, the 8 competencies of top sales producers by Jim Cathcart. Although this book has a bit of a business-to-business bias, it's filled with great insight and wise recommendations.]

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies and individuals who sell to consumers in B2C, retail, in-home selling, and the financial, real estate, and insurance markets.

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What Selling Is About: A Review of an Actual Sales Call

Someone (I'll call him Steve) stopped by yesterday to try to sell me some knives. I let him give me his presentation at the kitchen table. He was energetic, positive in his demeanor, and he asked for the order. Those are all very good things.

But Steve could have improved his salesmanship in a number of ways. The biggest was this:

Steve came in and got out his knives and his 3-ring binder and started telling me about the manufacturer of his knives. It wasn't offensive. It wasn't overbearing. It was mildly informative. But it didn't influence me, the prospect, to nearly the level it could have. What was missing? 

ENGAGEMENT!

Here are my suggestions for how Steve could make his sales meetings even more effective when selling in his customers' homes: 

1. While Steve was getting his knives, note pad, order form and pens ready, he could talk to me as a fellow human being. A little chit-chat, some friendly banter, goes a long way to put a prospect at ease. Steve could have asked about the dog, or the pile of rocks in our back yard.   

2. After Steve had everything ready, he should have engaged me in conversation and not been so quick to tell me about his company and his knives. Here is the type of conversation that I think it's important for in-home salespeople to have with their prospects so their sales appointments don't end up being infomercials:  

Salesperson: So who does the cooking in your house?

Prospect: My wife does.

Salesperson: What's your wife's name?"

Prospect: Leona

Salesperson: What are some of the dishes Leona prepares that are your favorites?

Customer: Italian Beef Roast, Stuffed Peppers, Chicken and Dumplings, and Marinated Pork Chops with Wine Sauce.

Salesperson: Wow! I'm impressed! She sounds like quite the cook. And how about you? Do you do any of the cooking? 

Customer: Yeah, once or twice a week, but I cook the more simple things like burgers or pasta. One thing I make, though, is the best cheesecake in Oklahoma! 

Salesperson: I love cheesecake! What's your secret to making it "the best?"

Customer: I put a little lemon peel in it, but there's also a little bit of lemon liquor in it too. Not so much that you can really taste it, but just a little bit so it enhances the flavor. It's like a secret ingredient because nobody can really tell it's there, but everybody compliments me on it. People really love it! 

Salesperson: Well good for you! That sounds delicious! What I have to show you today will change your experience cooking, and I know it will make life so much more simple for Leona. [presentation continues].

Later, when Steve is presenting his knives, he can refer back to the Italian beef roast, the cheesecake, and the other dishes. He can call the prospect's wife by name. He can customize the sales presentation to the particulars of the prospect, rather than merely reciting a memorized script about each knife.

Steve can now use tie-downs during his presentation. Let's say Steve is presenting a slicing knife. Steve can present the features and benefits, but then can ask, "Do you think you and Leona would find this knife with it's chroma-cut edge useful when serving her famous Italian beef roast?" 

Steve did a good job during his sales interaction with me. But he could have done a great job. 

Selling is not so much about you, your product, or your company. It's more about your prospect. We can't make it about our prospect unless we strive to understand him, his needs, and the particulars of his situation. If you want to sell more, engage your prospects more.  

If you like this post (or don't!), please consider leaving a comment. Subscribe to our free sales tips newsletter to read more sales tips and commentary about selling and sales.

Skip Anderson is the Founder of Selling to Consumers Sales Training, a B2C and retail sales training and management consulting company. Skip is mad about helping companies and individuals sell more. 

Sales Training Advice: Selling Door-to-Door

Spring is finally upon us here in Minnesota (at least I think spring is here; sometimes it's hard to know for sure in Minnesota). I saw one sign of spring earlier this week: I had a door-to-door canvasser ring our doorbell at our home.

I admire door-to-door canvassers; they experience massive amounts of rejection, and yet they still get out there, walking the streets and by-ways of the community, to identify prospects to whom they can sell. For most, it's not an easy job, but it can pay big dividends, especially if you know what you're doing.

So I admire the guy who came to our home the other night. He had a pleasant and sincere smile, and he was working hard. But he could have done a much more effective job.

Here's what he said when I answered the door: "Hi, I'm with _____________ Painting, and I'm wondering if you have any painting projects planned in the next year."

I said, "No."

He then gave me a door-hanger and asked him to call him if I decided we needed any interior or exterior painting. The was the end of the interaction.

What follows are some suggestions that, if implemented, would improve this salesperson's success rate.

1. Stand back from the door 6-8 feet after you ring the doorbell. Many people feel a twinge of uneasiness when somebody they don't know is at their door. That feeling of uneasiness is magnified when the unknown person at the door has their mug mere inches from it. Give the homeowner some breathing room.

2. Wear a large ID badge attached to your clothing or hang it around your neck. It should show your company's name and your name in large letters, and it should have a picture of you on it. When you introduce yourself to the prospect, left up the id badge to call attention to it. This helps the suspect feel at ease.

3. Rarely, if ever, should a door-to-door salesperson start with a closed question (one that can be answered with yes or no, or a multiple choice question. Start with an open-ended question. A perfect open-ended question for the gentleman who visited us the other night would have been, "I couldn't help but noticing the patch of rotting siding on the side of your house. It made me curious; What happened?"

It's a long story about why we have a patch of rotting wood siding on the side of our house, so I won't go there, but we certainly need to have some siding replaced, and after it's replaced, it will need to be repainted. So why did I tell the salesperson that I didn't have any painting projects planned in the next year?

Like a lot of customers, I took the easy route. His closed question made it too easy for me to say "no." But if he would have engaged me in a more effective manner, I probably would have shared this information with him. I've also been avoiding thinking about the rotting siding; so my psyche is in denial mode. He question let me continue in denial mode.

The key is customer engagement. Closed questions are notoriously poor engagement instruments. Open-ended questions, on the other hand, are fabulous for this purpose.

4. Ask for referrals after a suspect shuts you down.

"You know the people in your neighborhood much better than I do. Who would be the 2 or 3 people that you think it would be most important for me to talk to?" Some people will refuse to answer your question, but some people will give you some neighborhood intelligence that may be helpful in finding viable prospects to talk to.

Even if they shut you down again, follow up with another question: "I would love it if you would give me the names of two or three people you know who might possibly want to talk to me about painting...even if they don't live in your neighborhood."

Hand the prospect a referral sheet and a pen and see what happens. You'll definitely get some referrals if you utilize this approach consistently.

Happy canvassing!

If you like this post (or don't!), please consider leaving a comment, or subscribe to our free sales tips newsletter.

Skip Anderson is the Founder of Selling to Consumers Sales Training, a B2C and retail sales training and management consulting company. Skip is nuts about helping companies and individuals sell more. 

The Miracle of Customer Engagement

I'll be speaking at the Closets and Home Organization Conference and Expo next week in Schaumburg, Illinois (suburban Chicago). My presentation, "The Miracle of Customer Engagement," will teach one of the three dimensions in our 3D Selling™ model.

Back when I was selling employed as a full time salesperson, I started to have incredible sales success when I noticed that doing a better job of engaging prospects in the selling/buying process resulted in much better sales results. Eventually, I developed a system around this concept and started teaching it to others when I became a sales manager and training manager. Now, a couple of decades later as the founder of Selling to Consumers, I teach 3D Selling to my corporate and individual clients to help them ignite the buying potential of each prospect.

Many salespeople limit their sales success because they don't spend enough effort, or have sufficient expertise, to fully engage their prospects. I'll present my 10 Paths to Customer Engagement which will present concrete strategies to develop and leverage customer engagement in attendee's individual selling situations in the field.

The conference is for sellers of customer closet systems and home storage products who sell primarily in customers' homes, but also in showrooms and trade shows. For more information on the conference, go to www.closets-expo.com.

For more information on how our training on 3D Selling can help you or your company, contact Selling to Consumers at www.sellingtoconsumers.com/contact or call us at 651.681.8568.

If you like this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to our free sales tips newsletter.

Skip Anderson is the Founder of Selling to Consumers Sales Training, a B2C and retail sales training and management consulting company. Skip is nuts about helping companies and individuals sell more. 

Overcoming Objections: "The Alliance"

Many husbands and wives (and other partners) make a secret agreement before talking to a salesperson. This alliance is formed before the salesperson (you) ring their doorbell at their home (if you sell in the home), or before they walk into your retail store (if you sell in a retail environment), or before your phone call (if you sell in the home), or before they come to your timeshare presentation (if you sell timeshares).

The alliance is formed in a manner similar to the following:

HUSBAND: "Now honey, let's not be pressured into making a decision today. We'll just tell the salesperson we need to think about it, okay?"

WIFE: "Yes, you're right. We'll just refuse to buy no matter what and we'll tell the person we need some time to think about it."

HUSBAND: "Okay, that's our plan, then."

Often, this alliance is so rigidly formed that your prospects will indeed refuse to buy from you, even if you have the right product for the prospect at the right time and at the right price. So how do you handle this unstated objection?

One of the most effective techniques for handling this secret objection is to preempt it by talking about the objection early in your sales appointment (long before you get to the closing step in the selling process). You can bring the "alliance" into the conversation in a manner similar to this:

"Dawn and Brad, I know a lot of the couples I work with have a private chat before I come to their home for our meeting. And that chat often goes something like this: "Honey, let's not buy tonight no matter what, and let's tell the sales guy that we need time to think about it."

And then the other partner agrees, and says something like, 'Yes, absolutely, I agree honey. We'll tell the salesperson we want to think about it.'

Now I don't know if you had a chat like this before I arrived at your home today. That's your business. But I want to make this proposal to both of you:

I propose that we all put forth our best efforts during our time together today. I'll do my best to understand your situation, and you do your best to explain what you need from me, my company, and from our widgets. At the end of our appointment today, I'll ask you if you want what we offer. If you do, say 'yes', and if you don't, simply say 'no.' Is that fair?"

The great majority of your prospects will agree with you, and that gets the monkey off your back. This can pave the way for a smooth interaction, and engaged prospects. It's a great sales momentum builder, because the prospect will be inclined to not automatically announce that they need to think about your proposal. You'll still hear that objection from prospects, but you'll hear it less frequently if you use the technique as outlined above.

Occasionally your prospects will say something like "We never buy right away; we always think about it." If you hear that from a prospect, you can say, "Yes, I've heard that before from clients, and I think I understand why salespeople say that. Nobody likes to be taken advantage of. So can we agree that we'll all put our best efforts on the table today during our meeting?"

This is your second closing question. You're not closing on the sale, you're closing on the agreement to work together effectively.

Then, when it comes time to close the transaction, you can again address the alliance with this prospect if you can offer a discount to make a decision:

"Now I know you folks are cautious about buying something without thinking about it. I understand that. I also understand that my customers want to get the best deal possible. So since you were so nice to tell me up front that you would need to think about this purchase, I'm going to offer you some special pricing that I only offer to people like yourselves. The reason I'm offering this special pricing is because my time is valuable, and I know yours is valuable also. So I'd like to get a yes or no from you today, rather than have to play phone tag or send emails back and forth or drive back to your house tomorrow. So, for us to get this order written today, here's my offer..."

And then you continue with your closing routine. Again, most of your prospects will buy your argument (if you've been successful at positioning your product to meet the prospects needs and if you've successfully addressed all other objections).

Addressing The alliance isn't appropriate for every sales scenario of course, but it is often the best way to beat the alliance.

Don't forget the alliance!

Skip Anderson is a professional speaker, sales coach, and the Founder of Selling to Consumers Sales Training, a B2C and retail sales training and consulting company. Subscribe to our free sales tips newsletter.

Selling to the 2009 Consumer

It's a new year, and time to look ahead. Trendwatching.com has just released their list of consumer trends for 2009. Anybody who markets or sells to consumers could use this list to educate themselves about the consumer mindset in current times.

In one of the trends, which they call "Happy Ending," Trendwatching.com predicts that the new year will be a good one for companies that do a good job of showing their customers that they truly care. And, with the economic downturn in full swing, this is what they have to say about the new consumer mindset:

"But the most important effect of more austere times is probably that consumers start questioning what truly makes them happy, which more often than not steers them towards the realization that happiness ain't (just) about traditional consumption. Expect pockets of consumers to switch to lower-consumption models with surprising ease, and to look for different and less costly sources of happiness and thus, ultimately, status. Any way you can help them with that will be a guaranteed winner."

I takeaway three things from this:

1. Consumers will consume less and when they do consume, it will be at a more moderate price point than before; and

2. Prospects will focus on what makes them truly happy, with an eye on practicality.

3. The definition of "status" is changing.

Years ago when I was selling custom closet systems in customers' homes, I was intrigued and constantly puzzled by homeowners who built, for example, a 5000 square foot home (that's a good-sized home in my part of the country) with a large master closet, but would only put a rod and shelf (either wood or wire shelving) in the closet to hold the clothing. What apparently made this consumer happy was a large home (but a poor use of space).

This didn't seem practical to me (but admittedly, I was biased). Imagine how much money this consumer spent on their 10 foot by 16 foot master closet (don't forget to add the mortgage interest on 160 square feet of space into the mix). Yet, they often went the cheap route and put an inexpensive rod/shelf (with tons of wasted space) in this large closet to hold their thousands of dollars worth of clothing. Wouldn't it be a better investment to put that expensive space to good use with a little extra investment in a quality closet system to utilize the space well?

Perhaps the new trend will be to build smaller homes with more modest closets, but also to invest in a custom closet system that truly utilizes that space. It makes sense, doesn't it? (Making full use of what you have rather than mindlessly building something where the only goal is sheer size). Products like this may fit well with the new definition of status.

I believe we'll see consumers shop smarter in 2009, but those of us who can position our products to be a practical addition to their lives rather than an ego trip will probably fare better than those of us selling products that are purely luxury purchases. Look for the consumers you sell to be more practical and to focus on what makes them truly happy. This will be an opportunity for many of you, but will require a slightly or greatly different approach to selling and marketing.

What can you do to help your product/service and your sales approach resonate with the consumer of 2009? Let's talk about it.

Flickr photo by Gemma Vittoria.

Please share your comments.

Skip Anderson is a professional speaker, sales coach, and the Founder of Selling to Consumers, a B2C and retail sales training and consulting company. Subscribe to the free Sales Tips newsletter.