Getting Paid for Out of Control Projects

It could be the result of a miscalculation on your part in pricing the project, a misunderstanding on the part of the customer, etc. but particularly in complex situations, development and delivery costs can spiral out of control exceeding your contractual agreements. Especially when the relationship is new, you may be hesitant to approach your customer to ask for more money than initially agreed. Overruns in scope are common. Getting paid for them is not so common.

The things you have in your favor are that most customers know when costs are spiraling upwards particularly when the overruns are caused by their changes, delays, or demands and many will try to be fair. But understandably most customers will sit back and wait to see what you will do.

While of course, it is very important to catch the overrun early and to prepare your data for the meeting with your customer, the most important thing you can do to stop scope creep is to address it with your customer as soon as you are aware of it. Earlier is better. Later can take away much of your collection leverage but in reality later is legitimate too.

One thing for sure is that if you don’t ask, you won’t get paid. If you ask, you’ll have a good chance of succeeding. And you can stem the tide of continued overruns.

In seeking payment for out of scope work, you’ll need all of your negotiating skills, starting with your preparation and confidence. Make sure you know the customer’s perception including level of satisfaction and where he/she thinks things stand. If there is new or conflicting information, you may need time to go back and prepare your response. Meet with your customer face-to-face if at all possible. Lay out the situation and cost, make your request, and be silent. If your customer resists, acknowledge neutrally, probe, and make a second effort.

Oh, and don’t be surprised if you don’t need to make a second effort. One salesperson was pleasantly surprised after he set up a meeting to discuss the status of the project. When he met with the customer, the customer preempted him by saying, “OK, Jonathan, I’ve been waiting for this. What’s the number?” It was a big one and the salesperson got paid.

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Learn about Richardson's comprehensive sales training and performance improvement solutions.

Coaching for Sales Success

Please Join Richardson's Andrea Grodnitzky, Senior Vice President of Global Performance Solutions for her new video blog, Coaching for Sales Success. In this first installment, Andrea focuses on the importance of separating managing from coaching and defining what it takes to be successful in both areas.




Learn more about Richardson's comprehensive sales training and coaching solutions by visiting us on the web at http://www.richardson.com/

Sales Transformation

88% of companies are seeking to transform!

Before you train your sales team - assess your talent and sales process. Determine the strategies and tools to embed into your system to sustain the new learning. Then, customize your training to your business.

Questions to ask:

• Is your sales process clear and effective?



• Are the right people in the right roles?



• Is your training customized to your strategy?



• What sustainment strategies and tools do you have in place to support coaching and embed process and skills into the work stream where it will be used daily?



• What financial and customer metrics do you have in place?



• Is your training preparing your salesforce to execute your new strategy?



• Are your sales managers super salespeople or coaches?

Best Presenters’ Best Practices

Congratulations! You learned you are a finalist! You know with a few real opportunities, it’s important to win every possible deal. Just as the solution you recommend is a critical factor in winning or losing, so is your presentation.

Best Presenters’ Best Practices:

• Don’t wing it! Practice, practice, practice. Ask for feedback from your manager and team members. If it is a team presentation, practice with your team.



• Assign roles and stick to them.
  


• Make it easy for your customer to say yes:

Link your recommendations to your customer’s priority objectives — in priority order.

Incorporate the customer’s language and needs on every slide and page.

Make it a “you” presentation (meaning the customer) vs. “We will do this … we will do that … we offer.” (Meaning your company presentation. Count the you’s when you practice.)

Leverage your internal client coach (hopefully, you have developed one) to validate what you plan to present and tweak before the presentation.

• Schedule yourself for the last presentation slot so your recommendations are fresh in the customer’s minds. By presenting last, you won’t educate your customers for your competitors and you’ll leverage what the customer knows and does not know.
  


• Review a bulleted agenda and check if it meets the customer’s expectations and ask where the customer wants emphasis.



• Create an interactive presentation by checking for questions throughout. Seek a 70% (you) and 30% (customer) mix of dialogue.

Every time you make a major point, ask the customers what questions they have. This will enable you to adjust as you go.

• Pause for a second after you make major points. For example, “Over two years we achieved savings of 35%, which means …” Pause and give your customer time to let the important points sink in! Use the Period Pause by maintaining silence for a second.



• Use concise, impressive examples to bring your ideas to life. Instead of just saying, “Our system allows for X,” give a quick, specific example and check for questions. Examples increase your credibility and make what you say memorable. Without examples, your best selling points can fall flat.
  


• Incoorporate your custom’s logo, color …



• Use your presentation materials to support, not “make,” your presentation

Put a heading on the top of each slide or page, but don’t stop there.

Say “hello” to each new screen/page with a lead-in to help prepare customers. For example, rather than immediately beginning to discuss the content of the screen or page, say something such as, “Let’s now look at impressive results.”

Say “goodbye” to each slide to help your customers keep track with you with a quick benefit summary.

Although you should invite questions throughout, after your final summary, check for remaining questions. “The bottom line is, within six months you would benefit by …” “What questions do you have …”

Use and refer to sections and page numbers.

In preparing your materials, look at your material to make sure it is not crowded. Leave space and use bullets. Count your slides — one every three minutes is the maximum for most presentations.

Visit Richardson at http://www.richardson.com/ to learn more about Richardson's comprehensive sales training and performance improvement solutions.

Coaching Best Practices and Tips

You are likely out in the field more often with your salespeople. Here are some coaching best practices and tips to help you make the most of your team calls and use even limited post sales call time as a learning lab through coaching. After each call, along with discussing next steps and strategy, select one area of the call and coach to it.

Preparation: How prepared was the salesperson? How well did he or she prepare you?
- Briefed you for the call.
- Provided a copy of the sales call plan/agenda at least a day before the call to you.
- Requested a copy of sale call plan/agenda at least a day before the call.
- Used Social Media tools to research customers/prospects to help connect?
- Developed rapport topics/questions based on previous call notes and research.
- Included personal information in CRM along with business information?
- Use contacts such as receptionists, assistants, colleagues to gain personal insight to customer.

Opening
- Built rapport.
- Leveraged preparation.
- Recapped agenda and checked if it met client's expectations.
- Transition to Need Dialogue.

Need Dialogue
- Started with broader need questions - Why is customer doing X vs. getting details on X.
- Prefaced questions with reason/benefit to customer to encourage more open responses.
- Listened for and probed vague words, and picked up on words underscored to probe further.
- Took notes of key words, ideas, concerns, and personal data.
- Probed needs fully before asking about competitors, decision process, compelling event, time frame, and budget.


Solution Dialogue
- Customized your capabilities/solution to the customer's needs - addressed customer's priorities.
- Tied solution to the customer's business objectives/demonstrate measurable value.
-Provided success story/example to bring to life.
- Added value through insights/new ideas.
- Positioned alternatives when needed.
- Used customer's language.
- Clearly presented the solution/recommendation.
- Checked for customer feedback.

Objections
- Acknowledged concerns.
- Expressed empathy when customer's feelings were involved.
- Clarified the objective by asking for specifics. Didn't make assumptions.
- Customized capabilities/benefits to resolve the specific objection.
- Checked for agreement or understanding.

Action Close
- Summarized with benefits.
- Asked for action step that is tied to your call objective.
- Made a Second Effort by acknowledging and probing.
- Reinforced rapport to end on a personal note.

Follow-up
- Sent follow-up thank-you/recap e-mail.
- Entered data to CRM.
- Debriefed with team.
- Planned steps to maintain momentum.
- Followed up promptly.

Remember when you coach:


Coaching vs. Telling
- Ask for salesperson's perceptions before you give your feedback.
- Drill down and probe to help salespeople analyze their performance and take responsibility.
- Don't just talk about what to do differently - practice!
- Balance your feedback with strengths and areas for improvement.

Tweet

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To learn more about Richardson's comprehensive sales training, consulting and sales coaching solutions, please visit us on the web at www.richardson.com

Complimentary Research Report

Richardson and CSO Insights are excited to offer a new research study - Sales Performance Optimization: Key Trends Analysis. This study provides an in-depth analysis on key selling trends and outlines some of the major issues and opportunities that companies see for the road ahead.

Download this must read study by visiting the following - http://bit.ly/hBcmiA

Chatter Matters

I am enamored of all the new technology tools made available through companies such as Salesforce.com. One feature in particular that I think can help revolutionize and accelerate call preparation, communication, sales coaching, and sharing of knowledge is Salesforce.com’s Chatter. It’s like an internal twitter and for large and small sales organizations it can be a game changer.

For example, if a salesperson gets the opportunity to squeeze in a meeting with a prospect or customer between his/her scheduled calls and has little or no time to prepare, aside from using a CRM, social media, etc., or if a customer asks a question in a sales meeting the salesperson can’t answer, the salesperson can use “Chatter” by typing in the name of the prospect with a topic or question and the key words will direct the short message to anyone in the organization who has knowledge to share — allowing for an almost instantaneous answer.

But before using Chatter in the Customer’s Office consider the following:

Chatter Pros
 Allows for immediate response to the customer.
 Demonstrates a well-oiled sales team and operating sales system.
 Eliminates need to follow-up with a post sales call phone call or email.
 Helps move the sales process forward.

Chatter Cons
 The answer may not be one you wish to share at that time. (But the advantage is only you can read the reply on your Blackberry for example.)
 Removes a reason to follow up and connect with the customer post sales call.
 Puts you in the position of having to explain when no response from your team.

Salespeople often see CRMs as a two-edge sword — Super pain but also super hero as a faster and better way to organize and access information. As they say, there is almost nothing new in the universe but lucky for us creative technology features such as this makes sales research and responsiveness faster and farther reaching. CRMs aren’t going away. So embrace the best part and get friendly with all the tools available in your CRM to give you a sharp edge in a tough economy.

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To learn more about Richardson's comprehensive sales training and performance improvement solutions please vist us www.richardson.com

Sales Proposal Executive Summaries: Don’t … Unless

Your proposal can make or break your sale. It can get you in to see the customer or keep you out. When you do include an Executive Summary in a proposal, it’s the first thing most customers read. More importantly, it may be the only thing executives/key decision-makers read at all. Executive Summaries establish that all-important first impression. They can draw customers in — or turn them away. Unfortunately, many Executive Summaries are neither a summary nor executive. To maximize the best of an Executive Summary:

#1: Keep It Short

 Most Executive Summaries that I have seen defy the definition of a “summary.”

 Any summary is a condensed form or brief statement of main points, and that applies ten-fold to Executive Summaries. They must be brief but also provide substantive but not detailed coverage of all the key points covered throughout the proposal. Not only is this likely the only part seniors will read, it gives all decision makers the big picture.

An Executive Summary should show your customers how well you understand and are prepared to meet their business needs. It should spur them to want to go further.

Ideally, Executive Summaries are two pages maximum. Keep the focus on the customer’s strategic objectives and, in broad strokes, position what you will do to meet each objective.

#2: Focus on Your Customer, NOT You

 It’s easy to describe yourself and all your qualifications, but that’s not the way to start your Executive Summary.

 Instead articulate how you understand the customer’s business needs. Outline the key ways in which you will meet them and then expand on that in the proposal and outline the key ways you will meet them, which you expand on in the proposal.

Write your Executive Summary LAST, drawing from all the key sections. In the Executive Summary, help your customers’ think “This salesperson gets us.” In the process, make sure the customer “gets you” but only in an overview in the context of solving business problems and achieving objectives. Make sure what you included takes into consideration the customer’s strategic goals and make the connection.

Example:
We are privileged to be considered as your partner to support you in ______ (identify the customer’s strategic objective). We feel uniquely qualified to partner with _____ (name of prospect/customer) based on our _____ (capability) to _____ (outcome customer wants) — then key objective by key objective, show you get it and are the best one to deliver it. Focus on each of the customer’s key objectives and differentiate yourself by tying in your capabilities related to the customer’s objectives.

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Visit Richardson at http://www.richardson.com to learn more about our comprehensive sales training solutions.

10 Ways to Increase Your Close Ratio — Now

Start by knowing your personal close ratio and that of your organization:

 Top performing companies — 46% average close ratio
 Average — 29% average close ratio
 Lagging — 19% average close ratio

1) Spend more time probing and less time pitching.
 Focus on the “why” questions, not just the “what.”
 If the customer wants to streamline systems, ask WHY before what to find the business driver.

2) Identify the decision criteria and don’t stop there – probe who developed it and why it’s important.

3)Ask who the competitors are, what their solutions include, and then ask the tough questions to find out how the customer feels you compare to the competitor.

4) Be more responsive than ever before — when a client asks for something, find out when he or she needs it and beat that time frame.

5) Find ways to take the load off the customer. For example, if he or she says “Let’s set a phone call to…” not only set the phone call but have a document ready to e-mail during the call to advance the discussion. Take an extra two steps.

6) Get coaching. Discuss the deal with your sales manager or a top performing colleague. Do this early in the deal. Mid to late in the deal will likely be too late.

7) Review your needs analysis and proposal with your manager.

8) Connect personally. The #1 reason a customer buys is the relationship with the salesperson. What do you know about your customers? How do you feel about them? It’s likely reciprocated.

9)Identify your customer’s quantifiable goals and provide solutions that show value. Show customers how your solution will help them achieve their goals.

10) Supplement your understanding of why you lost a deal or won it by asking your manager to have a win-loss debriefing after the customer tells you about his/her decision. Then be open to specific feedback your manager shares with you and use it to win your next deal.

Set a reasonable goal with a time frame for increasing your close ratio by putting these ten practices to work.

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Learn more about Richardson's sales training and perofrmance improvement solutions by visiting us on the web at http://www.richardson.com

Richardson's SalesCallPlanner Nominated for Best Sales Tool

Richardson's SalesCallPlanner has been nominated for a 2010 Sales Award as best Sales Tool. Gaining votes has been an interesting exercise in leveraging Social Media.

Hope you can vote for us. Please click here to vote for the "SalesCallPlanner"

Being Invincible

This past Wednesday and Thursday, October 13-14, 2010 Richardson held our 4th annual Client Forum the Sofitel Hotel in Philadelphia. It was an exciting day with over 75 clients, partners and staff in attendance. The primary theme was how a high impact learning culture is a proven business driver in today's changed business environment. David Mallon of Bersin & Associates and Peter Ostraw of Aberdeen Group were the key note presenters. Both David and Peter shared insights, data and practices that support the notion of how an organization's culture impacts business results in a direct and predictable manner. Numerous clients, including Mary Slaughter, CLO of Sun Trust Bank shared best practices and success stories of how they transformed their sales cultures to positively impact results and differentiate their organizations from the competition. On Wednesday evening our dinner reception at Amada was a great time, with our guest speaker Vince Papale, former Philadelphia Eagle and subject of Disney's movie "Invincible," inspiring the group with his heart felt and brutally honest words. His authenticity was evident to all. Vince spoke of his incredible million to one odds of making the NFL team's roster as a 30 year old unemployed school teacher who had played only one year of high school football.

I was particularly moved when Vince spoke of the moment he was standing on the field in Veteran's Stadium in 1976 for the "open to the public" try out with hundreds of others, all with the dream to be a Philadelphia Eagle. He shared with us that he wanted when given this opportunity, he wasn't going to waste it. He certainly didn't! What struck me was how relevant Vince's comment was to those of us in business today - when given the opportunity to succeed, be sure you seize it!

I believe that in order to seize your opportunity in today's environment, you must extensively prepare to succeed and when your chance to shine arrives, be sure you remain authentic (i.e be yourself), demonstrate your knowledge of your client's needs, show your conviction to your client's success and let none of your competition stop you. In other words, be Invincible.

I'd like to thank each of our clients and prospects for your commitment to Richardson, your attendance at this year's event and for your participation and contribution. Hope to see you all again in Philadlephia again next year.

Transforming Sales Organizations: Complimentary Webinar

Improvement happens...when the right changes are made. Please join presenter David DiStefano, President & CEO of Richardson, during this interactive, 60-minute webinar in which you will learn:
- the meaning of "sales transformation"
- why there is a need for transformation
- why transforming NOW will set you up for success
- the "what, where, and how" of successful transformations
- best practices that Senior Executives of industry-leading organizations have implemented to transform their teams.

Date: June 22, 2010
Time: 11:00 am eastern time

Click the following to register today: https://richardson.webex.com/richardson/onstage/g.php?p=3&t=m

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Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions by visiting our web site at www.richardson.com

Sales Training Resolving Objections

Transforming the Sales Organization

Richardson President and CEO David DiStefano will be moderating a session entitled Transforming the Sales Organization at Selling Power's Sales Leadership Conference on April 19, 2010 at the Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas.

The past 18 months have uncovered significant sales performance challenges that were previously overlooked — from ineffective sales processes and lack of operational efficiencies to the skills and talent required to be successful. David DiStefano will be moderating an interactive panel discussion with Larissa Chaikowsky of BMO, Jennifer Hammonds of WellPoint, Allison Kerska of Kelly Services, Matthew Serynek of SunGard, and Tim Weyland of Trinet. David will lead this highly experienced group in an open discussion on the importance of transforming sales organizations to effectively compete in business in 2010 and beyond. The group will address the vital elements of the sales function, including structure, processes, and talent development, to help better equip sales organizations with the capabilities needed to optimize revenue impact and operating effectiveness.

The Sales Leadership Conference is the premier event for Senior Sales Leaders. Attendees of this event will spend the day networking with colleagues, sharing best practices, and sharpening management and leadership skills.

Click here for more information or to register for the conference.

About Richardson

Richardson (http://www.richardson.com) is a global sales training and performance improvement company that helps leading organizations improve sales results. We do this in three ways. We analyze the structure and talent of your sales force, we train and develop your sales team, and we continue that development through coaching and reinforcement. We equip your sales leaders and sales force with the skills and strategies they need to win in today’s complex selling environment. What is unique about Richardson is how we create truly customized solutions that change behavior and provide measurable results.

Aligning Sales Talent To Maximize Results

When you look at your sales organization, do you see a perfect fit between your Sales Professionals and the roles they are expected to fill? Are Hunters hunting and Farmers farming? As salesforces have been right sized, customer expectations have risen and competition has become more fierce. The question of “right role, right fit” has become top of mind for Sales Leaders in every industry.

Click here to join an archived session of Harry Dunklin, Senior Vice President and Practice Leader of the Sales Readiness Practice of Richardson, for a 60-minute webinar to learn how world class organizations are:

- Creating a high-performance profile of Sales Professionals and Managers that align with the challenges of today and tomorrow

- Leveraging selection technologies and tools to make the best choice from a pool of qualified candidates

- Jump starting the onboarding of new Sales Professionals to improve retention, engagement, and time to productivity

- Auditing in-flight sales organizations to align the roles and talent to the go-to-market strategy

- Using assessment technology to put a laser focus on training needs and accelerate learning

Attendees of Harry's session will receive a complimentary copy of industry-leading HR Chally's whitepaper, The Trouble with Personality Tests, which details why personality does not equal performance and how talent assessment tools can help your sales organization be more successful.

Visit http://www.richardson.com/ to learn more about Richardson's comprehensive sales training and performance improvement solutions.

Complimentary Webinar

Aligning Sales Talent to Maximize Results:

When you look at your sales organization, do you see a perfect fit between your Sales Professionals and the roles they are expected to fill? Are Hunters hunting and Farmers farming? As salesforces have been right sized, customer expectations have risen, and competition has become more fierce, the question of "right role, right fit" has become top of mind of Sales Leaders in every industry.

Join Richardson's Harry Dunklin for a 60-minute webinar to learn how world-class organizations, Align Sales Talent to Maximize Results.

Click here to register today.

Richardson Releases 2010 Sales Challenges Research Report

Richardson has released our 2010 Sales Challenges Research report, Lift Off: Compelling Insights to Launch Your 2010 Strategy.

To better understand the primary areas that a sales team should focus on in 2010, Richardson’s Research Group conducted a survey of over 15,000 sales professionals across every major industry segment and a variety of sales roles. Leveraging this survey data, Richardson developed a report that highlights the most pressing issues facing sales organizations in 2010 and provides data that helps Sales Leaders to:

• Shape business development and sales strategy
• Identify process improvements and align skill-development resources
• Strategize how to best position your sales team for success

Through careful reflection of their 2009 business outcomes and in anticipation of a more successful 2010, survey respondents provided insights and information that was aggregated to identify areas of focus for this upcoming year. When asked about potential challenges concerning five key sales cycle categories — generating business, negotiations, closing business, managing relationships, and expanding relationships — survey respondents indicated, as a percentage basis, the following as the most difficult in each category:

• Business Generation — Identifying new prospects — 26.3% of the respondents
• Negotiations — Maintaining profitability during negotiations — 27.9% of the respondents
• Closing Deals — Positioning competing value propositions — 32.0% of the respondents
• Account Management — Finding additional ways to add value — 38.5% of the respondents
• Expanding Relationships — Becoming a Trusted Advisor — 36.5% of the respondents
  

Lift Off: Compelling Insights to Launch Your 2010 Strategy research report can be leveraged by Sales Leaders to identify for their own sales teams the one or two areas where a significant investment of time, effort, and resources can be deployed to develop critical skills and improve crucial processes. By addressing both skill and processes, Sales Leaders and their teams will be better poised to deliver results in 2010.

Lift Off: Compelling Insights to Launch Your 2010 Strategy is complimentary and can be obtained by visiting the following: http://www.richardson.com/saleschallenges2010/.

Complimentary Webinar: Creating Compelling Presentations

Are your presentations a missed opportunity? Your sales presentation is likely to be the last impression the client has of you and your company before deciding who to do business with. Join Richardson’s 60-minute interactive webinar, Creating Compelling Presentations to Engage, Inspire, and Motivate, this Thursday, December 10th at 3:00pm EST to learn tips and tricks to creating engaging, high-impact presentations. This session assumes you do not have the time or interest to study design and typography, but would like to know how to make your visuals look better and differentiate yourself from the competition. Along the way, you will be provided with a good balance of principles, concepts, and practical examples. Can't attend our live webinar? Continue to register today and WebEx will automatically send you a link to view the archive after the live event has concluded.

Click here to register

Goal #1: Shorten the Sales Cycle

Last week in a webinar with a group of high-performing salespeople and technical specialists, a salesperson asked:

Salesperson: “My company’s number one goal is to shorten the sales cycle. How can I do that?”

His question was timely and challenging. It seems as if your customers’ number one goal is to lengthen it! The economy and an environment of heightened skepticism have doubled or even tripled the length of the sales cycle in many industries.

So what can you do that is in your control to accelerate the close?

1. Early on, qualify more diligently. Position every qualifying question from the perspective of meeting the customer’s need. Find out:
   
   - Budget — Has it been allocated? How much? Who controls it?
   
   - Time Frame — What are the timelines to develop and implement? (In today’s world, the two schedules can be very different.)
   
   - Compelling Event — “Must do” dates are a blessing and the absence of one can signal a long decision cycle.
   
   - Decision-making Process — Who will be involved in the decision — economic, technical, users, and other influencers? Clarify the buying process and steps.
   
   


2. Understand the BUSINESS need that your solution will address. How will your solution help your customer achieve his/her business objectives.
   


3. Develop a compelling Value Proposition to show ROI (ideally year one or soon).
   


4. Identify milestones of the sales process so you can measure progress against them.
   


5. Set a call objective that is measurable for every meeting — face-to-face or virtual. And debrief each meeting against the objective.
   


6. Continue to check for change.
   


7. If things slow down, ask the hard qualifying questions again, but start with the driving need — is it still a priority? Tactfully ask questions to multiple customers.
   


8. Develop a coach! Almost nothing will help you win the deal and know where things really stand than a well-placed coach.
   


9. Position your benefits and ask for the business.
   


10. Know when to put a deal on the back burner or no burner and when to try to resuscitate it.

Talk to Me

How are you changing your sales dialogues to encourage customers to open up to you and tell you about the impact the economy is having on their businesses and how that has changed their priorities? Customers won’t really open up unless they trust you. And gaining and keeping trust is not easy in light of what most customers are going through.

Preparation

Trust is earned over time. One way to establish and reinforce trust is to demonstrate extra-ordinary preparation. There has been a shakeout in salesforces and salespeople across industries are facing tougher competitive situations. Customers have raised the bar for what they expect from salespeople and many are cynical. “Normal” preparation just won’t do it. One sales manager provides his salesforce with daily up-to-date data. For example, a competitor advertiser just lost 18% of its readership — a fact that will help his salesforce take budget from that competitor. He also requires every week that salespeople on his team bring in an article or information to share with the team to raise their game. Extra-ordinary preparation is what it takes. You can do it and customers notice and reward it.

There is so much more for you as a salesperson to know today. Fortunately, the information you need is at your finger tips with a simple click. For example, you can learn more about customers as individuals and make connections with resources such as LinkedIn and Facebook. You can scope out your competitors’ messages and products to figure out how to position against them. The phrase “I know my customer” simply no longer exist without continuous dialogue and research.

Just how have you changed the level of your preparation?

• What kind of research/homework are you doing before every call? Do you reference your preparation to leverage it during the call to gain trust and credibility?


• What questions do you prepare?


• What ideas are you generating?


• How do you justify the investment in terms of savings or revenue generation and the customer’s new priorities?

The more you understand about customers and their needs, their businesses and industries before your sales calls the more likely you will be able to engage in meaningful change conversation to understand and satisfy new priorities.

Engaging in the Change Conversation

There is a lot of fear out there and the change question is not one you can ask head on. I have never been a proponent of the question, “What keeps you up a night?” I find that question intrusive, presumptive, and over used. But you can broach the subject by asking about the kinds of things that are concerning your customers in this economy. To get at what is worrying them. Start your questions indirectly. Ask how the economy has impacted their customers. Based on the response you get, ask the worry question directly if you have a good relationship and if not, take one step back and ask how your customer’s priorities have shifted and listen and probe.

Customers’ needs have changed. So has their level of trust. Talk about your preparation for the meeting. Showing you are thinking about them helps build and reinforce trust. The old solutions you’ve relied on in the most likely won’t fit. It’s time to be more creative in the solutions you provide. It’s time to generate ideas and carefully justify price in terms of savings, productivity, or revenue generation, and be prepared to provide pricing alternatives — for example, one salesperson got two-non-competing companies to share a resource and split the cost. It’s critical to be out there with your customers listening to them and bringing ideas to show you care what happens to them.

It is an understatement to say closing sales is tougher today. The changes your customers are experiencing demand changes, not tweaking, on how you approach them — your preparation, your dialogue, and your follow-up. When things are slow, spend your time talking to your customers to get them to talk to you. Where there is trust, there is business to be won.

Learn more about Richardson's" Sales Training Solution at http://www.richardson.com/