PMD Sales Training & Consulting

Distracted Prospect? Move On!

Jeannine Johnson — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:15:04 +0000

As sales professionals, we are often listening for key words or phrases from our prospects – reading between the lines as we listen to our clients to determine their interest and motivation. However, I often wonder if we are so busy looking for the almost invisible indicators witth verbal or written communication that we miss the bold blinking billboard displayed in their non-verbal communication. For example, I recently sat in on a meeting with a prospect – the principal of the project being discussed took two phone calls and actually stepped out of the room during our presentation. During a lunch meeting with another client – the prospect was actually e-mailing on his blackberry during our conversation. Upon retrospect – those non-verbal queues are red flags but at the time, I don’t recall really giving them much thought. “It’s just how our culture works”, I thought, “they have important business decisions that that just cannot be ignored even during a meeting”. However, in reality, there is validity to prioritizing prospects that prioritize you. If you’re giving your full attention, preparation and respect – and your prospect isn’t – then simply place that prospect accordingly in your sales pipeline, and rather prioritize prospective clients that show the verbal and non-verbal engagement that will lead to a strong collaborative relationship moving forward.

You had me at Hello…?

Jeannine Johnson — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:19:13 +0000

Whether networking in the job market or cold calling as a sales professional, leaving a voice mail or two is going to be a large part of the process. The message you leave is your first interaction, your first impression, your best shot at getting an in-person meeting or at least a return call. So how can you make sure you are reaching your prospect? The answers may surprise you. Here are a few factors that we have found successful in gaining ground in the world of voice mail messaging:

Preparation: Be prepared to leave a compelling voice mail. Think about it, write it down, rehearse it before you dial that number.
Lead with your purpose: naturally we should lead with our name and company name right? Wrong! Actually…this approach will most likely not yield the results you are aiming for. Alternatively, we find that leading with your differentiating factor is much more compelling – in other words, give the listener a reason to listen a little bit longer.
Stick to the basics – lots of details make a very long voice mail. Executives are busy and will lose patience with long statements. Make your impact in a brief (less than 45 seconds) synopsis and save the details for an actual conversation.
Finish with your name and contact information.
Repeat your phone number twice. Executives are busy, chances are if you leave the number once – they may not have the patience to rewind to get that number. Make it easy for them to return your call– give the number once. Pause. Give your name and number again.
Above all, your tone should be friendly and conversational. This takes practice and
memorization. Do not READ your messages. Do not REPEAT your messages like a computer drone. Sound like a person that your prospect would enjoy having a conversation with!

Below is an example of a standard message we’ve tweaked for higher impact.

Standard Voice Mail (Generic company – in this case a web marketing firm)

“Hello, my name is Jeannine Johnson with Company Name. I noticed your website is due for renewal and I would like to set up a time to speak with you regarding our website marketing services. You can reach me at 888-555-1212. Thank you! Have a great day!”

PMD Sales Training & Consulting, Inc. version

Good morning. My company specializes in high impact, award-winning, website design services that, on average, increase web visibility and lead generation by over 50%. I am calling in regards to your current website renewal and would welcome the opportunity to speak in more detail about your website design needs for now or in the future. My name is Jeannine Johnson with Company Name. I can be reached @ 888-555-1212. Jeannine Johnson, 888-555-1212.

Weighing the Risk

Peter Dennis — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:41:53 +0000

In watching the playoff games this weekend, it’s evident that these professional athletes are well-trained and motivated to win but what is also striking is their will to win the game despite the physical risk involved in almost every play. Running the ball through a line of huge linebackers or reaching up to catch a pass with defenders barreling down on them involves making decisions in nano-seconds – and often into certain danger — to move the game along and ultimately reach the goal. And it’s a risk apparently well worth taking – because the risk of not moving the ball is much greater.

The business world is full of stories about risk takers building their businesses through making the calculated risks designed to succeed and grow. In the sales arena, what’s the comparative risk in your organization to hiring a new sales representative verses not hiring the next sales professional you know you need? You can’t hope your way out of business development concerns and challenges but the great news is that you can sell out of them.

The successful athletes on those winning teams don’t wait to make their move. They don’t hesitate to take the risk to win the game. Our advice to business owners and sales executives is the same: don’t wait, make the acquisition for your new salesperson now; get them assimilated into your organization, develop the unique messaging designed to convert prospects to customers and then get them out on the field ‘running the ball’; touting the unique virtues of your product or service. The result will be your business gaining ground against tough competition through strategic, tactical selling and ultimately reaching your business goals.

Clone Your Top Performer

Jeannine Johnson — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:52:23 +0000

Having been in the direct placement business for countless years, we can’t count how many times a client as has asked us to “clone” a top performer on their team or a previous candidate. It’s a common issue –you have a top performer, and you need another one! But how do you ensure that you add a similar performer to your team? Well, in lieu of the pending patent on our latest model in cloning technology, we do have some tips for you.

Use DISC assessments as a tool in identifying top performers in your candidate pool. Identify your current top performer and have that person take the DISC assessment. The assessment tool we use gives us a handy little graph with the assessment results. Go through the interview process with candidates for the position as you normally would – targetting candidates with the right experience and background that you would look for. Now narrow those candidates down to the top 2-3 and have those candidates take the same assessment. Compare the graphs and take a close look at the candidates who are similar to your top performer (hopefully at least one of them will exhibit a similar graph to your top performing employee).

Finally, a good training and management program is essential to keeping even top performers on track within the first 90 days. Make sure that you, your executive team and top performers are providing the support and clear direction necessary to ensure a successful upward trajectory as your new superstar is getting oriented to their new position.

Good luck!

The Lunch Interview

Jeannine Johnson — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:44:44 +0000

Occasionally the interview cycle with potential employers will include a lunch interview. Many candidates make the mistake of thinking that a lunch interview will be more of a casual “get to know you” meeting and, as a result, fail to prepare for the crucial steps that will make or break the meeting. The lunch interview is a strategic interviewing tactic and in sales, the hiring manager wants to see that you have the ability to handle similar circumstances with a client. Your preparation should be strategic– just as you would prepare for that big client meeting. Here are a few tips to ensure the interview goes smoothly:

Scope out the location. Make sure you leave time to arrive at least 5-10 minutes prior to your scheduled interview
time.
Make sure your collaterals are printed on resume stock paper and enclosed in a folder.
Be prepared for the “why you?” question. Practice your answer and if it isn’t asked, make sure you communicate why you think you are the best fit for this position at some point in the conversation.
Order something light and easy to eat quickly so you have plenty of time to talk. Soup is the perfect interview
food. Salad or sandwiches take too much time to chew and create ackward moments of silence.
Make sure your car is clean inside and out.
Research your interviewer and have questions that spark intelligent and relevant conversation. For example – ask them how long they have been with the company and what they enjoy the most about their position.
Don’t get distracted with the noise and activity in a busy restaurant environment. Focus on the conversation and make eye contact clear, direct and attentive.

The lunch meeting can be tricky but with a little preparation can be easily managed. Take the time to prepare and the results will dramatically place you ahead in the process.

A Sales Professional’s Guide to the Holidays

Jeannine Johnson — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 22:03:34 +0000

So the holidays are here, business is starting to slow
down. Clients are busy making merry and shutting down those
budgets. Most sales professionals take this time to take a breather,
relax and do some holiday entertaining with those big ticket clients – and
those things are important. However, we’ve seen the biggest return on
investment from sales professionals who use this slower period to really hone
in on their sales skills. Consider this “spring training”. The new
selling “season” of 2012 is rapidly approaching bringing with it lots of
opportunity and challenges. So here’s a strategy that will work well in
the month of December to make sure you come out of the gate swinging in 2012:

All
Sales Professionals:

Work on prospecting and building your pipeline 2 hours a
day, 4 days a week.
Practice your 60 and 120-second introduction. This
means audibly speaking in front of a mirror twice a day, 2 days a week.
Update collaterals with new material for the coming year.
Read a sales oriented professional book in the month of
December and take notes.
Write down goals your sales goals for 2012.

For
Sales Management and Executives looking to hire in 2012:

Update your profile on Linked In.
Write down the three most compelling reasons why a superstar
sales professional would want to join your team.
Read a sales oriented book or a book related to interviewing
skills.
Bring your Human Resources team cookies …and collaborate
with a great sales recruiter.
Write down the three key abilities or traits you need to
hire for.

So
let the Holiday Season begin! High
performance sales professionals will be quite busy making sure they do
everything in December to ensure they’ll meet or exceed their first quarter
goals!

Small Businesses Require a Sales Strategy

Peter Dennis — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 18:15:48 +0000

I know, I know, you’re running a small business on a shoestring, you’re the head bottle-washer and cook and all the other clichés associated with challenges of doing everything for your business. So sometimes it’s easy to forget about the elements of how to sell your products or services.
In the early stages of consulting to small businesses, I stress the importance to owners of committing to prospecting two hours a day for four days of the week. The trick here is to put everything else aside (isn’t there always something else begging for your attention?) and truly commit and focus on your outreach to new potential prospects.
In just the last week I’ve had three new small business customers confirm to me the importance to following that recommendation. And, why are they doing that? – quite simply because they are getting results. So, remember the two hours a day, four days a week formula when it comes to your weekly strategy for making your small business grow and flourish. Not bad formula of sales pros in businesses of all sizes for that matter!

Another Snow Day? Great time to spend a few minutes refining your 120 second elevator pitch!

Peter Dennis — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:16:04 +0000

Another snow day? — Great time to refine your sales elevator pitch!

Once you’ve done everything necessary to secure your house and surroundings from the grip of Mother Nature, take a few minutes to refine one of the key foundational building blocks of your up-coming sales week; your 120 sales call introduction. With all the detail and rigor that go into sales presentations it’s easy to neglect this all-important initial step in the selling process. In many situations, if you don’t execute this area well, you won’t get much further.

So remember the 3 key messaging elements: 1.) Brief(!) description of your product/service; 2) The two key benefits customers enjoy from utilizing your product/service and ; 3) Why YOU are uniquely qualified to deliver this product or service. Write this out –and time it; — if you’re much over 120 seconds, take something out…then practice…looking in the mirror, driving in your car, with a colleague, wherever!, and get ready to deliver a flawless powerful opening to your sales call.

As a client recently told me after we spent some time refining his introductory comments and he used it to open a crucial sales meeting, “My well prepared 120 seconds just rolled out. It was very cool.” This is how to start a sales call with confidence and impact!

From more, please download a copy of our Sales Strategy E-book by clicking on the link on the home page!

Hiring Sales Talent in a New and Changing Environment

Jeannine Johnson — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:39:10 +0000

For those who haven’t realized it yet, the world of sales recruiting has changed. If you are serious about adding great performers to your sales team, it needs to be the right fit for both parties and posting an open position on the internet probably won’t do it. High performance sales organizations will pursue high performance sales candidates with just as much energy and motivation as they would their prime client prospect – that high performer, in fact, is just as relevant and will bring just as much value to your organization – as your number 1 client. So here are some tips on bringing in those high performers:

1. If you can budget it, work with a sales recruiter who understands your culture, your organization and your compensation structure. It will save you valuable time and effort in the screening process.

2. The interview process should involve a sincere interest in the candidate’s background, track record of success and abilities. Don’t do all the talking! Give your candidate the opportunity to speak to his/her strengths and abilities – great sales professionals take great pride in their success and will appreciate the opportunity to speak to them.

3. The interview process should also involve your 120 seconds on why your company is the right opportunity for a high performance sales professional: is it uncapped commissions? Is it career growth opportunities? Is it a great life/work balance culture? Hopefully it’s all three! If you have a great organization – don’t expect that the candidate will fully understands it from looking at your website – communicate the value in a meaningful, honest way just like you would if you were talking to a prospect for your business.

4. Use a sales assessment. It creates value for both you in the hiring process and for the candidate – take a serious interest in where their strengths and motivations lie and then manage them through the interview process using those key factors.

Thanking Your Prospect

Peter Dennis — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:04:09 +0000

What’s the first key step after you finish a productive sales call with a prospect? Well, of course, it’s conveying your appreciation and thanks to the prospect for taking the time to meet with you!

We live in a culture and society predicated on the speed and efficiency of electronic communication and, as a result, our first inclination after meeting with a prospect is to shoot off that easy Thank You e-mail to keep our message warm and continue the relationship. It’s all too easy to send the “Thank You” e-mail. And, in addition to being easy, it does little to truly differentiate yourself, and your product of service, from your competition. Rather than taking 45 seconds to send the thank you e-mail, take five minutes to write a personalized thank you note card on quality stationery to your prospect. Supplement the thank you sentiment with a brief comment about a specific element of your discussion and then conclude the message with a concise recap on the next step of the developing relationship. (Even in the case of a prospect that isn’t going to buy from you in the near team, you can suggest the possibility of a referral to someone they know who may benefit from your product or service.) The extra steps of taking the time to express your appreciation in this manner will differentiate you from your competition and will pay tremendous benefits as your grow your business. I have seen this form of delivery get immediate, positive results time and time again and I am sure it will get results for you!

Interested in a complimentary consultation about driving better sales in your organization? Call us today at 508-983-1470 to schedule a free sales consultation!