Inside Our Head

Your client has certain expectations of you and your product or service. If their expectations are met, or exceeded, they will be satisfied. Simple.

Not always.

For your product to be successfully implemented into the client's daily working life, the client must move through a learning process. This process can be described through five phases, helping you understand the way people learn, and your responsibility in helping them.

Phase 1 | Unconscious Incompetence | Your customer does not know that he does not know.

Your customer has signed the order, product is delivered and they are enthused. They expect to realize the benefits of this product, benefits you have described and promised throughout the sales process. However, the customer's expectation of benefit is at its highest point right now, and their understanding of the learning required is underestimated. To derive benefit they must learn, you must teach them, but they aren't ready for the learning just yet.

Phase 2 | Conscious Incompetence | Customer knows he doesn't know.

Customer frustration mounts during this phase as they come to realize that change / learning will be difficult. Habitual ways of working must be altered. Productivity may suffer in the short term while people learn to use the new product. The customer may wrestle with a feeling that they are worse off than before.

Phase 3 | Conscious Competence | Customer works hard at what he doesn't know.

With application, the customer begins to learn how to operate the equipment. They begin to seen the benefits in the real work environment. The product begins to make a real contribution, as promised.

Phase 4 | Unconscious Competence | Customer begins to make the new habitual.

The customer has a real sense of accomplishment now that the product is fully integrated into their office and the daily routine. Results are being realized. Everyone is happy!

Phase 5 | Conscious Unconscious Competence | Customer easily explains the new benefits of the new product, and how to derive them.

In-house experts can now train others in the office as the entire team develops an appreciation for the equipment. It has become part of the family.

Other considerations: if the product is complex, expect the learning process to take more time, and expect it to be more frustrating for the customer. Likewise, have these expectations if the customer is inexperienced. Often, the people who actually make the purchase decision are not the end-users. Therefore you may experience outright resistance to the product by end users who did not participate in the buying decision.

Bottom line: meeting and exceeding customer expectations is not easy, but it is well worth it.

The sales presentation is your best opportunity to show and tell, but there's more to it than just showing and telling. You also need to think strategically about the customers buying process and needs, your competitors' offerings, and why your solution is best.

To plan and deliver winning sales presentations, try the following approach:

Find out in advance how much time you will have.
Have you ever had a key decision-maker leave in the middle of your presentation because he was out of time? You can't hold someone's attention when he's looking at the clock.

At the beginning of the meeting, ask how much time the prospect has set aside, then adjust your presentation to take no more than 60% of the allotted time. Why only 60%? Because your prospect's decisions to act typically occur at the end of the meeting. Adjusting your presentation will allow enough time to resolve any remaining issues, and reach an agreement.

Check in.

Another good question to ask at the beginning of every sales presentation is, "since the last time we met, has anything changed?" If your competitor gave a presentation yesterday afternoon you may have a few new hurdles you need to overcome. The sooner you identify those hurdles, the more time you have to plan a response.

Take his temperature.

The next question you want to ask is, "Where are you in your decision process?" If he tells me he's scheduled presentations with three suppliers and I'm the first presenter, I know the chances of this prospect agreeing to a decision at the end of my presentation are virtually nonexistent. For starters, it would take the prospect more time, energy and stress to cancel the appointments than to go ahead with them.

More importantly, the prospect wants to hear all three presentations, because from your customer's perspective, comparison is necessary to recognize value. Never go for the close when you are the first presenter. You're simply asking for something that you can't get, and customers will think you're pushy. Instead, come up with a legitimate reason to come back after the other presentations, when the prospect likely will be in a position to make a decision.

Try to be the last presenter.

The last presenter has a significant advantage, because he is closer to the customer's point of decision. If I am the final supplier to present, and have shown why am I am the best choice, it's only reasonable to ask for a commitment to buy. It also creates an opportunity to address any lingering concerns that may prevent a sale.

In one of the largest sales opportunities I ever worked on, I was the third of three presenters to a committee of seven decision-makers, the most senior of whom was the Executive Vice President, I'll call him Mr. Burns.

Ten minutes before the conclusion of my presentation, the phone rang. Mr. Burns had a plane to catch, and his cab had arrived. As he stood up, I said, "Mr. Burns, before you leave, may I ask you one final question?"

I asked, "Now that you've evaluated all the options, is there any reason why my solution is not your best option?"

He paused, then said "Yep!" And out came his final concern about my solution. It was a concern I was ready for, but I never got a chance to respond because his comment triggered a firestorm of conversation around the conference table. Mr. Burns missed his cab, but several other decision makers drove him to the airport so they could continue their discussion.

A few weeks later, I learned that in the car on the way to the airport, a lower-level decision-maker had resolved Mr. Burns's concern, and I won the sale.

This example shows that today, as much as 90% of the sale takes place without you being in the room. So it's essential to make sure that the prospects championing your cause have the tools to sell other decision makers for you.

Start with a quick review of the customer's goals and objectives. On a flipchart, list each of the customers buying criteria. This list is your outline for effective sales presentation. Next, show how your solution meets and exceeds each customer criterion.

Throughout your presentation, get a reaction from your prospect. For example, after demonstrating a capability you would ask, how would this be an improvement or how would this help. Interactive presentations keep prospects more involved and interested.

Communicate all your unique strengths.

Today's customers want to know two things: can you do what we need done, and how can you do it better than the other options we are considering?

It's not enough to show that you can meet your customer's needs. You must also have some reasons why your solution is the customer's best choice.

To ensure that my strengths are understood, I always prepare a flipchart titled "Why we are your best choice" which lists at least three reasons why I'm the customer's best option. Often, I list seven or eight reasons. The more reasons you have, and the more compelling those reasons are, the better your chances of winning the sale.

In sports, when two teams are evenly matched, the winner is the team that makes the fewest mistakes, and executes its plays the best.

To deliver a winning sales presentation, you must do the same. When you implement these 10 tips in your sales presentations, you will win more sales.

Buy-Learning Process consists of four stages with each stage made up of two steps.

The four stages are: 1) determining a need, 2) finding the best solution, 3) committing to buy, and 4) evaluating the outcome.

For the sake of simplicity these four stages can be named Need, Learn, Buy and Value. The effective sales person will move through these stages with the buyer by personally identifying with the buyer's hopes and fears, problems and opportunities.

NEED -- What the buyer perceives as desireable, beneficial, valuable and obtained for the purpose of providing improvement in working life: savings of time and/or money, peace of mind, security,productivity, status.

Step 1: Change
Changing circumstances and requirements fosters discontent.

Step 2: Discontent
Discontent brings Need into focus, then the issue becomes: How pressing is this need? When discontent drives need to the point of being pressing, the buyer moves to the Learning stage.

LEARN -- Process of researching options, comparing possibilities, information gathering and evaluation.

Step 1: Researching
Intangible need becomes a tangible solution through process of looking at and identifying capabilities. There are the "must-have" and the "nice to have" options and capabilites, carrying different values.

Step 2: Comparison Options compared.
Consider "must haves" vs. "nice to haves" and prioritize. Major decisions are often made based on MINOR DIFFERENCES!

BUY

Step 1: Fear
Emotional, not logical, it is the buyer's reaction just before making a commitment. Bigger the purchase, the more money involved, the greater the risk, and the more likely fear will kick in.

Step 2: Commitment
Overcoming fear the buyer buys, after negotiating final details.

VALUE -- Customer asks him/herself: Did I get a good deal? Do the results match up with what Iexpected?

Step 1: Expectations
Immediate value expected. Buyer takes the product for a spin. (Imagine the value of key op!)

Step 2: Satisfaction
Varies over time. We can certainly increase the sense of value/satisfaction the customer perceives with good/frequent visits after install to demonstrate more features/benefits!

Enjoy greater customer satisfaction--while increasing your sales--by changing your approach to match your customers' changing perspective throughout the sale.

To help learn these skills, do yourself a huge favor and download this free whitepaper: 15 Biggest Mistakes Salespeople Make

Complex sales are the biggest of all sales. You have big commission dollars at stake. Sometimes, a salesperson's entire year can be made or broken on one major sale. The problem is your competition wants that commission as much as you do.




If you want to win the big sale you've got to out-SELL your competition. The 10 keys to winning a complex sale tell you how.




In a complex sale, your goal is to identify the players who will be involved in a buying decision and help them see the unique value of your solution. Any decision-maker who you do not meet is a potential threat to winning the sale. This leads to the 10 keys to winning a complex sale. The more of these you do, the better your chance of winning the sale.




1. Before you deliver your sales presentation, meet with at least three people affected by the sale.


You need multiple sources of information. Winning a complex sale hinges on gathering information about how the decision will be made, who will make it and why. If you meet with only one person, how will you know if the information that person gives you is correct? Meeting with at least three people also helps you create greater momentum in the buying process - three people who want to buy from you are better than one. And it helps you better understand the customer's needs. By the time you've met with three decision-makers, you'll know if there's someone else you need to meet with.




2. If the gatekeeper is not an influential person in the decision, get past this person as soon as
 possible.

How? Ask the gatekeeper questions that he or she can't answer. If the questions you ask are important to understanding the need, you'll hopefully get the gatekeeper's OK to find out the answers.

Offer to gather information from other people and report back to the gatekeeper with your findings.

Sell your gatekeeper on it. There may be benefits to the gatekeeper if higher level decision-makers get involved. One possible benefit is that the money to buy may come from someone else's budget besides the gatekeeper's.


If you do it early in a sales process, you may be able go over a gatekeeper's head without asking for permission. This is more upsetting to the gatekeeper the closer you get to the decision. If a decision is about to be made, and you think you're going to lose, going over the gatekeeper's head sends the message that you are questioning his or her decision-making process. This is what is so upsetting to them. But if you go over the gatekeeper's head early in a sales process, the gatekeeper has less invested in the decision, so he or she will likely be less upset by it.




3. Identify all the decision-makers and their positions on the team.

A few general questions to ask would be: How will your organization go about making this decision? Who else will you need to talk to?


To identify specific players on the buying team, ask these questions: Who's budget is at stake here? (gets you the Virtual Authority). Who will be evaluating the technical aspects of this decision? (gets you the Integrator).

You'll have no problem finding the User, and the gatekeeper usually finds you! And, you must find the Power Broker, so ask, "Who will be the key decision-maker on this?"




4. Finding the Power Broker before your competition does is crucial.




If the Power Broker wants to buy from you, your success is almost assured. If the Power Broker prefers your competition, forget it.

The Power Broker derives his/her power from credibility with the Virtual Authority, perhaps by being the recognized expert. Or, the Power Broker may be the Virtual Authority's "right-hand person."


Power Brokers tend to be strong-willed individuals who are goal-oriented and persuasive communicators - just like salespeople. An effective Power Broker is an effective internal salesperson. So, which member of the buying team is the most effective salesperson? Chances are, that's your Power Broker.




5. Identify where each decision-maker is in the buying process.




Your sales approach with each player depends on where that person is with regards to the decision. Be a "doctor" with someone who doesn't recognize a need. A prospect in the comparison stage needs to know why you are their best choice, how you are different from the other options, etc. So, you want to be a Coach.


Think of the roles as "selling hats." Which hat you wear depends on where each prospect is in the buying process. When a player moves in the buying process (hopefully forward, but possibly backward) change your selling hat to meet their new needs. The speed with which each buyer's wheel turns determines how fast you should change your selling role.




6. After each meeting with a prospect, send that person a letter stating your understanding of their needs.




You cannot rely on verbal communication alone, because selling the person sitting in front of you is not enough. You must also provide your prospect with the tools needed to sell other decision-makers on your behalf. And since most sales literature focuses on your product's features and benefits, not on your customers' needs, they're ineffective as a leave-behind.


Your letter of understanding will reinforce the importance of the meeting for your prospect, solidify why the need is important, and provide information your prospect will need to sell other decision-makers.

7. Develop as many sponsors for your cause as possible.

Think back to the biggest sale you've ever made. Chances are, there was at least one person in your client's organization who wanted you to win the sale.


A sponsor is any decision maker who wants you to succeed. Think about a complex sale you're working on now. Is there any decision-maker in there to wants you to succeed? If not, what can you do to develop one (or two)?




8. Find your enemies and neutralize them.

While you are cultivating sponsors for your cause, your competitors will be busy developing sponsors for their counterattack. The biggest threat to your winning a complex sale is the existence of an individual who wants your competition to win.

The most successful strategy is to neutralize that person by being proactive. Identify who is against you, assess that person's power influence on the decision, and take action to defuse the threat. Don't sit back and wait!

Sometimes, your enemies are difficult to recognize. They may not want you to know they exist. These people may say wonderful things about you to your face, but as soon as you leave, they begin pulling strings to make you lose. Once again, having multiple sources of information is the key to identifying these stealthy adversaries. Ask your contacts, "Is there anyone who may be opposed to this?"


To neutralize your enemy, try overwhelming them with superior numbers. If you can develop several sponsors among the members of the complex buying team, you can create enough momentum for your solution to overpower the enemy's opposition.


How much credibility does your enemy have with other members of the Complex Buying Team? If your answer is "a lot," try to meet with your enemy one-on-one. Ask questions such as "What concerns might you have about our solution?" Apply the sales role of a therapist and try to draw out their concerns.

Don't underestimate the importance of personal agendas. The best supplier with the best offering does not always win. Suppose you made a sale to Department A that was successfully implemented. Now you're trying to make a similar sale to Department B. If department A's manager is at odds with the manager of Department B, you may lose the sale to B because you were successful with A.




9. Develop a complex sales strategy by answering these three questions:

What factors are working for you in this sale? What factors are working against you? What can you do better to position yourself to win?




10. Don't get overconfident!




The greatest barrier to winning the sale may be you! Overconfidence about how a sale is progressing may lull you into a false sense of security. Always question your basic premises. Sir Francis Bacon said, "If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties." Don't assume anything!

Winning a complex sale is difficult. Your competition wants them as much as you do. Winning is no accident. The salesperson who wins will likely be the one who works just a little bit harder than the others, who does a few things that other salespeople don't do.

Work harder and apply these ideas, and you WILL close more large-dollar, complex sales. You can bet on it!

Is your industry becoming more competitive? Are your prospects taking a closer look at what your competitors have to offer? Selling in today's marketplace reminds me of that old line from ABC's Wide World of Sports: "The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat."

For the salesperson and the sales manager in the arena, it's winner take all. There are no rewards for second place.

This trend of intensifying competition makes selling more interesting -- but also much more difficult than it once was. If you want to stop losing sales to competition and make more money -- and we all do -- then you've got to sharpen your competitive selling skills.

Here are four of the most common reasons why competitive sales opportunities are lost -- and specifically what you can do to win more often. These are the mistakes to avoid if you want to give your competitors fits.

1) Your competitor understands the prospect's needs better than you do.

Sun Tzu wrote his classic book, The Art of War, 2,500 years ago. In it he said, "If you know the enemy and you know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself, but not the enemy, for every victory gained, you'll also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will lose every battle."

Between you and me, Sun Tzu had it easy! In 500 B.C., all he had to do was learn about himself and his enemy. Today, it's not enough to know about yourself and the competition. You also have to know about the customers' needs. When you know the specific ways in which you're different from your competition - AND you know your customers' needs - you'll know which differences are going to be the most important to your customer. And that knowledge is what will put your name on the scoreboard.

One simple strategy for understanding your customers' needs better than your competition is to resist the natural temptation to talk about yourself, and instead, keep the conversation focused on your customer's needs. If your customer asks you about your product or service - as they often do - answer their question, then redirect the conversation back to your customer's needs. A good rule of thumb is to identify at least eight customer buying criteria before you start talking about your product or service.

2) Can't reach the key decision-maker.

All decision-makers are not created equal. In every buying decision there exists a "Power Broker," one person who wields more power and influence than anyone else. When the Power Broker talks, others listen. Think of an important prospect you are calling on now. If he or she is not the key decision-maker, who is? The first salesperson to identify and win over the Power Broker almost always wins the sale.

To identify the Power Broker, ask your contact questions such as, "How will your organization make the decision on this? Who else will you need to talk to? Whose budget is at stake here? Who's going to be the key decision-maker on this? Power Brokers derive their power because they have credibility with superiors, perhaps as a recognized expert. They tend to be strong-willed individuals who are goal-oriented and possess good communication skills. The Power Broker is an effective internal salesperson who you want championing your cause.

3) The salesperson overlooks seemingly minor differences between his/her solution and the competition.

A friend of mine sells voice recording systems for emergency 911 centers. One "minor" difference between his system and those of competitors is that his system has been approved by Underwriters Laboratories. For years, my friend and his fellow salespeople made nothing of this differentiator. Then one diligent salesperson was carefully studying her prospect's cost components, and discovered that installation of a product that was U. L. approved would qualify a 911 center for a significant reduction in insurance premiums. This translated into a huge cost savings for the customer - and a nice commission for the salesperson.

The point is - don't overlook anything! Differences that may seem minor to you could be of significant importance to your customer.

4) No game plan to beat the competition.

The one common thread weaving through all of these reasons for losing sales this: We don't slow down and think. For years, salespeople have been told that the key to selling is to think fast on your feet and to make lots of calls. This bias for quick thinking and a high activity level is exactly the opposite of what it takes to win competitive sales.

I'm not suggesting you make fewer sales calls. What I am saying is that you need to put more thought into each call you make. Think like a coach thinks, and make a game plan to win.

What's your understanding of your prospect's buying criteria? Which of those criteria represent a competitive edge for you? Which represent a competitive disadvantage? Who is positioned most favorably at this time - you or your competition? How can you influence the customer's buying criteria - or modify your offering, in such as way as to create a better match between what you have and what your customer needs? Your effectiveness in competitive selling situations will be largely determined by the questions you ask yourself before each sales call.

In sports, when two teams are evenly matched, the winner will be the team that executes its plays the best - the team that makes the fewest mistakes. To win more competitive sales opportunities, you must do the same.

Technorati Profile

Negotiating power plays a major role in every type of negotiation, whether it's a labor negotiation, political negotiation, or a buy-sell negotiation.

Both the buyer and the seller have power in a negotiation. Power is each side's perception of its strength or weakness in comparison to the other. This perception of power affects the ability of each party to achieve its own goals. The more negotiating power you have in comparison to that of your buyer, the fewer concessions you'll have to make.

For each party in a negotiation, there are eight sources of power. These are:

• Need
• Options
• Time
• Relationships
• Investment
• Credibility
• Knowledge
• Skills

Just remember the acronym NO TRICKS

"N" stands for Need

The essential question here is: who needs this sale more, the buyer or the seller? The more intense the buyer's need, the more power the seller has. The more intense your need to make the sale, the more power your buyer will have.

"O" stands for Options

What are the options for each party if an agreement is not reached? A buyer who believes that your product or service is unique has no other options. Your other options consist of the other sales opportunities you have waiting in the wings. The more options you have, and the fewer acceptable options your buyer has, the greater your negotiating power.

"T" stands for Time

This refers to any impending events that place a deadline on either the buyer or the seller. If the buyer is under time pressure, it usually gives the salesperson negotiating strength. In commercial real estate, for example, the expiration of an old lease may put time pressure on the tenant to find new office space. The time factor also affects many other purchases related to the move, such as hiring a contractor, selecting office furnishings and business equipment, and so on. A deadline creates time pressure and limits the buyer's opportunity to shop around.

If you are feeling time pressure, perhaps to close the sale by the end of a quota period, your buyer will have time power. Several years ago, I had the opportunity to win my company's annual incentive vacation - a trip to Bermuda. On the last day of the year, I needed a $2,000 sale to achieve my annual quota of $3 million. I felt time pressure! I made some hefty concessions that day, but I won the trip.

"R" stands for Relationship power

How strong is your relationship with your prospect? If you have a high quantity of high quality relationships with your customers you have relationship power. But some customers may not allow you to develop these relationships. They may tell you that you can only talk to purchasing. In such a situation, you'll have a hard time developing relationship power.

"I" stands for Investment

How much time and energy has been invested in the buying process? The more effort someone invests, the more committed he or she will be to reaching an agreement. The more energy your buyer puts into a buying process, the more negotiating power you'll have. Conversely, the buyer's power of investment is enhanced when you've put a lot of time and energy into a prospective sale. If you put 20 hours into preparing a proposal, you'll have a hard time walking away from the deal.

"C" stands for Credibility

When I was selling dictating machines for Lanier Business Products, a salesperson in our Washington D.C. office, whose sales territory included the White House, sold a portable dictating machine in the Oval Office directly to the President. Subsequent photographs of the president showed his dictating machine on his desk. Lanier's credibility was enhanced by having the president as a customer.

"K" Stands for Knowledge

Knowledge is power. You have knowledge power when you thoroughly understand your customers' problems and needs and can foresee how the products or services you are offering will help them achieve those needs. If you do not have this knowledge, we suggest you attend on of our 2-day sales seminars to help you get a leg up on your competition.

Conversely, if your customers know as much as you do, or perhaps more, about the application of a particular sales solution, they're less reliant on you. A few years ago, IBM reorganized its sales forced to emphasize industry-specific expertise so that their salespeople would become more knowledgeable about their customers' businesses. IBM has 14 industry sales teams dedicated to areas such as health care, travel, and financial services. IBM recognizes that salespeople are not adding value to the buy-sell relationship unless they know more than the buyers.

"S" stands for Skill

Who is the most skillful negotiator? Buyers are making more buying decisions today, and are getting better at it. Many buyers have attended seminars to improve their negotiating skills, which means they're gaining more skill power. Today, you must constantly improve your skills, just to keep up.

For over 200 years the US Constitution has served as the system of fundamental laws and principles of our society. This amazing document has served as the cornerstone of our democracy. A reflection of our Founding Fathers' core values, the Constitution has kept our society on track since 1787, and has certainly contributed significantly to the growth and success of the United States.

What is the Constitution of your sales team?

Have you, as yet, identified and communicated your cornerstone? If I was to ask five of your salespeople to describe to me what is expected of them in areas other than sales results would I receive five different answers?

The Production Equation: B+A=R.

Behavior plus activities equals sales results. Or, another way of saying this is that every successful sale is the outcome of a series of behaviors (how something is done) as well as activities (how many times a behavior is performed).

Unfortunately, many of us sales managers try to manage results. We wait until a rep has a bad month before we decide to get involved in "coaching" them. So then, when a rep produces a bad month, we rush over and smother them in coaching trying and get their production back up quickly. Sales managers who try to manage results are like a driver of an automobile who only looks in the rear view mirror... chances are they will be surprised when they collide with something that is unexpected. Looking only in the rear view mirror is not an effective way to drive a car, but it happens to be the way that many sales managers drive their sales teams.

Sales results can't be managed, but behaviors and activities can.

To be the best sales manager you must get in front of the result, get the best sales management training possible, and put in writing your expectations of the behaviors and activities that contribute to sales results.

Think of this issue – a team without well-communicated performance standards - from your salesperson's perspective. As a salesperson, you have a clear understanding of the sales quota results expected of you, but you're unsure exactly how to produce those results. So you do what you think you should. You "make it up on the fly." Then, because nobody tells you you're doing it wrong you assume it is acceptable behavior. So you keep doing it, and form bad habits. It's an unproductive cycle.

How to Draft your Sales Team's Constitution

Think of your top salesperson... what specific behaviors does he/she do that contributes to sales success? For example, "makes at least five new business prospecting calls every day." Then, what attitudinal qualities does he/she have which contributes to success? For example, "attempts to solve problems before seeking help."

Make a list of behaviors and activities that describe your top salesperson, and then share this list with everyone on your sales team. Have each of your salespeople assess themselves on a quarterly basis against these behaviors and activities: Meets, Exceeds, Needs Improvement. Then, sit down one-on-one with each salesperson, discuss his/her self assessment, and put a plan in place to improve those.

Four Components of a Sales Constitution are as follows:

• Written
• Well communicated
• Understood by everybody
• Equally applied

Technorati Profile

Make every single person an expert at something.

Arrange for training, coaching, and perhaps “certification” on equipment, software, processes, etc. Then make up a list of people and their special skills.

Start meetings and training sessions on time.

People who are prompt should not have to waste their time waiting for latecomers. That’s demotivating.

De-hire people not contributing to your team’s goals.

You know them – the people who have nothing good to say about anything or anybody… the ones who can suck the energy right out of the room. Keep them away from your important projects, your important employees, and your important customers. If possible, “encourage” them to take their sour attitudes elsewhere.

Acknowledge those who display initiative and take the time to train, help, mentor and develop others.

The opportunity for development is a prime employee motivator. And your “teachers” are at the very heart of that.

Hire for attitude, train for skill.

It can be tempting to fill a vacancy with someone who has the required technical skills but has questionable attitudes and behaviors. Do not give in to the temptation of adding this “warm body” to your team. Bad hires drag down the entire team.

Invite representatives from other organizations to see, firsthand, the good work that’s being done at your office.

It’s unbelievably motivating for employees to know that people from the outside are coming in to watch them perform their magic.

Create a “Wall of Fame.”

Look for people who have made positive contributions to the organization over time. Designate a place in a prominent hallway to display their pictures and a description of their contributions.

Periodically conduct “climate surveys” to stay informed of how people feel about their jobs, the type of work they do, and the quality of leadership they experience.

Share the results with everyone. And be sure to use the feedback you receive to develop improvement plans.

We hoped you enjoyed this 5 part series on Sales Management Training -- Motivating Your Team. To receive more hands-on training, please attend our next Sales Seminar.

This is the 5th and final blog post in our 5 part series focusing on motivating your team through sales management training.
Click here to read the first post in the series.
Click here to read the second post in the series.
Click here to read the third post in the series.
Click here to read the forth post in the series.
Click here to read the fifth post in the series.

During a recession, your sales team's #1 competitor is the customer's decision to do nothing, to make no change. In good economic times your # 1 competitor is likely another company who sells products and services similar to yours. So, the skills your salespeople need to defeat these two very different competitors are different as well.

Thinking about the long-term, this recession could be the best thing to ever happen to your sales team because it reveals who your team's "imposters" are. During good economic times some of your salespeople may produce at an acceptable level, proving themselves proficient at late-cycle sales skills such as presenting, differentiating and closing.

In a recession, however, salespeople must become more effective at early sales cycle skills that create customer demand, skills such as prospecting and account penetration, developing customer pain, and clarifying the value of an investment to the customer.

Your salespeople's willingness to make these changes and invest the additional time required should tell you a lot about whether or not you want them around when the times get good again. The best salespeople, in both good economies and bad, are those who can make something out of nothing.

"Apply yourself. Get all the education you can, but then, by God, do something. Don't just stand there, make it happen."
Lee Iaccocca