Simple Sales Tracking Blog

Whose Perception Counts Anyway?

2008-09-01T11:10:00Z

We have been looking at why asking the right questions is so important in the sales process - well here's a question for you.

How can you tell what your prospects are actually thinking?

The answer is simple - ask them good questions and they will give you all the information you need to help them. Wasn't it Freud who said "If you ask enough questions the truth will eventually come out".

It's vitally important that you know what your prospects are thinking - what their problems and needs really are, and what's important to them - so you can tailor the best solution for them.

If you want your prospects to think about the convenience your product or service provides, ask a good, open-ended question about that topic. While the prospect is talking, you know his/her mind is focused on that topic. When you want to focus the customers mind on something else, ask a question on that new topic.

Never ask a buyer any questions about a subject you don't wish them to think about.

This may sound obvious however many salespeople ask questions about current providers and budgets. What happens in the buyers mind when they think - we have spent our budget this year?

Think of questions that will enable you to uncover your prospects' wants and needs and potentially give you the opportunity to sell him/her your solution(s).

The best sales questions to ask prospects are the ones that get your prospects talking.

Once you ask your questions you can employee your ears before you engage your mouth. Your questions put you in to an automatic listening mode. Not asking questions gets you, the wrong person, talking too much.

Being a good listener is the fastest way to increase your sales - it also happens to be the best way.

No one ever listened their way out of a sale.

Guide to Preparing Good Questions

. Be sure your questions are open-ended. You're not a lawyer. You're an explorer. You won't learn much when you ask yes/no type questions. Remember your goal is to get your prospects and customers talking.

. Be sure your questions are personalized and tailored to the person you're talking to. A good question shows interest and reveals your concern for the buyer's current situation.

. Great questions also help create trust and rapport

. Prepare your questions in writing. A really good question starts in your mind and ends up on paper. If it's not on paper you can't make it better.

. You can make every word count by eliminating all unnecessary words from the question you are crafting. Make sure every word in your question adds value to the questions.

. The right questions can demonstrate your understanding of the prospects business and build great credibility for you in the prospects eyes

. Focus on brevity. If you want to be clear, you must be concise. Less is always more when it comes to a carefully worded question. Short and sweet is better than long and sour.

. Unfortunately, what most salespeople don't get is, your choice of words during a sales call is even more important hence the need to pre-plan your questions.

. Its no use having the right answer if you aren't asking the right questions

. Remember - Never tell a buyer anything you can ask them!!!

Quote of the Week -
"If you are speaking and not getting a reaction, well you are just making a speech"
Author Unknown

Have a successful week!

Brett

BRETT BURGESS is a sales trainer and programme developer for Moss and Associates International.

Questioning To Build Trust

2008-08-07T22:06:00Z

Following on from last time we are looking at the importance of developing questions.

Many of us feel the need to build credibility and trust through telling the prospect all about what we have done and what great companies we work for however asking the right questions achieves the same goal. It is most important to spend time planning the questions as more sales are lost through asking the wrong questions than are lost because of not having the best price.

There are two more key areas that relate to asking good questions -

3. Good questions build relationships

The act of asking good questions shows that you care about the person and his/her problems. The more questions you ask about your customer, the more he/she feels your interest.

The law of reciprocity indicates that the more interest you show in a customer, the more likely that customer will be interested in you.

Did you ever attend a reception or party and meet someone who was very interested in you? Asked you question after question about yourself? When you parted, you thought to yourself "What a great person". Why did you think that? Because of what he/she said? Probably not. You thought the person was wonderful because he/she expressed interest in you! And you formed that impression because of the questions they asked of you.

You can make use of this principle by asking good personal questions of your customers and thereby building strong relationships.

I also recommend you take good notes.

4. Good questions convey the perception of your competence

In other words, your customer sees you as competent and trustworthy - not necessarily by what you say - but rather by what you ask.

Here's an illustration. Suppose you have a problem with your car. You take it into the mechanic down the street and say to him - "My car is making a funny sound" and he says to you "OK, leave it here and pick it up at five".

You're not reassured by his approach so you take it to the mechanic across the street. You say the same thing to him and he says to you "What kind of sound? You reply "A strange thumping sound". And he says "Is it coming from the front or the back of the car?". And you say, "It's coming from the front." And he asks, "Is it a metallic kind of sound or a rubber kind of sound?" And you reply, "It's definitely metallic" And he says, "Does it go faster when you go faster and slower when you go slower, or is it the same speed all the time?" You respond, "It definitely speeds up as I do." Then he says "OK leave it here and pick it up at five".

Which mechanic seems to be the more competent? That's easy. Obviously, the one who asked more questions. Questions show you understand your prospects problems which in turn builds your credibility.

Got the idea? The focus and precision of your questions does more to give your customer the perception of your competence than anything else.

Every one of your customers wants to feel that the salesperson he/she is dealing with is competent. You convey that perception by asking good questions about the details of your customer's needs and applications.

Mastering the use of good questions is the salespersons single most powerful interpersonal tool - in every aspect of your sales interactions will dramatically improve your results.

A word of caution, remember what I said at the start - just as the right questions build your credibility asking the wrong questions can just as easily destroy it hence the need to plan your questions - do you homework - do your pre-planning before you ever make the call.

Quote of the Week -

"Price is always an issue if you look and sound like every other salesperson"

In my next article I will look at mistakes to avoid in your sales presentations.

Have a successful week!

BRETT BURGESS is a sales trainer and programme developer for Moss and Associates International.

A Question of Questions

2008-07-28T20:28:00Z

This week's article brings us back to the subject of questioning.

Did you enjoy the last dinner you had out with friends?

You are probably wondering what that question has to do with sales. Bear with me a moment, and answer the question.

Now, pause a moment and think about what you did when you read that question. Your mind probably flashed back and you saw a picture in your mind's eye of what you had for dinner. Then you recalled your response to the dinner, and made a judgment that you did or didn't enjoy it.

Here's the point. I was able to direct your thinking by asking you a question. You thought about what I wanted you to think about, and you thought about it in the way I wanted. That's an illustration of the power of a question. It directs an individual's thinking.

That's what makes asking a good question the single most effective thing you can do with a customer. A well-phrased, appropriately timed question is your most powerful sales tool.

This is why we need to plan our questions in advance.

Here's what good questions will do for you -

1.Good questions direct your customers thinking

When you use a good question, or a series of good questions, you penetrate your prospect's mind and direct his/her thinking.

There is something in human beings that makes it almost impossible not to think of the answer when we are asked a question. I'm not sure whether it's something genetic, or whether we're conditioned from birth to always think of the answer to a question. Here's an illustration. I'll ask you a question, but I want you to not think of the answer. How old are you? If you're like most of us, you thought of the answer, even after I indicated you shouldn't.

Now, consider where the decision to buy your products or services takes place. It happens in the mind of your customer. A good question from you helps focus and shape the direction in which your customers mind works.

For example, suppose you're shopping for a new car. The salesperson asks you, "Which is more important to you, good fuel economy, or quick pickup?" Until asked, you haven't really thought of it that way. The salesperson's question helps you understand what you really think, and directs your mind along a certain course. You're thinking along that line, the conversation naturally proceeds based on the answer.

Similarly, you perform a service for your customers when you ask them good questions. Your questions direct their minds along certain paths, and help them clarify their thinking.

Clients often ask if this is manipulative selling. My answer is your goal is not to manipulate anyone. Your goal is to channel their thinking into areas that are a concern for them and establish if you can offer a solution.

2. A good question is your best means of collecting the information that will help you construct a sale.

How do you know what a customer thinks, or what his or her situation is, unless you ask a question? If you're selling a new surgical glove, for example, you first ask questions to discover the surgeons concerns so that you are able to point out the specific features of the glove that meet those needs. Without first asking questions, you're reduced to working on assumptions about the needs and interests of your customers.

You will do a far better job of selling your products and services if you first use good questions to understand your customer's needs and interests. Good questions help you to see into the mind and heart of your customers, and equip you with the knowledge necessary to present the best possible solution for the client.

I will continue with the balance of the ideas on why good questions advance the sale in my next article.

Quote of the Week:
"Every sale has five basic obstacles
no need, no money, no hurry, no desire, no trust."
Zig Ziglar

Brett Burgess

BRETT BURGESS is a programme developer and facilitator for Sales Impact Group Ltd.

What Is It Costing You Not To Have a Systemised Sales Process?

2008-07-08T00:45:00Z

Last time we were looking at why we need to develop good questioning processes. I want to explore this subject more, however let's look at why it is so important to follow a questioning process in your sales presentation.

We know that following a process will increase your closing ratio and will therefore reduce the overall cost of making sales.

The cost of making a face to face sales call can range from $90 - $500 depending on the location and time.

What many of us fail to take into account when working out these costs are the hidden cost such as technical support, administration support, ongoing training - the list goes on.

Using $150/hr as an example lets look at what goes into making a sale

Preparation and getting the appointment - 1 hour
Face to Face presentation (including travel) - 2 hours
Preparing Proposal - 2 hours
Follow-up appointment to present/discuss proposal - 1.5 hours
Miscellaneous - phoning, research etc - 1.5 hours

The equation is 8 hours x 150 = $1200

This is assuming that you make the sale however there are very few companies in the world who have a 100% closing ratio. Most companies average 35%. This relates to proactive selling (you approach the prospect) as opposed to reactive selling (the prospects approach you)

A company I spoke with recently that actually measures its closing ratio admitted it was 23%.

For our example let's work on 50% - this means that the cost of making a sale is around $2400. Even if it was only half this figure, it is still a huge cost.

Certainly makes you think about the skills of your sales team in relation to asking for the sale.

Studies have shown that in 62% of presentations the buyer is never asked to buy.

There can be a number of factors that cause low ratios including lack of process, poor prospects, failing to qualify, failing to establish a need or return on investment. Many of these issues can be rectified with training.

Businesses spend thousands of dollars on marketing and advertising to generate leads but are reluctant to invest in training their salespeople to maximise the rate at which they convert these leads into sales.

This in turn results in the very high cost of making each sale which brings me back to the importance of good questioning which I will come back to in my next article.

Quote of the Week -
Success is 20% skills and 80% attitude
Sales are 20% questioning and 80% listening

Brett Burgess

BRETT BURGESS is a programme developer and facilitator for Sales Impact Group Ltd.

Where Are Your Questions Leading?

2008-06-16T20:37:00Z

We have been looking at developing a questioning process for our presentations and how most salespeople are so desperate to talk about their products and services and all the solutions they can provide they end up talking too much and presenting solutions too soon therefore losing potential sales.

The trouble is the salesperson has seen the prospects problem many times before and therefore knows which solution would work best for them so jumps from problem straight to solution without helping the buyer to understand how big an issue they have.

There is only one perception that counts in a sales presentation - the buyers! We have to help them understand through our questions the need to take action. Asking the right questions will uncover the real issues and more importantly uncover the true buying motives of the prospect.

When I ask participants in my sales training workshops why they don't ask more structured questions typical replies are -

"I don't feel confident"
"I've never been trained"
"It takes too long"
"Prospects may be reluctant to answer"
"I'd be embarrassed"

The real result of a lack of structure in questioning is lost sales and increased costs of making sales.

Great questions require your prospects to think, they demonstrate your understanding of their needs, and they give you a clear picture of your prospects exact needs which in turn positions you to present the best possible solution.

Old sales training used to focus on only using open questions - questions that require a greater response answer as opposed to closed questions - questions that only require a yes or no answer.

Project Sigma sponsored by IBM and other corporations and conducted by Neil Rackham and his team observed over 35,000 sales calls in 23 countries found that calls high in closed questions were just as likely to lead to orders and advances. This is not so strange as it may at first appear. In theory, open questions result in open answers, while closed questions produce one-word answers. But in practice, this is not always the case. In the context of a sales call, 60 percent of all closed questions receive an answer that is longer than one word. In other words, closed questions very often get open answers. And about 10 percent of all open questions get a closed answer. The important thing is to ask skillful questions that move the call forward. "If you are worrying about things like how many open questions you're asking", Neil says, "You're rearranging the deck chairs on a sinking ship. What you should be worrying about is: Are your questions focused on issues that are important to the customer?"

If you only ever buy one book on selling I would recommend that book be SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham. Neil has lead the revolution in selling. The key of course is to then read it and take action.

Structured questions channel the buyers thinking and help THEM tick off their own buying signals in their mind as the interview progresses.

I'll deal more with the question of questions in the next article.

Quote of the Week:
"Generally speaking you aren't learning much if your lips are moving"

Brett Burgess is a Sales Trainer and Programme Developer for Moss and Associates International.

Attention Developers: Web API Now Available!

2008-06-05T12:49:00Z

June6, 2008

We're pleased to announce the immediate availability of the Simple Sales Tracking Web API.

The API, Application Programming Interface, gives you the ability to extend and access the functionality of the application and your data stored in it.

While the API was built using Microsoft's new WCF technology, the API can be used on many different platforms and different software languages. Keep in mind leveraging the API requires a good understanding of software development knowledge and practices.

As an example, the API was used to tie together the new Outlook 2007 Plugin to the Simple Sales Tracking application. There are many ways and reasons why you may want to look at doing this.
Not only is accessing the API at the transport level secure using 128bit SSL encryption, each message is also individually secured using mesage level certificate security.

As always, if you have any questions or feedback on this new availability, don't hesitate to get in touch.

Please keep in mind the API is available only to Full (Paid) Account Customers.

Outlook 2007 Plugin Now Available!

2008-05-08T03:25:00Z

Over the past few days we've updated Simple Sales Tracking with a number of enhancements.

Two that you'll notice straight away are (1) the ability to re-assign ownership of a Task to another user and (2) the sales Follow Up Box on the Start Page now includes all sales (no longer just the top 10) and text shadding when the follow up dates start to slip.

Our major announcement today is the release of the Simple Sales Tracking Outlook 2007 Plugin. This initial plugin has been built for the 2007 edition of Outlook. A plugin for the 2003 edition of Outlook is in development.

Initially we will be making the plugin available by request. If you're interested in using the plugin, please contact support and we will send you the install file. Installation is simple and takes less than one minute.

Please keep in mind the plugin is available only to Full (Paid) Account Customers.

Outlook Plugin Features

Secure Login, using SSL encryption.

While looking at the detail view of an email message, select the Sale (Lead, Opportunity or Account) from the drop down list and click Add. It will be uploaded to Simple Sales Tracking and show up in the Documents list of that Sale.

Any Sale you're tracking in Simple Sales Tracking that's not marked as Closed will appear in the drop down list.

When you create a new Task, Appointment or Contact instead of clicking the standard "Save & Close" button, choose a Sale from the drop down list and click "Save and Add to Simple Sales Tracking".

This will save the item to Simple Sales Tracking as well as to Outlook.

We Value Your Feedback

We're committed to driving future enhancements of Simple Sales Tracking based on your feedback and requests.

At any time, contact us at support@simplesalestracking.com with your feedback and requests.

© 2008 Consilium Solutions Corp. Simple Sales Tracking is a service of Consilium Solutions Corp. All Rights Reserved.

Are You Asking the Right Questions?

2008-05-05T21:34:00Z

By Brett Burgess

As we have discussed in previous articles closing or in our process confirming the sale should be the easiest part of your sales process if you have indeed followed a process to understand your buyer's explicit needs.

The process I am talking about is all about asking a list of pre-prepared questions to get a full understanding of whether or not the person you are talking to has a real need for any solutions you may have to offer.

Most of us as salespeople ask plenty of questions anyway but they are usually self-serving to help us quickly find some sort of need so we can get on with "selling" our solution. Unfortunately the buyer recognizes these questions for what they are as they have heard them all before from 100 different salespeople and are therefore prepared with their stock standard objections.

The trouble with these types of questions is they do nothing to help you uncover buying motives which in turn inhibits your ability to progress the sale. They make you look like every other salesperson selling a similar product or service and if you look like everyone else then the buyer's only determining point will be price and in this competition the most desperate salesperson usually gets the sale.

Another key issue is we don't get the important information from the buyer to be able to adapt our solution specifically to our buyers needs. What we end up doing is prescribing before we have actually diagnosed the real problem or opportunity for the buyer. Imagine if you went to your Doctor and he asked you a few basic questions and then wrote a prescription without delving into the real symptoms of your problem. How confident would you be in his prescription?

Some of the more common questions you shouldn't be asking include -

How long have you been in business?
Who are your key markets?
How many staff do you have?
Who is your current supplier?
What is your budget for.?

And some of the dumbest questions which you should never ask -

"Have you ever heard of us?" or "What do you know about our company?"

If you have to ask this question, it means you're probably trying to make certain that your prospect has not had a bad experience with your company prior to your arrival. It's not important whether they have heard of you before - you are not there to talk about yourself - you are there to identify their needs and talk about solutions. You can gain more credibility by asking intelligent questions than talking about what a great company you belong to and how long you have been in the industry or profession.

"Can you tell me a little bit about your company?"

This question shows your buyer that you were too lazy to bother doing any research on them. Don't ask any questions that you could have researched prior to the meeting. When you ask buyers historical questions about themselves and their business there is no value to them and they see this as a waste of their time.

The key is to do your research, plan your questions and then follow your plan.

Quote of the Week:
It is better to choose what you say than say what you choose
Anonymous

Brett Burgess is a Sales Trainer and Programme Developer for Moss and Associates International.

Do You Use Manipulative Closing?

2008-04-21T03:35:00Z

We have been looking at the closing phase of the sales presentation and last time I touched briefly on objections.

Sales trainers in the past would spend a large proportion of their time teaching methods of overcoming objections. Indeed a common myth propagated by these trainers was that objections were in fact strong buying signals, however studies by Huthwaite have shown where there are a number of objections that closing ratios go down correspondingly.

Our goal as professionals is not to learn 100 objection handling techniques but rather to answer all questions in the buyers mind before we present our solutions.

To achieve this you need to follow a process with your questioning. It is not about firing 101 questions at the buyer. It is about having prepared questions that follow in logical sequence.

Once you have a process for your sales they cease to be a problem. If you don't systemize your sales they will continue to frustrate and give you inconsistent results. Look at other business models - Ray Kroc of McDonalds is a great example - he developed processes for everything. In 1989 McDonalds were making 10 million dollars a day worldwide by asking one question - you guessed it - "would you like fries with that?". This shows you the value of processes and also asking the right question. I will be looking at questions in my next article.

Very few salespeople follow a planned sales presentation and so very few are truly successful. It has been my experience that in today's selling environment the most successful people I see coming through our programmes are the ones who have developed the key elements of the sales process into systems and preplan their interviews.

If we don't have a system for uncovering buyer needs then we must rely on the old "show and tell" which invariably leads us to the most ineffective way of closing the sales known as manipulative closing and unfortunately these are still taught today.

Some examples (they even have names!)

Distraction Close - catch them in a weak moment Embarrassment Close - make not buying embarrassing Hurry Close - go fast to stop them thinking too much Now-or-never Close - to hurry things up Ultimatum Close - show negative consequences of not buying

And a real oldie of interest is the "Ben Franklin Close -

The Ben Franklin Close -

This "close" uses logic to get the closer's point across to the customer. It is a good "close" to use on a customer who is a thinker or who is reserved and overly cautious when buying a product.

How the Ben Franklin Close is Used -

"Mr Customer, in America everybody has always regarded Ben Franklin as a pretty smart fellow. When Ben Franklin had a problem to solve or something important to figure out and make a decision on, he would take a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle of it. On the left side of the paper he would write the word "Yes" and on the right half he would write the word "No". In the "Yes" column Ben would make a list of all the positive and beneficial factors that would favour his decision to pursue or purchase something. And in the "No" column he would list all of the reasons for not doing or not buying something. When Ben was finished with this "Yes" and "No" process, he could simply look at the list and his decision would already be made for him. He would either have more yes's or more no's. It was that simple. Mr Customer, why don't we try that and see what happens, it sure can't hurt?"

Note: The closer should hand the customer a sheet of paper and a pen and have the customer fill out the "Yes" and "No" column. The closer should tactfully assist the customer on the "Yes" side by giving out suggestions, but on the "No' side keep quiet and not say a thing. The "Yes" side will always, with the closer's help, win. When this process is finished the closer should look the customer straight in the eye and ask him to give the product a try.)

It's a fundamental truth in sales that pressure causes objections and ultimately rejection of your solution.

In today's market buyers have seen it all and heard it all and are well aware of when salespeople are using manipulative sales techniques on them.

Why would you bother?

Quote of the Week -

I once heard a car salesman say, "I peddle metal."
Well I disagree. To the extent I do "peddle" anything.
I sell helpfulness and solutions. That to me is the heart of the sales experience.
That's what a good salesperson really does - identifies a need and fills it.

Marion Luna Brem

Brett Burgess is a Sales Trainer and Programme Developer for Moss and Associates International.

Do You Ask For The Business?

2008-03-31T21:06:00Z

This week I will look at what some consider the most critical phase of the sales process - asking for the business.

In a well planned presentation this should be the easiest phase however for the majority of salespeople this in fact is the scariest part.

Statistics consistently show that in 62% of presentations the salesperson does not ask for the business. There is an old saying - "If you don't ask of the business then you are working for the opposition!"

You research the company, gain a referral, get the appointment, do your presentation, uncover a real need, create the awareness of the problem - but then you don't ask for the business. You then sit there waiting for the buyer to say they are just dying to get their hands on your solution - in reality you can wait forever with some buyers.

The next salesperson that visits your prospect, who now is fully aware of their needs and is ready to buy and indeed does - gets the business!

Human behavioral studies have revealed we are 5 times more likely to say yes if we are asked so why wouldn't we ask?

When it comes to confirming the business you as the seller should know exactly which way the buyer is leaning in their decision to buy.

The reason so many salespeople have such a problem with asking for the business is they have no sales process to help understand firstly the needs of the buyer and next the importance of those needs.

What we tend to see in most presentations is what I call 'show & tell". We show up, introduce ourselves, engage in some chitchat and then proceed to tell the buyer everything about ourselves and our company. We then ask a few questions and identify some potential needs and launch into the solution phase of the presentation by telling the buyer what he or she needs and all the benefits they will derive from buying this solution.

Because we do most of the talking there is little opportunity for the buyer to draw any conclusions and express any positive buying signals and in fact it gives them more opportunities to raise objections.

Objections generally are raised in the sales process when the seller makes statement the buyer disagrees with or when solutions are presented before the real need is uncovered.

There are a number of questions that need to be answered in the buyers mind before they make the buying decision. These are -

1. Exactly what are you offering?
2. Why do I need (or want) it?
3. How can I believe your claims?
4. Why should I get if from you?
5. How fast can I get it?
6. What if I don't like it after I get it?
7. What do I need to do to get it?

The buyers may not consciously think of these questions but they will not buy until all seven are answered in their minds. It is important to note that the sale is made in the buyers mind before we ask for confirmation of the business.

As usual I will be continuing with the topic of asking for the business in my next article.

Quote of the Week:
In the words of the famous Zig Ziglar
"You miss 100% of the sales you don't ask for"

Have a successful week!

Brett

Brett Burgess is a Sales Trainer and Programme Developer for Moss and Associates International.

Getting Started Video Tuturial Series - Now Available On The Website!

2008-03-17T08:21:00Z

March 17, 2008

Based on a number of requests we've received for a "getting started" style video tutorial series, we've published a series of 5 videos, which cover the following areas:

Video 1: SignUp & Login (6:10 minutes)
Video 2: Creating Your First Contact & Lead (5:29 minutes)
Video 3: Upgrading a Lead to an Opportunity (7:39 minutes)
Video 4: Overview of the Start and List Pages. Upgrading an Opportunity to an Account. (10:28 minutes)
Video 5: Settings and Admin Pages (2:23 minutes)

To view the videos online, visit the website or click here.

We Value Your Feedback

Are You Listening for the Buying Signals?

2008-03-04T18:19:00Z

We have been discussing buying signals loosely defined as - "cues given by
the buyer that they may be ready to commit".

In a typical sales presentation where the seller has identified a key need
of the buyer, the buyer will give buying signals. This is great if our
salesperson is following a logical planned presentation process however in
the majority of presentations, in fact by study 51% (this is still a
majority!) there is no planned process. So what we end up with is fairly
random questions with buying signals here and there - the result for the
buyer is mixed feeling as to their exact needs and for the seller mixed
buying signals hence the reluctance to ask for the business.

A planned process helps both parties to get a clear idea of the need, if one
exists, to progress. For the buyer consistent buying signals create the
clarity and urgency to address the needs or opportunities and for the seller
it creates the confidence to present the best solution and ask for the
business.

There are buying signals that many salespeople miss that are embedded much
earlier in the selling process. To catch them requires listening and
thinking about whom you are working with and what type of buyers they are.
Salespeople should listen to determine what the buying style of the prospect
actually is. Some people buy based on logic. Some people buy on emotion.
Some people buy on what they perceive to be the ultimate consensus, or just
plain politics, which is how they think the other people in the organization
will perceive their buying action. If you listen, those people will tell
you how you can sell them.

Buyer questions are good buying signals. Some examples are -

Questions about availability or time - "Are these in stock?..."
Questions about delivery - "How soon can someone be here?"..."How
much notice do I have to give you?"
Specific questions about rates, price, or statements about
affordability - "How much does this model cost?"."What is the price of this
fax machine?"."I don't know if I can afford that model."
Any questions or statements about money - "How much money would I
have to put down to get this?"
Positive questions about you or your business - "How long have you
been with the company?".. "How long has your company been in business?"
Wanting something repeated - "What was that you said before about
financing?"."Tell me about the.again"
Questions about productivity - "How many copies per month is this
machine rated for?"
Questions about quality, guarantee, or warranty - "How long is this
under warranty?".."How long will this last?"
Questions about qualifications (yours or the companies) - "Can all
of your people answer questions on the phone?"

This is not the entire list but I'm sure you get the picture.

We will continue with the subject of closing in my next article.

Have a successful week!

Brett Burgess is a Sales Trainer and Programme Developer for Moss and
Associates International.

Quote of the Week:

A mediocre salesman tells
A good salesman explains
A superior salesman demonstrates
Great salesmen inspire buyers to see the benefits as their own
-Carolyn Shamis

Simple Sales Tracking to be Featured on Telerik TV

2008-02-28T21:23:00Z

Early next month, Simple Sales Tracking's Operations Director, Shane Redlick, will be interviewed and will present Simple Sales Tracking via Telerik TV.

Telerik's (www.telerik.com) advanced .net component technology is used throughout Simple Sales Tracking, adding powerful features, which result in a better user experience.

Stay tuned for more details.

Data Portability a Reality With Simple Sales Tracking

2008-02-06T23:06:00Z

http://www.simplesalestracking.com/newsletters/newsletter-20080204-01.htm

Over the weekend we rolled out some anticipated new features.

You now have the ability to easily import your existing customer's contact information into Simple Sales Tracking. Once logged into your account, you'll find the Import Contacts button has been added to the list of buttons in the left hand column of your Start Page.

Following in line with our belief that the data you store in any application should belong to you, you can now easily export your data (Accounts, Opportunities, Leads, Calendar, Tasks, and Contacts) to your computer via XML. Once logged into your account, this can be done through the Admin page.

In addition to these newly released features, we've corrected a couple of bugs that had been brought to our attention. There had been some issues with Money formatting and Timezones, which are now gone. Thank you to those that brought this to our attention. Feedback and suggestions are always welcome. Our goal is for Simple Sales Tracking to evolve based on its users requests.

Over the weekend we also welcomed a new addition to Simple Sales Tracking. Brett Burgess, a leading sales trainer with Moss & Associates International, will be contributing regular articles to the Simple Sales Tracking Blog. His first article is included further on in this email. You can subscribe to the RSS feed on the website. Welcome Brett!

Getting your contacts ready for Import:

First, you'll need to save your existing contact information to what's called a Comma Separated File. It should have the extention (.csv).

The instructions for exporting your contacts from Microsoft Outlook are as follows:

Click on the "File" menu, then on "Import and Export".
Next, you'll be given a list of actions to choose from. Select "Export to a file" and click next.
Then, from the next list, choose "Comma Separated Values (Windows)" and click next.
You'll next see a hierarchy of folders. Select the "Contacts" folder and click next.
Finally, choose where to save it to your computer and click next. You're asked to confirm and click finish.

As a Salesperson do you recognize when the lights change from Red to Green?

Last time we looked at why 62% of sales presentations end without the salesperson asking for a buying decision due largely to a lack of sales skills training and a focus on product training.

One of the key skills for any salesperson is in recognizing buying signals.

The average person can talk at approximately 260 to 300 words a minute. It's estimated that most people can absorb that same information at six or seven times that rate. That's why you can go home after a long day at work, turn the television on, read the paper, have a conversation with your spouse, eat dinner, find out how the kids did at school and think about the sales meeting you have at 9 am the next morning . all at the same time.

We all have the capability of mentally multitasking.

Now here's the big question. As a sales person, are you really listening for your prospects or customers buying signals, or are you just selectively hearing what you want to? Is your mind wandering, or are you just listening to respond and filtering out important buying signals?

If you don't listen, you'll never know. If you let your prospects or customers talk without interrupting, they will tell you everything you need to know about their needs and give you a roadmap on how to sell to them. They will also, through verbal buying signals, let you know when and how to ask for the business. Timing is everything. But you have to listen - pay attention and listen.

While it's not profound, it's painfully true. You can't listen for verbal buying signals if you're always talking. It's been said that if a salesperson is talking more than 20 percent of the time, he or she is talking too much. It's not about us! It's all about finding out how you can help them.

Ask an open-ended question; actually listen to the answer and concentrate on it.

It's important to pause. Salespeople feel uncomfortable allowing a pause to continue, but from the standpoint of listening to buyers, sometimes that pause is essential. They're considering something and formulating their answer. Don't jump in. That small uncomfortable pause is an opportunity to listen for verbal buying signals that may give you the key for closing the sale. Take the pause and, instead of making it a comma, make it a period. It's also important to take notes. If you're taking notes that means you're listening and focused on what the prospect is saying. The faintest ink is greater than the fondest memory.

Listen for loopholes. When a prospect starts asking such questions as, "Do you have anything a bit less expensive that I can work into the budget?" or "Do I pay now or can you bill me later?" - those are all verbal buying signals. That means they are interested in spending money with you. Now it's just a matter of working a project into their budget. It's not if, it's how and when.

In many cases, customers hold up a big sign saying, don't trip over the obvious customer interest that is coming your way, but salespeople don't always recognize those signals because they have a tendency to talk more than they listen. Listening for buying signals is really easy to do badly and really hard to do well.

In my next article we will be looking at the questions that tell you that a buyer is ready to buy.

Brett Burgess
Moss & Associates International
Corporate Training & Communication Consultants

Quote of the Week:
As you travel down life's highway..whatever be your goal you cannot sell a doughnut without acknowledging the hole
Harold J. Shayler

As a Salesperson do you recognize when the lights change from Red to Green?

2008-02-04T21:07:00Z

Last time we looked at why 62% of sales presentations end without the salesperson asking for a buying decision due largely to a lack of sales skills training and a focus on product training.

One of the key skills for any salesperson is in recognizing buying signals.

The average person can talk at approximately 260 to 300 words a minute.
It's estimated that most people can absorb that same information at six or seven times that rate. That's why you can go home after a long day at work, turn the television on, read the paper, have a conversation with your spouse, eat dinner, find out how the kids did at school and think about the sales meeting you have at 9 am the next morning . all at the same time.

We all have the capability of mentally multitasking.

Now here's the big question. As a sales person, are you really listening for your prospects or customers buying signals, or are you just selectively hearing what you want to? Is your mind wandering, or are you just listening to respond and filtering out important buying signals?

If you don't listen, you'll never know. If you let your prospects or customers talk without interrupting, they will tell you everything you need to know about their needs and give you a roadmap on how to sell to them.
They will also, through verbal buying signals, let you know when and how to ask for the business. Timing is everything. But you have to listen - pay attention and listen.

While it's not profound, it's painfully true. You can't listen for verbal buying signals if you're always talking. It's been said that if a salesperson is talking more than 20 percent of the time, he or she is
talking too much. It's not about us! It's all about finding out how you
can help them.

Ask an open-ended question; actually listen to the answer and concentrate on it.

It's important to pause. Salespeople feel uncomfortable allowing a pause to continue, but from the standpoint of listening to buyers, sometimes that pause is essential. They're considering something and formulating their answer. Don't jump in. That small uncomfortable pause is an opportunity to listen for verbal buying signals that may give you the key for closing the sale. Take the pause and, instead of making it a comma, make it a period.
It's also important to take notes. If you're taking notes that means you're listening and focused on what the prospect is saying. The faintest ink is greater than the fondest memory.

Listen for loopholes. When a prospect starts asking such questions as, "Do you have anything a bit less expensive that I can work into the budget?" or "Do I pay now or can you bill me later?" - those are all verbal buying signals. That means they are interested in spending money with you. Now it's just a matter of working a project into their budget. It's not if, it's how and when.

In many cases, customers hold up a big sign saying, don't trip over the obvious customer interest that is coming your way, but salespeople don't always recognize those signals because they have a tendency to talk more
than they listen. Listening for buying signals is really easy to do badly
and really hard to do well.

In my next article we will be looking at the questions that tell you that a buyer is ready to buy.

Brett Burgess
Moss & Associates International

Quote of the Week:
As you travel down life's highway..whatever be your goal you cannot sell a doughnut without acknowledging the hole
Harold J. Shayler