May 21, 2009
Last week, one of my clientswe’ll call him Rickhad a demo scheduled with a prospect. The standard “show up and throw up” they typically did early in the sales cycle.
Trying to shorten the sales cycle, I asked naively, “Why does the customer want to buy? What are they trying to accomplish?” Rick couldn’t tell me. I asked if he thought the salespeople knew. He said no. I gave him an assignment: he had to find out “Why,” “Why now,” and “What’s it worth.” Otherwise no demo.
In other words, no compelling reason to buy…No demo.
So Rick took a risk, and is rapidly moving to a fully-paid trial implementation.
Sure, long-term objectives and plans still matter, but I’ve been getting more and more inquiries focused on “what to do now.” Entrepreneurs and executives alike are demanding help on how to improve revenues and profits right away.
How do you make the quickest difference? Focus the bulk of your energy on revenue generation. In other words, sales! And don’t do it the same old way either, because — as you may have noticed — it isn’t working that well.
Here are five ways for your sales force to bring in more business in short order. There are no magic bullets, but just last week I taught one of these techniques to a client (#2) and he used it to close a deal the following day! Use one or use them all. Each technique will have its own effect, and each will multiply the power of the others.
1. Sell return on investment, and sell it to the CFO.
Sales people are complaining that while the pipeline may be full, the deals are taking too long to close. Perhaps that’s why the pipe is so full! What are the reasons for this? Companies have money, and in many cases they have needs. But many people are so scared THEIR customers aren’t going to buy THEIR wares, they are loath to spend any money themselves. The result? They are only willing to spend money when they absolutely see near-term financial payback, and the CFO is killing many deals.
The solution? Sell the return on investment. Sell the payback. And sell it to the CFO. Arm your salespeople with two things: A series of case studies that document the returns from using your product, and a well-defined ROI process worksheet. Work with the CFO to build the ROI case so that he or she owns it. This is the only way they come to believe it. Make it their idea and instead of killing your deal, they will help you close it.
2. Forget USP. Determine your Usage Cases
Instead of focusing on why your product is the latest and greatest, clarify the ways in which potential customers will use your product to solve specific problems and produce tangible results. Then, instead of touting the “benefits” of your product–which often fall on deaf ears, anyway–engage your prospects in conversations about what costly and quantifiable problems they now have, and how they might use your product or service to alleviate those.
And, as sales guru Mike Bosworth says, don’t tell them your offering IS the solution. You’re a sales “guy” and they won’t believe you. Instead, ask them if your possible solution might help them. If they believe it does, they have accepted your solution as truth. Then get them to tell you, in real dollar terms, what fixing that problem is worth.
3. Increase Sales Training. Use the 10% solution.
But don’t expect any one salesperson–even your superstars–to be 100% at every part of your sales process. They almost never are. But there is a way you can raise the level of every person in your sales organizationimmediately.
Use this process adopted from W. Edwards Demming’s principle of optimization. Break your sales process into as many discrete–but meaningful–steps as you can.. Cold calling. Letter writing. Setting appointments. Identifying pain. Writing proposals. Presenting. And so on. Find out who in your organization excels at each step, and have those reps explain their methods and mindset to the rest of your sales force. Do all the steps at once in a marathon session, or one step at a time. Either way, the results will be amazing.
4. Use the 80/20 Rule. And get rid of the bottom 20.
There’s no room in today’s world for mediocre producers. Hold each member of your team accountable for reaching two kinds of performance benchmarks: results measurements, which include not only revenue, but perhaps new accounts and repeat business, and action measurements, which might include prospecting calls, appointments, and new contacts.
Not every sales person will be a superstar, but every one should pay their own way–and then some. Salespeople who aren’t producing not only cost you money, they drag down the performance of your whole organization. You may not pay them very much, but why pay them anything? I suggest you do both yourself and them a favor, and let them go. Don’t worry about having an empty desk: that warm chair was an expense your company doesn’t need.
If you feel it isn’t fair to “dump” them, or if your sales cycle is too long to measure short-term revenue results, give the problem reps a 30-day plan to increase their level of activity in specific ways. That’s long enough to see an improvement if there’s going to be one.
5. Track your results and work harder
Most entrepreneurial sales organizations fail to analyze their efforts. They have no idea how much effort–or money–it takes to create a new customer. The only indication they have of whether salespeople are “doing enough” is based on the revenue numbers. The answer? Track both activity and results, and use the statistics your garner to quickly raise performance. Break your sales process into a series of meaningful steps, counting each time a rep completes one. Calculate averages and set a benchmark. And while you’re at it, analyze the percentage of deals that close whenever you complete that step. That knowledge can dramatically improve your sales forecasts.
Once you establish benchmarks–this one’s a no-brainer–RAISE THE BAR. Yes, that’s right, because the fact is, revenue isn’t coming in fast enough. Do everything discussed above to improve your sales effectiveness–then do more of it. Just working smarter isn’t going to cut it. You’re going to have to work harder as well. And anyone who doesn’t want to? See number 4 above.
I’ve developed a unique Sales Audit Process based on the work of W. Edwards Demming. This program is guaranteed to produce an immediate 10-25% improvement in your company’s sales, or more. If you’d like to find out more about how you can increase sales right away, call me at 858-951-3055, or visit http://www.paullemberg.com/contact.html and send an email with details about your company’s sales situation.
Business Coach and Strategist, Paul Lemberg is the President of Quantum Growth Coaching, the world’s only fully systemized business coaching program designed to create More Profits and More Life for entrepreneurs.
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April 4, 2009
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March 10, 2009
You’ve heard the adage, that as a nation, if we don’t learn from history, we’re doomed to repeat it.
You’ve probably thought that this also applies to our mistakes, as individuals.
Perhaps, but rejection isn’t always a mistake that salespeople can learn from.
In a perfect selling situation, we’d get great feedback. We’d learn why each prospect declined, and what they chose to do, instead; including nothing.
Also, we’d learn why we succeeded; which is something we rarely ask. Why look a gift horse in the mouth, right?
But we might have been lucky, or perhaps our marketing and selling strategies are working perfectly. Without feedback, we don’t know what to continue and what to abandon.
Still, rejection often has no lessons to teach.
For instance, what if as buyer just doesn’t like you; you remind him of his coach who threw him off the basket weaving team. Even if he were consciously aware of his reason for rejecting you, what good would it do you to hear it?
Could you argue with him that his childhood experience should not reflect on you?
Would you resolve to never deal with him, again? You probably don’t have to; he’ll do the avoiding for you.
Rejection is an atmospheric condition endemic to selling. Like the air we breathe, it may be invisible to us, or if it’s smoggy, all too visible; but it’s always there.
And like the weather, we can gripe about it, but we can’t change it.
Growing up in Chicago, I learned to lean into the oncoming wind. Sooner or later I made it to my destination, and it made me stronger, especially if I didn’t make a big deal out of it, and just stayed on course.
Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, “The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable,” published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC’s Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.
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March 1, 2009
What were the last three things you did to increase your restaurant profitability? Unless profit protection is constantly on your mind, you will get hurt. Eroding margins, fickle markets, escalating food prices, rising utility rates, outrageous credit card fees, and a host of other factors eat into your margins daily, thereby reducing your ability to pay the bills, let alone yourself.
I recently consulted with a client that has not paid himself for 17 months. He called me out of sheer desperation saying, “I just can’t go on working for free”. The sorry fact is that there are many restaurateurs working hard for very little income, and I for one think it should stop.
In my profession as a restaurant consultant, people rarely call me when things are going well. The kinds of calls that I receive daily are along the lines of, “Why can’t I make any money” or, “My food cost is through the roof” and this is the most painful one, “I can’t afford to stay open anymore, what can I do?”
Why don’t you invest a few minutes into yourself right now and read over the tips below. In fact, print out a copy and share it with your friends that run an operation as well. Yes, some tips may seem obvious, but are you using every tool at your disposal to solidify and enhance your profits? Your restaurant owes you for risking your neck to get it open, so I’d like to suggest that you start holding it accountable.
1. Don’t serve water automatically. Sounds simple, but water service does not increase your profits or sales. Put systems into place where you serve alcoholic beverages, coffee, tea, sodas, milk–anything but free water. Serve it upon request only.
2. Set up the dining experience on the first visit to the table. Tactfully done by the server, profitable items should be promoted, desserts can be suggested, and guests will appreciate a quick, “Run down” of the dining experience. Plus, server competence will be rewarded for taking responsibility for the positive experience that they will have. My wife’s favorite server line is, “Want to split a dessert with coffee?” Not only have we just purchased a dessert that may have been too much for one of us, we’ve also bought 2 coffees. These additional sales make a big difference, and they’re easy to execute. Having a hard time selling desserts? Encourage your servers to use this statement and see what happens.
3. Concentrate on improving product delivery systems to eliminate waste. For example, if your servers are throwing away iced tea lemons at the end of each shift, instead of at the end of the day, re-evaluate this system. By evaluating everything, you may be surprised what gets thrown away. This includes portion control items such as creamers, crackers, butters, jelly and silverware as well.
4. Understand that guests dine on a budget, and be sensitive to it. Servers that sell beyond the dining budget will experience reduced tip income, and the restaurant will experience reduced visitations. Ensuring that your guests come back repeatedly is much more important than increasing their check average for just one visit.
5. Selling a more expensive item does not always equate to increased profitability. Make sure that your servers understand which items are most profitable for the restaurant, and promote those. It makes no sense to promote items that may have minimal profit contribution. Tell your servers what items you want them to sell.
6. Use the best menu. Ensure that your menu is costed out properly; current with market conditions, and designed to insure that the most profitable items are the ones being promoted. It makes sense to enlist a consultant to do this for you, as the return on investment will be immediate and lasting. This is your #1 selling tool.
7. Work with your food vendors to insure that you are buying the right items for the menu specifications. Are you overbuying on an item that does not require top grade quality? An example would be the purchase of a #1 quality baking potato, when a #2 quality would suffice.
8. Buy key items in bulk. On the topic of food vendors, make certain that you are promoting menu items that you are able to bulk buy on a negotiated cost effective basis–and can sell at a premium. This simple step will quickly aid in bringing meaningful dollars to the bottom line.
9. Offer your guests a complete dining experience. This includes the sale of beverages, appetizers, salads, entrees, desserts, side items (such as a vegetable) and add-on items (such as sour cream or cheese). Make sure that you are not inadvertently missing out on the sale of key parts of the meal. Table tents, menu inserts, promotional signage, sales tracking, and staff pre-shift meetings are all ways that you can ensure that all meal parts are promoted and sold effectively.
10. Bundling meal parts together will increase the quality of your guests dining experience and maximize their dollars spent. Bundling may consist of an appetizer/salad/entrée combo or salad/entrée/dessert combo. Diners will not be surprised by the dollar value, and they can knowingly order within their budget.
11. Don’t forget the grapes. Effective promotion of your wine offerings should be systematic and routine. Guests should be fully aware of the pricing and offerings, both by the glass and by bottle. Wine service is a skill that every server should have.
12. Get an Operations Analysis. As operators, we frequently get caught up in the heat of the battle, and can’t take the time to analyze our operation critically. Engaging a restaurant consultant to look for ways to improve service, enhance income, and reduce waste should result in immediate financial improvement. Don’t skimp on this, thinking that you have your bases covered, because the food service industry changes daily. In cold hard terms, your restaurant should be a money making machine to benefit the owner(s). If it’s not generating the kind of money you think it should, doesn’t it make sense to get the machine repaired?
13. Don’t overlook slow day parts. If it’s quiet in the afternoons, are there promotions that may make sense for you to utilize to generate more revenues during this down time? Don’t tolerate your money machine sitting open, but not generating revenues. Put it to work.
14. Children’s menus. Most of them are boring, and priced to reflect that. Is it reasonable to think that parents would pay a bit more for more interesting and nutritious meals? This is a good opportunity to re-evaluate your children’s menu and pricing. It’s dangerous to neglect this important item, as parents usually examine this menu closely.
15. Are you maximizing food sales in your bar/lounge areas? For many, it’s more enjoyable to eat in a bar than drink in a restaurant. It makes logical sense to have menus, silverware, condiments and promoted specials available for your drinking guests. If they don’t eat on the first visit, you will have planted the seed for them to consider eating in your establishment next time.
Simply remember that it’s not what you make, it’s what you keep that matters. Hopefully some of these tips will be useful. Still can’t seem to make the numbers come out the way you want? It may make sense to enlist the services of an advisor to walk you through the complexities of making money in the restaurant business.
Contact:
Kevin Moll,
Restaurant Consultants, Inc.
1-800-961-6005,
http://restaurantconsultantsinc.com/
Kevin Moll is president of Restaurant Consultants, Inc., a worldwide hospitality consultancy. He has 34 years of leadership experience in the industry, is a published author and recognized authority on foodservice matters. His firm specializes in startup ventures and turnarounds, and offers troubleshooting services for those wishing to make more money. http://restaurantconsultantsinc.com/
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February 27, 2009
If salespeople expect to be in control of their financial destiny, they have little choice but to make prospect calls. Few salespeople I’ve met actually enjoy making cold calls, but since they are a necessity for any true professional salesperson, every salesperson should suck it up and begin developing their cold-calling skills. Here are several steps that I believe will make the cold calls less unpleasant.
1. Do your homework. Try to never make a cold call until you have done enough research on a particular prospect to know a few facts about him and his company. Some personal information will help tremendously. This step alone will set you apart from the great majority of your competitors.
2. Be prepared to open the conversation with a prospect with a sincere compliment…with emphasis on sincere. Everyone enjoys receiving a compliment, so either from the homework you have done or from observations you’ve made in the field, do your best to find something positive to comment on. This is a great way to make a good first impression.
3. When I introduce myself to a prospect, I like to introduce the prospect to an idea that is unique to me. I do everything in my power to avoid duplicating an introduction that the prospect has heard dozens of times before such as: “Hello, my name is Bill, how are you today?” Just about all salespeople open conversation this way. Instead, try something like this: “This weekend I was working with Prestige Homes over in Spalding Farms and I couldn’t help but notice the split level you’re building next door. I know how busy you are, but I have a great idea for that house that I’d like to share with you. Is now a good time?”
4. If you have been given the prospect’s name from, say, a current customer whom is a friend of the prospect, you might open conversation with something like, “Yesterday, I was visiting with one of my good customers, and also a good friend of yours, Liz Sheffield. She asked for me to give you a call and I promised that I would. Do you have a couple of minutes to spend with me now or would it be better if I called back at a more convenient time?”
5. Depending on the prospect’s reaction to your innovative idea (see #3 above), ask permission to stop by for a visit. Explain that you would like to gain a better understanding of the service levels that are most critical to him and see if you can find an opportunity to improve on the service he’s receiving from his current vendor.
6. Resist asking for an order on the first call unless the prospect makes the offer. Remember that the purpose of the initial call is to make a strong enough impression to get permission to come back.
7. Before you leave, always express a sincere thank you for the time the prospect has spent with you.
8. Before the day is over, also drop a thank you not in the mail. This is the final mark of a true professional.
Bill Lee is author of 30 Ways Managers Shoot Themselves in the Foot ($21.95)and Gross Margin: 26 Factors Affecting Your Bottom Line ($29.95). $6 S&H for first book and $1 for each additional book.
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February 27, 2009
People ask me, “What should I charge?”
I say, “Ask your clients.”
If they are respectable professionals you want as clients, they will be honest with you and give you a fair price based on their experience, their need, and their ability to pay. They will not try to undercut you.
And if you are a true professional, you will charge them a fair price and not try to overcharge them. You will not undercut yourself, either. You will base your price on two things: your value to their business, and the client’s value to your own company. Your fee should always be based on the criterion of a good relationship. If it threatens the relationship, is it worth it?
You cannot base your price on your company policy or an annual raise, or what you’re worth to your most lucrative corporate clients. You must base your price on the relationship with this one specific client and all your clients.
Shortly after I opened my business, I received a call from a chartered bank. They were experiencing difficulties with a team who managed world trading, and they needed someone to teach them a thing or two about communications. I was very excited about this opportunity. I shook their hands vigorously and we retired into a little room, where we discussed their needs and they told me the kind of written proposal they were looking for.
I listened carefully as these two women talked. I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into it. I proceeded to tell them how I would approach the project and thenpoor nave little meI lowered my voice and almost whispered:
“I should tell you, though, that I’m not cheap. I charge $325 a day.”
The two of them looked at each other and giggled.
“Did I say something funny?”
“When you submit your proposal, you had better charge us twice that, or the Manager won’t look at it.”
I stared at them, cleared my throat, and replied, “Certainly.”
I “certainly” learned a lesson from that encounter. You don’t charge a chartered bank the same fee you charge a non-profit organization. I also, unwittingly, had been given an opportunity to grow my business. When you meet a new client you have nothing to lose. Use it to take risks with your fees. Let them teach you what the going rate is, what they expect to pay. You might be pleasantly surprised.
Let clients raise your rates for you
If you provide superior service and maintain rich relationships with your clients, and help them succeed, a magical thing will happen. Your clients will raise your fees for you. You won’t have to do a thing.
It takes time, but consistency and reliability are rare and valuable. If you continue to rise to the occasion when your clients need you, they will “tip” you the way diners tip servers after they have become sufficiently sloshed to feel very generous. “Here! Take another three thousand dollars, just for being so nice!” Well, not exactly that way. Here’s what I mean. They will find ways to extend your contract. They will start asking why you charge less than the others, or why the others charge so much. They will refer you to other clients. They will give you different types of projects where you can be more creative about your fees.
This has happened to me a half-dozen times at least. People who enjoy working with you, and who cherish your service and your commitment, will do you important favours. I was discussing this phenomenon recently with a friend who provides production services for TV and film across North America, often for large movie-makers and other production companies. Richard has been charging such low prices compared to the competition that a client warned him, “If you don’t raise your rates, my VP won’t even look at you.” When the invoices come in and the VP sees one company charging $185 per hour and Richard’s company charging $45 per hour, the VP will get nervous about the gap and see Richard’s company as far below standard. The client continued, “Richard, you’ve got to make it look like you’re in the same game.”
When a client tells you something like this, I have one word for you.
OBEY.
A consultant for almost 13 years, Laurie Soper has helped dozens of companies clarify their sales messages to enhance customer service, increase productivity, cut costs, and win big deals.
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February 25, 2009
Often in sales a prospect may say they are not interested in your product or service at this time, as it is new on the market or your company is new to the area or region. And without a track record, well let’s just say they do not want to buy the first two-hundredth of anything built or be the first Guinea Pig to become a test case and end up falling on their face with egg splatter marks on it. Luckily in sales this is not a “NO” or a “No Way” but rather a wait and see approach.
Now then if you are too pushy with the prospect you can turn the “wait and see” to a “get the hell out of here; NO!” and so you need to handle these objections with white gloves. Many sales books will tell you that you need to bring the buyer back into the buying cycle.
This of course requires establishing a relationship, dialogue and getting to any “Real” objections. They may indeed feel that the “too new” objection is indeed a valid one, yet you probably as a sales person do not feel it is, because you believe in your product. That is a good thing and you darn well better believe in whatever you are selling.
If they say the product is too new, boomerang it and let them know, you realize that and you want them to be the first in the area to have one. Additionally ask them what they are worried might go wrong. Those parts maybe under warranty. If they say you are too new in the region and you are service business, offer them a trial service, one month only. “If you like us, keep us, if not no hard feelings okay?” Consider all this in 2006.
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February 25, 2009
The more you expose someone to a particular concept or idea, the more that concept or idea will become favorable to them. Things do grow on us. Have you ever heard a song on the radio that you didn’t like until it started to grow on you? This is also true with people. You may not like some people at first, but after awhile you grow to like them, and sometimes you even become their friend. Ever wonder why politicians want signs and posters with their names and faces all over everyone’s yards, street corners, bumpers, and windows? The use of repetition can be very effective. It is often said that repetition is the mother of all learning, but it is also the mother of effective persuasion. Repetition increases awareness, understanding, and retention.
You have to be careful to use repetition wisely, however. My motto is, “Repackage; Don’t Repeat.” This means you can use the power of repetition, but you don’t always have to say the words exactly the same way. You can make the same point with a story, a fact, a statistic, an analogy, or a testimony and never have to repeat yourself. You know how you feel when you hear the exact same joke for the second or even third time–it doesn’t carry the same punch as it did the first time, so you usually tune out.
Even when repackaging, keep it to no more than three times. If you present your message less than three times, it will not have a very strong effect. If you present your message more than three times, it becomes “worn out” and loses its potency. For example, in a study where children were shown the same ice cream commercial over and over while watching a cartoon, the children who saw the commercial three times actually wanted the ice cream more than those who had seen the commercial five times. .
For additional information on Branding and Exposure, go to Magnetic Persuasion and kick start your success!
Conclusion
Persuasion is the missing puzzle piece that will crack the code to dramatically increase your income, improve your relationships, and help you get what you want, when you want, and win friends for life. Ask yourself how much money and income you have lost because of your inability to persuade and influence. Think about it. Sure you’ve seen some success, but think of the times you couldn’t get it done. Has there ever been a time when you did not get your point across? Were you unable to convince someone to do something? Have you reached your full potential? Are you able to motivate yourself and others to achieve more and accomplish their goals? What about your relationships? Imagine being able to overcome objections before they happen, know what your prospect is thinking and feeling, feel more confident in your ability to persuade.
Kurt Mortensen’s trademark is Magnetic Persuasion; rather than convincing others, he teaches that you should attract them, just like a magnet attracts metal filings. He teaches that sales have changed and the consumer has become exponentially more skeptical and cynical within the last five years. Most persuaders are using only 2 or 3 persuasion techniques when there are actually 120 available!
Kurt Mortensen teaches over a hundred techniques to give you the ability to effectively work with every customer that walks in your door. Professional success, personal happiness, leadership potential, and income depend on the ability to persuade, influence, and motivate others. Learning how to persuade and influence will make the difference between hoping for a better income and having a better income.
If you are ready to claim your success and learn what only the ultra-prosperous know, begin by going to http://www.PreWealth.com and getting my free report “10 Mistakes That Continue Costing You Thousands.” After reading my free report, go to http://www.PreWealth.com/IQ and take the free Persuasion IQ analysis to determine where you rank and what area of the sales cycle you need to improve in order to close every sale!
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February 19, 2009
Fortunately one of the most common reasons cited for the high failure rate of CRM systems – poor data quality – is also one of the easiest to avoid. Your CRM software is only as good as the information it contains. As the old programmers motto goes ‘garbage in, garbage out’.
So how can you avoid incomplete, incorrect, irrelevant or out-of-date and generally unfit-for-use data from permeating your CRM software?
You need to gather your key CRM users together and thrash out a DATA CAPTURE PROCEDURE document, defining the rules of use.
Spell out:
* Who has what rights to the system; who can Create, Insert, Modify or Delete records, assuming your software supports all these functions? Forward this information to your system administrator to action.
* Decide on a procedure to check for any duplicates before creating a record. Depending on what ‘de-duping’ or ‘data scrubbing’ features your system has, this might require some simple searches before starting a new record.
* Do you allow abbreviations or acronyms? For example: IBM, or I.B.M, or International Business Machines Inc. or Incorporated and so on. A policy on ensuring consistency of input will help to avoid duplications in future.
* Are records going to be created in Upper and Lower case and when are CAPS acceptable?
* By when do you expect records, notes and so on to be created or updated? Same day, on return to the office?
* Check to see whether your Postal Services have specific requirements. Ensure your data meets these criteria.
* Is the primary address of clients to be created as a postal or a physical address?
* Make sure everyone checks spellings if they are unsure and do not trust spellchecker! When in doubt, ask the client – they’ll respect that. Is it Clark with an ‘e’; Shawn, Sean or Shaun? One certain way to get your mail binned is to spell someone’s name incorrectly.
* Also confirm the kind of corporation e.g. LLC, Inc, PTY Ltd. and so on.
* Make rules for creating new profiles or User Definable Fields (UDF) (or whatever your specific CRM software calls them.) Place a lot of emphasis on this. Every time a new UDF is needed, it should first be approved. Otherwise duplicates will permeate your database e.g. Lead Source: Yellow Pages, YP, yelo pages.
* Ensure that email addresses are put in correctly. Basic but common mistake!
* Set up procedures, if not supported by your software, of how to create records from inbound emails.
* If applicable, are you going to use Mandatory/Forced fields?
You might as well address the issue of Backups while you are about it.
* Who is the responsible person for backing up your databases/s? Who covers for them when they are absent or unavailable?
* How frequently are backups to be done? Diarise!
* How are backups done e.g. by the Grandfather, Father, Son method.
* Ensure backups are made on good quality CD’s or whatever format you are using. It’s no good doing a backup, then finding on attempting a Restore that it doesn’t work! It is also a good idea to copy backups onto more than one data format.
* Where are the backups to be stored?
* Are the backups secure? This is important for both security and practical reasons.
As a reactive solution to the potential theft of your database, management might want to insert some dummy records into the mix. Conspire with some friends to insert records with similar (but not identical) names and addresses to them. The lie in wait to see if anyone comes a-prospecting!
Once your Data Capture Procedure Document is finished, get everyone to sign it off as READ! As standard practice, ensure that document is handed to all new employees at your company. Refer back to this document for possible revision every three months or so.
Try this: select a couple of records – both good and bad – every week, to put on the overhead at staff meetings. Make sure you don’t unduly embarrass anybody but watch this become the light-relief highlight of your meetings! People learn best when having fun!
What if your database is in one unholy mess?
Has the rot set in so deeply that your database needs a complete overhaul? Turn this seemingly insurmountable task into an opportunity to you. This is an excellent excuse to re-establish contact with your clients and let them know you care. You can always put lapses down to data crashes but tell them you have fixed the problem!
Importantly, help your staff understand what you need from the data to facilitate more accurate marketing and reporting and hence the success of your business and their careers.
By creating a sense of pride and ownership in the company database, you are nurturing the essential process of buy-in, necessary for the success of your CRM initiative. Don’t compromise this critical tool by allowing your CRM software to be infected by inferior data.
Posted by Administrator under Sales Management | Comments Off
February 19, 2009
Relax Your Customer
One of the most important skills a doctor can posses, is that of a bed side manner. In the same sense, it is important that sales people posses the same type of skill, to be able to put their customer at ease.
Relaxing your customer is important to any type of sales situation you may find yourself in. Remember, think of the customer as a guest in your house, you are the host, so you want to make them as comfortable as possible in your house. The more comfortable they are in your house, the easier it will be for them to talk to you.
In sales, trying to persuade someone we have never met before to buy our product can be very challenging.
It can be challenging for a number of reasons, mainly the fear that consumers associate with sales people.
The fear that we are all alike, comparing us to the unfair stereotype of the used car salesman. They are afraid of being convinced to buy something they don’t need at a price they can’t afford.
You need to find a common denominator with your customer, something you can both relate to, something non-business.
A non-business conversation is a great way to break the ice with your customer. We all want to make a sale, but since when is it a crime to get to know your customer?
This is easier than you may think, people love to talk, especially about them selves.
So ask questions. Ask about their pets, their families, their work, and their hobbies.
When I was in banking, I managed a branch inside of a supermarket. Our daily goals consisted of going out into the aisles, approaching customers, and trying to convince them to bank with us.
We applied certain techniques to this type of sales that worked rather well.
For instance, the pet food aisle was a good place to talk to people, because people loved to talk about their pets. A simple question such as; “What kind of dog do you have?” would get them talking with the greatest of ease.
The junk food aisle was also a good place to talk to people. For some reason the presence of candy and junk food put people in a good mood, and they were more prone to talk with a stranger.
One place we stayed away from, was the frozen food section, because people didn’t want to talk where it was cold. Understandable.
My point is, people love to talk as long as they can relate to the subject manner, so don’t be afraid to ask questions, and get to know your customer beyond that of the products they need.
The more relaxed you can make your customer in your setting, the better off the two of you will be, and the more sales you will walk away with.
This article may be reproduced by anyone at any time, as long as the authors name and reference links are kept in tact and active.
Jay Conners has more than fifteen years of experience in the banking and Mortgage Industry, He is the owner of www.jconners.com, a mortgage resource site, he is also the owner of www.callprospect.com, a mortgage lead company.
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