By Ron LaVine, MBA
President of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
Using the phone successfully to market your products and services to potential new clients often requires you to navigate through a labyrinth of people to find the correct individual(s) who can provide the information you seek. Whether for pre-sales research or to determine who has the ability to acquire your products and services, here is a quick summary of proven techniques for achieving these objectives from Ron LaVine, MBA – CEO of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc. a Live Cold Call Sales Training Company.
Know the purpose of your call in advance. Before placing a call, have a clear and specific objective or purpose of what you are trying to achieve. Prepare a list of questions that need answers prior to your call. This will help you stay on track and meet your objective.
Purchasing, Investor Relations or the CEO's office are all good places to begin when you don't have a contact within a company. Calling into multiple departments in a company or organization can not only provide the information or person sought, but also give a unique overview of how a company's internal processes work. This can be useful information if further calls are required to the same or similar companies. As these individuals are usually very busy, have a short direct question prepared, such as "Who is responsible for evaluating [insert your product/service]?" This makes possible for either a quick or detailed answer.
Take advantage of the corporate hierarchy. When being referred from a higher level person (such as the President or their office) to a lower level person, use the higher person's name or office to lend credibility and importance to your request. For example: "Mr. Smith's office referred me to you."
Always ask for permission to speak. After briefly introducing yourself and your company, ask for permission to speak, before explaining the reason for the call. Do not speak with people who do not want to speak with you. You will not have their full attention. Getting permission first is the polite thing to do.
Set up a telephone appointment. If the person sounds busy, make an appointment by asking a directional question “Do you have a pen handy? Follow with "When would be a good time to schedule a two minute call to see if my company can be of service to you?” Nail down a specific time and date and follow-up with an e-mail reminder.
Listen to what is going on in the background. When a phone or distraction occurs in the background, politely inquire whether that situation needs to be dealt with and offer to be placed on hold. This shows respect for the other person and is greatly appreciated.
Use open ended questions such as Who, What Where, When, Why or How to gain information and closed ended questions such as Do, Are, Correct, Right to confirm what was said and gain agreement for action.
Practice the Q/A/F/Q technique. Ask a Question. Wait for an Answer. Feedback what you heard to be sure you have a clear understanding of what was said. Then ask another Question to direct the conversation into the area where you want it to go. The person asking the questions controls the direction of the call.
Keep track of your phone menu choices. If you get stuck in one department, these choices will enable you to go in a different direction and reach a person (any live body) who can transfer you to the department you need.
Finally, and most importantly, is to remain polite yet persistent in your quest. By remaining polite and persistent, you will find the person who has the information you seek.
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Ron LaVine, MBA is president and founder of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc., a cold call training firm located in Oak Park, CA. If you would like information on How to Make Successful Cold Calls – LIVE Call Training please call Ron at 818-519-3852 or visit www.ast-incorp.com. © 2011 by Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
To Ask Permission to Speak or Not, that is the Question.
By Ron S. LaVine, MBA
President, Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
From a business perspective, there may be nothing more valuable than our time. Let people know you respect their time by asking, "Is this a good time to speak?" or "Do you have a few minutes?" before using your opening statement. Not only is this a more professional approach, you'll find people will offer their full attention since you've been given their permission to speak. Professional salespeople understand and respect the importance of another person's time.
The next time you receive a call from a telemarketer or telesales rep, notice if the person asks for your permission to speak with you. My experience has been that the majority of callers launch right into what they have to say without giving any thought to what I might be doing. It angers me that the caller hasn't considered that I might be doing something more important and I respond with "Take me off your list."
You can be seen as an interruption or a blessing depending on how you handle yourself. I called a senior buyer of a microchip manufacturer who granted permission for me to speak. I asked how they went about buying a certain type of solution. He took thirty minutes explaining their buying process to me. That information was extremely valuable to the strategy of the sale.
If it is not a convenient time for your prospect to talk, QUICKLY CONFIRM THEY are the RIGHT PERSON, SCHEDULE A FOLLOW-UP CALL and then HANG UP THE PHONE. Why waste their time or yours? If they are busy, you certainly will not have their attention. Make a good impression right off the bat by being polite and respectful of the other person s time. They will be more receptive to your next call because you showed a simple courtesy.
During one of my training sessions, we placed a call to an executive of a Fortune 500organization. After a brief enthusiastic introduction (my name and organization only), I asked the executive if he had a minute to speak with me. The man replied that he was busy. I offered to call him at another time when it was convenient to speak. He asked about the nature of my call. I reminded the executive that he said he was busy and I did not want to interrupt his current activities and would prefer to call back at a more convenient time.
Guess what happened next. The executive said he would take the time to speak with me briefly and he asked a second time regarding the nature of the call. The executive became curious because of my courteous concern for his valuable time. The conversation lasted over twenty minutes. The executive explained valuable details regarding the evaluation and decision-making processes within the organization. He also provided additional information for me to develop an enterprise-wide proposal.
The training attendees in the room were flabbergasted. Who ever heard of a telesales rep refusing to speak with an account? The concept is simple. If you speak with a busy prospect without their permission, you will not have their full attention, defeating the purpose of your call. Asking permission to speak before going on to explain the purpose of your call, will distinguish you from typical telesales reps. Your call success ratio will begin to climb.
REPRINT PERMISSION
Ron LaVine, MBA is president and founder of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc., a LIVE cold call training firm located in Oak Park, CA. You can get a special report 41 Sales Tips You Can Use Right Now AND the complementary bimonthly Sales Tips and Telesales Tips for Selling Success eZine all by signing up at http://www.astselling.com. If you would like information on Live Cold Calling/New Business Development Sales Training please call Ron at 1-818-519-3852.
President, Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
From a business perspective, there may be nothing more valuable than our time. Let people know you respect their time by asking, "Is this a good time to speak?" or "Do you have a few minutes?" before using your opening statement. Not only is this a more professional approach, you'll find people will offer their full attention since you've been given their permission to speak. Professional salespeople understand and respect the importance of another person's time.
The next time you receive a call from a telemarketer or telesales rep, notice if the person asks for your permission to speak with you. My experience has been that the majority of callers launch right into what they have to say without giving any thought to what I might be doing. It angers me that the caller hasn't considered that I might be doing something more important and I respond with "Take me off your list."
You can be seen as an interruption or a blessing depending on how you handle yourself. I called a senior buyer of a microchip manufacturer who granted permission for me to speak. I asked how they went about buying a certain type of solution. He took thirty minutes explaining their buying process to me. That information was extremely valuable to the strategy of the sale.
If it is not a convenient time for your prospect to talk, QUICKLY CONFIRM THEY are the RIGHT PERSON, SCHEDULE A FOLLOW-UP CALL and then HANG UP THE PHONE. Why waste their time or yours? If they are busy, you certainly will not have their attention. Make a good impression right off the bat by being polite and respectful of the other person s time. They will be more receptive to your next call because you showed a simple courtesy.
During one of my training sessions, we placed a call to an executive of a Fortune 500organization. After a brief enthusiastic introduction (my name and organization only), I asked the executive if he had a minute to speak with me. The man replied that he was busy. I offered to call him at another time when it was convenient to speak. He asked about the nature of my call. I reminded the executive that he said he was busy and I did not want to interrupt his current activities and would prefer to call back at a more convenient time.
Guess what happened next. The executive said he would take the time to speak with me briefly and he asked a second time regarding the nature of the call. The executive became curious because of my courteous concern for his valuable time. The conversation lasted over twenty minutes. The executive explained valuable details regarding the evaluation and decision-making processes within the organization. He also provided additional information for me to develop an enterprise-wide proposal.
The training attendees in the room were flabbergasted. Who ever heard of a telesales rep refusing to speak with an account? The concept is simple. If you speak with a busy prospect without their permission, you will not have their full attention, defeating the purpose of your call. Asking permission to speak before going on to explain the purpose of your call, will distinguish you from typical telesales reps. Your call success ratio will begin to climb.
REPRINT PERMISSION
Ron LaVine, MBA is president and founder of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc., a LIVE cold call training firm located in Oak Park, CA. You can get a special report 41 Sales Tips You Can Use Right Now AND the complementary bimonthly Sales Tips and Telesales Tips for Selling Success eZine all by signing up at http://www.astselling.com. If you would like information on Live Cold Calling/New Business Development Sales Training please call Ron at 1-818-519-3852.
Friday, March 4, 2011
How to Avoid Sounding Like Just Another Sales Rep
By Ron LaVine, MBA
President of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
I once called on a large Telecomm seeking to find out if there was a need for a certain type of software. As I sought this information, one of the first individuals I encountered immediately asked, "What are you selling?"
I replied, very simply. I'm not selling anything since I don't even know if there is a need to sell something. Now maybe you can help me. We went round and round a few times until she finally understood what I was saying and transferred me to the individual I was seeking to speak with.
If you want to avoid sounding like another company trying to sell something, DON'T SELL. You're thinking right now, "Ron you're off your rocker." What do you mean, don't sell? That's what I'm hired to do. To which I replied I understand that making a sale is the overall goal of your position. However, before any sale (i.e. not a retail sale over the counter) of significance can take place, many questions need to be asked and answered and their answers agreed upon.
First, with how can you sell anyone anything unless you understand if there is a need to sell something? Therefore the solution is to STAY OUT of sales mode and STAY IN information mode. One of the many benefits of this approach is people let their defenses down when they feel they aren't being "sold". I find that people are more likely to assist you if you explain that you are not selling (and at this point of the sales cycle, in my opinion, you are not) but simply trying to determine if there is in fact, a need to sell something.
If you come off like a typical sales rep you'll be putting the cart before the horse. Instead, try playing the role of a newspaper reporter or "Columbo". Make it your first objective to seek "Just the facts and nothing but the facts" before trying to "sell something". You will quickly avoid "sounding like another company trying to sell something."
So when someone asks me what I'm selling, this how I reply. "How can I sell you anything unless I understand if there is a need for what I have to offer? I'm calling to determine if there is a need for my product or service." Remember "Understanding comes before Selling."™
By using information mode and seeking to understand how a company does business before trying to sell something, you will find the answers you need to indeed make a sale. There was wise person who said, "Seek first to understand and then be understood."
REPRINT PERMISSION
Ron LaVine, MBA is president and founder of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc., a cold call training firm located in Oak Park, CA. If you would like information on How to Make Successful Cold Calls – LIVE Call Training please call Ron at 818-519-3852 or visit www.ast-incorp.com. © 2011 by Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
President of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
I once called on a large Telecomm seeking to find out if there was a need for a certain type of software. As I sought this information, one of the first individuals I encountered immediately asked, "What are you selling?"
I replied, very simply. I'm not selling anything since I don't even know if there is a need to sell something. Now maybe you can help me. We went round and round a few times until she finally understood what I was saying and transferred me to the individual I was seeking to speak with.
If you want to avoid sounding like another company trying to sell something, DON'T SELL. You're thinking right now, "Ron you're off your rocker." What do you mean, don't sell? That's what I'm hired to do. To which I replied I understand that making a sale is the overall goal of your position. However, before any sale (i.e. not a retail sale over the counter) of significance can take place, many questions need to be asked and answered and their answers agreed upon.
First, with how can you sell anyone anything unless you understand if there is a need to sell something? Therefore the solution is to STAY OUT of sales mode and STAY IN information mode. One of the many benefits of this approach is people let their defenses down when they feel they aren't being "sold". I find that people are more likely to assist you if you explain that you are not selling (and at this point of the sales cycle, in my opinion, you are not) but simply trying to determine if there is in fact, a need to sell something.
If you come off like a typical sales rep you'll be putting the cart before the horse. Instead, try playing the role of a newspaper reporter or "Columbo". Make it your first objective to seek "Just the facts and nothing but the facts" before trying to "sell something". You will quickly avoid "sounding like another company trying to sell something."
So when someone asks me what I'm selling, this how I reply. "How can I sell you anything unless I understand if there is a need for what I have to offer? I'm calling to determine if there is a need for my product or service." Remember "Understanding comes before Selling."™
By using information mode and seeking to understand how a company does business before trying to sell something, you will find the answers you need to indeed make a sale. There was wise person who said, "Seek first to understand and then be understood."
REPRINT PERMISSION
Ron LaVine, MBA is president and founder of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc., a cold call training firm located in Oak Park, CA. If you would like information on How to Make Successful Cold Calls – LIVE Call Training please call Ron at 818-519-3852 or visit www.ast-incorp.com. © 2011 by Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
A Sales Negotiator’s Friend: The Telephone
A Telephone Is A Two-Edged Blade For Sales Negotiators
By Dr. Jim Anderson
What’s your mental picture of a typical sales negotiation? When you close your eyes do you see a lushly carpeted board room with a large oval table in the center and padded leather chairs all around it? If so, then in most cases you are sadly mistaken.
An amazing number of sales negotiations occur over the telephone. Everyone has one and in fact in this day and age of mobile phones we all seem to have more than one phone. Given that by using the phone you can reach someone directly at almost any time, phones have become an important tool in negotiating sales.
However, as with any tool, a phone can be a danger to any negotiator’s hope of success. Using a phone to negotiate can be quick and easy, but that’s actually part of the problem. I’m not telling you to not use the phone, I’m just saying that you need to watch out when you do. Here are some of the things that can go wrong when you use the phone to negotiate a sale:
1. Deal / No Deal: Because you can’t look the other side in the eye when you are negotiating with them on the phone, it’s entirely possible that you may conclude the call thinking that you have a deal when you really don’t.
2. Can You Hear Me Now?: What you think that you are saying is not necessarily what the other side is hearing. However, since you are on a phone, there is no way for you to realize that they have gotten the wrong message.
3. What Did You Say?: Often when we are negotiating on the phone, we are out and about. Although we may reach agreement, it won’t count until such time as we write it down. That may be hours later and what we write down may be different from what we agreed to.
Once again, the phone is a powerful sales negotiation tool; however, you have to be careful how you use it in order to make sure that you don’t get burned.
Have you ever used the phone as part of a sales negotiation? Did you have any communications problems? Were the problems on your side or on the other side? When did you first realize that there was a problem? How did you finally resolve this problem? Leave me a comment and let me know what you are thinking.
Dr. Jim Anderson has spent over 20 years negotiating everything from small sales with individual owners of companies to large scale military project contracts with teams of sales negotiators. He realizes that unless you are a lawyer or a Mergers & Acquisitions banker, you probably don’t think of yourself as an everyday negotiator.
In today’s work environment you can find yourself in negotiations with a vendor, another department, or even a state or local government official very quickly.
Unless you know what to do (and what not to do!), you can quickly feel overwhelmed.
In this blog, “The Accidental Negotiator“, Dr. Anderson offers his insights on how to develop your negotiating skills so that you can close more deals, make more money, and have more satisfaction.
Get more information on both Dr. Anderson and sales negotiating at: www.BlueElephantConsulting.com
Oh, and if you want to follow Dr. Anderson on Twitter, he can be found at: http://twitter.com/drjimanderson
By Dr. Jim Anderson
What’s your mental picture of a typical sales negotiation? When you close your eyes do you see a lushly carpeted board room with a large oval table in the center and padded leather chairs all around it? If so, then in most cases you are sadly mistaken.
An amazing number of sales negotiations occur over the telephone. Everyone has one and in fact in this day and age of mobile phones we all seem to have more than one phone. Given that by using the phone you can reach someone directly at almost any time, phones have become an important tool in negotiating sales.
However, as with any tool, a phone can be a danger to any negotiator’s hope of success. Using a phone to negotiate can be quick and easy, but that’s actually part of the problem. I’m not telling you to not use the phone, I’m just saying that you need to watch out when you do. Here are some of the things that can go wrong when you use the phone to negotiate a sale:
1. Deal / No Deal: Because you can’t look the other side in the eye when you are negotiating with them on the phone, it’s entirely possible that you may conclude the call thinking that you have a deal when you really don’t.
2. Can You Hear Me Now?: What you think that you are saying is not necessarily what the other side is hearing. However, since you are on a phone, there is no way for you to realize that they have gotten the wrong message.
3. What Did You Say?: Often when we are negotiating on the phone, we are out and about. Although we may reach agreement, it won’t count until such time as we write it down. That may be hours later and what we write down may be different from what we agreed to.
Once again, the phone is a powerful sales negotiation tool; however, you have to be careful how you use it in order to make sure that you don’t get burned.
Have you ever used the phone as part of a sales negotiation? Did you have any communications problems? Were the problems on your side or on the other side? When did you first realize that there was a problem? How did you finally resolve this problem? Leave me a comment and let me know what you are thinking.
Dr. Jim Anderson has spent over 20 years negotiating everything from small sales with individual owners of companies to large scale military project contracts with teams of sales negotiators. He realizes that unless you are a lawyer or a Mergers & Acquisitions banker, you probably don’t think of yourself as an everyday negotiator.
In today’s work environment you can find yourself in negotiations with a vendor, another department, or even a state or local government official very quickly.
Unless you know what to do (and what not to do!), you can quickly feel overwhelmed.
In this blog, “The Accidental Negotiator“, Dr. Anderson offers his insights on how to develop your negotiating skills so that you can close more deals, make more money, and have more satisfaction.
Get more information on both Dr. Anderson and sales negotiating at: www.BlueElephantConsulting.com
Oh, and if you want to follow Dr. Anderson on Twitter, he can be found at: http://twitter.com/drjimanderson
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Cold Calling Tips
By Ron S. LaVine
President of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
Don’t try to sell the Operator: be polite yet respectfully persistent while finding who the right person to speak with is.
Get an internal transfer: the number will come through as an internal transfer and the person will pick up.
Offer to call back: ask when is convenient for them.
Random names: type in a couple of letters, wait for the system to come back; the system will supply other names and their extensions.
Department directories: listen for all menu choices as other departments provide additional points of entry -- perhaps they might need a solution from your company.
Best times to call: before or after their ‘gatekeeper’ arrives/leaves - execs will pick up their own phone after hours. Or try them on the hour in between meetings.
Make note of the time you were able to reach the person: typically you can reach them again at the same time.
Change the digits: people in the same department have similar extensions; change 1 or 2 of the digits and ask to be referred or for the correct extension.
Get the main number: use the Internet to find other numbers of points of entry.
Make an error in the extension: ‘I was trying to reach x, maybe you can help me, is Tina within eyesight?’ People like to help each other.
Listen to complete message for additional choices, names and numbers.
Build rapport more quickly by teaching yourself to regulate your voice to gently match theirs.
Practice: call yourself and leave a message. How do you sound? Practice until your voice sounds smooth and melodic. Remember people cannot see you they can only hear your voice.
Use your headset: open your mouth wide and carefully pronounce every word. Do not hold the phone on your shoulder as this tenses your throat and makes you talk from one side of your mouth.
Tip: buy a digital ‘logger’ for example at http://www.astselling.com/store.htm (last item on the list). Record your conversation, replay for yourself and/or your manager. It can eliminate the need to take notes at the time of the call; you can focus on what is being said.
REPRINT PERMISSION
Ron LaVine, MBA is president and founder of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc., a sales training firm located in Oak Park, CA. You can get a special report “41 sales Tips You Can Use Right Now” AND the free bimonthly Sales Tips for Selling Success eZine all by signing up at http://www.astselling.com. If you would like information on Live Cold Calling Sales Training please call Ron at 818-991-6487 PST. © 2011 by Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
President of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
Don’t try to sell the Operator: be polite yet respectfully persistent while finding who the right person to speak with is.
Get an internal transfer: the number will come through as an internal transfer and the person will pick up.
Offer to call back: ask when is convenient for them.
Random names: type in a couple of letters, wait for the system to come back; the system will supply other names and their extensions.
Department directories: listen for all menu choices as other departments provide additional points of entry -- perhaps they might need a solution from your company.
Best times to call: before or after their ‘gatekeeper’ arrives/leaves - execs will pick up their own phone after hours. Or try them on the hour in between meetings.
Make note of the time you were able to reach the person: typically you can reach them again at the same time.
Change the digits: people in the same department have similar extensions; change 1 or 2 of the digits and ask to be referred or for the correct extension.
Get the main number: use the Internet to find other numbers of points of entry.
Make an error in the extension: ‘I was trying to reach x, maybe you can help me, is Tina within eyesight?’ People like to help each other.
Listen to complete message for additional choices, names and numbers.
Build rapport more quickly by teaching yourself to regulate your voice to gently match theirs.
Practice: call yourself and leave a message. How do you sound? Practice until your voice sounds smooth and melodic. Remember people cannot see you they can only hear your voice.
Use your headset: open your mouth wide and carefully pronounce every word. Do not hold the phone on your shoulder as this tenses your throat and makes you talk from one side of your mouth.
Tip: buy a digital ‘logger’ for example at http://www.astselling.com/store.htm (last item on the list). Record your conversation, replay for yourself and/or your manager. It can eliminate the need to take notes at the time of the call; you can focus on what is being said.
REPRINT PERMISSION
Ron LaVine, MBA is president and founder of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc., a sales training firm located in Oak Park, CA. You can get a special report “41 sales Tips You Can Use Right Now” AND the free bimonthly Sales Tips for Selling Success eZine all by signing up at http://www.astselling.com. If you would like information on Live Cold Calling Sales Training please call Ron at 818-991-6487 PST. © 2011 by Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
Monday, January 24, 2011
How to Pre-Call Plan Target Accounts
by Ron LaVine
Recently I was researching a prospect before I planned to call them. I had been given a referral however before calling them; I want to do my homework first. First, I realized that at least five or more of my current clients were direct or indirect competitors. This meant this prospect fit perfectly in my target market and therefore was worth the time spent doing an in depth analysis of their operations.
When conducting my pre-call planning, I always start out in the career section. This tells often me what types skills sets are required of people they are looking for and the type of sales training in use. In this case, they were looking for salespeople with cold calling and prospecting skills.
A good start so far. This description also told me what type of sales training they were currently using. Knowing this information, I planned an augmentation strategy rather than a replacement one. Often it is easier to augment a current solution than to try to replace it initially.
Next I went and read the annual report. Since they are publicly traded, I used the link http://finance.yahoo.com/ combined with their ticker symbol in the Yahoo Finance section which led to a detailed financial overview of the company, their industry and their competitors.
I learned when was the end of their fiscal year which would help me by knowing when they would start planning and budgeting for next year. In this case it was June 30 so beginning my process in March turned out to be good timing.
I read exactly what their strategy was for gaining new business. I learned that in addition to going after their existing customer base, they had set aggressive goals for penetrating Global 3000 enterprises. The report also told me that the quarterly revenue growth was in the low single digits differential in sales from last year to this year was in the single digits and the quarterly earnings were negative.
This meant there was plenty of room for improvement and that their current sales training might not be working as effectively as planned. I also looked at the amount they were spending on Selling, General and Administrative which is where typically the sales training budget comes from. I noticed that it was increasing which meant they were adding salespeople or at least spending more money in the area of sales.
Finally I looked at their competition and noticed that two out of the five major direct competitors were already clients of mine. This fact would make it much easier for me to establish credibility and interest since I was fairly sure they were interested in how their competition was being trained.
Next I went over to Edgar http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml to read their annual report or 10K. After studying the annual report's Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations which laid out:
* Business Overview,
* Industry Background,
* Business Imperatives,
* Strategy (plus the key elements of the strategy),
* Product Descriptions,
* Sales and Marketing (including the number of quota carrying salespeople),
* Description of the Competition
Since I teach live cold calling sales training which involves getting your foot in the door into new organizations, the strategy of increased focus and penetration of key markets was of particular interest to me.
After reading the Annual Report, I went over to their web site and began to read the About the Company section. Not only was a clear and concise two sentence description of what the company did, I also learned that their core differentiators or values were innovation and customer focus.
Although I target VP of Sales, it was in the Executive Management section of their site that I learned that the Chief Marketing Officer was actually responsible for direct response and telemarketing around the world. I also learned that this person worked for one of my clients.
This meant I could leverage one of my client relationships as a means to build credibility with the person who was responsible for sales training or who would know who the person was I needed to speak with.
Leaving no stone unturned, I also read the Senior VP of Worldwide Field Operations (which in this case also stood for VP of Sales). He was responsible for field marketing, direct sales, channel management, strategic alliances and consulting services. This meant he too, maybe a prospect for sales training. I also noticed he worked for a client of mine so I planned to leverage that relationship in the same way as with the CMO.
A search on "@companyname.com" led me to some people who were producing the Users Conference for the company. A quick phone call to one of them led to permission to send her an email which she would forward to the person who was in charge of field marketing and also in charge of sales training. She spelled out the person's name, provided the title, ext and email. When this was all done, I sent off my first email which was followed by a call to be sure it was received.
The whole point of this pre-call planning is to show how important it is to know your prospects BEFORE you begin your approach. I'd say this whole process took no more than 10 to 15 minutes and if this deals closes which I believe it will (although the sales cycle maybe a long one) that time invested may mean thousands and thousands of dollars in revenue.
Your assignment is to choose 10 key target accounts and conduct this type of research before you make your initial call. I think you'll find this approach will help you not only sound intelligent when speaking with your prospects; it will also help you sell more in less time than before.
REPRINT PERMISSION
Ron LaVine, MBA is president and founder of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc., a sales training firm located in Oak Park, CA. You can get a special report “41 sales Tips You Can Use Right Now” AND the free bimonthly Sales Tips for Selling Success eZine all by signing up at http://www.telesales-sales-training.com. If you would like information on Live Cold Calling Sales Training please call Ron at 818-991-6487 PST. ©2011 by Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
Recently I was researching a prospect before I planned to call them. I had been given a referral however before calling them; I want to do my homework first. First, I realized that at least five or more of my current clients were direct or indirect competitors. This meant this prospect fit perfectly in my target market and therefore was worth the time spent doing an in depth analysis of their operations.
When conducting my pre-call planning, I always start out in the career section. This tells often me what types skills sets are required of people they are looking for and the type of sales training in use. In this case, they were looking for salespeople with cold calling and prospecting skills.
A good start so far. This description also told me what type of sales training they were currently using. Knowing this information, I planned an augmentation strategy rather than a replacement one. Often it is easier to augment a current solution than to try to replace it initially.
Next I went and read the annual report. Since they are publicly traded, I used the link http://finance.yahoo.com/ combined with their ticker symbol in the Yahoo Finance section which led to a detailed financial overview of the company, their industry and their competitors.
I learned when was the end of their fiscal year which would help me by knowing when they would start planning and budgeting for next year. In this case it was June 30 so beginning my process in March turned out to be good timing.
I read exactly what their strategy was for gaining new business. I learned that in addition to going after their existing customer base, they had set aggressive goals for penetrating Global 3000 enterprises. The report also told me that the quarterly revenue growth was in the low single digits differential in sales from last year to this year was in the single digits and the quarterly earnings were negative.
This meant there was plenty of room for improvement and that their current sales training might not be working as effectively as planned. I also looked at the amount they were spending on Selling, General and Administrative which is where typically the sales training budget comes from. I noticed that it was increasing which meant they were adding salespeople or at least spending more money in the area of sales.
Finally I looked at their competition and noticed that two out of the five major direct competitors were already clients of mine. This fact would make it much easier for me to establish credibility and interest since I was fairly sure they were interested in how their competition was being trained.
Next I went over to Edgar http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml to read their annual report or 10K. After studying the annual report's Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations which laid out:
* Business Overview,
* Industry Background,
* Business Imperatives,
* Strategy (plus the key elements of the strategy),
* Product Descriptions,
* Sales and Marketing (including the number of quota carrying salespeople),
* Description of the Competition
Since I teach live cold calling sales training which involves getting your foot in the door into new organizations, the strategy of increased focus and penetration of key markets was of particular interest to me.
After reading the Annual Report, I went over to their web site and began to read the About the Company section. Not only was a clear and concise two sentence description of what the company did, I also learned that their core differentiators or values were innovation and customer focus.
Although I target VP of Sales, it was in the Executive Management section of their site that I learned that the Chief Marketing Officer was actually responsible for direct response and telemarketing around the world. I also learned that this person worked for one of my clients.
This meant I could leverage one of my client relationships as a means to build credibility with the person who was responsible for sales training or who would know who the person was I needed to speak with.
Leaving no stone unturned, I also read the Senior VP of Worldwide Field Operations (which in this case also stood for VP of Sales). He was responsible for field marketing, direct sales, channel management, strategic alliances and consulting services. This meant he too, maybe a prospect for sales training. I also noticed he worked for a client of mine so I planned to leverage that relationship in the same way as with the CMO.
A search on "@companyname.com" led me to some people who were producing the Users Conference for the company. A quick phone call to one of them led to permission to send her an email which she would forward to the person who was in charge of field marketing and also in charge of sales training. She spelled out the person's name, provided the title, ext and email. When this was all done, I sent off my first email which was followed by a call to be sure it was received.
The whole point of this pre-call planning is to show how important it is to know your prospects BEFORE you begin your approach. I'd say this whole process took no more than 10 to 15 minutes and if this deals closes which I believe it will (although the sales cycle maybe a long one) that time invested may mean thousands and thousands of dollars in revenue.
Your assignment is to choose 10 key target accounts and conduct this type of research before you make your initial call. I think you'll find this approach will help you not only sound intelligent when speaking with your prospects; it will also help you sell more in less time than before.
REPRINT PERMISSION
Ron LaVine, MBA is president and founder of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc., a sales training firm located in Oak Park, CA. You can get a special report “41 sales Tips You Can Use Right Now” AND the free bimonthly Sales Tips for Selling Success eZine all by signing up at http://www.telesales-sales-training.com. If you would like information on Live Cold Calling Sales Training please call Ron at 818-991-6487 PST. ©2011 by Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Goal Setting Exercise
By Ron LaVine, President
Accelerated Sales Training, Inc. –
Cold Calling for Success Live Call Sales Training
Every early January it is good to take some time to reflect on what went right during the past year and what areas of your life you can improve during the upcoming year. Put aside 30 minutes to and hour of quiet time for this very important exercise. First, picture in your mind what you want. See yourself having it and imagine what you will feel like when you do.
Now you are ready to set S.M.A.R.T. goals. S.M.A.R.T. goals are:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time and date specific
Type out your S.M.A.R.T. goals onto a sheet or two of paper and post it where you can see it (the bathroom or bedroom mirror works great).
Next, get yourself in the habit of reading your goals at least once (if not three times) a day.
You will be amazed at how many of your goals are achieved once you commit them to writing. You may not make all your goals each year but you will still find a number of them are reached and often exceeded.
If you have achieved certain goals during the past year, increase those goals by at least 10% if not more.
Actions follow thoughts. Feel it, think it and then do it.
Put your thoughts on paper and watch the universe go into action to help make your goals a reality.
Start here:
I will accomplish the following goals during the year 2011.
I will earn over $___________ during the year 2011.
I will average earnings over $_________________ per quarter during the year 2011.
I will average earnings over $_________________ per month during the year 2011.
I will improve my industry knowledge by taking the following actions __________________ during the year 2011.
I will improve my product knowledge by taking the following actions __________________ during the year 2011.
For example, you can attend your own company's Webinars or study your company's annual report.
I will improve my selling knowledge by __________________ during the year 2011.
Napoleon Hill’s Law of Success is a great choice. You can buy it at Amazon buy clicking here http://tinyurl.com/bcbn4
I will take the following actions to increase the value I can add into my customer relationships during the year 2011.
1.
2.
3.
I will make ___________ number of cold calls per ____________ during the year 2011.
I will open ________________ number of new accounts during the year 2011 by taking the following actions.
1.
2.
3.
I will take the following actions to maintain a positive mental attitude every day during the year 2011.
1.
2.
3.
I will take the following actions to improve my physical health during the year 2011.
1.
2.
3.
I will take the following steps to better my personal life during the year 2011.
1.
2.
3.
I will take the following steps to better my family life during the year 2011.
1.
2.
3.
I will take the following steps to better my spiritual life during the year 2011.
1.
2.
3.
I will use the following strategies to maximize my time during the year 2011.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I AGREE TO post this list on my mirror, read it at least once a day during the year 2011, and watch these goals come true in my life.
I highly recommend, if you have not yet taken the time to sit down and write out your specific plans and goals, try the above this exercise. You may or may not reach or exceed every goal however you will be a lot further along then if you made no plan at all. Always shoot for the stars and if you fall short, you will still have reached the sky. People don't plan to fail, they fail to plan. Don’t wait. Write down your goals and plans now.
I wish everyone one of you peace, harmony and prosperity during this holiday season and throughout the upcoming year.
Make 2011 your best year ever!
Ron
REPRINT PERMISSION
Ron La Vine, MBA is president and founder of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc., a live call sales training firm located in Oak Park, CA. You can get a special report “41 sales Tips You Can Use Right Now” AND the free bimonthly Sales Tips for Selling Success eZine all by signing up at http://www.ast-incorp.com. If you would like information on Cold Calling for Success Live Call Sales Training please call Ron at 818-991-6487. © 2011 by Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
www.ast-incorp.com
Accelerated Sales Training, Inc. –
Cold Calling for Success Live Call Sales Training
Every early January it is good to take some time to reflect on what went right during the past year and what areas of your life you can improve during the upcoming year. Put aside 30 minutes to and hour of quiet time for this very important exercise. First, picture in your mind what you want. See yourself having it and imagine what you will feel like when you do.
Now you are ready to set S.M.A.R.T. goals. S.M.A.R.T. goals are:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time and date specific
Type out your S.M.A.R.T. goals onto a sheet or two of paper and post it where you can see it (the bathroom or bedroom mirror works great).
Next, get yourself in the habit of reading your goals at least once (if not three times) a day.
You will be amazed at how many of your goals are achieved once you commit them to writing. You may not make all your goals each year but you will still find a number of them are reached and often exceeded.
If you have achieved certain goals during the past year, increase those goals by at least 10% if not more.
Actions follow thoughts. Feel it, think it and then do it.
Put your thoughts on paper and watch the universe go into action to help make your goals a reality.
Start here:
I will accomplish the following goals during the year 2011.
I will earn over $___________ during the year 2011.
I will average earnings over $_________________ per quarter during the year 2011.
I will average earnings over $_________________ per month during the year 2011.
I will improve my industry knowledge by taking the following actions __________________ during the year 2011.
I will improve my product knowledge by taking the following actions __________________ during the year 2011.
For example, you can attend your own company's Webinars or study your company's annual report.
I will improve my selling knowledge by __________________ during the year 2011.
Napoleon Hill’s Law of Success is a great choice. You can buy it at Amazon buy clicking here http://tinyurl.com/bcbn4
I will take the following actions to increase the value I can add into my customer relationships during the year 2011.
1.
2.
3.
I will make ___________ number of cold calls per ____________ during the year 2011.
I will open ________________ number of new accounts during the year 2011 by taking the following actions.
1.
2.
3.
I will take the following actions to maintain a positive mental attitude every day during the year 2011.
1.
2.
3.
I will take the following actions to improve my physical health during the year 2011.
1.
2.
3.
I will take the following steps to better my personal life during the year 2011.
1.
2.
3.
I will take the following steps to better my family life during the year 2011.
1.
2.
3.
I will take the following steps to better my spiritual life during the year 2011.
1.
2.
3.
I will use the following strategies to maximize my time during the year 2011.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I AGREE TO post this list on my mirror, read it at least once a day during the year 2011, and watch these goals come true in my life.
I highly recommend, if you have not yet taken the time to sit down and write out your specific plans and goals, try the above this exercise. You may or may not reach or exceed every goal however you will be a lot further along then if you made no plan at all. Always shoot for the stars and if you fall short, you will still have reached the sky. People don't plan to fail, they fail to plan. Don’t wait. Write down your goals and plans now.
I wish everyone one of you peace, harmony and prosperity during this holiday season and throughout the upcoming year.
Make 2011 your best year ever!
Ron
REPRINT PERMISSION
Ron La Vine, MBA is president and founder of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc., a live call sales training firm located in Oak Park, CA. You can get a special report “41 sales Tips You Can Use Right Now” AND the free bimonthly Sales Tips for Selling Success eZine all by signing up at http://www.ast-incorp.com. If you would like information on Cold Calling for Success Live Call Sales Training please call Ron at 818-991-6487. © 2011 by Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
www.ast-incorp.com
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