Problem:  Since closing rates are in the 15-20% range nationally, one of the biggest concerns that management and salespeople alike have is a desire to increase closing rates.  Although there are several reasons for this problem, one of the most overlooked is the tendency for salespeople to make proposals without knowing what will happen when the prospect gets the proposal.  This is like rolling the dice and hoping for the best.

Diagnosis

Problem:  You spent the better part of a day putting together a proposal and preparing for a big presentation.  You’re ready for your scheduled meeting and finally get your chance.  Everything goes great and you are at that point waiting for the buyer to say, “Yes.”  The prospect warmly smiles and says, “That was one of the best presentations that I have had.  Your product really solves our problem nicely…”  You want to relax, but anticipate one last objection.  The prospect continues with the warm smile and states, “But your prices are more than we had anticipated spending.”  You are ready and say “I really want to get your business so I will take off 10% if we can complete it today ...

Problem:  Recently I was reading an article written by one of the best-known sales trainers in the world.  He shall remain nameless, since we disagree with his approach.  His contention was that every sales "pro" should follow this time tested process for selling if he or she was to achieve personal success in sales.  His three steps were 1.) Prospecting, 2.) Presenting and 3.) Closing. 

In the presentation step, salespeople were encouraged to master the features and benefits of their products or services and pitch them convincingly to their prospects (a group, no doubt, that consisted of anyone that would give them an ...

Problem:  Another new year.  Will it be more of the same for you?  We recently met with a group of salespeople that we have trained for several years.  We discussed their results for last year and what their revenue expectations for the New Year were.  They explained that management was looking for a 15% sales increase, but that, considering the economy, just breaking even would be a real win.  Barriers to success were discussed and, unfortunately, became the main focus of the conversation.

Diagnosis

Problem:  Sarah told me her goal for the past year was to lose weight and get in better shape.   Bill’s goal was to increase his sales.  Nadine was going to reduce her credit card debt.  Sarah, Bill and Nadine all had something in common.  They all failed to achieve their goals.  At the end of the year, in fact, none had even come close.  And all were frustrated.

Diagnosis:  People s ...

Problem:  Gerry was fortunate.  His company’s new marketing program resulted in a great deal of incoming calls.  Daily he received at least 2-3 calls from interested prospects who wanted to see him.  It was a salesperson’s dream.  No more cold calls and lots of appointments.  But at the end of the quarter, his sales had not increased.  In fact, his closing rate had declined to 15%.  What happened?

Diagnosis

Problem:  Jack had been with the company for only two years, yet he was considered their most technically competent salesperson. He was the “go to guy” when the other salespeople needed someone to talk to about solutions, specifications, and competitive information.  He was an expert when it came to product knowledge, yet he had the worst closing rate and was the lowest paid salesperson.

Diagnosis:  Jack had a bad habit and it was hurti ...

Problem:  A large majority of salespeople struggle to get in front of enough prospects to keep their pipeline full.  As a result, they feel desperate, have a difficult time dealing with rejection, and often avoid asking the tough questions to find out if they really should be spending their time with someone.  This leads to a long selling cycle, inefficient time management, and ultimately, failure.

Diagnosis:  Prospecting is a ...

Problem:  Dennis was the VP of Sales for a medium sized application service provider and was concerned about the high number of appointment cancellations his reps were getting.  As an example, he related something that had happened about ten days before.  Apparently Richard, one of his reps, had made an appointment with a prospect that looked like they’d be a good fit for the company.  A day after the appointment had been made, the prospect called back and asked that the rep send “some information” about the company prior to the meeting.  Richard felt that this was a good sign of interest and complied, sending a fairly extensive package of information.  It contained spec sheets on some of the products ...

Problem: Jason was new to the company and was trying to develop his territory. He didn’t lack enthusiasm and was making his objective of 100 cold phone calls a day. He felt pretty good about that since he saw others make far less. But still, he was not making nearly enough appointments to keep his pipeline filled and wondered how he was ever going to achieve his income goals if things didn’t change.
 
Diagnosis: Unfortunately, Jason was committing an error common to most salespeople. His cold calling approach sounded like every other salesperson. You know, something like this…“Ms. Smith, this is Jason Jones with ABC Company. We’re a leading provider of software solutions and I’d like to tell ...