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Sandler Training are proud to announce that they have sponsored Gary Bricknell to climb to the Base Camp of Everest.
Sandler show entrepreneurial companies the handholds on their climb to business success. So we thought why not help someone on an actual mountain climb? We will be featuring Gary’s climb and lessons learned on our blog in the near future, but in the meantime he is running an event with Sir Ranulph Fiennes to speak on the experience of climbing. See the details below!
To Visit Sandler Training’s Homepage Click Here
Good sales people: Are they born or created?
Ever overheard anyone say “ Mary is a born sales person”?
Or perhaps you received a clumsy compliment, “you are a born sales person!” Or have you ever said “wow, they are a born salesperson?”
I even once heard a candidate for a sales manager’s position tell the interviewer that they first got into sales because a teacher had told them that they were “a born sales person”.
That was a mistake.
The professional interviewers’ follow up questions quickly identified the candidate as an enthusiastic amateur.
“ Why do people buy?” “how do they make decisions?” “ what is a prospecting plan?” “show me an example” “ How do you measure and monitor your effectiveness?” “ How do you hold yourself accountable?” “ How do you know when changes in the market require you to change your prospecting plan?” “ Do you have written goals?” “ where do you go to for advice when you get stuck?” “ give me examples” etc, etc.
The “born” sales person’s enthusiastic and naïve grin soon gave way to confusion, then resistance, followed by defeat.
Imagine visiting a surgeon, asking to hear about his qualifications, and having them tell you that “I’m a born surgeon. Ever since the first time I helped my Mum cut up a whole TESCO chicken, she told me I was a born surgeon”
Imagine a hospital staffed with self-declared born surgeons. What sort of patient outcomes would the hospital get? Of course, thesurgeons, believing them selves to be born surgeons, backed up by the administration that hired them would probably find external reasons for the poor results. “ they were incurable”, “we didn’t have access to the right drugs/equipment” etc.
Back to the world of sales. A person who believes he or she is a born sales person can fool themselves and those around them into thinking they are a good sales person- temporarily. Then something changes. The market, the competition, the economy, the company, the pricing. This is the moment of truth. They can either externalize the blame, or accept responsibility.
The deluded amateur takes the easy path. It can’t be me. I’m a born sales person. So it must be the company web site, the lack of quality leads, prospects who just don’t get how good our product is, gatekeepers who wont let me through, people who wont return my call, time wasters who ask for quotes with no intention of buying, etc.
A “good” sales person is eager to accept recognition when things go well, practiced at supplying logical reasons (excuses) when things go bad.
A great sales person accepts responsibility. A great salesperson takes ownership of the challenge. A great sales person knows they have to work hard at honing their skills, strategies, and tactics. They understand that external factors may change, and it’s up to them to adapt. A great salesperson understands there is no such thing as a bad prospect, only a bad salesperson.
Organizations that struggle to understand that great sales people are not born, often hire enthusiastic amateurs who have been deluded into thinking they must be a born salesperson because of a temporary winning streak.
When the results are inconsistent, it’s often easier for the company to blame the market, the competitors and anything other than the sales and marketing team, because that would mean admitting that they don’t have a process for identifying great sales people. They settle for good enough for now. Upgrading to a great sales team
I don’t care whether good sales people are born or created.
I do know that great sales people have the self-awareness to accept responsibility. The ambition and drive to keep them open minded to learn. And, through their own efforts, evolve, learn and grow to ensure they get results.
How do I know? I was a “good” sales person, …until I looked a little to closely at myself in the mirror.
-Nigel Dunand http://www.heartofengland.sandler.com/
Further reading:- Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from EverybodyElse by Geoff Colvin Article in the Financial Times http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/9f5e50b4-750e-11e1-90d1-00144feab49a.html#axzz1rcqwfLSzPosturing Language
Over time, every successful salesperson comes to the conclusion that having the proper selling posture during the sales interview is critical. Many sales people are still struggling to understand this concept.
When we talk about posture, we are talking about the attitude reflected in the communication of the salesperson. We know that the message we send in our communication is made up of our body language, our tonality, and our words. However, how we mix those three elements creates a particular attitude that is palpable to our receiver.
There are three primary language postures.
- Superior: In this style, the salesperson takes the position of being superior to the prospect. The manner in which they communicate would suggest they are better than the prospect and are talking down to them. The superior posture is overly “I” centered and typically sends the message of aggressiveness. Superior posture has a low tolerance for any one else’s opinion. Often times, they speak with a loud and overbearing in tone.
- Equal: The posture of equality is the most desirable posture for a salesperson. This style communicates confidence to the prospect. The equal posture requires the sales person to adopt an attitude of equal business stature with the prospect. The equal posture creates a respectful, yet highly assertive environment where the salesperson is in control of the selling process. The equal posture speaks clearly with authority, and places a high priority on having his rights respected. All issues are addressed with confidence, including those that may be difficult and uncomfortable for the prospect.
- Inferior: Unfortunately, this is where to many salespeople communicate. In this posture, the seller will quickly acquiesces control of the sales dialogue to the prospect. They send the message that the prospect has the power and the salesperson is honored to be in their presence. Inferior posturing too easily provides the prospect a way out without addressing the difficult questions. The inferior salesperson allows themselves to be manipulated in order to avoid conflict. They take a literal interpretation of “the customer is always right.”
Salespeople who understand their job is to go to the bank while meeting the needs of the prospect, always work from a posture of equality. This is an essential attitude to bring to our communications with prospects.
We all develop a pattern of communication that is comfortable and becomes a habit for us. A Sandler trained sales person understands this and recognizes how to adjust communication in the selling process to create lasting customer relationships built on an equal stature business relationship.
Rich Gorman, Sandler Training
Make The Leap
29th February. Four years to wait until the next one. How will you make it count?
At Sandler Training we are asking you to join us; to join us in making the leap on 29th Februaury 2012. Do something different to make it stand out, make it spectacular, make it your own!
We are encouraging all business owners, directors and professional sales people to move outside their comfort zones on 29th February . It can be personal or professional. So far, we have people promising to hold a brand new workshop to some one starting to write their novel.
Not sure how to make the leap? Follow our 4 simple steps and help our campaign!
1 What have you always wanted to do, but have been putting off?
2 Now you have the vision in mind, break the elephant down. What is one sizeable chunk that you could complete on 29th February?
3 Tell us what your plans are and how we can help.
4 Spread the love to 2 other people and get them involved with making the leap?
So what’s stopping you? Make the leap for 2012!
Anneli Thomson is an award winning speaker, dedicated champagne drinker and firm believer in fun in all you do.
The Next Generation – Part 2
The wait is over. The eagerly anticipated 2nd part to Megan Mackeigan’s The Next Generation is with us! If you didn’t read part 1…… Maybe go back and refresh your memory first. Its not to be missed!
As a Sandler Trainer I have become addicted to the work that we do. Anneli put it well when she said, “Watching my colleagues change through Sandler and its ethos, I gradually got more involved with the company. Every day I loved what I saw more and more, so have never looked back.” I feel the same. We have the privilege of helping people enjoy and be better in their careers. At Sandler we talk a great deal about being a “product of the product”, so by going to our Sandler conferences in the US three times a year, I have the opportunity to learn more and become better in my own career. It is a privilege I don’t take for granted.
Anneli and I are in Sandler for the long haul. We have the belief that a profession in business development has exceptional rewards, and we know that we have to be dedicated, consistent and productive to reap the benefits of it. We both agree that we battle the reputation of our ‘Y Generation’ that has us lacking the ambition and commitment that the Boomers had when they were our age. The consensus has become that those born in the 80’s and onward have a feeling of entitlement to a lifestyle and income that we are not willing to work for.
Anneli is inclined to agree that the perception of the ‘Y Generation’ in the workforce is not always a positive one. “Sometimes there is a perception of our generation that when they are job searching they become very picky but have little process to strategically find a position they will enjoy. Some may say that when they do have jobs they are unwilling to do the difficult behaviours, and often experience the employee mentality. The Y Generation was brought up in such a way that in some cases it is the culture of their being. They were taught there is no such thing as a ‘job for life’. How can our generation be expected to work hard if no one expects them to stay long term and is not willing to invest in their career success?”
We both agree that while there may be some Y Generation individuals that fit this stereotype it is impossible to group them all together. Not all Y Generations are settling for jobs they’re not passionate about, working just hard enough not to get fired and feeling satisfied with maintaining the status quo. Just look at the number of young, successful entrepreneurs in Halifax. Look at groups like Fusion. Young, vibrant, motivated business people who are working hard to achieve their goals. Y Generation business leaders are emerging in markets from Halifax to London every day.
Those in the Y Generation who break through the stereotypes know that to be successful, they must be confident but humble. They are willing to change and adapt. If they learned it one way, they understand that’s not always the best way for every situation. They are innovative and open to trying new approaches. They ask for help, and understand that no one rises to the top alone – success is a group effort. They manage their expectations. Do they have goals? Of course. Are they realistic? Yes. Smart Y Generations leaders know we’re not going to drive the Mercedes and have the corner office overnight. Your 20’s are for paying dues. It’s what most people do and the initial grunt work is a path to learning and achieving credibility and respect.
If you’re a Y Generation looking to make a big change in your life or career I highly recommend reading The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks. It taught me to put success into perspective – take yourself to the next level, but don’t cruise past the steps along the way. Every small step is an experience that makes you better and keeps your feet on the ground. Live in a mindset of success – but define success carefully. For me it’s not a fancy car or lavish stuff – it’s getting better at what I do every day. It helped me understand that there is great success in my future if I am willing to work for it, and to enjoy the journey along the way.
To those managers who have Y Generation business leaders on staff: you’re working with a new breed. These are technologically advanced, social media hungry, networking, money motivated machines. They want the rewards and will work for it, but you have to give them structure to achieve it. I don’t mean micro-managing, but full disclosure managing. A partnership built on trust, that isn’t just about supervising, but about mentorship, training, and coaching. You have got to understand what their personal goals are so you can help them get there and show them how the job is a means to that. We want to be a part of the bigger picture; you’ve got to let us know there is a place for us so we feel we belong.
My hope is that companies will hire Y generation employees and encourage them to treat the company as if it was their own. Anneli and I both have a vested interest in our companies because we want to be a part of the succession plan. We want to continue with what was started. Would more Y generation employees develop a long term mentality if they embodied an entrepreneurial spirit? Could the culture of, “it’s good enough to stay” disappear if Y generation professionals felt like they had something significant to contribute, and were able to experience increased levels of success by working harder? Anneli and I think yes, but it has to start with the business owners showing their Y generation employees that they are a valued part or the company and there is opportunity for more – if they’re willing to work for it.
Written by Megan Mackeigan and Jay Mackeigan.
Embrace Your Irrational Work Colleagues
As business leader we come across many irrational clients. It is harder to deal with when this irrationality spreads to our own employees. We were sent this great article from the Harvard Business Review. Read it for yourself here.
Irrational behaviour is part of the human condition. What are your thoughts?
Your Invitation to see how you rank!
Want to see how you stack up against the best?
Tha Aberdeen Group have conduceted research into sales professionals and in 5 questions time you could see if you are the best in class!
If you are interested in taking the test follow this link here: Aberdeen Assement.
My favourite….
One of our trainers recently asked their Presidents’ Club what was their favourite technique or principle. Obviously the Sandler trainer had to have his. Out of all the hundreds of rules, the systems, the books, CDs, online talks, videos, documents and courses, one thing stood out as a summary of them all.
Have the courage, the sheer audacity, the plain cheekiness if you like, to claim equality in the sales process. Therefore be prepared to end the meeting right now, perhaps even before it really gets going, if you are not convinced by the potential client, that he or she is going to do business. That’s right; be happy, prepared, willing to end the meeting and go now. In fact, if you get to do some sort of quote or presentation, some proposal or trial piece of work, you had better have a very good reason for doing so. Can you substantiate that decision by being able to point out to a third person how this prospect QUALIFIES for your crown jewels? No? Or have we just got desperate and dumped our information and expertise in a vain hope that they know they qualify?
There is nothing more irresponsible than just laying out stuff, our features and benefits and hoping they will buy. Because what we have actually done is expected that prospect to go through a very complicated process (identify with the seller, understand the consequences of any decision right now, identify the real underlying emotional reason why they might want to do this, match all that to a possible budget, figure out how they might justify the money and time invested, ensure they have worked out their decision making cycle and followed it through) all on their own in a very short space of time. No wonder they have to pass up fabulous opportunities; the effort is too great, assuming they knew what was really required. Shame on us when we fall into that terrible temptation of answering “What can you do for me?”.
So going back to the trainer’s favourite principle. How can it be summed up? “Go for the No.” “Stay unemotionally attached to the outcome” “Sell today, educate tomorrow” (Rule 21) “People buy in spite of the hard sell, not because of it” (Rule 26) But then again “Never help the prospect end the interview” (Rule 19) because really “There are no bad prospects, just bad salespeople” (Rule 41).
Some strange ideas here. Intrigued enough? Don’t suppose you’d want to find out how you can do things differently? Or are you still happy to get your prospects to do all the work whilst they pass you by with a smile and a friendly “I’ll think about it”?
By Paul Glynn, Director Sandler Training in West M25 Region.
Today’s the Day! A-Level’s are out.
Today’s the Day. The 18th August is ringed in red in many calendars, in many homes across England. A-Level Results are out and the long talked about scramble for university places starts now. But after today how will universities change their process to sell to the brightest candidates.
At the last count, there were 669, 956 applicants going for only 470,000 places. Those students who miss out this year will experience largely increased fees next year. If they reapply they could face paying £17,000 more. This frantic race to escape such a financial increase has resulted in Universities being able to put entry requirements and pick the cream of the crop. A university admissions office has only had to take orders this year as supply outstrips demand.
Yet 2012 may bring a dramatic change to these institutions. The sales process will change from a student wondering, “will they accept me?” to “why should I choose you?” The Universities need to equip their staff with the skills required to react to this shift. And not just their admissions staff – all members of the University’s staff who interact with prospective students needs to have a “sales awareness. “ A skill they did not even need to consider before today.
There are 2 main things that will need to be focused upon:
- Communication Skills – and not just on the surface “small talk” skills. A student considering their university needs to feel they are making the right decision. Good communication skills will mean potential students think ‘they really understand me, I could see myself studying here.’
- The Emotional Reason to Buy. Deciding on a university is already on of the first important decisions a young person will make. A university will need its staff to be able to discover “Why does this person really want to engage with higher education” and “What are there (the student’s) personal and emotional reasons?” Then they need to be able to fit their offering to meet these.
Now universities are charging more and students are demanding more before they buy – a “sales awareness” has to be a priority. If not, despite all the exemplary academia on display and the cutting edge research, students will not be attracted.
By Anneli Thomson. Anneli runs the Sandler Training Centre in Oxford. She is passionate about helping business leaders grow and about champagne.
