Sales Coach Debi

Someone on LinkedIn asked the question, “What are a few effective techniques people utilize when public speaking” I thought this was a good question and one worth talking about here.

Sales people, managers and leaders are prompted to speak publicly all the time. Whether asking or answering questions in a meeting, conducting internal meetings or preparing to present a proposal or solution to a potential client, speaking at one time or another is inevitable.

As a trainer I do this regularly so I thought I would share just a few ideas here on techniques that work for me.

Preparation is the obvious key to great public speaking. A few basic preparation steps are to understand your audience and to make time for practice. It is also important in practice to pay attention to voice projection, cadence, pace and inflection.

There is one thing we shouldn’t do in our preparation: If you write your speech word for word, that OK but don’t use those as your notes at the lectern. Doing so prompts the speaker to read which makes us sound… well… like we’re reading.  Reading your speech can also be a disaster if you lose your place.

One thing I’ve found to be truly helpful is to break your speech into three’s. Most people can remember sets of three without reading. Turn your written information into bullets I call these “food for the brain” If you memorize anything, memorize your transitions.

Impromptu speaking is not something we can typically prepare for. I have many colleagues who struggle tremendously with those impromptu moments. Their heart rate increases and so does their nervousness, leaving them to struggle with the formation of cohesive sentences. The key here is to relax. An increased in heart rate is common. The key is to think of that nervousness as the high energy that your body is trying to give you. Think of it as embracing the energy and moving it forward not inward.

I also digitally record myself so as to critique, polish and visualize the outcome I want.  Visualization techniques have always been effective in helping people attain important goals or outcomes.  Not only does visualization help the speaker’s delivery, it also has a calming effect.

Let us know what techniques work for you.

Russ Boreham of Chartered IT asked on Linked In:    Short and Precise Voicemails, Do They Work?:

The tried and tested method of leaving voicemails:

*Make sure they are under 30 seconds in length
*Be precise, state your name and why you are calling
*Give clear details of how to return your call
*Don’t give away too much information, entice the person to call you back.

But does this work? Why do the majority of messages fall by the wayside and go unreturned?

Does anyone have a better way of getting their calls returned on a regular basis?

There were many good answers – my answer is:

If you leave a voice mail: be brief, to the point and specific. And be certain the benefit to the person you are calling is stated in the first sentence. It must be a compelling WIIFM (what’s in it for me). In the end-repeat your phone number slowly and clearly twice.

” Russ, we met at XXX and as I am working with (recognizable name/same industry) on addressing the same concerns you are faced with in your industry, I wanted to to invite you to a joint meeting to see if we can help. Call me at ……………” again the number is…. Try it and track you stats. Then let me know how it works for you.

Happy Selling!

Another great story – 9 steps towards sales success

One sales person in Dallas last week discussed his success at a customer meeting. There are numerous factors that can make or break your success rate but the most important first steps – set you up for all the interaction that follows.

Preparation if done early and well can significantly increase your chances for success. This Dallas sales professional won the customer’s confidence and a sale that knocked out his entire quota for the year. The nine steps in preparation he completed before the very first meeting are as follows:

1. Thoroughly research the company and contacts
2. Determine pain points for that customer/industry
3. Decide and prepare your open ended general business questions 
4. Send your agenda and invite the customer to add others to it
5. Research the added participants for areas of commonality, roles and responsibilities
6. Ask yourself what each added participants cares about.
7. Decide how you will ask your open-ended questions ( see 11.5.09 blog)
8. Write the questions out with pen and paper or on a white board – ( helps you retain)
9. Find a coach, peer or family member and practice your questions for both probing and qualifying to disqualify. (more on qualifying to disqualify later)

Great preparation- early and completely sets you up for success and saves you from wasting time in the long-run on prospects that aren’t buying.

Sometimes we forget that as individual buyers, we EXPECT to negotiate.  We know that if we don’t ask, we won’t receive.  Come-on — pay full price for that couch?  No way! Let me see if I can get a discount first. 

The same thing applies to your customers.  So expect them to ask, but don’t offer a reduction without the initial request and don’t offer a reduction without asking for something in return. (a longer term,  additional services, 5 qualified referrals that the customer calls and introduces you to, etc.) And be certain they know that their price reduction request is a BIG request.  

Don’t be afraid to say, “No, I’m sorry that we won’t be able to do business together today.

In order for us (my company) to be here long-term for all my other customers  it is my job to ensure a win/win for us both.  

As Tom Hopkins use to say, when you ask the closing question, “the first person to talk loses.”  

To update for today’s market – it is more important as a front-end seller, before the closing question, while in probing and negotiating, that the first person to talk price and/or to make price an issue is the very same person that turns your products or services into a commodity.  Customers just expect to negotiate.  Don’t commoditize yourself and don’t shop with your wallet on their behalf.  Take your price sensitivity out of it!

Most customers won’t admit it but they respect a sales person that has business savvy and understands the value of WIN/WIN.  

Share your experiences and help others in your profession. 

The Sale Professional’s  - Tip for the day: 

Sometimes you just have to say No!

I spoke with a sales person this week that said,”I used LinkedIn with great success to get information about a large company I was targeting.”

As we all know sometimes finding out who to talk with in a large organization can be challenging.  Through social media, this sales person found several influencer’s and the decision maker. He also learned about the schools they attended and associations they belong to.

The sales person used this information to find areas of commonality and the pain points in this organizations industry. He then incorporated his new found knowledge into an opening for his call and email messages.

This sales person works for a little-known company yet he gained access to a large organization and he now has a 20K opportunity on the prospects planning table.

I already consider this a success. This seller did his homework. Being seen as an expert so that you can get to the customers planning table is a huge accomplishment.

I’ll keep you posted

How have you succeeded using Social Media?

http://www.linkedin.com/redirect?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIFYPQjYhv8&feature=player_embedded

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