How Are You Going to Pay The Buyer For His, or Her Time?

How are you going to pay the buyer for his or her time in meeting with you?  Just what will the reward be?

 

What is Your Return On Sales Encounter

The challenge is not just to demonstrate the benefits of your products and services, but also the benefits for the buyer of even meeting with you.  After all, the meeting has not been free!

Calculating the Cost of the Sales Meeting
Many sales managers have calculated the cost of a sales call and even a sales cycle. The figures can be frightening. However, few have stopped to consider the buyer’s costs and what he or she is getting in return! We call it the Return On Sales Encounter.

Return on Sales Encounter

Imagine the buyer took a calculator in hand and calculated the return on an encounter with a salesperson, starting with the cost of a meeting in the first instance and the inevitable follow up emails and calls that will result!

     Buyer's Direct       Cost of

     Salary Cost           1 Hour

     60,000                    47

     80,000                    63

     100,000                  78

     150,000                117

So, you have just cost the buyer anywhere between 47 and 117 euro, dollars, or pounds depending on how senior he, or she is. But of course that has just covered his direct salary cost, so his, or her encounter with you has to be worth a lot more than that!

Have you been worth it?

Now of course, very few buyers will do the maths, but that does not suggest that they are not acutely aware of the value of their time. There are not enough hours in the day and there are lots of other things that the buyer could have been doing instead of meeting with you. Not least of which is dealing with the many emails and voice mails that are now waiting.

How to Buy Yourself More Time?

It is time to show your value, to demonstrate your worth. So, tell the buyer something that he, or she did not know, or knew but had forgotten about. Instead of delivering your features and benefits pitch, share an insight that is relevant to the performance of his, or her business. Tell him, or her what his competitors and peers are doing and the implications, or lessons to learned.

What else is required?  Well, recognize the value of his, or her time. Don’t take up an more of it than is necessary. That includes not calling, or emailing unless you have some value to offer, that is something interesting and useful to say. It means that if you say your meeting is going to last for 40 minutes, keep it to 40 minutes.

If that is too difficult, then just write the buyer a check for him, or her time instead!

Revolutionary Ideas: Ask Fewer Questions In Your First Meetings

Question With Care!

Salespeople have been told to talk less and listen more. In this way they can gain a better understanding of the needs of their customers and prospects. That means salespeople are arming themselves with more and better questions aimed at qualifying the prospect, understanding his needs, eliciting information regarding the buying process, the budget, etc.

However, like any technique that is overused it can become ineffective, even dangerous. This is particularly the case where salespeople have an unrealistic expectation as to the number or type of questions they can ask at early stages of the relationship with the prospect.

To Ask or Not To Ask, That Is The Question!

Just how many questions can you answer on an initial call, either by phone, or face to face? To this question most sales people say.

Just how many questions can you ask in a:	Most sales people typically answer:
first meeting	4-8.
telephone call	2-3

Are these numbers right? Well they seem fair, but perhaps talk of numbers misses the point. It is not just how many questions are asked, but what is asked, how it is asked, when it is asked, and most importantly why it is asked.

Why Buyers Are Weary of The Seller’s Questions.

One thing is certain buyers are increasingly weary of salesperson’s questions. That is a good place to start with a word of warning – when buyers hear questions they fear closing. So, salespeople must question carefully.

There is a reason why buyers sit back and let sales people do all the talking, that is because that way they feel more in control. When the salesperson stops talking, he generally starts asking questions that the buyer may not want to answer for any or all of the following reasons:

· Political, or other sensitivities (somebody’s nose will be out of joint, or I don’t want to look bad)

· Genuine information gaps (we don’t have that information)

· Issues of confidentiality (I don’t want our competitors finding out)

· Issues of trust (I don’t know you)

· Perceived relevance, or appropriateness (why are you asking that)

· Issues of competitive fairness (if I tell you I will have to tell all the others competing)

· Fear of being sold to (if I tell you, you will use that to sell to us)

· Don’t want to prejudice your response (we want to hear your suggestions, not just a regurgitation of our answers)

In particular buyers are weary of questions designed to: box them buyer in, to prequalify them, to uncover and accentuate pain, to hastily pin-point a solution, or create tension for change.

Buyers are right to be reticent in answering questions, after all information is power and by asking questions the salesperson is in effect looking to share the buyer’s power. Take for example, one sales methodology, employing what it describes as the ‘Progressive Questioning Control Technique’.

In the use of questions to control the buying process the salesperson must exercise great care. So question with care and ask questions that show that you care.

Timing is Everything.

Sales people must be careful about asking questions that are inappropriately; invasive, and undiplomatic, or direct. This is principally a factor of the timing. Just as in telling jokes, timing is essential to asking good questions. Even good questions asked in the wrong manner, or at the wrong time, can make a bad salesperson.

Why is this important? Well, inappropriate or simplistic questions highlight to the buyer a deficiency of knowledge, interest, empathy, or understanding on the part of the seller.

The questions depend on the stage you are at. Asking the wrong questions at the wrong time can present problems for both buyer and seller. With this in mind we here is a summary of some of the questions that are relevant at the different stages of the buying cycle (note we use the term buying cycle as opposed to sales cycle).

Stage	Contact	Meeting	Cycles	Orders	Repeat
Objective	Nurture	Explore	Engage	Business Case	Client Success
Questions	Should we be in contact? Do they fit the profile? What needs might they have? What information do they find useful? Should we meet?	Should we be talking? Is this of interest? What else might be of interest?	Should we engage (can we help)? How to engage (help)? Who else should we engage with? What is the need? What is the ideal solution? Who is the ideal supplier? How and when will the decision be made? Is there a budget allocated, etc?	What is the business case? Is it compelling? What are the costs, benefits, risks and constraints?	How are we impacting on your business? What are the metrics? Will you recommend us to others? Can we help you tell the story of your success? How can we help you further?

Is there a Universal List of Questions? Well, no. just as there is no universal sales script, at least not an effective one. Anyhow it is less about the questions than the consultative process and that must be tailored to the client and his, or her specific situation.

The main point to be gleaned from this table is that there is no universal list of questions. The questions asked depends on the stage that you are at with the prospect. Thinking this way is very important. Let’s take an analogy.

Imagine asking how much a person earns on the first date? That is a question for the 5th, or 6^th if even that. Not for the first time buyers are advising us as salespeople to slow down.

What is the objective of the questions?

Another word of caution, don’t spend precision time with the prospect gathering information (e.g. number of employees, product range, etc.) that can be gathered in other more efficient ways (such as the company’s web site).

Similarly, limit the time spent on form filling type questions, as opposed to build and demonstrate understanding, interest or empathy. That is the questions of a salesman, as opposed to a consultant, advisor, or expert.

Earning the Right to Ask Questions.

Remember the buyer owes you nothing, and that includes answers to your questions. The sales person has to earn the right to ask questions and build the trust that will enable buyers to answer freely and in detail. How to do this? Well, by focusing more on how you can help and in particular the information you can share, rather than the information that you want.

In other words the salesperson who shows up at a meeting with a standard product led sales pitch and a list of questions to determine needs and facilitate his, or her sales process prequalification will be seen by buyers as self serving and worthy of being left waiting in the hall. Clearly buyers have preference for dealing with the salesperson that has relevant insights, experiences and ideas to share.

At the early stage of the relationship, salespeople must place more emphasis on the information you give and less on the information you want.

Questions for Early Stage Meetings.

The greatest challenge salespeople seem to face is in respect of questions to be asked in early stage meetings. This stems from the fact that salespeople are trying to achieve too much in their initial customer encounter. They are aiming, somewhat unrealistically, for the one meeting qualification and even close.

However, the salesperson’s rush to elicit needs, propose a solution and prequalify the opportunity is not shared by the buyers. As we have said elsewhere salespeople are having to cut back on their expectations and slow down to the speed of the buyer.

The objective of the first meeting is to share some useful information with the buyer, that is an insight with respect to what his counterparts, or competitors are doing, the challenges they are facing and the results they are achieving. After all that is the most powerful way of communicating the benefits of your solution. Here is an example:

We have worked with a,b,c, to achieve x,y and z, and based on these projects we have… noticed an important trend… identified a range of key success factors… identified a number of factors that are often overlooked… employed a new way of… achieved some surprising results…

So, the questions you ask logically relate to that insight shared, to those challenges, benefits and trends discussed. For example:

• Do you think this (insight) is relevant? Have you seen this trend yourself?

• Who does it affect in your business? How does it affect them?

• Is this something that you would be interested in exploring a little more? What aspects of it in particular?

• How important do you think this could be? Do you think it could be a priority? For when?

• Other companies have faced challenges in implementing (budget, time, other priorities, etc.) do you think these would apply here?

•  Has this issue been examined before?  If 'yes', What was the outcome?   If 'no', is there a reason why this issue has not be address before?

• What would you like to do next? Is there anybody else that would be interested?

Getting Real About Prequalification.

Clearly, this is quite a leap from the traditional Budget, Authority, Need and Timing questions and prequalification that has traditionally been employed in a time of buoyant demand. We are not saying that these are no longer relevant, we are saying that by necessity they must be employed rigorously to real sales opportunities not to early stage conversations.

It is time to get real about prequalification. In a market with more supplier than buyers, it is the latter that is prequalifying the former and not the other way around. During the boom years salespeople had justification and indeed pressure not to waste time selling to those that did not have a budget. Today they don't have a choice. They have to sell to all those that could represent potential customers, regardless of whether they are ready to buy next quarter, or 3 quarters out.

Rather than being focused on prequalification – have they got a budget to spend? - the focus is on answering the question ‘Should we be talking?’ and ‘Is this of interest.’ Of course, when a potential sales opportunity emerges and the process of engagement begins then a very different set of questions are required.

Has Your Prospect Done His, or Her Homework?

Has your prospect dutifully completed the tasks that were agreed at your last meeting? Has the homework been done, thereby helping you to qualify the opportunity and to determine how much time and effort you should commit in selling to them?

Let us explain what we mean. Too often salespeople meet with a prospect who nods in agreement to everything that is said, indicating a need and the desire for a solution.

Why Give Your Prospect Homework?


The salesperson leaves the meeting full of enthusiasm and with a number of follow-on tasks to complete, for example: writing up and sending on a note of the meeting, forwarding a short technical brief (hopefully it is a template that does not require too much customization), offering a list of suggestions and next steps, perhaps even creating a summary proposal, or price quotation.

All that may involve several hours work for the salesperson. Meanwhile, what does the prospect do? Well, probably nothing. That means it could all be a waste of time.

A Commitment on Both Sides is Required.

When the salesperson has completed all his or her tasks and the proposal is sent, expectations are high. However, many sales people are disappointed when the buyer does not respond with equal enthusiasm in turn. Here is the problem - the salesperson has does all the running, failing to check that the customer is following.

It is a statement of the obvious, but selling requires the involvement of the buyer. Buyer and seller must move ahead in tandem, because it has to be a process of dual engagement and mutual commitment. So, there is no point in the salesperson doing all the running, or taking on all the work.

How To Ensure Your Prospect is Following.

To avoid this happening, salespeople are advised to build and test commitment incrementally, for example by giving the buyer a test, in the form of some homework after a meeting, or a task to be completed prior to the preparation of a proposal.

If the buyer does not complete the task successfully, then a red flag is raised regarding his, or her level of commitment. This is an effective means of allowing the buyer to prequalify himself by his actions.

This is important because words and deeds don't always match up. For example, the buyer may be saying the right things, but only because he, or she is reluctant to say ‘no’, even though there is not intention to buy.

So, let us take an example - the prospect asks for a proposal after just one, or two meetings. Rather than immediately saying yes, you might give the buyer a test by responding as follows: ‘Sure I would be delighted to prepare a proposal for you, but in order for me to be able to do that effectively would you….’ The specific ‘homework’ might be as follows:

- Send me a one page outline of your requirements, or a technical specification…

- Introduce me to your colleagues in IT, so that I can check one or two pieces of information with them…

- Send me a sample of the reporting provided by your existing system, so that I can understand the gaps as you have described them…

- Provide a tour of the facility and talk to some end users…

Progressively Building and Testing Commitment.

Giving homework is an integral part of the process of confirming interest, agreeing next steps and sharing of any follow-on tasks.

Agreeing to share tasks between buyer and seller at each stage of the sales process, is likely to involve some, or all of the following:

- Sharing information
- Providing feedback

- Providing access

- Indicating commitment

- Organizing a next step (e.g. demo, presentation, etc.)

The particular task is not only aimed at testing, but is also used to build the buyer's commitment. The rationale being that if the buyer is prepared to take the time to prepare a specification then that is a sign that he, or she is pretty serious. The act of preparing the specification is a significant advance in the buying process, as well as an important input to enable you complete the next step of your sales process – in this example the preparation of the proposal.

A Word of Caution

The principle of 'giving the prospect homework' is an important one. However, as with all techniques it must be applied with care. Although it is a term that is in common usage, the language is a little off, particularly if you are a buyer. People don't like being told what to do and just as in school days most people don't like doing homework!

The Buyer Angle: What Makes a Good Supplier?

What makes a good supplier?  Well, who better to ask than the buyer, or those who have written the bible of buying for UK Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply.    Here are the answers:

·        Delivers on time

·        Provides consistent quality

·        Gives a good price

·        Has a stable background

·        Provides good service backup

·        Is responsive to our needs

·        Keeps promises

·        Provides technical support

·        Keeps the buyer informed on progress

As salespeople we tend to focus on some of these variables more than others. For example, we often focus immediately on price and quality, but less on service related aspects such as keeping promises, or keeping the buyer informed of progress.

So, what does all of this mean?  Well, everything and nothing.  The more interesting question is are you performing better on some of these criteria, than others?  Does your sales pitch fail to address any of the factors listed above that are important to buyers?

From Sales Person to Trusted Advisor - Making The Transition

Wouldn’t your job be a lot easier if your customers and prospects saw you as a trusted advisor, rather than a salesperson? Well if the answer is ‘yes’ then ‘Trust-Based Selling by Charles H. Green's is a must read.

Do Buyers Trust Salespeople?

The reality is that the words ‘sales’ and ‘trust’ are rarely used in the same sentence.

As Green points out while sellers may want to do right by their customer, meeting target inevitably comes first.

The typical buyer suspects that the salesperson will do, or say whatever is required to get the sale.

The Cost of No Trust.
The absence of trust makes both buying and selling more difficult.

Green, for example, points to that up to 50% of some US Government programmes are consumed by purchasing overheads made necessary by a lack of trust. This is in some way at least accounted for by inefficient buying processes, such as RFPs, designed to reduce personal interaction between buyer and seller.

The Importance of Trust in the Buying Decision.

A complex sale won’t close unless the buyer feels he, or she can trust the salesperson involved. That is not to suggest that buyers are emotional, rather than logical. Certainly companies screen potential suppliers according to such criterion as; product functionality, industry specific experience, technology employed, and so on. However, when it comes to the final selection – the logical frontrunner will flounder unless he, or she has the trust of the buyer.

That means, on paper one supplier may clearly have the best product, technology, or price. It may also have the best experts, the most impressive client list, or the longest pedigree. However, all of these supplier plusses are set to naught if the buyer cannot trust that company’s salesperson, or team.

Time to Change The Buying Model.

The problem is that all our sales training is aimed at demonstrating competitive advantage and building a logical reason to buy.

This is driven by traditional models that view the buying process as a sequence of steps that can be represented by straight lines and square boxes.

These outdated models suggest that the seller’s job is to cover all those who influence the buying decision, address all the criteria, prove the value, deliver the presentations, prepare the proposal, and so on. There is little consideration of emotional factors in the buying decision, in particular trust.

Stating the obvious about Trust.

Here are some obvious, but important points about trust.
- Trust is not an instant impression that you can create, it is built up over time.
- Mistrust, however can be an instinct formed immediately.
- Trust is dictated by attitude, principle and intent, rather than technique, or tool.
- It is hard to fake trust worthiness.

- Trust is earned by demonstration, not by declaration.
- By asking for it you forgo it. Trust is unspoken.

- Trust is individual and personal. Trusting a company is a different matter all together.

What does trust mean?

So, trust is important, but what exactly does it mean? Just what does the buyer need to trust the seller to do?

First the buyer has to trust that the seller will solve the problem, or deliver what is needed. But perhaps more fundamentally – he, or she must trust the seller to look out for the buyer’s interests.

After all, projects may experience problems and unforeseen circumstances can arise, but knowing that the seller will steadfastly remain at the buyer's side, regardless of what happens, is Green suggests what matters most.

Trust Means You Care.

Trust based selling requires solid levels of competence, credibility and reliability. But most fundamentally it requires a demonstration that the seller cares. So, just because the buyer knows you can do the job, does not mean that her, or she will trust you.

This is particularly important where the seller knows more than the buyer and where he, or she is an expert rather than just a salesperson. Surely, an expert is more trustworthy than a salesperson?

Well, that misses the point in a way.

The objective is not to know more, but to care more. The old adage is true ‘people don’t care what you know, until they know that you care.’

In this respect the expert who is confident, perhaps over confident, that he or she has the right answer is at a disadvantage when it comes to building trust.

How Can A Seller Inspire Trust?

‘I am not a lead’ an exasperated buyer fed up of dealing with salespeople exclaimed recently. ‘I have all these salespeople calling me wanting to prequalify and sell to me. None are interested in me, or my business. I am just another number, another lead.’ Does that sound typical? Well applying Green’s criteria this is clearly a low trust approach to selling.

Green suggests that trust rests on the buyer’s sense that the seller actually cares – something that is indicated by things like; paying attention, showing interest and exhibiting curiosity about the prospect and what is important to him/her.

When you show that you genuinely care, people tend to trust you. That means they are much more likely to buy from you when they need what you are selling. The word genuine is important, because trust is difficult to fake.

Trust-based Closing.

In trust-based selling there is really no such thing as closing, argues the author. To demonstrate the point that traditional closing is ineffective he asks: ‘When is the last time you were closed by a seller and liked it?’ He suggests that in a high-trust environment the question is not ‘are you ready to sign?’, but ‘what do you want to do next?’

A similar situation applies with respect to negotiation. The search for the upper hand through crafty negotiation skills, techniques and positions, must give way to transparency, truth and a genuine search for win-win.

Are You Applying Trust Based Selling Principles

Take this test that was inspired by ‘Trust-Based Selling’ by Charles H. Green:

· I have a track record putting the customer’s interests first even when difficult to do.

· I am focused on enhancing the success of the customer above and beyond the objective of getting the sale

· I am willing to recommend a competition to a prospect, if that is in the prospect’s best interest.

· I am prepared to walk away unless a win-win is possible.

· I spend time with clients that might not be justified by a transaction based qualification.

· I invest energy, time and attention on issues important to the customer that are sometimes

only loosely linked to what you are selling.

· I look to the medium and long term, being prepared to invest in prospects that will not generate revenue this quarter, or next.

· Even if the customer does not buy from me this time I stay in contact.

· I am fully transparent and honest in my dealings with customers and prospects.

· I genuinely care about customers and about making sure they succeed.

· I really listen to customers and their needs, thereby earning the right to give advice.

· I sell by doing, not by telling - letting the customer experience what I have to offer during the buying process.

· I spend very little time telling how great my company is, instead ask good questions and engage with the prospect in a real dialogue.

· I am candid about what you know and don’t know,

· I deal with unspoken issues, concerns, or difficult issues

· I am highly collaborative in my approach to working with clients and prospects, including . work at the customer’s site, sharing work as it progresses, involving the customer in the process, etc.

· I let customers see who I really am, rather than trying to pretend to be somebody else.

· I don't avoid the price issue, dealing with it up front nad providing the prospect an indication of price ranges early in the sales cycle

How to Maximise the Success of Your Sales Calls

In the present environment, salespeople are delighted with the opportunity to meet with anybody who expresses an interest. But, what exactly is the purpose of that first meeting and how to maximise its success? For example, how speedily can you qualify the opportunity?

To help you we have pulled some of the key points from Miller Heiman's NEW CONCEPTUAL SELLING which in the words of the authors describes 'the most effective and proven method for face to face sales planning'. And it is a refreshing read, bring us back to the basics, that are so easily overlooked in the complex sale.

The purpose of this book is clear. It is spelt out in the opening sentence of Chapter One: ‘This book shows you how to stop selling.’ So, you are immediately confused, just how is it going to help me as a salesperson then? Well, Miller Heiman want us to focus instead on how the customer buys and on making that easier. That means adopting what they call a partnership approach to mutually exploring needs and solutions with our customers.

Partners in Exploring Options

So, how to you begin this partnership process? Well, state it as your objective, for example starting your customer meeting with something like this: ‘I am really not try to ‘sell’ you anything. Instead, because we are not for everyone, I would like us together to explore whether or not we have a match here. I know exactly where we fit and where we don’t, so I would like to ask you as many questions as you would like to ask me… Is this ok with you?’ The end result a more relaxed buyer, as well as a more relaxed salesperson and a more effective process of interaction.

Note the salesperson is immediately suggesting a process of two way communication, or dialogue as the approach. They remind us what we all know, but can easily forget – that is ‘show and tell’ sessions are not effective. We need to have conversations instead. For too long salesperson have been telling customers what they need, but now those same customers have stopped listening, after all they have real business decisions to make.

Joint Venture Selling

The first step on the path to joint venture selling is to scrap the assumption that the prospect needs your solution and that by showing it he, or she will immediately recognize that need. Here is the fundamental point – ‘people buy for their own reasons not yours!’ In a similar vein, people don’t resist their own ideas, but will resist those foisted upon them.

So, the task of the salesperson is to understand his, or her needs and the decision making process by which they will be met.

Life beyond the product pitch.

Let us revisit selling complex solutions 101 - ‘nobody buys a product, or service per se. What is bought is what the customer thinks the product, or service will do for him, or her.’ This is encapsulated in what what the authors refer to as the customer’s own personal ‘solution concept’.

For example, two organisations may require a CRM system, but for totally different reasons. The salesperson who sells the same way to each, pitching their and highlighting its feature set, is missing the point. Each customer has a unique and individual concept of the solution for his, or her business. Knowing exactly what that is the vital first step to a sale.

'Customerized Selling'

The salesperson’s job is not just discovering the customer’s solution concept, but helping shape it too. This process of adapting what you have got to the unique needs of each customer and the ideas that they want expressed, is what the authors call ‘customerized selling’. Key to this process is addressing the following questions:

Why am I here? This requires defining the sales objective for each meeting, or call. This goes hand in hand with effective sales meeting and sales call planning.

What do I want the customer to do? That is the ideal, or at least the minimum commitment that you expect from the customer as a next step following your meeting – after all it is a joint process, or no process at all. Before the meeting you will confirm with the prospect that this step is an appropriate next action, in this way ensuring agreement and commitment.

Ensure that people are with you on the journey – testing on an ongoing basis their level of interest, engagement and commitment. Measure the pulse of the relationship, as well as the opportunity, by regularly checking for commitment on the part of the customer.

If the customer does not take, or complete a specific next action following a meeting then perhaps he, or she does not clearly see a personal win and work in this area is required. Otherwise perhaps this is no win-win to be had at this time and you should look elsewhere.

Why should the customer see me? This relates to what the authors call a ‘valid business reason’ for the customer, or prospect to want to allocate time to meet with the salesperson. Clearly agreeing this in advance will warm up your call (if it is a cold call) and set expectations for the meeting, including who should be present and increase its effectiveness. If it is simply meeting a prospect for a sales call and there is no ‘valid business reason’ in the eyes of the prospect then it is not a sales call.

Do I have credibility? Before you prospect can talk about needs or explore your solution, he, or she had to be comfortable regarding your credibility, and that of your company. So, pay attention to the nature of the questions the prospect is asking, are they about your solution, or your credibility?

Present the prospect with evidence of your credibility which is based on your confidence, appearance and approach, as well as what you communicate about your experience, knowledge, associations, accreditations, etc.

What Information am I missing?

As salespeople we have the dominant gene for talking. However, we need to stop talking and start listening. To help us we need good questions that will fill in any gaps in the information that we have about our prospects and their needs, solution concept, buying process, etc.

It is important to prepare a list of the right questions and asking them in the right way, including how they are phrased and sequenced. Then afford silence to the answers. These questions are not just aimed at eliciting facts, but also building understanding and in particular exploring soft areas such as attitudes, emotions, culture, etc.

So, the sales person is no longer in control.

The salesperson has to let go of the notion of control. He, or she must stop assuming that the customer needs what he, or she has got and start listen intensively to what the customer actually wants. He, or she is no longer the 'ring master at the sale', to use the authors words, but merely a facilitator and communicator.

The salesperson’s new job is to get information, give information and build commitment through what the authors call a ‘joint venture’ approach to selling. And the founding principle of that approach is a win-win, where buyer and seller create the environment and conditions for a mutually beneficial relationship.

Arriving at a win-win situation.

Win-win is a genuine situation where neither the buyer,

or the seller seeks to steal a short term win over the other. For the seller this win-win mentality is key to ensuring repeat business and enthusiastic referrals for the customer. Something similar applies for the buyer, who does not foist unreasonable terms on the seller that would result in a one sided deal that would cut the cost of the solution, but might also impact on the suppliers ability, or commitment to deliver.

The win-win mentality is the ultimate expression of joint venture selling, with parity of needs and esteem. It means that the seller does not adopt a ‘cap in hand’ mentality and is prepared to walk away if the relationship cannot be mutually advantageous.

Praise for this book:

THE NEW CONCEPTUAL SELLING by Miller Heiman is not new, in fact it was first published as far back as 1987. However, it is still the gold standard as regards sales methodology for the complex sale. This book provides the fundamentals that will always be important, regardless of any trend, or fads in selling.

SELLING IS DEAD: Moving Beyond Traditional Roles and Practices to Revitalise Growth

The good news is that the market for your solution is much bigger than you think it is. The bad news is that you need a completely new way of selling in order to capitalize on it. This is the message of ‘Selling is Dead’ by Marc T Miller and Jason Sinkovitz.

From time to time we stumble on a company that happens to be actively searching for a solution like ours, or perhaps they call us. But they are simply the tip of the iceberg in terms of the potential demand for our solutions- that is if only all the other potential customers would wake up and realize they need our solution too.

The authors start by pointing out that only 10% of your market is actively searching for a solution, the rest are either not aware they have a problem, or that they need a solution. But most salespeople are only equipped to sell to the former and end up neglecting the latter. They are selling to the shopping stage universe, which is, as the authors point out, ‘small, elusive and competitive’.

So, I agree when the authors argue that salespeople cannot limit their selling to prospects that have a need, or even a budget for that matter. OK, most salespeople believe that ‘no budget equals no sale’, but that is an abdication of their responsibility to shape the strategic agenda in their prospect’s businesses and to shift how funds are allocated as a result. In doing this and creating the demand the salesperson is accessing a new market space that much bigger and much less competitive.

So, a lot of the time you will be selling to buyers who are satisfied with the status quo, as opposed to looking for a solution. Transforming that satisfaction into a recognition of needs and a critical mass of dissatisfaction is essential if your prospect going to move beyond curiosity to a commitment to change. When you accompany your prospect on this journey, not as a salesperson in the traditional mode, but as a peer, or trusted advisor, you can bypass the competitive supplier against supplier showdown.

Here is why the authors argue that selling is dead, well at least the traditional mode of selling: Transactional salespeople struggle to advance buyers from the satisfaction, or to act as a catalyst for latent needs. That is because many salespeople insist on meeting only prospects prequalified in terms of budget, need, timing, etc. Selling to what the authors call 'satisfaction', or the majority of the market whose needs are latent, requires a consultative sales approach.

The required model is one of engagement with the focus on creating the need for change first and the need for the seller’s solution second. By necessity that requires selling higher in the organization, where business strategies and objectives, and specifically performance gaps, rather than features and technologies matter. That means the salesperson’s approach, language, questions, demeanor and sales steps must change.

Here is how Miller puts it: ‘In today’s environment, senior managers will not buy from salespeople – nor give them their time. They require salespeople to be more. Much more. To be business people who sell’. Afterall major purchases are not just buying decisions, but important business decisions.

The 'business person who sells' focus is as much on a business decision as a purchase decision, addressing situation analysis, objectives, issues, options, and constraints, as part of the what the author calls the ‘solutions journey’. Of course, like any new business strategy it requires validation, quantification and minimising risk.

In Summary:

So there it is - you must add significant value beyond the product, or service you are selling – in fact you must work on creating demand not just generating the sale.

- Are you ready? Well to find out take the test:

- Is your organization selling features and benefits or are you uncovering needs and adding value?

- Can they sell the new applications that significantly impact a buyer’s bottom line?

- Can they catalysts for and able to build a case for strategic change?

- Are you in the business of demand creation?

- Could your salespeople be described as customer business productivity, or performance experts?

- Is your selling done by salespeople, or business people who sell?

Praise for Selling is Dead:

Few people have created their own sales model, fewer still have created a model of the buying process. However, Miller’s work in this is area is though provoking and enlightening. In particular if you are selling what your customers consider to be high risk innovations this book is an essential read.

Are You a Peer in the Boardroom, or a Vendor in the Hallway?

If a book promised to show you how to ‘become a peer in the boardroom… instead of a vendor waiting in the hallway!’ would you read it? Well, that is exactly what ‘VALUE FORWARD SELLING’, by Paul R. Di Modica does.

Because the focus of this book is ‘how to sell to management’ the first step is quite an obvious one – seek out and sell higher up the organisation.

If you don’t then you are inevitably lengthening the sales cycle, as well as limiting your success in other ways.

Selling to senior management:

Selling to senior management requires breaking free of some habits and moving out of your comfort zone, in fact it requires a new approach to sales, including a different message and even a different self concept.

At the lower levels prospects may be concerned with features and the underlying technology, but not at the top. Senior management wants more – they want Value. That means you need to stop selling products, or services and focus instead on the benefits they promise for customers. This is where the title of Di Modica's book comes into play – the salesperson’s job is to bring forward, or tangibilise the value of his, or her solutions. The challenge then is to communicate your business value up front, even before you start selling per say.

Bring Forward the Value:

How to bring forward the value? Well, the key point is that value is communicated by identifying buyer problems, or challenges, and communicating how you have helped others to address them. That is an important point about communicating your value – it is not what you say it is, but what others can attest to.

Di Modica suggests that, as salespeople, we need to see ourselves as ‘pain management specialists’. To reinforce the notion of value you have to be seen as a specialist, as opposed to a generalist - both in terms of your solution area, as well as vertical sector.

To achieve this the salesperson must become an expert in his, or industry industry and that of the customer. Read about and study it – so that you think and speak like your prospects. Then package up your knowledge – even put a phrase on it, creating a new industry concept, or term.

When you complete the above you will be more comfortable talking to senior management in prospect organisations. Importantly, they will be more comfortable talking to you. They will see you as a business peer and not a salesperson.

How to Gain Access?

How to get in the door to senior management in the first place? Well Di Modica uses the term engagement marketing, to describe a forward looking approach that surrounds cold calling with warmth creating activities such as; direct mail, executive briefings, white papers, networking, etc.

This approach recognises that sales cycles and buying cycles don’t necessarily correspond. That means that the sales organisation has to engage with the prospect even before the need is clear, or a buying process has begun. It must maintain that contact through integrated sales and marketing that touches off the prospect right throughout the sales cycle.

Consistent with bringing forward value - stop sending brochures and start sending a whitepaper, an interesting article, or book instead. Ensure that you have an interesting perspective, or proposition of real value to communicate before you pick up the telephone, or meet with a prospect.

Selling to senior management is, as Di Modica points out a premeditated contact sport. He places great emphasis on preparation for meetings, including providing the prospect with a valid reason to meet, outlining key discussion points in advance, etc. Incidentally, both of these must be tailored to each specific customer, or prospect.

Praise for this Book:

This is not a book by an academic, but that written by a salesperson – that is clear from the practical nature of the approach. It won’t tell you anything new, but it will remind you of a great deal that you may have forgotten. Some of the other things of value you will pull from the book are as follows:

• Print of the web pages of your key competitors and find out how you are different.
• Don’t overlook personal motivations – Psychological ROI is every bit as important as financial ROI.
• Should you respond to RFPs from organisations that you have had no previous contact with?
• Are your proposals more about your company that your prospect?
• Just how much preparation is required for sales pitches, or presentations?
• How to build credibility in tandem with handling objections?
• The role of executive story telling in demonstrating credibility.