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1. The Sales Manager is a critical ingredient to each sales person’s success here. Things that get measured get done, and at a minimum a review of pipelines needs to happen at least on a monthly basis (although all will benefit even more from a weekly review). This review is not meant to be a “gotchya” exercise but rather identification of roadblocks being encountered in moving deals through the pipeline. The Sales Manager should be approaching this review with the intention that the Sales Manager will walk away from the review with a number of personal initiatives that they will be taking on to assist the sales person moving deals forward. Not only does this result in more sales, but it provides for the coaching of “how to’s” so the sales person can take more and more of this on in the future. As well, the sales person will be expected to take several initiatives on as well, all with the intent to open more business.
2. Do you have enough? Too many sales people are working with too thin a pipeline. Now, that may sound like a contradiction to what I teach, which is that too many sales people are calling on too many people. But, it is not in conflict. Each business is different, so numeric examples can prove difficult. The key here is to not rely on wishful thinking. If we have a healthy pipeline, we are not subjected to riding each prospect on an “I need this one to happen this month”. People don’t want to be sold, and a sales person who is regularly in the market on such a needy basis will send signals of desperation. If you have enough cooking in your pipe, and you are touching them on a consistent and value driven basis, then deals will happen. Research what the typical time from inception to deal is, and plan accordingly. Returning to the numbers, if you want 10 new deals to close in a month, and you only have 20 that you are working on, then the pull through gets to be tough. Have 100 in the pipe, with different grades of importance and frequency of touch, and those 10 you are seeking has a much better shot.
3. The key to moving prospects through the pipeline is to “not be selling, but helping them to buy”. In this context, an effective Touch System will be reflective of helping them be more successful (with or without your product or service). Mixing up the medium in which you are touching the pipeline; employing a timeline for touches based upon the stage in the pipeline (some daily, weekly, monthly, etc). But most of all, the key is touching the pipeline with things of value. Demonstrate you are different than your competitors. Help your prospects with their pains and move them to places of pleasure. It’s there that people buy!

IF YOU WANT TO BE AMONGST THE BEST, THEN PRACTICE

Why is this so hard to understand? Sales people everywhere claim that they want to make more money; they claim they want to be better at what they do. Yet, when I bring up “practice” we find it’s not going on. And when it is, it’s rarely conducted seriously. I’m scratching my head!

Michael Jackson was viewed in the music business from 7 years old until his death as one of the best (and, he was notorious for the amount he practiced, right up to his death). Mick Jagger is now in his mid-70’s and viewed as one of the best ever in his field, and yes, relentless with his practice with the Rolling Stones. Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Jerry Rice, Tom Brady, and go ahead and include any sports figure you consider as one of the BEST, and they are still practicing if currently playing (or practiced religiously until they stopped playing the game). Pick anything in life, and the BEST are there more as a result of practice than any other reason. You wouldn’t hear from any of them that they’ve been playing for “X” years. You wouldn’t see them sitting on their laurels.

The bottom line is that the BEST practice. If you don’t schedule it, it will not get done. And when you practice, make it “game day like”. The times you are actually out selling should be times of celebration; where you reap the rewards from all the time and effort practicing. So, do you really want to get better? Do you really want to make more money? Do you really want to be THE BEST?

WHO ARE YOUR COACHES?

Who are your mentors? How well are you doing “modeling the masters”? I could be directed these questions to most anyone in life, and they would apply and have value. CEO’S, Sales Managers and Sales Professionals all!

These days I’m at best a casual participant in the triathlon sport. In my heyday, when I was competing at a level that got me to be a member of TEAM USA and to Kona in the Ironman World Championship, I had as many as 6 Coaches. No sense me making up the route to success; better to just go to those who have “been there, done that”. At 13 years old, I benefited from the experience of 200 successful business owners and learned the value and rewards of having goals in writing and a plan to achieve them. For decades I’ve had a “Board of Directors of my Life”, numbering 5, who hold me accountable to my personal goals and each meeting with me 4 times a year to ensure I’m making progress. And, over the years, I’ve typically relied on at least 3 Coaches on my business (beyond that of a Board of Directors or Advisory Board). All of this has served me well over the years.

Similar to my words earlier regarding Practice and the desire to be the BEST, pick whatever role model you like (someone at the top level of their field), and I would wager there are one or more Coaches involved. So, who are your Coaches, and when do you plan to get going here?

DUBLIN IRELAND, JACK’S COMING BACK!

After a successful debut in Dublin in January with the Pendulum Summit, the demand for a return visit to “go deeper” has been well heard. So, here’s the deal.

AUGUST 2018- Tuesday, 9 October 2018

SMART SELLING: The Path to Hyper Sales Growth Full Day Workshop

The reality of sales is people do not want to be sold. I’ve never met anyone who enjoys having someone try to sell them something. So my first directive to salespeople when it comes to selling strategies is to quit selling. It doesn’t work.

Selling a product, idea, or service in today’s economy takes more effort than it did even five years ago. Technology has allowed for businesses to connect all over the world, meaning most consumers, customers, or clients have many options available. This means a sales person must work to build trusting relationships to win new customers and grow the ones you already have. Jack will explain the importance of leveraging your business’ unique competitive advantages to create systems and processes to be used by your entire sales team to ensure the growth of your company.

This session is heavy on identifying the things that need to be done; “the what…” and then getting motivated to actively engage in “the how” of putting the processes in place.

Key Learnings:

• Earning trust by caring first
• Leveraging centers of influence
• Perception of Value is key to Differentiation
• Goal achievement thru specific activities
• Measurement and Accountability Systems
• Turning prospects into clients via pipeline management
• Creating a “value to the prospect” Touch System
• Reducing, if not eliminating objections
• Quickly identifying and adjusting to Personalities
• Helping others buy instead of selling them something

REGISTER TODAY!