Weiss Report Blog

Years ago I had a very rude awakening as a new sales
representative. I was so wet behind the ears, if I stood in
place for any length of time, I’d be standing in a puddle of my
own perspiration.

I was young and had energy to burn. I knew all the answers so I
didn’t need to ask any questions.

You could say I was full of myself. I loved my new job. I was
selling laboratory supplies, chemicals, and equipment to people
who wore white lab coats.

I also had to deal with purchasing agents, who seemed to enjoy
making sales representatives, especially new ones like me, very
uncomfortable.

I was in my sales territory for about 3 1/2 weeks. I was in
training for two of those weeks, where I got to watch different
people do different jobs.

As soon as my boss cut me loose from the training program - I
headed straight for my largest accounts, the ones who were
currently doing the most business with us.

Then, I started calling our largest potential prospects. Up
first was the General Foods R&D Center, located in Tarrytown New
York.

I remember walking confidently into the rather large lobby and
walking over to the receptionist. Her name was Felicia.

I introduced myself and asked to see Brian N. who was the senior
buyer, at that time, for laboratory supplies.

She called him and a few minutes he came out of his office. He
was the size of a walrus.

He motioned for me to sit down with him in one of the not so
private seating areas in the main lobby. I barely said my name
before he interrupted and jumped in with, “We don’t buy from
your company and we never will.” He added, “I guess if we
desperately needed something and no one else had the product, we
might order it from you.”

With that he got up turned his back to me and walked back to his
office.

Well - I sure showed him.

Now, I had him exactly where I wanted him.

In sales, sometimes you have to be patient and I mean very
patient. In fact you may have to wait until somebody retires or
dies before you can get your foot in the door. Brian did both
and I did get a sizable chunk of the business.

It wasn’t so many years later that I realized I didn’t know what
I didn’t know.

Because I had so little experience and even less sales training,
I believed wrongly, that my options were limited.

Today I realize my options were limited only by my imagination,
determination, and other outside resources available to me.

I coulda put together a written plan.

I coulda got my management team involved.

I coulda wore Brian down with handwritten notes, cards, and
helpful business articles relating to his business.

I coulda sent him a gigantic coffee mug from
www.greatbigstuff.com with a note asking him to talk business
with me over a cup of coffee.

I coulda sent him a dozen roses with an appropriate note. Maybe
this wouldn’t work with Brian - but you get the picture.

I coulda sent him a six-foot ruler with a note asking him what
we would need to do to measure up to his expectations?
(www.greatbigstuff.com)

I coulda sent him a special card for every conceivable holiday
on the calendar.

I coulda, woulda, shoulda done a whole lot more than I did.

That was then this is now. Today I’m different. I rely on new
information and get an abundance of new ideas from my collection
of books, e-books, eCourses, single CDs, and even audio books. I
have convinced myself there are no problems I can’t solve if I
look in the right places for the right resources for the answers
I need.

It took some time for me to finally wake up after my first rude
awakening.

Imagine if I could go back in time and make that first sales
call to Brian N. again.

I probably would listen to the CD titled, “How To Avoid Sounding
Pathetic During A Sales Call.”
http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/netcart.asp?MerchantID=39581&off
erid=16002&q=2

I coulda called a sales coach and probably gotten some good
ideas to help me get my foot in that door. There are still (3)
slots available.
http://www.meisenheimer.com/sales_coaching/oneonone.htm

Today, in my business, I seek out awakenings, the positive ones,
to help me grow my business. I do however prefer to take a pass
on the rude ones.

Let’s go sell something . . .

4 examples of effective dialogue in cold calling

How can we make cold calls “work” when we’re talking to someone we haven’t met, about something they may not need? Well, it’s really simple. First we look at how to relate to them rather than hoping they’ll relate to us and our solution.

When we approach cold calling with a question about what their needs are, potential clients respond much more readily to the idea of talking with us.

To help you with this, here are a few examples of dialogues within four very different industries.

Example: Staffing

In the staffing or recruiting industry, the goal is to call a company and identify whether they need help finding new staff.

The old cold calling approach is, “Hi. My name is… I’m with XYZ Staffing Company, and we offer these services. I’m just calling to…” And by that time, the person pretty much says, “We’re not interested,” right?
With this new cold calling approach, the idea is to think about the problem you’re solving. The problem you’re solving is helping them find good people.

So I would start the conversation with, “Maybe you can help me out for a second?” And they usually say, “How can I help you?”

I reply, “I’m just calling to see if your company is still looking at finding good, quality employees to hire?”

The response to that is likely to be, “Well sure. Who’s this?” This is a normal response which we want to be ready for. I would simply say, “My name is Ari and I’m with XYZ Staffing Company and we help companies identify and find good people. I’m just calling to see if your company is in a situation now where you’re looking to hire and find new people.”

Example: Software

Let’s say you’re in the software industry, and that you sell software to improve the productivity of an organization. What you want to do is focus on the problem that you solve specifically.

What most software salespeople do in cold calling is say, “Hi, we sell software to help improve productivity.” But that doesn’t really identify the problem it solves. You have to focus specifically on an issue.

So, for instance, the software might solve a problem with lost paper-based documents. That’s a very specific issue.

In this case, I might call and say, “I’m just calling to see if your company is having issues with lost paperwork because of manual paper-based filing systems.”

See how specific that is? It’s very directed to the problem in their world. This is in contrast to, “I want to see if your company is looking to buy some software or looking to improve productivity,” or something similar.

Example: Advertising

Advertising is a very good example. Typically, what most advertising sales folks start with is an introduction. They talk about their advertising product or services that they offer.

But with our problem solving approach, the question becomes, “What does advertising solve for people?” The first thought usually is that it gets people leads. It gets more branding.

Let’s go deeper than that. What do leads do for companies? Leads provide sales, right? So if I sell advertising, I might call and say, “Maybe you can help me out for a second. I’m just calling to see if your company is open to new ideas of generating leads for your business.”

From this place, the discussion unfolds around their world, and not your advertising.

That’s the real shift in making cold calling relevant to their world.

Example: Collections

Another example is the collections industry. Typically, collection agencies call companies to see if they can be hired to collect invoices that are unpaid. They usually talk about their services as opposed to making their cold calling focus on the problem.

The client is looking to bring in more revenue from invoices that aren’t paid. So an approach might be, “Maybe you can help me out for a second?” The reply is once again, “Sure, how can I help you?”

“I’m just calling to see if your company is still having issues with unpaid invoices.” And the response probably will be, “Well, yeah, we are. Who’s this?”

You can then respond in a very relaxed tone, “This is John. I’m with XYZ Collection Agency. I’m just calling to see if you’d be open to some new ideas on how to better solve that problem.”

These are some examples of how to make your cold calling relevant to the other person and his or her needs. Practice this, and you’ll find that your cold calling conversations become more relaxed. You’ll no longer have to shift into an artificial “salesperson” role.

Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.Unlock-The-Cold-Calling-Game.com

Compounding the problem are two myths regarding measures of competency in sales.

Myth#1: Quota performance does not equate to sales competency - A salesperson’s quota is usually determined by management. More often than not, the quota is set as a way to attain a goal of an increased share price or its just pulled out of the air as a “nice-to-have-number” that is bigger than last year. It’s a rare organization that can articulate how a quota was set. It’s even rarer to find an organization that sits down to do the sales math and determine the realistic quota and stretch quota for their salespeople. Without this understanding, how do you know if the quota is too high? How do you know if it is too low? You don’t! Therefore the salesperson that hits quota in an organization that doesn’t know how to set one is not proving his or her competence.

Myth#2: Activity level does not equate to sales competency - Many organizations set sales activity goals. They will ask their salespeople to accomplish X sales calls, X phone calls, and X proposals a day. These types of measurements, and constantly hitting them, do not mean the person can sell. Sure, there is a positive correlation between activity and selling, but if I play the lottery every single day I probably won’t win. If I play X lottery games, in X states, and with X amount of money, it doesn’t mean I’m driving towards a win. It simply means I’m increasing my chances. I’d rather have someone that knows exactly what they are doing and not playing the lottery with their sales territory.

So what exactly is sales competency? Competence is defined as someone’s knowledge, skill and internal motivation. Knowledge is the building block of competence. Effective sales professionals are continuously learning and they have developed a framework and process for accessing their knowledge. They have a solid knowledge foundation and they understand their strengths and weaknesses. Skill is determined by the knowledge a salesperson has gained plus their experience level. The most skilled sales professionals have stayed in one vertical market or industry for a longer period of time. They have also stayed in the same sales role for a longer length of time (such as outside sales). They have also followed a defined career path with increasing levels of responsibility and complexity of sale. Internal motivation is someone’s self talk, drive, and purpose. Their passion for the product, zeal for the organization where they work, and their positive attitude form the cornerstone for the ability to overcome objections, handle rejection, or deal with poorly set sales quotas.

A competent sales person has the ability to move into any organization and gain the trust of the decision-makers. They work to create a situation where buying can occur within an ethical environment at a fair price. They have the knowledge to speak to a CEO, the front-line manager, or the newest employee about what issues and challenges they face. Most of all they strive to increase their knowledge, skill, and motivation so they can be the best at what they do.

Brian is the Chairman and Founder of the the United Professional Sales Association (UPSA). UPSA is a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington DC that has addressed the concerns and challenges of individual sales professionals. Brian has authored the world’s first universal selling standards and open-source selling framework for free distribution. This ‘Compendium of Professional Selling’ containing the commonly accepted and universally functional knowledge that all sales professionals possess. The open-source selling standards have been downloaded in 16 countries by over 300 people. Over 30 people have made contributions.

Because UPSA is not owned by one person or any company, it is a member organization and guardian of the global standard of entry into the sales profession.

Find out about the membership organization and understand the processes and framework of professional selling at the UPSA Website at http://www.upsa-intl.org

Find out more about Brian at: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert_bio=Brian_Lambert

Or at http://www.brianlambert.biz

Suddenly gripped with a vision of what I wanted from his company, I seized control of the conversation and asked the salesman whom I should talk to about my idea. He was startled, of course, that I was turning the tables in the middle of his presentation, but he complied.

A few calls later, I was speaking to, and pitching a guy, who after hearing my idea volunteered, “Your timing couldn’t be better!”

I love that phrase, because it symbolizes what is tremendous about selling, especially when you’re doing it, unconventionally.

When you take the initiative you literally make things happen. You create something where there was nothing. You amalgamate the most intangible things we know, a goal, a concept, your words, a telephone connection, and the next thing you know, you’re doing business with a person who was a stranger, mere seconds before.

What can be more exciting than this?

An artist, who rummages for discards and then assembles this erstwhile junk into something interesting or beautiful, is no more creative than you are, at such a moment.

The key to all of this joy and success is to be prepared to pitch anybody, at anytime.

I’m really fond of taking calls that are made to me, and injecting into them my own agendas.

There are several advantages:

(1) You can find out a lot about the company that the caller represents because salespeople are talkers and you have one on the line;

(2) As the caller’s perceived “customer,” he’s going to be more polite and patient with you as you do the Vulcan Mind Meld with him than he would be if you had actually phoned him;

(3) If you’re really persuasive, he’ll do a hot transfer on the spot, connecting you with someone who can provide even better information as well as tips for selling to the firm; and

(4) You’ll sound loose and relaxed, because you’re sailing in their wind, and you know it.

Win, lose, or draw, turning the tables is great practice, and it pumps you up.

You’ll know you’re getting pretty good at it when you start hearing, “Your timing couldn’t be better!”

Dr. Gary S. Goodman © 2006

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC’s Annenberg School, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

If you are a commercial mortgage broker, or running a commercial mortgage lending company, you must have felt the need for commercial mortgage leads. Business owners often require commercial mortgage loans to buy office space, factories or stores. Commercial mortgage leads help lending institutions approach commercial mortgage loan seekers with loan offers. Commercial mortgage seekers, while searching for the best mortgage deals, submit their mortgage loan requests to the commercial lead-generating companies. They fill out a simple online application form providing all the relevant details. The lead-generation companies then supply the applications to the commercial mortgage lending institutions. The mortgage loan applications then turn into commercial mortgage leads.

However, before approving the commercial mortgage leads, mortgage lead generation companies verify the authenticity of the applications. Commercial mortgage leads are not merely a collection of contact addresses of the borrowers. The type of commercial mortgage loans the borrowers want and the objective behind such loans should be taken into consideration. The lead generation companies should judge the merit of the loan applications before sending them to the lending firms. Qualified commercial mortgage leads make the job easier for commercial mortgage lenders. The responsibility of the lead generation companies doesn’t end with supplying quality leads to the lending firms. They need to study the commercial mortgage lending companies as well. They need to make sure that the companies are federally insured. They even check the credentials with the Better Business Bureau.

The verification process will ensure that the lending companies don’t have the opportunity to take the loan applicants for a ride. On the basis of the commercial mortgage leads, the lending companies offer quotes to the loan applicants. As a commercial loan applicant, you can then accept your favorite loan offers. Commercial mortgage leads are designed to facilitate the communication between borrowers and lending firms.

Mortgage Leads provides detailed information on Mortgage Leads, Mortgage Lead Generation, Internet Mortgage Leads, Commercial Mortgage Leads and more. Mortgage Leads is affiliated with Mortgage Marketing Leads.

A few years ago, I was working as a catering manager of a local historic hotel. The hotel had been in terrible condition for many years until a group of investors purchased it and began the long arduous process of renovation. They were able to get the majority of it renovated before the funding started to run out, at which time they opened for business to offset some of the costs of ownership. As a result, all of the rooms, lobby and ballroom were completely renovated, while the restaurant was still in a sorry state. Since the ballroom was booked for events, I was hired to cater, using the kitchen in its un-renovated condition. The kitchen could handle an event every week, but wasn’t ready for the business a new restaurant would bring. So, I took the job, set up shop in the kitchen and began catering every event that came through.

Shortly after the hotel reopened, things started getting very busy. In addition to being full most of the time, people were booking events right and left. I was soon catering two or more events a week, with a schedule booked months in advance. What had started as a part time job was quickly turning into double overtime. They even expanded my floor staff and hired two full time assistants for the food preparation work, which I normally handled myself.

Then, inevitably, the investors who owned the hotel decided it was time to renovate the restaurant. I was quickly told that I wouldn’t be needed anymore. They would use an outside caterer who could bring food in. I really didn’t want the business to end, and while commiserating over its inevitable demise with one of my staff members, he suggested I contact a restaurant supply company just to see what it would cost to set up shop on my own.

This turned out to be one of the smartest moves I’ve ever made. My restaurant supply dealer practically guided me through what I would need and how I should go about setting up my equipment to maximize the amount of food I could produce. He was able to not only recommended the best equipment for my situation, but also gave me several tips on how I could save money and steered me away from some of the unnecessary equipment I thought I had to have. I don’t think I would have even considered starting the business from scratch without his advice, considering my limited budget and lack of location.

As you might have guessed, I decided to take the risk and give it a try. It’s now two years later and business is booming. I still thank my restaurant supply dealer every time I talk to him, because without his knowledge, I might never have taken the chance on myself and my business.

Visit CPAPC for restaurant supplies and equiptment