Tag: power hour

What can a Power Hour do for your Sales Team?

Posted on | by Sienna

The KONA Sales “Power Hour” is a focused and intensive period of time, during which your sales teams dedicate themselves to “hitting the phones” and put into action what they have learnt on the workshop. This WILL boost sales performance and drive better results.  

  • Do you want to Increase your Pipeline? 
  • Do you want to Increase your sales productivity? 
  • Do you want your team to have better than average sales skills? 
  • Do you want your team to manage their time better? 
  • Do you want them to be Accountable? 

A sales power hour is an effective strategy for increasing productivity, boosting sales performance, and achieving better results. During a Power Hour, your Sales Trainer will encourage focused efforts, skill development, and team collaboration, ultimately contributing to the overall success of a sales organisation. 

Some of our results across many customers:

  • Achieved $1.2M of extra sales
  • Increased overall activity by 150%
  • Increased outbound quotes by 88%
  • Increased sales by 66%
  • 140% of sales target (and growing)
  • 19% up on last financial year, Includes 3 record months
  • Increased International Business by 7%
  • Increased Domestic Business by 16%

Are your salespeople hesitant to make calls? Maybe they aren’t engaging with enough customers, prospects or decisions-makers? We can help you to turn that around.

In Sales, every minute counts, and every opportunity matters. This is where the “Power Hour” comes into play.

KONA’s Power Hour is a dedicated, highly focused period of time during which your sales team concentrates on their most important task.

What can a Power Hour can do for your Sales Team?

Enhance Focus and Productivity

The Power Hour is all about intense focus.

During this dedicated time, your sales team can eliminate distractions and concentrate on their high-priority tasks. This heightened level of concentration leads to increased productivity and the ability to accomplish more in a shorter amount of time.

With reduced interruptions, Sales Trainers can encourage team members to make more sales calls, send more emails, and engage with potential customers more effectively.

Garret Norris, KONA Group CEO during a workshop.
Garret Norris – CEO of the KONA Group during a Training Workshop

Improve Time Management

One of the biggest challenges a salesperson faces is managing their time effectively.

The Power Hour helps by encouraging your team to plan and prioritise.

By setting specific goals for each Power Hour session, your team can make better use of their time and ensure they are working on generating revenue.

Consistent Prospecting

Prospecting is a major part of the sales process, but it often gets pushed aside in favour of other tasks.

KONA’s Power Hour Program can help your team to designate a specific time each day for prospecting activities.

This consistency ensures that your sales team is continuously building their pipeline, which is crucial for long-term success.

Increased Sales Calls

Did you know that more than 50% of decision-makers prefer to be contacted over the phone than any other means of communication?

Sales calls are the centre of many sales teams. During the Power Hour, the Sales Trainer will encourage your team to make a higher number of quality sales calls within a set timeframe. This not only leads to more potential leads and conversions but also boosts the confidence and skill set of your salespeople.

Call Centre power hour.

Healthy Competition

Implementing Power Hours can encourage healthy competition among your sales team members.

When team members see their colleagues making impressive progress during these dedicated sessions, it motivates them to step up their game.

Encouraging friendly competition and recognising top performers during a power hour can help to keep momentum.

Real-time Feedback and Coaching

During KONA’s Power Hours, Managers can provide real-time feedback and coaching to their team members.

Managers can:

  • Listen in on calls
  • Review emails
  • Offer guidance on how to improve sales techniques

This immediate feedback loop can lead to rapid skill development and improved performance.

Better Work-Life Balance

A well-structured Power Hour schedule allows your sales team to maintain a healthier work-life balance.

Set clear boundaries for when intense sales activities take place. This way, team members can better allocate their time for personal life, reducing burnout and stress.

Introducing Power Hours to your sales team’s routine comes with significant benefits.

Power hours are known to encourage a competitive spirit and provide opportunities for real-time feedback and coaching.

As your team becomes more skilled and efficient, you’ll likely see a boost in sales performance, ultimately leading to increased revenue and success for your business. Empower your sales team with the transformative power of the Power Hour.

So what are you waiting for? Book in your team’s Power Hour today!

Call KONA on 1300 611 288 or Email us at info@kona.com.au

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How can I master Cold Calling with Confidence?

Posted on | by Sienna

Cold calling, despite its reputation, can be a valuable tool for expanding your network, generating leads, and building meaningful business relationships.

While it might seem intimidating, a well-prepared and personable approach can turn cold calls into warm conversations.

Garret Norris, CEO of the KONA Group’s take on Cold Calling:

“I still find time to and value in cold calling and consider it an important skill. Cold calling can indeed be an effective method for reaching out to potential customers, clients, or partners. It can help you establish new connections, generate leads, and promote your products or services.

However, I acknowledge that cold calling can be challenging and sometimes met with resistance. As technology and communication methods evolve, some people might find cold calls intrusive or inconvenient. That’s why it’s essential to approach cold calling with a well-prepared and respectful strategy. So what I do to help me is:

Research: Before making a cold call, I research the person or company you’re reaching out to.

Preparation: I never have a script; I have a general outline of what I want to say.

Value Proposition: I clearly communicate the value or benefits of my offering.

Politeness and Respect: I am respectful of the person’s time.

Listening Skills: I shut the !@#$ up and pay attention to what the person is saying and ask open-ended questions to engage them in a conversation.

Follow-Up: If the person is interested but not ready to commit immediately, I make sure to follow up at a later time.

Adapt and Learn: I continuously assess my cold calling strategies and adapt based on the outcomes. “

We will explore easy and effective ways to make cold calls that can yield positive results.

Many people fear cold calling. But by following some simple and effective tips, you can master cold calling with confidence.

Preparation is Key

Before picking up the phone, take the time to research the person or company you’ll be calling.

Understand their:

  • Needs
  • Challenges
  • How your product or service can provide value

Preparation not only helps you tailor your conversation, but also demonstrates your genuine interest in their success.

Craft a Friendly Opening

  • Start your call with a warm and friendly greeting.
  • Introduce yourself and your company succinctly.
  • Avoid launching into a sales pitch right away.
  • Focus on building rapport and establishing a connection.

Have a Clear Value Proposition

Clearly articulate how your product or service can solve a specific problem or address a pain point for the prospect. It’s always helpful to communicate the value you bring in a concise and compelling manner. You should avoid jargon and technical language that might confuse or alienate the person you’re speaking to.

Listen and Engage

Cold calls are not just about talking; they’re about listening and engaging in a genuine conversation.

Ask open-ended questions to encourage the prospect to share their needs and challenges.

Listen actively and show empathy. This not only builds rapport but also provides valuable insights for tailoring your pitch.

People answer cold colds, contrary to popular belief.

Address Objections Gracefully

Expect objections and be prepared to handle them.

Instead of brushing objections aside, acknowledge them and provide thoughtful responses.

Demonstrating your willingness to address concerns shows that you respect the prospect’s perspective and are committed to finding solutions.

Keep it Short and Relevant

Respect the prospect’s time by keeping your call concise and to the point.

Focus on the most relevant information and benefits.

If the prospect shows interest, you can schedule a follow-up call or meeting for a more in-depth discussion.

Follow Up

After the call, send a personalised follow-up email summarising the key points discussed and expressing your gratitude for their time.

This reinforces your professionalism and commitment to their needs.

Practice and Refine

Cold calling, like any skill, improves with practice. Make several calls to different prospects, adapting your approach based on the responses you receive. Over time, you’ll gain confidence and refine your technique.

Cold calling improves with practice. By adapting your approach, overtime you will gain confidence.

Cold calls don’t need to be daunting. With the right approach, they can be an effective tool for expanding your business and building relationships.

Through preparation, engaging in meaningful conversations, and addressing objections, you can turn cold calls into valuable opportunities for growth.

Remember, every call is a chance to learn, connect, and make a positive impact. So, pick up that phone, and start building bridges one conversation at a time.

Contact KONA to discuss tailored training programs for your team.

Call 1300 611 288 or send us an Email:  info@kona.com.au

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437 Reasons Why Cold Calling is Not Dead

Posted on | by Sienna
437 Reasons Why Cold Calling is Not Dead

I used to work with a Business Manager who in a previous life had been an officer in the Australian Military. In all senses of the word he is a tough man. He used to jump out of planes at 30,000 feet in the pitch black of night; swing in through windows on the end of a rope to free hostages; a master at non armed combat.

Then he got into the world of business and realised to survive in the commercial world one key skill he needed to have was – how to prospect, including how to cold call people he had never met.

After all of his past life or death experiences, this was the greatest fear he had ever had to overcome. It resulted in him procrastinating and finding other things to do, other than picking up the phone to build his business.

Most people dread cold calling a prospect even though it could lead to a sale.

In our experience in running Power Hour training, the 3 biggest mistakes that many people make is that:

  1. They don’t plan enough contacts beforehand so never get on a ‘verbal roll’;
  2. They don’t practise what they are going to say and therefore get tongue tied;
  3. They actually try to gain a commitment on a cold call by talking about their products/services rather than what they can do for customers

The reality is people have never appreciated being interrupted at work to talk to a complete stranger and then having to make a commitment, unless there is going to be a real benefit to them.

Trying to sell a particular product or service the first time you talk to somebody is a huge mistake.

Here are 5 Easy Steps to Improve Your Team’s Prospecting

KONA include these five steps in many of our Sales Training and Power Hour Prospecting programs that have resulted in Participants achieve the following results:

  1. Making 437 appointments in ONE POWER HOUR!
  2. Another team made 361 appointments in ONE POWER HOUR
  3. A third team SOLD over $1,200,000 of stock in ONE POWER HOUR

Step 1. The first thing is make a list of 50+ target contacts, including names and numbers (preferably mobile).

Step 2. Then develop some sort of script. (You do not have to follow every single word but a script can help you avoid blunders that most people commit when under pressure).

Step 3. With a little bit of Research and Customer Insights you should know what are potentially some of the issues and problems your prospect might have in their business, either by position/role, industry/market segment or business environment that you can help overcome.

Step 4. Clearly develop a WIIFT – “What’s In It For Them” – benefit to with meet you

Step 5. Then ask for a time and date but don’t try to book it too soon. Aim for a couple of weeks away when people typically have more space in their diaries than this week.

Becoming Proficient at Cold Calling

With experience and the right mindset that you are helping prospects with a solution to their problems, you will gradually improve and become proficient at Cold Calling.

And the Business Manager I mentioned at the beginning? He is now highly successful and the driving force behind one of Australia’s most recognised brands

Note: KONA’s Power Hour and Sales Training programs are about results and appointments, NOT theory and promises. 

Therefore, as part of the training workshop we can actually have participants on the telephones calling real life customers and prospects so that you gain an immediate ROI!

So if your sales team needs to generate more sales and more clients, call KONA’s Power Hour Specialist today on 1300 611 288, or email info@KONA.com.au, or text 0425200883

The KONA Group is Australia’s Leading Sales and Sales Management Training and Coaching company and provide Customised Training programs that include:  Sales Training & Coaching, Key Account Management Training, Call Centre Training & coaching, Negotiation Skills Training & Coaching, Motivational Speakers, HR Consulting; and more.

To increase the effectiveness and results of your organisation, contact KONA today on 1300 611 288 or text 0425200883 or email info@kona.com.au to discuss how we can help you to improve your organisation’s results.

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How Can I Hit Target Before the Month is Over?

Posted on | by Sienna
4 Tactics to Hit Target Before the Month is Over

In sport you hear a lot of players and coaches talk about ‘game plans’ and ‘structure’ – about how they will play at certain times during the game to get a result.

The danger of this is what do you do if your plan has gone out of the window and you are 20 points down at half time?

Hope is Not a Sales Strategy, so it is pointless sticking with the same game plan and hoping that you will get a result.

Sadly, in sales, too many teams are getting halfway through the month and are behind target, but nothing changes.

To make this worse, they then have a ‘next month will be better’ attitude and decrease their efforts instead of looking for ways to make up the shortfall.

5 Proven tactics to use if you are behind target halfway through the month

Introduce a Power Hour

In 2 recent Sales Training workshops KONA turned training into immediate sales and turned around an organisation’s results by introducing a Power Hour.

All attendees were given a list of selected products, prices and quantities; they then developed and practised what they were going to say; then actually picked up the phones during the sales training workshop and called customers and prospects.

Results:

  • Over $1,000,000 of products sold in ONE HOUR
  • Excess stock cleared and warehouse space created
  • Monthly target smashed

Another client used the same tactic a week later and they made 546 appointments in ONE POWER HOUR!!

Commando Raids

My first job after leaving the Army was with L’Oreal, the international Hairdressing Products Supplier, selling hair colours, perms and setting lotions to hairdressers around the North of England. (Just a little cultural shift between the two jobs!!)

Half way through every month my old boss introduced what he called a ‘Commando Raid’ on the territory of one of his 8 salespeople – a tactic where all 8 reps met early one morning and the local salesperson gave each one of us a list of target customers, then out we went and called on them.

At the end of the day we all got together, shared our wins and celebrated that we had helped the local salesperson get back on target.

30 years later this is a tactic that we have introduced to several KONA clients, and it still works today.

Short term Incentives

Monthly and Quarterly sales commissions and bonuses are an integral part of any sales team’s effectiveness and motivation and help drive their Sales Pipeline.

However as well as the Longer Term Incentives (LTIs) many organisations are successfully linking weekly Short Term Incentives (STIs) to specific tasks or products.

For example, this week…

  • Open up 5 new accounts
  • Sell 30 of Product X
  • Generate $20,000 in revenue

The big advantage of this tactic is it is easy to manage, can be monitored daily with a single phone call, and can turn around a month’s results well before it is too late.

Bundle and Package your Products & Solutions

Every time we go into a retailer we see products bundled and packaged together:

  • A toothbrush with toothpaste
  • A car with 2 years servicing
  • A slice of toast with your coffee
  • A scarf with a jacket
  • A burger and fries and a drink

Often the included product is one the seller has an over stock of, or is looking to introduce to the market as an additional line and source of revenue.

Yet far too many organisations see that tactic as “just for retailers”, which is the wrong attitude and approach.

If you put your mind to it what could you Bundle and Package up in your organisation?

Outbound Customer Service

By definition Customer Service is often seen as a reactive service, typically responding to inbound customer calls or emails.

Yet this doesn’t have to be the case.

There are times in every week where your inbound calls and inquiries are quiet so why not use that time to generate more outbound activity.

In KONA’s Call Centre Training and Customer Service programs we regularly customise a workshop to help inbound teams become more proactive and make outbound calls.

In many cases we include 2 of these 3 previous tactics by combining a Power Hour and Selling Product bundles.

A real life example of this is recently with an organisation selling Power Solutions our Call Centre Specialist Garret Norris helped a client TRIPLE their sales results in only 3 days.

So if you find your salespeople are missing target way too often, what exactly are you doing to change your game plan and the pace of your game before your month turns into just another month of underperformance?

If you would like to discuss how KONA’s Sales Training, Sales Management Training and Call Centre Training will improve your organisation’s results, contact the KONA Group today on 1300 611 288 or info@kona.com.au.

The KONA Group is Australia’s Leading provider of Customised Sales Training and Sales Management Training & Coaching.

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