Tag: sales training program

SALES EXCUSE 2: THERE’S NOT ENOUGH TIME IN THE DAY

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson

Let’s start by saying that busy doesn’t necessarily mean effective.

One of the most common complaints from sales teams doing poorly is that there’s not enough hours in the day to make phone calls, follow up leads, source new leads, or create effective pitches.

In our experience, more often than not, this is just an excuse masking laziness and poor time management.

The difference between success and failure can be influenced by how effectively time is used. We all get the same 24 hours, so if your sales people are telling you that there’s not enough time then it’s time to identify the real issues and sift through the drainers within the team.

Time management

In contrast, people with poor time management skills waste time on the unimportant things that ultimately will not contribute to converting a lead. These same people are prone to procrastination – a killer of performance. Charles Dickens and David Copperfield summed it up by saying  “Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him”.

So, if a member of your sales team complains that they don’t have enough time to convert their leads into sales, “collar them” – look at how they are utilising their time and if the business is actually benefiting, or is simply being drained by a dead resource. Chances are that there are bigger underlying issues that need to be addressed.

Sharpen the focus

There are so many distractions floating around that it can be hard to sit down and focus, and importantly keep your team focused. However, this is not an excuse for deflated sales results. The great sales performers and leaders focus on the target and concentrate on how best to achieve it.

How long does it take your team to perform their daily admin tasks? Are they focused on the end goal or distracted by surrounding interferences?

Ongoing evaluation and reinforcement of daily targets should be established to keep the team on track.

Priorities and delegation

Are your sales people typing reports, filing, responding to unnecessary emails and taking long meetings rather than being on the phone following up leads? The number one priority for the sales team is to generate leads and convert them to sales.

Other tasks can be delegated to the administration or management team so the sales team can focus on what they are there to do – sell!

Sales management training and coaching

At the end of the day, when sales teams blame poor sales on not having enough time in the day, it is usually a case of lacking focus, poor sales management or poor time management, or perhaps they are just not the right person for the role.

Focused, driven and passionate salespeople achieve goals. Time is money so don’t let it be drained by underperforming team members.

KONA Group specialises in a wide range of services that address sales performance and sales management, executive and leadership coaching, and performance and time management. These customised training and coaching programs drill down to the core of the issue and drive solutions through proven methodologies.

For more information, please email info@kona.com.au or call 1300 611 288.

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How to Sell Value Instead of Price

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson

Customers are willing to pay more for products and services that guarantees them significant value. Most companies, at times, are presenting their products right away without even knowing if they are really engaging with their customers.

One might say that every product is just the same as the other, and it only differs with its price range; but, have you thought about how buyers also have different needs and points of view towards products?

How to Sell Value Instead of Price - Infographic
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Author – Garret Norris – https://www.linkedin.com/in/garretnorris/

Sales Excuse # 3 – Our Price is too high!

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson
high-price-road-sign

In Sales Excuse #1 we looked at the common excuse of “No One is Buying”. In Sales Excuse #2 we looked at ways for sales people to improve their time management

In Sales Excuse #3, how often do your sales team say they didn’t make the sale because “Our price is too high? We are too expensive”, “Our competition is cheaper than us!”, “If we were cheaper we could sell more!”?

This is just another excuse where sales people focus on their own ‘3Ps’ of Product, Price and Problems rather than on the value they can add to customers.  There are some simple things we can all do to have quality conversations with our customers, which in turn, leads to better quality sales and repeat business.

At The KONA Group we train and coach Sales Teams every day that are looking to improve their results and when price is a common excuse for underperformance we recommend the following 3 insights as a starting point.

1. Have the right conversations.

Quality Conversations start with Quality Questions.  Asking interesting ‘High Value’ open questions that encourage your prospects and customers to talk about themselves and their business is critical. You want customers to value having a conversation with you, not look for a reason to get rid of you as early as possible, so how do you have these conversations? It’s easy really, you ask the right questions based on your customers Business, Market, Competition and Future…. and then you shut up and listen.

In meetings with customers and prospects your salespeople should only be talking 20% of the time. Listening means really listen, not just be quiet whilst waiting for your turn to speak.

2. Adding value to your customers BUSINESS is the key to make selling easy.

Adding value to an existing or potential customer is not just about selling your product or service. Often during a quality conversation with a customer many opportunities to add value will emerge and while some of these will involve your products and services, if you look at the non-product related challenges they face from a Business perspective, you will find more opportunities to add value.

Most businesses are bombarded with salespeople trying to flog them a product or a service regardless of their need however your Sales Team will be amazed at what happens when they start to have quality conversations focused on the customer’s Business rather than the 3Ps. Think rapport building on steroids!

3. Make it about the customer, even when you want it to be about you…

It is easy to say ‘Put the customer at the centre of everything your do’ but salespeople rarely do. It is not about you but rather is always about the customer, even when it really is about you.  The moment a customer or a prospect believes that you are only in it for yourself then TRUST melts away and you are back to a price based haggle.

Put your own self-interest to one side and focus on the customer, their organisation, their issues, their strategy and allow the opportunities to add value with your products and services to emerge.  You may even find that you never have to actually close the deal, your prospect may do it for you! At the end of the day, all else being equal, most customers will make a price-based decision.  It a salespersons job to make sure that all things are not equal.  

They need to be the difference, the X factor, the point of differentiation, and then their customers will buy from them, regardless of price!

 

Going forward: If Quality ‘non-product’ conversations are a challenge for your team then customised sales training and coaching WILL help your people to become more successful. Constantly ‘sharpening the saw’, as Stephen Covey puts it, is a critical component of being a sales professional.

So to discuss how we can design a customised sales training and coaching program for your organisation please contact the KONA Sales Performance Specialists via email at info@kona.com.au or call 1300 611 288.

Because Hope Is NOT a Sales Strategy

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Author – Garret Norris – https://www.linkedin.com/in/garretnorris/

The KONA ‘Hour of Power’ can be a million-dollar injection to your sales budget!

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson

The KONA ‘Hour of Power’ can be a million-dollar injection to your sales budget!

The KONA ‘Hour of Power’ can make a positive impact on your sales team.

Do you have any of the problems below?

  • Are your sales people are not speaking with enough new customers and prospects?
  • Are they reluctant to pick up the telephone to call people they don’t know?
  • Do they struggle to make appointments with senior decision makers?
  • Do they struggle to get past ‘the gatekeeper’?
  • Do you have overstocks that need to be cleared?

At the end of the day the best way to fill your sales funnel is activity, and the right activity at that!  Making calls to potential and existing customers is a great way to do it.  This contact between salespeople and customers is critical to sales success and one of the key reason some sales professionals smash their targets and others don’t know what 100% of target is.

There are a few key points to make a calling session a success:

  1. SUPPORT each other by doing it as a group
  2. MAXIMISE the chances of success by getting the language right
  3. HAVE a conversation between people (emails do not work)
  4. PRACTICE some calls with each other before you make the call (I know the dreaded role play but this is so critical to success!)
  5. SET some targets for the hour of calling. (appointments and orders are a great starting point)

KONA has seen this ‘Hour of Power’ work with some stunning results, one client landed over a $1 000 000 in sales.  This works for both Account Management and Business Development teams and is a skill set we know is critical in Sales People.

Sometimes filling a Sales Funnel is a daunting task and when that funnel is emptier than it should be the excuses start to come out!

  • Things are slow.
  • Our competitor is cheaper
  • There are product problems

At KONA we hear them all and they all relate to ‘Price, Product and Problems’.  These are the best excuses in the world for sales teams to find reasons not to act.

Conducting an ‘Hour of Power’ is a tangible action that forces everyone to act.

If you need help running an “Hour of Power’ give KONA a call on 1300 611 288 or email us at info@KONA.com.au

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SALES EXCUSE 1: NO ONE IS BUYING!

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson

It’s one of the most frustrating things about sales – your team cultivates a promising lead, make their pitch, and the customer says no. However, what is more frustrating is the excuses that come from the team when they are not meeting targets.

Customers say no for all kinds of reasons: they don’t like the product, they don’t engage with you, they don’t have the money, the time or the inclination.

But the big reason that people say no is they haven’t been given a compelling reason to buy. Sales is seduction, and you’ve messed up the kiss!

So what can you do about it? It’s time to rethink and refocus your team with sales management training to start thinking about why they are not converting.

Offering a Deal is Not Enough

In sales, the value proposition is everything.

If you’re selling vacuum cleaners, the value proposition is that your particular brand and model has the most powerful suction, the longest warranty and/or the best quality build.

However, this kind of value proposition is generic and does not present a strong point of difference. If all you have to offer is some hokey lines about quality or rate of suction, then there is no compelling reason for the consumer to buy, no competitive point of difference, and a ‘no’ is expected.

Understand and Communicate The Value Proposition

Apple’s marketing strategy for its computers and smartphones barely mentions their technical specifications, even though they are state-of-the-art. Apple instead focuses on their image – that of creativity, innovation and passion.

The effect is to create a value proposition that goes far beyond the physical products they sell. Apple has created an image that is different from its competitors and that sells the product.

The lesson here is to rethink how you and your team are presenting your products or services. What you do and how you do it is important, but why should also be a major part of the pitch.

Clients and customers want to be part of something, to feel that they are gaining an advantage or fulfilling a need. Engage with them and demonstrate why your product is unique and most suited to them, and what needs will be met.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Get

A firm lead has been worked up, pitch prepared and delivered flawlessly. At the end, you say “any questions?” and they say, “we’ll get back to you” – and of course, they don’t.

If your pitch doesn’t contain some hard sales questions or offers, then you’ve wasted your time. To convert leads, you have to ask buying questions, give them a reason to buy.

Is there a limited time offer? A free service or trial period you can give that leads to a long term paid arrangement? A demonstration of value that makes it irresistible?

Simply reciting your product or service’s good points is not good enough. There needs to be bait on the end of your hook – don’t let them leave the room or hang up the phone without making sure they understand what you are selling, and that they need to buy.

Sales management training

Sales is all about understanding consumer needs and having the confidence in your product that it meets these needs. If you aren’t converting good leads, then something’s wrong with how you’re pitching.

Estee Lauder said “If you don’t sell, it’s not the product that’s wrong, it’s you.”

Go back to the fundamentals. Every sale needs to be made around a value proposition.

If your products and services are good but you’re getting more no than yes, then the customers you’re targeting haven’t been given a compelling reason to act.

By rethinking your strategy with sales management training – shifting from what and how to why, and by asking relevant questions and setting up calls to action – you can drive customer decisions in your favour.

It’s time to stop making excuses. If you want to take things to the next level and start increasing conversion rates, KONA Group has transformed companies’ performance through proven sales methodologies with sales management training and coaching programs customised to companies’ individual needs.

For more information, please email info@kona.com.au or call 1300 611 288.

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SALES EXCUSES ARE FOR ASSES!

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson
The daily grind of building sales leads, nurturing, and closing them is a numbers game – the more people you speak to, the higher your chances of success. However, at times it can feel like there are more no’s than yes’s, which makes it easy for sales teams to get caught up in their own excuses rather than holding themselves accountable to their own actions. As a manager, one of the toughest jobs you have is to keep your sales team focused, motivated and accountable to their sales targets. Here are some common excuses we continue to hear, and how to shoot them down! Excuse 1: I don’t have the time A common complaint among sales teams is that they are time-deprived. They protest that they don’t have enough time to chase new prospects or that they don’t have enough time to work up new leads through cold calling – ASSES! Speak with your team and see what kind of schedule they keep. Partition certain times of the day for cold calling and lead generating, ensuring new leads continue to flow through the sales pipeline and daily targets are met. Hold team members accountable by getting them to report back at the end of each working shift on their results – what went well, what didn’t work and how it can be fixed. This is always easier said than done. Consider undertaking sales training and coaching and sales management training to redefine sales team members’ attitudes and habits, and to refine techniques. Excuse 2: It’s the customer’s fault How often do you hear “They don’t understand what I am saying”, “My leads won’t return my calls” or “It’s not my fault they don’t want to buy our products”. ASSES! The customer didn’t understand the pitch because it wasn’t delivered effectively. They ignored the calls because there was no compelling reason to return them. And they said no because, let’s face it, they weren’t convinced. When these kinds of excuses occur, have a look at how your sales team is approaching potential customers. Are they performing as well as they can? Do they understand the product? Sit in with them during a phone call or pitch and evaluate how the message is executed. They may need sales training to refine their approach and methods. As an exercise, ask them to define and sell the value proposition to you. If they can’t define and sell the proposition effectively to you, then how can the customer be expected to understand it and act upon it? Excuse 3: I don’t have the support I need You’ve worked hard to set up the business, create an aspiring working culture and hustled hard to work up sales leads and develop a network of contacts. In other words you’ve set it up – and all your sales team has to do is knock it down. When things aren’t working, it is easy for sales people to blame tanking sales figures on the company not supporting their efforts. As the leader, the buck stops with you. Take a long, hard look at your business. Is it true that there’s not enough support provided? If not, ask them what they need and work with them to make changes. If yes, then it’s time to consider other issues affecting performance. It cuts both ways with this one! Consequences and solutions The consequences of these excuses can be damaging for any business: sales decline, good people leave, customers feel neglected and long-term business relationships wither. So, if your sales team is bringing in lacklustre results and giving excuses for what went wrong rather than what needs to improve, then it’s time for a review. KONA Group helps organisations cut through the key issues and coach solutions with customised sales training and coaching solutions. For more information, please email info@kona.com.au or call 1300 611 288. Or, if you have some additional excuses that you have heard, please share them with us!