Plan your Day the Night Before
To
this day I always plan my day the night before. My head does not hit the pillow
at night, before I have arranged all my appointments for the next day. I chart every
move I will make the next day, detailing who I plan to meet face to face, who I
will call, who I will communicate with electronically.
My
plan includes the reason for the contact, any pertinent detail from any
previous meetings, which may serve me in the meeting the next day. I also
include all the contact details I may need, telephone numbers, email addresses
or a map and directions to visit each customer. I do not waste even a second
the next day, during my productive selling time searching for any information I
may need.
I
do not start my engine before I know the exact route I plan to take. This route
is carefully charted when I am planning my calls each day. I ensure that I
arrange all my calls in one area each day. I never chase across town, unless it
is an emergency.
Building Real Meaningful Connection with
your new Partners
As
you know there are always a number of people, who influence decisions within
any sales relationship, but there is always one person whose job is ultimately
on the line if they use your product and/or service and there is a royal
mess-up. Your role as sales professionals is to ensure that the ultimate
decision maker realises that you are in it for the long run and that you are an
asset to their team.
I
am a great believer in always asking for feedback from my clients. I believe
that the quality of any sales relationship is directly proportional to the
quality and quantity of meaningful questions that you ask and how you respond
to the feedback you receive.
Many
years ago I asked a client “From your perspective is my product and service
working for you”? Her answer concerned me, when I first heard it as she said
“You are not like any salesperson I have dealt with in the past”. I immediately
felt I had let her down, until she said “I feel that your office is right next
to mine that you are really interested in my business”. Since then I have
always used that relationship as a benchmark and tried to build similar
connection with all my partners. I try to help all my partners not only get the
best solution for their needs, but I also like to help them to be successful in
their careers
.
Offer your Magnificent 50 clients real
white glove treatment
It
is impossible to focus all your attention on hundreds of clients at one time.
Carefully select what I like to call my “magnificent 50” and focus your energy
on only these clients. If you can build a loyal following of 50 regular
clients, who regularly buy from you, that is obviously first prize. I realise
that this is not always possible and that there are certain sales people, who
make sales to clients and then need to be prospecting to new clients all the
time as their clients only make purchases periodically. In this case your
“magnificent 50” will be the clients you are finalising deals with and a list
of qualified prospects you keep adding to the list as you complete each deal.
The
secret to make this work for you is to really roll out the red carpet for only
these select few clients. Really give them the white glove treatment in every
possible way. This is where you need to innovate, be observant and research
your “magnificent 50”. The more you can blow their socks off with real
meaningful caring and always going the extra mile, the more they will grow to
depend on you and see you as their indispensable ally.
Differentiate Yourself
It
is often difficult to differentiate your product or service for that of your
competitors. The easiest way to really make a difference and to stand out from
the crowd is to differentiate yourself, as an asset to their business. Focus on
your clients’ needs and build your value proposition around a solution set,
which includes you as a valuable asset and consultant to your new partners
businesses. Research and understand your partners businesses and provide them
with really insightful solutions to their needs and challenges.
Learn
to analyse the person responsible for making the final buying decision. Learn
to read the person you are talking to and always try to put yourself in their
shoes. When you can completely understand their real needs and their agenda,
you are far better equipped to integrate into their business and become a true
ally. Remember sales decisions are always made emotionally, by people, so the
better you become at reading and understanding people the easier it will become
to help them.
Author:
Andrew Horton Motivational speakers
http://www.andrewhorton.co.za
No comments:
Post a Comment