What your handwriting says about your Sales personality

by Shannon F. Your handwriting can be a window into your personality, or it can simply make you wish you’d focused harder on staying in the lines during penmanship class. Many experts believe that handwriting can predict personal inclinations, professional attributes, and even chances of success. Take it with a grain of salt, but here is what your handwriting could say about your selling style. (For example, if your handwriting is large, close together, and sloppy, you may be a gregarious and people-oriented salesperson who focuses on the big picture.) Scribble something on a piece of paper and see where you stand. Small handwriting. Do you tend to blend into the wallpaper wherever you are? It could be your choice of sweater, or maybe you just have small handwriting—a sign of introversion. Microscopic writing may mean that you don’t have a big, boisterous personality, but it could also indicate that you are detail-oriented and meticulous. If these traits apply to you, you may be struggling in sales—a field where outgoing people with a big-picture perspective tend to thrive. Large handwriting. Often a sign of outgoing individuals, big handwriting could indicate that you have a larger-than-life personality and enjoy being the center of attention. As a salesperson, you likely excel at chatting up contacts and making new connections. Just don’t forget to step out of the spotlight every once in a while and truly listen to your prospects and clients. Cramped, close-together handwriting. Relationships are likely important to you if you […]

What to do when the Sales Cycle is Lengthening

by Shannon F.   Recent research  shows that the B2B sales cycle is lengthening, causing more and more companies to miss sales goals, fail to achieve growth, and ultimately lose millions. Why is today’s average sales cycle longer than it was five years ago? For one, the buyer’s mindset has changed; even as the marketplace bounces back, the economic downturn did its damage, making business decision-makers cautious, skeptical, and less willing to part with money. Don’t expect this mindset to go away in a hurry; just as our Depression-era grandparents still tip on the wrong side of 10% and buy these cookies, today’s buyers are once burned, twice shy. They also have less decision-making autonomy and may be increasingly required to get approval on proposed purchases from higher management. This results in delays when it comes to finalizing decisions and closing the deal. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to keep your sales pipeline filled, overcome buyer hang-ups, and make sure a longer sales cycle doesn’t negatively impact your bottom line. 1. Focus on trigger events. A trigger event with a timeline (such as an office move) gives the buyer a compelling reason to make decisions quickly. A trigger event allows you to accurately predict when a deal will close. For example, if a company must be up and running in the new office by September 1st, they are going to have to decide on a new phone system at least 30 days prior, or major delays will occur. […]

Songs to put on your sales team’s playlist

By Shannon F. You probably don’t need a scientific study to tell you that music can make you happier at work, reduce your stress levels, and allow you to find a moment of calm in a noisy environment. But did you know that music improves productivity? Studies show that music can make you work harder and faster, and the benefits are not just limited to the gym. Sales managers found that sales actually increased when music was played. Does it matter what’s on the playlist? Runners swear by fast-paced, motivational music, while road-trippers claim that subject matter is what inspires them to cover more miles. Here’s a compilation of sales-related songs to get your team pumped (and productive). Eye of the Tiger—Survivor. The ultimate underdog anthem that reminds us to thrive, not just survive in sales. I Won’t Back Down—Tom Petty. Need to gather your steely resolve before speaking to a tough customer? This should be your theme song. We’re Not Gonna Take it—Twisted Sister. See above. Don’t Stop Believin’—Journey. This karaoke hit makes your pulse beat a little quicker. We bet you can’t not sing the falsetto part. The Gambler—Kenny Rogers. Know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em. Could any more life lessons possibly be packed into one song? Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough—Michael Jackson. Good words of advice on a slow sales week. Take the Money and Run—Steve Miller Band. Channel an outlaw and run away with your sales goal. Takin’ Care of Business—Bachmann […]

How can you determine your sales rep’s chances of success?

by Shannon F. Hiring a new sales rep can be a gamble, especially considering that he or she may take three to twelve months or even longer to become fully productive. If you recently hired a new sales rep, you are probably trying to gauge whether he or she is going to be an asset to your team in the long term. Fortunately, there are some key signs to look out for. We’ll break it down into performance-based and character-based indicators of success. Performance-based Cold-calling activity. Sales success has a lot of components, but a big one is simply your activity levels. High activity levels (especially when noted consistently over time) are always a good sign. Sluggishness in the beginning may be due to your sales rep’s lack of familiarity with your products and services, but after the first couple of weeks, activity levels should be steady and consistent with your company’s expectations. Appointment-setting rate (# of appointments set/# of leads contacted). The ideal appointment-setting rate depends heavily on your industry, so be aware what your top sales reps are doing. Often, having a high ratio of appointments set depends on consistency of follow-up. Is your rep giving up after a couple of calls, or is she persisting until she gets her prospect on the phone? Lead follow-up time. When a new lead comes in, such as through the company website, how quickly is your new sales rep following up? If he acts right away, that’s a great sign. A […]

Your prospects don’t have to be nice to you. 5 mean moves you can counteract when cold-calling

by Shannon F. Busy prospects don’t always appreciate getting your call in the middle of their day. Every salesperson has a cold-calling story about someone who reacted badly to repeated attempts at contact. Here’s how to deal with 5 ways that prospects may behave in a less than civil manner. Your Prospect Ignores Your Calls. Aren’t they ever in their office?! When you’ve made your 7-12 cold-calling attempts and still have not gotten your prospect on the phone, it’s time to accept that he or she may be ignoring your calls. Best Fix: Mix up your approaches. Try sending an email or even a personalized letter. If you use InsightPRM, try sending an instant email from the PRM at the same time as you are leaving a voicemail. Set up your email template to say, “I just called and left a voicemail for you regarding_________. I’d love to have a chance to discuss this with you in person.” Some phone-phobic prospects respond to emails in an instant. Last Resort: Schedule your next follow-up call for a few months out, and try again at that time. Your Prospect Lies to You. You know for a fact that they are moving their office, but they insist they are not in the market for commercial moving services. Chances are that your prospect is withholding the truth in order to get you off the phone. Sound improbable? Consider that the average individual is lied to as many as 200 times in a day. That […]

Signs that you are a Sales Perfectionist (and how to fix it)

by Shannon F. Sales is a field that requires a rapid response-rate, quick decision-making, and the ability to let the small stuff go. If you’re a perfectionist, you may struggle to generate the sheer volume of activity necessary to make your sales goal this year. The problem is, perfectionists can be deceptively imperfect, making them hard to recognize. They don’t all sort their paperclips by color or own a personal label-making machine. If you are like me (an admitted perfectionist) you might not ever bother to wash your tea cup, assuming the germs will be microwaved out on each subsequent use. That sure doesn’t sound like perfectionist behavior! So here are some signs to look for, and some ways to save yourself before you get bogged down by perfectionist tendencies. Perfectionists are highly self-critical. In sales, like in anything, you’ll have ups and downs in your personal performance. Having a bad day is something that rarely matters in the long run, but perfectionists tend to beat themselves up about their perceived shortcomings. This turns into time wasted on worrying. The fix: Strive for excellence, but be forgiving of your mistakes. Don’t take it to heart if you are having a “bad phone day” or you stumble during a demo. The more you hone your selling skills, the more consistent your performance will be. Perfectionists take rejection personally. Their feelings are hurt if someone is curt on the phone, and worse, they blame themselves for not achieving a more positive interaction. […]

3 Expensive Ways (Worth Every Penny) To Help Your Sales Reps Kill Their Goals

by Shannon F. There are many reasons why sales reps won’t make their goal this year, but it often boils down to time. After all, the more selling activity salespeople can accomplish in the day, the more appointments they can set and the more deals they can close. So not having time-saving processes in place means less activity, fewer appointments…you get the idea. Here are three investments you should make to speed up your sales team and help them surpass their goals this year. 1. New, faster computer. Everyone can recall their first computer–mine was a Compaq Presario the size of a small planet. But while PCs of decades past can be remembered fondly, they have no place on a salesperson’s desk. You’d be surprised how many sales reps are working on outdated machines; it’s a big problem, because slow computers kill productivity. If it takes your sales rep 30 seconds every time they want to log into their CRM or find a prospect on Linkedin, the day will quickly be consumed by wasted minutes. Today, salespeople must work at a frenetic pace to keep up with busy, hard-to-reach prospects. In fact, many reps are so overwhelmed by keeping up with existing clients that they don’t have time to set appointments with prospects and sign new clients. An expenditure of $500-$1000 per sales rep to equip your team with new computers that allow them to work faster is a small investment with a potentially huge return over the lifetime of […]

Understanding the new buyer process

by Shannon F. As you have likely experienced, today’s business decision-makers rarely turn to salespeople first when they need to make a purchase. They rely instead on the information, guides, and product comparisons they find online. Be honest; you’d rather research a need online instead of first talking to a person who is going to try and sell you their solution. There are some positive benefits to this new level of buyer independence (buyers are savvier and better-informed, so by the time they get to you, they are ready to have a high-level conversation about your product; buyers may find you online and give you a call—that’s a lead you didn’t have to work for!) But in general, salespeople must work harder than ever to compete in this new buyer climate. Here are the cons to buyer independence: -Buyers form strong preferences and requirements in the early stages of realizing a need, defining the need, and researching options. If you are not involved in this discovery process, you will have zero chance to influence the buyer’s vision. -Forrester Research reports: vendors that are involved in the early phases of the buying process (1 through 3 in the graphic above) will get the deal 65% of the time. The problem is: many salespeople are powerless to get involved in the early stages, since buyers purposely exclude them. -By the time the buyer finds you online and contacts you, you’re reduced to a bidder. It’s too late to get in as a […]

Don’t wait for referrals; ask for them!

by Shannon F. Referrals are a great way to grow your business, but they don’t always happen as frequently as you’d like. Think about how many referrals you’ve given so far this year, and you’ll have some idea of how hard it actually is to get business this way. For one, your product or service has to come up in a conversation between your satisfied customer and someone in your locality who is in the market for what you have to offer. If you simply wait for that scenario to happen (unprompted by you), your chances of significantly growing your business by referrals are slim. It is possible to give your referrers a nudge, however; here are the steps for driving referrals the easy way. Step 1. Wow a new client. As always, the key to getting referrals is to earn them by making sure your customer is absolutely satisfied. If your service was well-received, you should be able to ask for referrals confidently—you earned it. Step 2. Narrow down the prospects you want to be referred to. For example, say, “I often assist companies that are moving or in transition. Do you know anyone like that who might need my services?” Linkedin provides an even easier way to seek referrals, as Brynne Tillman of Business Development University taught us. Simply connect with your satisfied client on Linkedin and take a look at his or her connections. See anybody you’d like to do business with? Ask your client to introduce […]

Do you care about what you sell?

by Shannon F. In school, you probably learned more from the teachers who were passionate about their subjects, not the ones who just clicked through slides about cell division while droning on and on. The same goes with sales. The one factor that really separates mediocre salespeople from great salespeople is caring passionately about the product they’re pitching. Sure, your product might be so boring that it makes cellular mitosis look like Cirque du Soleil, but chances are that it solves some key problems for businesses. Here’s how to start caring more: Find something that you love about your product If there’s nothing to love about your product, you probably shouldn’t be selling it. Find something to get excited about! We don’t know what you sell, so we can’t tell you what that one lovable aspect might be. Our advice: search deep within yourself. Or get inspiration from listening to your company’s founder/CEO talk about the product. Learn as much as you can about what you sell. Knowledge=confidence. If you have questions or doubts about what you’re selling, get them resolved, because gaps in your product knowledge will sap your confidence during your sales call. And the more you learn about what you sell, the more interested you’ll be! Think of each sales call as a chance to consult prospects in how to make their company better using your awesome product. Listen to the top salesperson in your company. Chances are that he or she radiates enthusiasm for the product. […]