Happy Birthday CJ

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My son CJ turns ten years old today. He loves baseball both as a player and fan of the the Padres and especially the Red Sox. He asked me two weeks ago, why the Red Sox wuld trade, a great hitter and sure bet Hall of Famer, Manny Ramirez. I thought about it and asked him why the trade happened. CJ replied because the team could not depend on him and he had stopped trying. You see Manny wanted out of Boston so it appeared that he stopped trying, perhaps feigned an injury. and he did not hustle running to first base. During a key game, he was timed at almost six seconds running to first.  In fact, the opposing Anaheim Angels laughed at him. Red Sox players went to management and asked that he be traded.  Mammy Ramirex plus two highly touted minor league players were traded to the Dodgers. The Red Sox are also paying the remander of his salary over the next two months (nine million dollars). The Red Sox sure felt they needed him out

It got me thinking do you have Manny Ramirez types in your company? In other words, do you have employees not trying, given up, displaying a lack of motivation, or perhaps are in a comfort zone? if yes, what does that do to the company?

You can learn motivational tips, communication competencies, and ways to coach, develop, hre, and hold employees accountable for their behavior. Attend our Strategic Sales Management Progrm on Monday September 15th from 8:30-11:30am. You will aquire practical tips on your people, strategies, and systems. Call today at 858 483-8888 to get more information.

The Red Sox manager, Terry Francona, shortly after the trade said now we are a team again with 25 players all on the same page. The quote often stated when Manny did something was well that was inappropriate also called "Manny Being Manny"
As a manager or owner ask yourself, do you have a Manny on your team?

BOOT CAMP
Many owners are telling me that the economy has made their prospcts reluctant to invest in their products and services. Some sales people are giving great presentations or writing eloquent proposals only to get "think it overs". Some are trying to find new ways to prospect. If these are challenges that you or your sales people are facing, attend our Two Day Sales Training oot Camp on Friday September 19th and Wednesday September 24th. Call today at 858 483-888 for more information and to reserve your seat.   Wishing you good selling!   Darren

Darren Cecil
San Diego Sales

San Diego, CA 92117
858-483-8888
www.sdsales.sandler.com

Authorized Licensee

Blockbuster or Flop?
How does a screenwriter create one movie that's a box office blockbuster and another that's a flop? How does a playwright write one play that runs continuously for years and another that opens and closes in the same night? How does an author write one novel that's a number one best seller for 26 weeks straight and another that never makes the best-seller list?  

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How?  

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The same way. They put their heart and soul into their work. Into each project, they develop a formula, establish a rhythm, and have the drive to see it through to the end. They try their best and then they try the next project and the one after that. And, along the way, some projects stand out, and some don't.  

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Selling isn't any different. Some sales calls will be victories and some will be defeats. The important thing to remember is that you must also have a formula, establish a rhythm, and have the determination to see it through. You must approach each opportunity as if it's your next blockbuster, your number one on the top ten list. You work your formula, maintain your rhythm, and give it your all.  

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You'll have some winners. That's great. You'll have some losers. That's OK. Learn a lesson and keep going... on to the next opportunity.    

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Add a Little Drama

You're meeting with a prospect. You've asked all the appropriate questions to uncover the prospect's problem, concerns, desires, goals, and expectations. After fully analyzing the situation, you announce with no hesitation whatsoever, "No problem. I have exactly what you need."  

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Does the prospect gasp a sigh of relief, utter under his breath, "Thank goodness," and pull a purchase order from the drawer? Perhaps in Grimm's version of the story, but not in the real world.  

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Why?  

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Prospects are skeptical of salespeople whose products or services are "exactly" what they need, especially if the salespeople are too quick to make the proclamation. At some level, prospects want to believe that their problems, concerns, and goals are not run of the mill, but rather, somewhat unique requiring solutions that are also somewhat unique.  

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So, even if your product or service is exactly what the prospect needs, don't be so quick to make the announcement. Tell the prospect that you have addressed similar situations and with the proper focus, and fine-tuning (perhaps with his help), you can provide him with a competent solution. You still get your point across--that you have a solution. And, you acknowledge the uniqueness of his situation which will require more than a cookie-cutter solution.    

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The Toughest Prospect to Sell

When is the toughest prospect to sell the easiest prospect to sell?  

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Give up?  

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The answer is simple: when you call on him.  

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Some buyers acquire a reputation for being tough, overbearing, demanding--just plain impossible to deal with. And guess what? Salespeople stop calling on him. Why put themselves through the abuse? Why endure the indignity? Why indeed, you may be thinking.

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Why not? He has to buy products and services from someone. It might as well be you. The prospect may be demanding, discourteous, and disrespectful. However, beneath the gruff exterior, there is a human being capable of listening, evaluating, and making decisions--buying decisions.  

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Remember, you too have an exterior--your salesperson persona. When you call on the impossible prospect and he "attacks" you, it's only your persona he is attacking. So, allow your persona to don an invisible suit of armor. When you call on Mr. Crotchety, you're Sir Lancelot. Nothing he hurls at you can hurt you. You're protected. Sure, your armor may get dented, but the order in hand will have made it worthwhile.    

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The 89 Cent Solution

How often have you been sitting in the car after a sales call, and you thought of something you should have done that would have been more appropriate than what you just did?  

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"I shoulda said...," "I shoulda asked...," "I shoulda...," "I shoulda...," "I shoulda..."  

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You make a mental note of the shouldas... and then what? Nothing!  

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With everything else that goes on during the day, your shouldas become a distant memory--lessons that could have been learned, but were lost instead.  

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Invest 89 cents on a spiral notebook and keep it on the seat of the car. Draw a line down the center of each page. Label the left side: The Prospect Said, Asked, Did. Label the right side: I Should Have Said/Asked/Done. The next time you have an impromptu debrief in the car, record the prospect's action along with your shouldas. Don't record what you did; record what you should have done. (The purpose of the journal is to reinforce good behavior, not remind you of poor behavior.)  

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If you're not sure what a more appropriate behavior would be, consult with your sales manager or a fellow salesperson at a later time. You won't have to rely on your memory for an accurate description of the event; it will be recorded in your notebook.  

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So, the next time you think, "I shoulda...," write it down. An 89 cent investment and a few minutes of your time will return big dividends in the form of improved performance and increased sales.    

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How Much Time Should You Put into Prospecting?

The question is a bit of a puzzle. Ideally, there would be a reference book that lists, by industry, how much time you should invest in prospecting activities. Unfortunately, there's no reference book.  

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Why?  

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How much time you invest will depend on the number of prospecting activities you plan, the nature of the activities, and the intended results of the activities.  

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More importantly, different salespeople have different goals, and these goals will necessitate different amounts of time prospecting. Introducing a new product or opening a new territory may take more time than continuing to cultivate an existing market where you already have exposure.  

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If your efforts are primarily passive, where you have little if any control of the outcome--direct mail or e-mail for example--you will likely have to do more and it will take longer to see results. If your efforts are more proactive, where you have considerable control--cold prospecting or generating and then calling on referrals for instance--you can invest less time.  

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Since there is no simple formula, you must consider your prospecting objectives and then carefully track your activities and results. Then, you can decide how much time you want to invest and choose the activities that will allow you to achieve your objectives in that time period.  

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SandlerBrief® is a monthly e-newsletter provided by the Sandler Sales Institute® network of trainers. For more information on Sandler training, contact the sender of this newsletter.
© 2007 Sandler Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reprinted or used without the express written permission of Sandler Systems, Inc.
Sandler Sales Institute, S Sandler Sales Institute (with design), and SandlerBrief are registered service marks of Sandler Systems, Inc. S Sandler Sales Institute Finding Power In Reinforcement (with design) and Finding Power In Reinforcement are service marks of Sandler Systems, Inc.

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