Are you talking yourself out of a sale? If your mind's made up about how a customer is going to behave, even before you've had a chance to talk with them, you may be guilty of listening to your own “head trash.”
That’s the point made by Oakville, Ont., sales trainer Kelley Robertson in one of his recent weekly newsletters. He describes "head trash" as the mental garbage that affects your performance in key interactions – especially sales conversations. “Head trash is a collection of limiting thoughts or ideas that prevent you from taking specific action that will help you generate better results.”
In other words, when you listen to that negative voice in your head, you're beaten before you've even started.
Robertson offers several examples. “In a sales training workshop I conducted for a specialty retailer, several people stated that they didn't bother trying to close any business before 11:00 AM because they "knew" that everyone who came into their store before that time was just comparing their price with another store located close by. A sales person in a manufacturing company told me that her customers would not pay full price for her service because a major competitor sold a similar product for less money.”
Sounds like what my old psych prof called a "self-fulfilling prophecy." You get the results you expect.
To achieve the results you deserve, says Robertson, dump the head trash. “Replace this garbage with possibility thinking. With thoughts of what you CAN do. With positive outcomes. Take out the trash and improve your results.”
Click here to listen to Robertson’s audio version of this tip (and others).
Or visit Robertson Training Group here.
Showing posts with label kelley robertson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kelley robertson. Show all posts
Monday, March 17, 2008
Monday, November 26, 2007
Confronting Your Dragons
Canadian sales guru Kelley Robertson offers some good advice today to anyone trying to sell to senior business people – and he got the idea from watching TV!
“While watching a television show featuring several very successful business executives, I noticed how direct these individuals were in their communication. No skirting around issues. No hesitation to challenge others. And certainly no fear of asking direct questions.”
Doesn’t this sound like Dragons’ Den to you?
For Robertson, watching this unnamed show reinforced four points that all marketers should consider when selling to senior executives:
1. Ask tough questions. “Most sales people fail to probe deep enough when talking to C-level buyers.”
2. Focus on the big picture. “Shift your thinking to a macro view.”
3. Focus on ROI. “Skip the features and benefits” and focus on the tangible impact your product will have on the customer’s business.
4. Don't take it personally. “Don't be put off by what an executive says or how they say it."
I would add one another point: Know all you can about the individuals you are going to meet. Focus on their personal interests and needs. Some pitchers on Dragons' Den do better when they target just one or two dragons, rather than the whole group. After all, individuals make buying decisions.
You can listen to Robertson’s full article on his podcast here. (It's Episode 50.)
Or sign up for his free "59-Second Tip" e-newsletter here.
“While watching a television show featuring several very successful business executives, I noticed how direct these individuals were in their communication. No skirting around issues. No hesitation to challenge others. And certainly no fear of asking direct questions.”
Doesn’t this sound like Dragons’ Den to you?
For Robertson, watching this unnamed show reinforced four points that all marketers should consider when selling to senior executives:
1. Ask tough questions. “Most sales people fail to probe deep enough when talking to C-level buyers.”
2. Focus on the big picture. “Shift your thinking to a macro view.”
3. Focus on ROI. “Skip the features and benefits” and focus on the tangible impact your product will have on the customer’s business.
4. Don't take it personally. “Don't be put off by what an executive says or how they say it."
I would add one another point: Know all you can about the individuals you are going to meet. Focus on their personal interests and needs. Some pitchers on Dragons' Den do better when they target just one or two dragons, rather than the whole group. After all, individuals make buying decisions.
You can listen to Robertson’s full article on his podcast here. (It's Episode 50.)
Or sign up for his free "59-Second Tip" e-newsletter here.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Listen and Understand
It’s a point we've made before on this blog and will undoubtedly do so again: make sure you're selling what your customer wants to buy.
In an e-newsletter yesterday, Burlington, Ont. retail-sales specialist Kelley Robertson talks about the importance of listening to your customers and making sure you're focusing on what they want to hear or know – not what you want to tell them.
Sure, you say, that’s Sales 101 – but how often is this essential rule actually followed in day to day sales? Think back to your recent sales conversations (whether you were buying or selling), and ask yourself if they followed the right track – and specifically addressed the target’s needs, not the seller’s.
Kelley talks about a recent sales training program in which participants tried to push their values on a “customer." "The majority of people in attendance felt that it was critical that they completely "educate" their customer about their products or services.”
But most customers don't want or need all the information you think is important, says Kelley. “What they want is a solution to their specific problem.”
Understanding customer needs creates two benefits, Kelley says: they inolve the customer more and take less time. “In many cases, we can reduce the length of our presentations by focusing ONLY on what our customer/prospect wants. Far too often, we talk about aspects of our product or service that have little or no relevance to their particular situation. But, because we think they should know about those aspects, we tell them.”
Bottom line: “It doesn't matter what is important to us. What really counts is what is important to our customer or prospect.”
Checkout Kelley's blog for more useful tips at http://kelleyrobertson.blogspot.com/
In an e-newsletter yesterday, Burlington, Ont. retail-sales specialist Kelley Robertson talks about the importance of listening to your customers and making sure you're focusing on what they want to hear or know – not what you want to tell them.
Sure, you say, that’s Sales 101 – but how often is this essential rule actually followed in day to day sales? Think back to your recent sales conversations (whether you were buying or selling), and ask yourself if they followed the right track – and specifically addressed the target’s needs, not the seller’s.
Kelley talks about a recent sales training program in which participants tried to push their values on a “customer." "The majority of people in attendance felt that it was critical that they completely "educate" their customer about their products or services.”
But most customers don't want or need all the information you think is important, says Kelley. “What they want is a solution to their specific problem.”
Understanding customer needs creates two benefits, Kelley says: they inolve the customer more and take less time. “In many cases, we can reduce the length of our presentations by focusing ONLY on what our customer/prospect wants. Far too often, we talk about aspects of our product or service that have little or no relevance to their particular situation. But, because we think they should know about those aspects, we tell them.”
Bottom line: “It doesn't matter what is important to us. What really counts is what is important to our customer or prospect.”
Checkout Kelley's blog for more useful tips at http://kelleyrobertson.blogspot.com/
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