Sales Results the Old Fashioned Way
Sales Results the Old Fashioned Way
- Product quality
- Service
- Brand recognition
- Convenience
- Price
While these are factors in decision-making, they are secondary. The number one and number two factors in the buying decision are whether the prospect trusts and likes the salesperson, respectively. The order is important because the fact that you like someone does not necessarily mean you would rely on them. It is amazing that we can justify paying more, driving farther, giving in a little bit on quality, and not care about brand when we can say that the person we do business with is someone we would trust with our child and is a good friend.
Therefore, if you want to increase your sales performance you need to work on factors that help influence peoples' trust in you. If you don't, it will not matter that you have excellent sales skills, work for a great company, or have the best product. The prime reason people lose deals is that they are not able to earn the trust of the buyer. For this reason, a large portion of our sales training programs focuses on issues other than networking, cold-calling, and closing. While we do work on those things, they are secondary to attitude development and soft skills.
Attitude is a very important area because many of the attitudes that buyers have cause them to naturally distrust strangers. In addition, many salespeople's attitudes have perpetuated this distrust. For example, some traditional attitudes about salespeople are that they don't listen, and that they will try to sell their product to you even if it is clearly inappropriate for your needs. The attitude of many salespeople is that if you aren't pushy, you won't make any sales.
Attitude development is one of those areas most people would prefer to avoid. There is a common misconception that attitude is something you cannot change. While not easy to change, attitudes are nothing more than habits of thought that have been developed over time. By using our sales training process, we are able to help our clients identify habits of thought that are unproductive and to replace them with ones that are productive.
In the soft skills arena, we work with our clients in the areas of human relations and behavior. Most people learn how to communicate with others through what we like to refer to as "tribal knowledge." What I mean by this is that we develop our communication skills in different areas by observing how those we consider knowledgeable behave in different situations. The challenge with trying to observe other people to gain our knowledge is that we do not know exactly why they get the results they do. Many times, the role models are doing things subconsciously, repeating successful strategies that have become second nature to them. For this reason, Activate Group uses behavioral personality profiling known as DISC and text materials to help our clients learn best practices in the behavior and human relations areas.
By helping their sales staff master productive attitudes and soft skills, employers' sales grow substantially, and salespeople's earnings increase proportionately.
Sales Results the Old Fashioned Way - To learn more about this author, visit Howard Shore's Website.
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The secret of success in sales does not lie in the places where most people look:
- Product quality
- Service
- Brand recognition
- Convenience
- Price
While these are factors in decision-making, they are secondary. The number one and number two factors in the buying decision are whether the prospect trusts and likes the salesperson, respectively. The order is important because the fact that you like someone does not necessarily mean you would rely on them. It is amazing that we can justify paying more, driving farther, giving in a little bit on quality, and not care about brand when we can say that the person we do business with is someone we would trust with our child and is a good friend.
Therefore, if you want to increase your sales performance you need to work on factors that help influence peoples' trust in you. If you don't, it will not matter that you have excellent sales skills, work for a great company, or have the best product. The prime reason people lose deals is that they are not able to earn the trust of the buyer. For this reason, a large portion of our sales training programs focuses on issues other than networking, cold-calling, and closing. While we do work on those things, they are secondary to attitude development and soft skills.
Attitude is a very important area because many of the attitudes that buyers have cause them to naturally distrust strangers. In addition, many salespeople's attitudes have perpetuated this distrust. For example, some traditional attitudes about salespeople are that they don't listen, and that they will try to sell their product to you even if it is clearly inappropriate for your needs. The attitude of many salespeople is that if you aren't pushy, you won't make any sales.
Attitude development is one of those areas most people would prefer to avoid. There is a common misconception that attitude is something you cannot change. While not easy to change, attitudes are nothing more than habits of thought that have been developed over time. By using our sales training process, we are able to help our clients identify habits of thought that are unproductive and to replace them with ones that are productive.
In the soft skills arena, we work with our clients in the areas of human relations and behavior. Most people learn how to communicate with others through what we like to refer to as "tribal knowledge." What I mean by this is that we develop our communication skills in different areas by observing how those we consider knowledgeable behave in different situations. The challenge with trying to observe other people to gain our knowledge is that we do not know exactly why they get the results they do. Many times, the role models are doing things subconsciously, repeating successful strategies that have become second nature to them. For this reason, Activate Group uses behavioral personality profiling known as DISC and text materials to help our clients learn best practices in the behavior and human relations areas.
By helping their sales staff master productive attitudes and soft skills, employers' sales grow substantially, and salespeople's earnings increase proportionately.
Sales Results the Old Fashioned Way - To learn more about this author, visit Howard Shore's Website.
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Casey GollanCasey Gollan, Business Coaching & Mentoring Programs. Add $1 Million to $10 Million in the next 1 to 3 years. Since 1996 Casey has to added hundreds of millions of dollars to businesses. Watch a free video see client results Business Coaching website. - Visit Casey Gollan's Website |
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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