Track Selling Times - February, 1999
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Track Selling Times
The Voice of the Sales Profession
Issue No. 111
February 1, 1999
Published by Max Sacks International,
Home of 100% Guaranteed World Class Sales Training, and
Developers of the Track Selling System™.
Author/Editor: Roy Chitwood, President, MSI
Archives of this letter are available at
http://www.maxsacks.com/newsletter.html
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In this issue:
Feature:
Sections:
Focus on the Professional: Max Lemberger
Ask Roy
Survey
Newsletter Archives
"The Millennium Sales Bug"
by Roy E. Chitwood, CSP, CSE
While not likely to attract as much attention as its counterpart in the
computer world, the millennium sales bug is a very real threat that
looms on the sales horizon.
What it represents is the weeding out of
the sales force in response to the growth of technology.
This trend is driven by a change in the role of the salesperson.
Traditionally, 80 percent of sales are generated by 20 percent of the
sales force. And the rest? The majority of sales people function as
order takers, calling on customers to provide product, pricing and
availability information. Unfortunately, those of you who belong to the
latter group are in grave danger of being replaced by a telemarketer, a
fax machine or a Web page. The obvious question, then, is what can you
do about it?
1. Make the decision to be a professional.
What is really happening is that the amateurs are being weeded out,
leaving only the pros with a demonstrated track record. Instead of
having a sales "job", make the decision to join the ranks of the
professionals and consider selling a career. Only those who adopt such
a viewpoint and live by it will survive.
2. Get well trained.
Take a sales training course that is designed to transform your sales
ability. Chose only those programs that can document success. Track
Selling is such a program.
3. Continually upgrade your level of sales education.
Even those who are 'well-trained' should not be resting on their sales
laurels. A few years of stagnation can often lead to being left
behind. While this is particularly apparent in the high-tech world, it
equally applies to sales and business. Thus, school is never out for
the professional.
4. Throw out the old tricks and gimmicks.
As buyers are more sophisticated than ever, the old tricks, gimmicks and
con games no longer work well. The traditional ways of closing the sale,
such as the "Assumptive" and "Alternate Choice," backfire more often
than not. Yet many training programs still teach these methods today.
Instead, partnership selling is in vogue.
You must create a partnership
with your customers, helping them to be more successful through the use
of your products, services and ideas. Otherwise, sooner or later, they
will find someone who fits that bill.
For those who meet the challenge of the millennium sales bug, more than
monetary rewards await you. Your status will rise dramatically as you
become recognized as the professionals you truly are.
To arrive at this
level, however, you have to invest in your own greatest asset - your own
undeveloped potential. If you do so, you'll enter the new millennium
ready to set sales records that might stand until the beginning of the
next one.
Integrity Pays:
"Act, Don't React"
Ron Chitwood is president and owner of Mighty Auto Parts of Riverside,
CA, a firm that sells automotive replacement parts wholesale to garages
and auto repair shops.
He talks about taking a proactive stance towards
client satisfaction.
"The auto repair industry does not have a good reputation. Therefore,
to stand out from the crowd, you have to build your business on honesty
and integrity. That's why we only sell to shops that have high ethical
standards and we shy away from those that don't. If we feel our name
could be hurt by unethical practices, we'll walk away from a sale."
"A few years ago, one of our manufacturers informed us of a quality
problem they'd encountered with one of their lines. They said that it
was not widespread, only affected a few parts and that they'd be willing
to replace the whole line if we felt it necessary."
What did you do?
"We decided to replace the entire line for each of our
clients. Although the manufacturer paid for the parts, it turned out to
be a labor-intensive and costly process for us. Our customers
recognized that we could have let it go without much chance of
discovery. But the fact that we were willing to go the extra mile to
make sure that their customers were happy, boosted their confidence in
us as a business partner."
What would your advice be to others in a similar position?
"Act, don't
react. You have to be proactive in dealing with matters of integrity
and customer satisfaction. Some might elect to take the easy route and
deal with any repercussions as they arise.
I can say unequivocally that
it would be the wrong decision, probably one that would haunt them
later. If a customer finds out that you knew, yet ignored the
manufacturer's warnings, it looks very bad. So regardless of the
'risk', being honest and up-front with your clients is the only way to
be."
Ron Chitwood can be reached at: (909) 787 9254
World Class Sales Management:
"
Helping Salespeople Reach the Next Level
"
By Marvin Baida, Vice President/Regional Manager,
Ha-lo, Creative Concepts in Marketing, Inc.
Ha-lo is a creative promotional and marketing company that serves
Fortune 500 companies such as Ford and GE. Two years ago, I opened up
our Southern California office in Santa Monica, consisting of seven
salespeople and seven support staff.
After forty years in sales management, my opinion is that the key to
success is holding hands and helping your salespeople reach the next
level. How this is done may vary from sales manager to sales manager.
For me, what works is teaching salespeople a three-minute program of
hypnosis. This aids them whenever they are nervous, concerned or
frustrated in dealing with a problem. With such matters taken care of,
it is then my responsibility to help them solve the needs of the client.
Another critical success factor is sales training excellence. We've
found that the real winners in our company are those who have completed
a Max Sacks program. The seven steps of selling, in particular, is a
tremendous tool to use in sales management.
As a graduate myself, I
can't tell you how many times I've used the Track Selling phrase, "Can
you see any reason why..." to solve a problem or help a salesperson.
To illustrate its value, a recent graduate was interviewing a client at
our showroom. The client had already made it clear that his budget for
a promotional program was set at $10 per person. Our salesperson, who
had completed a Track Selling seminar one day earlier, said "I have an
idea that is so exciting, can you think of any reason why we couldn't
raise the budget to $20 per head?" Her customer answered, "If it's that
good, I'm sure I could." As a result, she moved a $10,000 order to a
$22,000 sale with that one line."
As can be seen with this example, education is a terrific tool in sales
management. The great aspect about Max Sacks training is that it arms
the salesperson with an exact series of steps that detail how
professional selling should be done. I highly recommend Track Selling to anybody I
talk to.
Marvin Baida can be reached at: marvin.baida@halo.com
Focus on the Professional - Max Lemberger, MBA
Max Lemberger has been a commercial insurance executive for 17 years,
including 8 years in sales.
How did you do before you discovered Track Selling?
"In my first few
years in sales, I was strong in some areas and weak in others. I was
particularly good at building trust. Intuitively, I knew that people
buy from those they trust. Where I really had trouble, though, was with
the lack of an orderly sales process. In insurance, most of the sales
training is geared around the close. But there is a lot you have to do
before you can get a prospect into a closing situation. Sometimes I
didn't have the know-how to bridge the gap."
How did Track Selling help you?
"Firstly, it validated what I was doing
right, such as the rapport step. But I do it better now because I
recognize why it's important and where it fits into the overall
process. The biggest gain, however, was in learning each of the seven
steps of selling.
It became clear to me that if you miss a step, you get in trouble when
you try for the close. But if you do each of them, closing becomes one
part of a natural process."
How did this affect sales?
"Track Selling couldn't have come at a
better time. Insurance premium values had started going down, and
commissions were being reduced in an effort to cut cost and downsize the
sales force. Despite these extremely difficult circumstances, with my
commission for each sale cut in half and premium-dollar amounts
decreasing by 25 to 40 percent, I was able to increase sales by
double-digit figures each year."
Max Lemberger can be reached at: (651) 653 6421
Ask Roy
Lesley Hutton of Massillon, OH says
"
H-E-L-P! There's a rumor that the
hatchet is falling within the next six months. As I'm fairly new and a
low to mid-range producer, I'm probably next up for the chopping block.
If I lose my job, I might not be able to afford my son's college tuition
fees. What should I do?
"
Roy's Answer:
"Instead of worrying about the company, your future or the
ax falling, focus all your attention on becoming the best salesperson
you can be. By investing in your greatest asset - your own undeveloped
potential - you can rapidly rise up the sales performance ladder and get
yourself out of the downsizing danger zone. If you take a Track Selling
seminar and follow its steps exactly, that should give you the sales
boost you need.
"
Reader Survey
1. What do you think of Track Selling Times?
2. What else would you like to see included?
3. If you have sales questions for Roy, or know of a salesperson, sales manager or integrity story that should be featured in Track Selling Times, mail it
to:
The Editor, Track Selling Times
c/o Max Sacks International
Canal Place Office Park
150 Nickerson St. Suite 109
Seattle
WA 98109-1634.
Tel: (206) 217-0288 Fax: (206) 217-0286
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