Track Selling Times: The Voice of the Sales Profession

Track Selling Times - November, 1999

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Track Selling Times
The Voice of the Sales Profession
Issue No. 120
November 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 Newsletter are available at
http://www.maxsacks.com/newsletter.html

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In this issue:
Feature:

" The 1999 SMEI Convention "
by Roy E. Chitwood, CSP, CSE

Sections:

" Dealing with the Troublesome Customer "

" World Class Training at the Ecolab University:
By Joe Grosdidier "

Focus on the Professional: Dick Lavoie
Ask Roy
Survey Newsletter Archives

"The 1999 SMEI Convention"
by Roy E. Chitwood, CSP, CSE

It was my pleasure to attend the 64th annual Sales and Marketing Executives International (SMEI) convention this month in Atlanta, having recently completed a one-year term as president of that organization. This year's event consisted of a comprehensive program of seminars and keynote speeches that covered winning strategies and techniques for sales and marketing. If you are not a member of SMEI, I strongly urge you to join.

One of the most outstanding speakers was Jim McCarty, Senior Executive Vice President of Ecolab, a St. Paul, MN company that is a market leader in cleaning and sanitation products. At the convention, Jim received the SMEI "Tops in Marketing" Award due to his company's achievements: One of only 11 U.S. based companies that have shown growth in sales and earnings per share for the last 18 quarters; achieving a 60 percent share in its chosen markets; and named by a Gallup Group study as one of the top five sales forces in America.

Jim, who is personally responsible for 4,000 sales associates, gave an inspirational briefing on the importance of communication. He recounted that twenty-five years ago, during his first Track Selling System workshop, he'd learned the principle of how we receive information - 77 percent through the eyes, 14 percent through the ears and 9 percent through the other perception channels. For him, this has become one of the most important lessons in sales, one he uses every day.

Jim McCarty's presentation recounted these key points on the subject of communication within a sales force:

1. He stresses one-on-one communication. Handwritten postcards, voice mails, newsletters and other personalized mechanisms must be used to encourage staff and create good morale.

2. He creates an audio tape every six weeks called, "May I ride with you?" which sales associates listen to while driving to stay briefed on company direction and policy, as well as sales strategies and news.

3. He insists that a productive sales force be complemented by a strong service culture. For Ecolab, this includes staff availability 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Jim is a firm believer that good leadership demands an enormous investment of communication into the team, and he is also a staunch advocate of the Track Selling System. He regularly sets and meets targets such as to have 35 percent of company sales be from products introduced in the last five years.

One of my associates recently told me that he used to sell against Ecolab. He reckoned it was one of the toughest competitors he'd ever worked against. Now he understands why they had such a competitive edge.

Go to http://www.smei.org for SMEI membership details, or to find the location of the Sales and Marketing Executives affiliate nearest you.

Integrity Pays:
"Dealing with the Troublesome Customer"

Maria Piech is a sales manager at Atkinson-Baker Inc., a Glendale, CA-based court reporting agency. Here she tells of the importance of integrity in dealing with troublesome customers.

"I noticed poor production from one of my top salespeople. When I interviewed her, I realized that one particular client was taking up a lot of her time. This lawyer was upset about broken promises, incorrect billings and inadequate service."

What did you do?

"I activated the entire organization to make sure this client's every wish was catered to. Although there were contractual points that we could have argued about and won, I decided to service him well and not quibble over the fine print of our original contract."

What was the result?

"Nothing changed. No matter what we did, this customer was never happy. Even when I obtained discounts and reduced charges that he didn't qualify for per the contract, he still complained. It became clear that he was using all these supposed small points of bad service to try to get out of paying or to pay a lot less."

How did you handle it?

"This was the sort of client that would tie your organization up in knots and upset your staff. Even though he was a regular customer and potentially worth a lot, we closed his account and wrote off the amount he owed."

And what about your top salesperson?

"She was very much against closing this account at first as it contributed a steady amount to her monthly sales. However, within a couple of weeks, she had doubled her production and achieved highest ever monthly sales soon thereafter."

World Class Sales Management:
"World Class Training at the Ecolab University "
By Joe Grosdidier
Director of Advertising and Marketing Communication
Ecolab Institutional Sales, St. Paul, MN

For some years, Ecolab has been licensed by Max Sacks International to teach the Track Selling System internally. In 1998 when we opened Ecolab University, we included the Track Selling System as an integral part of the curriculum.

Ecolab University is a state-of-the-art employee-training center. It is located in the heart of downtown St. Paul and consists of classrooms and meeting facilities. Instead of subjecting students only to the theory of our products and perhaps some pictures and graphics, we have built a full equipment environment complete with a laundry, kitchens, hotel rooms and hospital rooms for demonstration purposes. That way, we can demonstrate our cleaning and sanitation products and techniques, and thereby teach employees how they are used in the real world.

Although the university's emphasis is on sales, it is used for everyone in the company. We teach customer retention strategies, growth strategies and provide detailed product and customer training. Track Selling System principles are used throughout our training programs in conjunction with Ecolab-specific information. Both new and existing staff take advantage of the facility.

Since its opening, the university has been booked to capacity, with two or three classes often ongoing simultaneously. As well as rave reviews from those who attend, it has contributed to consistent record sales levels for the company.

That's why I'm a firm believer in the importance of training. It is vital to give staff a firm training foundation. Product knowledge and selling techniques make up two key components of success. Once you add in experience, you have added the final ingredient.

Joe Grosdidier can be contacted at 651 293 2268.

Focus on the Professional - Dick Lavoie

Dick Lavoie is owner and manager of Citadel Financial, a full service brokerage/ financial planning office in Tucson AZ. He has been in sales since 1974 and first completed a Track Selling System workshop more than twenty years ago. Since that time, he has been in the top sales bracket each year and has earned over $100,000 in each of the last ten years. Despite this success, he has retrained himself on the Track Selling System many times.

Why have you taken the workshop several times?

"Whenever things start slowing down, I feel it is essential to go back to the basics. By taking a refresher course, it always helps me to reach the top again."

"I had the good fortune to be introduced to the Track Selling System right at the start of my sales career. At that point, I was an engineer and knew nothing about sales. But I had a wife and a new baby and needed to make money fast. I listened actively at the seminar, applied what I'd learned exactly and immediately performed spectacularly well. That's why I've believe in and have used the Max Sacks training methods ever since."

What success did you achieve?

"My first job was in insurance. I took all the awards - top producer, rookie of the year and regional honors. I did so well that first year that I beat all the veterans. In my mind, there was no doubt as to what had caused my success - it was my exact application of the sales process."

What advice do you have for beginning sales people?

"I make a lot of big sales and, nowadays, I almost expect them. But while you are out there hunting for bear, it's vital to keep picking off the rabbits. I find that if the rabbits are coming in steadily, the big ones always seem to come in too."

"Most importantly though, complete a Track Selling System workshop to learn the basics. And when you find you are slipping, re-take the workshop so that you start applying those basics once again."

Dick Lavoie can be contacted at RALAVOIE@aol.com.

Ask Roy

Earl Vincent from Memphis, TN, asks,

" Someone mentioned in one of your newsletters that they were terrified of asking for the sale. That's me. I just freeze up or keep talking to avoid the question. Any tips? "

Roy's Answer:

"First, don't feel alone. Studies reveal that 62% of all salespeople never ask for the close. Second, face your fear. If prospects say 'no,' realize they are not rejecting you personally. They are rejecting your proposal at that moment. Finally, to help you become relaxed about it, take a Track Selling System workshop so you can learn how to make closing the natural conclusion to a well-made sales presentation. "

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:

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