Track Selling Times: The Voice of the Sales Profession

Track Selling Times - December, 1999

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Track Selling Times
The Voice of the Sales Profession
Issue No. 121
December 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:

" Virtual Track Selling "
by Roy. E Chitwood, CSP, CSE.

Sections:

" Doing What's Right for the Client "

" Recruiting Good Salespeople
By Perry Walraven "

Focus on the Professional: Jeffrey Abrahams
Ask Roy
Survey Newsletter Archives

" Virtual Track Selling "
by Roy. E Chitwood, CSP, CSE.

Gone are the days when the main solutions to sales force training were to either rotate people through a program or close down once a year for the annual sales seminar. Today, web-based technology makes training available at the convenience of the individual.

Accessing training online maximizes flexibility and effectiveness for both individuals and management. And to make such leading-edge training available, Max Sacks has formed a partnership with Advanced Training Solutions (ATS), resulting in Online Track Selling. The benefits of this form of training are many:

1. 24 hour access.

Access to the comprehensive training is 24X7. Participants can access training from their offices, homes or remote Internet locations at their convenience, at a time that best fits their schedules which maximizes comfort and reduces stress.

2. Attention-holding, information-packed modules.

Online Track Selling was designed for busy sales professionals. It consists of eight information-packed modules designed to generate maximum learning in the shortest time. Taking only 20-30 minutes to complete, each module provides learning and instant feedback participants can use immediately to sell more effectively. And the seamless combination of text, graphics and audio targets the three main senses involved in learning, engaging participants and holding their interest. This makes the training interactive, real world and impacting.

3. Easy management of geographically dispersed teams.

Managing a geographically dispersed team is always a problem, with training being one of the more significant headaches. By employing online training programs, however, sales management can increase sales performance while balancing the time required for productivity training. They can view the progress of a participant in Great Britain as easily and quickly as a participant in California.

4. Instant results measurement.

Participants receive instant assessment of their performance at the completion of each module. They can review areas of particular interest and/or an entire module as often as they like. For management, this instant feedback feature provides a method of tracking individual progress and a benchmark for individual and team success.

5. Low relative cost.

Online training produces a strong economic savings investment, too. Often times, airfare, hotel stays and per diem costs equal, if not surpass, the investment in actual training. With online training, these costs are eliminated. What's more, salespeople can remain productive in the field, serving their customers without being pulled away for training.

Visit our new online training facility at www.PositiveSelling.com

Integrity Pays:
" Doing What's Right for the Client "

Drew Robb is president of Robb Editorial, a writing, research and PR firm in Tujunga, CA. In this story he highlights the importance of doing what's right for the client.

"I had a client who used to buy from me regularly. Every year, he'd come in and we'd haggle over prices for several hours before he'd finally buy the usual inadequate research project. This was just enough to keep his firm up to speed on industry developments and client concerns, but not really enough to make any strategic difference."

Why didn't you sell him more?

"Although I tried hard to sell him a comprehensive package, he complained about budgetary constraints. Then one year, just as I was about to sign him up for the same old services, I had a change of heart. I told him that I was tired of taking his money for something I felt was only partially beneficial to him. I stressed that unless he bought the larger package, there was nothing I could do for him."

What was his reaction?

"He thanked me for my candor and was particularly impressed by the fact that I handed him back his check. And while I could have used the money, I felt that taking it would be a disservice."

What happened?

"Over the coming months, I stayed in touch and gave him tips on how to improve the income level of his company. To my surprise, he walked in one day and paid for the complete package of services. As a result, I was able to truly assist him by delivering what his company needed the most.

"Lesson learned? Always do what's right for your client, even if it means turning your back on immediate income. In the long run, you'll always benefit if you act with integrity."

Drew Robb can be contacted at drewrobb@mediaone.net

World Class Sales Management:
" Recruiting Good Salespeople "
By Perry Walraven
Director, North American Sales, MTS Systems,
Minneapolis, MN

I oversee thirty-three field and seven internal salespeople who sell test equipment to manufacturers that use the equipment to verify the quality, durability or life of their products. I make sure all of my people are trained in the Track Selling System, and I find Track Selling principles invaluable whenever I am hiring staff.

I like to find sales personnel who are aware that process is important in sales. If, for example, I have two candidates who are equally attractive, I will pick the one who is most aware of the sales process. I simply ask recruits if they have a process in mind when they talk to customers and if so, what process.

I find that if prospective salespeople are at least aware of some elements of the sales process and the fact that there is a standard approach to sales, they are much easier to train. They are also much more likely to apply what they learn. This increases the chances that new recruits will be successful and prevents the company from wasting training resources on those who are unlikely to make it.

With my salespeople, I always stress the importance of having an objective for each call. I have a plaque on my wall with a quote from Casey Stengel. "If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else." That's why, when I travel with them, I get them to explain their objective on the call. I'm looking for specific answers, not generalities.

The same applies when I interview people for jobs in the field. I ask them what their objective is in talking to me. I'm more responsive to those who say right off that they are here to get the job. It's surprising how many will tell you something else or have to think about it.

When I've narrowed it down to a few candidates, I ask them to write a letter giving three good reasons why I should hire them. That lets me see right away if they can sell themselves. If they have listened well and understand my needs, this letter gives them a stress-free opportunity to "fill the need." It also gives me an opportunity to evaluate their writing skills.

One final recruiting tactic is to tell candidates that I'll call them and then I don't. This is going to happen to them all the time in sales and I like to see how they react to it. Obviously, those who don't call back, don't get hired.

Perry Walraven can be contacted at Perry.walraven@MTS.com.

Focus on the Professional - Jeffrey Abrahams

Jeffrey Abrahams is a partner at TASA Worldwide, an executive search firm based in Sao Paolo, Brazil. He has over twenty years experience in sales, marketing and sales management.

"Prior to studying the Track Selling System, I had participated in many forms of training in the various Fortune 500 companies where I used to work. These programs consisted of theory, role playing, effective communications skills, distribution management, problem analysis, problem solving and solution implementation, sales management, marketing management seminars at Columbia University, basic financial management and more. Everywhere I worked, training was always regarded as crucial to company success - yet there was something missing."

What?

"As a veteran executive, I am used to working with processes, yet sales seemed to lack any kind of process. For example, my executive search company operates with a standard process, and the Kung Fu I practice only works well if you follow the process. Martial arts are worthless without a process, and sales without one is a waste of time. That's why I like the Track Selling System - it lays out a precise sales process that works every time if you follow the steps. But just like any sports activity, you have to practice, practice, practice to achieve excellence and finesse."

What have you gained from the training?

"The Track Selling System has drastically improved my mental approach to sales as it lays out the sale in a logical fashion that adapts easily to the customers natural purchasing framework. I now achieve a thorough understanding of client needs and can translate this into increased sales. In fact, since 1994 when I first contacted Max Sacks International, my sales have increased by 25 to 30 percent each year."

Jeffrey Abrahams can be contacted at jmaf@uol.com.br.

Ask Roy

Julia Robertson from Toronto, Canada, asks,

" I run a sales force that is dispersed throughout the country, and it is extremely difficult getting them together for meetings or training. As they always complain that the training goes on too long and costs them sales, I usually end up compromising and letting them get away with a couple of days training a year. But I don't think this is enough. Any suggestions? "

Roy's Answer:

That's why, when communicating with your people, you must focus on the benefits of training, not the costs. For example, a study conducted by Pepperdine University surveying 1,500 of our graduates revealed the following: first, 60% had a sales increase of at least 25% after completing the training; and second, 60% sold their product/service to the prospect they focussed on during the call development/role play portion of the workshop. These are the types of benefits you should highlight.

What's more, every hour invested in training pays off many times over. And one of the best ways to conduct any sales training is to have pre and post training available to your people to review on their time, at their convenience. A program such as Online Track Selling is a good vehicle to accomplish this. "

Reader Survey

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