Track Selling Times: The Voice of the Sales Profession

Track Selling Times - May, 2000

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Track Selling Times
The Voice of the Sales Profession
Issue No. 126
May 1, 2000
Published by Max Sacks International,
Home of 100% Guaranteed World Class Sales Training
Developers of the Track Selling System™.
Author/Editor: Roy Chitwood, President, MSI

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In This Issue:

Feature:

" Team Selling Your Way to the Top of High Tech"
by Roy E. Chitwood, CSP, CSE and Ron Holm

Sections:

Integrity Pays:
"Integrity = Clear Conscience = More Sales" by Alex Johnson

World Class Sales Management:
"The Value of Developing the Potential of Salespeople"
by Al Kauder

Focus on the Professional:
"Jean (John) Veillux"
A sales manager in the freight transportation industry shares is his pre and post sales training experiences.

Book Review -
Selling the Invisible: A Field Guide to Modern Marketing
by Harry Beckwith

Ask Roy: Ask Roy Chitwood
One reader asks, "What's the best way to respond to a prospect who expects you to know everything about your product/service and deems you 'unqualified' if you suggest involving a technical person?"

Survey - Reader Survey

Newsletter Archives

"Team Selling Your Way to the Top of High Tech"
      by Roy E. Chitwood, CSP, CSE,
     and Ron Holm, owner and President,
     Business Application Software

One of the daunting new realities of high-tech product selling today is the increasing knowledge base required of those doing the selling. Due to more aggressive and frequent waves of new product and software improvements, it's become a full-time job just to keep up with technical advancements.

For most of the decades of the 80's and 90's, this wasn't so. A salesperson could successfully double-up in their roles of sales consultant and technical consultant and make sales happen. In today's more technical and competitive age, however, it's much more difficult for a salesperson to do it all solo.

This article focuses on how sales and IT/product development departments can successfully link their staffs together and increase their sales levels and profitability through a team selling approach. However, the premise can be applied to any product or service where large amounts of rapidly changing or highly specific data exists.

On the surface, team selling has natural appeal. Combine sales and technical resources and enjoy the benefits of synergy. The salesperson manages the sale cycle and the technical consultant answers the detailed questions, ensures the product will fit the unique needs of the prospect, and demos the features. The salesperson has the technical help needed to answer the tough product questions. The technician learns before the sale is made of this prospect's needs and can certify the fit the product and training would give. The prospect immediately meets the technical person who could later become their trainer/project manager to help with implementation. The size and impressiveness of the company grows and becomes more credible in the prospect's eyes as the technical person is added to the sales effort. While either member of the team is talking, their partner is listening, thinking and planning on the best way to proceed. One plus one equals three, or so it would seem.

And yet, a funny thing can happen on the way to the forum. Sales versus support personnel in high tech fields have had a love-hate relationship for years. Technical personnel see sales people as flakes, floaters, and seeming know-it-alls who promise the moon and bring too many bad sales and unachievable support needs to the firm. Salespeople see technical people as nerds and out of touch with the subtle nuances of selling to prospects in today's market. Technical personnel can feel out of place and uncomfortable in a sales setting and through body language or verbal missteps can actually become an unwitting saboteur to a sale weeks or months in the making. Salespeople feel concern that the technical person can jeopardize the sale through poor people skills, lack of tact, and poor coordination in their combined sales efforts.

With apologies to author John Gray for a stretch on his metaphor, "Salespeople are from Mars, Technicians are from Venus." Too often this war of the worlds result in lost sales, staff tension, and missed opportunities.

In the immortal lines of the comic character Pogo, "We have met the enemy, and they are us".

So what's a high tech company to do with this inevitable yin-yang relationship between key departments? We suggest a proactive coordination of the roles each person will play in the selling process, and arming each with the understanding and selling skills to carry off their part of the sales cycle with polish and finesse.

Here's how to begin. Review the seven steps of the sales process as outlined in "World Class Selling: The Complete Selling Process" and decide ahead of time who'll perform each of the seven steps. Here's our recommendation for the division of labor:

STEP
Approach
Qualification
Agreement on Need
Sell the Company
Fill the Need
Act of Commitment
Cement the Sale WHO PERFORMS
Both
Both
Salesperson
Salesperson
Technical Consultant
Salesperson
Both

For the balance of this article, let's say that "Ashley" is the sales person and is taking her technical counterpart to meet with a prospect that you met earlier. Through her initial qualifying, she feels this prospect is a bona fide candidate for their products and services.

Ashley briefs her technical consultant prior to the meeting as to all she learned on earlier calls. She includes the technical review, but also shares information about the prospect as a person-their likes, dislikes, hobbies, vacations, family, etc.

We recommend Ashley begin the meeting with an Agreement on Need statement and highlight what she learned previously. They will both will conduct some additional qualifying and rapport-building. Here's where the technical person goes more into depth as to the precise needs of the prospect. Their knowledge of the product helps them know of the degree of fit it can give.

We teach that the job that is done in the first two steps of the selling process-Approach and Qualification-will determine 75% of your sales success. It's important that the technician have rapport with the prospect too...that they hit it off together. If the technical person is awkward in their ability to make "small talk", Ashley can help.

As to rapport-building, she might set up her technician to ask about the prospect's vacation, such as, "Ashley told me that you vacationed in Aruba last winter. It sounds like an incredible place. How was the vacation and what was your favorite part of the trip?" Topics and responsibilities on the sales call can all be determined before setting foot into the meeting.

Ashley normally performs the Sell the Company step. The technician presents Fill the Need. Ashley seeks an Act of Commitment and both Cement the Sale.

You will find your success in team selling will be directly proportional to your advance planning. Team selling offers incredible potential to those willing to plan for its success. It provides the salesperson with technical expertise to ensure a good technical fit. It gives the technician access to a new part of business acumen where they contribute to the business in a very bottom-line way.

In team selling, converting a former war of the worlds to combining the best from both worlds yields a tremendous selling differential as your benefit. It is well worth the training and planning to make it happen. Good luck and good selling.

[This article was co-authored with RON HOLM, owner and president of Business Application Software, a St. Paul, Minn.-based software reseller, (651) 633-2044, www.basoftware.com]

Ron Holm can be contacted at ronh@basoftware.com.

Integrity Pays:
"Integrity = Clear Conscience = More Sales"
by Alex Johnson, President, AJ Consulting, Seattle, WA

Alex Johnson of AJConsulting.com is an Internet Consultant who provides Website Development and Internet Strategies for small to medium sized companies.

Integrity in business is one of the key elements to success. When your business and personal dealings are conducted with integrity, a clear conscience is maintained. With a clear conscience you can truly work for your client and his interests.

I have seen customers shrink back or show skepticism when confronted with a "slick talker" or someone who doesn't give the impression of being honest. Conversely, I believe sincere honesty and integrity are communicated to the customer or prospect in many subtle ways.

In my business of Internet strategy and consulting, bringing integrity to the job is not only important, it's vital. With so many Internet scams, it's a challenge determining the true value of a Web presence and site modifications. So it's my practice to always implement the following three principles in all of my client dealings and I recommend you do the same. They spell out how and why my integrity has helped me gain a loyal following of clients.

1. Advising customers truthfully.

Yet many Web designers made cash windfalls by feeding a perceived need to the client which wasn't based on fact or research. My clients appreciated my honesty in explaining the truth about these gimmicks and trends. Although they were pervasive and tempting, my clients accepted my recommendations and opted for clean, functional Web sites. The irony is that while their initial investment was lessened, it put them ahead of the game because their pages haven't needed major revamping...and we've never had to remove a single spinning logo!

2. Honesty in all dealings with every customer. Work performed, accurate records, timely delivery, honest billing, and accurate forecasts for budget and needs all are vital to maintaining your personal integrity, and the integrity of your company. Clients can tell when everything "adds up" properly, and when it doesn't. They'll eventually discover anything less than total integrity. And more importantly, you will always know how you conduct yourself and your business. With honesty as your base, though, you can keep your mind focused on creative work, and not be preoccupied by client questions, making excuses, or feelings of guilt.

3. Reputation can be destroyed instantly. It's funny, it often takes an eternity to gain an "A" customer, yet takes only a single act to lose them. Problems, discrepancies or nagging doubts can lie dormant in your client's mind, only to surface instantly. You must be completely open and honest with your clients all of the time. By doing so, the small problems that end up exploding can be avoided and dealt with before doomsday, and, not surprisingly, will help strengthen your partnership.

Alex Johnson can be contacted at Alex-Johnson@AJConsulting.com.

World Class Sales Management:
    "The Value of Developing the Potential of Salespeople "
     by Al Kauder,
     President, The Jostan Group, Minneapolis, MN

Al Kauder is owner and President of The Jostan Group, Minneapolis, Minnesota, a sales training and professional development firm. He has more then 35 years of sales, sales management, and executive level experience.

We believe that a company's greatest asset is the undeveloped potential of its people. If you accept this premise, the following questions beg to be asked:

What is the value of a sales manger developing the potential of their people?

Everyone one of us has much to offer. Unfortunately, with the press of business, we are often shortsighted in taking care of immediate needs and not looking towards the long-range benefit of developing our skills. People tend to be more reactive than proactive. For example, when I first learned about Track Selling, I soon found myself falling back to my old techniques of selling because I didn't take the time to prepare my qualification questions. I was too absorbed in today's demands and not tomorrow's dreams. Once I took the time to prepare my questions, points about my company as well as the features and benefits of my company's products and services, I found my success in selling dramatically improved.

I believe the value of a sales manger developing their salespeople's potential is enormous. As a manager, I feel that if I can help my people develop their assets, it's like putting money in the bank in that the return on investment for the preparation made far exceeds selling on the fly.

How valuable is it to the salesperson to have their potential developed?

A sales career can be both challenging and rewarding. A good salesperson is always looking for ways to improve her income while continuing to serve her customers. Nothing is more motivating for a salesperson than success. A motivated salesperson is an excited salesperson. And, as Andrew Carnegie said when building Bethlehem Steel, "Give me a salesperson that gets excited, because when a salesperson gets excited, people get excited. And when people get excited, they buy."

What is the value to the company to develop the potential of its people?

Simply stated: improved morale, greater satisfaction, increased loyalty, more effective teamwork, increased sales, and increase profits

Al, if developing the potential of salespeople is important, why is it that so few companies do it?

Unfortunately, many companies are willing to invest in their infrastructure but don't view the sales organization as such. Manufacturing companies are willing to invest in their machines and finance driven companies in their software programs, but few companies see their people as an asset worthy of investing in.

Isn't it ironic that a company would never hire someone for production without first explaining their manufacturing and production process? Similarly, they wouldn't hire a bookkeeper without explaining their accounting procedures. They do expect salespeople, however, to bring their own unique selling approach. Therefore, in their mind, unfortunately, it's not necessary to train salespeople. For some companies salespeople are only a necessary evil. So why invest in them? But those companies would be wise to remember that when nobody sells, nothing happens. Consequently, in our company, we would like the company and our salespeople to optimize their potential.

How you recommend companies go about developing the potential of their salespeople?

The Japanese have a principle called, "kaizen," which basically means, "continuous improvement of process." Therefore, we provide our salespeople the process of selling and we, and they, continually work at improving our process thus developing their potential. Companies would be wise to do the same.

Focus on the Professional -
"Jean (John) Veillux "

Jean (John) Veillux is Sales Manager for Select Express, Montreal, Canada, a highly regarded freight forwarding company operating in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario. Jean has more than 15 years sales and sales management experience.

How has the Track Selling System^TM helped you?

When I was a rookie in sales, it looked easy. From the outside looking in, it seemed that if you smiled a lot, befriended people, and just 'talked', everything would fall into place. I soon learned, however, one of the biggest faults of salespeople: talking entirely too much while not listening nearly enough.

After completing the workshop, selling became exponentially simpler. Firstly, the progression of the steps in the sales process makes sense. Before, I would be all over the place. I might sell the company before reaching an agreement on need, or try to close the sale with what I thought the customer needed rather than after proper qualification. It was like I was trying to climb a ladder by skipping one, two, or even three rungs at a time. I'd often fall. Fortunately, I discovered the sales process goes much faster and is more enjoyable if you take one step at a time. But you first must know what those steps are. And secondly, it's increased my confidence and professionalism enormously. I now have an exact plan for every call in every sales cycle.

You mentioned how the Track Selling System has helped you. How has it helped your salespeople?

Again, I think much of the value lie's in the process it provides. The old clichÉ, "Plan your work and work your plan," is very true. The Track Selling System helps my salespeople to plan each call and set a specific objective beforehand, and then execute the plan, step-by-step, during the call. It really helps to keep the objective of the call prevalent.

How do you use the Track Selling System in a long sales cycle?

Even though the duration is longer than in a one or two call sales cycle, the selling process remains constant. The important thing is that you set clear objectives for each call. So, your objectives in a long cycle might be: first call: build rapport; second call: build rapport and conduct initial qualification; third call: continue qualifying and reach agreement on need; fourth: sell the company, fill the need; fifth call: gain act of commitment and cement the sale. The point is, no matter whether it's two calls or twenty-two, always get an act of commitment for the next step whether that's scheduling another meeting, providing information, touring a facility, etc. If the forward momentum stops, you likely won't get it started again.

In your opinion, what's more important: a salesperson with a great personality or salesperson using a specific selling process?

Absolutely a salesperson using a specific selling process. I've seen many people who are charmers and talkers yet they don't know the basics of selling. They end up talking a whole lot and closing very little, wasting valuable selling time.

I really believe that selling will continue to be a problem until it becomes a procedure. And if you have an effective selling process such as the Track Selling System, its value transcends selling. I use it to help me when dealing with the unenviable yet inevitable such as servicing problems (truck breakdowns, damaged merchandise, wrong destination, etc.), collecting outstanding balances, and following up with customers. It helps me to build rapport and communicate more effectively with my customers in and out of sales settings.

Jean (John) Veillux can be contacted at jveilleux@groupeselect.com.

Book Review - Selling the Invisible: A Field Guide to Modern Marketing
by Harry Beckwith (Warner Books)

"Oh, the times, they are a changin'." And never was this more evident than in "Selling the Invisible," in which Beckwith predicts that, by the year 2005, 8 out of 10 Americans will be employed in service industries. Yet the faux pas of many business', he argues, is that they're continuing to market their products and services as they did in the 70s and 80s, much to their own peril. Beckwith contends, rather, that company's must shift their focus away from the tangible (features such as size, speed, ease of use) and toward the intangible of building partnerships (the benefits of working with a company such as ongoing support).

The book is an easy read and, once you begin, you likely won't put it down until the back cover appears. The chapters are short and make one specific point which is then summarized at chapters end. To classify this book as relevant to only sales and marketing professionals is a mistake. It's my belief that every person in a company is either selling or unselling the company, all of the time. And points such as "Say a.m., deliver p.m.," "Answer on the first ring," and "Under promise, Over deliver," support this position as they're applicable to all and easily implemented.

The only caution I have is that you don't underestimate the books value due to its simplicity. When reading the book, you might find yourself skipping through it, thinking it's common sense. DON'T FALL INTO THIS TRAP! The problem with common sense is that it's not that common. This book is a must read for anyone truly concerned with serving their customers.

Ask Roy

Katherine Ellison of Seattle asks,

" What's the best way to respond to a prospect who expects you to know everything about your product/service and deems you 'unqualified' if you suggest bringing a technical person? "

Roy's Answer:

You need to show the prospect that you're there to serve her as best as you can. And in order to do so, you relate that you have professional 'teammates', experts in their own area, to help her, not just one person. The benefit you convey is obvious: she has, in essence, a team of experts at her disposal who will help fully determine her needs and assist in recommending the best possible solutions. Instead of working from a weakness, a single person, you're working from strength, a group of professionals. She should readily see the benefit in this and appreciate your recommendation. "

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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