•Can You Handle the Truth?
? Have you heard the story of the Legendary Great White Elephant Hunter (LGWEH)?
The LGWEH heard of the rare white elephant and was determined to hunt it down and add it to his trophies. He set off into the jungle with his team, equipment, supplies and guns and ... was never seen again!
Why am I telling you this story? What has this to do with sales?
Because this kind of thing happens to salespeople too. Especially when they find their equivalent of a GWE sale. The sale they must add to...
•I'll have the sales job done!
As a sales manager, I needed to recruit, train, and monitor the performance of salespeople from time to time. I vividly remember one annual sales appraisal I had for one of my new sales staff. After we had a detailed discussion of her sales performance, I asked her to comment on her job duties and rate her overall performance.
Contrary to my expectation, she was satisfied with her job level but she ranked herself "under-performing". While I appreciated her candidness, I was at the same time...
•Know Your "Best Alternative to Negotiated Agreement"
BATNA stands for "Best Alternative to Negotiated Agreement".
BATNA is not an acronym you see very often but it is probably the single most powerful method of successfully negotiating favourable terms and conditions relating to a sale or agreement.
The concept of BATNA was developed by negotiation researchers Roger Fisher and Bill Ury of the Harvard Program on negotiation. BATNA is the course of action that will be taken by a party if negotiations fail and an agreement cannot be reached.
So...
•My Objections to Objections
"Your price is too high!" When you've frequently had to sell your products or services it is very likely that you've heard this kind of statement before. It could be called the 'king of objections'. Other frequent objections concern product/service details, commercial terms, and performance issues (like delivery time, warranty, etc.).
In the course of this article I will share with you my views on objections, how they can be minimized if not avoided, and how to deal with them when they show...
•Sales Strategy: Chess or Checkers?
? The term strategic selling is brought up frequently when describing complex or sophisticated selling. And while there is an element of truth in this, I think it has more to do with the way you approach a sale rather than that the actual sale is actually complicated.
Firstly it may be useful to define what the word 'strategy' means. I have found a number of different definitions of the word:
Strategy (definitions)
- A scheme or an elaborate and systematic plan of action - The...
•Undersell, Overdeliver
The term 'salesperson' had earned a bad reputation in modern times. Even inside organizations, some of the employees are uncomfortable dealing or working with salespeople. Personally, I have been involved in companies where salespeople were generally viewed as people who were overpaid and indulged at best, and in some cases seen as devious and liars.
But when you think about it carefully, you cannot do away with sales. It is the lifeblood of a business. Having great products or great service...
•What Should We Do When They Are Offering It Free?
? It is a sweaty August morning, and the first thing you notice when you walk into your sales office is the newspaper lying on your desk with a full-page advertisement saying, "FREE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, FOREVER."
Unfortunately, this ad was posted by your smaller competitor, not your company. You also notice that the phones in your customer service department are ringing off the hook - your customers are asking to cancel your service. Your secretary has left a note on your monitor:...
•Win / Win - What it really means and how it can help you become a better salesperson?
? The concept of 'Win / Win' is not new. It is a timeless principle that has stood the test of time.
But even today in the 21st century, many salespeople ignore it (to their peril).
But firstly, some background. Stephen Covey wrote a classic business best seller called 'The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People' in 1989. One of the habits is Think Win / Win. In the book, Covey talks about how there are two fundamental views of the world when it relates to resources.
One view is based on...
|
|