Returning To Sales 101

It's inevitable. Whenever I talk with VARs and integrators, the conversation always turns toward business issues. That's why Business Solutions dedicates so many of its feature articles toward business topics like selling and servicing. But no matter how many times we cover these subjects, you can always gain a fresh perspective. An old industry friend recently visited and reminded me of the importance of channel companies brushing up on their sales skills.

M. H. "Lefty" Monson is practically a fixture in the point of sale (POS) industry. Forty-seven years ago, he began selling Sharp cash registers and went on to start his own POS distributor and service business, which he later sold. But Lefty is mostly known for the 235 sales workshops where he's worked with 4,000 salespeople. The material for the Sales Interaction Workshop is derived from Lefty's experience, information from sales gurus like Harvey Mackay, and input from past workshop attendees. Although these workshops were designed for POS salespeople, the lessons are applicable for all types of technology resellers. Here are some of the insights.

Revisiting Essential Behaviors Of Salespeople
We're all familiar with the saying, "People buy from people they like." A critical trait of a successful salesperson is a positive attitude. One exercise Lefty encourages his workshop attendees to do is the "Good Morning Greeting." Starting tomorrow, say "good morning" with a smile to at least 13 people daily for an entire month. (I tried it, even though it seemed a little silly. It really changed how people reacted to me!) He even recommends to telesalespeople putting a mirror at their desks to see if they're smiling when talking to customers. "You only have five seconds to make a prospect decide whether they want to continue the conversation. If your voice conveys an upbeat attitude and you're saying something valuable, you're more likely to keep them on the phone," he says.

But a positive attitude is only part of the formula for increasing your likability. Career salespeople are typically outgoing people who have no problem striking up a conversation. However, sometimes sales reps talk too much. Lefty tells workshop attendees to listen two times more than they talk. Integrity also comes in to play when salespeople are building relationships with potential and existing customers. For a salesperson, this sometimes means admitting mistakes or walking away from a customer when a sale isn't mutually beneficial. I know you've heard advice on sales behaviors like this before, but do you put it into practice daily?

Disciplining Your Sales Organization For Maximum Productivity
Another area worth revisiting is your sales organization's discipline. Do you have a daily plan for sales calls and follow it to the letter? Whether you're calling on prospects/customers face-to-face or over the phone, you need to take advantage of every working hour. Think about these statistics: If your annual sales income is $50,000, each hour is worth $24 and each minute is worth 40 cents. The higher volume of prospects you contact, the greater the chance of reaching one who will show interest. Persistence also pays when closing. Lefty estimates that 60% of his sales closes come after the sixth attempt to close. Customer relationship management (CRM) software or some similar type of mechanism is important for a sales organization to keep records of calls and customer details. These types of programs help salespeople track the delivery of promised items, such as phone calls or product upgrades, to customers.

Lefty's sales workshops address important sales topics like customer benefit statements and ways to overcome customer objections. (For more information, see the article on page 38 of this issue.) But of course, his workshops aren't the only ones. There are plenty of valuable sales seminars and programs if you're looking to sharpen your salespeople's skills. One of the biggest benefits of these types of gatherings, says Monson, is to have salespeople start sharing their experiences with their peers and learning from one another. What does your sales organization have left to learn?