A less-than-stellar economy like the one the nation has been wading through for the last year or so is nothing but an excuse for not making and breaking sales records.
"You can grow your business regardless of the economy," Bill Farquharson, president of Duxbury, Massachusetts-based training company Print Tec Network, explained. "It's about the fundamentals."
Farquharson, who started his career selling business forms for a large company, said the most important component is diligence.
There are more than a handful of salespeople who are scratching their heads, wondering why their voice mail messages go unreturned, he observed. There is a misplaced expectation in the sales world that leaving messages means one will get returned. That is simply not the case, Farquharson continued.
The purpose of voice mail is to demonstrate diligence. Unfortunately, Farquharson estimated that approximately 90 percent of the time a salesperson leaves one little voice mail message and then fails to follow up with the prospect. Repeated messages prove persistence, which goes a long way in proving how hard a salesperson is willing to work for a customer.
"This is a homogeneous market. If you want to differentiate yourself, call twice. By today's standards this is stalking," Farquharson joked. "It shows you don't give up."
Call quality also is very important when it comes to landing a sale. "What customers want is to grow their businesses," he continued. "Research a company, put thought into what their problems might be and then solve them."
Savvy salespeople will focus on customers' needs instead of the recession.
"I don't care what's going on with the economy," Farquharson stated. "If customers are busting your chops over price, then you are doing something wrong. It's about what you have done for them lately."
Linda Bishop, president of Atlanta-based training and consulting company Thought Transformation, has a slightly different take. She believes there are three things sales representatives must do in a down economy: talk to more potential customers, get more meetings and improve them and finally, be more efficient when closing a sale. She suggested reaching out to more clients by cold calling, networking and asking for referrals from customers.
"When you do get a warm, lead call, follow up, don't let it go cold," Bishop reminded. "Talk to them within 24 to 48 hours."
And, when it comes to making meetings better, Bishop noted salespeople must remember they have two jobs: to talk business and, sometimes, to provide emotional intelligence. "You need to figure out what makes a good meeting for them," she added. "Too many go in and treat meetings like fishing expeditions. Go in and plan every meeting. You may need to focus the meeting on developing a rapport or demonstrating that you are trustworthy. It's a challenge in today's world if you go into a meeting and tell people you provide quality, excellent service. That's a very 'me, too' approach. It's better to understand their pain points—what the problem is for you."
Another huge step in reaching sales success is surrendering the fantasy that customer loyalty still exists. Farquharson said it is no longer common to hear of company-customer relationships lasting 20 years or more. Instead, he said there is a new definition of customer loyalty. He called it his "Three Rules of Customer Loyalty." And they are: "It's the file. It's the file. It's the file."
He explained, "In years past, it used to be that if you owned the plates or negatives, you owned the customer. Now, if you own the digital file you own the customer. This fact holds true for variable data printing more than anything else. If you are technically superior to your competition; if you are proficient with multiple software programs; if you are building a brand that screams of your ability to work with difficult files, you will rebuild that folk tale and regain the loyal customer, just like [in] the old days."
In addition, Farquharson touched on some of the most common mistakes made by those in sales such as quitting too early and making very self-centered sales calls.
"They call and talk about printing and [how] 'my company can do this and here we do that,'" he emphasized. "Customers don't want to hear about that. They want solutions, they want to grow or increase their businesses."
Also, many sales representatives lack professionalism. Not dressing appropriately for a client meeting is similar to showing up to church [in] "gym shorts and a football shirt." In order for people to take you and your company seriously, look the part.
Same goes for speech.
"Say 'thank you,'" Farquharson emphasized. "You say 'thank you' in a restaurant today and you hear a young person reply, 'no problem.' No, it's 'you're welcome' or 'my pleasure.' Voice tone also is very important. Who wants to buy something from Eeyore?"
Also, when it comes to sales, Farquharson believes "e-mail is an earned privilege." An e-mail only is appropriate as a follow up to a perfectly crafted introductory business letter and two voice mails.
"Prior to that, it is spam," Farquharson said. "It's inappropriate."
Bishop advised those in the sales business to use e-mail as one more selling tool. But, keep the customer's age in mind. For those 40 and up, it can be a very intrusive type of communication. The feeling is much different for a younger crowd. She recommended using it when it feels appropriate.
Bishop left salespeople with one final thought: Remember, everyone is unique. "There is no other substitute and that creates a competitive edge," she said. "Find people you click with and make an honest effort to see them on common ground. Finding out what the clients want and providing it to them will get you where you want to be."
For more of Farquharson's tips of the trade, visit www.salesmonday.com. To sign up for Bishop's free e-newsletter "Self-Taught Sales," visit www.thoughttransformation.com. PPR