Increasing Profits and Revenue by Improving Professional Selling Skills

 

Barry Willingham

Ameristar Fence Products, Tulsa, OK

www.ameristarfence.com

 

(I attended this seminar in early 2007. There were easily 75 persons in the room, all sales people except for me and my chief engineer. The information given was golden and was delivered by a professional who led the sales team at the largest manufacturer of ornamental gate equipment in the world. There were two persons who took notes during the seminar, me and my chief engineer. Why do you suppose that was...?) 

 

Tools of the Trade

 

 

Sales is as much as a profession as a doctor or attorney. If you don't apply proper skills you are a peddler. What do you have in YOUR control that can separate you from everyone else? Answer: Taking your tools and effectively using them.

 

Amateur

Non-professional, someone trying to get there, inexperienced.  An amateur practices until they finally get it right.

 

Professional

Highly skilled, it's what they do. They practice until they can't do it wrong.

 

You expect professionals to get it right. You always expect Tiger Woods to drive the green and one-putt for birdie. You expect it. What do your customers expect of you?

 

Fundamentals

 

Time - The Only Common Element (Steven Covey)

 

List what you WILL do, and also list what you will NOT do. Self-reflection and planning is important. This is how you out-pace people. Do value-added activity.

 

Unacceptable Standards

 

If you're products don't apply to the customer's needs, why do you bring it up? Your agenda? What about the customer’s agenda? What about value to the customer?

 

Assumed Constraints

Things that keep you from moving forward, demons in your head for fear of failure, or no one does it that way, or, my customers won't buy that...

 

The Main Thing

The main thing, is to keep the main thing the main thing.

"Stay true to your purpose." "What is a salesman true purpose? Stay on the customer's agenda. The "sale" is the results of staying on the customer's agenda. Ask questions about their business, their needs...

 

We have a sales training course at Ameristar, it's done over two days. We cover the following:

 

Customer Attitudes

 

Customer Needs

 

Customer Behavior

 

Fundamentals of the Sales Cycle

Positive Opening -> Probing and Listening (Identify needs and opportunities) <-> Supporting with Products and Features <-> Close -> Positive Opening (process cycles)

 

Sales amateurs go "straight to product." Sales professionals understand what the customer wants, then introduces the products that will satisfy their need. Once you get commitment, move on to the close.

 

Choosing without Influence

Two items to pick from. Look the same. One cost more. You pick the cheaper one. Value is only established when you identify customer needs, and apply solutions/products/services to address those needs and demonstrate the benefits they will receive.  It's called consultative selling!

 

What Does "Sell Yourself" Mean?

Selling is not a popularity contest. You are not a professional visitor! Is it an action based on something you say... or a result of something you provide or do? You want to be loved by your customers? Ask them what they want, what they need, and be a problem solver. You are as one of their unpaid employees! But you get paid in purchase orders.

 

You want to move from peddler to professional. Sales professionals are communication experts. They are company experts (theirs and their customer’s).

 

Can you specifically define or describe the tangible evidence of what you have delivered to a customer when you have been successful at selling yourself to the customer?

 

The Real Challenge

"The challenge is not getting new innovative thoughts into someone's head. The problem is getting the old, antiquated thoughts out of your head."

 

You have an ability to change the environment, to change the expectations. Fence prices and resulting margins are coming down. Are you only selling price? Begin offering value, people will pay for value.

 

Question: If fence products didn't cost anything, would you run your business different? Far too much time and attention is given to cost and price. Are you going to "save" your way to prosperity? No. You still buy effectively, eliminate waste, and watch cash flow, but you have to listen to the customer and know their need. You need to invest in and practice the tools of your trade.

 

Sustainable Simplicity

2 - 2 - 2

 

Self Responsibility