(Day 15) Hiring Young Guns

What should I look for if I want to hire the “Young Guns” of the selling world?

This is a question I saw posted on LinkedIn this morning and, given the numerous responses, I figured I would chime in with my own thoughts. After reading some of the thoughts I realized that some of us are trying to start on the roof before laying the foundation!

When I graduated from college I looked back at my education and was blessed to have been exposed to so many lessons but the one thing that I was most proud of is my ability to recognize potential in young people. In 3 years as a campus leader I had the privilege to interview over 1,000 college students for a number of positions. I made horrible hiring decisions and I made great ones…but as many of us know, we learn just as much from hitting a ball in the water as we do hitting one down the middle (thanks Dave)!

Some of you may be asking yourselves…

“This guy is talking about college! Do these principles carry any weight in the “real world”?”

Absolutely!!

These 5 Principles have only become more important as I immerse myself in the world of professional selling!

So…

Here are the “BIG 5″…

5. “Business Owner” Mentality

Being an employee is a state of mind! When we work with large sales forces this is one of the first topics we discuss. We encourage each sales professional to approach their customers, their territory, and their business as if they were the owner of the company. Too many times we run into sales professionals that get to work at 8 and leave at 5, while only doing what they are asked to do. The truth is, that may be enough to keep your job but it should not be enough to keep your pride! As a sales professional, we are suppose to make decisions like a “business owner”! We confront dilemmas like a “business owner”! And most importantly, we put in the time and commitment that a “business owner” would!

This week, ask yourself “What would a business owner do?”

4. Continuous Learner

We are always moving! We are either moving forward or falling behind. When looking to hire ANYONE we must identify an individuals desire to learn! To grow! To improve! Too many times we encounter sales professionals that are doing the same thing today that they were doing 15 years ago. We are not going to reach success today by doing what worked yesterday! To compete today we must stay ahead of the curve and we do that by learning new skills. If you want to have some fun…ask your stagnant sales professional, “What books are you currently reading?” You will have your answer right there! A true pro is ALWAYS polishing their craft!

3. Interpersonal Skills

While cliche, this one is even more important in an economy like this. We must hire sales professionals that ADD value to our product/service…not detract from it! I had been going to a men’s clothing store for the past 4 years but recently made a switch to a new one because while one store focuses on interpersonal skills, the other could not even spell “relationship”. While I am only one customer…I am getting married (buying suits for the wedding) and I have sent a number of my friends over there to get their wedding attire! That one “detail” cost one company thousands of dollars while the other store has more business than they know what to do with.

If we struggle to generate relationships, we will struggle to pay the bills!

2. Resiliency

I once heard my dad tell a sales manager, he was working with, “If you hire a sales professional with low levels of resiliency you are committing management malpractice!” Sales is a tough profession and if we do not hire “tough” sales people, we will either face low sales or a high turnover (maybe both)!

We must find sales people that have the mentality…

“Some will…some won’t…so what…Who’s Next?!”

1. Personal Accountability

We define personal accountability as “I do what I say I am going to do…because I said I would!” You know…I have noticed that individuals with low levels of personal accountability are always the ones who are “stuck in traffic” and are late “because someone else…”! Sales professionals do what they say they are going to do because they do not know any other way. They are committed to doing what it takes to keep their word and even if they are not responsible for the mistake…they take responsibility for making it right!

In this blog I communicated 5 principles that impact the success of young sales professionals but I think if you take a close look at the “Big 5″ you will see its impact in other areas of business…and life!

(Day 12) What does your online presence say about you?

What are the first 3 websites that pop up when you Google “Jason Jacobus”?

1. LinkedIn

2. Facebook

3. Twitter

That being said, if we recognize that these social media platforms are the face of our online presence…what do they say about us?

Too many times I hear stories from employers, customers, and other professionals that have second-guessed working with an individual because their “personally created” online presence did not communicate a positive message. Did you catch that part in the last sentence? PERSONALLY CREATED!!! How are we letting something that WE MANAGE get between us an our goals. I think that question has a two different answers…

1. Lack of Awareness

I have had the opportunity to speak on this topic a number of times…both to corporate clients and collegiate audiences. Every time I have presented on social media best practices, I will share with the audience the unfortunate regularity of people missing out on opportunities due to their “Social Media Impression”. Their immediate response is to look at me like a calf looks at a new gate (you Texans know what I’m talking about). The benefit if this information is that it guides individuals from shock…to introspection! That is where we progress to #2…

2. Lack of Knowledge

Once we have come to recognize the impact that our online presence can have on our professional success then we must create a plan of action. The first time I  processed through this I did not have much guidance so I just plowed through it on my own. After completing the process I decided to share my simple, yet effective, strategies with others. Here is the process I used…

1. Go through each of your social media sites (profiles, pictures, posts, articles, groups, etc) and ask yourself…”is this what I want my customers, boss, employees, etc to see?”

2. Email links to your sites out to a list of people you respect and ask for their feedback. “Friends, I just wanted to send you a few links to my social media profiles. I have been processing through them and want to make sure that they are communicating a positive personal message. Would you mind telling me what you think when you go through the following sites. Thoughts a suggestions are encouraged.”

3. Locate a few people (on various social media sites) that are well-respected in your industry and process through their sites. What are they doing, writing, or communicating that you feel may be beneficial for you to do?

It is not all bad!

I know that there are a number of things to evaluate when using these systems but when used correctly, they can be incredibly beneficial. Just the other day I posted an article on my blog and few hours after posting I received an email from the National Sales Director for one of the largest communications companies in the country. She wanted to inquire about our capacity to do corporate sales training for their team. In her email she informed me that she had received the article in an email from the father of a buddy I went to college with. I contacted this friend of mine and he said that another one of our friends had encouraged him to read it. Did you follow that?

My Blog

—->

Friend

—–>

Friend

—–>

Friend’s Father

—–>

Friend of Father (National Sales Director)

And all of this progressed in just a few short hours!

Today’s Lesson

With the proper attention and a strategic plan, social media systems can be one of the most powerful business tools that we have access to. If you have any questions or thoughts on this topic, please feel free to contact me at Jason@aplayersonline.com.

Jason Jacobus

(Day 11) Two Pieces of Paper

When deciding to begin this 30-Day series I took some time to plan out each day, prior to writing my first entry. While it has been beneficial, structured scheduling is NOT the most effective approach. One of the biggest benefits of social media is the interaction of authors and readers. Yesterday I had lunch with friend/potential customer and she asked me a question…so I have chosen to forgo my scheduled article to address her question.

As we were discussing sales training/personal development, she shared with me that her biggest struggle was finding a way to categorize and implement the things she was learning in these programs. I know she is not alone and that many of us will come home from a conference or workshop with so much information that it is hard to even process through it. I am also a big reader and I have had struggles when processing information that I have read.

So…what can we do to organize this information in a way that makes it easier for us to implement it into our business?

Next time you pick up a book or head to a conference, I encourage you to rip out two pieces of paper and give them the following titles…

Page 1 – Easy To Do!

This page is where we write down key tips, tricks, and strategies that would be “EASY TO DO”. The items listed on this page are the things we hear and think…”I can easily implement that into my business when I get back”. When we isolate a list of action items that we believe would be simple to do and would add value to our business, it makes it much easier to sort through and take action on immediately.

(ex. Develop a personal follow-up system to reach out to customers post-purchase.)

Page 2 – Big Impact!

The items on this list may take more time/resources to develop but they are still things that we believe would add a great deal of value to our business. When writing these items down we must be able to envision 3 months, 6 months, a year, or even 5 years down the line.

(ex. Identify at least one new vertical market, each month, over the next year!)

***OPTIONAL*** Page 3 – Quotes

I have always been a big fan of quotes. They are short, sweet, and deliver a powerful message. I normally carry around a page to record quotes from books/conferences/workshops. This is more of a personal preference of mine and if you do not find value in quotes, no need to waste the paper or time in recording them.

Additional Notes

You may be thinking to yourself, “Well, they give us books/packets to take notes in. Why can’t we just write it down in those books?” The reason I have started this, and what I have noticed from many others, is that we come home from a conference and the first thing we do is we place that book/packet on our bookshelf and we never touch it again. I use those books to record notes on but my “Two Pieces of Paper” are what I work from when I get home. If for some reason there is a great diagram or something more lengthy in the packet that I don’t want to write out on my two sheets of paper, I will just refer to that page in my notes (ex. see sales diagram on page 13 of conference packet).

I hope this is beneficial and will help each of you gain more from your next book or meeting. Again, thank you to Christin Baker for the question and if you have ever have any questions, I would be more than happy to address them here on my “Young Guns Blog”.

Jason Jacobus

(Day 10) To Text Or Not To Text…That Is The Question!

LinkedIn, text messaging, Twitter, Smartphones, Facebook…

Where do these fit in my business?

Earlier this week, I had the privilege of speaking with a group about integrating “new technology” with what they are currently doing. As I walked into the room it was easy to see why I was there. Half of the group had been in business for 20+ years and the other half had only been out of college for a few years. As I introduced myself to the group, I asked them “At the end of the day, what would you like to get out of our time together?” The answer was predictable…

“Jason…over the past few months we have discussed a number of ways to reach out to our client base and we keep hearing words such as “social networking” and “text messaging”. Now, I grew up following the basic framework for networking and it has worked very well for me throughout the years. At the same time, our younger team members are saying that we should be on Twitter and LinkedIn. Which way do you think is the most effective way to connect with clients?”

My answer to them was, we must utilize BOTH!

This is not an “either/or” scenario. The basic structure for networking and building relationships is not sacrificed for the implementation of the “new stuff”!

When it comes to reaching out to clients and staying connected with them, we must search for what they respond best to…not what we feel is the most effective. Yesterday, I was following up with a number of individuals and I used nearly every system possible. I sent a text message to one gentleman, I “Facebooked” a lady that I spoke with the day before, I responded to another customer via email, and called a friend of mine regarding an interview we had that afternoon. The reason I didn’t just send an email to each of them is because I had identified the most effective way to communicate with them, as individuals. The fact is, that as individuals, we all have our preferences and to be relevant we must identify what our customer’s preferences are. To identify these preferences we simply ask, “What is the best way to get in touch with you?” This question not only allows us to become more effective in our communication but it also makes us more credible. After asking that question I will also follow up by searching for them on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. The reason we do this is to make as many connections as possible. If we are friends with a prospective client on Facebook, connected with them on LinkedIn, and following them on Twitter we will beat out the competitor that is simply emailing them.

A while back we were doing a program and we had an experienced sales manager ask, “Texting is so unprofessional! I would never text a customer! What could you possible gain by doing something so impersonal?” As my dad was in the front of the room, he called on me to offer my feedback “Jason, everything else being equal, if you were trying to decide between working with a sales rep that text messages you and one that only wants to talk on the phone…which one would you choose?” I quickly responded with “the one that text messages me, without a doubt!” On the same note, I did a program for a group of college seniors and I was talking about the impact awareness can have in the interviewing process. As I was encouraging them to become aware of what is in the interviewer’s office, I used the example of looking for stationary. If an interviewer has stationary in their office then that means they probably place great emphasis on hand-written notes. So, when you get home write them a hand-written thank you note to show your appreciation for their time. Before I could finish my sentence, a young man chimed in and asked “Jason, why can’t we just shoot them an email saying thanks?!” While respecting the young man’s curiosity I said, “While an email may be appropriate, it may not be the most effective way to say thank you! If we want to be successful we must be outwardly focused….we must identify their hot-buttons” The biggest inter-generational struggle we face, as a population, is being able to adapt to those different than us! As a young sales professional, when I am selling to a more experienced veteran I must adapt to them. Every thing we do that illustrates our differences will be reasons for the sale to come to an end.

In sales, we may be neck and neck with a competitor. We sell the same product, at the same price, and we both offer similar perks. The only difference is that our competitor will only talk business on the phone, yet we are willing to use text messaging and LinkedIn if that is what the customer responds to. In this scenario…Who do you think wins the deal?

The exciting thing about sales is that no two situations are the same. One day we may be selling to a VP of Sales that has been in the industry for 35 years and the next day we may be selling to a 24 year-old purchasing agent. The key to being successful in such a diverse industry is to carry as many tools in the bag as we can…and own each and every one of them!

Who’s going to win, a professional golfer with 14 clubs in their bag or an amatuer carrying one club that they hit really well?

I encourage all of us to have the following tools in our arsenal…

- Text Messaging
- Smartphone or PDA (emailing purposes)
- LinkedIn Account
- Facebook Account
- Twitter Account

Jason Jacobus

(Day 9) Get Up You EMPLOYEE!!

I have been married for about 6 months now and we already have a new addition to our family. Her name is Mango and she is a 7-month old black pug puppy! At 4:15, this morning, I decided to take her out to go to the restroom and play a little bit. I normally wake up around 4:30, so after I was out there for 15 minutes my “unique” alarm went off on my phone. As I came back in from taking Mango outside my wife asked me,

“Is there any way you can change your alarm ring to something other than Led Zeppelin? Not everyone likes to listen to classic rock at 4:30 in the morning. Oh yea…why does your alarm say “GET UP YOU EMPLOYEE!” ?”

Now, while I cannot explain my love for the song “Ramble On” at 4:30 in the morning, I can explain why my alarm reads “Get up you EMPLOYEE!”.

When I first started working with our company I asked my dad what he thought it would take for me to be successful at selling what we do. He direct and unusual answer caught me completely off-guard…

“Jason, if you want to be successful then don’t act like an EMPLOYEE!”

What? I am an employee of the company but to be successful I need to avoid acting like one? Huh?

My dad did go on to say, ” Jason, If you want to be successful then don’t act like an EMPLOYEE…act like a BUSINESS OWNER!”

Acting like a business owner has ZERO to do with actually being a business owner. It is merely a decision to run our sales business and approach our territory as a business owner would. Would a business owner show up to the office after everyone else and spend 3 hours a day checking emails? No, they would be attending to current customers and building trust with prospective customers. Would a business owner drive 3 hours to deliver a 5 gallon bucket of paint to a client that only makes up minute percentage of our monthly volume or would they invest time in the client that is regularly placing large orders? They would do what yielded the highest ROI…and I am assuming that is not a 3 hour, small volume “customer service” trek!

While we discuss showing discretion in what we choose to spend our time on, we are not saying that you refuse to work on your quarterly projections because “a business owner doesn’t have to do quarterly projections”. Even business owners have the numerous house keeping items to take care of. The only difference is that a business owner addresses those items immediately because the longer they stew over it the more time they are spending “not making money”!

So, what does it take to become a “business owner”?

1. Become more introspective…

What could I be doing to become more successful? Where am I losing time in my day? How can I generate more high ROI customers? Which customers of mine am I investing a great deal of time in and gaining very little in return? These are questions we should be asking ourselves on a regular basis.

2. Don’t always wait for instructions…

There is always something for a business owner to do! Self-management is key to being successful in sales. A true sales professional does not need constant instruction because they know that there is always something that can be done to widen or deepen their business. Business owners are proactive…not reactive!

3. Keep learning…

Business owners treat their business a craft and a craft requires constant attention and regular improvement. Whether it be through books, CDs, podcasts, seminars, or webinars, we must make a commitment to keep learning and growing.

(Day 8) Tips, Tricks, and Techniques…5 Things Purchasing Professionals Do To influence YOU!!

A little over a year ago I did a month-long research project on the “Purchasing” profession. In that month I interviewed over 25 purchasing professionals, went through numerous online classes, and read every negotiation/purchasing book the national association recommended. When I decided to start this project, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. In this blog I am going to share, with you, a few of the tactics and strategies that purchasing professionals, around the world, use to influence sales professionals!

Some thoughts to consider before we start…

1. This information is not industry specific. I interviewed purchasing professionals from wide range of industries.

2. Not all purchasing professionals fall into these categories. When searching for purchasing professionals to interview, I asked for the toughest, most aggressive purchasing professionals out there. The reason for doing so is so I could illustrate the extreme…which would make everything else a cake walk!

That being said…let’s get started!

Who are these “purchasing professionals”?

- They are some of the most intelligent and passionate professionals I have encountered.

- Purchasing professionals live, eat, and breathe negotiating. This is not a hobby for them…it is their life!

- They are some of the most consistent learners I have ever seen. Purchasing professionals are regularly reading, going to workshops, and listening to industry audio programs.

-They are extremely competitive! Almost every individual I interviewed had some history of playing a highly competitive sport. They don’t only want to beat us…they want to dominate us!

In the next section we will discuss 3 things…

1. I will illustrate the strategy used….

2. What the purchasing professional hopes to gain by using it…

AND

3. How we, as sales professionals, can defend these tactics!

Price Is Too High

- This is one of the most used and most effective strategies used in the purchasing profession. This might as well be an introduction for some PAs. Purchasing professionals sometimes have not even considered the price but they feel it is a great way to start the conversation!

Goal of PA- To get the sales professional out of their comfort zone. The number one goal of a purchasing professional is to identify 3 things… – Will the sales professional break on their price? – How fast will the break? – How far will they break? The more price is addressed or defended…the more power it has in a negotiation!

Our defense- stand our ground. If we break on our price right out of the box, the purchasing professional will say to themselves, “Wow, they are breaking already! If they are dropping the price this fast then they must have some significant room to move!” In response, we can also ask one of these three questions in response… PA Statement – “Mary, I am sorry but you product is too expensive!” Our Answer- 1. “Ok John…help me understand how you evaluate price. Is it cost of ownership or the initial cost? 2. “Compared to what?” (definitely an edgier answer but will let them know we are holding firm) 3. So! It’s worth it! (very edgy response…but can be extremely effective in the right scenario)

Nice Guy

- This is where a purchasing professional will attempt to create a friendly relationship right off the bat. They may ask about our family, compliment our professionalism, or even ask about our hobbies. They will do whatever they can to get us to like them!

Goal of PA- To get us to let our guard down. It is a very effective tool to get us to compromise our position…because we enjoy working with them. They feel that if we like them then we will be willing to give up a chunk of the margin.

Our defense- Think about our family, our home, our car. Will that individual send our children to college? Will that friend pay our mortgage? We get up each day to tend to our business and that is what we must focus on…our business. If that person has a genuine desire to establish a relationship with us, they will understand our position.

The Guilt Trip

- Have you ever made a mistake during a meeting? Have you ever showed up late to an appointment? Quoted a customer the wrong price? Didn’t know an answer to a question you should have? Have you ever forgotten to call a prospect back? If we have answered yes to any of these then we have given the purchasing professional a gift. They will take our mistake and use it as leverage in the negotiation.

Goal of PA- To make us feel so bad for our mistake that we are willing to drop the price just to make it up to them. This one is not used as often but, when used, is almost always effective! – Salesperson- I’m sorry…$150 is as low as I can go. – PA- That is as low as you can go?! You showed up 30 minutes late and you are lucky to be sitting in my office right now…and now you are saying $150 is as low as you can go? – Salesperson- I apologize for being late. I guess I can do this for you for $140. (their forgiveness becomes a concession they have given us. Now that they have given us a concession…they want one from us!)

Our defense- Apologize and move on! We will make mistakes and it is crazy for anyone to believe that we will be perfect. That being said, should we give away $10,000 of our company’s profit for being 15 minutes late? I don’t think so. We must apologize and jump right back into the negotiation…without baggage!

The Nibbler

- is when we have come to an agreement, we are about to sign papers, and the purchasing professional says, “You do have a rebate program don’t you? Do you give discounts for paying early? Training for our people is included in this price, right?

Goal of PA- is to give us a taste of the sale and drive us to start giving things away. They use this tactic to get us right on the cusp of the sale and begin asking for a few more things. Sales professionals can be much more giving when the salivation begins.

Our defense- When we begin giving things away it can become a slippery slope. Part of the reason this tactic is such a success is because is is almost never recognized, in the heat of the discussion. We must focus on the big picture and not get tempted by the idea of closing a sale. At this point in time we must pause and say, “Are these things important to you? If you would like, we can re-work the contract to make sure that you get everything you want. Would you you like me to begin re-working the contract?”

The WOW!!

- If we have a product that is relatively pricey in the industry the purchasing professional may say…” $60,000?!?! WOW!!”

Goal of PA- To get us to begin lowering the price or start giving away concessions. They want us to feel like we are about to get kicked out of the office. This is really just a strategy to get us to question our position…and it is very effective.

Our defense- Stand our ground. We may say something along the lines of, “Yup $60,000 is right. I would sell it for $75k if they would let me.” If we are confident in the price of our product they will hear it in our voice. If we second guess the price…so will they!

These are just a few of the many tactics used in the purchasing profession. I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any questions regarding the material.

Jason Jacobus

(Day 5) Spotlight: Parker County Veterinary Hospital

Mango in her Cowboys jersey!

I have decided to make Friday our “Business Spotlight”. I have come across a number of very impressive business/practices and I want to take some time to highlight the “why” behind their success.

The first practice I would like to examine is Parker County Veterinary Hospital (Weatherford, TX). I came across Parker County because I bought my wife a pug puppy (Mango) as part of my wedding gift to her. As we were headed home from picking Mango up we decided to stop by Parker County Veterinary Hospital to get her checked out. This was not a random selection, as a friend of ours had been taking his animals there for quite some time.

From the second I walked through the door I could feel a difference. Maybe it was the fact that the receptionist knew every customer’s name or it could have been that I saw one of the girls working give a client a hug. I don’t know what it was…but it was definitely different. Unfortunately for us, our first visit did not go so well. We left the vet with a sheet of “recommended veterinary surgeons” because Mango had some apparent issues with her digestive track. Really? The first day of puppy ownership I have to go and consult a surgeon?? While it wasn’t fun, we consulted the surgeon and they told us that Mango had some issues but they wouldn’t require surgery. After a few days of “unhealthy” habits, we had to take Mango back to the vet. Dr. Jarrett checked her out and gave us some medication to help with her issues. As I went to check out, Dr. Jarrett asked the receptionist to comp our appointment. He then squeezed Mango,  shook my hand, and told me “I’ll get your money some other time.”

A stressful week and an understanding vet caused us to become a customer for life. It is not about the money, it was about the gesture. It also said something about Dr. Jarrett’s integrity. My initial thought was, “If he was willing to comp this visit, he must not be fixated on his own financial gains. I guess when he encourages us to take action, from this point on, we can trust that he has Mango’s best interest in mind.”

We have now been taking Mango to Parker County for almost 6 months now and our experience has only gotten more positive. I recently wrote Dr. Jarrett and this was his email back to me…

“Mr. Jacobus,

I want to personally thank you for your kind and uplifting words. I have forwarded them each of my employees and personally thanked them each for doing their jobs so well. Our bottom line here at Parker County Veterinary Hospital is that each and every one of us simply loves what we are doing and would not want to be any where else. I have several of these employees decide to change jobs over the years but each has drifted back or run back to our hospital after a short stay away. Why do they do that? I believe it is because we not only provide employment (how boring that is) but we also provide a family atmosphere that nurtures the individual through support for their life outside of work.

Bottom line is we just all want to be here as it meets some strange inner need to help others with pet medical problems and it makes us learn, learn, learn each and every day. Keeps us fresh and happy and excited.

Our greatest pay day is to get a kind word from a client such as yourself who takes time to recognize how much effort we put into doing what we love which in turn makes it no effort at all.

Great to hear that Mango is doing well and should you have a problem with her please contact me direct or just leave a message with the receptionist. Thanks again and again for the very kind words.

Respectfully yours,

Pat Jarrett, DVM”

Now is that a professional, or what!! Thank you again to Dr. Jarrett and his incredible staff at Parker County Veterinary Hospital. We hope to be bringing Mango to Parker County for many years to come.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Jason Jacobus

(Day 4) Networking In The New Millennium

Today I wanted to take some time to answer some of the most popular questions/objections we receive when encouraging others to implement social media/new forms of communication into their business…

Isn’t social media just for young people?

That is a thing of the past. Now, while Facebook was made famous by the college population, it is not exclusive to the 20-somethings anymore. Social media was primarily used for connecting with friends, now it has evolved into much more. Sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and blogging systems have become some of the most popular professional sites on the internet. People are using them to discuss best practices, connect with customers, introduce new products/services, promote customer feedback, etc.My recommendation…assess each system individually and determine if they would bring value to our business. We cannot throw a blanket over all social media because one system doesn’t appeal to us.

I’m a professional, which is why I refuse to text my customers!!

First, I respect your desire to communicate a high level of professionalism on the job. However, the same comments were made about email at one time…and now look where we are. Things change and so do our platforms for communication. Our job is to identify what form of communication is the most effective for the customer…not us! If I am trying to decide between buying from two companies, your competitor is texting me throughout the day and you are waiting to get me on the phone, you will probably lose out on that deal because I will build a greater connection with your competitor. I am not saying we must text everyone in our database but we must have that club in our bag to be used in the appropriate circumstances. We must remember…it is not about what WE like to do!

I don’t have enough time to mess with that social media junk!

I will be the first to admit that I have seen people waste days playing in the social media circles. That kind of wasted time is not a result of the systems, it is a result of poorly planned efforts. Let me ask you this, would you turn down an opportunity to spend an hour talking to 1,000 people who buy what you sell? Of course you wouldn’t! That is exactly what these social media systems allow us to do. They allow us to identify a focused community of individuals and share info with one another. If we set aside time each week, or each day, to focus on our social media efforts we won’t get caught on that slippery slope. Planning time keeps us from wasting time!

Jason Jacobus

(Day 3) Cashier vs. Consultant

What do you sell? Is it a product? Is it a service? I am sure if you asked 20 sales professionals this questions they would list a variety of things…but how many of them would include themselves in that list? Especially in this competitive economy, we must realize that we are not a cashier in a transaction. We are, good or bad, an extension of our product or service.

Last year we were conducting a large training initiative for a protective coatings company. In getting to know their products/services, we realized that while they had a number of products that were exclusive to their company, they also had a wide variety of products that were sold throughout the industry. As our first session began, one of their regional managers asked us, “Well, we keep getting nickel and dimed in this price war. How do we gain the upper hand when pushing a product that may be considered a commodity?” In response to the question we had the group break off into teams and list the reasons why someone should buy this “commodity” from them and not some other company. As I am sure you can imagine, we saw a variety of answers like method of delivery, rebates, product demos, application training, etc. The one thing we didn’t see written was the word “me”!

The group could list a number of tangible items that should sway a customer’s decision but none of them viewed themselves as an additional “Bonus” to the product or service they were offering. Ideally, it would be great to hear, “Jason, why is your price higher than the company I spoke with earlier? I mean, why should I pay more to buy from you?” and be able to answer that with, “They are cheaper…but when you buy from us you get me!” Now, that is not a statement meant to communicate a cockiness or arrogance. It is simply a sales professional that believes they bring additional value to the table. In order to say this we must be able to support that belief and list reasons why that value should be taken into consideration.

Here are 5 ways to add value to your product or service…

Become A Student Of The Industry

I have seen a number of sales professionals share industry news and trends while negotiating contracts…but how many are bringing pertinent information to their customers/prospects when there is no immediate monetary return. The best of the best are regularly sharing information with customers whether there is an order on the line or not. This habit can do a few things for us…1) It can reinforce the fact that a customer has made a good decision in purchasing a given product or service from us. 2) It can be the differentiating factor when someone is trying to decide between multiple companies3) It may spark an interest in another product or service 4) It helps reinforce our brand (see “Brand Yourself” below).

Brand Yourself

Let’s be honest here…I am a committed young sales professional, and while I have been exposed to a ton of information of the past few years, I am not alone in my experiences. The reason I stand out in certain circles is because people have been drawn to my brand. My “Young Guns” brand has not only given me a platform to speak from but it has also positioned me as an expert in my niche. What is your brand? How do your customers view you?

*** Notice *** A brand is not necessarily a logo or a punch-line. It is simply the verbalized essence of who we are as a professional.

Manage The Process

One of the most frustrating things for customers is to feel they have 10 different contacts throughout the sales process. If we are the one that has initiated the sale and has gained commitment from the customer, then we need to be the one that monitors their satisfaction throughout the process. If we get their signature, then bail, they will be reluctant to come back and do business with us again. I am perfectly clear that there may be systems in place to manage customer satisfaction, billing, shipping, delivery, etc but that does not mean we can send a personal email confirming the progression of the order. I have friend that is in chemical sales and he always makes it a point to inform a customer of where they are in the process and what they can expect next.

“Hey Becky, I just wanted to let you know that I just confirmed your order was put on a truck this morning and should be arriving on Thursday. I will email you on Thursday and make sure everything has arrived as ordered. Please let me know if I can be of additional service to you in the meantime.

Robert”

Professional Follow-Up

Buyer’s remorse comes when there is too large of a gap between payment and perceived value. As a sales professional, our job is to close that gap to the best of our ability. We may do this through an email, card, or industry update. Regardless of the medium we choose, we must make it a point to reach out to our customers even after we have received our cut. A customer that receives value long after they pay will be more inclined to repeat the process in the future. Lack of professional follow-up solidifies a linear sales process…one with a beginning…and an END!

p.s. If you are enjoying what you are reading, do me a favor and forward this site to those you feel may benefit from it. The majority of our readers have come from referrals and we would love to have even more. Thank you and I hope you have a great day!

Jason Jacobus

(Day 2) It All Comes Down to Credibility

Battles against age do not solely rest on the shoulders of “young” professionals. As young professionals push to establish credibility, “experienced” professionals fight for relevancy. Once we recognize that credibility is crucial to the sales success of a young sales professional, we must then make it a point to build our personal and professional credibility. So how can we, as young professionals, establish credibility in our industry?

1. Know our business…inside and out!

One of the fastest, and most inexcusable, ways to lose credibility is to not know our own product/service/business. I recently bought a car for my wife after visiting 5+ dealerships because I knew more about their product than they did. A question of credibility causes doubt…and doubt can drastically diminish the chances of a sale.

2. Study the Industry

As professionals, if we are not students of the industry, we are leaving money on the table. We should always be reading industry books, articles, and blogs. We should be reading and listening to anything that will help us understand our industry better. This also causes us to become more proactive…not reactive!

3. Do our homework

Another way to lose credibility from the very start is to ask prospective customer a question that we should already know the answer to! Well…how can we know the answers if we don’t ask? We get online and do some good ‘ol fashion research! Anytime I go into a meeting I will spend a significant amount of time researching the company and the industry. Not only does it give me a better idea of what needs they may have…it also helps me differentiate myself from next person that walks through their door.

4. Listen, Listen, Listen

The “show up and throw up” model will never be a very successful strategy. Unfortunately, it has plagued young sales professionals (and a number of experienced ones as well) for many years. We can become so focused in our “amazing” product or service that we forget to ask questions. Have you ever been on a date where the other person just rambles on, and on, and on, about themselves and never inquires about you? Not much fun, is it? That is the bad taste we leave in the mouth of our prospective customers if we never take a second to ask, “how can we be of service to YOU?” p.s. If we let our product take center stage then we become a cashier, a commodity! And it is almost impossible to rise from a cashier to a consultant!

5. Focus on the Follow-Up

Successful sales professionals have never worked off a linear sales process. The exchange of money, products, or POs is not the final step in the process…at least not in the minds of great sales people. Follow-up is a step in the process that every great sales person focuses on because they realize that follow-up is typically the first step to the next order. If you show me a company that struggles to generate a deep business, chances are I’ll show you a company that has a poor follow-up strategy!

Challenge for the week: Invest some time in increasing your credibility within your industry!

Jason Jacobus