When you cold-call your window of opportunity to engage a stranger is only a few seconds before you hear the death knell… clunk!

Similarly, when spamming strangers your email will be directed to the spam filter or dealt with swiftly by the delete button. We’re just too busy and focused on our own stuff to engage a self-focused foreigner over email or phone.

Cold-calling is a technique that worked in the dark ages well before the internet. Our world has changed. So too has our willingness to tolerate ignorance. This also applies to companies that outsource this function to harass unsuspecting parents as they struggle to put their little ones to bed of an evening. Shame on you telemarketers!

What’s attractive about cold-calling? Just about anyone can do it. All you need is a phone line and call list and you’re in business.  You can reach large volumes of prospects in a short period of time for minimal cost. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Take the easy road at your own peril.

Cold-calling promotes you from a place of need, rather than coming from value and contribution. It also denotes you dont respect other people’s time and their right to privacy. Can you imagine a doctor cold calling a database and opening with the line, “Hi, its Dr Tickle here, I was wondering if you had a runny nose?” Not only would she deteriorate her credibility but limit her valuable time to focus on helping genuine patients with real ailments.

If cold-calling or spamming is your mandate for today, I urge you to reconsider. Ask yourself honestly when was the last time you were remotely influenced to make a purchase from a cold-caller or spammer?  So why would your customers be any different?

We naturally “sell to” and “buy from” people we like or share a likeness with. You wouldn’t call a database to find new personal friends. Instead you would tap into your network and make an effort to frequent places like-minded people dwelled. You would leverage relevant social networks. You would also be interested in learning about who they really are. And you would never try to sell them something until they knew you well enough to trust you.

Inspire,
Trent Leyshan

Sales Training

Credibility can take a lifetime to establish, yet it can be stripped from you at light spee

I can speak from experience, one erroneous move, fumble or stumble can take you many years to recover.

Credibility in business is a great deal like a credit rating in our personal life. One or two black marks on your profile and no Bank will take a risk on you, for five years at least. And why should they, if you fail to demonstrate a trustworthy past?

Often business people are quick to assert a sense importance or superiority upon customers. They offer a glowing account of themselves and how adept they are at their craft.

Credibility is not something you can demand from others, analogous to “respect”, it must be earned.

To be credible, you must demonstrate a proven track record over an extended period in whatever it is you do. Walk the talk and make it obvious how many times your tired shoes have trodden this path.

Mistakes and more importantly how you deal with and learn from them, also helps to build cred.

In early stages of business, the battle with cash flow and credibility is an obvious and tiresome one.  But which should you focus on achieving first?

Cash flow is of course King, but dont underestimate the Queen as she often wears the pants.

A business can survive with strong cash flow and poor credibly, but its days are numbered and potential limited. Likewise, a company bursting with credibility won’t last long without cash flow.

Both King and Queen are vital to your long term commercial success. Acts of treason will result in a swift and sharp demise!!!

Inspire,

Trent Leyshan

Sales Training

Often a sale will come down to a final negotiation when two or more parties aim to draw a body of communication to some form of conclusion.

In Australia, negotiating is frequently referred to as “haggling” and is not considered part of our laconic and laid back business culture.

I recently met with, Morry Morgan the co-owner of ClarkMorgan Corporate Training. His new book, ‘Selling Big to China’ delves into Morry’s ten years of on the ground experience selling in China and also provides insights into Asian business culture.

What struck me most in Morry’s book was how culturally contrasting Eastern and Western cultures are when it comes to understanding and engaging in negotiations. For instance, in China, a discount is expected as part of the selling and buying process.  In Australia asking for a discount is customarily met with a neck twitch and pursed lips, “Hmmm, that’s the best I can do mate, sorry.”

Often a customer is lost, not because their request for a discount wasn’t met, but due to there being no attempt made by the salesperson to acknowledge the motive behind the request and to make the customer feel included in the buying process.

Morry also talks about the importance of fostering goodwill in negotiations, which derives from making a genuine attempt to negotiate a win-win outcome for both parties.  I have a mantra, how you leave a relationship is how your remember it. Equally so, in China your goodwill is vital in establishing your long term success and ongoing relationships with clients, and is measured as such. Make less now, gain more at a later date often applies.

Helping the other party to “save face” in negotiations is also fundamental in China. Conversely, in Australia there is little concession made in this area, with a winner takes all approach prevailing most of the time. I for one have been on both sides of that equation, so I can attest neither side of the fence is pleasant, particularly when you’re being bent over it!

In Australia, we have more of a short term focus and modest insights into what constitutes effective negotiations.  Moreover, scant regard for the other person saving face or the need to build goodwill. We have some catching up to do on our skills in these areas, particularly as our economy matures and becomes more intertwined in the Asian markets.

Inspire,

Trent Leyshan                  Sales Training Sales Book

Why should someone buy from you, instead of from your closest competitors?

Due to a lack of differentiation in most markets, a common and sincere response to this question is often a slight pause… followed by a blank stare.  

Let me ask in a slightly different way, aside from making money, why are you in business? That question is usually meet with another ponderous look, or conversely it triggers a passionate reply, such as, “I just love helping people!” or “I really enjoy working for this company!”

Those insights then form “why” you do what you do and also help you to understand why someone will buy from you. That alignment then forms your “why” frame and should start to shape the initial step of your sales process, which is where all relevant communication should start or finish.

I have a proprietary process for breaking down how salespeople communicate word by word and then to align all communication to their customers’ emotive drivers, if a word or statement doesn’t support their customers “why” it’s removed from the sales vocabulary.

“Omit needless words” is a timeless quote from William Strunk’s classic work on the rules of usage in literature, composition and grammar; The Elements of Style and is a necessary resource for any aspiring writer.

Akin to some writers, salespeople are easily lured into hyperbole, me included, so remember Strunk’s key principle and always keep your customers “why” top of mind.

If a potential suitor contacts you “why” have they gone to the effort of seeking you out?

Dont assume that everyone who initiates contact already has a resolved “why” in their mind, so it’s up to you to find it in your initial conversation as you set the tone, build rapport and establish fits.

Likewise, if you call a prospect your success rates will dramatically improve when you demonstrate you’ve taken time to really think about your “why” for calling them.

Failure to do so will typically result in a swift and cold, “Goodbye.”

Inspire,

Trent Leyshan              Sales Training       Sales Book

I found myself shamelessly gorging on a packet of chocolate-bullets that were frozen.  

It wasn’t long before I chipped a back tooth. Not happy! But, I probably had it coming. My troubled tooth began to slowly have its way with me—sending me deeper into neurosis with each tickling tongue pass. So, first thing Monday morning, I was on a mission to seek help.

I went straight to my trusted network for a referral. Surly someone knows a good dentist nearby? I was wrong. I could have posted the question on Facebook or Twitter, but I emphasise the word ‘trusted’ and most friends or followers are people I’ve never met at all.

Next, I flipped open my laptop for a tap dance in Google, not the ideal sourcing method in this instance, but I was in a hurry. I found 3 Dentists for a comparison. I then quickly skimmed their websites, taking note of the design quality, and to identify any dodgy characters, likely to cause me any undue pain and suffering. Thankfully, I found none.  

The first call was answered swiftly and cheerfully, but by an answering machine. Next! The second told me they were closed tomorrow (failing to explain why,) the receptionist then added they’re pretty full all week. I responded, ‘That’s ok, I’ll ring around.’ She nonchalantly agreed and hung up. In the third call, the receptionist asked some questions, including if I was in any pain, which put me at ease.  She then booked me in the day after next. Done!

What’s interesting in this example is how I and indeed most of us seek out professional services. If there’s not a direct positive relationship established the first place we go is our trusted network. Failing that, the next destination will invariably be, Google, and third, well, as you can see from my story, there wasn’t one.

Forget Dentist #1, they’re not interested.  As for Dentist #2, albeit the receptionist, she didn’t understand how important my initial business is, as a result, removed the possibility of repeat business and ultimately my loyally and referrals: the real profit centre of any business.

If you hire someone responsible for taking inbound enquires, make sure they’re equipped with the right skills and support. Furthermore, they understand how important it is to win new business; whether, time and money invested in manufacturing high ranks in Google, or the meaningful work a team member has done in the past. Just make sure they get it!  

Treat the initial conversation proficiently as you’re not likely to get another opportunity.

Inspire,

Trent Leyshan, Founder at BOOM! Sales and Author of, The Naked Salesman

Recently I almost committed to a builder to develop a new house, largely because the salesperson had such a great selling tool.

This company was smaller and less credible than the other builders, and the salesperson was not as confident or charismatic as his competitors, yet his main sales tool created such as sense of buy-in that it levelled the playing field.

For all you salespeople selling new houses, if you dont have an interactive tool that allows your customers to play and change floor plans, adjust the dimensions automatically and give a 3D view of the what the inside and out of the new house will potentially look like—best you invest immediately!

This tool helped me and my partner to better understand the product and also gave us a sense of buy-in that no other builder did. However, this salesperson took way too long to prepare the quote and come back nowhere near the ball park in terms of budget. So the tool on it’s own didn’t get the job done, but it added extra value to the weakest salesperson’s proposition and almost won him the business.

In a past life I co-owned one of Australia’s largest web marketing companies. But we weren’t always successful, until we came up with an idea for creating mock-up websites (essentially two flat pages) which the customers paid us for. The creative concepts were a small cost compared to the overall project investment, but it showed us which customers were serious so we could invest more time and energy towards more of the right opportunities.

These creative mock-ups become an invaluable tool in our sales process to help the customer better understand our product: see it, feel it, play with it, which led to greater buy-in. This strategy allowed us to stop giving away so much free information (proposals) which drained valuable time, energy and resources. It’s also meant salespeople could focus their time more effectively instead of chasing prospects for months that never returned phone calls once they received their free information and ran.

It was also much easier to sell a customer a creative concept than the entire project. But once the client liked the creative the sale was already made. As a result, our time management and sales process improved dramatically—conversion rates improved, sales went-up and our business grew rapidly. The power of the right tool! Very cool.

What type of tools can you develop to help your customers better understand your product or service? Remember give them something that helps them in some way or something they can really sink their teeth into: so in their minds they have already purchased it.

The right sales tool may take some time to think about and develop, moreover a few attempts to get right. But when you do get it right, the tool not only assits your customers but empowers your salespeople.

Inspire,

Trent Leyshan, Founder of BOOM! Sales and Author of sales book The Naked Salesman

 Following-up is one of the most underrated and underutilised skills of selling.

And yes following-up is a learned skill, much like proactively generating new business opportunities or influencing people to take action on a decision.  

Following-up is nothing more than communication that demonstrates professionalism and that you genuinely care and value your customer’s time—making this skill, a key contributor to your sales success. Following-up isn’t just calling or emailing periodically and asking for a decision, nor is it simply making contact to say hi, without any new information, value or leverage.

Following-up effectively means coming up with a consistent method that enables you to lead your customer through the final stages of your sales process. In this process, over time, you will understand the magic numbers that are best currently working that will provide you with a guide to measure how many times you should be following-up and at what frequency.

When your follow-up process starts to exceed your “magic numbers” you should change your approach by offering more value or leverage or simply directing your energy towards more willing and able opportunities. And the quicker the better! This is of course provided you’ve done your job properly by providing the right prospect all the right information, time and space to make the right decision.

Ideally, your follow-up method should be stated in your initial conversations with the customer. Particularly when you’re talking about time frames for delivery of information required in presales. This sets the tone and safeguards any uncomfortable feeling when you initiate follow-up and ensures that expectations are aligned for on-going communication.

There is always a fine-line between “persistence” and “harassment”, so setting a verbal agenda and letting the client know the thinking behind your follow-up process and how it’s in their benefit—is fundamental. Equally so, asking permission to follow-up can also provide a sense ease and buy-in and so the other party doesn’t feel you are pressuring by calling at inopportune times, i.e. “How much time do you need to make a decision?” “The benefits for us talking at this point are…” “Do you mind if I call you then to discuss?”

Following-up effectively isn’t all hard, but it does require an understanding of your magic numbers, combined with discipline and of course time. All best utilised in a structured approach that forms a key part of your overall sales process.  When you take your following-up seriously, indeed exceptionally—greater sales results are always sure to follow.

Inspire,

Trent Leyshan, Founder BOOM! Sales and Author of, The Naked Salesman

The name of the sales game is, “buy-in” and you being interesting and valuable enough so that your customers seek-you-out.

In a perfect world salespeople will much rather spend their valuable time working with in-bound opportunities as opposed to chasing them. But just because someone has made contact with you doesn’t necessarily make them the perfect opportunity.

People that seek-you-out are more likely to demonstrate deceptive behaviour regarding your offering. If you have read my new book, The Naked Salesman, or attended one of my sales training programs you would have heard me speak about the damaging effects that “crazy customers” impart on salespeople and businesses. These are people who pretend to be customers but, in fact, never will be. They dissolve time and distract you from giving attention and affection to your “real” and most valuable customers.

“Crazy customers” are most commonly created by pushy salespeople and also by customers (deceptively) seeking free information and using it for their own purposes.  

When I get an in-bound enquiry, I’m always enthusiastic to qualify the customer’s relevance and authenticity. Many salespeople start ringing the cash register (Ka-ching!) as soon as someone calls them, believing by virtue of the customer initiating contact, they must be genuine. This is not always the case; in fact, there are perils in following this approach.

The internet has been the greatest incubator of “crazy customers” the world has ever seen. Anyone insane or of sound mind, genuinely interested or not—can get online and fire enquiry forms at will. This could be at 2am on Monday or 4.30pm on Friday afternoon when they have nothing else better to do. Treat these types of enquiries with suspicion and manoeuvre them accordingly via your sales process. If you dont have a process, best you create one.

The bottom line is not all enquiries are genuine, so you need an effective qualification process that doesn’t alienate potential “genuine” customers. The first place to start is establishing who your customers (really are) this can be achieved by drilling into your client base and identifying the profile of your most valuable customers i.e. industry, size, internal champions, spend, ongoing revenue, referrals, reputation benefits, etc.

You then know if someone contacts you who fits your profile you can feel reasonably confident you are talking with the right person and you can proceed accordingly. Conversely, if the person doesn’t fit, you can then employ a different approach, perhaps faster and less intensive.

Give the “crazies” free, indeed valuable information, but dont tip them. And most certainly dont let them distract you from your “real”, most valuable clients as they should be the foundations your business is built on.

Inspire,

Trent Leyshan, Founder BOOM! Sales

The number of calls you make per sale depends on the level of buy-in your customer has.  The risk associated with what you are selling. And the approach you apply for each conversation.

Salespeople that go for the jugular on every call may get the odd quick win here and there, but more often than not a measured approach is more effective.

I have a saying, “Keep the lines tight!” My father is a mad fisherman and he taught me everything I know about fishing. One of my first lessons was always “keep the line tight”. This means when you get a fish on your line dont give it any slack to throw the hook.

In sales the same principle applies. When you get a good opportunity dont give the customer an excuse to go cold or lose interest. Keep the lines of communication tight, and ensure you are following up methodically and leading the customer via your engagement process.

I received another pearl from my old mentor, Big Kev.  One of his principles was never judge a book by a cover. Dont try and guess if someone is a potential buyer or not. Instead initiate a conversation that leads with a genuine interest in them. Have a process you know works, dont question it, and always stick to it!

Here are some metrics on Calls to Sales. Keep in mind there are exceptions to every rule and of course different horses for different courses.

• 1% of sales are made on the 1^st contact
• 2% of sales are made on the 2^nd contact
• 5% of sales are made on the 3^rd contact
• 12% of sales are made on the 4^th  contact
• 80% of sales are made on the 5^th contact (or above)

Most salespeople give up after the 2^nd  and 3^rd contact. You can see from above how that approach limits their results. Conversely, please dont make calls for the sake of making calls ― that’s called harassment!

One of the most effective methods to help you understand how many calls you make should make is to measure your empirical data. This data should reveal some ‘magic’ numbers.

How many calls on average do your salespeople conduct to make a sale? What is the best case call scenario? What is the worst case? Which metrics translated into happy and profitable customers? Which created dissatisfied ones?

In my own business the magic number is ‘5’. A combination of email, face and phone.  How many calls you make is up to you, just make sure you’re sticking to a tested and successful follow-up process and the sales should follow.

Inspire,

Trent Leyshan, Founder BOOM! Sales

Many salespeople never get to hear the word, “no” instead they are provided with the ambivalent response of, “maybe”.

Your job as an elite (or developing) salesperson is to circumvent the murky fog of “maybe” and get to either a “yes” or a “no”. Anything in-between suggests you haven’t done your job properly.

There are, of course, always exceptions to every rule, but “no” always means “no” and in my world the word “maybe” also means, “no”. Anyone who has been in sales long enough and applied the necessary lessons will attest that chasing dead-ends is a waste of time and energy.

Sure, play the numbers and the law of averages, but you’re better served focusing time and energy chasing the beautiful sound of “yes!” These are people that are ready to buy now, from you, this very moment. These types of customers are out there, but you won’t have much time left to find them if you’re too busy chasing “maybes.”

Leverage is the (absolute) key to hearing the word “yes.” What is leverage? A meaningful and compelling reason to buy and now! Any salesperson can conduct meaningless meetings, write proposals and put a cost estimate together, that’s easy, particularly when your boss is paying for the process, yet few salespeople can call themselves masters of getting a “yes.”

Ineffective salespeople seldom have appropriate leverage to create the right buying decision, or any decision for that matter. They simply present their case and then hope for the best. Hearing responses from clients such as, “We’ll think about it and come back to you.” This statement and many others like them are crushing blows to an elite salesperson; but all too common for the average ones.

If a client says, “no” at least you know where you stand and you dont have to submit yourself to the months of following up emails and borderline harassment calls.  And if you have done your job properly which is always to facilitate the right outcome for the customer―you have the confidence to know that there is nothing else to say but “yes’’ or “no”.

The right customer + the right sales process x Value and Benefits = Yes or No.

This is the type of conviction and confidence you should have as an elite salesperson. Winning salespeople are clear and concise. Grey is the enemy and so is the word “maybe.”

I translate the word “maybe” to mean, “no”. So when I hear it, it’s the last time you will hear  from me. I will happily give you as much time and space to make the buying decision as you need, but I won’t chase and harass you with emails and follow-up calls for months on end.

My time is valuable and so too that of my real and most valuable customers. I dont have time for games, time-wasters or procrastinators. Life is short, but the road to success is long!

Do you want my help or not? Yes or No?  “Maybe” is not an option for you sorry. As far as I am concerned, “maybe” customers can go to my competitors and I often provide them with their contact details to do so. 

If you get a “yes”, great!  If you hear, “no”, that’s ok, just move on. Remember “no” means “no” and “maybe” means “no.” Cut-through both and you’ll find “yes” a lot more often!

 Inspire,

Trent Leyshan, Founder BOOM! Sales