Qualifying and Questioning the Red Flags

Here we go again!!

One of the biggest mistakes 80% of salespeople make when qualifying is to overlook or not react to obvious Red Flags prospects give during the initial call.

In their haste or desperation to "generate a lead" or to "fill their pipeline," most sales reps hope that the possible objection they just heard will miraculously go away once the prospect sees their information or product or service, etc.

But you all know from experience -- it never does. In fact, the law for calling leads back is that "They never get better." What appears to be an objection or show-stopper always is.

My Ex-colleague asked me this week about a prospect who wasn't calling him back, only to find out the prospect was leaving the company. He wrote me and said, "I guess intuitively I knew he wasn't the right guy to make the decision anyway."

And I'll bet he knew this because he heard (but didn't question) the Red Flags that came up during the qualification call.

What to do? Do what the top 20% do -- as soon as you hear something that triggers your intuition or that gives you that sick feeling in your gut, stop and ask the tough questions!

Examples:

If someone says that they usually buy from XYZ, but would like to see your information, ask:

"Why would you switch vendors?"

Or

"How many other companies have you looked at in the last six months?"

And then: "And how many did you go with?"

If someone says that they will pass it on to "My Boss or Mr. XYZ", say:

"Thanks. So that I make sure I'm not wasting his/her time it's best that I speak with her for just a few minutes. Can you please tell Mr. XYZ that (your name) is holding please?" (If you're then told they are not available, make sure and get their direct line or the person's extension and keep calling until he/she picks up).

If someone says that they'd be glad to look it over, ask:

"Great, after you do, if you think that it can help you (or your business, etc.), when would you move on it? Is there a specific time-frame?"

And so on.

The bottom line is that if you want to close like the Top 20% then you have to start questioning the Red Flags.

Remember: It's better to disqualify the non buyers early then to spend your time and energy chasing and pitching people who are never going to buy.

Plus it means that you have more time to find real buyers.

So this week, write up questions to the Red Flags you currently get and begin using them!

You'll feel so much stronger as a closer, and you'll begin making more money. Trust me, it's a win/win.

Let's get some sales, eh?? [:)]

Cheers,
Muzammil Ahmed

Basic Steps to Consider When Writing Any Proposal

In a complex sales cycle or process, Whether you are responding to a formal request for proposal (an RFP) or have been asked informally to submit a one-page bid, be sure to follow these basic steps in preparing your material.

Step 1: Get organized! If you are responding to an RFP, follow the instructions to the letter. Many RFPs will include a list of required items, so use this in preparing your proposal and keeping track of what to submit. If there is no RFP, make your own outline of materials, from the introduction all the way to rate or cost pages.

Step 2: If the RFP itself is disorganized (and this can certainly happen), be very careful to identify all the requirements it mentions, and then find a way to structure your proposal to meet those requirements. Sometimes it's necessary to check with the RFP source to make sure you understand what they are looking for.

Step 3: Set up a schedule, based on the due date for the proposal. In some cases, a late entry can mean exclusion from bidding, so this is critical. Work backward from the due date, identifying critical points in the process, from initial drafts and completions of questionnaires to sign-offs by senior executives, printing, binding and distributing. Be sure to leave in plenty of time for mistakes and the unexpected problem.

Step 4: Set up a team. Identify everyone with a role to play in putting your proposal together, whether these are sales people, underwriters, product developers, designers, or printers. If possible, hold a brief meeting to identify who is responsible for what, and give them internal deadlines to meet. Stay in touch with team members to make sure they are on time with their contributions.

Step 5: Begin your proposal with a very clear statement of your offer, and why it best meets your prospect's needs. Be specific. If you've provided services for many years, mention this. If the two of you have done a joint project in the past, refer to it as an example of how well you know the prospect and how well you work together. Mention the account manager or other personnel who will be providing client services.

Step 6: The following sections should be part of your proposal:

* A brief cover letter signed by the appropriate manager or officer.

* A single "Key points" page that outlines the five or six most important points in your proposal.

* A Q&A format can be useful in building your case.

* A detailed description of the product, especially its benefits to the prospect. Avoid comparing your product directly to your competition's work, but show how it beats the competition.

* How you will be able to deliver the product on time

* Pricing, timing and method of payments

Of course, if you are responding to an RFP, follow its directions for content.

Step 7: Always proof read your writing. Have a colleague lined up who can review the content for accuracy and clarity.

If you've done your planning, allowed plenty of time for meeting deadlines, and know your prospect and your product well, your proposal should be a very useful tool in closing the deal.

Best of luck!!

Every Sales rep's concern - 1

Often times, I have discussions with my colleagues and ex-colleagues, when we get-together. It is the same story & same concern, we always talk about; our performance & productivity at work. Which leads our conversation deeper and deeper to our sales calls. We talk about how successfully we made a sale and how badly we lost it. Speaking of those "Lost" ones....There were endless reasons for why we lost it or failed to prospect/qualify. And as I being one of them (Sales Rep), I don't stand much far from these concerns too. 

For now, I want to talk about the most common response we hear everyday:

1. Not Interested.

Not Interested : Often times, This is a response that we would hear within the first 60 seconds of the call! Have you ever wondered, why? Lets talk about what is going wrong here....

The problem here is, Most of us take "Not Interested" as an objection and talk all the fluff about what we've got for them. In the sales process, too many times we "think" a prospect is interested even before we find out the real details behind the interest. If a prospect tells you they're "Not interested", they're telling you they don't know you enough to BUY  from you or whether not sure if they can rely on your service (which includes your credibility, Value, product/service). As important it is for the prospect to get to know you, it is equally important for the sales professionals to get to know them. To me usually this 'get-to-know' process begins even before I pick-up the phone.  Go visit their website see what's on it, Who are they? What do they do???

Then comes the liveliest part, You call them! 

Now, What do you do? How would you do it, right? 

Ahem Ahem! I want to tell you exactly what I know and How I do it...But, since there are lot of people from different backgrounds following different selling process(s). I think it would be better for me to put in some basic universal steps and give you an opportunity to discover how you would patch it & implement it in your line of work. 

So here we go:

1. Set-up an objective of the call! (It could be for an appointment, demo, qualification call).
2. Start with finding out the need behind their interest.
3. Make sure you're talking to the right person or If he has access to the Decision Maker.
4. Talk about the reasons that are causing 'Pain'.
5. Structure a set of qualifying questions.
6. Let the prospect talk and You control the call.
7. Don't push the prospect to any sort of agreements, let them take a shot but keep the options open for them to make an easy choice.
8. Always try to close the call on the next step of the process.
9. Once you're off the phone, send a Thank you email as an open invitation for them get back in touch with you whenever they need.
10. Follow-up promptly on agreed time as scheduled.

So get on now and add-in value to your time....

I'm still on the road to discover many more ways to do this effectively, Keep an eye on this post. Coz you never know, When I'm gonna add more pieces to this puzzle and you may have a major epiphany... [;)]

Cheers,

Muzammil Ahmed

Right Questions for the Right Answers!

How & What questions you ask, is very important in establishing a basis for effective communication.
As for sales professionals, Open-ended questions are one of the most important tools for those who sell (as long as you listen). They help you gather information, qualify sales opportunities, and establish rapport, trust and credibility. If you consider yourself a professional, own (absolutely know) a repertoire of powerful open-ended questions… Questions that are answered by more than a simple yes or no… questions where the prospect/ customer gets directly involved in the sales discussion. Just in case you’ve not had the opportunity to put yours down in writing, here are some of my favorites.

You should have several additional questions specific to your industry, but these’ll get you more than started.

NOTE: Ask the question and let the prospect/ customer give you their answer.
-No leading.
-No prompting.
-No interrupting.


Information gathering questions:

• What prompted you/ your company to look into this?
• What are your expectations/ requirements for this product/ service?
• What process did you go through to determine your needs?
• How do you see this happening?
• What is it that you’d like to see accomplished?
• With whom have you had success in the past?
• With whom have you had difficulties in the past?
• Can you help me understand that a little better?
• What does that mean?
• How does that process work now?
• What challenges does that process create?
• What challenges has that created in the past?
• What are the best things about that process?
• What other items should we discuss?

Qualifying:

• What do you see as the next action steps?
• What is your timeline for implementing/ purchasing this type of service/ product?
• What other data points should we know before moving forward?
• What budget has been established for this?
• What are your thoughts?
• Who else is involved in this decision?
• What could make this no longer a priority?
• What’s changed since we last talked?
• What concerns do you have?

Establishing rapport, trust & credibility:

• How did you get involved in…?
• What kind of challenges are you facing?
• What’s the most important priority to you with this? Why?
• What other issues are important to you?
• What would you like to see improved?
• How do you measure that?

(remember: no leading… no prompting… no interrupting… seriously!!.)

Let's get some sales, People!!

Cheers,
Muzammil Ahmed

Cold Calling?? - Hell yeahhhhh...

Cold calling typically refers to the first telephone call made to a prospective customer. More unusually these days, cold calling can also refer to calling face-to-face for the first time without an appointment at commercial premises or households. Cold calling is also known as canvassing, telephone canvassing, prospecting, telephone prospecting, and more traditionally in the case of consumer door-to-door selling as 'door-knocking'.

Cold calling is an important stage and technique in the selling process. Cold calling abilities are also useful in many aspects of business and work communications outside of sales activities and the selling function.

Good cold calling - performed properly and not as merely an indiscriminate 'numbers game' - is a fundamental and highly transferable capability, whose basic principles are found in the behaviors and techniques of all great entrepreneurs and leaders.

In essence cold calling is the art of approaching someone, professionally, openly and meaningfully, with a sensible proposition. Cold calling therefore enables success, chiefly because cold calling is strongly focused on initiative and action.

cold calling is how you see it!

Since selling became a recognized profession a couple of generations ago, countless sales training organizations, sales gurus, writers, theorists, and sales people of all sorts, have attempted to create effective cold calling techniques and scripts. There is no magic script, and while there are many helpful frameworks and methodologies there is no single magic answer.

Successful cold calling - including the effectiveness of methods and techniques - essentially relies on your own attitude towards cold calling.

Viewed negatively or passively, cold calling is merely a numbers game, where the sales person's calling (sometimes called 'canvassing' in this situation) is no different to a junk-mail leaflet. Somebody might respond - maybe one in twenty, maybe one in a hundred. This is the way that unsuccessful sales people see cold calling. No wonder for them that cold calling is a painful grind. Depressing, embarrassing, draining, exhausting, just horrible.

On the other hand...

Viewed positively and creatively , cold-calling is empowering and potent. Cold calling actually enables the sales person to:

* Supersede existing suppliers
* Pre-empt the competition
* Identify and create huge new business possibilities
* Become indispensable as someone who can make things happen and create new business
* Build (your) personal reputation beyond job title and grade
* Establish relationships and a respect (for you) beyond normal sales responsibilities
* Take ownership.

So, do you want to be the human equivalent of junk-mail, or do you want to achieve entrepreneurial reputation and success that will take you anywhere you want to go?

Like so many other aspects of business, management, and especially selling, cold-calling is how you see it, and whatever you want to make it.there is enormous potential in cold-calling. It's worth making a big effort to see cold calling in a different way because it is both a key to personal success and to business success.

Why does cold calling hold so much potential?

Cold calling uniquely:

1. positions you in a crucial pivotal role - you are an interpreter, translator, controller
2. Cold calling is the key to new fresh opportunities - business and anything else
3. Generally, the cold calling capability empowers you to define and determine and take control.

Cold calling by its nature opens business opportunities that are new, fresh, 'shape-able', free of baggage and history, and not weighed down by unhelpful patterns and expectations, etc.

Also, cold calling situations can largely be of your own making. You are in-charge. You own it. You can define each situation as you want - even if apparently you are quite constrained.

Believe it - people who are successful at cold calling can very quickly become extremely independent and powerful.

Your cold calling activities can create effectively a new 'virtual' business for yourself, within the organization or project, as if it were your own. This especially applies in B2B (business-to-business), where business opportunities are unlimited.

This is because cold calling is the life blood of all business - and any organized activity. Without it nothing happens. Even in largely automated businesses the automated systems would not have first come into being without someone doing the necessary cold calling. And nothing would develop or improve without someone being able to use basic cold calling skills to instigate the changes.

Cold calling dictates what happens, to whom, when, how - and even if cold calling is positioned and managed as a lowly activity, as is often the case, two things are certain:

* Cold calling alone can create and be a business in its own right - because cold calling is effectively the ability to make things happen - whereas every other business activity needs cold calling to start up and survive.
* Therefore successful cold callers can go anywhere and do anything - they are entirely self-sufficient and ultimately are not dependent on anyone or anything.

The philosophy applies in consumer businesses (B2C) too, where even if you are forced to work to a script or a strict list of prospects, you still have the opportunity to develop your own strategic ideas and style, which when successful can (if the organization has any sense) be extended into initiatives and campaigns for others to follow - placing you in a key role as a 'champion' or trainer or project leader. If the organization has no sense (some don't) then the successful cold caller can simply leave and start up by themselves, or step up to a bigger job with another employer.

Successful cold callers are always in demand. They can always make things happen - for themselves and for other people. Contrast these opportunities and outcomes with those offered by existing or established business relationships, or where the selling process has already begun. In these more mature situations the scene has already been set, along with expectations on both sides. The project has a shape, a life of its own, along with the distractions found when supplier and customer are already engaged. The project managers or senior consultants who have to pick things up at this stage have very little of the freedom and flexibility enjoyed by the cold calling sales person.

As a cold calling specialist you will always have the greatest potential - because you are working with fresh open situations - making things happen. Making something from nothing. It's difficult to put any limited value on such abilities.

Significantly, cold calling situations are the natural preference of all entrepreneurs. Cold calling situations are the natural hunting (or farming) ground of all entrepreneurs.

This is another way to look at cold calling: it is the favored approach of all entrepreneurs and the reason most entrepreneurs choose to start up their own businesses is because they recognize that the best opportunities are new ones.

Cold calling welcomes and makes the most of a blank sheet. Pastures new. No limits.

Seeing cold calling in these terms is 90% of the personal battle to be successful at cold calling.

To enable cold-calling to be this liberating - especially within an employed role - you have to make it so. You have to want to put your own personal stamp on things. To be creative, adventurous - to see beyond the script - beyond the conventional "we've always done it that way..."

Cold calling is an invitation to adopt the mind-set and ambition of an entrepreneur - to see cold calling as the key to opportunities and personal achievement, to independence and choice.

With the right positive attitude to cold calling then rejections cease to be problems. Resistance ceases to be insurmountable. All obstacles become instead welcome steps towards success and achievement. The challenges are now the essential experience towards inevitable success.


So - Get-on now, Make some sales!

Cheers,
Muzammil Ahmed

CRM Software ?

How Do I Evaluate and Decide On The Right Solution?

In considering CRM software, often an organization short lists three CRM applications to be presented to its users. Evaluation should not be based heavily (if at all) on the users liking the look and feel of the interface (GUI). The users of an organization tend to agree on one CRM application as by nature we feel most comfortable with what we already know. If you ask a Salesperson who has been using a paper diary for 30 years, what is better? A paper based or database system the answer is always paper! Over the years I have witnessed three different systems put in front of users at different organizations and there is never a clear winner for the CRM application chosen.

Evaluating the cost of ownership should be done over a 3-5 year period. Presently (and I say today, not in 2 years time) you will receive a better return on investment (ROI) with an In-House system. With In-House deployment, licenses are generally sold on a per user basis and paid up front. You then own the licences and don’t have an ongoing cost (outside of annual software maintenance). The initial costs usually involve license fees, consulting fees and deployment costs. Although the initial cost of ownership can be higher, your cost can be controlled and easily justified.

Control is another evaluation point. A SaaS CRM software solution does not give you the control that an In-House system allows – but do you need it? For example, the ability to upgrade when you want to ensure your users are trained on new features. Do you want the ability to move to an In-House system as you grow? Microsoft Dynamics CRM as an example gives you the flexibility of a seamless switch between SaaS, Partner Hosted and In-House deployment with your data and configurations remaining intact.

In considering your CRM software investment you need to decide your requirements first. A CRM consulting company will assist you in defining your objective and goals for your initial project. To do this, you will need to be clear on the processes you are looking to work on – sales, marketing, customer service and other processes. Then set the benchmarks you will need to reach to achieve a solid return.
CRM Software ? How Do I Evaluate and Decide On The Right Solution


You will have options to choose various modules and software versions of the CRM application. For example, a marketing module to manage your campaigns and your leads. Similarly, a service desk module will enable you to manage customer support or customer service incidents effectively. A CRM consulting company will help you understand your data requirements and the interfaces between your other software systems and CRM. They will help determine what application, In-House or a SaaS CRM software solution is right for you.

The final consideration is cost of the project. Extensive research over the years shows that a decision makers’ purchase decision is based on price the first time round and the second time round on Service. Service can be defined as the pre-sales, training and consultancy services, on-going technical support and after-sales account management. In BRW Magazine, customer relations software was named as the most popular SaaS application (35 percent) and that “companies in Australia are using SaaS because it’s cheaper, rather than because it’s easier to use”. Only 9 percent cited “ease of use” as the reason for choosing SaaS. Second time round I guarantee those decision makers will buy on Service. Note, I did say that SaaS CRM Project will be more expensive costed over a 3-5 year period so be careful if a quote looks incredibly cheap!

A CRM consulting company with extensive experience will help you put together a phased project approach that delivers a ROI at each phase of your Project.

Best Practices - Effective Sales Development

For a sales professional, being able to effectively establish new clients/business over the phone and increase sales results quickly is vitally important.

You must take note of the following two points—time-tested strategies for successful business development over the phone. This helps in shortening sales-cycle as well.

1. Determine, uncover, and clarify challenges. When a prospect isn't clear about his challenges and the impact of these challenges, the entire sales cycle slows down as a consequence. The client doesn’t yet believe his challenge is significant enough to require action…the end result of which being, he won't.

It is a waste of time for you to give information before understanding his needs, goals, challenges, and problems. In effect, you're presenting a solution to someone who doesn't believe he has a problem.

So, what do you do about this? Ask a lot of open-ended questions. Get curious, and don't assume you understand his problem or challenge, no matter how long you have been in the industry. Dig in, really find out what is going on, and ask follow-up questions focusing in on the greater impact of his challenges. Your questions will help them understand and verbalize that they have a challenge or problem.

2. Always set a clear next step. "Thanks for your time today. Your product looks great and we'll get back to you soon." Sounds familiar, right? And yet, you never hear back. Instead, you end up having to chase, follow up, make multiple calls, and send multiple e-mails…all to no avail. Not a lot of fun, either for you or for the prospective client.

How do you solve this?
-What you do need to do is set up a clear next step. If your prospect isn't ready to take that next step, he will tell you; that way, you'll be able to determine whether or not he's a serious prospect on the spot.

Remember, give your prospects an option to say no. When you do this, all the pressure is taken off of you—and more importantly, off of your prospect. That way, he doesn't feel like he's being sold, nor does he feel any pressure from you. Many sales coaches and coaching programs still teach decades-old techniques involving pressure and persuading. You don't need to do that anymore, and besides, it doesn't work.

Simply set up the next step at the end of your meetings. The next step could be a follow-up face-to-face meeting or a scheduled phone call. Whatever you choose, make sure that next step is moving the sales cycle forward and has a scheduled date, time, and location.

I am sure you may have mapped out your entire sales cycle.

Well, decide what steps need to take place. For instance, here's what a five-step sales cycle might look like:

1. Initial appointment, qualification, and discovery.
2. Developing opportunity & conduct an in-depth analysis to diagnose the problem/challenge.
3. Demonstration of the service or product.
4. Gaining Agreement &Verbal Purchase order.
5. Signed agreement.

At the end of each meeting, you should be setting up the next meeting and next actions.
Explain the next steps you both will need to take to start working together. Map it out for them and provide them with a simple document that explains the next steps, along with clear timelines. Ask them to commit to the next steps along the way.

Guess what happens if you do this effectively? You don't need to "close" or persuade. The sale will be made—faster, naturally, and more effectively.

The two steps above will help you and your Sales Team to shorten your sales cycle and experience improved sales results.


Cheers,
Muzammil Ahmed