Sales Rep - Good v/s Great! Part 1

I'm all in to discussing this topic, any time of the day. Ever since I started my professional career in sales, and of all the people I have ever met, there has always been one question in common. In fact, not only among my friends/colleagues, But also my associates with whom I usually hangout in the virtual world of Social media across the internet.  Of course, the question doesn't come in a single form. But it has always been - What do you think that makes a good sales rep? What are the great qualities of a sales rep? and not to mention, What distinguishes between good sales rep v/s great sales rep? From what I can tell you - It's definitely not about mastering the "art or science" of the profession. Art & Science? Really..? I have asked so many people - To define their understanding of what really "art & science" is in sales, as it is...Don't even get me started on what their responses were. You tell me - As a sales rep, What's art & science to you...? Deceiving yourself or the prospect? (Think about it...We'll discuss this in a different post)

Sure, There are a lot of things that take in makings of a good sales rep. In particular, It's a combination of skills, personality & attitude that help you win the favor of your prospects/customers.  Everybody's got these 3 attributes. It's just a matter of --How you prepare yourself & go for it. 

Let's break it down:

Skills - It's all about your ability to get the job done. Effective Execution. There is no measure to tell you how skilled you are/could be. It's either you've got it or you don't. Even if you don't - you could always develop it. There is no end. Learning! That is all that takes to being prepared. To execute. Effectively! Now, How do you execute an action effectively? - It all depends on situation-to-situation basis. But I'll tell you, what to armor yourself with, before you take an aim.

• Product knowledge - The very basic thing for you to gain the confidence and to know what you are going to talk about.
• Presentation - Positioning your product and addressing your prospect's needs. Being Articulate.
• Negotiation - This mainly comes in various form of your deals. It could be pricing, add-on benefits, Any proposition that justifies the cost to your prospect & ROI. It has to be a win-win for both parties. Again "Justification" is the key here. Analyze your current size of deal and the cash-flow it could generate for your company in a short or longer-term and make the call. For any SMB's, Just focus on the "justification" part.
• Closing - It is not complicated at all. Given all of the above, It happens at it's own pace. It could be quick one or it could be a real test of your persistence. The key here is - Can you shorten the duration of your sales cycle? The process of closing begins from the very first phone call/meeting. At the end of each meeting, Always ensure you define the next steps to your prospects. Make a promise to deliver something. Anything. (i.e, Pricing Quote, Take some questions offline, Additional product/service info) Then, follow-up with an email; summary of the discussion, things that you promised to do and what you're looking forward to talk/do in your next meeting. It's definitely a way to close! J

There is definitely more to the skill-set of a sales rep. I bet, it's obvious to everyone. however, We can get even more technical into the each aspect of it. But let me spare you the details at this time. On this post, at least. haha! I will definitely put some more writing-time and I WILL BE BACK with the second part of this post. Mostly, discussing Personality & Attitude of a sales rep. Keep an eye out! 

TO BE CONTINUED....(Meanwhile, Keep Selling!) 

Cheers,

Muzammil

Redefining Good ol' Cold Calling!

Cold calling has always been a challenging yet fun task for sales professionals all over the world. Some of you might even disagree with me, When I say -It's FUN! ;) Each sales pro has his/her own definition of cold calling. Some of them say it's merely a "volume game", And some people just talk about the math & science of it. - The more you dial, the chances are of more positive results, in return. But hold your thought on that for a moment, and ask yourself one simple question. What exactly is the purpose of a cold call? I mean..Why do you do it...?

Most of the sales reps, I've worked with, They have this perception of cold calling that - The prospect knows, What you're going to talk about. They start with their "all-star" scripted intros- and here's the thing - They approach with this ridiculous tone of voice & hesitation - that it is clearly communicated, though, it's not said out loud. "I know that you know, What I'm going to talking about. Give me 10 mins and we'll talk about it, anyway." I'm not being sarcastic. It's just the way it is.

First things First. Cold calling is not to sell the product. But to sell the idea of your product/service, that would help them address their needs. If not, replacing their current product/service (assuming, you're better, ofcourse). The key here is to get your approach right. It's about warming things up, with your skills to develop an interest & starting things with meaningful talk. Meaningful Talk? Remember the "What's in it for me"? Do a little research. Visit your prospect's website. Begin with how you could position your product/service in a given scenario. Ask them about their current ways of doing things & the PAIN of it. Create an impression of a 'consultant', who's willing to help/assist at $0.00 hourly rate. At this point, It's no longer a 'Cold Call'. Whatever happens next, Is entirely a different story that would take place in your sales pipeline.

To quickly summarize:

- Change your perspective of a "Cold Call".
- Reset your expectations of a "Cold Call".
- Start with being a 'Consultant'. - A solution to the prospect is a sale for you. (You can quote that on Me) ;)
- Always remember, Cold Calling a great 'tool' to sell.

Alright! Make it HOT, People...

Cheers,

Muzammil

Stop Calling Me!!

There is not a day in a sales person's career, When He/She hasn't heard the prospect asking them to - STOP calling them until they are ready to talk or discuss about the product/solution. It is definitely not something we would want to hear and cheerfully hang up the phone. Will the prospect call you back? Maybe or Maybe Not....Your potential sale is at HUGE risk, here!

We all have learnt that "Sales is about Relationships". If the prospect is asking you to stop contacting them...? Yeah! Not a good thing.

There's a cause for every problem. What's wrong with this picture?
- Are you calling them too many times?
- Is there something wrong with your approach?
- Has the prospect lost priority?
- Did you fail to present the solution? (Discussing implications & verbalize the need)

Out of all these questions, Situations would be different based on the level of discussions you've had. For any sales professional, It is important to keep the momentum going; talking about prospect's business needs & let them do the ''talking'' part. The idea is to spend initial 10-15mins listening & learn if there's a real need? Of course, The prospect wouldn't buy something or talk to you if your service/solution has not much to bring it to the table! Would you...? The point is - If it's not broken: Why fix it? [;)]

So the next time, You hear someone yelling "STOP calling me"...(Damage is Done!) Take a moment to review your initial conversations with them to determine -what went wrong & where? and try contacting after a few days. I'd probably suggest you to initiate the contact via email - start with something like..."It has been quite sometime since we last spoke...", Then requesting a 10-15mins meeting over the phone to see if they are still in the market.

If you have something better to suggest, feel free to take a moment & comment. [;)]

Until then - Keep Selling!

Cheers,
Muzammil