Fantastic Follow-Up Techniques - Part I

At the May 9 Erie Sales Club workshop, the group discussed Fantastic Follow-Up Techniques. This will be the first in a series of articles that highlight our discussion. Panelists for the workshop were Derek Van Slyke of Jameson Publishing, Brad Allen of Rossbacher Insurance, and Christie Mahany of Marsha Marsh Real Estate Services.

We asked the group this question -- "True or False: The most important part of follow-up with a prospect is to follow-up quickly and completely. Give them all the information they need -- not just some of the information -- and do it on time."

* True. If you compete with larger companies where leads can be dropped online, you'd better follow-up in 2 hours or it's gone.
* What's most important with follow-up is to exceed the expectations of the customer or prospect. If they think you'll get back to them within 48 hours, respond with the information they need in 24 hours. If they think you'll get the information to them tomorrow, call them back today.
* If you don't have the information they need, recognize that with the customer. Call them and tell them why you don't have the information and let them know when they can expect it.
* One technique to keep customers in the loop is to cc them on your emails with the service technician who is working to solve the problem.
* True. Salespeople often worry about being too aggressive. But if you stay on the customer's agenda -- solving their need -- it's impossible to be too aggressive. You can be seen as too aggressive if you're on your agenda (e.g. "We need to do this to meet my deadline.").
* A + T = CE. Actions + Timing = Customer Experience. If you take no actions or poor actions, you will fail the customer. If you take appropriate actions but you're too late, you will fail the customer. If you take appropriate actions quickly, you will succeed in the customer's eyes.
* Engage in "polite persistence." Establish next steps on your sales call, then make good on that commitment. This shows the customer a real-world example of what it would be like to work with you.
* People will buy from who is most convinced. If you act with urgency and follow-up quickly because you truly believe you can solve the prospect's problem, you give yourself a better chance to win their business.

The Erie Sales Club is a joint effort of four leading local businesses: Jameson Publishing, Marsha Marsh Real Estate Services, VertMarkets, and Howland Peterson Consulting.

Ask, Listen, Repeat (If Necessary)

Repeating the Question is a communication tool used to ensure you receive an answer to the question you asked. If you don't use this technique, you let people off the hook from answering your questions.

Instead of asking the question again, the sales rep will move on to the next question, allowing the original question to be avoided. In many cases when this occurs, the rep isn't actively listening to the customer. If you allow decision makers (DMs) to evade answering difficult questions and you're not able to get a full understanding of a situation, you have little hope of resolving the situation -- and making the sale.

If you are seeking to understand and you believe the DM did not understand your question, ask the question again. In this circumstance it may be appropriate to rephrase the question.

If you believe the DM is trying to avoid answering the question because they don't want the truth to be known, ask the question exactly the way you asked the question the first time. This allows you to get a real answer. Also, it exposes the DM to the fact that you know what they're doing and you won't let them off the hook. In this case, you will be getting more aggressive. This means you also need to be more empathetic.

Here's an example of Repeating The Question from the Jameson Publishing archives (names changed to protect the innocent, of course): Mark worked the ABC account for about a year. While at a trade show, Mark was able to meet with the VP of Marketing. Mark asked the VP if they would advertise with Jameson during the upcoming year. The VP responded to Mark with a lot of words, none which answered the question. After the VP finished talking, Mark asked the question again. ABC's VP of Sales (who watched the exchange) laughed and patted the VP of Marketing on the shoulder and said, "Yeah, are you going to answer his question?" The final result was ABC advertising with Jameson the following year.

The Erie Sales Club is a joint effort of four leading local businesses: Jameson Publishing, Marsha Marsh Real Estate Services, VertMarkets, and Howland Peterson Consulting.

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Please take note of the Swing for Habitat Bob Baran Tournament, scheduled for June 4 at Lakeview Country Club. Named in honor of Erie mortgage consultant and Erie Sales Club member Bob Baran who passed away March 22, the event benefits Greater Erie Area Habitat for Humanity. If you'd like to participate, please contact Nancy Milkowski at (814) 454-7025 or nancy@habitaterie.org by May 30.

Get To The Truth -- Play Back Their Words

An effective (yet often overlooked) sales communication technique is Playing Back Their Words. This occurs when you repeat the words the prospect said so both of you clearly understand what was said. This technique allows you to get to the truth, especially if the prospect is being evasive with you. It also shows that you're actively listening to the prospect; you can't Play Back Their Words if you don't know what they're saying. This technique also can buy you time while you determine what to say, do, or ask next.

How To Play Back Their Words
1. If the prospect isn't being straight with you, you can use their words to expose them to their faulty thinking. This put the onus back on them. Example: "So if I have this right, your current vendor isn't meeting your deadlines, it's causing extra work for your team, but you won't consider changing vendors?"

2. There is often value in being redundant -- having the prospect repeat their words more than once to reinforce their importance. "So say that again for me, please. Your current plan covers only what?"

3. Play Back Their Words if they're talking long and you feel they need to know you're listening. "So, in general, your connection to the Internet is slow. Got it. OK."

4. Recap the conversation. This can help you clarify the situation ("Let me make sure I understand what you're saying. You've been doing this in house for 10 years but it's become too time-consuming for your staff ...) or clarify the takeaways from the meeting ("Let me make sure I'm on the same page with you. By next Wednesday you'd like a proposal that includes three different levels of service ...)

This communication technique must be executed sincerely. If you overuse it, it can be incredibly annoying. And the prospect can feel as though you're challenging them or mocking them.

The Erie Sales Club is a joint effort of four leading local businesses: Jameson Publishing, Marsha Marsh Real Estate Services, VertMarkets, and Howland Peterson Consulting.

Sales Reps Need To Stick To Facts, Not Feelings

You know how excited you get when you're close to making a sale? And you know how ticked off you get when a deal falls through? And you know how frustrated you get when a prospect doesn't call you back even though your last conversation with them went great? No matter what the situation, you always, always, always need to maintain emotional control.

Maintaining emotional control allows you to analyze a situation clearly. If you lose emotional control, you lose your ability to think clearly. Also, human nature dictates that a stable emotional core is necessary to be a respected leader.

Emotional control should not be confused with passion. There's a fine line between the two, and it's easy to cross the line. Passion/Conviction: When you talk, you have a strong belief in the subject. It's OK to show emotion; just don't lose control. This can be very instinctive and constructive because the person you're pitching understands what you believe in. Loss of Emotional Control: When you talk, your loss of emotional control is destructive (via interrupting, yelling, sighing, rolling your eyes, snickering, shaking your head, slumping in your chair, etc.)

How To Maintain Emotional Control
1. Stick to facts and truths, not feelings. Don't take things personally.
2. Don't let a situation fester. Address concerns immediately. This prevents emotional build-ups.
3. Ask yourself, "What am I doing to cause this behavior?" Redirect your anger or frustration from external to internal.
4. Avoid rash decisions. Ask questions to gain a full understanding of the situation.
5. Stop talking, breathe deeply a few times, refocus, and continue on.
6. Remain focused on your Business Outcomes and Emotional Outcomes.

The Erie Sales Club is a joint effort of four leading local businesses: Jameson Publishing, Marsha Marsh Real Estate Services, VertMarkets, and Howland Peterson Consulting.

Let's Get Specifics

Did you ever have an appointment with a prospect that you felt really went well but then after thinking about the details of the conversation you realize there wasn't much there? The prospect gave general acceptance to your product/service, but you're not sure what the next step is. Will they buy from you? Will they take your next call? That's why you need to give and get specifics during your sales calls.

Good decisions (by you and the prospect) can only be made if the facts are known. Facts live in specifics, not generalities. Many people will make good choices when faced with all the facts. However, most people won't make the effort to obtain the facts for themselves. This gives you the opportunity to educate them not just on your product but on other areas such as general market trends. If you ask good enough questions and provide relevant expertise, you can even help them better learn about their problem.

In situations where the prospect doesn't want to get to the truth, they'll give you vague answers to avoid the truth being known. Getting specifics eliminates their ability to avoid the truth. Getting specifics also builds rapport and respect by removing any presumption. It prevents the perception that the salesperson thinks they know it all.

How To Get Specifics
1. Ask questions using QACF: Question, Answer, Comment, Feedback. Be skeptical of the answer until you receive proof or can validate that the answer is the truth.
2. Use open-ended questions, leaving room for any answer. This prevents the prospect from feeling manipulated, and you'll get more detail especially when an answer isn't clear or simple.
3. Ask, "Why?" Not just once or twice -- ask until you fully understand the situation.
4. Ask questions based on their cues. If you ask deeper questions based on their answers, you'll draw out all the information.
5. At the end of your conversation, when you're talking about takeaways, be sure to clarify these three areas: what, who, and when. Don't leave saying, "Someone will get me that information, right?" Say more specifically, "Just to clarify, you said your assistant will email me that Excel spreadsheet on your 2010 long distance expenses by Wednesday next week. If I don't hear from you, I'll give you a call Thursday or Friday. If I have the information by then, I'll stop by Monday to drop off the proposal and set up a final meeting for next week. Is that correct?"

The Erie Sales Club is a joint effort of four leading local businesses: Jameson Publishing, Marsha Marsh Real Estate Services, VertMarkets, and Howland Peterson Consulting.

Sincerity Required For Sales Success

To be a successful salesperson, you can't put on a facade. Clients will see right through you. Be who you are. Your sincerity will add credibility to what you say. Being insincere causes clients to doubt what you tell them and it makes it difficult to decipher the motivation behind your messages. People are less likely to buy from reps who are insincere. And they won't establish a long-term relationship with someone who's phony.

You do need to be able to relate to people. However, being yourself doesn't mean you have to have a similar or identical personality as your clients. To relate to your clients, they must know you just and you must know them. When they know you, they are more likely to share their true thoughts with you.

While you should "Be Yourself," keep in mind that you will need to change things about yourself. Making changes to yourself for improvement purposes is being yourself because you are still sincere. It's unprofessional to excuse your shortcomings with the excuse, "That's just the way I am. They'll have to learn to deal with it." Your clients won't like that attitude (and neither will your co-workers or your boss.)

There are times when you may need to improve on a weakness to be effective and efficient. Let's say you have a big ego. (You wouldn't be the first sales rep in world history with one.) From time-to-time, you speak to clients just to be heard -- not speaking to their agenda. If this is not improved, you will waste the time of your clients and they may eventually stop taking your calls.

Here's an example of not Being Yourself: A sales rep's natural disposition is to be emotionally reserved. The rep is in a sales slump, and they really need to close some deals by the end of this month. So on their appointments with clients, they act overly energetic and enthusiastic to try to motivate clients. The clients know this is not the rep's normal disposition. As a result, the enthusiasm the rep displays appears artificial, they don't make any sales, and they lose the trust of their clients.

The Erie Sales Club is a joint effort of four leading local businesses: Jameson Publishing, Marsha Marsh Real Estate Services, VertMarkets, and Howland Peterson Consulting.

Are You Creating Urgency?

Creating Urgency means using whatever you can to entice the client to buy from you as soon as possible. There are two types of urgency:

1. Urgency to sign now and lock in the deal even though they can't purchase now. Reasons for this may include their budget/fiscal calendar or if they are currently locked in with another supplier and need to wait until that agreement expires. Even though you won't get the money now, creating urgency now ensures you don't lose the deal and assures their commitment to buy from you.

2. Urgency to purchase your product/services now because of a "can't miss" opportunity. For example, they will need to purchase now if they want the product by Christmas. Or they will need to purchase now to take advantage of a sale price.

By using urgency, you can shorten your sales cycle. Here are three additional benefits:
* The client can begin reaping the benefits of purchasing your product/service.
* You can increase your commission and receive it sooner.
* Your company can grow more rapidly, generating more revenue this period than last period.

Methods To Create Urgency
Direct Approach: "If you start advertising with us now, you will get exposure right before Christmas shopping starts."
Reverse Approach: This is used when the client is leaning toward not starting now. "Yeah, I can see where it would be tough for you to make that deadline date. That's too bad because your ad would have received added exposure to people who are planning their Christmas shopping."

With either approach, you must be sure the urgency tool has importance to them.

The Erie Sales Club is a joint effort of four leading local businesses: Jameson Publishing, Marsha Marsh Real Estate Services, VertMarkets, and Howland Peterson Consulting.

Closing Time

This post won't be very long because closing on the sale isn't too complex. It's emotionally taxing, but not much of an intellectual challenge. You're asking the customer to buy from you. Here are some points on how to close on the sale:

1. Close on a positive, never a negative. Don't fight the prospect; build value before you close.

2. Create urgency for them to buy your product/services as soon as possible. For example, offer a special add-on service if they sign by a particular date.

3. Be clear and succinct when you ask for the sale, projecting confidence that this is the best thing for them. "When can we get started?" "If I send you a contract, can you sign and return it today?"

4. Summarize their accepted Value Propositions for each of their Value Opportunities, and then ask them to buy. When they say yes, begin checking details to ensure they receive the exact products/services.

The Erie Sales Club is a joint effort of four leading local businesses: Jameson Publishing, Marsha Marsh Real Estate Services, VertMarkets, and Howland Peterson Consulting.

Trial Close Your Way To More Sales

Trial Closing is an "If ... then" question, not a closed-ended question like closing on the sale. For example:
* Trial Close: "If we can do for you all the things we discussed, then would you advertise with us?"
* Closing on the sale: "Will you sign the contract?"

A Trial Close is a safe way of testing to see if you would get a "yes" response if you were to hard close on the sale. You can use trial closing in several situations, especially when you're not 100% sure of the answer to your Trial Close question.

Trial Closes are important because:
1. It gives you insight as to where the customer stands in the sales process.
2. It allows you to uncover remaining objections.
3. It's a safe way to gauge if the customer is going to buy.
4. You gain a better understanding of the role the contact has in the decision-making process.

How To Recognize When To Trial Close
Trail Close when:
1. You're comfortable that you've received enough acceptance from all the people in the decision-making process and from delivering multiple Value Propositions to address more than one Value Opportunity. If you don't have acceptance in both those areas, you won't get the maximum sale you deserve or you won't get the sales at all when the proposal hits the real decision maker.
2. There's nothing left to discuss with the contact.
3. You're receiving Buying Cues.

The Erie Sales Club is a joint effort of four leading local businesses: Jameson Publishing, Marsha Marsh Real Estate Services, VertMarkets, and Howland Peterson Consulting.

All About Buying Cues

This article is dedicated to Bob Baran. Bob passed away Thursday, March 22, after surgery complications. Bob (pictured here in the sweater vest at the February Erie Sales Club workshop) was an active member of our club. Our condolences and prayers are with Bob's family. We will miss you!

Buying cues are statements or attitudes that indicate the customer may be ready to buy. They can be subtle or overt depending on the person's personality type and level of acceptance. Buying cues indicate that enough overall value has been accepted and your prospect is ready to buy. If you fail to recognize these cues, you may not advance to closing the sale.

How To Recognize Buying Cues
Here are 6 buying cues that should prompt you to close on the sale:
1. General verbal signals such as a friendlier tone of voice and asking questions that your prospect is mentally involved. "How would that work? How much is that?"
2. Repeating a question that has been answered fully already or asking the same question twice in rapid succession. "Rates -- what did you say about rates?"
3. Asking a question that indicates they picture themselves working with you, such as your process. "If I wanted to upgrade in a few months, would I call you or a service person?"
4. Asking for a sample of your services. "Do you offer a trial program? Can I take it for a test drive?"
5. Asking for your professional guidance or opinion. "How should we set that up? Is that the best program?"
6. Asking a question about starting or timing. "When does the sale end? How soon could it be delivered?"

2 Responses To Buying Cues
When you recognize the buying cue, it's up to you to decide how to respond.
1. You could follow the buying cue by trial closing or closing on the sale.
2. You could ignore the buying cue and continue to probe. You might choose this option if a buying cue is presented earlier in your conversation.

The Erie Sales Club is a joint effort of four leading local businesses: Jameson Publishing, Marsha Marsh Real Estate Services, VertMarkets, and Howland Peterson Consulting.

Skip This Article If You Never Receive Objections

If you're a successful sales rep and you don't ever get any objections, you can skip this article. And then give me a call -- I want to know your secret! The reality is that we all get objections, and the first crucial step in responding to objections is to isolate the objection. Validate that there is only one objection standing in the way of the prospect buying from you. Here's the 1-2-3 plan:
1. Restate the objection.
2. Eliminate the objection -- take the objection away as if pretending it was solved.
3. Close on that objection.
Example: "So you're saying that you don't have budget now, correct? If you did have your budget now, would you purchase our product/service?"

If the isolated objection is the only one, then probe to fully understand and provide a Value Proposition if appropriate. If the isolated objection isn't the only one, probe to understand each objection and then handle each objection individually.

When you go back to probing (asking questions) to isolate and overcome objections, realize that oftentimes there are multiple objections, but only handle one at a time:
1. Understand that objection with more probing.
2. Deliver value to overcome that objection.
3. Close and get feedback. Closing will identify if there are additional objections.
4. Repeat the process until all objections have been identified, understood, and overcome.

Overcoming Objections
The best way to overcome an objection is to shout at the prospect as loudly as you can, flailing your arms in all directions. That's not true -- just wanted to see if you were paying attention.

Your success will be based on your ability to fully understand the objection and address Value Opportunities (VOs) with your value.
* Can be a new VO that we missed. We go back to define and deliver value.
* Can be a VO that we did not fully understand. We didn't ask enough questions or we worked to our own agenda. Maybe the contact is not a decision maker and cannot/did not have enough knowledge to answer your questions to properly define.
* Could be something related to their process that we do not understand, such as DM loop or budget. Sometimes it's a matter of waiting for the objection to clear itself (e.g. budget timing, new DM coming in).
* Could be an objection where a VO is identified but we cannot deliver value and can't overcome the objection. If you can't overcome it, it's usually because they won't disclose what the real objection is, they don't have money to spend, your contact isn't the decision maker, or you can't deliver the products/services that address their VOs.

The Erie Sales Club is a joint effort of four leading local businesses: Jameson Publishing, Marsha Marsh Real Estate Services, VertMarkets, and Howland Peterson Consulting.

Combatting Smokescreens & Stalls

It's rare to talk with a prospect and not get an initial statement that includes pushback for one reason or another. A smokescreen is an immediate objection for protection from being sold. The smokescreen isn't legitimate, but it may indicate a legitimate objection later in the sales process. Example: "We don't have any budget." That may be true and you will have to overcome that later in the call OR they may just want to get rid of you.

A stall is an unstated objection that prevents them from buying today. The reason is unknown -- you have to dig to find out the true objection and if it can be overcome. It can be a symptom of a deeper attitude (objection, skepticism, etc.).

In order to make a sale, you must be able to separate the true objections from the smokescreens and stalls. Then you have to isolate and overcome those true objections.

How To Respond To Smokescreens
You have two options when confronted with smokescreens:
1. Ignore and keep going.
2. Treat it as a real objection.

To ignore and keep going, you would (a) restate the smokescreen to show you're listening, (b) put them at ease, and (c) keep going down the path of your call. Example: "You don't have any budget left. That's OK. I don't expect you to buy anything right now but would like to learn more about your company so when you start your new planning, we're familiar with each other."

When treating it as a real objection, you (a) probe to understand it, and then (b) isolate and overcome it if possible. If you can't, you'll have to ignore it and keep going.

How To Respond To A Stall
Since a stall is a put-off without a stated reason, the goal is to get the reason (true objection). Cut to the chase -- ask them directly. Example: "It seems like you are hesitant to make a decision on this. What exactly is keeping you from doing this?"

You can also ask what has to happen to get to a decision. If you still don't get a reason, you most likely will need to talk to someone else -- a decision-maker -- in the decision-making loop.

The Erie Sales Club is a joint effort of four leading local businesses: Jameson Publishing, Marsha Marsh Real Estate Services, VertMarkets, and Howland Peterson Consulting.

How To Battle Indifference & Skepticism

Here are some ways to handle the less-than-ideal responses of indifference and skepticism -- and maybe even turn them into a sale.

Let's talk first about the difference between these two attitudes. Indifference occurs when the prospect has no opinion about the value you have shown them. Basically, they don't care. Skepticism occurs when they question if your product or service can really help them accomplish what they want. They don't believe what you're telling them. If you're confronted with skepticism or indifference, you haven't presented enough customer-specific value to show how you can help them.

Remember, mild acceptance may be confused with indifference or skepticism.
* "It seems like it could be a fit ..." Ask why it only seems like a fit. This may identify skepticism.
* "Yeah, that would be OK ..." Ask if they would allocate part (or all) of their budget to accomplish that outcome. That may identify indifference, and closing hard would drive out an objection.

If you aren't sure, ask. There's no real downside to asking. Be sure to mirror their dominant DISC personality traits when asking more questions.

You will know you're confronted with indifference when:
1. The prospect's response is not emotional.
2. There isn't even a sprinkling of acceptance or objection.
3. Logic says they should have an opinion, but they don't care.
4. Basically, they seem like they just don't care.

If you get to a point where you have encountered indifference, close hard and force them to have an opinion. This will identify the true objection if they're a decision maker (DM). Keep in mind that most of the time you are confronted with indifference, it's because your contact is not the DM. This should cause you to probe deeper to fully understand their Value Opportunities. You can gain a better understanding of the DM loop if they aren't a DM.

You will know you're confronted with skepticism when:
1. The prospect's response is emotional.
2. There is mild acceptance thrown in.
3. You've received feedback that you've properly identified the Value Opportunity. You just haven't convinced them that your company can deliver the proposed value.

Skepticism is the customer saying "prove it." They don't believe that your company can deliver what you say, or they doubt what you say can help them. First, find out why they don't believe you. Probe deeper using QACF to uncover the source of the reason they don't believe what you're telling them is the truth. You may also have to present more value by using specific proofs and showing the benefits to them.

The Erie Sales Club is a joint effort of four leading local businesses: Jameson Publishing, Marsha Marsh Real Estate Services, VertMarkets, and Howland Peterson Consulting.

Cooperating With The Gatekeeper

At the February Erie Sales Club Workshop, the theme of our roundtable discussion was "Getting Past The Gatekeeper." But as we talked, the group concluded that "getting past" is the incorrect attitude sales reps should take in regards to gatekeepers. This shouldn't be an adversarial relationship at all. The gatekeeper wants to help their company and so does the sales rep.

Here's the list the group developed of the 7 Best Methods For Working With Gatekeepers:

1. Cooperate with the gatekeeper. Say, "I need your help" instead of devising a scheme to bypass them.

2. Out of respect, learn the gatekeeper's name and get to know them as a person.

3. After you talk with the gatekeeper, send them a note with a gift card thanking them for being pleasant and helpful.

4. Have a unique and compelling What's In It For Them (WIIFT) reason the gatekeeper should give you access to the decision maker. What can you provide that will benefit their company?

5. Prepare. Know the prospect's biggest pain and their biggest need, and be prepared to offer a solution to their problems.

6. Research the company on their website. Find out who the decision makers are and ask for them by name. For smaller companies, start by asking for the president first and second-ranking manager next. Knowing the decision maker's (DM's) name can earn you faster entry.

7. If you were referred by someone the prospect knows, mention that up front.


When gatekeepers are uncooperative and do not grant you access, you may need to use these creative tactics to bypass them:
* Buy a lottery ticket and mail it to the decision maker with a note saying, "Call me if you win!"
* Send the DM a book they might find interesting. Mail it via a method that requires a signature (e.g. FedEx, UPS). This will make you stand out immediately and give you a better chance of them returning your call.
* Connect with the DM on LinkedIn. The gatekeeper likely doesn't manage their LinkedIn connections, so they can't block you.
* Call the DM during lunch.
* Call another extension in the organization and ask that person to connect you with the DM.

The Erie Sales Club is a joint effort of four leading local businesses: Jameson Publishing, Marsha Marsh Real Estate Services, VertMarkets, and Howland Peterson Consulting.

True Acceptance vs. Mild Acceptance

Just because your prospect has accepted value, don't automatically assume you have enough acceptance to close the sale. There are varying degrees of acceptance. Mild or weak acceptance can lead to confusion with skepticism and/or indifference.

Determining the correct attitude revealed and responding appropriately will help you advance the sale. Specifically, your response to acceptance will lead you to closing the sale.

Recognizing Acceptance
If early in your sales call you receive strong acceptance with no delivery of value on your part, be skeptical. It could be a smokescreen. If they think your product/service is so wonderful without you presenting any value to their Value Opportunities, then why haven't they purchased from you already?

When confronted with this situation:
1. Close them with, "What is it that you like about our product/service?"
2. Dig into what they say they like. This will flush out whether the acceptance is real or a smokescreen. They will not be able to answer these questions if their acceptance is a smokescreen. If they provide legitimate answers, then segue into asking probing questions and present additional Value Propositions to build even more acceptance until you get to a point where you can close.

True acceptance occurs when you receive positive feedback. Unsolicited positive feedback -- the customer indicating the Value Proposition you presented would benefit them -- may be a buying cue. Solicited feedback occurs when you close on points. The feedback you receive, while positive, may not be a cue to close but rather a cue to probe deeper to deliver more value.

If you get acceptance, whether solicited or not, probe to fully understand the next Value Opportunity and present value to address it OR continue to present Value Propositions to address the current Value Opportunity.

The Erie Sales Club is a joint effort of four leading local businesses: Jameson Publishing, Marsha Marsh Real Estate Services, VertMarkets, and Howland Peterson Consulting.

Close On Points, Then Close The Sale

If you do a good job at closing on points as you move through the sales process, it should lead to you closing on the sale. That phrase will be repeated throughout this posting for emphasis. Closing on a point occurs during your sales discussion at the end of your comments in QACF, prompting the client to provide feedback. The feedback from the client is usually one of four attitudes: Acceptance, Skepticism, Indifference, or Objection. These attitudes may also be revealed by the client/prospect without you asking.

There are at least 6 good reasons to close on points:
1. It reveals and validates an attitude.
2. It helps determine if you need to ask more questions.
3. It helps you determine if you need to deliver more value.
4. It can lead the customer to sell themselves.
5. Validate your understanding of what they're saying.
6. Demonstrate engagement with the contact (active listening).

As stated before, if you do a good job at closing on points as you move through the sales process, it should lead to you closing on the sale. If the customer rejects the sale, there is most likely a true objection that has not been addressed.

How To Close On Points
Your goal is to get and build acceptance. Ask questions which prompt "yes" responses along the way. Doing this increases the chance of the prospect giving you a "yes" answer in response to us helping them with a Value Opportunity. And, it increases the chance of getting a "yes" answer on the sale. For example, "So, do you see how we can help you with your branding?" and "Would that help you increase your sales?"

Closing on a point can be hard or soft. Media advertising examples --
Hard: "Is that somebody you would advertise to get in front of?" "Would you advertise in order to get customers like that?"
Soft: "Are those the types of people you're trying to get in front of?" "Is that the kind of person who would be a potential customer for you?"

Their response when you present Value Propositions will reveal their attitude. Remember, most salespeople want to hear acceptance. If you can be skeptical and remove emotion from your call to remain objective, you will be better at recognizing attitudes. The degree of their response is directly tied to the degree to which you probe to fully understand their Value Opportunities.

Additional Tips
* Speak to their agenda, not yours.
* Don't assume that a Value Opportunity is accepted. Ask the question to tie down.
* Balance empathy with aggressiveness.
* If you are closing on points properly, you can uncover and respond appropriately to attitudes so that closing on the sale will be assumptive or soft.
* If you do a good job at closing on points as you move through the sales process, it should lead to you closing on the sale.

The Erie Sales Club is a joint effort of four leading local businesses: Jameson Publishing, Marsha Marsh Real Estate Services, VertMarkets, and Howland Peterson Consulting.

7 Tips For Building Value

Building Value is a function of strengthening your Value Propositions with additional examples within a Value Opportunity (VO), applying multiple Value Propositions to a VO, and repeating this process throughout multiple VOs (for complex sales).

7 Tips Related To Building Value
1. Building value with many little proofs (examples) is a subtle way to build acceptance and rapport. It is nonthreatening to the prospect, and they don't feel as if they're "being sold."
2. If you can keep adding specific Value Propositions that address a VO, you will gain acceptance.
3. Doing this shows you are actively listening to the customer. It validates your understanding of the customer's VOs.
4. It can increase the amount of your sale. Even if they want to buy, deepening the acceptance of value provided on already identified Value Opportunities can increase the amount of the sale.
5. You come across as having more in common with the customer. You don't feel like a stranger, and rapport is built quicker and stronger.
6. You come across as someone who understands their issues and has put thought into what real solution could be, as opposed to just pushing your product on them like many other sales reps do.
7. Once you feel you have reached a point where you can trial close, a powerful tool will be going back to summarize the multiple Value Propositions provided over multiple VOs.

How To Build Value
If you have deeply probed to gain a full understanding of a customer's particular VO and presented customer-specific value, you should get acceptance. Once this initial acceptance is revealed, present additional Value Propositions that you know will address that VO.
* Presenting more of the same Value Proposition: Present more specific examples of a Value Proposition to address a VO. For example, if the Value Proposition is the Marketing Director of the prospect company "needing qualified leads," then present to him or her more examples of the same type of leads you can offer them through your marketing service.
* Presenting additional Value Propositions: Your goal is to address multiple VOs with multiple Value Propositions and build enough overall acceptance to close. For example, if you are selling an truck to a customer, they may also need help selling (or trading in) their current vehicle. Plus, they may need guidance purchasing accessories for the truck, including a truck bed cap and a tow hitch. The more value you show them in those areas, the higher the likelihood of you making not just the vehicle sale but add-on sales.

When Building Value, keep it conversational. Don't get into a canned sales speech, and keep it in a context that's specific to the customer. Keep building value on a point that they like to talk about. Try to find as many examples of specific value as you can to ensure maximum acceptance.

The Erie Sales Club is a joint effort of four leading local businesses: Jameson Publishing, Marsha Marsh Real Estate Services, VertMarkets, and Howland Peterson Consulting.

Professionals Prepare Pitches & Proofs

Let's start first with definitions Pitches and Proofs before we talk about how to make them work for you. A Pitch is a snippet of information presented in a somewhat broad sense to show how you can provide a product/service that will address the client's Value Opportunities. It's a claim you make -- the concept of what you can do. It is possible to make sales on the concept alone, but it's more effective if you offer Proofs.

Proofs are specific examples that prove what was described by the pitch. It's a validation of value. Here are some principles of strong Proofs:
1. More powerful if someone else (another customer of yours) is saying it. Think reference letters and testimonials.
2. Uses specifics to show or imply the benefits of your features. "Company X is great to work with" isn't very specific. "Company X and their MarketConnect product provided me with 100 leads which increased my sales by $250,000" is much more specific and effective.
3. Includes specific numbers and stats.

How To Deliver Pitches & Proofs
Delivery of Pitches and Proofs is important in determining whether or not the pitch/proof results in accepted value. When using QACF (Question, Answer, Comment, Feedback) to probe, the comment can be a pitch or proof. Do not deliver until you are sure the pitch/proof is both:
1. Appropriate -- adds value to address an identified Value Opportunity
2. Complete -- tells not just what you can do but how it will benefit the client.

It's a good idea to compile and organize a stack of proof sheets so that as fast as you are identifying Value Opportunities, you can find proofs to reinforce the value you deliver. The client should control how quickly you reach a point to deliver a pitch/proof. Let them take their time to define the Value Opportunity. Accuracy is more important than speed.

The Erie Sales Club is a joint effort of four leading local businesses: Jameson Publishing, Marsha Marsh Real Estate Services, VertMarkets, and Howland Peterson Consulting.

The Art Of Offering Value Propositions

Throwing out value without knowing that it will address a Value Opportunity of your customer is uneconomical. There's no reason for a person to buy something unless it satisfies a need. If the customer can see exactly how your products/services can help them, they will be much more likely to buy.

When To Offer Value Propositions
You should initially offer value at the following times: (This does not include offering additional value to build acceptance. We covered that in another posting.)
1. During probing for understanding, once you are confident the Value Proposition will effectively address their Value Opportunity. Delivering customer-specific Value Propositions will build acceptance and lead to closing on the sale.
2. To get the attention of a non-responsive customer if they are trying to get rid of you. You must make an educated guess what value will match their needs based on your precall plan.
3. Part of soliciting feedback to show you're listening to their needs.

How To Offer Value Propositions
Reactive - these are delivered during the call. You react to what they say with the pitches and proofs you know.
1. Use QA (Question/Answer) to gather as much information as possible about the different needs they have that legitimately match up to the services we provide. Do not promise what we cannot deliver, but make sure you uncover all of the ways we can help.
2. Use their excitement level as a way to gauge which needs are of higher priority. They may also tell you their priorities.

Active note-taking (and accurate CRM entries) are crucial to ensure you don't miss anything. Don't just "vomit value." Value should be customer-specific to ensure that you are always adding to their acceptance. What is valuable to one prospect may not matter to another.

Proactive - these are delivered offline, not during the call. You evaluate their Value Opportunities and develop creative Value Propositions and/or creative ways to communicate with them. Here are some ways to offer value if you can't get a meeting with the DM:
1. Email -- but don't get lulled into doing everything via email
2. Fax or Direct Mail -- remember when we used to do this all the time? Well fewer people are faxing or sending direct mail pieces nowadays, so your message will stand out (if it's a good one). Don't just send your marketing materials; always, always, always include a personal note.
3. Through social media - do they have a Facebook page, Twitter account, or LinkedIn listing?
4. Call before or after hours (when the gatekeeper isn't in)
5. Send them a greeting card -- you can find people's birthdays on many social media outlets
6. Send them a personal item -- if they like jellybeans, drop off a bag for them with a note attached.
7. Send their staff a gift -- we recently sent a customer $1 scratch-off lottery tickets for their staff and it was a real hit.
8. Send them a testimonial letter -- this can work especially well when the testimonial is from a competitor of theirs.
9. Join groups they are a member of -- like the Erie Sales Club!

The Erie Sales Club is a joint effort of four leading local businesses: Jameson Publishing, Marsha Marsh Real Estate Services, VertMarkets, and Howland Peterson Consulting.

The 'Shotgun Approach' vs. The 'Rifle Approach'

We've talked previously about identifying Value Opportunities (VOs) and getting to the decision maker. Let's talk today about how to align your Value Proposition(s) with their VOs.

We see too often that a prospect presents a VO and we rush to throw out our Value Proposition(s). The Value Proposition is often mismatched because we do not fully understand the VO first. This does not build acceptance, it can create skepticism and/or indifference, and you can lose credibility when you're wrong in this guessing game. Also, trying to align value too soon is not consultative. You become just another pushy salesperson trying to pitch them something.

There are two approaches to aligning your Value Propositions:
1. Shotgun Approach: Providing value that you THINK is valuable. Maybe the value is important and addresses a Value Opportunity, or maybe it doesn't. It it unlikely the Value Proposition will address the VO.
2. Rifle Approach: Providing value to the prospect that you KNOW is valuable to them. By fully understanding the VO, you know (vs. you guess) the Value Proposition you offer will address the VO.
Obviously the Rifle Approach is the only acceptable method.

If executed properly using the Rifle Approach, eventually you transition from how you could possibly be helping them to how you will be helping them. This can lead to them closing themselves. All of this is rooted in taking the time to ask the right questions. You cannot simply pull VOs from a list, and every customer will have different VOs.

The Erie Sales Club is a joint effort of four leading local businesses: Jameson Publishing, Marsha Marsh Real Estate Services, VertMarkets, and Howland Peterson Consulting.